Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World

Meanwhile, as Yumiko performed her ritual and Asmodeus was flirting with his many beloved women, several intruders were watching from a distance.

Their eyes glowed in the darkness, trying to unveil any secret possible, and amongst them were the main culprits of this action. A wolf with dark grey fur and a scar across her eye watched the Inukami village with sharp eyes.

"Send word to the empress that the abandoned princess has returned." Her words were slow, filled with venom and a bitter tone as she bit her lower lip and crushed the dirt beneath her with both feet in annoyance.

'How could she survive? We sent her to a danger zone, made her a slave... Those useless humans, why couldn't they kill her or make her into a whore?!'

"Damn it!"

"Lady Lupera?! Please calm yourself. The enemy will detect your aura!"

"Hmph... retreat to the outpost. Ensure you aren't spotted, and kill anyone who even appears to have noticed!" Her orders were cold and ruthless but received with great enthusiasm by all present.

The wolves sought the secret of this ritual, but there was something even more pressing as there was an ancient prophecy that the Inukami would become the true rules of the beast empire; once again, a female would rise with the strength and wisdom to guide them into a golden age.

'A fox born of snow and rubies shall come to the land, a princess once before, but an empress with two gifts she shall return.' The broken prophetic stone tablet only contained this much information.

A traitor of the Empire and the Fenrir clan destroyed and stole the other half, so the only thing they could watch out for was the royal family of the Inukami bloodline.

To keep the foxes under their control, they used force, trade restrictions, political tactics, and assassinations; anything to limit the power of this race. What they feared most came to light now...

"This is not good! Not good at all..." Lupera's eyes widened as her aura burst forth from her body uncontrollably. She dashed forward at top speed without looking back or ensuring that those following her could even catch up.

'She shall lead us into ruin...' These words rang in her mind; she had heard them countless times since childhood, an old rhyme that every beastman knew.

Lupera knew the empress trusted her—as cousins, and there was nothing she did for the empress. However, when eliminating threats, this empress didn't care about friends or family. "I must hurry... I can't afford to be involved in this."

Her face was full of terror, and the only path to survival seemed to pass on the information as quickly as possible. Not once did she look back at her confused subordinates—instead, she focused on how to survive without being kicked out of the clan.

In the dark of night, many of the clans suddenly became active.

The return of the princess was an important factor, but they did not realise their greed and desire to have part of the prophecy related to their clan would backfire and cause them to lose everything.

To covet Yumiko Inukami was to covet death.

***

Yumiko's eyes flickered, her hands rubbing them with a soft squish that caused her to smile unconsciously. 'Was it really just a dream? I don't feel so tired...'

She could smell a floral scent mixed with peaches and fresh tea. It felt nostalgic while also foreign. After accepting her two personalities, Yumiko became even more beautiful and relaxed as a beastkin.

The fatigue of yesterday was entirely gone, and she even felt more powerful than usual. The sound of birds chirping could be heard outside of her room while rays of light escaped through the window.

The curtains were thin enough for her to see that the clouds were clear, and the morning sky appeared blue like sapphire. However, she could only give a bitter smile, looking towards the tower to the left of her window.

'I want to meet you, Asmodeus... You were on my mind all night, during the ritual and even now...'

Not once did he appear during the ritual, though some of the clan tried to speak her out of leaving, and because she had just come home, she felt it hard to say no.

This made Yumiko's eyebrows pinch together slightly as she got out of bed before stretching. It didn't matter how much they tried to keep them apart. She was going to meet her husband!

'Let's see... the path, oh yes! It was here.'

"Princess? A gentle voice sounded to the noise inside the room, before opening the sliding doors quickly. A maid with brown hair and fluffy ears entered and a look of worry. "Ah! Princess, you're awake. Shall we get you changed?"

"Mhmm. I should be fine alone..."

"You must not, princess! I will help you." The maid bowed down with respect, her hand gently pulling on Yumiko's white nightgown.

"It is okay! Please wait for me downstairs!" She pushed her away frantically and rushed over to the cupboard. A red eastern dress with gold lining around the edges sat neatly on display.

However, the maid couldn't back down, instead with tears in her eyes. "I beg you, princess, I will be punished."

Yumiko sighed; the beastkin didn't have prejudice normally, but they had strict rules and punishments.

"I... Okay, help me get dressed, then bring me to my husband." Her ears flattened against her head as she saw the fear in her attendant's eyes. Yet when the attendant heard the words, she seemed confused, looking at the princess with genuine wonder.

"Excuse me, but isn't that man just your servant? Princess Yuina said that..." Yumiko didn't understand what she meant by that statement but shrugged it off.

"Do as you are told. Bring me to him immediately after I am ready. There is something he must know." With a sigh, she waited and let herself become an adorable dress-up doll.

The maid looked embarrassed. What she knew made her doubt the clan for the first time. Was the princess really in love with him? This made her feel scared because the elders had already begun looking for a suitable match for her...

While being dressed, she felt nervous, too many thoughts racing through her mind. Yumiko didn't know if Asmodeus would be happy about the news. However, she just felt the need to tell him and hoped he would also be delighted.

On the other side of the village, a group of men and women surrounded the quarters of Asmodeus, and they were the warriors of the Inukami family who seemed to be 'guarding' him, yet there was a dark and strange air to the current situation as Asmodeus hugged the soft body of Ciel and Velvet while listening to the forest's sounds.

'Where is Yumiko? Why is it hard to sense her presence despite being so close last night?'

With one arm behind his head and another across Velvet's waist, he looked at the roof with deep thought.

Asmodeus had always been someone who wanted to become strong; his goal was simple and no matter how hard it felt or how tired he got, his determination never wavered.

Yet something right now felt strange, and his instinct told him not to trust the Inukami clan.

'That Aki woman is still at the door, I will ask her... So annoying, this feeling I hope it's not accurate.'

Sighing heavily, his arms flexed before slowly moving out from under the girls as he sat up and moved around but struggled to find any clothes since he wasn't in the mood.

'Fuck it, why does it matter.'

He walked to the door, the scent of cedarwood and almonds filling the air, drowning out the sweet, relaxing scent of peaches.

"Strange..."

When the door opened, there stood Aki. Her black kimono hugged her voluptuous body, and long, wide sleeves hung down to cover her slender fingers. Only her thumb came through a ring on each sleeve, allowing her to grip her weapon.

"It is not permitted to leave this tower until the ritual has ended!"

She glared at him coldly and tried to force him back into the room without hesitation.

"I won't listen to your bullshit, bring my wife here now, or I'll slaughter you all." A cold and ruthless smile spread across his face. His voice became deeper with anger.

Aki was shocked by his actions. However, his sudden burst of power caught her off guard. She felt like she was being pulled towards him unwillingly, and the words coming out of his mouth filled her mind with fear.

'What's going on, didn't the priestess say this man was weak and nothing but baggage for the princess?!'

Asmodeus pushed past her as if she was nothing before walking down the stairs and outside into the fresh air of nature, ignoring everyone nearby.

He needed to see Yumiko. His soul craved to know where she was and would not accept this kind of treatment.

Aki's hand grabbed the arm of Asmodeus, pulling him back, before he snapped his head to glare at her, causing the black fox to tremble her fur standing on end. "You will regret defying me..."

"I won't!" Her mind raced. She remembered the warning, but as an Inukami, she couldn't betray her master, especially with how coldhearted her mistress was to those who went against orders.

The elders were already setting up a marriage ceremony for the princess and her original fiancé... yet something felt strange and Aki began to doubt their words.

"You have many women... can't you let the princess go--"

Before her words finished, a burst of magic shot from the palm of Asmodeus.

A huge swirling blood flame expanded, the crackling of energy and a sweet scent filling the area before it collided with the mountain beside the ritual pool and exploded with a tremendous burst of energy, causing a black cloud.

"Oh, goddess?!"

"The mountain is collapsing!"

"Run!"

The surrounding guards screamed and surrounded Asmodeus before charging forth, weapons raised as they planned to execute this foreign demon!

Their blades flashed, each of them swinging down or thrusting at him, but no matter how many came at him, Asmodeus casually moved and stepped sideways, avoiding each attack. He did not kill anyone yet, but his swift movements were used to knock them out cold one by one.

"That is enough!!" Aki called out and looked apologetic, but it was clear that even though they could not harm him, they had stopped him from proceeding forward. "Please do not resist. My clan doesn't wish for conflict."

"Stop treating me like some fool—your entire clan makes me want to vomit! Where is my wife!"

"... I cannot tell you," Aki sighed, looking defeated and doubtful.Nôv(el)B\\jnn

***

Yuina looked at her reflection in the pond water, the gentle waves rippling in a slow circle before returning to normal.

'Strange, mother and father always taught me to act for the clan and not with emotions...' Her gaze watched as she felt a sense of confusion in her sister's reaction to the sudden engagement... Two males were lying on the ground, their throats ripped out and crotch torn with a blade.

"S-Sister, is there some misunderstanding? Lord Lupan is a reputable man of high rank..."

"Haha, are you stupid, Yuina? What high rank?! He's garbage compared to my husband!" Yuina bit her lower lip before kicking his body and sighing heavily.

She was confused, and her feelings torn.

To come home and then suddenly the elders act as if they know everything, suddenly speaking about marriage and bullshit she doesn't care about.

'I will only marry one man!' Yet after killing several of them, she also realised that they weren't forcing it but seemed genuinely confused.

'It's as if they never thought I would refuse?! Why?'

Looking around at the temple, a look of regret and sadness came over her. How long had it been since she left? But things hadn't changed. The scent of lotus incense floated through the temple, and candles burned softly.

"I am going to Asmodeus!"

"...I will inform the elders," Yuina bowed, speaking with a bitter tone before leaving, unsure what to say, a sense of frustration at her own stupidity and making her sister feel distressed.

They were sisters... they shared a childhood... why did it seem so hard to speak freely now? Even worse, she couldn't understand why Yumiko liked that man and forsook the clan rules.

Both sisters gazed at each other and could only ask the other in their minds.

''Why did things go wrong?''

The next moment, the magic of Asmodeus hit the mountain, and the face of Yuina turned pale as she realised the gravity of the mistake she made by following the elder's advice.