The padded floor of the combat arena seemed to hum beneath Lucian's bare feet as the rest of the class paired off around them. Grunts, thuds, and sharp exhales filled the air—students circling, testing, flirting with violence the way only demons could.
Jaza stood opposite him in the marked circle, wings tucked loosely, violet eyes gleaming with predatory amusement. She rolled her shoulders once, making the black corset creak softly against her skin, then beckoned with two fingers.
"Come on, pretty boy," she taunted, voice low enough that only he could hear over the surrounding noise. "Show me what that human grip taught you. Or are you still too shy to hit a girl?"
Lucian flexed his hands, feeling the strange new heat coiling under his skin. His Lust Energy sat at 972, a live wire buzzing just beneath the surface. Every breath pulled in more of her scent—jasmine, smoke, and raw feminine power.
Professor Lorynthra's voice boomed from the sidelines. "No killing blows. No full demonic shift unless you lose control. Channel lust into precision, not rage. Begin!"
Jaza moved first.
She was fast—faster than he expected. A blur of black hair and leather as she closed the distance, feinting left, then snapping an uppercut straight to his jaw. Lucian twisted aside on instinct, the move clumsy but effective. Her hand grazed his shirt, tearing a small rip.
"Not bad," she laughed, circling. "But you're thinking too much."
She lunged again—this time slower, deliberate. Her body pressed close as she "blocked" his awkward counter-punch, her thigh sliding between his legs for a split second. The contact was electric. Soft curves against hard muscle. Heat radiated through thin fabric.
Lucian's breath hitched.
[Lust Energy Gained: +8 (Proximity Tease + Physical Contact)]
[Current: 980 / 1000]
She felt it. Her smirk deepened.
"Getting stiff in the middle of a fight?" she whispered against his ear as she spun behind him, one arm snaking around his waist to "trap" him in a mock hold. She pressed firmly against his back. "That's adorable."
Lucian twisted free, cheeks burning, but the damage was done. His body was betraying him—pulse racing, thickening against his pants, demonic instincts screaming to pin her down instead of spar.
Jaza didn't let up.
She darted in again, this time grabbing his wrist mid-swing and yanking him forward. Their bodies collided chest-to-chest. Before he could recover, she tilted her head and claimed his mouth in a brutal, claiming kiss.
It wasn't gentle.
Her lips crushed his, tongue sweeping in like she owned him, fangs nicking his lower lip just enough to draw a bead of blood. One hand fisted in his hair, the other slid down to grip his back—pulling their hips flush so he could feel exactly what he wanted through her clothes.
The kiss lasted three heartbeats.
Three heartbeats of fire and hunger and the taste of sin.
Then she broke it, eyes blazing violet.
"Fight back," she growled against his mouth. "Or I'll fuck you up right here on the mat."
Lucian's vision tunneled.
[Lust Energy Gained: +22 (Deep Kiss + Tease)]
[Current: 1002 / 1000]
[Overflow Detected – Demonic Maturation Triggered]
Pain lanced through his skull—sharp, white-hot, glorious.
He staggered back a step. Jaza's eyes widened in surprise as twin black horns erupted from his scalp, curving backward in elegant sweeps, each one ridged and gleaming like polished obsidian. Crimson light flared in his irises, turning them from flecked green to molten ruby. A low, involuntary growl rumbled from his throat.
The arena went quiet.
Every student froze mid-motion. Professor Lorynthra's whip stilled in her hand.
Jaza stared, lips wet, pupils blown wide with lust and something dangerously close to respect.
"Holy fuck," she breathed. "Look at you…"
Lucian barely heard her.
Power surged through him—raw, intoxicating, addictive. His muscles felt denser, stronger. Shadows seemed to cling to his skin like smoke. And between his legs, he was painfully, achingly hard—demonic physiology making no concessions.
[Level Up! Incubus Level 3 → 5]
[Physical Maturation: Horns (Stage 1), Enhanced Strength +15%, Lust Aura (Passive) Unlocked]
[New Active Skill: Shadow Grasp (Lv.1) – Summon tendrils of shadow to bind or strike]
[Overflow Bonus: +500 Lust Energy stored in Core – Available for next feed or augmentation]
He exhaled shakily, horns still throbbing with fresh growth.
Jaza recovered first. She stepped forward, slow, deliberate, one hand reaching up to trace the base of his new horn with a single fingertip.
"Guess I owe you an apology," she murmured, voice husky. "Calling you a pathetic loser was premature."
Her thumb brushed the sensitive ridge. Lucian hissed, hips jerking involuntarily.
Professor Lorynthra cleared her throat—loudly.
"Enough demonstration, you two." Her tone was dry, but her amber eyes sparkled with approval. "Steele, horns suit you. Jaza, stop toying with the new kid in the middle of my class."
Jaza pulled her hand back with exaggerated reluctance, licking her lips.
"Class dismissed early," the professor continued. "Everyone else—hit the showers. Steele, Jaza—stay behind. We're going to work on control before you accidentally start a scene."
The other students filed out quickly, whispering and stealing glances.
Jaza leaned in one last time, lips brushing Lucian's ear.
"Welcome to the big leagues, Lucian Steele," she whispered. "Next time I kiss you… I won't stop."
She sauntered off toward the locker rooms, hips rolling, tail flicking a clear invitation.
Lucian stood there, new horns casting faint shadows across his face, body thrumming with untapped power.
The System chimed softly, almost smug.
[Lust Energy Core: 500 / 500 (Stored)]
[Next feed will trigger major evolution.]
He touched one horn gingerly.
Yeah.
Things were definitely different now.