She Belongs To The Devil

"A witch?" Damien shot a quizzical glance and asked that succubus.

"She's a thief for all I know." The succubus contemptuously glanced towards the end of the alley and added, "And all the demons treat her as if she is a Goddess. Bloody witch!"

The succubus waved for Damien to step aside so that a demon who was standing behind him could enter.

The demon who had hooves instead of legs and had long horns protruding out of his head took out a pouch full of gold and tossed it to the succubus. "My usual one is free, right?"

"She is only devoted to you, my lord," she playfully ran her finger along the disfigured jawline of that demon and welcomed him, "Please, go inside and enjoy."

That demon happily treaded inside the House of Entertainment while humming a grim tune.

Damien quickly asked another question to that succubus, "Can you tell me more about her?"

The succubus frowned at that question and rather rudely tried to dismiss him. "Why is a young thing like you after that old cat? She only looks youthful because she can control how she looks using her voodoo. Else, she is older than any one of us courtesans here."

Damien completely disregarded whatever that succubus just said and repeated his question. "Can you tell me more about her apart from how old she is?"

The succubus gave out an irritated chuckle and then mumbled, "Ugh! This lad is smitten by that ancient woman. Can she not leave some of the lads just for us? Why does she need to interfere in our business?"

The succubus was already disinterested in talking with Damien after getting to know that he wasn't going to be a customer of her brothel.

So she leaned a little and glared at Damien. And she said in a harsh and crude tone, "Look, boy. I don't know what your deal with that witch is. But don't stand here on my door and block the way of my customers. If you're that interested to know more about her then why don't you ask her yourself?"

Damien played the 'scared little boy' card and said while pretending to be afraid of that witch, "She asked me to come and see her a few days ago saying she could solve my problem. But…" he frantically rubbed his hand together and whispered, "I'm afraid that she eats children."

"Bwahahahaha…" the succubus could barely stop herself from laughing like a maniac upon hearing that. "You should be the first demon who is scared of a human witch!"

But she sighed and also agreed, "I can't blame you though. She is indeed scary and dangerous because she might be a dead witch but she still possesses the full powers she had when she was alive."

"Why wasn't her power stripped away if she is this dangerous… and dead?" Damien asked curiously. This shouldn't have happened in a normal case.

Normally, the dead humans' souls, and not their bodies, would arrive in Hell to receive befitting punishment.

If they had committed relatively lighter sins, they would be purified in the Purgatory and would be sent to Heaven where they would spend some time before entering the cycle of reincarnation.

If their sins were unforgivable, they would be punished by one of the Seven rulers of Hell according to the sins they had committed and the depths of their sins.

And most important of all, no matter what power, titles, and riches those humans possessed when they were alive, they would all be stripped off from them before they entered Hell's gate.

And it didn't make sense that not only did that said witch got to keep her body but she got to keep her powers as well.

The succubus looked like she knew the answers to all the whys and the hows. However, she didn't feel the need to indulge that young man in any sweet talks.

She simply shrugged off her shoulders and then said in a dead tone, "Who knows? I'm just a small fry who owns this brothel. Just go away already."

"But…"

"No buts!" the succubus glared and him and spoke in a threatening tone, "Scurry away from here before I call the guards for interrupting my business."

At this point, Damien wished that he had brought some of the gold which he had tossed somewhere in his room. He didn't think that those yellow metals would be this valuable in this part of Hell.

Having no other options and tactics to make that succubus talk more, Damien turned away and walked aimlessly.

Though his talk with the succubus didn't go well, he at least got to know a few things. He got to know that woman named Maple was a witch and a human and a dead.

After wandering around for a while, Damien found himself standing outside of that red shop.

He suddenly came back to his senses and looked inside that shop. He couldn't see anyone inside but he was sure that it was Maple's shop.

"I thought I had walked the other way… Did I take a turn unknowingly? How did I end up here?" Damien had a lot of questions floating in his mind when the door of that shop opened automatically.

He heard the sound of a small bell chiming after the door flung open. And he also heard a familiar voice, "Come in, Damien. I was thinking about you just now and here you are."

Damien gnashed his teeth and thought of turning around.

However, he really wanted to know more about her. She was one of a kind after all.

As soon as Damien entered the shop, he could smell… Earth; the smell of herbs and roots and things like that.

"Where did you get all these?" Damien tapped his nail on one of the glass jars with some kind of dried flowers in them and asked.

Maple was carving some symbols on a small wooden capsule. She answered without raising her gaze from that capsule. "I got it from Earth. Of course, I cannot go there myself. But those who get summoned there usually bring something for me so that they can get some favor in return."

Damien finally understood another thing. "So, you were willing to help me yesterday because I frequent Earth more than once every decade?"

Maple's lips curled up to form that same eerie smile. "You are quick to understand even though you are just a kid. Yes, I help children so that they can help me later when they grow up."

Although she agreed with what Damien had said, she looked as though there were other hidden agendas behind her will to help Damien in particular.

Damien looked around the shop for a bit and could see the appeal in the shop. With the things she had in the shop, the lower-level demons could also increase their power level.

He could see stamina potions, summoning circles already imbued with magic, healing potions, and also hand-made but sturdy-looking claws, horns, and other weaponry.

He looked back at Maple. She was quietly working on that capsule which was unlike her chatty self.

"You want to ask me something?" she asked after reading his mind.

Damien went and stood a little closer to her work desk and asked in a calculative voice, "So… what was your sin? Why are you stuck here? And how come you get to keep your body and power?"

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