Chapter 21

Things were going well. With the new limiter rings, you were finally making real progress with your magic. Compared to the others you were still a literal lifetime apart, but that didn’t matter. For someone who had never used magic until a few months ago, you were damn good.

	Utility spells were the only thing you were learning, and all you wanted to learn. Many spells were only for monsters, and most of the ones that weren’t were still sex focused. There just wasn’t any need for you to learn such things. As soon as you became “ripe,” finding a wife would be literally as easy as walking out the door. In that sense, defensive magic was probably the most useful thing you could learn to fend off the undesirables between you and your true love. One of your succubus class mates who was particularly interested in you and your love life despite being taken already had even promised that she would help you get a maker for your “special someone” when the time came.

But who would that be?

	You had been in Admaz for quite some time now, (albeit half the time was comatose), and seen dozens of beautiful women. That was all well and good, but you wanted to have a more personal connection before she warped your soul. Interaction between other mamono was nigh impossible thanks to the guards, the warding magic, the rape attempts and the ever-present sexual overtones that pervaded even the most mundane conversations. You couldn’t even begin to count the times you had been interrupted by a monster trying to tackle you, only to be hauled away.

It would be nice to see the rest of the world. Admaz seemed like a fairly normal place, as far as mamono cities went. But there was still so much to see. Zipangu, the Mist Continent, Ocean biomes… So many places with so many different kinds of women.

Decisions, decisions…


You set down the weight with your magic and release the ethereal tendril with a loud exhale. That was a new personal record for you. It wasn’t much weight, but with the rings on you quickly learned how hard it really was to lift anything without flushing every ounce of energy out of your body.

Morala gave a little clap and fluttered over to you with a towel. “Great work, Anon! You’re really internalizing the lessons, huh?”

“Yeah. Aegoli and Fornue have been a huge help.” you say taking a swig of water.

They had been going well beyond what was expected of them to help you catch up. So was Morala. There was no way that you would be passing world history if it weren’t for her help.

“So are you ready for the presentation later this week?” she asked.

“Yeah. Magnara really helped me organize my notes. It should be a lot easier to answer questions this time.”

The College of Admaz had set up another lecture for you, despite the riot that broke out the last time you gave a presentation. From what you hear the theater had been repaired and the chaos had actually helped spread the news to other cities and citizens. You knew there were some wealthy benefactors who would be in the audience.

You weren’t worried. It was fun telling the mamono about your world, and it also helped to secure funding for the college. Really the least you could do after they spent a fortune keeping you fed, clothed, sheltered, and alive.

“Are you sure? You don’t have to go through with it if you don’t want to.” said Morala nervously. She clasped her hands and fidgeted.

“It’s okay, I know what I’m getting in to. I trust the college, and I swore that I would do everything I could to help them.” you said.

“The college isn’t all-powerful Anon. Some of those monsters in the audience… if they really want you, they’ll just take you.” she said.

“Well then I guess it’s a good thing that you’re there to stop them, huh?” you said, grinning at her. “I know you worry for me, but I have to believe in Oroba and Nevkya. Crowlyne has also put extra wards and defensive magics in place to make sure that I’m not charmed by a species intrinsic magic.”

Morala pouted and folded her arms.

You sigh. “You worry too much. Half the town is looking out for me, and the mamono in the audience know about my condition. I’ll be safe. I promise.” you said.

Morala did her best to look annoyed, but her frown dissipated under your smile. She rolled her eyes and giggled. “I suppose I know you well enough to know that you’ll go through with it. You don’t like letting kindness go unrequited like that. You’re just lucky I’ll be there to save you.” she said.

“What would I do without you.”

She blushed a bit, fluttering her wings. “Probably fail out of college.” she said trying to avoid eye contact. “Oh! That reminds me.” she said reaching into her pocket. “I made these for you. I heard you liked them.”

She produced a small bag of cookies baked into the shape of hearts. They tasted similar to sugar cookies, but were always iced with some sort of fruit-icing. It was probably your favorite food this side of the portal.

“Yeah, I love these things!” you said popping one into your mouth. Hicera was going to kill you when she found out you passed your daily intake of demonic energy again, but these cookies were worth it. No wonder so many humans in this world fell victim to the monster’s insidiously good cuisine.

The two of you chatted for a while longer as you finished the cookies. They were divine, but by the time you polished off the parcel your stomach was beginning to protest against the high levels of demonic energy in the bake goods.

“Anon, shouldn’t you be going? I think your next class starts soon.” said Morala.

“Probably.” you said. Slinging your bag over your shoulder, you bid her farewell and began the hike through back up to your classroom.

~~~~~~

Damn these stairs. If you were going to build a school in the side of a mountain, couldn’t they just make some magical elevators? You weren’t certain, but some of the upper towers didn’t look like they obeyed the laws of physics. One of the other guys in the male dorm told you that it was to make all the men’s butts tighter. To this day you weren’t sure if he was joking or if the mamono really did want to make sure that your thighs could handle a rowdy monster.

At last you arrived at your destination. The mamono gave you a funny look as you entered, and some giggled as you took your seat.

“Anon. What are you doing here?” said Aegoli.

“Uhh, class?” you reply.

“Anon, men are having a separate class today. In the alchemy lab.”

Your face flushed with embarrassment and your classmates snickered. The more matronly amongst them ara ara’d and licked their chops. Now that you think about it, Aegoli did mention something like that last class, but you had been fixated on the fat titties of a succubus in the front row.

“Oh, right.” you mumbled. Quickly collecting your things you hustled off to the lab.

~~~~~

“Anon! There you are! I was beginning to think that you were being brutally molested in a broom closet.” said your kesaran pasaran instructor, professor Ergine.

“No, but thanks for your concern…” you said.

“Well it’s an easy lesson today! We’re making some spirit supplement!” she said flitting to the head of the classroom.

You took a seat at one of the available benches. The kes began to lecture about how the mana was processed and what was lost during the processing. It reminded you of a chemistry class back on earth.

“…and by activating these runes the soul’s “fingerprint” is scrubbed from the spirit energy leaving behind a raw-energy byproduct. Now, we’ll all get a chance to make some today; so pick a stall and come out when you have your sample.” said the tiny woman.

Wait, sample?

The guys pulled out small vials from the drawers around them and filed into what looked like bathroom stalls.

“Is something wrong, Anon?” asked Ergine.

“Well, the samples are derived from spirit energy, so… isn’t that semen?” you asked.

“Yep!”

Okay. So that’s how it’s gonna be huh?

“Do I have to do this?” you asked.

“Mm-hmm.” She nodded.

You eyed the vial. Well, best to just get it over with. It wasn’t really that different than normal, really. Hicera collected “samples” from you almost every day. And living in the demon realm had given you a permanent erection. With a sigh you slipped into one of the vacant stalls and did your business.

Reemerging, you glance at your classmates for a hint on what to do next. They were all queuing up in front of a golem who you hadn’t noticed in the corner of the room. It looked like the vial approach was optional, as the stone woman was currently jack-hammering the hips of a scrawny man. He moaned underneath her and went limp. With a wet sucking sound, the emotionless figure pulled herself off of him and pushed him to the side. The first person in the line handed her his vial which she quickly slotted into her snatch. There was a little whoosh as it was presumably taken up into her, and she held out her hand for the next vial.

Slowly you made your way to the front. By the time you arrived, the golem seemed a bit more… animated than the beginning of class. She was blushing slightly, with a few errant beads of sweat rolling down her curves. Her breathing was labored, and she had just a hint of a satisfied grin on her face. Your attention snapped back to her as she gestured for you to hand her the vial. You forked over the container full of your hard work, and returned to your seat.

The other men in the class were talking excitedly in their friend groups. None of them included you. Most of the men in this world were either too sheltered or too pretentious for you.

“Who are YOU going to give it to?”

“I was thinking… Vala!”

“Ooh! I knew it! You’re such a good match for her. You two would be sooo cute together.”

“What about you?”

“I’m giving mine to Calabarii.”

“I see~ Sounds like all that “studying” you’re doing with her is paying off.”

Ew. Why the hell did they have to talk like that?

“What about YOU, Anon?”

You looked up from the homework you were scribbling on. The group of guys at the end of your bench were looking at you intently.

“What about me?" you ask.

“Who are you going to give your spirit supplement too…?” asked one as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Oh, I don’t know. I thought the professor would just collect them at the end.” you said.

“No! You get the supplement, and give it to someone special.”

“Oh.”

“So, who is it? What’s she like? I know you can’t hug anyone or something, but have you at least talked about what you’ll do to each other?”

“What? No. I don’t have anyone like that.” you said. Not only did you not have a suitor in mind, but you were also highly advised to respond to questions like that.

“No one? Seriously?” said one of them. “Give us SOMETHING here, Anon.”

“I’ll think about it, okay? I don’t have anyone in mind, that’s all.” you said and went back to your work.

Just then, there was a little ding from the golem, and she beckoned one of the students over. She reached down to her crotch and produced a small packet for the student. This process repeated itself in the order of which the semen was collected. But when it came time for your sample, the golem gestured you aside and pointed to the next person in line. Feeling a bit worried, you step off the side as the rest of the class receives their sample. The other students murmured and whispered behind you. You knew they were talking about you.

Oh well, if it failed it wasn’t any skin off your back. It was just a pack of powder. Maybe something about your biology make you incompatible to make something like this, or maybe the golem needed a different treatment for your sample.

The last person collected their powder and returned to their seat.

You began to walk back too, feeling slightly embarrassed without knowing why.

“Don’t worry, Anon! She just isn’t finished yet!” said Ergine.

You turned to look at her. “What do you mean?”

“She’s still processing your sample, silly. I suspected that an alien’s sperm may take a bit longer.” she said.

You looked back at the golem. She was staring at you with her unblinking golden eyes. You couldn’t hear it before, but now that the chatter in the room had died down you could hear a low hum coming from the stone woman.

“Maybe I should just come back later…” you offered. Anything to get away from the front of the room and the stares of your classmates.
“How much longer, Breville?” asked Ergine.

The golem, Breville apparently, stared up at the fairy without making any gesture or noise. For a few seconds, the hum emanating from within her was the only sound in the classroom.

“She says it’s almost done!” said Ergine excitedly.

Right…

It took a few more minutes, but Breville let out a long sigh and another ding. She motioned you forwards, and with a trembling hand gave you your pouch of spirit supplement. She looked exhausted.

“Thanks.” you said, unsure of how to express gratitude to someone/thing that just had your cum processed inside them.

She nodded and closed her eyes. A soft snore rumbled out of her.

“See, Anon? I told you it would work!” said Ergine.

You hefted the bag in your hand. It was probably about a quarter of a pound. You place it into your pocket and start to pack up. The other students began to leave after the suspense of your supplement ended. Slinging your pack over your shoulder you hurry after them.

“Anon!”

You turned to see who was calling you. It was a succubus in your world history class, who’s name you couldn’t remember at the moment. She was standing just outside the door with a pack, (you really need to come up with a name for a group of succs), of succubi. They were giggling and whispering amongst themselves, sometimes nudging her forwards and prodding her with their tails.

“Umm… y-you made spirit supplement today, right?” she said with a heavy blush on her face.

“Yeah.” you replied.

“W-well, I happened to make some pastries…” she said. Her voice tapered off to a whisper. Her cohorts whispered and hissed at her to just do it, whatever that meant. You got ready to run.

“Want to trade?!” she blurted out.

“No!”

You and the succ squad turned to see none other than Magnara running over to you.

“Don’t give it to her Anon. I’ll be taking that supplement.” she said holding out her hand.

You look back and forth between the succubus and the older succubus. Reaching into your bag, you pull out the spirit supplement and hand it to Magnara. She quickly pockets it and casts some sort of spell over the pocket. The succ student looked crushed.

“A-Anon… why…” she whimpered as she began to cry.

“Sorry, but I trust Magnara. Honestly, I don’t know exactly how important that stuff was, and it’s nice to just get rid of it.” you said.

“You’re welcome, by the way.” said Magnara to the girl. “You would have been torn apart for this if I hadn’t confiscated it.”

Looking around, you noticed that every monster in the hall was forming a sort of semicircle around the confrontation. Some had packages, others had papers, one had what looked like coins, and an arch imp in the corner had a large branch.

“Honestly, what were they thinking, letting you make this? There’s no way that it would have ended well.” she began to walk away. “Oh! I’ll see you at the presentation Anon, make sure you have your notes in order.”

She gave you a wave as she walked away through the crowd of envious monsters.

~~~~~

Strange, Morala wasn’t in the front row. You scanned the sea of crowded seats while you began your seminar.

“Alright everyone, this lecture will be the same as before, feel free to ask questions about my world and I’ll do my best to answer them. Questions about my body, preference in women, and particularly invasive questions are still banned. Let’s start with you.” you said pointing to an eager kikimora in the middle of the audience.

“What were the homes like on Earth?” she asked.

“They varied greatly. Some people had grand mansions, others only had a single room. I imagine it’s similar to this world, but the poverty was worse on Earth. Next, we’ll take… you.” you said pointing to a werewolf.

“What was the meat like?” she said wagging her tail.

“Well, I preferred a nice barbecue. Barbecue is a cooking process…”

You quickly went through the finer points of preparing meat to the monster crowd. The more carnivorous women looked particularly interested.

“… and that’s why you shouldn’t use to much vinegar in your sauce. Moving on, you, in the front.” you gestured towards an ogre.
“I’ve been speaking to some of the other girls, and we’re all a bit confused about something. You claim that in your world, it was MEN who were the instigators of rape.” she said.

“Yes, more often than not it was men who were the perpetrators. Women still committed sex crimes, but it was much less common. Society also tended to have trouble believing that a man was raped.”

“So men did most of the raping.”

“Yes.”

“Explain.”

You raised your eyebrows. “Excuse me?”

“How did the men rape the women? Did they have a strict fertility cycle or something?” she said rubbing her chin.

“No! They just didn’t consent!” you exclaimed.

“They didn’t want free dick?” she said.

“No!”

The ogre frowned and some of the other 'rapey' mamono looked just as confused. Some succubi near them groaned and rolled their eyes.

“That doesn’t make any sense. That’s free semen. I know you said that there’s only lightning magic in all your contraptions, but even without the spirit energy it’s a chance to be pregnant.”

“Exactly!” chimed an arachne. “The male body spends plenty of resources making that semen. Women are the one’s capable of rape because they TAKE that investment and use it to create a child. What you’re saying doesn’t make any sense.”

“They don’t want to be pregnant!” you shouted.

The room grew eerily quiet.

“Well that’s just ridiculous.” scoffed the spider woman.

“They were probably just doin' what those turtle girls form that one place do. Ya know, pretend they DON’T want it.” said the Ogre.

You looked to Magnara for backup. She had her face buried in her palms and her tail was wrapped all the way around the leg of her chair.

“Okay, look. Think of it like this. A man doesn’t want to have sex.” you said.

They nodded.

“And a woman forces herself onto him WITHOUT his approval or desire.”

They nodded.

“Now just swap the genders.”

“But it doesn’t work if you swap the genders.”

Your sigh of contempt is amplified throughout the auditorium. Wheeling over the chalkboard, you settle in for a long, hard lecture.

~~~~~

At last, the allotted time came to a close. The audience gave a round of applause and filed out of the theater. Bidding Magnara goodbye, you return to your dorm.

Lighting the candles on your desk, you open your pack and began to work through your homework as best you could.

Only a few minutes pass before someone began pounding on your door. The force was enough to make you jump in surprise.

“Anon?”

It was Morala.

“Anon, can you open up?” she said. The door knob rattled and shook.  She began to pound the door even harder.

You jumped out of your seat and threw open the door.

She barreled into the room, knocking both of you to the ground. Before you could say anything, she seized your shoulders and dug her hands into your skin. She was out of breath and her hair was freed from its normal braid.

“Did you give your spirit supplement to someone else?” she demanded.

The hair on the back of your neck stood up. This was the first time you had seen her angry at you. For reasons you can’t explain it was deeply unsettling at you. Even though you didn’t do anything wrong you felt guilty.

“Yes! Holy shit Morala, get off of me!” you said.

You tried to force her off, but she gripped you tighter. Adjusting her hands so that she held you under your arms, she lifted you off the ground and pinned you against the wall. Your head bounced painfully against the wood.

“You did WHAT?!” she hissed through clenched teeth. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her face was flushed with anger. Was this even Morala?

“Mora, please… You’re scaring me.” you said softly.

The fear in your voice jolted her back to reality. She released your shirt, letting you fall to the floor. Turning her back to you, she strode over to the window. You adjusted your clothing and scrambled up. How the fuck was a doughy fairy princess that strong?

You stood there for a few seconds. Morala remained motionless at the sill.

“Magnara demanded it. I would have been attacked if I didn’t fork it over.” you said.

She whipped around. “Then you should have given it to me! I work day and night to keep you safe and happy, and you give the ONE THING that I would have wanted away to some slut!” she said.

“It’s just fucking powder! I thought mamono hated eating that stuff!”

“Well we still have to eat it! It’s the gesture that counts, Anon. I can’t believe that you let HER take it. What have I said? What have I promised you since I started caring for you? I’ll keep you safe. But it’s so HARD-“ she slammed her hand down on the window sill. “-To do that when you do NOTHING to reciprocate my hospitality.”

The two of you stared at each other for a moment.

“Morala, please… I didn’t do it to hurt you. I know it’s usually given as a sign of affection, but there wasn’t any special meaning when I gave it to her. I’m not claiming a wife or anything; and I won’t for a while. But if it really does mean that much to you, I’ll ask them if I can make another batch.” you said trying to diffuse the situation.

For a second she looked even angrier. Taking a step towards you, she raised a hand to point at you, but stopped. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Thank you, Anon. I would appreciate that.” she said with a little smile. Her words were sweet, but her eyes were still smoldering. You swallowed hard.

“I should get going. I just remembered that I have some work that I need to do. Let me know when you have more spirit supplement; I’ll be waiting for it. Goodnight, Anon.” she said. With that, she walked out the door and closed it shut without so much as a glance at you.

You listen to her footsteps fade down the hall, and re-seat yourself at your desk. Oroba should probably know about this, you’ll tell her tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~
Earlier that evening…
~~~~~~~

“So, exactly how strong is this?” asked Oroba, prodding the pouch of Anon’s spirit supplement.

“I can’t tell. There’s something weird going on with the instruments I use normally.” said Ergine.

“It’s potent alright, I can tell. But the puffball is right, the energy signature of it is all over the place. Are you sure that it isn’t contaminated?” asked High Magus Crowlyne.

“Yes, as long as we trust that Magnara did not tamper with it. It took poor Breville everything she had to make it.” said Ergine.

“And you were fools for letting him make it in the first place.” said Hicera. “We don’t even know if the supplement is safe for any of us to have. Anon may appear to be a human, but we still have no idea what the repercussions of using this could be.”

“So we’ll test it.” said Crowlyne.

“That wasn’t the point I was trying to make.” said Hicera.

“Crowlyne is right, Hicera. How can you not be excited?” asked Ergine.

“They have a point, Head Physician. If this is dangerous to us, then it’s better we find out now and work out a solution than for Anon to discover he’s poisoned his wife.” said Oroba.

Hicera squirmed a bit and sighed. “…What do you propose?”

“I’ve got a list of students who should be strong enough to resist any undesirable side effects. The most promising is an arch-succubus named Buera. She’s routinely proven herself to be a dedicated student and a powerful mage.” said Oroba.

“I have no objections. Her ability is certainly worthy of praise.” said Crowlyne.

“Very good. Then we’ll preform the test tomorrow. I’d like to dispose of this as soon as possible.” said Oroba poking the pouch. “No good can come of having it just sit around. Do you have any objections, Head Physician?”

“No, Oroba.” said Hicera.

“Excellent. We’ll do this early in the morning. I don’t want any rumors to spread.”

~~~~~

The next day, Hicera, Oroba, Crowlyne and Buera gathered in a small, rarely used training field on the college grounds.
“So nice to see you, Buera.” said Oroba.

“You as well, President. I’m honored that you chose me to conduct this experiment.” beamed Buera.

“Of course! You were the natural choice. Your outstanding academic and practical performances make you a wonderful candidate. And you’re single! We can’t use a mamono with a husband after all.” said Oroba.

Buera’s eyes glazed over. A small quivering smile raised her cheeks just a bit. “Ah. Of course. I am single, haha. Yep. That’s me, Buera. The arch-succubus who can’t find a husband. Haha.”

The others looked at each other in discomfort as the poor succubus’ suffered her existential torture.

“Err… that aside, we just want you to take a bit of Anon’s spirit supplement and use it to cast some spells. We must warn you though, Anon is an alien. The effects of this supplement may be dangerous. It could even be poison for all we know.” said Oroba sternly.

“Then it’s a good thing that I don’t have a husband who will miss me if I die.” said Buera with a tearful smile.

Hicera rubbed her back as she took a deep breath and wiped her eyes. Poor girl. After a minute of consolation, Buera did a little shimmy and exhaled sharply.

“I’m alright. I just have to remember that there’s someone out there for me. If I keep working hard, I’ll meet him one day. May I have the supplement now?” she asked.

“Sure…” said Oroba handing the pouch to her.

“Make sure that you only take a pinch! We have to know if it’s safe before you take any more.” said Hicera.

Buera took a pinch between her fingers. “The texture feels a bit funny.” She sprinkled the sample into her mouth. With a grimace, she swallowed the powder and licked her fingers clean.

“Well?” asked Crowlyne.

“It still tastes horrible. Other than that, I just feel the kick from the mana. I don’t think that anything is wrong with it.” said Buera as she conjured a flame over her hand.

“Alright, well go ahead and take a bit more.” said Hicera recording the results.

Buera scooped out a bit more supplement and shoveled it into her mouth. With a swig of water from her water-skin, she choked it down. After a few more mouthfuls, she had exhausted the powder.

“How do you feel?” asked Hicera nervously.

“Umm… kind of strange actually.” said Buera.

“How so?” said Hicera quickly.

“Tingley, I guess. Like my fingers fell asleep.”

“You’ll be alright. Preforming the tests will get rid of the mana. You’ll be back to normal in no time.” said Crowlyne.

“Y-yeah. I know. I’ll just… Wow. It’s getting kind of hot huh?” said Buera. Her face was growing red and a few beads of sweat rolled down her body.

“Oh dear.” Mumbled Oroba. “Buera, dear, just use the mana. Get it out of your body.”

“Yeah. You’re right.” said Buera. She hurriedly walked over to one of the targets that had been set up.

“Alright, now just try a simple mana-shot spell.” said Crowlyne.

“Got it. I- OOUHHO~”

Buera’s knees buckled and a trail of liquid ran down her thigh.

“It feels GOOOOD~” she moaned. The light around her hands flared and sputtered.

“Buera! Discharge that mana now!” shouted Oroba.

Buera’s trembling arms shot a bolt of energy at the target. The straw dummy was instantly disintegrated, as was a large portion of the wall behind it. Dozens of other smaller bolts of energy shot in every direction. Oroba, Hicera, and Crowlyne ducked as the barrage tore bricks and bits of stonework off the buildings. A plume of dust emanated from where Buera had been standing.

“Buera!” shrieked Hicera.

Crowlyne summoned a gust of wind to clear the courtyard. Buera was laying at the epicenter of the blast, in an apparent state of euphoria. She was laying on her back, with a trail of drool running down her cheek. The ground around her crotch was thoroughly soaked as well.

The trio of observers hurried over to her.

“Buera! Can you hear us?! Are you alright?!” asked Hicera.

“What a rush…” mumbled Buera. Her eyes failed to focus on any of the monsters standing over her.

“Well, we know it works.” said Crowlyne.

Hicera glared at her as she used her magic to lift the dazed girl off the ground and began to carry her away to the infirmary.

~~~~~

You were copying down the intricacies in a magical circle when you heard the blast. The class froze as the noise reverberated around the room. The more timid monsters got up from their seats and shuffled away from the window, while the more aggressive ones began to jostle for shoulder space at the windows.

You peaked above a some shorter mamono to see a column of smoke and dust rising from a part of campus you had never been to.

“Please return to your seats. That’s nothing to be alarmed about.” said Aegoli.

“Are you sure?” you asked.

“Yes, the faculty were informed that such an event may be occurring today.” she said.

Oh. Well, alright then. You return to your seat. Explosions must be more common than you thought.

Oh well, the important thing was to remember to go visit Oroba after class. You had long suspected Morala of having an innocent crush on you, but her behavior last night was absolutely out of line. The whole point of having a titania be the one to help you adjust to monster society was that she WOULDN’T try and molest you.

Hopefully you could still salvage what remained of your relationship.

As soon as Aegoli released you, you hurried off to Oroba’s office.

~~~~~~
You were about halfway there when you felt the hairs on the back of your neck rise. You shuddered and gripped the railing harder as you turned around on the staircase. There wasn’t anyone there. Far below you, you could see a few mamono scattered throughout the many floors below you. Resuming your climb, you hurry to the next floor.

The mounting feeling of dread did not abate. Ducking out to the grand staircase, you quickly hurry down the hall and round the first corner. With your back flat against the wall you take a deep breath. What was this sensation?

Taking a peak around the corner, you try to discern the source of the mysterious aura. The corridor is abandoned. You keep waiting, watching.

After a few seconds, Morala appears at the landing. Without breaking her stride she began down the hallway towards you. You whip back around the corner. Why was she here?! Why were you so nervous?! Sure you had been avoiding her since last night, but that was completely understandable given how she was acting. You were going to confront her about it, but you really needed someone to mediate that conversation.

“Hello, Anon.”

Your eyes bugged out of your skull as Morala addresses you from just around the corner. You hadn’t realized it, but you had been holding your breath since you saw her.

“H-hey Morala. What are you doing here?” you stutter as you try to nonchalantly peel yourself off the wall. She didn’t look pleased.

“What are you doing here?” she said cheerily. She was smiling, but her eyes were cold.

“Oh! You know, I just uh, had something I needed to talk to Oroba about.”

“This isn’t the way to the President’s office.” she said crossing her arms.

“I was just going to the bathroom.” you bluff.

Morala stared back at you. You did your best to meet her eyes, but her gaze was too harsh. Breaking eye contact you look to one of the paintings lining the hallway.

“Anon, if you have a problem, you can talk to me about it.” said Morala.

“I know! I know. I just don’t want to bother you that’s all. I know how busy you are. Haha.”

“Well I’m not busy. So tell me, what’s your problem?”

You gulped. “I-I, uh…” you wracked your brain for an excuse. “I… needed access to the alchemy laboratory to make more supplement!” you blurted.

“That’s nothing to bother Oroba with. Ergine is the one that you need to be talking to silly!” she giggled.

“It wasn’t just that, I needed to talk to her about something else too!” you said.

Morala’s smile didn’t fade, but her eyes narrowed. “And what would that be?”

“It’s something personal.” you offered weakly.

“Anon.” she took a step closer to you. “No one knows you better than I do. If you’re having a personal problem, wouldn’t it make sense to get help from someone who knows you personally?”

You took step back out of instinct as she advanced towards you.

Her mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. “So, what’s this problem?”

You tried to think of something to say, but only ended up opening and closing your mouth like a fish on a ship deck. “I forgot. I guess it wasn’t that big of a deal after all.” you said hoarsely.

Morala smiled a bit wider. “That’s nice to hear Anon. Isn’t it nice when things get resolved this way? Just us helping each other out. We support each other so well, you know? So, how about you don’t go to Oroba anymore; just let me handle it alright?” she said. Her tone was more condescending than optimistic.

“I still think that I sh-“

You balked as you caught her eyes.

“I said I could handle it Anon. You DO trust me, don’t you? After all I’ve done for you? Isn’t it the least you could do to trust me? I care about you so much after all.”

She took another step towards you.

“Yeah! Yeah of course I do, Mora! No problem. I’ll uh, just come to you if I need anything, haha…” you said. Anything to get her away from you.

She clapped her hands and did a little flitter. “I’m glad to hear! I really do mean it too; I swore I’ll always be there for you, and I intend to make good on that promise.”

She turned and began to do her little hop-flutter walk down the hall.

“Oh, and Anon?”

“Yes?”

“If I find out you talked to Oroba, I’ll be mad.” she said. She turned her head back to look at you. “And I WILL find out.”

With that last thinly veiled threat, she began down the stairs, leaving you petrified in the middle of the hall.

~~~~~~

With a sigh, Morala opened the door to the deserted class room. The space had become unrecognizable since she had begun to work in here. The desks had been clumped together into impromptu tables and shelves for her growing collection of magical books. The counter under the window was now home to a small laboratory’s worth of alchemical ingredients. A cauldron gently simmered in the corner over a magical heating element.

Careful not to tread on any of the teltomancy chalk markings of the floor, she made her way up to the teacher’s podium and pulled out a small snack from her stash. As she nibbled on the bread roll, Morala opened her newest book on the podium.

“Mistress!”

Her pixie tutor flew through the cracked window with a gleeful call.

“There you are Hyluciele! I was wondering where you had flown off to. We need to talk.” said Morala. “I’ve been trying to be more assertive, but I don’t think Anon likes it as much as you think he does. He has been obedient until now, but I suspect that my outburst over the supplement scared him. I caught him trying to visit Oroba today, and I know he didn’t have that in his schedule.”

Morala flew to the only desk with a seat and produced a small journal from within her robes. The pages were filled with all the notes she had taken on Anon, as well as other important information and potential child names.

“He was so scared, Hyluciele. I just wanted to hug him. I don’t think this tactic is working at all. I can try to play it off as stress again but I know that he doesn’t trust me anymore. The fairies are getting harder and harder to control too. I’ve had to personally silence some of them. They’ve been useful thus far in procuring what I need and monitoring Anon when I’m busy, but there’s a schism forming among them.”

She sighed and closed the book. Burying her face in her hands she let out a long groan.

“I can’t do this anymore. Anon means everything to me, but I just CAN’T see that look of terror on his face anymore. That’s exactly what I want to protect him from! I miss my friends, I miss having an Anon that isn’t afraid of me, and I miss being able to do the things I love.”

“So, you want to stop?” asked the pixie.

“Yes I want to stop! At first you gave me good advice, but lately I’ve been nothing but a bully! Tomorrow I’m going to apologize to Anon and the fairies and forget this ever happened.” said Morala firmly.

Hyluciele inspected a jar of dried leaves next to a potion rack. “I see. I suppose how you could see what you’ve been doing as bullying. How it could be frightening to some. But I don’t think of it like that at all. I think it’s dedication.”

“Dedication?” asked Morala.

“Yes mistress! You have done so much already for Anon’s sake. If your friends will not help you find love, are they really your friends at all? And does Anon REALLY know what’s best for him? Obviously not, because you say he thinks of you as overbearing all of a sudden! If he truly knew of your passion for him, he would never leave your arms. I think it’s inspirational that you’re making so many sacrificed for the sake of the one you love.”

Morala perked up. She smiled a little as she stared into space. Then she frowned, and shook her head. “I-I still don’t think that it’s right…”

Hyluciele flitted onto the desk where Morala sat. “Very well, mistress. I will not force you to do anything that you do not wish to do. I only wanted you and Anon to discover the love that connects you.”

“And I am grateful. But this is a path I can no longer follow.” said Morala. She unseated herself and began to move towards the door.

“Oh, but mistress…” called Hyluciele.

Morala paused.

“…Do you really think that Anon will forget?”

Morala flinched. “Of course he will. He’s a good person; that’s one of the reasons I care about him so much. If I’m honest and forwards with him, he’ll forgive me.”

“I am sure he would, mistress. But will he FORGET. I do not think he will.” said Hyluciele. She flew just behind Morala as she spoke.
“I say this out of concern. I fear that every gaze he directs at you will be tinged with fear. That he will always think on your actions and wonder if the monster he saw is only hiding. Always cautious that you may be setting a trap for him.”

Morala clenched her fists. “You’re wrong.”

“Perhaps. One more question mistress…”

“No! No more questions!” shouted Morala swiveling to face the pixie.

“What makes you so sure that you can be the first to claim him?!” cackled the tiny woman.

A tendril of magic shot out of Morala’s hand and seized the pixie. “ENOUGH! ENOUGH LIES!” she screamed.

Hyluciele coughed under the pressure of the mana surrounding her. “Surely you heard mistress!” she choked out.

“Shut up! I don’t want to hear what you have to say!” shouted Morala. But her grip loosened none the less.

“They gave his spirit energy away! To an arch-succubus no less!”

Morala’s eyes went wide. “The blast…” she murmured.

Hyluciele took advantage of her shock to wriggle free from her restraints. “Precisely mistress! I’m sure that your innocent fairy friends relayed you information about the event, but I know the full story. President Oroba has taken a special interest in pairing Anon with an especially high-level monster to see what kind of progeny the union will yield.”

“She wouldn’t! Anon would die, he’s still too vulnerable to mamono energy!” said Morala desperately.

“But he won’t be forever! He’s adapting rather quickly from what I hear. Buera informed the President of her adoration towards Anon. Oroba has agreed to help her, and gave her special permission to taste some of Anon’s spirit energy.”

“No…” pleaded Morala. Her knees gave out and she collapsed into a sitting position on the floor.

“Yes, mistress! It’s true! An arch-succubus has a taste for the one you love. Can you really hope to stand against her?” said Hyluciele flying down to her eye level.

“Anon knows me! He knows I care about him! He-“

“He’s afraid of you! If you turn back now, you’ll drive him right into her arms!” interrupted Hyluciele.

Tears rolled down Morala’s face. “No… I-I can’t… How…”

“There is still a way mistress! It is not hopeless yet! We can save Anon from Buera, but you must be brave! If you do not act now, if you do not finish what we have begun, then your indecision will see that you NEVER are one with Anon.” warned Hyluciele.

Morala broke down in tears. Hyluciele watched the titania sob into her hands. After a few minutes, she grew quiet. She lay on the ground for a few more moments before standing up and wiping her face.

Her red eyes were brimming with determination.

“I’ll do it.” she sniffled. “For his sake, I’ll do it.”