Eren paused in his meal, his attention fully focused on Sirius. He straightened up in his chair and stroked his chin, contemplating the situation.
"Hmm, that is indeed a valid concern. While I'm not afraid of Demonmir, I would prefer to avoid any collateral damage. So, how much time do I have? Negotiating with Layos is likely to be even more difficult than with Edinburgh," Eren inquired.
Sirius raised his right hand, displaying a victory sign with his fingers as he responded, "You have approximately two years, give or take. That's the time frame Demonmir needs to match your success in Hex Artifact creation."
Eren chuckled upon hearing Sirius' answer.
"That's more than enough. I only need one year to get rid of that bastard," Eren replied, a knowing smile playing on his lips. "You should head back now, Sirius. This meal is on me," Eren added before returning to his food.
Sirius couldn't quite fathom how Eren intended to eliminate Demonmir within a year, but for some reason, he had faith in him. After confirming that no one was tailing them once again, Sirius let out a sigh before vanishing into thin air, leaving Eren to finish his meal in solitude.
Within a few moments, Alephee appeared sitting in a chair previously occupied by Sirius. She didn't seem interested in food. But she lifted a bottle of red wine placed in front of Eren and fixed herself a glass.
"Don't provoke people into becoming your enemies just to satiate your tendency to butcher people up, Eren," Alephee reprimanded Eren in a soft and gentle voice. She looked at him intently, observing his visage before continuing.
"Especially now, when the pressure of so many space-element runes is acting on you. Your movements are thoroughly restricted because of them. Your ability to use spells has been greatly compromised because of them. Nobody would be able to tell this about you after looking at you or your actions. But that's not the reason to be careless at this point."
Eren turned his gaze towards Alephee, a smile playing on his lips as he nodded in acknowledgment. Deep down, he couldn't help but admit that the use and control of space-element runes placed a considerable burden on his body, hindering his ability to fully unleash his powers and abilities.
During his encounter with Lysa's team, they had failed to recognize this change in him, attributing it to their battle formation rather than realizing that Eren's elemental spells had lost a certain edge that had become synonymous with his name, Grimdawn.
Eren had practically imposed a handicap on himself by burdening his body with the space-element rune implantation that was active even before the burden inflicted by Demonmir's rune implantation was added into the mix. In doing so, he provided Lysa's team with an unintended advantage during their battle.
However, thanks to the Hex Artifacts he possessed, Eren was able to compensate for the limitations imposed by the rune and rely solely on his physical prowess to dismantle the formidable battle formation and overcome Lysa's entire team.
Before attempting to implant the space-element rune on Demonmir, Eren had conducted a thorough field test on Reva. He had firmly gripped her by the throat and planted the rune just by coming into contact, ensuring that the rune implantation would yield the desired results.
With Reva's successful implantation paving the way, Eren proceeded to implant the same rune on Demonmir, achieving the desired outcome. One could say that Reva had paved the way for her ex's potential downfall.
Eren needed to encrypt the space-element rune within a cluster of other aether-element runes, concealing its true nature. Additionally, he had to bear the burden of carrying the space-element rune himself, carefully concealing any side effects that could potentially alert Demonmir to his actions.
If Demonmir had sensed the presence of the space-element rune and its detrimental effects, he would have spared no effort in eliminating the ticking time bomb that Eren had planted within him.
As Eren continued eating, he couldn't help but sigh as he reflected on the challenges he faced in trying to make the Lazarus Project a success. Dealing with Demonmir was the last thing he needed during such a critical time. Unfortunately, several unexpected obstacles forced him to alter his plans.
Initially, Eren had intended to eliminate Demonmir within two to three years after the war between Edinburgh and Layos began. He had made extensive preparations and sought the involvement of someone from House Lowin to execute his plan.
Ariella had been his chosen candidate for this role. Aware that his Sin Series Ability would be ineffective against a powerful demonkin like Ariella, Eren had attempted to win Ariella's favor through romantic gestures. However, Ariella managed to maintain her neutrality between Eren and Demonmir, thwarting his attempts to manipulate her.
It seemed that Ariella had developed a strong mental fortitude after discerning Eren's true intentions. She remained guarded whenever they interacted, making it difficult for Eren to establish any intimate connection that would allow him to set a trap for Demonmir.
Eren was well aware that he couldn't easily manipulate women driven by a strong sense of duty without resorting to the power of the Mist of Lust. His current inability to utilize the Sin Series Ability posed a notable disadvantage. Argo, upon learning about Eren's predicament, couldn't help but burst into laughter, deeming it to be a "rare L."
The butcher realized he needed to think outside the box. Thus, he decided to incorporate Demonmir into the broader scope of the Lazarus Project.
Maintaining a friendly and cordial relationship with Ariella despite her neutrality, Eren allowed Demonmir to be drawn to him of his own volition. And he had to admit, it worked out perfectly and at just the right time.
As Eren finished his meal, a mysterious mist began to envelop him, concealing his form. He swiftly transformed his appearance into that of Leo Longblade, tapping into his acquired bloodline powers. With a satisfied smile, he silently expressed gratitude to Reen for granting him such groundbreaking abilities.
Turning his attention to Alephee, Eren spoke with determination, "I've resolved many matters during this week's break. It's time to return to the City of Lancelot." Alephee nodded in understanding.
In the blink of an eye, Eren activated one of the space-element runes infused within him. As the mist dissipated, the lunch table was left empty, devoid of any sign of their presence except for the bill amount and generous tip placed on the table.
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