Chapter 677: True Demonlord [8] (1/2)
”To the room right away.” Blood dripped on the floors until the upstairs. Guests were stumped about what happened, Éclair asked for Aceline to handle the rest. In the company of Igna, the injured were settled on beds beside one another, the door firmly locked. Kul's injuries were mortal, the blood lost sufficed to faint any with the remote fear of injuries. Asmodeus wasn't any better either. Tension rose, the mind shuddered, Origin's connection to the companions broke into stress, the confidence stood on eggshells. 'Can I save them; can I save them?' the question stacked atop the shaky mishap of cluelessness from the monster curse. The doubt and frustration carried over, in when all seemed lost, whereby his trusted companions bled, '-focus,' said a voice from deep inside, '-save them, heir to death, you've amassed knowledge far beyond the mortal realm. Bend reality to thy will, tis the privilege of he who has inherited of origin, death, and time. Set aside the fake limits, and parade thy true form.'
'-My true self,' a firm inhale instantly shook the pressure of failure, '-my other self, all-knowing as thou art, human emotions have bested thee without argument,' red marred the right-pupil.
*Knowledge known to only the watcher, I, master and inheritor of Origin, beckon thee; Mantia, Library of the all-knowing. Reality or fantasy, rules of the mortal realm, laws governing the all-encompassing universe, cower before he who holds the key to the truth, he who's able to unwind the very fabric of reality, what I summon is my to rule, and what is rule by I shall obey, god, demons, spirits, angels, thou art helpless. Realm Expansion – Aronot; World Breaker.*
An outward orb grew to stick against the walls and door, the room harbored a realm different from what was real. Shockwaves of intense energy tunneled outwards the manor to the nearby forest, the weather – cloudy and woeful, worsened. Thunder and lightning struck, the very ground shook, electricity stumbled.
”M-master?” turned Asmo.
”Say no word, my trusted companion,” the appearance didn't change, ”-I'll alter the rules of reality to suit my taste.” The emotionless visage took one glance at the heavily injured Kul, *No injuries* the very image of the blood and wounds distorted to a colorless haze. *No pain,* the breathing softened. *Complete Restoration.*
”What happened?” jumped Asmodeus, ”-my injuries,” he sat and stared about, '-where are we?'
”Master,” said Kul, ”-have you conjured Mantia?” she faced Asmo nonchalantly.
”Yes,” *snap,* the orb shrunk to hover above his opened palm. ”-Good to have you two back,” the oppressive aura released; lightning gave in favor of heavy rain. ”-Tired,” he buckled, blood ran down his nose, ”-are you two, ok?” they watched horrified by his emotionless state.
”Master, you're bleeding.”
”This, it's nothing,” the handkerchief stained red, ”-we need to talk,” time seemed to slow, '-I know this feeling,' vision grew blurry, '-mana exhaustion and fatigue.' He dropped headfirst onto the door.
”Sister Eira…” said Loftha blankly.
”You felt something?” she returned.
”Yeah, a power stronger than yours.”
”I felt it too,” she mumbled, ”-I would be impressed, well, it feels unnatural – I strongly wish to refute the surge, something must have happened.”
”Don't look at me,” shrugged Aceline, ”-from what I know, two housemates arrived with heavy wounds.”
”ACELINE!” echoed across the hall, the hurried step of two closed the gap, ”-we need to get a doctor.”
She rose from her seat, ”-what happened?”
”The master passed out,” cried Kul, ”-we need to help him right away.”
”I won't if I were you,” said Eira.
”I agree with the princess,” said a distant Éclair.
”Are you insane?” argued Asmodeus,”-he passed out after conjuring…”
”I get it,” interjected Eira, ”-let me see him, I should be able to help,” a frozen crowd manifested from sprinkles of white-gems. A robe of majestic proportion went down her back, her eyelashes glazed in a light-blue hue.
'Oh cousin,' left alone in her company, '-you activated Mantia without precautionary measures. Changing the fabric of reality is a feat deemed sacrilegious by even the gods. They who attempt such foolishness are repaid handsomely by the backlash.'
Below, Éclair stared angrily at Asmo and Kul. Arms crossed, ”-care to explain?”
”We were ambushed. After discussion, a stranger foe approached us for revenge. We won the initial fight and drove towards Carter Lake. There, a strange presence halted our car and teleported us onto a clear street. It showed no remorse and fought, Kul went all out and lost, I managed to injure whatever that was after grave risk. If I hadn't unleashed my aura, it would have ended Kul's life right there and then. I couldn't believe it overstepped my authority as a demon and drew blood. We barely escaped and ran for the manor.”
”You were defeated?” narrowed Éclair, ”-a prince of hell and a high-tier demon?”
”Don't say it like that,” said Asmo, ”-my specialty isn't in battle, you know?”
”No, I don't know,” the arms crossed, ”-Kul, care to explain how a lady of thy prowess lost?”
”Reflection,” she mumbled, ”-whatever it was had the cursed boon of the unlimited counter. I threw my best spell, it swallowed and returned with twice the strength.”
”And this being, was it affiliated to any parties?”
”I felt doubt,” said Asmo, ”-which means, whatever it was had the power to best a prince of hell. Far as I know, only a few members of Hades' entourage have such capabilities.”
”Should have known it. We'll be on guard for the next few days. Stay here, far as we know, whoever it was could be on the prowl. The manor's the safest place, I'll inform the goddesses of what has transpired. What was discussed stays in this room, do I make myself clear?”
”Understood,” replied the two.
Meanwhile, after her evaluation, the Empress took the lift down, ”-lady Eira, how's the master?”