I Took A Succubus's First Time-Chapter 36: Relocation

Mana churned around them, thick and electric, like the air itself had turned volatile. The man looked up, his eyes catching on the enormous magic circle burning in the sky above, its intricate patterns weaving with an eerie glow.

"Oi, oi, didn't she just cast that earlier?" he muttered, tension lacing his voice. "How the hell can she still pull this off? Shouldn't she be out of mana after that last attack?"

He knew the Sarushima clan's limits well. Their power was fearsome, with raw, destructive force, but their mana reserves were low. They couldn't afford to cast recklessly, or they'd be spent in no time. And after the force of her previous spell—strong enough that he'd needed Marmiadoise's full power to block it—she should be empty.

"It's got to be the child of the anti-prophecy," the old man said, a wary look in his eyes. "I don't know what skill that brat used, but I'd bet that's why the Sarushima girl's come back with a full mana pool. Think you can block it again?"

The old man's own reserves were fading fast, but he was confident he could wear down Kozue's shield just enough to break through if he kept pressing.

"I can only use that move twice," the man said, gritting his teeth. "If I go for it now, I'll be out for a while, useless. We seriously underestimated them."

He hadn't counted on the Sarushima girl coming back fully recharged. Whatever the child of the anti-prophecy could do, it had replenished her mana entirely. The demon hunter association hadn't briefed them on this power—maybe they didn't even know. If this was just some basic mana restoration, they'd never win this fight. There had to be more to it.

"Then I'm using it now!" he shouted, raising his sword high, preparing to drive it into the ground with all the force he had left.

"Not on my watch!" Nagisa's voice cut through the chaos as she launched forward, her movements a blur as she raced to stop him before the sword struck the ground.

"Don't even think about it!" yelled the woman with the Kusanagi, but Hina rained blasts around the man, creating a fiery wall between him and Nagisa to keep her from reaching him, every attack a desperate effort to hold the line and prevent him from setting the barrier against Yuuna's deadly Crimson Dance.

"It's already too late," Yuuna announced, her voice carrying a deadly calm as her spell took form. Countless blood-red nails floated above, hovering like sinister drones awaiting her command. With a flick of her fingers, they descended, plunging toward her enemies with unrelenting precision, each one moving as if guided by her very will.

"Shit! I can't—"

"Guh!"

"Nnggh!"

The three felt their flesh shredding under the rain of blood-forged nails, each piercing bite like a twisted punishment, tearing them apart with merciless precision.

Aria, waiting for the right moment, seized her chance. She moved behind the old man with practiced stealth, her katana poised at the perfect angle. With a swift, deadly motion, she swung the blade down, aiming for the nape of his neck, intent on ending him in a single strike.

"Shit, fuck! We're out of here! This is fucking impossible! Old man, let's go!"

The old man stopped firing, his breathing ragged as he reached under his cloak. His hand emerged, gripping a small object which he tossed to the ground with grim finality. Instantly, smoke erupted around them, thick and swirling, swallowing their figures whole. Aria's katana flashed through the smoke in an attempt to slice through any escape, her slash parting the haze with a gust of wind that blew the smoke aside. But as the veil lifted, the three enemies had vanished, leaving nothing but an empty space.

"They… escaped?" Aria muttered, her eyes narrowing at the spot where they had stood moments ago. A fading magic circle glowed on the ground, its edges still smoldering with residual energy. She didn't recognize the precise runes, but judging by the outcome, it seemed like a transportation or teleportation spell.

"Well, for now… we won," Yuuna said, exhaling as she surveyed the scene. "Everyone, back inside."

She gestured toward the mansion, which, though bearing a few marks of the battle, had thankfully suffered only minimal damage.

***

Later, Kouhei and the others gathered around the living room. Only Yuuna, Hina, Kozue, Nagisa, and Aria were there since the others had chosen to sleep elsewhere tonight. The mansion was quiet, but others were on their way, and they want to find out what had transpired in the Sarushima estate.

"It looks like our location has been compromised," Yuuna said solemnly, a frown creasing her brow. "The Demon Hunter Association knows where we are and, more importantly, that we're harboring the child of the anti-prophecy. We managed to fend them off this time, but there's no telling when or how large their next assault will be. We need to relocate, somewhere they won't expect. Hina, could we move to your place?"

Hina remained expressionless. Moving somewhere more secure meant relocating to the Saonji mansion, which, as the last surviving member of her clan, technically belonged to her. However, she hadn't set foot in that mansion in nearly twenty years. She could only imagine its current state: forgotten, probably choked with dust and cobwebs.

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"So, the main problem would just be cleaning, then?" Yuuna mused thoughtfully, considering the logistics. "Tomorrow's Sunday, so we'll have the time to get it done. Alright, then. Tomorrow, our mission is to clean every last inch of Saonji Mansion until it's spotless."