Dark Lord

There were many Dark Lords. There was, however, none other quite like Ōtori, Kyōya. His notorious lineage and heritage as a member of the prestigious Ōtori family had a very little part to play in that matter. His business sense was an integral facet to his personality. His reluctance to express emotions was another facet. The most important of them all, however, was his habit of knowing far more than anyone else by whatever means suited him.

That was a deal breaker. It made him allies. It made him foes. In business, he didn't particularly care for alliances and grudges. He was well-to-do enough to buy someone's loyalty. He was also powerful enough to destroy those who stood in his way.

In friendships, however, his deal breaker trait proved to be of far greater importance. He had enough friends; two childhood friends, his fellow Host Club members and the ever practical Haruhi. She was never someone that he could easily manipulate. She saw through his façade and lies. She treated him like a person – a rare occurrence.

He chose to stand by her.

She provided much needed amusement. The hilarity that ensued from the moment she stumbled into their lives was life changing. Without her, he was sure to have died from boredom. Intentional or not, she always kept him on his toes. She was most definitely a commoner and he was most definitely not. That alone gave him a great deal of satisfaction. He had always sworn to use her for marketing ideas in the future – a commoner's opinion was never out of place when selling to other commoners.

His plan had failed. It crashed and burned. He had never known his plans to create such a spectacular failure before. It greatly amused him. He wanted to learn more about her. His position in life gave him everything that he needed to do just that. Even so, she continued to surprise him.

She was incredibly refreshing.

He wasn't of the standard breed. His brothers and father were his enemies. He couldn't let down his guard. His place of peace was school – filled with the pressures of exams and Host Club schemes. He had to prove himself as the only one suitable to succeed.

He was prepared to succeed by any means necessary.

Of course, all Dark Lords' require their subjects. He ruled over the Host Club from the shadows and let Tamaki take the credit. Those who were foolish enough to believe that Tamaki was actually in charge were noted as useless to him.

Haruhi, strangely enough, proved to be one of his greatest allies. She knew a great deal of things. She was wise in an unusual way. She tested him and his patience. He became a better businessman because of her unwitting trials.

He began his work from the shadows.

All Dark Lords' have their elite circle. His Host Club was included. However, what set him apart were those he chose to be at the fore-front – his family. His family did not include those he grew up alongside. His father and brothers had been crushed beneath his foot.

Time was his ally. The patience that Haruhi taught him had earned him her. She was his wife. She was also his associate, despite many arguments and protests, both formal and informal. Many said that her gift of the law was his greatest advantage. Kyōya shunned those people. Her goodness was his greatest advantage.

As with all Dark Lords' he came and conquered. Businesses fell and vanished without a trace. At least, they would have. If he hadn't the influence of a kind heart then he could have destroyed them all. Only by giving his own heart away and accepting hers in return was he saved from the life of a miserable miser.

All Dark Lords' conquer.

Author's Note: I like this one. I'm so glad that I started with this. If I'd done the LotR one first this would have been very unsatisfactory… Oh well, I'm happy with this. The storyline works well, I believe. I can hope that you enjoyed my work as much as I enjoyed typing! From my whole heart I thank you for sparing the time to read my story. Please accept my apology if you were less than satisfied; I will strive to improve.

Part of the Revival Collection.