My mind wanders through the burrows and bone-scored Main Market of Kyis. There used to be a park here as well, off to the south where I'm coming from—here is the bulk of the Bone Demons, the high Crimson tiers and potential Blood Oranges.

At this time of night, it's mostly empty, sparse, with a few bone Demons recovering from a failed hunt or a failed raid—the skirmishes with their territorial rivals grow fiercer. The rest are off fighting their own battles, returning only at their leader's command and if they survive.

With a practiced use of [Full Mimic], [Somatic Manipulation], and [Greater Deception], I could manipulate reality enough to make these Demons think I'm one of them, a fellow bone Demon. I don't need to though. It'd be excessive and unnecessary when [Thrall Maestro] grants me command over high Crimson tiers to puppet through enemy territory as though I belong there.

Beyond making Mesmerization potent, it grants me the eyes of whatever Demon I choose to look from. At the moment I have the [Pavushka] with me as well, nestling in a web and guarding my body. If I wanted, I could have it move around a short distance away and see through its eyes as well. However, the further away the puppet is, the costlier it becomes to maintain.

Still, it's a neat ability and has let me monitor the bone Demons closely. As much as I'd love to charge in there, King's little gift has re-educated me in the lessons of strategic and tactical planning, and I've taken advantage of it.

Anywhere Demons are, one will attempt to reign above the other—no, all will try to rule above the others. Everyone I've seen wouldn't say no to a chance at feeling superior in some way or form, and it's no different here. To that end, the bone Demons have conveniently segregated their ranks for me.

The low-tier Crimsons, all the way down to the Pinkies farted out of dense pockets of developing Essence—Reais grows stronger and denser—sit at the south end of the Main Market, the buried park gardens. The denser middle strata hold the high-tier bone Demons, but they too nest away from themselves—very few build walls of bristling bone together.

It's like the war into the Fire Divide. Crimsons first, Lord Crimson leading the charge into assured death for many in a skirmish to take out distractions for the Blood Orange tiers waiting to start the true fight and reap the Crystals. The weak first, then the strong.

It works perfectly for what I've planned; I wouldn't need any distractions once I've found the head honcho. Just then, my drone is intercepted by an aggressive, towering bone Demon. It's broad, with thick bones with spikes jutting out of its chest and back. Its skull head is square, toothed with long fangs, and its orifices are enflamed with green licking fire that forms as its eyes and presumably hair.

It surely says something, tries to penetrate my drone's mind to leave a message, but I'm not having anyone poke around while I'm in here. This doesn't go unnoticed, however, and the Demon starts to lean in.

Deciding to do as much damage as possible right now, I abandon the drone's eyes with a command to destroy everything and everyone it sees, waking in my body and peering over the low-tier strata, far below where a spike ball of bone explodes.

The chaos ensues and spreads like wildfire. Still connected to the drone [Hezzura], I note it's already killed ten unfortunate, mostly injured Crimson tiers, but not that one Blood Orange.

Ignoring the chaos, I have the [Pavushka] leap ahead of the reinforcing low Crimson tiers and Pinks, blocking their path with webs and outright stabbing through them with its limbs. While it suppresses them with web shots and wraps, I channel into the thinning mana in the atmosphere, mixing with mine. I cast a wide, dense dome of mana as I chant, "Alhak za! Alhak za! Alhak za!"

I haven't cast a major illusionary spell like this in some time. Then again, I haven't felt like this—powerful and in charge of my own body and future—for over a year.

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The dome settles in place and the scores of pesky little low Crimson tiers are locked in. Just over four dozen of the bone Demons congregate and roam in a confused, irritated trance.

"Wekt." My form cloaks into the night as I delve from the building into their territory, setting foot in it personally. With a mental command, the [Pavushka] starts on a killing spree, stabbing, lancing, and lynching the bone Demons for their [Soul Crystals], but not stopping to absorb even one.

Over four dozen low Crimson tiers would be enough to break it free from my hold, but it's already too trapped to see that. All it knows is that it must reap for its master.

Sprinting into the Main Market, I encounter the streaks of broken bone walls and grooves, some licked by a green fiery flame. The Blood Orange that caught me grips my puppet [Hezzura] by its throat. The way he glares into the creature's eyes must be the reason for the slight banging in my head—I thought it was just excessive mana use, but it's him trying to back door into my mind through my puppet.

Impressive. And I'm not the only one who thinks so—scattered around watching and waiting are eleven high-tier Crimsons, among others dead from my puppet's destruction spree.

Three of the eleven are lined up at the top of a crudely created manhole of pale bones and a bucket tied and wrapped. Invisible to their eyes, I skulk past them undetected and peer down the manhole.

Humans. Around thirty of them, malnourished and dehydrated by the looks of their cheeks and ribs. Pigeonholed in the ground with only the rapidly reddening night sky, the Humans look at a single one of their own. A man sits by a table crafted of bone as well, but this one decorated with undeniable Human and Elven skulls.

By his angle I don't make much of what he has working in his hands, but by his equipment and the trash heap of failed attempts, I can tell he's a Mage, and some sort of Enchanter.

Leaving him for later, I turn to the backs of the three bone Demons and whisper, "Demons, can you hear me?"

Startled, the three crooked bone Demons search and query one another before I speak again, this time right into their calcified ears. "Bring me their souls."

Even with [Thrall Maestro], the Essence cost of manipulating three high Crimson tier's like this is tasking enough to warrant a breather. I watch with glee as the [Pavushka] comes bursting in, whipping web shots at every Demon in sight before leaping onto the nearest.

The Blood Orange burns the thick glob of webbing off its face and roars, "End it!" Its blinding rage seemingly bolsters all high-tier [Hezzura] with a fiery green aura, melting off the [Pavushka] webbing with ease.

However, a volley of bone spears launches at the bone Demons, my puppets rising to the occasion, as well as accidentally skewering the [Pavushka]—can't eat your cake and have it I guess.

Taking a breath, I sprint between what's left of the high Crimson tiers, not touching any of them but heading for the Blood Orange who's raging telepathic orders behind.

"End all traitors! Anyone without a flame is the ene-!" He tosses himself through a bone wall. Rolling with the fall and shoving sand in the air, he looks around suspiciously. "I know of your powers, Shadow Demon! You will not defeat me with deception, you will need strength!"

"Ouuraaahh!!!" Bursting with an otherworldly surge of power, every fissure and orifice in his towering skeletal form rages ablaze with virulent green flames. He bulges in the inferno, enlarging him throughout until he's twice his original size and surely stronger. "Haui!"

Punching the ground, the bone Demon engulfs the area in emerald flames. The very atmosphere ignites, the earth darkens to an eerie black, and waves of scorching heat distort my vision.

"Bwahahaha, I see you now." He points lazily at where I stand, unharmed but impressed. The resilience and power of a Blood Orange are certainly not to be trifled with.

He retracts his arm and conjures a searing bone spear imbued with the cursed flames emerging from his skeletal form. At this, I coat Meira's blade with ichor and spend quite a bit on [Fiend Vision] to gaze at the Blood Orange before me.

"HHhhruuh!" he grunts, sending the spear zipping at me as fast as I would have sent Seeker. With a stretch forward, I meet the spear with Meira's blade and test the Blood Orange's strength.

[Fiend Vision] tells me more about the blue hue around the Demon and how that matches the strength of the skill I've copied. With a huff, I flood Meira's blade with Essence, sending a crack through the blade tip and the Gestalt Crystal embedded within as I slice through the flaming spear.

Had there been another Blood Orange as strong as this one, maybe the bone Demons wouldn't have been so easy to conquer. Zipping through the distance, I smack the Blood Orange into the ground with the back of my hand, press Meira's ichor-soaked blade on its oversized sternum, and reveal myself to the dDmon at last.

At the sight of me, it whimpers. Violating the psychic barriers in its mind, I tell it, "I am Nil, your new master. Will you serve… willingly?"

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