Chapter 724: True Demonlord [55]

"Look at the watch," he rose from her lap, "-we've been reset. Time's 18:30."

"Explain the term pillar?"

"I suppose I didn't. Here's the thing, for the restart to implement, the barrier has to memorize a checkpoint – thy location, mindset, and physical state. The lounge is the only entity who hasn't been affected. Meanwhile, the whole of the casino area is of effect; people are swapped around, their mindset remained unchanged from their arrival. There I come to my conclusion; we are the only ones unaffected, the rest will keep on restarting after certain criteria have been met."

"The emperor dies and the painting is smothered in blood, right?"

"Certainly," the door slid, "-I'm going to face Loftha, stay here. Who is to say what reaction would befall if the pillar decided to wander around. There's enough food and beverage to last half an hour."

"Take care," she waved, "-I'll sit idly and pout," her shoulder rose, the arms locked, "-no more harassment, please."

"Sure." *Click,* '-now then,' down the stairs, '-the condition isn't two, but one. The painting is smothered, the emperor doesn't have to die. She was easily fooled under the vampire allure. Humans are easy targets,' hands in the pockets, '-I'll have to examine the circle from an outside perspective. Once a potent realm has been expanded, a lesser domain can't deploy. Unless I use Rantiam, no, don't even think about it. The Shadow Realm has to remain a secret, never again – only use Mantia, nothing more and nothing less. Affecting reality at this point will be cacophonous. Magic's out the question,' the fist clenched, '-can't exactly summon either. What a predicament,' he looked about, '-there's the melancholic princess,' sights firmed onto Loftha who wandered about the entrance. Strangely enough, the back and forth didn't once make it to the outside, there seemed to be a dense air that subconsciously strayed unwanted attention. Under the cover of tables filled with cheers and others of undisrupted woe, Igna agilely made progress. 'She looks perplexed, I'd guess confusion over the constant retrial, can't be true – dismissing the possibility would be foolish.' Over the carpeted inside the marble-tiled hallway, "-Fia."

She turned with a certain reluctance, "-yes?" 

"Good," he breathed a scattered laugh, "-I've been looking everywhere. Sorry about what happened earlier, I shouldn't have left so quickly," he grasped her palms, "-let's start again, I'm ready to take responsibility. You said you'd do anything to make me fall, and I reply with, there's no need, I'm already head over heels."

"Have we met?" she pulled her hands, "-I don't think I know you?"

"Loftha, it's me, your lover," he pushed closer, "-stop playing these games, have I not sufficiently yearned enough…"

"Getaway," she leaped backward, "-I'll say it again, I don't know you…"

"That's it, huh?" face to the ground, "-ignore me till I suffer…"

"Sorry, but I honestly have no idea who you are," she turned and walked away, "-blame the lady for the changed demeanor," said a whisper.

'There,' he smirked, '-caught it, she's being controlled by another entity, time to lay on the pressure.'

"La Mort."

"Pardon?" she pulled her steps, "-what did you say?"

"La Mort," he returned, "-the painting I placed on auction for tonight's festivities. There's something very special in it, tis a gift from a goddess herself, the lady of Arts and Craft. I honestly thought it would be nice to share her work around, evidently, I'm having second thoughts. There are plenty of works to go around," he turned on his heels and made for the stairs.

"Wait, wait," she rushed to block the path, "-don't pull it from the display," a glee twinkled in her eyes, "-the piece is…" the rush of courage diluted into second guesses, "…"

"Don't waste my time," he shoved her aside, "-I don't think I know you?" 

"WAIT!" No answer came, the suited man soon vanished in the upstairs area, "-don't leave yet," she followed to be halted by the guards.

"If thee wishes to see the painting, try again in another decade."

"Tssk," a hefty scowl shot at either guard, "-I'll get it later, don't worry," heels ambled out hearing distance.

'Time's 18:45, I know she isn't Loftha and there's a great deal of importance to the painting. I mentioned a goddess painting the picture – normal response would have been a question or a certain look of suspicion, I felt nothing from her. She knows the true origin. Judging by scowl and undertone of disgust, she's not affiliated with the gods.'

"Lord Igna," hailed Sophie, "-have thee come to pay a visit?" she stood before a life of neatly dressed art pieces and paintings, "-here's the arsenal for tonight's auction. The value of each item falls into the six to seven digits, we from the auctioning company are very excited to deliver an event to be spoken of for ages to come."

"Precisely the reason I called on thee." The overall atmosphere was excitement over tenseness. Petty conversations led to his piece, '-La Mort,' bent over narrowed-eyed, '-the epicenter of tonight's game is this.' Bicolored pupils washed in a sudden white blaze, mana-lines, the very fabric of reality dismantled, '-the sight of he who watches from outside the box,' lines turned symbols and letters. A ball of yarn spun freakishly to spew threads in multiple directions, '-the center breaks and reassembles the property of the circle depending on the people's actions downstairs. A very intricately constructed layer of protection, after it comes to a high tier barrier then the composition of the expanded realm. Condition to the painting's activation, where is it,' he looked about in closer details. 

*AHHHHH,* the watch showed 19:00, *slash,* blood smothered, '-not enough time…'

'See with thy mind, and thou art to miss what is felt by the heart. Hear with thy ear, and one shall forget the touch, sense with thy skin, and the breeze shall guide the way, in many ways than one, despair follows, the curse of misfortune never left, the curse of restarting always remained, and now, before the lifeless corpse, the truth to the Haggards shall be exposed. The world isn't pretty nor are the enemies, heed this from thy foe, we're present, we know who you are, and trust me, the day of retribution is upon thee. The clock strikes, blood is spilled, the world ends, more specifically, your world ends.'

*Gasp,*

"Someone's looking paler than before."

"Lady Haruna," rose from her lap, "-my, we're in an eternal prison."

"Can't you break out of this?"

"At the moment, the percentage of success is 10, the more I look into the situation, the worse it gets. Condition for the rupture is dreams and whims art be acted upon. Basically, unless everyone participates, there's no escape."

"-And?"

"The gravity isn't reflected, allow me to put into perspective; for the condition to be met, the emperor would have to die, the painting would be destroyed, the guest's downstairs would fall into anarchy, nobles against politicians, and vice-versa, the conglomerate and whatever scheme was concocted for tonight, everything would have to culminate into a singular line of thought, then would the spell break," hands behind the head, "-the solution is nonviable."

"Therefore, we surrender?" she thrust into a firm stance, "-wake up, Igna, have thee not a plan of action?" 

"At the moment, no," cigar lit, the relaxed posture tipped forward into a tenser stare, '-brute force isn't going to work, who is Loftha, and what's the true purpose of La Mort. Examining the ever-flowing conditions is foolish. Origin's sight hasn't done much to give an answer. I dare say, the realm is the anti-me, thirty-minute seems enough, though it's not, time isn't a constant. The conversation I had seemed to last longer regardless of the words being exchanged. Closer we are to the painting, faster time moves, it jumped from 18:49 to 19:00 in mere seconds, the conditions keep on stacking.'

"Where are you going?"

"To play blackjack, want to come with?" 

"Why, what about earlier?"

"When a problem is too big to tackle, the smartest move is to admit defeat and shuffle along. Forcing the hand won't do much – come on, Lady Haruna, mind granting my humble request?"

"Sure," she giggled, "-thou drive a harsh bargain," said a wink. The brightness of the interior gave a sense of relief, a table accommodated Empress Eira, Emperor Markus, lady Amber, Asmodeus, Mammon, Kul, Igna, and lastly, Haruna. Time elapsed slowly, drinks arrived in a silver platter, neighboring tables joined in the spectacle – nobles sided with the emperor whilst politicians sided with lord Patek who shortly after joined in place of Kul. Asmodeus' gambling lust and Mammon's greed swallowed the entirety of the room, the factions laughed and played – Romeo, who'd hogged the upper lounges, ran downstairs in the company of the stars.

"Three, two, one, GO!" drums exploded into action, JIO took the stage and sang, the orchestra's softer sound merged and evolved in a mix of explosion and deepness. Drinks came without stop, "-Hit," said Igna.

"-Hit," firmed lord Patek.

"I'll stay," winked Asmo. 

"Show," said the dealer, "-23, 19, 20, 24, 25, 6, 30, 6, 21, winner's lady Haruna!" 

"THE LASS DID IT!" laugher spread throughout the casino.

'Why aren't they at each other's throats?' 

"Mind if we join in?" winked chief Jula in the company of Odgar, the auctioneers and collectors from Stiol.

"The more the merrier," proclaimed Igna, next, hefty tables merged to form a giant curve, Asmodeus took on the place of dealer – the capacity increased exponentially; glasses filled and money to the stakes, the night's status-quo of pleasantries divulged into true enjoyment. Genuine smiles filled the faces, the crowd grew, the people laughed and the music played.

"ROMEO," fired Odgar, "-too bad gambling isn't your Juliette," screamed across clearly, the music stopped before a drop, the faces turned, a shot of embarrassment went down his body, *crrk,* the poker faces broke, *BWAHAHAHAHA,* thundered across, the guitar slid into a fast rhythm, the entire table cried in laughter.

The self-assured hubris, unpleasantly sensible, shattered amidst the hysteria, "-whatever, none has the right to be happy unless I am happy. I'll slay another and destroyed the painting, blood on La Mort is a perfect catalyst to destroy the building. I'll kill everyone," grunts clambered upstairs, "-if none is around to kill, I'll slay myself," stood on stage, "-farewell to this despicable vessel, I wish to return to my demon king," it thrust, *click,* the blade chipped at the grip.

"Looks like I've won," *Blood-Arts: Crimson Threads,* a pull flung the painting into his hands.

"What do you mean, won?" Time read 19:01, "-the magic circle will activate and ruin thy land, fake demonkind, thou art be put to the sword!"

"Drop the antics," *-knowledge known to only the watcher, I, master and inheritor of Origin, beckon thee; Mantia, Library of the all-knowing; Realm Expansion,* a snap conjured an orb to swallow the vicinity, books twirled above his palm.

*Mantia – Book of Restoration, Honzela, fifth passage, broken art be fixed, fixed art be broken, eternal cycle; creation and destruction, levy for reality changes prospective, watcher watches, creator creates, destroyer destroys, and restorer restores, Hicht.*

*VIth Act of the book of Sinuye. Scripture Xth, life is but the reflection of a higher being. Nothing needs to make sense, wish it and reality is thine. Arise, rebuilt, restore, all harmed shall be restored, all restored shall perish, tis the payment, tis the fate.*

*Book of Dahalo, from whence Earth was birthed, naught is to defy the ancient laws. Laws set and set laws, the cycle is it or not will thee think. Real is fake, fake is pure, pure is fantasy, fantasy is fake. Ache, stake, fate.*

*Mantia -Book of Predula, on the day Jyrnar rose to the titans, hierarchy amidst the upper crumbled, mortal against the heavens, devils against the mortals, heavens against the heavens, true is wrong, wrongness is truth. Lay lines disrupted through time and space,* index to the painting, *-merge into a singular form,* light blinded the spectator.

*Mantia – Grimoire of Sceilta, XIth passage, IInd verse, under the convergence of the Ukrol's star, I order nature to take precedence, may this land be cleansed from magic – Sileo.*