"What're you doing here?" Daniel asked immediately his eyes recognized the figure.
"Why don't we put our differences aside for the moment and you can properly introduce me to these nice friends of yours." Jeffery suggested while walking to the sofa closest to him.
"Why don't you start with him" Jeffery said with his index finger pointed at Angus.He finally reached the sofa and settled with his legs crossed .
"Why are you here?" Daniel repeated with no intentions of heeding to his father's words. His question had been ignored as well, and in the next second his father was pouring out information that he should have no business with.
"Angus Credence, born with three marks of Stigma, believed to have been blessed with a power on par with that of an archangel, thus allowing you to be able to wield a weapon feared even by the gods. According to the dogmas of Christianity, it is known as a weapon that can wound God. I must say those monks of yours know how to exaggerate quite a bit." Jeffery revealed while adjusting his spectacles.
"What did you do to them?" Angus asked, a feeling of fear and anger brewing in him.
"Well, I wouldn't spare anyone that dares to point a blade at my son" Jeffery answered before turning to to face Richard.
"What did you do?!" Angus shouted this time instead of asking. The entire room had been coated in his aura, and his eyes flickered with a glow of gold.
"Ahhh, you can't use that power more than once, can you?" Jeffery asked, not paying attention to the raging boy. He flicked his finger and all of a sudden Angus dropped to the floor unconscious.
"What did you do to him?" Daniel inquired with an astonished expression on his face. He rushed towards Angus's side to confirm if he was okay,
Jeffery allowed his son to confirm the condition of his friend before answering,
"I saved him from himself, he would have died if he was left to continue whatever it is he wanted to do. I merely just drained him of the remaining mana he had left." Jeffery answered.
"What do you want from me?"Daniel asked.
"You really shouldn't question my actions so much, after all you are only alive because you have been under the aegis of my magic."
Daniel bit his lips at the bitter truth of reality, he had no idea how many enemies he'd be fighting in his house if not for his father's barrier.
"Now back to your last friend, Richard Hardwood. A member of the Infernal Judgement, your family was once the leaders of your factions until your father was born without magic, what a shame. Now you're under intense training to reclaim that position. I must say your life must be really cruel" Jeffrey exposed before standing from where he sat. Richard made to protest but Jeffery shot him a look that made Richard decide otherwise.
"Now to my dear son, who has chosen to detest his father for trying to right his path since childhood. You would have been a great sorcerer if you had just accepted who you are. And now you rely on amateurs for your teaching. I must say, I am very disappointed. Nevertheless, it is never late to come back home"
"You just want to use me for your own benefits. Like making your own son a vessel for a curse?" Daniel questioned.
"Ahhh, the Grimoire, I believe it's time I relieve you of its dangers. Every faction is already talking about it, your mother disagrees that I leave it in your possession any longer, and it won't be long before someone breaks through my barri..." He stopped, as if being disturbed by someone.
"That was quicker than I expected, someone is already in" jeffery said and Rose had immediately taken a defensive posture in front of him.
"Reserve your strength Rose, this opponent is much stronger than you are" Jeffery said while walking past her.
Daniel almost choked on his breath at his father's words. Even if Rose was weakened in her current state, she was still formidable and yet someone more powerful was already in their midst.
"Now Daniel, let me show you what true power is." Jeffery enunciated as he slit openhis palm.
Daniel became even more afraid, all his life for as long as he could remember, he had never seen his father use his own blood for a spell. Other times, he would either make an animal sacrifice before battle or let other's suffer his own gruesome fate. And everytime he was asked why, Jeffery would simply reply, "Then the fight wouldn't be interesting"
Jeffery bled onto the carpet while muttering his spells.
"Take us in, great mother of the forest" He concluded, his voice as calm as ever. A sudden gust of air swept in even though the windows were locked, the intensity increased by the second until finally they were no longer in Daniel's apartment.
The forest they'd suddenly arrived in was scorched to its roots, everything burned and even the air was unsafe for human lungs. Richard wasn't with them, and that made Daniel even more afraid.
"Where are we?" Daniel asked as he cupped his nose with his palms to avoid inhaling the unsafe air.
"You wouldn't like your apartment to go into ruins because of some petty fight. This is the forest of Death, the place where our power was born. It is the most unfavorable place to battle a blood sorcerer. And if our opponent is as formidable as I sense, then it is best to bring the fight here." Jeffery explained.
His father has been talking about an opponent but he hasn't sensed any presence at all, neither has he seen anybody either. Rose was in full defense mode, she had scratched open her wrist with her claw like fingers and her eyes were bloodred.
"It was wise taking the fight to somewhere you are at your best, but nevertheless, you cannot battle hell with the things of the mortal realm" A voice echoed from the forest.
With the words he just uttered, it was already clear their opponent was an Infernal Judgement.
"Are you saying that because you're scared or you're saying it because you're a coward who cannot show his face in front of a battle." Jeffery riled up his opponent. His composure not the least shaken that he was up against the strongest clan of sorcery.
A cackle filled the forest while slowly, a figured took form in front of them, his face shinning with a smile.
"Jeffery Bruce, who knew that you would be the one to find a book lost for centuries, and to leave it in the possession of an untrained sorcerer, that is so like you" The man said before a letting out a mild cackle.
Jeffery shrugged his shoulders and took two steps closer to his opponent.
"James Allen, long ago I showed you the difference in our strength and you dare to seek revenge on my son? How low have you fallen?"
"I have no intention of harming your son, I've only come for the book. And we were young, things aren't as they used to be. I will spare your son and grant you a painless death if you hand me the book now." James offered before taking two steps forward towards Jeffery.
"Be gone" Jeffery said and with a flick of his finger, sent James flying backwards until a tree broke his fall. "Get behind me Daniel." Jeffery ordered and for the first time in a while, Daniel obeyed.
James stood from where he had landed, a wide smile visible on his face as he raced towards his opponent. A cloud of smoke formed round him and out of distraction, a barrage of weapons came flying towards them.
Still unwavering, Jeffery pulled out a gem from his pocket and dropped it on the ground in front of him, bloodstones.
The weapons all fell to the floor and vanished before they even reached their target, but James didn't stop, he still had his smile on his face and now emitted a totally different aura than he did moments ago.
The dark smoke engulfed him once more, and an even menacing cackle filled the forest, he had done the unthinkable, he made himself a host to an arch demon.