Despite the threat to kill Strax, the woman suddenly stopped and focused on one thing alone... observing Strax with such intense interest that her eyes seemed as though they would pierce right through him. She realized something about his presence drew her in a way no other mortal ever had. It was a unique energy, powerful and, even more intriguingly, familiar. That aura was seductive, fascinating, and it pulled her like a magnet.
As she studied him, Lithara felt a wave of heat flood her body, something overwhelming and almost involuntary. She clenched her fingers against the arm of the throne, her eyes unblinking, fixed on him. Her body... trembled... it was something she would recognize in any dimension, something reserved only for the most powerful Incubi.
Lithara was facing what only the kings of this kind of demon possessed: the Celestial Body of the Incubus King. And it was his, from this human or whatever he had become now.
'Human? No... that's not what he is,' The intensity of the heat made her feel something between ecstasy and obsession. Lithara, who had always controlled everything around her, with succubi and even lesser demons kneeling at her feet, now felt a desperate thirst for that man. Her chest heaved, and she could barely contain the tremors of excitement.
"Finally... a King," she murmured to herself, her voice almost trembling with anticipation. "Finally, my king," she repeated, now louder, the word leaving her lips like a promise and a threat.
Strax, still holding his sword, sensed the shift in the hall's atmosphere. Lithara, who until then had maintained a threatening and controlled tone, now seemed taken by a different intensity, an almost palpable madness. He noticed the predatory gleam in her eyes, something that made him brace himself, like a hunter realizing he had become the prey.
The succubus rose from her throne, her previously relaxed posture now rigid and determined. Her smile widened, but it was a twisted, hungry smile that put him on alert. In an instant, Lithara shot towards him with astounding speed, like a violent shadow cutting through the hall.
"You... will be my king!" she shouted, the words echoing off the walls as she lunged with her claws extended.
Strax raised his sword just in time to block the blow, but Lithara's strength surprised him, pushing him back a few meters. She didn't hesitate, attacking again with a frenzied intensity, like a wild beast finally having found its prey. Each movement she made seemed a mixture of attack and uncontrollable desire.
"I've been waiting for so long... waiting for someone who could understand me, someone who could dominate me," she yelled while delivering blows with furious precision. "You are the only one who can give me that! BE MY KING! DOMINATE ME NOW!"
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Strax dodged with difficulty, the sword vibrating in his hands as he blocked each blow. He knew this fight was different from any he'd faced before; Lithara didn't attack him out of hatred or bloodlust. It was something deeper, more primal. He felt the desperate intensity of every strike, as if she were fighting not to kill him but to claim him, to possess him.
"You're... completely crazy!" Strax exclaimed, dodging another attack and trying to gain some distance. "I'm married! Leave me alone!"
But his words only seemed to fuel her further. Lithara let out a loud, frenzied laugh, her face contorting into an expression of euphoria.
"It's no use resisting, Strax! I felt your power, I felt your presence!" She lunged again, her claws now surrounded by a dark aura, landing a strike with such force that it cracked the marble floor around them. "You are perfect! A true Incubus King — the only one who can rule by my side!"
'Is she talking about the physique? But my physique was upgraded! Oh, crap! It was only the Dragon physique, wasn't it? The Incubus King physique remains the same!' He screamed internally, dodging the woman's attacks.
'Looks like the system really wants me to have this woman by my side... What *is* this strange feeling?' he thought, focusing on his next move.
He took a step forward, raising his sword, preparing for the final clash. Lithara waited, her eyes alight with expectation, a twisted smile of pure devotion on her face.
'This sword won't last long...' he thought. 'I just need to end this, quickly.'
"If that's what you want, Lithara," he said, his voice steady, "then I'll show you what I'm capable of. But I'm not going to be your king... I'm going to be your defeat."
"Fufufu~" She released a laugh dripping with anticipation, and, with a savage cry, she launched herself at him once more, her claws gleaming with dark energy.
The two clashed in a ferocious fight, blow after blow exchanged with relentless intensity. Lithara seemed increasingly consumed by obsession, her strength and speed growing as she surrendered to her wild desire to possess the one she saw as her king.
Strax, for his part, fought with every fiber of his being, moving with precision and focus. He used his skill, his experience with the blade, and the growing energy within him to keep up with her, even as it felt futile. This was a battle not only of strength but of wills—an insane desire against an unbreakable resolve.
Finally, with a quick and unexpected movement, Strax managed to get close enough to dispel the dark magic surrounding her, slicing through the energy with his blade and severing the bond Lithara was using to control the battle.
She stumbled back, her body exhausted, but her eyes still glowed with that possessive fervor.
"You... really are worthy," she murmured, smiling weakly, as if even in defeat, she had found what she was looking for.
Strax stood frozen for a moment, wide-eyed as he watched Lithara rise as if nothing had happened. The wounds he thought he had inflicted on her simply vanished, and the aura she emitted was now overwhelming. It was as if she had deliberately held back her power before, testing him, perhaps even toying with him. Now, the dark energy surrounding Lithara pulsed with an overwhelming force, charged with pure demonic intensity.
"It's a shame I have to hold back so much to fight you," she repeated, a wicked smile on her lips, as a dark glow danced in her golden eyes. "But I suppose you need to understand the difference between us."
Strax took a step back, gripping his sword tightly. He knew he couldn't face her like this. The power radiating from her was from another dimension; it felt as though a mountain of darkness was crushing him, immobilizing him in place. Every fiber of his being screamed at him to flee, but retreating felt futile.
"W-what—?" Strax began, trying to comprehend what was happening, but the words fell away from his lips. He knew he had to do something, but her mere presence seemed to suffocate any strategy, any hope of victory.
"Did you really think you had a chance?" Lithara murmured, her voice low and seductive but tinged with disdain. "But don't worry, my king... I enjoy it when they fight. The more you resist, the more satisfying it will be when you finally surrender to me."
[*The system has been restructured to version 2.0*]