D.E.M.O.N.S: Getting Summoned Weekly isn't so Bad

A short time later, Uncle stopped in front of a moderately sized tent that was around the size of Vivian’s yard. It was two very similar shades of pink that made Kat wonder if a normal human would be able to tell the difference. This was prompted by a second thought that Vivian probably could, and then a third once again, wondering if a normal human would be able to tell the difference.

”Just in here lasses” said Uncle pulling on one of the seams between the colours, easily opening up to reveal the inside which was a simple arena with what looked to be a kind of white concrete. It wasn’t quite marble like, and it had a very rough texture with small bumps across its surface. The more Kat looked, the more Kat felt it was concrete despite its colour, still she walked inside and examined the area.

*How did Uncle open that ’door’ anyway? Can you just peel open any seam? Is it perhaps some hidden key system? If you have it you can open the door anywhere? Or is it that one specific section that opens and you need to know which? Adding to that… is the door flexible now? Or is that one section only flexible when someone opens it.* 

These were the thoughts running through Kat’s head as she walked slightly off to the side. She could see something on the ground over towards the far right, and while it didn’t seem like much, it was at least more interesting than the rest of the area.

”Woah!” said Kamiko ”It’s so much space all held up by just one little pole in the centre. I can see why Wrath likes these kinds of things. They must be easy to put up, they certainly provide a lot of space, and I bet they aren’t so hard to move around either. I do wonder if they cost much but I suppose you probably shouldn’t tell me”

Uncle shrugged ”It’s not actually that secret lass. They are maybe a bit more expensive than a house of the same size I think. Honestly, it’s buying the land that really gets you”

Kamiko nodded vigorously for the umpteenth time today and it made Kat wonder if there was bobble head ancestry in Kamiko’s line or if perhaps she would be doomed to have neck problems. ”Yeah, I know I’ve heard that’s a really big problem. I mean, we have a nice house, but I know mum and dad were actually really old when they decided to have kids. More like… I dunno if they actually count as retired and mum won’t tell me how old she actually is, but I know dad is like… oh what was it… it’s a few hundred years I know… aw well not important.

*Huh. I wonder if that’s normal. Do demon parents wait a long time before kids? Does the fact that both her parents have succubus ancestory play a role in it? So many questions I know would be really rude to ask but… I’ve basically been thrown into a whole new world that I do have to interact with. Honestly, turning into a demon wasn’t half as confusing as trying to find out demon social norms. At least I could get all my freaking out over things done with Lily and move on. Now I have to wonder endlessly what’s normal and what is not.* 

Uncle clapped his hands together, and Kat whipped her head around to face him properly. Only to realise… she wasn’t sure he had hands. Which begged the question of where said sound came from… but Kamiko was also looking at him now, which prompted Uncle to speak. ”So, I’ll now be explaining to you lasses what we are doing fer your punishment here at Wrath.

”You’ll both be going up against some of the newer recruits at Rank 1. Now, before you complain that either, fighting a Rank 1 is beneath you, or you say that you don’t know anything about fighting because you never trained, let me say that both of those things are fine, and kind of the point.

”What I you will be assisting in demonstrating, will be what happens when younger and weaker opponents go up against a stronger foe. If either of yer prove competent enough we’ll have you fighting two or more at once and seeing how that goes.

”Once a fight is over, we’ll have you pair switch out and I’ll heal yer if it’s necessary. That should give you time to rest so that the fights aren’t really a battle of attrition. Do you have any questions?”

”Yes” asked Kat ”What are we fighting to. First blood? Injury? Surrender?”

Uncle gave a chuffing laugh. ”Someone’s eager. Really though I suppose it depends. What do you want it to be?”

Kat glanced over at Kamiko, and was someone unsure how to move forward when for once, Kamiko was keeping quiet. *Well… how do I want to go?* ”Honestly I’m not really sure. First blood is nothing to me, and even injuries are hardly anything worth mentioning. I’d like to say surrender but I’m not sure if that’s fair to whoever I’m fighting if they have no regeneration, or if we’d actually be in a position to surrender properly if the fight is in full swing. Say I want to surrender but my jaw’s been broken. I might have more important areas to regenerate”

Uncle’s beard made a fist and ran through itself as if it was a normal hand. It was a little strange to see the bottom half of the beard stroking the upper, and weirder still that no matter what angle Kat looked she couldn’t actually see more of Uncle’s legs. ”What about you Kamiko?”

”Well, really that depends on if you will be watching us, and if you will be, how good the healing we are being provided with will be. I’m not keen on taking on a bunch of scars even if my succubus nature will prevent the worst of it, so first blood seems like the best for me… but surrender is good to in case I can surrender once I’ve been clearly outmatched. I certainly don’t want to go with injury. Even if you have great healing, injury is a bit too much for something like this. I’m not sure I could handle the pain.”

It was at this point, Kat realised something. *Have… huh well damn when did that happen?* Kat had just realised that at some point she’d stopped caring about pain. *It’s not like I ever stopped feeling it but… it also isn’t important anymore? Or something…? Is this a bad thing? Should I try to correct this?*

Uncle’s next words broke Kat out of her thoughts. A slight glance from Uncle in her direction seemed to imply he knew her mind was wondering. ”We can have separate rules for each of you if you’d like? For Kat we can have till major injury, surrender, or submission, and for you Kamiko we can go with first blood, surrender, or submission?”

”Wait how did you know our names? I never even got to introduce myself?” asked Kamiko. *Huh… I didn’t even notice. I kinda feel bad for not introducing myself now.* 

”No harm done lass” said Uncle ”and I know what yer names are because the system told me who’d be comin around. Gave me a brief description of yer both and yer names.”

”Oh. Well, that makes perfect sense then” said Kamiko. *And it does make some. Maybe not perfect though. I mean, why call us lass so often if he knew our names? Is it just a thing? Wait, stop getting hung up on this, there is something else to go over. The conditions.* 

”What constitutes a major injury? Like, if someone broke my arm, that… honestly if it was a clean break that would hardly slow me down. My bones are very tough at this point, but they don’t take that long to heal. Or what about skin? I’m pretty sure I could keep fighting with most of it scraped off and it would only take a few seconds to grow back. Mostly the same with muscle.” Said Kat

Kamiko stared open mouthed at Kat’s casual acceptance of what she would consider grievous bodily harm. Uncle however, found these to be extremely reasonable questions. ”Well, I guess we can just mention it before the match. Or, we could go to first bone break. That’s an option. You said they were decently tough so you won’t just be relying on regeneration. Not many can say that a broken bone is easily healed though, so be a little careful with the youngins”

”Actually, that’s another thing” said Kat, realising this might be a bit tough. ”How strong are they.. I’m… not horrible with controlling my strength exactly, but I’ve mostly only fought people either… really squishy that I can’t use any strength on, or people I can hit as hard as I want without fear, either because they’d not actually be that hurt, or because a guy called Thyme will heal them afterwards.”