The Hero Became a Succubus, and the Only Way to Level is to… What?!

It didn't take a genius for Kanae to recognize what a colossal mistake she had made, challenging the strongest knight in the Empire of Ortesia. A knight raised and forged to be the empire's problem-solver. Moreover, in a one on one fight! 

Gold picked up a discarded morningstar, empowered it with holy energy and swung with devastating force. Kanae dashed out of the way as weapon impacted the ground with enough power to create earthquakes. However, when she wrenched it from the earth, there were cracks all over the morningstar. Fissures glistened with holy golden energies.

"Stop dodging!" Gold yelled and chased after her.

"Of course, I'm dodging! You think I want to get hit by that?!" Kanae cried.

If only she had Claudia's skill, Project Agony. At least the pummeling would reflect back to Gold. It wasn't the holy attribute that she was afraid of, but the physical damage. A single strike might actually knock Kanae out entirely.

It didn't help that Edina had gone with others to pursue the ships. She left an army of undead and six death knights behind, but they were severely outnumbered by the Ortesians here. Once the undead's numbers were decimated, that was game over here.

Gold picked up and hurled a smite-infused barrel.

"Wait, you can smite me with things that aren't weapons?" Kanae blinked in disbelief.

"I can do more than just that. I'll stomp your head in!" Gold roared.

Kanae switched on Sadist. Her lips curled up to a smirk.

"The other me might have liked that, but I'll be the one doing the stomping! Have a taste of my own smites!" Kanae exclaimed, retaliating with a flurry of whips.

Each hit that landed on Gold passed through her armor. She winced and twitched to Turn Horny being applied to every attack. Since it was a succubus spell, the magic shouldn't have reached her because of the anti-succubus magic potion. However, Lust ignored defenses and armor while Sadist mode inflicted Turn Horny as a direct effect.

"I told you before that I've trained to resist pleasure from a succubus!" On the verge of climaxing, Gold stampeded right up to her with the morningstar raised.

"Have you trained your ass? Magic hand!" Kanae conjured a transluscent magical hand and forced a finger up her asshole.

Gold jerked hard and swung wide. Kanae barely ducked out of the way, but morningstar connected with her right horn. She recoiled as searing holy energies assaulted her.

Fortunately, Greater Holy Resistance did most of the legwork, and she came out mostly unscathed. Pieces of her horn that got hit broke off, but the high elven knight's morningstar disintegrated too. A nearby death knight, maybe from Edina looking in, lumbered up to Kanae in a defensive manner.

"Tsk. Like I thought, anything other than Shifting Steel just won't cut it." Gold tossed the handle which was all that was left over her shoulder, then grabbed a longsword from an unconscious Ortesian.

Kanae shuddered even in Sadist. It took an enchanted weapon to withstand Gold's smites?

"I had it all in the palm of my hand. Luxury, a harem, peace… You ripped that all away from me." Gold glared.

"It's not too late," Kanae said, ending Sadist to speak with her normally. "This time, for real. No tricks. I can give you all the luxuries you could ever want. A nice castle, staffed with the cutest boys if you would just stop fighting. Ortesia would never have given that to you. They made you what you are. My parents tried to control me, too. You think they let me go easily? The empire won't either. One day, when they need you again— and they will— Ortesia will snatch you up and send you out to fight again. Or if you really want to keep going…" She brandished the giant dildo in her other hand. "It'll only end with me sticking this into your pussy."

"I'm done bargaining. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me thrice? I'll break your neck and make sure it won't happen a fourth! Divine Command: Kneel!" she ordered.

The death knight dropped down onto both knees. Kanae felt her body wanting to obey. What happened? Did crowned Paladins really have a skill that compelled people like that?

Gold was right on top of them. She smited the death knight out of the way, then whirled on Kanae using the same momentum.

"Shit!" Kanae swung the dildo just in time to parry the smite-infused longsword.

"Why aren't you on your knees?!" Gold growled.

"Maybe I'm just not feeling being submissive today!" She headbutted Gold with the force of Titanic Blow, sending her flying back.

That was a close call. Kanae needed to remember to thank Jannie for suggesting Steel Mind. If she hadn't resisted Divine Command, that might have gone bad fast. She double-checked the spell in her character sheet.

Steel Mind: You are immune to spells that affect the mind and will always be in control of yourself.]

Straight immunity, what a spell effect to have as a Sage.

Ahead, Gold was still standing. She wiped a trickle of blood from her nose and sized Kanae up.

"If you really want to go through with this…" Kanae switched on Futanari to expose her erect penis, empowered by the Cock Ring of Hardening. "I hope you're also trained in withstanding double-penetration."

Gold picked up a new weapon, a warhammer this time. Kanae, wielding her dick, Shifting Steel, and Lust, lunged back into battle. The high elven knight was beginning to get sloppy. Her swings missed more often. Anger got the better of her, too, leaving Gold open to more attacks. Kanae slapped her across the face with the dildo, jabbed her abdomen with a big dick, and continued lashing through her armor with the whip. Not to mention, the Magic Hand that was still fucking her in the ass.

"Get that disgusting thing out of my face!" Gold discarded the sword and grabbed Kanae's dick instead.

"Uh oh—"

Kanae saw stars as Gold pummeled her into the ground. She held onto Shifting Steel for dear life. Two could play at that game. Kanae planted her tail pussy on Gold's face and started draining. Her wounds closed. Spent mana restored to full. 

"MMMMMPPH!" Gold let go of Kanae's dick to try and pull her tail off instead.

"What's the matter? Succubus got your tongue? Your potions can resist succubus magic, but it doesn't stop you from being drained!" Kanae taunted.

They both collapsed to the ground. Gold threw a hard straight, and Kanae saw white. She backed away, dazed from the punch. Across the way, between maybe fifteen feet of smoldering ground littered with weapons, bone parts, and debris, Gold was barely standing. The tall and proud Knight of Gold, Petyr Stormcloud, stood on two shakey legs.

Ortesian forces, having defeated most of Edina's undead army, rallied behind their Lord-Major. Clerics began administering healing. Kanae clicked her tongue. She ran out of time.

Then a deep, bellowing horn sounded behind Kanae. The Ortesians glanced up, but their jaws dropped. Kanae turned to find the demon armies of Artaggon charging through the wetlands and into the encampment. Lady and Minestra led from the front.

"We've been traveling non-stop for days! What's a good fight before a nap? You mangy dogs get to rest when the Ortesians are in chains, so attack!" Lady howled.

Both sides, long awaited foes, slammed into each other. Demons threw themselves onto the Ortesian knights. Dragoons were hardpressed to regroup and mount a counterattack. Minestra shot Kanae a big smile before diving into battle herself, raising golems from the earth to reinforce their own numbers.

"Keep fighting, I'll keep you all healed! Healing Aurora!" Kanae incanted the restorative spell borrowed from screwing Arenade.

Demons began to overwhelm the Ortesians and Rotandrix infantry. Clerics couldn't keep up. They were taken down first by imps. Minotaurs and ogres trampled the knights and dragoons, now that they weren't able to stay healed in battle.

Gold couldn't believe it. Her eyes were wide with shock. She dropped down to her knees and slammed a fist into the dirt.

Kanae put her dick away and walked up to the defeated knight as a battle waged all around them. With both hands clenched on the Shifting Steel dildo, she—

"Queen Kanae, wait!" Vesh suddenly shielded Gold with his own body. 

"Get out of the way, Vesh! I'll shove this up your ass and through your mouth just to get to her!" Kanae threatened.

"Three hells, I believe you! You're angry at her taking your kids away, but hear me out! I… I helped you, right? Took Shifting Steel from her like you asked. I'm begging you to just do me this one favor and at least take her prisoner with her mind intact!" he pleaded.

Kanae eyed the incubus suspiciously.

"You…" Gold grabbed ahold of Vesh's tail and made him jump. "Turn into your other form. Now."

"Eep!" Vesh shrunk in size, but not of his own choosing.

"Much better… continue," she urged.

"The one who really kidnapped your kids is Admiral DeSalle. Look at Petyr. She's just as much a victim here," he said.

"I don't believe it. Did you fall in love with an ORTESIAN? Moreover, an Ortesian who has demon blood on her hands. I'm not letting Gold go. She's too dangerous. Unless… she drinks this." Kanae tossed a reversal potion to her.

The bottle rolled up to Gold's fingers.

"What is this?" Gold asked.

"More mercy than you deserve after everything you put me, my children, and this country through. Drink it," Kanae demanded.

After mulling over it while, Gold popped the cork and tipped the contents of the reversal potion into her mouth. She crushed the vial and gulped, then flicked a piercing gaze up to Kanae.

"Now what?" Gold glowered.

"Now, this." Kanae placed a Major Charm on Gold, and the spell connected as easily as shaking hands. The greatest Ortesian knight couldn't so much as resist. Her body tensed up. Her eyelids fluttered.

"Queen Kanae, wait!" Vesh cried.

Kanae compelled Gold to take off into the sky with her. The paladin incanted a spell and sprouted white, feathered wings.

"Stay here with the rest of Artaggon's forces and clean up the Ortesians," Kanae ordered him.

Together with Gold, they flew out to sea.

"So, this is how it's going to end for me? I'll be a slave to a succubus for the rest of my life?" Gold asked in resignation.

"Tell me the truth— not that you can lie in this state anyway— were you ordered to take my kids?" Kanae returned with a question instead.

"The first time, yes. At the temple after you used the ankh, no. I resented you. You took my future away from me. I thought by bringing Kanade and Suvee back to the empire, they would overlook my failure."

"Well? Would they have?"

Gold swallowed hard before answering, "I… don't know. The Lord Council and DeSallel promised me, so I listened. Like I always do."

Figures.

During their battle, DeSalle's ships had crossed quite a bit of distance. They were far out at sea, but Kanae was able to see the ten that went full sails ahead and left the rest behind. Skeletal minions clashed against Ortesian sailors on the decks of every ship. Magic fired into the sky like fireworks, trying to knock Kanae down.

"You're not going to make it like this! Our mages are second to none. You'll be dead in the sea before touching the deck of a single ship!" Gold warned.

Kanae cursed under her breath until she noticed two separates fleets. One approached from the south and the other from the north, both flying the crest of minotaur horns. Rown Company! Renya's pirates.

A massive galleon that Kanae recognized as the Songstress, led the northern fleet of ships which were joined byb numerous succubi flying beside them. The dark elven captain and CEO of Rown Company herself stood on bowsprit of her flapship. She lifted her tricorn hat and gave an elegant bow. Firing a single shot from one of her flintlocks, the succubi spread out on cue to attack Ortesian fleet.

Meanwhile, the southern Rown flotilla pounded the Ortesian battleships with cannon and magical fire. Lanil Hammerthorn, William Bellevue, and Dalu'luna Mello waved to her from one of the ships. The combined assault forced the Ortesians to abandon firing on Kanae, refocusing their efforts to repel Rown Company and Radevic's attacks.

Kanae couldn't help but flash a smile. They came. They all came to help her.

"Demons, succubi, Radevic… How did you manage to draw them all to your side? Just who in the Supreme One's name are you?" Gold gasped.

"I'm just a succubus." Kanae shrugged. "I'm also not wholly an asshole like the Empire of Ortesia."

Gold looked lost in thought. Was it so hard to believe that her empire used up all their goodwill with Radevic? Gretchen's rebellion, Avaline's siege on Aidenhall, this invasion… it was almost excessively arrogant and prideful for Ortesia not to expect anyone to turn on them, then again Kanae expected nothing sel from those high elves.

"When I go down there, I want you to stay close but don't show yourself until I give the signal. Got it?" Kanae asked.

"I understand, but why? You have me under your control. Command me to destroy DeSalle's fleet, and I'll do it," Gold said.

"You'll see." She descended onto the foremost ship.

Edina battled Ortesian crewmen on the left ship alongside Wendy and the Lights of Ehmvier. Kanae joined Eliza, Lapis, and Arenadewho have cornered DeSalle on the upper deck near the bow. The high elven captain had two knights holding Kanade and Suvee captive, swords to their throats. Gretchen was on her knees inside a ritual circle, surrounded by heavily-cloaked elven priests.

"You bitch succubus." DeSalle spun around and growled. "Already won, yet you pursue us still? We were on the retreat. Your country, safe. For a few years longer before we returned, at least. All you have done is given us a second chance to defeat you. The empire will reward us for bringing your head."

"You have my children and Gretchen. We'd chase you to the ends of the earth to get them back," Kanae said.

"Even to the heart of Ortesia! Now let them go, or face my wrath!" Arenade shook a fist bristling with holy energy.

The high elven captain laughed. Even with the wind coursing through his hair and cannon fire devastasting his fleet, his crazed laughter echoed over all the chaos. He man was insane.

"Gretchen is mine. It broke my heart to see her… despoiled by a languisteed like that. I was lost. I threw up so much, but I know it was by your influence. My love for her will not waver! You may have defeated Gold, but no matter. When I free Gretchen, we will end you together. Behold. Shatter the chains that bind her, clerics. Now!" DeSalle ordered.

Ten clerics channeled their magic into the ritual circle, which was now glowing intensely. A thin film of blue light spread across Gretchen's body. 

"Gretchen!" Kanae gasped, meeting the the former archbishop's unreadable look. "Lapis, get in there now and stop them!"

Time seemed to slow down. As Lapis raced to stop them, Kanae knew by the magic already taking effect that she wouldn't make it. A burst of magical energy skimmed across the ship's deck. The sails briefly pushed the opposite direction.

Gretchen had been a pain in the ass during her rebellion in Aidenhall. She threatened the one thing you should never say in front of a mother. However, the she proved herself time and time again as not just a friend, but a loving guardian to Kanade and Suvee. Whenever Kanae and Arenade were gone, it was Gretchen who stayed with them. 

As Kanae witnessed the ritual completed, she recalled the few times that Gretchen opened up to her. Were those moments genuine? Or did the former archbishop harbor resentment the entire time?

Gretchen rose to her feet, staring into both hands like she had just woken up from a long slumber. One of the clerics kneeled down and presented her staff. She picked it up, ran a finger along the shaft, and slammed the base of it on the deck.

"Oh, shit. Is… Is Gretchen back?" Arenade asked nervously, trembling even as she was wreathed in full golden armor.

"My love! Have you awaken now? Let us defeat these wretches together and return to Ortesia as champions!" DeSalle exclaimed.

Kanae and Eliza squeezed their weapons. They gulped hard. If the Enthrall spell was really gone and Gretchen was back to her old self, then they had a fight on their hands. 

"Ortesia?" Gretchen scoffed. "You mean the empire who had forsaken me? They can descend into the three hells for all I care. I do not belong to you, Errenard. Neither am I a pawn of the empire any longer!"

"Gretchen!" Kanade and Suvee cried with tears streaming down their cheeks.

"Impossible… No!" DeSalle took a step back.

Gretchen nodded to Kanae and donned a full suit of armor with Holy Armament. She picked up and hurled the cleric closest to her over board. It wasn't until he splashed in the water did the rest snap out of their shock. Pacifying Chains shot out of the ground to restrain the high elves holding Kanade and Suvee hostage. When the other knights tried to subdue her, she manifested a golden shield to deflect their blows and a longsword to cut them down. DeSalle was too stunned to react. His mouth flopped open and close.

"I-I don't understand… The ritual should have worked! I know because we've performed it on others before!" DeSalle cried.

"It did work. My mind is clear. I simply do not care for you or the empire anymore. My responsibility is to these precious children. I only regret that I couldn't protect them from your disgusting paws sooner." Gretchen shifted her sword to him.

Arenade breathed a sigh of relief. She hurried over to scoop Kanade and Suvee into her arms. The three of them cried so much that snot ran down their faces.

"Mom! Mom!" Kanade buried her face into Arenade's shoulder and clung tightly, afraid to let go.

"I missed you, too! It was… hic! I wanted to be strong and protect Kanade, but it was so hard!" Suvee wailed.

"There, there! You two are so brave! We're not letting anyone take you away. I'm back now!" Arenade reassured them.

Reuniting with them would have to wait. Kanae transformed Shifting Steel in a sword to point at Admiral Errenard DeSalle, too.

"Thanks, Gretchen. You've changed." Kanae smiled.

"They changed me." Gretchen nodded to Kanade and Suvee.

"This isn't fair!" DeSalle screamed beneath them. "How did you even manage to defeat Stormcloud? Where is that useless bitch?"

"You have no one else to blame but yourself. Never come between a mother and her children. As for Gold, well… she escaped after I beat her. You should be more concerned about yourself." Kanae glared.

"You…her… how? That imbecile! We were so close to greatness. When Guillaume ascends to the throne, I would have been first in line to become the next emperor after him! The plan was perfect! All we needed to do was resurrect Ruedegard Ducante, but she… Petyr fucked it all up like the incompetent baffoon she is!" he snarled.

It sounded like there was no lost love between them. Kanae eyed the edge of the ship before snapping back to him.

"No… no…" DeSalle continued to ramble deliriously. "There's nothing waiting for her back at the Empire. Haha… If I go down, so does she! That's right… that bitch has nothing and no one… hahaha!"

"What do you mean she has nothing waiting for her?" Kanae squinted and kneeled down beside him.

"The Lord Council was never going to let her go. Retirement? Ha! We created her. She is no more free than the sword inside its sheath belonging to a knight!" he exclaimed.

"And… what do you think about that, Gold?" She whistled.

Petyr Stormcloud landed on the ship, and DeSalle turned a horrified expression in her direction.

"Lord… Lord-Major, you were still here?" DeSalle gasped.

Kanae silently motioned for Arenade and everyone to leave. Those who could fly picked up anyone that didn't have wings or the spell to do so. They left Kanae, Gretchen, Gold, and DeSalle behind on the deck of his family flagship.

"Is it true?" Gold picked DeSalle up by the collar of his coat. "ANSWER ME, YOU SWINE!"

"Y-Yes! But P-Petyr, hear me out! The Lord Council will reward you for your service!" DeSalle insisted shakily.

"Consider this a token of my good will and mercy. You can thank Vesh for this, because he's right. I owe him one." Kanae ended the effects of Major Charm and offered Gold her Shifting Steel back.

Gold regarded Kanae with surprise. A gesture of kindness went a long way. Gold dropped DeSalle and grabbed the only weapon capable of withstanding her strength.

Kanae continued, "Both the empire and I did lie to you when we offered you something. All I really wanted was to live in peace with my country and family. The empire is just playing chess with you. As for me? I'll give you whatever you want just to put an end to the war. So, at the end of the day, who do you really trust?"

"Lord-Major, wait! You're charmed, aren't you? I have potions, here! Drink these!" DeSalle reached into his pockets to throw out dozens of vials.

They clattered around Gold's feet, but she crushed them under her boots to get to the admiral.

"My mind hasn't been more clear, DeSalle. Remember when I told you before that I can sink you and this entire ship with a single strike?" Gold transformed Shifting Steel into a warhammer and lifted it above her head.

Kanae and Gretchen took flight just in time as the Knight of Gold, in her deepest, most gutteral warcry, smashed the deck of the ship. A crack ran from the top all the way down the hull. As the ship split in half, DeSalle plummeted through a hole in the deck and cursed Petyr's name.

When Gold caught up with them in the air, Gretchen brandished her Holy Armament: Sword aggressively. Kanae motioned for her to stand down.

"How'd it feel?" Kanae asked.

"You have no idea how long I've been wanting to do that. Thank you, and fuck you." Gold made sure to emphasize the last part.