The Wielder of Death Magic

Chapter 897: The zero-sum game

Assorted in petals, lovely white dress, jewelry, and a look of utmost affection – Djen’s expectation tumbled into naught save an image of a nasty gruesome reality. Danio’s had nothing left to keep, nothing else to give, and nothing else to strive towards. The ugliest exchange a person could have; a battle, the zero-sum game. Quick on his feet, Igna snapped – a hemisphere sheltered the entourage, the Devil teleported before the crowd.

“Ladies and gentlemen,” he bowed respectfully, “-I would like to take a moment and say the following, ‘-foolish imbeciles,’ he glared the Danio familia, “-playing a zero-sum game isn’t wise, not if the opponent has unlimited asset at his fingertips. Yean, our guard detail of today, tis a pleasure to see thy faction be at the mercy of the Committee. No matter,” he sighed nonchalantly, “-wars at our doorstep,” a pistol materialized in his grip, “-and I see no reason to allow the enemy to live,” the barrel pointed at Lord Vilian, “-heed my words carefully, to gods and demons willing to oppose me; you will taste the bloodied mountain on which I sit. Good day,” he shot, the lord fell – panic crossed guest to guest – no motion; the ground laid in a taint of purple from which rose hands.

“No use running,” said Igna, the gun suddenly snapped westward and fired, the projectile barely missed Yean who fell and hit an enemy, “-Djen, I promised a marriage, I promised it to be in the company of both families. However,” the expression turned blank, “-I didn’t specify if they’d be alive or dead.”

The caged island of Rehn swam across the sky, its shadow engulfed the ground – a fanatic Azo gave orders, hands upon the map, he blinked unknowingly, “-how are we not making progress?”

“Lord Azo, our weapons are too weak. Relics aren’t working either. Shall we send the spellcasters?”

“If Relics aren’t working, the casters will be sitting ducks,” he squinted, “-what about the safe-zones?”

“The northern team has captured an advance position.”

.....

“Mana’s being jammed,” he looked outside, “-reroute the casters through a northwestern path. Take it around the thicket, have the supporting teams break into smaller units and scout. The more we know, the better,” in his mind, Igna led his forces as well, and to the scholar’s horror – the devil was found sat on the altar holding a wine-glass before an audience of frozen figures.

“The Danio familia,” shuddered Djen, “-they’re all dead?”

“Not dead. More like in a deep slumber. There’s no use beating ourselves on what’s happening outside,” and when he said so, a bright fist slammed and puffed on hitting the barrier.

“What was that?” fired the lady of Xinfe, “-are we safe?”

“By the potency, I’d say the talent of one of the warring factions. This is getting interesting,” he sipped, and as predicted, the battle grew tense. Igna’s army took key-position and waited patiently, a sudden increase in the southward attacks tugged on the flow of battle – telltale sign of weakness or alterations. Unspoken words, knowing actions – the Shadow army took heed and slowed their advance – half focused onto their heels whilst the other half forked northward, taking both northeast and west.

“What about Mariane?”

“No clue,” returned Igna, “-either she’s dead or barely alive in a prison somewhere. Look at the state of the battle,” a display conjured, giving a bird’s view over the barrier and surroundings, “-Lombart have lent their forces. Many Celestials have died already – their loss is my gain, and vice-versa. The Committee wants a zero-sum game, and I’m willing to wait and watch. Djen,” the view narrowed, “-see this massive shadow?”

“The floating castle of Rehn.”

“So you know what it represents?”

“Yes, and it’s nothing to be taken lightly. Tis one of the two floating castles armed with weapons able to total town. The size lowers the speed, orientation, it’s coming here,” he blinked.

“Good, even better.”

A loud beam of light fired north into the skies; under it were charged remains of a forest. The ash settled and a stronger army advanced, each equipped with magical weapons.

Advance units fired, “-no anti-magic bullets, master,” spoke across the channel, “-reinforcements are Celestials able to deflect attacks. Permission to equip superior bullets?”

“Denied, everyone save the southern team retreat to the barrier. Fork teams, cut across, and move south. It’s about time I head into battle,” he casually landed and veered a pleasurable smile, “-to the people of Marinda,” an orb summoned above his palm, the blueish free-floating objects swayed intelligently, the fingers eased and the entity rose into the clouds. Relatively sunny turned somber, a dark-blueish representative of evil sprawled across the whole of Marinda in a vein-like manner. Celestials and Natives, taken by the change – wondered if the end of time arrived.

Wings sprouted, the golden glow from Lucifer’s believers made the impossible, possible, the powers of Alfred overflowed his right-side, devilish features, sharp canines and outlines of a horn rose above the head, red and purple, Nox and Alfred – a snap at an imprisoned captive shattered the cage – from it, a pulse warmed the Death Element.

“About time this whole power struggle is settled,” convoluted lines across the skies showed the feed of war. The Devil flapped his wings and dived into the incoming crowd of Celestials.

“THE DEVIL IS HERE!” they cried – he expanded a web of crimson and pulled; heads fell without resistance; blood channeled into condensed essence. He popped the orbs and continued the slaughter, one by one, the dignified background of the Celestials fell. ‘There are many ways to overturn a leadership. Through words or through arms; in a dystopian society like Marinda, words don’t suffice,’ martial-arts aided in the quick dispatch of the stronger fellows. Protections unaffected by bullets were torn by his fingers until their hearts. Igna pulled, all happened under the watchful eye of Rehn and reinforcements, and squeezed the beating heart into his mouth, “-the taste of blood,” a flash of lust jolted across. Fear took the fighters by their heels, proud Celestials turned, exposed their backs, and fled. ‘No, you’re not,’ he jumped, pulled Orenmir from the scabbard and sliced; screams of horror, the cries of the dead, ultimate fear, an unwinnable situation, majestically golden white wings turned purple and dark, the splatters of blood added much to Igna’s face and outfit, “-this is what I live for,” the death-element pulsed, *thud,* Staxius’s dark aura emanated from his feet – nearby plants and trees succumbed by withering. The Devil was here, he walked with his sword and the mark of death in his shadow; the whole continent saw what none ever wished to see.

Rehn’s castle moved for Igna, Azo; traumatized by the display, keeping a level-head. “-it’s over,” whimpered Mariane, “-the devil’s coming to collect,” she gasped.

“And how are you so sure?” said a stern side-glance, “-yes, he’s killing my men, but guess what,” numerous beams shot into the skies around the barrier, “-it was the plan all along,” a loud mass rocked the very core of the floating isle, “-to slay a monster, one must become a monster, and to slay the devil,” he sneered, “-one must become a devil.” A spear instantly impaled Mariane, “-and to make my point, you’ll become the flag which I wave,” the arms grew in size, the feeble body enhanced to grab the impaled Mariane – in the posterior and out of her chest in-between the cleavage. An ominous presence shattered the wall, exposing the inside of the helm’s room.

“Welcome to Rehn fortress,” grinned Azo around which fluttered bolts of lightning associated with Zeus.

“Color me impressed,” returned Igna, “-I see you’ve made a Mariane brochette, would be better if it was charged,” he snapped, white-abyssal flame smothered and grilled the unfortunate lass, “-there, looks better crispy.” Azo held pinched his nose and dropped the spear.

“How could you?”

“You wanted to kill her, I simply finished the task.’ Purple sparks ran from white-to-red, the bicolored leer cried, ‘-no mercy.’

Azo rose his chin and puffed the chest, “-the battle is mine.”

“How so?”

“I’ve captured the marriage ground. I give the order; they’ll slaughter everyone and everything. Danio’s were gracious in teaching the ways of modifying living beings – Celestials sense no pain and obey the words of the greater one. Once we kill Xinfe, we’ll walk into the pitiful volcanic town and enslave the Celestials into their rightful place. Orn village will have a special part to play, don’t worry, I’ll make certain they experience the outworld’s pleasures.”

From the shattered wall, he breezed through the interior and arrived at Mariane, “-pitiful to see such a lovely lady go without experiencing the pleasures of romance and the associated vices.”

“I wouldn’t fret. She’s no longer pure. Danio’s sold everything, including themselves to the Committee. What better to serve than to partake?”

“Everywhere you go,” he rose a disappointed stare, “-evil takes on the same boring air. Pillage, assault, torture, can’t thee innovate? I mean, the Mariane-brochette was pretty lovely, albeit I take credit for the work.”

“Devil, time’s nigh, surrender.”

“Pardon?” he spun, “-surrender? My dear, why must I wave the white flag in a battle that I’m winning?”

“Stop bluffing.”

“See for yourself.”

After the capture of a northern safe-zone, reinforcement walked south to the barrier, the surrounding factions split to find the marked safe-zones – mana in the atmosphere settled to a chain-reaction of summoned portals. One after the other, teams stormed the area where Igna once stood. Little did the ground team know – the silent army Igna summoned took a bigger detour and chipped at Lombart army’s heel. Permission for utilization of magical bullets was granted – they fell like flies. Fighting in forestry was never a good idea – soon, the opposing army felt the consequences as bodies dropped. Young Tania spared no mercy for she handled the protection of the Xinfe familia on her lonesome.

“How?”

“Experience,” he said, shuffling to the baffled Azo, “-here’s a message to Zeus,” Orenmir in hand, “-for when he killed me, here’s my payback,” the sword ran through the stomach and pulled upward, splitting the chest and head in half, “-no enhancement,” an ancient symbol laid on Azo’s back faded, “-the battle is won. Too bad, the first mistake was coming to me; ever since then, I was able to hear, see, and monitor thy actions. How does it feel?” he stared the ceiling, “-Zeus, tell me, how does it feel to be bested. No more, thee hears, no more will the intervene in the mortal realm. The day on which thee decide to attack, I will ensure the destruction of Heaven. Trust for I speak as the Devil.”

Holdover the weather eased, the sun returned and played. Remnants of the battle soaked into the earth.

‘Mariane,’ he admired fondly, ‘-you remind me of Loftha, another strong-willed lady who I once called friend, *-knowledge known to only the watcher, I, master and inheritor of Origin, beckon thee; Mantia, Library of the all-knowing; Partial-Realm Expansion,* a wrap tied the charred lass.

“Are you sure?” the galloping of a horse neighed at his side, “-are you sure?”

“Undrar?”

“Yes, I came to pass the Celestials to their afterlives. Her soul is in limbo – pulling her into the mortal realm will mean exercising a large amount of the Death Element. If you do that, there’s no telling how the recovery process will be.”

“I don’t particularly care,” he placed a hand onto her immaculately crafted shoulder-piece, “-her life was cut short like Loftha. Don’t take away the only good deed I’m about to perform,” he knelt, “-I’m no longer the Heir to Death, the seat’s been filled – you make a better Death Reaper, not me. What courses through me is the past; you’re the present and future,” the figured returned to normal, naught save the bloodied outfit, “-go on, the warriors are due some respect.”

“As you say,” she vanished into a wormhole, the air eased. ‘-You and me, Mariane, let’s get you to your lover,’ a grimoire summoned, *Mantia – Book of Restoration, Honzela, fifth passage, broken art be fixed, fixed art be broken, eternal cycle; creation and destruction, the levy for reality changes prospective, watcher watches, creator creates, destroyer destroys, and restorer restores, Hicht.*

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