Lord Shadow

MEANWHILE

SOMEWHERE IN THE IONIAN SEA.

The waves of the ocean was rippling and then as a gigantic sea creatures swims forward, the ripples intensifies and waves rises up and down crashing towards the sea water.

Like an explosion, the seabed below trembles, scaring the sea monster below.

What gigantic creatures could create such force? For anyone who sees it they would truly be shocked.

There is four metal gigantic tortoise dragging an island completely covered in a purplish red dome and runic marking was present in four corners of the dome protection barrier.

This Island usually stays around the Ionian Sea and rarely they move since their Island is monitored by many factions.

But today that Island move. Not even the White Owl notice the movement of this Island.

Occupied with more explosive news, the White Owl forgot that faction on the Mediterranean Sea

And as the whole world focuses on the eventual clash of the Death Monarch and the World Government, that Island made their move.

Storm Tide, the headquarters of League of Freedom is moving.

And as it moves misty white fog moves along with it, shrouding the entire area around the radius of 200 kilometers around the island path to be shrouded by the same misty white fog

Standing on top of North Tortoise head, is a man wearing purple red mask in the shape of an angered Demon, his robe flapping after the sea wind blows over him.

He wears red robe lined with black, his eyes shows excitement and a hint of madness glints inside his sharp glare.

His scars that lined all over his skin made him unable to forget. He has bathed in the darkness for so long…that it is now too late for him to go to the light.

Since that is the case, he would continue be in the darkness…and use it to snuff out the light.

This man is Narleod the mysterious leader of the League of Freedom.

Beside him standing guard, looking at the same direction as Narleod is the famous teleporter Warp.

Beneath his feet is three Disk with silver color.

The Disk of Teleportation.

Each one of the Disk if activated enables him to transport more and large things with him. But he still did not reach the power to teleport the entire Island with him.

If not this would be easy task for the League of Freedom to ambush anyone they wanted in the world other than people who could seal space like the Death Monarch

Their island is full of magical weapons.

After all the League of Freedom is also a merchant of death, they sell weapons to the enemies of the World Government and anyone that could pay the price.

Narleod financed many secret wars against the World Government all in the name of freedom.

Truth was, Narleod has always wanted to avenge his defeat and his betrayal in the hands of the World Government

Looking at the vast sea in front of him and the dark clouds on the skies, the four tortoise keep swimming to the Atlantic Ocean passing three islands of different colors

Narleod only smiles, his smile laden with meaning and there is some sort of satisfaction welling up in his heart

Behind the four large tortoise, there is a man following the path of the tortoise discreetly.

The man is commandeering a large dolphin-like animal with sharp fanged teeth with a silver rope that glows white in color.

The rope is tightly tightened on the large dolphin fin.

The man is wearing patched clothes and on his head is a gem studded golden crown that fit his forehead.

On the back of the dolphin, there is a woman and a man, sitting on a boat-like structure that was also dragged by the creature

The one in the carriage is the Oracle and her protector.

The Oracle has been closing her eyes since she first enters the boat like structure. Like she prophesy, the man with the shabby clothes will bring her to the Island of Peace.

‘Will….the future I saw changed again?’ She asked herself in her contemplation as the waves keep pushing the boat.

They moved forward…to the World Government as the white mist leads the way

***

That figure in the air strikes fear and awe. This is the figure of a legend. And that figure is staring at an empty air.

But it was not laughable. Instead a solemn and heavy pressure emanated from this seemingly comedic action.

Azief stand on the air looking down at an empty air, the Battlestar behind him that was hundred times larger than him waited anxiously, not one of them dare question him.

Since he stopped, they stopped. A few birds flew below him passing that empty air freely and Azief smirks a bit.

Phasing formation, invisibility formation, anti-detection spell and floating arrays and god knows how many more defensive measures was employed.

‘HAHAHA! They sure prepare a lot’ Azief laughed, his laugh reverberated as the space all around him ripples.

His laugh does not mean he find the situation comedic, instead it was a laugh with a trace of anger and disdain

He did not say anything only looking down at the empty space. Seven Battlestar is behind him creating a great sight.

The many eyes that was watching this all are waiting, anything, to happen. They all take a deep breath.

Somewhere in the Senate of the Republic, sitting in the Senate Hall is Boris, Jean and….Katarina. She look at the large screen on the Senate Hall, looking at the Death Monarch.

Boris was on her left, Jean on his right with his lover, Paulette. Looking at the figure of Azief with his army, she smiles a bit.

‘If I did not know him, I might think he likes grandiose entrance’ Boris frowned hearing his sister said that.

‘The World Government would be prepared.’

So?’ Katarina said confidently. She is the only one in the world right now, that knows Azief true power.

So what if the World government is prepared. People that could defeat Azief in this world, Katarina dare say, there is no one

‘Poland is undefended’ Jean said casually and Katarina glare at him. Jean smiles his diplomatical smile and Katarina said sternly

‘I and the Death Monarch promises Frederick that Poland is free and independent and both the World Government and the Republic would not lay claim on nit. Let the people there live their lives in peace.’

‘But, sis-‘

‘Frederick protected me and sheltered me in my weakest moment. I know to reward kind deed.’

Jean just nodded and Boris sighed. At least she did not once again runaway and meddle in the clash between the Death Monarch and the World Government.

But what he didn’t know there is a reason why Katarina is not there beside Azief.

She did not offer to help and Azief did not request it of her. In a way, she understand Azief thinking.

The reason she did not offer her help was because she knew at the moment she would be too weak and instead would be a liability and might even become his weakness in the crucial moment.

But not being there with him, it does not fill her heart with any heavy feeling. Why? Because she knew Azief would be fine.

And if somehow Azief is once again in the verge of death, like that day, she would not hesitate to fly towards him in a heartbeat

The same for him.

He would not ask her, and would never shamelessly ask her, to risk her life to safe someone he still loves and trample on Katarina feeling.

Strong as she is, Azief recognizes she is still a woman…and a fragile woman at that. Not in the fact that she was weak in her prowess, it is her heart.

Even Azief heart would ache if Katarina were to ask him to save her lover. How could he inflict that pain on her?

So, she did not ask, and he did not bother.

They both think, that they have known all there was to each other. They clique. Easily and almost flawlessly

Yet, every time Azief saw her frown, he could not help but ask himself why does she frown and how to make her smile

He wanted to find the answer.

And every time Azief smile, she wanted to know why he smiles and she too wanted to find the answer

They both wanted to spend their whole life answering these simple question.

She sighed as she closes her eyes.

Meanwhile on the island, the Death Monarch suddenly make a move. His voice reverberated across the ocean, creating rippling shock waves.

‘Surround this area!’ The Seven Battlestar quickly surround the empty space though they could not see what Azief is seeing

Starship was deployed as hundreds of Starship come out from the deck of the Battlestar.

‘Come out now. Open the formation!’ Azief shouted, his shout separated the winds and causes the seas to create large waves that was as furious as him.

‘COME OUT!!’ His word repeated through the sky like an echoes in a large deep cave.

Then suddenly the sound of cracking could be heard as the Island revealed itself. The Island of Peace has disabled their invisibility and phasing array and the Island revealed itself.

The Island was large and was divided to four regions.

It was as large as a country and there was a waterfall that flows down from its floating peak to the sea below when the invisibility array was disabled.

Countless of beautiful birds and beast roamed freely in some regions of the Island.

The clouds of the island was man-made and its weather was regulated. Green grass, fresh air, the Island was like Heaven on earth

A man appeared riding a solid clouds as he ascended from the Entrance Gate of the Island to reach a few inches from the barrier separating Azief and that man.

That man is Hikigaya, the reputedly Disk Formation levelers that possess three disk.

The man look towards Azief and Azief could saw not three but four disk that seems to be rotating inside the man pupil.

Azief met this person once in his first attack on the Island when they detain Will. This is the second time they meet.

People might think Azief would immediately fought this person but Azief respected this person and even felt some fondness for him.

While this is the second time they meet face to face, Azief once saw him, technically, or to be more accurate, he heard him at one other place.

When he was sealed inside the Ice Mountain, Hikigaya was one of the few heroes that come to visit him and what he said in front of the mountain earn him some goodwill from Azief

Hikigaya left a flower on the bottom of the mountain, lamenting the fact that the world will be chaotic with Azief passing and also grieved the fact that he could not compete with him

After all, in Hikigaya mind at the time, even though Azief did not die, at that time Hikigaya did not know how long Azief and Katarina would be in the Ice Mountain.

Maybe when they got out they would find themselves to be too weak to fight against the people they once disdain.

Thinking of this fact Hikigaya lament this fact before going away.

Not knowing Azief heard it all.

When Azief broke out from the Ice Mountain Hikigaya was the first one that arrived and feeling the pulsing of the energy at the time, Hikigaya knew, he could finally truly compete with the Death Monarch and probably gain enlightenment.

Azief then knew what type of person this Hikigaya really is. He wanted to know his limits. A person that strives the same path he is.

Someone who pursued strength for the sake of something. A man with a purpose and someone worth respecting.

That eye was still looking at Azief as he smiles and he said

‘I am known as the Archmaster Illusionist Hikigaya. I wonder what brings the honorable Death Monarch and all of your people here to Island of Peace?’

Azief respected Hikigaya but that does not mean his stance will suddenly would be weakened

Azief sneered, his face shows his disdain at the soldiers stationed on all four corners of the Island.

The Starship and the Battlestar that positioned themselves in the empty space before was pushed back when the Island materialized and deactivated their phasing abilities.

Isn’t it safer for them to maintain their phasing abilities one might ask?

That is only true if the person they are facing is not the Death Monarch.

The Death Monarch could seal space and he could break formation. These phasing abilities is powerful but it also depends on who they used it on.

‘You dare ask why? Return me Sofia and Wang Jian. I demand an explanation and reparation!’ Azief dispense with all courtesies. From his word he was like a bandit.

Hikigaya heard that Hirate ordered the capture of Sofia and when Wang Jian came to save her, Oreki apprehend him.

But from what he was made to known, Hirate only wanted to detain Sofia and convince her that they were not the one that ordered the hit on the Death Monarch

But these few days even when the whole world knows that the Death Monarch is coming Hirate maintains his silence.

This made Hikigaya puzzled about the true intention of Hirate. Hirate must have known there is nothing good by provoking this calamity

This makes it hard for Hikigaya to answer Azief question. He hesitated to say before he said

‘I do not know what you mean’ The only thing Hikigaya can do for now is feign ignorance as he waits for the Quorum to make a decision.

Even as they talked, the Battlestar before has appeared once again and even before Azief orders any of them, they descended on the four corners of the Island, crashing on the formation and barriers on the four corners, as the Battlestar ionic shield activated and destroy the formation.

Sound of energy cannon sounded from all four corners of the island as Azief companion started attacking first.

Hikigaya face frown but he could not go and save them since he had to worry about this calamity in front of him.

Only the barrier around the entrance gate skyscape is not yet broken.

This island was as large as a country, so the size was large. Hikigaya job is to hold off Azief. The other might be powerful, but the soldiers could restrain them.

Azief on the other hand was angry. How could they do not know? This is clearly Hikigaya feigning ignorance, otherwise they would not prepare so much.

If they were not the one, why bother preparing so much defensive measures all over the island?

‘YOU DARE LIE TO ME!’

His roar sent turbulence to the already furious waves with tens of thousands large walls of water emerging from the oceans and the skies darkened black red.

Hikigaya knows there is no other way out of this matter then for him to fight and held Azief off.

He pointed his finger at Azief and said

‘I have always respected you Death Monarch as heroes among heroes. You are the tall wall and I am determined to break that wall. Accept my challenge!’ He shouted before he fly forward, as fast as light, as sea monsters emerges from the oceans following Hikigaya.

Then sea dragons and sea worms three times the size of sperm whale also emerges from the oceans following Hikigaya declaration.

The sky opens and Demons with horns and dark skeletal wings emerges from a red hellish portal.

His fingers opens the sea and commanded the sky!

Azief felt something was wrong with this almost heaven defying power that Hikigaya possess as he sneered.

Azief powerful body vital force exploded, turning the Heaven and Earth dark red and violent and causing all nearby monsters to explodes into red mist bearing the pressure.

The winds and clouds drastically changed their colors in Heaven and Earth with many dark clouds coagulated together as lightning and thunder create an orchestra of wrath in the sky above.

All the people in the four corners of the Island even as they were fighting sometimes look up at the sky and when they see the phenomena they were startled and shocked.

Thunder tribulation pierce through the cloudy and violent skies, breaking the peace and quiet of the world.

Winds and clouds were summoned in a flash, the small island nearby were reduced to rubble, Demons and Devils from all direction were strikes down by the Tribulation Lightning and fire that was created from the wind devours their body whole, leaving only dust.

Hikigaya eyes shows great trepidation but he did not stop his attack.

As the battle begins, somewhere in the deep underground recesses of the tunnels of the Island of Peace, a person is walking calmly and silently inside a maze.

This person possesses the Lantern of Direction showing him where he need to go even though he is inside the most secretive place in the World Government.

This person eyes has streak of lightning. This is none other than Oreki that no one has seen since seven days ago

‘If Loki is right…then the only one that could explain these matters is the one that started it.’ And he smirk as he follows the light of the Lantern

***