With the dust of battle still settling, the Beast King, Dwarven Chief, and Elf Queen gathered to discuss the sudden turn of events.
The frustration and tension were palpable, and the Elf Queen's eyes were ablaze with indignation.
"How could you surrender so easily, Beast King?" she spat, her voice dripping with contempt.
"We had them on the ropes! Your foolish pride has cost us everything!"
The Beast King's eyes were steady as he met her gaze. "I made a vow," he said, his voice calm but firm. "I lost the duel, and I will keep my word. I won't force you to do the same, but I will command my forces to withdraw."
"You and your ridiculous honor!" the Elf Queen snapped. "What good is honor if we lose here?"
The reason for the war was to exert the Triumvirate's influence and absolutely crush their enemies.
If the Beast King decided to be a weakling now, then…
"You're a fool! Just forget about the promise and crush them. History is written by the victors anyway."
"No," the Beast King replied, his voice unyielding. "I will not go back on my word. My decision is final."
The Dwarven Chief sighed, his shoulders slumping.
He had seen the determination in the Beast King's eyes and knew there was no changing his mind.
"I don't agree with this, but I can not see any profit in continuing without the Beast King," he said, his voice weary.
"Even with our numbers, the Fairy's army managed to hold us in a stalemate. If we lose a third of our forces, then it's all over. The war is already lost at this point. We have already suffered too many losses, and to continue would be madness."
"You would abandon our cause as well?" the Elf Queen demanded, her eyes narrowing.
"I am only driven by profit. From what I'm seeing, I'd be at a loss if we proceed even further. It's not rational." the Dwarven Chief replied, his voice filled with regret.
"It is time to accept that and retreat."
"You are both cowards!" the Elf Queen hissed. "You would give up so easily, abandon everything we have fought for?"
"It is not cowardice to recognize the truth," the Beast King said, his voice firm. "We have lost, and to continue would only lead to more death and destruction."
"I will not yield!" the Elf Queen declared, her eyes flashing. "I will fight to the last, even if I must do so alone!"
"Then you will die alone," the Beast King said, his voice filled with sorrow. His eyes showed he was dead serious in his decision.
"Kamilia, let's just stop this no—"
"Shut up, both of you!" The Elf Queen roared. "Don't you dare say my name.
At this point, the Elf Queen felt betrayed.
Her two closest allies; the ones who had been by her side for so long… now defied her.
"It's pointless discussing any further…" A sinister tone laced her words. "I'm done."
~VWUUUUUUUMMMM!!!~
The sky suddenly darkened as a palpable chill filled the air, the battlefield falling into an eerie silence.
The Beast King and Dwarven Chief stared in horror as the Elf Queen manifested an object in the palm of her hand.
"T-that is—!" The Beast King's eyes widened in shock.
"Why do you have that?!" The Dwarven Chief blurted out.
Their eyes could not believe that the one they had called ally and friend was in possession of such a sinister tool.
How long had this been the case?
"Why do you have a Grand Blood Stone?!" Joint roars of terror filled the air.
"Fools…"
Elf Queen Kamilia raised the Grand Blood Stone high, its surface gleaming with a malevolent crimson light.
The twisted artifact pulsed with a terrifying energy, born from the sacrifice of countless souls, its power magnifying the dread emanating from the Elf Queen's very being.
"You thought you could defy me?" she said, her voice dripping with venom and contempt. Her eyes gleamed with madness as the dark magic swirled around her.
"You were always under the palm of my hand, mere puppets dancing to my whims."
The Beast King growled, his body tensing as he sensed the dark power emanating from the stone. "What have you done?"
"What I have always intended to do," the Elf Queen replied, her voice cold and merciless. "Win this war at any cost."
She waved the Grand Blood Stone, and a dark wave of energy swept across the battlefield.
"Soul Magic: Absolute Binding Curse!"
The eyes of the soldiers, elves, beastfolk, and dwarves glazed over, their bodies stiffening as the dark magic took hold.
"You see?" the Elf Queen said, her voice filled with cruel satisfaction.
"They are mine to command. They will fight and die for me, and continue fighting for me even after death. There will be no retreat, no surrender. The war will continue."
The Beast King's face twisted in horror as he realized the full extent of her madness. "You would turn your own people into mindless slaves? Sacrifice them all for your own ambition?"
"Of course," she replied, her voice dripping with scorn. "They are but tools to be used, means to an end. And the end is victory."
She raised her hand, and the soldiers moved as one, turning to face the Fairy Kingdom's forces, their faces devoid of emotion, their bodies mere shells controlled by the dark magic.
"The war is not over," the Elf Queen said, her voice filled with cold triumph. "It has only just begun. You will all bow before me, or you will die."
The Beast King and Dwarven Chief could only watch in horror as they too succumbed to the overwhelming power of the Grand Blood Stone.
None could resist.
Not if they were allies fighting under the banner of the Triumvirate.
The Elf Queen's dark plan unfolded, her twisted magic turning friends and allies into mindless puppets, the battlefield transformed into a nightmarish landscape of dread and despair.
"Now then… let us continue."
The war had become a nightmare, and there was no waking from it.
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[A/N]
The Elf Queen was the true villain of the three. Guess you could all see that coming.
Thanks for reading!
