The Wielder of Death Magic

1085 The Fool

The oval-shaped portal widened at the mercy of Poseidon’s fear. Gophy quivered. The thunderous atmosphere wailed and roared, there was no one to hear the cries of the fallen. Bright lights ambered, and the gateway Poseidon opened cracked – like a pebble thrown against a window, flakes of white ran throughout the glow.

Igna rose his open palm at the sky, *Forced Realm Retraction,* then clenched. The sea-like epiphany of Atlantis disrupted, the shine the realm brought and the elation it granted Poseidon tumbled, ‘-what is happening?’ Gophy’s eyes widened, and her heart sank. ‘-My symbol of power…’ she gasped, “-GET US OUT!”

“Too bad,” Igna clapped – rain droplets halted, an outward white aura froze the grounds, “-you were bound to face the truth, isn’t that so, Goddess Gophy.” The footsteps rose, he forced open the doorway and smirked, “-Poseidon and Gophy, what a lovely pair. Too bad you can’t speak,” he passed them and stood with focus outwardly into the city, “-and too bad I have lost interest. Gophy,” he reached for Poseidon and slammed his face into the cold ground, *Entria’s Hold,* a bird-like cage enveloped, leaving Gophy in ponderance.

“Gophy, the doors to my heart have closed. You must realize I won’t stand by for what’s to come. Take my words to Artanos and the gods who’ve allied. The End of Times has come upon this reality. I have awakened as the Adjudicator, you know what this means,” he leaned and pinched her chin, “-it is over. I wish we were a team, I truly thought we were family. The term has grown in meaning, and I’m confused about its use. I have lived many lives and have seen many things. Gophy, as a sign of my respect for all you did for me in the past,” he waved, the restraints released, “-you’re free, so is Poseidon with a minor condition,” the bird-cage disappeared and the god of the seas fell, the curvy haired heart-throb was a shadow, a bald-headed skinny man. No muscles, no defining traits, the symbol of the Sea had scratch marks – the loss of energy within the man’s vision, the lack of life, the lack of anything, Igna turned at Gophy and placed a hand onto her shoulder, “-have a good life, Gophy,” *snap,* time resumed by a crack of thunder.

*CLOCKWORK ARMY!* countless yellow portals widened, “-GO!” soldiers of angel-ranked and higher threw themselves at Igna. He openly drew Orenmir and fought, the more he killed the bigger rose the number. Poseidon’s last strain of will had him grab and pull a speechless Gophy. The broken church roof drew rain, the wind exhaled from the side, he pulled and pulled, the soldiers flocked the altar, and Igna’s attacks left tears and ruptures, in reality, he laughed, a cackle so loud it matched the thunder.

Gophy saw just one thing, ‘-my feet, my hands,’ Poseidon pulled her by the collar, ‘-Igna’s awakened, he’s powerful, he’s the reality’s enemy. What have I done…’ the battlefield soon shut by a slam, and Poseidon fell, “-we’re outside,” he gasped, “-and barely made it…”

They knelt outside where the wind thrashed most of the vegetation. “I knew it would have come to this,” a feminine figure skipped, it seemed to float, “-Gophy, my foolish sister.”

“Ophelia?”

“Yes, dearest,” she smiled, her light-brown hair and innocent visage were much to be desired, “-I knew you and Artanos had a falling out, didn’t look this bad in the mirror.”

.....

“Ophelia,” Gophy’s voice lowered, “-I’m sorry…”

“There’s nothing to apologize for,” came another voice, “-Gophy, Poseidon, we’re leaving Orin.”

Ophelia threw discontent regard, “-Lixbin.”

“Ophelia,” he calmly matched her demeanor, “-we don’t have time to entertain your boredom. We were forced into using Artanos’ troops,” he swiped, a vail swallowed the confusion, “-we’ll speak later,” they disappeared except for Ophelia, she calmly back-handed Lixbin’s teleportation, “-are you serious?” he fired.

“Yes, I am,” she returned adamantly, “-something is interesting I need to see for myself. Leave, Lixbin, it’s not like I’m needed either by you, my sister, or even him,” her cheeks reddened, “-Artanos…”

“Your funeral,” the portal closed, and the clockwork soldiers fell one at a time. Igna danced the ballad of death, slices, thrusts, side-steps, and individual battles ending in seconds, “-my word, this is perfect,” he jumped and dodged blades coming up and down, “-I haven’t fought this hard in ages,” an arrow snapped, he mildly turned the blade to the arrow’s demise. *Spewed from Mothra’s granular mouth, bitten and seething from her perpetual hatred – lives and cries the begging of her child, thus rages the flame of Mother, one of many faces but one mouth, the whispers from her lips, the whispers of folly and misdirection, whispers of demise, Mana Control: Purgatory Flame Variant – Crando.* a ring of fire wove above, it sparked – mere touches sufficed for the unlucky to melt, if lucky, or vaporize, “-Time of reckoning is upon thee, foolish puppets,” he jumped, the ring condensed into an orb, Orenmir impaled the latter and hit the floor with an audible and sensorial boom. Nothing was left in its wake, nothing. An outward, diffusion of charred remains expanded circularly. Igna casually waited in the middle.

“Impressive.”

“Impressive?” he looked at one of the broken walls “-neither man nor woman. You have the smell of someone not of this world. Neither god nor demon, what are you?”

“Very rude to speak such words to a flower,” the figure made a heart shape with her hands and lovingly tilted her head.

“No thank you,” he threw an open palm, “-I have plenty of weirdoes in my life. I don’t need more.”

“And who said I wanted to be part of the circus,” she leaped inside and walked with her hands behind her back, “-this place is supposed to be holy, then what the hell is this?”

“A holy place.”

“A conversationalist.”

“A stray.”

They stared at each other, “-honestly, what are you?” she narrowed, “-you don’t smell normal either.”

“That would be the blood,” he smiled, “-and charred remains of Artanos’ soldiers,” Igna’s sharp focus noticed a mild twist in the expression, “-he’s one of my banes. I would rather have him die or better yet, suffer.”

“Artanos’ soldiers?” she leaned at one of the more ‘preserved,’ bodies, “-I see, it’s his army.”

“Who are you?”

“The name’s Ophelia. A pleasure to meet you, Igna Haggard.”

“Someone’s well-informed. I wouldn’t say it’s a pleasure, but hey, you’re quite a character.”

“Thank you, I do love sarcasm in compliments. Let’s cut to the chase,” she skipped over and stared blankly, “-you and I will take down Artanos.” 𝐟𝙧ee𝔀e𝐛𝓃𝐨𝚟𝑒𝗹.c𝗼𝚖

“No thank you.”

“WHAT?”

“I said no thank you,” he turned, “-I’m not interested.”

“Why not, you have a pretty girl coming to you for help, why won’t you answer my demands?”

“Ah,” he laughed, “-you think me a hero,” he glanced over his shoulder, “-too bad,” an expression of disgust fell on her palmed hands, “-I’m not one to entertain,” and slowly made for the side-entrance.

“I’m GOPHY’S SISTER!” she shouted.

“And I’m the son Grostian,” he waved, stepping outside facing the commoner’s chapel. ‘-Gophy’s sister, Ophelia… let’s see if I have information,’ he dug and scoured history, “-nothing,” he paused. A chilling sensation grabbed his neck, “-Igna, you know, you were right on when you said I was neither man nor woman, neither god nor demon. You see,” she whispered, “-I’m not of this world, nor this dimension. I am beyond the reach of divinity.”

“The manifestation of a world?”

“Correct,” she winked, “-figured me out so easily?”

“Well, it was strange how Gophy didn’t have a realm of her own. Perhaps she did but never mentioned it. Please do not praise common sense. You’re a world?”

“Yes, I’m a dimension. Long story short, a big boom and Gophy’s domain imploded, I was born.”

“Are there others like you?”

“No, I’m the only one. My birth was a lucky turn of events. Besides,” she lowered her hands, “-I choose this appearance because I thought I’d be attractive to men, especially him, oh man, I want to feel his touch.”

“Men,” he side-glanced, “-a lustful dimension. I never thought I’d ever say those words.”

“Good thing come in pairs,” she winked, “-and I have two amazing pairs right here,” she squeezed her chest to which Igna exhaled a confused but pleasant laughter. He spun and stared at the church – the weather was yet to subside, drained overflowed as did Cub’s channel.

“Man the weather sucks.”

“Stand away.”

“Okay, don’t mind if I do,” she hurried into the chapel’s modest shelter, ‘-what is he up to?’

Mana concentration dropped, Igna’s heart boomed, and the Death Element generated power from within, ‘-looks like it’s back to normal,’ he felt his heart by touching his chest, ‘-the Death Element I lost so many years ago. It’s back as a part of my new form. Combined with Time and Origin, it’s fair to say I’ve taken the last step towards absolution,’ a broken remnant of the church hissed – it seemed to cuss at the incurred damage, ‘-don’t,’ he open his palm, *Watchers, spectators, names ring high and low, us, unknown to the world’s reality, unknown to the world’s knowledge, have lived in utter solemness for millennia to come and go. Watcher of the Shadow Realm, beckons my might to be fully materialized without prejudice, reality is but my playground, neither god nor demon shall overcome my authority, face me in stride, face me in fear, reality’s what I wish it to be for knowledge is the true strength: Realm Expansion, Shadow Realm Variant – Rantiam,* a heavy cloud dropped as did Ophelia’s casual demeanor.

‘I’m going to hurl,’ she held her mouth, ‘-what is this disgusting feeling, I can’t,’ she leaned against the wall and cringed, ‘-this nauseating feeling, the mana’s corrupt, what’s going on?’ *By the power bestowed upon me by the Supreme god Kronos, I, the inheritor of the sickle, order for the realm to go by mine pace: Time Control – Pause.* a hemisphere swallowed the church, he passed through the barrier and crossed his arms, the transparent sphere darkened. *Present and never changing, present and never yielding. All who wait for break and all made are subjected to thine will. I, God of Death, the humble inheritor of thy power; call upon thee to have mine will answered: Time Control – Reversal.* her battle scars, it healed, broken rubbles levitated into place, a movie playing in reverse.

“-And done,” he stood at the altar and held Vanesa in a princess carry, “-I reconstructed the church. Vanesa,” he watched affectionately, “-I’m sorry about what happened, I’m very sorry you had to suffer. It was never my intention, I was never my-” he paused, “-stop it. Why am I apologizing, I expected them to use her, I expected them to take a hostage. Why couldn’t I react, I had the power, I had the strength… I had emotion, I had regrets – I should have done something. I was a fool, I am a fool,” he laid her onto the altar and opened his palm, *-Book of Rue, on the first day of the devil’s awakening – the ancient art of creation falls, for the conjurer is a priest sworn to the gods but led astray by evil. The anti-god, the devourer of angels, the embodiment of evil, cursed King Alfred, reaches the heavens and swallows Creation’s heir, gaining the powers of Creation. Fashion into life a perfect replica, grant the symbol of Creation; Yeve,* a secondary form of Vanesa manifested, “-don’t worry,” he smiled, *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 perspective, watcher watches, the creator creates, destroyer destroys, and restorer restores, Hicht,*

‘There, her soul,’ he reached, *Come forth, Box of Soul!* the chest openly swallowed the orb, he exhaled and *Living or dead, I invite all to the realm of absurdity, serve me and my companions, be one of a greater family. Forgo the past and look towards the future, one in which thou art be immortal and without regret. Box of Soul: Shadow Realm Transmigration.*

*By authority of the one and only Adjudicator, come into life symbol of Chaos,* Gophy’s symbol manifested, *-fashion thyself into her heart,* it hovered from Igna’s hand and merged into Vanesa’s heart, contact threw a low-ended echo, “-awaken.”