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Thirty minutes prior to the incident…

“You had one job, just one job and you couldn’t even do that right!” A demon walked up and down the large hall where they encaged all the captured Forsaken they were able to obtain through years black-market trading. On all sides were rows upon rows of Forsaken beasts of all various types their black purplish skins and fur shining within the darkness of the shadows of the hall.

A group of demon soldiers lined up in a straight line clearly on edge due to their mishap matters were made worse when the appearance of Lord Asmodeus himself suddenly emerged out from the darkness in response to all of the commotion.

“What seems to be the problem here?” Lord Asmodeus bluntly asked, his demeanour sent shivers down the soldier’s spines the lord’s charcoal black hair hung down his back. Partway down it had been tied with a hairband in order to keep in place, his blood-red eyes were illuminated within the near dark hall that spanned beneath the arena.

“M-My Lord Asmodeus…” the high ranking demon that had been dealing with the group of demon soldiers stepped to the side “…these men failed in their duty letting one of your prized slaves escape the cells underneath this arena”

The demon soldiers instinctively fell to their knees bowing in apology for their failure. As for Lord Asmodeus standing there in his royal attire, his dark purple cloak hanging gracefully around him didn’t look amused one bit.

“How dare you ask for forgiveness when you couldn’t even do one simple job that I tasked for you” Lord Asmodeus exclaimed as he looks on in disdain at the soldiers kneeling before him, he then looked towards his royal henchman.

“Tell me, who escaped?” Lord Asmodeus demanding an answer.

The royal henchman bowed slightly, “By these men’s accounts three had escaped two-hybrid demon girls and one female human”

“And which male human exactly?” the tone in Lord Asmodeus’ voice became more tense and threatening. The royal henchman looked to the group of demon soldiers demanding an answer from them.

“It was the slave, F-589” one of the demon soldiers hesitantly responded.

Before anyone could even react Lord Asmodeus himself grabbed the lance that his Demon Guardsman wielded then forcefully impaled the bladed end of the lance into the demon soldier’s chest that answered his royal henchman’s question. As the super-heated blade burned into the chest of the soldier he struggled for a few moments before succumbing to death itself. He fell to the floor with the lance still impaled in the centre of his chest.

Lord Asmodeus ordered his Demon Guardsman to get rid of the body before him, he then turned to his royal henchman.

“Find them before they leave the district, otherwise, I’ll have your head planted on a pike” he whispered into his ear.

“O-Of course my Lord, it’ll be done I can assure of that” the royal henchman responded clearly unnerved by Lord Asmodeus’ words of threat.

Lord Asmodeus followed by some of his Demon Guardsman while the rest disposed of the body followed close behind him, as he walked among the dozens upon dozens of caged Forsaken beasts he eventually came across one that had a black hooded figure seated atop the cage.

However, the Forsaken beast didn’t seem at all troubled by the presence of this mysterious figure unlike the demons themselves which it growled at.

“Who are you?” Lord Asmodeus asked the presence of this mysterious figure didn’t seem to sit too well with him as they gave off an unusual aura.

The mysterious figure stood to his feet cackling to himself for a brief moment facing Lord Asmodeus the latter could see the sickly green torn effect of his eyes emanated beneath the hood of his black cloak.

“What, am I not allowed to come to check my goods?” his hoarse voice echoed in the underground hall of the arena as the sounds of cheering and excited fans could be heard above them. The mysterious figure opens up a magical portal just to his right next to his waist pulling out a chunk of meat throwing to the beast in the cage beneath him, the latter devouring it until there was nothing left but the splatters of blood that spewed across the flooring of the cage.

“If you can use magic you must be from Arcanium?” Lord Asmodeus concluded thinking that the myths about Arcanium were only folk tales told by desperate and hopeful parents hoping for a time when magic would come back into their lives.

The mysterious figure cackled again, “Bingo, right on the money as always”

“Why are you here?” not much ever wavered the courage of Lord Asmodeus, but at this very moment, he couldn’t hide the fact that this very being had an aura that felt like death clouding them and everything around them.

“Right to business, I like that…” he starts walking back and forth atop the cage “…see I’m in need of a little favour, and you happen to have one of those two things that I need…” he pauses for a moment laughing to himself “…sorry, I mean did have one of two things that I’m looking for”

Lord Asmodeus knew very well what he was talking about one of the things this thing was in search of must be someone among those slaves that just escaped. Normally he wouldn’t give in to such demands, but he couldn’t refuse a favour especially that someone being from Arcanium. After all, he had ties with them and if his plans were foiled before they came to fruition all of his hard work up until now would be for nought.

Giving in to defeat Lord Asmodeus responded, “V-Very well” clearly frustrated by his current predicament.

Suddenly the mysterious figure jumped off the cage then turned reaching for the lock that had been engraved with a glyph.

“W-Wait a minute, what are you doing?” Lord Asmodeus exclaimed.

The hooded figure sighed frustratingly, “I’ve been stuck in Arcanium for two hundred and fifty years…” the tone of his voice then rises “…so you can imagine that I’m for a good time since this is the first time in the Realm’s for all those years!”. Reaching for the lock he destroys the glyph that been keeping the Forsaken beast in its cage for all this time.

As the black-purple quadruped beast bursts out of its cage, it looks to the hooded figure standing near to it. The latter reached into its magic satchel this time pulling out a pouch that looked to of had a cloud of white crystalline dust expending from it.

The Forsaken beast took a few whiffs of the pouch then almost instantaneously it became enraged by the scent, its dark purple illuminated spikey fur along with it razor-sharp spikes protruding from the tip of its tail stood to attention.

“You know what’s on the menu tonight, now get going” if you could see the hooded figures face you would have been able to see the devilish smile planted across his face.

Lord Asmodeus along with his Demon Guardsman stood there unable to do anything as they watched the Forsaken beast clamber upwards towards the arena as it dug through the ground. All he could think of was the hassle he would have to endure when all this is finally over.

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