The next day after explaining what a date was to Desire and Slitherana, I prepare to do something I haven't done since college... take a girl out on a date, well actually two girls as Desire wanted in on it as well.

So here I am with a pouch of decans, two bouquets in hand, one of fire lilys for Desire and the other of green chrysinthiens for Slitherana, they look like roses just the colour green.

There's only one place in town that could be considered a restaurant but I don't think I'll be taking them there as it's not very good... yet, but they're improving. It's my first attempt at introducing a fast food place that sells waste worm burgers and due to the lack of potatoes here we're still experimenting on what could be a good substitute for fries.

So in light of that, I've had the manor cooks make me a nice picnic spread for us, I paid them for the help of course.

I wake up Desire from my room and then wake up Slitherana from her guest room. "Good morning," I greet her as she slowly sits up from her bed, I blush as her scaled chest is exposed when her blanket falls off making me look away.

She yelps and covers herself up. "G-Good morning, Damien..." she replies as Desire is giggling to herself.

"I'll let you get dressed and wait outside," I tell her and step out the door. 'Don't demons know what pyjamas are? Took me weeks to get Desire wearing some,' I grumble in my thoughts.

"That was a pleasant view wasn't it?" Desire teases me and I mock glare at her. "Oh come on, you enjoyed it as much as I did," she says and lightly punches my shoulder.

I won't deny nor confirm her statement.

After a few minutes Slitherana opens the door wearing one of her new dresses Arachne made for her. "Sssorry I took ssso long," she tells us and Desire waves her off.

"Na it's fine, Damien is such a gentledemon, you could have taken half an hour and he would still be here waiting," Desire tells her and smiles.

I frown and grumble again as Desire giggles at my irritated mood.

We then head out after I give both of them their flowers, they thanked me and follow me out the manor with the picnic basket in my grip. We walk to the grove where a small clearing has been made for Desire and I to go to when we want to be alone together. I place down a blanket and spread out the food as Desire and Slitherana sit down beside me.

The picnic goes smoothly over the next two hours and we discussed what we all wanted to do in the future, Desire wants to have a baby or foal as she called it with me in a few years and to get better with her rifle so she'd be more useful to me in a battle, though I'd prefer if she didn't get involved in anymore battles again... still need to figure out how I can make her stronger as well. Slitherana wants her own children to raise and unlike her siblings, wants a quiet life and not to boss others around like her mother did.

I tell them of my goal to find a way to leave Tartarus once I've killed Val'hades, though for good or just so we have other places to visit I'm not sure yet. As much as I complain about this place, it's starting to grow on me. I also tell them more of the human ideas and activities I plan to introduce to my demons, I've noticed a lack of toys and games here and I plan to bring board games and card games to my towns.

I chuckle at the thought of bringing Yu-Gi-Oh or magic the gathering to them, I now have the image of a goblin shouting "You activated my trap card!" and holding said card up while his opponent curses under their breath. Poker and blackjack would also be fun to play with them as well.

Once we finish the food, we pack up and head back into town and towards the manor... I really need to find new things to add to this town as there's really not much to do here.

But for now, life is good and can only get better over time, hopefully.

---

---

A lot has happened over the years in Tartarus. I've married both Desire and Slitherana after explaining what being married meant. We've had six children together, two with Desire named Olivia 'Desire' Jackson, a filly who has the strength of a deamon, she's timid but when it comes to a fight she's vicious and will rip whoever hurts her or her friends and family to shreds. Her fur is a mix between red and dark purple and her hair is black, her wings are larger than a normal succupony and fortunately, she doesn't have her mother's libido. I've had to chase off many incuponies who just wanted to get into bed with her.

And our son named Tidus 'Dark' Jackson who is also as strong as a deamon is a proud man whose skill with our latest revolver rifles is unmatched. He can hit a target from one-hundred and fifty feet away with little time needed to aim. His fur is black with dark purple patches dotted around and has red hair with dark blue streaks through it. His horns are longer than his sister’s and his tail is thicker as well.

As for my four children with Slitherana, I have two sons and two daughters, my sons are identical twins which threw us for a loop and they've used that to their advantage to play pranks and trick us as they grew up, but nowadays they're mature and respectful to their parents. My two sons Vipirior and Scalefang are Captains of their own squads in my army of two-hundred thousand demons spanning over fifty towns and cities of the wastes. They're both stronger than they should be as well nearly to the level of archdemons.

My two daughters are Yuna and Slitherine who was named after their mother's sister Adderine who was killed in a raid on Stonescale forty years ago. That was one of the few times I lost myself to my rage and wiped out the town and demons responsible for it. I later found out it was ordered by an archdemon by the name of Utaan under Val'hades command, a large two headed wyvern like demon who lives further inland to the centre of Tartarus. I now have both of his heads mounted on either side of my main gate as a warning to those who would dare oppose me after I slaughtered him and his demons.

Both Yuna and Slitherine run their own spa in Felfire which has grown into a large city, home to over one-hundred and twenty-thousand demons. Demons from all over the wastes have come to pledge themselves to me after they've heard what I've done and have brought to my demons. Even deamons and some archdemons have joined my horde. Although a few demonlords have sent me death threats should I not surrender my lands and demons.

As for Desire, I've learnt that I could bind her soul to mine, so that she can't die unless I do or she's killed meaning I've stopped her ageing, I've even managed to transfer to her about ten percent of my power making her nearly as strong as an archdemon now. Her horns grew longer and her wings are large, her tail is thicker and the heart shaped tip is sharper than any spear we can make. We've fought side by side in hundreds of battles and I wouldn't want any other but her beside me.

Slitherana is naturally ageless as she is a deamon which means our children are as well, it seems only lesser demons age and I've had a few breakdowns over the years watching friends pass on. I miss Soft Touch's blood apple pies so much and no one has been able to replace Geneine as my secretary. Slitherana spent a few hours a day with Arachne looking after their hatchlings together over the years, Arachne has found herself a mate, an archdemon named Yogtiron, who's surprisingly small for an archdemon, he looks like a stag beetle with powerful pincers on his jaw, he's similar to Arachne that he has an insect lower half and a incupony like upper half. So at least I don't have to fertilise Arachne's eggs anymore.

My demons way of life has improved exponentially with games and events as new kinds of stores, produce and products are being made and enjoyed by my people. Card games and casinos are popular but I've forced limits on how much they can spend in them. As for technology, I with a team of the brightest goblins have revolutionised the industry here. I now have a fleet of twenty airships built with cannons and bomb bays, along with sniper nests on the sides. The ships are powered by thunder crystals from the Thunderfury Mountains and are lifted by fireproof silk balloons filled with hot air from imps, while pushed forward on large propellers on the back and sides of the ship.

As for me, I've mastered most of my powers over the years, I can use my flames freely and control them like an extra limb, same with my shadow powers, I can extend multiple tendrils to grip and crush anything in their grasp. I've also learnt how to travel into the Shadow Realm, I almost shit myself the first time, the place is like nightmare fuel with the strange featureless shadow creatures that live there, though they seem to avoid or ignore me which I do in kind. I only use the Shadow Realm to travel long distances very quickly and only when I need to. I can also now change into my demonic form at will, but I have to still be careful as it increases my bloodlust and urge to kill by ten times at least.

Thanatos, my scythe, I've discovered was once an archdemon whose power was to steal the souls of others to make himself stronger, but two beings known as alicorns named Solaris and Galaxia sealed him into his own weapon and banished the scythe deep into Tartarus over three thousand years ago, although my arrival caused enough of a fluctuation in Tartarus to bind himself to me. So while there's not much he can do, any souls he takes he can funnel their energy into me boosting my own power for a short time.

I've also started my campaign to take over the overlord's castle in the centre of Tartarus. So far we've reached the outskirts of the demonlords territories and they're starting to get desperate. With my weapons, armour, and war machines I've helped develop, they're being pushed back suffering heavy casualties. They've even banded together to fight back against me to a stand still, but it still wasn't enough as I now march up toward the Overlord's Castle gates.

---

I'm holding my scythe in my right hand while holding a revolver pistol in my left. Gunfire and explosions echo throughout the courtyard as my demons fight against the poorly equipped and poorly trained ones of Val'hades.

My airships above are gunning down the enemies flying demons while bombing ground targets as well.

I raise my revolver and fire a shot into a charging ogre's head, blowing a hole right through it, took me many years to figure out how to make the casings from a cheap but sturdy metal since I couldn't make brass here. While the musket shells were fine being made from silk, they just wouldn't work with the revolver's chamber. So I used hell iron alloyed with a large deposit of tin we discovered as the arachniponies expanded their underground nests. The metal was good enough so it was produced and thus we developed proper bullets.

Once the ogre drops to the ground, I impale his heart letting Thanatos steal his soul. I continue walking through the courtyard shooting and slashing demons along the way. 'Just sit tight Val'hades, you've got a lot to answer for,' I think to myself. This bastard will pay for the attacks he's sent against my people and the friends he's taken from me. Adderine may have been a bitch now and then, but she was still a close friend and sister-in-law to me.

I can feel Thanatos anticipate the kill of Val'hades, making me smile.

I reach the large thick hell iron doors of the Castle and huff as I step aside to allow my ogres to ram the door down. They're wearing very thick armour that would make the ironman hulk buster armour look like tinfoil in comparison. I nodded to them both and they roar out as they charge shoulder first into the large doors. The doors bend but don't give in. "AGAIN!" I order them as they charge a second time.

It takes five charges but the doors are ripped from their hinges and fall to the ground inside the castle, crushing some of the awaiting demons.

"Clear the castle but do not engage Val'hades! He's mine!" I order my demons, they cheer and storm the castle, gunning down the enemy quickly and swarm the hallways like locusts.

I walk through the ashes of the fallen demons and make my way towards the throne room ahead. Desire is beside me with her own revolver rifle, pistol, and rapier sword. She's also wearing armour now that she's strong enough to wear it without it hindering her.

"Wait here, and don't let anyone through," I tell her.

"Okay, just be careful and kill that bastard for what he did to Adderine," she tells me with a kiss before aiming her rifle back to the entrance, she fires a shot when a goblin not wearing our armour runs in with a pair of daggers, she hits him in the heart killing him.

"Damn right I will," I reply and kick open the doors to the throne room.

I see many demons gathered around a ten foot tall red skinned demon with two long horns, a human like face, goat like legs and sharp fingernails. His black hair is short and combed back and his goatee is short as well.

"So, you are the thorn that's been in my side these last few decades, how you remained hidden for so long has been a mystery that I just couldn't figure out," he tells me.

"That's for me to know and for you to keep guessing," I reply and holster my pistol before spraying all the demons in front of me with my flames reducing them all to ash, leaving just me, Val'hades and a couple of female archdemons.

He growls in anger and stands up off his throne. "How is it I've never heard of a demonlord such as yourself? And your weapons and machines are unheard of, where did you get such things!" he demands like he's the one in control here.

"I designed them," I simply reply and grin. "You can blame your brother for that though, he brought me here to kill you," I tell him and chuckle.

"Impossible! I killed him decades ago!" he replies with wide eyes and a snarl.

"You made the mistake of sending him to my world, he gave me his powers and sent me here to avenge him. I personally don't care, but if I ever want to leave Tartarus, I need to kill you to complete our pact," I inform him and draw my more powerful revolver rifle from its holster between my wings.

I pull back the hammer with my left thumb and shoot the right archdemon in the heart, these are tipped with silver, a rare metal in Tartarus and very toxic to a demon. I only ever found enough to make six shots for my rifle.

The archdemon lets out a horrid screech as she bursts into flames before falling into a pile of ash.

This seems to upset Val'hades and the other archdemon very much. "You will pay for killing my mate!" he roars before sending a blast of darkfire at me. I quickly fade into the Shadow Realm and slip behind them. I then exit and fire a second shot into the other archdemon's heart from behind, killing her as well.

"Damn you!" he shouts out in rage.

"That's for all my friends and demons you had killed with your attacks on my lands," I tell him with a scowl before taking a shot at him. He creates a shield of demonic energy deflecting the bullet off to the side, but it still leaves a deep crack where the bullet hit and a small trail of smoke or mist of energy coming from the point of impact.

I huff and holster my rifle, I'll need to weaken him before I can shoot him. I raise my scythe and charge at him with anger fuelling me.

He also forms his own weapon, it's the sword his brother warned me about. Our weapons clash as I feel him pushing me back and I need more power. I activate my demonic form as my skin turns dark purple, a pair of shadow horns grows on my head and a second pair of shadow wings sprouts from my back.

With a roar of my own, I push back and deflect his sword to the side, I then thrust my right foot out and boot him right in the gut sending him soaring into the side wall. "You die here today, Overlord. I will take your throne and make Tartarus a better place for all demons," I tell him and rush towards him with my scythe ready to swing.

He quickly recovers and blocks my attack, he raises his left hand which is covered in darkfire so I counter it with one of my own as we slam our fists together, resulting in a large explosion sending me across the floor and him back into the wall.

I growl as my anger and rage rises along with my need to rip him apart. I get up and meld into the Shadow Realm getting up behind him as he peels himself off the wall, I appear behind him ready to impale him, but he swings his arm at me sending me flying into another wall.

"Fool. I know what my brother's powers are, you can't trick me so easily!" he taunts as I get up and my jaw realigns from the blow I took.

"Yeah? Well, could he do this?" I ask and conjure four darkfire dragons and send them out in four different directions, I then make them dive at him and he responds with a barrier that surrounds himself. The dragons detonate on his shield cracking it heavily.

"Not quite, he used harpies for his," Val'hades retorts and smirks as his barrier is still damaged. I draw my pistol and fire the last three shots which shatters his barrier and punctures his stomach and left lung.

He shouts out in pain giving me time to drop my pistol for my rifle, and before he could heal I fire a shot into his head, then into his heart with the silver bullets. He stares at me in disbelief before bursting into flames, but I'm not done. I quickly impale his burning body and Thanatos sucks out his soul.

'I'm going to keep your soul and use it when I need it,' I smirk as Thanatos is very happy with taking a demonlord's soul. I then dump his sword in the Shadow Realm so no one can use it against me.

With that done I head back outside to see how the battle is going. The cannons and gunfire are still going off as my sons Vipirior and Scalefang approach me with a few wounds slowly healing but otherwise just fine. "Father, we've sssecured the cccity and have begun weeding out any resssissstanccce, though many have sssurrendered and await your marking," Scalefang tells me.

"Good job boys, I've already dealt with Val'hades and took his soul. All we need to do now is rebuild and expand outward towards the other areas of Tartarus," I reply and pat them both on the shoulders. "I'm proud of you both," I say with a smile. They both smile back and nodded. "Go back to your mother and tell her the good news."

"Very well, father. We'll help pack up her thingsss and bring her and our other sssiblingsss here within a monthsss time," Vipirior replies and they both head off to an airship.

"So, mister Overlord. What do you plan to do now? The pact you made with Val'ketoph is done now right?" Desire asks me after wrapping her arms around my neck.

"I hope so, after we've got this place up and running to our standards I'll look for ways to leave Tartarus. Maybe we can all take a vacation to wherever we find," I reply and kiss the back of her hand.

For now though, we have a city to rebuild.

Next Chapter: Chapter 11: Unwelcome guests Estimated time remaining: 10 Hours, 53 Minutes