A Fright In The Night: Royal Ghouls And Knights Come To Life! [Royal Asthavon, Shadow Fall or Those Whom Are Related To Mana Only]

Michael's mind would raise for a moment as he listen to every single word, quickly trying to decrypt it for anything that might be a trick or something that could end him life. It was not until that he heard integrate and family that he finally knew what this meeting was about. They were going to allow him into one of the most powerful and influence Demon Families that have every existed. The Asthavon. Michael did notice the throne being summoned and her getting on it, but at that point he was trying to keep his mind from racing to the point where it might destroy itself with how insanely fast it is going. Michael then felt the energy of something he had felt before, the energy of Death himself. Michael thought back to that day in Afghanistan, with the car explosion that nearly ended his life if it was not for the Danava energy that was locked inside of him. Michael knew of the powers that Death's energy could give people, and that power along allowed most people to raise quickly in the ranks of the Demon World and become respected.

Michael watched as a small bat would form out of Mana's wrist, and it was heading straight for him. If this was not a meeting, Michael might have done something about that but the moment that thought left his mind the bat exploded into a red miasma. This miasma would quickly fall to the ground before starting to form a massive pentagram, which Michael with his research into the Occult knew that it was not something to mess with. As he listened to Mana he would quickly look back at his life and he would realize that he was missing something from his life that he never realized now, something that had never came up due to the never-ending fighting of the Demon World. He had no family. When he was human, there were two things that mattered to him the most, his country and his family. He did have his country, the Shadowfall but he never had a true family that he could call on if shit went down.

Michael's eyes watched as the demon tried to speak information, and he could not help but laugh out loud at the sheer stupidity of this demon. It was clear that he was not laughing at Mana but at the demon himself for even attempting something like this. Once Mana was done speaking, making the terms of the agreement extremely clear. Michael would simply smile up at her as he would begin to do something extremely strange. He would start to take off his coat, and as he started to take it off he would begin talking " Well, to your question of what can I bring to the table. I can bring you the resources of Romania, which may not mean much but you will also have access to all my research on blood based poisons and diseases and anything else I can think of." By this point Michael's coat would be off, and he would simply use his Zo Koa skill to burn it in unholy fire, leaving nothing behind as it fell to the ground.

Michael would then being to take off his tie, " The sheer fact that someone was stupid enough to attempt to betray the Asthavon is mind bogging to me, but of course I grew up as a mere human to never betray your family. A family I lost over three hundred years ago, and you come and offer me a new family. A family that I can call my own.... something that I have been missing for a long time in my unholy life. " once the tie was off, he would burn it in the same way as the coat, and he would begin to unbutton his shirt as a total of eight streams of blood shot out of Michael's body and formed a total of eight blades around all of them facing down and floating in the air. Once Michael got his shirt off, Mana would see the tribal tattoos that lined his chest and upper arms that were normally covered by the clothes that he often wears. Michael would destroy the shirt in the same way as he would close his eyes for a moment and all eight of the blades began to float into the air.

This could be considered an assassination attempt, but something about the way that Michael was doing this would make most people wonder what was going on and Mana knew that even a millions blades going into her would not stop her from regenerating or coming back. Michael stood there for a single moment as the tips of the blades pointed towards Michael, and in a single moment went straight forward slamming into Michael. As Michael's blood sprayed slightly over the pentagram, Michael's eyes would go red with pain as he felt all of his own blades entering his flesh, all the way down to the guard. Two of the blades went between Michael's collar bone and neck, at an angle so they would go though his heart and lungs, if he had any, while another two went straight though where his nipples would be and out the back, again attacking the lungs at another level. Another set would be sent though Michael's body horizontally right under the ribs, and Mana could most likely see the blood covered blades sticking out of the other side of Michael's body. The final set was sent straight into Michael's gut, the tips coming out the back, as Michael fell to his knees in pain. Michael would lean down even farther, placing his closed fists on the now extremely bloody floor as he said loudly " This is what I am willing to do to myself for my family. This is my show of loyalty and devotion I will show you and the Asthavon family, to me this blood oath is something to make you feel safe, and I will do it just for that reason. There are two things that still matter to me, and have mattered to me sense I was just a human. My country and my family. I have my country, the Shadowfall, but until now I have never had a family and you are giving me on and I can't tell you how grateful I am for that simple gift and I plan on repaying you with an undying level of devotion and loyalty to this family in this life and in the next. "

Michael's blood would still be flowing out of his body, his regenerative ability shutting off because he is forcing them to shut off, hoping to show Mana that he is willing to die from blood loss to just prove the point that if there is any question about his devotion to his family, there should be none. Michael's eyes were still blood red with pain, as he had never experienced anything like this and he knew that he might very well black out from the pain at some point but he was holding on as well as he could. Until he heard Mana's answer about him joining the family.

Ah, things were finally starting to get interesting in this gathering within the night. There seemed to be some sort of potential for a connection after the lad's reaction to the hologram she had projected not too long ago had amused The Demon Queen for some reason. It showed that he at least had a small taste for some sort of morbid humor to be around the likes of her. After all, wherever The Queen of Demon's went? Blood trailed her like a never ending curse. To be near something like her? You had to have some sort of iron resolve to withstand the amount of insanity she radiates, attracts and lives in on the daily bases. 'Least you lose sense of yourself and become nothing more of value to the Queen then a pile of flesh waiting to be consumed by her ghastly fangs.

At any rate, it was about time to hear what the little demon had to offer to the table. As she folded her legs to chime in, she considered that adding the further resources of Romania would most likely be beneficial to Shadow Fall's goals. With that being the case, she would at least lend him a listening hear throughout this exchange they were having within the wondrous night of Demon World. However, the actions that would follow afterward would at least get the Demoness to raise an eyebrow about just what this man was intending to do.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt to have another nation under our mantle, eh?" Chuckling a bit, Mana licked her lips in sheer delight of expanding more of her power throughout the corners of the globe. "So, sugah', with that said, I'll throw you a bone and let ya' pitch me a damn good story. I'm all ears" After finishing this first bit of dialogue, Mana watched Micheal very closely as he appeared to be taking off his clothes for some reason. Apparently, the man had burned off his coat and seemed that he would be finally getting into the business of letting this ritual take place hopefully. "Mmmmyes, it's quite foolish to really bring about this families demise by attempting to divulge information like that. Interesting to see that ya' found such sweet dark humor in it earlier, hun." Cackling ever so softly, The Queen would place her hand below her cheek and watch as The Grand Duke would go on further with his speech. It seemed that he had began to go further and deeper into the origins of his past; which would serve to only amuse Mana further.

The man started with how bizarre it would be to attack such a family like the Asthavon. Meaning ,in her view, that he still saw them as an absolute force of some kind. Though, with their recent feats in years of recent, she hardly couldn't blame him. So, escaping out of her lips was a grim chuckle as she began to hear him talk of the pains of being born from human flesh, the bonding of the nuclear family, the trials he had to bare through to protect said family and inevitable loss of such frail creatures. Honestly, the fragility that this cold life had bypassed really Mana's viewpoint at this period in her life. She had forgotten such hardships such as just trying to stay alive, to summon all of the limited power such a weakened creature had to watch over what little they did possess and the whole human experience.

When all is said and done, she had lived a few of her centuries of living as a human and, after becoming a full fledged demon once more, had to fight for her fight to survive in Demon World to put forth her plans into action, shield the Asthavon name and make them a force to be wrecked with through their blood, sweat, laughter and tears. After all, you don't get to take over something so grand as Demon World or the Living World without knowing your fair share of hardship, horror, pain and agony. It's what molds you, it's what drives you, it's what makes you who you are and it's what makes you a top tier player in this grand scheme of life. Pondering these self-believed facts inside of her head, Mana had even wondered if she had given birth for new champions to arise from all the endless amounts of destruction, death and torment that her influence has inflicted on each of these worlds. Millions of bodies disfigured beyond even receiving the honor of having a proper burial , countless lives shattered from the strings of The Queen's grand game tearing apart their loved ones, friends, family and even entire comm unties from their once peaceful existence; leading to the annihilation of endless cities destroyed, in her chaotic wake.

All of these passing thoughts, all of these conflicting emotions and all of this self-discovery had left the creature of the dark perplexed in where she had stood mentally. With the inner workings of her minds enigma steadily losing the foundations they had once so confidently stood upon, it was clear there may have been second thoughts in her actions up until this point. It could be the instabilities in her mental state from having such a distorted physiological health, it may very well be the kindness of Haniel Iahhel influencing the conscious mind of Mana to find her sense of compassion and it might even be all of these holy freaks she had crusaded against finally having an effect on her very being from being drowned in their holy energies; but perhaps, somewhere in this twisted heart of hers, Mana had felt...at a loss...for what she had done?

It was undoubtedly one of the first periods of time in which she had time to reflect upon the feelings, fleeting thoughts and memories that had essentially made Mana...Mana. Yet, something inside of her...felt off. Rubbing the temples of the head to sooth her twisted aspect of life that was materializing within the borders her mind, she decided to instead just direct her attention towards what Micheal was saying. If he was resonating this many sensations inside of the Queen, it was obvious enough that he may be worth enlisting. If, however, only to see what these bonds will do to her. A thought in the back of her head felt like this...demon child...needed to be protected. To her? A voice inside of the depths of Mana's subconscious were speaking sweet nothings and insisting that she at least watch over the young knight. Thus, if he required a clan to call his, then she may very well test the might of his faith and will; putting them to the flames of the fire in order to see for herself if he has the needed desire within his heart to endure the trials of being associated with such a creature of the night as herself.


Then, upon the sight of this male bleeding out from nearly every last orifice of his body as a oath made in blood, The Queen would have her answer for the mangled individual as her mind came back to this world and arise from her throne in response to this. Snapping her fingers, she'd let these same sensations of her mind become sync'd with Micheal's to inflict a sense of empathy between the two. Quite the nifty trick of possessing telepathy and having the ability to convey feelings without muttering a single word. "I've heard enough of ye' ramblings. From all that I have witnessed from this meeting, I'll go on to drain your soul dry and initiate the first phase of ye' being integrated into the Royal Asthavon Family. With this pact made on the blood of your life, we will feast upon the very essence of yourself, and in turn, you will become one with the family; a constant state of devouring one another. So, in light of that, let us begin with this unholy soul, my ghoul of the night."

With the scarifies put on the table, and the conditions of the pact clearly made, it was time to intact this bond made in blood. As the red fluid leaked from Micheal's being like a never ending stream of rain, the pentagon shape symbol had reacted to this and grew even brighter in luminosity. It was feeding power from him, deciphering the mechanisms of his body structure and feeding them each a chain to one another. So, when an established connection between the Queen and the Duke had been constructed, Mana knew that it was time to put the trying phases of this operation in motion. "From this point onward, you will now enter into the shadow's of the abyss with our damned souls. Howling, moaning and screaming unimaginable wails of agony. If you are to remain alive during the period in which this seal is active? Then you will enter into Phase Two of your integration into this family. Yet, my dear child, it implies you have the capacity to withstand the power I'm going to feed you." As she spoke these solidified words, there was a sense of great command within the Queen. No longer was there a playful persona showcased in her eyes or face, but in it's stead? It was the expression...the look...and the command a true Queen of the Hounds of hell would have. Whatever she was doing, whatever she was planning; all of it was very sincere and should be taken in with the utmost urgency.

"There is a very real possibility that your body may not be able to handle the effects of the source of power I'm going to give you. This will be your first taste of the essence of life that beats within my heart. Should your body reject it, be unable to harmonize with it or otherwise control it? Then you will die a very grim death before your time has even began." Showcasing a projected image of the last male whom had lost control of this seal, it was seen that he had been consumed within a state of utter madness; screaming obscenities into the air as a mad rush of power had engulfed his body. But, no one would be seen attempting to stop him in the video. Instead? The man had simply fell to the ground, became further devoured by his own body and died there on the spot as his body burned for days on end; leaving nothing but a charred corpse in it's wake.

"The success rate of this seal I will entrust into you is a fifty fifty shot at realizing your full potential. At the level you are now? You wouldn't stand a chance against the levels in which my true foes have increased their power. Ergo, I am feeding you this strength to mold you into a proper creature of the night and to take your capacities beyond even what you can imagine." Tightening the grip in her right palm, Mana had commanded all of the blood to stop flowing out of the Grand Duke, and instead, rush towards his neck as the seal had a very violent hiss radiate from around every fiber of it's being. The infusion was beginning, the twinning of life and death itself was taking place and the power of Mana had surged into his being. In a blinding wave of pain, a skull-like symbol would hopefully be seen formulating around the lower right portion of Micheal's neck. It illustrated the very branding the Asthavon wore proudly amongst their family emblem; this skull, and all it represented, symbolized the taming of death, the mixture with the dead and the creation of true grim reapers in a sense. These skulls were not just for play, but played a vital part in the lives in which the Asthavon, and Mana herself, lived. (IMAGE OF SKULL)

Thenceforth, the attributes of death itself could now be felt coursing throughout the veins of Micheal's body. It would mend him into a more formidable force, grant him access to the DE Force and begin his path down the road of controlling the elements of the end. Therefore, a strong, vibrant and intense black flame would erupt all around the man; sending bursts of power throughout the area, which would create a massive storm of gust and seismic waves throughout this floating island in the sky; but would not shake the ground in which Mana stood so silently in. As the winds were wiping around them, bioelectricity surging throughout the vicinity for the Grand Duke's body and the powers of death being bestowed upon him; yet another rush of energy would be injected into his body.

However, this force that was being pushed into the noble Demon's body would be of more familiar origins. Working alongside the DE Force which was being constructed within Micheal's body, a piece of Mana's own energy was being infused into this seal. It would be enough, to hopefully, boost his reserves of strength to that of a 0-5+ in it's prime, giving him a base of 1-1++ when not in his transcended states.It would be quite the leap in power, one Mana was not sure his body could endure, but it was all apart of the trial; one in the same with the game of life. Could be strong enough to sustain himself in this madness? Or would he loss himself to the forces that be and become nothing more then the sustenance to solidify Mana's own existence? Only time held these answers, and Mana would watch very observantly to see the results of her test as burst of green light shot from every fiber of his being and seemly reached into the heavens themselves.

It seems, the time for a solider to arise, had arrived. If he had enough willpower to withstand this transformation process of the seal? Then he was worth the breath to inform him of the enhancements this marking would give him. If he were to drop dead before her feet? Well, actions speak for themselves, do they not?