"You've changed, Lil' Red. You're now openly calling yourself a tool? Tsk tsk, you're done for. Keep this up, and you'll end up just like Sasrir one day!" Alaric shook his head dramatically, teasing as the aura of Death spread out, granting eternal rest to every being in the area except Medici.
Let's not forget that Alaric was a true Death today! Sure, he could keep using the fragments of Nyarlathotep's power to suppress the Red Priest's uniqueness with his higher status, but that would mean wasting the golden opportunity his new "toy" provided. From that perspective, Alaric rather admired the Red Priest's uniqueness for its tenacity... it gave him a chance to test his new powers.
Medici rolled his eyes, too exasperated to argue that, in terms of workload, he wasn't far behind Sasrir.
Instead, Medici strode toward Salinger's Blood Banner. With Alaric's Death powers in play, the revived army fell back into eternal rest, unable to obstruct him any longer.
Alaric followed behind with a smile, and the two smoothly reached the vicinity of Salinger's Blood Banner.
At that moment, the banner was visibly weakened but clearly in a state of extreme agitation, ready to lash out at the approaching duo.
Medici reached out, touching the blood-red banner mark between his brows. For a fleeting moment, it resonated with Salinger's Blood Banner, but the connection broke instantly, replaced by an even stronger rejection.
Salinger's Blood Banner did not acknowledge Medici!
It was hard to gauge Medici's emotions in that moment, but his icy expression suggested they weren't pleasant.
"Poor Lil' Red," Alaric said, his voice cutting through the tension. He placed a hand on Medici's shoulder, steadying him against the backlash that nearly sent him stumbling. With his other hand, Alaric gently grasped the pole of Salinger's Blood Banner.
In an instant, a force potent enough to corrupt an angel surged toward Alaric, while the power of the River of Eternal Darkness sought to erode his soul, luring him into eternal slumber and silencing his mind.
"Pfft!" Alaric couldn't help but chuckle. The power of Chaos surged back along the invading forces, and the once-vibrant Salinger's Blood Banner dimmed in an instant.
"Well, that's the power of the River of Eternal Darkness? Quite a kick!" Alaric quipped playfully. As his words landed, Salinger's Blood Banner trembled violently. The flag, once tainted by the River of Eternal Darkness's aura, began to shed its deathly and soporific essence at a visible rate, returning to its pure state.
Boom!
The entire city quaked, as if the foundation sustaining it had been irrevocably shaken... or perhaps it was merely reacting to Salinger's Blood Banner. The underground mausoleum began to collapse, but the area around Alaric and Medici remained eerily calm.
This stillness wasn't natural; it was the result of being forcibly restrained by the power of Chaos.
Finally, Salinger's Blood Banner fully shed the River of Eternal Darkness's influence. With a firm tug, Alaric pulled the flag from its perch.
In anyone else's hands, the flag would have radiated immense power, but in Alaric's, it was as docile as an ordinary cloth. He scrutinized it critically for a moment before handing it to Medici.
With a smile, Alaric said, "You may not be its true love, but no matter... a forced match may not be sweet, but it quenches the thirst. I approve of this union."
Medici looked up at him, his ruby-like eyes betraying a flicker of unreadable thoughts. Then, with a scoff, he took the flag from Alaric's hand.
The banner, which had rejected him moments ago, now lay quiet and obedient. Medici glanced at it, then at Alaric, and said in a rare, sincere tone, "Is Your Majesty bestowing a marriage?"
Alaric blinked, then laughed heartily. "I had exactly that in mind!"
Pausing, he couldn't resist adding, "So, my dear Red, seeing as I've shown you such favor, how about you perform that thing? You know, that one."
Medici shot him a look. "What thing?"
"Oh, come on!" Alaric said, exasperated. "Don't tell me you know to call me 'Your Majesty' but have no idea what I'm talking about. You've definitely been sneaking chats with Bethel."
"Hah! That's all you've got?" Medici sneered, clearly unimpressed.
But in the next moment, the War Angel planted the flag beside him and knelt on one knee, placing a hand over his chest. Lowering his usually proud head, he spoke with rare solemnity: "I am loyal to you, I follow you, I belong to you, Your Majesty!"
"I will fight for you until you go mad and try to destroy this world... or until my death."
Medici lifted his head, flashing a faintly provocative smile. "Satisfied?"
"Very satisfied. Extremely satisfied," Alaric said, nodding enthusiastically, visibly thrilled. He'd clearly been looking forward to this moment for a long time.
"Tch, pathetic," Medici scoffed, then grumbled, "So, can I stand now? This ground is awfully uncomfortable."
"Rise, my loyal subject!" Alaric said, helping Medici to his feet and casually shoving the Red Priest's uniqueness into his arms. He then glanced around.
With Salinger's Blood Banner altered and removed, the area was clearly on the verge of collapse. Apart from the zone Alaric's power preserved and the spot where Herabergen stood, everything else was deteriorating rapidly.
"Hm, no one-button reset?" Alaric mused, rubbing his chin for a second before pulling Medici down the mountain of corpses to where Herabergen stood, eyes closed.
"Done?" Herabergen asked, sensing their approach and opening his eyes.
"Yup, but this place might be falling apart. You'll probably need to fix it later," Alaric said with a nod.
"No matter, it's not a big deal," Herabergen replied, shaking his head, clearly unconcerned. His gaze settled on the flag in Medici's hands. The Red Priest's uniqueness, once corrupted by the River of Eternal Darkness, had regained its purity. Though he'd anticipated this, seeing it confirmed still left Herabergen in awe.
This was the power of Lucifer, the power beyond an Great Old One.
***
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