(Arthur POV)
After wrapping up the day's shoot, I called Firfel over. "Here's your amulet," I said, handing it to her.
Firfel took it, examining it closely. "You've removed the curse?"
I smiled, nodding. "Yes, it's not cursed anymore. Look, it's not reacting to my evil-repeller ring."
Firfel glanced between the ring on my hand and the amulet, doubt flickering in her eyes.
"You're right. It's not reacting anymore..." she admitted, sounding impressed. "How did you manage that?"
"Umm..." I hesitated, then added, "I learned a rare technique to remove curses. But I can only use it once a year..."
Firfel eyed me suspiciously. "And you used this rare technique on my amulet?"
I nodded.
"Didn't you feel it was a waste to use it on this amulet?" she pressed.
"Haha, I don't have much use for that technique. No worries," I assured her, but Firfel's look clearly said 'Uh huh.'
She didn't fully buy the explanation, but it would have to do.
***
The next day, we began shooting at the expensive villa on Victory Peak. Anubis arrived on set with his friends in tow.
I recognized them from the pictures Anubis had shown me earlier - these were the ones curious of Demonfather Part 2.
The old demon with Piccolo-like antennae was Don Leviathan, and the other scale demon was Anus. There were also some unfamiliar faces among them.
"Mr. Arthur," Anubis said, gesturing to his companions, "These are my friends. They're curious about the production of Demonfather Part 2."
"And this is the respected Don Leviathan," Anubis introduced the antennae-sporting demon.
"It's a pleasure to meet the famous prince behind Demonfather!" Leviathan exclaimed, opening his arms wide, clearly angling for a hug.
Why not? It's just a hug. But when I embraced him, Leviathan squeezed me so tightly I thought my eyes might pop out.
I cleared my throat, and Don Leviathan took the hint, releasing me. "Hahaha, sorry if I got a little excited," he chuckled. "I just see Michael Corleone in you!"
"No problem," I replied, brushing it off.
"This is Anus Hades," Anubis introduced next.
I shook hands with Anus as he said, "I love Demonfather. It's a masterpiece."
"Thanks," I smiled genuinely.
"Though I hope this Demonfather Part 2 won't disappoint," Anus added.
Before I could respond, Anubis interjected, "Hehe, it won't. I've been in production for days, read the script, and I've got to say, this one's as good as the first Demonfather!"
I looked at Anubis, speechless. "Hey, now you're spoiling them," I chided.
"Ah, sorry, sorry!" Anubis bowed his head apologetically.
I noticed his friends' surprise at Anubis's humility. Can't blame them. A few weeks ago, I wouldn't have imagined Anubis being so respectful to me. But it seems he's grown to respect me after seeing the Demonfather Part 2 script and development progress.
After chatting with Anubis and his friends, we continued filming. I tested the acting skills of Don Leviathan, Anus, and the others, but they were stiff as boards.
Still, I knew they could improve. After all, Anubis had acted well as the young Don Vito Corleone. Though I suspect it was Anubis's love for Demonfather and Don Vito that helped him act so convincingly.
I had Don Leviathan, Anus, and the others do mock scenes, but they clearly had a lot to learn.
A few days later, after intense coaching, Leviathan, Anus, and the others seemed to be gradually settling into their roles. They were slowly transforming into actors.
***
(3rd Person POV)
During the filming of "Demonfather Part 2", Firfel noticed a subtle shift in her amulet.
She struggled to articulate the change - it appeared the same, yet somehow felt different. The amulet now exuded a cool, soothing aura.
In moments of exhaustion, she found that simply touching the amulet left her refreshed and reinvigorated. This wasn't mere illusion; she could tangibly feel her energy returning upon contact with the amulet when tired. The phenomenon puzzled her.
Back in her apartment after the shoot, Firfel studied the amulet intently. "What did Arthur do to you?" she muttered, curiosity gnawing at her.
The amulet seemed improved, in her opinion. She pondered how Arthur could have accomplished this.
"Could it be that he really used a rare technique on the amulet?" she mused aloud. Initially skeptical of Arthur's claim, she now began to consider the truth in his words.
While Arthur might not have divulged all the details, perhaps he had indeed removed the curse, unlocking the amulet's basic functions like healing.
Strangely, she found she could no longer channel her magic into it. The amulet seemed to reject her magical power outright.
As Firfel turned the amulet over in her hands, her mind raced with possibilities. What other secrets might this artifact hold?
And what exactly had Arthur done to cause such a transformation? The mystery deepened, leaving Firfel both intrigued and slightly unsettled by the power Arthur seemed to wield so casually.
***
The next day on set, Firfel approached Arthur, noticing an inexplicable change in him. He seemed more... radiant.
"Hey, you're glowing today!" she remarked.
Arthur turned, flashing a smile. "Really?" he chuckled. "Or maybe you're starting to develop feelings for me?"
Firfel blushed despite herself. "You're delusional."
"Haha, I'm just teasing," Arthur laughed, clearly enjoying her reaction. "Your face is turning red!"
Annoyed, Firfel nudged him. Arthur's playful jabs made her reconsider asking about the amulet. She pouted, not wanting to admit how his teasing actually got to her, and walked away.
In the distance, she overheard Klein: "Haha, boss, I think you're the one developing feelings-"
"Someone's about to lose a job," Arthur retorted, effectively silencing Klein.
Firfel couldn't help but wonder if Arthur did have feelings for her. Yet, she hesitated to entertain the idea of a relationship. Her focus remained on becoming a great actress and proving her family wrong.
***
Days slipped by as Arthur began filming the young Vito Corleone scenes.
The production expanded into Horn City itself, with Arthur and his crew transforming parts of the district to appear fifty years older for the camera. They arranged props meticulously, creating a bygone era for the lens to capture.
They also needed a large number of extras for several scenes, so the crew began negotiating with local residents for their cooperation.
The district's residents responded with unexpected enthusiasm to the prospect of being part of Arthur Morningstar's new mob film.
"A film by Arthur Morningstar?" a demon exclaimed when approached by Klein. "Count me in!"
Klein's relief was palpable. Other crew members found similar excitement as they recruited locals. "Arthur's filming in our district? I want to be part of it!" was a common refrain.
The willingness to cooperate for the film's production was overwhelming. It seemed Arthur's name carried significant weight among the people, despite the media's less-than-favorable stance.
As filming commenced, curious onlookers gathered at a distance to observe.
"Wow, is this Arthur's new film?" one demon wondered aloud.
Another speculated, "Do you think it's Demonfather sequel?"
A dwarf chimed in, "If it's Demonfather sequel, I'll definitely watch it!" He paused, then added, "But Hellfire's only calling it a 'mob' film. Maybe it's a different mob story, not Demonfather."
The air buzzed with excitement and speculation. Even those not directly involved in the production felt a sense of pride that their district had been chosen as a filming location.
Arthur, overhearing some of the chatter, couldn't help but smile. The locals' enthusiasm was infectious, adding an energy to the set that no amount of direction could manufacture. He made a mental note to include as many of them as possible in background scenes – their genuine excitement would translate well on screen.