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The underground base hissed open with a soft thrum, the hum of magic and technology woven together in seamless, elegant design. The chamber beyond was vast.
Arthur stepped forward into the heart of his base, his footsteps echoing softly against the floor. Violet sigils sparked to life beneath his boots, recognizing his presence. Waiting in there was Owl. The Shadow dipped its head in a slow, solemn nod.
Standing nearby, tall and composed, was Lex the shadow with a mind sharper than any blade. He said nothing, but returned Arthur's gaze with one of practiced expectation, nodding once in acknowledgment.
And there, seated cross-legged on the velvet chaise, was Raven. A heavy, arcane tome lay open on her lap, her pale fingers gliding lazily over the page. She didn't look up immediately, but when she did, her gaze was steady.
"You escaped," she said flatly, though her tone was laced with sarcasm dry, affectionate in its own guarded way.
Arthur gave a quiet chuckle, the rare kind that softened the sharpness of his features. "That I did."
He stepped closer, unclasping the black glove from his right hand, His eyes flicked to her book, then to her.
"Anything strange happened here? Any presences you detected?"
Raven closed the tome with a gentle thump and leaned back slightly. "No. Nothing. My spells are doing wonders, apparently. Otherwise," her violet eyes glinted beneath her hood, "that Red Lantern might have shown up here instead of crashing your family's doorstep."
Arthur's jaw tensed for a brief second, but he nodded. "Thanks for checking, anyway."
He turned, eyes falling on the sigil etched into the floor one resembling that of his Shadow Ring.
"And… can you..."
"I know what you're going to ask," Raven said, standing now, her arms crossing. "I already cast the same wards and veilings over your mother's estate. Yesterday. We're not repeating that incident anywhere near your family again."
Arthur met her gaze. Steady. Sincere. "Thank you."
He took a breath then, deeper than before, as if preparing to do something.
"Speaking of the Red Lantern…" His voice dropped an octave, becoming something closer to command. "My dear Marshal has been waiting for me.."
He raised his hand, the Shadow Ring pulsing against his finger. A faint ripple distorted the air. With a sudden twist of violet light, the air cracked open into a swirling vortex deep and luminous.
From within, he stepped through.
A gauntleted foot struck the stone floor first, heavy and calm.
The figure emerged slowly from the portal, violet light licking the air around him, cloak trailing behind like the smoke of a burning battlefield. Armor forged in nightmare clung to him, glinting with violet steel and shadow. In his right hand, he held the Demon King's Longsword, the blade humming with barely contained lightning and wrath. His other hand gripped a bloodied sack, dark stains dripping faintly from the cloth and sizzling against the floor below.
Igris.
His glowing violet eyes locked with Arthur's the moment he fully stepped into the chamber. There was no sound. No roar of magic. Only that look of unspoken understanding, fealty absolute.
A breath caught behind them.
Raven's brow arched, arms uncrossing. "Wow," she muttered, equal parts impressed and amused. "He actually survived."
Behind Arthur, George stood there, silent as ever.
His eyes widened slightly, just slightly. His voice was as composed as ever, but there was an undertone of awe in it now.
"I see that whatever your shadow was doing, the campaign was successful."
Arthur approached his Marshal, wordless. The bloodied sack dropped to the floor with a dull, wet thud.
"Igris," he said quietly.
The knight dropped to one knee, head bowed.
"My liege."
No further words were needed.
A low creak echoed as the sack was pulled open, and out tumbled the truth of Igris' errand six severed heads, each thudding to the stone in turn. The first, unmistakable even in death, was the horned face of Atrocitus jaw slack, eyes still faintly glowing with extinguished rage.
Then came the others. Alien. Vicious. Unknown to Arthur, but unmistakable in their twisted features, charred expressions, and the blackened remains of Red Lantern insignias half-melted into their skin. They rolled slightly across the floor before stilling, trailing thin lines of blood in their wake.
A moment of stunned silence filled the chamber.
Raven's book had long since closed. She rose to her feet slowly, eyes flickering from the heads to Igris, and then to Arthur, with a flat, incredulous stare.
"God…" she said, "This is..."
George, meanwhile, looked distinctly ill. what could only be described as visible discomfort. He cleared his throat, though it did little to hide the distaste in his tone.
"Master Arthur," he said with elegant dismay, "I must confess, beholding alien severed heads was not how I imagined beginning the day. Not even in this... unconventional household."
Arthur studied the heads for a beat longer, then looked down at Igris, still kneeling.
"I didn't expect you to run into other Red Lanterns," he said. "You took them all yourself…"
Igris's head dipped lower.
"Some escaped, my liege. These are the ones I managed to erase before the others fled. Forgive me for my incompetence."
Arthur's lips twitched not quite a smile, but close.
"Incompetence you say?" he repeated, turning toward the trail of red that seeped across the stone. "I think you scarred them for life. They'll need more than rage to recover. They might as well rename themselves the Corps of… I don't know. Trauma. Despair, maybe."
He turned fully, offering Igris a nod that was rare, but unmistakably approving.
"You did well."
Igris stirred, rising slightly. "Another thing, my liege."
He reached behind him and produced a smaller sack, this one wriggling faintly. As he undid the top, something hissed.
A low, guttural growl vibrated through as a restrained feline was revealed, eyes glowing red with simmering hate. Blood still matted his tiny paws.
Arthur blinked once, then actually laughed.
"That's Dex-Starr."
Raven raised an eyebrow. "You even brought the cat."
"I told Atrocitus I'd kill him and spare the damn thing to warn the others.. Guess Igris took that literally. Other than the fact that the 'others' are dead now as well."
Dex-Starr snarled, baring tiny, sharp teeth as his crimson eyes locked onto Arthur with unfiltered malice.
Arthur crouched down, unfazed.
"Calm down, kitten."
And then, reaching out, plucking the glowing red ring from the creature's tail. Dex-Starr shrieked a noise equal parts fury and agony. The ring pulsed, furious, resisting, trying to leap away but Arthur's grip was absolute. Red energy slithered up his arm, trying to sink into his flesh, only to be neutralizing right away.
Arthur ripped it free.
Dex-Starr wailed, his crimson eyes dulled, flickering as if the fire behind them had been forcibly extinguished. Now his eyes are that of a normal cat.
The ring pulsed madly in Arthur's hand, blood-red light thrashing like it sought an escape.
He crushed it.
A shockwave of red energy burst from his palm small but intense, scattering dust and light like embers. The ring shrieked a final time as it crumbled to ash, the fragments glowing briefly… then nothing. Silence.
Igris stepped forward again, extending his hand. In it were six more red rings, each scorched but intact, still twitching with fragments of dying light.
"The rings tried to escape," he said. "But I didn't allow it."
Arthur took them slowly, letting the cool metal clink into his palm. He studied them a moment, then nodded.
"I'll keep them," he said. "Good work, Igris."
He turned his attention back to the restrained feline, who now looked exhausted and furious, but notably… powerless. Now just a regular cat.
Arthur tilted his head. "What shall we do with you now, Dex starr? Or do you want to be called Dexter?"
Raven had already returned to her chair, the edge of a smile tugging at her mouth as she reopened her book.
"Keep him," she said. "He can be our pet."
George gave an exaggerated blink. "An… interstellar feline of homicidal temperament as a domestic companion?" He fluffed his feathers, visibly perturbed. "Well, I suppose he could clear out the rodents in the garden. Your shadow demons are hardly efficient in that regard, sir."
Arthur let out a short breath half a laugh and rose.
"Then it's settled. Congratulations, Dexter. You're on pest control duty."
/-\
If you Like this story! Check out my other stories! Solo leveling in Westeros.
&
If you wish to read more or simply support me than check out my patreon at
"https://www.patreon.com/FrenzyAren"
You can Get Access to 3 More Chapters OR 7 More Chapters if you want