Shortly after my liege fell asleep, she began to lightly squirm, but it wasn’t anything to be alarmed about. She regularly shifted a little bit, but this time, she was whispering.   

“Mom... I miss you... I love you, mom...” Slowly, she shifted down the pillow until she was right at Irisa’s chest. Her face between them, her mouth slightly open as her tongue searched for a nipple. Irisa slightly adjusted her body, then smiled and lovingly rubbed my liege as she latched on. The oni bit her lip slightly, and since we indulged my liege in love, my hands moved from her stomach to her penis. She always liked it when I held it, especially when we were ‘spooning,' as Tilde called it.    

“Mila... That kinda tickles, hehe!. But I really don’t mind it... It kinda feels like we’re growing closer.”   

I tried my best to hold in a quiet laugh. “That’s what I said on the way from Aetos Village. She wanted me to hug her, so I sat in her lap and held her against my chest. She fell asleep, her tongue started wandering, and I just took off my shirt and let her suck. It really is an affectionate moment, isn’t it?”   

Irisa nodded. We stared into the other’s eyes. After being freed, I thought I’d never concern myself with anyone or anything that wasn’t my liege. I was her blade of vengeance, a weapon she wielded to bring a violent, brutal end to her enemies. I didn't need flimsy relationships that wouldn’t help me kill more efficiently.    

But I was living as if the curse was still stabbing my mind and soul with a million pokers, all trying to point me towards the next innocent to slaughter.  

The next family to brutalize.   

The next city to destroy.   

The next forest to burn.   

The next country to devastate.   

But being able to feel something other than eternal rage? Other than the desire to send rampaging dragons to a small village to see everyone killed? Other than wanting to hang every child from a tree? Forcing their parents to watch the life slowly drain from their faces?   

It was refreshing. Creating memorable connections and realizing that I didn’t have to kill them?   

But the stuff I did in the past couldn’t be excused. Nor can it be forgiven. Nor do I want to be forgiven for it. If my liege couldn’t break this curse on me, then the end of the world would end by our hands.   

Even...  

Even if it meant killing a trusted companion. 

But I don’t want that... Do I? 

I whispered Irisa’s name, telling her of my curse and infinite fate. If my liege was going to be truthful to her new family, then it fell to me to do the same.  

“I’m... My title as a Dark Lord is...the Dark Lord of Tyranny...” As the words left my mouth, I thought about the events of a few hours ago. When my liege had looked to me to receive permission to reveal a partial truth about me, I nodded—even while a heavy weight pressed against my heart.   

How would they react to realizing that a Dark Lord lived with them all this time?  

How badly would my wanting to keep this a secret until now destroy any hopes for my liege to become part of a loving family?  

There was trickery, and then there was deception. In my eyes, this was the latter—something far more unforgivable than the former. I was ready to throw myself to my knees to ask that they continue their plans to adopt my liege…  

But that merely wasn’t needed.   

That wasn’t to say they took the news stoically—they didn’t—but the anger-filled words I expected to come my way were replaced by…something almost resembling an inquisitive nature. Or maybe they were partly expressed by someone reaching the pinnacle of evolution while looking ‘young.’  

After all, becoming a Holy or Dark Lord was said to be the ultimate goal desired by all who drew breath.  

When the topic briefly switched to me, my liege took an active role in gradually leading the discussion to be about my talents and strengths. I knew Irisa and the others harbored a small simmering of uneasiness in their hearts because it was impossible to take my existence while remaining totally calm. But hearing my liege talk about how I was the only reason she was here right now? How my intrusion into the void allowed me to yank her soul from a bottomless reality and anchor her spirit to a body of ancient flesh I crafted from my enemies?  

The more she explained the story, the more it seemed they were almost thankful to me…for being the reason why we were in their lives in the first place. After my liege told her story and cried into her father’s chest, Ichiha spoke to me confidentially. She intimately admitted her surprise at knowing more about me, but Ichiha also clarified that neither she, Kokan, nor Irisa feared me. Erin also looked my way and bravely reached out a hand. Lei—the yellow slime—extended a blob of slime that held my elbow… 

“You may be a Dark Lord, but first and foremost, you’re just Sekh. To us, that’s who you’ll always be. We know we can trust you with anything, and I want you to know that we consider you family.” Ichiha had hugged and patted my back, almost as if treating me as another daughter... 

I…suppose I have a place to belong… But my true destiny does not lie in peace. First and foremost, I’m a weapon… I bring death to those that would go against the Transcendent Dark Lord… That…is the role I must play if I want the curse to end.  

“But if you destroy the world, then what about mom? Or dad? Or me?” Irisa’s panicked question forced me back to reality.  

“I’ve lived longer than you could ever imagine... I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve reincarnated, had my mind flooded by the curse of my previous deaths and tortures, then was forced to kill my parents to start another journey of tyranny. I want it to be broken... For the first time, I don’t have the curse telling me how to feel or what to do. I’m a free woman. I’ve grown fond of your family and you… Other than Tilde, my liege, and Niva, I've never been accepted like this." 

“Hey, didn’t I say there’s a chance Master can break it without needing to blow the world up? It’s far more likely that she’ll be able to whisk away the curse with a flick of her wrist once she’s sufficiently powerful. Sadness doesn’t suit you,” said a flying annoyance coming our way. Tilde yawned and wiped her eyes as she sat on our shared pillow. “It’s kinda scary seeing you act so subdued. The vibe is just not there.”   

We spent a little bit of time chatting. Irisa pledged to do all she could to ensure I didn’t have to destroy the world. She was oddly upbeat about our chances because she said my liege was the type of girl who could do anything.   

I wanted to think so as well... My liege was far better than me when coming up with plans or schemes. If I oversaw killing Oswell’s group, I’d have used pure force, not subtle poisoning.    

I was fine being her blade of vengeance. That was the role I was best suited for. As much as I didn’t want to think about this, this role in this family was but temporary. Onis lived to about 200. Within four decades…and if they didn’t achieve evolution...Ichiha and Kokan would die of old age... 

No. I don’t wish to think about those things right now. That does not concern me.  

Irisa was curious about my former power, even more than my liege after speaking of my mace. The oni adorably pouted when I said I wanted her to be surprised by it when we retrieved it from Amos. But upon saying his name, she became curious about what life was like 1,000 years ago. Since she knew I was forever reincarnating, she soon asked how life was beyond that. Unfortunately, the specific memories were fleeting after a few dozen reincarnations, and there was a delay of a few hundred years before I was born once anew. The 1,000-year gap between this and the last meant the memories were even more fleeting and fragmented. 

But since she was curious about millennia ago, I thought she would like to hear about the Scorch Giants of the far south. They were about the size of four human adult men. Their fur and blood burned of fire, and they had to use a specific type of alloy metal that withstood their intense heat. Their blacksmithing was sought after, and the small sect that didn’t submit to me lived their final moments practicing what they loved before dying. A solemn tale, for sure, but Irisa wanted to know more about their smithing…    

I wonder if the technique’s been replicated.

We had a fun time discussing that, then moving on to what I knew of Vredi Forest, something I did not have any connection to. It was destroyed without me having to lift a finger. It was a mystery from my time. Perhaps it was still unsolved? I didn't know who did it. Then again, I didn't care when it happened.  

From Niva’s bed came the noise of someone twisting and turning. “Primmy, darling, care to join in our girl talk?” Tilde asked. She was facing us, but she turned around and crossed her legs.   

Primrose was quiet, but she stirred out of bed and stood after making sure Niva was asleep. She looked at us with this solemn expression. “I…must decline. I couldn’t sleep, so I’m going to step in the backyard for a moment,” said the spirit. She walked briskly and lightly to the door, then left after gently closing it.   

“Oh, Primmy, Primmy, Primmy… Why can’t you just be honest with yourself?"  

“What do you mean? Is there something I don’t know about?” Irisa inquired. I nodded and explained what my liege failed to mention when she summarized the events in Aetos Village and the return trip. “Why didn’t Mila talk about that?”  

“She wanted to keep the peace, I suppose,” Tilde answered in my stead. “She and Primmy also talked in the bath a few days ago, but that was about killing Oswell. She didn't know he planned to sell out Niva and get the reward money, which meant we would be given over to Gloria. I don't want to get into the consequences of that because that future won't come to pass. But until about 6 hours ago, she didn’t know the truth about Master. Only myself, little miss tyranny, Niva, and the AI knew.”  

“So… Primrose's embarrassed by how she acted? And now that she knows who Mila is, she…”  

“She probably can’t find it in her to apologize. Primmy said a bunch of horrible shit, but Master came within inches of ending her life. She just needs some time to think about her feelings and stuff. She is a spirit of nature. Being a chimera goes against that, like trying to remain sober while drinking enough booze to knock out a horse.”   

“Do you think they’ll be friends?”  

“I’m not so sure. I can see them tolerating the other’s presence. If Niva had been anyone else, Primmy would be dead, and Master would’ve become part spirit after assimilating her core. But who knows? Matters of the heart are fickle. Primmy's probably feeling very confused. If you think about it, she’s almost a newborn. If she was made right as Niva summoned her, then she doesn’t have the life experience to learn from. You can’t throw someone to the wolves and demand they act or feel a certain way, especially in this scenario. But I never thought I would find my student, and hey! Here we are.”  

“Huh… Tilde, I don’t think I know much about you, actually,” Irisa said.     

“Me? I’m just your average eternally reincarnating fairy waiting for that special someone to take my breath away! Hehe!” She pulled a pose, then her face became serious. “I was created dozens of thousands of years ago with one purpose: finding the Transcendent Dark Lord and teaching them how to use [Hermes Trismegistus]. That’s the training system in a nutshell. Once I reach the end of my lifespan, I reincarnate. The last time was about 6,000 years ago. But since I found her, the next time I die is for real. Well, Master would die with me since we’re linked.” 

“Is Mila really that special?”   

“Nope. There isn’t a single noteworthy thing about Master.”   

“Eh?! Isn’t that harsh?!” Irisa exclaimed. Her outburst caused my liege to slightly bite down, eliciting a yelp from the oni. She quickly apologized and patted her head.   

“No, it isn’t. If you ask Master yourself, she’ll agree with me. When I scanned her memories, some entity in the void said the barrier was weakening. Meruria’s probably thrown her fair share of poor fuckers inside. What happens if you fold and unfold knots in a piece of string? It'll weaken and fray and maybe tear. Same thing with this barrier. Just suppose Master was unlucky enough to be tossed when the barrier couldn’t remain stable. Don’t even know what the barrier means, but it’s fucked, and it twisted Master into a chimera. She wasn’t chosen because she was strong, smart, or fast. She was just a poor bastard that was dealt a shit hand, then... Then cursed, I’d say, by being reborn as a monster that goes against the natural order. She did consent to it, though. It granted her the tools for her to get her revenge on Meruria. Don’t ask me what it was, though, because there are some things I don’t even know. However, I was only alerted to her once she was thrown in there, so I presume I’m somehow linked to the barrier. How? Fuck if I know. But for real. If anyone else was thrown in besides her at that very time, I would currently be with them.”  

“But... Mila’s special to me.”   

“And that's a good thing. I’m glad you care about Master. Hehehe... That’s one stop on my ultimate plan for her.” I didn’t enjoy how she rubbed her greedy mittens with that lewd look, so I demanded an explanation. “It’s simple. My goal is to ensure the success of the Transcendent Dark Lord. Obviously, that means her becoming queen of her own country.”   

“And...?”  

“And? Uhh, Master'll need an army. She’ll need squad leaders, commanders, generals, and lieutenants. Soldiers to fight her battles and protect her land. On top of that, a group of battle maids and sexy bitches willing to serve tea and cookies to Master and her guests while having the skill to draw their guns and shoot enemies in the head. They must be fully trained for combat. Then she’ll need a few thousand consorts and concubines. I mean, you’ve seen how she fucks. Master's nearly insatiable, right? On top of that? Hmm... A head of development, a shipmaster, and maybe a few dragon riders. Miss Tyranny, you’ll obviously be her bodyguard. Horny Girl? Research and development. You’re a skilled crafter. Bet you top coin you’re only going to get better. Master will also need a trained spirit summoner. That’s Niva’s department. Once she evolves into a Dragonfolk? Then we’re cooking with gas. I can see us having the strongest aerial military force with a legion of elite dragon knights led by the draconic spirit Niva’s sure to summon.” 

“My heart hurts when I think of Mila having sex with someone that isn’t us,” Irisa confessed.   

“Really? Not even if this new chick is crazy about Master like you?”   

“I...don’t know... It makes me feel weird... I’ve had past lovers, but it was monogamous. But I love Mila. And I love you and Niva and Sekh, and I wouldn’t change what we experienced for anything. I guess this is polygamy, but... Isn’t that stuff reserved for nobles?”  

“Which is what Master is going to be. Honestly, she’s pretty much one. In theory, at least, since her current working name is Lyudmila Vredi Springfield. If Master plays her cards right, she can put herself in a very good position to leverage the Vredi name.”  

“Umm...Sekh?”   

I thought hard about that. I said before that Master was free to have sex with whomever she wished. That was true for the clones if they didn’t take the form of four women stricken from the cycle of reincarnation.    

But... Having her love being mine and Irisa’s? Exclusively?  

Was it right for me? My liege was going to be a powerful woman with influence. She was bound to have male and female admirers. She'd probably receive marriage requests from countries that wished to benefit from her power once she made her mark on the world. And it was a ruler’s right to take wives, consorts, and concubines from other nations to create a political bond between kingdoms. That happened countless times when I was alive a thousand years ago, and I was sure it was still happening now.    

However, my liege was particular about her lovers. She wasn’t the kind to go to a brothel and grab the first two whores she saw. If so, she'd have done it when we were at that bar. That elf clearly offered oral pleasure. Even if the uneven skin tone wasn’t an issue, I believed the answer would’ve been the same.   

I was confused, my head circling thoughts that didn’t make sense. Irisa whispered my name a second time. “My liege’s happiness comes before all else. If this person loves her, and she loves them, and I’m entirely positive this person isn’t going to hurt her, then... I suppose I’ll be fine with it. But I don’t think we have anything to worry about. Even if there are other women, she’ll never let us feel alone. Not even for a moment. When you two made the prosthetic and wheelchair, she even asked me if she was neglecting me. Even when she was focused on something so important, her mind still thought about me.”   

“Maybe... But only if this person really loves her. I’m her older sister now. I need to keep her safe.”   

I smiled at Irisa’s overprotectiveness. “Then we must unanimously approve of them. Is that a deal?”   

Irisa returned the smile and nodded. Tilde nodded, citing that was only fair since we loved her so much. “And I don’t want some bitch that's not deserving of her grace to receive her love. That’s a compromise I can agree on.”   

“You really love her, Tilde?” asked Irisa.   

“I do. She’s my student. On the plus side, she can definitely fuck the hell out of you." 

“Wait, how did you do it with her?”  

"A clone. Master made one the size of me, and I took that thing for a ride you couldn't believe. Oh, you can thank me, by the way. If it wasn't for my trained hands and lips, you wouldn't have tasted Master's creamy breast milk." 

“You mentioned clones and a threesome, right?” I nodded, then told her of our first time with the clone and how my liege was free to have sex with a replica of myself to quench her desires.    

“I think I wanna do the same. I want Mila to be happy. And full and joy. If a clone of myself can do that… Even if we’re away apart, I’ll feel better knowing she has someone who looks like me to hold.” Irisa turned to Tilde and spoke about something the fairy had mentioned prior. "But in the butt? How... Is that possible?"  

"It's called anal, sweet cheeks. I'm just a girl that likes it weird.” I rolled my eyes while the fairy and Irisa talked a little more, but I saw the oni squirm. She slipped a hand between her thighs and bit her lips. “Ah? Getting horny? Don’t worry, I got just the thing...” Tilde flew to my liege’s crotch and used her hands to stimulate her penis. In seconds, my liege groaned, moaned, and slowly rolled to her back. Still asleep, her penis was anything but. It was a glorious tower-- erect, strong, and stiff. It pointed directly towards the ceiling. Tilde wasn’t done. She flew to the covers and pulled them back to reveal something breathtaking. “Hehehe! Behold! The leaning tower of cock!” Tilde kissed the tip 

“Every time I see it, there’s a flutter in my heart,” I confessed, rubbing my hands down the smooth shaft. “It’s so hot I feel like I’m about to get burned.”  

“Wah! Wait, can she do that? She's asleep, right?” 

The AI materialized above my liege, remaining stoic and still, but the pillar looked like it had more cracks than before.  

“But she’s asleep. Is this okay?” Irisa repeated her feelings.    

“It’s fine. Between you and I, Master has a fetish of being woken up with a blowjob, and she’s given consent to be played with when she’s asleep. It’s the same with Big Tits, who can’t stop licking her lips.”  

“But it’s...”  

“Not right?” I asked, ignoring Tilde’s crude comments. My liege’s shaft desired my hands at this moment. Irisa nodded. “It may seem that way, but I promise it’s fine. She and I have talked multiple times about this to the point where it’s almost comical.”  

That seemed to ease Irisa’s worries. She timidly touched my liege’s penis and joined me in giving her a handjob.  

“Hey, is it okay if I want her to be my liege?” Irisa suddenly asked. She moved her hands towards my liege’s balls and rolled them around her palms while I focused on the pretty, cute tip.   

“I don’t think I’m the one you need to ask,” I replied. “I call her that because she’s the one I wish to serve.”   

“But I thought she didn’t see you that way? As a servant, I mean.”  

“She doesn’t. I...guess you can call it stubbornness on my part. I’m a Dark Lord, and she’s the Transcendent Dark Lord, even if one in ‘training.’ It makes sense she’s going to rule over me, so I’m showing my respect and reverence for her the only way I know how. If she allowed it, I’d openly worship her. But that’s not the type of woman my liege is, so I keep those thoughts to myself. She…doesn’t know I feel this way.”   

“You used to call her Master, though. I didn’t bring it up when we made love, but when I masturbated to you and her having sex... I...had fantasies of serving her. I kinda thought if she became my Master, I could get closer to her.”  

“So, you were jealous?” Tilde interjected. Irisa silently nodded and kissed my liege on her cheeks. I leaned over her and licked the oni’s cheeks, which led to us kissing above the one I served. Wordlessly, we couldn’t leave her out of it, so we showered my liege’s lips in affection before focusing on her penis. It was tensing, my liege’s breathing increasing lightly from our hands. 

“I didn’t mean to be envious. But my feelings? My thoughts and words? I can’t control them. Mom and dad says my filter isn’t there, but I don’t know what that is. They talk about it, but I can’t understand it. I didn’t want to hurt you or Mila, so I remained quiet. But after I saw what Mila’s packing? I imagined it thrusting into me when I masturbated by the door. That’s why I wanted to take a bath with you and her. I wanted to see if you two would have sex, and I hoped to be invited. The plan didn’t work out, but I’m sorry for deceiving you.”  

“There was no deception, Irisa. My liege wondered if she made a mistake in not taking you up on that offer. Even before we left, she told me how much you meant to her, and how important you were to her life. And she decided to act on those feelings when we returned. I'm glad this night happened the way it did. Love was something the curse prevented me from feeling, but I know I love you. And I love my liege.”  

“Mila...” Irisa leaned in for one more kiss. She welcomed my tongue into her mouth. “Tilde?” Irisa licked her lips afterwards and looked at the fairy. She sat cross-legged on my liege’s stomach with an uncharacteristically sour expression.   

“I’m just thinking…that maybe it’s time for a change of pace.”  

“What do you mean?”  

Tilde locked eyes with Irisa, but the sprite’s smile wasn’t the one I’d come to know. “Maybe this current personality…isn’t the right one our Master needs going forward. I know how I’ve been—how lewd and horny my behavior was, not to mention the sexually charged comments. There’s a time and place for everything, but that’s…not the case anymore. That was my personality for the last handful of thousands of years, but it worked wonders in easing the tension with our Master. But look at her. She doesn’t need that kind of Tilde. She needs someone more serious—someone with a little more fire in her heart, not someone who acts like they bathe in aphrodisiac every morning.”  

“That doesn’t sound like the Tilde I know,” I confessed.  

“Yeah… It’s kinda scary hearing you talk like that.”  

“Eh? Did I leave that heavy of an impression on you? But I’m being serious here. My whole existence was to tutor the Transcendent Dark Lord and lead her on the right path. And as much as she still has growing to do, I’m confident she won’t stray from her path. Even if she does, just look at the support group she has with her.”  

“Don’t tell me you’re going to die?!” 

“What? Uhh, no? If I kick the bucket, Master perishes with me. I’m talking about becoming a better Tilde to further serve our Master. Because, come on, you’re telling me I haven’t pissed you off with my behavior? Like, even I was sick of it at some points and went to bed cringing. I’m just saying that when I reincarnate, don’t expect the reborn Tilde to be like me. Hell, or maybe I’ll be the same? This is the first time it's gonna happen after fulfilling my purpose. Who the hell knows what’s going to happen.”  

“But you’re not gonna die, right?”  

“Nah, I won’t. Might be gone for a month to a year. I hope my new existence is fitter for the Transcendent Dark Lord. That’s all I really want in my little heart.”   

No one really said anything after Tilde’s somber outlook on the future. Instead, Irisa and I focused on the girl we loved. She grunted in her sleep. My hands went to the tip of her cock to catch the sperm she forcibly shot out as her other lover stimulated her testicles. Then, we cleaned her with our mouths and swiped the bed sheets for a clean pair. Tilde returned to her dresser with the AI, who kept watching as we tidied up, and it was still there when we said goodnight.  

But first, Irisa made sure my liege was comfortable. She held her close to her stomach and tenderly rubbed her back when she latched on to her nipple. She closed her eyes, and I followed with a smile. We whispered our love a final time before sleep snatched us away.   

And as always, my hands were wrapped around my trusted treasure.