Temporal Anomaly

by sexulpenut

In which Oma Zi-O, after being erased from history, finds himself in the world of Midgard during the era of the Intoners and everything changes from there.

8. One's Gambit

Sougo woke as the gray light of dawn peeked above the trees to wash upon the camp they made, and something warm and wet tried to wrap around his cock.

His eyes cracked open and swept to the side, finding Five and Zero still holding tight to his arms, unaware of the light slurping or even the rise and fall of Mikhail's stomach as they lay against it.

A slight smile spread across his face before his gaze slid downwards, expecting to see Four's brown hair, but his eyes snapped open in surprise when they instead met long, unkempt purple hair.

Three's violet eyes looked up into his brown ones, her mouth faithfully wrapped tight around his thick head while she gently suckled on it. However, when she saw he was awake, the Intoner pulled away with a slight gasp.

"Buenos días, mi rey," Three whispered just lowly enough to not wake her sisters.

"I never expected you to wake me… like this," He murmured almost befuddled, before laying his hand on the top of her head, "What brought this about? You never struck me as someone quite this ravenous."

"I thought I should wake you up in a way that wouldn't alert the others," Her eyes fell as a slight blush took her pale cheeks, and she gave his head a quick, almost casual, lick, lapping up a drop of precum already dribbling down, "And you taste delicious."

"I see. Then why did you stop?" His grin returned while he gently pushed down on her head.

That was all the encouragement she needed to lower her head once more and wrap her lips around his head. Three began to suckle like before, sending shivers of pleasure up Sougo's spine from the way her tongue pulsed along the sensitive flesh, but it took a little more effort for her to slide down further. The reason why quickly became evident when she began to gurgle and gurk by the time her lips crested the lip of his head. Yet, the Demon King kept his hand tight on her head, silently relishing in the way her mouth strained to stretch along his thick member and how the vibrations ran down it, and she was still able to keep pulsating and swishing her tongue along the underside of his shaft despite the struggle. Her hands clenched tightly enough against his thighs to almost draw blood, but her eyes were full of pleasure.

When Sougo pressed against the tight entrance to her throat, there was a small flash of fear as if she was worried he would tear her open. The flash only made him smile as Three took a breath and slammed her face down anyways, making sure that he speared her and made her delicate flesh bulge with a single motion. With a thick gurgling crackle that was loud enough to make the women at his sides stir, he sunk an entire inch into her depths and made her eyes screw up and water, not that it took away from the burning passion in those violet pools. In fact, it seemed to only make them burn even brighter, begging for even more. So she took exactly what she wanted.

Despite having a seemingly inexperienced throat, the Intoner managed to swallow his throbbing shaft deeper and deeper until she could no doubt hardly breathe. Those stretched walls clung to his veiny length and quivered around it with a tightness he hadn't felt since Four's first few attempts, so it was hard to hold back his groans of pleasure. They came in barely restrained hisses, but the noises were enough to make the head beneath his hands gently jerk downwards, futilely attempting to bury herself even deeper. However, even Sougo's helpful push couldn't force her past the midpoint of his cock before the strangling tightness turned into a wall. He tried his hardest to work her from side to side and buck his hips in order to break it down, all to no avail. After a few light humps to enjoy the warm, vibrating depths, his hand clenched in her hair and helped pull her up with a loud, lewd snapping from the suction of her throat breaking away.

Slowly but surely, he dragged her all the way back to his tip, expecting her to happily and sloppily break away with a thankful gasp, but, the instant her teeth grazed the lip of his tip, Three immediately slammed her head back down. The switch between the wet snapping to that same gurgling crackle was an intense noise he hadn't quite heard before, like she was choking and letting out a deep breath at the same time, and was loud enough to make the girls stir again. Sougo almost wished they would wake up and see their sister so eagerly pun and punish her poor little throat for him while she made those lewd sounds. It would be a fun little wake up call, and they might be able to lighten her large load.

Then again, the sight of tears streaming down her pale face as she looked up at him with such a passionate hunger and a throat stretched to the breaking point was a sight he wanted to truly savor all alone.

In the end, he lazily flicked his wrist and brought time to a still around them, letting out a large chuckle as he did so.

"There, now you don't have to hold back, and neither do I," As if to prove his point, the overlord let out a large groan and pushed her head down the last inch to that wall.

Almost immediately, Three began to moan out loud as well, like a dam was let loose in her throat. The muffled noises worked past the meat filling her mouth to create high pitched whines that sounded similar to a mutt in heat. He kept his hand on her head while she choked for a few moments so she couldn't pull away just to enjoy the noises while her throat milked his cock like mad and realized that she looked a lot like when he first broke her in; the way her hair was still frazzled from just waking up, the way drool dripped from her chin, and the way her eyes flashed were all exactly like when he first pounded into her; the only difference was that this time she had his cock in her mouth. Just like back then, she seemed more eager to just take everything he could throw at her than to even think about letting up, so it came as no surprise when her head began to bob down again.

The purplette gasped and shuddered a little when she tried to push through the wall once more, but there was no sign of her trying to stop. Her throat had to have been burning in pain as much as his throbbed with pleasure at the feeling of prying open such tightness, yet she happily sucked him deeper and kept trying to work him down. After almost a minute of straining, his cock lurched forward an inch and buried the deepest it had ever been into the hot, quivering walls, probably more than even Octa had ever tried. It was only when he thrust forward and tore another inch deeper that his lover finally began to scratch at his thighs in fear.

"Finally too much for you?" Sougo teased and helped her pull her head back once again, this time pulling it from the tip so she could gasp for air, "I expected you to have experience on par with Zero given how Octa acts."

"He— cough cough— He wasn't as interested in my throat," Three rasped, quickly wiping the thick layer of spit from her chin but only spreading it around, "And I was never interested in trying to force him down either."

"Did he taste like an old man?"

She shook her head, "Dado que mi fijación estaba en esos específicos placeres, necesitaba socios que estuvieran igualmente tentados. Although, you still put them all to shame in ways that aren't just inches."

"And here I thought you just weren't interested in sex in general," Sougo frowned a little as his purple-haired lover tenderly rubbed her throat, "You do know that you don't have to force yourself like this, right?"

"This is for my pleasure just as much as yours." Her eyes flicked downwards in embarrassment, "You're different. Whenever I see you my heart skips a beat, and, when I think about what you did to me…" Three's cheeks turned a deep shade of scarlet, "I can see where Four gets her hunger from. You actually make me drool a little every time I think about touching this or licking it or sliding it inside of me, and, every time you use it on me, it's just as good as the first time. I don't just want to lay down as you ravage me every night; I want to savor you and really want to explore my own carnal tastes in ways I haven't been able to do with others before."

When she finished, her eyes slowly rose back up to find an amused yet understanding look awaiting her.

"I see. Do you want me to help you get a taste of all of it?"

The light that popped up in those twinkling, violet pools was all the answer Sougo needed.

Without warning, he pushed her head back down, sliding those soft lips down his throbbing shaft and groaning from the wet warmth wrapping around it. This time, Three gurgled and gurked a little less as if already getting used to the feeling of having her throat stretched and her breath cut off, but, like everyone but Five, there were still plenty of lewd, wet noises to enjoy while she descended. In no time, his head pressed into that wall again, and the normally quiet Intoner didn't need any prompting to push her head down in time with his own shove. Together, they were able to pry those tight walls apart once more to push the bulge another inch deeper.

As soon as the thick meat jerked inside, the fingers on his thighs clenched and clawed while Three screwed her eyes shut to force the pain back. Before she could finish the battle, the Demon King mercilessly shoved again and bucked his hips up, all but guaranteeing that he slipped another inch inside. Then, she was really struggling, gurgling, and sending him mixed messages with her eyes.

They were screaming at him that she was suffocating and scared but also screaming that she was in complete ecstasy and begging for even more, so, after a pause to give his lover a moment to adjust, he put more pressure on her head.

In the end, it was more a question of what would break first: Three's throat or Sougo's rock hard length, and, as always, his member won.

Inch by inch he sank deeper and deeper into her hot, clenching walls, his moans almost being overpowered by her muffled pained groans and the thick, brutal glacking and crackling of her tightness breaking away.

If Three had been a normal woman, the overlord might have pulled away a long time ago and simply stroked his cock with what little of her throat could fit around it, but he knew all of the Intoners could take at least that much without breaking. Five could easily hold her breath for ten minutes at a time just to slobber and drool all over his member, Four could tear her throat open again and again without ever showing a sign of stopping despite being the least sexually experienced of the group, and Zero was even capable of bending over backwards and taking it as rough as the rest, so the slothful Intoner didn't get even the slightest break. Although he did feed her his meat bit by bit, pushing her down an inch before pausing.

Sure enough, after taking all but a few inches of his shaft, her struggling slowed while that pleasure returned to her strangled and muffled noises. To his surprise, her eyes glowed almost as brightly as Five's golden eyes when they met his, a nearly ecstatic grin forming on his face in response.

By the time her spit soaked chin pressed into his large, drool covered balls and her nose pressed against his crotch to get a full smell of his manly musk, Three's tongue was back to wiggling as much as it could from where it was forced from her too full mouth. Sougo almost wasn't sure whether her mind was slowly shutting down or simply being consumed by pleasure, but that was answered when she began trying to force her head back up.

He was so deep inside of the Intoner's vice-like throat that it took a lot of struggling for her to slide up a single inch. Her throat snapped and gurgled more than ever before from the effort, mixing with her moans of pleasure, so the Demon King was actually a little glad that he stopped time. If her sisters woke up and saw him, they probably would have thought he was killing her or torturing her despite the lust in her eyes or, even worse, would try to help her. Something about the intense, almost animalistic, struggle made him moan and throb beyond the simple pleasure that the vibrations and dragging of his veins across her tight walls could bring. Just knowing that a woman would willingly debase herself to such an extent just for both of their pleasure was something he never quite remembered feeling before. Sure Five regularly put herself through intense situations and Zero would take on more than she could handle to prove a point, but they either loved it or were simply being competitive. Even his old partners were either less willing or so mind broken that it felt no different than screwing them normally. None of them ever had quite the same expression as Three.

Sougo could see in her eyes that, if she died in that moment, then she would die happy. It was an expression of such commitment and ecstasy that he almost wondered if she would just give up pulling away and accept her fate. Before she could, his hand cupped her chin and began to slowly help pull her up. After all of the other sloppy and intense deepthroats the overlord had received, he didn't expect the sheer explosion of ecstasy that came when her throat began to pull off of his shaft. It clung to his flesh for dear life, nearly crushing it before breaking away and sliding up another inch then clamping tight again. Three's body itself fought against being pulled away as if his cock was as important as food or water, and he couldn't stop his moans from growing more intense at the thought. In fact, for the first time in a very long time, he found himself barely able to control his body.

His legs began to shake and go numb from the pleasure rushing through him while his moans grew stronger. By the time her mouth and made it halfway up his shaft, it was impossible to keep his cock from throbbing and twitching in a clear sign of the impending orgasm building within. Sougo's hand clenched tighter and tighter against his lover's chin in an effort to hold it back, making Three let out more muffled groans. Soon, even his arm felt weak and his hips gently ground forward as if his body was trying to force that amazing throat back down to his balls. The Demon King never had the chance to push her back down again. As soon as her teeth grazed the lip of his head once more, a final wave of ecstasy slammed into him, so, when those loving purple eyes looked into his and almost begged for his seed, there was no denying the Intoner her wish.

A strong groan slipped from his lips as the only warning she got before his cum spurted straight into her throat. Those eyes went wide at the sensation, and Three images began to choke and sputter, thick, white good spraying from her mouth and down her chin until she could begin to actually gulp it down. Yet, even as she choked and struggled to not drown in the seed, she seemed to savor every single drop and gurgled in pleasure. Sougo almost felt like she was draining him as her mouth instinctively suckled on his head and tried to squeeze out all that she could. For a full minute, he filled the purple-haired Intoner's throat and belly, sending more than her fair share cascading down her chin to drench her nightgown in white and his shaft in its own thick layer. Then, almost as quickly as it became, one last, powerful burst splattered inside her too full mouth, and Sougo collapsed against the still dragon behind him.

As soon as he was finished, the third youngest of the Intoners pulled away, her cheeks puffed up and mouth leaking a few more drops of cum into the layer caking her chin. She slowly gulped mouthful after mouthful down, and her eyes went half lidded as if savoring every drop. As soon as everything was down, a gasp mixed with a slight moan burst free while she sucked in deep breaths. Yet, even as Three struggled to breath from her ravaged throat, her eyes fell back down to the cum-slicked rod that still stood hard and true. Almost absentmindedly, she scooped what was covering her chin into her mouth until it was mostly clean before diving back down to lick her king clean.

Sougo couldn't help but groan some more as that eager tongue lapped along every inch of his shaft, the muscle lightly humming from the woman's barely restrained moans. His eyes flicked down to find that messy hair bobbing with just as much fervor as Five's blonde locks would, so he couldn't help but sink his fingers deep within them once more. That contact alone was enough to make his lover wiggle with delight and work a little faster, but, the instant he was cleaned, the overlord pulled her back, earning a disappointed whine.

"That's enough, Three," He sighed and gave her a light pat, "I can only take so much after waking up."

"I did good?" A glimmer that was nearly alien in those violet eyes shined through along with a just as rare smile.

"Of course," With a flick of his wrist, the women at Sougo's side began to lightly snore once more while the sounds of the forest returned to their ears, "I don't think I have had anyone quite as inexperienced and tight down there before. It was quite the treat."

"¿Sinceramente? Eso hace que mi corazón se acelere como si nunca pudieras saber," The purplette lowered her gaze for a moment as her flushed cheeks turned a deeper red, "My sisters always pull you away to have some alone time. Do you think I could?"

With a slight chuckle, Sougo gently pulled himself from beneath the women at his side, stood, and stretched. He let his eyes gaze up at the sky for a moment before lowering to meet Three's gaze once again.

"I need to hunt anyway. We should have enough time for Two to make a good stew and still make it to One before the end of the day if you are all correct about being on the outskirts already. And, if not, I could also go for a good steak."

"I can grab any herbs while we walk," Three already seemed to be calming down as she stood and helped him close his robes again, "What do you think would work well?"

"Don't worry about that," Two's quiet, sleepy voice made the purplette's head turn slightly to the spot her blue-haired sister was stirring in, carefully rubbing her eyes as she gradually sat up, "I should have plenty left over, but do you think a stew would be a good idea? If you take too long hunting then we would have to camp another day."

Despite her gentle tone, the Demon King's small smile slipped away, "Time is on my side, Two. Do not forget that. But if you really think a stew will take that long, then feel free to make what you wish as long as it's filling," For a moment, he debated adding something a bit harsher but quickly decided against it as there was honestly no point in it, "However, if I wish to camp out in the forest one more night just to see the sights, then I will. One more day won't kill Zero."

Before either Intoner could give a proper response, he started towards the woods, dragging Three along with him.

As the couple traveled deeper and deeper into the forest, a worried frown was on Three's normally frigid face now, only growing deeper when she saw just how stony her king's face was, but she stayed silent until a small sigh escaped his lips.

"I should expect her to be more rebellious than the rest of you, but it is still very irksome. Although she does have a point in the end. I just hope she doesn't turn to Five for an idea on what to cook just to spite me," Despite the edge to his words, Sougo's voice was calm with the tone of someone who knew exactly what he walked into.

"You're taking it too seriously, Two only voiced her opinion out of worry, not with any kind of undermining or defiance in mind," Three offered, almost expecting those brown eyes to flash her way, "She is the nicest of us." She raised a curious, violet eyebrow when her lover released a long, suffering sigh.

"I know, I know. I just can't help but interpret it as rebellion when someone talks back to me like that, given my personal history. But I do admit there is some charm to such innocent simplicity after all of the fear and bowing in my life, and Zero does like to do her own fair share of defiance as well," When those eyes flashed towards her there was a bit of humor sparkling in them and a slight smile on his face, "I do find it odd just how much the others have taken to me. Zero I can understand, but Five and Four… Well, they've changed a lot since I first met them as well."

"It does make sense when you think about it," The purplette offered with one eye on the woods searching for movement, "Cuando nadie empuja, la piedra permanece sin remover, y eres una tormenta."

"¿No han pasado por muchas?"

"Solo con un ancla manteniéndose en su lugar. Their Disciples haven't always been the best influence for them… us." Three admits, her expression turning into a frown as she gave thought to her own relationship with Octa,"As I said before: a Disciple doesn't choose his Intoner, an Intoner chooses her Disciple. Being unable to truly deny or challenge our will in any meaningful way, they had no choice but to just roll over and let us do whatever we wanted as long as both ends were gratified, and even Two and Cent fell victim to that in a way."

Three looked up into the sky, the image of the rising sun burned in her eyes, making the thoughtful purple pools flicker with the soft light of dawn, her face screwed up ever so slightly in a way that was as if this was the first time she properly contemplated the dynamic between Intoner and Disciple.

"Although, given what we know now about their situation, Two being too reliant on Cent's support is what led to her performing her worst sin, no?"

"Indeed," Sougo agreed with a knowing nod, "You can hurt someone if you try to shield them too much, and that is what Cent did. Perhaps what all your Disciples did in their own ways, whether or not they meant to… perhaps, treating you as people that are still learning like everyone else instead of goddesses above any kind of reproach is what each of you need in order to truly grow into your own person beyond your title as Intoner."

"But it's more than that," Three insisted, her voice taking on some of that energy once more as she lowered her face to meet the questioning gaze of Sougo, "You actually push us towards improving ourselves even if you don't know it. You force us to think for ourselves and hone our skills for the sake of ourselves rather than the duty our title entails, even if just to please you. Your… light guides us so much that even Five has decided to do something new and to truly make something out of herself rather than just to be of use to you when you take the throne, and none of us would simply want to be your concubines when you…" She trailed off a bit with an embarrassed clearing of her throat, "And in turn you grow as a person."

The Demon King frowned ever so slightly, "How so?"

"Well, you have been taking our advice on how to be less of a tyrant instead of simply brushing us off, no tienes? You spared Cent when you could have killed him, and you saved all of my people when you could have considered them a lost cause. Maybe even you are buying into the fantasy of us all being a happy family again at this point."

"Again?" He snorted a little, "It will be the first time for Zero you know."

"Oh… right…" The purplette thought for a moment before continuing on, "Well, in any case, you have influenced her the same way. All of us have been shown guidance we have never seen nor experienced before, giving us a chance to learn who we truly want to be."

"Such promises and hopes," Sougo whispered to himself like he was reflecting on something before raising his voice once more, "You forget exactly how powerful those things are until you face a suicidal army fighting over an expanse of cracked, dead earth. Just remember that my promises to Zero about saving you all so you could be a family again and bringing this world from the brink isn't from the kindness of my heart."

"Do you really think you can uphold those promises?" Three asked, oddly without a single shred of doubt or worry in her voice, even when Sougo fell silent once more.

"I don't know," He finally answered after a pause and stopped walking, "Just listen to the world. It's quiet… too quiet. The hand of the clock of this world is slowing to a still, and it feels like something big is on the precipice that will tip everything one way or another. I thought it was simply the influence of the Watchers at first, but perhaps that isn't so. Perhaps it is something already set in motion long ago that no one can stop, perhaps my arrival is the cause, or perhaps it is something in the near future. Whatever it is… well… even if it's the Watchers, will killing them fix everything, or is their influence too strong on this world? If not, can my powers even stop it?"

Almost abruptly, the demon king came to a stop, his companion mirroring his action before looking at him with a curious frown. Her mouth opened slightly with the question of who exactly the Watchers were playing on her tongue, but, in the end, she closed it, content to wait for the answer whenever he felt like giving it.

"I don't want to rule over a dead world again, not now that I know what that entails. It's beyond meaningless when everything is either beneath your heel or dead. It was so boring that I was excited when someone came for my throne, even if they stood no chance. Was it not the same for you, Three? It must have gotten boring being able to turn everyone into dolls that you could use in every way you wanted. They could never speak back, they could never challenge you like when they were alive, and in the end they were no more than—"

"Stop."

The word was quiet and full of pent up tears, and Sougo turned his head to see those violet eyes watering, "I know what I did was horrendous, entonces podemos olvidar mis pecados?"

"...No," He sighed and gave her a sympathetic stroke on the cheek, making her slightly flinch in surprise, but she soon leaned into it, "Like I told you before, we can never forget our sins, only atone for them and do better going forward… but I wasn't trying to bring that back up to hurt you. I thought you might know what I meant is all."

She was quiet for almost a minute as they stood there in the forest with his hand carefully - and dare say, lovingly - cradling her pale cheek, so the Demon King almost jolted in surprise when she began to slowly and quietly speak once more.

"Now that I can think with more clarity… I do. I never wanted to hurt them… not really… I just felt so isolated in ways my family didn't see, and, as soon as they became my perfect dolls, it was like a void was left there that could never be filled…" Three was then silent for a moment more before looking up at Sougo with big, sad eyes, "Do you think they could ever forgive me… no… I know that will never happen… Do you think there is any way I could possibly atone for what I did? Honestly."

"Not in their eyes, no, but you can try your hardest to atone, and better yet, to forgive yourself, however long that'll take. Perhaps helping them could be a good first step, then you can decide from there," Three winced a little, eyes lowering in doubt.

"But all I can do is make dolls… I don't know if any of them would appreciate that after what's been done to them."

"Then, develop your sewing skills and learn to make clothes, quilts, blankets… whatever people can use in everyday life to help them get by. To me at the very least, it would be as if you yourself are personally helping them to get through their personal struggles, even if it's through the smallest of ways. There should be plenty of books I can—"

Before Sougo could finish, those pale arms wrapped around him and pulled him into a tight and tender hug.

"Gracias. Y te preguntas por qué hemos cambiado."

"Mi consejo es sólo sentido común." He shrugged, "And you at least have enough skill for the likes of Five to cherish your handiwork."

"I don't know. Do they actually like my dolls or do they just spare my feelings?"

"Perhaps they are one and the same," The Demon King answered with a slight smile, "If they value you as a sister enough to spare you, would they not love your work, rubbish or not, just as much?"

"If you have someone as exigente as Four, can you really make something good enough?" Three answered back in a fond mutter before giving one last soft squeeze and letting go.

The two shot similar questions back and forth with sly smiles, as if testing each other's wit, while they strolled through the forest in search of meat. It was one of the few times Sougo had heard her speak that much, and, for some reason, that made his grin widen just a little bit more.

---

"Where is it?!" The Mountain Country's former ruler's cry echoed across the camp along with the heavy thudding of her stomping feet across the dirt, "I know one of you did something with it!"

"I haven't seen your doll," Five answered her with a slight frown from where she sat in the clearing by the dining table, chewing on some leftover beast jerky, "Are you sure you didn't leave it behind?"

"Of course I'm sure! I value my belongings unlike some people! Some people like to just throw away every little thing as soon as they get bored!"

"Still so venomous in the morning! I shall have you know that I still have my doll… unlike some people!" Five rose to her feet with a sudden fire in her eyes that made even Zero look over with concern from where she lounged against Mikhail along with the cross-legged and strangely less concerned Two, "I bet you were just looking for an excuse to throw it away because it isn't all little miss perfect like you!"

" Excuse me? You would dare accuse me of throwing away a precious gift made by my dear sister that I—"

"Ohhhhhh cut that act out! You try to act like you like that thing and play with it just to make Three happy so you can feel like the angel you try to pretend to be."

"I do not! I don't ACT anymore! I have grown past such petty needs and everyone here knows that!" The brown-haired Intoner practically roared as she stomped her feet, "You just can't accept that I actually am that appreciative of such a gift and I can actually cherish and love something made for me without ever thinking about throwing it away because I find something newer and shinier… and has a bigger dick."

For a moment, Five just stared at Four's self-satisfied little smirk with shock, but that soon turned into a look of such hatred and fury, yet so tranquil and serene...

The next few words came out with such a calm coldness that even Two shivered from beside her white-haired sister.

"Don't you ever call Sougo just a toy to me, you self-hating fraud. I hope some wolf already tore Esmeralda to pieces."

With that, the ex-ruler of the Land of Seas roughly pushed past her shell-shocked and seething sister to take her own stroll in the woods.

"Can you believe that?" Zero turned her head to look at Two, but, to her surprise, the younger, and generally more empathic, sister just shrugged.

"It's pretty normal at this point. Honestly, this used to be somewhat of a routine back in the day when we traveled together… when you weren't there…" Two trailed off and averted her eyes when she saw the slightest flash of painful regret in those rose-colored eyes.

Before either sister could dwell on that particular part of their past for long, Mikhail's childish voice washed over them.

"Zero was looking for a really strong dragon like Michael!" He declared proudly as if telling them something very important, "And it ended with me and her being together! You wouldn't believe the kind of stuff we got up to before Sougo met us!"

"I was on my own journey, yes," She shook the thoughts from her mind, taking the opportunity to change the subject matter, "I know for a fact you weren't the one I was looking for. Micheal was, and is still, leagues above you, so you have a lot of work to do if you wish to reach his heights anytime soon."

"Oh, don't listen to her," The bluenette cooed and stroked his side encouragingly while he gave out a puppy-like whine, "Seeing as how you made it this far, you probably don't have much further to go before you become a great dragon yourself."

"Hmmph, seriously Two, don't baby him. How many times are you going to make me repeat myself?" Zero muttered in disapproval at her fourth youngest sister's pampering, the words drowned out by a mighty roar.

"I am a mighty dragon!" For a moment, the young dragon's rear head flickered with flames, and the harsh flickering shadows on his face actually gave him a threatening look that almost made the white-haired Intoner smile with pride... then, that statuesque pose was broken by a heavy sneeze that sent flames flaring to consume his head for an instant, "Ow! My eyes!"

"Mighty indeed," Two giggled as Zero just shook her head with a long-suffering sigh.

"Again: a lot of work to do yet still. When will you learn?" The eldest Intoner gently slapped his side with the back of her hand while he frantically shook his slightly smoking head back and forth.

"Perhaps if you give him time, then you would be surprised by the results, as with all things." Sougo's voice snapped everyone's eyes towards the Demon King and Three dragging a makeshift sled along with a freshly killed buck atop it, "You do see how much he grew in that short time away."

"Do you not see him still being a big, stupid baby?" Zero asked and rolled her eyes, "He can get as big as he wants, but he will still be a baby until the time comes that he stops acting like one. The phrase coming-of-age exists for a reason you know."

Sougo couldn't help but grin at her overly thick insults, but the grin faded when he saw Four's sulking and angry pout.

"It has been a while since I've seen you this upset," He remarked, blinking when earning a scathing, green colored glare, "I take it Five did something? I don't see her at her usual spot during this time of day. "

"If you consider her constant whoreness something, then yes."

"Oh, don't mind her. She's just—" Two began, but Zero quickly cut her off.

"She's just being pissy because she lost her little doll, and Five gave her a well deserved tongue lashing. You might as well hear it from me since Two will just sugar coat it."

"It's called not laying it thick, Zero," The bluenette corrected without a hint of anger, "But I was just going to say that Four got mad at Five because she misplaced—"

"I did not misplace anything!" The twin-tailed Intoner argued, "I put her in my pack, and—"

"I have it," Three interrupted quietly and sheepishly, her words barely rising over the shouting but instantly quieting it.

"...What?" Four's cheeks turned pale then pink as fear then embarrassment flashed through her widening eyes, "So you're saying…"

"You didn't lose it, and Five didn't do anything to it. I saw that some thread was fraying, so I took it with me to replace all of the old stitching and surprise you. I didn't realize you would miss it that much..." Despite the worry in her words, there was no mistaking the happiness within them.

"Oh, Three, you didn't have to do that. I already… ahem I mean it's already a perfect gift." Anxiously running a hand through her brown hair, the second youngest Intoner then nervously asked her older sister, "Do you think you could do the same for Five as well? I think… No, I should really apologize to her."

"Well, you should apologize soon because I need to start cooking, and, if she misses a meal…" Two warned as she walked over to the deer corpse and hefted it up with one arm and walked over to a length of rope already tied around the branch of a tree, "It will only take me about twenty minutes to have the meal ready."

"But how could I possibly apologize to her after accusing her so harshly?"

---

She would curse herself for ever uttering those words.

An hour later and on the great white form of Mikhal, Four found herself sitting in Five's lap as the blonde happily hummed and held her tight with her head covered by the large swells of those huge breasts like a fatty hat. The remains of meat juices still stained the corners of the greedy Intoner's mouth while the brown-haired woman's mouth was set in a slight frown. It didn't help her mood when her stomach lightly growled, unsatisfied with its meager meal while her sister got an extra big helping.

"Oh, that venison was so delicious!" Five cooed into her older sister's hair, even as the taste faded into memory, "I can't believe you just let me have all of that!"

"Anything for you, sister dearest." The twin-tailed Intoner slightly gritted her teeth, "But could you please get your… expansive breasts off of my head?"

"Why? Aren't they comfy?" With a teasing grin, Five's arms wrapped around her sister's slender frame and pulled her up to completely smush her head against the soft pillows, "Our dear king absolutely loves the way they feel. You want a little taste yourself?"

"Wh-What?" In an instant, Four's face turned bright red, her tone suddenly and sharply turning towards the more ferocious, "Of course not! Why would I want your gross, floppy cow udders in my mouth? They probably taste like rotten butter!"

It seemed like everyone but Five herself could hear the hint of jealousy in the much, MUCH smaller-breasted woman.

"Sougo told me they taste very sweet, like a sugary milk. I tasted them myself, but I think my tastebuds are too used to sweetness to really tell. Do you know what yours taste like?"

"Probably milk, but most of us don't have milkbags so floppy that we can just suck on them, some of us have shape and firmness instead."

"That's an interesting way to say 'my tits are small,'" Zero added nonchalantly from in front of Sougo as she guided Mikhail, causing the clearly offended green-eyed Intoner to sputter incoherently.

"Has Sougo not sucked on them yet? He always loves to suck and play on mine," Five continued as if oblivious to the comment, "And feeling his magical lips, fingers, and tongue playing with them is just… ohhhhhhhh… I can feel myself getting wet just thinking about it."

"Of course he has! He can't get enough of them because they're so firm and fit right into his hands! And of course I taste so much better than you so he suckles me until I'm sore!" Four tried her best to bluff, but even her younger sister could see right past it, an evil, yet still playful, smile taking over her face.

"Oh, Sougo~" The blonde called in a sing-songy voice, "Whose breasts taste better? Mine or Four's?"

For a moment, the Sea Country's former ruler waited, but Sougo didn't answer. When Zero herself turned around to see why, his eyes were closed while his breathing was even, as if he was lost in his own world.

"Oh, don't be like that Five. Sougo may not have sucked on hers yet, but he probably loves playing with them. I mean, they're so small and cute, and she probably squirms so much when he teases her that—" Two began, but her slender sister cut her off.

"Stooop!" Four half whined and half cried, her severe distress and agony over this topic out in the open for the world to see, "You're really not helping! And for the record, Sougo really does love how firm my breasts are and plays with them plenty… and he at least doesn't have to wear his arms out jerking them around!"

Before Five could reply to the second youngest Intoner's sulking huff, their oldest sister spoke up.

"We're about to land, so hang on!"

In an instant, Mikhail dropped down through the clouds, forcing the wind from everyone's lungs.

As the sudden force made everyone hold on tight, Sougo opened his eyes, the smile of a true demon stretching across his lips when he saw the land below him.

The sprawling Cathedral City marked the end of the first leg of their journey, and a sudden excitement jolted through his veins. As the temple where One resided grew larger and larger in his vision, his heart pumped harder still. After all he had seen and heard of One, the sense that an opponent almost as great as Zero was when they first fought was undeniable.

Mikhail had barely touched the ground outside of the grand temple before the Demon King was falling to the ground, his black robe billowing around him on the way to the ground. Two let out an instinctive cry of worry, but her sisters simply watched the young man's legs barely buckle from the fall, like his legs were made of steel. Without even looking behind to see if the others were following, Sougo strode forward, brown eyes roaming around.

There were guards all around, some with weapons shaking in their hands and others with weapons held at the ready, yet not one made so much as a step towards them. In fact, they seemed to be stalking backwards and forming a sort of wall to cut off their escape; a wall that came across as more like a red carpet to the overlord.

The Intoners behind him and Mikhail all hurried to his side, barely reaching him by the time he arrived at the large doors. When he went to push them open, Zero's own hand was beside his to help him push, and, once they had swung open to reveal the long, darkly lit hallway, she was the one by his side, her sisters and white dragon right behind the two.

Their footsteps echoed through the empty halls to break a quiet that no one else dared disturb, not even Mikhail. It was as if everyone could feel the same buzzing anticipation that Sougo could as it grew larger and larger. The skulls lining the walls felt like an audience to the monumental moment of another world falling beneath his feet.

"It truly is wondrous, is it not?" The demon king couldn't hide the gleeful anticipation in his tone, "This page of our journey is coming to an end."

"Aren't you scared?" To Sougo's surprise, it was Mikhail that spoke up first, his voice trembling with fear.

"And why would I be? Or do you expect a long walk and some macabre decoration to make me tuck my tail between my legs and run?"

"Well… It is kind of scary… What if they come to life and attack us?"

"Mikhail—" The overlord began, but Zero spoke over him.

"Why do you think you're here? You don't believe you only got stronger just to fly us around, do you? You are here because you can help us get through anything that opposes us, so stop whimpering and be ready to burn anything in our way," Zero's tone was harsh, borderline draconian, not that it stopped Mikhail from squealing in happiness just a little.

"Do you really think I'm strong enough to help you like that?"

"Hmmph! Not if you're going to act like that about it. Keep your eyes ahead, damn it."

"Of course you are, Mikhail," Two giggled and stroked him in an encouraging matter, but, for once, the dragon didn't turn to look down at her, still looking appreciative at Zero's words, "I'm sure at this point even Michael would be very proud of you!"

"If I didn't trust you, then you wouldn't be part of my procession," Sougo added, "But you will have to be even stronger if you wish to be a dragon that can protect my kingdom like Castle Doran did for its own monarch long ago."

"Hmmph," This time it was Mikhail that huffed, "They're just full of themselves 'cause they're old and seen some stuff. I'll show that crusty castle what a real dragon is!"

"A shining white dragon that darkens skies…" Three mused to herself, "What a comforting thought."

"Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves?" Four interjected, "We do still have to convince One to join us on this new pathway."

"That we do, Four, but try to have a little faith in me," The Demon King paused when he placed his hand on the big doors at the very end of the hall, "I already have everything she would ever want."

With that, the doors began to swing open, and he strode right through without a second thought.

And the first thing to greet him was the massive maw of a huge, dark purple, almost black, dragon that was bordered by the armor covering his head.

Because of course that was how it was going to be.

In that instant, Sougo's well trained eyes took in a frightening body that put Mikhail to shame with wings that glowed bright orange like a pair of bright and burning mini suns.

Then his vision was filled with those sharp teeth and a ball of flame.

Those nightmarish jaws snapped shut with a massive snap, making the man completely disappear and earning an involuntary gasp from Four.

"NO!" Mikhail cried out in true rage, and his own maw flickered with flames.

For a moment, the metal covered eyes on that huge dragon met with the white dragon's narrowed ones, then a burst of fire shot out. It washed over the metal like water, barely making the beast take a step back but causing it to roar in genuine pain, so the smaller dragon worked up another, more powerful blast. But, before he could charge up, the huge dark maw opened to reveal that same ball of fire deep within, and the flames rushed forward.

On instinct, Zero and Two stepped in front of Mikhail, their respective swords in hand and raised to shield their faces and the dragon behind them.

Except… nothing came.

Instead, Sougo's voice rang out.

"Barrier, Now."

In an instant, a huge, glowing orange spell circle popped up in front of the small group, and the flames broke across a large circular symbol in the middle that almost looked like hawkish goggles with the marks of a mask on the top and bottom. For a moment, everyone was stunned to see the circles spinning in opposite directions around the symbol, even the monstrous dragon, looking as dumbfounded as such a creature could. However, the monster was quick to swing its head around to see that same man in a black robe confidently smiling up at it. As it roared and reared back to lunge at its meal, Sougo chuckled and swept his hand around again.

"I must say that your transformation perplexed me for a lot longer than I expected, Gabriel, even with the memories I've obtained from the women at my side," The demon admitted to the ferociously struggling dragon, knowing it did not care for - or possibly even understood - a word he was saying, "But you won't have to live in that cursed form any longer."

" Bind, Now."

In an instant, six more spell circles appeared at the dragon's side, three on either side, that were much smaller than the previous circle. It didn't have another moment to act before six chains shot out and arced over it, forming huge arcs before embedding deep in the ground, then they pulled taut. Despite their relatively small size, the chains easily pulled the beast flat to the ground from its maw to its tail, so it could only writhe and make flames flicker across its clenched teeth.

"Cleanse, Now."

That command summoned four more orange symbols as large as the first, each one falling into place horizontally to divide the pinned dragon into four pieces. The entire room lit up with a bright light, making everyone in the room hurriedly cover their eyes.

For almost a minute, the glow continued with those orange circles barely visible and slowly moving within before it finally began to abate. When everyone turned to look at the dragon and blinked the spots out from their eyes, all of them found the words leaving them once again.

No longer was the dark, demonic dragon, but the dragon they all remembered well: Gabriella. Her scales were still a dark purple on top, but her underside was light purple as were her wings that also looked more like a regular dragon's rather than the axe-like ones before. She was so still beneath the chains that the Intoners almost thought she was dead until she finally spoke, a confused tone of voice coming across as rough and scratchy from being unused for so long.

"How am… I back? One, did you…" Her words trailed off as her blue eyes judgmentally bored into Sougo's own narrowed, brown pair, "This shrimp couldn't have been the one to do it, could he? He hardly looks stronger than Dito."

Before anyone could respond, a new voice rang through the air; in contrast to Gabriella's own vocal befuddlement, it was a voice concise, controlled, and fully assured of its own superiority with only the slightest of attempts to hide the surprise at what just unfolded.

"Intoners offer only pestilence to this world. Someday, they will be the disease that brings ruin to all human life. That's why you were trying to kill us: to save the world."

By then, everyone's attention was on the woman in the throne, enraptured by the truths she spoke. For anyone else, the red backed throne would make them feel small and insignificant, but the way the second oldest of the Intoners sat with her hands on her lap and legs crossed made her feel like she filled the entire space.

There was a default and natural look on One's face that was identical to the one that was normally on Sougo's, a look of such quiet power and control that none would doubt what she said or even think for a minute that any movement she made wasn't strictly calculated. It was an air that shouldn't have fit a woman as short, slender, and beautiful as her that almost looked like a perfect and dainty porcelain doll. Her skin was fair and made paler by the white clothes and light blonde hair she sported with nary a strand out of place or wrinkle not made by her bending clothes. Her hair - which was parted in way that made the roman numeral on her forehead, I, much easier to see than the ones on her younger sisters - was cut short and tidy just above her shoulders where they grazed along the black fur accenting the capelet on her shoulders that hid her small bust and had two big, black pom-poms hanging from it in the only expression of cutesiness among the utilitarian outfit. Her top was a dress that covered her arms and neck and came to a stop just below her small hips, and a brief glimpse of black tights could be seen before the leggings that covered her legs all the way up to her mid thigh overpowered them, a rather delightful black diamond pattern lining the sides. The only armor on her came in the form of her white cowboy boots and silver gauntlets decorated with a golden pattern.

"And once you had succeeded in killing your sisters, you were going to finish the job… and kill yourself. And you were going to use that dragon to do it," Every head snapped towards the staring - and most definitely annoyed at being called out - Zero except for Sougo's while One leaned forward and steepled her hands, "So please answer me this: why is it that every one of our sisters are alive and that Flower in your eye is gone?"

"Huh? Y-You were going to have me kill you?" Mikhail gasped in horror, earning a slight chuckle from the eldest Intoner, who gave him a reassuring pat on the side.

"That was the plan, yes, but, as you can see, things changed, thanks to this fucker," She nonchalantly jabbed a thumb towards said Demon King, who himself was slowly stepping past Gabriella, dismissing the chains as he did so.

"That man?" The second oldest sister frowned even as an impressed yet scrutinizing look flashed in her deep red eyes, "I had heard rumors and received reports of course, but I never expected a man who would really be able to stop Gabriel so easily, let alone turn him back to Gabriella. And I certainly didn't expect him at first glance to look so… unassuming."

To her surprise, Sougo merely chuckled at the informal, almost insulting, jab at his looks.

"Well, what exactly were you expecting?"

Curiously, One gave a slight tilt of her head, pressing a cheek to her hand as she mulled over the question for a mere moment.

"Just not… this."

From directly behind the overlord, Gabreialla let out an amused snort.

"Who would have thought—"

"That I would fall for a man like that," Zero finished Gabriella's snarky comment with a sigh and roll of her pink eyes, "I have heard that so many fucking times, and it's already gotten so goddamn old!"

"Indeed. In fact who would have thought that all of you would have fallen for him? Has he actually managed to satisfy your endless appetite Five?" One's questioning crimson eyes looked towards her youngest sister's golden pair, who, quite predictably, gave a rather scandalous smile.

"All that and more, dear big sister of mine ." Five purred out indulgently and let out a sigh of true affection and adoration towards those memories and the man at the center of them, "And if you're looking for more intimate details, well…" The blonde Intoner let out an impossibly scandalous wink. "...Then all I can say is that you must give him a try yourself!"

To nearly everyone's disbelief, One smirked in response.

"If all goes right on this day, perhaps I shall take up your suggestion sooner rather than later."

Five stared at her for a moment, raising that pretty eyebrow of hers, then she guffawed.

Turning her head away as her youngest sister laughed uncontrollably, One's hawk-like gaze landed on her second youngest sister, who stood more relaxed, loose, and forthright than One ever remembered her being.

"There have been rumors from the Land of Mountains that your chastity has been plucked away by a certain Demon King. And given the way you stand before me now… I feel those rumors are only part of the story."

Four flushed, but curiously enough, still stood stalwart as she firmly responded.

"It was willingly given away, One. Entrusted to him along with a real hope for a future where we all stand together side by side to build something truly wonderful and everlasting," The former ruler of the Mountain Country then raised an arm and stretched it towards her beloved older sister, holding out her bare hand as if inviting her sister to take it, "Would you be willing to hope for such a future as well?

One's arm seemed to raise ever so slightly in response to the sincere gesture, but she quickly snatched it back down with a quick, slightly embarrassed clearing of her throat, "We shall see little sister, we shall see…"

With an acknowledging nod, One then turned to look at Three directly in her purple eyes, as if inspecting her or scouring her very soul.

"…If someone had told me before now that the madness in your heart of hearts could be vanquished, that you could be rehabilitated, I would not have believed them. I would have called them insane and had them thrown out," She took a deep breath before continuing on, "Yet, now… I can see it in your eyes, Three. You've been brought back from the brink of whatever infested your mind all these years. Tell me… how did he do it? How did he excise the lunacy I saw take root in my third youngest sister's breast for so long?"

Blinking owlishly yet with a clear and complete understanding, Three answered, foregoing her usual drowsy demeanor that One had come to associate her with.

"When one does not know what it means to be in another's station in life, you simply make the shoe go to the other side of the foot. It is through that understanding that my eyes were given true sight for perhaps the first time in my life…" Three's expression took on a more somber look, "...even if it meant fully knowing what exactly I cannot take back with my actions."

"And now?"

"I do my best to replace the evil I put in this world with whatever good I can create, regardless if I fail or not."

"...As we all can try and do. Please rest assured that you won't ever be alone in that regard."

When she moved on to the next sister, One paused, her cool mask breaking for just a moment as a rush of emotions flashed in her eyes: lingering surprise, regret, sadness, until settling on grateful and loving, "To think I am able to see you like this again Two thanks to this new figure in our lives… saving you when I could not…"

"Oh One, don't ever blame yourself for the mess I got myself into," Two answered wistfully, tears in her bright blue eyes as she continued to assure her sister, who never thought she'd never see true life in those formerly unexpressive orbs ever again, "It was my own weakness and stupidity that had me end up as that sad, unfeeling husk in the first place."

The blue-haired girl let out a shaky breath before emotionally steadying herself, clearly determined to finish saying her piece towards the sister she looked up to so much.

"Even so, there's no point in dwelling on that part of my life now that everything is back as it should be…even if it cost me something really important."

"As all things do in life, tragically enough," One sighed dejectedly, "Still, you're here with us again as your best self, and I will do everything in my power to keep it that way."

"And I'll be doing the same thing from now on! That's a promise I'll lay my new chance at life for!"

After sharing a tender and loving smile with the sister she never thought she'd truly be with again, One's cool and calculating expression returned, her eyes now facing the pink pair of eyes glaring daggers at her.

"...And he even managed to make my worst, treacherous sister happy and willing to see reason, seemingly without lifting a hand to hurt her. Somehow, he did all of that, and now he stands before me alive."

"On the contrary, I did beat Zero within an inch of her life when we first met, but I daresay I more than made up for it afterwards. So, what do you plan on doing now that I am here for you?" Sougo told her in a voice just above a whisper, making Zero grimace at the memory and One to sigh once more.

"There is no need to speak so quietly; in these doors my senses are less sharp." She told him before thinking on his question for a moment, "You beat Zero badly enough that she follows you everywhere and defeated Gabriel all on your own. It would be clearly foolish to fight you, and worse yet, pointless, given the personal courtesies you extended to each one of my sisters… but I won't simply roll over and let you take the domains we have fought so hard to liberate without proof you are worthy of kingship in the first place. Tell me, conqueror, are you an honorable man?"

"Quite strange to ask the Demon King of Time if he's honor bound… but as of this conversation, I have yet to break a promise I have made," He responded with curiosity in his eyes, "If you want to stake everything on a contest of some sort, then I will gladly play along with whatever idea you hatched in that curious mind of yours."

"What about chess? The loser must join the winner's side unconditionally. That is, if you know the game," Once again, that mask slipped just a little to reveal the quiet excitement dancing in the Intoner's eyes.

"It was a very popular game from where I hailed from as well, so of course I mastered it. Do you trust your skills that much, or would you rather choose something I have never played before? The challenge would certainly be interesting."

"Of course. There is even a special room in this very temple that is giant and can be used as a magical chessboard in and of itself. I was always interested in seeing what it would be like using the room as such."

"Then just show us the way," The overlord's eyes swept over the women at his side, "I'm sure they will enjoy the show as well."

"Indeed…"

One leaned in, an enigmatic gleam in her eye and a small, sardonic sort of smile forming on her lips.

"...Now then, let us see who you truly are, Sougo Tokiwa."

---

In a matter of minutes, One was standing on a platform above the marble and obsidian chess board carved into the floor. On her side were obsidian pieces far taller than a man that were staring down pieces that seemed to be made of ivory. Her eyes briefly flicked down towards the women lining the side of the room, each one of her sisters watching with varying degrees of interest, before flicking up towards the man standing across from her. She couldn't help her brow from furrowing ever so slightly as she stared him down once more, but no amount of sizing him up seemed to help.

Despite his apparent age and wimpy stature, there was no denying the aura of confidence and power radiating from him, an aura that might have relieved her under better circumstances. As it was, this man was still a dangerous enigma, no matter what her sisters might think. Yet, there was still no helping the slight trickle of relief she felt as she took a few steps forward and gingerly rested her hands on the railing before her, wincing at the coldness and hardness of the stone, nor was there any helping that slight glimmer of hope deep within.

"So, One, do you know how exactly this particular board works?" His voice was strong but not all that loud, like he knew there was no need to raise his voice… just like her, and it hardly sounded like he was asking a question more than he was making conversation.

"White goes first, overlord. If you really are as bright as my sisters think you are, then this should be no issue," It took a lot of practice to keep her voice even with the perfectly playful hint she wanted, but the way the man grinned made her question just how fake it all sounded.

"Ah, then that should only mean one thing: Pawn on E2 to E4."

The sound of rock scraping against rock as his ivory pawn began to slide forward only made those words sound all the more smug. However, they were quickly drowned by that ear-piercing screech. All of the majesty and wonder One might have felt seeing the piece move before her very eyes was cut down by the effort it took to hold on to the railing as tightly as she could and force the horrendous sensations back. No amount of practice was ever enough to truly prepare her for something like that, and to think that there were so many movements left… No! The second eldest Intoner forced her back straight and her eyes forward to glare at the overlord across from her with gritted teeth. That man would have to do far better than that if he wanted to prove himself.

"A very standard play," She forced out as soon as the piece had stopped, cursing the ever so slight waver in her words, "I hope your other plays are far more interesting."

"There is no need to rush, One. After all, we have all the time in the world to settle things here. Although, I will admit that I did not consider how loud this would all be, so, if you want, I could silence the noise around the board for you."

"Quite the gentleman aren't you?" It took a bit more effort to hold back a grateful sigh, "Although I don't see how you could do that without breaking the magic."

"I make my own magic," With that, he flicked his fingers up, and every piece began to float just above the tiles as if held aloft by a strong and clear, golden wind, "Just make sure you announce your moves clearly in case the magic works no longer. It would be a shame for your renewed concentration to go to waste."

"Of course, but you may come to regret that," Despite her words, One couldn't keep the slight smile from her face.

As she studied the board and thought, she thought about just how long it had been since she was able to truly concentrate on the game. How many wins had taken a few moves more because the incessant clacking drove into her ears like nails or the slight breathing filled her mind. Now, every piece stood out in pristine detail as did every move she could make, so she took a few moments to play out a few situations. She almost expected the overlord to huff impatiently like Five or study the board himself, but he simply watched her with a smile that was slowly becoming unnerving.

"Pawn on E7 to E5," One finally declared, the piece silently gliding forward.

"Interesting play," The man remarked, and his eyes flicked back down at the board for a single moment, "Pawn on F2 to F4."

The second eldest Intoner watched the piece with interest. Yet, with silence reigning while she thought once more, she couldn't help but find the normally blissful quiet a little too deafening. The only noises were light breathing, the scraping of boots and claws on the stone, and the occasional petulant noise from Mikhail that earned a glare from Zero or the surprisingly soft snore coming from the resting Gabriella, all of that quickly becoming too unnerving even for her tastes beneath that intense gaze.

"So, overlord, why do you accept being a Demon King and all that entails?"

"It is quite the apt name. I am no stranger to crushing those beneath my feet before they can become a nuisance, and you have bore witness to my combat prowess," The man seemed more than happy to answer her question, but, along with the slight bloodthirst in his youthful voice, there was a very slight and strange longing and hesitation.

"To summon powerful magic is far from proof of true prowess in combat. Perhaps you are growing so accustomed to such rich power that you barely know how to fight," One prodded him just to gauge his reaction before raising her eyes to prod him in another way, "Pawn on E5 takes pawn on F4."

She prepared her senses for the sharp cracking of stone striking stone, but the ivory pawn quickly rose in the air and to the side before that could happen. Even when the overlord set it down in the recess next to her balcony, it never struck the ground.

"Perhaps," The answer caught the Intoner off guard from both the suddenness of it after that anticipation and the complete honesty, "But, in the end, sheer power is more than enough to win, is it not? Although I will admit that fighting Zero without using my full power was quite exhilarating. Bishop on F1 to C4."

One barely watched the piece move as she lightly frowned at the man across from her. It seemed like every single thing he said went against the last impression he made. Was he a tyrant simply trying to rule the world she worked so hard to liberate just to crush it all, or was there something more to him? There had to be if all of her sisters were so enraptured, and the strange tone of his voice certainly supported that. She just had to know just what kind of man he was before relinquishing control.

"You said you hailed from elsewhere. Where exactly is that? Queen on D8 to H4. Check."

"Another world entirely," He chuckled and stared at the board for a moment longer, "King on E1 to F1."

"Is that really all you have to say about that? I would like to know more about the man who wishes to conquer me. Pawn on B7 to B5."

"Do you mean your body or your kingdom?" The overlord gave her a teasing grin that made her face slightly twist in a mix of anger and embarrassment, no matter how she tried to force the feelings down and not that she gave her opponent the satisfaction of seeing it for long, "Bishop on C4 takes pawn on B5. I am interested to see what your plan is, One."

"And I am interested in getting a serious answer. Why did you come to our world if you apparently conquered your old one? Was it simply bloodlust? Or was it lust for my sisters? Knight on G8 to F6."

"I didn't have a choice as a matter of fact. When I died I simply fell into this world fifty years younger and with a new lease on life. Knight on G1 to F3," Once again, the Intoner had to stare at the board and plan, but her concentration was more on the words of the man across from her, "To tell the truth, it was a blessing in disguise. I was so tired of ruling a dead world."

"A dead world?" A ball of dread filled One's stomach, "Queen on H4 to H6."

"Interesting," The overlord looked over the board, "And yes, a dead world. I was much younger and stupider back then, so, in the course of conquering my world, I took the total subjugation route. It led to many people rising up against me only to get crushed beneath me, and it all ended with the world as a wasteland, half of the humans eradicated, and a rebel group hopelessly standing against me. Pawn on D2 to D3."

A deep cold filled One, and she couldn't bring herself to speak. For a few minutes, she could only stare at the board and think. Could that be how her world will end up beneath his rule? Yet, he did sound older and wiser and even more regretful, and there were many opportunities where he did the very opposite. Would any despot really have gone out of their way to revive the experimented on people of the Land of Forests and seemingly treat her sisters so well?

"What are your plans for this world if you conquer it? Knight on F6 to H5," Her tone was somehow colder than before and her gaze more calculating and judgemental, but the lanky man barely seemed to notice.

"Perhaps I never quite thought that far," He chuckled and thought for a second, "I guess we shall see when it comes time for me to sit in the throne once more. Knight on F3 to H4."

One frowned ever so slightly, not only at the move but at his answer.

"Is that really all the answer you can give? You have ruled before and plan to rule again, but all you can do is shrug and laugh the responsibility off? A man who rules like that will run this world into the ground. Queen on H6 to G5. I hope you at least have plans for the game, overlord. Are you giving up your Bishop on B5 or your Knight on H4? You have to have at least planned that much seeing your skill in this game and the women at your side."

For a few moments, the man didn't answer, his brow furrowed in thought. Yet, his eyes weren't on the board but far off in the distance, as if recollecting something far into the past. When he finally spoke, it wasn't quite the answer she hoped for.

"Knight on H4 to F5," This time he seemed more interested in thinking than answering her question, so, with that dread still building, One made her own move.

"Pawn on C7 to C6."

As the overlord thought, so too did the second eldest Intoner. She once more studied his expression and stance, took in every single detail about him down to his pores. That aura of power and confidence not fit for his nearly pathetic frame was still there despite the far off look in his eyes, as if he was simply pretending to have all of the answers. With every passing second, it felt more and more like a ruse, a simple mask used to trick her sisters or to hide his true devious nature. One steeled herself to win the game, so she studied the board like mad, considering every move and strategy possible to beat this man. There was no way she could let a potentially destructive fraud ruin her world.

"Pawn on G2 to G4," He finally answered, "Always keep in mind your other pieces when you get aggressive."

"I am. Knight on H5 to F6."

"Rook on H1 to G1."

Once again, she frowned when the white piece glided to the side. Right after he gave her that advice he did the very same thing… Her eyes flicked up towards him to see the same inconsistent confidence portrayed on his aura and body, and she hesitated. It would be so easy to take his bishop, but the man played to smart to do something that stupid unless he had a plan.

A plan…

"Pawn on C6 takes Bishop on B5," Hopefully, if nothing else, that would at least snap him back to the real world and reveal what her sisters saw in him.

"Pawn on H2 to H4," Finally, his eyes focused once more and connected with hers.

In an instant, all of that indecision and hesitation was gone, replaced by a fire as strong as the aura surrounding him. One felt her throat go dry as she looked right into the very eyes of a man who was equal parts power, resolve, and commanding, the very same gaze she was sure her sisters had seen many times before. It was almost enough to make her legs go weak.

"I will admit that my mind has been clouded and too focused on the task at hand, and I do apologize for that, but please rest assured that I do have a plan," He leaned in closer from his end of the board, as if he was going to whisper it into One's ear, "I will rid your world of your cruel creators known as the Watchers, I will bring this world beneath my rule, and, when I have dealt with all in my way, I will turn it into a paradise worthy of being ruled by the Demon King of Time himself, Sougo Tokiwa," The overlord chuckled lowly, "I forgot how useful a good game of chess was for organizing my thoughts."

Well, well… it seemed that she wasn't dealing with a complete fraud after all.

"But do you have a plan to make this world a paradise?" The red-eyed Intoner retorted, hardly able to help the relief that seemed to flood through her.

"Not yet. But tell me this, One: what will happen to this world when the Watchers are eradicated by my hand? Will it start to die? Will it remain unchanged? Will it start to heal? Until then, what good is there in a hard and fast plan that demands immediate results? Perhaps you should take a page from your sister's book and loosen up a little. Plans work best when you have some wiggle room to work with."

One raised an unimpressed, pale-blonde eyebrow.

"And which sister of mine are you referring to? The one who's greed knows no bounds? The one who has only recently learned to be properly honest with herself and those around her? The one who's asleep half of the time we interact? The one who has just awoken from a self-inflicted coma? Or are you suggesting that I take up the lothesome habits of that traitorous sister who was happily willing to slaughter her own flesh and blood prior to encountering you?"

"Fuck you too One," Zero snorted dismissively down below, causing Two to giggle none too subtlely.

"And all too predictable as well." One sniffed haughtily, turning her gaze fully towards Sougo, who simply shrugged his shoulders.

"I was more so referring to Four," The overlord admitted with a twinkle in his eyes, "Although I daresay you could learn a thing or two about trust from that traitorous sister of yours."

"Trust?" One readied herself to throw another arrow at his cool exterior, "How do you expect me to trust you when your plan is: 'We'll get to it when we get to it?' How do you expect me to view you as a true king when you treat everything like it's a toy set that you own? Queen on G5 to G6."

"How do you expect me to see you as a fit ruler when you are far too stiff and unyielding? A good ruler has backup plans on backup plans or, better yet, operates with a goal in mind and a few steps in place and does whatever it takes to make that happen. Pawn on H4 to H5. And do be careful not to lose focus on the game, One."

"Says the man who just lost his Bishop," One retorted in a way that was more heated than usual yet still cool as one can be, "Unlike you, I can keep my temper in check. In all the times I dealt with Dito I never tried to kill him, and I have never massacred my own people. Queen on G6 to G5."

"My own people wouldn't relent until I destroyed all of the naysayers. I would hardly say that I lost my cool in that situation. However, I don't plan on using such extreme measures to bring the world beneath my heel unless they force my hand. As for Dito… well, he did stab me first."

"You did tell him to go for the penetration, dearest…" Five retorted all too suggestively, earning yet another snort from the white-haired Intoner to her right side and an embarrassed groan from the brown-haired one on her left.

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Four bemoaned to herself while pinching the bridge of her nose, her only younger sister simply tittering in return.

"That was only after he tried to act all high and mighty," Sougo defended himself with a slight grin, both of his hands in the air in a guiltless manner, "And he was bound to stab Five to death soon enough anyways. I would say that's a small price to pay for your sister's life. It does make me think, however, about what would have happened if Dito didn't try to savor my death and went for the killing blow to start with. Queen on D1 to F3."

"And you would have just let him kill you?" Once again, the calculating woman couldn't keep that slight frown from forming on her face.

"Of course, I am a man of my word. Honestly, I was a little surprised his sword pierced my armor as well as it did, but anything that doesn't kill me in an instant is easily reversed through the very flow of time."

"So you mean to tell me our possible future tyrant is not only a mass murderer but immortal at that?" Her eyes then narrowed all too quickly, "Knight of F6 to G8. Nice attempt at trying to trap my Queen."

" Tyrant is a strong word. I would prefer to be the most beloved and kind overlord in history, but people rarely fall into line. I do appreciate you and your sisters being much more reasonable than the ones who stood before me at home. And yes, so long as my power is not worn out and the wound does not instantaneously kill me, then I can reverse the flow of time to reverse any wound. If you are planning on trying to kill me, I would suggest keeping me busy so that I am too tired for that first. A good challenge is always interesting. Speaking of, Bishop on C1 takes Pawn on F4."

"It seems you mistake what makes a good ruler, overlord. All you care about is power and control, not the welfare of your own citizens. What good—"

"Is a throne among a pile of rubble and death?" The man sighed and shook his head, "It's worth less than the gold it's made of I'm afraid."

"Right, that's why you want a paradise," One almost could have kicked herself. If their conversation wouldn't just keep winding around and around she could just keep track of… "Hmmph, you're clever at least. Do you really think you can confuse me with so many questions and subject changes? It certainly isn't distracting me from the game at least. Queen on G5 to F6."

"Perhaps it's simply an example of why a loose plan works well. If you can't adapt that much on the fly, then what use is rigidity? But, in the end, only one thing matters to you, right? Whether or not I am a worthy replacement for you and your sisters," The second oldest Intoner couldn't stop herself from jolting ever so slightly in surprise, "Well, let me tell you one thing, One: I may have been a tyrant that destroyed half of the population of my world, but I was still a ruler. Not as beloved as I would have wanted, far from being a nice one, but a ruler all the same. And I have fifty years of experience ruling, even if it was the wrong way, and I have sixty-nine years worth of learning, practice, and experience under my belt. See me as you may, but do not doubt that I at least have all of that to guide us on our journey. And I will have all six of you to help guide me as well."

Strangely enough, One could see the overlord's brown eyes begin to gain a far off look.

"I am not so egotistical to deny that I have always had people supporting me, even if they were just my herald. In fact, after all of the times I have had to explain who I was, I wish I had a herald still. And a good ruler is only as good as himself and the counsel he is given. Perhaps, that is what led me to being such a bad one. Knight on B1 to C3."

The second oldest Intoner could only stare at him and blink. After all of the prodding and mind games, she never expected such a complete and honest answer, let alone one that forced her to go silent just to digest it all. None of his actions or words had shown the slightest bit of humility, hell, he damn near stated that like it was a fact of life they just had to accept rather than in any way apologized, yet there was a strange earnestness in every word of it all. No matter how she turned the words around and around in her mind, all she could see was someone all too similar to herself.

Was her own takeover not bloody in and of itself? Did she not rely far too much on her own power to protect her sisters? And did her sisters - save for her - not support her every action like she was so high above him? The very thought that the only thing that differentiated them was time and her actually having a good reason to fight and rule made her mind whirl even more than before.

For the first time in a very long time, a full-on frown creased her brow in full view of her sisters.

There was no doubt that the overlord before her was a despicable manipulator… yet, he had the power she did not and goals much loftier than hers in a way. If she simply stepped aside, then would he lead the world to a greater peace for her and her sisters than she ever could? Would he release the burden from her shoulders like with everyone else?

Her crimson eyes fell back down to the pieces on the board, many of them still resting in their original place and waiting for orders while the rest danced their deadly dance. They were her soldiers, the only things protecting her world from the man, but they were all held aloft by his power for her own sake. Even if she won it would be in part thanks to his hand, and she couldn't quite grasp exactly how that made her feel. Angry? Relieved? Excited? Filled with dread? Every emotion seemed right yet wrong at the very same time, as if they were just as much an anomaly as him. However she felt, there was no way One would just hand him the game, so she carefully studied the board once again.

"Bishop on F8 to C5," Her eyes flicked up to that far off look in his eyes, another arrow forming in her mind while his mind was wandering, "Perhaps you are getting ahead of yourself. If you lose this match, then you will be at my beck and call instead. Truly a fate worse than death for a conqueror such as yourself."

"True," He chuckled, "But you would have to beat me, and, as it stands, I believe I am only a few steps from squashing that goal. Knight on C3 to D5."

"Are you really that confident?" The Intoner's eyes scanned the board once more with more urgency than before, almost desperately checking every possible move he could make. Sure enough, there were only a handful of moves left that could lead to her victory, "Interesting. It seems you decided to distract me with conversation rather than the hell of those pieces clashing. You really are quite a demon. Not that you have beaten me quite yet. Queen on F6 takes Pawn on B2."

"Here I was hoping you would be able to keep up with both. Bishop on F4 to D6."

"Says the one making poor plays. Queen on B2 takes Rook on A1," One couldn't keep a smug smile from tugging on her lips, "Check."

"But not yet a checkmate. Don't count your victories until the bodies have cooled. King on F1 to E2," The smirk on the overlord's face never wavered.

For the first time in a long time, she felt her body buzz with excitement. They were finally in the last few plays, so, one way or another, one would soon be losing. In all of the games she had played with her sisters, none had come this close to bringing a match to the very edge, able to topple in either direction at any moment, other than Four.

Her heart beat just a little faster while she considered her next moves very carefully, her eyes focused on the king and the black pieces ready to close in and choke it off.

"Bishop on C5 takes Rook on G1," It became harder and harder to hide the energy tingling in her limbs, "What will our great overlord pull out this time?"

"Something simple. Pawn on E4 to E5."

Immediately, One felt the energy die down into a familiar, cold dread. Her eyes frantically searched all over the board for the trap he just laid, but it truly seemed like no more than a simple move.

"Interesting. You certainly have something planned, but I must need more experience to see it clearly."

"Or perhaps you are not as well versed in seeing the way the future plays out like me."

"Are you cheating?" One raised a disapproving eyebrow and glared accusingly at him, "Because if you are—"

"I would never cheat on something with so much at stake. What do you take me for, some kind of fraud that would break his word at the moment of most convenience?" There wasn't even the slightest hint of dishonesty in the man's voice or actions, so the woman let her gaze slip once more into a more stoic expression.

"Perhaps I shall give you the benefit of the doubt. Knight on B8 to A6," With that, she turned her full focus on the game, watching every piece slide into place.

"Knight on F5 takes Pawn on G7. Check."

"Hmm, you will have to try harder than that. King on E8 to D8."

"Queen on F3 to F6. Check… again."

"Knight on G8 takes Queen on F6. I do wonder what your strategy is leaving your Queen right where I can easily take it. You have no Rooks, no Queen, and a single Bishop." The leader of the Intoners closed her eyes and shook her head in disappointment, "If only you hadn't wasted time moving that Pawn to…"

Her red eyes instantly snapped open before the sentence could be finished, the pair flicking towards the board as if seeing it in a completely new light.

The sly devil.

It dawned on One all too late exactly what the trap was, and she so foolishly and brazenly slammed her foot right into it, "...I see. Perhaps fifty years of experience is just as impressive as it sounds."

"It can be when utilized correctly. When you play some of the best grandmasters to live, you pick up some unconventional strategies and learn exactly what people expect. Speaking of… Bishop on D6 to E7. Checkmate."

The last piece slid into place before the golden wind dissipated, gently lowering to the ground as a snapshot of the final moment of the game. Even as the sideline erupted into cheers and claps of various volumes, the second oldest Intoner couldn't quite take her eyes off of the board or stop the strange feeling in her gut. Finally, after working up all of her willpower, she pulled her eyes back up towards the visibly and insufferably smug man standing on the other balcony, a fire building in her gut.

"It appears that you have won… my king," The title felt weird on her tongue, "It appears my sisters are right about you, but there is still much you have to prove."

"And I still need you to kneel before me and give me one very important thing," The overlord began to climb down the stairs next to him before one did the same.

"My portion of the Flower. That will be easy enough."

As she walked, the stoic, almost cold woman reached deep into the whirling heat just beneath the surface and grabbed the sharp object she had sensed many times before. Without missing a step, she pulled it up and into the throat, swallowing down the stabbing, cutting pain traveling up her gullet. It was hardly the worst thing she had felt, absolutely nothing compared to the sight of Two in Cent's arms as his tears fell upon her lifeless, broken face. However, it did taste horrible while she spat the bloody seed into her cupped hand, grimacing at the sight of the jagged thorns and slight tendrils beginning to sprout from it, but it was quickly snatched from her hand and thrown into a golden portal.

"And for the other task?" The way her new king grinned at her as she wiped her mouth made the feelings within her flare into an inferno.

There was no way she would give the overlord the satisfaction, so, after a moment to stare him down with a borderline murderous glare, she pounced.

Yet, no small amount of surprise filled the man's eyes when she wrapped one arm along his skinny back, one leg against her waist, grabbed the back of his head, and pulled him down into a deep kiss. Before he had a chance to control the kiss, her tongue pushed past his lips to fill his mouth and quickly began to bat his tongue around. As expected, his own strong muscle quickly began to clash against her, battling for control while they furiously writhed, slipped together, and twined around, but neither won before One finally jerked back, letting a single thick string of spit connect their lips.

"Le seul moment où je m'agenouillerai devant toi, c'est quand je te sucerai plus sec que le Pays des Déserts." She growled with the same heat and hunger that she hadn't felt in what seemed to be forever.

When the second oldest sister pulled him back into the vicious, messy kiss and ground her crotch against his, the youngest of them all let out an excited whoop.

"Baise-le bonne soeur!"

Five's encouraging hoot made Three shift and open her eyes from where rested her head on that blonde draped shoulder, and a slight smile took her face before closing her eyes and starting to snore once more.

First off, a bit of a fun fact: basically, Sougo and One are reenacting one of the most famous chess matches ever played, called "The Immortal Game" or "The King's Gambit."(A coincidence, I swear) This particular game was played between Adolf Anderssen and Lionel Kieseritzky in London, in June 1851, during a break from an international tournament, and it quickly gained fame for its daring and creativity, as well as for its show-stopping drama and brilliant final moves. As a result, it is considered to be a perfect example of dashing and romantic chess of the time. Or so what it is said. There was also a reference to it in Dragon Age Inquisition that you can watch here if you want a visual indicator of what is happening: https/youtu.be/Ky19-1fuL2U

Also, for those curious on the whole One and Two thing that's going on, it's a reference to the story Sinking in the Distance by Zerrat on Ao3: /works/2550410. It's really good and you should check it, even if there's no need to read it to understand this story. It probably does a better job than me at showing the way One felt about Two's condition.

Also, Zerrat, if you're reading this? Please don't sue…

P.S. As you can probably tell, my editor wrote most of this lol, as did he do quite a few portions of One's dialogue to really give it some oomph. So if you really enjoy her segments, he deserves just as much credit.

Translation Cheat Sheet:

Sinceramente? Eso hace que mi corazón se acelere como si nunca pudieras saber: To be honest? That makes my heart race like you could never know.

Cuando nadie empuja, la piedra permanece sin remover, y eres una tormenta: When no one pushes, the stone remains unturned, and you are a storm

No han pasado por muchas?: Haven't they been through a lot?

Solo con un ancla manteniéndose en su lugar: Just with an anchor holding it in place

No tienes: Have you not?

Entonces podemos olvidar mis pecados?: So can we forget my sins?

Gracias. Y te preguntas por qué hemos cambiado: Thank you. And you wonder why we have changed.

Mi consejo es sólo sentido común: My advice is just common sense.

Le seul moment où je m'agenouillerai devant toi, c'est quand je te sucerai plus sec que le Pays des Déserts: The only time I'll kneel in front of you is when I'm sucking you drier than the Land of Deserts.

Baise-le bonne soeur: Fuck him good sister