Lord Shadow

BOOOM!!

The explosion was like ten thousand fireworks exploded at the same time at the same place.

Space ripples and ripped apart as the shockwaves ripples upwards creating a heat draft toward the sky

Storms of fires formed upon the white clouds.

The entire skyscape trembles and the world was fill with smoke.

The whole world watch in trepidation and at the same time focused their gaze…to see whether that person survives.

On the other side of the walls, was the Archmaster Illusionist Hikigaya coughing up black blood surrounded with red mist.

He was sprawled upon debris of boulders on the ground

His body look like a wreck, as blood dripped down from his nose and mouth and his eyes. But his eyes shines with a strength he did not possesses before.

The whole world stops as they look at the smoke, waiting for it to settle and see whether the Death Monarch was injured.

Azief was covered with variety of colors of smoke and then the smoke settles. The world gasped while some people frowned looking at Azief state.

His body was uninjured. Other than some itch and some cuts on his flesh, he did not suffer much.

As expected Azief thought to himself.

He shakes his body to disperse the clouds of smoke around him as his eyes coldly looking at the charging cannon nonce again ready to shot him

He was inside an illusion just now.

An Illusion world almost indistinguishable from the real one.

The way he broke the world was to absorb all of its energy, a planet devouring method, as he drains the world of its energy and then pushed that illusionary world to its limit.

After all it is an illusionary world. Its energy is limited and unlike Earth where it is strengthened by the World Orb which would prevent him from destroying the world, the illusionary world source of power is Hikigaya own source of power.

Azief could destroy that illusionary world easily because he stands at a higher level than Hikigaya.

If he was weaker than Hikigaya he might have to comprehend and seek the weak part of the illusionary world.

Azief also realizes that Hikigaya did not know where Wang Jian and Sofia is.

Since he did not know he could not create some made up place and weakens the reality of his illusion.

He could do that but that would distort the Laws of his world. After all his illusionary world mimics reality.

There are Laws he must create and there are laws he must obey.

An illusion must follow its model of reality else it will be full of flaws.

When an Illusionist cast an illusion they try as hard as they can to be as detailed and close to the reality they are mimicking.

Hikigaya is the ultimate master in that world but there is still something he could not transcend and expected.

Azief was stronger than him. It was this simple fact that decides the outcome of this duel

If Hikigaya was the ultimate God of his illusionary world, when Azief was brought into that world, he brought a foreign God that is even stronger than him into it.

And what is the consequences?

To be slayed of course.

However, what makes Azief shocked, was that he did not know when he was put under the illusion.

So as the dust slowly settles, Azief floats forward, the wind bellows his feet pulsates gently, swirling around Azief feet like they were welcoming him.

Azief eyes did not leave Hikigaya looking curiously at Hikigaya and remark to himself

‘He truly deserve to be a hero. Too bad we stand on opposite side.’

The people in the wall stopped what they were doing when Hikigaya stopped them all with one gesture of his fingers

‘When did you do it?’ Azief asked.

‘Was it when I you first pointed that finger on me? Or was it after you use your Illusion reversal Art?’

Hikigaya got up from the fall, as he dust off the dust of the debris on his robe.

Then slowly he summons his clouds as he once again rises up to the sky, floating a few hundred meters away from Azief and said with a pale face, not hiding anything

‘Both of that moment, I pointed my finger at you and make sure you look at my finger. I wanted to strengthen the illusion. I wanted to make you believe and deceive all your sense thoroughly. By the third time I use my illusion you believe we are still fighting in the real world. I wanted to make my illusionary world with as much of details of reality so much so, you would not discover the difference.’

Azief hearing this instead of getting angry, laughed

‘HAHAHA. To think I underestimated you and instead being deceived by you. That illusion was not a normal illusion. How did you conjure such an illusion?’

It was like Azief was acknowledging him.

Hikigaya did not need acknowledgement of others and he never cares about it but hearing it from one of the greatest hero in the world is still a pleasant feeling.

Smiling Hikigaya said

‘The point of illusion is to deceive. I deceive the world with my illusion. Since I could deceive the whole world, it is surprising if it could not deceive you.’ Hikigaya said

‘Deceiving the world? By deceiving the world you deceive me. This is a great technique indeed.’ Then his laughing face turns somber once again and his eyes glaring he ask

‘Will you keep fighting?’

Hikigaya did not answer and for a while there is a tension in the air but then as Hikigaya heard a transmission from his transmission talisman.

Hearing it he then reply

‘I have lost to you today. Our battle is ended. I will not hinder you.’

‘That would be good’ Azief said as Hikigaya floated down and then disappeared into a dissipating purple fog.

But a voice sounded from the fog.

‘The Walls have been breached. All soldiers in the walls lay down your arms if you value your life. This is not your battle.’

Then a sigh sounded, and the voice disappeared.

The soldiers the moment they listen Hikigaya final orders, all the soldiers on the wall put down their weapons and surrenders.

This is the reason Hikigaya prevent the soldiers of the walls from firing another shot after seeing the explosion did not even scratch the Death Monarch.

Hikigaya did not want to sacrifice more lives. And Azief himself did not want to be a human butcher

By now they are all utterly convinced if they are still stubborn their blood will paint the walls red.

Azief floated down onto the square not even looking at those soldiers that surrendered as he spreads his Divine Sense.

Then he walked forward.

The soldiers could only watch in trepidation, their hands trembling and their legs shaking but none of them dare to even swing their weapons or release a shot.

They believe it is useless and futile. As Azief passed them, they do not dare match their gaze with him.

This is what great heroes are like. This is what legends represents.

As he walk forward on the square surrounded by millions of soldiers, no one dares hinders him and no one dares look upon him like he is a sacred entity.

His steps was like a step of giants, the sound of his steps could freeze the hearts of people that used to be so brave.

Hundreds of thousands cannons and weapons were shot at him a moment ago and not even a scratch could be seen on his body.

How could these soldiers dares to attack the Death Monarch now.

They fear if they did anything to offend the Death Monarch now, the Death Monarch would start a massacre.

And Hikigaya has already orders them to lay down their weapons. Only those who are stubborn still holding to their weapons.

But yet….they did not dare swing it.

And Azief doesn’t seems to care. As he walked it was almost like he dares these people to attack him.

It was such a blatant provocation yet no one…not one dares to take that step forward. The power oozing off the Death Monarch is a deterrent force by itself.

The air around the Death Monarch is different than the air among heroes like Wang Jian or Raymond.

Wang Jian for example exudes a valiant air. He himself is known as honorable and a person that values life, merciful and magnanimous.

Raymond is a symbol of justice. In his conduct he rewarded those that are righteous and punish those that committed evil deeds.

But the Death Monarch is different. The aura he emitted was a killing murderous aura that could freeze the Earth and slaughter the Gods.

One would feel suffocated and only abject fear if they are not strong enough when facing the pressure of Death Monarch

Everyone knows he is arbitrary and he does what he want. And he rarely explains why he does what he does.

Such an unpredictable loose bomb is what the World Government hates the most.

If not for the fact that the Death Monarch was the strongest person in the world they would surely suppress him.

As Azief walks forward his Divine Sense is scanning the Island. He stopped on the middle of the square.

He open his palm and then he closed his palm back.

And then a repressive atmosphere filled the island. The space around the island was sealed. Nothing goes out.

But things could come in.

This time he created a one way seal.

One is to conserve his energy. The other is because he notices that an island is coming to the Island of Peace.

An Island dragged by four tortoise is coming to the Island. And that island didn’t seem to be holding good intention for the Island of Peace.

‘The more the better’ Azief thought to himself.

At the same time below the Island, in an underground maze, a person finally went out from the Maze.

What greeted him is a tunnel with three cave path.

‘Fuck this is never-ending. Loki, you better be right about this’ The person complained as he brought out the Steel of Directions.

He extinguished the light of the Lantern of Direction. The steel pointed towards the middle path.

He pick the middle path as he moves forward to the darkness path of the cave.

Meanwhile, a few hundred miles from the Island, a person riding a dolphin like creature cut the rope that binds the creature and the moving Island

The person wearing a shabby clothes look behind him and said

‘We are near, My Lady’ A woman opens her eyes showing her cloudy eyes as she smiles and nodded, her eyes looking forward

On the Island however, something else is happening. On the other side of the Island, not too far away from the battle stand a castle.

It was the castle that belonged to the White Witch. Inside her room is the White Witch guarding a child scribbling something onto a scroll.

The scroll was blood red in color

The White Witch look with disgust and disdain and even cover his nose as she could smell dark magic emanating from the scroll.

Her eyes was intense. This White Witch is after all is inhabited by the memories of the future White Witch.

The future White Witch was a great character that fought in the Final Battle, the decisive battle that determines the fate of the Universe.

She possess that heroic and fearless attitude.

The child she is looking over and protecting is Morgana.

She is writing something on a scroll with her blood.

Her right and left shoulder were filled with wound dripping with blood.

The scrolls is written with her blood, emitting blood fog, harnessing a dark power. Stretched across the balance of light and dark, the scrolls is emitting a power of sealing.

‘The Blood Scroll of Ten Thousand Cages. This should belong to Blood Controller in the future. Though he did die early. So you took it from him in this timeline’ Giselle said as she peeked over what Morgana is doing.

Morgana was not surprised Giselle would recognize it and knows its history.

‘Yes’ she answers

Giselle only nodded and continue watching from the windows of her castle the battle that is happening all over the Island.

‘He would find her. Now, he is at the Island, no protective and preventive charms, talisman or arrays could stop his Divine Sense. After all any kind of arrays or magical formations that could block his Divine Sense need to be form by people stronger than him or more advanced than it is right now.’

She sighed before asking to no one in particular

‘Pandikar coup. This did not happen in the original timeline. Someone did try to rebel but that was squashed easily. Hmmm. Time really changes.’

Sweating and still gasping for breath, Morgana did not answer. She must finish the Blood Scroll as fast as she can before her father finishes his objectives.

As Morgana is busy writing his blood scroll on the northern part of the Island, Heaven Flute Lihua separated with the army attacking the northern area and met with someone.

Riding her Pegasus she met with that person, waiting for her calmly on the seas shore of the Northern part of the Island.

The person is standing on a boulder near the sea shore, wearing a green dark robe with a crown of serpent, slithering on top of his head.

Fan Lihua then smiles bitterly as she said.

‘The King has moved. Will you moves the pawns now, Trickster?’ Lihua asked. It is the Trickster Loki. He chuckles hearing the bitterness in Lihua tone.

‘Ah, you are not a pawn. You are a Bishop. And you are kept to execute a very deadly moves upon the enemy. Before I forgot about it, where is your manner?’ He said while chuckling.

Shaking her head, Lihua then said

‘You taught me many things…Teacher….and burden your disciple with too much tasks.’

Loki smiles.

In the years since the Ice Mountain incident, Lihua and Xu Cong was hunted by the Secret Agents of the Agency because of their involvement with Death Monarch.

The Immortal Couple is strong but compared to the other companion of the Death Monarch they are not extremely extraordinary, making them easy pickings to some factions who wanted to please the World Government

Loki took Lihua as his disciple under the system and they formed a master disciple relationship.

He taught her many things. And one of the things he taught her was that her flute power is more than just taming beast and monster.

It could do so much more. And she knew why he called her here. Because he wanted to use that.

‘Play the Melody’ Loki said, cutting to the chase.

Lihua sighed but she look at the distance and saw the millions of soldiers swarming the Battlestar and she knew she had no choice.

And she also knew her teacher nemesis is here. That is the only reason he would told her to play that Melody.

She once heard her Teacher talked about her.

Though she does not know who this nemesis is.

Her Teacher once told her that the reason why he taught her is because she has a use and one day she has to prove it to him that he did not make the wrong choice of teaching her and shielding her.

And now is the time for her to prove that…even though she knew of her fate after using that Melody.

This melody is a two part bit with an incantation.

Not once Loki accompanied her melody with his incantation because Loki knows the price to pay to play the Melody.

And that Price is the repayment for Lihua peaceful life all this years. She did not regret. She lives her life, fearing no one.

This is the Price. This is the Iron Law of her teacher.

Everything has a Price.

Everything.

Lihua walk calmly and her eyes were resolute.

Loki make way for her. She stand on the boulder, as the sea waves crash loudly upon the boulders, yet the water did not touch even one fabric of her elegant white robes.

Loki stand beside her. She looked at Loki and bowed her head slightly, her eyes moist thinking of Xu Cong.

And Loki nodded understanding what she is thinking but he did not offer any consoling words.

They both know and they both understand. Since that is the case, there is nothing more to say. The Price needed to be paid.

This is how Karma works.

‘Begin’ he said.

She put the flute to her lips and closes her eyes.

She thinks of all of her memories, the good one, and the happy moments and then she erased it, as only that melody fills her head and guided her hand.

And then she blows the flute, the wind rustles through the openings of the holes of her flutes, creating sounds and melodies.

The melody was played, a melody of melancholy spreads through the sea and the skies. But no one was surprised as the battle keep going as usual.

The melody could only be heard by certain things.

Stretching across space and time, the melody echoes through the dark dimension, stirring the creatures that resides there.

Dark and dangerous thing heed the call of the melody as their ears pricked and started moving, leaving their dark abode.

As her playing become louder, whispers could be heard. However only a few people could hear this whispers.

Only those who knew the melody could understand the whispers. It was a whispers of darkness, which could incite the deepest darkest desires of any beings

Winds and clouds were summoned as Loki began his incantation that shakes the dark dimension to its cores.

Countless dark beings that possess ancient names too old to be remembered were stirred for they heard the melody and the melody is calling them, heeding them to obey the call.

The northern sky turns dark as dark crows appeared out of nowhere, flying out from the clouds.

Tens of thousands ferocious crows shrouded by black mist circles the northern sky of the island, appearing menacing and possessing red eyes akin of demons and monsters.

Loki look at the tens of thousands of crows and he thought to himself.

‘You use blood to inflict harm, and I will use blood as a sword to eradicate evil! Let see whose dark magic more powerful. Your Blood Scroll or my Melody of One Thousand Demons!’

While Loki was thinking of all of this, Lihua is still playing, her grace and poise is admirable considering the situations on the Island right now.

Dark clouds and raging waves as destruction and death looms behind the scenery, yet the melody was played and things is heeding it calls.

The melody could not be heard, but slowly the longer she plays, the sound penetrate that invisible barrier that separates this dimension and that other dimension.

And the sound was unleashed upon the mortal world.

Those who heard it is subjected to terrible illusions and dizziness. Depending on the heart, some people would be fine, some people would succumb and become unconscious.

On the other side of the Island Azief opens his eyes when the sound assaulted his ears but he just shrugged it off.

But he also could sense a dark energy that revolted him. He looked toward the Northern part and as he envelope that area with his Divine Sense he sense a familiar energy.

‘Loki’ he muttered

Then before he even had a chance to go to where he sense Sofia, up on the sky, a dark sky covered the world, as a deafening droning sound fills the world.

A portal opened up in space, a rip in space as a dark hand threw something out of the portal. And it descends down with velocity that rips the space and time around it.

Descending from the heavens to Earth, were cages in the shapes of a coffin. There were tens of thousands of coffins that descended to Earth surrounded by black fire.

As they come closer to the stratosphere, these tens of thousands of coffins merged with each other into one.

This coffin is a humongous fourteen feet black coffin surrounded with black mist and dark aura as it is heading straight to the Island of Peace.

On the northern sea shore of the Island, Loki looking at the sky, smiles as he said

‘Morgana, it seems it is time you return to the Origin’

***