How I became the Empress of Hell
4.3: Golden Ticket – Part 1

Ikelos

“All I'm saying is monologuing is a perfectly valid fighting technique. Nothing says evil fear demon like a good villainous monologue.”

“And all I'm saying, Master, is maybe you should save the monologuing for when the enemy isn't actively trying to use high damage spells to take you out in one hit. I do have other spells besides my shield spell, you know? Not that I ever get a chance to use them…”

“You're right, Luci, I'll try to save the mono… log…”

The small pixie demon who was sitting atop her master's shoulder followed his gaze as his voice suddenly trailed off. A pair of Demonspawn women were talking quietly to each other, and the blazing orange eyes of her master seemed completely transfixed on them.

The one on the right had hair that was long and raven black with multiple streaks of shiny silver running all throughout. Her irises were a glowing silver color, which were further emphasized by the dark makeup she wore. She wore a long flowing black dress that accentuated her figure and made her pale white skin stand out even more. Her nails were filed to a point and were black with dots of glowing silver that was reminiscent of stars in a night sky.

Her counterpart, on the other hand, seemed to be the complete opposite of the dark shadowy women in almost every way. While the woman in black was petite and toned like a gymnast, the other woman was tall and powerfully built. Despite having the small horns typical of Demonspawn, she wore armor that looked to be made of gleaming gold like something akin to what many angels and Angelspawn wore. She had dark brown skin that stood in beautiful contrast to her fiery red and orange hair. Like Ikelos's own eyes, the Demonspawn woman had glowing orange irises, but lacked the black sclera that made the fear demon’s eyes look so unsettling. 

As Ikelos wordlessly drew closer to the pair, they finally noticed his approach and turned to face him, both of their eyes going wide. Several onlookers had also taken note of the powerful clan member and were watching with curiosity as he approached the two Demonspawn. The woman in black gave a wide smile that showed off her tiny fangs, and spoke in a voice that was both soft and sensual.

“My my… The fear demon Ikelos herself… To what do we owe the pleasure?”

He closed the remaining distance and inhaled sharply, steeling his nerves.

“You two are the most beautiful women I have ever seen. Not only in how you look, but also the way you both fight. I was really disappointed that I never got the opportunity to fight against you, but when I saw you both standing there, I knew I needed to say something.”

The smaller woman's grin widened even further, while the taller one's cheeks darkened with a deep blush. The woman in black reached a pale hand up and made a beckoning gesture with one finger, to which Ikelos immediately responded. When he was within arm's reach, she lifted her hand and ran her index finger up the length of his jaw, hooking the point of her nail underneath his chin. It lingered there momentarily before the woman closed her hand and she lowered it, Ikelos's gaze following it to stare into her shimmery silver eyes.

“Isn't she adorable?”

The other woman hummed in approval and shifted so she was also standing directly in front of Ikelos.

“She is. I can see what others meant when they said she has an unsettling appearance, but that doesn't make her any less adorable.”

“H-he.”

“Hmm?”

“He. Despite my appearance… I’m actually a guy.”

The woman in black made a happy noise and even clapped her hands together excitedly.

“Even better! My girlfriend and I have been looking for a very good boy to keep us company! Are you that good boy, Ikelos?”

A tiny pixie floated up from his shoulder, her wings beating like a hummingbird.

“I'll have you know that Master Ikelos is-” 

Before she could finish what she was saying, Ikelos held up his hand and turned to glare at the tiny demon. She rolled her eyes and let out a small huff, before spinning around in midair and disappearing. Ikelos looked back at the pair of Demonspawn and gave them both a smirk.

“Before I answer that, let me ask a question of my own.”

Despite his declaration, he waited for a moment, seemingly asking the alluring women for permission to speak. When the woman in black nodded, he continued.

“I've seen your clan tag a few times, so I know they're a fairly large one. The question is… how dedicated are you both to being in that clan?”

The two women looked at each other, communicating without saying anything. The woman in gleaming gold armor shrugged and they both glanced back at Ikelos. 

“Are you offering us both a slot in your clan?”

“Ye-mmm. Hold that thought.”

He took a single step back and turned to an empty spot next to him.

“Hana, is Allie or Em available at all?”

A demon woman in a sharp business suit appeared in the space in front of him and everyone in the vicinity jumped at her sudden appearance.

“Unfortunately not. They're both in the middle of a match. Anything I can assist you with?”

He plucked a shiny gold object out of his inventory and held it up.

“I want to redeem my golden ticket for these lovely ladies.”

“Ah, yes. Team 213. 3 wins, 2 losses, and a total of 6 points. Allexus made me an officer shortly before the tournament began, so I can send them an invite as soon as they've left their other clan.”

Hana briefly glanced at both of their names, and the ghost of a smile teased at her lips.

“Nyx and Eos. How apt.”

=====

Nialla

EEEEEEEEEEEE! I get my own subchapter! This is so fucking cool!!! Allie says I might get more of them in the future if I’m a good girl… but I’m always a good girl… right?

Right?!

…don’t give me that look…

Fine. Yes, I’m a brat! But that’s why Allie loves me.

Anyhow, I’m excited you all get to see shit from my POV and I’ll catch you sexy people later!

Team 92

Alex - Angelspawn - Level 84 Storm Mage

 Total Wins: 1

Total Losses: 2

Total Points: 1

Match 4 versus Nialla - Demon - Stormtiger

Objective 1: Defeat Nialla

Objective 2: Activate 6 Arcane Glyphs

As I studied the display screen that showed my next opponent and their stats, I cocked an eyebrow at his class. I had seen a plethora of mages with lightning specialization, but none had chosen the particular skill set that would have given them the same class that I had created. Allie and Judas explained a bit how the class system works, so I knew it would only be a matter of time before others used the same build I had, but I was still shocked to see “my” class in a match against me.

Hehe. See… I got puns too.

I surveyed the area around me and saw that I was in the dueling arena that Jade had designed. In front of me was a massive 10-story run-down hospital that would have been right at home in any number of horror movies. I continued to study the outside of the building when I felt a light sprinkling of rain. My ears twitched as I felt the cold rain drops running through my fur and I shivered and bolted towards the nearest entrance.

More puns… Sorry not sorry.

After forcing open a metal door and pushing a large pile of debris out of the way, I made my way inside and looked around. Piled up in front of the door I had just come through was all manner of broken hospital beds, chairs, desks, and other heavy pieces of furniture. Several streaks of dried blood ran the length of the room and disappeared into a hallway that was so dark even my enhanced vision couldn’t see anything. As something behind me crashed against the floor, I jumped and felt my entire body turn into lightning. In the fraction of a second I was in this incorporeal state, I moved away from the source of the noise and reoriented myself so that I was facing whatever danger was coming at me. My body solidified and I held myself in a fighting pose. I could feel my tail lashing back and forth behind me, and trickles of lightning ran up and down the length of my arms as I prepared myself for a possible attack. 

As the offending object came to a rest, I narrowed my eyes at it and let out a soft growl.

“Stupid fucking table! Scared the shit out of me!”

I made the shape of a finger gun and a bolt of bluish-white lighting zapped from my fingertip and struck the source of my panic, the power of the blast not doing much beyond making even more noise that echoed slightly through the room.

“Fuck you, table!”

I chuckled nervously as I did my best to calm my nerves, and turned around to finish exploring the area around me, only to come face to face with a person with frazzled blonde hair. My instincts went into overdrive and I burst forward with my claws outstretched and arcing lightning sparking in the palms of my hands. The person was much smaller than I was, and as they saw me lunging at them, their body exploded into bright pink motes of electricity that flew back from me and reformed about 30 feet away.  I focused on my demonic speed and allowed a small bit of the the lightning flowing through my veins to discharge through the soles of my feet, propelling me forward at a pace that would have made even Allie look slow. The figure had the smallest fraction of a second to react, and just before my outstretched claws sank into their chest, they fell backwards onto their ass and held their arms up as if to halt my momentum.

“Wait! Wait! Please!”

Despite channeling MP into my hand and letting my spell build, I couldn’t push away my sense of curiosity. I stopped just in front of the person and held the slowly building orb of electric energy a few inches away from their face. The bluish-white light illuminated a face that was arresting in its beauty, a delicate chin and soft jawline combined with high cheekbones made the person’s heartshaped face both adorable and breathtaking. Their alabaster complexion that radiated youth and vitality, their slightly upturned nose, the small dappling of freckles on their cheeks, the dimples at the corners of their mouth, perfectly sculpted arched brows, plush lips that looked like two pink pillows always in the shape of a gentle smile. Their platinum hair was both tousled and styled in that way that looks like they just had the most mind-blowing sex ever. But what really drew me in was their softly glowing pink eyes. Even with the look of sheer panic and fear, they still held an adorable beauty that brought a smile to my face. I took in all of these details in the fraction of a second it took me to move my face closer to theirs, and in that moment I decided that even if I ended up regretting it later, I was going to listen to whatever this beautiful creature had to say. When they spoke, their voice was at a pitch that was melodic and cute, with the smallest hit of nasality that only increased their adorable factor.

“Y-you’re… You’re N-n-n-iall. Right? Or… you w-were?”

I nodded my head slowly and felt my ears twitch slightly as my curiosity was piqued even further.

“I was. Yes. Why?”

The person’s mouth opened in a mixture of awe and excitement.

“That’s… that’s fucking awesome! This is so fucking awesome! Oh my fucking god, this is fucking amazing!”

I cocked my eyebrow in confusion and tilted my head slightly to the side. The person laughed, a sound that was sweet and musical, and I couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across my face.

“I watched you fight in the PvP tournament and absolutely wreck everyone else! You were a fucking badass! When I heard you somehow joined a demon clan I was convinced something terrible happened, until I found out that it was the number one clan in the game. Of course you’re in the best clan. Only the best for the best.”

At this point I had been channeling MP into my hand long enough it was starting to cause my arm to become more and more bestial, and I narrowed my eyes at the adorable cutey as I held the brightly glowing orb of magic up.

“Are you going to attack me or can I let this spell go? The more I channel it the more my Stormtiger form will come out.”

The person looked at my face and then at my arm in confusion for a moment before their eyes went wide and they held up their hands in a placating gesture.

“Oh no no no no! I have no intention of fighting you. My entire reason for even coming to this tournament was to try and meet you in person.”

I extended my arm and released the pent-up energy, causing a bright blue and white beam of lighting to blast out of my outstretched palm. Everything in the path of the beam was completely obliterated, and even after destroying the majority of the wall, the lance of energy continued to pour out of my hand. After a few seconds, the power of the spell faded, and the portion of my bestial form that was pushing through slowly faded back to normal. The person’s pink eyes were the size of dinner plates as I let my arm fall to my side and turned my gaze back on them.

“What do you mean you came here to meet me?”

“When I first started I had no fucking clue what I was going to play. I tried to play a warrior, but I sucked at swords and stuff. I tried a healer, but I couldn’t get the timing right. When I started as a mage, I knew that was the route I was gonna go, but I still couldn’t find a niche that really stuck with me. Then I saw you fighting in the PvP tournament. The way you moved, it was like a dance. Even if you always seemed to be the solitary stoic type, every once in a while I could see how much you loved being in the heat of battle. I looked up everything I could about you and what your build was, and I adapted my own style to be more like yours. You’re the second strongest player in the game for a reason, Niall… uh Nialla. You’re a fucking badass!”

I blushed slightly and gave them a fanged smile as I shrugged my shoulders.

“I don’t know about all that. Emmie easily kicked my ass when we dueled awhile back, and Allie makes me look like a total noob. That’s not even mentioning Hennie… I’ve seen her and Allie fight… and yeesh… Those two are the real badasses.”

The person shrugged a gave me a beautiful grin.

“I’m sure they’re good in their own way… but you’re still the second highest level in the game for a reason.”

I scoffed and shook my head before letting out a soft resigned sigh.

“Fine! I’m a badass. Happy? But… even if I admit that, it still doesn’t explain why you’re here. Why you wanted to meet me.”

I had to force myself from letting out a soft “awww” as a deep crimson blush spread across their cheeks. They blinked their eyes at me several times and then did everything they could to not look me in the eye. I took a play out of Allie’s book and moved my head so that they were staring back at me.

“Well?”

“Fine! It’s stupid… but… I just wanted to meet you. Haven’t you ever admired someone so much that you wanted to meet them and just tell them… thank you? Thank you for being them and for inspiring you to be better?”

I was completely taken aback by their words and my mouth hung open slightly as I considered what they had said. I leaned back so that I was sitting on my haunches, my tail swaying back and forth behind me.

“I can’t say I’ve ever had the inclination to thank someone like that, but I at least understand the sentiment. So… you’re welcome. I guess. I never expected someone to be…”

“Your fanboy?”

A boy? Of fucking course my biggest fan was the absolute cutest of the cute adorable femboys. He must have noticed the look on my face, cause he giggled adorably and stuck out his tongue.

“You didn’t know I was a boy, did you?”

I crinkled my nose and shook my head. He giggled again as he shifted into a comfortable seating position.

“It’s OK. I know how I look and sound. Other than the pink eyes, this is pretty much how I look IRL. I know people see me and either think hot tomgirl or cute femboy twink. And I’m OK with that.”

“What are your pronouns, if you don’t mind me asking?”

“Yes.”

“Yes?”

“He, she, they, whatever. I’m me… that’s all that matters.”

“You’re adorable is what you are.”

The words were out of my mouth before I even had a chance to think about what I had just said. I began to blush profusely until Alex let out the cutest little laugh.

“Well… thanks. You’re pretty adorable too. I mean… you’re a tall catgirl with tiger stripes and absolutely killer curves. Add to that the fact you’re an absolute badass lightning mage? That puts you almost on par with me on the adorable scale.”

“Oh, almost on par? Wow… so modest!”

Alex giggled adorably again and then scowled slightly as he glanced to the side. I was about to ask what was the matter when I realized that we had less than a minute left in our match. Without scoring a single point this round, there was no way Alex could score enough points to proceed to the final round against Allie, effectively ruining any chance of her recruiting him. After thinking for a moment, I grinned and nodded happily.

“After the match ends, I’m going to have someone find you to give you something. I’m giving you my golden ticket, Alex. So you can join my clan, I mean. Ugh… What I’m trying to say is, Alex… would you like to join my–oomph!”

The air was forced out of my lungs as Alex burst across the small distance and wrapped his arms around me in a tight hug. I relaxed my fight or flight instincts and pulled the adorable cutey against me tightly, returning his hug. After a moment, he pulled away and looked at me with a beaming smile.

“Yes! I would love nothing more than to be in your clan, Nialla! Thank you thank you thank you! I promise I won’t let you down!”

“You’re–”

My vision faded to black and I found myself back on the teleport pad of the waiting room where several other clan members were sitting and chatting.

“–Welcome. Ah fuck. Hana, are you there?”