"Let the slaughter begin.", Connor said coldly as he pointed towards the enemy.

"Yes, my king." Aknar and Aldaek spoke in unison while they bowed down on one knee in front of Connor. A few moments after they got up, they then obeyed Connor given task.

"We march to battle for our king. Death to the living!" Once again they shouted simultaniously, as if they were one entity. The response of the black army was a terrifying war cry that sent shivers down the spine of the enemy soldiers.

Aknar and Aldaek started to run towards the enemy, unlike one would expect from those in command, close behind them followed their allotted part of the black army.

"Well then, shall we have some fun" Connor said as he slowly made his way towards the enemy, behind him following the remaining two thousand black skeleton soldiers.

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"Infantry! Shield's up! Archers! Draw your swords and get into position! We are fighting the undead! Arrows won't have much effect!" The enemy general's commanding voice echoed over the battlefield, anticipating the tide of reanimated bones and rusty iron.

The soldiers quickly scrambled into formation as the general had ordered. The employed tactic was a simple one because up until now all undead they encountered had been mindless creatures, that only charged in a straight line towards the closest enemy.

"Ready men! We shall clash soon!" He yelled as he watched the black army rapidly approach.

"Here they come!"

"I take the right flank", said Aldaek.

"I take the left flank", said Aknar.

They spoke at the same time and just when they were a few steps from engaging the enemy, they suddenly changed their direction and separated.

"What?!" The enemy general was confused, something like this had never happend before. In his surprise he muttered:"Undead that do not directly engage the nearest living target? Impossible." Despite his inital confusion he had gotten the rank of general not because of his lineage but earned it through many battles. Quickly new orders were given.

"Cover the left and right wing!"

Soldiers from the middle rushed towards the left and right wing, streching the formation in the middle thin and leaving it vulnerable. It was too late when they noticed Connor and remaining two thousand soldiers were still on their original course, approaching the middle.

Finally one of the messengers from the front reached the command post.

"General! There are more of them incoming in the center!"

"What the hell is going on here?! They were supposed to be mindless! Damn it! Send the reserve units to cover the center. Tell the men to hold their ground men at all costs!"

"Argaaaaaa!" Screams could be heard from all direction. And with every single one of them one more soldier perished.

"What's happening!?" The general yelled again in confusion.

One of the soldiers came yelling from the direction of the right wing:"General, we need reinforcements at the right flank! The undead are breaking through!"

Shortly after another one from the left flank arrived with a similar request.

"General, we need reinforcements. The enemy at the left wing carries strange black weapons. They cut through our shields like theiy are made out of paper!"

The enemy general's eyes opened wide, but not because of what he had heared from the messengers. No, it was because of the intese fear he felt when he saw what was approching his position. A knight clad in armor as black as the darkest night was on his way and the general knew there was nothing stopping it.

"This......This can't be happening...", the general dropped down on his knees and looked at the horror in front of him.

Connor slowly approached the general. Up until now he had not summoned his bone blade, he just hadn't needed it. The common footsoldiers were no threat to him and so he had his minions take care of them.

"Hold the line men! Don't let them break the formation or we are all dead! Shield up, soldier! Stop the big one! He must be the leader! If we kill him it's over!" One of the soldiers, an officer apparently, gave orders as they stood before Connor with raised shields.

"Annoying! Kill them." Connor's cold voice ordered his soldiers to attack. The red dots in their eye sockets flickered fiercely. Until now their two prime instincs had been in conflict with each other. One the one hand they wanted to kill everything living they saw, on the other hand they could not act without an order of their king. But now they were released from this conflict. If they were able to feel happiness, now would be one of their happiest moments in their undead existence.

With the command given the skeleton soldiers charged at the enemy shield wall without the slightest hint of selfpreservation.

The shield wall that was suposed to hold the undead back crumbled under the intense pressure like it was nothing. Shields and armor were cut in pieces by the skeletons wielding the unholy weapons Connor had granted them.

"Aaaaaa!!' The soldier's screams let the air vibrate. Morale plummeted. Soon they abandoned the formation and fled from the battlefield. Now the only position not already overrun by the undead was the command post where the general and his attendant were.

Some brave man who previously gave orders was now screaming at the deserters:"Get back here! Hold the formation! This is treason! You will all be executed!"

"Get b-" He noticed a shadow behind him. Knowing what was to come, he started to tremble as he turned around. Tears started gathering in the corners of his eyes. His mouth opend but he didn't even have a chance to utter one word.

Connor raised his sword high and with a single slash cut him horizontally in half.

"Disgusting." Connor continued to move forward towards the enemy general when he spotted a man with an appearance similar to Reyn on a horse. The man looked terrified as if he could't believe the horror that was happening right before his eyes. Behind him on the horse was the succubus, embracing Niel from behind.

"These things, what the hell are they? Are they really undead!?" muttered the succubus as she watched the scene.

"My darling Niel, the big one that's approaching us must be the leader. If you kill him the other ones will surely be useless." she whispered in Niels ear.

Niels eyes turned red "Yes. You are right, my love." With his fear forgotten he turned towards the kneeling general and yelled:

"What are you doing? Just kill that thing! He must be the leader! What are you waiting for? Now!"

"Yes.....my king." Seeing his king without fear in his eyes sparked a tiny bit of hope in his heart. The general got up and drew out his bastard sword. Connor was still slowly moving like he was taking a relaxing walk. He had no reason to hurry, now that he was undead he had all the time in the world and watching those worms in front of him struggle was a good way to pass time.

"How do I kill that thing!?"

"How would I know? Just charge at it and grind his bones to dust or whatever."

"Damn it all!" He shouted and charged with his sword ready to strike towards Connor. On his way he cut off the head of the skeleton that tried to block his way. Even if they had weapons that pierced armor, he was a veteran warrior.

After a few seconds that felt like minutes, he finally reached Connor. The general jumped in the air and raised his sword high over his head. The attack came down towards Connor and a loud bang was heard and the general flew backwards. With his eyes wide open he realized what just happend. Connor had managed to block his sword with his own, but the difference in power was so enormous that he couldn't even stand his ground after the clash.

The general readied himself for the next clash.

"Hoh, you are not bad with a sword, human. But you are too careless" Connor's cold voice resounded again as he stared at the general.

"What are you talking about, you mon-" He didn't manage to finish his sentence. A sharp pain pierced the area of his stomach.

He looked down and saw a black sword piercing him "Argghh!" The pain was unbearable.

With the little strength he had left, he managed to turn his head around. What he saw defied everything he knew about the undead. In front of him was the headless skeleton he had decapitated earlier. Black mist was forming around the part of the spine where he had cut off the skull. The mist, like it had a will of its own extended to the skull lying on the ground and lifted it up. The skull then flew on its own towards the skeleton and reattached itself.

With his last breath the general uttered:"This is impossible...Monsters........."

"Hey, even I am surprised. I didn't know they were so robust. Now that the general is dead, I think it is time to visit the little prince who started all of this." The magic influencing Niel had worn off and he was back to trembling like a little child.

"Niel, darling, I think it is better if we retreat for now." Succubas spoke to Niel but he didn't respond at all.

She started to panic as Connor approached them "Move Niel, or we will die!"

"Ye.....yes!" Niel snapped out of it and turned his horse around but it was too late. He had watched Connor for too long and didn't realize the undead had already surrounded them. From all over the battlefield they had poured to him, killing all the soldiers guarding Niel in the process. Now he was left alone with the succubus in the middle of the dead.

The black skeletons moved towards Niel and his mistress to kill them. "Hii!" Niel shrieked but then a cold and dark voice was heard.

"Do not kill them yet. Bring them to me." It was Connor.

All the skeletons froze in place as if the order physically bound them in place. Out of the encirlement Aknar and Aldaek emerged to take the prisoners before their king.

They dragged Niel and the succubus before Connor's feet. Aknar and Aldaek stood behind the two. When they realized the prisoners would not bend their knee they became furious. "BOW DOWN TO THE SKELETON KING, THE KING OF ALL UNDEAD!" Their yell shook the ground and the air and their voices could even be heared inside Veriates.

The succubus and Niel kneeled down on both legs immediately.

Connor walked closer to them. "So you are the famous prince that started a rebellion, huh?" Connor spoke as he took a closer look at Niel.

Niel did not dare look in the eyes of the thing in front of him. Out of fear he even leaked a little. With a voice that almost couldn't be heard Neil answered:"Y....yes."

"Good. Your uncle and your brother have few things to say to you. And who might this woman be? Your wife? Or maybe your mistress?" Connor turned his head to look at the succubus. A cold air suddenly sweep through the succubus face.

The succubus started to tremble she started to sweat. She did not want to die here. In her panic she thought that if this thing before her is a male then her charms should work on him as well.

She gathered her courage and stood up "You worm dare stand up!" Aknar and Aldaek spoke, the desire to kill evident in their voice. However Connor stopped the two by who raising his hand.

Tears gathered in the eyes of the succubus and with a weak voice she spoke "This horrible man kidnaped me and killed my whole family. He did terrible things to me." She cried her eyes out.

"Wha.....?" Niel was left dumbfounded.

"Thank you, my lord. Thank you for saving me from this man." She threw herself at Connor and hugged him of hopes it would help her charm ability. When her eyes turned red and she looked at Connors eyes she flinched, the only thing she saw in his eyes was death. Her death.

She tried to push herself away from Connor but it was no use. Connor had already grabbed her by the throat and lifted her up in the air with one hand.

"Your lies do not work on me, worm." He pierced her through the chest with his sword. She started screaming in agony and instead of simply dying something surprising happend. Black wings, a black tail and horns sprouted out of her and she started to burn. Soon nothing was left but ash.

"That, my king, was a demon. A succubus to be precise." Shade popped up and spoke.

"Uhh a demon. I thought it was just another one of these disgusting humans. Ohh well, I guess demons are not so much different from humans. Except maybe their true appearance but they still use the same lies."

"Yes, indeed, my king"

"And now to the little prince who started this mess. Shall we go and visit your family? Drag him to Veriates." Connor ordered his soldiers and he turned around leading the army with Aldaek and Aknar followed closely behind him.

On top of the walls of Veriates, Reyn and Alanus with the remaining defenders watched the whole thing.

"Uncle, please tell me I am dreaming." Reyn spoke with wide opened eyes.

Alanus wore a serious look on his face and spoke "I am afraid that this is not a dream and I believe this is just the beginning.