AN: Will have to put this one down as NSFW. It's not as detailed, or explicit, as a few other FFs are, but I still have to point it out. Without spoiling it, there's a bit of violence, and a rape scene. The scene isn't all that detailed, but it's there, and there'll be a few more like it in this arc. Especially after the reveal of a new 'villain'.

As always, folks, thank you for reading. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, let me know.

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"We wi-," began the 'hero', but was stopped when all eyes turned towards me.

"Why not just call a cease-fire, then set up a meeting to discuss a treaty for peace?" Wars did have their place, but I was not keen on being sent to the frontlines just yet. Personally, I would have preferred to explore this world, not fight it with every step I took.

The gathered nobles weren't happy, and many were quick to voice their opinions. Some even wanted to have a "friendly duel" for this or that reason. It was probably because they wished to skewer and silence me for speaking up in the first place. Another reason was probably to get into the good graces of the young queen, but they didn't know it would have the opposite effect.

One of these dueling nobles wouldn't take 'No' for an answer, and forced us into a bout. This was done, despite the queen from forbidding it. However, I simply waved away her concerns, and opted for the duel. I was rather curious about it, you see, and when I asked when he wanted to stop, he said, "When you die."

"Ah, in that case," I grinned as I took up the flimsy rapier, and watched as the man charged my body. When he was half a metre away, I dropped my weapon, and opened my arms wide. This action caused the man to grin in a gleeful manner, probably thinking he won. Unfortunately for him, once he pierced my chest, I wrapped my arms around his frame, locking him close to my body as I squeezed him until his bones were crushed into powder.

I dropped the body of the man, who collapsed like a marionette with cut strings, and heard someone yell, "Richard!"

Making my way back to my spot in front of the dais, I noticed everyone was staring at my chest with a variety of looks. Looking down myself, I noticed the rapier still in my chest. "Ah," I muttered, and tried to pull it out, but found it to be stuck. Frowning down at the blasted thing, I failed to notice Brutus's approach, but I did see his large, callous hand grip the weapon. "Thank you," I said to him, as he ripped it from my chest.

He gave a polite smile, as he crumpled the rapier under his heel, before taking up his position near the dais once more. There was no blood seen flowing from the wound, as many expected, but I did now have a gaping hole in my chest. There were also cracks forming away from it, and I knew the time on my illusion was almost up. With a sigh from my lips, and a groan from my frame, the illusion shattered to pieces.

I was poking me solar plexus, trying to gauge how much damage was done to my body, when the screams first started. Most of it was coming from women, but there were a few males who had a higher pitch to them, too. A few of them tried to attack me, but were either struck down from my blows, or by a guard. The rest of them, however, ran quickly for any door that would let them leave, but found them to either be barred, or blocked by strange beings encase in metal skeletons. These skeletons, by the by, were called 'The Undying', and believe me when I say it, I had nothing to do with their naming. It was all the queen and RS's doing.

The Undying's armour was unique, in that it can only fit the ones it was crafted for. It was done so to prevent any sort of infiltration, but there was also an extra feature added to it. Each Undying had four arms, and their entire armour was based on my own anatomy. This was done so by my thralls, who believed themselves to be closer to myself once they did that. It was rather touching, to be honest, once you got over the creep factors.

The extra arms were actually a harness that was fused to the skin, and spines, of each Undying. This allowed them to control the extra arms, albeit with some difficulty, but they could do it. The first few tries were a disaster. The test subjects either died during the operation, or went berserk afterwards. Only seven worked, but only four were put to use as the queen's royal guard, as the other three were still trying to adjust to the extra limbs.

Their breastplates were your standard steel, with the decorations of a skeletal frame. This was done so that it could protect their vital organs. The limbs, on the other hand, looked more like skeletal limbs wrapped around the flesh of the guards. Some would even speculate that those ARE the limbs of the guards. Only those of the royal guards had clawed digits on their skeletal gauntlets and boots, while the rest were normal. Even though they wished to model their helmets to my own head, I forbade them from doing so. This caused many of my thralls to become disheartened, but perked up when I said to model it after their own heads. They even went as far as to create their own faces from the decorations they placed upon their helmets. Don't get me wrong, they were all still loyal to the queen and I. They just amused me.

Anyways, there were three four-armed Undying holding up large shields and swords around the young queen, while the rest took up positions around the entrances and exits to prevent people from entering and exiting the throne room. We had much to discuss, and I wasn't about to let a single one escape. Oh sure, a few did, but were all hunted down and executed shortly after.

"What is the meaning of this, your Highness," demanded a portly old man in a stained gold and red robe. There were a few gold chains about his neck, and each of his fat fingers sported at least three rings. "Have you become an ally to the demons now?"

"No, little human," my voice rumbled throughout the room, "She has allied herself with me."

"So you are a demon."

"No, you pathetic excuse of a human," the fat man turned purple, as I made a choking motion towards him and intone the spell for it, "I am Undead. A being trapped between life and death, and your simple minded and greedy king has summoned me. So blame it on him," I released him from the spell, and he collapsed onto the ground, "for you all will suffer my wrath."

Poison began to cloud up behind my maw, and began to drip and sizzle onto the floor. "Unless..." The pause was enough to garner a few to inquire what I wanted. "Unless you swear your undying loyalty to you queen," I placed one of my claws onto my breastbone, "and to me."

Many were in an uproar as soon as I said this, and tried to rush towards one of the least protected doors. Unfortunately for them, one of the four-armed Undying was there to intercept them. It held up only four iron swords, and became a whirlwind of destruction, as it sliced and chopped its way through handfuls of bodies. It would have kept going, if it weren't for the look of slight disappointment in my stance as I looked upon it.

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With a gesture, the Undying stalked towards me, and sheathed its swords. It glared menacingly at those still living, then knelt down before my person. "Rise," I commanded, and it did rise, "Take up your position as the Queen's guard." A mailed fist struck the left side of its breastplate, before returning to its position. Once there, it stood in front of the shield wall, unsheathed its swords, and growled at all in attendance.

"These are the Undying," my voice was loud to all present, "They are the new guards of the castle, and soon, they will be this country's army." I pointed a clawed finger at the masses, "Choose, humans. Subject yourself to us, and you will know prosperity. Or," my eyes glowed a fierce crimson as I spoke the next few words, "you can die."

"I won't let you!" A cry rang out from the other end of the room, and in came the hero with only three of the four girls. My imaginary lips parted into a grin when I saw the little bear-kin was not among them.

"Looks like I shall fabricate how you died, little 'hero'," I chuckled as he became confused, "Your bear-kin is not among you. Therefore, she is free to take once you are disposed of." It would be annoying to have the "hero" and his party running about, meddling in my affairs. I already had to make him and his leave on several occasions when I, and many other enthralled Enchanters began to work on creating the Undying.

I chuckled at his stupidity, raised an arm, and pointed a clawed finger at his mind-mage girlfriend. Before anyone intoned a spell, a black arrow was seen jutting from the girl's neck. Her hands flew up to try and stop the blood, but it was too late. This was a special brew of poison made with some scrapings of my non-acidic poisoned bones. I had found out, from a new acquaintance of mine, that it had digestive properties, much like my acidic poison, but it was about 1/100th of its strength. It was still fascinating to watch it eat away at the test subjects of my new acquaintance, and we became partners, of a sort. I would supply the poison, he would brew it, and I would take only forty percent of the profits. No, I did not opt for a higher cut, because I saw no need for money.

"Priscilla!" The hero shouted, holding his precious mind-mage close, as she tried to tell him something. Unfortunately for her, the poison worked quickly, and her skin became black around the wound before falling apart into dust. The rest of her body soon followed, and he began to sob while more of the black arrows began to rain heavily upon the trio. It seems their last mage had created a barrier to prevent physical objects, but it did not prevent my magicks from reaching them.

"<>," I intoned, pointing three hands, palm up, at the trio. Silvery mist began to form into translucent spheres, then leapt after them. The quickly transformed into miniature howling wolves, and latched onto the three's necks before seeping into their skin.

The arrows stopped falling, as they staggered about, cupping their ears in the hopes of blocking out the wolves' howls. "What did you do to us?" One of them, the crimson haired fighter, demanded.

"I have nullified your resistance to all forms of magick. You will not resist me anymore." Raising up two of my arms, I intoned the spell, "<>," and watched as the thick, silvery magick crawled slowly towards the girls. While this happened, the "hero" launched himself at me, intending to use some sort of spell infused in his sword. Perhaps he believed whatever I had cast would end once I was dead.

Well, too bad for him, because once he was almost upon me, I reached up and grasped his wrist. He tried to cast a different spell, but started screaming when I crushed the bones in his wrist, hand, and forearm. Once he fell to the floor, a pair of Undying came, lifted him up, and turned him towards where his female companions were. The scene that played out before his eyes was naught, but mind breaking.

You see, I had his companions subjected to... How should I put it? Well, to various forms of entertainment for the enjoyment of the guards. Indeed, he had to watch as many others joined in. If he turned away, a bone would break, and a guard would force his head to turn towards the scene. The little hero even went as far as to shut his eyes at one point. That is, until his eyelids were removed. During the process of removing them, the rape was put on hold until the bleeding stopped, then resumed with him crying. Nearly an hour went by, by the time all of the guards were satisfied, and the little hero had still not broken mentally.

If you are wondering what happened to the queen as this all occurred, do not worry. She, LD, and RS were escorted out by her royal guards, and would not return until I said so. However, the nobles, on the other hand, had to witness everything. Indeed, many of the females hid behind the males, hoping I would not subject them to enduring the same treatment as the hero's' companions. Although it was tempting, I refrained from doing so.

The guards holding the "hero" had let him go, just as I gripped his waist and stalked towards the girls covered in fluids. Judging by their facial expressions, one would believe them to be in bliss, but they would be wrong. "<>," I intoned, passing two hands over them. My imaginary lips turned into a feral grin, as I listened to their screams of pain and torment of what they had to endure. They remembered everything that happened, and this only seemed to infuriate the "hero" further.

"Poor hero," I rumbled with mirth, "Unable to do anything to comfort them. Well, no matter." My other three arms grasped part of the hero's body, and began to slowly pull him apart. The "hero" screamed and struggled as his body was torn into four pieces, which caused his former companions to pass out.

Once I confirmed the hero was dead, I dropped the pieces of flesh, and returned to my position in front of the dais. Turning around, I pointed at the pieces of bloody flesh that was once the "hero", as well as the fluid covered females, and said, "Someone clean that mess up. You may keep the female humans as pets, if you wish." As I said this, I saw a couple of the Undying carrying what looked like collared black versions of my Thrall spell, and snap it around the females' necks. Afterwards, they began to drag the four pieces of the "hero" off to a corner, leaving a trail of blood and gore.

Turning towards the group of visually shaken nobles, I laughed and asked, "Will there be any more opposition?" When most shook their paled heads, I asked, "Will you submit to your Queen and I, or do you wish to join the 'hero' in the afterlife?" Those who were still standing, collapsed onto the ground, shaking, shitting, and urinating themselves at my blood spattered, gored visage.

"Good. Good," my laughter echoed throughout the throne room.