Three women VS a tentacle monster...

"Are you sure you squishy spellcasters are up to this?"

"It can't be that different from fighting crabs!"

"I suppose Shiroe would tell us to stay in formation and save our... proclivities... for afterwards."

"That reminds me," Eva said. "You're both probably wondering why I bought this balloon when we passed that stall."

"Because you're a child trapped in a woman's body?"

"Because you wish to celebrate the seafood harvest festival early?"

"NO! Watch..." She dug some sort of charcoal crayon out of her spell component pouch, and used it to draw a pair of glasses on the balloon. Then she tied two extra strings to it, and handed one each to Niki and Amara. "Now, we can stay in formation easier!"

They looked at the blue balloon, floating in the air between them with the glasses drawn on.

"Ye gods. That's as brilliant as it is stupid."

"It is fortunate that there is no breeze today."

"It's okay. If the wind picks up, whoever's upwind can just tug on their string to keep it centered."

"That's not how a squad formation works, though. We're supposed to be following him, not the other way around."

"And we don't even know where this stupid creature is, anyway."

"Perhaps we could split up and search for it?"

They all started walking in different directions, pulling balloon-Shiroe down until he was at arm-level with them. Then the strings went taut, and they all turned around and looked at each other.

At this moment, however, the wind picked up, which prevented them from hearing the laugh of the cat-woman who had been secretly trailing them. And on that wind, were borne large, fluffy feathers, as white as the driven snow. They seemed to be originating from a nearby hilltop.

The women began walking towards the source of the feathers, while balloon-Shiroe tugged on their strings, pointing the other way.

When they got to the top of the hill, they found the foundation of what had probably once been an old farmhouse. The feathers were coming from an old stone staircase leading down into what had probably once been a cellar.

All three of them swallowed, almost at the same time.

What had they gotten themselves into?

Slowly, they followed the worn stone steps down into pitch darkness.

But then, ahead of them, they saw what should not have been: a soft, flickering orange light coming from around the corner.

And there, as they rounded the corner, they encountered a scene unlike anything they had expected to find outside their wildest dreams.

"Congratulations," he said, perched atop a luxurious bed. Overstuffed satin pillows exuded puffy white feathers into the air around him. He was entirely nude, save for a dark red silk sheet that billowed in the unnatural wind.

"Shiroe!? What are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" he said. "I posted that Quest. This was all a test. And the three of you passed with flying colors."

He grinned and leaned forward, running his hands down his frame.

"Why don't you come claim your reward?"

The three of them exchanged stony glances with each other.

Balloon-Shiroe merely swayed around in the breeze up near the stone ceiling.

"Yeah... remind me... what's the name of that city you're from, again?"

"If you want us to get in formation, just do that thing you normally do."

"The first time I did something, it was with you. I called it 'a worthwhile and humbling experience.' What was it?"

Shiroe scowled, looking back and forth at their faces. "What are you doing? I already told you. If this happens, it's going to be on my schedule, not yours."

All three of them drew their weapons.

"Who are you?"

"What have you done with Shiroe!?"

"I believe that Shiroe would wish for me to say, 'I am not into this.' "

A bomb with a sparking fuse rolled into the room and gently bumped the wall behind the bed.

"NIKI!! SHIELD!!" came the shout from behind them.

Niki crouched behind her buckler as best she could, pointing it at the bottom of the bed. The other two scrambled to get behind her. "Ward!"

Shiroe tried to jump up off the bed, but he was struck by a crossbow bolt. Although he managed to cross his arms over his chest before the impact, that only protected his front.

The bomb exploded behind Shiroe, shattering the bed and sending splinters of wood flying everywhere. The fine silks and fancy pillows vanished as if they had never been there, but the feathers and some tattered ribbons of white cotton sheets remained.

Niki looked behind her at the one who had rolled the bomb.

"Fang!?"

"You guys get out of here! I'll buy you some time!"

"The hell with that! If I let you save my ass, I'll never live it down."

"Who is she?"

"The leader of the Crimson Claw. She told me a really funny joke with her fingers one time."

"Not her. Her!"

In the rubble of the bed, where Shiroe had been, there now lay a moderately wounded Succubus.

"I recognize her. She tried the same trick in the alley, last night. She's some kinda Sex Demon."

"I-I don't understand," she said meekly. "I gave you what you wanted! You could have had it all! Him... each other... All of your kinks... Your perfect fantasy!"

"I believe that my perfect fantasy would involve service to others."

"You didn't give us what we wanted! We want the real Shiroe!"

"I dunno, but Shiroe's into this weird 'consent' kink? And I guess it's rubbing off on me."

"I see now," the succubus admitted meekly. "There was never a feast for me here. I should have been patient and watched you from afar. I could have laid on the roof while you explored each other in due time. But I was greedy."

And as she admitted this, the dark power that had clung to her heart was **** to release its grip.

"I guess demons are probably your specialty?" Niki asked, looking at Amara.

"My build is not optimized for Demon-slaying. However, there is a Banishment ritual that all in my order are taught. It will take time to fully cast, however..."

"I accept my fate," the succubus said, bowing her head. "I only wish that I'd known from the beginning what it was that you wanted. Perhaps then, I could have been of service..."

Amara sighed deeply. Then she closed her eyes, raised her hand, and began to cast.

"Major Heal."

The succubus raised her head in surprise as her wounds closed, ejecting the shrapnel from the bomb.

"I believe that we should allow Shiroe to decide what to do with you."

"How do you know that she won't escape?" Niki asked.

"She may try, but it would be foolhardy to do so. Why would she resist an audience with Shiroe? He is clearly what she was after this whole time... No, not just Shiroe. All of us. Our life ****. Our combined love."

"Isn't that a good reason to destroy her?" Eva asked.

"I wasn't going to take all of it," she protested. "Niki can vouch for this."

Niki sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, the bitch isn't lying. She's tickled me lots of times, and I'm still here to tell about it. In the alley, she ran away rather than fighting. And she didn't even break out the claws until I hit her with my buckler."

"She has expressed regret for her actions, and for the moment, I an inclined to believe her. Moreover, I believe that, whatever Shiroe decides to do with her, it will be a more wonderful and a more terrible fate than anything we could come up with on our own."

Eva grinned. "That's right! He'll push his glasses up his nose and say something like--"

"Form up."

All of them turned to see Shiroe standing at the bottom of the cellar stairs.

"I said 'form up?' "

The three of them scrambled into position. The only reason they didn't throw their arms around him was because he was giving the Serious Face.