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Chapter 216:

Arthur's Point of View

The Island

She smirked. "By manipulating her memories and implanting his own magic inside of her, my own influence was diminished. Surely, you've wondered why neither Priestess has figured out who you truly are. You haven't exactly been subtle."

A frown came to my lips. "Is there a way to remove his hold over them?"

Closing her eyes, the dying Demon Lord answered. "I've no idea. Nothing I did ever worked. Rudnurth himself is a powerful Demon Lord. Had he been able to recover his full strength before you two fought, I'm not sure you would've been victorious." A chuckle escaped her lips. "Although, you did fend off Tor and kill Grog, so who can say for certain." Opening her eyes, her gaze shifted back onto mine. "However, you saw the consequences of trying to reveal yourself. His power is real as is his hold. Remember that moving forward."

"Grog?" I repeated.

"The one you refer to as the Leviathan. The fact he appeared here was unexpected. An immovable fortress that no one could kill or would even attempt to. His vast amount of magic made it almost impossible. My guess is that Thana quelled him somehow, but how is beyond me." She attempted a shrug. "With Rudnurth as an act against nature itself, maybe she felt empowered after creating the first artificial Demon Lord? Who can say..."

A frown came to my lips. "And you suspect she's made other artificial Demon Lords?"

Chuckling, she answered. "I'd be surprised if she didn't. The Queen was always quite the tinkerer from what I remember before I was given this form. I can only imagine how she is now. Especially given how many Ghouls she seems to be making."

My frown deepened. "She's the one responsible for making Ghouls?"

"You didn't think they were natural abominations, did you?" She shot back. "Ghouls with different abilities, from different races, all transformed into grotesque Demons... None of it is natural. The original citizens and races of the Crimson Wasteland are all but extinct."

"The Crimson Wasteland?"

It was mentioned once before from Thana herself, but I had no idea where it was or what it was. I assumed it was the Demon Kingdom and it would appear I was right. Unfortunately, that still left me wanting. Mara was taken there and had I known where it was, I'd go there immediately.

"A realm outside of this one. Think of it as a mirror to Crevalis, or a reflection, if you will. Very few know how to get there. Fewer still know how to create a portal between it and this world." Then she gave me a knowing glance. "You would be unable to get there right now." I felt my right eye twitch at that.

This was more than I was expecting to learn. Whether or not she was telling the truth though... Taking a deep breath, I thought over everything she was telling me. A lot of it seemed true or plausible. Only problem was that I couldn't take a Demon's word for face value.

Eyeing her for a moment, I spoke softly. "While I am grateful for your help, you do know that I can't trust you."

Another chuckle escaped her lips. "I'm well aware." When her weak laugh died down, she glanced down at her body. "My body will soon heal and recover. If you don't wish to fight again, I'd suggest wrapping up your questions." Then she smirked. "But I think we both know that letting me recover is out of the question. As much as I'd love to continue, your magic is dwindling, and you won't take the risk."

"...What happened to Mara? Is she still alive, and if so, where is she?"

Taking a deep breath, she looked me in the eyes. "When I was implanted into Elincia two thousand years ago, I know Mara survived her trip to the Crimson Wasteland. Tor was the one who escorted her. However, she was given as a gift to Elias when he had subdued Klasteris. What happened from there is beyond me." She answered. "Elias was rather secretive with her use for her, and she was never seen, or heard from, again."

Gritting my teeth in frustration, I put my foot across her neck as I glared down at her. "If you're lying..."

She croaked in response. "Temper, temper." The pressure increased as she coughed. "Ack!" Reaching out, she tried to cast another spell, but I quickly slammed a Gravity Pillar down on her arm. "Despite what you may think, I am telling the truth." With her completely restricted, she spoke in a strained voice. "My knowledge is all fragmented at best!" Her claims made sense, as did her answers, and that's what irritated me.

Sighing, I removed my foot. "I suppose taking you at your word would be foolish but getting upset over it would be worse." I felt my form starting to shift. "For what it's worth, thank you for telling me all this. Whether or not it's true, it's still useful."

The Demonic Clone eyed me. "You are a difficult man to read, Arthur Pendragon. At times, you seem prideful to a fault, and other times you seem to be full of regret."

"I have my own set of morals and ethics. Fucked up they may be, but I wouldn't say I was prideful. My students are my pride, and they are my shame. My mistakes led to you being here and is what made my students suffer so."

Giving me an amused look as she strained against my Gravity Pillar, she commented. "And yet you took another student. Part of me suspected you never planned on doing so again, but another part of me thought it would be Lucia who you would take under your wing." The Demonic Clone pointed out.

I will admit that she had me there. "A part of me wanted to ignore it all. The fact that Lucia looks so much like Mara that it's eerie."

To my surprise, she nodded. "I know! I'd say it was Mara's daughter for sure, but... Well... You know..."

Frowning seemed to be the requirement around this Demon Lord. "So, you know who her parents are?"

"Actually, I don't. From what I could tell, Arceana was involved, and they are technically sisters..."

"I thought as much." So, Arceana might be Lucia's mother and covered it up to the point not even Elincia knows. Interesting. "As for Typhon, I saw something in him that I haven't felt in years." Whether or not it was true would take time to figure out since I doubt Lucia herself knew of her origins.

"Hope?" She asked almost sarcastically.

Rather earnestly, I nodded. "Hope." I confirmed.