The Wielder of Death Magic-Chapter 1116 - 1116 Battle of the Academies [4]
1116 Battle of the Academies [4] ππ³β―β―π πππ»πΡ΅ππ‘.coπ
βMy lady!β
βSend the slaves.β
βExcuse me, my lady?β π³π³πeπ¬πππ»πππ²l.ππο½
βSend the slaves. The attackers will self-destruct upon having their fill. Leave the wounded and the incapable. Consider this our way of cleansing our army from weaklings. As the saying goes, an army is only as strong as its weakest link.β
βMy lady, would it not-β
βI will hear no arguments. This is an order, I will have my authority respected, understood?β
Nightβs darkness adorned the mountain. Something about the night in a forest brought a measure of grieving listlessness. Hard orders, βpour dΓ©barrassΓ©,β1 the weak had strengthened morale. βDemons are paradoxically inclined. Show pity and they grow dull β push to cruelty, their innate nature against empathy β their self-serving will ought do the rest. Igna Haggard, Iβm no fool either. I will fight for what I think is true β you donβt scare me. I belong to the Heavenly Convention. Weβre allied. If death knocks, I will widen the door myself,β pure fierceness and resolve of Cleopatra, the lovely lady clad in gold and blessed with grace, had her hands grasping a sword. A ceremonial testament to ancient demons.
The mountain approaches, β-whispers in the bushes,β said the Advisor, β-scouts have returned,β with a hint of anger, β-my lady,β the tone dropped to a whisper, β-we found survivors. Follow me,β he guided them through two-oxen driven carriages. An appalling look of envy, β-why do they look so anxious?β torches flickered against the soldiersβ expressions. Moans and grunts, cries for pity and death overtook the howling forest. Impaled demons lined the path to the previous camp. Murky and reeking of iron β the cruel smell which one could test β burnt flesh, smoldering in the distant remnants of the camp. Tell-tell signs left awry, β-lack of footprints,β she stared about, β-must have come from the trees. They snuck behind, the heavy rainβs taken any warning signs.β
βReport,β said a returning scout, β-weβve found dismembered limbs. Thereβs a tree blocking access.β
.....
βWhere were they found?β
βOver the tree and seemed to head down.β
β-Split the forces,β she exhaled and turned to her troops β a long line of fighters and supplies reached far the eye could see, given the foliage and orbs of flame, signaling a few in the vague distance, β-take down the impaled and set up camp.β A nonchalant exhale paired with chatter led a few unfortunate victims of lost bets to restore the landscape, β-AHHHHH!β a scream caught them from the top, Cleopatra swung her head into said direction, the advisor dropped his jaw at the adjacent impaled β explosion and white flames β pink-mist where living once stood.
βAN AMBUSH!β she cried, β-DO NO TOUCH THE-β
Too late, the topography, a crafty layout made to drown sudden orders β took the lives of a hundred in mere seconds. A dark-green mist rushed down the mountain, those caught turned blue, choked on their own breath, and hurled blood β blisters inflated like dough and burst, throwing muck over those nearby. Once in contact, painful screams and the cycle repeats.
βI CHECKED THE FOREST, THERE SHOULDNβT BE ANYONE HERE!β he frantically looked at Cleopatra for answers, β-my lady?β he checked, and she was gone. A somber voice came from the top, β-demon of the council, alas time for death hath come. Be grateful,β said a devilish figure hovering above enemy, β-hear me,β he held Cleopatra by the nape, β-to those not succumbed to the Mistress of Plagueβs malady, if thee wishes for survival β cure will be found within her,β veins along his hand glowed β power flowed into her nape, her body glowed in turn, veins along her visage and down to her legs, shimmering through her clothes, β-may I have a moment of your time,β said another, a half-pyramid rose, β-the nameβs Asmodeus,β he courteously bowed, β-Iβm a firm believer in leading by example. It is true a leader must safeguard their troops. Therefore,β chained pillars rose in the center, Cleopatra was harshly thrown on the top β her clothes were ripped, β-here comes the mist,β Igna pointed β the fear of impending doom had hearts beating out of chest, β-the only way to survive is to bond thy flesh with thy leader,β he reached into the crowd, the Hand of the Lamented pinched a random fighter and placed it on the pyramid, βhave your fun,β said Asmodeus with a cold smirk, the pupils flashed pink, the demonβs conscious gaze faded, he reached behind Cleopatra, latter of which was straddled on all fours, and gripped, the harsh nailed dug into her waist, claps resounded β her screams followed, β-enough,β Igna threw the demon into the mist. It had no effect β the stage was set.
βIGNA!β
βCleopatra,β he knelt, β-your forces are nothing but scapegoats. Elite members my foot. You will suffer, and be ravaged by thousands who are yet left standing. The mist wonβt kill them, rather, it wonβt after the first have had their go. I wish thee a pleasurable experience, Queen Cleopatra. Such is the price for going against me,β he leaned into her ears, β-since I canβt kill you, Iβll make sure you survive with a few scrapes. Donβt worry, the pyramid is a conduit for healing magic, the moment it senses thy death β pouf, regeneration. Of course, itβll remend thy body for new guests. Lead by example, my pretty,β he grabbed her jaw, β-I forgot to mention,β pure lust had the demons in a flock at the bottom, they drooled, true beasts gave a chance at survival, β-any open orificesβ fair game. She wonβt bite,β he looked at Asmodeus, the prince graciously looked at the crowd, β-MAY THE GAME BEGIN!β Demons crawled up the stairs, pushed, and fought for a chance at survival β the sense of doom amplified with the mist taking the lives of those who sat on the outskirts.
βWha-β the ground dropped, β-WHERE AM I?β
βShut it else it let go.β
βWho are you?β
βIgna Haggard. Didnβt you hear the speech? Advisor, there are a few things Iβd like to discuss.β
βWhat about Cleopatraβ¦β
βOh, sheβll live, let her have her fun. Of course, sheβs being used as a conduit to heal her troops. A general must be honored to put her life in the life of her men. Isnβt that, right?β
βA warm fireplace, two chairs β a tree house?β a few minutes had passed, β-why did he leave me alone?β the advisor sat where he was placed. The firewood crackled, the atrocities of the battlefield seemed a distant memory, β-the windowβs wide open. Could I survive if I leap?β invisible daggers dug into his back, β-donβt think Iβll survive. Iβm being watched,β a room in Lilithβs tree gathered the cozy feelings associated with log cabins. Often called homely, quaint, or else, the starting block for grizzly murders and intrigue-ridden stories. Footstep came at the door, the handle clicked and a man with white hair entered, β-a sword on the hip, heβs wearing a uniform and exudes a lot of presence. I donβt detect manaβ¦ can power really be broadcasted using oneβs image alone?β a cynical resting frown begot the prisoner, β-am I going to die?β
Igna casually went to a door opposing the fireplace, it opened into the great outside β a view upon the shadows of the mountains, shades of increasing opaqueness formed what little they saw. Orbs often broke the dark veil, Igna lit a cigarette, puffed, then leaned against the doorframe, β-Adjudicator, who are you really?β
ββ¦β
βNo answer. Youβre part of Cleopatraβs army, yet, thereβs a strangeness to the aura. Armies have strategists at hand, helping to analyze the situation of the battle. You, on the other hand, are worthless,β he turned and puffed, β-no sense of foresight,β he walked towards the Advisor, β-still, Cleopatra was forced to keep you at her side. She was a monarch, out of all, Iβm sure she understands the truth behind a leaderβs success and entourage. Why would she keep youβ¦β he went past, grabbed a chair, slammed it so as it turned away from the Advisor, and then, after a puff, straddled the seat, β-it doesnβt make sense.β
βI wonβt talk, itβs the last thing Iβll do,β Igna gave a cold gaze like the opinion didnβt matter, β-for a general, youβre conceited. The overconfidence is going to be your downfall,β the Advisor quipped.
βMy, youβre brave,β he leaned, β-suppose a sensible conversation isnβt in the plans. For a moment, I thought youβd be an asset β be realistic, changing sidesβ¦ alas, let bygones be bygones,β Igna rose his hands and stretched his fingers, *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads,* crystal lines dug into the Advisorβs brain β the dark-red color begot a black and white hue, a pixelated pattern went from Advisor to Igna, β-as I expected, the manβs a guard from the Council. Heβs under orders to kill Cleopatra if makes a move against the agreed treaty. Memphe, her goalβs been foreign until now. Sheβs made a deal with Leviathan β to hand over the Academyβs darkest kept secret, the Tomes of Control. The roots of deception run deep. Advisor,β he smiled, yellow shrouded in black emerged, the skin of concealment shed, β-heβs a member of Artanosβ army. Artanosβ influence has reached into the Council. Itβd make sense why theyβd use Cleopatra to lead the council forces. Fortunately, this one seems to be under liberty β the only order given was to supervise Cleopatra. Mempheβs going to double-cross Leviathan and side with the Heavenly Convention. Ragno is a land made of a majority of fallen-angel, it would be right for her to seek the aid of the gods. They must have promised her the academyβs prosperity as a haven for angels, to restore its reputationβ¦ Satan and Leviathanβs forces will be hard to fight. Henry Grant and Zalem Odd, renowned demons from the warring days,β he pulled the control threads β the advisorsβ shot into consciousness, β-What happened?β
βNothing much,β Igna stood, watching over the mountain β puffs of smokes followed, β-tell me, what will you choose, life or death?β
βDid I pass out?β he scratched his head, β-I donβt remember anythingβ¦ what happened?β
βWhat will it be?β
βLike I have a choice in my fate. Iβm a prisoner of war, I donβt care what happens to me.β
βFair,β he flipped, β-when day breaks, Iβll send you back to Cleopatraβs side. Sheβll need someone to hold her hand after tonight.β
Igna strolled down the corridor β the princes of hell watched enviously, as did the students who bravely asked for Elixiaβs insight. They returned ten minutes after Cleopatraβs torture, the grand hall of Lilithβs fortress carried long tables supported by a stone ground. Branches arched in and out of the structure, β-Igna,β Lilith held a seat behind the grand hall, in a smaller, more comfortable room, β-howβs the battle?β
βGetting there,β he nodded.
βHave Vanesa return home, Beelzebub too, the boyβs up to no good again.β
βWhat happened?β
βHeβs torturing soldiers at the academy.β
βLet the boy have his fun. Iβm going to bed β send for me if anything changes,β a spiral staircase led to an equally quaint room, a single bed, a windowless opening into the starry night carrying a relaxing floral scent.
He laid, β-this nostalgic feeling, it calls to me memories of Shanna Islegust. The days of the past were simpler, I didnβt have the power I required, however, the simple days of coming home to my lovely wife, to her complaints of me working too hard on matters of state. Calling treason as it came, leading Arda into a magical revolution. The provinceβs no longer the same β perhaps I changed it for the worse. I wanted results and, in the end, ignored much of what was needed.β Fenrir and Elize kept watching Above his room. Looking in the distance for danger, β-who are you anyway?β
βFenrir, and you?β
βElize.β
βYou sure are a conversationalist, Elize.β
βSame to you,β they growled and hissed, as for downstairs, Lilith gathered his sons and daughters, β-Mammon and Asmodeus will keep watch tonight. Everyone else, go to sleep.β
βUnderstood, mother.β
Thus, the veil of night carried until dawn. The sun shimmered brightly but had its rays diffused in the thick mountain mist. Cleopatraβs screams dulled, and most of the demons were lifeless upon the ground, β-Ignaβ¦β she shivered, β-Iβll have my revenge, I swearβ¦.β