The Punishment of A Demon General

My entire body aches as I wake up, groaning in exhaustion, the least restful sleep I've managed to have. A good reminder that while I can remove the need to sleep, I can't remove exhaustion from intense activities.

Though, most of that was in the dream, did they...? They didn't keep going after I passed out, right?

I get up to my feet, thankfully able to stand, not having something broken this time. Glancing out the window it looks like it might be evening or so, jeez, sleeping through all of this is just...

Hopefully Envy isn't here by now, I did have a brief couple thoughts to counter her issues, but the Heroine completely threw every possible tool she had into my plans. We have to go meet Greed, counter Envy, hope that Wrath won't just get us killed...

Pride hasn't called for me yet, so that's one thing I can be thankful for. Gluttony, well, we don't usually talk much at all on account of the food being stuffed in face. I flop back into the bed, giving up on standing for now, staring up into the ceiling.

I mean, I get that Gluttony usually isn't a problem, so I don't have to mind him, but... Pride? Is Pride seriously the only thing that hasn't gone wrong yet? I mean, besides the Demon Lord, I guess, but he doesn't call us unless it's absolutely necessary since he doesn't like being bothered during his work.

At this point shouldn't I just make problems with Pride on purpose? Everything else is fucked, so adding one more thing might just balance things out.

+That's not how it works, I think.+

That's not how it works, I know, but... All of this is a horrid mess, it makes me want to just push over the fragile tower of cards I have here in frustration.

+Whoa, Ilvia can see the future!+

I take a few deep breaths. Despite the Heroine's chaos, she is at least someone who is probably willing to keep me safe. I think.

So, I'll be fine! I just need to rely on them. The weak have always served the strong, and it's no different here! The Heroine is just a second Demon Lord for me to serve.

+... Rude!+

(To be fair, you are very Demon Lord-y.)

I pump myself up a little bit, strangely cheered up from that thought. I mean, I used to be hesitant to have to deal with her, but now I just kind of go with the flow, it's a lot more relaxing.

Wait, the Heroine relies on Greed for stuff, right? Doesn't that make their relationship kind of important? I frown slightly, pushing on my chin while I think.

The Heroine won't make me try to repay my debt to him, right? I mean, I was hoping at least one thing would go right, but what if she does?

I shake my head aggressively. I have to be more proactive! I can't let the Heroine break my will just yet! If I just wait around and hope for her to do everything for me, then I'm just gonna end up completely screwed!

... Like how I just got railed by a good chunk of my servants because she wanted to. I definitely need to figure out how to be less reliant on her.

If I just wait around for the Heroine to do something, she'll probably lend me to Greed or Pride, or God knows who next. I mean, how am I supposed to be proactive though? I can't exactly beat Envy in any sort of information, if they say they're done with me, my support base will crumble almost immediately.

I doubt the Heroine would let anything deadly happen to me, but I do have at least some sense of pride.

I pinch my cheeks for a bit, thinking. I mean, if I sucked up to Pride a lot, maybe I could get a good deal on some sort of support?

I just need to make sure the Heroine never ever meets Pride, Wrath is one thing but if she treated Pride as haphazardly as she did Wrath... I shiver in horror.

You know what, I veto the idea of meeting Pride, that is a Heroine disaster waiting to happen. I'd rather my presence be ignored like usual!

My thoughts continue racing, a mess of frustration as I continue to mull over vague half-assed plans, tossing them away over and over, leaving me throwing a tantrum on top of my bed as I come up blank.

Anything I can do will get interfered with by the Heroine! I just need to get the Heroine to like me so she stops bullying me so much.

I cover my face with my hands and scream into them. Was I always this helpless to have to rely on her?! I wish I could just... My thoughts trail off at the following dark thought, my expression transforming into a grimace.

No, I don't. I mean, she's done a lot of mean things to me but I do still l-... Tolerate her.

I nod contently standing back up, heading to my wardrobe and pulling out some kind of cute clothes, definitely a more gothic style, fitting to my room's aesthetics. I slip it on and poke my head out of the door, the sunset lit hallway looking far more pleasant than it does most other times of the day.

On my cautious walk through the unfamiliar halls of my own home, I can't help but avert my gaze from anyone who had been present the night before, the shift change beginning to happen, meaning as I move progressively more and more end up as I walk. I elect to speed up my pace whenever any of them ask to help me find where I'm going.

I don't even know where I wanna go! Go away!

By the time I manage to find the entry hall, my cheeks are dyed a dark blue, embarrassment flooding over me with just how many of them I saw, my heart pounding with shame. You all got your revenge! Adding emotional damage on top is demonic behavior!

I hop over the railing, landing at the ground floor with grace, deciding to make my way out the door, practically sprinting through the courtyard until I make it out of the gate, hopping clean over it, resting my back against it with a sigh.

I can't even live peacefully in my own home because of that Heroine! I puff out my cheeks in frustration, several passing demons giving me a keen eye, as if trying to gamble whether I'm worth the trouble of either sucking up to or mugging.

That's more like it. Gazes that ooze treachery and a desire to despoil. Demons are really where a demon like me belongs!

Or something like that, I don't know anymore, honestly. I take a deep breath and begin walking casually through the streets, ruffling my short hair as I try to think about what I want to do. I mean, I'm definitely gonna get lost if I do this, but if I hop around enough I should be able to see my castle from anywhere. Well, maybe not during the night. I have good night vision but not 'Perfectly identify a building from miles away' good.

I glance back at my home, groaning, pondering for a while. Plus, the streets at night aren't quite safe even for me. It's stupid to underestimate the strength of a well-planned ambush.

... Though, I'm sure the other demon lords could handle most just fine. I pinch my cheeks hard enough to draw blood, bringing myself out of the negativity spiral I well know this is.

If I head down into the lower districts I'll be fine, I know my way around there pretty well. Plus, only the weakest idiots hang around there, so I'm good.

I find my way down past the district gates while there's still light, nobody minding me as I leave besides a couple of lecherous stares, darkness rapidly encroaching with each one of my steps, the sun falling well past a nearby mountain, streets slowly becoming more packed as time goes on.

Wandering these streets at night reminds me of before I had been pushed into that dumb title, shouts of rage, fear, and ecstasy keeping me well out of my thoughts as I walk. Well, as much as I can be.

Obviously anyone who hangs around with that overpowered Heroine would feel a little down about themselves! I mean seriously, she's absolutely busted.

So, it's fine to feel a bit grumpy, I'll just go and maybe check out some cattle like I used to, or... I don't know, go visit a bro-

I remember my last time at a brothel and decide against it. I'm kind of all sex'd out if we're completely honest.

I pause, staring blankly into the distance. What? Who the fuck says I'm all sex'd out?! Not me, that's for damn sure!

... Ugh, the Heroine is really dismantling all my pride as a succubus. I manage to wander my way over to a more lower class market, the very distinct sectioning making it a lot easier for me to make my way around, not to mention following the flow of the crowd prevents me from wandering off somewhere I'm not supposed to be.

Not that it's all peaceful, of course. I did almost get shanked a couple of times by some little ankle-biter gremlins. Nothing a good kick won't fix though.

I wander around in the almost unnatural flow of the crowd for a while before finally deciding to break away, a clear sign marked 'Toy House' catching my eye on one of the buildings.

What an unamusing sense of naming. Not that it'll stop me from making my way in.

Bound and gagged across the walls of the store are many low-quality slaves, an unfortunate and distinct lack of any sort of interesting features among them. I suppose a once-in-a-lifetime chance finding some amazing slave by sheer coincidence was too much to ask for.

I can't help but feel a tense queasy feeling in my stomach, though, glancing over all of them. I'm not sure why, though.

Part of me is trying to imagine my own slaves in their position, their bodies ragged and starved, begging for release from suffering.

I run my tongue over my fangs a few times in frustration, the disturbing sensation not going away as I roll my gaze over the cattle.

"Any back stock?" I say, trying to bite back the unpleasant feeling. Maybe I can get lucky if they have some unprepared newly caught one. These ones have likely seen a few owners, given their state.

"Haah?" The wretched thing at the counter looks up at me, a wide toothless grin as it notices my presence.

"Aahhh... A cuthtomer!" It says, creaking his head around a few times before responding. "Yeth, we hath a good sthock juth thor our amathing guethtth!" ... Okay, ew. I'm pretty sure half the room is covered in its saliva now.

"Bring them out, then." I say, waving my hand impatiently, deciding to lean back against the entry door for now, ensuring nobody else comes in for now.

"Ahhh, my guethth are thupothed to come in back thor the good sthock!" Yeah, sure. I'll totally fall for that one.

My gaze rakes over it coldly before I cast a powerful charm, eroding its senses, leaving it fawning over me in an instant.

"Bring them out, untie the rest along with them, give them over to me." Whatever annoying feeling this is, I know who the culprit is! Every time I look at these dumb slaves, all I can think of is the Heroine whining about it or something, or hating me for being a demon because of it...

... The Heroine has even ruined my hobbies now! What next?!

+Muahaha, you will be converted to my-+

(Shush, this isn't the most tasteful chapter to make jokes.)

+Yeah... Demons are kind of brutal when you get down to brass tacks, aren't they?+

(A teensy bit.)

+You're a cute reformed baby, though, you're alllll sunshine and sparkles now.+

(... Shut.)

Author's Note:

Sorry for the missed chapter!

Was having a fair bit of difficulty pushing this one out, lots of paranoia over quality and whether this is interesting to the story...

It is relevant, I just worry about the themes of it being too heavy. Next chapter should hopefully be a little more lighter-toned.