My Wives are Beautiful Demons

Morrigan couldn't contain herself. Laughter burst from her throat like a thunderclap, shaking her shoulders and echoing among the rocks of the valley. It was genuine, overwhelming laughter that swept away any trace of tension in the air.

Sepphirothy blushed, an unexpected flush crossing her goddess-like cheekbones. She frowned, tried to compose herself—but the curve of her lips betrayed her own disbelief. Only that unrestrained laughter explained how human she could be, after all.

Sapphire leaned back on her flaming spear, her arms crossed, an amused smile spreading from corner to corner of her scarred face. Vergil, still stunned, blinked a few times, as if hoping it was all just a crazy dream.

Morrigan, between bursts of laughter, gripped the handle of her black spear, trying to catch her breath.

"You guys..." she stifled a laugh. "You really forgot? The Platinum Empress?" She shook her head, her white braids flying. "I mean, she's not just any second-most-powerful dragon, right?"

Sepphirothy rubbed the back of her neck, embarrassed, but lifted her chin, as if rebuilding her dignity in the heat of embarrassment.

"I..." she began, but her voice came out thinner than she would have liked. "I don't... Don't worry. We'll figure this out." She took a deep breath, regaining her composure. "I'll ask Cabernet to take care of that for now." Sepphirothy sighed.

Morrigan raised an eyebrow, still laughing softly, but her tone already returning to seriousness.

"Okay, wait... can someone explain to me what exactly is going on? Because if we forgot a Dragon Empress along the way, I think I missed more than just a detail of the plan."

Sapphire uncrossed her arms and moved away from the spear stuck in the ground, which was still giving off scattered sparks.

"The Dragon Empresses..." began Sapphire, her voice as deep as a funeral bell. "...are awakening. The seals that kept them asleep are weakening. Thousands of years have passed... it's natural that something so ancient would begin, little by little, to crumble."

Morrigan's face hardened instantly. This was much more serious than she had imagined. Much more. "Are you saying that two of them are going to wake up?"

"No," Safira replied, with a subtle bitterness in her voice. "I'm saying they might. Platinum is on the verge of awakening. And Scarlet..." she paused briefly, almost as if the name had a bitter taste "...is already in contract with a host."

"For now," Sepphirothy added tensely, her arms crossed over her chest as if trying to contain her own instincts. "The real problem is that we don't know when this will happen. And as everyone here already knows... we are only a few moons away from Walpurgis."

"The Feast of the Demon Kings," Morrigan murmured.

"Exactly," said Sepphirothy, grimly. "We don't want a Dragon Empress unleashing her ancestral fury in the middle of a meeting with the most dangerous entities on the continent."

Vergil let out a brief, dry laugh.

"Two draconic empresses on the verge of madness, ready to tear each other apart the second they awaken. How amusing."

Morrigan took a long look at the three of them—Sepphirothy, Safira, and Vergil—and then took a deep breath, letting out a tired, almost resigned smile.

"Now it makes sense... why the air feels so heavy. Why everything seems about to explode. That's it. There's too much death in the atmosphere."

Morrigan lowered her head for a moment. The silence seemed heavy again, but this time it was different—tense, yes, but almost... vibrant. Like the moment before a storm.

Then she suddenly raised her face—and her eyes were shining. Not with concern or regret, but with excitement. Pure. Almost youthful. And absolutely dangerous.

"That's why I'm here!" she shouted, with a broad smile, her arms raised as if saluting chaos itself. "For war! For destruction on a mythological scale! For screams, blood, and giant dragons trying to tear each other's souls apart!"

She twirled the black spear in her fingers, making it sing in the air like a living extension of her enthusiasm.

"Don't you understand? I thought I was going to spend the next few years training in mantras of discipline and centering with ancient shadows in silent caves!" She pointed at Sepphirothy, laughing. "You know how it is!" And then at Safira. "You too! All too spiritual! Full of meaning! I wanted... this!"

She opened her arms, as if embracing the chaos about to fall upon the world.

"Empresses! Demon Kings! Walpurgis! The end of times and hell breathing down our necks!" She spun around, laughing, as dry leaves and dust swirled around her as if the world agreed.

Vergil blinked, incredulous. Sapphire frowned. And Sepphirothy ran his hand over his face, muttering something like, "Why do I still try..."

The three let out a synchronized sigh. A long, resigned sigh. That was Morrigan. That would always be Morrigan.

"We're going to die," said Vergil.

"Probably," replied Safira dryly.

"At least it'll be interesting," added Sepphirothy, crossing his arms again and trying to hide the slight smile that was beginning to appear at the corner of his mouth.

Morrigan spun on her heels and pointed her spear at the horizon, like a crazed knight.

"Then let's go! Bring on Walpurgis! Bring on the Empresses! Bring on the gods, damn it! Because I'm already mentally, emotionally, and spiritually armored... and my blood is boiling!"

"...and I thought she had matured," Sepphirothy muttered. ...

[London...]

"So, let me see if I understand this correctly..." Katharina crossed her arms, leaning against the window frame of the old mansion, looking at Kaguya as if she were facing an absurd request with skeptical curiosity. "You want me to go into the damp darkness of London... to kill vampires?"

Kaguya shrank a little, but kept her posture upright, although her blush betrayed her discomfort.

"W-well..." she began, looking away. "Now that Lord— I mean, Alucard is... temporarily absent... there are certain individuals who, shall we say, owe me favors. Old debts. Forgotten promises. Small... loose ends."

"Unfinished business. Of course." Katharina raised an eyebrow, her smile betraying her sarcasm.

"Vergil said it was time for us to be more... useful. Practical. So I thought..." Kaguya clasped her hands in front of her body. "Why not turn a problem into an opportunity? Eliminate the undesirables and, with luck, recruit what's left."

Katharina rolled her eyes slowly, thoughtfully.

"So it's a hunt for diplomatic purposes?"

"I prefer to call it... selective recruitment," Kaguya replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt.

Katharina chuckled dryly and turned to pick up her weapons, already prepared on top of the Victorian armchair.

"You know we're lying about our location to everyone else, right? If something happens... we're on our own." Katharina said, looking into Kaguya's eyes.

"Are you scared?" Kaguya asked... Katharina just smiled and thought... 'If only I could kill...'