Tiffany could not think straight.
'M-m-m-my beautiful face...'
'My beautiful eyes....'
'They.... they're here, right....'
'I can see..... right?!'
Tiffany opened her eyes to see the woman in front of her- an angel.
She had stolen her precious throne, thrusting her out of it like a coldhearted demon, and yet now she sat elegantly with a beautiful smile on her face.
Why was she so beautiful?
Why did she have to be so beautiful?
'I..... am not the most beautiful....', Tiffany thought in remorse.
Somehow, the woman in front of her had escaped her paralysis.
It was supposed to be an ability which made her invincible, and yet this.... being.... this beautiful existence which she could not compare herself to... had escaped it like it was nothing.
There was nothing she could do.
'I..... will I be killed? Me? Killed?'
Tiffany laughed.
"Haha...."
"Ahahahahaha!"
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!"
The angel in front of her looked over in confusion, but Tiffany's laughter merely trailed off into tears.
"What have I been pursuing this entire time!? Beauty? To make something subjective into an objective truth? Haha..."
Tiffany looked up at the angel in front of her with regretful eyes.
The woman did not flinch and stared her straight in the eyes, but Tiffany did not use her skill, for it would be useless anyways.
"My entire goal was impossible from the start."
"Um.... are you done talking? I have some things to say.", the angel said in a concerned voice.
'Ah.'
Tiffany nodded, bowing down in a complete loss.
Her men had been killed by one another and brought back to life by this woman, and Tiffany had no idea how or what had happened. Somehow, every single paralyzed person had fallen to the ground at the moment that the men were ordered to fire on the crowd, leading to them firing on one another- as they surrounded the group in a circle.
The demonic angel hybrid must have been hiding powers beyond belief. It was beyond overwhelming. It was as if the fight had been determined from the start.
Tiffany was humiliated and lowered by this person, and yet she was too terrified of her to fight back. Not once since she realized her own ability had anyone been able to stand up before her, and yet now she was faced with someone who she couldn't even begin to comprehend.
"I.... I'm done....", Tiffany stated, submissively.
"Great! Now then.... I guess this wasn't exactly the plan, but things have already come to this point, so I should just roll with it. You three are now my subordinates, and this city is now under our flag."
The angel took something out from another dimension- a purple flag which featured a demonic hand grasping a heart, with blood spraying in all directions.
The angel stepped down the stairs and held out her demonic hand, touching the ground.
[Set condition: Permeable]
The metal floor became dirt in the spot which she touched, and the angel thrusted the flag into the ground with a smile and a nod.
The angel then ascended the stairway once more to sit on the throne.
"Since there is nobody who disagrees, I'm going to get started. From this point forward, the ratmen village is now part of the Dictatorship."
----
Claire looked around.
She was surrounded by around 150 people in this arena, and sitting on a strange throne.
'Eh?'
'What happened?'
The actions of Clarice flooded into her mind as if she suddenly remembered.
'Ah... So in the end, I had to rely on force... In the end, there was no way to avoid this....'
'That's where you're wrong, Claire.'
'Eh? What do you mean?'
'It was the anger within you that allowed me to take over. This was avoidable, however it was only avoidable if you were able to control yourself. And you couldn't. However.... that isn't a bad thing. Heh heh.... you should have seen your own face when those two came out of that gate with the burns all over their face. Be grateful. I fixed them up for you, and punished that girl over there. She won't be going against you anytime soon. Oh, and by anytime soon, I actually mean anytime ever. But you had better pick up where I left off. If not, things will get a whole lot worse from here on out. Accept it. This is my gift to you, my righteous self.'
'Sigh.... alright... I got it....'
Claire smiled, looking around the room at all the people.
"Thank you all very much for your cooperation! I'll do my best to make this city a wonderful place to live for all of you!"
----
"Since there is nobody who disagrees, I'm going to get started. From this point forward, the ratmen village is now part of the Dictatorship."
Ramrod was unsure what to do.
'No, is there anything I can do? I don't even know what just happened....'
Here he was with the leaders of the gerbils and the ferrets right in front of him, and yet he couldn't do anything.
How many years of fighting with these two factions had he experienced?
Even if he made a temporary truce with the gerbils, he never once trusted their leader. They simply had a common enemy- the ferrets. That was all.
And yet, now it seemed like the common enemy had been replaced by someone completely different.
'But can I even consider this person an enemy? Or an ally? I have no idea what she truly wants.'
Her actions were confusing. First she stated that she wanted the three factions to come to peace with one another, and now all of a sudden she claimed that she was going to take over this city?
She had the power to do so.
That much was undeniable.
Even when a group of 40 had been frozen in place just with the glare of one woman, this person didn't so much as flinch before somehow manipulating fate itself, defeating her opponents and then raising them back from the dead.
It was astounding, yet horrifying.
And even now, as she sat on that throne, she looked down on the people with an elegant aura that far exceeded the leader of the ferrets, who just moments ago had complete control over every person in this room.
'An angel? A demon? No.... she's a monarch. That is the only word I can think of to describe this person. How did I not realize it before? Was everything all this time just an act? It is as if she became a completely different person....'
The angel turned back to Gina and Lisa, who were trembling in fear, clutching one another behind her.
"Ah, you two can go ahead and reunite with the others. I don't want to get in the way of that."
Claire spoke with power, perhaps not even herself realizing just how much control she had over everyone here.
Nobody was allowed to breathe without her permission.
The two girls looked at Claire in terror, nodding and getting up.
Lisa headed over to Ramrod, who stood up and hugged her tightly.
"Forgive me. I should have sent men to watch over you two.", Ramrod whispered, biting his lip and regretting his own mistake.
"Mori.... he.... he fought hard to protect me.... but in the end, he was shot..... is he.... Is he alright!?!"
Despite having undergone horrible torture just recently, the girl appeared more concerned about others than herself.
"He was found in the street unconscious, but my men are looking after him. He'll be fine.", Ramrod said while choking on his own words and hugging the young girl.
"If only.... if only we had more manpower.... this fight would perhaps have been long over.... why does this fighting have to continue like this?"
Letting go of Lisa in his weakness, Ramrod was brought to his knees as he remembered the faces of so many young men who gave their lives trying to protect their families and loved ones.
'If only these damn factories weren't the only way to obtain food.... then maybe we could expand and not have to fight so hard over them.
Ramrod gave in to despair, coming to a quick realization.
The situation had not been resolved in the least.
Regardless of whose side the demon before him was on, she would not be able to resolve his issue. Even if she forced a peace on them, the struggle to survive would remain.
'Even this person who can manipulate fate itself won't be able to solve our problem here.'
----
Fina grabbed her sister as she ran up to her.
"Sister.... I.... couldn't protect you....."
Fina was on the verge of tears, but Gina gave her a lovely smile.
"It's ok, sister. I am sorry for going out on my own..... I shouldn't have done that...."
The two hugged one another, and Gina found herself crying.
"Hm? Why.... why am I crying? My face doesn't hurt anymore.... ah..... I know why....."
It was a broken heart.
The man who she loved had abandoned her without a second thought.
He ran away with his tail in between his legs.
Gina held no grudge towards Tiffany for torturing her.
She had already accepted it as her own punishment.
'This was punishment for when I let sister go off and fight in the arena without speaking up and taking her place....'
Her physical wounds had been healed, and they hurt no more. Having accepted this as a punishment, she held no hatred towards Tiffany or Al.
However, this didn't heal the pain in her heart at seeing her man run from her, sacrificing her to save himself.
'Perhaps that is how sister felt when I let her be taken away....'
"I.... was scared, sister...."
"I'm sorry, sister...."
The two hugged, and the emotionless Fina grabbed her sister, her mechanical arm embracing the warmth of a person.
With remorse, her once lifeless and robotic eyes gained a glint of sympathy and remorse.
"I just wanted to show you what was beyond the smog.... but I was so focused on it that I let you out of my sight...."
----
"Um.... I know that you guys are being reunited and all, and I don't really want to interrupt that, but I have a few more things I need to say.", Claire stated.
The people around her looked up at her, tension in their eyes.
'Just what could this woman want from us....'
'Is she truly going to take over this city?'
Claire folded her hands and smiled.
"I would like to set a few rules from this point on."
Many gulps were heard as people attentively listened to the woman who had singlehandedly defeated the most feared person in the entire city.
"Number 1."
The woman raised the index finger on her demonic hand, as if reminding the people before her that a demon lied within her, and that she was not afraid to release it once more at any moment.
"There will be no conflict, ever. Anyone who is caught fighting will be considered to be breaking the law, and punished accordingly. Let that woman and the pain she experienced in retribution for harming those two be an example to all. I will not sentence you to death, but...."
The angel seemed to smile in a slightly demonic manner as she put her hand to her chin.
"The demon inside me might."
A chill vibrated through the room as she said this, sending shivers down the spines of every person present.
"Number 2. You will all refer to me from this point on as 'your eminence.' This is my official title in the Dictatorship, and so you must call me as such."
Claire looked around at the people who seemed to be nodding in submission before continuing.
"Number 3. I want the three leaders of the factions to shake hands and join together, united. You will forget your grudges and work together, for the good of the people of this city."
This statement clearly caused displeasure among the three, but not a single one of them voiced any complaint.
Ramrod stood up first, and with a conflicted expression, approached Tiffany.
He extended his firm hand, and she too stood up. Her sharp red eyes seemed to droop with remorse.
She extended her hand as well, and shook the hand of Ramrod.
"I.... was obsessed with my own goals, and lost sight of everything. I went so far as to torment young girls. Perhaps.... I wanted them to experience that which I once almost went through. This is my own mistake."
Tiffany said these words out of the fear of Claire, and the repercussions of disobedience.
She desperately wished to regain her own position at the top, but realized that there was no chance at this.
Not against this opponent.
Even so, her own heart was stirred, and she did legitimately begin to wonder.
'What have I been doing this entire time?'
Fina walked up, her mechanical arm and leg clattering as she approached.
Anger flared in her eyes, and despite her own fear of the repercussions, she could not simply forgive this woman for harming her sister.
She raised her non mechanical hand, and furiously slapped Tiffany.
"If killing me is necessary, you may do so. But I must at least teach this woman a lesson first."
Claire sat back, watching as Fina slapped Tiffany senseless.
Slap. Slap. Slap. Slap.
Her face seemed to jostle up and down as she was slapped, until it had become completely red with hand marks.
Claire however, did not say anything.
She merely looked down on the scene with a sad expression.
"So? What will it be then? You've gotten that out. Will you shake hands now and join together, or will you keep that grudge of yours? I understand. Someone close to you has been hurt. Which is why I will allow you to go this far. But any further will be direct disobedience."
Fina thinned her eyes, staring Tiffany down, but eventually extended a mechanical arm.
Tiffany merely laughed.
"Haha.... I suppose I deserve that.... I guess now that my face is all bruised up, there's no way I can compete for second in beauty either...."
And she extended a hand, coming to peace with Fina.
"I did something horrible to your sister. I never expect you to forgive me.... but if you are willing to work together with me.... then I would be grateful."
Fina's expression lost all emotion at this, and she turned away.
"Objective completed. Revenge for sister has been taken. Commencing new objective. Follow the Determined."
And with that, the three leaders of the factions turned to Claire, partially out of fear but also out of an awe for her presence.
They kneeled before her.
Even Tiffany, who just before held great hatred and immense jealousy over Claire's beauty, recognized that she was a monarch on the level which she never could obtain.
"We will follow you as your subordinates, and submit ourselves to your rule.", the three said in unison.
Claire smiled like a young girl who had been given some candy, grateful that the people in front of her had finally come around to her way of thinking.
"Wonderful! Now then.... there are a few more things that need to be addressed. Running a city isn't easy, you know. I've already dealt with one, but now we have four!?! Ugh.... the work is just gonna keep on getting more and more... haha...."
Claire laughed to herself, but the people around her remained speechless.
'What will she do with this city?'
'Will she really rule us fairly?'
'No there's no way that will happen.... after all, she said it herself, didn't she?'
'She's the ruler of a Dictatorship.'
----
Claire stood up from her seat with a confident grin.
'Ah..... I guess I should make some sort of speech or something.... I've never really been too good at this sort of stuff....'
'You're a lot better than this than you think. Unless you want me to take over? Heh heh....'
'N-no, I'll do it myself! But, could you help me out a bit?'
'Whatever you say.'
Stepping down from her throne, Claire looked at all the people around her.
They were shaken with fear.
Clearly they didn't have any intention of rebelling against her.
"As the new Dictator of this city, I want every single person in this room to know this. I, the Determined, and my comrades, the antiheroes, have been traveling around the world taking city after city. Soon enough the monster realm will fall into our hands and there will exist nobody who will remain united against us."
Claire smiled brightly.
"We will not allow so much as a shred of insubordination to exist within our domain. Every single person we rule must bow before us as slaves."
The people were shocked to hear this, and many did not dare to even so much as look up while Claire was speaking.
"Why does conflict exist? Why does hatred exist? Why do grudges exist? Why do PROBLEMS exist?"
The people looked around at one another, confused.
"Is it because of limited resources? That's part of it. But there is a greater underlying condition which creates conflict. It is the very hierarchy of power."
Claire approached the three former mafia leaders.
"One person is stronger than another. One person is skilled in this way. Another is skilled in that way. Some people are more valuable than others. Some skills are worthless while others are worthy. Isn't this the very mindset that leads people to struggle and fight one another to be on top? Isn't everyone just trying to prove that they are the best? Forget the resources. Those are important, but aren't they really just the catalyst? They're the spoils. The rewards for being the best. The winner is the one who can obtain them."
Claire then let out a demonic and mature laugh.
"But that isn't really the reason why people fight one another. They want to show each other that they are on top. They want to lie, cheat, steal, deceive, and use any other method to prove that they are better. Isn't society set up in such a way that the person on top is always the good guy?"
Claire remembered Oscar, and recalled the scenes she was shown of him completely escaping any form of punishment even after having killed her.
"The one who can smooth talk their way into things without any actual effort always ends up unscathed. The driver who cuts someone off never gets into an accident, but rather the person who gets cut off ends up smashing into someone else trying to evade. We live in a world where it's either kill or be killed. We live in a world where if you are the person who goes out of their way to bitch about something, that people will hear your voice and listen to you. But if you stay quiet and respect others, nobody will even so much as care when you do say something. We live in a society where the only way to win is by taking. Why? Why do we have to live in such a society where those who take by force are the ones who get, and those who put forth the effort to do things the right way are left without anything?"
Claire looked over to the throne she was previously sitting in.
"Just look at that seat right there!!! I just took that from this woman right here. BY FORCE!!! I tried and tried to convince you people to listen to me, but nobody listened!! So now, here we are. But that's fine. Because now that I've taken that seat, I can make sure that nobody ever takes anything by force again."
Claire sat down, plopping into the seat and crossing her legs.
"By becoming slaves, you all are now my property. You have no rights. You have no say. My word is law, and failing to follow it is nothing more than rejecting that status. But I will not let anyone take anything from you. Ever. I have taken this seat by force, and I will keep it by force. I am a Dictator. A tyrant. And I will force every single one of you to live lives far better than they would have been, had I not taken over this place. Resources? They won't be a problem anymore. There will be no more conflict in this city, because there will be no more reason to fight one another."
Claire turned to the three mafia leaders with a smile.
"Now head to your homes for today. You three, I want you to meet me here tomorrow in this place. I would like to introduce you to your new leaders, and discuss further the running of this city. As a matter of fact, why don't you all gather every resident of the city, and have them come here for a show. Ah, and I shouldn't need to remind you, but if you fail to order your subordinates to cease the fighting in the streets by the end of the day...."
The demonic side of Claire seemed to rise up to her shoulder, covering part of her face, including her eye.
"Then I will slaughter every single one of you."