Chương 19: Mandala Quarter

Abaddon walked alone into the streets of the Mandala Quarter on the southern side of Phoenix City. Despite the hour, the Quarter was alive with colour, noise and people.

The raucous laughter blended with the music in the air, emanating from the countless entertainment establishments and even the streets. It was not uncommon to see a person on the street with a guitar or a drum playing on the roadside.

Moreover, the people did not conceal their less-human features in these streets. It was not unusual to see sharp claws, long canines and even occasional pairs of horns in Mandala.

It was a truly boisterous place for the free-spirited.

In the aspect of nightlife, Phoenix City was nothing like Farallon City.

In Farallon City, things were always slow with only minimalist lounges and a few commercial clubs thriving. The city had a more composed air for people who preferred a structured life as opposed to a crazy life.

Moreover, most citizens of the Farallon metropolis and its environs were involved in standard jobs that demanded a stable schedule. Even the culture of the country itself was a little stiff in comparison to the other two capitals of Panthalassa.

The plain jumpsuits that were often worn in Farallon City for practical purposes could not be found in the streets of Phoenix, especially not in the vibrant Mandala Quarter.

The residents believed the more colour and pizzazz, the better.

If Abaddon had walked openly in the streets after alighting from the Caladrius, he would have stuck out like a sore thumb in his black clothing.

However, he was like a phantom traversing through the streets, fast and unseen. Even powerful people who might have caught a glance of him would think he was a trick of the light.

As he passed through the streets of Mandala Quarter, he glanced at the small parade taking place in front of a restaurant as he walked to his destination.

There was a certain ungraspable joy in his eyes when he saw the carefree dancers.

He remembered the despair that the people who now lived in Panthalassa had experienced before he and his comrades forged a new continent. He had seen it all after years of roaming the earth when that war ended.

The world had been filled with strife as the Consortium tried to amass power and unite the world. They presented themselves as peacekeepers leading the world to a new era, but their propaganda was designed to stir up a fight against beings like demi-angels that seemed too powerful to be part of the natural world.

Most of the demi-angels who had fought for the humans chose to keep silent despite the hatemongering. After all, no matter how powerful the Consortium and humans were, their cities could be crushed with a single wave from the demi-angels. It was not worthwhile to fight with powerless insects.

Unfortunately, other powerful beings and groups had also lost their comfortable lives as the Consortium sowed discord in the public populace. They cause segregation by convincing the public that the demi-angels and other overpowered creatures desired to rule the world, just as the angels had.

After seeing the mess, Abaddon had called onto some of his comrades from the war and told them about his plan.

The start had been rough, but he remembered how carefree life was in those days had been. They did not have much, but they were finally free of the contempt of the 'normal' humans.

They had a happiness that could not be touched.

Abaddon took another glance at the parade before he disappeared into the darkness, and his determination to find the killer in the shadows strengthened. He would not allow anything to destroy the hard-earned peace of his people.

Finally, he reached his destination: a mansion in the heart of the Mandala Quarter reminiscent of the palace of Versailles.

He traversed the large gate like it was non-existent and stood before the main door.

He lifted the lion head knocker and tapped lightly, even though he knew that the residents already knew of his presence. He had not attempted to hide his intrusion. After all, he was not trying to attack them.

The door opened, revealing a handsome ageless man with a seductive face. Everything about his face had an enthralling quality from his red lips to his feather-like brows. However, the most unusual and beautiful thing about him was his exposed red wings.

Their vibrancy rivalled the colourful nightlife of the Mandala Quarter. Moreover, there was a hint of carelessness in the way they were displayed, enhancing the look of debauchery.

The man stared at Abaddon for a while before smiling widely.

He flared his wings in a peacock-like manner creating a glorious image before bowed to Rex. "My King."

Abaddon did not mind the dramatic gesture. He had never required outward shows of devotion. However, some did insist on keeping up with the Old World practices. Of course, none of them did it out of simple mischief like Govad.

Govad was one of the younger demi-angels. He had not been tainted by the struggles between the factions or been raised by his angelic father. He had grown up under the care of other demi-angels who were still uncertain about raising a normal child.

Of course, he had turned out a little… strange.

Still, though his character was a bit carefree and wayward, he was also incredibly strong. Otherwise, he would not have become a Counsellor in Phoenix, despite his age and eccentricities.

"Where is Samiel?" Abaddon did not waste time.

The red-winged man raised his refined brow in question as he looked at Abaddon. He folded his wings behind him, but he did not conceal them.

"Where do you think he is?" He laughed to himself.

Rex looked at him with a fire brewing in his glowing eyes, and the air around him changed, creating a domain of absolute power. Govad felt an invisible force of undeniable power reaching out to him and suppressing him.

Tsk…

He had wanted to play a little with the King, but he was still too powerless before him.

'What exactly had he eaten while growing up?' Govad wondered to himself as he tried to resist the overwhelming force.

Finally, he capitulated, unable to withstand the suppression from Rex. He rolled his eyes. "Jeez, relax. I will take you to him. No need to get all moody and scary."

He huffed and walked away.

As he sauntered away with his red wings in his wake, Abaddon smiled a little, even though he knew what he had done was unnecessarily childish.

If he did not scare the young ones a little, they might get too cocky. He laughed inwardly, not realising that in a single day, he had changed so much.

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