"This airspace looks a little.... cluttered."

As the beautiful demon flew towards the city of Regalis, many other demons came into view.

They were flying about leisurely. Some were flying together hand in hand with their partners, others were with entire families, and other still were alone.

"I think it needs to be cleared for me."

"Um.... what are you going to do?"

"Watch."

With a grin the demon twirled her finger about as if she were connecting the dots, pointing at each and every person within the airspace.

[Set Condition: Flight=False]

It was then that each and every demon within the airspace fell.

They fell to the ground, keeping whatever momentum they had.

Many crashed into buildings, smashing up the landscape. Others went tumbling to the streets as they shouted.

"Agh!!"

"Look out!!!"

"My wings.... they aren't working!!"

Some smashed into the people walking along the streets while others landed softly without issue. Others still crashed into buildings and other structures, and destruction wrecked the landscape.

"Are.... are you sure we should be doing this!?"

"They'll be fine. They're demons. They're supposed to be strong, right? And even if they aren't.... haha. Well, it's not like it makes a difference."

"Oi!!"

"Are you alright?"

"What happened!?"

Many of the demons who were simply walking by rushed over to check the commotions which had filled the city.

"Get a hold of yourself!!"

"We need a doctor!! This child took a lot of damage from the fall!!"

"What happened?"

"I'll fly to get someone!!"

[No. You won't.]

The sinister yet beautiful voice of a female resounded within the hearts of those in the area, causing them to look around in shock.

[Not a single one of you will fly anywhere. I'm taking your skies for myself. And if I own the sky.... then naturally I would own everything underneath it. No?]

As they heard this message, all the people of Regalis were prompted to look upwards.

It was as they did this that they witnessed something which took their breath away.

"The....."

"Queen...."

These words were whispered by a single person, yet within the hearts of the people they all knew the moment they laid eyes upon this woman.

She was someone from a different dimension.

She was an existence so high above them that they could not think anything but this.

She was their Queen.

[That's me. I'm your Queen, and you all are my..... slaves. In my realm, we don't have subjects. Ah, we also don't have injuries.]

As she said these words the demon flicked her wrist, pointing towards a number of people before pressing something.

[Set Condition: Unwounded]

[Now that you are all in the proper state..... hahaha..... bow.]

As soon as this command was uttered, every man, woman, and child threw themselves to the ground.

This was an absolute order from an absolute monarch.

This was something which if they were to disobey that they would be dead before they even knew what happened.

The people trembled with awe and terror at the being before them, instinctively understanding exactly who she was- yet not understanding who she was at all.

[At least you people understand your place. It is so difficult to deal with maggots who try and rise against someone who holds power over reality itself. Such as that Host. What was his name again? Ah yes. Vex. A fitting name for an irritating demon.]

As the people heard the words of the woman they came to a realization instantly.

The ultimate authority which this woman bore was unquestionable.

The recent death of the Host of Wrath was without question at her hands.

[Now turn on your bellies and sing for me.]

Landing gracefully in the middle of the streets, the woman barked out an order with an angelic smile.

The people looked to her with confusion, however she stepped forward, using her foot to caress the head of a man.

Turning him over onto his back, she looked down on him with arrogance beyond belief.

[Go on. You don't want to keep me waiting, right? I'd like to hear some music. Chop chop. My ears remain filled with nothing. Sing.]

It was then that the demons turned around, following the orders of the woman.

They laid on their backs, holding their limbs up as if they were cockroaches who had been flipped over.

And one man begun to sing.

"For the day will come when the Queen of all will appear before these lands...."

One by one the women and children joined in on the song, and the woman began to slowly walk through the streets surrounded by the demons who were laid out in submission to her.

"She will glare at those below her and take all within her hands...."

"Split in two she will be evil..... evil and good into one....."

"And among the people those who match her beauty will be none."

"With the beauty of an angel.... and the slyness of a snake....."

"There will be none left within this world that is not her own to take....."

"First the Hosts will fall at her power...."

"And she will enslave them all...."

"Then the Indeterminant and his heroes..... unless united they will fall....."

"But if they band together they will witness..... power beyond that which could be."

"And the Queen of Evil will fall to them, they will claim the victory."

"Yet if corruption spreads over ages...."

"If they fail in their duty...."

"Then a battle will take place between the two and it will change history...."

"That which is not defined.... and that which has been set in stone...."

"These two forces will clash with one another..... and the victor left alone."

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

"Then the world will fall to the hands of those who remain after this great fight....."

"And if she comes out victorious..... then upon us will come an eternal night."

----

"What a beautiful song!! I loved it! Was that written about me? Haha... I wonder who wrote it? Thank you so much for that performance. You can stand up now."

The demonic tar which covered the woman retracted, revealing a truly angelic smile.

She now took the form of an angel, and she looked around with a gracious expression.

As the people stood up, Claire noticed the terror which was inspired within them.

On seeing her angelic form, they knew that she was truly the Queen of Demons. She could be no one else.

Even so, her quick change in personality was enough to confuse everyone.

"She.... truly is split in two...."

"The legends were correct...."

"My goodness...."

Placing her hands on her hips, Claire grimaced lightly as the people whispered about her fearfully.

"Hey! Don't talk about me like I can't hear you! Yeah, I'm split in two. What of it? You got a problem with it?"

As she said this, glaring at the men who were whispering, they immediately fell prostrate to the ground.

"N-no!! Please forgive my rudeness, my Queen!! I meant no offense! I was merely surprised at..... the sudden change which you underwent!!! Please do not kill us!!"

"I'm not gonna kill you. Yet."

"Eek!!"

The man shriveled back in terror at which Claire rolled her eyes with exasperation.

"That was a joke! A joke! I won't kill you unless you give me a reason to."

It was then that Claire disappeared from the sight of all, and in an instant she was directly behind the man, whispering into his ear.

"Ah, but make sure you don't give me a reason to."

The man trembled in fear, unable to even move as the girl had suddenly appeared behind him so quickly.

It was as if she had stopped time.

Stepping forth, the silver hair of the woman swayed with each step she took.

"Now then..... I have something else to do, so don't make too much of a ruckus. I'll be back here when I've defeated all the Hosts and made them into my slaves, so please don't do anything that'll piss me off. Ok?"

The woman gave the people a smile as she threatened them, and then she completely disappeared from their sight.

The people were left terrorized.

Breathing heavily with sweat covering their bodies, they shivered as they imagined just what power that woman held, and whether she would turn it against them.

She was flippant in all nature.

At one moment she was kind and sweet, the next she was terrifying and manipulative.

She was a snake.

Yet she was a being of power beyond imagination.

"What.... do we do now?"

A demonic child asked this question, looking to the adults around him for an answer, yet there was none to be found.

Not a single person replied, shying away their eyes from the question.

For they did not know.

"That's exactly right, kid.", one demonic man stated. "What do we do now?"

----

"I want you to take a good long look at this. This is something you did."

"I know."

"Do you still think what you did was right?"

Claire flew above a neighborhood of mansions.

In the center of this neighborhood was a massive crater.

Any and all buildings had been completely destroyed- erased from existence in the explosion which had occurred.

"I.... think so."

Biting her lip, Claire took in the sight, well aware of the deaths she had caused with her own actions.

"I do not believe that Vex should have gotten off so easily without punishment. That is what I believe to be right. However, now that he has been punished.... it is time to use him for all he is worth."

With a smile, the girl landed in the center of the crater as dust flew away from her.

"His energy remains here. His soul I suppose? If Ally were here then she would likely be able to see it. Well, even if I can't see it, I can still sense and manipulate it."

Holding out her hand with a toothy smile, Claire closed her eyes.

[Set Condition: Restored]

As soon as this condition was set, particles began to gather.

They gathered together in a glowing light, eventually forming a humanoid creature.

And then, the light dissipated.

What was left lying on the ground was a demon.

His red hair was spiked up, and he wore an orange suit with a black tie.

He wore sneakers but they were no longer the same lime green as before. Rather, they were now black.

This demon was asleep on the ground, and whether he was alive or not was in question.

"Wake up, shitface. You're in my world now."

Claire pointed a finger at the demon and a spark of electricity connected the two, sprouting from this finger to shock the body of the demon, causing it to spaz back and forth as it writhed on the ground.

"Wake up already."

It was then that the demon begun to lift his head.

His breathing was heavy as if he had just awoken from a nightmare, and it was then that he saw it.

The gorgeous smiling face of the demon before him.

"You're finally awake eh? I've been waiting for you."

"W..... w... where am I?"

Looking around frantically, the demon could barely even move without shaking.

His eyes darted around the area, bulging with veins.

"Determined..... why..... have you come back? To.... torment me?"

"I wish. But nah. I have a job for you, Vex. Where should I start? Hmm.... I guess I'll start with the situation. Envidia, Avarco, and Lustia have all been taken under our control. I killed you, and you are dead in the minds of everyone else. Ah, and if you expect an apology, I'm not going to give one to you. After all, you tormented a whole lot of people yourself. No?"

Vex could do nothing more than listen as the woman berated him, acting as if he could do nothing against her will.

"Lets see.... Envidia and Avarco are also dead in the minds of the other Hosts as far as I know. My comrades killed them and brought em back just like I did for you, though the method was a bit different. At any rate..... we have quite a bit to talk about. Why don't we go somewhere to sit?"

[Reset Conditions]

[All current conditions on Vex have been removed]

[Set Condition: Leashed]

"There we go. Lucky for you, Vex. Now you can be my dog. Come on! Let's go for a walk."

"Hahaha!! You're really treating him like a dog?"

"Why not?"

The woman before Vex began talking to herself as she walked away, gripping her hand as if she were holding an invisible leash.

It was then that Vex felt a tugging at his neck.

There was no leash that he could see, yet it was there.

Forced up, Vex began to follow the woman as she walked off.

"I.... can't break free?"

Stumbling forth, he looked around trying to figure out the phenomena.

"What.... what did you-"

"Shh. Dogs don't ask questions. They follow. And they don't bark at their masters. Right?"

Claire looked back at Vex with a gorgeous smile as she put her finger to her lips in a 'shh' motion.

It was then that Vex realized his own position, truly and fully.

He was no longer a Host of Sin.

Having died, he no longer carried his abilities of Wrath.

He had returned to being a weak demon who couldn't even fight back against the stronger demons.

And now, he had been reduced to nothing more than a pet.

A pet which would wag it's tail and roll over as his master instructed him to do so.

"Come on. Man, you really aren't much of a dog. Most dogs have so much energy. They run around all excited and pull me forward. However.... I suppose that's why as a master you have to assert your dominance over the dogs? So they don't end up pulling you around?"

Forced to follow the woman, Vex made his way out of the crater and into the streets of the demonic city.

Eventually the two came across a certain coffee shop with tables on the outside.

Taking a seat at the table, Claire folded her arms.

"Sit. I'll allow you to sit at the human table. Human? No, I suppose it would be the demon table?"

Pointing to the seat across from her, Vex immediately sat down.

It was then that a waiter approached the two, this man trembling as well.

"My Queen..... what can I get you started with today?"

"A coffee for me, and some biscuits for the dog I suppose. I guess a bowl of water for him to drink from as well?"

"Understood, my Queen."

The man rushed off to prepare the order, and Claire leaned on her angelic hand, glaring into the eyes of Vex with overconfidence.

"The people of this city knew the moment I came here that I was their Queen. Is that supposed to be some sort of destiny? Perhaps brainwashing due to the legends? Why then.... I wonder.... were you the only one who didn't understand that the second you saw me? Was it because you are a Host of Sin? Or perhaps....."

Tracing her finger along the table, Claire looked down before she continued speaking.

"Perhaps you did understand.... but you merely refused to accept it?"

A gulping sound could be heard from Vex as he was stared down by the woman.

He didn't know whether he held the right to respond or not, so he kept quiet.

The waiter soon brought a cup of coffee and the biscuits with a bowl of water, placing them on the table.

"Go on. Eat.", Claire said.

Vex watched as the woman took a sip of her coffee, and he reached for one of his biscuits.

After all, he could not disobey anything she told him to do.

"Not like that. What dog eats with his hands? Eat. Drink. As a dog should."

It was then that Claire grabbed the horn of Vex, thrusting his face into the bowl of water.

"Drink up. After all, I'm giving you quite the treat. You pissed me off before, and I'm still allowing you to live after all that. Come on. What are you waiting for? Slurp it with your tongue. I don't want to see a drop wasted."

----

After being humiliated in such a manner, Vex ate the biscuits with his mouth and slurped the water up.

"Was it good?"

"It... was good.", Vex replied while wiping the crumbs off his mouth.

"Alright. Now you can be a demon. It was fun having a dog but I'm bored of that. More importantly, I wanted to ask you something."

The expression of the woman changed to become one of concern.

"Are you alright? I know I did all that to you, but you understand why I did it, right?"

"Eh?"

Vex was taken aback at the sudden 180 flip of the woman, unsure how to even respond.

"I wanted you to understand just what you did to those humanoids when you made them your dogs."

The woman spoke while keeping her eyes focused on Vex, staring into his soul.

"Did it suck?"

"It.... sucked."

"Did you hate me just now?"

"I..... did hate you."

"Do you think that you have the right to complain when you did that to so many others?"

"I..... don't."

"Good. Then we can come to an agreement. Punishment finished. Great! So uh, can we talk regularly now?"

"Talk.... regularly?"

"I mean, it's real hard being this Queen of Demons. You gotto act all upright and everyone is always looking at me like I'm some sort of monster. I mean, I am. Hahaha.... sometimes I feel like my mind is going to erupt with all the conflicting thoughts..... but I'm getting used to it. So? You care about them, don't you?"

"Them?"

"The other demons.... and the Hosts."

"I do."

"Well I plan on fucking them up just as badly as I fucked you up."

"I..... see....."

Vex was clearly disturbed at this statement, looking down with bitter remorse.

"But..... I suppose I'm not all that evil in the end. The shitty good side of me keeps telling me not to mess em up that badly. So I'll make a deal with you. You help me out, and I'll only destroy their minds once."

"Only?"

"Ah, do you want something to eat or drink? Feel free to order something if you want."

"N- no thank you. I'm full...."

"Gotcha. So? What do you say? How about I sweeten the deal. You become my slave and follow my orders to the last letter, and I won't put you through any more suffering. Great deal, right?"

Vex was so astounded by this woman that he didn't even know what to say.

The things she stated, the polarity of her personality, the sudden shifts which she took, it was all.....

Chaotic.

He could not predict anything about her.

There was nothing which he could read or even try to understand.

The more she spoke, the less he understood her.

Who she was, or what she was.

"Alright. I.... don't really have any choice. I'll.... serve you."

Submitting to this demonic woman, Vex gave his all.

However, the woman responded as if his answer was a given, without a care in the world.

"Great. As expected. Ah! I'm not sure how much time has passed since I left my comrades. Could you check the time for me?"