Chapter 885: “The dice’s been casts,”


    Halo exploded in crimson darts, some of which split into thinly vibrating threads, an invisible cage of death mounted around the fallen girl. Flyers, such were the monsters, else referred to as hunters, were bee-like creatures mixed with longer limbs, pearlescent beads for eyes; ws-like hands, and bore tails ending in a sharp spiral. Prowlers, the ground dwellers arrived in many shapes and sizes, predominantly humanoids as in they stood on two legs. Lower half-human, the upper half, not so much. Four, eight, sixteen, thereid no limits on the alterations of limbs the upper body had, mutations brought lower in additional pairs. More tangles one of prowler stood, the lesser was the mobility, however, the sheer strength behind sufficed to unroot a massive tree, breakthrough rock and devour their prey in single bites.


    shes lit the entourage, Igna waved his fingers, the crimson darts, tiny at first, lunged into the cranium of the beasts, there, it expanded into spears and impaled any unfortunate attacker. Webs of crimson threads expanded and sliced obstacles nonchntly. Flyers noticed the death and pped in retreat – the beady stare locked onto an unknown outline. *Woosh,* they pped, Igna simply gave a backhanded p – the monster burst across the tree line and exploded in the far distance. Demeanor remained the same, unshaken cold look, intensely seeking pupils, and a carefree walk. On each step, footprints stamped on the muddied ground, from the slight difference, a dark aura rose – the intense feeling of dread and malice followed his shadow – a skull symbolizing death rode upon the shoulders.


    ‘Problem with the hunters of the night,’ he stood a few feet from a red wireframe around young Terisa, “-vile demons, rejects from the Aapith nation, the amalgamation of the world’s hate and ill-intent, the stain over mankind, trash, you reside here, in a ce where heaven and hell merge, a ce where Orin ( dimension’s name) joins the multi-verse. The spine holding our world safe from other worlds,” he settled, a massive pentagram rose into the heavy storm. Dark, demonic, and terrifying, the night’s marred skyscape hid the intensity of the magic circle – lightning cackled to briefly sh theplex structure, “-your tenacity and attraction to death and destruction. True demons are attracted by the smell of a person’s darkest desire. Everyone rejects thy kind, pseudo-demon, they reject for thee have no intelligence, no sense of self, a free, untamed spirit. Time has passed, mutations too advanced, the curse solid,” he waved, a vortex open and spewed godlike grimoires, capsule of power and trantions of the ancient tongue left to right, four hovered – first, the book of Ashen, bound by a gray metallic cover. Second, the grimoire of Fnex, bound by a brownish orange, clockwork-styled cover. Third, an ominous stack of parchments bound by a ring, named, Vyein’s sacrament, andstly, jet-ck hard-cover stered with symbols and reference to the olden tongue, a grimoire Ignapiled – the book of the cursed King, Alfred.


    ced in a kite-shaped, each bore one of the four cardinal points, the book of Ashen opened, a beam of golden white shot upwards and crashed against the magical circle – the sudden impact fired pulses across thend, the rain momentarily paused and resumed in a harsher and stronger downfall. The grimoire of Fnex flipped through its pages and conjured lesser magical circles around the area, by lesser – it referred to the size, not to potency, for every one of those circles held enough mana to run a car for a week straight. Vyein’s sacrament, Igna reached, picked a parchment from the ring, dematerialized the collection, and flew it towards Terisa, on touching the cage, the page filled the wireframe into a box.


    The air changed, a greater presence rode amidst the sky; a floating castle at the helm, a well-dressed Victoriandy holding a fan above her mouth, “-exin, how is it there such an influx?”


    “I have no idea, mydy,” replied one behind the wooden helm, “-the gauge’s gone crazy.”


    “And you thought I’d be interested in such useless malfunctions?” she peered outward, “-dear me, I sure hope our emissary delivered the message safely.”


    .....


    “Mydy,” came across the station, “-due left, there’s a whirlpool of dense mana. Left unchecked – the energy mayy siege unforeseen damage upon thend.”


    On the ground, Igna waited patiently, on summoning the grimoires, a few seconds passed before the ship beckoned the expanded barrier, ‘-flyers, prowlers, hunters of the night,’ the summoned parchment lured the beast akin to moths to mes, ‘-same as the Celestials,’ Laurine’s memory yed, “-everything’s attracted to mana, and when mana bes unsteady and painful for thend, painful for the organisms, and painful for the person – there is where the lureys,” a cloud broke through the barrier and rushed towards the magical circle. “-Come, harbingers of death,e, my fellow death reapers,e, those who wished death upon me,” heughed, “-watch, pseudo-demons for tis,” he lifted a hand to the sky, “-is how you bring down a celestial!” the tone deepened, the arm fell, a tremendous st of magic mmed heaven onto earth leaving nothing in its wake. Forest andndscape razed, the ground shook, the volcano reacted and growled – a crater of a few hundreds of meters slowly filled. Smoke and destruction invaded the nearby forest – wind carried some of the fog away from the mountain. The dust settled, rain wailed – Igna stood nonchntly, the st which eradicated most of thend around didn’t once bother his stance, a vague trail at his back remained untouched as did the box containing Terisa.


    Foundations of a caste remained stern, despite the damage caused to thend, the castle, infrastructure holding the travelers of the floating isle, sustained but a few nicks and cracks. Outside looked normal, inside, another story read aloud – tables, shelves, furniture, couch, essentials for a luxurious life toppled; precious works of art, artifacts unique to the various bloodlines – and most importantly, the Celestial.


    “Mydy, are you safe?” coughed an attendant through fogs of broken shards.


    “I’m fine,” she pushed aside a fallen desk and stood, “-what of the others?” she inquired.


    “No idea, ma’am,” replied the attendant rummaging across the debris, “-there you are,” she breathed a relieved sigh, “-your lord father would have been angered if mydy was to be injured.”


    “Don’t y gant butler now,” she scoffed, “-what happened?”


    “We were taken from the sky,” said the helmsman, “-we’re w-were brought d-d-down,” thereidplete shock and fear in the stumbling words, “-c-c-celestials d-don’t e-even wield such p-power,” he panicked, “-someone able to bring down a guardian castle lives among us,” he shook, the teeth gnarled, “-help us, mighty gods from the heaven... help us!” he pressed his hands in prayer, a nearby crewman rushed to the frightened bloke, “-get yourself together,” he pped the man’s cheek, “-We must save the cargo.”


    A flicker of bright lights illuminated the nearby crater, spotters scouted the area, “dy Elliana, we must vacate the premises.”


    “Jae,” she dusted her dress and looked to the front, “-vacating the premises doesn’t look usible...” spotlights locked onto a simple figure, an outline of a strange man leaned against a tree. Chaos brought by the downfall summoned stronger and scarier creatures of the night, howls sliced through the rain’s woeful melody, the wind’s waltz cut short by stronger ps of airborne reptilians.


    “-Look at him,” she said, “-he’s cutting down the demons effortlessly... we travel by air to avoid those vile creatures... look at him, there’s no sense of bother or trouble about his movement...”


    A disgruntled figure mmed inside the flight deck, “dy Elliana,” blood contoured the emissary’s visage, “-might I know our current situation? My presence is required at the capital, we must prepare for the blood moon and rid the isle from the devil.”


    “Tough luck,” she said, “-seems to me the devil’s found us.”


    Indeed he had, a simple side-nce at Terisa said all, ‘-she’s dead, killed by baboons,’ *thud,* a reckoning boomed, ‘-the death element,’ he blinked, ‘-it’s here, I’ve confirmed it. The element can be reactivated by consuming the soul of the dead. I began to offer contracts to people, asking them to sell their soul to the devil – it was subconscious and seemed to project a stern enough image,’ he simplyughed, ‘-fate’s a strange ‘ol thing. Seems a waste – once I eat a soul, there’s no telling where thetter is sent. I can already feel Undrar’s disappointment,plications I’d rather not get involved. Souls can replenish the element, let’s leave it at that,’ he jumped, ‘-Laurine forged a pact, and I consumed her soul to feed my element. It feels good,’ the single thud gave a sensation ofpleteness, ‘-duty calls,’ he walked.


    “Stranger, take more steps and we’ll be forced to employ lethal force,” said floating pupils.


    “Tell your leader,” he gripped one of the familiars and peered, “-the devil’se to visit,” a simple clench, and thetter died.


    Elliana watched from a castle tower; able guards took their weapons and rallied behind her butler, Jae looked at herdy and smiled gracefully.


    “What’s with him?”


    “Lord Leo, I wouldn’t be worried. My guard detail is noted members serving distinct bloodline and so, they’re some of the best fighters throughout thend.”


    “Lady Elliana, the only reason I epted the Azian familia’s offer for an escort was partly on the military strength the family wields. Pray tell, who is Jae, and what bloodline does he belong to?”


    “Jae’s a descendent of not a god, but a demon, the ruler of demons – the charming Lucifer – patron god of the Wracia Empire. I can attest as a member of the Azian bloodline, he’s strong, very strong.”


    “My offer stands as long as the devil is captured alive. The Sen dynasty will fulfill their promise, such is my duty as liaison.”


    A cold untamed aura settled upon the crater, dirt turned to mud, water gathered in puddles – the air felt harsh on the lung, a band of dozen guards marched against a single man. Leading the former, Jae, a fighter dressed in white and ck, no armor, he held a sword at his hip, one golden and bejeweled and a pair of wings clipped against the breast pocket.


    “Devil’se to visit?” he uttered at a hearing distance; “-you have a great sense of humor.”


    “Forgive me, taking credit for another’s deed isn’t very gentlemanly. The title of the devil was bestowed on me by the Sen dynasty if I remember correctly.”


    “A fellow gentleman,” he gave a curt bow, “-a pleasure to make thy acquaintance, I go by the humble name of Jae.”


    “-Igna,” he returned.


    “Igna, might you answer a few questions?”


    “Go on ahead,” the exchange felt steady and calm – no sign of aggression. Observers; Lady Elliana and lord Leo exchanged thoughts to the civilized discussion. “-I’m impressed,”mented thedy, “-many take Jae’s mannerism with a grain of salt. Truly, the man he faces is cultured, someone brought by the way of royalty known to this world.”


    “Were you responsible for bringing down the castle?”


    “Will my answer solicit my drawing a weapon or?”


    “Astute,” narrowed the blond-haired fellow, “-lest it proves necessary.”


    Igna observed, ‘-he’s strong and confident,’ a nce at the guards, “-I’m responsible, and for a simple reason. My student was killed in cold blood and her mother pleaded for her life. I’d have remained silent and carried on living on the isle, content in watching the very evolved way of magic. Events leading to her death stems from the message read aloud at the vige. Lies spoke to sully my image. I’d have let the matter go, however,” he exhaled, “-Laurine asked me to enact vengeance upon the Celestial. Little Terisa jumped to safeguard my image. What’s done is done, the dice’s been casts. Jae, you and I know the events will end in either one of us’s surrender or death. I hereby offer a hand in respect for thy courteousness, give me the emissary, and the Sen Dynasty – there, I promise to leave you and your master alone.”