Thank you. I feel like I am saying goodbye to people I have gotten to know over the years.

Oh...well this chapter honestly felt like it tilted into full horror in a subliminal sense. I know that probably wasn't the intent but it felt like it to me at least. Seeing Leon completely fighting for his life and then succumbing was honestly well...it's a bit terrifying how the demons were able to get him to succumb. Seeing him desperately trying to appeal to his former comrades sanity which is basically not even there anymore was tragic to witness. Seeing what became of Edric was terrible- I'm assuming he became akin to Frederick (though likely not identical as each transformation reflects one's internal desires- I wonder what Edric's were) in being somewhat less lean muscle like Gregory and more on the dad bod/sumo style type- but the way he speaks after being transformed...half mad out of pleasure- it's terrifying. I know we've seen Garret and the others before, and it's clear the demons themselves are not entirely malovelent- but when they want to be freaky- oh they don't do things by halves- and this chapter shows that well. In this, I see the worst of the stories of spirits who wind up in lust committing terrible deeds. Leon's grief and horror was terrible to witness but so real, and the fact that the corruption used his desire to keep his men safe and happy to turn them into demons was masterful on the part of the demons, but still eerie. Sure, he became a rather fair looking demon, but there is a sinister element to this all the same. The fact that he essentially drowned and lost his sense of self in a place he sees as a place of safety and rest is tragic as it is fitting in a sense. On the other hand, it's clear why Leon was so tempted- he wants to keep his men happy, he wants to be with his loved ones again- that in itself is a powerful lure. It roped in Gregory, it trapped William, it got Frederick and Tristan, it got Gil and his family- and who knows how many others. I can only hope at this point that Collin and Eddie can get far away from this. I'd rather have Collin alive and away from his family than...turn into whatever maniac the demons would want out of him. Leon's new form also is rather gentlemanly looking (though it does feels a bit more rugged- but the demons seem to lean that way in appearance regardless), there is definitely a more elegant nature to him- honestly he's one of the few demons that I'd say tilts towards being more attractive in an almost aristocratic sense- though more rugged- something like a cross between a rural toughness and a aristocratic feel in a sense- though I'm intrigued by how a demon who is fixated over bathing and cleanliness will manage to handle his drooling and constant dripping from his genitals. I wonder if that would bother him a little, maybe not, but it makes me wonder. That he somehow keeps the knighthood's ethos but twisted round into demonic understanding is frightening as it is...morbidly comforting I suppose? As terrible as it is, it's either get turned into a demon, primal beast transformations, or the grandmaster goes nuts and you get caught up in that. You've already said the grandmaster will spiral. At the same time, I don't want any of the demons to wind up dead- they don't deserve that either. I'm just glad that their little plan to break Collin kind of can't work entirely because he kind of knows that Gregory and William are already demons, as are the others. However, knowing Leon is gone is going to be a major blow to him emotionally. But I think Collin will be able to handle it. As much as the grandmaster used him, I think that makes Collin uniquely resistant to the idea of being tempted by the things that did in his family and those of Wolfheim before him- he might love his family, but he will not abandon his humanity for them- I think the grandmaster hammered that lesson in very well after what happened with Gil- not to let one's emotional connections cloud one's duty. Of course, each situation is slightly different- but you are setting up Collin's powers to be something that could shake up the entire balance of power as it stands- something tells me you have more in store for him than just him turning into a demon. I think the worst part of this is how they react to hearing about Collin being alive. They straight up want to emotionally torture him so they can get him on his side. They've gone completely mad in a sense over lust. Sure, covetous (as Leon now is), seems to still desire to keep the knighthood going- but their idea is to essentially turn everybody into a demon so they go mad with pleasure to "save" them from the horrors of the darker aspects of humanity and grief (but desires going overboard is a horror in itself in some ways). Meanwhile, the grandmaster is scheming something and the fact that the necromancer makes it sound like some people are genetically predisposed to being demons and that the western culture itself contributed to the reason why so many of the knights are so suspectable to turning into demons. The fact that the old gods seem to only want to infect and convert certain areas is intriguing, but makes sense- they likely can never truly triumph in full because such would be their doom- so they endlessly scheme and war and plot but never gain full victory. But as they do that, thousands if not millions will be crushed under their feet. Meanwhile, the mysterious prisoner in the cells the grandmaster heard of screaming is ringing all sorts of alarm bells- did he get mauled by those belonging to the primal beast. The fact that it seems he isn't exactly visible is also really unnerving- something is up with that. And now we have Gregory breaking in and meeting the grandmaster. As much as I hate the grandmaster for what he did to Collin, I really want him to knock Gregory and the others down a peg a bit. Though I also want the grandmaster knocked down a peg himself. At this point, I just want Collin to be happy and be able to escape all of this craziness. He really doesn't deserve any of this. A somewhat depressing and twisted thought of mine is often that if they do make Collin despair but it just makes him that more committed to duty- so instead of making a new family member, they wind up making their worst nightmare and enemy? Wouldn't that be delightfully and darkly ironic? That in seeing his family so far gone, he just mourns his family and moves forward- upholding duty over love (save that of Eddie), and so the thing that made Gregory transform oh so long ago- the idea that sexual pleasure and his family would be forever intertwined- is denied permanently, due to his own actions, and he is left forever wanting for a love that has become sour enmity and grief. Or more darker still, in wanting to save humanity, Collin decides to discard his desires beyond keeping humanity alive- something to an extent like what Miquella is implied as having done in Elden Ring's DLC, and becomes something so horrifying, even the demons are left in fear over him? What are they do with a figure who has no lust or desire to manipulate, save for a desire that is completely opposed to theirs (keeping humanity free of transformations)? I kind of want to see Gregory and the Grandmaster throw down, but I do look forward to seeing Wolfheim again. But at the same time, the fact that a place Leon saw as a place of respite and safety became his tomb in a sense is well...it's both tragic and terrifying. You've mentioned that demonifiction could amplify any desire that is the strongest in a person- and that is frightening indeed- but something tells me that will eventually undo them. Because right now, the desire for family has been outcompeted by pleasure itself. It's fitting, but tragic- they are not longer as they are- and Collin hopefully will be able to combat this head on. He cannot afford to falter- too much is at stake. On the other hand, it's clear Gregory's desire to get his son back to avenge what the grandmaster did to him is still there as the end of the chapter shows, but it's eerie to see how much they have changed in some ways, yet show echoes of their past selves in others, but I've made this point before.

Excellent!! Thanks!

Awww a bittersweet ending. Im gonna miss Matt and his boys. What a great and successful story, looking forward for your next story and or maybe a few short stories from Matt and his new life.

Nice "Pretty in Pink" shout out. :)

Slow burn, I love it.

A fun “turn of events” to this story may be that Travis turns Gareth so much more on to hypnotizing that Gareth drugs Travis with Pandora without him knowing it to experiment even more

Loved the amnesia script. What do you think about this version? Amnesia Script I want you to relax and listen to my words. There’s no need to think about what I’m saying. In fact, you’ll probably find that your conscious mind cares less and less about focusing on and remembering every detail of what’s going on. There’s just no need to think about what I’m saying—just let my words wash over your mind. You find you enjoy the way you feel when I fill your mind with thoughts and ideas. It is so enjoyable to listen to these thoughts and ideas that you’ll probably find that you don’t want or need to pay close attention to what I’m telling you. You are so pleasantly relaxed that it probably feels just like a daydream you once had where your thoughts just slipped away a few minutes later. Letting your thoughts slip away feels good and you find it enjoyable as you get better at forgetting to remember or remembering to forget.

So hot! I'd like to hear more about their partners ;) and how else can they transform.

Oh yeah that was hot, I’d love to be the Derek in this story. Always wished I could lose my body hair, muscle tone, dick length and gain lots of blubbery fat. It’s the perfect body I find attractive and I wish I had the same for myself too :heart_eyes: