Weeks had passed since Lyra's arrival, and the cave behind the waterfall had transformed from a solitary dojo into a home. Lyra, with her motherly, hardworking nature, had taken charge of domesticating their sanctuary. She organized their meager supplies, fashioned proper bedding from furs and dried moss, and with a fierce, possessive pride, began tending to Yrauos as he continued his relentless training.
Their dynamic was a study in contrasts. His cold, focused intensity was warmed by her sharp-tongued care. Her vow to preserve her virginity for him was a sacred pact between them, a line of control in the midst of their growing, passionate intimacy. They were a unit, bound by a shared past and a promised future.
It was during one of Yrauos's meditation sessions, his Voidstar Eye passively scanning the forest, that he detected it. A flicker of foreign Essence, weak and erratic, entering the periphery of his domain. It was not the disciplined flow of a hunter or the primal energy of a beast. It was... demonic, but thin, like a guttering candle flame tainted with shadow.
He opened his eyes. "We have a visitor."
Lyra, who was mending a tear in his tunic, immediately looked up, her fox ears twitching, her expression shifting from domestic calm to protective alertness. "Who? Bounty hunters?"
"Unlikely. It's a single signature. Weak. Injured." He stood, his movements silent and fluid. "Stay here."
"Like hell I will," she retorted, setting the tunic aside and standing with him. "We're a team now."
He didn't argue. Her fierce loyalty was a weapon he respected. Together, they slipped out of the cave and into the dappled green light of the forest, their Presence Concealment making them phantoms among the trees.
They found her collapsed by a stream, half in the water. She was a small figure, even younger than they were, no more than eight years old. Her clothes were torn and travel-stained. Her skin was pale, and a nasty, purplish bruise marred her cheek. What marked her as other were the two small, nub-like horns protruding from her messy dark green hair, and the thin, black succubus tail that lay limp in the mud. Her long, elf-like ears drooped in exhaustion.
"A... succubus?" Lyra whispered, a mix of surprise and caution in her voice. Demons were not uncommon in this world, but they were rarely seen so deep in the wilderness, and never so young and vulnerable.
Yrauos's Voidstar Eye analyzed her. Her demonic Essence was innate, but her core was Crude and dangerously depleted. She was no threat. She was a wounded child.
"Help me get her to the cave," Yrauos said, his tone leaving no room for debate.
They carried the unconscious succubus girl back to their sanctuary. Lyra cleaned her wounds with practiced, gentle hands while Yrauos prepared a nourishing broth from dried meat and forest herbs. As the warm, savory scent filled the cave, the girl began to stir.
Her eyes fluttered open, revealing a startling, deep blue. They were innocent, wide with confusion and fear, before focusing on Yrauos, who was watching her impassively.
"Wh-where...?" she mumbled, her voice small and scratchy.
"You're safe," Lyra said, her tone firm but kind. "You were hurt. We brought you to our home. Drink this." She helped the girl sit up and held a cup of broth to her lips.
The succubus drank greedily, color slowly returning to her cheeks. When she finished, she looked between them, her gaze lingering on Yrauos with an unnerving intensity.
"My name is Miriel," she said, a cheerful, outspoken quality emerging despite her weakness. "Thank you for saving me! Those mean men in the village threw rocks at me and chased me away just because I was hungry and tried to take an apple." She pouted, her lower lip trembling. "They called me a monster."
Lyra's expression softened with empathy. She knew what it was like to be hated for what you were.
"You are welcome here, Miriel," Yrauos stated, his voice calm and authoritative. "For now. Rest."
Over the next few days, Miriel recovered with a speed that spoke of her demonic resilience. Her true personality emerged—a hyperactive, mischievous, and disarmingly innocent ball of energy. She was slow-minded in a strategic sense, but possessed a sharp, innate cunning. She followed Yrauos around with puppy-like devotion, her blue eyes sparkling with a mixture of awe and something else... a deep, primal attraction.
She was utterly fascinated by him. His power, his silence, his commanding presence. For a succubus, even a young one, the allure of such a potent soul was irresistible.
One evening, as Yrauos was sharpening his bone dagger and Lyra was preparing dinner, Miriel sat cross-legged, watching him, her head tilted.
"Yrauos is really strong, isn't he?" she said, her voice loud and cheerful in the quiet cave.
Lyra smirked. "You have no idea."
"And he's so handsome!" Miriel continued, blushing slightly. "And you, Lyra, are so pretty and have such big, soft pillows!" She giggled, a lustful, innocent gleam in her eyes. "I like it here. I don't want to leave."
Yrauos looked up, meeting her gaze. "You may stay until you are fully healed and decide on a destination."
Miriel shook her head, her green hair swishing. "No. I've decided." She scrambled to her knees and then bowed her head deeply until her forehead touched the stone floor, her small horns pointing forward. It was a gesture of profound submission.
"Yrauos-sama," she said, her usually loud voice now small and serious. "You saved me. You gave me food and a safe place. No one has ever been so kind to me. My... my instincts tell me you are a great master. A being of immense power I should serve." She looked up, her blue eyes blazing with a fervent, absolute loyalty. "Please! Let me stay! Let me serve you! I'll do anything! I'll be good, I promise!"
Lyra watched, a complex mix of emotions on her face—surprise, caution, and a flicker of understanding. She could see the genuine devotion in the young succubus.
Miriel then blushed an even deeper red, her perverted nature surfacing alongside her innocence. "A-and... when I'm older... I know I can't be your wife like Lyra-nee... but... please, let me be your concubine! I want to be yours, Yrauos-sama! Completely!"
The cave fell silent, save for the crackle of the fire. Lyra's eyes narrowed, but it was more thoughtful than angry. She understood the dynamics of powerful beings and the allure they held. In a strange way, Miriel's blunt, lustful honesty was refreshing.
Yrauos looked at the prostrate succubus girl. She was an unknown variable. A potential risk. But his Voidstar Eye saw no deception in her Essence, only a desperate, adoring sincerity. She was offering him her absolute loyalty, a resource as valuable as any skill or weapon. And her demonic heritage could offer unique advantages.
He stood and walked over to her. He placed a hand on her head, between her small horns. Miriel shivered at the touch, a happy, needy sound escaping her.
"Your loyalty is accepted, Miriel," Yrauos said, his voice echoing with finality. "You may stay. You will train. You will obey. You are under my protection now."
Miriel looked up, tears of joy streaming down her face. "Thank you, Master! I swear I will be the most loyal concubine ever! I'll serve you and Lyra-nee with all my heart and body!"
As she hugged his legs in sheer delight, Yrauos glanced at Lyra. The fox-girl gave a slight, resigned but accepting nod. Their small family of outcasts had just grown by one. The stoic shinobi, the tsundere beast-kin, and now a lustful, hyperactive young succubus who had sworn her soul to him. The path to peace was becoming far more complicated, and far more interesting, than he had ever imagined.