Moonlight Demon

As Ash emerged from the Site of Power, the others were surprised to see her still in this form. She wanted to have a serious talk about what Magia said, but the moment her eyes fell on Keiko and Kaori, all thoughts of that left her head. She smirked, walking up to the group. 

"So?" Satsuhiro asked. 

"It'll go away on its own," Ash shrugged. 

"... Is that so? Well, alright then," Satsuhiro nodded. If he didn't believe Ash, it didn't seem like he was going to press her on this. "Let's head north, there's a level 25 - 30 area. We can get a bit of EXP before we head back into the city. Do you want to fly up again? Maybe you can see them before we do." 

"Eh, sure," Ash nodded, and, tearing her eyes away from the two girls, she took to the skies. 

The group traveled to a place where coniferous trees stood taller than a lot of buildings Ash had seen before. To their left, was a large body of water that curved to the east. At first, the half-demon didn't see any signs of life, but after a bit of searching, she found a few lone monsters roaming around, either resting or looking for prey. 

It was when she saw an ice reaver that was closer than the rest that Ash's eyes widened. Fury overtook her and she flew towards it, leaving her group behind. Landing just ahead of it, she didn't even take out her Savior's Weapon.

"Mmh, mgh, ROOOAAAH!" The reaver turned towards her and began to roar. Ash snarled. Then, she hissed, hunching over, spreading her legs narrowing her eyes. 

She didn't even check its level. It was like something completely overtook her mind. 

The reaver stood straighter, increasing its height in an attempt to scare her. Ash did not react. Instead, the growl at the back of her throat grew louder. 

Finally, the reaver started to run towards her. Ash flew at it, her clawed hands ready at her side. The two creatures clashed and Ash toppled it. The reaver was quick to punch her in the gut but Ash was too busy slashing its chest to care. The reaver opened its mouth, moving to bite her. Ash dodged out of the way and punched it. 

The reaver reared its legs and kicked Ash into the air, off of it. Using her wings, Ash didn't fall back to the ground. She remained in the air, watching the reaver. The creature quickly got back on its feet. 

"Aagh!" Ash flew back towards it. She charged into the monster, crashing into its chest and essentially tackling it. She dragged it through snow, the monster swiping at her face and neck the entire time. Eventually, she turned it around and wrapped her arm around its neck, trying to choke the monster, however, she was punched in the face and pushed back. 

The reaver was so quick, it turned around instantly and pounced on her. Now, it was her turn to be on the bottom. Ash was pinned to the snowy ground. The reaver raised its own claws and moved to slash through Ash's chest. 

However, she caught its wrist. Then, grinning at it, she said: 

"Lesser being, give me your life,"  Ash said and black lightning came out of the creature, siphoning into Ash. 

At first, the reaver only slightly struggled, but as the spell continued, it began screaming. Ash grinned. The reaver started to lose strength and Ash flipped it around, ending up on top of it. Pinning back both of the reaver's arms, Ash's eyes honed in on its neck. 

She licked her fangs and moved in to bite. 

"AAOOOGH!" The reaver screamed under her as she ripped out a piece of its neck with her teeth. Cackling, Ash kept going until she was fully devouring the creature, a pool of red spreading onto the snow underneath. Ripping and tearing, the half-demon continued until the reaver's sounds stopped. 

EXP Gained: 400

EXP: 280/280

Level Up!

She heard footsteps approaching behind her and snapped her head in their direction. 

Her group had arrived. A piece of the reaver's meat fell from her lips as she stood up. Cracking her neck, she wiped blood off of her face as she walked back towards them. 

"Sorry," Ash said with a smirk, "I just wanted to get a head start." 

Disregarding the looks in her friends' eyes, she took to the skies again. 

---

By the time they returned to the city, Ash was covered in the blood of multiple enemies. The others found a few creatures, Ash heard that Kaori gained a level, but Ash benefited the most, getting all the way to level 31. She put 2 points into her STR, 2 points into her INT, and 2 points into her WIS. 

Level 31

MP: 170/170

STR: 31

DEX: 13

CON: 10

INT: 20

WIS: 17

L: 100

EXP: 0/310

Multiple times as they walked through the streets, guards would approach them with weapons drawn, but Satsuhiro explained that Ash was the half-demon Savior. Still, it was easy to see that their distrust went up dramatically thanks to this new appearance. 

When they returned to the bathhouse, Ash walked in first. Opah was there with Metsumi in the main room. She took one look at Ash and ran away. Metsumi chased after her as Ash and the others walked in. 

"Good job..." Satsuhiro said, passing them. "Ash, can you feel the portal here? The buff, is it on you right now?" 

"Hm?" Ash asked. "Yes, why?" 

"... The invasion will probably happen tomorrow then," Satsuhiro sighed. "Everyone, get some rest. You'll need it." 

Ash walked out to the baths and sank into one, looking to wash the blood off. Keiko and Kaori, with concerned expressions, walked towards her. 

"So... It's gonna fade?" Kaori asked, referring to her form. 

"Yeah, in a bit," Ash shrugged.  I'll handle it,  she thought. "Want to join me?" 

"Um..." Kaori looked over at Keiko, who shied away. "Maybe we should just go to sleep? I think we'll, uhm, want to be alert, you know?" 

"Awww, come on!" Ash said. "Like a warm bath isn't relaxing enough."

The two of them looked at each other, unconvinced. 

"We'll... uh, save some space for you on the bed," Kaori said and the two walked away, leaving Ash alone. 

Hm.  Ash closed her eyes.  So, they're no fun. But... Shit,  she thought as she took a deep breath.  I'm still so fucking horny though... So... 

She chuckled a little. 

This is how Magia always feels? How the fuck does she live with herself?

As the blood fully washed away, she found herself rising out of the bath.  May as well stretch my wings a little. 

Walking out of the bathhouse, she relished the cold air hugging her skin and flapped her wings, hovering a few meters over the streets until she flew just high enough to see the city from above. In the distance, the sky was turning violet and Ash could see a few demons scouting the area by the portal.  Satsuhiro's probably right,  she noted apathetically.  Whatever. The city will fall, we'll go back to Jade and go onto the next one. 

Now, she turned her eyes to the streets themselves. Flying a little, she saw guards patrolling but there were a few alleys that had barely anyone in them. 

Hm? 

She saw one person going through a particularly dark area. 

Oh. That's a woman.  She realized, hovering a little closer.  And she's kind of hot, actually. 

She grinned, flying above the buildings where she was passing through. She was dressed in a sort of white coat, with a purse and heels that thudded against the stone alley. 

As she kept her eyes on the figure, that burning need surged in her again. 

Well... Couldn't hurt to say hello, right? 

Ash descended, landing in front of her. The woman yelped and fell back. 

"W-What...?" She appeared to be in utter disbelief. 

Ash smiled. 

"Hey..." The half-demon said, walking up to her. 

The woman stood up and was about to run away, obviously, but then, she stopped. She stood up straighter and turned back towards Ash. When the half-demon looked into her eyes, she saw heart-shaped symbols in them. 

Passive Discovered!

Passive Effect: Aura of the Temptress

While in  Demon Form: Lust (4/4), the bearer exudes a scent that allures, functioning as an Illusion spell and Charming any receptive individuals nearby. While charmed, an individual will follow most orders. If the individual's level is too high, this spell will fail.

Ash could not care less about that message right now. She placed her hands on the woman's cheeks and gazed into those brown eyes. 

May as well...

And then, she stopped. 

Tearing her hands away from the woman, the lady simply blinked and watched as Ash took a few painful steps back. 

No.  She thought.  Don't you fucking dare, Ash. Don't.  It was like there was another voice in her, telling her to put as much distance between them as she could. However, it was hard. 

Every bone in her body was telling her to take the woman for herself. 

"Lady,  run." She said. "Now! Go!" 

Wordlessly, the woman started casually jogging in the opposite direction. When she was out of sight, only then did Ash feel that pull fade. 

And, as soon as she was sane again, her eyes widened as she looked down at herself. 

"What... I almost..." She muttered, looking down at her own demonic hands. The situation played back in her mind, and as the implications of what she had been about to do surfaced, she clenched her hands into fists. 

In an instant, she spread her wings and was flying back to the bathhouse. She landed inside, crashing through the front door. 

Here, she walked straight to the baths. They were empty. She entered one and looked down at herself. Then, she sunk a hand into the water and went between her legs. 

Just do it.  She told herself. She honestly wasn't even feeling it at this point, but as Magia had said, if she did this, the form would go away. 

Just... 

But, she stopped. 

The fight is tomorrow, one side of her mind told her.  Are you really going to throw away this permanent Demon Form just so you can have a little more self-control? 

Just do it,  another voice said.  You can't be trusted like this. You could genuinely put people in danger. 

No, you stopped yourself. Sure, you were about to do something bad, but you didn't. You have the restraint to manage your own Lust, so, just hold onto the form for now. It'll be fine. 

You stopped yourself this time, but what about next time? 

So long as you stay away from anyone you think looks good, there won't even be a next time. In any case, just fight the demons off, and if you still want to, you can go masturbate after. But, without this Demon Form, you could be risking the lives of every citizen in the city. They need your strength, you're going to throw it away because you feel bad? 

Ash huddled her knees up to her chin, lowering her head. 

"What the fuck do I do?" She muttered. 

"Ash?"

The half-demon's head snapped up and she saw Satsuhiro and Metsumi standing there. 

"What the hell happened?" He asked, not angry, but concerned. Behind him, Ash could see the broken-down door. 

Ash looked away, feeling as ashamed as ever. 

Metsumi put her hands on her hips and turned to her husband. 

"Uhm... Give me a sec with her?" She whispered though it was so quiet out here that Ash heard her clearly. 

"Hm?" 

"Just a bit, okay?" Metsumi smiled reassuringly at him. 

"... Alright." 

And so, Satsuhiro walked away, leaving just the two of them there. Metsumi walked up a few steps and sat on the edge of the bath. Ash turned to the opposite direction. 

"So, you want to talk about anything?" 

"... No," Ash said. "Just... Leave me alone for a bit, I'll be fine." 

"I mean, I would, but... You know," she pointed back at where the door laid in pieces. "The door disagrees." 

Ash sighed. 

"Sorry." 

"Don't apologize to me, apologize to the people who are lending us this place," Metsumi chuckled. "But... Ash, are you okay?"

"Yeah... yeah..." Ash nodded. 

"Hm. By the way, uh, this new form of yours looks pretty cool... I like the horns, honestly, you look even more like a demon like this." 

As she said that, Ash bit the inside of her cheeks, narrowing her eyes down at herself. 

"Oh, so that's it?" Metsumi asked. "You don't like this new thing you got?" 

"No, I'm telling you, I'm good." 

Metsumi slid a little closer. 

"Sweetie, tomorrow you're going to be in a pretty big fight... you know, I just want to make sure..." as she spoke, she went to put a hand on Ash's shoulder. 

Ash flinched, shifting away from her. Metsumi blinked. 

"D-Don't..." Ash said. 

"What?" Metsumi looked a little hurt. 

"I... I can't..." She struggled to say it. Her throat felt too tight all of a sudden. "I can't control myself." 

As Metsumi heard that, she got closer. Ash wanted to move away, but Metsumi managed to place a hand on her shoulder before she could. Ash looked away. 

"You seem okay to me," Metsumi muttered. 

"Because I'm not... into you like that." Ash clarified. 

"Oh. Is that how it works?" Metsumi asked. 

"Mhm... I nearly..." Taking a shaky breath, she couldn't finish the sentence. 

"... Just now?" Metsumi asked. "Before you came in, uhm, you saw someone and nearly..." she did a vague gesture with her hands and Ash nodded. Not that she knew what the hand gestures meant, but she guessed Metsumi was on the right track. "Oh. But... you didn't, right?" 

"I didn't," Ash was quick to point out. 

"So, you can control yourself then?" Metsumi asked. 

"What? I just told you, I..." 

"But, you didn't," Metsumi interrupted her. "I mean, maybe this could change down the line or something, we don't know much about this side of you, but Ash, I don't think you're the type of person to give into your instincts like that." 

"It's not me though, it's the trait, I just..." 

"I know, what I'm saying is, I don't think you've given anyone reason not to trust you. If you stopped yourself, even now... I think your willpower is better than you're giving it credit for, you know?" 

Ash sighed. 

"It's not that simple... It fucking hurts... I just, I mean, I want to..." 

"I understand, but you can't beat yourself up over something you didn't do, right? Just take it easy. Breathe for a bit," Metsumi told her. 

Looking up at the woman, Ash nodded lightly. Then, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath. 

"I'm scared," Ash said.

"I can imagine," Metsumi told her. "Just, try to calm down a little."

"... How come you're so calm?" Ash asked. 

"Hm?" 

"I mean, I just told you I nearly, you know... And you're just being so calm about it." 

Metsumi chuckled. 

"Cause I know you're a good person," she said, simply. "I trust you. It's pretty much just that." 

As Ash took those words in, she nodded. 

"So, is there a way to make this form go away?" Metsumi asked. "I mean, if it's the form that's putting you in this state, I think that's reasonable." 

"Uh, yeah, I can do something but... What about the fight?" Ash asked. "This form could be useful in it..." 

"... That's true," Metsumi replied. "So, is that where you're at right now? You want to take the form away, but you feel like you need it for the fight?" 

"Yeah." 

"Hm..." Metsumi tapped her chin. "It is just one day. Do you feel like you can hold yourself back for that long?" 

Ash sighed. 

"Yeah... I think. It just... It hurts. You're human, so I don't know how to put it in a way you'll understand," Ash told her.

"So are you though, half at least," Metsumi said, chuckling.

"... Sorry for being vulgar or whatever, but, basically, in this form right now, wanting to fuck someone and not doing it... It's like not being able to breathe." 

"... What if you aren't around anyone?" Metsumi asked. "Do you think you'd still have issues then?" 

"Uh, no," Ash replied. "It doesn't affect me when I'm alone. Just when I'm near someone I'm attracted to." 

"Then, here's an idea," Metsumi said, "maybe you could spend tomorrow alone. Until the fight's over. Then, you do whatever it is that takes the form away, and you come back to us. Sounds good, right?" 

Ash looked up at her. 

I... I guess I could do that. 

"Yeah." 

"Then we have a plan. See?" Metsumi chuckled. Extending a hand towards her. Ash took it, and stood up, getting out of the bath. In this form, she stood just an inch or two taller than Metsumi. It was a weird feeling.

"You have to talk to people, Ash. You keep trying to figure things out on your own, but you don't have to." She said, enveloping her in a hug. "Me, Satsuhiro, the girls. You have friends here who want to watch your back. Don't be afraid to open up a little." 

Ash sighed, returning the hug. 

"... I guess." 

With that, the plan was set. Metsumi went back to her room and, the next day, when everyone went to have breakfast, Ash wasn't there. 

Instead, she sat at the top of Sapphire's palace, where she'd wait until the fight started. Only then, would she come back down.