亚洲综合中美

“Master, we haven’t time to idle.”

“Fair.”

Panic wasn’t set, not yet. The news diffused slowly. The streets were barred, a normal occurrence within the town, thus, no alarms rang for the citizens. Soon as they entered the estate, a feeling of dread paired with unrelenting bravado swallowed them, it seeped into one’s heart. Igna shot a look at his fingers, they trembled erratically.

“Kul, stay outside,” a barrier held the door headed deep, “-keep the noise to a minimum. Her death is no issue; have Phantom start procedures for outbidding the Duquant family. This was the plan, was it not?” he smirked, one understood by Kul.

‘He knows,’ she slowed her motion and watched as the smirk faded, ‘-he knows we used him as a puppet. I doubt he’ll accept the matter kindly… that smirk, I know it, it’s not healthy.’

‘A realm expansion,’ he ambled, the hallway drew darker, and further he approached the balustrade giving onto the lower floors, a sort of watching area or inner balcony, the air deepened. ‘Kul said the lady is dead,’ he scanned, ‘-this place isn’t normal,’ *Eye of Truth,* the piercing gaze lit the crimson-colored pupils, ‘-the core of a kindling realm. This must be Lucifer’s new expansion,’ he opened his palm and displayed the latter’s wings, ‘-I forgot about this. Talk about getting old,’ with a pointless jest in mind, he continued until a doorknob covered by red-hand print a few rooms apart. The carpet folded strangely, ‘-dragged?’ he observed what seemed to be a body being taken. ‘-No, is it?’ the marks didn’t quite add, ‘-if dragged, the curve would be sharper, well, there’s no trace of force on the fabric, considering the daily use, I doubt this information will be of much help.’ Without a moment’s doubt, Igna reached and entered – a blast of energy pushed outward. It took his suits by force, tearing at pressure points – waist and shoulders, the energy died out quickly, ‘-suspended mana between world, just like shaking open a can of soda.’ The room’s looming nature aired – the darkness of concentrated mana settled, making forms and shapes out of furniture, the same as throwing sheets over a chair, the erroneous forms were correct enough for conjecture.

‘The inside, the mana’s corrosive,’ even so, he strode and clapped, “-Mana Control: Spatial-Arts – Dispersion,” the waves diminished, *Mana Control: Light Element Variant – Astro Krona,* a purifying light glowed, ‘-I get it, this is the reason why I was chosen,’ lashes of energy snapped and crashed, tearing not only a building but every essence of the natural circuitry of nature, ‘-it’s destroying the blocks of life, the natural resonance involved in stability between dimensions. There are two points of contact, one behind me,’ he glanced, ‘-an incomplete expansion of a new realm and this, the fissure in reality. Without my eye,’ he covered the red pupil, ‘-what’s shown to outsiders without affinity for sense is nothing. Just a plain old room.’ Splits in form and wave-like representation of what was there, images distorted, ‘-I released the energy by pure luck – the handprints was a warning. The dragging mark is fake, this is a setup. The conductor underestimated the powers of reality distortion… it’s no power, tis a curse,’ he sighed and walked forward, the outward push slowed, it pulled. ‘Expulsion followed by suction.’

*Mana Control: Waves,* a layer of strings gauged the orb, mana swallowed at an astounding pace, ‘-closure,’ he reached out his hand, blood splits, the orb took the fingertips and pulled, ripping clothes and skin, *-Order of Naught,* he gestured a circle, *-genesis, the first walk by man echoes through the forest with cries and hate. Envy of the crawlers and woe of the swimmers, under the watchful gaze of the flyers, comes into the world a power unseen by man, unseen by realms, the creator shuddered for men seeks retribution,* he snapped, *-echo the bequest of men’s first walk, fluttered the world’s end, and return the abnormal to solace,* a white form grabbed and twirled, the energy skyrocketed, dispersing across the ceiling, *-Adjudicator’s Call: Gyan,* the orb froze, *By the power bestowed upon me by the Supreme god Kronos, I, inheritor of the sickle, order for the realm to go by mine pace: Time Control – Pause.*

.....

‘-and done,’ he gasped, ‘-I pinpointed the fissure and slowed its advance. It should remain as long as it has the proper sustenance. Shouldn’t be an issue. This is the problem with rupture, they can never be fully restored,’ he spun, the room’s aura lightened – no furniture nor wall paint was injured despite the scale of disorder witnessed.

The realm deactivated, and the hemisphere over the central open hall sank. Blond hair and blue eyes stared up, Igna looked down, “-Lucifer.”

“Igna.”

“You here for a fight?” narrowed the fallen angel.

“Depends on your intent,” he leaped and floated down, “-did you use her life energy?”

“Yeah, I had to,” he gulped, “-can’t do much when my wings were stolen. Was this lady important to you?” just the thought brought a connivingly satisfied grin. Thus, with a forceful motion, Lucifer dug into lady Duquant’s chest and pulled her heart, “-not heart-shaped,” he laughed and threw the organ at Igna’s feet.

“…”

“Silent?”

“Lucifer,” he echoed, “-tell me, King of Hell, how is your alliance with Zeus.”

He crinkled his brows, “-don’t tell m-”

“I know,” Igna leaned and grabbed Duquant’s heart, “-how sad it must be,” he walked past Lucifer and held Uri’s body, “-the sole satisfaction to thy name is Staxius Haggard’s death. Then again, you schemed much to cause trouble in Orin. Too bad your faction has lessened considerably; I hear Alphia’s is well on its way through another revolution. The Empire’s out of your control and the church – it has lessened to be one of four major religions – beaten by Syhton, Tharis, and the cult of Dea. I pity you,” *Present and never changing, present and never yielding. All who wait break and all made are subjected to thine will. I, the humble inheritor of thy power; call upon thee to have mine will answered: Time Control – Reversal.* her wounds regenerated, the heart flew into her chest and her body was restored, “-Lucifer, representation of Pride, you have lost ever-since Staxius’ death. I do wonder how much it affects your pride, considering tis the only thing they own.”

*Mantia – Book of Restoration, Honzela, Sixteenth passage, for the wounded’s assured restoration, the hardships ought be cleansed. Such flowed the whisper of the healer: Imenia,*

*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, creator creates, destroyer destroys, and restorer restores, Hicht.*

“-return,” Uri levitated, a jolt of lightning struck, her pupils widened – “-LYOKO!” and leaped into his arms with an affirming embrace, “-I’ve missed you, how have you been, my dear Lyoko.”

“Uri,” tapped her forehead, “-go to sleep.”

Lucifer silently watched. Igna casually went onto her bedchambers, laid her to rest, and returned to the angel yet to move. He rejoined the conversation with a cigarette in hand, “-Lucifer, my dear ol’ Lucifer. Shall we have a chat?”

“Chat?”

“Yeah,” he puffed, “-and who knows, sway my mind and you might have the wings returned.”

Lucifer’s eyes lit momentarily, he quickly turned aside, “-lead the way.”

Duquant Estate’s private lounge – fixed in the basement, a place where vices are one’s only credit. Remnants of Narcotics, a storage area built like a butcher’s freezer had meet hanging off hooks. To close a look and one might see the frozen remains of a dancer or a guest who went over the top. Said area was hidden behind the bar or would have been if not for the exposed entrance. With dexterity unlike anything in this world, Igna fixed him and Lucifer a drink, “-bartending skills come in handy when one wishes but to enjoy the pleasures of a little buzz.”

“I don’t get it,” Lucifer sipped, “-why are you being neutral?”

“Pardon?”

“I don’t get it. Igna, are we not enemies?”

“Are we not?”

“Yeah, I’d think so. I’ve been behind most of the scandals faced by Orin. I was the one who forced Staxius’s hand and nearly obliterated the Haggards. Then again, you proved resilient enough to fight off my attacks – it grows old.”

“Not fun when you’re being targeted, is it?”

“…”

“Lucifer, I know about Zeus and Artanos, the heavens have decided to burn your alliance and form one with a greater entity, a god. The Aapith nation has no say in the matter. Last I checked on Draebala’s affairs – the alliance has pushed back the demonic regions.”

“Doesn’t look good for your faction either. The Shadows are being targeted. The agreement Formle made with the Eipea Empire’s come back to bite his ass.”

“Well, I don’t much care for it,” he offered a cigarette, “-this place should be nice with music and performers.”

“Yeah,” Lucifer sighed, “-a vacant gentlemen’s club screams of loneliness,” he looked at Igna, “-come to think of it, this is the first time we’ve spoken – you’re a handsome man.”

“Coming from an angel, I’ll gladly take the compliment. And yes, we’re speaking cordially. I can’t say this about you but, I’m not the same as I was before. Back then, Staxius and I even had so much to protect and so much to save. Now, I don’t have the same priorities as I once had. Don’t get me wrong, you and I sympathize with this, we love the people closest to us. Alas, what comes goes, such is the cycle of life.”

“I lost everything,” Lucifer exhaled, “-honestly, coming here was a suicide mission. I wanted to go out in a blaze of glory. Hell is beyond my reach; I barely have the powers to conjure a portal to my academy. Satan, Belial, and Leviathan have absolute control. My influence wanes. You awakened as the three-in-one, have you not?”

“You knew?”

“Yeah, the disruption of reality, only one has the ability and authority to counteract the very essence of our existence – the Adjudicator, else, the destroyer, or creator, depending on how you see the glass.”

“Half empty, half full.”

“Yeah,” Lucifer gulped, Igna prepared another drink, “-Igna, I-,” he sighed, “-never mind.”

“Say it.”

“I was going to ask for my wings… the thought of returning and claiming all of my lands and subjugating… it pains me. I rather not do that again. Immortality is the mother of boredom. Everything repeats. I can guarantee that out there, a hero’s born and trained to fight you – must have crossed the thought, right?”

“Yeah,” they sipped, “-like Harvey Dent said, you either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”

“Such a reference,” he laughed, “-isn’t that from?”

“Yeah, I know,” they sipped, a comforting silence presided between breaks.

‘Igna Haggard, a very peculiar man. What’s his story, I wonder how he reached this point. ‘

‘Lucifer Morningstar, my enemy? Or so I thought, I guess I needed someone to push my anger towards – he was the perfect mark. Looking at it from a neutral perspective, Lucifer Morningstar’s actually an interesting person.’

“So tell me, how was the Empress in bed?”

“What the fu-” he coughed, “-excuse me?”

“Don’t be shy,” he winked, “-you must have some word of wisdom, oh great emperor Lucifer.”

“Don’t tease me,” he shook his head, “-it was a means to an end. Besides, your lover is quite the heartthrob. You went out and got yourself a goddess who’s supposed to be chaste, Syhton out of all the names. How did you even?”

“I don’t know,” they looked at each other, “-I must say, alcohol sure is a good way to save off resentment.”

“Right,” they drank, “-shall we drink until we pass?”

“Well,” Igna summoned a vase, “-for gods to be drunk, the ale humans drink won’t be enough, thus, I present the vase of Espa, the God of Entertainment and Liquor.”

“HOW!”

“He’s a resident of the Shadows. Shall we?”

“LETS!”