Demon Lord: Erotic Adventure in Another World

The final day of their agreement came close, with most of the knights exhausted. Yuina sat on a rock while eating a chunk of hard bread with ham and thin soup. Although they could return for supplies left at the base, they made just outside the dungeon.

Yuina refused but allowed the knights to leave at their limits.

'It seems another two knights are leaving, but four returned this morning after resting outside.'

Despite placing a heavy burden on herself, she ensured her people didn't suffer.

Only a handful of knights refused to leave the dungeon and remained beside her. Fuuka and Fredrika were two of the most prominent.

"Princess... we've reached the twenty-eight floors final room. It seems to be some kind of antechamber. What are you orders?"

"Mmmn... this bread isn't so bad after a few days down here." Yuina chewed her food, a little less remnant of her noble figure from a week before. Yet she still carried a powerful aura that made even Fredricka follow her wholeheartedly.

"Then, make sure all the knights are prepared for anything. I feel like there might be a deadly trap placed in here... maybe several."

'This woman... her name was Fredricka and she was a knight of Vinea in the past. A good knight, she reminded me of Aki so we got along quite quickly.'

'Fuuka... seems to come from the same place as Asmodeus, but I cannot get a fix on her. Though I know she is trustworthy, her mood and feelings are a mystery.'

"Your Highness, I will help the scout group and test from any traps at the entrance!"

Fuuka looked vibrant since coming into the dungeon—it was different from the past for her. She always thought that dungeons were miserable and annoying.

'Who would have thought Princess Yuina would be so accepting and flexible.'

'She reminds me of him...'

The reason Fuuka followed Yuina wasn't due to anything complicated but pure admiration and feeling she was like Asmodeus, her rival and target.

"I will follow along as well."

Fredrika's voice rang out as she walked towards the door—her armour clanked with her heavy footsteps, making Yuina worry a little.

"Are you sure, Fredrika... what if something goes awry?"

"Do not worry princess, we all fight for the same goal. To gain the blessing and acceptance of King Asmodeus."

"I see..."

Although Yuina wanted to join them, she needed to rest—they fought endlessly because the last day approached. On the earlier floors, they suffered because of traps and monster rooms.

Yet now, the exhaustion began to take its toll on her.

'This dungeon is stated to only reached the thirtieth floor... I cannot become complacent and risk everything now.' Yuina watched as Fuuka, Fredrika, and four other knights disappeared from the other side of the door.

She could only pray for their safe return...

But as if waiting for them to enter, the doors suddenly closed and caused Yuina's heart to sink. She could feel a slight bond and connection to the knights because she accepted the power of Asmodeus.

This bond didn't appear instantly, but the more she fought, the power siphoned off and became her own. Each time she exhausted herself and then rested, more of the bond felt with the knights appeared.

That's how she understood the meaning of what Asmodeus wanted from her and the true reason for their bet.

'The door suddenly shut? Why? This can't be normal, can it!'

"Knights, make sure you get rest and prepare well. We may need to rush inside to support Knight Fuukla and Fredricka!"

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The voices of nearly a dozen knights made Yuina's heart tremble, deep and powerful, and no longer at the same distance she felt when the journey started.

Yuina now felt she could meet her sister with a proud face and not feel she let her family down.

"If something happens, wake me! Remember! The biggest mistake we can make is being unprepared and exhausted when the time comes! This is my order!"

"All take rest and conserve your strength!"

***

Meanwhile, inside a dark cave, a small blue orb reflected a beautiful blonde woman with fox ears, ordering and preparing to rest with her knights.

The male in the cave brushed his long silver hair behind his ears with a wide smile.

"It seems that Yuina is doing better than I imagined."

[You never expected her to reach the bottom floor, did you?]

"We both know she lacked this kind of training and experience, yet from what I've seen... she might be a natural talent."

[How is she compared to her sister?]

Asmodeus took a moment to think, mulling his answer over before his face shone, and he hit his palm with a smirk.

"If Yumiko is a ballistic missile..."

"Then Yuina is a tactical airstrike."

[Hmmm?]

'Ah... were the terminologies from my world too vague for her...'

"Well, Yumiko is strong, so strong independently like an elite knight, or a hero."

He watched Yuina's sleeping face and smiled wider. This young princess shocked him, and the things he saw while meditating and preparing himself during the past five nights shocked Asmodeus himself.

"Yuina would be a knight commander, guiding the knights and preparing the defences and walls. While Yumiko kills the demon king, it would be her sister that stopped the kingdom and army from collapsing."

"Yuina is no push-over..."

'Although her skills with a sword are quite amazing, the martial arts genius that Yumiko has seemed to be superior. Though, I might be proved wrong watching her in the dungeon like this...'

[You seem happy, Asmodeus.]

'Yeah... I am very happy.'

There was a sudden pause—he didn't continue speaking and instead closed his eyes with a smile.

That was the last bit of divine energy that lingered in his core... now it became his strength and made Asmodeus feel amazing.

He watched the cavern entrance, those eight red eyes peeking at him once again from the distance. The arachne several times approached him when he pretended to sleep.

'However if my eyes open, or I move, she skitters away, as if terrified.'

'I wonder what kind of monster she is.'

[I feel she is a little strange... and familiar]

[What will you do?]

"Sigh..."

With a loud echo, Asmodeus sighed. He didn't know how to face this monster right now, but he knew she wasn't hostile.

He wondered about leading her to their camp and having the women deal with her...

'They might understand her better or learn why she's following me.'

Since he didn't need to worry so much, Asmodeus doused the flames. Then, he lay back on the soft cotton quilt, took a leaf out of Yuina's book, and rested.

Because tomorrow, he would fight one of the five sacred beasts... the white tiger.

'I cannot wait for tomorrow...'

***

Meanwhile, two groups that split originally joined after three days, all because both teams reached their goal and began to mix their training.

While Asmodeus and Yuina's groups were having fun, the people who met with Velvet and Alice experienced hell on earth.

A training so strict that they vomited and collapsed instead of sleeping. Yet none of them gave up; rather, it seemed to spur them on to fight harder... train harder and win the praise of Asmodeus.

They were desperate to beat each other, to become stronger...

"Haa...haa..."

The ones most shocked were Liana and Vinea, who lost to Alice, a woman who had yet to become a demoness. Her skills with a sword and spear were beyond something they thought possible.

"Our weak and frail Aunt... how is she so strong, big sister!"

"I do not know... Liana, we must work together to defeat her!"

Neither of the girls realises that the one who secretly helps Alice become stronger without turning her is none other than Asmodeus.

He showed her a path, and Alice became relentless. Whenever alone, she would train, practise, or theorise to defeat someone stronger than her.

"Are you both done gossiping? I want to fight..." A voice that belonged to Alice suddenly appeared, interrupting Liana and Vinea's plan.

"Ugh! Why would you need to train so much? It seems you've surpassed us already..."

"Big sister... do not show her your weaknesses."

As the three women prepared to fight once again, Velvet watched another person, Sariel. Someone who had never used weapons was now learning martial arts, and Velvet seemed to have fun teaching the lovely succubus.

"Sariel, your hand position needs to be more firm like this... this is why you can't use that technique. Your position makes it hard for your mana to gather in your fist and legs. You're trying to fight as if your human and it doesn't suit you."

"Human, why?"

"Don't forget your wings and tail. Use them to your advantage, pull your opponent's arm with your tail, or blind them using your wings to spread dust in their eyes."

The succubus fluttered her wings and rose a cloud of sand. Velvet smiled.

Teaching Sariel several minor tricks to protect herself was enough, but she began to realise that Sariel wasn't some damsel—she could also fight. Not only Velvet but Leviathan and Liana helped train her when taking breaks from duelling Alice.

The first week's seven-day trip was nearing an end.

But even so, none of the women wanted to remain idle. It was the first time Asmodeus pushed them away to work with each other without including himself, and now they were seeing the changes.

"Another week... then we can meet darling again."

This thought was the main thing keeping them going right now...