I follow behind my companions and carefully watch the guards as they eye the girls but make no moves to stop them. Once into the port city, the girls look around while I notice Desire is getting a lot of stares from the stallions as she walks down the street swaying her hips, but I know she's doing it for me as she knows I'm right behind her.

It takes us twelve minutes to walk towards the market area as the girls wanted to buy some more clothing for themselves, during which I notice some guards following our group, I do nothing but keep an eye on them and continue to follow the girls. It takes the girls nearly an hour to buy six sets of clothes each as well as some underwear, trousers and shirts for me, Gilda didn't get any as she doesn't like clothes, said they chafe against her fur. Selene then stores them in her magic pocket as we then continue on our way after buying more food towards the harbour but a male voice calls out with relief in his tone.

"Twily! You're safe!" I hear the voice call out to our right and I see a white furred guard with a two tone blue mane and tail wearing full silver armour and wielding a silver sword and shield run over to Twilight.

"Shiny!?" Twilight says in confusion and turns to see the stallion run up and hug her. What follows is Twilight shrieking in agony as the sound of sizzling flesh from the armour he's wearing making contact with her and starts burning her.

I don't waste a second as I step out of the Shadow Realm, grip the stallion's breastplate behind his neck, and pry him away while ignoring the pain in my own hand as I toss him down the street. Twilight collapses and her illusion then breaks revealing her succupony form as she's shivering on the ground in severe pain, eyes clenched shut, and leaking tears as she cries.

"Twilight! Hold on girl," Desire says and kisses Twilight transferring a large amount of her energy to help Twilight recover faster. People around us gasp or scream as some watch and others run.

This Shiny guy is leaning on his left arm as he looks at Twilight with wide eyes and then towards me. "YOU! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO MY SISTER!?" he accuses me angrily and gets up as well as drawing his sword.

I've had enough of these guards and take on my demonic form. Two long shadow horns sprout on my head, my skin turns a deep purple, two more wings burst out below my original two and my senses sharpen. Everyone around me backs away fearfully as I release a chilling aura with the intent to kill.

"I saved her life when one of your inept guards shot her just below her heart. If it wasn't for me she would be dead right now," I tell him in a cold but eerily calm tone. "And I suggest not touching her again unless your goal is to cause her intense pain."

He looks back to Twilight who is still shivering but no longer screaming in agony, but the expression of pain still remains on her face as well as nasty burns on her arms and right side of her face while Desire attempts to calm her down.

He then turns back to me. "If you just surrendered when the Princess told you to in Canterlot then she wouldn't be in this mess! I'll be taking my sister back to Canterlot where she'll be out of your reach demon!" he tells me and gets into a combative stance. I watch as over a hundred guards arrive and surround us.

"I am the Overlord of Tartarus and I surrender to no one! If your Princess and guards just left us alone to leave then none of them would of had to die and Twilight would still be a unicorn," I tell him and glance back to Selene. "Selene, look after the others, take them into the Shadow Realm to keep them safe while I deal with these fools," I order the black alicorn.

She looks upset but sighs and nodded. "Very well, Sir Damien. Though we loathe the thought of more guards dying, the safety of thy mate, Lady Gilda, and Young Twilight art the main priority... just please, we ask thee to at least make their deaths quick," Selene says sadly.

"W-Wait..." Twilight wheezes out. "P-Please don't h-hurt my brother..." she begs me with fear in her eyes.

I look back at her with a neutral expression. "Don't worry, I have a better plan for him," I reply and walk over to a store with cookware and pick up a large frying pan for a weapon and a steel wok lid for a shield. I can't use Thanatos as it would cause him pain hitting Shiny's silver armour and their weapons.

Twilight still looks fearful even as Selene takes them all into the Shadow Realm. I roll my head getting a few cracks from my neck as I turn to face Shiny with a look that could kill.

"Evacuate the civilians! We're facing the Overlord of Tartarus himself and the area may suffer heavy damage!" Shiny orders the guards and twenty or so break away and lead the panicking populace away.

"Oh I have no intention of harming the civilians or damaging our surroundings, only those foolish enough to attack me and my group will suffer my wrath," I tell him and crouch down ready to launch myself at the nearest guard to my right.

He snarls at my words. "Like I'd believe the words of a monster, ATTACK!" he replies and orders his guards.

The moment his order left his lips I spring forward at the guard and before he could react I swing the pan in an uppercut and hit him right in the chin. The sounds of metal and his jaw shattering from the force echoes throughout the marketplace as his head snaps back launching his teeth as well as him into a wall where more bones break upon impact.

I'm done playing nice. 'I'm sorry, Luna, but my people come first,' I think to myself before turning and lunging at the next guard.

The first minute of the battle is just a bloodbath as I brutally bludgeon the guards that attack me first to death with the pan while deflecting their weapons with the wok lid.

Shiny steps in and takes a few swings at me which I avoid easily, I then toss the lid up and drop kick it into Shiny's face, using the lid to prevent me from touching his silver armour and causing him to flip backwards onto the ground on his chest. He's groaning in pain but not getting up. I then flap my wings to upright myself and land back on my feet.

"GRAAAH!" I yell as an arrow hits me near my left kidney from behind, I quickly pull out the silver arrow and turn towards the guard and go wide eyed as twenty more arrows fly towards me, so I flap my wings and take to the air just avoiding having my legs punctured.

I glare at the archers and toss my pan aside as I conjure eight miniature dragons around me with my darkfire and command them to dive at the archers.

They all scream as the dragons impact the archers causing mild explosions getting many of them in the blast, the lucky ones were killed in the blasts, three of them were unfortunate to have arms, or chunks of their torsos reduced to ash as they slowly die.

I land back onto the ground where Shiny attempts to attack me again, I jump back and pick up a kitchen knife on a vegetable stand and toss it at the gap in his leg armour, but he quickly erects a magical pink shield which deflects the knife. He lunges at me again and I roll to my right, I then pick up a fruit stand and throw it at him before he could react which hits and sends him skidding a few metres away. I focus on the other guards as he's no longer moving but still breathing.

I then spot a couple of large wood cutting saws to my left in what appears to be a tool store. I quickly run in and pick up one in each hand while grinning wickedly as I walk out towards the seventy guards still here. They all look nervous but I don't give them any chance to counter as I charge forward and parry the first guard's sword I arrive at with my left saw and with my right I cut a large gash in her throat right down to her spinal cord.

She drops her sword and grasps her throat with both hands in a vain attempt to stem the flood of precious blood that pours out, her expression is one of fear as tears flow down her face. I look to the largest group of guards as the one I just slit open drops to the ground twitching as her life fades. I grin at them sadistically and lick her blood off the saw. 'Hmmm, these ponies blood tastes quite nice,' I think to myself as my grin widens. I quickly carve up five more guards beside the first and then turn back to the main group.

A large stallion shakes off his shock and charges forward with a warcry while raising a large battle axe above his head ready to swing at me. I laugh as I drop the saws and launch eight tendrils at him which wrap around his limbs, neck, and torso.

Everything goes quiet as I raise him up and continue to laugh as he struggles. He then releases a blood curdling scream as I rip each arm and leg off with a hard pull, the sound of his flesh tearing at the joints, his bones snapping, and blood splashing on the stone street echo throughout the marketplace. I then toss the limbs at the horrified guards who use their shields to block the fleshy projectiles, I then follow up by piercing his torso with the now four free tendrils as they wiggle around inside him tearing up his organs.

Blood flows out of his eyes like tears along with blood down his chin as he can no longer even choke without his lungs. He soon dies and I toss the torso in front of the group of guards.

"I'm only giving you this one chance, leave and live or stay and die," I tell them still with a malicious grin on my face.

Sixty of them look at each other before taking off for their lives... cowards, but understandable when facing a foe much stronger than yourself.

A couple of guards attempt to pick up Shiny but I run forward and stop just in front of them. "This one stays with me, remove his armour and weapons, Or I will rip your hearts out through your asses," I order the two guards.

They panic and quickly remove Shiny's armour before running off in fear. I look down at the barely conscious Shiny and crouch down in front of him. "Now what to do with you? Hmmm, ah I know," I say and lift up his left arm and bite down hard on his forearm.

He yells in pain as I pump him full of demonic energy and begin his conversion into a demon. Just like Twilight, his horn splits in two and moves up behind between his ears, his hair grows a couple of inches and turns into a midnight blue colour, his fur turns grey as his eyes turn red and slitted. Next his tail hair falls off and the stump extends a metre long with a heart shaped tip on the end. Finally, two black leathery wings a bit larger than normal burst out of his shoulder blades and rip through his shirt. Once the change is complete, I release his arm and lick my lips where his blood tastes a bit sour. My mark then forms around the bite wound which heals over as scars.

"W-What did you... do t-to me?" he questions while coughing.

"The same as I did to Twilight, I turned you into a demon," I tell him and stand up. "Now then, get up, we have work to do," I order him and he goes wide eyed as his body slowly gets on its hands and knees as it stands up against his will. "You're now under my command, you no longer follow your Princesses, you only follow my orders, do you understand?" I ask him.

His eyes glaze over and he nodded. "Yes, Master," he replies and bows to me.

"Good, here's some rules for you. First, you are not to harm any demons under my rule, only my enemies. Second, you will come with us and act as a protector for Twilight, Gilda, and Selene. And thirdly, any attempt you make to harm me or anyone I call a friend or ally you will beat yourself to near death where you will lay on the ground writhing in pain until you heal... am I understood?" I tell him next.

"Yes, Master," he says and his eyes return to normal.

He then gasps and backs away while clutching his left forearm where I bit him. Selene and the others then exit the Shadow Realm and apart from Desire who looks like she's about to get off on what she saw, the others look horrified at what I've done.

Twilight still looking burnt stumbles over to Shiny and looks him over with tears in her eyes. "Shining... oh why couldn't you of just left!" she tells him and collapses as she passes out, but Shiny or Shining catches her before she hits the ground.

I walk over as my demonic form reverts and I stand over Shining. "Pick her up, we're finding a boat," I order him and start walking down the street towards the docks.

He snarls but complies and carries Twilight bridal style as he unwillingly follows me.

"Dude... did you have to be so... brutal?" Gilda asks me warily as we walk along the abandoned streets and past the mangled corpses.

"Yes, now that I've instilled fear into them, they'll think twice before attacking us again. They should be grateful I gave them a choice to leave, I would have killed them all should they have stayed, and next time I will," I reply as we arrive at the dock. Desire is beside me back in her succupony form nuzzling against my left arm with a happy smile of her face.

"It never gets old watching you dominate your enemy," she tells me with a sigh.

I roll my eyes with a slight smile and look at the boats here. Most seem to be abandoned while one large boat still has its crew. Looks like they're preparing to set sail.

We walk over to them and I tell the others to wait while I walk on board. "Who are you!? We don't have time to take any more passengers! There's a demon attacking the city and we're leaving!" a gryphon with a tricorn hat and red coat tells me.

I chuckle and smile at him. "That demon would be me," I reply.

He goes wide eyed as he and several other gryphons draw steel sabres.

"Relax, I'm not here to attack the city or you, I'm here to get passage to Gryphonia, the guards made the mistake of attacking us unprovoked," I tell him. "Besides, I would not hesitate to kill you and claim your crew should you attack me or my group," I warn him coldly.

He glares at me but sighs and sheaths his sword. "Stand down," he orders his crew.

I smirk and decide to see if gold will improve his attitude. "How much do you charge for a single person for passage?" I ask him.

He looks at me with confusion. "One-hundred bits, it covers cabin fees, bathing, and food," he replies with a raised brow.

I grin and take off my pack and count up coins equalling two-thousand bits and hand them over to him. Paying more than the usual fee should be good incentive.

The gryphon just gawks at the coins and then at me. "I would like to purchase passage to Gryphonia for me and five others," I tell him.

"Wha? But I thought you would just tells us to take you there... being a demon and all..." he replies very confused now while the crew also look stunned.

"I may be a demon, but I'm not evil or cruel, unless you plan to harm us that is," I say and turn back to the gang plank.

The gryphon sighs and ruffles the feathers on his chest. "Alright, fine... not like I have a choice but if you're paying then I can take you... but if any of the guards asks, you forced us to do this alright? I ain't going to prison or the dungeons for this," he tells me and I nodded.

I turn back to my group and wave them to come up.

Next Chapter: Chapter 23: Pirate's off the starboard bow! Part 1 Estimated time remaining: 8 Hours, 36 Minutes