The Crimson Prince： Awakening 95 Did You Think I Wouldn't Know?

The wailing screams of the d.a.m.ned filled the air as yet another wave of men and women were collected within the halo of light. Will groaned with annoyance as he had to reach far out across the sea to find a suitable amount of wielders to satiate his appet.i.te. As they grew closer, the crimson bursts of flame lit up from within, showing that not everyone was ready to just give up and die. Will chuckled at their feeble attempts to hold on to their miserable lives.

His eyes lit slightly as he put a finger in the air and began twirling it. As he twirled, the halo began to spin in the same direction. For a moment, all movement ceased within the confining s.p.a.ce as everyone realized what was about to happen. They had seen it from afar many times, which had eventually led them to seek asylum from beyond the border of Crystallia.

Flames shot at the border even more than before as they tried desperately to escape. Yet, the flames began to light the halo from the inside, giving it a look of a newly forged ring from the outside, still hot from the coals. Then the air began shifting from within. Will could see fumes rising as the temperature began to rise. He could hear screams begin anew as his fellow citizens were slowly roasted alive by their own auras. No matter how many times he had seen it, he couldn't grow tired of seeing the hope bleed from their eyes just as they began to pop.

After only moments, all screaming stopped and there was only a crimson light within the halo. Bodies dropped from the sky, surrounding the pillar to which his throne sat atop of. Those who he allowed to live were already lighting the flame from below, cremating the remains before they began to stink.

Will stretched out his legs before crossing them once more upon his pet's back. "What's wrong puppy," Will smiled as the power flowed to him. He breathed in the aura and his eyes lit up gold. "You don't seem to have as much bark as before." He looked at the chained man who only stared at the ring below. "Either you've given up.." Will stood and clasped his hands behind him as he paced. "Which I don't find very likely by the way. You have always been a slight thorn in my side. Always going on about what's right and wrong." He gave air quotes as he mimicked the old man's voice. He laughed and rolled his eyes.

When he didn't get a response from the old man, Will crouched down. His gold and crimson armor touching the platform. "Come on old man, throw me a bone." He wined. "It isn't any fun just talking to myself up here, you know."

"I didn't think you wanted your stepping stool to talk." Ragnos mumbled as he continued to hold himself up from the platform. He tried as he always did to push himself back up, but Will's force of aura only pressed down on him stronger.

"There's my puppy!" Will clapped with childlike delight. "You know you aren't a stepping stool, I just can't trust you to be up right now, that's all." He said as if he were talking to a child. "All of this plotting against me doesn't really give you many points in my book, you know." A sly smile appeared on his face.

Ragnos didn't try to move as he thought about what to say next. "I think all of this power might be going to your head a little." He tried to smile as he lifted his head slightly, trying to look the prince in the eyes. "Have you already started to think of enemies in your bedchamber, or is it just in the kitchen for now?"

"Did you think I wouldn't know?" Will arched an eyebrow. "I could feel the power fluctuation when you sent that boy through." He smiled as he looked down on his pet G.o.d.

"Yes!" Ragnos roared to the heavens. "The cavalry is here! Evil will be vanquished tonight!" His eyes lost some of their shine as he looked dully towards Will. "Is that what you were waiting to hear? So I took pity on one mortal, what does it matter to you?"

"You're right." Will sighed dramatically. "It really wouldn't matter to me what you do with your own power." He made a face as if he were looking at a pile of manure by his foot. "It doesn't look like you have much left anyway." His eyes lit up as if he had a new toy. "But lucky for me, you've already fixed that problem." He beamed off into the distance.

"Oh? And what solution have I so graciously given you?" Ragnos rolled his eyes, yet inside he was sweating.

Will picked up Ragnos's head by the chin and stared out to the distance with him. "Look to where you sent him through." His smile became manic as he saw Ragnos come to a realization.

Miles away where he had sent Aiden through, he could still see the tear within the world. "That's impossible." His eyes went wide as he saw a small sliver of gold which lodged the tear open.

"Haven't you noticed that I've picked up the pace a tiny bit?" Will chuckled as he let the G.o.d's head drop back down to the platform. "I'm closing up shop on this world, old timer." He stared off into the distance with a look of pure ecstasy. "And you just gave me the way out."

"Even if you go there, you still have to defeat the prince from that world." Ragnos challenged. "And now there will be two."

"I will look forward to the slaughter." Will looked at the tear darkly. "Those two will be the first to perish. Not a single other will before them, I'm not one for waste." A cruel smile twisted the regal face of the Crimson Prince. "Soon." He said as he sat back on his throne. A weary G.o.d groaned as feet were once again placed atop him.