Ozzy struggled to contain the now violently roiling glob of domain he’d stolen as he pulled it back toward himself. As he did so a very different scene played out before him than he’d been expecting. The moment he tore off a portion of the domain the imp whipped around and frantically tried to find its attacker. Despite not being able to see domains the imps could definitely feel them. Apparently murder wasn’t enough to distract the imp from the tenth of their domain he’d stolen. Ozzy slowed his domain and altered course. Reeling it toward another imp instead. The thirteenth seeing its new trajectory laser focused on that imp and its eyes narrowed while its mouth widened. The imp rocketed forward at a speed he hadn’t seen a single one of them use before.

As it did so Ozzy took a chance and moved the stolen domain to the edge of the haven next to the one he was currently residing in. The rage of the thirteenth seemed to be enough to distract it where murder hadn’t been before. It continued right at the other imp and kept on going right through it tearing it limb from limb. The rage seemed to have boiled over as it continued to rip and smash at the bits Instead of devouring them as the imps seemed inclined to do. Meanwhile Ozzy had already pulled the glob of domain into the first rat haven. The stolen trips stilled when crossing the barrier between havens. Though this appeared to be because the imp had too. It was no longer ripping at the other with abandon.

Thirteen turned cold and calculating toward the last of the three lesser imps. Its movements were nothing like the nonchalant behavior it had shown when sidling up to its brethren before. They were sharp and deliberate. Without warning from any body movement its domain spiked out and ended the last imp that was anywhere near its strength. During all of this the battle lust that had driven the fighting so far was drained from the others. The new spawns had paused and then cowered in their havens as they saw the change in the previously passive imp. Those in Ozzy’s haven had lowered themselves to the ground, and crept toward their respective homes. Even the fourteenth and fifteenth rats were not wanting any part of the tantrum throwing scary flying child monster. As quickly as the tantrum started it was over. Thirteen turned in place and examined the haven before landing on a tree and beginning to scarf down fruit again.

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Ozzy cast a glance up at thirteen again. It was landing on yet another tree and quickly began devouring the fruit. It had been devastating the fruit population for the last twenty minutes. All the while its belly grew and shrunk. With the fact that its domain was slowly growing as it did so suggested that the imps could mimic the havens in their ability to destroy matter and convert it to energy. Although in the imps case it seemed to directly go to their domain not be exhausted into the air. The return to its passive behavior had meant that the newly spawned imps hadn’t seen any reason not to leave their havens. The act emboldened the other imps to come out and enjoy the fruit as well. The rats were a little more hesitant. Though those that spawned after the sudden end to the hours-long battle eventually did so as the imps had. Which in turn encouraged the other rats to follow.

Ozzy’s haven had now taken on the appearance of its name. A safe space where numerous beasts sat together in peace eating fruit all day long. With enough distractions available for thirteen and his own hesitation quelled Ozzy was finally able to turn to the stolen glob of domain. He’d been keeping his metaphysical eye on it the whole time. Ever since crossing into the first rat haven it was as still and silent as he’d ever seen trips. They still vibrated internally but were otherwise inert. He really had no idea what to do with them or how to take control of them. He knew he could tear them down to energy and then build them back up, but if the speed the imp was progressing was any indication that wasn’t the only way. With no other great ideas Ozzy tried what the imp had done.

Slipping one of the trips into his mouth he was confused at first. Once it passed his lips it actually felt like a foreign body in his mouth. Something with physical substance much like a grain of sand. There was also a feeling somewhat like pop rocks as a reaction began. Swallowing he watched as it traveled down his esophagus and changed along the way. His body appeared to feel just as much as he did that this was a foreign body and there was some fuzzy energy exchange going on he couldn’t quite follow. By the time it reached his stomach it had stopped reacting and slowed. Stopping it then slowly moved outward and joined the rest of his domain. He’d figured there would be a more complex method to do this, but it appeared his body recognized the foreign particles and immediately attacked and converted them on its own. The actual mechanisms taking place were beyond his understanding at the moment, and he really didn’t feel like trying to tease them out. Instead he took the one easy win in stride and continued.

Downing a pill sized glob of them this time he watched the process repeat itself. While it did take slightly longer for the glob to convert he couldn’t detect any adverse reaction. What he could tell was that while a single trip felt a bit like sand calling the glob a pill was off. It was a bit more like he had taken a sip of water. Changing up his tactic he brought the larger patch of stolen domain to his lips and gulped down an even larger section of it. The pop rocks feeling changed to something more akin to drinking soda and he could feel it continue as it went down his throat. This time the group sat in the stomach with trips evaporating off the group as it sat.

Taking a risk he began to gulp the rest of the stolen domain in one go. The trips were sloughing off at a speed which suggested he’d not be able to fill his stomach by the time it all evaporated. There was also the feeling that despite it seeming to be in his stomach it wasn’t quite there. Downing the rest of the domain he’d stolen took what felt like a minute which left him gasping afterward. Despite the feeling that the domain wasn’t quite in his stomach he still felt quite bloated by the time he was done. Now he just needed to wait for his body to work its magic. As he did he turned his attention back to his haven and the idyllic scene that played out. With imps and rats living in balance with nature. At least that’s what he was expecting to see.

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While most of the new visitors were still picking his trees clean it was clear thirteen was back to his antics. Its domain swiping portions of others domains before reeling them back and devouring them. The other imps didn’t seem as skilled at feeling where and how their domains were being taken, though they at least knew something wasn’t right. The agitation began to rile them up, and the other imps feeling the mood in the room were also eyeing everyone around them askance. The rats were also picking up on a change brewing and had their ears pricked up and their eyes wide to catch any suggestion of a trigger to come.

The eventual spark that lit the keg was another swipe of domain from thirteen that pushed the victim over the edge. Lashing out at the nearest imp it tore the innocent parties body in two with its domain as it screeched in rage. The outburst both frightened and excited the other imps. Initially causing them to freeze with their mouths open in something akin to a gasp. Once confirming it wasn’t their own skin on the line the open maws twisted into crooked little grins and their heads rotated to whoever was closest. In some cases the rats but most often each other. Before long the haven had returned to a mockery of its moniker. Death was the theme of this party and the remaining imps, now cloaked in blood and viscera, were dressed to kill. As before the tenth, eleventh, and twelfth came out on top. Even the last of the rat line were unable to stand before their empowered domains.

Ozzy sat shaking his head. He’d hoped for a moment that devoid of some brutish boar wrecking the mood that they would all just get along. While their desire to kill one another did benefit him to a certain extent, it would have been nice to have a bit of company at home. He’d always been more inclined to spend time with the dog at a party than the host. But, With the battle already joined, why not add another factor. Ozzy had finished his domain upgrade and had confirmed that the last few rats were susceptible to its effects. He was also itching to test out his new and improved capabilities. Like the imps, he needed to be dressed for the part. Sending out a ripple of intent he formed a membrane around himself out of the trips. Solidifying it into a suit of armor that was somehow both harder, and more pliable than the previous version.

In his mind it had been a little more flattering but as he’d not gone into detail on what exactly he wanted it looked a bit more like a space suit than a work of defensive medieval art. Though space suits had a decent vibe all their own. For good measure he added back his old spear tipped tentacle on his right shoulder. This time matching it with another on his left. Being without a mirror would usually preclude being able to comment on his own fashion but with his domain he could see himself from any and all angles. With his space suit-like armor and tentacles sprouting from the back of his shoulders he looked a bit like a cosmonaut infected with some alien spores. The look was not half bad if he dared say so himself.

With that he had no real reason to hesitate any further and stepped back home. His arrival made him feel like the belle of the ball as everyone stopped their interactions and looked him up and down. Though these were not debutantes tittering to one another behind their hands. Nor were they seeking to evaluate a contender for a hand in marriage. They were literal demons with their faces buried in the chest cavities of their enemies who’d rather take a hand from its owner and beat them around the head with it. There were also the rats, but they were very fitting as the servants, trying to be invisible in the background of the room. The spell was broken as Ozzy continued toward the nearest imp. He wasn’t entirely sure which one it was other than to say it wasn’t the thirteenth. That particular beast still sat atop a tree as if the favored daughter of the host, waiting for others to come to her.

Every other imp had already fallen to his less impressive version of the speared tentacle. The primary difference with this one was that the result of his first swipe had him feeling like a samurai as the imp took a confused moment to realize it was already dead before sliding into two pieces. Even the thirteenth reacted to this sudden turn of events. Flapping awkwardly into the air and backing away. Leaving Ozzy to grin and channel his inner bride in a yellow track suit as he gave chase with his twin spears. The majority of the rats kept their distance as he dispatched with the next two imps though like a certain gang of yakuza they tried their hand before he could fight the real boss in the garden.

In the end a scene reminiscent of one he’d fled from in fear replayed itself. Readying his spear to strike down thirteen saw it prepare its domain to catch his as before. His movement again sparked the enemies domain to attempt a catch, but this time he wasn’t stopped in his tracks. He barely felt slowed as his spear pierced through the enemy that had first struck fear into his heart. While here was no Shishi-odoshi plonking in the distance, no forgiveness asked for disrespect, and no scalp flopping to the ground, Ozzy still felt like a badass as the thirteenth died at his hand after it wounded his domain and left him running in fear for so long.