Lord Shadow

Erika look toward the distance. No one knows what she is seeing. But it is clearly not the future.

An eye that is clear but could not see the way forward. Where is her happy ending? Does she even have such ending?

Does the world have such ending?

She thought of all this, and could not help but sigh

Then she mutters to the wind, or was it for Loki to hear it?

'My happy end, huh? It is too far away'

Then she added

'And who knows? Maybe, there is no such thing as a happy ending for me. Though, there is an End waiting at the farthest road. I just hope that the road could continue and not end at that point'

Loki understood a bit the feeling of Erika. They are the only two people that might understands each other in this world.

Because they both had seen the End. And that bonds them together.

They were silent for a few second before Loki suddenly said

'Still, we yearn for it, like children that wanted to hear the happy ending of a fairy tale' hearing this Erika smiles a bit, a faint smile, a smile that wanted to hope but also realizes the problem that lies ahead.

Could hope survive such hardship? Or is it because it is a massive undertaking, with little chance to success that they hope more fervently?

Another silence but the silence is not long. Because they are coming closer and closer to the wind barrier.

Loki simply said

'Void is here, isn't he?' He finally asked the question

Erika sighed.

This is what she means by the two question before.

When Loki ask her whether she sees whether he is coming or not, the answer to that question would actually answer two question.

Erika could always see the future.

It is only when she is in some places or in some kind of restriction or in the presence of something unique that she would not be able to see the future.

Void is one of the unique people in the world where in his presence she would not be able to see the future.

So, if she answers no, then she would also imply that Void is here

She knows Loki probably already surmised that Void is with her.

Thus, the question. And she knew it is pointless to deny it.

Erika simply sighed.

'He's here'

'Can I meet him?'

Erika seems to think for a while before asking

'Is it to become your chess piece? Another new play? A different kind of strategy?' she asks with a smile on her face

Loki look at Erika with a hurt expression. It is many façade of Loki. Erika usually just ignores it. If one really believes Loki at face value, Erika has a bridge to sell them

Loki could tell that his act does not fool Erika in the slightest,

So, Loki quickly revert to his usual expression. He simply answer

'Yes. It might be a Knight or a Bishop. A very peculiar chess piece, this one.'

Loki and Erika did not need to lie to each other. At least not something so obvious like this.

Erika sighed and then said

'He….is a pitiful boy.'

'We all are' Loki quickly reply.

'Are we going to play pity-Olympics now? Want to see who is more suffering?'

'There is no need to be…. sarcastic'

'Erika, do not wear the veil of righteousness in front of me. You take him with you, I doubt it is because of the kindness of your heart. I never knew you to be a saint' Loki said, each of his word is sharp with criticism

They do not lie to each other and they also do not consider each other feelings at all because they are playing a game with the highest stake in the Universe.

When you play such a game, you do not care much about trivial feelings

'You have seen him. What did you see from him?' Loki asked

Erika did not answer immediately. She seems to be looking at the wind barrier. Now, the wind barrier is only a few hundred meters.

Loki also look forward. They did not say anything for a while as they simply look at the barrier.

A dozen feet.

Five feet.

Three feet.

Two feet.

One feet

Everyone is looking at the Narwhal. They wondered what will happen to that submarine. Would it be torn apart and grinded into nothingness like some of the ships that have tried and failed?

Would it explode? Or does the One Eyed Oracle have some magic that would teleport them away.

They all expected one of these outcome. But what happens next goes beyond anything they could think of.

There is no sound of explosion. There is no sound of the wind ravaging the submarine. There is not even the sound of the wind.

What they see was that the wind barrier suddenly dissipaters. The wind did not even blow up or surges up or dissipated away.

They simply disappear like it never existed in the first place.

And the island was revealed to everyone.

What they see was a scorched land. But that alone did not manage to shock them. Instead what shocked them was that they see a dragon clad in lightning.

They see Raymond with half naked body, each part of that body is full of wounds, golden blood dripping down from each wounds

But they also see that Raymond is now burning with power, that space and time around him were pressured down and outward from him

golden particles seem to descend from the sky, blessing him

They see an archer with a bow in her hands, an arrow ready to be unleashed.

It is the same like Raymond, a golden particle seems to dances around her, blessing her with some kind of holy magic.

That is what it looks like to the people that is seeing this scene right now.

There is holes and craters all over the island. Erika and Loki look at this and they couldn't help but sigh together.

Then she suddenly answers the question that Loki had asked her

'Emptiness. I saw an emptiness. A man who simply want to watch the world burn'

Then she added

'A pitiful empty boy'

Loki smiles bitterly

'is there salvation for him?'

'There is…...I think'

'I guess we only could hope' Loki said sarcastically

'Do…then hope'

Loki was silent for a while.

He does not seem to care that there is dragon in the sky, that there are dark clouds that began to spread all over the island and began intruding the space that used to be the wind barrier.

He does not care that Raymond and Sofia is there about to fight one of the battle that would surely be one of the hardest one to fight

Instead, he is still talking leisurely with Erika.

'You do not try to tame a mad dog who bites people and give people rabies. You know what you do with mad dog like that, Erika? You put them out of their misery. Sometimes, you need to accept that not all people could change'

'Are you talking about me Trickster?'

there is a voice behind Loki back. Loki did not even turn back to see who it was. He knew it is him

It is something in his voice. Loki had known he was behind him all this time. He did not even try to lower his voice. He wanted Void to listen

Void is not like normal people. Instead he is a very abnormal person. Just hear his voice right now. The coldness in his voice could not mask his excitement.

A crazy person. Maybe, only Erika could suppress such people, making him incognito these past few months

Because she too is also a bit crazy

There is a smile on Loki face, a smile that he quickly wipes out.

He turns and looks toward Void. He glances at him, seeing this one famous figure that could take Death Monarch finger.

Loki knows him. He sees his poster and read information about him, watch his recording and study this man.

He's changed a bit.

In the past, he looks like a young man, and there is a sense of arrogance and playfulness to him. He still has that kind of temperament but it is more under control.

That is not necessarily a good thing. There is nothing more terrifying than a functional crazy person.

He seems more mature than before, a nicely trimmed beard, making him appear more rugged.

There is a stave on his back. Loki eyes narrowed. This stave is emanating powerful absorbing energy.

Blacks spaces is trying to form around him but is restrained by some invisible force. Loki could see that the wind that blows toward him dissipated before it could even reach him

Some passes through, some dissipated into nothingness.

Loki understood why.

The wind barrier that encircles this island where the trident is situated is made of magic, of powerful divine energy.

Void body seems to repel all energy. Or is he absorbing it?

He is neutralizing the Laws and energy around him. Loki believe that only Void could stimulate that stave behind his back.

Who created such a stave? Loki immediately understood that someone had crafted that stave. He could only a few people in his mind that have such ability to create such a mystical weapon.

Loki is wearing a purple robe. It is not something that Loki had expected.

From the recording he once saw, Void usually wears a shabby patched looking purple robe. Clearly, his time with Erika had made him a better dresser.

The lower part of his face is covered by a thin translucent black cloth but one could see his smile.

It is not exactly a kind smile.

His hair is long and covering his left eye.

White mist appears beneath his feet as his body slowly being shrouded by white mist, making him to appear like he was translucent.

His eyes are sharp and determined. And Loki could feel that Void is at the peak of Disk Formation. Though, the feeling he gave Loki is quite different

The energy, the Disk, felt hollow. There are only a few unique people in Earth that follows the rarely trodden path

Azief is one, trying to walk the Perfection Path. And Void is another. Though, is it him that wanted to walk this path or was he forced to walk this path?

Loki did not mind not knowing the answer this time. Because he still has time. And there is time to know all the answers to these question.

Loki takes a lot of Void appearance in one glance. He saw his smile, he analyzes his demeanor, and try to form a picture of what kind of a person Void is.

This would help him in making plans.

Loki then ask

'I think this is the first time we met face to face?'

Void did not intend to go through pleasantries.

His eyes are sometimes looking at Loki and sometimes he looks toward the island, looking at Raymond in the air with Sofia beside him, and the dragon which is probably Kaiju.

It is not like he is looking down on Loki. Instead, he very much felt wary about Loki. There is still trace of madness in his thought but the madness is like a sword that is sharpened and put inside a sheathe.

When it come out again, it would be very terrifying. Void right now look like a sane person which makes him even a more dangerous person

He knows Loki is dangerous. And he understood better than anyone how Loki must have view him

So, how could he look down on him. It is only because there is too much happening right now. The dragon in the sky, Void could not ignore it. There is also the Earthshaker and the Divine Archer in the distance

All of this begs for attention. He does not have two heads and Divine Sense are heavily distorted in the Turbulent Sea.

So, he looks at Loki, looks at kaiju, looks at Earthshaker and the Divine Archer. Then his gaze once again looks at Loki, and he ask a direct question.

Not wanting to delay things

'Why are you here?' Loki smile and said.

'Why else? To beseech the King to return. The throne is waiting for you. Still, there are loyalist.' and Loki has a wide smile on his face. Loki then bows slightly

Void look at Loki, his eyes seems to be showing distrust. The words are simply but the implication of it was not as simple as one would imagine.

Void could understand what Loki is doing and what he means about him being King and all. He knows Loki has been eyeing a seat on the Red Table, the rumors are already being spread out all over the world

And now he is here. In front of him, talking about kings and throne. As for loyalist, Void knows better than anyone there is no such person.

If anything Loki might be creating this loyalist himself. But, right now, he doesn't have the time to think about thrones

he looks at the island in front of him, the blast and shockwave of the battle could still be seen distorting the air, the space-time and the dust is all over the place.

the submarine is slowly approaching the shore and then the submarine is about to stop.

'We will talk after I get the trident' Void said, his eyes looking forward, Loki is still bowing, but who knows what kind of scheme the Trickster had cooked up

Everyone is looking at this scene right now and everyone could not tear themselves apart from gazing at all of this

There is many question in their minds and the scene itself has so many information that it is hard to focus only on one thing

The scenery of this moment if it is captured would surely be something that is precious for it captures a great moment of a great change overseen by great men and women

There is the One Eyed Oracle looking at the battle, a smile on her face

there is Loki bowing to Void like a loyal servant.

And then there is Void himself

Void is there standing with darkness around him that seems to have manifested from himself, sucking all light around him.

There is Antonius, the loyal protector of the One Eyed Oracle, standing there, shining golden like a beacon amidst this darkness.

On the island there is a dragon floating in the air, high above the clouds, storms and winds under its command

its claws seem to be holding thunderbolt, like the monarch of the sky

Raymond is surrounded by lightning and thunder, bombarding him, yet he still stands, a mace on his hand, ready to fight

There is the Divine Archer, with twelve floating arrows circling around her like some kind of protection formation.

All those who see this today could not help but feel like they are looking at a painting that is capturing an impactful moment in history.

That today, this people that were here today, would be in some history book which would tell the story of what happen today.

That is the feeling of everyone in this place right nw. they felt like they are living inside history right now and knowing that they are making history in the moment.

The submarine landed. Loki stand up straight, the One Eyed Oracle keep watching, the dragon, the Earthshaker, the Divine Archer all look toward the submarine.

Void smiles and jumps down from the submarine top landing on the shore.

He looks at the dragon high up in the air, look at the Earthshaker, battered and beaten, look at the Divine Archer who is ready to unleash a thousand arrows and simply shout

'What a joyful party. Let me join in the fun! Hahaha! And his laugh seems to echoes his madness.

A burst of darkness exploded from Void body, the laws and the energy in the island is distorting. A center of darkness was established, a battle for the trident begins anew

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