Primordial Villain with a Slave Harem

Chapter 1426  Combat, Not Pleasure

Quinlan looked at his lovers one by one, committing the sight.

They were calm. Supportive. Too supportive.

That, more than the trial itself, weighed on him.

This was different from every other Rank-Up Trial due to being optional. Built around an act he would tear the world apart to prevent if the roles were reversed. The thought alone made his jaw tighten. Power had always come with cost, but this cost touched the hearts of people he adored more than anything in this life.

He knew his own hunger. He had never lied to them about it. Power was survival, leverage, insurance against enemies that would happily grind them down. Still, seeing the girls stand there, shoulders squared and smiles ready, made the choice feel crooked.

They did not want to be the reason he refused.

That much was obvious.

The irony that the trial's stated benefit leaned toward strengthening them rather than him did not seem to register to any of them. Or maybe it did, and they simply pushed it aside. Either way, none of them wanted to be the voice that slowed his ascent.

His gaze lingered on Ayame.

She stood with her hands resting loosely at her sides, posture relaxed in the way only a trained warrior managed. Her smile was there, beautiful and familiar, but he could see past it. The angle of her shoulders. The way her fingers flexed once, then stilled. She was steady, but there was tension beneath it.

Insecurity.

The realization soured his stomach. He hated that feeling in her. Hated that this trial, his existence, his path, had anything to do with putting it there.

Ayame met his eyes fully then, and her smile shifted. She had always been good at reading him.

"You're spiraling," she said plainly.

Quinlan exhaled through his nose. "I don't like this. I want to reject it."

"I know."

Her brows knit. "I made jokes earlier, but my opinion remains the same. This trial is an opportunity for all of us. You see it as indulgence. I see it as reconnaissance and a chance for all of us to become stronger."

He raised an eyebrow.

Ayame folded her arms. "Nyxara is a primordial succubus. Her body, her instincts, her reactions are her weapons that have been trained to the peak for millions of years. If you engage her directly, you're not just satisfying a carnal impulse. You're learning how that weapon works, how it responds to pressure, where it yields... And where it doesn't."

Her eyes stayed locked on his.

"And by extension, so are we."

Lucille's words echoed between them, though Ayame gave them sharper edges.

"This is combat," she said. "Just not the kind you're used to framing as such. Physical dominance. Psychological leverage. Control under extreme stimulation. These are all battlefields, Quin."

She uncrossed her arms and placed one hand against his chest, right over his heart. Her touch was firm yet anchoring.

"You're worried about how it makes us feel. I ask that you do not confuse concern with fragility. We are not made of glass. This challenge will test us too, and we will all overcome it together."

Her thumb pressed lightly. "The Soul Records said the trials are meant to test one's weakness. What if it were deemed that qualities like these would help you, and perhaps all of us, become a better version of ourselves? I'm confident it wouldn't just pit you against a sex demon to give you a good time or to make you evolve into a better man in bed. If you succeed, you'll reap great benefits, despite it saying it'll benefit only us. I can tell."

Quinlan looked at Ayame for a long moment.

Then he looked past her.

Kitsara's grin had softened into something approving. Serika inclined her head, calm and certain. Aurora smiled faintly, hands folded, eyes warm. Even Blossom had stopped bouncing, tail swaying in slow agreement.

They were smiling at Ayame, too.

Lucille was the first to break the quiet. She let out a small giggle. "You know… despite being the youngest among us, you're becoming a truly remarkable woman."

Aurora nodded once. "We made a good decision letting you become the right-hand woman."

Ayame slowly looked in the platinum-haired alchemist's direction. Her gaze was unimpressed. "Let me?"

Aurora blinked.

Ayame minced no words. "Back then, you were too busy pretending to be a helpless little baby so Quin would dote on you, you damned fetishist. I stepped up because someone had to keep this circus functional, not because you 'let' me."

The air shifted as she looked at them all, the girls who were present back when the decision was made. Blossom, Aurora, Lucille… Even Kitsara got a nasty side-eye look, even if she wasn't present then.

Aurora covered her mouth. Lucille looked away, lips pressed together. Even Blossom got the memo. She, too, wasn't exactly immune to having some questionable kinks.

Kitsara stared for half a second. "I wasn't even there!"

"You're the chick who jumped into a random man's arms and let him ravage you high in the skies. From what I was told, you squirted all over-"

"M-mercy!!!" The foxkin begged. "Say no more… We have an audience!"

"I'm not one to judge," the pig-faced shapeshifter shrugged. "Been there, done that."

"…" It was Kitsara's turn to send her supposed teacher a truly disappointed side-eye glance full of judgment.

Karl shrugged it off as if it never existed.

Quinlan watched the moment stretch, then grinned.

"Okay. It appears the decision has been made."

"Quinnie… you didn't even ask our opinion!" Miri whimpered. "Yes! Do you not care for the opinion of your mothers?!" Lumi whined.

"Mothers…" Quinlan chuckled. He gave them both a quick but firm hug. "I truly appreciate your concern for me, but-"

Miri was having none of it. "But what?! Nyxara is the epitome of lust! She's a frenzied woman who will eat you alive!" "Our Quinnie… Eaten alive… By a vile woman…" Lumi whimpered, her long ears drooping. The mere idea scared them both.

But…

"Mothers, put a bit more faith in this son of yours," Quinlan grinned, leaving the hug. "You've never seen me in combat, have you? I'll show you that this son of yours is more than a little baby to be doted upon."

"We know that much…!!" they protested. Alas, Quinlan had made his mind up already. With Ayame's speech, he firmly believed this was the right choice.

He turned back toward the monument.

"Let's begin."

The runes flared.

Light poured upward, and a presence brushed against his mind once more.

[The desire of the women bound to the Primordial Entity Quinlan Elysiar to witness the Rank-Up Trial has been recognized.]

[Permission granted.]

A translucent dome rose from the square, smooth and seamless, enclosing the space in shimmering clarity. Quinlan blinked.

The pressure of the dome sealed shut behind him, and the world shifted with a muted thrum. When his vision settled, he was standing alone.

Grass brushed his boots. That was it. There were no furnishings inside the dome; it was as barebones as it could be.

He turned slowly, scanning the interior of the dome. The boundary shimmered a short distance away. It was see-through, crystal clear at that. He could easily see the gazes of his companions beyond it, observing him with varied expressions.

Then the air changed.

It thickened, carrying immense warmth with it.

Space folded.

Color bled into being where nothing had stood a moment before, pooling and sharpening into form. Wings unfolded first, then legs touched down, heels sinking slightly into the soil.

She straightened.

Nyxara stood before him.

…

A few moments prior.

High above a village, Nyxara moved through the air with incredible grace and lethality.

Dragnar's bulk tore through cloud cover beneath her. His swings were heavy and deadly, forcing the succubus to give the bare minimum respect to her opponent. They all knew the Primordial Dread was not to be dismissed.

However, Malakar's earlier claim of Nyxara being one of the strongest among the primordials, said to Quinlan months ago, was not a lie.

She twisted midair, heel driving into his jaw. The impact snapped his head sideways and sent him tumbling. Then the world pressed back.

A presence slid across her senses.

[Primordial Entity Nyxara.]

Her wings faltered for a fraction of a second.

"Who's this?" This was the first time she'd ever seen this type of message addressed to her personally.

[The Soul Records inquire: Does the Primordial Entity Nyxara consent to partake in a challenge?].

"A challenge…?"

[The Rank-Up Trial of the Primordial Entity Quinlan Elysiar requires evaluation. Success condition: the elicitation of the Shriek of Ruin from the Primordial Succubus, Nyxara.]

Her eyes widened.

[Note: Primordial Entity Nyxara's stats will be reduced, and her arsenal of spells will be limited.]

For a heartbeat, Nyxara merely hovered in silence. Then…