AN: Warning, the Fic contains either quite specific or highly implied depictions of violence, racism and torture. Be forewarned, this is not an easy read.
Everything that has been presented is not - contrary to appearances - any social commentary. This is only my story, and you choose who is the negative one here. It is also up to you to interpret and draw conclusions, if you ever have any.
But now, I invite you to read and leave a review.
He was running, and fast.
He ran with such commitment that he didn't even pay attention to his slowly growing tiredness and lack of breath.
He ran as fast as his short six-year-old legs would allow him.
He was running through a small town in southern Solitas, the streets of which were now literally running with blood. Due to the light and night, however, one could get the impression that the entire city was enveloped and bathed in blood and smoke caused by the fires of numerous pyres.
He was running, a boy with skin the color of a white sheet and his and his entire family's trademark lion ears and night-black hair. His parents, father and mother, siblings, 2 brothers and 3 sisters. They all look like him.
He ran as fast as he could and with as much breath as he had left in his chest, because a wave of more or less organized violence swept through the town, but the boy was not fully aware of it.
Why are there other Faunus lying everywhere here and why are they sleeping? He wondered as he passed piles of bodies of brothers and sisters of his kind along the way. Why do some people sleep with their legs, heads and arms separated, and why is there so much blood?
The boy didn't understand much of what was happening, and that's hardly surprising. How much can you expect from a six-year-old child who does not yet know the world and its brutality?
Still, despite all this boy's innocence, his current behavior was dominated by the instinct of self-preservation. An instinct that was passed down to him by his ancestors and was present in every living being, to a greater or lesser degree. The instinct that told him to find his family first and run away.
The boy stopped for a moment, looking at the burning pyre, on one of the few wages in the city. The Town Square of Alan Lightyear, the great Faunus hunter who brought thousands of slaves to Solitas hundreds of years ago. Slaves who worked in the mines of the northern continent for centuries and whose descendants live on this continent.
The previously mentioned pile seemed to be the only real thing in the area for the boy to consider. Specifically, 6 burning bodies. 2 large, 4 small, one of which seemed to be no bigger than a boy.
Why would they climb into that pile of wood and set themselves on fire? He tried to rationalize the whole situation. Don't they know that fire is painful? Why would they hurt themselves?
The boy didn't understand anything of what was happening here, but he still ran, passing more burning pyres with entire families and burning corpses impaled on steel poles. An image of one great orgy of violence that will remain in the memory of every witness and curse him from now until the end of his days, without any concessions, in the form of oblivion. Only death could be salvation from the suffering of this memory.
At the moment when he was about to reach the next city square, through Amon Acier Street - named after an outstanding military commander from the times of the Great War - he encountered a group of 11 people, led by a large and rather athletic woman with hair that seemed dripping with all the colors of the rainbow and shimmering strongly with even the slightest touch of the wind.
"We haven't checked this district yet!" She gave the order in a surprisingly gentle and calm voice, with an elegant accent, and then took out a large, two-handed cleaver from behind her back. "You are to find these disgusting animals and bring them to me. Comrades, for too long we have allowed these cattle to live alongside us and interact with our children. Let's give these cattle exactly what they deserve as an inferior race. First they poisoned Remnant with their presence, and now they dare to murder our children, like this innocent boy who drowned a few days ago. The time has come for revenge and contempt for Faunus."
The women and men accompanying her cheered in response to her words, filled with determination, elegance and pure persuasion, and then some of them began to break down the doors and search the brick blocks that dominated the landscape of the town, right next to the wooden churches with golden domes, reminders of the past cultures and the past.
All of them, armed with weapons of all kinds. Machetes, cleavers, maces, modern revolvers with Dust bullets, modern guns, largely made of various types of plastics. Although the weapons were modern, with the latest technology, they were clearly not new. Many of them showed minor or major signs of use.
Only the two of them stayed with her as she looked around aimlessly at the nearby windows, all of them dark. However, as this district was inhabited by Faunus, it did not take long for the first shots and screams of dead victims to be heard.
It didn't take long for the first bodies of those shot and killed to be thrown out the window and landing on the ground with cracks. Sometimes, while still alive, they were thrown out of the window to death or a moment of pain, after which their heads were cut off by the woman's other two companions. She herself, meanwhile, only passively observed everything, with a sort of sense of satisfaction coming from her black eyes.
A significant moment here was when a Faunus with moose antlers was thrown from one of the balconies. It was an elderly and disabled man who flew to the ground with his wheelchair only to brutally collide with the asphalt and be further crushed by the object that had enabled him to move just a few moments ago.
The boy, who had taken refuge in the open door a few moments ago, couldn't stop himself from screaming loudly and in terror. Thus, he attracted the attention of the woman and the two people accompanying her.
"Another animal, and a baby at that." She narrowed her eyes menacingly before giving the order. "Take this lion beast, I will gladly take his ears as a trophy."
The boy didn't know what to do, so once again his instinct told him to run, and that's what he did, running through the block's staircase until he reached another open door leading to the street. He didn't know where exactly he was, but he knew he had to get away, so he headed for the nearest side street and didn't look back.
However, his escape didn't last long as he didn't notice the open manhole to the city sewer and fell inside, landing on the cobbled ground with a loud crack in some parts of his body. The smell of the sewers immediately reached his alert nostrils, shit, piss, organic matter, inorganic matter and much more.
An overwhelming stench that would not leave indifferent even people living in the slums of Vacuo or Mistral. And in the midst of all this, there are numerous rats roaming the place in search of food.
Am I not like one of them? The boy asked himself in his heart, mockingly and trying to push out everything he saw, more unconsciously. Thus, he avoided uncomfortable and incomprehensible questions about the meaning of the actions of people who lived with him in the same city.
As he was about to get up, he felt extreme pain in his left arm and leg. There was no doubt that both limbs were broken, so he tried not to use them. The pain was enormous, and soon his tears began to pour out of his eye sockets like a waterfall from a spring and follow the paths established by nature.
After several painfully long moments, he finally managed to get up, but with great difficulty and the need to use his good arm as support against the wall.
It wasn't easy, much less pleasant, but eventually he gradually moved forward. Even though he was leaning against the wall, every move he made caused him great pain. Several times he even had to stop for a moment and take a breath. In these moments, however, he remembered that he was being chased by People who had no benevolent intentions towards him at all.
What further motivated his instincts was the sight of sewage. It was no longer just murky water, but a cloudy and dark crimson mixture of water and blood, among which it was easy to notice some detached limbs, and sometimes white bones could be easily seen among the flesh. Sometimes detached or cut out animal parts, undoubtedly separated from the Faunus.
As he marched on, the boy heard screams followed by moans of pure despair.
"Shut your mouth, you fucking whore, it's more than you deserve!" A rather strong, male voice boomed. "Don't be afraid, you'll die as soon as I finish fucking you. I don't think about having a child with an animal like you."
The boy looked out through one of the metal grates separating the sewage from the street. Then he saw a swarthy, long-haired man pressing the woman against the wall and moving his hips with great speed and strength worthy of an oversized gorilla.
Why would anyone push anyone like that? The boy didn't understand any of what was happening in front of him. Still, it couldn't have been a pleasant thing, at least that was the impression he got, and the painful moans of a woman with green hair and a few lighter spots on it.
"Stop… Human fuck!" The woman growled with obvious difficulty, considering the pain and other sensations she was feeling. "What did I do to you!?"
"You are alive, Faunus creature." The human spat in her face, pausing for a moment and taking deep breaths to catch some air. "None of you, the killers of this poor boy, deserve to live. You will all die, as you should have done a long time ago. At least you get some carnal pleasure before you die, whore."
Then everything merged into one memory. The horrific, almost inhuman screams and sobs of the Faunus woman as soon as the Man returned to thrusting his reproductive organ into her vagina. And his laughter at her suffering.
The lion boy only moved forward with another move, groaning in pain once more as he moved too suddenly. It took a few more minutes before he reached more metal sewer grates, which this time, however, gave a view directly onto one of the largest planci in the town.
Glace Hiver Town Square, named after one of the kings who bloodily suppressed one of the Faunus of Solitas uprisings. Known for his support of peasants, lower classes and favoring the bourgeoisie as an important force in the development of the kingdom, as soon as he learned about the uprising of slaves from his kingdom, who, in addition, began to plunder and burn occupied cities or villages and murder the population, he immediately took the initiative to attack and drowned the uprising, along with the insurgents, in their own blood.
Thousands lost their lives during those days, sometimes even literally drowning in their own blood. However, King Glace was very fondly remembered by the people of Solitas as one of the most gracious and successful monarchs in the world.
Now, however, the town square named after the great ruler was used as a vehicle to slaughter the dozens or hundreds of Faunus who lived in this small town.
The next sight was etched in the lion boy's memory for the rest of his life, especially thanks to his sharp eyesight, which was definitely better than that of Humans. One of the pyres that had not yet been lit contained the Faunus family, which he recognized without much difficulty.
An image that marked his memory forever and determined his future in many aspects, just like those who were marked by the guards in the SDC mines. Some received physical markings, others physical markings. However, it all came down to one thing: none of them chose their future in the way that the proponents of free will would wish.
The advocates who brought upon themselves and everyone around them only the lie that we are fully free and independent from the world. The advocates, whose thoughts and words are full of deceiving themselves and everyone around them, about the freedom of individuals, about the fact that supposedly everyone makes fully conscious decisions and chooses their own destiny.
Lies and self-deception that disintegrate only under the influence of memories, about the stigma passed on in the genes and the stigma of youth, upbringing, called primary socialization.
This time, however, his self was especially kind and the boy did not see the rest of what took place that day. Things that no one who has experienced something like this would ever want to remember, truly.
XXX
He woke up, taking a loud inhale and breathing as deeply as his lung capacity was.
"Whore!" He growled as he rose to a sitting position on the quite comfortable sleeping mat he used when traveling, whether it was Vale, Vacuo or any other continent.
After a few breaths, all the adrenaline and agitation slowly began to subside, especially when he realized exactly where he was at the moment. It was in his personal tent, black as raven feathers and with his personal coat of arms hanging in the form of a banner on a hanger specially provided for this purpose. An emerald green blade piercing from above a human skull of a similar color on a black shield.
Larger than most of the tents in the camp, which was currently the resting place for approximately 325 males and females, all Faunus. All of them, gathered under one and the same banner, skulls penetrated by the blade. Infamous throughout almost all of Remnant, initially only 32 male and female Faunus, expelled from the White Fang, to later be known as the Dreary Brigade.
The lion Faunus with black hair arose when he realized that the sun was slowly starting to set, and soon the time was approaching when his so-called brigade would launch another attack, of which they had committed many, over 100 for sure, over the last 2 years. However, the Lion Faunus stopped counting the exact number of attacks a long time ago.
That said, he rose from the mat, took off his pajamas consisting of a T-shirt and shorts, and then used a small bucket of water to wash himself to be as fresh as possible for the upcoming event.
After that, he immediately put on his usual clothes - at least those worn under his armor - tight and dark gray pants, and a long-sleeved shirt, the same color as the pants.
Then, his attention fully turned to the stand, and to the black armor that had become his trademark over the years and a grim portent of someone's certain death. As in the natural case, in this case the death was impossible to predict in the long run.
"It's been so many years." He said to himself in his deep, persuasive and unnaturally calm voice. "Still nightmares from the past, even though I thought I had made peace with it a long time ago."
He smiled crookedly and menacingly as several chaotic but darkly humored thoughts flashed through his head. Whatever it was, it remained a secret only to himself and no one could see into his mind. However, many psychologists over the years have tried to determine the psychological profile of the grim butcher in black, always masked, who, due to his armor and all his crimes, came to be called the Black Knight, although this was not the only nickname.
He put on armor from the bottom, first black and dusty boots with high soles, and later shin guards, knee pads, shoulder pads, gauntlets, arm sleeves, elbow pads, armbands, arm guards, shoulder straps, tashka, apron, cuirass, arm guards, collarbone and helmet. Everything is pitch black with a few light steel decorations and motifs of a herbaceous skull pierced by a two-handed blade. However, the most interesting things were the gloves and helmet. The former's fingers seemed to resemble claws, colored emerald green. The helmet, however, was made to resemble a lion's head, complete with many furs tied together at the back, which quite effectively imitated a lion's mane.
Although the armor appeared to be simple, made of heavy steel and requiring great strength to wear, this was not true. Steel, while still present, gave way to many modern conveniences, such as an exoskeleton on each piece that, once fitted, fused together, making the armor much lighter and allowing for quick movement. Additionally, the helmet included night vision and the ability to answer calls after entering the appropriate command on the right glove, equipped with an appropriate and small panel for controlling the armor.
Seemingly a body protection tool during a battle from a completely different era, but modern technology made it practical and light enough that the Black Knight could move without much difficulty and at a speed that was only slightly inferior to warriors who focused primarily on speed and mobility.
Then it was time for the cape, the color of which was somewhere between pure, funereal black and light gray. He hung it up easily, just as he put on the rest of his armor without much difficulty, because over the years he had become accustomed to putting everything on himself. Even though the armor he forged and created initially was very difficult and could take up to half an hour to complete.
Now, however, it was only 7 minutes, and then it was time for weapons, which also seemed to be outdated and inadequate to modern times. A large and quite wide two-handed sword, with a pommel in the shape of a lion's head and whose crossguard seemed to resemble fangs, so sharp and long that it could have belonged to one of the more powerful and older representatives of Grimm. Meanwhile, the tashka was created in the image of a human skull, in a dark emerald color.
An addition that could work quite well at close and medium range - and often did - was a set of 10 throwing daggers, well made of high-quality steel. Although they only seemed to be created as a tool for more or less precise throwing, this was far from the truth. All thanks to the saturation of the daggers, all 10 of them, with Wind Dust, which enabled not only extremely precise throwing and throwing, but also bringing them back to the hand of the owner, in this case the Black Knight. Also quite often, the Lion Faunus used daggers like boomerangs, because he could easily get them back.
Plus, he always kept one of his daggers somewhere in his pajamas or under his pillow, just in case.
Everything was already in its place, the daggers in their appropriate holsters on the belt, the blade in a straight leather sheath hanging on the belt. The Black Knight was ready to move, but one thing was stopping him.
"So are you going on another hunt, my dear friend?" A voice rang out from behind him and the Lion Faunus turned to meet his old friend.
"Nice to see you, Adam." The Black Knight greeted him with a cold but characteristic courtesy that, although far from warm politeness, was equally far from malice, hidden mockery or contempt. "It's just a pity that you appeared only as a part of my thoughts, my self, and not as a being of flesh and blood. I regret that Sienna was stupid enough to throw out me and my companions who joined their fate with me."
"Well, it's not like I didn't try to reason with her, my friend." A bullish Faunus with red hair and dressed in deep black spoke to him calmly and with a hint of slight amusement. He was one of the few who saw the face of the Lion Faunus long ago. "Still, it is her decision, dictated by the fact that you and your people have burned and enslaved countless Human villages and their populations. Even though I do not and will not love these creatures myself, I do feel a little sorry for their fate as slaves."
"Humanity is getting what it deserves as a collective and I am just a humble enforcer who saw the opportunity and gained the power necessary to enslave Humans." The Black Knight replied with amusement. "If I ever meet Bane, I'll have to thank him. Not only for raising me after the pogrom, for taking me away from Solitas, where I would most likely only end up as a street orphan or a slave in the SDC mines."
Adam, or rather the projection of the Bull Faunus from the Black Knight's mind, absently walked around the tent before speaking once more to his friend with whom they had shared many secrets over the years. "On this night, masses of Humanity will be enslaved first, their homes and lives burned to ashes, their children slaughtered, and those who survive will suffer a fate that many would consider worse than death."
"You don't agree with that?" The Lion Faunus asked, his voice muffled by his helmet showing no emotion. "In Southeast Anima, I met my destiny, or rather the one I had always secretly desired for many years, often in a completely unconscious way. The legendary Perfect Blacksmith turned out to be true in more ways than I ever dared to imagine. He showed me how to use Aura in many universal and versatile ways, including imposing one's will on others and transforming existing entities or matter. This is how I finally created my armor and how I designed the weapons for my warriors."
"So you will go on a conquest even if Humanity throws all its might against you to stop you?" Adam's projection asked, crossing his arms.
"I don't plan on fighting all of Humanity at once, my old friend, not at the same time." The Black Knight stated calmly with a tone of voice that could easily be considered contemplative and calm. "First, dozens of villages here in Vale and Vacuo will be burned and the local population taken to my new fortress, in the underground passages of Mountain Glenn, where their final fate awaits them. Later, when my small army has been expanded, I will travel to Anima, where my realm will be built, where I can continue to raise an army, stockpile supplies, and craft all the machines I have designed. The war with Humanity, first with the Kingdom of Mistral and then with the rest, is only the middle of my plans, and I'm not even at the end of the beginning yet."
"Then go, old friend." Adam answered him, his expression becoming deadly serious and stern as steel. "But remember, the more you terrify Humanity with your actions, the more they will want you dead and defeated."
"It will never happen because I will never lose, I can't." The Black Knight said with conviction, but his words only fell into silence and the figment of his self had already disappeared, as if he had never been there. "What an unfortunate farewell, but if there is anyone who will never be disgraced by defeat at the hands of Humans, it is me. I will never be defeated or enslaved by these creatures again. Their worthless societies are not a worthy opponent for me, nor their defenders. No matter if I kill all the living millions of Humans or transform them according to my will, no matter if I burn the world to ashes and rebuild it at my whim, I will be victorious in my great work. My great mission that was entrusted to me by fate."
Then, he remembered the words of an old prophecy that had been passed down among Faunus for generations, and the telling of which was often punished by having the tongue torn out, literally. "The promised Lion will be born, who will gain the power to transform the world according to his soul's desires and will only be limited by the power of his Aura at any given moment."
He didn't say anything more, just left the tent, where the commander of the 1st Motorized Banner, Dame Zelta Dzeltens, a female Crocodile Faunus with numerous fangs characteristic of this species of reptiles, was already waiting for him. She was accompanied by Sir Schlachten Chort, the Black Knight's personal bodyguard, and his right-hand man, an extremely tall Faunus who outwardly resembled an ordinary Human, but in fact his animalistic feature was black and retractable fangs.
Both Zelta and Schlachten used knighthoods, and the brigade members used this to refer to them. Considering the brutality of the Faunus military organization, it could be safely said that it was a mockery of the ancient institution of knighthood. However, there was a specific reason for this. In the old Vale, in the times of the monarchy and even in the dying days, no Faunus - even if he saved the king and once had such a case - could receive this honor.
Meanwhile, the Black Knight decided, on the one hand, to mock it, but on the other hand, to reward the Faunus serving him in some unique way. An indirect solution were knighthood titles, which, however, were supposed to be a certificate that a given male or female commanded a banner - the equivalent of a company in a brigade - a lance - the equivalent of a unit - or a legion, although the Lion Faunus intended to implement the latter only in the distant future. future.
Regardless, the Black Knight listened to the report on the readiness of the two banners he had taken to launch an attack on a village a few kilometers to the west, Valeo, not very large and with about 400 inhabitants.
The Lion Faunus just said. "Let despair break forth and consume our enemies."
The response from the female and male was the same, using the title the Black Knight had chosen for himself. "It will be done, My Overlord."
This was enough for the two banners gathered for this task and the two of them to begin preparations. The second one, 1st Heavy Cavalry Banner, contrary to its name, did not have horses, and instead its means of transport were Grimm, specifically Beowolves. Not ordinary ones, but captured and personally tamed by the Black Knight. The end result was that the eyes of all these Beowolfs were shimmering with a strong and dark emerald color, unheard of in other representatives of this race, and the cracks on their masks were also this color. A color that resonated well with the Black Knight's Aura and its color.
Regardless, all these formations moved towards their intended purpose but from different directions. The Black Knight and 1st Cavalry Banner were to attack from the southwest, while Dame Zelta Dzeltens and her 1st Motorized Banner were to attack from the northeast. Thus, the settlement would have been caught in a pinch, and that is exactly what happened.
About an hour and a half later, both banners launched an attack, 240 Faunus, while the remaining 85, the camp servants, remained at their posts with the task of packing their tents, destroying all evidence of their presence, scattering false leads and returning to Mountain Glenn, their underground fortress, or maybe in this case it was more appropriate to call it their hideout. Especially considering the fact that the Hunters had been hunting them for over a year, as one of the most dangerous organizations on Remnant.
After an hour and a half, both banners attacked their target just before midnight, thus beginning the plundering of the village. The Beowolfs riders rammed the gates leading behind the stockade at a similar time to the truck drivers. The riders started shooting at the small guard with pistols, and the shooters on the back of the trucks did the same.
The village's few guards were killed without much problem, while the gunfire woke up the villagers and panic immediately ensued.
The settlement was flooded, with terrified human inhabitants on one side and invaders on the other. Truck drivers, clad in black and green leather armor and carrying modern assault rifles using Dust cartridges. On the other hand, heavy cavalrymen, wearing armor of a similar type to the Black Knight, but with dark green as their default color, with numerous light metallic decorations. However, they all had a similar type of emblem, a skull pierced by a sword on a black shield, an ominous symbol of certain death for Humans.
When all little resistance had been crushed, the massacre and plundering began immediately. The animal pens were emptied and the livestock immediately began to be prepared for transport. The old men and children were cured, then taken to the local temple, made entirely of wood.
A group of local guards appeared, but they had little chance, despite killing 5 Funus from the brigade, they were massacred a moment later
The Lion Faunus looked closely at the structure, even the floor was wooden and he quickly commented on the sight. Perfect for a mass grave for these creatures.
With these thoughts, he turned to the gathered approximately 400 souls, right in the middle of the village, where there was the most open space and the market, all tightly squeezed into a rather limited space. Some of them tried to either escape or barricade themselves in their homes, which did not work, as all of them were caught.
When the Black Knight rode up on his horse, unique in that it was saddled and covered with Sabyr armor, with green colors instead of red, everyone gathered immediately recognized their tormentor. Another sign could have been the standard bearers of both banners, holding flags with a green, two-handed blade and a skull of the same color on a black background.
"Grim Lion!" One of the graying women sighed loudly, followed by loud whispers from the rest of the crowd.
"We're all going to die now that the Vale Beast is here!" A frail and long-grayed man shouted loudly, fueling the panic.
"Gods, save us from Atlas' Nightmare!" The only priest in the village and the administrator of the wooden temple, he began to pray intensely, but the gods did not care about the sincerity of his requests for mercy.
"Why did it have to be the day that the Mistral Butcher came to us!" A young woman around 8 p.m. started crying loudly in despair. "I recently gave birth to two children! Why did it have to be now!?"
"The Lord of Suffering and the Sorcerer of Menagerie has come for us!" One of the men, quite young and stout, fell into a state resembling a panic attack, as a result of which he began to rave and his screams degenerated into incomprehensible gibberish.
Several more epithets were used as nicknames for the Black Knight: the Mad Beast, the Butcher of Women and Children, the Eater of Souls, the Grim Architect and the Necromancer. These were just a few, but they all spoke volumes about the infamy that the Lion Faunus had gained throughout the world of Remnant.
"Silence!" Even though the Black Knight raised his voice noticeably, the sound he produced still retained that persuasive and calm note, giving him an aura of grim and sinister mystery. "Human creatures, you have had the misfortune to live on an earth that will be burned to ashes this night and robbed of everything you have built or brought. No less and no more. Some of you will survive, but make no mistake, not all of you will get a much better fate than you deserve as a species.
After these short words, he turned to his right hand. "Sir Schlachten Chort, let the remaining children and old men join the companions in the temple. Then board up all the doors and windows, and the priest must also go in."
Vague and gloomy whispers spread among the gathered crowd. From what the keen ears of the Lion Faunus had told him, they expressed the view that at least their children would be spared and survive. None of them seemed to remember the Black Knight's previous words, about the transformation of the bustling Human Village into a barren wasteland.
"Over my dead body!" An old man shouted, and a woman his age near him tried her best to calm him down. "Our ancestors were right about you, Faunus. Animals like you should have been exterminated, not even enslaved. That would solve all our problems with your so-called brigade and your would-be followers, as well as the White Fang! How many more People will have to die before the Hunters and the directors of individual academies, as well as the governments of the kingdoms, decide to finally solve your issue!?"
"Like all the problems of Faunus, enslaved and debased to work for their oppressors, through the extermination of all Humans." The Black Knight replied almost mockingly before issuing the order. "Take him and the woman next to him, then prepare two sharp poles. Both will receive a less favorable fate than the others, but in the end we all get what we deserve."
The two elders, exceptionally separated from the rest, were immediately taken away to serve their punishment, which ultimately was to be impaled. For this punishment, the Lion Faunus was inspired by one of the Emperors of Mistral, who used to impale all rebels and their families, regardless of age or gender, in the full sense of the word.
As for the rest, soon the other old men and children, together with the priest, were taken to the temple, whose doors and windows were bolted.
"Prepare the remaining People for transport, they must move quickly, because it is not certain whether someone managed to send a message for help." The Black Knight gave another order, and Sir Schlachten standing next to him just nodded.
As for the black-clad knight, he rode his Grimm to the wooden temple, then placed his hand on one of the walls and began to concentrate his Aura. As a sage once taught him, an Aura was an expression of the soul that adapted to the will of its user and could be transformed or grow in strength. In this case, it resulted in a few sparks of green fire, which then began to develop into a full bonfire.
The temple was engulfed moments later. The green fire spread unnaturally quickly throughout the wooden structure. It was not an ordinary flame, but an expression of the Black Knight's soul, so apart from the dark emerald green, there was a mixture of gray, white and black in it. Regardless, the people trapped inside were also engulfed by the flames quite quickly. This was evidenced by brief screams inside, followed by silence, interrupted occasionally by the flames.
Soon, however, the screams of the remaining over 200 men and women, terrified of the fate of their offspring, could be heard in the square.
However, the Black Knight didn't care about it, he just rode up to them on his Grimm and gave the order. "Take them away! We couldn't afford children and old people as slaves. We don't have enough supplies in our stronghold."
Then he turned to the masses of people. "But you will be great slaves, in the service of those more powerful than you, you have my word. However, this is not the end of your suffering."
However, one of the slaves had something else to say. "It's outrageous, for these crimes…"
"You can remain silent, Human, your words no longer mean anything, because from now on you are just a living object and I advise you to remember that." The Black Knight announced coldly, and his soldiers began to force the People out of the village, brutally and often with lashings. "But know that this and what is yet to come are just the tip of the iceberg and will never be sufficient revenge for what Humanity has done to us over the centuries."
With these words, no further words came out of the Black Knight's mouth, and instead he galloped outside the stockade, towards the west, where the destination of all the Faunus and their new slaves, Mountain Glenn, was.
Sabyr, ridden by the Lion Faunus, rode up a small hill outside the village, from where he had a perfect view of the dying ruins of the temple and the new fires being lit throughout the place. At the end of the attack, houses and all other structures were burning, along with the stockade and the only two signs of former Human presence in the place were ashes and the impaled, stripped bodies of an old couple.
What a fair fate for those who dared to do worse to Faunus over the years. The Lion Faunus thought for a moment, feeling no remorse for the Humans killed and their ruined lives, no euphoria or sadistic joy, his mood instead was contemplative. Although this species still receives less than it actually deserves. There are no pogroms or total extermination, I have never allowed rape or arbitrariness. I could indulge my warriors and let them do literally anything. But why would I do that if the enslaved People could be put to better use?
He looked at his warriors and among those without helmets, mostly in the back of trucks, there was a look of satisfaction or even euphoria. There was no doubt that the issue of children and old people being burned alive in the temple was the main reason for their joy. The Black Knight understood this perfectly.
I have chosen as my servants those Faunus who have suffered at the hands of Humanity as much as I have and who are more than willing to seek revenge. No doubt, some of them are disappointed by the lack of suffering of these creatures, but no one dares to say it to my face. The Black Knight thought, showing no emotion behind the mask that usually remained stiff, even in the face of the most disgusting words and sights, or the funniest words and most touching moments, even if he felt something different under his skin and in his heart.
He thought no more, but rushed his Grimm and joined his Faunus, who together set out on their way back to the underground fortress, built in side and well-hidden caves, now connected to the underground of the city long ruined by chaos creatures.
However, before the Lion Faunus set off, he heard a growl coming from the nearby bushes and as soon as he turned in that direction, he noticed a pair of scarlet eyes and a moment later, the owner rushed towards him. In this case, a powerful Grimm and those bent on death and destruction, attracted by the scent of death and despair of the Humans of the village, Alpha Ursa. Powerful and undoubtedly experienced, which has evolved over many years.
Staring into the crimson eyes of a creature half the size of a standard Ursa, the Black Knight simply couldn't and wouldn't stop it. How similar are we both? Perhaps more than any of the Faunus or Humans would ever like to admit. How much hypocrisy there is in disgust towards these so-called creatures of darkness, when in fact we are not that different from them. Each of us has in our veins and hearts the desire to murder, plunder, rape, destroy, subjugate and impose our will on others. Grimm are just honest creatures, unlike most Humans or even us Faunus. Fortunately, I am not a liar or a hypocrite who allowed myself to be subordinated to social norms, the will of others and worse than me, I chose the path of realizing my instincts and desire for revenge, the path of realizing the will to rule over others.
With that he drew his two-handed blade once more that night, but his strength in one arm was more than enough. In his left hand, he held the reins on one side and, on the other, his wind-dust-soaked dagger, which was prepared for a possible attack. Meanwhile, Alpha Ursa also prepared to attack, halting her movement upon recognizing that she would be confronting a much more powerful opponent than usual.
This creature was characterized by - apart from its enormous height and stronger light emanating from its eyes - also a much larger number of white dots, which seemed to constitute some form closest to natural armor.
The Black Knight looked straight into her eyes without fear, and he could have sworn that the creature was aware of it, as evidenced by the return of the gesture. Although for people bound by petty-bourgeois and classical morality, it might have looked like a confrontation between two destroyers wanting to devour each other, it was only an appearance, or rather just one perspective.
Much closer to objective truth would be the statement about the confrontation of two opposing creatures, each of which strives to evolve and increase its power at the expense of the other. One of the confrontations of this type, during which only one entity can emerge victorious and alive, while the other will be absorbed by the first and consumed, in the full sense of the word.
However... The Black Knight readied his Sabyr for an attack, and also adjusted the position of his blade, ready to charge. Even if it means fighting an entire race, debasing its representatives and destroying half the world, it is a small price to pay. Perhaps one day I will even thank the people of Alainx for opening my eyes to reality, even if the past haunts me until this day, in the form of demons from dreams. Still, the truth is often much more valuable and, I believe, worth much more than many would admit. That said…
He kicked his mount, which seemed to sense his intentions and charged. Alpha Ursa, seeing this, jumped up to attack using her mouth, eager to grab the Black Knight in her fangs and tear him from the saddle on Grimm Sabyr's back.
"Come on Irresistible, my faithful mount, into battle!" The Lion Faunus roared like a real lion, and there was little left of his calm voice except pure persuasion and almost savage honesty. "For power!"
The Alpha Ursa tried to reach it with its maw, but Irresistible, a Grimm Sabyr ridden by the Black Knight, jumped and flew over the unenslaved creature's head, while the Lion Faunus slashed his blade across its left front and rear paws. His great mastery of swordsmanship ensured the bypassing of the white spots and quite quick partial neutralization of the creature, which fell on its face, while Sabyr and his master fell gracefully a few meters away, behind the Alpha Ursa's back.
However, fighting skills alone were only half the guarantee of success. The second was to focus the Black Knight's Aura on the blade, as a result of which the sword gained even greater sharpness and thus the ability to penetrate. Manipulating Aura was an art in itself, giving great power and enormous possibilities, and the Lion Faunus had mastered this art to a degree that allowed it to be used without any problems, and not only for combat purposes.
The Grimm the Black Knight fought may have been an Alpha, but apparently without a pack and just a lowly Ursa, nothing really serious. No serious danger to experienced Hunters, much less to the Lion Faunus in Black, who definitely boasted a much greater range of skills than even experienced but average Hunters.
The Black Knight turned and Irresistible with him, and the two approached the fallen Grimm, who suddenly and with incredible speed spun around using its intact, unsevered limbs, attempting to attack its opponent. However, the Lion Faunus didn't bother with further confrontation.
He punched the fallen Alpha Urs square in the jaw with his clenched, armored left hand - but did no major damage - and grabbed it, then pulled the creature towards him. Later, however, green-black light began to slowly seep from the tips. The Black Knight's aura slowly began to surround the entire weakened Grimm until it surrounded the creation of what could best be described as chains of light.
"And now, time to consume!" With these words, the lights around Alpha Ursa only increased in intensity and the chains slowly began to move back towards the Black Knight's hand.
However, that was not all, because the chains of light were also joined by the black matter from which the Grimm was made, emanating aggressive red lights. At the same time, the creature's body also began to slowly fade away. First the limbs and then the rest of the body starting from the back. Alpha Ursa simply disappeared from sight until only her white armor and mask remained, which crumbled to ash after a short while.
"How long has it been since I consumed Alpha Status Grimm?" The Black Knight thought aloud while rushing Irresistible to join both banners and slaves as quickly as possible. Definitely enough to make me forget what it's like to have all this energy flowing through me, filled with pure aggression and the will to destroy. It's been way too long and I've forgotten.
However, he did not pay much attention to it and together with his troops, they return to the long-ruined city, part of the underground of which has become a fortress and a temporary home for them. This journey took over half a day. Especially for the prisoners, it was quite an exhausting route of continuous marching, without even a single stop.
The entire column of over 200 warriors and their captives moved along well-trodden paths through the dense forests of the Vale. samama, the attacked village was located so deep in the forest and far enough away from the capital city or other urban centers that it would be simply impossible for help to arrive within a few hours, and even if anyone did get there, they would only find ashes and two bullets. body pile. There was not the slightest evidence to connect this event with either the brigade or any of the local nomad or bandit tribes. Not only Mistral and Anima in general were famous for this type of tribes.
During this entire route, none of the Black Knight's Faunus warriors complained, and only two lieutenants from the brigade spoke to him during the ride. Dame Zelta Dzeltense spoke openly and loudly about her contempt for their new Human slaves, and her joy at the fate that would soon await them. Meanwhile, Sir Schlachten Chort only expressed joy that everything was over quickly and that no further Faunus casualties were necessary.
The journey was also accompanied by smaller and larger attacks from the Grimm, drawn out by despair and fear. However, the fight was bloodless and they did not encounter any more powerful creatures.
As for the Black Knight, he answered the questions asked by both servants and sometimes shared his knowledge and conducted conversations. Still, he was more focused on the slaves, several of whom had dropped dead from exhaustion during the journey. However, the Lion Faunus had no intention of showing them sympathy or pity, for he clearly remembered the stories of the marches of hundreds of Faunus slaves, commonly known in the times of modern Remnant as Death Marches.
Marching groups of hundreds or even thousands of Faunus slaves, herded like cattle to their destinations, almost always without food, water or even time to stop and rest. Typically, more than half of the slaves died during such marches. The Black Knight also decided to use this from his history lesson.
However, on this point even some of his warriors had doubts and several of his commanders talked to him about it. Many of them asked - even despite the harm the Humans had previously inflicted on them - was it really necessary? However, the Black Knight always answered it with conviction and without doubt. "Were the Death Marches necessary? Was slavery of our species necessary? Are we really going to show mercy where Human Creatures wouldn't show even the slightest bit of mercy?"
As always, the persuasiveness of the Black Knight's voice and his decisiveness on the matter had the desired effect, as no one strongly opposed his treatment of the slaves. Undoubtedly, the lack of strong resistance was greatly influenced by the fact that the Lion Faunus was based on Faunus deprived of moral inhibitions as a result of their treatment by Humans.
Many hours passed and the sun rose and set again before the warriors and their prey finally reached their destination, but without much fanfare. Mountain Glenn was desolate and ruined, and its only inhabitants were Grimm, but most of them were weak - at least to a combat-savvy warrior - Beowolves or other, equally insignificant varieties.
Here, the only threat to us could be the Goliaths, but these... The Black Knight, thinking about it, turned his gaze to one of the flocks of said Grimm creatures that were moving around, paying no attention to the ruined city except for a single one that returned the Lion Faunus's gaze, but he didn't he was even the slightest bit moved by this. They are too intelligent, definitely too intelligent, to get close to us, despite the aura of negative emotions that Human creatures give off. It is in the nature of these intelligent creatures, who have lived for centuries and seen a lot, to avoid confrontation and stick together whenever possible. It's a pity that a large part of Humanity has not been able to learn this lesson for us, Faunus.
After these thoughts, a smile, bordering on sadistic, formed on his lips and under the lion's helmet. Are we not the architects of our own hells?
With these thoughts, the Black Knight and his group of approximately 400 Humans and Faunus entered the deserted city through a hole in the city wall.
It was not even the slightest secret for the Lion Faunus and the warriors accompanying him that until recently, White Fang and Roman Torchwick, who worked with them, had been using this place as their point and base for a terrorist attack on Vale. So they all knew the risks, but they had already been using this place before the presence of their White Fang brothers, and yet they had already built infrastructure here, and in a completely different part of the big city.
"So what is the probability that we will be found here by anyone?" The Black Knight replied when several concerned banner commanders asked him about it a few weeks ago. "Practically none. Even this part of the Atlas Military and the students of Beacon Academy, even with the support of all available Huntsmen and Huntresses in Vale. Even all these combined forces have limited room to maneuver in a world where Humans, and even Faunus, are not at the top of the food chain."
His companions then accepted the logic behind this choice, and they accepted it as they introduced the new slaves, whose fate would soon be sealed in a way that would also strip them of their status as Humans, or at least that was the opinion of the Black Knight himself, who had been the one on more than one occasion who was concerned with transforming reluctant slaves into loyal ones, each of whom was not only able to hear the will of the Lion Faunus, but was also very susceptible to it, to bend to any orders given to them, direct or not.
After traveling through several streets and districts, crossing large blocks of flats with broken windows, some even collapsed from the inside for reasons that are difficult to determine. Grimm or the passage of time, it was difficult to determine which damage was done by time, which by creatures of darkness, and which by People in a fit of panic. Each of these three options was equally likely or unimportant, at least from the point of view of this night.
Members of both banners and their prisoners finally reached the large factory complex, which, however, had been abandoned for years and, like everything in the city, fell into decline over time. However, it was not the complex itself that was most important here, but instead what was inside and led underground. The path to the shelter hollowed out and built in the ground long before the fall, the anti-Grimm shelter, built in every large urban center by the Volt-Tec corporation, which was specialized in this field and unrivaled on a global scale.
Going inside and lower, they reached through gray and dirty corridors, to a large hole in one of the walls and a rocky and sloping corridor that only led even lower. Everything was large and wide enough that Grimm used as mounts, or even trucks used by a motorized banner, could move without even the slightest difficulty. All this led even deeper below the surface, where there were forks, but each was properly marked by a subtle drop of dark red paint, which, placed in an inconspicuous place, could pass for dried blood.
Finally, after entering another fork, hundreds of females and males finally reached their destination, a large, underground canyon, which, although it stretched for many kilometers and had many additional tunnels, was entirely covered with wooden and steel structures, mainly massive and solidly built scaffolding, housing various structures and with equally different purposes.
Sawmills, slaughterhouses, small steelworks, workshops with equipment enabling the production of products of modern technology but of varying quality. In addition, there are numerous forges, stables dominated by Grimm, training arenas and entire residential segments for the inhabitants of this underground fortress. Deeper down, entrances to vast networks of mines could easily be found where Human slaves were present, either Faunus supervising and guarding them, or Human guards, although the Humans in this underground complex only came to these definitions by their past, not their present a state that resembled nothing that Humans had been, only humanoid shapes and limbs remained.
The best example of this was one of the grooms who took up Irresistible. To any Human or Faunus, this creature would be considered repulsive and simply a disgusting abomination. It was a creature with pale skin, deformed on the face and body in general, but still humanoid, dressed in black and green rags with the symbol of a skull pierced by a sword, and with sparse, gray and senile hair. This creature, although it moved quickly, was almost crouched, which was the result of a broadly understood bone deformation.
It was not the only creature of this type, because these creatures, Ghouls - as the Black Knight called them - constituted an important part of the inhabitants of this place, which they called the Dead Sub-Castle, in reference to its location underground. Gray beings, additionally devoid of earlobes and crooked noses, and often with broken teeth replaced by sharp fangs or without nails, were nothing natural.
Ghouls were personally created by the Black Knight. Once upon a time, the Lion Faunus learned from his mentor that a properly enhanced Aura was something powerful enough to not only protect or be used by the user to attack during combat, but also to - literally and figuratively - affect other living beings or objects. The Black Knight took this concept to heart, and his Semblance - Infinite Hunger - turned out to be extremely helpful, as this ability allowed him to absorb the life energy and souls of others, as well as Grimm and their negative energies. All this strengthened his Aura and allowed him to grow stronger.
Eventually, he began to experiment on kidnapped People, trying to impose his own will on them, but the initial lack of results and the defiantly racist attitude of the men and women he captured - although in this case mainly women - led to torture and degradation using Aura. As it turned out, the pain caused by crushing bones, tearing nails, knocking out teeth, and much more literally and figuratively broke the torture subjects until virtually nothing remained of their former selves. The Lion Faunus filled this void with his will and made the Ghouls very susceptible to hearing it.
Additionally, the gray-skinned creatures were reconstructed from Humans to be naturally cruel, malicious, angry, greedy, and simply incapable of any meaningful cooperation on their own. However, this was not the intention of the Black Knight, but, as he realized after some time, the result of saturating his Aura in moments of torture with all his hatred and contempt that Humankind strives for.
This was only the beginning, because as a result of this success, the Black Knight began experimenting with Grimm, and this time it went without any major difficulties. There was nothing to torture or degrade, just empty mass and negative energy, full of endless anger and fury, just waiting to be filled by some strong will bent on domination.
The only thing the Lion Faunus was preparing to do at this point was combine and transform different species of Grimm, all at his will.
There was still the matter of the last two most successful fruits of his labor. His transformation, distortion and bending of life to his intentions and plans.
The first were the so-called Abominations. Powerful and up to 7 meters high creatures, with grayish skin, a slightly monkey-shaped jaw and gray skin, even more than in the case of Ghouls. Massive and muscular creatures, essentially an enlarged and grotesque version of Humans. More like trolls or ogres from folk tales, without noses.
Abominations were in most cases used as beasts of burden - if the Grimm were too weak or lacked vehicles - or to help build larger structures, and their role in this could be various. The Black Knight considered using them in combat, but that was a matter of the future, more or less distant.
The second and last creation, or rather something that was only in the planning phase and would soon come true, were the Orcs. Creatures planned by the Black Knight to be a brutal and combat-only mix of Grimm and Ghouls. It was supposed to be the pinnacle of breeding living weapons of war. Human intelligence and the ability to quickly adapt, combined with the obedience and submission of Ghouls to their master, to the sheer brutality and aggressiveness of Grimm creatures.
This matter occupied the entire next day of the Black Knight, as he handed over his duties to the Sir Schlachten Chort and the Commander of the Dead Sub-Castle, Carolus Verdanc - a Pig Faunus with green hair who was also responsible for managing their resources - retired to rest, until until the next day.
As soon as the clock showed nine o'clock that morning, the Lion Faunus quickly put his armor and helmet back on and hurried to the so-called breeding farm. This was the part where he, his assistants, and several Ghouls accompanying him, conducted experiments together.
However, on this day, in the center of a large oval stone hall dimmed by dim lighting, a total of 24 assistants were gathered, while in the center there were only two beings. A Black Knight and one of the female Ghouls.
The Lion Faunus circled around her for a few moments, examining her features and curves carefully, but without any purely erotic interest. Instead, it was accompanied by typical research curiosity. She, meanwhile, was calmly staring into space in front of her and casually at 7 of her 24 assistants, some of whom were already capable of breeding Ghouls and Abominations on their own, or dominating Grimm.
The Black Knight's slow march and loud footsteps echoed around the room for a few moments until he decided to stop, centered in front of the female Ghoul and looking straight into her eyes.
"Do you know why you were called here?" He asked her calmly, almost artificially and without any timbre in his voice.
"Because an experiment is to be conducted on a smaller scale, my lord." She responded, almost mechanically, strongly, but at the same time completely subserviently and without any sign of any feeling other than unconditional submission.
"Indeed, that's what it is, Ghoul." The Lion Faunus answered her and although he remembered that she was human, he did so without contempt or excessive self-aggrandizement, only emphasizing his role as her ruler, after all, she was his servant and would serve him, responding to his every request. "To be precise, you are here to be upgraded and have the honor of becoming the first Orc in my ranks. You Ghouls were created from the most hideous creatures that walk this world, Humans. The race is essentially greedy, superficial, afraid of the unknown or something slightly different from themselves, and self-destructive. You Ghouls are faithful and ready to obey my every command, but only remain chained to this cheap imitation."
After these words, he turned his gaze to one of the assistants and his helmet also turned to the male Moose Faunus with distinctive antlers. "Bring Beowolf at once!"
His order was met with an immediate response. "Yes, my lord."
The Black Knight did not answer, he just waited with growing curiosity, and at the same time the assistant opened the steel gate, through which a wolf Grimm was led inside by a single groom, this time it was a young Faunus with deer antlers, short and evenly cut hair, which in combined with his rather charming facial features, they gave him a certain aura of innocence and a look of that sort. This, combined with the fact that he was driving firmly on an iron Beowolf chain with the red replaced by green, made for a rather grotesque image.
Regardless, soon the young man and the creature he was leading reached the center, whereupon the assistant bowed and ran to join the rest.
The Beowolf and the female Ghoul, meanwhile, stood side by side before the Black Knight got down to business. "And now observe the work of my aura, friends and servants, for this is the birth of a new race, which in the stories of the primitive ancestors of today's People and in fairy tales for not very bright children, is known as a race of warriors, brutal savages and conquerors. Let them serve as Faunus' swords, as another of our many blades."
There were many cheers behind and around him, and with a theatrical movement he blew his cloak briefly before he began his work. Pointing both hands forward, the right facing the Ghoul and the left facing the Beowolf, he began to concentrate and concentrate on his Aura until he was sure it would bring the effects he wanted.
By concentrating his soul, he caused brilliant dark green lights to appear on his fingertips that seemed to dance like flames of some kind. It didn't take long for this energy of his Aura to set out for its purpose.
What happened next, in his already accustomed to manipulating and transforming life itself, merged into what could best be described as a symphony of pain, change, transformation and grotesque. The image of a Ghoul and a Beowolf merging was, to say the least, quite original, but on the other hand grotesque, especially when the two entities literally merge.
It was painful for both of them, so much so that the roar was seared into the memory of everyone present. Even the Black Knight, who had tortured and degraded Humans at least thousands of times, transforming them into twisted parodies of what they once were, remembered that terrifying and inhuman scream.
Killing or even causing pain was nothing new or unusual for him, just like causing suffering or watching the suffering of other beings, animals, Humans and, most importantly, Faunus. His life had been defined by pain, suffering, death, and experiencing it all, and in the last case, seeing his loved ones die, screaming, and not having the same, thanks to one of his Faunus brothers who chose to raise him as if the Lion Faunus was his own son.
For some reason, this time was different, and after the process of crossing, transforming and transforming was completed, the Black Knight allowed himself to grimace under his helmet and take a few deep but still suppressed breaths. The reason for this behavior on his part was quite clear, because thanks to the involvement of his Aura, he was able to feel the agony and feelings of both creatures undergoing the process of - for lack of a better word - hybridization. However, the Lion Faunus shook it off.
A fully formed creature appeared before his eyes. An upright humanoid with dark, almost Grimm-black skin, green and shining eyes that indicated the creature's subordination to the knight. Additionally, the first of the Orcs stood proud and straight. It was grinning, revealing two rows of clearly very sharp fangs that could apparently bite through even raw meat with the skin still on. Additionally, her muscles have become stronger, as have the defects and leg posture that affected Ghouls.
"Welcome, the first of my best and deadliest warriors." The Black Knight greeted her, allowing a bit of joy and satisfaction at the results to enter his tone.
"Hello, my Overlod." She greeted him by falling on both knees and with an expression of obvious, complete submission. "I am ready for your orders."
"Very well, now answer my questions, servant." The Black Knight was pleased with this show of humility and moved on to test it and see the effects of his indoctrination. "Who are you?"
"An instrument of war and destruction, my Overlord." The answer came quickly and dispassionately.
"What is the purpose of your life?"
"Killing, fighting and serving until the end of my days, my Overlord." The orc replied once again. "As long as my heart beats and blood flows in my veins, I will kill and fight."
"Who do you serve?"
"To you, my Overlod." Came another terse reply, elaborated once again. "This is what I was created for and this is my fate, from this day until the end of my days."
The Black Knight was pleased, so much so that he allowed himself to gloat over his new achievement in verbal form. "Once again it proves true that Aura, the expression of our souls, is a truly wonderful tool. It allows us to transform and bend this world, and the shoes that live here, to our will. Although I regret that I do not have the power to create something from nothing, the ability to change and influence reality is no less valuable.
He then turned to his assistants, only a few of whom seemed to be recovering from the traumatic sight of hybridization. "This is a great moment for us, my esteemed friends and loyal servants. I have just proven that creation and destruction can be combined. In reality, however, I would describe it as positive destruction followed by the raising of something new from the ashes and ruins of the old."
He saw satisfaction on their lips, even if just a moment ago some of them were terrified by their recent experience. Only the Ghouls remained indifferent, devoid of their former personalities and memories, capable only of sensing their master's will and serving, like all others whom only he designated.
"This is just the beginning." The Black Knight continued, looking into the eyes of each of them, although none of the assistants could see his face and overall few could boast of it, but all the Faunus present here followed him of their own accord. "However, this is only the beginning, because soon, as soon as the entire Orc banners are ready, we will send them straight to the east, to our abandoned citadel. We will have a lot of work to do, but our ultimate goal is worth it. We will build the greatest Faunus Kingdom the world has ever seen, which will symbolize a new era, an era of Faunus domination, an era of progress, wisdom and power, and the end of depraved Humanity!"
This is how the boy's maturation ended. Initially, after experiencing loss, he wanted to be the White Knight and the hero of his people. A boy who received training that allowed him to become the Black Knight, and now finally achieve the title of Black Overlord of Remnant.