In the original story, Zaratul remained trapped in Foggy Town until Klein arrived, using him to regain freedom and ascend to Sequence 1. He became Klein's greatest adversary after Amon, only to meet his end after a few bold displays.
"I should've asked Roselle if he wanted to come see his old friend," Alaric said, a touch of regret in his voice as the thought struck him.
"If you're not planning to kill him now, there'll be plenty of chances later," Amon replied with a smile, clearly aware of Zaratul's connection to Roselle.
"True enough," Alaric nodded. He had no intention of killing Zaratul... that was a job for Klein or Bethel. Alaric wasn't about to do their work for them.
After all, Klein needed a worthy opponent to sharpen his skills, and Bethel, once recovered, would need someone to spar with to regain his edge after a thousand years out of practice.
With Amon now half an ally, Zaratul was the perfect candidate... someone you could fight without worry, and it wouldn't matter if he ended up dead.
"Let's not bother with him. Come on, let's go see Antigonus. I'm looking forward to meeting a fluffy big dog," Alaric said with a grin.
Amon adjusted his monocle. "You might be disappointed. From what I know, Antigonus in his out-of-control state is less a fluffy dog and more a writhing mass of worms."
"Tch! Don't ruin my fantasy!" Alaric grumbled, then added, "No matter. Once he's awake, he'll be a good dog, I'm sure."
Chatting, the two headed toward the palace where Antigonus was confined. They passed the spot where Zaratul should've been... an empty seat where an old man once sat, now clearly abandoned as the elusive Zaratul had fled.
Neither Alaric nor Amon paid it any mind. They reached the palace doors, and with a flash of the key in Alaric's hand, the gates swung open, revealing the scene within.
At the center of the palace, on a stone throne, sat a mass of something... part worms, part tentacles, semi-transparent with intricate, eerie patterns. An ordinary person would lose control and turn monstrous just from a glance.
"Ugh, so ugly. You, Door and Fool… honestly, your mythical creature form is hideous," Alaric said, his face twisting in visible disgust as he shook his head at the wriggling mass.
Amon, long accustomed to such sights, merely gazed at it, his expression tinged with nostalgia and a hint of mockery. "Long time no see, Antigonus. I always knew you'd fail, but I must say, you look positively dreadful now."
The writhing mass on the throne remained still, unaffected by Amon's words, clearly lost to madness.
Alaric glanced at Amon, a smile playing on his lips. "Looks like you don't entirely see him as just a toy, despite what you said."
"Even toys can grow on you after a while, can't they?" Amon neither confirmed nor denied, simply posing the question.
"Maybe so!" Alaric chuckled, letting the topic drop. He turned to Amon. "Mind helping me pin him down? I'm just a humble Sequence 2 right now. If he thrashes too much, I might struggle to hold him."
"And what do I get out of it?" Amon asked, leisurely turning to Alaric.
"My favor?" Alaric blinked, flashing a smile. "Or maybe, if you fail to claim the Lord of Mysteries in the future, I'll spare your life?"
"For Father's sake, you wouldn't kill me anyway," Amon pointed out with a smile, then shifted gears. "But your favor does have some value."
"Good taste!" Alaric laughed. He stepped back, gesturing. "It's all yours, Amon. I'll be cheering you on."
Amon shot him a look, a rare hint of exasperation crossing his face, but he didn't refuse. As he approached Antigonus, he said, "I'm curious... how would you handle him if I weren't here?"
"Probably call your dad for help. Or maybe just summon Amanises," Alaric said casually. "You know I've got plenty of friends."
"Friends… hahaha!" Amon let out an amused chuckle, as if he'd heard something entertaining. "If Amanises counts as your friend, then doesn't that make me one too?"
"You already are!" Alaric nodded matter-of-factly, then looked at Amon with mild confusion. "You're not on Klein's level in my book, but since I've been teaching you like a student, you're definitely a friend."
Amon paused, clearly not expecting that answer. He let out a soft laugh. "Should I feel honored?"
"You can feel honored if you want... it's up to you," Alaric said with a smile.
Amon glanced back at him, a grin tugging at his lips, then turned to Antigonus. The mass, sensing Amon's approach, grew agitated, its tentacles flailing wildly.
"Lucky guy," Amon muttered, looking at the increasingly frantic worms. With a pinch of his monocle, he activated his Marauder powers.
Even among Kings of Angels, there were disparities in strength. Antigonus, even at his peak, was no match for Amon. Now, maddened and weakened by Zaratul's theft of his Seer characteristics, he was even less of a threat.
In just a few minutes, the once-thrashing mass of worms had retracted its tentacles, pitifully curled up on the narrow throne.
"He's completely lost it," Alaric remarked, stepping closer. He poked the subdued worms, then looked at Amon curiously. "I thought you'd take the chance to do something... like steal the Fool's Uniqueness or the Seer characteristics."
"And get another beating from Father?" Amon replied, his expression calm. "I'm not so dense as to fall for your bait."
Alaric raised an eyebrow, not denying it. Bringing Amon along had indeed been a bit of a test.
He said nothing more, turning his attention back to Antigonus. He reached out, pressing his hand lightly toward the writhing mass.
"Now, let's see if I can wake you up, Antigonus!"
***
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