Reborn as a Succubus: Time To Live My Best Life!

By now, it had been well established in Melisa's mind that one of the few ways she could ignore her body's needs was to be distracted.

And, right now, the biggest distraction was the fact that in that classroom, with her at that moment, just a seat away, was Raven Nightsong, a woman Javir suspected of being dangerous.

[Could she really be some sort of hidden spy or something? But, even if she is, her intentions aren't necessarily nefarious, are they?]

"Cuuuuz, you're so distant all of a sudden!" Isabella whined as she sat on Melisa's lap. The professor had yet to arrive. "I didn't... scare you, did I?" She asked with a little smirk.

"Huh? N-No, I..." Melisa looked away. "I'm just thinking."

"Mhm?"

[What if... What if she is some sort of old, experienced fighter? I mean, she got that scar on her face from somewhere. Maybe- ACK!]

Isabella had leaned forward and dragged the tip of her tongue up the side of Melisa's face.

"I-Isabella!"

"Too much thinking is bad for you," she shrugged as the professor came in.

[This girl is going to give me a heart attack!]

As the lesson began, Melisa found her gaze drifting toward that black-haired mystery nearby.

Like Javir said, Melisa would need to keep her guard up.

---

{Raven}

Not all forms of tension are the same.

The feeling of being in battle, the feeling of facing another who may or may not have the skills to defeat Raven, was one she was accustomed to. She would go to sleep and dream of that feeling, and that feeling would follow her throughout every aspect of her day.

The feeling of being undercover and having to wonder if she'd been made was not.

[I hate this,] Raven thought, making her way to the small arena where she and her target had agreed to meet up. [Please, please, master, just let me kill her already.]

As Raven stepped into the small arena, her eyes immediately fell on Melisa, who was already waiting for her.

For a moment, Raven's gaze roamed over the nim girl's body, taking in the subtle curves beneath her clothes. She'd traded her vest and pleated skirt for a sports bra and sweatpants.

It was clear Melisa wasn't really the athletic type. The way her thighs stretched her leggings and her belly stuck out slightly, creating a curve that went down to her pelvis was-

[Stop it,] Raven scolded herself, tearing her eyes away. [What are you even...?]

Her thoughts were cut off.

"Hey, Raven!" Melisa called out, a bright smile on her face as she waved. "Ready to get started?"

Thankfully, as the girl walked over, she chose to remain a few feet away.

Raven nodded.

"Of course." Raven gestured to the nearby weapon rack. "Pick up a sword. And, also, I appreciate you taking the time to train with me."

"Isn't that my line? I'm the one being trained."

"A teacher can learn through their student from time to time," Raven replied with a shrug. "It's not entirely uncommon."

"Ohhh, I see."

[At least, that's what my Master once told me.]

As she approached Melisa, Raven began trying to piece this little training session together in her mind.

[What should I teach her?] she wondered, her brow furrowing slightly. [There's no point in teaching her too much, given that I'm going to kill her at some point. But I need to show her something, or she might start to question why Javir asked me to do this in the first place.]

In the end, Raven settled on a basic sword stance.

Given that Melisa was, presumably, if her performance in class was any indication, starting from a position of knowing literally nothing, she figured that would be enough for now.

"First things first, Melisa, hold your blade like this," she said, demonstrating the proper form. "Keep your wrist straight, your elbow slightly bent. Feel the balance of the sword, let it become an extension of your arm."

Melisa nodded, her face scrunched up in concentration as she tried to mimic Raven's stance.

"Like this?" she asked, looking up at Raven for approval.

Raven stepped closer, reaching out to adjust Melisa's hand on the hilt.

"Almost. Just a little more-"

Raven froze.

She'd gotten too close.

Melisa's face was mere inches from her own, those crimson eyes staring into hers with an intensity that made Raven's heart skip a beat.

For a moment, neither of them moved.

Then, Melisa, slightly confused, said:

"Yes?"

Raven swallowed hard, stepping back abruptly.

[Get away, you fool!] Raven scolded herself. [If... If you breathe in too many of those pheromones...]

"I... yes, push your wrist a little bit higher," she said stiffly, trying to ignore the heat creeping up her neck. "Good. Like that."

Raven continued the lesson, demonstrating the proper way to swing the sword and block incoming strikes.

"Keep your movements fluid," she instructed, her blade slicing through the air with practiced grace. "Don't let your muscles tense up. Breathe, focus, and let your body flow with the weapon."

Melisa watched intently, her crimson eyes tracking every move. She tried to imitate Raven's technique, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Good," Raven nodded. "You're getting the hang of it. Now, try taking a few swings at me. Don't worry, I'll block them."

Melisa hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward, raising her sword.

As she began to attack, Raven found her mind wandering.

[Why don't I hate her?] she wondered while her sword clanged against Melisa's. [Nim are vermin. Nothing but pests to be exterminated or experimented on. I've known that all my life, and yet...]

She couldn't bring herself to view the girl that way, right now.

"How did you learn to fight like this, Raven?" Melisa asked suddenly, her eyes shining with curiosity.

Raven blinked, taken aback by the question.

[Shit.]

"I, uh..." she hesitated for a moment, her mind racing to remember the story she'd fabricated. "I learned from my father."

Melisa tilted her head, taking a step back.

"He was a soldier," Raven continued, the story taking shape in her mind. "He fought in the wars against Rhaya, years ago. When I was a child, he taught me everything he knew, hoping I'd never have to use those skills."

She lowered her sword.

"But then, he... he died. An accident, when I was twelve. I had to fend for myself after that."

Raven gestured to the scar on her face, a bitter smile tugging at her lips.

"Got this in a fight, a few years later. Some thugs thought a scrawny orphan girl would be an easy target. They learned otherwise. I gave as good as I got."

Melisa's eyes widened. Her expression turned sympathetic.

"Oh, Raven... I'm so sorry. That must have been awful."

Raven shrugged, trying to push down the unexpected lump in her throat.

[Why am I getting emotional over a lie?] she wondered. [It's not real. None of it is.]

But as Melisa reached out, placing a tentative hand on Raven's shoulder, the assassin felt warm winds pass over her heart.

"I can't imagine how hard that must have been," Melisa murmured. "Losing your father, having to survive on your own... That's crazy."

Raven swallowed hard.

[Is this what I was told to be wary of?] Raven wondered. [This kind aura, this strange allure, this-]

Her thoughts were abruptly cut off as Melisa's foot then hooked around her ankle, sending her tumbling to the ground.

Raven hit the dirt with a grunt.

In an instant, Melisa was on top of her, straddling her waist, the point of her sword resting lightly against Raven's throat.

[Hm?] Raven blinked. [Did I... Did I really get that careless just now?]

She couldn't believe it. If her master was here now, she'd probably kill Raven herself.

[Do it,] Raven pleaded. [Sink that blade in my throat. I deserve it for messing up this badly.]

For a long moment, they just stared at each other, chests heaving, eyes locked.

Raven had no clue how much time had passed. It could have been a few seconds, it could have been an hour. All she knew was that as the other woman pretty much sat on Raven's abdomen, Raven couldn't really think about anything other than the warmth surrounding her.

Or, the way Melisa's eyes looked down at her own, these red pools of lava that, even though Raven was currently beneath the other woman, she could feel herself sinking inside of.

Then, Melisa let out a little whoop of victory, a grin spreading across her face.

"Gotcha!" she exclaimed, hopping off of Raven and extending a hand to help her up.

Raven blinked.

The tone of the moment changed for her like a glass mirror had just been shattered. A thought came to her mind.

[She... didn't figure out who I was? What, did she trip me just for fun?]

If that was the case, then her mission wasn't over just yet.

With that being said, Raven composed herself.

"Nice move," she said, dusting herself off. "You caught me off guard. Let's go again, and this time, I won't go easy on you."

Melisa laughed, readying her sword.

"Bring it on, teach."