Primordial Villain With A Slave Harem

The scene unfolded like a nightmare the twins couldn't escape. Their trembling hearts failed to weave the intricate motions required for spellcasting as the man dashed toward them with terrifying speed. Every crackle and pop of the electricity surrounding him resonated like the tolling of a death knell in their ears.

To make things even worse, a shadow emerged from above, descending with the silent menace of a predator closing in on its prey. From the edge of her vision, Amara saw some telling features of their would-be assassin; she was a golden-haired dog-kin who lunged straight for them instead of aiming for the much bigger threat; Sylvaris. The extended claws of her weapon seemed to have the promise of certain death etched into them, based on its horrifying glint.

Vivienne let out a terrified squeak while clutching her staff tighter as her knees buckled. Amara was frozen as her wide eyes were locked on the canine assassin descending like a specter of death.

But before the lethal strike could land, Sylvaris aimed her hand at the twins and her serene, calm voice rang out as she intoned a spell. "[Lunar Barrier]." It was a more potent version of the spell [Lunar Shield], which she cast on herself and Eira while the vehicle was under attack.

From the ground beneath them, a translucent, moonlit barrier erupted upward, encasing the twins in a protective dome that shimmered with ethereal light. The dog-kin's claws clashed against the barrier with a resonant clang, and the impact sent ripples of energy through the defensive veil's surface as if it was a body of water that was disturbed by a pebble getting thrown into it.

Sylvaris didn't seem intent on leaving their protection up to a mere barrier, though; "[Celestial Sentinel]." she commanded. Next to the twins, a construct of pure silvery moonlight began to take the shape of a towering figure with humanoid proportions, wielding a shield large enough to dwarf a man, which was accompanied by a mighty warhammer. Its presence was radiant and commanding, its features indistinct yet undeniably noble.

The sentinel raised its shield just as the dog-kin launched her second attack. The clash sent sparks flying, but the sentinel held firm and then pushed, sending the dog-kin flying across the sky due to its overwhelming strength.

Sylvaris turned her attention to the man charging toward her. His lightning-cloaked form was a blur rapidly encroaching on her position, but she was a trueborn combatant who had nerves of steel and a reaction time trained over centuries. Even in this beyond-stressful situation, she was calm and radiant, like the tranquil glow of the full moon in the night sky as she intoned; "[Celestial Vanguard]."

A second construct emerged from the shadows. This one was a lithe, four-legged beast with glowing fangs and claws that radiated silvery light. It leaped forward to intercept the man, causing its spectral form to collide with his like a comet. The ensuing explosion of energy sent a shockwave rippling across the battlefield.

The elf matriarch's magic was a sight to behold - a perfect harmony of beauty and grace, sprinkled with the ferocity of a vicious combatant. The sentinel continued to shield the twins against the dog-kin's relentless assaults. Meanwhile, the vanguard engaged the man.

Amara and Vivienne huddled together inside the dome with their eyes darting from one clash to the next. The man and construct were moving so fast that even following their motions was difficult for the twins and their untrained eyes, despite their relatively high level.

The clash between the man and the vanguard was like a tempest unleashed. The spectral beast lunged with fangs and claws aglow, swiping at him with a feral aggression that belied its ethereal form.

The man sidestepped its strikes with inhuman agility, and he retaliated with vicious slashes of his ominous saber. The vanguard countered with a swipe of its luminous claws and their collision sparked brilliant bursts of silvery light and crackling energy. The ground beneath them trembled from the force of their exchange, so much so that craters formed where their strikes landed. For a fleeting moment, the two seemed evenly matched, neither giving an inch, until… Explore more stories at empire

"[Static Burst]!" A sudden wave of electric energy erupted in all directions from his form, expanding outward in a crackling shockwave. The force slammed into the vanguard, sending it flying.

"[Thunderclap Barrage]." The man didn't seem intent on giving the construct any room to counter.

Behind him, a massive orb of pulsing, electric energy materialized, hovering ominously in the air.

From its surface, dozens of crackling electric bolts surged forth like laser beams as they cut through the air with devastating force.

The sparks struck the vanguard in rapid succession. The construct howled with its form shimmering and bending under the relentless onslaught, as pieces of its spectral body were stripped away with each hit, disintegrating into motes of silvery light.

By the time the assault ceased, the once-mighty vanguard was no more - its remnants dissipated into the atmosphere. The orb behind the man flickered once before fading as its purpose was fulfilled, and he let go of his saber which hovered in the air near his hand while he began clapping.

"Wandless casting, first-rate reaction speed, nerves of steel, defense, offense, summoning… and you're incredibly beautiful to boot. You're the real deal."

She merely raised an eyebrow at the 'incredibly beautiful' part, but didn't react beyond that.

"Ah, that's right. You were ordered to remain silent. Anyhow, I would truly love to continue this amazing duel of ours, but I'm racing against the clock, so I'll just say it outright. You'd already lost, mother-in-law. You lost when you thought that the greatest woman alive, your daughter who could only be matched by my current and future lovers in her greatness, would fall for a mere Electromancer. A woman of her caliber deserves more, so much more…"

Sylvaris' eyes opened wide as a wave of bad premonition hit her, and she immediately began casting her mightiest spells.

However, The man was already ahead of her. He bombarded not only her but also the twins with the true might of an Elemental Sovereign, Ice, Magma, Lightning, Wind, Water, Earth, and Fire worked in tandem to keep Sylvaris at bay while he bore the barrier protecting his true targets down.

That's right; to defeat Sylvaris, he didn't need to beat her. He just needed to [Subjugate] her owners - which was exactly what he did when his spells at long last broke her barrier and he hit them both with his next spell, making them fall unconsciously to the ground.

To [Subjugate] someone, Quinlan either had to defeat them or receive their permission to be [Subjugated]. The reason he couldn't just ask for Sylvaris' permission was that she didn't have the right to decide her fate. While [Subjugation] was a mighty spell, it couldn't outright overwrite its inferior version, the [Slave Contract].

Now that he defeated the twins, he [Subjugated] them both, and one of the reasons why it was a much mightier version of its common variant became evident when he commanded them; "Wake up." If a normal slave owner said this to their unconscious slaves, the slaves in question would not react, for they couldn't hear the command.

However, in the case of Quinlan...

Their state of unconsciousness was forcibly ripped from them - their right to remain unconscious was outright denied by their new master as both popped their eyelids open, revealing two pairs of hazy eyes that were not there in the moment, but the [Primordial Subjugator] didn't need to care for such minute details like the state of his minions' minds.

Like zombies, the two turned their heads in his direction as if silently asking for his next command, which he delivered; "Order Sylvaris to act as she wishes."

"Sylvaris, act as you wish." The two repeated in an emotionless tone, bringing an end to the conflict. It was time for the Ascendants to gather themselves and leave the battlefield, after which multiple talks would have to take place. Namely, revealing the truth about himself to Jasmine as well as Sylvaris, and learn more about both women as well.