Witch Hunt

Figures, that the one time I actually want to see Beatrice, she is making herself rare. All four of us split up and spend the entire afternoon searching for the witch without any luck.

It was already early evening when we finally found her. Making her namesake proud, Cassandra managed to track her down.

The great witch of miracles was taking a relaxing bath in the fighters dorm hot springs. I had my reservations about entering, but knowing Beatrice's affinity for teleporting I did not want to risk losing her again. At the very least the springs where uni sex, so I wasn't committing a crime.

When the witch saw me entering she immediately went into her cackling routine. “Weeeeeeeeellll, if it isn't the serendipitous Mr. Mari Beta! Fancy meeting you here. Why bother with the towel, though?”

I unconsciously grabbed hold of the white cloth wrapped around my torso. Knowing her, she probably has some wardrobe malfunction magics up her sleeve. “It just feels right.”

Beatrice tsked. “That is poor form. I think this will be the first thing I correct once I get my hands on you. A few months spend completely in the nude should erase any notions of shame.”

I decided to ignore the obvious threat. “I'm just here to talk.”

The witch cackled some more. “Well, I should hope so. After all, you only won against the huntress because of my generous assistance.”

“Damn right, you fucking bitch!”, Cassandra shouted while waltzing out of the changing room buck naked. “Who the fuck uses a Devil for a tournament match? You could have just bought him from me, if you want him that much!”

“I suppose so, but it is more amusing this way.”

Cassandra seemed just about ready to **** Beatrice, but the witch merely waved dismissively. “If you want to talk, get in here. Having your tiny boobs hover above me is extremely annoying.”

They really aren't that tiny, I thought. Upper B cup? Maybe even a low C….I probably shouldn’t think about this right now.

While I certainly would rather spend my time doing anything else, I relented and slowly eased myself down into the hot water. I had to order Cassandra, but she followed as well. The water felt nice at least, I’m sure other guys would dream about bathing with two beautiful and very naked women. Sure would be nice if I could just enjoy this.

Beatrice on her part was contend to wait for us, perfectly comfortable in her exposed position. Although, I couldn't help but notice that the steam from the spring seemed to conceal most of her body in a way that definitely was not natural. “Much better. Now then. What do you wish to ask of me?”

Funny. I hadn't really prepared a question, so the only thing I could blurt out was: “Why did you do this?”

Beatrice clearly found that funny as well, as she stifled a giggle. “You mean why I tricked you into selling your soul to a devil?”

Cassandra murmured something that sounded like yet another colorful curse, before I continued. “So it's true then? I sold my soul?”

“Quite. But, I am probably the wrong person to explain the details.” The witch raised a hand and pointed at the ceiling. “Come forth, my familiar! Grace thee soil with thy unholy presence. Femto!”

Naturally we both looked at the ceiling but instead the water started to bubble. In particular directly below Cassandra.

The huntress screamed and rushed away. Soon two horns poked out followed by the happy face of the familiar devil. “Top of the morning, governor.”

Lovely.

“My familiar”, Beatrice spoke again with her usual assured voice. “Why don't you explain your contract to this hapless fool here.”

“Uh! This water feels nice!” Femto sighed pleasantly and relaxed. “Not as nice as the springs we have in hell, though. How about I invited you fine folks over to brimstone burns for a business trip? They bathe you in actual lava there! Zero percent water! You free the first week of august? I promise you are going to have one hell of a time!”

“Femto, please”, the witch urged. “The contract.”

“This gal has no chill. I always tell her, Bea, my girl, take it easy! Life’s short especially for humans! You gotta enjoy the scenery! Smell the roses! But no, it’s always magic this, grimoire that. Anyways, you cool with me cutting the bureaucratic double speech? You are.” Femto stopped blabbering for a little in order to stretch herself and letting her ample cleavage rest on top of the water surface. “It's a simple cause and effect premade contract between three parties. After signing a 36 hours grace period takes effect. In 28 hours or tomorrow at 09:54 P.M. June 12, GI 785 I will collect your soul.”

I needed a moment to wrap my head around all this. Luckily, Cassandra was more on the ball. “Thirty-six hours? Don’t give me that crap. Souls are collected after ****!”

“Under normal circumstances, yeah.”, Femto admitted. “That's the whole point of a Devil Box. It's a hustle, sweetie.”

I gathered as much. “So that’s it then? I’m doomed?” I almost wanted to laugh about the insanity of it all.

“I would love to say that you are doomed, Sir.” The devil sighed loudly. “But as a professional I am obligated to tell you about the special exemption clause.”

“Special exemption clause?”, Beatrice gasped in mock surprise. “Could there be a chance for poor Mari here to safe his soul?”

“Why, I’m glad you asked, Bea!”, the devil elaborated. “In the event that you happened to be a **** to your co signer, the soul collection process will be put on hold for the duration of your slavery.”

The huntress spat. “And let me fucking guess, that co signer is...”

“Yours truly.” Beatrice must have enjoyed my dumbfounded expression because she cackled openly now. “Make no mistake, it would be a trifling matter to beat you tomorrow. But there is a small risk that I might not get you to surrender. I have a nasty habit of obliterating my opponents. Terrible, I know.”

“So, cutting through all this grandiose bullshit”, Cassandra surmised. “You want Mari to surrender to you tomorrow. He does that, his soul won’t suffer eternal damnation.”

“Precisely”, the witch smiled at me in pure, vicious satisfaction. “Tomorrow in the arena you will strip naked, go down on your hands and knees and beg me to become my ****. Make sure to sound extra pathetic, oh and wiggle your butt for emphasis! Then, if you do a good job and I feel nice, I may allow you to become my ****, sparing your soul in the process. Refuse and...well I think you get the picture.”

“You are one fucked up bitch”, Cassandra helpfully added.

“Why me”, I finally managed to sputter out. “What have I ever done to you that I deserve this?”

“Nothing”, Beatrice happily admitted. “I just like the look of you and want you for my own pleasure.”

For a moment I didn’t trust my own ears. “You did this to me just out of a whim?”

But the only answer I got on that was a shrug. “Oh, just to be clear. I don't intend to **** you or anything like that. I will treat you…”, the witch made a short pause, carefully weighing her words. “Relatively well.”

“To play devils advocate, Bea could be lying. If you don't want the risk, feel free to just run away. Spend a day in luxury! Fuck yourself through Rasheul’s brothels! Don’t think about tomorrow!”, the devil smiled. “Don’t believe the fake news. I never had any complains after someone lost their soul.”

“Hush now, Femto, don't tempt the poor boy.” Beatrice let out another cackle. “Not that I blame you for trying. That was the only way I could get you to accept that deal after all.”

“Yes, it truly is a terrible deal. I mean wow, talk about me getting screwed over!”, the devil sighed theatrically. “Oh, the things I do for you, Bea. But hey, maybe he really doesn’t mind losing his soul all that much. After all…”

And then she smiled at me.

“That would be one way to get reunited with his sister.”

“YOU FUCKING BITCH!” I roared and lounged at the devil.

Cassandra barely managed to ram into me and shove me away from Femto. “Calm the fuck down!”, she hissed. “Attack that devil and you lose your soul right now!”

“That was uncouth of you, Femto”, Beatrice softly chided. “But honestly, it is really in your best interest to just accept your fate. You belong to me now, Mari Beta.”

I was shaking with rage and frustration. And yet, I took a deep breath and swallowed my wrath. If I wanted ****, I needed to be calm.

“Femto”, I began with a composed voice. “Is it possible to alter a Devil's contract?”

“Why, certainly. Provided all sides agree.”, the devil replied promptly. “Emphasis is on all, so you, me and Bea.”

For a moment Beatrice seemed merely curious about where all this was headed. Then realization dawned. “Oh, forcing a surrender and making us change the contract, is it? Delightfully devilish!

"But I have to burst your bubble. Devil Contracts have to be signed out of one's own free will. Absolutely no forcing is allowed. Otherwise the soul gets polluted.” The witch smiled. “And devils hate rotten food, aren't I right, Femto?”

“Weeeeeell...I hate to be pedantic, buuuuuuuut...” Femto began and for the faintest amount of time the smug smile on Beatrice's face wavered. “Devil Contract’s absolutely have to be signed out of free will, true. But alterations to an existing contract, these are not held to such standards. It's not something we devils would ever do, of course. But if a human forces another human to amend a contract with something that is more to our liking, who are we to interfere?”

Now the expression on Beatrice's face was outright indignation. “Really, Femto! After all we been through, you stab me in the back like this?”

Femto shrugged. “Bea, my girl. Come on, you know you are my numero uno. I'm just stating facts here. Can't lie after all. Devil's codex and all that. Besides, where's the harm? There is no way you are going to surrender against this human, right?”

“Obviously”, the witch quickly agreed, as her usual smug smile returned. “I suppose, I bathed enough for the day, so I shall bid you adieu. I am looking forward to face you tomorrow, Mari.”

I nodded. There was no reason to talk any longer.

“Oh before I go”, the witch continued to smile. “One more thing.”

“What is it?”

“I think I changed my mind about treating you relatively well. Better prepare yourself to spending the first month of your slavery as a toilet.”