Nero Fenrirs

"Crushing despair is the most delicious of appetizers before a feast."

- Nero Fenrir prior to consuming a nameless village

Nero Fenrirs (ニロフェンリス, Niro Fenrisu), is the self-proclaimed Prince of Dragons (龍の王子, Ryuu no Ouji) and heir to the Dragon King; a sociopathic Dragon Slayer who hunted and mercilessly slaughtered citizens of the Kingdom of Fiore like cattle. He is the demon spoken of in hushed whispers, the reaper that swept across the nation wiping out towns and settlements in its wake leaving naught but a path of blood and death. He is an abomination; a monster without morals or regard for human life, who views all other living beings as his playthings. For years, Nero remained an unknown within the world of Magic, hidden like a phantom; plundering, raping, murdering, and cannibalizing on any he pleased. His reign continued until his climactic battle against the King of Albion. Imprisoned by the Magic Council, he was starved of his ill-gotten powers and sealed in the lowest pits of their prison. Yet even that was not enough to hold him, for only a few scant months later he freed himself, cannibalized his inmates and disappeared in the chaos. There is word that he has once again risen, that whole swaths of civilization killed in a single night, their towns painted with blood and gore, a testament to his fury. Now he is free. His pride trampled and stolen, he now seeks vengeance against all who dared oppose him.

Personality
"I am above your petty human laws because you are nothing more than prey; food to be killed and consumed at my leisure. Is it not my right to do so? It is the natural order of things. Do swine and cattle not feel fear and pain when being led to the slaughter? Take solace in that while you live, I will provide for your every desire, as a King should. It is a privilege not even extended to those beneath you. Am I not a kind and just King?"

- Nero to a Mage

The blood of a dragon flows through his veins, and he carries in him a legacy of power and nobility no human could ever match. His lineage dates back to the Era of Dragons where his ancestors held the world in their claws, their rule unquestioned, and absolute. Even after their fall, and the rise of mankind, they were not forgotten. Nero does not believe in his birthright, he embodies it. After-all he is a King is he not? A world crafted by the might of dragonkind is their kingdom, so he is its King. That is how it is and how it will always be. Supremely confident and self-assured, Nero considers himself above the reproach of human morality and law. They are imitations, trifling baubles created by those lesser than he. Such inconsequential things hold no meaning to him or his brethren. Like gods, their presence is immediately apparent to those around them and Nero fully expects others to bow to his will. He abides no rules but his own, and does not acknowledge the sovereignty of those claiming to be kings and queens themselves. Such a title is reserved for their betters, for dragons. It was their claws that which gouged canyons and river beds, their awesome breath which gave shape to lakes and filled the oceans. It was their power over creation itself which birthed the mountains, and very land in which the humans tread.

It was by their grace that they were given allowance to live. Therefore as one who is descended from such noble beings he is the rightful heir to their legacy. As a king he is commanding and authoritative; he does not ask, he commands. His is a voice wrapped in culture, punctuated by the sophistication and eloquence of the greatest poets while smooth and deep as the earth on which his step falls. He is a being driven by his wants and desire's and sets himself to satisfying them. That is the right of those who have power, as it is the natural order of the world itself. There are many things he values and many things he despises, and to begin with, that is the assumption that one is of greater standing than he. With the world as his kingdom his sovereignty is without limit, wherever he goes he is King. His domain. To those who show him proper reverence, he will treat as valued subjects. Their desire's become his, and his become theirs, for a kingdom is but a reflection of the one who rules it. There are those who have realized that appeasing to his haughty nature, that despite his condescending nature will treat them remarkably well. They will be given wealth beyond their dreams, prestige beyond their station and power they never could have achieved on their own. This strange dichotomy between his otherwise callous disregard for life and utter monstrous nature clashes with his civility to those who show him his due respect.

That is because to him morality is a thing of curiosity, not a creed to abide in his life. Good and evil are a novelty he enjoys for the drama they create but he has no use for them. His actions are dictated by a chaotic storm of primal instinct and desires not entirely human. Nero only has the appearance of a human, but the things that define them as human are notably absent in Nero. The emotions of envy, jealousy, remorse or heaven forbid guilt do not exist within him. He understands them, as well as any intellectual would about a recurring phenomena. But can he sympathize, or even empathize with other humans? No, that is an impossibility. Take for example the accumulation of wealth. It is something that he and others in power share, but his reasons for doing so are strange for one with so much power. He gathers wealth merely for the sake of having it. He does not spend it, he collects artifacts and treasures to admire them for their beauty. The world is his kingdom and he does not ask for anything, he demands, and it is given. He does understand however that there are others who falsely believe that what they hold is their's, and that they are often less than forthcoming in parting with it. So he has taken to games of chance to acquire them. Well they would be games of chance if he actually had the possibility of losing but giving them the illusion is important, a necessity if you will.

Battle for Nero is an indulgence. It is an opportunity to once again demonstrate the veracity of his Kingship, and the might of all Dragons to those foolish enough to challenge him. That and he so enjoys the scent of fear, and desperation. Such emotions add a very potent flavor when the being in question is consumed, that is simply exquisite to his palate. He verbally assaults his prey, taunting them and belittling their efforts, just to see how they react. Rarely will he become enraged due to anothers actions, instead he grows increasingly amused by their pitiful efforts to harm him. Throughout the battle he will twist their words until they are like poison in their ears, and deconstruct their ambitions till they are frivolous and futile endeavors. Indeed, Nero practices a psychological form of warfare fit only for the most aberrant of sadists.

Voracious Madness
Nero is a Dragon Blood Slayer who has seemingly overcome the madness that would otherwise consume his mind in blood-lust. Rather than be controlled by his ravenous appetite he has instead come to embody it in every facet of his life. That is how he learned to control his urges. He is ravenous for wealth, collecting treasure's thought long lost in the world of Earth Land. He has traveled from one ocean to the next seeking fortunes and mysteries left behind by his ancestors. His appetite for pleasures of the flesh is boundless, indulging himself with equal abandon be it man or woman, after-all his human form is malleable, and for one who can change his appearance depending on who he eats he finds the encounters all the more thrilling. His greed for power and prestige is beyond the petty ambitions of any mortal man. He is King, and the world is his kingdom. From the way he fights, to how he eats to virtually everything he does in life, is to the extreme. His personality is voracious, his life style maddening, his thirst for pleasure in all its forms is endless. Has he risen above his primal instinct? No, it is far worse, he has immersed himself in it, allowing him to become even more of a monster than a human. To Nero, this is what it means to be a Dragon.

Natural Abilities
Immense Strength: In their hearts they despaired for what little hope they clinged to was shattered like the walls of their fortress. A Dragon is power incarnate, with claws that cleave the earth in two, and strength to smash open a mountain, it is little wonder why the steel and iron walls of their bastion crumbled like dust. A slayer of dragons would undoubtably have the power to match that, and Nero wreathed in an aura of draconic might brought down the entire structure with a single resounding stomp. The ground beneath it caved in, dragging one-hundred years of history and its people with it into the darkness below. That is but one instance of Nero's inhuman strength, terrifying to behold, a single strike pulverizes the forces of nature around him. Winds screech as catastrophic waves of pressure rush outward, fissures splitting the earth, entire chasms forming in the wake of a single attack. The strength he possesses is beyond the realm of humans, it is something that cannot be achieved by mere training or effort. His is a power gained through blood inherited and blood spilled. Through battles against his human-sympathetic brethren in the skies over Earth Land where Dragon faced off against Slayer, only in that crucible, that slaughter can one acquire the sheer relentless pursuit of power to achieve the strength he now wields. It is frightening to witness the ease at which he commands his strength, how simple gestures unleash rippling masses of raw power that crash against the defenses of his victims, eradicating them outright before spattering his victims.

Immense Endurance & Durability:

Enhanced Senses: 
 * Augmented Scent:
 * Augmented Hearing:
 * Augmented Taste:
 * Augmented Vision:

Enhanced Speed:

High-Speed Regeneration: 

Physical Combat Styles
Expert Hand-to-Hand Combat:

Expert Lancer:

Expert Swordsman:

Dragon's Blood Slayer Magic
Dragon Blood Slayer Magic  (勢力の竜: 殺意の魔法, Zeiryoku no Ryu: Satsui no Mahō, lit. "Power of a Dragons Blood: Ritual Killing Magic"): Dragon's Blood Slayer Magic is old magic, with roots predating the Dragon Civil War four-hundred years ago. Blood and power have always been tied together, for Dragons were the first creatures born into the world. They were the architects who shaped all the mountains, rivers and oceans. The world was a canvas and they its artist. Within their bodies flowed power absolute. Blood is the essence of all sentient life, it is the marker and blueprint of existence. The beating of a heart is a rhythm, and its pulse distinguishes between life and death. The natural order of all things is that to live one must kill and consume the life of another, their blood bringing nourishment and strength. It is this inviolable truth that defines the power of the ritual of Dragon Blood Slayer Magic. To understand the ritual one fact must be made clear. Dragon Slayers are created when a Dragon performs the ritual which infuses their blood in the body of a human. This ritual magic changes the very physiology of a human, changes the nature of their magic in order to allow them to consume raw eternano in whatever element the dragon had an affinity for, and transform that into power. Dragon Blood Ritual Magic, however is the old form, in which only by drinking, consuming and bathing in the blood of their enemies, can a Slayer obtain power. In their blood they are able to channel its power to heighten their physical abilities so that even in human form they possess the prowess of a Dragon. By focusing on the magic in their blood they can sharpen their senses, to gain the sight, scent and supernal sensory perception of a Dragon. Nature dictates that by consuming another we gain nourishment, we regain our strength, and are able to live. Yet Dragon Blood Magic takes this a step further, for by drinking in the life force of another their power becomes his own. Their strength, their speed, their senses, their magic all added to his own. These Slayers only needed to deal just a single wound, and from there they could drink the blood and gain obtain the power of any Dragon they faced. Truly it was a versatile power at their command. Even without the drinking of another's blood, they could harness their own to achieve extraordinary feats of physical athleticism and power. A single swipe of their hand would have the strength of a Dragon's claw. Their roar could shake the earth and bring out the primal fear etched into the memories of all living things; Dragon's are coming... run.

Blood Consumption
Blood is at the core of this magic, it is their strength yet it is also their greatest weakness. Dragon Blood Slayers while having the magic and blood of a dragon are still bound in human form. They possess a ravenous appetite that never ceases no matter how much they consume. This hunger generally lends itself to madness and those who fall victim to it are nothing more than mindless monsters driven only by instinct to feed.
 * Voracious Madness (渓壑発狂, Keigai Hakkyou): this refers to the psychological condition that plagues a Dragon Blood Slayer. Their bodies are capable of metabolizing virtually anything they consume. Meat, plants, inorganic material such as rock, sand, it matters not. These Slayers are forever bound to a hunger that is insatiable. Such Slayers develop peculiar palates, some for rare gemstones, and others for foods poisonous to ordinary humans, they all have one thing in common. Blood is the only source where they are able to obtain true power. For this reason many become consumed by the desire to cannibalize on other humans and Dragons. Their mouths are capable of undergoing a grotesque metamorphosis becoming draconic, even demonic as they consume their prey. Such hunger allows them to eat endlessly allowing them to devour an entire Dragon if need be. Conversely compared to other Slayers, they can be "starved". If they are withheld from consuming food, especially blood their powers actually weaken over time. They do not recover their energy unless provided proper nourishment. This is the curse of their voracious appetite. In the span of a single night they could consume the entirety of a village, adding each man, woman and child's strength to his own. Yet if deprived of such food, it is possible to weaken them to a point where even a civilian with no martial training could defeat this wounded predator. If they are denied food long enough, they will soon cannibalize on themselves, until they are destroyed.
 * Blood Ascendancy (血生興起, Ketsukouki): When a Dragon Blood Slayer consumes the blood of another being, they gain what is referred to as Blood Ascendancy. It is the transference of power inherit in blood, for blood carries in it, the memories, the knowledge, and the essence of whomsoever it was taken from. A Slayer gains access to the victims memories, and experiences. Their skills are added to his own, even a portion of their magic and magical abilities depending on how much is consumed. Should a Slayer consume a significant portion, such as a limb, they gain even greater power. By consuming the entire being, they are even able to take on their physical appearance. With access to their memories and personalities, they can perfectly mimic anyone they have recently fed upon. This is one of the primary reasons these Slayers were so monstrous, is that they could hunt and kill without anyone ever knowing. For Dragon Blood Slayers, this is incredibly addicting as they experience a pleasure and high so potent while under its effects, that they inevitably succumb to the madness of their hunger. However these abilities are temporary. Their high metabolism ensures that any power gained in this fashion is fleeting. A Slayer only retains Blood Ascendancy for up to 24 hours after consumption, thereafter the memories and skills fade away.

Dragon Magic
The draconic blood that flows through the veins of a Dragon Blood Slayer is raw power, it is strength unyielding that empowers their bodies and grants them the ability to wield the magic of Dragons. The irony of Dragon Blood Magic is that it revolves around life, protection and nature. Originally they were to be used as support forces, enhancing the defenses of other Dragons and themselves, but instead corrupted their power into something resembles death, power and the desecration of nature instead. Compared to the more modern Dragon Slayer Magic's that exist, Dragon Blood Slayer Magic retains its roots in the ancient draconic language and script.


 * Floísvos Drákos (φλοίσβος δράκος, Greek for, "Roaring Dragon"): The embodiment of a dragon's fearsome power is the roar they unleash upon their enemies. A single exhalation, and the world is thrown into chaos. Howling winds rip apart the surrounding area, while thunderous shock-waves crash against the forces of nature bending everything around him until they break. This is one of the most primal applications of his inheritance and power, when Nero unleashes his Dragon's Roar, it releases powerful waves of destructive force that radiate outward crushing the ground beneath him, slam into objects with enough force to shatter them instantly and send anything nearby hurtling away at high speeds. Yet it is not the destructive potential that makes this roar so fearsome, but that it induces a mania within the minds of its victims. Terrifying to behold, fear crawls up their spines, stills their hands and paralyzes their bodies, for Nero becomes the very avatar of their nightmares. It is the sound of death, a declaration announcing the return of nature's most powerful of all predators. It seeps into their minds like a poison, tainting their courage, feeding their doubt, choking their resolve until they are nothing more than a trembling fool cowering in the dark waiting to be killed. The sound echoes for miles outward and even those unable to see or understand why they cling to their clothes for protection understand the instinct to flee.


 * Nýchi Drákou (Νύχι Δράκου, Greek for, "Dragon's Claw"): Speaking the invocation his voice is no longer human. Deep and guttural, its visceral tones tear relentlessly against the walls of the mind, like a thousand nails grinding against steel. Ancient blood magic draws upon the power of the slayer to form an ethereal construct, crimson energy pools outward from outstretched hand, forming into a dragons claw. Massive to behold it towers over Nero shining with translucent golden energy, and extending outward are four jagged claws longer than any human yet sharper than any sword. At his command, Nero can with a gesture summon forth minor avatar's of his Dragon Form, to crush and annihilate his foes. Sweeping his arm across his field of vision a behemoth sized claw will rake the landscape, carving out deep gashes in the earth with immense force.


 * Fterá Tou Drákou (Φτερά του δράκου, Greek for, "Wings of the Dragon"): Shimmering golden wings of translucent magical energy unfurl from his back spanning a truly massive and awe-inspiring wingspan. With a single flap, the pressure exerted slams into the ground with such oppressive force as to flatten the surrounding area. Nero is propelled upward in a leap far beyond the ability of any mage, soaring high into the sky. These spectral wings grant Nero unrivaled aerial power as the winds they generate buffet his enemies with enough concussive force to pulverize stone and metal and by wrapping a single wing around him, he can shield himself from powerful magical attacks directed at him.


 * Giortí̱ Drákou (γιορτή δράκου, Greek for, "Dragon's Feast"): Although considered a spell, this magic is what allows the Dragon Blood Slayer to consume his victims and whatever else they may desire and convert that into energy. In the case of blood consumed, magical energy and Blood Ascendancy. The magic origin of a Dragon Blood Slayer is altered by the use of this magic, allowing it to recognize the eternano within the consumed blood and draw that power out, converting it into a source that the Dragon Blood Slayer can use. As a passive ability it renders the jaws of a Dragon Blood Slayer the ability to unhinge and greatly expand as a draconic transformation alters the teeth to become sharper, more jagged and elongated much like the maw of a Dragon. Like snakes, Dragon Blood Slayers can consume beings easily several times their body mass in a single gulp, their high metabolism quickly breaking down the food into base materials. A Dragon Blood Slayer derives the most sustenance from blood, but if necessary they can consume non-organic materials. This however is a delaying tactic, to stave off starvation and is rarely if ever used. The nature of this magic also allows them in a single inhale draw in all ambient blood that is nearby, much like how other slayers can consume their element.


 * Thysía Aímatos (θυσία αίματος, Greek for, "Blood Sacrifice"): The blood that flows through their bodies is a coveted source of power, the root of their strength and the very principle by which they live. All power has a price, and that payment is almost always paid in blood. For a Dragon Blood Slayer, this concept is as real and true as any other. To access their unique abilities they must draw strength from this source, sacrificing their own vitality and magic in order to unleash even greater ferocity upon their foes. Yet the secret of this power lies in Blood Ascendency, their ability to absorb the strength and abilities of those they consume. By using that as a source of power they are able to at its loss temporarily increase their power or perform a vastly augmented spell. Dragon Magic is notoriously powerful, but the spells available are exhausting to any human, even a Dragon Blood Slayer might face annihilation should he attempt to use such power without proper preparation.


 * Krýstallo Aíma ti̱s Zo̱í̱s (κρύσταλλο αίμα της ζωής, Greek for, "Life-Blood Crystal"): A dragon spell developed by Nero, it is a ritual magic that transmutes blood into a Lacrima shard. By sacrificing the boon he obtains from Blood Ascendancy, Nero can crystallize the strengths, skills, abilities and memories of those he has consumed into pure Lacrima using this spell. Ingenious in its creation, its practical benefits far outweigh the temporarily loss of a drug-like high. With Smithing Magic, Nero has crafted powerful artifacts, conceptual weapons and tools for his personal use woven from the blood and deaths of those who have fallen at his hand. The ritual is astonishingly simple, requiring on for Nero to inflict a wound on his person and draw out the absorbed blood with his magic. Then the blood coalesces into a orb in his outstretched hand as magic is infused to harden the blood into a crystalline orb. Layers of magic circles will surround the orb as he begins the final process to create the Lacrima, with dragon symbols etching themselves onto the new Lacrima. Once finished, the Krýstallo Aíma ti̱s Zo̱í̱s is finally complete.
 * Drákou Nýchi Schismés Gi̱ (Δράκου νύχι σχισμές Γη, Greek for, "Dragon's Claw Gouges the Earth"): Not Yet Revealed.
 * Drákou Ptéryga Réntin'nk Ouranoú (Δράκου Πτέρυγα Ρέντινγκ ουρανού, Greek for, "Dragon's Wing Rends the Sky"): Not Yet Revealed.
 * Ptó̱si̱ tou Drákou vrychi̱thmós tou Ouranoú (Πτώση του Δράκου βρυχηθμός του Ουρανού, Greek for, "Dragon's Roar, Heaven's Fall" lit. "When Dragon's Roar, Heaven Falls"): Not Yet Revealed.
 * Anávasi̱: O vasiliás tou Drákou (ανάβαση: Ο βασιλιάς του Δράκου, Greek for, "Ascension: King of Dragons"): Not Yet Revealed.

Archive Magic
Archive (古文書 Ākaibu): Is a form of magic that converts information into a magical data, that can be stored within the mind and soul of the caster. Nero learned this magic in order to circumvent the weaknesses of his Blood Ascendancy, namely gradual loss of the absorbed magic's known, skills and memories of his victims. By converting this information into another format, specifically archive magic, Nero is able to store this information indefinately. However even after encoding the information he himself lacks the conceptual understanding of how they work, therefore he is only able to retain the information as a form of rote memorization. Still the knowledge he retains is helpful and his increased memory allows him to conjure a three-dimensional projection of the memory as a book. Using Smithing Magic he then gives the projection a physical form, and is able to read the material at his leisure and learn it normally. This process while useful for him, is actually more useful for those he surrounds himself with. Nero possesses a literal library of magic, history, skills and experiences that would otherwise have been lost to time and death. He is able to provide texts of hidden sword skills, of mysteries that were guarded by the most fanatic of minds to whomever he pleases. He typically uses this as a way of rewarding those who have earned his favor by providing them with information they could never have acquired on their own.
 * Telepathy Magic (念話 Terepashī): One of the more common applications Nero uses with this magic. The pyschological effect alone on his victims as he invades their minds is by far the most pleasing aspect of this power. The fact that he can communicate with his "subjects" across vast distances gives even more credence to his position as King. By marking his subjects with a blood seal he instantly engage in telepathic communication with them regardless of where they are in Earth Land.
 * Information Transfer: Although this application of Archive is generally used for support while one's allies are in the field of battle, Nero has of course perverted the original intent of this spell. If he is feeling sadistic but not so much as to implant a blood lacrima into his victims, Nero will instead employ this function of the spell, and transfer the last living moments of their loved ones before he plays with them. The vivid detail and imagination he has with his torture and manner of slow killing is particularly vile and the emotions of rage and despair that they feel serves only to please him.

Requip Magic
Requip: Dragon's Hoard (換装, Kansō): Is Nero's own personal application of the Requip magic. It is an extra-dimensional gateway, that leads to the location where he houses all of the artifacts, and riches he has plundered over the years. Though he regards all of Earth Land as his kingdom, there are certain trinkets, and items of significance that he deems are of such importance, rarity and beauty that he cannot be parted from them. To that end he fashioned for himself a dimensional gate, pathaway using old ritual magic that leads to an actual physical location he refers to as the, "Parekklí̱si ti̱s i̱remías Drákou" (Παρεκκλήσι της ηρεμίας Δράκου, Greek for, "Shrine of the Sleeping Dragon"). Nero is capable of traversing to this location though the timing of his departure and arrival do not often coincide, almost as if the shrine itself exists in a place between dimensions. Within his hoard, Nero houses all of the Blood Lacrima he has created over the years, where tomes comprised of lost knowledge from those he's devoured and reforged using his smithing magic remain. Yet it can be briefly seen when he summons his artifacts from this place, and it is a beauty to behold. Mountains of gold litter its landscape, precious gemstones glitter among its rivers. Bookshelves filled with ancient texts and lost writings, some never having known the light of day rest here in this most holy of places. Situated in what appears to be a complex cave system, magnficient statues of jade and marble stand tall and pristine. From the finest silks to the most masterful paintings and other craftswork lie within his Dragon's Hoard. It is a treasury, a library, and a source of near endless wealth for any who would dare to try and breech it.

Smithing Magic
Smithing Magic (鍛冶の魔法 Kaji no Mahō):

Longinus
Longinus: Holy Lance of Destiny (定めの天矛, Sadame no Ten Hoko):

Sword Magic
Sword Magic (剣の魔法 Ken no Mahō):

Trivia

 * Nero is loosely based off of Gilgamesh in both likeness and personality to an extent, though obviously embellished for personal taste.
 * The author was given permission from LastationLover5000 to use the article and magic Smithing Magic.