The three Grand Elders of the Black Heart Sect sat across from Slifer. An uncomfortable silence stretched between them, the only sound being Val's tail swishing in the air.

"So," Slifer drawled, breaking the silence. "Your Sect Master has gone missing and you suspect my sect had something to do with it. Is that about the gist of it?"

Elder Damian cleared his throat. "With all due respect, Supreme Elder, the timing of Sect Master Kaelius' disappearance is...suspicious. He vanished immediately after visiting your sect for the Intersect Tournament."

"And he has not been seen or heard from since," Vesper added, her tone carefully neutral. "Even for a reclusive cultivator of his level, such an extended absence is concerning."

"It's not concerning, it's downright unacceptable!" Magnus slammed a fist on the table. "Our Sect Master would never abandon his duties like this. The Black Rose Sect must have done something to him!"

Slifer raised an eyebrow. "Those are bold accusations to throw around, Elder Magnus. I don't suppose you have any actual evidence to back them up?"

Magnus flushed an ugly purple. "We don't need evidence! It's obvious—"

"What Elder Magnus means," Damian cut in smoothly, shooting the other man a look, "is that the circumstances are highly suspect. And with our Sect Master gone, we find ourselves in a precarious position."

"A precarious position?" Slifer feigned ignorance, blinking innocently.

Vesper sighed. "Come now, Supreme Elder. Surely you are not so naive. With no Ascendant to defend us, the righteous sects will see us as easy prey. They smell blood in the water, they've been looking for an excuse to wipe us out for centuries. Without Sect Master Kaelius' here, they may just try it."

"They're no better than a pack of hyenas," Magnus spat. "Circling, waiting for us to show weakness before they pounce."

"Can you blame them?" Vesper asked tiredly. "Demonic sects aren't exactly known for playing nice with others. We've all got blood on our hands."

Val perked up. "Blood? Where?" She looked around eagerly.

Slifer patted her head. "Figure of speech, my dear disciple.”

Although knowing demonic sects, could be literal too...

"And it's not just the righteous sects we have to worry about," Vesper continued. "The Black Death Sect has also been eyeing our territory. With their Half-Immortal leader sealed by you, Supreme Elder, they are also vulnerable. But that…only makes them more desperate and dangerous."

Slifer stroked his chin, humming thoughtfully. "It seems you lot are stuck between a rock and a hard place. Enemies on all sides, both righteous and demonic. And with no Ascendant to protect you... well, it's not looking good for the Black Heart Sect, is it?"

Magnus bristled. "We are not so weak as that! We still have three Origin Realm Elders—"

"Who will be slaughtered like pigs the moment an Ascendant enters the fray," Slifer said bluntly. "Face it, without your Sect Master, you're sitting ducks. Lambs to the slaughter."

"What do you propose then, Supreme Elder?" Damian asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Yeah, what's your angle?" Magnus demanded. "You didn't come all this way just to gloat, so spit it out already!"

"Magnus! Mind your tongue!" Vesper hissed. But her own eyes were wary as they darted between Slifer and the fuming Elder. She didn’t know how long she could hold Magnus back, that fool seemed adamant in getting them killed.

"Master isn't gloating," Val yawned, sounding bored. "He is saying the truth. You bad men are in big trouble and you know it."

"What does a baby lizard know—" Magnus started hotly, but choked on his words as Slifer flared his aura.

The temperature plummeted and the Elders' breath misted before their faces. Damian and Vesper froze, not daring to move a muscle.

"Careful," Slifer said softly. "That's my disciple you're insulting. And I don't take kindly to rudeness towards what's mine."

Magus shrank back, all the fight draining out of him. He ducked his head, mumbling an apology.

Slifer let him stew for a moment longer before reining in his aura. The Elders released a collective breath, shoulders slumping.

Damian was the first to recover. He looked at Slifer intently. "You have a proposal for us," he stated. It wasn't a question.

Slifer's lips curved. "I do." He leaned forward, "The way I see it, you have two options. Option one: continue as you are and pray to whatever twisted gods you worship that the righteous sects and your demonic rivals will take pity on you. Spoiler alert, they won't."

The Elders exchanged grim looks but didn't interrupt.

"Option two..." Slifer paused for effect, his smile widening. "Ally with a power strong enough to keep your enemies at bay. A power so overwhelming, none would dare challenge you."

Magnus frowned. "You mean the Black Rose Sect." His voice dripped with disdain.

"No." Slifer's eyes gleamed. "I mean me."

It was silent as the Elders stared at him blankly.

Then Magnus broke out in laugh. "You? What's the difference? You're the Supreme Elder of the Black Rose Sect. Allying with you is the same as allying with them!"

Slifer tsked. “I don't mean an alliance. I mean..." He spread his hands. "Handing over control of your sect to me. Making me your new Sect Master."

Magnus shot to his feet, spluttering incoherently. Vesper and Damian looked pole-axed.

"You can't be serious!" Magnus roared, his face turning an alarming shade of purple. "We would never submit to an outsider! The Black Heart Sect bows to no one!"

"Sit down, Magnus," Damian said tightly. He waited until the apoplectic Elder had thrown himself back into his seat before turning to Slifer. "What you propose is... unprecedented. No sect has ever had an outsider as Sect Master."

"There's a first time for everything," Slifer said cheerfully. "Think about it. With me as your Sect Master, no one would dare touch you. The Heavenly Light Sect, Pure Soul Sect, White Tiger Sect... they'd all have to back off. Same goes for the Black Death Sect or any other demonic upstarts."

"And what of your current position in the Black Rose Sect?” Damian frowned. “Surely you don't intend to abandon them..."

Slifer waved a hand. "Of course not. I'll simply have to split my time between the two sects. With the Elders handling day-to-day affairs, it shouldn't be an issue."

Vesper pursed her lips. "That still sounds suspiciously like the Black Heart Sect being annexed by the Black Rose Sect..."

"Not at all!" Slifer said. "The two sects will remain separate entities. I'll just happen to be in charge of both. Really, it's the best of both worlds. You get my protection and guidance while maintaining your autonomy...mostly."

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

Damian rubbed his chin. "It's an... intriguing proposition," he allowed. "But the details—"

"Intriguing?!" Magnus exploded. "It's insanity! Handing over our sect to this, this..." He jabbed a finger at Slifer, apparently too enraged to come up with a proper insult.

Slifer inspected his nails, unfazed by the outburst. "You're welcome to refuse my generous offer," he said mildly. "Of course, that means you'll be left to fend for yourselves against the circling wolves. I'm sure that will end well for you, especially since…there’s already one in your den."

Magnus opened his mouth, then closed it, teeth grinding audibly.

"I think Master's idea is great! You guys clearly need all the help you can get,” Val chirped. “Think of all the fun joint events the sects could hold! Talent competitions, night hunts, demonic beast races..." Her eyes sparkled.

Leah, who had been standing silently behind Slifer, struggled to keep a straight face. Imagining the blood-thirsty Black Heart Sect disciples participating in peppy inter-sect activities was too absurd.

Damian held up a hand before Magnus could have another outburst. "Supreme Elder Slifer. You have given us much to consider. Can we have some time to discuss this amongst ourselves?"

Slifer shrugged. "By all means. Take all the time you need." He flashed a toothy grin. "Just don't take too long. My patience, like my mercy, has limits."

With that ominous statement hanging in the air, he rose to his feet. Val scampered up to perch on his shoulder.

"Oh, and one more thing," Slifer said, pausing in the doorway. "Do try to keep this little chat between us, hmm? I'd hate for word to get out prematurely. It could make things... messy."

The unspoken threat was clear. The Elders paled but nodded stiffly.

"Wonderful!" Slifer clapped his hands together. "I look forward to hearing your decision." He walked out, Leah trailing behind him.

The moment the door closed, Magnus whirled on his fellow Elders. "Don’t tell me you're not actually considering this madness?"

Damian pinched the bridge of his nose. "What choice do we have, Magnus? You heard him. Without an Ascendant's backing, we're as good as dead."

Vesper's lips thinned. "I don’t like it, but I fear Damian is right. At least this way we retain some measure of control. The alternative is to be carved up like a roast duck by our enemies."

Magnus ground his teeth but couldn't argue against their logic. As much as it burned him, Slifer's offer was looking more and more like their only viable option.

***

As Slifer walked through the corridors of the Black Heart Sect, Slifer's eyes narrowed as a blue box appeared before him.

Ding!

New Mission!

Mission: Acquire the Black Heart Sect by becoming their new Sect Master

Reward: 10,000 Karmic Credits, Unlocking of Sect Management Interface

A bit late to give this as a mission…Slifer's breath caught when he saw the reward. 10,000 Credits? That was an incredibly generous bounty. And the Sect Management Interface sounded intriguing...

As if sensing his thoughts, the System continued:

The Sect Management Interface will allow you to oversee and adjust various aspects of the sects under your control, including but not limited to: Disciple Recruitment and Training, Resource Allocation, Laws and Punishment, Karmic Affinities, and more!

With the Black Heart Sect under your banner, you will be in a position to begin mass conversion of the demonic cultivators

I expected as much. Converting the demonic sect into a righteous sect would be far more efficient than trying to strong-arm one stubborn disciple at a time.

He had already done all he could, now all he could do was wait for the Grand Elders to cave to the inevitable.

Val flew in excited loops around his head. "I can't wait to whip those Black Heart meanies into shape!" she chirped. "Ooh, I'm gonna make them do so many trust falls and group hugs, they won't know what hit them!"

Slifer chuckled, reaching up to scratch under her chin. "That's my girl. Just make sure to leave them some dignity. We want allies, not broken shells."

"No promises!" Val said cheerfully.

Leah, who had been quietly observing, murmured, "You realize the disciples will resent you at first, right? Demonic cultivators are a prideful lot. They won't take kindly to an outsider coming in and upending their way of life."

Slifer shrugged. "They'll get over it. Or they won't, and I'll make an example of the troublemakers. Either way, they'll fall in line."

Leah suppressed a shiver, reminded once again that for all his irreverent quirks, Slifer was not a man to be trifled with.

The next hour passed in a blur. The Grand Elders secluded themselves, no doubt arguing in circles about Slifer's "offer".

Slifer himself spent the time exploring the sect grounds with Val and Leah. He noticed the areas that could use improvement -a training field expansion here, a meditation grotto renovation there...

Being a Sect Master is going to mean a lot of infrastructure management, isn't it? Slifer mused wryly. Oh well, at least I can delegate most of the grunt work...

Soon enough, a disciple ran up to summon them back to the meeting chamber. Slifer walked in to find the Grand Elders awaiting him, their faces dark but resigned.

"Supreme Elder Slifer," Damian began. "After much deliberation, we have decided to accept your proposal."

Magnus looked like he'd swallowed a lemon, but held his tongue.

Vesper continued, "We will acknowledge you as the Black Heart Sect's new Sect Master...”

"Haha, you made the right choice. The Black Heart Sect is now under my wing. I’ll defend it - and its members - as my own."

"Thank you…Sect Master." Damian stood and bowed deeply, the other Elders following suit.

I…I could get used to this, Slifer held back a smirk. Outwardly, he inclined his head magnanimously.

Ding!

Mission Complete!

Reward: 10,000 Karmic Credits, Sect Management Interface unlocked

Congratulations! You have taken your first step towards unifying the demonic sects under the banner of righteousness

Yeah…that’s ‘exactly’ why I did it.