Whether I just ruined my weapon of choice by having it enchanted to be slimy like a tongue, depends on how well it'll work in action. I was thinking of mugging some muggers in the seedier side-streets of this city to test the effect. However, the enchanter who realized it, Holoster, is also interested in the result and offered to help me test it. And so we immediately proceed to his place of choice. The test room is an actual dungeon and the test subject is...

"Is there any particular reason we are using a human test subject?"

"Hmm? We could have used some dumb animal too, but I thought this would suit your tastes better."

Oh well, as long as it's not an animal test everything's a-okay! ...No, it's not! Granted, I'm a demon so naturally he'd expect me to like this better. But the idea of this makes me rather uneasy anyway.

I can't quite place why I'd care about some random human though. I'm pretty sure I wasn't a human before - assuming my fragmented memories indicate there was a before. The things I do remember just don't fit at all with the way these people here live; even at best they are, from my point of view, quite brutish and primitive.

I remember being able to talk to people regardless of the distance whenever I wanted to, to fly above clouds at incredible speed, and to see into deepest depths of seas and far above into the empty cold space simply by peering into a screen. All of these are things no living being on this world could even begin to do, not even the immortal demons. By all accounts I must have been a telepathic supreme being, far from these dirty humans.

Though for some reason term 'owning noobs' is far more prevalent than those more impressive sounding things. These 'noobs' must have been of utmost importance for me to own so many of them.

"But don't expect anything special. He's just a criminal who was given choice between hanging and being 'drained by a succubus'."

And suddenly I don't feel at all bad about it. Well, I suppose it's understandable choice. Being drained by succubus is right there at the top of preferred ways to die list. He'll be in for a disappointment though. ...Unless he's a masochist who loves being stabbed, that is.

We enter the dungeon to see the 'volunteer' who's chained on a wall. He's completely, forgettably average looking man. I can't even begin to guess what kind of crime he committed to end up here. In the empire you can't get a death sentence for something trivial, so I can be reasonably certain he's in death row for a reason though. When he notices me, he assumes a happy shit eating grin completely at odds with his imminent death. So, being executed doesn't bother you at all, if sex? Haah.

I have a sudden whim of malevolence. Let's try a smile too.

"I am Ais~ and I'm here~ to suck you dry~. Tehe~."

"A-alright!"

I give him my best Celica impression. It's rather forced, but so is real Celica act. He seems hyped in any case. I transfer back to my normal expression - which I admit is bit on the unfriendly side - in an instant.

"...by stabbing you repeatedly with this experimental weapon."

Remaining hopeful for a frozen moment of disbelief, he makes a U-turn to disappointment and dread. I ready the cruel hooked blade of my brand new weapon.

"I'll start with piercing the skin without active draining."

"Very good. Commence the test, lady Aisen."

"By the Blightmoon! T-this wasn't what I was promised!"

I stab him lightly with the tip of my blade.

"AaaAAGH! Buggrit! I ain't no pincushion!"

"Subject shows no reactions beyond normal."

Holoster narrates the experiment in neutral voice. There is no drain, but I can feel essence of his negative feelings flowing to me instead. The prisoner looks mortified, but not really in much pain. I didn't expect this to have effect yet anyway - the normal succubus drain needs to be actively triggered too. This phase was here for completeness' sake mainly.

"I'll try using it with the spell now."

"Test number two, a contact with active draining begins."

Stabbety stab. I make a tiny wound on his arm and keep the blade in there, monitoring his state.

"IIAAGH! Stop poking me, you stinking demon!"

"Succubi don't stink."

"I don't care! Tentacle monster take you, you sadistic demon slut-- Ngh!"

I twist the blade, shutting him up. I mean, sure, I'm technically torturing him. But wishing tentacles on me was just uncalled for! I guarantee no other demon would have so thoughtfully made sure to keep wounds minor and the pain minimal.

Is the drain working? He continues looking at me angrily, but then starts getting more withered slowly. The offense part does work. I look at my hand, which I sliced to open a wound. It slowly closes, indicating that the drain heals me. I show the process to Holoster.

"Subject shows standard reaction to a succubus drain. Research assistant shows signs of regeneration. Healing effect is slightly slower than estimated. Hypothesis: some of the life-force is lost in magical transfer via air. Possible further hypothesis: the loss is greater the further the distance."

Holoster seems like a real professional at human experiments. Lovely.

"That's it for the first experiment suite. As for possible follow-up, I can get more test subjects with short notice--"

"No, this is enough."

Despite willingly going through this so far, I feel a tingle of regret. I don't want Holoster to know about that though. While he seems reasonable enough, revealing any potential weaknesses to someone who casually creates dwarf-melting gas isn't wise course of action.

"Bored already? Well, it was interesting concept, though a weapon that heals only a certain succubus is not going to be popular, obviously."

He seems to have interpreted my reluctance for fickleness, and that's alright.

"... Oh, and finish the poor bastard off. He's supposed to be executed anyway."

As Holoster makes his leave, I look at the prisoner who is too tired from the drain to talk or resist more than by eyeing me accusingly. If I don't kill him, he'd only revive to be hanged soon after anyway. Still... the idea of killing someone who can't resist, even if it's a greasy criminal, it's... distasteful. There are more reasons to kill him than to not to though, so I'll do it.

Should I say some words first? I'm not sure why I thought of that. It's not like anything said to someone whose remaining life span is about a minute matters. Is this because of that melancholic feeling again? At least it's not affecting me more than this - I expected some mushy guilt-tripping, but apparently a most definitely guilty criminal doesn't quite do it. But I'll say something inspiring in any case.

"May you find peace in... whatever passes for the afterlife here. ... Which is probably just hell, since I don't think there was any heaven or paradise. But hell is sort of okay, so that's something--"

"Just... shut up... and... kill me!"

How rude! And here I was trying to be nice about killing him...

"... As you wish."

I pierce his heart with the blade, killing him instantly. Better than hanging, at least.

***

"I had great time~!"

Celica beams happily about her new career as stand-in ambassador of hell. I'm not sure what was so great, and I'm probably happier not knowing.

"But Celica heard you were playing~ with prisoners? Aisssss~, why didn't you invite big sis~? I would have liked to suck a few dry~! Tehe~!"

While I think she's misunderstanding what actually happened, her reaction is exactly what I expected. She even used exact same words as I did when imitating her earlier. But expecting doesn't equal understanding - I just can't see what about it is so attractive to her. I did get bit of essence, and confirm the weapon's effect, but it wasn't something I'd actually want to do for just fun.

Well, I might have made one cruel joke, but a real succubus would have tormented him for all its worth instead of killing him cleanly and quickly. And no demon would feel at all bothered about it like I still do. These things clearly clash with me being a succubus and demon of lust.

"Say Celica... am I really a succubus?"

My success rate with asking Celica about anything deeper than the time of the day is not very good. Actually, now that I think about it, asking the time of day has never been fruitful either. She is always like 'Why~, it's the same time it was yesterday this time~, tehe~.', or if she's being helpful 'Eh~? Can't you see, it's afternoon~.' as if that was good enough answer. But I voice my thoughts to her anyway. Celica is the only one I can ask these things.

"Ais~, you sometimes say the weirdest things~."

"I mean on the inside."

"You want big sis~ to take a look and check~? Open wide~!"

When she starts grabbing my crotch, I punch the molesting succubus off. I'm trying to have a serious talk about a serious issue here! I try one more time...

"I MEAN I don't think I think like one."

"Ais. You could have told me."

"... I could have?"

"Yep~! Worry not~! Just follow big sis' example~ and you'll be the~ greatest demon of lust ever~! Right~ after me, of course~."

I knew it... I knew and still I tried, expecting a different outcome. ...Well, Celica is always Celica. I don't dislike how she is always true to herself. I ought to make up my mind too.