November 1, 2026

Succubi Chapter 261. Lust Resonance

Lilith nodded. "Normally, it's subtle. A little influence. A temporary increase. Perhaps an affinity toward another Sin's abilities." She paused. "Last night wasn't subtle. Because I deliberately pushed my Lust energy into you."

My eyebrow twitched. "You what?"

"My Lust resonance." She smiled. "I forced it toward your core. And you answered. But," she continued, becoming serious again, "I never expected this."

Her gaze traveled over my transformed body.

"The amount of power you absorbed should have taken much longer to stabilize. Your Pride didn't merely accept my Lust. It consumed the resonance, adapted to it, and used it to accelerate your evolution."

My smile slowly returned. "So I'm amazing."

Lilith stared at me. "...That's what you took from that explanation?"

"I'm Pride."

"Fair."

I looked toward the system again.

[Would you like to establish an Infernal Gate?]

[YES / NO]

"So why stop me?"

Lilith's expression immediately hardened. "Because opening an Infernal Gate without coordinates is idiotic."

"What happens?"

"You might appear somewhere harmless. Or inside a battlefield. A demon lord's territory. An abyssal nest. A lava sea. Or..." Her voice changed. "Inside the King's territory."

I paused. "...That sounds inconvenient."

Lilith gave me a flat look. "Inconvenient?"

"I was trying to remain optimistic."

To be honest, calling it inconvenient was such a ridiculous understatement that even my Pride wanted to slap me. Because, yeah. If that King ever found me? I was dead. Especially if I casually opened an Infernal Gate and dropped myself right into his territory like some idiot delivering his own head gift-wrapped with a ribbon.

Lilith's expression said she was thinking exactly the same thing.

I cleared my throat. "Fine. Catastrophically inconvenient."

She sighed. "I'll give you safe coordinates." She stepped beside me, studying the floating notification. "If you're going to Hell, I'd rather know where you're arriving."

Something warm moved through my chest again. I glanced at her.

Lilith continued, "There's another problem. Time."

I looked toward the window. Morning sunlight was already spreading across the academy grounds.

"If you go now," she said, "you won't simply walk around for ten minutes and return. Because once you see Hell properly, you'll want to explore. You'll find monsters. Then you'll fight them. Then you'll discover something stronger. Then your Pride will decide you need to defeat that too. Then you'll find territory."

I remained silent.

Lilith smiled knowingly. "And then you'll try to conquer it."

"...I feel personally attacked."

"You should."

She tapped my chest. "Realistically? Three hours minimum."

"Three hours isn't that bad."

"Six is more likely."

I slowly looked toward the clock.

She smiled sweetly. "And if you spend three to six hours in Hell right now..." She paused dramatically. "You'll be late for class."

"True."

I stared at the floating option again.

[YES / NO]

But... My expression hardened. Even without seeing myself in the mirror, I could feel the change in my eyes. The temptation wasn't merely curiosity anymore. Hell wasn't just another realm waiting behind a shiny new system function.

It was an opportunity. A battlefield. My battlefield.

"I'll take it."

Lilith's smile faded slightly.

I curled my fingers into a fist, feeling demonic power pulse beneath the black armor covering my skin.

"This battlefield..." A grin slowly pulled at my lips. "I want it."

Not today. I wasn't stupid enough to jump blindly into Hell before morning class.

My Pride stirred hungrily.

Lilith watched me silently before her crimson eyes softened. "I know." Then she smirked. "Pride demons are creatures of ambition, Evan. Most of them spend their entire lives wanting more. More strength. More authority. More territory." Her gaze sharpened. "They want the world beneath their feet simply because they cannot tolerate standing beneath someone else's." She stepped closer. "But sadly..." Her fingers brushed one of my horns. "You haven't roared as loudly as you should."

I blinked. "Roared?"

"Your ambition." Lilith tilted her head. "Is it because of your human family?"

My amusement disappeared. For several seconds, I didn't answer. My adoptive family. Growing up learning not to ask for too much. Not expecting anything. Money had always mattered because money meant independence. Strength mattered because strength meant nobody could decide my life for me. But ambition? Maybe somewhere along the way, I'd learned to keep that part small. Hidden.

"...Maybe."

I looked toward the morning sky outside. "Or maybe I've lived in this world for too long."

Lilith remained silent.

"Humans teach you to control yourself. Follow laws. Don't hurt people. Don't take things just because you're stronger." I snorted. "Pretty much everything a demon's instincts probably consider deeply offensive."

"Indeed."

"Maybe living here weakened those instincts."

Lilith studied me. "Pride demons burn with ambition," she murmured. "Sometimes too brightly." Her hand settled against my armored chest. "They conquer. Dominate. Destroy anyone standing above them. Many don't care who they hurt getting there." Her expression became strangely distant. "They have ambition, but very little heart." Then her eyes returned to mine. "You..." She smiled. "You're different."

Before I could make some response, Lilith stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me.

I froze. "...Lilith?"

She simply hugged me. Her cheek rested against my chest while one hand slowly stroked my back, carefully avoiding the base of my wings. Then she patted me gently.

My entire demonic transformation suddenly felt considerably less intimidating. Here I was, armored like an abyssal warlord preparing to conquer Hell itself... Getting head pats.

"Whatever you decide to do, Evan," she whispered, "I want that ambition to keep burning." Her arms tightened slightly. "Become stronger. Fight. Conquer something if that's truly what you want." Then she lifted her head. "But don't lose your heart doing it." Her fingers touched my cheek. "And don't lose your dignity."

I stared into those crimson eyes.

A Sin of Lust was telling a Pride demon not to lose himself. Maybe demons weren't quite what humans thought they were.

I covered her hand with mine and smiled. "Don't worry."

My wings slowly folded behind me. "I intend to conquer Hell with excellent manners."

Lilith stared at me. "...That isn't what I meant."

"I know."

She sighed. But she was smiling again.