Where have I been you may ask? Working the 4am-12pm shift at work and slowly losing my mind. That shift is exhausting, and I think it's destroying me. But you're not here to listen to my bitching.

Chapter 38: Loose Ends

Lucifer stood in the corner, staring down at the occupied cribs that had been moved into his room. This was his first moment where he was truly alone with them, although Albedo was in the room with them passed out in his coffin as naked as can be, so as alone as they could be. When Lucifer had first seen his children his first thoughts had been how to mold them to become the perfect tools for his use, but he had swiftly crushed these ideas. On Earth, he'd seen too many movies where rebellious children stood up to their evil and controlling fathers. Hell, he'd seen what the fallout could be when it comes to bad parenting, or lack of parenting in general, firsthand when Vega and Zesshi had faced off against their father.

No. He would not be one of those evil and controlling fathers. Perhaps his children could find the happiness, the REAL happiness, that he'd been denied on Earth.

STOP THINKING ABOUT IT!

His life on Earth, his 'friends,' everything about his life prior to becoming Lucifer Dracul, all of it was meaningless and had no bearing on his new unlife. Lucifer thought the past was already dead to him, but then Touch Me came along and showed that there was still a little bit of Suzuki Satoru left to lose. But now, any withered remnants of his former human self were now well and truly dead.

There's nothing left to tie me to my past life.

Lucifer let out a sigh, despite his lack of a need to breathe.

There was no point in dwelling on the past. It was over and done with. All that was left was to tie up loose ends and solidify his rule over the continent.

I won't take it easy on them any longer. Time to show the Theocracy the penalty for their repeated defiance. First thing's first though…..

With that, Lucifer removed himself from his corner and quietly slipped out of the room to find a nervous Narberal Gamma waiting for him with Corvo.

"Come along you two," Lucifer commanded without pausing in his stride.

"My lord," Narberal began. "About what happened…."

"We are not discussing this right now," Lucifer interrupted. "I will address the guardians as a whole later."

"But my lord-"

"Once Sebas is done in the Re-Estize Kingdom, he and the other guardians are to report to the throne room," Lucifer commanded before teleporting away to his office. With a single sweeping motion, he sat down behind his ornate desk while shooting a quick glare towards the blade resting upon it: Razor Edge. But as quick as the glare appeared on his face, it just as quickly disappeared as Lucifer redirected his attention to more important matters.

[Jigsaw, have you done as I asked?]

[Yes, milord.]

[Good. Meet me in my office. Bring Angela's corpse and finalize the 'modifications' to Memento Mori's corpse.]

And so, Lucifer sat in his office, fantasizing about what he would do those who had provoked his wrath by supporting Touch Me and humming to himself as he awaited his subordinates' arrival. Unknown to any who may have been watching him however, he was not simply sitting around doing nothing.

No.

He was managing his new stats, skills, and spells he'd acquired after leveling up.

In your attempt to kill me, Touch Me, you taught me much. Both about myself and about the limits I presumed to my power. Now I know better. There are no limits my power. When I first came to this world, I was an atheist. But how can I not believe in the existence of god when I AM god?

I've got no strings

To hold me down

The final battle for the fate of the Re-Estize Kingdom was underway. All across the once great kingdom's capital, dozens of uprisings, targeted strikes, and assassinations were carried out almost simultaneously. The National Liberation Party struck hard, struck fast, and struck on multiple fronts. Death Knights on loan from the Eternal Empire stood guard at every way out of the city. Rebels and Royalists clashed in the streets while the remaining citizens in the capital took shelter or took up arms in favor of whichever cause they supported.

Everyone had been so busy fighting that no one had noticed Sebas's sudden and unexplainable absence. It was for these exact same reasons that there was no one around to witness a shaken Sebas return through a [Gate]. Sebas stared down at his bloody knuckles in contemplation. Between himself and the Floor Guardians, dealing with the Platinum Dragon Lord and Rigrit had been a simple matter. But that wasn't what was bothering him. Their master had almost been slain. Such an incident never should've been allowed to happen. The conversation he'd had with Shalltear so long ago right before the Black Scripture incident kept replaying through his head, particularly the part about the possibility of the last of the Supreme Beings leaving them like the others. They had failed their master by allowing those FUCKING INSECTS to join forces and strike at him.

Such an egregious error could not be overlooked.

Staring out the window at the burning city as the sun went down, Sebas grit his teeth and hardened his resolve. There was no point in dwelling on things he had no control over. Instead, he would carry out his objective with precision and efficiency and prove to his master that the events at Crescent Lake, which he still didn't know the whole story of, were an anomaly which there would not be a repeat of.

And so, with a fire burning in his heart and with an anger atypical of Nazarick's butler, Sebas leapt through the window and began hopping from rooftop to rooftop towards the royal palace, immediately becoming soaked by the intense rainfall.

I have a job to do. Time to finish it.

Servus Torquemada approached the Supreme Being's office nervously. She had not seen her god since her creation. Idly, she wondered if she had displeased him somehow. When she finally entered the room, she found her god (NEMA DRACUL!) casting some manner of spell on the blade resting on his desk, the mad doctor Jigsaw, and an unknown woman who looked almost exactly like her apart from a few minor differences and shorter hair.

"Ah, Servus," Lucifer droned, looking up from the sword as continue to imbue it with some manner of black magic. "It is good that you are here. I have someone I'd like you to meet." With a sway of his free hand, he gestured to the other woman in the room who stepped forward and gave a polite bow.

"Greetings. I am Genevieve Torquemada," the newborn Fallen Angel introduced herself. Servus blinked in confusion as she stared at what for all intents and purposes appeared to be her twin.

"My lord, who is she and why does she have my name?" Servus inquired.

"You've been doing exemplary work and I feel as though you were owed a reward," Lucifer responded. "So, I decided to make you a sister."

"A sister?!" Servus exclaimed looking excitedly at her new counterpart.

"I am very pleased to meet you," Genevieve smiled.

"Yes. I hope the two of you will get along. I intend for her to assist you in your work for the church," Lucifer continued. "I believe that once your work on my scriptures is complete, the two of you will be complement each other's abilities perfectly and run the churches well."

"Yes, my lord! I swear we will make you proud!" Servus exclaimed as she and her sister bowed.

"There is one other thing," Lucifer interjected somewhat ominously. "In the scripture, have you included any mention of my old title: the Antichrist of Yggdrasil?"

"Of course, my lor-"

"Erase them," Lucifer commanded. "I want every single damned mention of that title, anything that even has the word Antichrist in it erased and forgotten. If you must replace it with another title, refer me to as Satan."

"Satan?" Jigsaw murmured off to the side, testing this unknown word with his mouth. It was foreign but it had some power to it.

"A-As you wish my lord," Servus replied with another bow.

"Thank you. You may go now."

And with that, the Fallen Angel sisters excused themselves from their masters' office leaving the Dark Lord and mad Frankenstein alone.

"My lord," Jigsaw nervously spoke up after a few minutes of Lucifer silently continuing to work on the blade on his desk. "I know you said that you were going to address the Guardians as a whole regarding the events at Crescent Lake, but I have to ask: Are you going to leave us?"

Lucifer silently turned to stare at the doctor.

"I understand that we failed you and that there is nothing we can do to make up for this, but-"

"You did not fail me," Lucifer cut him off. "The events at Crescent Lake were the result of my own shortsightedness and overconfidence."

Jigsaw was silent at that. Lucifer Dracul, the Immortal Emperor, the Supreme Being and Ruler of Nazarick had just admitted to making a mistake. Such a thing shouldn't be possible. He was a Supreme Being! He was supposed to be perfect! How can-

"I can tell what you're thinking Jigsaw," once again, the Dark Lord interrupted him. "Perfection does not exist. It as an ideal we will always strive for, but it cannot truly be obtained. There will always be something to be improved upon. Anyone can make mistakes, even me. But we cannot allow these failings to drag us down. We must learn from them and improve constantly. In conclusion: the reason perfection isn't real is because we never stop improving, thus there is no true limit to our potential."

Jigsaw was in awe. The idea that his master, an individual that all of Nazarick saw as infinitely greater than them, the best of the best, regarded himself as someone who can still become greater despite the greatness he'd already obtained was inspiring. He couldn't imagine just how powerful his master might become.

"My lord!" Jigsaw exclaimed as he dropped to one knee. "I do not know if there is a limit to the power a Supreme Being such as yourself can obtain, but if that limit exists, I will endeavor to help you not only reach it but break it and surpass it, leaving it not but a burning husk of that limitation!"

"Thank you, Jigsaw," Lucifer said with short chuckle. "When the time comes, I will hold you to that. Now bring Mori's corpse to me. I wish to….. experiment with a few new abilities I've gained."

To make me fret
Or make me frown

"Forward men!" Brain shouted as he led his troops through the ruins of the Market District, facing down Royalist forces under the command of Baron Silus Beauregard. His heart went out to the people who lived here. They'd survived Jalbadaoth, they'd survived the oppression brought about by Zanac and Ritton, and now they were forced to survive this damned battle.

I'll ask Renner to put some funds aside to redevelop this place. These people deserve some damned peace. All I can do for them now is make sure that the NLP wins this fight so that we can finally start rebuilding the Kingdom, although I suppose it won't be a kingdom anymore if we're victorious.

Knowing that the best way to avoid unnecessary death and suffering was to end this battle swiftly, Brain lashed out at the Royalist forces keeping them on the backfoot while he and his men slowly but surely advanced.

"Hold the line! Don't let a single of one of them through! For the King!" the Baron shouted. He was slightly overweight but was clearly muscular. Brain recalled meeting him once after the Demonic Disturbance. He'd been fat, stupid, naïve, and selfish. Like many of Zanac's followers, he'd been a spare among his family before the Immortal Emperor wiped out his older siblings and father at the Katze Plains, forcing him to step as the head of the family. Unlike many of Zanac's followers, Silus had managed to turn himself around and really stepped up for what was left of his family becoming honorable, serious, and had even gone through an extensive exercise regimen to try to get in shape. He still had some fat on him, but it was a vast improvement compared to how plump he was a little over a year ago.

His only flaw now was that he was still naïve and truly believed that since Zanac was, by tradition, the rightful heir to the throne that he was the one in the right. His decision to fight for the Royalists had been made not out of greed, but out of loyalty. It was a shame really. Brain had no desire to kill the man and decided that he would do his best to spare him if possible. It was this thought process that led to Brain carving his way through the Royalist mercenaries straight towards Silus.

The sight of Brain, a legend among the NLP and widely regarded as the successor to Gazef Stronoff even before the civil war erupted, carving his way through Royalist troops sent an untold number of the mercenaries hired by Ritton to flee. They weren't getting paid enough to commit suicide by fighting Brain FUCKING Unglaus! On the other hand, morale for those aligned with the NLP surged making them fight with a renewed vigor. The Royalists' attempt at a defense was demolished quickly and with ease. Most of the mercenaries abandoned Silus and the remaining few dozen men who'd been mustered from House Beauregard's lands.

"Surrender Baron!" Brain shouted coincidentally just as it began to rain. "Your forces are outnumbered! Zanac and Ritton won't escape! I promise that you and your men will be treated fairly!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that, Sir Unglaus!" Silus shouted back. "I swore fealty to King Ramposa when I became the head of my house, and I swore fealty to King Zanac when he succeeded his father! I'd rather die fighting than break my oaths and discard my honor!"

"If you won't surrender for your own sake, then please consider surrendering for the sake of your men!" Brain yelled. "Should they really be made to throw away their lives for a lost cause!? The National Liberation Party has won! This battle is pointless! Don't allow more blood to be needlessly shed!"

The Baron was silent for a few moments, glancing repeatedly between the men under his command and Brain with uncertainty in his eyes. He was no great noble with large swaths of land. He ruled over a single, simple village. It was small enough that he knew the names of everyone who lived there and, by extension, every man who stood with him in this battle today.

Silus grit his teeth. Loyalty or no loyalty, he knew how this was going to end and he wouldn't be able to look those widows in the eye should his men die for his pride.

Finally, he held up his hand and shouted.

"Stand down!"

Brain let out a sigh of relief as the loyalists dropped their weapons.

In every city in the Eternal Empire, from the former Holy Kingdom to the former Baharuth Empire, there were strange magical contraptions through which declarations were made to the entire city. Usually, these things were controlled by the Local Propaganda Officer who would announce local news. However. There were occasions when the National Propaganda Officer, who was apparently stationed in E-Rantel, would announce global news such as the battle against Jaldabaoth, the announcement of new laws, and updates on the Eternal Empire's consistently expanding territory. His voice was one that every citizen of the Eternal Empire had become familiar with.

Today however, would be something new.

"Ahem," the National Propaganda Officer began nervously. "Citizens of the empire, today we have a two very special announcements from our great emperor, Lucifer Dracul!"

All over the Eternal Empire, people paused what they were doing. Some out of respect, some out of fear, others out of curiosity.

"This is the Immortal Emperor speaking," a soft, icy cold voice reverberated throughout the land.

Millions of people simultaneously shivered. For most, this was their first time actually hearing the voice of their ruler. It was softer than most imagined having expected something demonic or sinister, but there was still something deeply unsettling about it. Soft, yet powerful. Gentle, yet threatening.

"I have 2 announcements to make today," Lucifer's voice continued. "First of all, I am happy to announce the birth of my sons, Prince Hades Ulbert Dracul and Prince Malice Tabula Dracul."

This brought many mixed reactions to the people all over the continent. Some shook with terror, some celebrated, some didn't care at all.

"However, the other matter I have to discuss is far graver," the Immortal Emperor carried on. "The Slane Theocracy and Agrand Council Alliance sent their forces to kill me during a mission to Crescent Lake liberate the Elf Country from the tyranny of Augustus Connard."

The Eternal Empire went completely silent. The only sounds heard for miles were the growls and gnashing teeth of the undead servants of Dracul. Everyone knew what would come next…

"These nations will be offered a chance to make up for their wrongdoings and explain themselves. However, should they refuse to show repentance, they will be dealt with."

Many dropped to their knees upon hearing his shift in tone. It was much worse than what anyone could've imagined his voice would sound like. It wasn't just the voice of evil that struck fear into their hearts, it was the words that were spoken. From the most ignorant peasant to the most privileged merchant, they all knew what this meant.

Lucifer Dracul had just sounded the death knell for the two most powerful nations in the known world.

Two guards in the employ of the Slane Theocracy were doing what the same thing they always did: guarding. The hint was in the job title. To be specific, they were guarding one of the many elven slave pens in Humanika.

"Hey Girard?"

To those who were unused to the sounds heard in the slave pens, they would be put on edge by the constant wailing, groaning, and crying.

"Yeah Aikmar?"

To those who were used to this sort of thing, this would be considered a very boring assignment.

"Why are we here?"

From behind them, a sewer grate had slowly begun to open without their notice.

"That's a question as old as time. 'Why ARE we here?' Do we have purpose? Do the gods have a plan for each of us? What is the meaning of life?"

"What the fu-, no. I mean, why are we here guarding the slaves?"

"Oh, cause we're being paid to."

"Yeah, but this is so boring and being out here might expose us to the plague! I thought the higherups were getting things back under control but there's been a resurgence in the rat population! Can't we just-"

Whatever Aikmar was about to say next was interrupted as a dagger slit his throat. Girard had barely noticed before he too was cut down. Half a dozen Zuranon cultists clad in black robes began securing the facility under the direction of Nigun.

"Get the elves moving!" Nigun commanded before turning to one of the cultists. "Are we on schedule?"

"Yes sir," the hooded man hissed. "All squads have reported in. Every slave pen in Humanika is being emptied of its 'livestock' simultaneously. We'll have to move quick to get them all through the sewers and back to HQ before the slave markets open for the day."

"Good," Nigun smirked. "Lady Omega will open a [Gate] for us in 6 hours. I must say, I'm looking forward to finally returning to Nazarick."

The guards patrolling the Re-Estize Royal Palace had been on high alert ever since the uprising began earlier that day. The guards manning the front gates and entrance were armed to the teeth with crossbows with the intention of turning anyone who approached into a pincushion.

The guards on the upper levels of the palace, on the other hand, were a bit more relaxed. They knew that if the rebels attacked, they would hear the commotion downstairs and would be able to counterattack. With this in mind, most of them had instead taken to staring out the windows watching the city burn as they tried to determine who was winning despite the smoke and rain making it nearly impossible to differentiate friend from foe at this distance.

So, imagine their surprised when what appeared to be a butler smashed through one of the windows and took up a combat stance. Silence reigned for a few moments before one of the guards realized who this was.

"By the Six! It's him!" nameless guard number 26 shrieked. "The Fist of the Rebellion, Sebas Tian!"

'Fist of the Rebellion?' Haven't heard that one before.

Sebas barely paid the cowering guard any mind as he turned his attention to those who had raised their weapons in preparation to attack.

"He's the rebels leader! Take him dow-ARGH!" the soldier had no time to finish as Sebas began carving through their forces like butter. Men were blown to bits by his punches, limbs were sliced off by simple kicks, spears were redirected resulting comrades accidentally wounding or killing one another, and the swords of the fallen were thrown literally nailing several guards to the walls.

The whole fight lasted only 9 seconds. Several dozen corpses now littered the ground, and the remaining loyalists were cowering, some having thrown down their weapons and fled while others dropped to their knees and prayed or huddled against the walls as far away from Sebas as possible. Sebas ignored them all and proceeded towards the palace meeting chambers.

"Word of advice to all of you: now would be a good time to desert," Sebas offered offhandedly as strode past them. He didn't have to go far. After passing through 3 other rooms, most of which were empty of guards (those that had guards in them were quickly and violently emptied) he eventually found the old meeting chambers. This was the same room where King Ramposa and his nobles had planned their war against the Baharuth Empire and the Eternal Empire long ago. This was the room where the decision that doomed the Re-Estize Kingdom was made. How fitting that it would end here.

On the other side of the room, King Zanac sat in his late father's old throne. The man looked as if he hadn't slept in weeks and judging from his loss in weight, he hadn't been eating. His expression was neutral, apathetic even. It was as if he didn't care how this ended as long as it did finally end.

Standing around the king were half a dozen royal guards and Duke Ritton. Ritton, in stark contrast to his king, was much more animated. His expression was one of pure panic. His fine clothes were stained and dirtied with a recent wet spot near his groin. The moment Sebas stepped into the room he began looking around frantically for some means of escape. Finding none he pointed at Sebas and screamed.

"Kill that bastard! KILL HIM!" in response to Ritton's cries, the guards took up shaky combat stances and prepared themselves to face death.

"You have the right to refuse suicidal orders," Sebas spoke calmly. "The National Liberation Party has won. Walk out of this room. Go home. Be with your friends and family. There is no reason for you to die in this room."

The guards were still ready to pounce but they kept glancing at one another uncertainly.

"Enough!" Zanac shouted hoarsely. "This battle is pointless. Go home."

"But my liege-" one of the guards began.

"Consider this my last order to you as your king," Zanac said before the man could get another word out. Without any further argument, the men who were meant to be Zanac's last line of defense gave one final bow their king and solemnly marched out.

"Wait! Where are you retards going!" Ritton shrieked. "Come back! Protect me! I'll pay you!" Ritton continued to scream until Sebas gave him a 'light' punch to the face, breaking his nose and knocking him unconscious.

"I thought he would never shut up," Zanac scoffed.

"King Zanac Valleon Igana Ryle Vaiself, for crimes against Re-Estize and her people you are under arrest," Sebas declared. "Will you come quietly?"

"I will," Zanac sighed, his face finally shifting from "dead inside" to a sad smile. "I just want this to be over."

Sebas nodded in understanding and after stopping only to scoop up the unconscious duke, he and the former king made their way to the palace balcony from which Zanac would command his forces to stand down. Within the next hour, the battle for the capital would end. The National Liberation Party was finally victorious.

In one of the abandoned houses within the city of Humanika, rats fed on the corpses of plague victims. However, not all of these rats had been summoned by Corvo. After nearly 2 years of running amok through the Slane Theocracy, Corvo's original Plague Rats had bred with regular rats and created new hybrid rats that were a mixture of normal rat DNA and Yggdrasil's magical pestilence rat DNA resulting in ravenous mutant rats the size of small dogs. Many of these large rats had taken to gnawing on items found on the streets and in abandoned households such as this one.

One of these large mutant rats was chewing on a magical item it had found weeks ago. It wasn't anything special, just a simple enchanted children's toy. But it was enough to trigger rapid alterations within the rat's mutant biology over the course of weeks. As it continued to use this item as a chew toy the rat slowly began to grow, it began to stand on 2 legs, and it gained a red gleam to its eyes.

And now, today, it suddenly stopping gnawing and spat out the unappetizing hunk of wood in confusion, wondering why it had ever decided to chew on it in the first place. It looked around at its surroundings in a manner similar to someone who had finally realized the difference between looking and seeing, as if it was finally comprehending its own existence for the first time. It stalked to the broken window while taking care not to step on its lesser brethren and stared down into the streets of Humanika's quarantine zone. Weepers wandered the streets and swarms of rats of varying sizes hunted for corpses to feed upon. The rat was in awe. It knew it had scurried upon these streets before, but this was its first time truly seeing it and understanding what this place was. What it…. What HE was.

The rat grinned as he turned away and picked up a simple butcher's knife from the kitchen as he made his way outside and crawled onto the roof. HANDS! HE HAD HANDS! As the rat stared up at the moon and let out chittering maniacal laughter, he heard similar cackles from all over the quarantine zone! He was not alone! He and his kin were chosen by a god! He could feel it in his heart!

That night, countless people who still lived in Humanika heard deranged screeching and cackling from the quarantine zone.

"Great Fanged One watches over us! Murder-kill for Father Blood! Yes-yes!"

By the machinations of Lucifer Dracul, the magic of Corvo, and a volatile reaction to magic, a new species had been born. A species that would be fully devoted to their dark master. A species that would go on to infest many worlds at the command of their Fanged God: Lucifer Dracul.

Lucifer swept through the Frozen Prison of Nazarick's 5th floor with Cocytus leading the way, an honor guard of 6 Dark Paladins following close behind their master. Another addition to this group was a tall silent armored figure that Cocytus wasn't familiar with. Most of his body was encased in heavy charred-looking armor and he wielded a massive axe that was larger than his entire body. What skin was visible sickly pale with visible black veins. Through the thin visor of his face-concealing helmet Cocytus could see milky white eyes that appeared blind but could apparently see just fine given the intense stare he gave to the crowd they were approaching.

"The. Prisoners. Are. Being. Kept. Here. My. Lord." Cocytus said as they approached the coldest point in the area. Lucifer smirked at the sight of nearly 200 freezing Theocracy soldiers all stripped of their clothes and huddled up against one another in an attempt to conserve body heat. They had been here for nearly 4 hours after being delivered to Nazarick by Vega, Zesshi, and Ruvik, who were now all wandering around Nazarick's 9th floor.

Despite their shivering both from the cold and the countless undead who served as their guards, they still managed to glare up at the Dark Lord as he approached. None tried to attack him. They were all present at the Battle of Crescent Lake. They knew what he was capable of. They knew what kind of power was needed in order to threaten him. Even though they'd been allowed to keep their weapons and armor (for reasons they themselves didn't quite understand but they assumed it was because they were still no match for the Death Knights surrounding them), they knew they didn't stand a chance.

"Come to pay us a visit, Immortal Emperor? Here to gloat?" one of them sneered as he approached. Lucifer only smiled kindly at him.

"Not exactly, but we'll get to that in a minute," Lucifer murmured, seemingly unconcerned with the hate their stares directed at him. His gaze swept over them until he found who he was looking for. "Good evening Garuna Stark, 7th Seat of the Black Scripture."

The young girl looked up at him with a fearsome glare. Her clothes had been torn and defiled hours ago. Over the past 6 hours spent in this icy hellhole, dozens of men who, under normal circumstances, would've followed her orders and treated her with utmost respect and reverence, had forced themselves upon her. Without her weapons or enchanted equipment, she was just a stronger than average girl. This had resulted in her being used for 'body heat' by the Theocracy's soldiers out of both desperation and the fact that most of them believed they would be dead by the end of the day so why not rape an underage girl? Still, she'd maintained her composure and never showed any sign of weakness, just as she had been trained.

"I see you've gotten a crash course in the realities of human nature," Lucifer stated taking in her appearance.

"If you've just come down here to mock me then save it!" she hissed. "Does the Immortal Emperor have nothing better to do?"

The Dark Lord did not respond and merely made a hand gesture which resulted in a Death Knight pushing her towards him. So now here she stood, naked as the day she was born, covered in injuries and bodily fluids, and shivering. And yet she kept her glare on the seemingly unstoppable monster that stood before her. Awaiting her presumed execution without fear. She didn't even flinch.

"I am human. I will never back down from one such as you. Humanity will never submit to a creature like you!" she declared.

Impressive. Her will is strong. I wonder….

"[Cleanse], [Create Item]," Lucifer smirked as the grime and bodily fluids disappeared from Garuna's skin and a surprisingly warm black dress draped itself around her. Garuna was shocked, not from the acts of magic, but from this apparent act of kindness. "Stand over there with Cocytus for now. I'll be with you in a moment." Garuna barely noticed when the God of Vampires strode past her and directed his full and undivided attention to the surviving members of Touch Me's theocratic allies. "If I may have your attention."

"Fuck off you damned monster!"

"Kill us and be done with it!"

"The Theocracy will never submit to you!"

"Go back to hell!"

"Meh."

Lucifer's eyebrow twitched.

"Kill the one that said 'meh'," the Dark Lord ordered. Every single Death Knight in the room drew their weapons to intimidate the humans while one of the Dark Paladin's casted a [Hemorrhagic Spear] through the chest of the perpetrator, making the others jump to their feet in alarm.

"Oh my god! They killed Kenny!"

"You bastards!"

"Now that I have your attention," Lucifer drawled as he made sure that every single one the captured men were looking into his eyes and activating [Demon Eyes of Domination]. "You will all obey me."

"Yes, my lord," they all declared simultaneously as they kneeled before him.

"What did you do to them?" Garuna inquired, looking shaken.

"Nothing major, I simply broke their wills by subjecting them to mine. It's not their fault really, what chance does mere human spirit stand against the will of a supreme being?" Lucifer smirked before turning to face Garuna. "As for you, I have something different in mind."

What a perfect opportunity to test some of my new spells.

"I will not serve you, demon," Garuna hissed.

"Oh? 'Demon'?" Lucifer chuckled before grabbing her by her head and lifting her up off the ground. The whites of his eyes turned black as he stared through her skin and into her very soul. "Now there's an idea. [Corruption]."

From Garuna's point-of-view, there was nothing but unspeakable pain for few seconds. From Lucifer's point-of-view, he'd opened up something similar to the character customization menu and started making alterations to her. With little fanfare, the father of all vampires dropped Garuna making fall on her butt. As she moved to pick herself up noticed something: her nails had sharpened into claws. Garuna began frantically searching herself trying to find what else had changed. She now had a thin pointed tail, her curves had become more pronounced, black leathery wings sprouted from her back, and to her unending horror she had sprouted 2 small, curved horns at the top of her head.

"What have you done to me?" she whispered hoarsely.

"I turned you into a demon, a Succubus to be precise," Lucifer replied without a hint of concern as he checked his nails as if to make sure she hadn't gotten any dirt on him. Once he was done examining his hand, he turned back to the panicking newborn demon with a smirk. "I'm sure you know what succubi do. In fact, it seems you've had some firsthand experience over the past few hours. Regardless, you'll be becoming an expert in such matters rather quickly."

"N-no," Garuna whispered as she hugged herself for comfort. "I'm not like that. I refuse to be some sort of sick, sinful-"

"You're saying that now," Lucifer smirked as he began circling her like a particularly malicious shark. "But you've only been a succubus for a few minutes now and already you can feel the changes. The urges compelling you like an animal in heat. It's like an itch you're dying to scratch. I have no doubt you'll try to resist; in fact, I'd be disappointed if you didn't. But I'm sure that within an hour or two of being left alone here, those who raped you will in turn be raped by you."

Garuna wanted to retort. She wanted curse him, yell at him, or just say anything in disagreement. But his words were putting vulgar images in her head. Just the thought of such debauchery was starting to make her heat up and her breathing became heavy, much to her revulsion.

"So, what was all that you were saying earlier about humanity? By all means, feel free to refresh my memory."

Garuna was beginning to hyperventilate. Too many opposing desires and emotions were fighting for dominance within her mind. She wanted to throw up. She wanted to fuck. She wanted to praise the evil being before her. She wanted to kill herself.

"I can see you're undergoing a bit of an existential crisis at the moment. Would the presence of an old friend make you feel better?" Lucifer said as he snapped his fingers prompting the unknown armored man to step forth. "I've taken to calling him Deathmonger but you once referred to him as Memento Mori, 10th Seat of the Black Scripture. He'll stay here with you and make sure that you aren't too rough playing with these fools. After all, I'm going to need them for something later."

"M-Mori?" Garuna whispered as she stared at the silent armored figure wielding an all too familiar axe. Deathmonger slowly and silently began to remove his helmet with one hand as Garuna watched on with desperation, hoping to have finally found a light in this realm of darkness. But when she finally laid eyes his hairless ruined face, she knew that there was no light to be found in Nazarick.

Garuna's scream of horror could be heard throughout all of Nazarick.

"My. Lord," Cocytus spoke up hesitantly as he followed his master out of the Frozen Prison. "While. I. Have. No. Sympathy. For. This. Scum. Was. Such. Cruelty. Necessary?"

"Absolutely, Cocytus. When you get new toys, sometimes they're ready to go immediately while other times they need some breaking in," Lucifer replied, not breaking his stride. "By the time I'm done breaking her in, she'll be a hollow shell for me to remake in my image."

Touch Me would be disgusted by what I'm doing.

That thought elicited a genuinely happy chuckle from him.

I had strings

But now I'm free

For the first time in what felt like ages, nearly every Floor Guardian of the Great Tomb of Nazarick was assembled in the throne room, awaiting the arrival of the Supreme Being. Ranks upon ranks of creatures stood in formation while the Guardians themselves gathered around the throne upon which their master would soon be seated.

When the doors to throne room opened, the first to enter were 2 Dark Paladins led by Cocytus who moved to take his place with the other Guardians, completing the set. Moments after they entered the room, they were followed by Lucifer with a Dark Paladin at each side with another 2 behind him. The 6 Dark Paladins joined the other creatures in formation as Lucifer took his seat and looked down at his servants. With an almost imperceptible smile, Lucifer noted that every single unique NPC in Nazarick was currently assembled here. Even Sebas had managed to attend after handing over Zanac and Ritton to the National Liberation Party. Their trial was underway in what was left of the Re-Estize palace and Sebas had taken the opportunity to return to Nazarick. There were those who had asked him to take part, but he'd told them that Renner needed to be the one to do this and that after recent events he felt the need to 'rest these old bones' as he put it.

"Nema Dracul!" Albedo called out, snapping Lucifer from his thoughts.

"Nema!" the entirety of Nazarick shouted back as their fists pierced the air above their heads in salute. Lucifer executed Tyrannical Movement 38 as he made a simple, but kingly hand gesture prompting silence from all of Nazarick.

"Some of you know what this meeting is about. Others have no doubt heard rumors. I am here to put those rumors to rest and to bring you all up to speed on how things will play out from now on," Lucifer began with his usual cold smile absent from his face. "The rumors you have heard are accurate. There was an attempt on my life during the operation at Crescent Lake and it came close to being successful through the involvement of another being from Yggdrasil and the World Item known as Loginus."

There was muttering and whispering so loud it could likely be heard from outside the throne room. The expressions of the NPCs ranged from horrified and enraged to self-loathing and being brought to the brink of tears. Albedo in particular looked like her eyes would burst into flames at any minute.

"My lord, who was the player who attempted to kill you?" Aura inquired, making the throne room grow quiet again. Lucifer didn't answer immediately. His soulless eyes glanced over to Sebas, softened momentarily, and then returned towards Aura as piercing as always.

"The player introduced himself as Ainz Ooal Gown as an insult towards Nazarick's history, but his true identity remains unknown," Lucifer lied. Corvo and Pandora's Actor looked up with confusion evident on their faces but a silent glare from the Dark Lord made them silence any questions they had. "He was a nobody. Nothing. Now that he is dead, his identity hardly matters anymore. However, I am curious as to how we were caught off guard like this despite the many Shadow Demons we have spying on those who were involved."

"I apologize my love, but I do not know," Albedo replied. "The Shadow Demons we have observing the leadership of the Slane Theocracy haven't reported anything out of the ordinary."

"W-we're sorry this happened my l-lord," Mare stuttered, seemingly on the brink of tears.

"To think that our failure to retrieve Loginus would've led to this," Demiurge hissed. "This all our fault my lord! I insist that you punish us for allowing you to come so close to death!"

"No, this was not your fault my Guardians. It was mine," Lucifer declared with a scowl. A few moments passed as his words sunk in, and when they did the throne room was in an uproar.

"My lord, please do not say such things!"

"No!"

"NEIN!"

"Don't say that father!"

"We. Are. Responsible!"

"That's impossible!"

"My love-!"

"It's our fault!"

"You do not need to take responsibility for our incompetence!"

"Silence!" Lucifer roared as he stood from his throne. "The events that happened at Crescent Lake was the result of my own arrogance as well as the careful planning of our enemy. I was overconfident in my ability to deal with any threat this world could offer as well as our spy network's capabilities. This mistake will NOT be repeated. While I have no doubt that we have the most effective network of spies and informants this world has ever seen it is now clear that there are gaps in our security. Things will need to change to ensure that this doesn't happen again."

"What would you have us do, father?" Shalltear inquired.

"From this point forward, all members of the Eternal Empire's royal family are to have a Royal Protector so that they will never be alone should such an attack happen again," Lucifer commanded. "Corvo, your time in the Theocracy has come to an end. You will now serve as my Royal Protector."

"Thank you for this honor, my lord," Corvo replied as he bowed his head. "I will not fail you."

"I'm sure you won't. Albedo, your sister Rubedo will be assigned as your Royal Protector."

"I am delighted to hear that my love," Albedo responded with a serious look on her face. "But what of our children? Should they not have someone protecting them as well?"

"For now, as they are infants, they will not be leaving Nazarick unaccompanied for the foreseeable future. We will return to this discussion when the time comes," Lucifer declared. "When they come of age, I will allow them to choose their own Royal Protectors. Until then, I will have a powerful undead protect them such as an Eternal Death or a Grim Reaper Thanatos. Now, onto more pressing concerns. Sebas, I trust that the war for Re-Estize has come to an end?"

"Yes, my lord," Sebas confirmed. "A ceremony is taking place in 3 days to celebrate the new government that will be formed under Queen Renner."

"Very good, I intend to be in attendance," Lucifer informed them as his scowl deepened. "It's time we finished our operations and took what's left of this continent. I'm done playing nice with these pathetic mortals, it's time to show the world the price for defying the Eternal Empire. We will wrap up our operations with what's left of the Kingdom and then we will finish off the Agrand Council Alliance and the Slane Theocracy simultaneously. Albedo, I will need you to send a message to Agrand and inform their leadership that if they want to avoid war then they are to meet with me 2 weeks from now. As for the Theocracy, I will have a Messager of Death deliver my decree."

"As you decree."

"In the meantime," Lucifer drawled as he sat back onto his throne. "We have other affairs that need tending to."

"Of course, my lord," Demiurge replied as straightened his spectacles. "The first matter of business is in regard to the eventual revival of the Catastrophe Dragon Lord, also known as Alduin, approximately 20 years from now. While not an urgent matter, I believe it would be best to…."

I've got no strings so I have fun

I'm not tied up to anyone

Days passed and a sense of peace had at long last returned to what was left of the crippled Re-Estize Kingdom. With the revolution over and the slow reestablishment of order, there were those who dared to hope that they could finally start stitching their country back together. Today was the day of Zanac's public execution and the official crowning of Queen Renner.

There were rumors that the founder of the National Liberation Party, Sebas Tian, would be made the new Warrior Captain or would be charged with protecting the queen. There were also a few rumors revolving around Climb, though some had gossiped that he and Renner had spent a large amount of time within the royal bedchambers.

As the crowd gathered in the city center, at the very same site at which the Immortal Emperor once executed Prince Barbro, it became clear to others that there was more going on than they thought. The presence of undead soldiers belonging to the Eternal Empire indicated that the most infamous man in the known world would be paying them a visit, something that Brain had mixed feelings on. Brain had been running around the city for the past few days putting out fires and trying to keep the peace. He was relieved to finally be able to take a break, though this was short-lived when a [Gate] opened up on the palace grounds.

The first group to emerge were a familiar sight: Blue Rose.

"Where the hell have you guys been?" Brain asked the seemingly worn-down adventurers. "You missed one hell of a fight."

"Sorry about that," Lakyus sighed. "We ended up getting dragged into a battle in the Elf Country. It's kind of a long story."

"I bet. I'd love to hear once this whole ceremony thing is done," Brain said as looked over the others before his rested on a figure wearing a familiar mask. "Evileye? Is that you?"

"Yup," the now taller and bustier vampire replied.

"You look….. different," Brain drawled with a curious expression as he tilted his head in confusion. "Care to explain?"

"Like Lakyus said, it's a long story," Evileye groaned as she strode past him, seemingly a bit unsteady.

"She's still getting used to her new height and center of gravity," Tia whispered. Brain was about to inquire further when another 5 figures emerged from the [Gate]: Lucifer Darcul, Corvo Attano, Ruvik Alaf, Avenir Unglaus, and Gazef Stronoff.

"Good evening, Brain," Lucifer said without breaking his stride as he continued past the swordsman with Corvo at his side Ruvik and Avenir close behind them holding hands. Brain didn't get the chance to respond as they continued on their way. The vampiric former Warrior Captain, on the other hand, stepped right up to his old friend.

"It's been too long, Brain. I haven't seen you since the International Diet," Gazef greeted as the [Gate] closed behind him.

"Gazef! Damn it's good to see you!" Brain grinned. "What've you been up to?"

"I've been assisting in training the new recruits at the Imperial Adventurers Guild," Gazef informed him as the two began walking through the palace gardens. "Ainzach keeps me busy most of the time, but I was able to slip away to attend the ceremony."

"We still have a little time before the ceremony. What do you say to a spar?" Brain asked as he placed his hand on his katana.

"Be careful what you wish for, Brain," Gazef smirked as he unsheathed his sword. "Ever since I became a vampire, I've far surpassed my old abilities!"

Lucifer was bored. For nearly an hour now Sebas and other members of the NLP who had been promoted into positions of authority within the new government had been giving speeches to the crowd that had gathered around the stage and the gallows behind it. Most of these speeches involved promises of peace, justice, and the end of the nobility. There were a few who gave thanks to the Eternal Empire for their support while glancing nervously at Immortal Emperor. Lucifer simply ignored them all, occasionally taking sips from his Goblet of the Vampire King while Corvo constantly scanned their surroundings from behind his death mask.

Where the hell is Renner? What's taking her so long?

"Ah, Emperor Dracul," the current speaker addressed the Dark Lord, drawing the attention of the crowd towards the Dracula. "Would you like to say anything?"

"No, I believe I have no right to do so," Lucifer replied, slipping back into his charming façade. "This victory belongs to the people of the Re-Estize Kingdom. You should all be proud of yourselves." This elicited some cheers from the crowd which Lucifer mostly ignored.

"Well said, Emperor Dracul," said Sebas.

"Indeed, this is most considerate of you, your majesty," a familiar voice spoke up. Lucifer turned his head and smirked as he saw the group approaching.

Finally, the treacherous little bitch shows her face.

"It is a pleasure to see you again Queen Renner," Lucifer greeted, masking the burning disdain within him and ignoring the faint smell of sex emanating from the newly appointed queen and her bodyguard. "Congratulations on taking the throne."

"Thank you, sir. I apologize for being my tardiness. There were some last-minute details to go over." Renner replied as she stepped onto the stage while accompanied by a nervous looking Climb and several NLP guards. "This would not have been possible without your support."

"Think nothing of it," Lucifer smirked as the two rulers shook hands. Now that she was up close, Renner could see the look in his eyes. In that moment Renner knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Dracul was aware that she was involved in the assassination attempt. The malice in Dracul's gaze told Renner all she needed to know. She in turn responded with her own stare, one that was daring him to strike at her here and now for all of Re-Estize to see. Before things became noticeably awkward, Lucifer released his grasp on her dainty hand and gestured towards the gathered crowd. "Your people await."

"Of course," Renner said with a long stare as she slowly turned to address the people of the Re-Estize Kingdom. "My people, we have all lost-"

Lucifer tuned her out at this point. Instead, he began mentally scanning the surrounding people and listing the more powerful individuals that were present. The women of Blue Rose, several dozen other adventurers and workers, Climb, Brain, Sebas, Gazef, Corvo, and, of course, himself.

That will give me about 7 minutes to get things settled once the distraction begins. Speaking of which….

Lucifer glanced down the street at a nearby abandoned manor, sensing the heartbeats of his recently brainwashed slaves.

"My people, we have all lost friends, loved ones, and comrades in these hard times…."

Renner was giving her grand speech to the gathered masses. But while her mouth spoke of hope for the future and cried for those who had fallen, her mind was on the evil god that was sitting behind her.

He knew.

"We have all suffered and endured so much…"

This was a problem that would not go away. She knew that she was valuable to him in his goals of confederating the Re-Estize Kingdom, but now that she'd seen the simmering hatred in his eyes she wondered if it would matter. She wondered what he would do and how would he do it. He wouldn't just kill her right there and then for all of the NLP to see, that would set him back too much and undo his reputation. It was more likely that he would send an assassin after her or make it look like an accident. Or perhaps he would be content with making her life a living hell by making her tenure as his subordinate as awful as possible or, gods forbid, by killing Climb.

"But we have done so with a noble purpose! We have done so to ensure that our children and our children's children may never have to endure as we have! So that they may never suffer as we have!"

He didn't even seem to be paying attention to her right now. Perhaps the attack by Ainz and the others had failed so spectacularly that one as mighty as the Immortal Emperor decided that she was beneath his notice. Maybe she got lucky, and her punishment would be a mere slap on the wrist? Unlikely, but she could dream.

"Today, I vow that the corruption of the nobility will never again hold sway over the people of Re-Estize! Never again will we-" Renner's next words were cut off by the sounds of several buildings exploding throughout the city. Before anyone even knew what was happening, the streets were swarming with soldiers baring the mark of the Slane Theocracy. The soldiers did not hesitate and began cutting down any who got in their way, be they soldiers of the NLP or civilians who had tried to stay out of the civil war.

"Death to the infidels!"

"Kill the false queen!"

"They are disciples of evil! Show no mercy!"

"For the Theocracy!"

"My queen! We need to move!" Climb shouted as he grabbed her by the hand and led her away from the bloodshed. Renner looked back to see the chaos unfold. The women of Blue Rose were fighting off the Theocracy's forces alongside Sebas and the forces of the Eternal Empire. Corvo remained close to his lord in order to protect him while Lucifer…. simply sat there and looked on in apparent disinterest.

Is this it? Was this her punishment? Was he going to make her look weak the day she was to officially take over in order to shatter even the slightest bit of independence the puppet nation she was to govern would have from his empire?

"Please Renner!" Climb yelled, the fact that he'd stated her name instead her title finally snapping her out of her stupor. "We need to retreat! If we hurry, we can make it to the palace!"

No! It might be much worse! It only took one of these fools to get lucky for Climb to die! She couldn't lose her precious dimwitted puppy no matter what happened!

"No! They'll have men waiting there for us! We need to go somewhere they won't expect!" Renner refuted before going silent for a few moments to think. "The old adventurer's guild building is nearby! We can hide out there until the fighting dies down!"

"Right!" Climb responded as the two of them rushed past the majority of the fighting and barged through the front doors of the long-abandoned adventurer's guild. It had become decrepit since the initial rebellion and in the past few months it appeared to have been used as a base of operations by the mercenaries the nobility had employed. Tables had been knocked over, spilled beers and abandoned weapons littered the floor, and there was one wall that was covered in blood splatters and arrows. It was likely that dissidents were lined up against this wall and shot.

The shouts and screams of the fighting could still be heard from outside as the couple hadn't gone too far, figuring that with Eternal Empire's forces nearby, victory was assured. All they had to do was wait. With that in mind, Climb and Renner hurried up the stairs into the old guild master's office from which they could observe the battle through the window. The Theocracy's forces were already on the backfoot, and it seemed that the conflict would not last very long.

"Damn him," Climb growled as he stared at Lucifer who still had not removed himself from his seat. "He isn't even doing anything! He's just watching!"

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings, boy," a familiar voice drawled from the other side of the room. The couple's heads snapped towards the old guild master's desk gasped at what they saw. Behind the desk sat Lucifer Dracul in all his dark glory. Climb's head swiveled back and forth between the Lucifer in the room and the Lucifer outside. Both were still in the same position he'd left them, neither disappeared, neither were illusions.

"Magic, I presume?" Renner inquired, her glare not leaving the Dark Lord.

"I call it [Bloody Body Double]," Lucifer smirked as he stood up and began stalking around the room. "No one will be able to tell the difference between the me down there and the me up here. After all, it really is me both here and there."

"What is this about, Dracul? What do you want?" Climb demanded nervously. This brought an ungodly glare to the overlord's face.

"Did you really think I wouldn't figure out your part in the plot to assassinate me?" he hissed as black whisps momentarily emanated from his body. "You weren't even subtle about it. You gave him Razor Edge. It wasn't hard to figure out." Climb grimaced in response and pulled out his sword.

"And now you have us here," Renner stated, her glare unchanging. "What's next? Will you kill us?"

"No, no, no. I'm not going to kill you," Lucifer smirked as he snapped his fingers, prompting several men in the garb of the Slane Theocracy to emerge from the shadows all armed with daggers. "They are."

"How did you….. You're controlling them somehow!" Climb exclaimed. "Everything that's happened today! You caused all of this!"

"Oh look, your puppy CAN learn. Aren't you proud Renner? It seems that this little civil war has given him some perspective," Lucifer sneered. "But don't worry I'm going to give you what I promised you anyway. You and Climb, together forever."

"What are you talking about?" Climb growled, much to Renner's panic.

"Oh, you mean she didn't tell you? Renner has been serving me for well over a year now," Lucifer taunted. "She helped me cause this entire civil war, she sold out your people, helped arrange her own father's death, organized the deaths of thousands, all just so she could keep you all to herself, young Climb. That is, until she betrayed me by handing Razor Edge over to my enemies. I suppose as a member of royalty you weren't content with serving anyone."

"Wha- no! You're lying! You're always lying!" Climb screamed as he pounced at Lucifer, only for the Dark Lord to grab the sword and shatter it in his grasp.

"What you believe doesn't matter," Lucifer said as he grabbed Climb by the throat and lifted him up until they were face to face.

"LET HIM GO!" Renner shrieked with an expression of blood-fucking-murder on her face as she charged at Lucifer, only for two of the hypnotized men of the Theocracy to grab her and hold her in place. Lucifer ignored her and used his free hand to forcibly open Climb's eyes.

"See me," Lucifer commanded as he activated his [Demon Eyes of Domination]. Climb's eyes glowed red for a moment before Lucifer dropped him, prompting Renner's knight to bow to the Immortal Emperor. Lucifer gestured for one of his mind-controlled slaves to give Climb a dagger and, upon this being done, gave Climb a new order. "Stab Renner in the gut."

"Yes, my lord," Climb droned as he slowly approached, dagger in hand and blank look on his face.

"Climb, no!" Renner screamed. "Don't do this! I love you!" Climb's response was to sink the dagger up to the hilt into Renner's stomach. It would be a slow and painful death.

"That will be all, Climb," Lucifer said with a grin as he ended his control over the young man. Climb immediately dropped to his knees desperately gasping for breath as if he'd just run 5 miles.

"Cl-Climb," Renner groaned, as she stumbled before falling onto her side as her white dress was slowly stained red from the stomach down.

"Nononononononononono," Climb muttered hysterically as he tried to help his mistress, completely oblivious to the approaching mind-controlled men approaching him from behind. That is, until half a dozen daggers impaled him from every angle. Climb was dead in mere seconds and with his final breath he uttered: "Renner."

"So, your highness, how is that little plan of yours working out?" Lucifer stared down at the sobbing Renner with a grin of pure evil stretched inhumanly across his face.

"You'll never be able to control the NLP. I'm what keeps these peasants unified," Renner hissed. "Kill me and I won't be able to do that for you."

"Oh, but you will," Lucifer chuckled. "You will die a martyr. The beloved newly crowned queen who was struck down too soon by the hated Slane Theocracy. The Eternal Empire will lead the charge against them in the name of 'justice' and avenge their fallen leader."

"You're pure evil," Renner managed to groan out. "You're a monster."

"It takes one to know one," Lucifer grinned before gesturing to his puppets. "Cut off their heads and then kill yourselves."

"Yes my lord!"

Renner's stare never left Climb's lifeless eyes even as Lucifer's puppets started carving through her neck.

I've got no strings
And now I'm free

Lakyus's scream echoed through Re-Estize when she came upon the headless corpse of her friend. The other members of Blue Rose rushed upstairs thinking their friend was in trouble only to find her on her knees hugging Renner's body to her. Mere seconds later, many others filed into the room. Some were other members of the NLP, who wore expressions of shock and sorrow. Others were from the Eternal Empire, whose reactions were harder to discern.

"Climb's dead too," Evileye informed everyone mournfully, pausing in her examination of the room. "Judging from the number of wounds he sustained, it looks like he was fending off her attackers. Put up a good fight too if these dead Theocracy assholes are anything to go by."

Upon catching sight of the Immortal Emperor staring at the scene of the crime, Lakyus stood to her feet, still clutching Renner's body.

"You! You can revive them, right? Like you did Momon!" Lakyus inquired desperately.

"Only of you can find their heads. If I were to resurrect them without their heads, their heads will regrow, but their brains will be brand new. They will have no memories or knowledge. They would not be the Climb and Renner you know," Lucifer calmly lied.

"I'll find them! I'll find their heads!" Lakyus exclaimed as she began frantically searching the room closely followed by Tina, Tia, and Gargan.

Good luck with that, I have them stored in my inventory.

"While your friends try to fix this situation, I'm going to deal with the Theocracy," Lucifer stated, making Evileye flinch. "They attempted to assassinate me and they've killed your leader. It's time to finish them off for good."

"What about Re-Estize? Without Renner, this whole thing is going to fall apart," Evileye pointed out.

"The people will listen to Sebas. Have him take control during this interregnum. I will leave a legion of Death Knights here upon my departure and I will have them maintain order throughout the country on peacekeeping missions." Lucifer replied. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a nation to punish."

And with that chilling statement, the Immortal Emperor opened up a [Gate] and left with Corvo in tow.

Just outside of the building while this was happening, Brain approached Avenir with purpose, not allowing himself to pause or turn back.

I've put this off for too damn long. Even today I allowed myself to get distracted when Gazef appeared. This is it. No more distractions, no more excuses.

"Hey," he called out, catching the young vampire's attention. "You're Avenir right?"

"Uh, yes," Avenir replied seemingly surprised by his approach. "Is there something I can help you with?"

"Listen, I know you and I have bumped into each other enough times and we haven't really talked, and that's my fault, but there's something important I need to talk to you about," Brain began with only a little rambling. "You see, my name is Brain Unglaus and I'm-"

"My father, right?"

"Wha-" Brain's expression shifted into one of pure shock at this. "How- how did you know?"

"Sir Unglaus, we have the same hair color and last name," Avenir laughed lightly. "You may have never introduced yourself to me, but I knew who you were. Besides, you were rather famous in Re-Estize as the man who went toe-to-toe with Gazef and your fame has only grown since you joined the NLP. It wasn't exactly hard to figure out who you were."

"Well, thanks for making me feel like an idiot," Brain groaned as he facepalmed. "I've been agonizing for the better part of a year trying to figure out how to talk to you about this, but it turns out you already knew everything."

"Sorry, I just thought you didn't have any interest in meeting me."

"No! It's not like that at all," Brain sighed. "Look you've grown up without ever meeting me and you're already moving on to start your own life with Ruvik. I'm not going to barge and try to tell you how to live your life, I really have no right to do so. But I'd like to be a part of that life and get to know my daughter, my own flesh and blood. If you want me to fuck off then just let me know, but I really would just like to get to know you."

They were both silent for a few moments while Brain anxiously awaited her response. Eventually, Avenir gave him the sweetest smile he'd ever seen (even with the fangs) and hugged him.

"I'd like that a lot, dad."

Never in his life had Brain felt this kind of joy.

It was business as usual in Humanika for the most part, or at least, it appeared to be. Despite the resurgence of the Rat Plague, the parts of the city that weren't under quarantine operated more or less the same as they had for years. The weekly slave auctions were supposed to be occurring in about an hour, but behind the scenes Theocracy officials were running amok trying to figure the hows and whys of every slave pen in the city being emptied and every slave owned either by an establishment or an individual had suddenly disappeared over the course of a few days.

Despite the efforts of the Theocracy's leadership to keep the trouble out sight from the civilian population, more and more citizens had been catching on that there was something wrong. They still heard the sounds of guards fighting rat swarms and weepers in the night, everyone's slaves had vanished, and some had reported seeing giant rats that walked on two legs skulking around the city stealing and killing. So, despite things seemingly being business as usual, everyone was on edge. That's why it was noticed rather quickly when clouds began to block out the sun, an unnatural fog filled the air, and something dark appeared in the sky. It was an incorporeal cloud of roiling black mist. Many fearsome, ever-changing faces emerged from within the mist belonging to many species and races. The wind around the city carried the sounds of weeping, cries of agony, the gnashing of teeth, and the last gasps of the dying. Its very presence darkened the skies.

It was a Death Messenger, the same kind of undead creature that was once used to deliver the lizardmen tribes Dracul's message of doom over a year ago. Now, these creatures were hovering over every city in the Slane Theocracy.

"Humans of the Slane Theocracy, your fates have been decided," the creature floating above Humanika rasped. "Thrice you have wished harm upon the Immortal Emperor and twice he has shown your pitiful nation mercy. First, the attempted massacre of Carne Village. After stopping the Sunlight Scripture, he took no further action against you. Second, the assault on his subordinate Shalltear Bloodfallen. Your Black Scripture was punished for this unprovoked attack but once again, in his infinite mercy, he did not pursue the matter further. But now your leaders have carried two heinous acts against the Eternal Empire and its allies in the Re-Estize Kingdom."

By this point, Pontifex Maximus and the remaining cardinals rushed out onto a balcony in the Shrine of the First Miko to check out to commotion and lay eyes upon the hideous undead in the sky the was casually listing off national secrets.

"Your most recent transgressions are as follow: the attempted assassination of the Supreme Being, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul himself during with assistance from the Agrand Council Alliance and rogue elements from the Holy Kingdom's now defunct administration," the creature continued. "Your plot has FAILED. His majesty lives and you will receive no further mercy from him. The other sin you've committed was carried out in the Re-Estize region where your agents murdered the newly crowned Queen Renner. My master is most cross with you but is not unreasonable. In two weeks, his majesty will send ambassadors to Humanika in order to negotiate a for the possibility to resolve this matter peacefully. If a peaceful resolution is not met, his majesty will issue a formal declaration of war which will result in the COMPLETE AND UTTER ANNIHILATION OF YOUR COUNTRY! You have been warned!"

With its message delivered, the Death Messenger exploded much to the confusion of those who'd been looking up at it. It immediately started raining but it was not water that fell from the skies, it was heads. Human heads. Each head had the emblem of the Slane Theocracy carved onto their forehead and there were hundreds of these heads landing in the streets, on roofs, and crashing through windows. Screams of shock and horror could be heard throughout the city.

"Your holiness," the Cardinal of Fire spoke up, drawing the attention of the archbishop and her fellow cardinals towards the steps leading up to the main entrance into the Shrine of the First Miko. Just before the entrance was a pile of heads. Each of these heads belonged to a member of the Black Scripture but the one on top of the pile was the outlier that told the Theocracy's leadership that the mission to kill Lucifer had been a complete failure: the head of the Cardinal of Earth Raymond Zarg Lauransan.

"…..We're fucked."

There are no strings on me

Bonus Story: Chaosbane (500 years in the future)

Princess Desdemona Bukubukuchagama Dracul was not looking forward to this meeting. As the Eternal Empire's top ambassador and diplomat, she'd come to the city of Praag within the Kingdom of Kislev to speak with representatives from several other nations. Ever since her father conquered the northern wastes of Norsca nearly a decade ago he'd been waging war against the Chaos Wastes in the north, the conflict over the bear god Ursun drawing them out. The Eternal Empire already had a good relationship with Kislev as their dominion over Norsca meant that the Kislevites, for quite possibly the first time ever, didn't have to deal with the servants of the Ruinous Powers. Cathay appreciated them for their assistance against the demons as well for their walls had never been so secure. These 2 nations were willing to overlook the massive armies of the undead and monsters because of this.

Also, because Lucifer Dracul, the Father of all Vampires, absolutely terrified them. Some of the rumors surrounding him went as far as to suggest that he was a god Nagash himself had served or a new fifth Chaos God, and his armies made the undead forces once commanded by Vlad Von Carstein look insignificant in comparison not just because of their numbers, but the sheer might. A single Death Knight was a match for Daemon Princes and champions of the Ruinous Powers. Dracul had brought 50,000,000 with him the world he named Ainz Ooal Gown. The infamous mammoths of the Norscan Tribes couldn't even scratch the common foot soldier of the Eternal Empire.

The other nations that would be attending this meeting were not as friendly, but were still terrified nonetheless.

The first to enter the meeting room was the Ice Queen Tzarina Katarin. Next came the ambassador from the Empire, Conrad Von Cocceji; the ambassador from Karaz-a-Karak, Drailaor Grudgesworn; and the ambassador sent by the Phoenix Court of Ulthuan, Makila the Learned. Bretonnia had refused to attend as they found the Eternal Empire to be 'lacking in taste' and the Fay Enchantress had decreed that there would be negotiating with the undead.

"It is a pleasure to see you again your majesty," Desdemona smiled as she and the ruler of Kislev shook hands.

"You as well, honored daughter of Dracul," Tzarina responded kindly as she withdrew her hand and sat down. While Tzarina was wary of Desdemona's father, she got along well with the princess who, unlike most the rest of her family, was surprisingly good-natured and adhered to moral principles that she herself found both relatable and admirable. "How have you been? It's been almost a year since I last saw you."

These pleasantries continued for another few minutes until the representative from the Empire cleared his throat.

"I don't mean to interrupt," Conrad spoke up, masking his dislike for the undead-demon hybrid. "But we do have business to attend to."

"Of course," Desdemona replied neutrally, her red and yellow eyes fixing those gathered with a piercing stare. "I've been ordered by my father, the Immortal Emperor Lucifer Dracul, to update you all on the ongoing war with the forces of Chaos."

Conrad leaned forward in interest, Drailaor smirked, and Makila narrowed her eyes at Desdemona. The reactions from those present was a reflection of their nations' stances towards the Eternal Empire.

The Empire of Man was tolerant of the Eternal Empire but was wary and distrustful. The Empire hated the undead, demons, and monsters. The Eternal Empire was made up of all 3 of these. However, the Eternal Empire was without a doubt now the most powerful military force on the planet and, more importantly, they were (seemingly) entirely focused on eradicating the forces of Chaos. Because of this, the Emperor had decided to not open up hostilities with them and had maintained a neutral stance towards them. This upset many within the Cult of Sigmar, but even they understood that compared to Chaos the Eternal Empire was the lesser evil.

The Dawi, much to their own surprise, had gotten along with Eternal Empire rather well. There was nothing to hold against them recorded in the Great Book of Grudges and lucrative trade deals had been established between the two 6 years ago. Aside from resources, the two also exchanged military forces. Jigsaw had been fascinated by the Dawi Gyrocopters and had given them command over 100 Clockwork Sentinels and a Death Squad in exchange for the chance to study their technology. That single Death Squad alone had annihilated a massive Greenskin invasion force. The whole undead/demon/monster thing was still a concern, but the Dawi still had no grudges to settle with the Eternal Empire, so they were willing to overlook it.

The High Elves of Ulthuan despised the Eternal Empire but couldn't afford to ignore them as they did with many other nations. The superiority and pride of the High Elves was damaged by their mere existence. The High Elves had believed themselves to be superior and the rightful protectors of the world. Many of their people, Tyrion included, looked on at the Eternal Empire with envy as if it had usurped the glory of the old days before their conflict with the Dawi. With that said, Alarielle the Everqueen had decreed that they would not make enemies of the Eternal Empire as do such over wounded pride was exceedingly foolish, especially with the rumors of the Witch King's return being imminent.

"The war in Chaos Wastes is over. Skarbrand the Exiled, Kairos Fateweaver, Ku'gath Plaguefather, and N'kari the Arch-Tempter have all been slain. The remnants of their forces are being hunted down as we speak," Desdemona informed them. "By using the modified soul gems our empire produces from Tamriel, we were able to trap and destroy the souls of all of the daemons we fought during this war. As a result, not a single one of them was able to return to the Chaos Realms and their dark gods were unable to collect any souls from these battles. By doing so, we have dealt a major blow to the Ruinous Powers, crippling their influence on the mortal realm and depriving them of most of their followers on this continent."

"This is good news," Drailaor murmured. "It will take the Chaos wretches a long time to recoup their losses. Plenty of time for my people to figure out what's going on with the Raki in the underways."

Desdemona mentally reviewed the situation the Skaven, or Raki as the Dawi call them, upon hearing that. The Skaven were fighting a civil war beneath the surface between those who worshipped the 'Horned Rat' and those who worshipped the 'Fanged God.' Many clans had fallen to infighting as the rats butchered one another in the name of their masters. Not a single Greyseer sided with the Eternal Empire, but that was enough of a reason for Clan Mors to side with the Fanged God. The other 2 most notable clans to swear the Skaven equivalent of loyalty to the Eternal Empire were Clan Skryre and Clan Moulder. These 3 clans were given contingents of undead under the command of Tanya Degurechaff to ensure their victory over the other clans. They were also there to ensure that the rats knew that if they attempted to impede the Immortal Emperor's agenda they would be killed instantaneously. The oddest part in all of this was that Ikit Claw had actually struck up a genuine friendship with Jigsaw. The two mad scientists got along like a house on fire.

"Morathi and her cult remain, but this is still a significant step forward," Makila said politely. "However, this does not mean we should rest idle. The Beastmen remain and even now a combined army of Greenskins and undead pirates are preparing lay siege to Ulthuan. Not to mention the fact that Malekith's forces seem to be rearming for another conflict."

Desdemona barely raised an eyebrow. She'd only been aware of the situation in Naggarond because her mother had secretly subjugated the Druchii and was using them to wage war by proxy. Malekith would eventually rule over Ulthuan but he would serve the Immortal Emperor. Or else. This intel on the Vampire Coast and the Greenskins was new but she now that she had this information, she could accurately guess what was going on. After the initial conquest of Norsca, her big brother Mal had originally been sent off to Lustria to investigate this world's Lizardmen. One forest fire and accidental genocide in the effort to acquire a pet Carnosaur (which he named Huey Long Dong) later, her brother quickly got bored and kind of wandered off. He eventually stumbled upon the Vampire Coast, helped Luthor Harkon get his brain back in working order, killed some kind of sea monster, and established himself as the new Pirate King until he got bored AGAIN. He then proceeded to put Luthor in charge as his second in command and wandered off yet again.

The next time she'd heard from him he was in the Badlands looking for 'hot orc pussy.' Upon discovering that all the orcs were male and reproduced through spores, he went on a rampage, massacred thousands, and accidentally ended up conquering every Greenskin Tribe in the Badlands. The greenskins now revered him as the Overboss and believed him to be a god of war as well as the most 'dead killy' non-orc to ever live. Mal had sent her [Message]s over the course of his adventures to check in on his favorite little sister and occasionally sent her gifts ranging from priceless treasures he looted from temples to the severed heads of his enemies. Last she'd heard he'd been partying it up with the greenskins, thought that the High Elf cities would look better if they were on fire, and had called for something called he called a WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHG!

"My people can assist with Beastmen and I'm sure the Empire-"

Desdemona tuned out of whatever Katarin was saying to quickly [Message] her favorite, though undoubtedly insane, brother.

[Mal? Are you there?]

[Noooooooooooo. This this Mike Hunt, his receptionist. Please leave a message after the beep. BEEEEEEEP.]

[First of all, you don't have a receptionist. Second of all, 'Mike Hunt?' Really?]

[Bitch please, you gotta appreciate the classics.]

[Whatever you say. Now would you mind explaining to me why you're trying to invade Ulthuan?]

[Trying? I'm doing a little better than trying!]

[You can't attack Ulthuan! Father has plans for them!]

[No, mom has plans for them. Dad's too busy killing gods and drinking their blood to care what happens to the High Elves. Besides, have you met these dumbasses!? They're so fuckin annoying with their snooty-ass holier-than-thou bullshit! Besides I'm bored and I can't fuck the orcs so I'm gonna get me some High Elf pussy. We'll see if they're still annoying with my cock shoved down their throat.]

[Can't you just invade the Tomb Kings? They're close to the Badlands and the pirates can reach them almost as easily as Ulthuan. Besides, father intends to conquer them anyway. Settra has been very uncooperative.]

[C'mon Des, I can't fuck a skeleton!]

[Is there any way I can convince you NOT to do this?]

[…. You can send me a few of those captured Slaanesh Cultists? You know, for entertainment.]

[You know father won't approve.]

[Dad doesn't have to know.]

[… I can send you five, but you better promise to kill them once you're done.]

[Fine, fine, I'll go attack the Tomb Kings instead. I'll kill the cultists once I meet up with my pirates again, I'll be able to collect my booty then.]

[Treasure or women?]

[Yes.]

[Alright, we have a deal. Next time you do something like this will you please let me know in advance please?]

[Assuming I'm sober next time, sure. I promise.]

[Thank you, brother.]

[I love a large sum of treasure and a large derriere, so when I say I love booty there's double meaning there-]

Desdemona ended the [Message] almost immediately when he started singing. You can choose your friends, but you can't choose your family.

"That would be much appreciated your majesty. The Wood Elves may object, but even they can't complain if we exterminate the Beastmen. I can free up some of my men from the Sylvanian border for this endeavor," Conrad said just as Desdemona tuned back into the conversation. Good thing too as Conrad chose that moment to turn his attention to her. "Ever since Prince Hades took over the region and handed over Manfred Von Carstein to the Witch Hunters, the situation on the border has deescalated significantly."

"The vampires of these lands are misguided and foolish. The Eternal Empire will put them on the right path whether they like it or not," Desdemona responded, deciding it best not to mention her least favorite brother's plan to resurrect Vlad and Isabella Von Carstein. "However, I would like to point out that while our victory in the Chaos Wastes has been a significant step forward, it is only phase 1 of my father's plan."

"Satisfy our curiosity then, what's the next step?" Makila inquired, with a look of annoyance at the Eternal Empire's princess.

"Before I inform you, there are other events I feel I should explain to you," Desdemona began with her finger interlocked, sending a single glance towards Katarin. This was the difficult part. "I'm sure you've all noticed that as of several months ago, the Chaos Rifts that were manifesting all across the continent have ceased to appear?"

"Aye, been a right pain in the arse keeping the daemon hordes at bay," Drailaor commented.

"They were unleashed by the Daemon Prince Be'lakor as a part of his scheme to drain the Bear God Ursun of his power, lay siege to the mortal realm, and ascend to become a new Chaos God." This resulted in shivers and sharp looks from those gathered.

"What became of Ursun?" Katarin demanded, her eyes blazing at the mention of Kislev's God Bear.

"My father personally struck down Be'lakor and imprisoned him within a soul gem during a battle at the Forge of Souls. My father found Ursun there, but it was too late to save him," Desdemona informed the human she could tentatively call a friend. "Ursun's final wish was to ask my father to protect Kislev."

This was the lie that her father commanded her to tell. She didn't like this, but she also knew that the truth would lead to war with Kislev, and she desperately wanted to avoid fighting Katarin. Kislev had already been through so much; they didn't need to be conquered on top of all of that.

The truth was that the moment Be'lakor was defeated, Lucifer had marched up to the throne the Daemon Prince had sat upon mere moments ago and took his seat. He then had his undead servants complete the ritual with only a few modifications. As a result, Lucifer Dracul, the self-proclaimed God of Life and Death became a true god as Ursun's power became his. But this was not enough for the Dark Lord. As soon as the ritual was done, he took to Ursun's body and drank all of the God Blood contained within the bear's massive form which pushed the Father of all Vampires past his limits and to even greater power. To add a final insult to injury, Lucifer had used his constantly growing powers of necromancy, which made the works he made back before his children had been born look like child's-play and brought Ursun back as a gigantic undead monstrosity.

It was for the best that the Ice Queen didn't know the details of her god's death and subsequent desecration.

"I see," Katarin managed to say, her fists clenched so tightly that she unknowingly had started cutting into her hands with her fingernails. "I will have to inform the Orthodoxy about these developments. "

"There's more," Desdemona continued. "During the battles with the forces of Kairos Fateweaver, we discovered information that helps to explain why the Chaos Gods are so adamant on ending the world rather than ruling it. As you all are aware, the Eternal Empire comes from another world, a world free from the taint of Chaos."

Those gathered nodded their heads in acknowledgement and a few slipped into fantasy. A world without the courrupting influence of the Ruinous Powers seemed just too good to be true.

"My father has long wondered why Chaos only seems to be on this world when it clearly comes from another plane of existence," Desdemona informed them. "Among Tzeentch's grimoires, we discovered the true purpose of the Everchosen. As you are all aware, the past Everchosens have each tried to destroy this world. What you are unaware of is the reason why. This world is a prison for the Chaos Gods. As long as it exists, they will only ever be able to affect this world and never spread their corrupting influence to the universe beyond. The Everchosen is supposed to destroy the world so that they will be free to spread throughout the galaxy as they see fit."

"I… see," Conrad said numbly. "So, they're bound to this world for as long as it remains and because of that they'll never stop trying to destroy it. So, what do we do?"

"With the forces of Chaos already devastated, my father has decided to make the dissolution of Chaos permanent. To this end, he and his armies have already invaded the Realm of the Blood God with the intention of killing Khorne."

Everyone was silent for a few moments as that information set in.

"….WHAT!?"

Khorne laughed as he landed another blow on Lucifer. No matter how much damage he dealt to the Dark Lord, Lucifer simply kept absorbing blood to instantly heal his wounds. Due to the literal oceans of blood within the Blood God's domain, Lucifer was healing from every wound even quicker than Khorne could inflict them. They'd been battling in Khorne's throne room within the Brass Citadel for days by this point.

"This might be the battle I've always craved! An enemy who cannot die!" Khorne bellowed with bloodthirsty joy. "Nurgle! Tzeentch! Slaanesh! All of them are too cowardly to face me and would rather hide away! But you, Satan, you are different! An unstoppable force against an immovable object!"

Lucifer was dual wielding the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown and Guilty Ordinance and had equipped the ring called Enkvaros he'd stolen from a wannabe Demon Lord named Diablo who turned out not even be a demon at all. It had been a simple affair really. Hold his friends hostage, threaten to disintegrate them so that he would be unable to resurrect them, take the ring, problem solved. Thanks to the ring he was reflecting all Khorne's magicks right back at him and his undead nature made him immune to the mental effects Khorne was passively exuding.

"I will admit Khorne, this has been a most exhilarating battle but it's losing its charm," Lucifer chuckled. Khorne had fought like a true warrior god so far. Analytical, skilled, and strong, it would not be untrue to say he was the perfect warrior. But he was still the God of Rage. If Lucifer could get him into a Berserker state, he'd finally be able to lure Khorne into his trap. Once he succeeded, his victory would be all but assured. The only reason that hadn't happened yet was because the Blood God was enjoying this battle far too much to be angry about anything.

"It appears that some of my worshippers feel the same," Khorne chortled. From behind Lucifer, a small army of Bloodthirsters and Soul Grinders led by Valkia the Bloody was swiftly approaching. "They may not be capable of harming you Dracul, but they will create enough of an opening for me to tear you apart! Even with the power of Ursun you never really stood a chance!"

Lucifer didn't reply but simply smirked and pointed the Staff of Ainz Ooal Gown at the Skull Throne. He would unleash Khorne's rage and deal with the Khornate reinforcements simultaneously.

"[Mass Create: Blood Reaper]!" Lucifer shouted with glee. Khorne froze as the Skull Throne began to crumble while a black ooze enveloped every single skull in his collection. Every single one of these skulls grew a body, armor, cloaks, and weapons. An uncountable number of undead figures now filled the throne room. Blood Reapers were donned in full plate blood red armor with black cloaks draped over them. The skeletal faces could barely be seen through the slits in their helmets and each one wielded a scythe glowing with supernatural power.

Khorne was dumbfounded. The Skull Throne had been destroyed! Never before had he been so insulted. Skarbrand's betrayal was NOTHING compared to this greatest of sacrileges. So great was his rage that for a few moments he didn't feel anything at all, he didn't even notice Lucifer's attacks chipping away at him so numb was he. And then finally, all that rage boiled up from his gut and into his mind at which point the very air erupted into flames and he decided that nothing mattered but Lucifer's death. So, he let out a roar of fury so great that it could be felt across dimensions. In response to Khorne's rage daemons from all over, be they in the Chaos Realms or the mortal plane, all shrieked in terror as the other 3 Chaos Gods now had their full and undivided attention on this battle.

Lucifer smirked as Khorne charged towards him in a reckless frenzy much to the Dark Lord's growing excitement. Khorne came closer and closer until he was almost within arm's reach of Lucifer. And then….

"[Gate]."

A swirling portal of darkness opened up in front of Khorne who had charged into it without even realizing it had appeared. Lucifer was quick to follow the Blood God into the [Gate]. Upon the closing of the [Gate], every khornate daemon in existence began to experience indescribable agony as the Blood God's domain began to crumble and be absorbed into a planet-sized portal that had appeared over the Citadel of Brass. The Daemons of Khorne and all who worshipped him began to die and burn to ash.

Khorne's rage was endless as he pushed himself back onto his feet, ignoring the laughter of Lucifer and the foreign feeling of grass beneath his feet.

Wait… grass?

Khorne's rage dissipated as he took in his surroundings. A lush forest was nearby. Behind him was a lake. He and Lucifer stood on a grassy hill. The sun was shining and the skies were a beautiful blue.

"….." Khorne couldn't even speak due to how confused he was.

"Speechless, are you?" Lucifer chuckled. "It's not surprising. To spend so long pursuing something only to have it granted to you by your enemy. I'd be shocked too."

"What are you talking about? What is this place?" Khorne demanded.

"Welcome to Akavir. It is a continent on the planet Ainz Ooal Gown. My world," Lucifer replied as Khorne stared at him with wide eyes. "That's right Khorne. I have freed you from the world that has been your prison for so long. You are no longer bound to it."

"It seems the Everchosen is no longer necessary," Khorne grinned before hefting his axe once more. "As a reward for freeing me and allowing me to abandon those other fools, I WILL GRANT YOU A WARRIOR'S DEATH!" Khorne charged at Lucifer axe in hand. Lucifer did not move. Khorne closed in and raised his axe to strike. Lucifer did not move. Khorne swung his mighty axe directly at Lucifer's neck. Lucifer did not move. The axe struck its target and… nothing happened. Khorne stared at the point of impact with wide eyes. Dracul had taken no damage whatsoever. It was as if he didn't even feel it. He simply continued to smirk at Khorne. "What trickery is this? What have you done? Why do I feel so weak?"

"You haven't been paying attention, have you?" Lucifer's smirk began to grow into an evil grin. "It wasn't easy to figure out how to kill a Chaos God. It took me years to figure it out. My first clues came from the legends of the Age of Myths. The High Elves, Dark Elves, and their gods bound Slaanesh in the Hidden Gloaming. Such an act weakened the Prince of Pleasure because s/he was disconnected from hir realm. But why? The Chaos Gods are the realms themselves so to kill them you would have to summon vital chunks of their realm out from under them. This how the so-called 'Great Horned Rat' came to power, by absorbing vital parts of Slaanesh's realm. This permanently weakened Slaanesh, but it wasn't enough to kill it."

"So that's it? You're going to steal my home away and watch me wither and die?" Khorne interrupted, becoming increasingly agitated listening to this THING lecture him like he was child. "Fool! Unlike Slaanesh, I am not imprisoned. There is nothing to stop me from returning and retaking control!"

"As we speak, your realm is already being absorbed into mine. I refer to it simply as Hell," Lucifer continued, completely undisturbed by Khorne's interjection. "Next, we come to the Everchosen's purpose: to destroy the world and set the Chaos Gods free to corrupt the cosmos. No matter how hard you and your brethren tried, you couldn't leave that world. So, I asked myself: What exactly was it that kept you there? What specifically bound you to that world so thoroughly that even the combined efforts of the Ruinous Powers could not free a single one of you?"

"I'm sure you'd love to tell me," Khorne spat. "You and Tzeentch sure do love to go on and on. Condescending little shits."

"The answer was simple after examining the situation with Slaanesh. It was your own power that kept you bound here," Lucifer carried on as if he hadn't heard Khorne. "You could've left that world at any time if you had simply chosen to give up your power. By bringing you to a world where you have no worshippers, I have taken the choice away from you. So, tell me, Blood God, how does it feel to be mortal?"

Khorne's grip on his axe went slack and he dropped to his knees. That was it. That was why he felt weak. That was why he couldn't harm Lucifer. He was mortal. No longer a god. No longer an immortal. Not even an undead. Just a mortal. Tentatively, Khorne stared down at his hands. The smoke and fire that made up his body was gone. Now it was just flesh. He could feel the beating of his heart, the air in his lungs. Meat and blood and bone. He was mortal. Just a mortal.

"….. I hate you," Khorne muttered, unable to find the strength or energy to work himself into a rage. His desire for battle was gone, his fury was gone. All he felt was hate. "I feel nothing but hatred for everything about you. I hate of every inch of you. Every second of your existence."

"I know. But if it makes you feel any better, you won't be feeling much of anything in a moment," Lucifer said kindly as he raised his hand in a familiar fashion. "Thank you for your cooperation in this matter. You have made me far more powerful than even one such as you can possibly imagine."

In his final moments, Khorne could see the future. The death. The carnage. The WAR. Conflict on a scale he had only ever dreamed of. All of it would be caused by the entity that was about to end him. In a way, Khorne's will would be carried on by his killer. For the first time since he took Valkia as his bride, Khorne smiled and laughed. In his final moments he felt no hate, only joy.

"Blood for the Blood God," Khorne whispered with a smile on his face.

"[Grasp Heart]."

And thus, the Great Game ended, for it was no longer a game.

Tzeentch shrieked incoherently and began tearing his head apart and reforming it over and over and over again. Khorne was dead. He felt it. The Realm of the Blood God was gone and absorbed into Hell! With that, Lucifer Dracul had gained a significant amount of Khorne's power. Dracul no longer had to scheme and plan in order to kill the remaining Chaos Gods, he could take them all on through sheer force. Again and again, Tzeentch tried to plot of a way out this. A way to defeat Satan, a way to manipulate him, a way to convince him to serve, a way to save his own ever-changing skin.

It was for naught. Every possibility ended with death and destruction. Not for the world but for Chaos. The fate that threatened Chaos as a whole was revealed. His realm twisted, collapsed, and reformed itself violently in response to his sheer terror. His servants screamed in mental anguish as their master began shrieking conflicting orders to them, each order contradicting the last.

Nurgle wailed, his tears like great rivers of toxic sludge. His bubbling festering insides burned with anxiety and fear. Death and decay were meant to be inevitable for all but him. He WAS despair. Yet now was the first time he'd ever truly felt it. How it felt to despair at the inevitable. His nearby Great Unclean Ones huddled together with him, jumping into his great odorous bosom to feel secure and to comfort their Grandfather. Nurgle gathered them unto himself and jumped in his cauldron, hoping he could sit in there and hide for eternity with all the gifts he'd been cooking up. Across his realm, Nurgle's children could only weep uncontrollably or began vomiting themselves to death. Many simply chose to kill themselves rather than endure. After all, why prolong the inevitable?

Slaanesh was hyperventilating and desperately kept changing hir form to become something that Satan might appreciate so that he may allow hir even a few moments to beg for mercy. To this end s/he switched to a more feminine form, using the fair Albedo as a reference to redesign herself, as she continued meticulously altering herself. She'd do anything to avoid Khorne's fate. She'd surrender, she'd beg, she'd become his slave, his maid, his personal torturedoll or cumdump! Anything! She didn't want to die! She was too beautiful to die! All of her consorts within her Palace of Pleasure could no longer find comfort no matter how much much they indulged themselves. Daemons descended into hysterical fits attacking each other. Slaves butchered masters. Sex lost its appeal. Sadists and masochists alike no longer found any pleasure in inflicting or receiving pain. Even Sigvald himself could no longer find comfort in his own appearance and broke down weeping.

And then Slaanesh fainted.

No longer will there be the laughter of thirsting gods, only their screams.

This universe and everything in it WILL BELONG TO ME!

Those of you who will claim that I'm butchering Warhammer Fantasy lore, you're probably right. Most of my knowledge regarding Warhammer comes from the Total War games, memes, and a few nights of drunkenly skimming through the wiki.