Lord Shadow

SOMEWHERE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN SEA

ISLAND OF PEACE

Clang! Bang!

The dark room was full of sounds. Someone is searching for something. A stone box in the distance was found.

Looking at it, that person eyes narrowed as that person will that box to move with the wave of a hand.

Opening a large stone box that person found it.

It was a battle armor of the highest quality. Even in the darkness the shine it emits gave light to this dark room.

That person was a woman. And not just any woman. Every one of her movement was full of grace and power, nobility etched in every expression.

Was it because of her influence or was it because of her own increasing power that imbued her with such regality and elegance?

Was it an innate quality only now discovered after the Fall?

Whatever the answer is, it is undeniable in the world right now, no one could match the brilliance that this girl emitted.

Cold as winter, yet adored and yearned by every valiant heroes.

No one matched this description other than Katarina the Ice Princess.

What she took from the stone box is her most powerful armor, the Armor of the Heavenly Goddess she got from her battle in China.

It was white as snow, translucent in a way but possess unbelievable durability. She wears her battle armor looking like a valiant heroine ready to charge against the world alone.

She looked perfectly fit to wear the armor as a grand aura spreads out from her body, suppressing everything.

She sighed before she produce her thin sword that has the length of one and a half meter. The moment she brings out her sword, the ringing of the swords create ripples in the airs as the temperature in the room drops ten Celsius.

She slightly smiles as she swish her sword feeling the sword strength on every fiber of her being.

The metal to make this sword was silver and when light was reflected on it, it will turn white and clear as water.

The Armor of Heavenly Goddess wore by the Ice Princess, there is no one more fitting to wear it.

She looked beautiful and yet heroic at the same time.

To reconcile these two description at the same time, other than the famous Ice Princess regarded by the world as the most beautiful woman who else could reconcile these two contrasting aspect?

She sheathes her weapon and prepares herself. She was ready.

‘Wait for me.’ She said to herself

As she was about to went out of the room, a door creaks. Slowly footsteps could be heard. Katarina tensed and her hand tightly gripped her sword.

A man appears from the opened door.

It was a muscly man, with a tattoo on his arms and neck. It was a tattoo belonging to the Bratva. The man used to be a part of that gang before being what he is today.

He never did erase that tattoo to remind himself of the harsh past he has endured. Behind that man is a ten foot bear waiting on him outside the door

The woman looked at that man. The man sighed and the woman smiled bitterly.

‘Must you go, Katarina?’ the man said his voice was deep but contains a little sadness.

‘I could not help it’ Katarina answer.

Outside, the snow has stopped falling and so does the rain. The sun slowly shined it slight through the cracks on the clouds.

Flowers blossomed as variety of colors filled the island once again. The storms in The Island of Peace has subsided but a new storms is being produced somewhere in Europe.

And Katarina knows it. The World Council know. And her brother knows. And they know why the storms are there.

Because “he” is there. And he is in danger. An Eight Horn Weronian…..Azief could not handle it alone.

And because he is there, she will also be there.

Beauty fills the island regardless of the chaos outside. An illusion of peace in a war torn world. The flowers blooms outside, but the snow will fall.

Inside the armory, the pair of sibling looked at each other with complicated gaze.

‘He…might not be able to give what you want.’ Then he added

‘I hate seeing you cry tears.’

‘Since I came to knows tears, I’ve become stronger. Now…or in the past it is the same. Now, I’m going forward with my heart as it is.’

Katarina said as she sheathes her sword on the sheath at her left hip.

‘What do you think I want from him Brother?’ she ask

‘His heart.’ Boris answer as he sighed.

Katarina did not show anything on her face but her heart sways.

‘I would not know until I try.’ She replied

‘It always hurt more to put a brave face and lie’ Boris said as his eyes clearly looking at his sister. The sister he promises to protect.

‘You know how much I love you’ Boris said.

‘I couldn’t bear it for you to get hurt.’

‘Brother.’ Katarina determination is slowly being swayed. In this world, only one thing that could weaken her resolution and determination.

And that is her brother. At least it used to be only her brother. Now, there is another one.

‘I hate seeing you cry and in pain. Now, and in the past. I sacrificed everything to just see your smile. I would do anything to keep you safe. Even if that is from yourself’

‘Brother, will you stand against me?’

Boris did not say anything as he opens his clenched fist and fireflies comes out from his hand, emitting a light like that of a moonlight

Like the starry skies full of blinking stars, the fireflies roam inside the dark armory.

The light some is close and some is far.

Spreading its wing these fireflies emitted aromatic scent that calms the mind and the heart. Katarina look at the fireflies and remember her brother promise with her, on that lake full of fireflies.

‘I could not fight you.’ Boris replied

‘Because you afraid you will hurt me brother?’

‘No, because I know I can’t win over you. Not now….not ever. Even if I am stronger than you, I would never be able to beat you. I’m not Father’

Katarina frowned. They never like to talk about their father.

‘I will only help him a bit.’ Katarina said trying to persuade her brother

‘No, I would not let you risk yourself for him. Let him handle his problem. He is the strongest man on Earth. He could handle it.’

‘Brother…I’ she was about to plead when she realizes something is wrong. She is slowly feeling her eyelid becoming heavy. She looks at the flying firefly and she knows what Boris did.

‘Brot-‘

‘Sleep.’

Boris said as he open his arms and from the sleeves of his shirt hundreds of blinking fireflies comes out and with it the aromatic scent filled the armory

Katarina slowly felt her knees buckled down as she slides down to the floor.

Boris hurriedly dash forward and shielded Katarina body from crashing to the floor. He looks at the sleeping face of his sister and sigh.

‘Katarina, whichever choice I have to choose in this world, this big brother of yours will always choose you’

So, the beauty sleeps. The snow stops and the storms keep raging.

***

MEANWHILE IN FRANCE

The skies were crazy.

That was what the fleeing soldiers thought to themselves as they they were fleeing from the inevitable battle of these titans.

The soldiers are running into the teleportation portal created by Warp and sustained by Jean Time Abilities to open the Portal longer.

As they looked upon the vast skies, they saw a gigantic face of a flaming wolf and a golden god filling up the skies with their colors of red and yellow.

On the skies, the two great warrior is fighting.

Filled with killing intent that cover the skies, Azief and Purunghasa trades blow at top speed creating sonic boom and shockwave with each blows.

Azief even with the vibrational energy left on his body after each strike managed to trade blows by blows because he could recover thanks to his Undying physique and his Nine Seeds that doubles his life force.

Tree of Life imbued its owner with almost limitless life force.

Unless one comprehend Destruction Laws or possesses an attack that supersedes the regeneration rate of the owner body, Azief will not be easily killed even with a difference on one realm.

But an Eight Horn Weronian if it is compared to the current leveler systems that means Purunghasa is at Divine Comprehension.

Thankfully, the Weronians did not cultivate the same strengthening technique of humanity.

If not Azief would not last even a few bout.

Divine Comprehension is as it name suggest.

Using Divine Laws to fight.

Even with Azief almost godlike physique and his Nine Seeds, if his opponent could use the Laws of The World, he would be destroyed in body and soul.

His body could sustain physical attacks but not Laws based attacks.

And not only that, Divine Comprehension could harness the power of the world, the stars, sun and moon to create magic spells.

For one that focuses on Physique, magic that does not follow any logics is its weakness

The reason why Azief is still not breaking down even with two realms difference is because Azief own body rivals that of the Weronians.

Azief was using the power of the Seeds to tap to the energy of the world imbued in each of his strike.

Purunghasa on the other hand, his eyes radiated vicious desire to kill Azief.

They were both supernaturally strong even among their kind, cut different from the rest of people watching these battle in the distance or spying on this battle.

The Merchant Association has their own ways of watching these battle that is unfolding in Europe and so does other factions.

As Azief trade blows by blows, he notices that Purunghasa is getting faster like he was slowly getting accustomed with the rhythm of the battle.

Azief face turns grave while a smirk could be seen on Purunghasa face.

“Take this!”

Azief in the midst of throwing a punch when suddenly he felt a deadly premonition. His heart lurched and an intense sensation of imminent crisis filled his mind and heart.

He veered off to the side without hesitation.

The instant he shifted his position, a piercing hand movement of Purunghasa whistled past him at high speed, cracking the air beside him

Ripples emanated out through the air as it passed causing Azief face to flicker.

‘Shit!’ he cursed

Azief heart pounded like a drum. He knew if he hadn’t evaded at the right time just now, his head would have exploded!

An intense, grim sound filled the air as the rippling passed Azief. As the sound emanated out, flames exploded out.

The Flaming Wolf Spirit Totem growls and roars as Purunghasa shouts

‘Let see if you could survive this Great Warrior of the Human Race!’

BOOM!

Azief were hit on the chest by this large explosion as he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His bones were broken and it slowly mended itself, this time longer than before.

Azief face was pale as he made an X cross with both of his hand as he endure the flames explosion.

His skin was melted and Azief winces in pain as he gritted his teeth. Slowly his skin regenerates but the pain lingers.

This kind of fire was like his Nirvanic Fire Azief mused to himself as he was thrown fifteen feet backward on the skies

An invincible aura erupted out of Azief as his vein thrummed with power, an ancient source of energy slowly nourishing his body and repairing his injury.

His Golden Domain also appeared to fight of the pressure of the powerful aura and flames of Purunghasa.

He punches the air as the flames spirals and punch into nothingness. Energy roils out as the air ripples, the winds screams and the skies parted

Beneath them, the rivers and lake slowly evaporated as they boils and turns into gas.

Azief meridian expanded as he suck energy from his surrounding, creating a swirling mass of energy that flew into him, strengthening him to endure more blows from Purunghasa.

Azief was actually heavily injured but he could not show it, not in front of this Weronian.

He smiles as sweat falls from his forehead, his hand trembles and his bones broken, but he did not show it, not with the way he is acting.

And he had to endure. The reason? The soldiers has not yet finished evacuating the civilians.

They might have traded blows hundreds of times but not even a minute has passed. This is a battle between experts.

Their speed in unbelievable and could not be seen by weaker leveler.

For those who are in Energy Disperse Realm they could see some of the moves with their eyes but for those below they could only see some flashes and deafening sounds as their eyes and ears could not process such speed.

Great wave of emotions filled Azief heart as he battled this Eight Horn Weronian. He was not afraid.

Instead he felt excited, with each blows taken, with each strike deflected.

He did not know whether he will survive this. But if he does, he knows he will make an improvement.

This way of improvement he thought of is a high risk high reward method. Only he alone could uses this kind of method.

Was it because he is strong?

That is true.

But that is not the only reasons. It is also because he is the most desperate. If his desperation could be compared with the heroes of this generation, none would exceed him.

With each steps taken, his desperation mounted. He wanted to become stronger, to see new peaks, to experience new things and to sit on the highest throne.

It is ambition. And that ambition drives his desperate heart and motivates his every move.

If he manages to kill this Weronian, he is confident he could form his Tenth Seed.

‘Hyargh’ he yells as he deflected another attack by Purunghasa as he was toss back a few meters back before clashing once again in the clouds, creating a shockwave that disperses any clouds in ten kilometers radius.

The booming sound deafened some low leveler on the ground. Like a hammer being pounded, the ground trembles

After killing all those Weronians soldiers, Azief is on the brim of a breakthrough in his Seed Formation

As he clash and fight the Weronian a repressive aura was created in the sky, a death zone that is around ten kilometers radius of these two fighters.

Any creature that enter this death zone instantly dies because of the suffocating pressure created by these two fighters.

With the Flaming Wolf Totem on the skies proving flame essence, Purunghasa attack was imbued with the power of the flames as the skies was colored red

Dark red mist appareled in the sky as Azief fight backs and defends against the heat.

Azief rings shines and gleams in the darkness of the dark red mist. It is Azief trump card. He did not use the saber.

To use the saber now would be a waste of his power. The saber are powerful but it requires a large amount of power to wield and even used.

To use the saber on a Weronian like Purunghasa who might survive his saber strike will leave him at a vulnerable position after he employed his saber strike.

It is not yet the right time he mused.

Purunghasa on the other hand slowly lose his smile

What kind of human is this?

Mostly people would already be in despair and frenzy seeing him being so laid back fighting him. Yet, this human seem to be enjoying this battle.

And Purunghasa hated those eyes that is looking at him amidst the flame and the dark red mist

There was something he didn’t like about the way this human is looking at him.

On the other hand, Azief face was pale, as his injuries slowly become severe with each attacks. That fire was not normal fire as it tries to burns Azief from inside out.

But because of his powerful body and his Tree of Life, it repressed the flame and save his life.

But now, he is even weaker. But he is still smiling. Then he looked down and saw, the people have already evacuated.

It was then Azief smirk at Purunghasa and shouted

‘See you later!’

He flies in his fastest speed, running away from the scene.

He shot through the air in a flash of light.

Purunghasa was shocked before he quickly understand what is happening. That human is playing him.

He fly forward as he turns into a flaming streaks of fire on the skies chasing Azief.

As this was happening underneath a dome made of energy, looking at the battle from the ground was a girl

This girl eyes contained a certain maliciousness. But it also has a hints of yearning and guilt as he saw the figure of the prince.

Inside her heart is an indelible pride stemming from her time with the Prince. Her long black hair sway beautifully blown by the gentle wind.

Her red tight attires look especially blaring. Her killing aura that emanates from the attire could not compare to leftover killing intent of those two calamitous gods that was fighting in the clouds moments ago.

Beside her a book was floating powering this concealment dome. The book bounded with silver metal chains, the cover is a realistic mouth

Only one personage in the whole wide world that fist this description. The Wicked Witch Morgana.

On her hand is a glinting spear made by the horns of a Seven Horn Weronians. The spear glint dangerously and had the desire to devour life

‘Louise is with Loki.’

‘I do not know what he want with Louise.’ Morgana talk to herself like she was trying to calculate something.

Sighing she wills her dome to move. Her dome merged with the Earth and traveled underground following the energy trail of the prince.

She gripped her spear tightly.

This will be her first assassination attempts on the prince. Her silhouette follows the Prince…..wherever that might lead.

Somewhere else, in a cave full of snakes and black ravens, a man sighed.

***

This is the new chapter. Hope you like it. Katarina is trying to help the Prince but is being obstructed by Boris. The fight is not yet over. Anyway, help me by donating some bucks and leaving some comments. Hope you like it.

***