Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

The square was slowly devolving into chaos, but Melisa was strangely calm.

Her tail flicked behind her as she ducked under a beam of searing light, the heat kissing the back of her neck. The emerald-haired woman moved with the precision of a predator, her hands tracing spellsigns faster than most mages could dream of.

"Ventus, ferra, stralia!" the woman shouted, sending a wave of razor-sharp wind highlighted by the sapphire aura of Essence slicing toward Melisa.

Melisa's wand flashed through the air as she countered with her own spell.

"Lumin, corta, aegis!" A barrier of shimmering light appeared in front of her, the wind blades scattering harmlessly against it like leaves caught in a storm.

The crowd gasped. Melisa caught a glimpse of Aria in the front row, her silver eyes wide and unguarded. The princess looked... shocked.

[Good. The real fight obviously hasn't started yet, but... Maybe I can still use this.]

The woman sneered, her violet eyes narrowing.

"How insulting. Your magic is a mockery of arcane studies!"

"Oh, yeah?" Melisa shot back, her smirk widening. She stepped sideways, her wand tracing a new spell as she moved. "What does that make yours then?"

The woman snarled, raising both hands.

"Inferna, mueva, arda!" Twin streams of fire spiraled toward Melisa, their heat distorting the air.

Melisa's wand moved like a conductor's baton, her voice ringing out as she plucked spells from her memory. With so many memorized, so many studied, she didn't even think she was in any real danger yet.

That said, obviously, the woman was probably holding back the same way she was.

"Frizam, aires, surgia!" A blast of icy wind surged forward, meeting the fire in a hissing explosion of steam. The square filled with mist, cloaking the combatants for a moment.

[Okay, don't win too hard, Melisa. Not just yet.] She reminded herself, her tail curling tighter around her thigh. [If I fry this lady in front of the princess, it's going to look bad. Real bad. But, if I can make it look like that's her goal, not mine, then... Maybe I've got myself a legal argument, hehe.]

Through the dissipating mist, the lady's sneer returned, now laced with something darker. Melisa could feel the shift in the Essence in the air, a tightening, like a bowstring drawn to its limit.

The next spell wouldn't just be for show.

"Lierna, strix, tempestum!" Belstadt shouted, her hands moving in a flurry. A swirling vortex of dark energy formed in front of her, growing larger and more menacing with each passing second.

"Oh, hell no," Melisa muttered, her wand already in motion.

"Solus, ventus, dispersa!"

A brilliant column of golden light erupted from her wand, striking the vortex head-on. The clash of spells filled the square with a deafening roar, the ground trembling beneath their feet. Melisa dug in, her heels scraping against the stage as she pushed against the torrent of energy.

Suddenly:

"Cease this at once!"

The command rang out, clear and sharp, cutting through the chaos like a blade. Melisa's focus wavered just enough for her spell to falter, the vortex dissipating harmlessly.

[Huh?]

Aria stepped forward, her knights flanking her protectively.

The murmurs of the audience began to grow. The woman Melisa had just been trading spells with seemed to sort of realize where she was again, instantly straightening her posture and trying to take a more refined position.

"In the name of the princess, I command you both to stop!" Aria's voice carried the weight of authority, her silver eyes flashing as she looked between them. "Goodness. Perhaps this was foolish of me but I did not expect either of you to be so brash as to come to blows this way. Blackflame, you are the court sorceress's student! Lady Belstatd, you are a royal advisor! And you two think this is appropriate behavior for ones in your positions!?"

Melisa straightened, lowering her wand but keeping it ready.

[Belstadt, huh? So, that's her name, then?]

"With all due respect, Your Highness, she started it," she said, pointing the wand's tip toward Belstadt.

"She provoked me!" Belstadt shot back, her hands glowing faintly with residual Essence. "Her words were clearly meant to manipulate and deceive. That's all she knows how to do, isn't it? Look at your necklace! You know my words to be true!"

Melisa's gaze snapped to Aria's chest—purely out of curiosity, she told herself. The glowing rune on the princess's necklace pulsed softly, its light casting an eerie glow on her pale skin.

"That rune glows when a nim tries to influence you," Belstadt said triumphantly, her voice dripping with venom. "And it is glowing as we speak!"

[Wait, what?] Melisa blinked. [I haven't used my pheromones at all, though. And she's not close enough for them to affect her naturally.]

"That's not true!" Melisa barked, her tail lashing angrily. "I haven't done anything—"

"Enough!" Aria's voice silenced them both. Her hand moved to the necklace, her fingers brushing against the glowing rune as her expression darkened. "Both of you must cease this pointless confrontation at once! I will not... Huh?"

Before either of them could say another word, a knight approached the princess, whispering something in her ear. Aria's face drained of color, her regal composure cracking for just a moment.

"Your Highness?" Melisa ventured, her voice softer now.

But Aria didn't respond. She turned abruptly, her cloak swirling behind her as she strode away, her knights scrambling to follow. The crowd parted like waves before her, their whispers hushed but frantic.

Melisa stared after her, stunned.

[What just happened?]

"Well," Belstadt said, her voice breaking the tense silence. She stepped forward, her pleasant mask gone. In its place was a look of pure malice, her violet eyes gleaming with unrestrained fury. "Now that she's gone, let's drop the pretenses, shall we?"

Melisa's grip on her wand tightened as the woman's Essence flared dangerously.

"I'm going to kill you, Blackflame."

---

{Aria}

The palace loomed ahead.

Its towering spires and gleaming banners were an imposing reminder of duty and expectation. But for Aria, the sight that usually inspired steadiness and calm now seemed to smother her.

Her heartbeat thudded in her ears as she hurried through the gates, her knights struggling to match her pace. The whispers from the square—the skirmish, the accusations—were already fading into the back of her mind, eclipsed by the news she'd just received.

The king was dying.

She clutched her cloak tighter, the edges of the fabric brushing against her legs as she ascended the palace steps two at a time. The halls, lined with servants and guards, blurred together as she marched forward. Her usually composed demeanor was cracking, and for once, she didn't care who saw.

A steward met her at the entrance to her father's chambers, his face grim.

"Princess Aria," he said, bowing low. "The king... he has been asking for you."

She pushed past him without a word, her breathing uneven. The heavy doors creaked open, revealing a room bathed in the golden light of the setting sun. It was warm, too warm, but the oppressive heat did little to chase the chill from her bones.

The king lay in his bed, his once-imposing frame diminished beneath layers of fine silk. His breathing was shallow, his skin pale, but his eyes—those sharp, piercing eyes—found hers the moment she entered.

"Aria," he rasped, a weak smile tugging at his lips.

"Father," she whispered, hurrying to his side. Her gloved hands hesitated for a moment before she took his, afraid that even the slightest pressure might break him. "I came as soon as I heard."

He chuckled weakly, the sound a pale imitation of the robust laugh she remembered from her childhood.

"You always were quick on your feet," he said, his voice wavering. "A quality I'm proud of... even now."

Her throat tightened, but she refused to let her composure falter. Not here. Not now.

"Save your strength, Father. We'll find a way—Zephyra, Melisa—they're working tirelessly. There must be something we can do."

He shook his head, the movement barely perceptible.

"It's too late for that, my girl. I've held on longer than anyone thought possible. Longer than I thought possible." His gaze grew distant, his voice taking on a grim undertone. "That girl's magic is remarkable. But no spell, no invention, can keep death at bay forever."

She opened her mouth to argue, to insist that they hadn't exhausted all options, but his hand tightened weakly around hers.

"Listen to me, Aria. There are things you must know."

His words silenced her protests. She leaned in, her silver hair cascading over her shoulder like a veil as she met his gaze.

"It was them," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. "The Shadow Mages... and your mother."

Aria froze, the words striking her like a physical blow. She'd heard this once already and, what, now? Now he wanted to bring it up again???

"The gala," he continued, his breath hitching. "The poison... I believe they worked together. She—Melara—she wanted me gone. The diplomatic meetings with Rhaya, the concessions to the nim of the city—it was all too much for her."

Her mind reeled. The queen? Her mother? The kind, regal figure Aria had known all her life? It didn't make sense.

The idea seemed absurd, and yet... shadows of doubt crept in.

"I... I don't understand," she stammered, her carefully crafted mask of control cracking. "Why would she...?"

"The Shadow Mages," he said again, his voice firmer despite his weakening body. "They've been manipulating events, pulling strings. They poisoned me. I am sure of it. And then, when Melara served her purpose, they killed her too."

Now, that made Aria's head snap up.

[What?]

Aria's heart twisted.

"Father, I—" she began, but he interrupted her with a pained groan. His hand fell away from hers, trembling as he clutched at the blankets. Your next read is at My Virtual Library Empire

"The Shadow Mages aren't finished. They won't stop until... until this kingdom is theirs. Or, well, theirs again, hehe," he laughed weakly. "My reign has been the only solid blow to their plans in centuries. Now, they fear yours will be the same. You must be vigilant, Aria. Protect our people. Protect... Syux."

Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them away.

"I will, Father," she said, her voice steady despite the storm raging inside her. "I swear it."

His lips curved into a faint smile.

"I know you will. You've always been strong. Stronger than I ever was."

His breathing grew shallower, each exhale a labored effort. Aria clung to his hand, her own trembling now as the reality of the moment sank in.

"I'm proud of you, Aria," he murmured, his eyes fluttering closed. "Never forget that."

And then, silence.

The world seemed to stop as she watched the rise and fall of his chest slow... and then cease. The warmth of his hand in hers faded.

Aria closed her eyes.

And, if she could keep them closed for the rest of her life, she would. She didn't want to see what she knew to be the case, right in front of her.