My Little Overlord: Harmony Desync

If you asked me if I was capable of killing someone a couple of weeks ago I would have said something to the effect of, “Hell no!” and would have likely called the cops. Now here I am, whisked away like some isekai protagonist from a shitty shounen anime. Now I am more or less stuck in a world inhabited by; pastel colored ponies, dangerous hounds made of wood, giant fuzzy manticores that looked as if they hopped from a Percy Jackson novel. Lets not forget the fact that I have a less than amusing pixie guide giving me the occasional tips, along with an ancient god killer getting cozy in my mind palace.

In this world it has shown me quite clearly that it's kill or be killed, and frankly…I prefer living long enough to crash on something that isn’t a shitty bedroll splayed upon the cold, hard ground. Now here I am, staring down an entire camp of the most vile, despicable, and underhanded band of shitheads I’d have ever seen. Through the eyes of my mask I didn’t see cartoon ponies, I saw irredeemable monsters willing to treat their own kind like playthings .Their sickening grins, their taunting laughs as they preformed acts no different than the human scum of earth.

They were the Onyx Horns, a band of mad max wannabees swinging around rusty blades, medieval crossbows, and unicorn magic to boot. My fingers tightly coiled around the stone knives within my white knuckled grasp. I could feel my thumbs wearing into the leafy grip that the tome system fabricated around these disposable blades. They weren’t made of metal, sure…but they got the job done all the same.

My time spent preparing for this gave me plenty to spare, and even if I ran out…with these sick pricks, my bare hands would suffice. The ponies who had assembled around him raised their weapons, bearing expressions of vicious battle lust. It was a tense standoff with both sides facing each other down while the camp’s shoddy defenses burned around them. One of the unicorns, a stallion with a dirty pink coat, yellow mane, and spiked leather armor scoffed while training a small crossbow towards my chest.

(What the hell are you all waiting for! Kill the motherbucker, It's just one freak!”) His alien language was confusing aloud, only to be clarified swiftly by whatever magic this nifty tome had to offer. Each word that escaped his scarred lips was translated by a transparent text box, the words burning a bright shade of blue whilst overlapping a lighter blue box.

I didn’t give him a chance to continue his ‘motivational’ pep talk, rather I carried out my rampage…starting with HIM. With my leather boots kicking off the tower’s stairs enough force had reduced the planks to splinters, giving me just enough momentum to lurch forward. My shadow cast over him and despite his attempts to realign his weapon’s sights to fire, I came crashing down like an anvil from above.

Both of my heels smashed into his head, toppling him to the dirt. My weight, combined with the overwhelming momentum crushed his skull flat. His head practically exploded like a rotten tomato, splattering his gore onto the hooves of his fellow scumbags. Their brief moments of stunned shock were all I needed to get in close.

The stone blades slashed in wide strokes, cutting through vital points with deadly precision, almost as if he had done this his entire life. The two earth ponies standing on either side of the unicorn were met by the cold stone slashing across their throats, forcing them to drop the rusty machete’s clutched between their teeth. Pivoting on my left heel, I spun quickly in time to plant my heel into the face of a purple and orange unicorn mare that looked as if she were charging some kind of spell.

For a moment, it was almost as if his perception of time had begun to slow down, his senses heightened to a new degree. This magic…it left an odor hanging in the air, it left the taste of copper in his mouth, like sucking on a penny. The longer she charged it, the more magic began to coil around her horn in a translucent hue of sunset orange. This aura…it appeared to stretch out and twist, forming something akin to electricity. That vital detail cemented the idea that she was preparing something to harm him, something she would never get the satisfaction of doing.

My closed palm strike connected with her chest, sending her sliding backwards and into one of the burning carts. The spell that the unicorn had been charging went off in the air, a yellow ball of crackling energy that lobbed like a grenade. Her arcane projectile had misfired completely, soaring a few feet short in an arch. This ball of electrical magic landed square into the back of a Pegasus about to take flight, exploding into a vicious series of electrical shocks. His screams were loud, almost louder than the roaring of chaotic flames consuming the camp’s borders.

His crippling pain ended when my massive frame barreled through the crude blockade of copper shields erected by some of the bandits. The impact sent them flying off on the sides as if they were nothing more than ragdolls at my mercy. Both my arms swung down with both knives twisted in a reverse grip for maximum force. The result was me promptly plunging them into the ears of the tortured Pegasus.

His once dirty white coat of fur, and shortly cut locks of green mane had been reduced to nothing more than charred flesh and exposed bone, showing the true lethality of magic in this world. The stone blade’s snapped to the base, leaving them jutting from the crispy Pegasus pony’s skull.

Item(s)- Chiseled Stone Knife [2] has been destroyed

From there it was almost as if I was walking on air, my body, my muscles, my senses, flowing so naturally like I was born to do this, pure instinct...fueled by a burning desire to KILL. Unfortunately those senses failed to warn me of the impending danger from behind as a bolt whistled through the air towards my exposed back. Hunting crossbows from the late medieval and renaissance period tended to be in the ballpark of 450 - 600 pounds of weight behind each bolt.

War crossbows held a weight range from around 700-1300 pounds of force per shot. That was why it came as quite the surprise when the steel bolt didn’t even seem to pierce my skin as much as I had expected. The broadhead arrow ripped through my armor, sending a series of messages dictating that my equipment had taken significant damage. It was stuck in me alright, but the arrowhead seemed to only dip a few centimeters in, making the spot itch like a hornet sting.

It might not have hurt or pierced my muscle tissue, but it sure as hell knocked me off my balance allowing my face to not so gracefully meet the floor. The others descended on me like a flock of vultures, pummeling and swinging their weapons. Blades, clubs, even a few pokes with barbed spears, a dogpile of pain…or at least that's what it should have been. Every strike connected, hacking away at my armor, leaving behind various marks on my gear, yet no pain or significant injuries occurred.

…Like paper cuts…

‘Either these guys are really weak, or I'm built like a kryptonian…’ I thought to myself whilst gritting my teeth. I strained to get back up on my feet but their combined weight and constant blows kept me pinned down, for a moment I swore that I saw a veil of unicorn magic enveloping my back legs. One of the grunts bucked their hind legs into my face, rattling my brain in my skull like pinball in an arcade.

‘Okay, that one sucked a little bit…’

With my mind devoid of solutions, it was a pleasant surprise when I felt a strong gust of wind blow over me. This was immediately followed by a chorus of screams as something attacked the mob from behind. (“Buck’n ell mate! Is that supposed to be a fox?!-”) That was all one of them managed to say before his torso was cleanly severed from belly to shoulder in a single strike. It was only when I heard the familiar sound of loud barking that a grin formed across my strained face.

Aelita had leapt onto the descending back of one the shield bearers, her claws piercing their armor and into flesh like cleats. Her muzzle opened, and from it the air around her seemed to swirl at gale force speeds, manifesting a small orb of condensed wind. When the fox barked, that air was sent down in the faintest shape of a crescent blade which swiftly cleaved through three more ponies focusing on wacking me with their maces. Whomever the blade touched was cut clean through like a hot knife through butter, armor or no armor.

“Atta girl Aelita!” Despite the seriousness of the situation, there was a part of me deep down that swelled with pride. This adorable red fox pup that had been a trembling mess not too long ago was now a formidable beast, seemingly having evolved as much as I had. Her fur was bleached a ghostly white, a large tuft of fur near the tip of her tail having turned a bioluminescent green. Both eyes shimmered a vibrant lime color, a byproduct of her fluctuating mana that swirled within her like a raging tornado.

‘Seems like giving her that “Core of The Birch Hound Prince'' was a good idea after all…’ With Aelita providing me an opening, I twisted my body around on the floor, sweeping the hind legs out from under one of the Earth ponies who had been poking my ass with her spear. When she collapsed onto her stomach, the weapon she had been balancing between her forehooves rolled away from her and into my open hand.

Item: Barbed Polearm added

With a new weapon in hand, I’d roll backwards a few inches before springing back onto my feet. Polearm fighting eluded me, but beggars can’t be choosers when you are fighting a whole camp of bloodthirsty bandits. The weapon was far from rusty, the silvery blade glinting in the orange light cast by the roaring flames.

It was easily a 7 foot long spear, with the heart shaped head lined with downward angled barbs. Needless to say if this thing had actually managed to pierce my flesh deep enough, it would have been VERY painful. Out of curiosity I gave the weapon an experimental twirl, feeling the shaft glide clumsily between my fingers. Pointing it in front of me, I gave myself a running start before promptly thrusting the weapon into the side of the thrashing Earth pony that Aelita had been using as a springboard. The gnarly blade plunged right between the gaps of his ribs, granting minimal resistance. Judging from the spray of blood that ejected from between his lips, it was probable that I hit his lungs.

My grip tightened around the leather straps while both my boots firmly dug into the dirt for support, and with the good ole heave ho, I lifted both pony and fox into the air. “Aelita, go for the unicorn!” nodded back towards the unfortunate mare who had previously fried her fellow bandit during her misfired spell. The fox kit nodded her head in response, retracting her claws to leap from her still breathing springboard. She corrected this by using her hind paws to kick him down, fully impaling him on the weapon.

In turn, I slammed him into the dirt on his side while he coughed another fountain of blood. It only took a sharp twist and a powerful tug to rip the spear out, the barbs irreversibly damaging the vital organs within. Something about this, all this carnage, the chaos, the adrenaline pumping through my veins, it was so…exhilarating. “Come on fuckers! Let's dance!”

It was a no holds barred battle, both me and Aelita more or less going back to back to face our respective targets. I myself broke in the new spear with rapid flurries of thrusts, while Aelita flexed her new wind magic by cutting ponies into meaty chunks with what I now dubbed her “Wind Blades”. The bodies hit the floor, soaking the dry earth with fresh blood and viscera a plenty. Those who were smart booked it further into the center of camp, with a small squad of unicorns covering them in what looked to be magical bubble shields.

When either myself or Aelita attempted to strike those who had been shielded by the neon colored bubbles, it was like trying to pop a balloon made of lead. ‘Okay, noted…physical attacks aren’t as effective against bubble shields…damn it! We need to get those casters.’ This little rule seemed to work both ways however, with none of the ponies attempting to shoot bolts or swing from the safety of their protection spells. I whistled sharply causing Aelita to slither up my body, resting her front paws onto my shoulders.

Her slender frame effortlessly zipped up, launching off me to fling herself over the bandit’s heads. Twisting mid flight, she’d open her maw and unleash a series of wind blades towards the backline that had been providing support. The mana infused blades of air pressure cut them down one by one, causing the shields protecting the frontliners to burst with a crackling POP.

“Good girl! Now it’s my turn!” I praised, grinning wide under the cold wood of my skeletal mask. Planting one foot forward, I dug deep…so much so that the ground caved into a small crater beneath my boot. With a burst of speed I catapulted myself towards the faltering formation, slamming shoulder first into the first tower shield in my way.

My weight combined with my rapid acceleration momentum caused the pony to topple over like a domino. The shield he had so desperately held onto dropped in front of me, and like the greedy loot goblin I was, it became the latest addition to my arsenal. ‘Come to think of it…how can ponies even use shields?’

My internal inquiry was answered the moment I flipped the copper disk over to observe the inner lining. Thick straps had been tightly secured along the inside, perfect for one of their forelegs, or perhaps even my own arm. Distractions, they can prove lethal when on the field of battle, and if it weren't for my acute senses directing my actions, I’d have never seen the attack coming. It was that strong scent of magic, followed by my hair practically standing on end. Without even realizing it I had whipped the copper shield over my head to guard against the coming strike.

Item: Sturdy Rondache Shield Equipped

(Item Synergy Detected)

(Polearm + Shield)

Synergy Skill Created: Rookie Sentry’s Bulwark

There was a loud crack, followed by an intense explosion, one that rattled my teeth and perforated my eardrums. Yellow and purple lights danced overhead, an irresistible force colliding with an immovable object. The shield in of itself was perfect for me, having tightly fastened itself around my forearm like it had a mind of its own…all the way to the elbow. What looked to be a shimmering pane of purple glass floated four inches from the copper shield; one composed primarily of small hexagons tightly knit together. The simmering field of mana stretched longways across the circular shield, creating a magical canopy that blocked a devastating bolt of lightning.

‘Oh master, what would you do without me…!~ Thankfully I was able to fabricate a defensive ability for your item synergy right on time, or else you’d probably be toast right about now.’ Pwinx’s voice chimed from the back of my mind.

“Rookie Sentry’s Bulwark…?” I mentally commanded the information on the skill to emerge, a pop up in the corner of my vision. Simultaneously I focused on the one that brought the lightning down on my head. It was one of the nerdy bunch that had made their home in that cushy tent, a brown unicorn with locks of scarlet mane. The both of us just…stared at one another, her crimson eyes burning with a mixture of fear…and hatred.

Item Synergy Skill: Rookie Sentry’s Bulwark

This skill is born from the item synergy of spear and shield, granting the user a powerful skill derived from the Sentinel skillset.

When activated, mana is drawn from the user’s reserves in order to project a durable outward projecting barrier.

Physical attacks striking the barrier drain a moderate amount of mana. Magical attacks drain a minimal amount of mana.

Users are able to expand the length and height of Sentry’s Bulwark at will to a maximum of 6x6 ft of space, Users are able to retract the length and height of Sentry’s Bulwark to a minimum of 3x3 ft of space.

PLEASE NOTE, if the user is unable to provide sufficient mana for this Synergy skill, the barrier will dissipate.

Current Synergy Proficiency: 0.5%

‘Proficiency? Does that mean this skill can get even stronger the more I use it…?’ My lips curled into a satisfied grin beneath the mask. I concentrated on the mana barrier, picturing it shrinking down to the smallest size that it could go, and sure enough the mana fluctuated in a way that caused a majority of the octagonal patterns to fall away around the edges. With the magic resistant barrier shrouding my shield, this arrogant taunt seemed to do the trick of baiting out another attack from the more adept mare.

She was a mare of average height, or at least average from the majority of those in the camp. On top of her luscious brown coat was a rather posh looking cloak, red with glittering yellow gemstones interwoven with silver threads. These stones, or rather crystals hummed with immense power, so much so that I could feel it with my sense for mana.

The mare swung her head and neck in front of her, something akin to winding up a throw, something that had me immediately on guard. When her shot was lined up, she hurled a helix shaped spiral of lightning from the tip of her crackling horn. Rather than a straight forward blast like I had been expecting, the dancing bolts curved right, a baseball style curveball.

One of the bolts struck my shoulder, sending a surge of hot pain from head to toe, damn near knocking me to one knee. Thankfully I had just enough of my bearings to bring my shield up to block the second. The harming bolt sank into the angular barrier, seemingly absorbing into its glowing surface in a flash of yellow and purple light. I felt hot, like my insides had become the tea in a kettle, on the mere brink of boiling.

Critical damage detected: No skills within tome recent history relating to cellular regrowth found… adjusting parameters for self sustainment of the user…

…Would the user like to provide a (moderate) amount of mana to fabricate a new skill?...

Y or N

Even through this unbearable pain, my mind was starting to swim from the sudden pop up of a new tome notification, this time flashing a translucent red in urgency. There was a general rule of thumb that when a shock is at or above 2,700 volts, it often results in death or severe injury. Over 11,000 volts, the victim will usually pass away, and lightning…? Lightning itself carried over 300 million volts of electricity, so the very fact that I could even stand, much less live…goes to show how far my body truly evolved.

They say lightning doesn't strike twice, but in this world things like human expressions might as well jump out a window. That along with any laws of physics that I might have been flimsily clutching onto. Judging from the mare already winding up for another shot at him, it was probable that I was potentially in for three strikes.

The odds of my mana pool being capable of shielding another blow like that again was minimal at best, and I was already running low on the replenishing brews to keep myself topped up. When my gaze searched the battlefield for Aelita, it was plain to see that she herself had her paws full with these ominous casters. Like the mare they too have been launching volleys of electricity towards the clever fox. But with how agile and flexible she had become she weaved through them seamlessly.

‘Pwinx, do I have enough mana to block this shot and accept the tome’s request to fabricate a skill?!’ I mentally called out, keeping my eyes trained on the caster mare standing before me. My feet dug in, then kicked off in a dead sprint to keep mobile while closing the distance. Pwinx was humming frantically, seemingly taking his time with something before responding.

“You're cutting it close Jonathan, you’ll have one chance to block both bolts of lightning. To put it plainly after reviewing your status, if another shock like that lands, you…well, lets just say it won't be pretty.” Pwinx grunted. My teeth clenched, and my body which had been screaming at me for a reprieve. There was no time for a break, if my body could survive one of these attacks, if not only barely…then what would happen if a young pup like Aelita were hit?

I leapt up just as the mage finished winding up her spell, when the lightning helix flew…I knew this was my do or die moment. From all around I could see them, the ghostly apparitions of myself being felled in this very battle. Some seemed to collapse with charred flesh flaking from bone; others buckled clutching their exploding hearts, and even a few were seen stumbling back with their very eyes burst from the sockets. Apart of me knew this fight was going too smoothly, I got cocky thinking that my skills were enough to clear this camp.

How many times have I done this- no…how many times have WE done this conflict, dying over and over again. I am in the body of my greatest creation, as were all those damned souls across potentially infinite dimensions. They would never see their loved ones again, nor feel the sweet normalcy of their homes back on Earth. On the outside these ponies seemed harmless, pathetic even, but now…staring down at the face of ACTUAL danger?

…My expectations were once again crushed by this cruel new reality…