First Demonic Dragon

The sound of metal clashing reverberated off the walls of a military training ground as two women engaged in a heated struggle.

One was a cute but diligent young fire spirit, with rich chocolate skin and a head full of orange flames for hair.

The other one was a much older and more beautiful vision; with long crimson hair and deep violet eyes that were reminiscent of jeweled amethyst.

Strike after strike continued to land, along with the occasional authoritarian tip.

"Don't just watch my body, be aware of the entire area!"

"You're too rigid! Loosen up a bit, or this will be over quickly!"

"You're enduring well, but let's push you a little farther! Another hour and a half!"

"Y-Yes ma'am!"

Monica smiled happily even though her muscles were burning and she was using every bit of spiritual energy she had to keep herself from passing out before the exercise was over.

She could feel herself improving with every exchange of attacks and moment she spent on her feet.

She had already been knocked onto her butt a few times, but she was adamant about not letting that stop her and continuing to improve.

"You're forgetting again, Monica!" Erica reminded.

"R-Right, sorry ma'am!"

The training she was currently undergoing came in two phases.

The first was not letting Erica knock her on her butt in combat or put a hole in her stomach with her guan dao.

The second was to keep talking as if they wherein the middle of a normal conversation, putting her ability to think on multiple fronts to the test.

As she had grown exhausted, she had lost the ability to converse as she had before.

"Umm... A-Are you enjoying the weather today??"

Monica wielded a three segmented staff like a character from a well-written, but painful manga that she liked a lot.

It was an odd weapon to attack and defend against, but Erica was somehow finding a way to make do, and enjoying the experience in the midst of it.

Using the chains dividing her weapons, she ensnared them around Erica's blade to stop them from moving about.

However, Erica had a rather monstrous strength inside her motherly and unassuming body, therefore it was easy for her to get out of this situation.

Instead of trying to break free from the ensnarement, Erica gripped her own weapon with two hands and made a flinging motion in the air- tossing the fire spirit across the room.

"Shiiiiiittttt!"

Needless to say, Monica wasn't expecting to start flying at a nearby wall like she was on a rollercoaster.

Erica giggled somewhat cutely as she untangled Monica's weapon from hers. "It's always a bit chilly here, dear. Don't be lazy, try to think of something better. "

Just before she could slam face first into the wall, Monica righted herself in the air so that her feet were touching the stone.

Using the surface like a springboard, she launched herself back at Erica like a flaming rocket.

"T-Then, I-Is it true that you and Lord Abaddon have gotten married?!"

"E-Eh?"

"Wait!"

*Crack!*

A momentary lapse in judgement was all it took for Monica to barrel into her mentor at full speed.

Their foreheads bounced off of each other like basketballs, and the two of them hit the ground side-by-side, holding their heads and groaning audibly.

"Uggh...Why?!"

"G-Good shot, Monica.."

"I-I didn't do it on purpose, Miss Erica..!"

Needless to say, the new empress recovered before the fire spirit, and sat upwards while rubbing her temples.

When Monica finally sat up, she had a small smirk on her face.

"I guess the rumors are true then. I've never seen you freeze up like a dear in headlights before!"

"I-I didn't freeze up, I just got something in my ey... Ah, who am I kidding."

Erica flopped backwards onto her back and let her body go limp on the floor.

"I've never experienced anything like this before... The mere mention of him makes me so useless I can hardly deal with a cadet barely out of diapers."

"H-Hey!"

"Albeit a talented cadet who is improving quickly."

"Thank you!"

Monica laid on the ground next to her mentor and the two of them lie on the floor breathing heavily as they tried to recover from the strenuous task they had just subjected themselves too.

'I-I wonder if it would be appropriate of me to ask...' the fire spirit shuffled with her fingers a bit before deciding to be brave and form a closer bond.

"I was wondering... What's it like to be married to our lord?"

Erica's heart started to flutter uncontrollably as her cheeks turned a lovely shade of pink.

"...This conversation will stay between us, right?"

"Of course, ma'am! I would never repeat anything that you have told me in confidence!" Monica replied seriously.

Letting out a deep sigh, Erica dropped all authoritative pretenses and fully leaned in to her loving maiden persona.

"It iswonderful. Like nothing I have ever imagined, and it becomes more moving with each new day. I thought that I knew Abaddon since I had already spent quite a bit of time with him before we made things official, but there was so much more I wasn't privy to!

The sides of him that only the other women in his bed had gotten to see, and the secret intimacies that he keeps that he allowed no one other than us to know... All of it feels so dizzying and incredible that he fills my every thought."

"Woah... So the sex is good then?"

Erica's eyes got even bigger and sparklier and formed clusters of little amethyst hearts.

"I have never had so many orgasms in my life! H-He's such an intuitive lover that he knows exactly what I want, when I want it, but he still manages to make me feel like I'm helpless underneath him, and I can do nothing but scream as he tries his best to breed me and fill me with his love and children while he breaks me of my ability to feel an attraction to any other man than him, and then don't get me started on the other wives, because they're so playful yet merciless that-"

"I suddenly feel like I am going to die alone…"Monica said; entirely despondent from this mouthful of dog food she was trying to swallow.

This time, Erica's eyes twinkled not out of lust, but sudden ingenuity. "I could set you up if you don't mind... I feel sort of obligated to."

Monica smiled wryly as she placed her hand over Erica's.

"Miss Erica... you don't have to do that for me. I'm more than happy to just receive your tutelage so that I can hopefully join your ranks one day."

"Are you certain? Because I think Bel.. I mean, my son is still open to having another partner."

The blush that appeared on Monica's cheeks was wildly noticeable and unhealthy.

"Y-You must be joking, ma'am! How could someone like me ever be worthy of someone like Prince Belloc!?"

"You're a kind and hardworking girl, Monica. That alone would make you more than worthy."

"T-Those aren't anything special, everyone can do them!"

"Yes, but you'll find that some so rarely choose to."

Erica finally sat back up and stretched her body nonchalantly.

"Well, if you aren't keen on a relationship then I won't force it, but I would still like you to meet him at some point.

I think you two could still be great friends and honestly you could help to get him out of his room more often."

Monica tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Great friends? Why would you say that?"

"Ah, Belloc and his father also like to read those little.. what do you call them? Manga?"

"W-What?"

"They used to talk about it together all the time, but they had some silly argument together and now they sort of avoid the topic." Erica said plainly.

"An argument? That's terrible! What could it possibly be about?!"

"Well, from my understanding Belloc enjoys teasing quite a bit, so he told his father that someone called Saitama would kick his ass in a fight."

*Snicker* "...What?"

"My husband got surprisingly defensive, and he kept trying to list off all of his different abilities to explain why he wouldn't lose, but Belloc just kept saying 'Caped Baldy still no diffs.' ... Abaddon says that he is cutting him from his line of succession. "

By now, it was taking everything that Monica had to keep herself from laughing outright.

Apparently, the second prince was one of those manga fans who cares more about frustrating the person he was debating with rather than being right.

She tended to find people like that rather amusing, so she could see why her mentor thought that she would enjoy the prince's company.

"...Alright then. I will meet him, but strictly under friendly pretenses!" Monica said firmly.

"Oh? Then you'll come home with me after training today. Belloc usually wakes up around noon, so that will give you enough time to meet the rest of the family!"

Immediately, Monica's blood ran cold and the flames representing her hair nearly sputtered out.

"M-Meet.. the.. r-r-royal... f-f-f-f-f-family...?"

"Yup! Back to training!"

Erica stood up and recovered her weapon as a thunking sound echoed from behind her.

Turning around, she found young Monica lying flat on the ground, unconscious and dreaming about gods know what.

Erica shook her head and smiled wryly before preparing to wake her up.

However, at that moment one of her men came bursting into the training room.

Though she was warm and bubbly only a few short seconds ago, her militant and regal disposition reappeared like it had never left.

"What is the meaning of this, lieutenant?"

"G-General, I apologize for my rude entry but there is a disturbance in Training Hall J!"

"...A disturbance?"

"Yes, general! A group of those outsider gods showed up and are causing trouble! How would you like us to handle this??"

Erica's eyes narrowed and she decided to let Monica rest from training for just a little while longer.

"Take me to them."