❖ 6 ❖

“I’m late, I’m soooo late!” I cried, running down the street with a piece of toast in my mouth. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping, and the trees were in full bloom, but I couldn’t stop to admire any of it! I needed to run! Geez, I wish I was a little more athletic! Or taller, at least! It’s way too hard for someone as short as me to make it to class on time! Why’d I have to stay up so late reading manga last niiiight?!

Who am I, you ask? Oh gosh, I was too tired to even introduce myself! Geez, Miyu, get it together!

I’m Miyu Iketani! Making my debut as a literature student at Saeki Womens’ College! I like crepes, manga, softball, and cool older girls! But don’t tell anyone that last one, that’s a secret between you and me~!

Huh?

I paused for a second, my pace dropping as I felt a little dizzy.

“Wait, I can’t slow down, I’ve gotta keep moving!” 

So I did just that, and ran as fast as I could go! I can’t be late on my first day! I missed out on my high school love story, but college is where I’d thrive, I just knew it!

My…high school love story? What?

I shook my head again, why the hell am I so flowery right now?! What’s going- Geez, I’m super groggy! That’s it, only one volume of manga before bed, Miyu!

Ohhh, but I’m so close to the end, and things are getting really good! The princess and her devoted maid are finally about to confess their love for each other! I’ve gotta keep going to see that! Maybe just a few more late nights, ehehe~! Just gotta make sure I wake up on time!

But…shit, what? Why? Class is super important, and I’ve gotta make a good impression, but- wait, no it’s not, and no I don’t! Why do I care? I’ve got a job and everything!

I stopped running, though I felt awful for it.

Geez, why am I being so spacy? I’ve gotta keep going. I don’t have much further to go, and I’m not gonna find love standing around here, am I?

I protested my actions every step of the way, but I forced myself to stay put. I needed to at least figure out what was going on before I committed to classes at…Saeki Womens’ College? What the hell?!

No no no, something’s up right now, and I’m gonna get to the bottom of it. I pulled out my phone, felt my heart get fluttery at the handsome, princely girl on the lock screen, and opened up the camera.

I’d tell you’d I’d never seen a girl as adorable as the pink-haired, short, busty looking angel I saw reflected back at me, but that’d be a lie, because I knew this face very well.

“MIO?! I’M MIO?!” I shouted at the top of my lungs, hefting up my impressively heavy bust before squeezing my full, soft butt, eager to dispel whatever the heck this was. Shit, something about this was familiar, but…but why? I hadn’t gone through anything like this before, right? Ehehe, of course not! I’m a normal college girl, after all~!

“Oh my god, I’m getting way too cute…”

I dropped to my hands and knees, fighting back the flood of intensely peppy thoughts that kept working their way into my mind. This was bad, Mio’s personality was way too strong. If I wasn’t careful, I’d be just as adorable as her in no time.

Or wait, Miyu? Shit, yeah, that’d explain a lot. The face was hers, but the body undeniably wasn’t. It didn’t match her human self, but it was close-ish to the form she took when she became a succubus. I’d never actually seen this Miyu girl before, but I knew her extremely well, all the same. After all, I’d read her story cover to cover.

Somehow, I’d turned not into Mio, but into her obvious self-insert, the protagonist of the novel she’d been working on for months.

So…I'm in her books?! What the hell?! This has gotta be a dream, right?!

I pinched my cheek, but it did nothing other than hurt.

"Ouch Ouch Ouch! Geez! I know I'm sleepy, but there's better ways to wake myself up…" I cutely pouted.

And shit, then if I’m her, that means…

“Gotta go, gotta go!”

The second my body realized what was in store for it, I was back on my feet and sprinting off to a class I just had to attend! I had to make the most of my first day, after all~! But right as I was about to turn a corner-

“Kya~!” I squeaked, as I ran headfirst into another person, sending me hurtling straight down to the ground.

“Owwie…” I pouted, nursing a sore spot on my butt. My toast had fallen on the street, too… Geez, now I’d have to wait until lunch to eat anything…

“I’m so sorry, I was in a rush, and I didn’t see you there at all!” the person I’d bumped into apologized.

“I-it’s OK! I wasn’t really looking where I was going, so-” I looked up at whoever I’d run into, and couldn’t stop myself from letting out a small, giddy gasp.

Oh gosh, what a hunk!!

Tall, curvy, and more than a little sleepy, the cool, endlessly handsome senpai who stole the hearts of every girl at my high school looked down at me with a smile, holding out a hand for me! Oh gosh, oh gosh! I was gonna get to hold Rika Sasaki's hand~! Ohhh, a goddess must be smiling down upon me! Thank you so much for making me late to class, Miss Goddess! I'm so grateful for-

Dammit, that's me!!! Calm down, you can't seriously be dreaming about yourself again, dumbass!

I chided myself, only now remembering the dream I'd had the other night as I looked up at the girl my partner had clearly just based on me. Unlike when I dreamt about being Iori, the Rina (or Rika, I guess…) I looked at now was clearly younger than my actual age, 20 at most, and had an almost princely charm that I'd definitely never carried. And the more I looked at her, the more Mio Miyu's overwhelming positivity crept into my brain. I wanted her to hold me tight, to call me her princess, to keep me safe and warm and ohhhhhh so happy~! What a perfect start to the day!

"Iketani, is it? Oh my, don't tell me you've enrolled in Saeki Women's College. How wonderful!" Rika said, wearing the most dashing smile on her face as she picked me up. Ohhhh, I might melt if this keeps up~! You're so gorgeous, senpai!

"U-ummm, y-yeah! I'm Miyu Iketani! S-senpai, if it's OK to ask-"

"Oh? Are you nervous, Iketani? There's no reason to be, I know people treat me like some kind of star, but if you ask me, nobody shines brighter than you."

Sgrndkfuahslfushshd senpai you're so cool!!!!!

Breathe, Miyu, breathe. Rika's cool and sexy and gorgeous and she just said that to you, but it's OK!

"Now, what was it you wanted to ask?"

"Oh, umm, r-right!" I shook my head, calming my nerves as best as I could. "Why do you know my name? I'm just your kouhai, so…"

I twiddled my thumbs, looking down at my feet shyly. I wish I was more confident, no wonder I'm not popular with-

"But of course I'd know the name of the sweetest, kindest, most beautiful woman I've ever seen," Rika chuckled, putting a finger to my chin and gently raising my head til I was looking into her calm, gorgeous eyes. "Your warmth, your enthusiasm, even your adorable shyness, it's all part of what made me fall in love with you, Miyu."

…

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I gasped so hard that it was a miracle I could still breathe. Honestly, I wasn't sure I could.

Senpai loves me?! Me?! Not someone cooler, or taller, or more outgoing, or…or anyone else?! She loves me?!?!?!?!

Wait, what the hell?! I read this book, this relationship doesn't move anywhere near this fast! It takes the whole first volume for anyone to confess! And when it happens, it's Miyu who- Gotta seize this chance~! I can't let senpai pass me by!

"I-I-I-I l-l-love you too, senpai, so-!"

"So then we have somewhere far more important to go than class, wouldn't you agree?" Rika grinned and…ohhhh gosh, swept me up into her arms like a princess, dashing off into the city without a care for who saw us. I felt like we were moving soooo fast, but it felt so right~! And soon, before I even knew it, I was being laid down on a love hotel bed, passion filling Rika's eyes.

"Ohhh, senpai, I love you so much!" I sighed lovingly, noticing that my clothes had completely vanished, leaving nothing between my naked body and her touch as she ran a finger up my side, sending a shiver of pleasure down my spine.

"Senpai?" Rika asked with a chuckle. "No no, we're far beyond the need for terms like that, dar~ling," she cooed.

It was then that I noticed that Rika, goddess among women, had lost her clothes too! Baring every inch of her lovely, full, insanely sexy curves for me. Goshgoshgosh~! I want her to eat me out!

Wait, 'up'! I totally meant eat me 'up'!

But if she did eat me out, well…

"Ehehehe~!"

"My, what an adorable laugh. You're so very precious, my dear Miyu…" Rika whispered into my ear, as she firmly, yet gently, spread my lips and stuck her fingers inside of me.

"Nn~! Rika~!"

"Such an adorable moan, too!" Rika laughed, kissing her way down from my lips, to my neck, to my collarbone, then finally to my breasts, where her hot breath condensed on my nipples, sending an almost painfully good tickle through my body, all while she gently caressed my clit.

"Ohh~! Your breath, it's so-"

"Lacking, compared to what I can do," Rika looked up at me with a wink and a smile, before wrapping her lips around one of my nipples and sucking gently, while she squeezed and kneaded my other boob with her free hand.

I couldn't stop myself from giggling. it felt so good, incredible, even, but Rika wanted moans, not giggles, and so-

"Ahn~!"

She bit down on my nipple, just firmly enough to send a shock coursing through me.

This is amazing, you're so good, Rika!

I couldn't get that thought out though, as she teased and toyed with me further, getting ever louder moans out of me with every moment that passed.

And soon, it all came to a halt. Right before I was about to cum, she pulled her fingers out of my pussy, and moved her lips off of my chest.

B-but I was so close!

My body needed more, it demanded it, crying out for release that Rika just wasn't giving me. And yet, that wasn't disappointing, Rika could never disappoint me. No, it just made me so, so hungry…

"Rika, why…why did you stop…?" I breathed out, my heart still pounding like crazy.

I gazed down at my chest, and watched as Rika slowly raised her head to look at me, a confident smirk on her face, and a pair of fuzzy, pointed ears atop her head.

"R-Rika?! What happened to you?!"

She chuckled, then ran her tongue up my chest, culminating in her locking lips with me, plunging her tongue deep within me and exploring every inch of my mouth. I was a slave to her, dancing to her best as I tried desperately to move with half the grace I did. It was a losing battle, but when defeat felt this good, I could only root for her triumph.

As she slowly pulled back, a thin band of saliva stretching between our mouths before she hungrily licked her lips, she let out a single sound that told me everything I needed to know.

"Gaoooo…"

A roar, low and powerful, reached into the depths of my very soul. I understood so clearly now what was happening.

Rika was a predator, and I was her adorable prey.

Instantly, a pair of twisty horns sprouted from my head, my ears stretched out to the side and gained a light coating of fur, and a tiny, fluffy tail grew above my butt.

I'm just a sheep, Rika's meal…

I let out a shy, needy little cry that sounded like a gentle bleat, my eyes begging her to eat her fill, leaving nothing left. 

"You're so adorable…" she smiled, tasting me as her tongue trailed down the length of my body, her saliva rapidly cooling against my skin, making it erupt into goosebumps. As she settled between my thighs, I knew exactly what she was about to do, and my poor, gay little heart started beating at a mile a millisecond.

"Every inch of you…" she purred, gently and slowly licking my wet, needy lips. "Is so very delicious. A delicacy to be savored," she teased, plunging her tongue inside and hungrily lapping up my juices.

Oh gosh, she's really doing it!!!

"Nnnn~!!"

It felt incredible, she was so very firm, yet delicate enough that even as she ate, I felt as if I was being wrapped up in a warm, loving embrace. She wrapped her arms around me, hands firmly grabbing my buttcheeks as her tongue gently flicked and sucked on my clit.

“Ahhn~! Ri-Rika…”

I’m so happy I’m so delicious, ehehe…

She pulled out, just long enough to look up at me and flash me a warm, comforting smile. Ohhh, I love Rika so much~!

And without warning, she chuckled, and stuck a finger inside my butt.

“Ah~!” I gasped, clutching the sheets beside me tightly as she returned to eating me out. I couldn’t believe how good it felt. I could die happy, right then and there.

And yet again, as my muscles clenched and I was sure that release awaited me, she pulled out again, leaving my body begging for more.

“Rika…please…I need you so badly…” I muttered, eyes clouded with desire.

“And I need you, my prey,” she teased, shifting her position on the bed until she was shifting upright with her legs spread, giving me a wonderful view of her dripping sex.

I’m so grateful I was born…I can’t believe I’m being allowed to look at something so…so beautiful~!!!

Rika took me by the hand, and pulled me up toward her. I spread my legs, and wrapped them around her, pressing my lips to hers. I felt so much smaller than her like this. My head barely reached her chest, but that was OK, that meant she felt that much bigger, her presence calming me as she slowly began to buck her hips and grind her lips against my own.

The air filled with gentle, wet smacking sounds as our love overflowed from within us. She felt so, so good… I had to make Rika, my darling, the one who’d devour my very being, feel good as well.

So I matched her rhythm, grinding against her as I pressed my lips to one of her full, heavy breasts, greedily sucking at her nipple. She let out the slightest moan, but it was enough to tell me that I was making her happy too, and so, Rika rewarded me, and a stream of milk began to flow out from her nipple, filling my mouth with the warm, sweet taste of her love.

“Mmm~?!” I gasped in surprise. But gosh, it was soooo delicious…

“There there, my sweet little lamb,” Rika caressed the back of my head, as she quickened her pace down below, grinding just a little harder and faster against me. “Drink every last drop, it’s for you, after all. Though I must confess…” she cooed, gently lifting my head and looking into my eyes. “Seeing your smiling face makes me eager for a taste…”

And then she kissed me, deeply and lovingly, the taste of her tongue and her milk flooding my mind with nothing but pleasure. I couldn’t think, I couldn’t speak, but I knew that I was the happiest I’d ever been. I bucked my hips, eager to keep pace with her, and in time, our moans grew louder together. The room slowly faded away as climax drew ever closer. As I finished, the world faded to white, and I melted into Rika’s arms.

My college debut had gone better than I could’ve ever imagined.

“I love you, Rika…”

❖❖❖

“Gwuh?!” I groaned, as I fell right out of bed and landed on my face.

“Oh gosh, Rina, are you OK?!” Mio gasped, rushing out of bed to check up on me. As she lifted me to my feet, I couldn’t help but stare at her chest as the dream I’d just had came flooding back to me.

Dammit, what’s wrong with my head lately? Am I really this desperate to fuck myself?

“Mm, I’m good, Mio. I went to hug Haqua but she must’ve already gotten up, so I rolled my way straight to the floor.”

“Ehehe, you’re so cute when you’re sleepy, Rina!” Mio grinned, pulling me in against her chest. God, her boobs were incredible.

And I had a pair just like that last night, huh…?

That bubbliness, that bounciness. While it was all shot through with a lot more shyness than she possessed these days, I felt like I really did get a taste of what it’s like inside Mio’s head.

Or shit, at least inside her books. Everything was so bright and peppy, and ohhh gosh, Rika…

I shut my eyes and gritted my teeth, I couldn’t let myself get this horny over a stand-in for me. I still had some lingering Miyu thoughts, I guess.

“Hey Rina…” Mio whispered in my ears, as the tip of her tail slowly moved down to tease my crotch.

“Y-yeah, Mio?” I swallowed, desperately holding back the Miyu-like urge to scream about how much I love her.

“I’m feeling rea~lly good this morning, you know…?” she giggled, reaching a hand down to my butt and squeezing it firmly. “You wanna have some fun with me, Rina?”

It was pointless to even ask. No matter what I answered with, my body would make my true feelings known. Hell, it already was, I could feel my chest growing heavier, and my mind filling with thoughts about getting milked.

So I looked up at her and answered as honestly as I could.

“Moo~...”

❖❖❖

“Iochiiiii~!” Yuuki grinned, and dashed right over to Iori the moment she saw her leaving her room for the day, leaping onto her back and holding her tightly.

“Y-Y-Y-Yuuki, I-I…it’s c-c-cold, so-”

“Ah, my bad!” she giggled, quickly leaping off of her. “I’m sooooo sorry, I’ve done the same thing to Shizucchi a bunch too! I’ll get used to humans in no time, promise!”

“Y-you don’t have to do anything different,” Iori said, shaking off the cold. “I’ll get used to it, I’m sure.”

“Ahaha, nothing you can do to get used to it, and I’m not about to let my new bestie freeze to death!” Yuuki cackled. “And def not when I’m about to spend a day out in the city with her~!”

“A day out? I didn’t have any plans to go anywhere...”

“Ah, the cold making it kinda hard to think? I’m inviting you out, dummy~!” Yuuki teased, lightly bopping her own head and sticking out her tongue playfully.

Iori pondered her offer for a moment. She'd wanted to take today to unwind, but honestly, she couldn't say what that actually meant for her. Vacation still felt like such an alien concept to her that all of her relaxation plans involved grabbing a drink and lying down. Hardly the best way to make use of a trip to somewhere as exotic as this. Honestly, even talking with many of Adri's wives sounded strangely daunting. Things had gone well enough the day earlier, but when it came to actually leading a conversation with any of them, Iori was convinced that she'd lapse into being strict and boring.

But with Yuuki, that…really didn't feel like an issue. The gyaru was earnest and energetic, and regarded Iori like a lifelong friend after having just met her. There was something comforting about that. She was easy to talk to, and Iori felt as though she could leave things up to Yuuki and she'd steer her toward something fun without fail.

So she smiled and nodded.

"I'll tell you in advance that I don't have much experience with stuff like this. I haven't spent a full day out with someone else since high school, but if you're OK with that, then I'd love to head out with you, Yuuki."

"No prob!" Yuuki winked, gesturing for Iori to follow closely as she headed for the manor's entrance. "I can tell you've got a lot on your mind, so leave it all up to me, 'k? I'll show you a good time!"

Iori smiled happily, eager to face whatever Yuuki had in store.

…Which, as it turned out, wasn't far off at all from how a high school gyaru would spend her free time, starting with taking Iori straight to a clothes store to buy her a new fit.

"Y-Yuuki, I'll be honest with you," Iori called through the door of the changing booth, trying to ignore the eyes of the golem in the room with her. Apparently this was normal here, a magically constructed assistant that would aid customers with anything they required, but it was still a big hurdle for Iori to get over. As if sensing this, the golem smiled pleasantly at her, and turned away.

"What's up? Doesn't fit?" Yuuki called back, holding her phone at the ready to snap dozens, if not hundreds of photos of her new human bestie.

"N-no, it fits…" Iori grumbled, blushing as she looked at her reflection.

"That's good! I've got an eye for this stuff, y'know? I can tell a girl's three sizes at a glance! Even if you had a tail, I'd find a fit perfect for it and you~!"

"That's…quite a talent…"

"Right~?!" Yuuki giggled proudly.

"I just can't help but feel it might be wasted on me. I don't have a taste for clothes shopping. I normally leave that up to family stylists, and besides, I-I don't know if this is quite the right style for me…"

"No way! You're crazy stylish and you've got a great figure, Iocchi!" Yuuki assured her. "Like, look, gotta hand it to your stylist. They're rocking the semi-formal look. You look totes fuckable."

"...Thank you?"

"Of course!" Yuuki grinned, unaware of the blush on Iori's face. "But like, it's nice to try something totally new, right? Your stylist'd ne~ver pick out something like this, yeah?"

"That's not untrue, I suppose…" Iori swallowed, before bashfully pulling open the changing room door. "But there's limits to what suits me, surely!"

The giddy cry Yuuki let out was loud enough to wake every denizen of Hell. 

"Wowowow~! IOCCHIIIII! You look crazy good!"

Iori bashfully fidgeted. It was hard to not feel like a shy teenager at that moment, all of her usual confidence flying out the window as Iori snapped photo after photo of her body. Honestly, in this outfit, she kind of looked like a teenager, too. She hadn't worn anything this…youthful in forever.

She was dressed in a brightly colored, stylist top with a false knot that looked as if it was always tied just below her bust, yet hung loosely enough to show off one of her shoulders, giving everyone a peek at the flashy red bra Yuuki had insisted would look "totes fire!" on Iori. Lower down, she was clad in a pair of tight shorts that lovingly hugged her butt, showing the full curve of her cheeks as well as making her legs look even longer and sexier than they already were, bare save for a pair of cute, stylish sneakers. All that coupled with the flashy cap atop her head with the word "PARTY" emblazoned on it in a bold, energetic font, and Iori felt like she was cosplaying as someone far younger than herself.

"You're…you're serious?"

"100%! I'm like, crazy blunt when it comes to fashion, y'know? No lies'll leave these lips when I'm talking about fits! You look like a mega hottie, for real!"

"B-but-"

"You agree too, yeah?" Yuuki grinned, pointing at the golem in the changing room, which addressed Yuuki with suddenly very lively eyes.

"Certainly. It's a vibrant, striking outfit that highlights your many charms and brings out your inner and outer youthfulness," the golem bowed. 

"See?! And golems are like, all about looking at things objectively! If she says you're hot, then you know it's true. If my word didn't make that clear already, lololol."

"But still…"

"You're in Hell, girl! A whole 'nother realm! If that's not a good chance to cut loose, I dunno what is!"

"But Rina, she-"

"It'll drive her wild~!" Yuuki laughed. "Even more reason to get it! Look, just like, try it for today, 'k? And if it really doesn't work for you, I'll take it off your hands. Oh, and it's my treat!"

"I couldn't possibly-"

"You seen the house I live in? I'm loaded, Iocchi! And like, not tryna sound rude when I say your money's no good here, but it super isn't! You're flat broke, as far as Hell's concerned! The heck's a yen, anyway?!" Yuuki cackled away without a care in the world.

"Fine," Iori sighed, masking a bashful smile. "I'll give it a try, at least."

"Yay! I knew you'd have it in you! I picked out like a dozen more fits for you though, so try 'em all, Iocchi!" Yuuki grinned, before tossing Iori a mountain of clothes to try.

"What on earth am I getting myself into…?" Iori sighed, a part of her silently enjoying this, even through her embarrassment.

Thankfully, the vast majority of the outfits Yuuki had picked weren’t as drastic of a style change. Maybe a little more casual (and in some cases, more extravagant) then Iori herself would normally be, but Yuuki clearly had an eye for fashion, and took care to ensure that each fit looked incredible on Iori, and, perhaps most importantly to Yuuki’s personal mission, they all carried immense sex appeal. The kind of outfits that’d be sure to get Rina drooling. Hell, as Iori modeled each and every one, the yuki-onna herself felt like she wanted to throw her arms around her. Iori was flat-out gorgeous.

Not, of course, that those were the outfits she’d let Iori wear today. She wanted a fellow gyaru today, and there’d be no better way to help Iori take a step forward than by pulling her out of her comfort zone, at least a little.

As they left the store and strolled the city’s streets, though, Iori seemed to retreat into herself a little, doing her damnedest to cover up some of the more exposed parts of her body.

“You OK, Iocchi?”

“Mm,” she nodded, “but there’s a lot of people looking at me. It’s…it’s a little much, honestly.”

“‘Course they’re looking, you’re a ho~ttie!”

“I’m a human, I think that’s the bigger draw here.”

“OK like, I’m not gonna pretend that’s not part of it, but I promise a lotta those looks are coming from you being you, Iocchi. You look crazy good, so flaunt it a little, ‘k?”

“I don’t think I can’t flaunt it in these clothes, but…I’ll try,” Iori nodded, wearing a shaky smile.

Yuuki took her on a whirlwind tour of the city. The streets were narrow and cramped, almost suffocatingly so at first, but there was a vibrancy to them that few places she’d ever visited could match. From watching a performing troupe of lamia dancers, to taking selfies outside the Demon King’s castle, even though Iori couldn’t quite get herself to loosen up as much as she’d have liked, she was whipped around from place to place so fast that it was hard not to get caught up in the excitement and let some of her worries fall to the wayside, her smile coming to her just a little more readily.

“Your parents sound like assholes,” Yuuki laughed, as the two enjoyed themselves at a crepe stand filled with what looked to be highschoolers, who, just like everyone else, all lost it over the sight of Iori so casually enjoying her time in Hell.

“They are, yeah,” Iori sighed. “I can’t even say I love them anymore, honestly. I tried, for a while, but any will to do that left me the moment I realized I’d thrown away all my chances at happiness without so much as the slightest hint of approval.”

“That’s rough, you should kill them.”

Iori looked at her with a wide-eyed stare.

“My bad, that’s a joke! A joke, promise! Demon humor, y’know?”

“That true, or do you just get particularly morbid?”

“Ehehe, you got me,” Yuuki stuck out her tongue. “I’ve been a horror fiend since I was a kid, y’know? Urban legends and stuff like that always excited me.”

“They have urban legends here? Feels like a lot of the mystique’s taken out when you’re married to a ghost and an oni, no?”

“No way!” Yuuki giggled. “No demon’s all knowing, there’s always juuuust enough unknown about the world around us that it’s easy to come up with all kinds of ways to get spooked~! A rash of mysterious disappearances, cryptic messages leading folks down online rabbit holes, parallel worlds where nothing’s what it seems. Shit, having a broader frame of reference makes everything that much more frighteningly possible, don’t you think?”

“Guess so,” Iori laughed, taking a bite out of her crepe and giving Yuuki a chance to take yet another selfie with her.

“So yeah, gave me a kinda morbid sense of humor. Don’t kill your parents, but if you ever do, you can come live with us, no better hideout than hell~!” Yuuki joked, flashing Iori a peace sign.

“Tempting offer,” Iori laughed. “Can’t run away though. I made all my staff’s lives so much worse for years, I want to be there for them and ensure things get better.”

“That’s noble of you, I dig it!”

Iori shook her head. “Just making up for old mistakes, it’s not really praiseworthy at all. Shit, it’s the least I can do.”

“And it’s still cool, imo, so stop telling yourself it doesn’t mean something, dummy, or I’ll flick your forehead and give you brainfreeze so bad that I'll have a new ghost bestie.”

Iori couldn’t help but laugh at that. She’d been hearing that sentiment a lot lately, but never delivered in quite this way. Yuuki was forward in a way even Rina and her partners weren’t.

“Rina and Haqua both said something similar, you know?”

“Good! We’ll all keep saying it til it’s stuck in your head! Hakucchi for sure isn’t gonna let you stew on this, and I bet that’s true for Rinarin and Miomio too!”

“That’s good, don’t let up, I need it drilled in, ahaha… I’m lucky to know all of you, honestly.”

Yuuki grinned, licking a stray blob of cream off her lip before pointing eagerly at the crepe stand.

“Oh hey! Y’know this placet’s owned by one of Adri’s wives?”

“With how many she has, I’ve got to imagine half the city is in your family’s care,” Iori chuckled.

“Ahaha, nah, nothing like that. Just a couple places here and there. But yeah, crepes weren’t even a thing here before Shizucchi introduced ‘em to Rina. Then Alisa got so fired up that she was determined to make them for all of us, and like, here we are!” Yuuki grinned, gesturing at the stand and its many, many customers. “She used to be super shy, too, but running this shop really brought her outta her shell! People are like, crazy into the crepes, a few dozen imitators have opened up since, but nobody makes ‘em as tasty as Alisa~!”

“Well she’s doing great. I hadn’t had a crepe in years before today, but this is fantastic, really. You sound so proud of her, too.”

“Uh-huh! Polycules are fun, ehehe. Watching our family grow’s been like, super heartwarming, y’know? I’m always doing my best to support every single one of the girls, so I’m always suuuuper happy when one of them hits it big. Alisa had talked about getting into cooking full-time for aaaages, so it’s hard to not tear up a bit when I see her having such a great time in there,” Yuuki chuckled, wiping away a tear as she looked up at the stall, eagerly watching her dart to and fro.

“Wanna go say hi?” Iori offered.

“Y’know, I kinda do! Mind if I go help her for a few? She’s got a crazy big line, so I’ll just help her thin it out a bit, then we’ll get right back to our date.”

“Oh, sure,” Iori smiled, looking at the crimson, mid-afternoon sky. “I’ll take a little walk in the meanwhile. It’s pretty this time of day, so take your time. I’ll meet you back here in a little while.”

“Perfect~! Have fun, Iocchi! Today’s been great so far, and we’ll keep having more fun later!” Yuuki smiled, blowing Iori a kiss.

“Mm, it’s been lovely, thanks Yuuki. I needed this,” Iori replied, as the two girls went their separate ways, if only for a little while.

For as comfortable as she’d felt just chatting with Yuuki, walking alone through the lively city around her suddenly made her hyper aware of just how many eyes were still on her, and how she’d been dressed all this time.

“I wonder what I’d have said if my old self saw me today,” Iori chuckled, leaning on the railing of a bridge, looking down into the gentle river beneath her. The water was clear enough that she could see fish—some of which were big enough to swallow a person whole—happily swimming on through without a care in the world.

“I’d call myself…I dunno, a slut? A harlot? Harlot’s stuffier, so probably that. Wouldn’t have anything nice to say, that’s for sure,” she laughed.

"Then again, my old self probably wouldn't have expected I'd wonder just…stroll through the streets of Hell, so what does she know?" Iori joked, the absurdity of the whole thing catching up with her as she looked at a distant crowd by the side of the river filled with demons and monster girls and felt…nothing. It was just normal to her now.

I'm not normal to any of them though, huh? I get why they're staring, but…damn, it's a lot. Way too much, honestly.

She looked back down into the river, trying to take her mind off of all the attention.

But she couldn't manage it, no matter how many fish went by. She couldn't push it out of her mind.

"Right, I need a breather…" she loudly sighed, throwing her hands behind her head as she walked off in search of…anywhere quiet, really. She wasn't picky in the slightest, so it didn't take long to spy a place that was perfect: a back alley sandwiched between a café and an Izakaya. All she needed was a minute or two alone, and she'd be ready to face the city and its many, many, deeply curious citizens.

"That'll do it," she grinned, quickening her pace to a brisk walk, just shy of a jog. She slipped into the alleyway, turned a corner, and-

"Uwah!"

-barreled straight into someone else, sending them–and herself–straight to the floor, though Iori's own fall was cushioned by something soft and endlessly warm. Her vision was completely blocked, but her ears made out the sound of a purse clattering to the ground, its contents spilling annoyingly far and wide.

"Gah, I'm so sorry," Iori apologized. "I'm not usually so careless, but I wasn't really looking where I was going and…"

Iori trailed off as she lifted herself up a little, looking down at the demon she'd unwittingly trapped beneath her.

Gazing up at Iori with an intensely bashful expression, lay a tall, curvy, bronze-skinned woman with a set of sharp, pointed horns and a mighty, impressively thick, red scaled tail, putting even Mio's to shame.

She was, frankly, gorgeous, with a soft, incredibly huggable body. As Iori considered the situation, her eyes couldn't help but look over her full, squishy thighs and her impressively wide, curvy hips, a childish part of Iori longed to caress them, to see if they felt as comfy as they looked. She then looked at her face, taking in her cute, soft-looking cheeks, fluffy, shoulder length red hair, adorable emerald eyes with vertically slit pupils, pointed, red-scaled ears, and full, kissable lips that looked glossy and inviting. Though she knew she really shouldn't, her eyes couldn't help but briefly wander to her wonderfully pillowy, heavy-looking breasts, tightly cradled in a cute turtleneck sweater. It suddenly became extremely obvious what, exactly, had cushioned Iori's fall so well.

"S-sorry, sorry! I really didn't mean to touch you anywhere, so-"

"Please don't worry." The woman bashfully smiled, lifting herself up to a seated position and pulling Iori into a tight, comforting hug, their chests squishing against each other. In her embrace, it was hard to not notice that the hands pressed against her back were far larger and rougher than she'd have expected of someone like her. A set of claws, if Iori had to guess, likely covered in the same sort of scales that coated her tail. "As long as you're not hurt, that's enough for me."

Much like everything else about her, the woman's voice was soft and warm. Just listening to her made Iori feel like a child being doted upon by a very loving mother. But she shook those thoughts out of her head as quickly as she could.

How am I getting this worked up over a hug? This must be what it's like for Rina…

"I'm…I'm fine, yeah. Bruised pride, but that's nothing that can't be fixed. How about you?" she asked, still pressed against the bigger woman.

"Oh? You're asking me?!" the woman gasped, sounding earnestly surprised.

"Mm, you took the brunt of the fall, after all."

"Let me see…" the woman hummed curiously, lifting herself and Iori up to their feet, releasing Iori and doing a cute little twirl to give herself a once-over. "Mm! I'm doing juuuust fine! Helldrakes are strong, u~fu~fu~!" she beamed, puffing out her chest with pride. From here, Iori could see that she'd been right about the claws, and noted that her legs and feet appeared similarly draconic. It was curiously inconsistent with her soft body and personality, but she couldn't help but find it oddly charming, all the same.

"I'm glad to hear it. How about I help you gather up your-?"

"Oh!" she gasped, pointing a clawed finger at Iori.

Ah, just noticed I'm human, huh?

"Your outfit is so pretty! Gosh gosh gosh~!" she cried, hopping up and down excitedly. 

Huh? My outfit? That's all?

The confusion showed on Iori's face, because the helldrake quickly apologized.

"Ohh, I'm sorry! I have a weakness for pretty clothes on pretty girls, ufufu~! I don't mean to stare, just… maybe it's silly to ask, but…do you think I'd look good in something like that?" she asked, shyly twirling a lock of hair around one of her fingers.

Iori couldn't help but chuckle at that.

"I wouldn't have said I'd look any good in this before today, y'know? My friend had to force it on me."

"They have excellent taste!" she smiled proudly.

"Oh, she knows it," Iori laughed. "So yes, I think you'd look great in this too."

"Gosh, thank you! Ufufu, compliments always do the heart good~!"

Iori smiled, then crouched down and began gathering up the helldrake's things, gently placing them into her purse.

"Oh, you don't have to do that!" she cried, sounding deeply flustered as she joined in on the cleanup.

"Nonsense, it's my fault it all fell. Why don't you rest for a moment? I know you said you're fine, but still, that fall couldn't have been pleasant."

"You're very kind, sweetie, but-"

"Sweetie?"

"Ah! M-my mistake. Sorry for being so forward, I get like this with everyone…" she pouted.

"No no, it's fine. It's cute, honestly." Iori smiled back at her, watching her cheeks gently redden.

Still, she insisted on helping, so the two quickly gathered up the many, many possessions in her purse, the vast majority of which, to Iori's surprise, were pieces of gorgeous looking jewelry. She didn't ask her about that, though, she didn't want to pry.

"Looks like everything," Iori said, standing up straight and dusting her hands off while the helldrake happily shook her purse, listening to the pleasant jingle of its contents.

"Thank you so much, swee-er, miss?" she curiously titled her head.

"Iori, but you can call me anything you'd like."

Surprisingly, the helldrake reddened at that, too.

"Well, thank you so much! I'd best be going, but I hope the rest of your day is lovely!"

"You too. Take care!" Iori smiled, waving as she watched her leave, her tail sashaying pleasantly behind her.

"God, she's cute…" Iori whispered, taking a moment to collect herself. Though she'd wanted to be alone, she felt surprisingly refreshed by the encounter, when all was said and done.

As she went to leave, she noticed a small glint out of the corner of her eye, the light catching on what looked to be a large, ornate ring sticking out beneath a nearby vending machine.

"Oh shit, this must be hers," Iori grumbled, picking it up off the ground and dashing out of the alley. It was far too big for a human finger, but it'd be a perfect fit for her claws, it had to be the helldrake's.

Unfortunately, the second she left the alleyway, she found herself in the middle of a huge crowd, foot traffic having picked up immensely in the time since she'd hidden herself away.

"Miss-! Shit, I never got her name!" Iori started to call, then tried again, not caring in the slightest about how many eyes it'd get on her. "Miss Helldrake! Your ring! You dropped your ring!" she called, scrambling through the crowd and hoping to see her. But it was no good, she was long gone.

Crap. She didn't tell me anything about herself, so I wouldn't know how to return this to her at all… Leaving it in the alley's no good, someone would take it long before she'd go back…

Iori sighed, looking at the ring in her palm. It shone a brilliant, beautiful gold, with a stunning pinkish-red stone inlaid within. It must've cost a fortune, she needed to get it back to her.

Then I'll hold onto it and keep an eye out for her wherever we go. That's about as good a chance as I'll get…

Nodding, Iori put the ring into her pocket, and looked up to see dozens of people still staring at her after the commotion she'd made.

And she found she truly couldn't begin to care.

Yuuki and that helldrake both said I look good in this, it's only natural that'd draw some looks. Hell, I feel silly for getting so stressed out by it earlier.

She turned on her heels, heading back to the crepe stand.

I've got a date to get back to. Don't want to keep the bestie waiting.

Iori chuckled to herself, and walked with her head held high.

That woman was right, compliments really are good for the heart.