The dragon's harem

[Halley’s Comet]

As the burning meteor fell from the sky, the ground turned red, burning from the heat.

“You can’t protect anyone in this state,” A voice came from Merida’s body, and tens of mushroom tentacles burst from beneath her feet, forming a dome around her and Arad.

Spears of fungi pierced Zuggtmoy’s limbs, holding her in place so she wouldn’t run away. “Your power shall be mine,” The voice giggled, “Today, as the pink-haired witch said, your destiny ends.”

“Usurper!” Zuggtmoy screamed, and the meteor crashed on her head.

The heat and pressure from the impact expanded as it evaporated the ground, sending a shockwave reverberating across the abyss. The massive fireball expanded into a large mushroom, befitting the end of the fungi queen.

As the ashes fell down, the fungi protecting Arad and Merida withered, and they stood up, looking at the massive crater. “Is it over?” Merida asked.

“Seems like it,” Arad nodded, “I can’t sense her magic anywhere,”

CRACK! From the ground, fungi sprouted and grew into a vaguely humanoid shape. “The previous queen is dead,” It stated.

“Mushroom!” Merida stared at it, “Did you take her power?”

The being nodded, “The full 100% of her domain. I’m currently the demon lord of fungi.” It replied.

Merida sat on the ground, taking a deep breath, “So it’s over,”

The fungi shook its head, “No, it isn’t. My fungi are barely keeping your body alive. You better get healed soon,” He pointed at her.

“Broken bones, a hole in your lungs, wounded heart, your liver is cut in two, and the content of your guts should be spilling on your organs. You would die on the spot if my mushrooms stopped prolonging your life.” It then looked at Arad, “Take her out, I will keep her alive until she gets fully healed.”

Arad shifted back into his humanoid form, barely able to stand on his own as Zora supported him. He was out of both mana and breath, it was the first time in weeks that he felt this beat up.

CRACK! The sky cracked as a portal opened up. BAM! Alcott flew down, landing on his feet in a stance, holding the hilt of his sword.

As if time stopped, the fungi turned and looked at him. Seeing Alcott move as if in slow motion. As Zuggtmoy’s wisdom that was stored in the fungal network poured into his head, he could recognize Alcott’s existence. ^The hero?^

CLAP! Alcott blitzed the fungi, cutting him apart. As a shockwave burst, the fungi thought, ^That attack, he shaved off 5% of my power just like that.^

Arad only noticed Alcott’s existence when the shockwave exploded, “STOP! It’s with us!”

CRACK! Alcott stopped in the middle of his fifth attack as he heard Arad’s voice.

CRACKLE! The fungi’s body quickly formed back, “Damn it, that was 20% of my power, if the fifth attack landed, I would have lost another 5%,” It looked at Alcott’s hands, “Demon slaying sword, where were you keeping that? I doubt Zuggtmoy would have pulled you to the abyss had she known you had that,”

CLANG! Alcott sheathed his blade and looked up. From the portal in the sky, Merlin flew down with Ginger sitting behind her carrying the still-asleep Nina.

“Arad!” Merlin flew toward them.

Arad looked at Alcott, “We couldn’t defeat that fungi thing without that, let him be…” Thud! He fell face first, the damage and exhaustion finally reaching him.

Thud! Merlin landed and pulled one of her potions, handing it to Merida. “You drink this, it should heal you to shape,”

She then rushed to Arad, pulling another potion. CLING! It was then that Alcott extended his sword to her neck, “What’s that potion? It isn’t what I think, right?” He glared at her.

Merlin stared at him with a giggle, “His life is in danger, we have to heal him quickly,”

“A fighter should be able to stay at death door for a while. We take him out of here then heal him with proper spells and potions,” Alcott glared at her.

“You want to leave him half dead?”

“Better than being a woman for a month,” He growled at her. Lifting Arad and looking back at the fungi.

“What are you going to do?”

The fungi looked around, “I do have a lot to fix here, and I need to recover the power you just sliced off from me. I’m staying here, but.” He looked at Arad and Merida, “If you found yourselves stranded in the abyss, my domain is a safe land for you. If you faced any of my demons, my name alone should stir them away.”

“What’s your name?” Alcott asked.

“My name is…I don’t have one yet,” It realized, “I will think of one later, for now, I’m the fungi demon lord.” Lifting its hand, it opened a portal to the mortal world, “We talk later, now you have to heal him.”

They went back to the mortal world, leaving Fungi alone in the crater. It turned around, walking in the dust.

“Today, history was changed,” From beneath its feet, fungi grew.

It lifted its hand, “Demon lords never forget. Your image shall be carved on the abyss for all eternity,”

CRACKLE! A massive fungi grew from the center of the crater, reaching the sky. At its base, several statues were carved from fungi, stone, and mold.

Arad in his draconic form, and Merida swinging her sword. Zuggtmoy crawled on the ground as a large meteor loomed in the sky.

It clapped its hands, and hundreds of fungus demons emerged from nothing, staring around in confusion.

“Where is her lordship?” One asked.

The fungi stared back at them, “Zuggtmoy is no more, from today, I’m your lord.” All demons could feel their bodies tremble. The fungus inside them recognized the new demon lord.

“BOW!” Fungi shouted, turning around toward the status and bowed, “Those who don’t, shall die,”

All the demons bowed.

“As the new demon lord I now declare, their flesh is forbidden, their existence is essential. Don’t forget their faces as long as you live,”

“We shall never forget!” The demons repeated.