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

What followed was a display of magical combat unlike anything Melisa had witnessed yet.

Spells flew back and forth, the air crackling with raw power. Fire and ice, lightning and shadow. Melisa watched as their lips and hands moved at a synchronized speed Melisa felt she wasn't even close to matching.

Not content with trading spells, Javir charged forward.

She dashed in, her sword glinting in the moonlight, and Miria met her with a blade of her own that she'd been hiding.

The clash of steel on steel rang out harshly.

Melisa could barely keep up, her eyes straining to follow the intricate patterns of their movements, the spellsigns they drew and the incantations that fell out of their lips in a rush.

But even to her half-trained eye, it seemed that Javir held the advantage. She was just a bit faster, a touch stronger, her attacks coming with a relentless fury that Miria struggled to match.

"Miria, please," Javir called out, her voice strained with emotion. "It doesn't have to be this way. Stand down, and we can end this without any bloodshed!"

But Miria only laughed, a harsh, mocking sound that sent chills down Melisa's spine.

"You always were a fool, Javir," she spat, her eyes blazing with a fanatic light. "There can be no peace. Humanity must keep its spot at the top!"

Melisa's heart raced, her mind whirling with desperate thoughts.

She had to do something, had to find a way to help Javir. But what could she do?

And then, it came to her.

[I... I think I have enough Essence for one more cast. Okay. I know what to do.]

A spell, one that Javir herself had taught her, what felt like a lifetime ago. One she'd used earlier in this same fight.

Gathering the last dregs of her Essence, Melisa traced the spellsign in the air, her lips forming the words of power.

"Radix, ligare, vinculum!"

Vines burst forth from the ground, thick and strong, wrapping around Miria's legs and arms.

For a moment, the Shadow Mage was held fast, her movements restricted by the coiling plants.

Miria's head snapped towards Melisa, her eyes narrowing with cold fury.

"You insolent little..." she hissed, her free hand already moving in a counter-spell.

Blood magic, dark and vile, surged forth from Miria's palm.

It sped towards Melisa, a crimson bolt of corruption manifested.

Melisa's eyes widened, her heart seizing with the realization of her own helplessness.

She had no Essence left, no way to conjure a barrier or shield.

[Ah... Crap.]

But even as she braced herself for the end, motion caught her eye.

A figure, leaping in front of her, arms outstretched as if to embrace the oncoming spell.

It was Raven.

"AH!"

The blood magic struck her full in the chest, a sickening thud that echoed across the courtyard. Raven screamed, a sound of pure agony that tore at Melisa's soul.

[What?]

Melisa was frozen.

Her eyes moved back and forth between Raven and Miria.

Javir, seizing the moment of distraction, pressed her attack. Her sword flashed.

"Raven? You-" Miria began to say, but it was over before she even finished that statement.

Javir's blade found her heart, sinking into her chest and popping out from the other side.

Miria gasped.

Javir gritted her teeth.

"... You stubborn fool," she muttered as she pulled out her sword and Miria collapsed on top of her.

The Shadow Mage's eyes widened, a look of shock and disbelief etched across her face. She staggered back, her hands clutching at the wound, dark blood seeping between her fingers as she clutched the spot Javir had just stabbed.

"You..."

That was the only word Melisa heard.

She said more, but the rest of the sentence didn't reach Melisa's ears, or what Javir said in return.

Then, Miria slumped over, hitting the ground with a light thud.

Just like that, it was done.

Javir stood over her, her chest heaving with exertion and emotion. Slowly, she turned to face Melisa.

She jogged over to her position. She still had a bit of anguish on her face, but concern was quickly overshadowing it.

"Are you alright, Mel?" she asked, her voice hoarse and heavy.

Melisa nodded, too stunned to speak. Her gaze drifted to Raven's still form, lying crumpled on the ground.

"Is she...?" she whispered.

Javir knelt beside the fallen girl, her fingers seeking a pulse. For a long, agonizing moment, there was only silence.

And then...

"Nah, she's alive," Javir breathed. "Barely, but alive."

On the spot, Javir began drawing a healing spell.

"She's lucky. Blood magic attacks one's own life force directly. Just a couple of Blood spells are enough to kill someone."

Melisa nodded slowly, as she glanced down at the girl.

Raven, who had kicked all of this off by trying to kill Melisa, had just taken a potentially fatal spell for her.

[... Why?]

"Come," Javir said, cutting the spell off once enough of her wound was treated enough so as to move the girl, gathering Raven's limp form into her arms. "Healing isn't my strong suit. Let's get her to a clinic."

Melisa nodded.

"A-And the professor?" Melisa asked, looking back at Miria's dead body. "What if someone-"

"I'll be right back for her. Don't worry about that," Javir cut her off. "Let's save your friend first, though."

---

{Raven}

Even in her sleep, Raven relived that fateful moment over and over again.

The blood magic, dark and vicious, hurtling towards Melisa. The instinctive reaction, the desperate lunge to put herself between the nim girl and certain death.

If asked, Raven wouldn't be able to explain why she'd done it.

Why, after all her training, all her conditioning to put the mission above all else, she had sacrificed everything to save the very girl she had been sent to kill.

It defied logic, defied the very core of who she was supposed to be.

And yet, in that split second, there had been no hesitation, no doubt.

She saw the spell, she saw Melisa, she saw that the spell would hit Melisa, and she got between them. That was all.

Raven stirred, the fog of sleep slowly lifting from her mind.

Her eyes fluttered open, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings.

She was in a bed, in a dimly lit room, covered in crisp, white sheets.

[The school infirmary,] she realized, her thoughts still sluggish and disoriented. [How did I get here?]

She tried to sit up but found that she was handcuffed to the chair.

[Ah. I see.]

She turned her head, expecting to find herself alone.

But there, slumped in a chair beside her bed, was a sight that made her heart skip a beat.

Melisa, her head resting on the mattress, asleep. Her dark hair spilled across the sheets, a few errant strands falling across her face.

Raven felt a strange sense of relief.

[She's alright.]

She hadn't doubted that Javir would be able to beat Miria. Even going back to that first dueling class and how Javir had tested Raven's skill, it became clear to Raven that Javir was a top-notch combatant. But, she had wondered, just before she'd lost consciousness, if Miria would be able to steal a kill before Javir could stop her.

Before she could stop herself, she reached out, gently brushing the hair away from Melisa's face.

[She's okay.]

But even as the mild joy of that realization washed over her, the harsh reality of her situation came crashing down.

She was a traitor now. A rogue Shadow Mage who had turned her back on everything she had ever known.

Raven sighed.

[They're not going to just let that go.]

And for what? For a girl she barely knew, a girl who had every reason to hate and fear her?

Raven sighed, her fingers still lingering on Melisa's cheek.

[No point in thinking about it too much now, I guess. I've made my choice.]

Melisa stirred, her eyes blinking open. She lifted her head, a sleepy smile spreading across her face as she caught sight of Raven.

"Hey," she murmured, her voice soft and slightly hoarse. "Guess I fell asleep. Funny, even now, you're still waking up before me."

Raven chuckled, the sound strange and unfamiliar to her own ears.

"What happened?" she asked, her brow furrowing as she tried to piece together the fragmented memories. "After I... after I got hit?"

"Javir finished off Miria," Melisa said quietly. "And then we brought you to a clinic. They healed you up and then you were brought here. The healers say you're going to be okay, but you need to rest and recover your strength."

Raven nodded, a wave of exhaustion washing over her at the mere mention of rest.

But there was one more thing she needed to know, one more question that burned in her mind.

"What's going to happen to me now?" she asked, raising her handcuffed arm. "Now that everyone knows what I am."

Melisa reached out, taking Raven's hand in her own.

Her touch was so warm. Comforting.

"I don't know," she admitted, her voice gentle but firm. "But whatever happens, I'll be right here with you. I'll vouch for you. I... I mean, there's a chance I wouldn't be here if you hadn't taken that spell for me. So, yeah."

Raven nodded slowly.

Before long, she almost felt tears pricking at the corners of her eyes.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, the words tearing from her throat like shards of glass. "I know it doesn't mean much, but, I am. For everything. For lying to you, for trying to... to..."

She couldn't finish, couldn't bring herself to say the words.

But Melisa squeezed her hand, a small smile on her face.

"I know," she said softly. "And I've already forgiven you. You saved my life, Raven. Whatever else happened, that's what matters now."

Raven nodded, a single tear slipping down her cheek.

She fell back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

[... Well, what now?]

The sound of the door opening broke through her thoughts.

She turned her head, her body tensing instinctively, old habits not quite ready to die.

It was Javir who walked in.

Melisa, still seated at Raven's bedside, looked up, a question in her eyes.

"How's the tournament going?" she asked, a note of wistfulness in her voice. "I guess I kind of missed it, huh?"

Javir nodded, a small smile tugging at the corner of her mouth.

"It's almost over," she said, her tone gentle, almost sympathetic. "Sorry you couldn't make it."

"It's fine," Melisa responded. "Probably wouldn't have made it too far anyway."

Raven felt a pang of guilt, knowing how Melisa had been looking forward to it.

[I didn't take her life, but I did take that from her.]

Javir's gaze shifted to Raven, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Melisa, could you give us a moment?" she asked, her voice carefully neutral. "I need to speak with Raven alone."

Melisa hesitated, her hand tightening around Raven's for a brief moment.

But then she nodded, rising from her chair with a last, reassuring squeeze of Raven's fingers.

"I'll be right outside," she said softly.

And then she was gone, the door closing behind her with a soft click.

Javir took her place in the chair, her posture stiff and formal.

"You understand the position we're in," she said, her voice low and serious. "By all rights, I should have you in chains right now. Attempted murder, conspiracy, the use of forbidden magic... that list of charges against you alone is grave."
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Raven nodded.

"I know."

"... That's all?"

"Yes."

Javir studied her for a long moment.

Then, slowly, she leaned back in her chair, a contemplative look on her face.

"Melisa has spoken on your behalf," she said, her tone measured and even. "She believes that you were a victim in all this. That you were manipulated and coerced by the Shadow Mages, forced to do their bidding against your will. Is that true?"

Raven shrugged.

"You're not making a great case for yourself."

"I guess."

[But, what can I even say?]

Again, Javir remained silent for a time.

Then, Javir said:

"I have a proposition for you."

Raven blinked.

"What kind of proposition?" she asked.

Javir took a deep breath, her expression serious and intent.

"As the main witness to last night's events, aside from Melisa, who's already told me she won't do anything and a few dorm residents who saw the end of the fight from their windows, I have the power to press charges against you... or to let you go free."

Javir's lips curved into a small, almost mischievous smile.

"The gist of the deal is this. I'm your new master," she pointed to herself. "From now on, you answer to me and you do what I say."

Raven's brows shot up.

"To what end?"

"What do you think?" Javir raised a brow. "To take down the Shadow Mages.

Javir leaned back, crossing one leg over the other.

"You give me everything you know about them. And then, you help me deal with them. And, in return, I won't have you thrown in jail. How's that sound?"

Raven's breath caught in her throat, the magnitude of what Javir was asking sinking in.

To turn on the Shadow Mages, to betray the only family she had ever known... it was a daunting prospect.

But as she thought about it, this felt like her only option.

As things stood, Melisa was her only ally. The Shadow Mages would come for her, for abandoning her order.

She needed help.

"I'll do it," she said, her voice steady and resolute. "I'll tell you everything I know... As long as you help me when they inevitably come to kill me."

Javir nodded, a look of satisfaction on her face.

"Of course I will," she said, rising from her chair. "I did say I was your new master, didn't I? Can't just let my apprentice be bullied like that. Get some rest, Raven. We'll talk more when you're stronger."

She turned to go, but paused at the door, looking back over her shoulder.

"And Raven?" she said. "Thank you. For saving Melisa's life. Means a lot to me."

Raven felt a lump form in her throat.

And then Javir was gone, leaving Raven alone with her thoughts and the weight of the path that lay ahead.

[... I guess that's it, then.]