Ch 256: The Demon Lord is broken?

"Nice job, everyone!" smiled Ririko after the last minotaur fell down. She made a point of praising her companions more often now, in order to help maintain their morale.

Ageha and Megu nodded in acknowledgement without looking at her, already scanning the corpses for loot, and Leonhard was examining a gnarly staff he had just picked up.

"Thanks, Ririko." sighed Uiko, absentmindedly slapping a bit of dusk from her white and red outfit, who looked like a shrine maiden outfit with a short, easy-to-move-in skirt and spats combo, and a black leather breastplate protecting her torso.

"Thank you. You did well yourself, Ririko." smiled Izumi Arisugawa. Despite being a boy, he was dressed with a light blue and white maid dress.

It had started as a prank when Ageha bullied… no, convinced him to try on that dress, then taken away the school clothes he had carelessly let inside the changing room instead of placing them into his inventory, but Izumi hadn't protested all that much, and now seemed fine with wearing that dress. No, he was happier with it, his personality more outspoken, and he smiled more often.

A week had passed since the Demon Lord had attacked them, and Naru and Ichinon were…  captured. She hoped they only had been captured.

Asuka and Izumi's search in the city's library hadn't turned up anything related to the Demon Lord Rin or the Black Knight Anna. After two days of searching, they gave up on it and joined the hunt.

Akira was still acting on his own, leaving early in the morning and returning only to eat dinner and sleep. Yesterday, he announced he had reached level 40, making him the strongest Hero.

Since then, the 2A guild members had reorganized themselves int to hunting groups, redoubling their efforts to level up since then, and Ririko had just reached level 34.

They were already searching for the next group of monsters when she suddenly spotted a silhouette about a hundred meters away, emerging from a half-crumbled door frame in the ruins. The girl saw her looking, waved at them, and disappeared back deeper into the ruins

She recognized her. The dark clothes were different, darker and shinier, but her slightly dressing style was the same, her hairstyle was the same, and while she was too far to see her face clearly, Ririko felt certain.

"Hey, isn't that Ichinon?" gasped Izumi, who had also seen her.

"Ichinon!" shouted Ririko, already breaking into a sprint before she realized she was moving.

The other Heroes looked at each other in surprise, then broke into a run, following her. Weeks of fighting together had taught them to act as a team.

Ririko reached the door frame, seeing the other side of the ruins, and screeched into a halt, her mouth wide open. Ichinon was indeed there, standing just six meters from her, but she wasn't alone.

"Hi, guys! We missed you!" cheered Naru as she waved, wearing a black, shiny, lewd parody of a… magical girl outfit? And was that latex?

"Long time no see, Ririko, and everyone else." nodded Ichinon.

Ririko took a closer look at her for a second, taking in her appearance, but most of her attention was on the four other people standing behind her classmates. She recognized the butler-looking man from the description Tahuya and Akira, as well as the female black knight, and the young woman who seemed to command attention, wearing an obscene black outfit that showed off her every curve, her red eyes peering at them through a veil hanging from a black crown. Confidence and dominance seemed to ooze from her, and Ririko suddenly felt like a mouse staring at a snake.

Moreover, there were six red bars and names over their heads.

"Demon Lord Rin"

"Black Knight Anna"

"Hellzector Adora"

"Hellzector Forneus"

"Unholy Warrior Naru"

"Dark Sorcerer Ichinon"

As Ririko was frozen in shock, her companions reached her side and stared.

"Greetings, Heroes…" smiled the Demon Lord. "This demon Lord sees that you are working hard to try to defeat her and her companions. Or was it to try to rescue those two?"

"Both!" shouted Ririko, unfreezing, and pointing her sword at the Demon Lord. "Nonnon, Naru, what on Earth happened to you? Please tell me you aren't siding with them!"

"We are." nodded Ichinon with a calm, matter-of-fact tone. "Rin-sama has been very… convincing. She has shown us the error of our ways, and we embraced the Darkness. Just like you will."

"The hell?" retorted Ageha, then a twisted smile spread across her face. "And what's with those outfits? Such prime blackmail material. I already took screenshots, and I'll make you my toy forever, Naru!"

Naru blushed slightly, but didn't loose her calm otherwise. This was unusual, as Ririko expected the bubbly girl to protest or do something about that threat.

"This Demon Lord heard about your temperament, Hero Ageha. The Dark side will suit you well, after you are properly broken in." nodded the Demon Lord.

"What are your intentions? Shouldn't you be ruling Infermia?" asked Megu, looking worried.

"This Demon Lord isn't the kind to just wait for Heroes to come challenge them in their own time. That would be too boring. Rather, capturing Heroes and dying them in Darkness has proved to be an interesting endeavor, and this Demon Lord has come to take more of you. You can surrender obediently, or you can fight, but the end result will be the same."

"Never! Everyone, let's fight!" cried Ririko as she was closing the distance.

It was her great weakness. When her friends were in danger, she jumped in without thinking of a plan first. She knew about it, but she just couldn't stop herself, and ran toward the Demon Lord, hoping that defeating her would free Ichinon and Naru from her influence.

"Wait! Are you stu… damn it! Ice Stake!" replied Ageha, starting the magical bombardment.

"Magic barrier!" countered Ichinon.

The next few seconds were absolute chaos. The Demon Lord had stopped her charge using a demonic-looking sword, and retaliated with a speed that Ririko could barely follow with her eyes, striking her twice in the stomach and left thigh. She dimly noted being inflicted by some kind of debuff, slowing her down.

Uiko tried to help her, but was intercepted by the Black Knight who batted her away with the shaft of her trident. Seeing the situation turn bad, Uiko teared up.

"Whaaaaaa!"

A strangled sob burst from her throat as she jumped at the black knight.

Uiko was… a bit broken, Ririko knew. She was the most emotional girl in the class, but while she cried, she also released her feelings in the form of pure aggression. There was a time where a perverted delinquent had lifted her skirt in the middle of a crowded hallway during a break, causing her to sob immediately, but also to inflict a flurry of kicks and slaps and punches on said delinquent, and wound up knocking him out.

Ageha had nicknamed her 'The Berserker Crybaby' behind her back, but even she took great care never to say it where she might hear.

Uiko's quirk was manifesting itself again right now, as she assaulted Black Knight Anna with rapid blows, their accuracy tempered by weeks of fighting experience against various monsters.

"You don't have time to watch how the others are doing, you know?" said the Demon Lord with a soft voice that Ririko somehow heard clearly despite the chaos surrounding them and the spells exploding nearby.

"Lightning Strike!" shouted Ririko as she activated one of her most reliable skill, a straight thrust with the blade of her sword imbued by lightning.

The blade was parried away by the Demon Lord, but Ririko had the satisfaction to see her frown as some of the lightning passed through the demonic sword to affect her and shave a little of her HP bar.

"Interesting trick." smiled Demon Lord Rin. "Let this Demon lord reward you appropriately."

Before she knew it, Demon Lord Rin had body slammed her, sending her sprawling on the ground, her sword escaping from her hand. As she rose to her feet, several tentacles made of the Demon Lord's shadow ensnared her and lifted her off the ground, bringing her closer to the demon lord, who now held something in her hands beside her sword.

"This Demon Lord has decided to let you go for now, Hero Ririko. But not without a memento of our fight. One that will plunge you into despair."

"W-What are you going to do?" gasped Ririko, struggling, but the shadow tentacles held firm. She looked down at the black item in the Demon Lord's left hand and blanched as she realized what it was.

A thick V-shaped choker or collar, made of black metal, its outer surface engraved with swirling patterns, and with a red rhombus gem in its center. It opened before her eyes, and all Ririko could do was try to squirm away as the Demon Lord brought it to her neck. It closed with a snap.

"Consider this a promise, and a foretaste of what awaits you. You will be free to go now, to tell the others about what this Demon Lord intends for you all. You can all wallow in despair until the day the Demon Lord comes for you."

More shadow tentacles rose from the Demon Lord's shadow, their tips sharp, and Ririko desperately looked back, trying to see if anyone could help her.

Uiko was struggling and sobbing, pinned on her belly, both of her hands held firm behind her back by the Black Knight who kept a knee pressed against her the small of her back.

Megu was outside of the shield maintained by Leonhart, the butler holding her from behind against his body as he dragged her further away. He looked like he was kissing her nape, and Megu wasn't resisting, her eyes blank, and a soft moan escaping her lips. A trickle of blood escaped from the Butler's lips, and Ririko realized that he was a vampire.

Leonhard was struggling to maintain the shield that Forneus was hammering with light beams, while Ageha was frantically launching spell after spell, only for them to crash against Ichinon's own Barrier. From the steadily widening cracks on Leonhart's barrier and his panicked expression, the magic duel was not going in their favor. Izumi was alternating between sending healing spells at Megu and mana regeneration spells to Leonhart and Megu.

"Farewell, Ririko. This Demon Lord looks forward to our next meeting." said Rin.

Ririko barely felt the pain, before her vision went dark. When she sat up in a panic, she was in an altar, in the same place where they had first woken in this world.

She felt an unfamiliar weight around her throat, and she brought her hands to her nape, finding the collar, and trying to find a mechanism to unlock. But all her fingers met was smooth metal.

Ririko groaned and opened her inventory. Maybe she could just unequip the item. But she already suspected that things wouldn't be so easy, and as she read the description, she paled.

"Collar of Eternal Enslavement. Cannot be removed once put on. Replaces the wearer's normal attributes with Slave attributes. Strength becomes Pain to pleasure conversion, Dexterity becomes Sensitivity, Intelligence becomes Libido amplification. If the wearer swears Eternal Servitude to the wearer's Owner, the Slave attributes will revert to normal attributes, but their effects will be permanently applied through the Crest of Eternal Enslavement, allowing the Collar to be removed and reused."

Ririko tried to unequip it, but the option was grayed out. She trembled as she opened her status, dreading what she would see.

Name: Ririko Asagiri

Occupation: Swordswoman

Level: 34 (0% to next level)

HP: 1 450 / 1 450

MP: 620/ 620

Strength Pain to Pleasure conversion: 50

Dexterity Sensitivity: 65

Intelligence Libido Amplification: 45

Stamina: 50

Undistributed: 0

Skills: Appraisal, Lightning Strike, Searing slice, Bleeding Thrust, Mend Wounds, Sure Footed.

"Oh no…" muttered Ririko, shaking her head and wanting to go into denial. But the movement only made the collar's presence harder to ignore.

She waited for close to ten minutes, praying that her companions would appear on the other altars, but it was in vain.

Her heart heavy, Ririko decided she couldn't afford to wait anymore. She needed to find and warn the others. She broke into a run, heading for the place where she knew she would find the second hunting group.

And when she was barely out of the city walls, she slowed down, frowning. Her clothes were slightly chaffing against her skin, sending her sensations that weren't unpleasant. it had never been a problem before, but now…

It only made her groan, and she accelerated again, trying to focus.

…

"Welcome back. Rin-sama." respectfully bowed Shuuko, waiting by the gate of the castle with Satanachia and Grasha.

"We are back, and our trip was fruitful as you can see." smiled Sakura, looking back at the prisoners, each having a Slave Harness locked over their clothes.

Megu, Ageha, Uiko, Izumi and Leonhart. They all glared at her, aside from Leonhart who seemed more interested in staring at her body. Or Satanachia. A bulge was visible in his pants. Izumi, for that matter, also had a smaller bulge pushing his skirt.

They all had their mouths filled with ball gags, and their hands locked behind their backs with leather cuffs.

"Everyone, this is Shuuko, my personal slave. You will obey her orders as if they came from This Demon Lord, or you will suffer punishment. Adora, take the two boys and show them their choice of accommodation, if you would."

"…Two boys, Rin-sama?" asked Adora, confused for an instant, until he noticed the bulge pushing Izumi's skirt. "Oh… I see."

He took the chains linked to Izumi and Leonhart and dragged them away.

"Shuuko, Anna, Ichinon and Naru, take the other three into my room, make them comfortable, and explain the rules to them. Anna, when you are done, return to my side. This Demon Lord will be inspecting the troops for a while."

…

Leonhart felt his face burn as he saw the girls, even the Demon Lord, notice his erection as he was dragged away by the vampire.

It wasn't his fault! Not even mentioning Naru with her lewd magical girl outfit or that huge-breasted dark elf wearing an example of the legendary bikini armor at the gate, Demon Lord Rin and her slave clad in a black latex bodysuit were far too stimulating for any male! It was a wide-spectrum attack on men's desires!

The Vampire brought them to a level in the basement, where he and Izumi were shown a large room full of vicious-looking implements of torture.

The sight did do wonders to calm down his erection in a record time, and Izumi whimpered into his gag.

"You two are slaves now." said Adora with a firm, cold voice, after giving him and Izumi, shivering beside him. "If you disobey the Demon Lord, you will often visit this room, where you will be whipped into shape, or more… Now let's continue."

Leonhart was only too happy to leave the torture room unscathed and followed Izumi and the vampire. Some distance farther away was a long succession of cells, each with a bucket, a mattress placed on top of a raised platform the size of a single bed, and nothing else.

"Those cells are where slaves are kept until they are fully trained into obedience. You two will be kept in different sections, so that speaking to each other will be impossible. Fortunately for you both, Rin-sama is a compassionate Mistress for those who do not defy her, so she provided you with an easier path. Now keep following, slaves."

Leonhard and Izumi did, returning to ground level, leaving the castle itself and moving to another mansion-sized building within the courtyard. Leonhart noticed there were a lot of guards from various monster races patrolling around it.

Leonhart entered after Izumi, and what was inside certainly wasn't what he expected. Instead of a cell or, at best, a sparsely furnished room, what he found was a large living room furnished with comfortable-looking sofas and armchairs, high-quality wooden tables and cabinets, shelves full of books, and a large fireplace, already lit.

The Vampire clapped twice, and Leonhart heard many footsteps coming from upstairs. Before he knew it, sixteen gorgeous, young-looking women stood at attention in two lines, all dressed in skimpy maid outfits of various colors, and all of them having long pointy hairs similar to elves. Their bodies ranged from almost flat to very curvy, and despite himself, Leonhard felt his erection quickly return.

"Master Adora, are they the meals Rin-sama promised us? They look positively scrumptious." crooned one of them.

Leonhart noticed some of them were staring at his pants while licking their lips!

"And one is already raring to go." grinned a second one, making the others chuckle.

"I prefer the second, he's way cuter, but he doesn't seem that excited to see us." pouted a third.

"I'm sure we can find ways to motivate him, don't we, girls? I love a challenge." replied the first who had spoken, and they all chuckled again.

"Back off for now, girls. You will only enjoy them if they make the right decision right away. It remains to be seen." shrugged Adora, pulling on the chains and forcing Leonhart and Izumi to leave the mansion-like building.

"Rin-sama prepared those accommodations to reward the male slaves Heroes who will be willing to swear loyalty to her." said Adora as he walked them back toward the castle.

"Those slaves will have the privilege to be woken up every morning by one of the succubi, providing 'service' to them. The male slaves who will have sworn loyalty are expected to train themselves against wild monsters, using their blessings to grow stronger over time, and participate in Infermia's defense if required. Rin-sama likely won't demand anything else from you."

"Three high-quality meals a day will be provided, prepared by the succubi. After returning from their training, the slaves Heroes will be rewarded with one hour of 'service' by the succubi… assuming you can last that long, that is. They are a hungry bunch. And later on, the Heroes will be allowed to choose one of them to be their personal maid."

Leonhart couldn't believe his ears. The difference in treatment between being disobedient or not was… It was like Hell and Heaven!

They were forced to follow Adora back into the basement, and he forced both of them into the same cell before removing their gags.

"Rin-sama will visit you later today to hear about your choice. Submit freely, and immediately enjoy the benefits of your obedience, or resist, and endure torment until you see reason."

"What about Ageha, Megu and Uiko?" pleaded Izumi.

"Rin-sama will make them her pets, and they will have the great honor of sharing her bed." said Adora with a slight smile. "You do not need to worry about them. She will treat them well once they realize that they can't escape their fate and give in. Naru and Ichinon have become obedient in a very short time, and they are pampered."

Leonhart's mouth gaped open as he started imagining scenes of Demon Lord Rin and Ichinon or Naru scissoring together, or Rin parading Ichinon on a collar and leash. It was bad. He felt like if he continued to entertain those thoughts, he might cream his pants.

He shook his head to clear his head as the Vampire left the cell, locking the barred door behind him.

"What are we going to do, Leonhart?" asked Izumi with a stressed face. "Those succubi, they are scary!"

"A lot less than the torture room." replied Leonhart as he sat on the mattress. Deep inside, his decision was already made. There was no way he would choose to stay in Hell, when the doors to Paradise were open in front of him.

Even having to call the Demon Lord Rin his Mistress… As Leonhart recalled her dynamite body wrapped in tight black leather, her confident and domineering attitude, and the obviously gorgeous face shrouded under the veil…

It didn't actually sound so bad.

…

Shuuko ignored her gnawing guilt as she led the three captive girls to the Demon Lord's bedroom, telling herself that soon enough, they too would be content with being slaves.

She could almost consider that room to be her own bedroom, with the time she spent in there. Already, she could tell that once they were all saved, and if she resumed her work within NNT, she wouldn't be able to think about Infermia's First Ambassadorial room without fondness.

But she had better things to do than to daydream, and she opened a cabinet, taking from it a set of black latex underwear for each captive.

"You girls have to undress, leave your clothes and accessories on the floor, and change into this." said Shuuko with a compassionate but firm tone. "Later on, you will be given opportunities to earn more conservative clothing, or even personalized outfits like Ichinon and Naru and I wear. Once you are done changing, we will remove your gags, and I will explain the rules and answer your questions, if you have any."

"Now, if we remove those cuffs, are you going to change by yourselves, or do we have to force you?"

Uiko teared up and strained against her cuffs, but Medusa, disguised as Anna, kept a firm grip on her, and she gave up, nodding pitifully.

Ageha and Megu glanced at each other for a second, then looked back at Shuuko and "mmphed" in assent.

"Good choice, ladies." smiled Shuuko. "Please do not make this any harder for yourselves than it already is."

Anna removed Uiko's cuff, still keeping a firm hand on the chain connected to the ring in Uiko's leather harness, and she sniffled as she got out of her white outfit. Megu had the grace to look away as Uiko tried to establish a speed record exchanging her white cotton underwear with the black latex one, impaired by the snug leather locked around her torso, while Ageha watched shamelessly.

When Uiko was done, shivering, Medusa once again locked her wrists into leather cuffs, and Shuuko breathed in relief. She had heard from Medusa about this girl's explosive reaction when under stress, and the situation certainly qualified. Shuuko didn't want to be the target of her ire.

"You can sit here." said Shuuko with a soft voice, gesturing to the enormous bed, and Uiko nodded as she did, relieved when the attention switched to Megu.

Like Uiko, once untied, she changed as fast as she could while also trying to cover her nipples and crotch, then was cuffed again. She was blushing fiercely by the time she was done.

Ageha seemed calmer on the surface when it was her turn to undress, but Shuuko could see the tightening of her lips, she slightly trembling hands. She was scared, and Shuuko couldn't fault her for that. She couldn't even tell them it wasn't justified.

Once all three girls were sitting side by side on the bed, Medusa gathered their discarded clothes in a basket.

"Shuuko, explain the rules to the new slaves, please." as she headed for the door.

"Yes, Anna-sama." nodded Shuuko, taking a deep breath. It was now time for the most important step of their plan.

She looked at Ichinon and Naru were standing to the side, and they nodded at each other in a slightly exaggerated way.

"We are going to remove those gags. Please don't panic, you are safer than you think." urged Shuuko as she, Ichinon and Naru walked over to the bed.

Shuuko approached Uiko with caution, half-expecting the girl to kick her or something, but Uiko let her remove the gag.

"Now we can talk frankly." sighed Ichinon when all three were ungagged.

"Yes, sorry about earlier, Uiko-chan, Megu-chan, Ageha-chan. It was necessary." said Naru with an apologetic smile.

"Necessary?" spat Ageha for a second, before she seemed to realize something. "Don't tell me that you are…" she stopped herself with a wary glance at Shuuko.

"Let me guess." snorted Ichinon. "You were about to suggest that Naru and I are pretending to have become obedient slaves in order to fool the Demon Lord and gain access to the Hell Gate, and helping in your capture was all part of an act to prove our loyalty."

Uiko and Megu both inspired sharply, their eyes wide, as they started to consider this possibility.

"Well, yeah." admitted Ageha. "And if you're saying this out loud, I assume she is in on it?"

"Things are more complicated than you think." sighed Shuuko.

"Please let me introduce myself properly first. My name is Shuuko Aikawa, and I am the Creative Director of the very game we are currently stuck in, Exodia Exodius." she made a textbook-perfect ninety degrees apology bow.

"On Behalf of Neuro Network Technology Systems, I wish to offer you our most sincere apologies for this incident, and assure you that everyone outside is doing their best to get you out of it safely. And you will of course receive compensation for being involved in this deplorable situation."

"You're a real person! And someone from NNT!" exclaimed Uiko, forgetting her humiliation. They had all been wanting to speak to someone from NNT for a while now, both to complain, and complain loudly, and to demand explanations about what was going on.

"There better be a compensation with a lot of zeros in it." warned Megu, glaring daggers at Shuuko. "To you know how many discounts and sales I already missed because of you guys?"

"I think you can reasonably expect the individual compensation to be at least enough to buy a new car, miss Busujima." replied Shuuko without raising her head.

"Hum, that's… better." nodded Megu, instantly pacified, and thinking about the number of clothes and handbags she could get with that kind of money.

"Drop the corporate attitude and raise your head, Shuuko." sighed Ichinon. "We may not have much time before Anna, Rin or one of the Hellzectors come in, and we need to speak about the really important things while we can."

"Yes, you're right." nodded Shuuko, straightening.

"What could be more important than talking about compensation?" retorted Megu.

"Getting out of this game alive, for one thing. Money doesn't matter if you're too dead to spend it." shrugged Naru.

"What do you mean, alive?" asked Ageha.

Shuuko spent the next few minutes speaking about the message she received from NNT, the missing code to return their consciousness to their bodies if the game ended, and the danger they were all in.

But she didn't mention anything about Rin and Anna not being originally part of the game, about them actually being their classmates, or any third party interfering with the saboteur's plan. They wanted to keep their story simpler and easier to believe, at least until the five captives had grown accustomed to being slaves.

"That's the main reason Naru and I decided to throw our lot with this side." added Ichinon when Shuuko was done. "We're actually trying to save everyone."

"I see. But wait, you said 'the main reason'." frowned Ageha. "What are the other reasons?"

Ichinon flinched, instantly regretting the opening she had given to Ageha of all people.

"…Demon Lord Rin is… very good at what she does. When she starts on you, you will understand." muttered Ichinon, refusing to meet her gaze.

"I'd like to understand right now, Ichinon." insisted Ageha with the beginning of a smile, her instinct sensing a weakness, and she wouldn't be Ageha The Imp if she didn't pounce.

"The three of you will be trained as, well… there is no nice way to put it… as lesbian sex slaves." sighed Shuuko, attracting attention to herself to save Ichinon some embarrassment.

"Heck no! I'll sue NNT for even suggesting such a thing!" hollered Megu, instantly furious.

Uiko fell backward on the bed. She had fainted.

"I am very sorry, but this isn't something I can prevent. And for having been on the receiving end myself, I can tell you that no matter how much you endure or resist, you will eventually give in, and come to love being Rin's slave. Ichinon and Naru are still somewhat resisting, but it won't be much longer before they fully accept it as well."

Ichinon and Naru both reluctantly nodded, blushing fiercely.

"We will see about that." spat Ageha, glaring dagger at Shuuko. "And aren't you the Creative Director? Isn't that damn NPC's behavior something you greenlighted?"

"I didn't!" retorted Shuuko, flinching at the accusation. "There's no way I would create a NPC that is so perverted! I was blindsided by this!"

"Mmph!" snorted Ageha, conveying her doubt over Shuuko's temperament.

"Anyway, Shuuko, you should go. Leave the rest to us." sighed Ichinon. "You need to break the news to Izumi and Leonhart while you can. If one of them somehow manages to escape and reach the gate, it will all have been for nothing."

"You're right, informing them takes priority. We will have more opportunities to speak later, but remember never to mention NNT or real world specifics in the presence of any NPCs. Their behavior might become unpredictable, and we can't afford that." nodded Shuuko, giving a last sympathetic glance to the three captives before leaving the room.

"So, what happens now?" asked Ageha, her wary gaze alternating between Ichinon and Megu.

"For now, we can speak more, until the Demon Lord returns." shrugged Naru. "If she follows her usual pattern, she will bind you more strictly than you currently are, then use her hands to… give you pleasure."

"Speaking about Leonhart and Izumi, what happened to them?" asked Megu, still angry.

"I do not know every detail." shrugged Naru. "But I think the Demon Lord intends to have them not as sex slaves, but as regular slaves, and to control them by rewarding them with daily sex sessions using a group of succubi who live in the castle. Maybe they'll even get to choose their own personal succubus maid."

"Oh, those pigs are going to love that." snorted Ageha with a roll of her eyes, before she sobered. "Well, maybe not Izumi."

"I saw her slip a black collar around Ririko's neck before she killed her earlier." frowned Megu. "Why did she do that?"

"I do not know. If you ask her, maybe she will tell you." replied Ichinon.

Uiko stirred and opened her eyes with a slight groan.

"Are you okay, Uiko-chan?" asked Naru with concern.

Uiko started at her mostly undressed body for an instant before looking up.

"I had hoped it was just a horrible nightmare." muttered Uiko, feeling depressed.

"Uiko, just a few days ago, I was in your position, thinking the same thing." said Ichinon with compassion. "At first, it was very hard to endure, and I had never been so… humiliated. But every day after that, it has been… easier than the previous one. Shuuko had come to actually like being her slave, and she too was unwilling at first."

"This is just something you will have to endure, in order to survive." shrugged Naru.

For a minute, no one spoke.

"What kind of things did she do to 'train' you?" asked Ageha, her tone hesitant for once.

"Bondage, latex, her hands or tongue or sex toys, more bondage, more latex, more pleasure." sighed Naru. "Eventually, it all blends together, and being tied up or wearing a lot of latex will start turning you on. When you reach that point, you're already half-way done."

"She will keep toying with you until you admit that you actually like it, and you can't just lie to her. She's very good at knowing when you lie. Even after you eventually give in and accept that she is your Mistress, she will still make sure you get at least some bondage sex every day, 'to keep us on our toes and improve our skills'." finished Naru while making air quotes.

"No whipping or torture?" asked Megu, worried.

"She's not that sadistic. The most violent thing she did to me was… a spanking, whenever I defied her." replied Ichino, blushing fiercely at this admission.

Another long silence, where Uiko, Megu and Ageha fell into introspection.

"…I have a red latex catsuit, at home." slowly said Megu, and everyone looked at her. "It was on sales, and I bought it for an upcoming Halloween costume party, where I had chosen a devil theme, with horned headband and forked spear… It was fun, and wearing that costume wasn't unpleasant. The guys couldn't get their eyes off me."

"I'm sure." nodded Naru, patting her own latex outfit. "Leonhart kept staring at Rin's butt when we returned to Infermia. There's a reason I choose to walk behind him."

"I saw it too, that filthy, horny pig." nodded Ageha. "And the way he stared at that dark elf at the gate, Satanachia. Not that any of the others in our class are better, aside from Alice, maybe."

"Yeah." nodded Naru.

Megu was about to say something else when the door opened, and Demon Lord Rin entered, followed by Black Knight Anna.

"Where is Shuuko?"

"She has gone to the male slaves to explain the rules to them, Rin-sama." said Ichinon.

"Good. This Demon Lord decided that for their first training session at least, the new slaves deserve some privacy. So, Anna, Ichinon and Naru, bring Megu and Ageha to their cells in the basement. I will come for them in a few hours."

Uiko whimpered softly, trying to make herself small as Anna clipped chains to the steel rings of Megu's and Ageha's harnesses, and gestured for them to follow her to the door.

"Be strong, Uiko." whispered Megu before she was led away.

Uiko gulped as she found herself alone with the terrifying, and also terrifyingly alluring, Demon Lord Rin.

She sat down beside Uiko, and pulled her into her lap.

"W-Whaaa!" yelped Uiko in a panic, struggling fiercely, but the arms holding her had a grip of steel.

"It is fine, my pet. I know that you are scared. It is understandable. But you do not need to be."

Uiko somehow felt herself listening despite herself. There was a calming, almost hypnotic quality to the Demon Lord's words, and her struggles lessened to some extent as she realized she wouldn't leave the Demon Lord's lap no matter how hard she tried.

"Let go of your fears, Uiko. Let go of your pride. In this place, it will only weight you down. You only need to relax, and receive the pleasure this Demon Lord will give you."

Uiko felt the warm, soft hands on her body, one rubbing her thigh, the other rubbing her nape, and she had to admit that it didn't feel unpleasant.

Right now, the Demon Lord's felt almost like a motherly embrace, and Uiko started to relax.

For a long time, the Demon Lord simply held her, firmly but gently, not doing anything sexual in nature, and Uiko slowly relaxed more and more.

"Why are you doing this?" asked Uiko after a while.

"This Demon Lord wants you, Uiko. I also believes that the best slaves are those who are happy to be slaves, and so, you will be polished and made to shine. This Demon Lord knows what she is doing… Do you feel better, my cute pet?"

"A little." admitted Uiko, blushing a little at being called cute.

"This Demon Lord likes it when her pets are honest." nodded Rin.

A few more minutes, and Uiko relaxed more. At the same time, the Demon Lord's hands started getting more adventurous, and she started feeling some arousal.

"I am going to tie you to the bed, my pet." whispered the Demon Lord in her ears. "You are going to remain cute and obedient, right?"

"…Yes." reluctantly nodded Uiko, feeling a mix of dread and scared anticipation, but also inevitability, like someone being asked to sit on the dentist' chair.

She didn't resist as the Demon Lord placed her in the center of the bed, and tied her spreadeagled with soft leather cuffs around her ankles and wrists.

The Demon Lord was towering above her, a gentle expression on her face, holding herself with her left hand while the fingers of her right hand drew random patterns on Uiko's chest that made her gasp in pleasure.

"Let go of everything, Uiko, and enjoy being pampered by your Mistress." muttered the Demon Lord, her red eyes almost shining.

Before Uiko knew it, a blindfold was being slipped over her eyes, and seconds later, she felt soft lips against hers.

…

A good two hours later, an exhausted but oddly satisfied Uiko felt very ambivalent about her self-proclaimed mistress. She had proved to be both terrifying, but also… comforting?

The blindfold was removed from her eyes, and she saw the Demon Lord, once again dressed in her alluring leather outfit, her crown and veil back on her head.

"You have been a good girl, Uiko. Anna will come to clean you up and bring you to the basement. The other two need this Demon Lord's attention, but you can look forward to what tomorrow will bring."

Uiko nodded tiredly, and the Demon Lord left the room.

A minute later, the female black knight entered, wearing a black tunic instead of her metal armor, but still wearing her helmet for some reason, and went into the attached bathroom to start a bath.

She didn't comment on Uiko's undressed state, much to her relief, and Uiko didn't dare ask about the helmet.

Earlier, the latex bra and panties had been torn off her body, leaving her with only the slave harness around her torso.

The black knight simply took more from the cabinet, as well as a pair of black stockings and gloves, also made of latex.

"As a reward for being obedient, Rin-sama has granted you the right to wear stockings and gloves. Keep being a good girl, Uiko, and you will gradually receive more. Spats instead of panties, a top instead of a bra, and more."

"…Yes." nodded Uiko.

Her hands were untied first, and she let Anna bind them against behind her back with leather cuffs. Once done, Anna removed her own clothes, seemingly uncaring that Uiko could see her naked body.

She untied Uiko's legs and took her in her arms before bringing her to the shower, where she washed her, quickly but with obvious attention to detail.

Then Anna brought her into the bath, where she sat behind her, hugging her from behind.

"We can relax like this for a little while. Rin-sama is using another room to give Megu her first training session. Once she is done, I will take care of her as well."

"Are you… her slave?"

"I am." nodded Anna as she replied with a kind voice. "Rin-sama has been very good to me. She is my Mistress, and at the same time, she is like a little sister that I take care of. She is willful, but also kind-hearted. You must have noticed, right?"

"…I did." nodded Uiko. At this moment, she didn't see Anna as an enemy, but rather like a senior student in her school. It felt so strange when she had been trying to kill her just a few hours ago, but at the same time, Anna had indeed taken good care of her so far.

"…She isn't like I imagined. Before today, I thought she was an enemy who had killed or captured Ichinon and Naru… someone we needed to defeat to return to our own world. But… I do not know anymore."

"…Just trust your instincts, Uiko, and keep an open mind. We follow her because she is someone worthy of our devotion. To Rin-sama, we slaves aren't just tools for pleasure. We are also her irreplaceable companions, and the family she chose for herself."

"…Family? Did something happen to her family?" asked Uiko, feeling like this word was an important clue to understand the Demon Lord's strange personality.

"She has… complicated family circumstances. When she was six, her father gave her up to another family for, political advantage, despite her mother's reluctance, and the patriarch of her new family treated her… badly… more badly that anything you could possibly imagine. Her new older brother also treated her… very badly. For the next ten years, Rin-sama's life was an unending torment, and she lived like a dead person, only going through the motions, with no hope for a better life. Her birth parents dead, and her sister estranged. Her body defiled, her heart shattered, and her mind nearly broken… until a young woman saved her."

"You?" asked Uiko, fascinated. She knew she was only talking to a fictional character in a game, but her words somehow rang truer than they should. She thought that whoever had done the voice acting deserved a raise.

"No, not me." smiled Anna. "I was already serving Rin-sama back then, but I was powerless to stop what was being done to her. The person who saved her possessed both great power, being able to cure any wound or curse no matter how severe, as well as great charisma and beauty."

"But she was also a pervert. She took in Rin-sama as a sex slave, as a little sister, and as a disciple all at the same time. She restored her confidence and self-esteem, helped her reconnect with her estranged sister, and taught her everything she knew about bondage and how to give pleasure to another woman. About the duty of a slave, but also about the responsibility of a Master or a Mistress."

"All the things Rin-sama did or will do to you, Uiko, are things that she experienced herself. So you are in good hands."

Uiko nodded wordlessly.

"That young woman taught those things to me as well, although I much prefer being on the receiving end, and for about two years, we lived a quiet and happy life. We spent our days training together, in the use of magic and in martial arts, along with a number of other slaves or companions who are part of our adopted family, and we steadily grew stronger. And during the nights, we generally did another kind of training. The pleasant kind, who you have just gotten a taste of."

"Then, circumstances forced us apart for a while. Our group spread out to help more people who needed assistance, and due to more circumstances, Rin-sama was tasked with defending Infermia and defeating the Heroes. One day, we will all reunite together again. I wonder how many new sisters will have joined our family by the time that day happens. Probably a lot."

"And I am one of those new sisters, right?" asked Uiko.

"You will be, as soon as you accept Rin-sama as your Mistress from the bottom of your heart. And so will Shuuko, Ichinon, Naru, Megu, Ageha, and maybe more of the female Heroes as well."

Uiko nodded, and they both sat quietly for a while as Uiko digested Anna's words.

"…Before… before Rin-sama, I never even imagined myself doing it with a girl. I still don't know how to feel about it. It should have disgusted me, but…" confessed Uiko, blushing as she was remembered the softness of the Demon Lord's lips.

"Rin-sama said to Ichinon and Naru that her training would make them bisexual, and that there is nothing wrong about it. I agree with her. Why should we feel guilty about making each other feel good, when it doesn't hurt anyone? It doesn't have to be any more complicated than this." shrugged Anna.

"What about Izumi and Leonhart? The rest of the guys?"

"We will capture them, and if they agree to help defend Infermia, they will have a comfortable life in a mansion within the castle's courtyard, with a bunch of Succubi who will only be too happy to cater to their needs. It's a win-win situation for everyone concerned. But they will not join the family. Once they aren't needed to defend Infermia anymore, we will release them."

"I looks like an ideal situation for them, yes... Is there any man at all in your family?"

"There is only one." nodded Anna. "The Demi-God who stands at the head of the family. I have yet to meet him personally, but we spoke a few times using magic tools. He is a kind man who knows a lot of things, and is very handsome, and also the one who asked one of his lovers to go save Rin-sama."

"I see… During the fight this morning, did Rin-sama deliberately kill Ririko? I feel like she could have captured her easily along the rest of us."

"Yes." smiled Anna. "Rin-sama deliberately left one of your group behind. Ichinon and Naru wanted for the rest of the Heroes to know that they were alive, so you wouldn't worry about them too much. Ririko must already have informed them by now that Ichinon and Naru are not only alive, but also are doing well."

"That is very thoughtful of her." smiled Uiko.

Then Anna stood and stretched, uncaring about her nakedness as before.

"The water is getting cold, so let's stop this conversation for now."

Uiko nodded and stood as well. Unlike Anna, she did mind her nakedness a lot, but with her hands still bound behind her back, all she could do was blush about it. She smiled to herself as she thought that she did a lot of that today.

Anna dried herself quickly with a large towel, then used another on Uiko's body, and a third one for her face and hair. She then, with a speed that surprised Uiko, redid her two thin braids.

"Uiko, I will add a pillow and a blanket to your cell. I do not think Rin-sama would object. And unless you surprise me, you won't spend much time in those cells either. I expect you to have your own room in the tower before long."

"Yes. Thank you." nodded Uiko.

"Ah, and make sure to act like a good slave whenever the Hellzectors are present. They aren't bad people once you get to know them, but they have strict ideas about hierarchy. As long as you are respectful, they will be friendly with you. Satanachia will likely pat your head or something."

"Thank you for the advice, Anna." nodded Uiko again.

Once dried and her hair brushed, Anna dressed Uiko in her new latex underwear, as well as the stockings and gloves.

"Alright, let's go." said Anna, heading for the door.

Uiko followed, noting that Anna hadn't tied a chain to her harness this time. She didn't think it was accidental, as Anna seemed very meticulous, and felt a little happy at the token of trust.

Some time later, Uiko was relatively comfortable in her cell, her body under the blanket Anna had given her, and her head resting against a pillow. Anna had also removed her leather handcuffs, but had warned her that trust or not, she would often be tied up anyway as part or her training.

She was pondering about Demon Lord Rin, and the things Anna had told her about Rin's past.

She was now seeing the infamous Demon Lord as a broken girl, betrayed by those who should have been her family, and desperately trying to make another one for herself, using the one method that had saved her.

A method that was certainly as twisted as can be, but… She had still felt genuine affection behind the way Rin interacted with her.

She looked forward to learning more about Rin, and maybe even become like an adopted sister to her. Although it would have been better without the whole sexual slavery aspect.

Uiko sighed, wondering how Megu and Ageha were doing, and if they would experience exactly the same things she had.