***The Infernal Plane of Lust***

***Amon***

“Ahem, yeah… well…” Shamkart looked like he felt somewhat uncomfortable with my practices. “Just make sure not to play with nukes anywhere close to me or my legion. Taking such risks might pay off while you are some low-level bottom-feeder, but the more souls you have, the less profitable such gambles get.”

I frowned, wishing I could dispute the argument, but the man had a point. “There is truth to that,” I admitted.

Playing the MAD-game would be increasingly unprofitable the more souls I had stored up. As someone who was now the proud owner of over a million souls, I wasn’t especially eager to repeat my improvised nuke-solution. What if it went off somewhere in the wilds and the Infernum didn’t count it as suicide for whatever reason? I would lose a tenth of my souls for almost no gain in return.

“I think I will leave you to your duties then. There is still some cleaning up to do, even if we got the enemy’s Anima Stone,” the legion commander excused himself and turned to leave rather quickly, apparently uneasy with being too close to me. “Ebandon, you will join me?”

“Of course!” Ebandon followed the legion commander, but not before he shot Ex a meaningful look.

Still wondering what that was about, I harrumphed once they were far enough away and returned to my inner musings, trying to remember what I was thinking about when those high-profile characters decided to interrupt me.

Isabella frowned when my attention slipped away, her expression saying that she was afraid of whichever stupidity I would come up with next. “What are you thinking about now? Are you even aware that I almost got a heart attack when they took you?”

“Demons don't die because of body-failures,” I replied without thinking, not worrying at all that she could really have a heart attack. As far as I knew, our race wasn’t capable of dying without violence involved.

Then I added absent-mindedly, “And I am trying to come up with a sufficient testing scenario to verify the duplication of items through killing demons with spacial enchantments attached to their bodies because I noticed that I respawned with mine intact.” Already, I tried to concoct an inconspicuous way to secure some test-subjects.

The succubus growled, clearly dissatisfied with my reply. “Really? Don’t you think you are going at this all wrong?”

“I am?” I frowned and turned my full attention to Isabella.

“Yeah, for example, what makes you think that I – or any other demon – couldn’t answer that question easily enough?” she replied snappily. “Without experiments.”

“I-” I tried to come up with a witty reply, but after giving it a moment of thought, I had to admit that such an obvious loophole in the system would have been noticed by others millennia before I entered the scene.

Without a doubt, I was trying to reinvent something that had assuredly already been tested by others. “Does it work?”

“Nope,” Isabella replied with a smug expression. “Never assume that the Planar Lords give you something for free. You might've respawned with your spacial storage intact, but don't be fooled. This wasn't a newly generated pocket with all the items inside it duplicated as you assumed. It’s the same storage space that was attached to your dead body. The Anima Stones are simply transferring the pocket dimension to the new body. There is no easy item duplication – aside from the components that hold the enchantment. Like the somewhat cheap ink for the runic tattoos, or the metal that was used for the engraving in your horns – or claws. Some especially loony individuals even lay runic enchantments on their bones or teeth.”

“Bones?” How would that work? I winced at the thought. It would require someone to peel the flesh from their bones to lay the engraving and fill it with an inlaid metal for the enchantment to anchor to, and then heal the damage afterwards. My new solution of shaping the free energies around me in order to achieve a strengthening effect was definitely the less hurtful solution.

Now that I thought about it, I definitely had to look into the possibilities of organic enchantments.

“Any other questions that can be easily answered?” Isabella asked.

“Ahem,” I cleared my throat and frowned at the offer. Instead of complaining, it would probably be best to redirect the conversation to another topic. “Why was the legion commander here anyway? Doesn’t he have important stuff to do? Like, leading the legion? And, what was that about the enemy’s Anima Stone? He said something about capturing it, but I just respawned. How did they manage that so quickly?”

Ex clapped me on the back. “You didn’t know? The wards in the enemy's camp broke and your nuke propelled the enemy’s Anima Stone away from their base like some piece of debris. It landed right among our troops, ripe for the capture!”

“It did!?” I totally didn’t expect that to happen. It certainly wasn't a part of my plan. “But wouldn’t that cause a gigantic melee once all the killed demons respawned right among our warriors?”

My tutor nodded but didn’t seem overly concerned by the possibility. “The chance exists, given that you aren’t prepared to take advantage of the opportunity. Normally, such a scenario would be shamelessly used to spawn-camp the enemy’s soldiers down to zero. But in this case, our legion managed to perform a claiming-ritual – which resets the Anima Stone. Any demon who is bound to it will be forcefully disconnected. It's the go-to method for ending battles between legions quickly. Every legion commander worth his souls has at least a few separate teams ready to perform the spell should the opportunity present itself.”

That made me turn serious since I had only a scant few Anima Stones which I was currently bound to. Three, maybe five. There was the one in the hatchery and the one that was close to Baaar. Though, I didn't know whether they would work with me in another Infernal Plane. Nor would I want them to. If possible, I would keep my distance from Gluttony for the rest of eternity.

Isabella had made me bind to the public Irkos settlement stone and the one in the wilds close to that chaos rift when we visited my predecessor’s mansion. And not to forget, there was the warband's own Anima Stone. “But what happens to all those demons who had their respawn point registered with the Anima Stone?”

Ex shrugged. “That’s the downside of the claiming ritual. They will simply respawn at their previous binding point. Which means that we will have to fight them again at some point. But I understand why Shamkart used the chance without hesitation. The battlefield was already a chaotic mess and if that other legion commander had respawned it would have turned from a battle to a mere bloodbath. Now the legion has time to claim the nearby settlements without much resistance while Sogman’s scattered forces will have to reunite before they can face Shamkart's legion again. I doubt that all of his men had the same secondary binding-point, and once Shamkart's position is consolidated, it will be an uphill battle for them.”

I nodded in appreciation of the older demon's explanation. “So it's a strategic victory for us, rather than a true one, since the legion we just fought may simply reassemble around a new Anima Stone.”

“That's not as easy as it sounds,” Uphir informed me. “There is a reason why most settlements stay in place for millenia. A settlement's Anima Stone, as well as a Lode Stone, is not only indestructible, but most are also immovable objects. The Planar Lords only granted us a finite amount of Anima Stones that can be moved around, probably to limit the infighting among a Plane's population. Though, I heard that the Planar Lord of Wrath gives them out like candy.”

I wisely stayed silent about that. It likely wasn’t smart to be too open about the fact that I knew how to destroy these indestructible objects. Though, that had been an accident of its own.

“So there is no question that all the movable ones are claimed by legions,” I clarified for myself. Meaning that Shamkart's victory wasn't a small one. Khorne could form a new legion around the captured Anima Stone, while Sogman would have to redirect another legion to this area if he wanted to retake it. Additionally, the troops from the defeated legion would be forced to operate close to a settlement from now on or join another legion.

I let out a long and deflating sigh, somewhat sad that there was no need for enlightening experiments. “Guess we just celebrate our victory then? Are there any inns nearby, or do we have to use the Warband's Anima Stone to teleport back to Irkos? Since I just got an evolution, drinks are on me tonight!” I blinked and looked at the Anima Stone which I was still standing close to. “Which reminds me... how does a warband leader like Ebandon have a mobile Anima Stone if they are so valuable? Especially in times of war?”

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Isabella smirked and winked at me. “Ebandon's Warband isn't as famous and renowned as it is without reason... and it helps that Mother is backing it. Which includes certain assets a normal warband wouldn’t have access to.”

“I think I understand,” I replied, taking the hint. Lady Ashborn's fame and influence hadn't escaped my attention. Isabella really hadn't joked when she said that Ashley was a Demon Lord in everything but name. It stood to reason that someone like that had at least a few legions of her own.

Likely Ashley had Ebandon so thoroughly under her thumb with some kind of contract that allowed her to have him do almost everything she wanted. Another possibility was that Ashley had founded the warband in the first place with Ebandon as a figurehead, which would explain why he was so subservient to any of her daughters. In other words, Ebandon's Warband was just a facade. In reality, the warband was a little legion of its own that belonged to Lust's foremost spymaster.

“Oh, I know a good locale!” Jebril announced jumping onto my offering. “Follow me to Irkos and I will show you the good stuff.” With a wink and a few motes of dispersing energy, she vanished.

Shax was about to touch the Anima Stone when a shadow tackled him from behind.

“Shaxy Baby!”

The large demon didn’t budge the slightest, but his eyes widened when he heard Jada’s voice.

“Gah!” He tried to reach for his back, but the succubus that had latched onto him only giggled madly and evaded his huge arms with unnatural ease while crawling over his body like some cat that had found an especially good scratching tree.

Then a stroke of genius came to the otherwise slow demon and he touched the Anima Stone, vanishing to leave Jada grasping only air. The succubus let out a disappointed shriek and faceplanted on the ground, only to jump up and to vanish through the Anima Stone herself.

I shook my head while the others used the Anima Stone one after the other to return to the settlement that we came to call our home. “Is this thing between Jada and Shax going to become a problem?” I asked.

Isabella shook her head. “Big Sis normally sucks her lovers dry within days. The fact that Shax lasted this long means that she likes him. I think she will keep him around for at least a few decades if he doesn’t mess up.”

“Mess up?” I didn’t like the sound of that.

“Like, going for another demoness?” Isabella looked uncertain and then glared at me. “You wouldn’t know it, but the succubi in my family line are the jealous type. We don’t like it when our bonds run around and share energy with others. Jada especially.”

Did she mean to imply that she also wouldn’t tolerate me going after other demonesses? Or was this only about the energy sharing thing? If so, then it would be okay to fuck someone like Kitia or Jebril?

I cleared my throat, reminding myself that while I had a bond with Isabella, she didn’t have any right to harbour feelings like that. If I wanted to, I could satiate my lust with any female I found pleasing. “Let’s find this locale that Jebril was talking about and have some fun!” And with that, I stepped forward and touched the Anima Stone.

***The Infernal Plane of Lust***

***Jada***

My head was buzzing and my vision swam, but by the Infernum, I didn’t regret the night one bit. Isabella’s new friends knew how to party. We got ourselves a private room in the city’s most respected locale, including room service. Certainly not a cheap affair, but I wasn’t the one who so proudly proclaimed that he would throw us a party.

Then we rocked the night until early in the morning. And Shax even brought out a special treat, a fae who he had kept stored away in stasis somehow. I could still taste the fresh fae blood on my tongue. Once my big muscle-head becomes a little more comfortable with talking he would have to teach me how that worked. Most storage spaces weren’t capable of storing living prey.

I tiptoed through the bar and squinted while I held a new bottle of millennia-old dragon blood to my chest. It wasn’t as tasty as the fae blood, but it had more punch to it. In mortal terms, it was like comparing a good wine to a bottle of rum. Demons would never get drunk from normal beverages, but if anything did the trick, then it was dragon juice.

The little djinn had indeed chosen well when she guided my sister’s party to the Impaling Horn, one of Irkos’s best places to celebrate without unwanted interruptions. Normally, I wouldn’t hesitate to use the more interesting services which the place provided, like the male harem they kept in the basement. Did Isabella already know of them? I had to ask my other sisters so that I didn’t spoil the fun for little Isa. But who needed a harem when there was a special hunk of a demon to ride.

That was if the hunk didn’t somehow manage to hide. I steadied myself at a stool and searched the room. The abundant life energy that was flooding my system made it somewhat hard to stay upright, so I teetered slightly to the left while I took in the private lounge that the party had rented.

It was made entirely from dragonbone, a valuable material, and very amenable to enchantments. Seeing an entire room furnished with it felt like a huge waste, but that was the reason why the Impaling Horn had an infamous reputation.

Philomena, the large demoness that almost rivalled Shax in physical prowess had passed out with her back on the floor. Uphir hadn’t fared any better and was snoring while sleeping on top of her – with his face nestled between those enormous boobs of hers.

Damned war-demons and their ridiculous evolutions! Not that I was jealous or anything of the like. I could make mine as large as I wanted to. But damn, having such things without shapeshifting was just unfair!

My gaze wandered onwards, finding the little djinn who would never shut up sitting at the bar and talking enthusiastically about something to the bartender. Only after squinting again in order to ward the floating after-images away, I realized that the bartender was nowhere to be seen. It was likely the reason why I hadn’t been challenged when I secured a new bottle of the good stuff for myself and Shax.

No, the djinn was so far gone, she was talking to her own reflection in the mirror across the bar.

I wobbled but managed to straighten myself. “Damn. I am getting old. There was a time when I downed ten bottles without feeling anything!” I complained and staggered forward, almost tripping over the yuki-onna that was curled up on the floor with a slight sheen of frost surrounding her. I clicked my tongue and snarled when my brain didn’t immediately provide the answer.

Kitia! That was her name!

But squint as I might, I couldn’t locate the well-endowed boulder that I had claimed as my own. Only my little sister was sitting in a booth in the corner and trailing a finger over the edge of her glass.

So I stalked forward, carefully setting one foot in front of the other so that I wouldn’t fall, and threw myself into the chair next to her. “Are you moping, little princess? Did your man also run off like my Shax?”

She sighed. “Your Shax didn’t run off. He just said that he would step out for a minute to get some fresh air.”

I frowned and narrowed my eyes. “You are lying! Where is Shax?” Then I pointed at my finger in order to blackmail her. “Don’t forget that it was because of your man that I ruined my fingernail!”

The damage had been shape-shifted away easily enough, but that wasn’t the point. A succubus’ appearance was holy, and to tarnish it was a sacrilege.

Isabella rolled her eyes. “Excuse me for the translation!” She lowered her voice until it perfectly matched the one of my mate. “He said: ‘Air. B… Back!’ And then he stomped off.”

“Infernum! Claire’s lessons really improved your skill!” I relaxed and took a sip from the bottle. “And that sounds more like him. Though I think what you aren’t mentioning is that he ran off.”

After pondering the situation for a moment, I shrugged. “Doesn’t matter. I will find him through the bond after he had some time to cool off. It will be more fun if he isn’t drunk.”

Isabella smiled at the compliment, and I used the chance to pry. “So, did our elder Sister teach you a new skill while she was at it.”

Isabella sighed. “Not really. But she really sent me through the wringer to ensure that I got my shapeshifting down. And then she had me repeat that cloning technique of hers until I started uttering the spell matrix in my sleep.”

I smiled to myself. “Cloning… ah… what a fun skill. The guys are always stumped when a single succubus decides to gang-bang them. Have I told you the tale of when I used Cloning to trick Pride’s avatar into signing a breeding contract with himself? I bet the guy is still trying to figure that one out. But now that we are talking about men…”

Just to make sure, I surveyed the room again. “Where is your guy? Shouldn’t you two be celebrating his evolution? I admit that I didn’t honestly believe him to live up to his potential, but if he keeps growing at this rate you might actually be able to use him as a shield against Khorne.”

“He ran off with the bartender.” My little sister bristled, clearly displeased by the betrayal.

I racked my brain, zoning out for a moment until I remembered that the bartender for this private lounge had been a La Sayona, a cute little thing who had certainly been appointed by the owner to service her customers in more than one way. “You are alright with this? I thought you bonded with him.”

If Shax pulled something like this with me, I would rip off his balls and pop them in front of his eyes. Then I would send him to respawn and do it again just to drive the point home. And then, maybe, I would give him a chance to make it up to me. “Just tell the word, little Isa, and I get Claire and Danielle involved. The three of us will teach him what it means to scorn our little princess!”

I was already hyping myself up for some good old succubus trickery, but Isabella grumbled something and held up a hand to stop me.

Then she grinned evilly. “Don’t worry. Amon is a hard nut to crack, but he will realize sooner or later that I am the one for him. I want him to realize that I am his and he is mine. No mind manipulation involved.”

The wind had been taken out of my sails. “How boring. Let me tell you, men never realize what’s good for them. Nor will Amon. He will struggle against the inevitable until his end.”

Isabella shook her head, apparently very sure of her course. “I am convinced that he will come to me on his own accord sooner or later. There is no way that any of his adventures could have given him the same satisfaction he would’ve gotten from me.”

I frowned, thinking hard before I threw my head back and laughed heartily, knowing exactly which angle my devilish little sister was playing at.