Is It Strange For A Succubus To Be Wearing Clothes?

Chapter 20

—–CROW—– 

On foggy nights, Seoul at dawn transformed into a place haunted not by humans, but by death and fear.  People hid inside their homes, pulling their blankets over their heads, trying to force sleep that wouldn’t come, drawing their curtains to avoid even a glimpse of *them*.

Their only solace was the thin, transparent barrier technique protecting the safe zones.  But the sense of security it provided was a meager comfort, and as the night deepened, the fog grew thicker.

The most terrifying thing was the knowledge that something was writhing within the fog. At first, they made no sound, but their presence alone stirred the darkness and fear within humans.

Some called them grotesque beings.

Some called them nightmares.

Some called them creepypastas or urban legends.

Some called them primal fears sent by God to punish humanity.

~♬

But they had overlooked something.  A small, pure sound, hidden within the city, capable of dispelling the darkness and fear, though neither as intense as the midday sun nor as violent as a thunderstorm hidden in the clouds.

Jae-hee gently stroked the strings of the violin.  As her delicate fingers played the strings, a perfect melody, like a recording being played back, began to flow.

The melody was gentle and soft, yet it also carried a hint of greed.

“This is my world.”

So, there’s no room for you.

Please leave.

The melody, whispering these words, carried a sense of contempt and disgust.  The genuine hatred of the Succubus Empress, who despised all things not beautiful.

To be scorned by the embodiment of beauty was a death sentence.

-Thud!

-Splat!

“Kyaaaaa!”

“Caw, caw, caw…!”

The grotesque beings were initially drawn to the sweet and alluring scent and melody.  They swallowed whatever came their way, drawn by its seemingly sweet and delicious nature.  Even those who didn’t swallow it were already infiltrated by the melody of life force controlled by the Succubus Empress.

And so, Jae-hee, dressed in her suit, her noble aura shining even in the darkness, gestured.

A dirge of execution.

A funeral march for the disgusting and ugly things.

~♬♪♬♩♩♪♬♪

She calmly raised the violin to her shoulder and played.  The life force that had infiltrated the grotesque beings began to stir.

The music gradually changed.

From an alluring scent to a song of death.

A lament solely for those deserving of contempt, those who fed on fear.

The melody played by the Succubus Empress was like a death spell, surging with her essence, soul, and immense life force.

The melody intensified.

The bodies of the grotesque beings contorted uncontrollably.

Flesh and bone erupted outwards without a scream.

They tried to resist at first.

But as the music played, as the melody embroidered the night sky, their resistance was meaningless, their bodies torn to shreds.

ㅡIt’s her!

ㅡIt’s that woman!

ㅡKill her!

ㅡTear her apart!

ㅡEat! Eat! Eat!

ㅡRip the sky!

ㅡBoil her! Boil her! Boil her!

ㅡEat her tongue! Cut off her tongue!

The grotesque beings, realizing the source of the sound, pushed through the fog and approached.

Flesh masses, streetlights, branches, centipedes, cave snakes, a man with a boiled face and thorns protruding from his swollen hands and flesh, all rushed towards Jae-hee.

Towards Jae-hee.

Towards the arrogant Empress who scorned them.

They would tear apart her arrogance.

They would trample her arrogant beauty.

They would boil and devour the arrogant Empress!

But Jae-hee, oblivious to their approach, remained focused on her playing, her eyes closed.

Even as the nearby grotesque beings exploded…

Even as the life force within the crawling entities condensed and burst forth, blooming into the shape of flowers…

As Jae-hee’s melody struck the grotesque beings, nightmares, and monsters once more, their bodies bloomed brilliantly and beautifully, like flowers.

As if seeds were bursting forth, using their flesh as fertilizer.

Flesh and bone blossomed with blood, and the blooming petals scattered into the fog, disappearing.

“Ah, how beautiful~!”

~♪

Jae-hee and the violin sang in unison.

The gasps of young girls could be heard.

Finally satisfied with the demise of the grotesque beings, the Empress smiled.

Red flowers bloomed everywhere.  The ominous, thick fog, as if mixed with red paint, painted the world in a rosy hue.  The blood and corpses of the grotesque beings momentarily remained in the shape of spires made of red flowers.

Then, the wind blew.

As the wind swept away the thick scent of blood, the flowers of flesh and blood vanished.

All that remained was emptiness and the echoes of death.

The entities that had brought the fog, before they could even taste human fear, before they could find new victims in the darkness and back alleys of the city, had all turned into flowers and disappeared.

Only Jae-hee and her violin remained in the fog.

People, trembling in fear, heard the sound.

For silence only deepened fear.

“Mommy… I hear something.”

“Shhh!”

“It’s the sound of a violin…”

The melody was a familiar one, a piece that many recognized, even those who didn’t know its name.

Frédéric Chopin, Piano Sonata No. 2.

Outside the window, the thick fog continued to dance in the darkness.

But the sound was so beautiful and sweet… that people unknowingly approached their windows.

It was safe to open the windows.

The barrier techniques were still active.

People were simply trembling in fear of the grotesque beings.

But now, as if to defy human fear, a beautiful and enchanting melody enveloped the city.

The piano sonata, often used as a funeral march, was played with the delicate yet sharp melody of a violin.  The grotesque beings, drawn by the fog, were all lured away by the violin’s melody, disappearing somewhere.

And then…

Amidst the faint violin music in the darkness, the sound of flesh bursting could be heard.  At first, it seemed like a hallucination, but the sound grew clearer.

The melody was beautiful yet sorrowful.

It sounded like a lament, and yet, also like a scornful mockery.

“Ah…”

People opened their curtains, opened their windows, and reached out, despite the unknown dangers lurking beyond the fog.

Because the melody was so beautiful.

Because they couldn’t refuse the alluring melody, even as they felt a chilling fear gripping their bodies.

Even though it was just the sound of a violin, it was a fantastical melody that both soothed and captivated the human soul.

Families…

Single men…

Young college girls trembling alone in their studio apartments…

A woman in her 20s, huddled under her blankets, looked towards the melody beyond the fog with a mesmerized expression.  Her house was very close to the source of the violin music, so she could see the grotesque beings paralyzed by the melody, their flesh exploding.  At first, she had been frozen in terror by the grotesque and horrifying sight of the grotesque beings swarming through the fog, but as the violin music intensified, the sound struck her ears.

And then, the woman realized.

This wasn’t just music.

No ordinary citizen could see the face of the performer.  The fog was too thick, and they were too afraid of the grotesque beings to look directly beyond the fog.

But the melody seemed to speak to them.

For all things beautiful in the world.

And to scorn all things ugly.

Fortunately, people were certain that this sound, at least, didn’t consider humans ugly.  Otherwise, it wouldn’t sound so beautiful to them.

“It’s… a person.”

A woman could be seen beyond the fog.

At first, confusion.

And then, awe.

A neatly tailored suit, devoid of any revealing features, and magnificent, large demonic wings that could only be described as beautiful.  The woman living alone couldn’t tear her eyes away from the sight.  Her gaze was a mixture of fear and awe.

She was afraid, yet simultaneously overwhelmed by the sight before her.

The woman playing the violin wasn’t human.

And yet, she was bringing an end to this horrifying night.

Driving away the grotesque beings, for the sake of human dreams.

Finally, the grotesque beings bloomed and exploded like flowers.  Flesh burst, blossoming with blood, and the blooming petals scattered into the fog.

Everything vanished.

“…Ah.”

The city fell silent, and everyone felt it.  Their hearts pounded in their chests, but everything was so quiet that even that sound couldn’t be heard.  Everyone captivated by the melody remained standing by their windows.

And the Succubus Empress, playing the final note, finished her performance.

Thank you to everyone who listened.

Praise to all who can still be beautiful.

“So, sweet dreams to all.”

With those words, as the music ended, people could finally breathe again.

A performance that ended in an instant.

Brilliant and serene.

“…What was that sound…?”

“What was that voice just now…?”

“Ah, even her voice is beautiful…”

“Who is she? An Awakened? A Hunter? I wonder…”

Even though it was clearly a woman’s voice, it had an alluring quality that captivated even those of the same sex.

Jae-hee, having finished everything in an instant, vanished as if nothing had happened.  People couldn’t even discern the identity of the violin player before the performance ended. Some sighed in disappointment, while others shouted for her to play again.

But one thing was certain.

Tonight…

The city would be free from nightmares and grotesque beings.

What remained were human dreams.

The world of people who deserved a good night continued.

People were awed and amazed.

“Wow… just who is she?”

“I wonder.”

“I want to see her.”

“I want to meet her, even just once.”

Many were captivated and cheered, but some also felt fear.

Because this power wasn’t human.

With just sound, she had mesmerized and obliterated the grotesque beings, turning them into flowers of flesh and blood.  The fog had dispersed, and the city was silent.  What if this person, instead of driving away the grotesque beings, had harbored ill intentions?

…Just how terrifying and horrific would it have been?

“…Let’s sleep.”

A college student in her 20s, living alone, trembled and burrowed back under her blankets.

What was this trembling?

Awe at the beauty of the melody?

A thrill from the brief glimpse of the Succubus Empress’s voice?

Or pure fear and dread?

Sleep wouldn’t come, but wanting to escape reality, she closed her eyes.

There was still a long time until dawn.

“…Ugh, I can’t sleep.”

Unable to sleep because her heart was pounding too hard, the woman opened a community forum.

As expected, the entire city was buzzing.

[Whoa, what was that sound?]

ㄴReal talk, I was knocked out with sleeping pills, but I heard it as if I was entranced.

ㄴIt even killed all those damn grotesque bastards.

ㄴI saw them explode into flowers right in front of me.

ㄴYou too?

ㄴReal talk, what the hell was that? The sound was insane.

[The grotesque beings rubbing their faces against my window all exploded after hearing some music.]

ㄴThere were tons of those things near my house too.

[Seriously, what the hell was that?]

[That violin, who was it?]

ㄴSeriously.

[An S-rank Hunter? I haven’t heard of any Hunters who do things with sound…]

ㄴI heard it was a first-generation Hunter.

ㄴDidn’t all the first-generation Hunters emigrate?

ㄴNot all of them.

The internet was, as always, abuzz.

Because of the chilling yet captivating violin melody that had saved the city.

But it wasn’t just “buzzing.”

“H-honey… do you want to… sleep early tonight?”

“Why?”

“Mommy and Daddy… haa… need to… exercise…”

“Exercise? At this hour?”

People, unknowingly aroused by the sound, spent time making love with their families.

“Haa, haa… Professor Baek…”

“S-Sun-woo-ya, w-we shouldn’t…”

Even those who weren’t with their families started moving their hands busily, seeking to relieve their suddenly heated bodies and desires.

Why am I like this today?

I should just sleep quietly…

Ah, honey, I’m sorry.

We shouldn’t be doing this… I’m feeling strange today.

Some intertwined with their lovers, wives, or husbands.

Others, captivated by the sound, couldn’t even care about their physical arousal.

[Please please please please play again please please please]

ㄴHolding my breath until she plays again! *inhales*

ㄴ*exhales*!

ㄴMe too 333

ㄴ*inhales*!

[What was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice what was that voice]

ㄴWhat? Voice?

ㄴThe music?

ㄴWhat was that music…?

People wouldn’t be making such a fuss over just any violin music.

It was because the Succubus Empress…

The embodiment of beauty…

Had personally played the melody to scorn the ugly things.

The melody contained the will to eradicate and obliterate the ugly things.

And it contained a violent beauty meant to captivate them.

And this…

Was heard by every human…

In the city…

Hidden in the streets.

Even though it wasn’t directed at them, everyone who couldn’t sleep was “captivated.”

Of course, Jae-hee didn’t intend for this to happen.  If anything, it was like humans, discovering something beautiful, becoming captivated by their own greed.

“Huhuhu, seeing the city covered in flowers makes me feel refreshed.”

Of course, Jae-hee had no other thoughts.

“How is it?  Do you all like it?  It’s pretty, isn’t it?”

ㅡ~!

The souls of the girls cheered.

The restless hearts of the boys were satisfied.

The small concert in the middle of the city had brought them great comfort, so Jae-hee decided to be content with this for tonight.

“Haaaah, but I’m a little hungry.”

The melody, regardless of Jae-hee’s control, had spread too far.

I should be more careful next time.

I think I used too much life force and essence…

“I think I’ll need to have a meal soon.”

What should I have?

Officer Dan Ah-yeon would be the best…

—–CROW—–