How I became the Empress of Hell Arc 03 Ch. 11-20

"Don't make me beat you down with this thing. I don't want you to have to feel shame from being beaten by taking an ogre demon's cock to the face."

As my emotions flooded back into me all at once, I fell to my side and started laughing harder than I ever have before.

3.19: ROFLMAO

Nialla clutched her belly from laughter and tears spilled from her eyes. She laughed and laughed until she was gasping for air. I was thankful for my demonic body's ability to suppress my embarrassment, because otherwise I would be blushing from head to toe. It's one thing to go on a rampage and almost take out two of my team members. It's another thing to have said rampage end abruptly due to being threatened by a giant red dick. After we returned to the castle we were greeted by a level 1 Nialla, and we filled her in on everything that had happened. When she finally recovered from literally rolling on the floor laughing, she sat up and I glared at her with mock anger.

"If you don't mind me asking, Allie... why did you get so upset at me dying? It's not like it's real life."

I sighed loudly through my nose and pursed my lips as considered what she had asked. While I was very close to all of my new friends, I'm not sure I would have gone 'full demon mode' if one of them had died. Only Emelia dying should have provoked that kind of response... which meant... something complicated. I forced the thoughts aside for now, I grinned as I reached my hand out to help her up. She accepted it eagerly and surprised me by pressing her lips against mine. Just as quickly as the kiss had started, she pulled away with a naughty grin on her face. I let out a low growl as I felt the familiar tingles of arousal flooding my system.

I was pulled from my haze of lust by the arrival of three people entering the castle. I grinned widely at my fiancée who was escorting a very tall redheaded woman and a much shorter brunette who still towered over me by almost a foot. Tesrif and Judas were just behind them and I turned from Nialla and faced the newcomers. Emelia walked over to me and I pulled her into a tight embrace and gave her a soul-searing kiss. As I pushed my tongue into my mouth she moaned loudly before pressing her hands against my chest and pushing against me softly to get me to pull away from her. I growled in irritation but allowed her to remove herself from my grasp.

"Geez, babe. What's gotten into you? And why aren't you wearing your Limiter?"

Her statement yanked me out of my demonic frenzied lust and I stepped back and blushed slightly. I grinned sheepishly at the two people who were now studying me with looks that were equal parts confusion and shock.

"Sorry, ladies. It's been an eventful day."

The brunette stared at me with wide eyes and elbowed the redhead.

"Holy shit, Kyra... it's her."

Upon hearing her sexy British accent if I could have blushed harder, I would have. I knew that there would be adoring Allexus fans after all the public stunts I'd pulled lately, but it was still something I wasn't used to. My demonic ego swelled within me, and I grinned widely, showing my fangs.

The taller woman studied me with an equal look of amazement and bewilderment. Emelia laughed at their reactions and turned back towards them.

"Allie, I'm pleased to introduce the two newest members to the Lost and the Damned, Kyra and her girlfriend Ash."

It was my turn to study each of the women standing in front of me. Kyra, the redhead, was tall, probably standing around 6'9 or 6'10. Her entire body was covered in a thin layer of tight muscles, like those of a swimmer or a gymnast and she had slightly broad shoulders that showed off her well defined biceps. Her skin was pale, but tanned in a way that showed that she spent a lot of time in front of a fire. Her hands were callused, and she wore a sort of red and black apron with a tool belt strapped around her waist. She had sharp striking facial features, and her hair was a fiery red that caused my knees to go slightly weak. (I love my wife and her gorgeous black hair, but I have always had a weakness for redheads) The sides and back of her head were shaved and the crimson locks of her hair had been pushed over to one side. She looked to be in her late twenties or maybe early 30's, and the flinty stare she gave me as I looked her up and down showed a cunning mind behind those ice blue eyes. She was absolutely gorgeous, and the epitome of powerful feminine beauty and strength.

I looked at the no less stunning brunette, who had streaks of blonde in her short spiky hair. She was muscular like her girlfriend, but moved with the grace and dexterity of a dancer. She towered over me, and was probably around 6'0 tall. She had hazel eyes and tomboyish facial features. She had an olive skin tone, which was a gorgeous contrast to her girlfriend's much paler complexion. Around each of her ankles and wrists were some sort of tightly wrapped slate gray chains, and she wore a simple suit of oiled black leather armor. Despite being somewhat awestruck from seeing me, she still wore a dopey grin that made the dimples on her face stand out. I grinned at each of them in turn and then adopted a much more serious expression. Normally I would have been super nervous about meeting new people, but my demonic body and ego lent me plenty of support.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Kyra and Ash. You already know who I am, but I don't know who you are or why you are here. While I trust my future wife's judgment, I'm not easily impressed. So... impress me. Why did Emelia recruit you? Judas... I'm assuming you have the pieces these two made?"

Judas rushed forward with a dagger in hand and bowed his head slightly before speaking.

"My lady, this was made by the craftsmith Kyra. One of the stipulations of her joining was that we also recruit her girlfriend. I advised Lady Emelia to accept, when you see the stats and the exquisite craftsmanship you will understand."

I cocked an eyebrow and accepted the dagger with a passive look of annoyance on my face. I looked at the stats and had to stop my eyes from bugging out of my skull and my jaw from dropping in shock. It was perfectly balanced and so wickedly sharp that it cut through my skin without any effort. The most astonishing thing was its damage rating. It was higher than any dagger I had ever seen by a very vast margin. The hilt even had an inlaid design of an intricate serpent winding around down to the pommel. Despite being made of a dark metal, the snake was so detailed it almost looked alive. I did my best to keep the surprise out of my voice as I spoke.

"You were right to suggest as such, Judas. This dagger is exquisite. But... If I'm going to allow someone who isn't a crafter to join my clan, they need to prove themselves."

I turned to Ash and gave her a half-grin.

"Would you be opposed to a friendly duel? I want to see for myself why Emelia saw fit to recruit you both."

To my surprise, Ash gave me a wicked grin and nodded enthusiastically.

"That sounds awesome! I've been itching to see how I'd fare against you since I watched you fight in the clan battles!"

I nodded once and turned back towards Judas. I did my best to stop myself from melting at the sound of Ash's sexy accent, and focused my attention on my demon retainer.

"Judas, escort them to the waiting area just outside our dueling rooms. I will be along shortly."

"Yes, m'lady. Miss Kyra, Miss Ash, if you will follow me."

They nodded and as they walked away I saw Kyra glance back at me before turning back around and following Judas down the hall. Once they were out of sight, I turned towards Emelia, who was standing next to Nialla. I walked over to them and wrapped one of my arms around the Snow Demon's back and pulled her closer to me. I kissed her softly and nuzzled her neck. As Nialla and I filled her in on what had taken place in our latest dungeon, I told her about me losing control after Nialla was killed and then coming out of it. I didn't explain exactly how I had regained control of myself, but after Nialla burst into laughter again, I reluctantly told her the entire story. After my future wife got over her brief laughing fit, she gave me a serious look.

"So, where's the spell for casting the enchantment on the castle?"

"Oh. Fuck. Seriously?! How in the hell could I have forgotten about that? That was the entire point of us going on the stupid trip! After everything that had happened with Scythe and Nialla it had somehow slipped my mind."

ADHD at its finest, ladies and gentlemen. Em scoffed and laughed softly before Scythe spoke behind me.

"Don't worry, Allie. While you were indisposed from your near lethal encounter with the giant ogre dick I managed to find a spell book hidden in the altar. It looks like my life-blood was the catalyst, cause that's what it's written in. When I checked it over, it's definitely what we were looking for. Along with a lot of other spells that use death magic as a catalyst."

I sighed loudly in relief and my shoulders sagged slightly. I turned back towards Scythe and ran over to him before pulling him into a tight hug.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I cannot believe I forgot... I'm glad one of us still had the wherewithal to find the thing we were there to get."

"Hey, it was the least I can do after I... Well... after what I put you through. Nialla... I cannot even..."

I felt a pair of warm soft hands snake around me and Scythe and heard Nialla's voice.

"Don't stress about it. I know it wasn't you. And I will admit it is badass how lethal you are. I was practically at full health when you hit me. Next time I'll remember to stand away from the incarnation of death when he's still in rage mode."

We laughed and separated. I felt a sense of happiness at seeing Nialla smile at me, and it gave me a tingly sensation in my stomach that I did my best to ignore.

"Well, thank you again, Scythe. I owe you. Now then... if you'll excuse me... I have to go see about dueling our newest clan member."

"Oh, we are definitely going to watch this, Allie. We gotta see the badass boss lady beat down some poor defenseless Demonspawn."

I grinned at Nialla and turned to walk down the hall in the direction of the Duel Rooms.

3.20: Duel! Ash vs Allexus

All the clan members who were online assembled behind me in preparation for my duel against Ash. They all eagerly introduced themselves to our new members while Scythe and I discussed what it would take to set up the new death magic enchantment. Unfortunately the setup wasn't something that could be done in a short amount of time, so we would just have to take it easy. Ash seemed to click with everyone, she was outgoing and friendly, even cracking jokes with Nialla and Bray. Kyra seemed standoffish and quiet, and I was having trouble getting a good read on her. When she did speak, however, her Irish accent seemed to enchant everyone around her; it was so utterly sexy and it fit her so well. When we were finally all properly introduced, I let everyone into my new "boss room."

"Seriously Allison? A little conceited are we?"

I merely shrugged and gave Emelia a wide smile.

"Come on... you know you love it. It's an entire room dedicated to your favorite person."

She scoffed loudly and shook her head in amusement.

"You are too much, babe, but I still love you, massive ego and all."

I opened my inventory and retrieved my Power Limiter. I sighed softly and looked at the enchanted choker. It felt so good to go without it... I felt so... free, so powerful. But all I had to do was look at my uncontrollable rage and the way my demonic body affected my mind even outside of combat, and I knew it was better for me to keep it on. I looped it around my neck and closed the clasp. The runes glowed faintly and I felt a massive wave of weakness hit me so strongly that it nearly brought me to my knees.

"What's that?"

Emily held me tightly to steady me as she looked up at Ash.

"It's a Power Limiter. At full power, Allie's spells and attacks are so powerful that they are extremely dangerous for anyone nearby. It reduces her total power and levels by 80%."

Once I recovered I stood up and looked over at Ash. She was studying me with a curious look on her face.

"So wait, you're going to fight me at only level 40? That hardly seems like a fair fight since I'm level 62. I'm not opposed to you using your full power if you want. I would love to see just how strong you are."

I shrugged and waggled my eyebrows at her in a gesture that basically said 'we'll see about that.'

The others withdrew to the viewing area that each room was setup with, and I walked up the steps and sat on my throne. Ash watched me closely, her muscles twitching slightly in preparation for whatever might happen. I smiled at her, baring my fangs.

"You can start whenever."

She nodded once, but remained stationary.

I sighed softly and shook my head.

"Letting me take the first move? How generous."

I stood up slowly and watched Ash tense up like a coiled spring. I stretched out my limbs dramatically and tilted my head side to side to pop my neck. I feigned a yawn and then focused all my energy on my demonic speed as I burst off the platform towards her. Even with her waiting for me to strike, the speed of my movement still caught her off guard. As I landed on the floor next to her, I reached down with a single hand and extended my claws to slow my momentum. I pivoted on my heel so that I was now behind her and I lifted my other hand high and raked my claws downwards to swipe at her back. Just as they were about to tear into her, my vision was suddenly filled with a small cloud of smoke and my hand simply struck the empty air. I growled in irritation and I jumped backwards and spread my wings. I flapped a few times to create a forward draft in an effort to clear the smoke from the area. As I was scanning the area, I suddenly felt a jolt of pain in my side. My head snapped in that direction and I locked eyes with Ash as she pulled out the long jagged blade that had just impaled me deeply. I let out a throaty growl and sneered in anger.

"Power Limiter release: 30%!"

My level shot up to 88 and I bit my lip as the pleasure coursed through my body.

Instead of attempting to get close again, I shot into the air and used my wings to hover in place. I reached both of my hands towards Ash and saw the look of determination on her face.

"[Blastburn]! [Corrupting Fire]!"

I launched both spells simultaneously and smiled as the edge of the small explosion from my [Corrupting Fire] attack had caught her in the side and sent her flying upwards. She used the momentum to turn in midair and as her feet connected with a pillar she pushed off and launched herself towards me. I simply flew higher and watched as she sailed uselessly below me. I was about to cast a spell with each of my hands when I saw the chains around Ash's wrists unwind quickly as she threw both of her shortswords towards me. As one of them struck me in the leg, I saw her hand ignite in bright orange flames. The fire traveled the length of the chain and shot into the sword in an instant, and I roared at the searing pain. Just before she was about to hit the ground, Ash maneuvered her body so that she was going to land mostly on her feet. As she landed hard, the blade embedded in my thigh jerked free and she pulled the chains back towards her. She caught both swords and looked up at me with a wide grin on her face. I scoffed loudly and held my hand to my side.

"Your speed and attacks are most impressive, Ash. As is your athleticism. I will admit that I vastly underestimated you... But easy mode ends now. Power Limiter release: 50% [Corruption's Caress]. [Blessings of Corruption]. [Summon Arcane Heavy Armor]. [Thorns of Corruption]."

I slowly descended to the floor and landed hard, my heavily armored boots clanging on the stone. I drew both of my swords and sneered at Ash as I slowly walked towards her. When I was about 20 feet away, I channeled my energy into my speed and the world blurred around me as I shot forward with the point of one of my swords raised. Just as before, the second before my attack struck her, a cloud of smoke filled my field of vision and my sword met no resistance. Instead of moving backwards, I stopped my momentum by planting both of my feet and scraping my boots along the stone floor. As I scanned the room for my target, the smoke in the area became even thicker than before and when I moved around slightly I noticed that it was spreading throughout the room.

Clever girl.

I felt the stab of a blade hit my armor on my left side, followed by another on my right calf. Ash was using the smoke to hide her movements and darting from one spot to another to attack me seemingly at random. While her flaming swords did manage to take a few chunks out of my armor and knocked a bit of my HP off, it wasn't doing much beyond pissing me off. I saw a flicker of movement to my right out of the corner of my eye and I whirled and rushed towards it. I swung my swords and hit empty air again, before hissing at a blade striking my left shoulder from behind.

Dammit Allie. Stop acting based on pure reaction. You're falling into her trap. Focus! Trying to predict her movements or relying on your demonic senses is worthless. She's a fucking ninja, she will be using every trick to keep you from knowing where she is. She couldn't fully dodge out of the way of my AoE spell earlier... so that's the key. Go big, Allie. No kill like overkill."

"Power Limiter Release: 80%."

I moaned softly as I spread my wings and lifted myself into the air until I was about 30 feet up. I continued to allow Ash to strike me from various angles while I allowed my MP to recharge fully for what I was planning. If it hadn't been regenerating so quickly it wouldn't be long before I would have to activate [Stoneskin] to mitigate the damage I was taking. When my MP was completely full, I held my hands out in front of me with my palms almost touching. I started rapid fire casting my three attack spells, alternating between [Coldfire] [Corrupting Fire] and [Blastburn]. Every time I cast a spell, I moved each hand further and further apart to fully bombard the area in a wide swathe of devastation. I turned in place and continued to blast every square inch of my throne room until I had completely run out of MP. I let the dust settle and slowly descended to the floor next to Ash. She was laying on her side with burns and scorch marks all over her body. The others rushed out of the viewing area and ran towards us as I moved closer to Ash. When she saw me approaching her, she looked up at me and glared.

"Where was the duel?! The skill against skill or trying to beat me at my own game?! You just went 'cheat codes activated' and blew everything up! That was more you flipping the table because you were losing on objectives!"

I cocked my eyebrow and scoffed loudly.

"Uh... Demon Overlord... Remember? I never said anything about playing fair."

"But... that's... Ugh!! Fine! You win this round! But I swear I'm stabbing you in the ass one of these days!"

"Hey, at least I didn't use my World Tier skill."

"... You have a World Tier skill?!"

Scythe knelt down next to Ash and started casting healing spells while I took several steps backwards. As I channeled all of my MP into casting [*Overlord of Corruption*] the air grew heavy like the moments before a storm. Energy crackled off my body like sparks of red and black electricity. All of my clanmates assembled before me looked like a tremendous weight was pushing down on them as I held my hands out to the sides with my fingers spread wide. As the power grew in my core, I felt it build more and more and push its way out of every pore in my body. The dark crimson smokey shapes of my Corrupted formed around me, each one that appeared looking more menacing than the last. When the last figure formed and took the shape of Emelia, she moved to my side and kissed me softly on the cheek before standing next to me with her arms crossed over her chest.