Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!-Chapter 251 : Loyalty, Part Nine

Night fell over Syux like a heavy blanket. In Isabella's room, Melisa stood before the mirror, making final adjustments to her disguise.

[Good thing Mom's clothes are a bit loose in certain areas,] she thought, tugging at the neckline. [Though at the rate these are growing, that might not be true much longer.]

"You know," Isabella mused from her perch on the bed, "it's kind of hot how much you look like your mom."

"Isabella!"

"What? I'm just saying." Isabella's eyes roamed appreciatively over Melisa's figure. "Though she fills out that dress a bit differently..."

"Can you stop being horny for five minutes?" Melisa ran a comb through her hair. "I'm trying to focus here."

"Nope!" Isabella bounced off the bed, coming up behind Melisa. "Besides, you're one to talk. I saw how you were staring at Mom's cock earlier."

[... Okay, she's got me there.]

From downstairs came the distinct sound of giggling, followed by what was definitely Kimiko's voice saying something about "proper wine tasting techniques."

[Perfect timing.]

"That's my cue," Melisa said, heading for the door. "Your mom's probably got them all distracted by now."

"Oh, definitely," Isabella grinned. "Last time she gave a 'wine tasting lesson' they all ended up-"

"Please don't finish that sentence." Melisa paused at the door. "Though... maybe save some wine for when I get back?"

"Only if you promise to tell me everything." Isabella's tail swished. "And I mean everything."

"Fine, fine. Now help me sneak out before your mom decides to demonstrate her 'cork popping' technique again."

Melisa crept down the stairs, Margaret's dress swishing softly against her legs. From the living room came the unmistakable sounds of Kimiko's "wine tasting lesson" in full swing.

"And this is how you really appreciate the body," Kimiko's voice purred, followed by what was definitely not wine-related slurping and occasional gagging.

[Perfect timing.]

Melisa slipped out the front door, the sounds of her family's debauchery fading behind her. The streets of Syux were quieter at night, though not empty. A few merchants were still packing up their stalls, and the occasional patrol of guards marched past.

The dress felt strange - loose in some places, tight in others. Margaret's clothes weren't quite meant for someone with a more modest chest, but they'd do for tonight.

[Though seriously, how does Mom walk in these things?]

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She kept to the shadows, remembering the route from earlier. The cool night air carried hints of cooking fires and that particular musty smell that meant rain was coming.

[Great. Nothing says 'stealth mission' like getting caught in a downpour.]

A group of humans passed by, giving her appreciative glances. One even whistled.

[I guess that means the disguise is working.]

The bar came into view, squatting between its larger neighbors like a toad between two trees. More people were going in and out now, the evening crowd starting to build.

Melisa took a deep breath.

[Show time.]

She smoothed down her dress and started walking toward the entrance. Behind her, thunder rumbled ominously.

[... Really? REALLY? Did the weather HAVE to get dramatic right now?]

At least the sound covered up the distant echoes of Kimiko's "wine appreciation" that she swore she could still hear.

Melisa stepped into the bar and instantly felt a wave of déjà vu hit her.

[Well, shit. Guess some things really are universal.]

The place could've been lifted straight from Earth. Sticky floors, dim lighting, and that distinct smell of spilled alcohol and poor life choices. The only real difference was that the patrons were purple and had horns.

She made her way to the counter, very aware of the eyes following her movement. Margaret's dress might have been loose in the chest, but it still showed enough to draw attention.

[At least nobody's recognized me. Though, I could do without everyone checking out my ass right now.]

"Watch this!"

Melisa turned. A young nim, probably barely older than her, was showing off to his friends. Fire danced in his palm, wild and unstable.

[Amateur hour.]

Sure enough, the nim's "impressive" display ended with him nearly setting his own shirt on fire. His friends cheered anyway.

"I can do better!" Another nim stepped up, wobbling slightly. "Check THIS out!"

A burst of magical energy shot from his hands, missing the ceiling by inches.

[Great. Just great. These idiots are probably the ones attacking people. No control, no skill, just drunken stupidity and enough magic to be dangerous.]

More nim were gathering now, each trying to outdo the last. Fireballs, ice shards, and what looked like a very confused light spell flew through the air.

[And these are the ones who tried to burn down Javir's house? Who nearly killed my family?]

Melisa's fingers itched with the urge to show them what REAL magic looked like. To demonstrate exactly why playing with fire when you barely knew how to light a candle was a terrible idea.

The bartender, a burly nim with scars on his horns, slid over to take her order.

"What'll it be?"

"Whatever's strongest," Melisa replied, channeling her best Margaret impression. "It's been that kind of day."

More whooping from behind her. Another nim had joined the magical dick-measuring contest, this one trying to create what looked like a light show but mostly just succeeding in giving everyone a headache.

[Seriously? That's not even a proper illumination spell. Even Hazel could do better, and she's nine.]

The bar was filling up now. Every few minutes, another group would stumble in, already half-drunk and eager to show off their newfound powers. The air crackled with amateur magic and alcohol-fueled stupidity.

"Pretty impressive, huh?" The nim next to her nodded toward the show-offs. "Few months ago, none of us could do that."

[Yeah, and a few months ago my family wasn't almost barbecued.]

"Very impressive," Melisa lied, taking a sip of her drink. It tasted like someone had set fire to a fruit tree and bottled the results.

More nim gathered around the amateur magicians, cheering them on. One particularly drunk fellow was trying to combine fire and ice magic, which was going about as well as expected.

[Gods, these idiots are going to blow themselves up before I even get the chance to-]

"Hey beautiful," a voice slurred next to her. "Wanna see some real magic?"

Melisa turned to find another nim leering at her, magic crackling between his fingers.

[... Did you seriously just try to use magic as a pickup line?]

"Watch this," he said, clearly not waiting for an answer. He raised his hands, gathering energy for what was probably going to be an embarrassingly basic spell.

[If these are the people who attacked Javir's house...] Melisa's own magic itched under her skin, begging to be released. [Then this is going to be easier than I thought.]

Thunder crashed outside, perfectly matching her mood.

[... Okay, now the weather's just showing off.]