Lord Shadow

‘Have a seat’ Azief said to Hirate.

Hirate look around the garden for a while and nodded as he takes a seat opposite Azief. The butterflies that flies around his shoulder perched itself onto Hirate shoulders

By now there are more butterflies flying around Hirate.

‘You have a beautiful garden. It is even more beautiful than the Gardens in my island’ Hirate complimented

Azief just nodded.

Hirate took the cup in front of him and pour himself a cup of tea.

The smell of the tea was calming and fragrant. It is made by new types of tea leaves that appear after the Fall.

It is quite calming even just by smelling the fragrance of the tea leaves coming out from the heat of the tea

Azief has already put down his tea cup. His hand is on the handle of his throne of bones. Both of his throne handle is a human skull.

It is truly a terrifying sight and it is supposed to be. This has always been the way Death Monarch does his talk.

He pressures them mentally.

Hirate felt like he was sitting in front of a ten foot God disguised as a mortal.

Even though Azief is almost seven feet, he is not ten feet.

But just by his charisma, he appears larger than he is in Hirate eyes.

And Hirate knows that. Other people would have been stutter to form words in their mind when pressured like that.

But if there is one thing Hirate is good at it is controlling his own mind.

While he may yet not master the ability to control other people mind, he had master the ability to control his own mind.

So he did just that. The Psionic Force enables him to calm his mind.

Hirate take control over his fears and mind, as he takes a deep breath, close his eyes and in that one moment, his mind become clear again.

Clear and full of clarity

He opens his eye once again and smiles like nothing happened. Azief smirks a little. Then Hirate once again looks at the garden and sighs.

‘The world outside would probably draw many conclusion about the two of us meeting. This is after all unexpected’

‘It is inevitable’ Azief added. Hirate just chuckles slightly. Then Hirate said

‘When you said you needed to talk I didn’t think you would bring me to Pandemonium. It is almost like I am a hostage’

Azief did not answer or spoke anything about that.

And Hirate also did not lose his temper. He took another sip of his tea and tries to see any changes in the facial expression of the Death Monarch.

Nothing. There is nothing that changes.

He could still lose his temper in the presence of Raymond, scolding or even raising his voice towards the Death Monarch but he does not dare do it here.

Not here in Pandemonium.

In Pandemonium is very clear that there is only one ruler and there is only one rule that truly matters.

The only real ruler in Pandemonium is Death Monarch and whatever he said goes.

He is the Law. He is the judge, jury and executioner.

With one word the Death Monarch could kill him here and no one will bat any eyes.

If the person in front of him is any other person than the Death Monarch, Hirate would not be so scared or intimidated.

He would not be so subdued either.

This is because any other people would try their hardest not to make an enemy with the World government.

But in front of the Death Monarch he could not posture like that. He is unable to and he does not dare to.

This is because the person in front of him is a person capable of waging a war against the world government and not only he is capable of waging war against the World Government he is also capable of winning it.

Azief look at Hirate and he is also thinking of many things. Hirate is not the only one with considerations.

Thinking about it, his feud with Hirate is mostly because of the constant attempt of the World Government to suppress him.

He of course understands why the World government tried to suppress him. He was a thorn in their eyes.

He started as an eyesore that they could destroy anytime they wanted. But Hirate and the World government clearly miscalculated his potential.

In the years since then he rise up to become an existence that surpass them in terms of power and even influence.

Azief could understand the World Government actions of course.

He understands why people want to keep their influence and position. If there is anything he understands, he understands temptation of power the most.

Looking at Hirate, so close to him, he no longer felt so apprehensive. Because he knows Hirate could do nothing to him.

It used to be he had to be cautious of Hirate. But now, he truly could look down on the world. He could end Hirate just by his whims.

But….now is not the time.

People outside of Pandemonium have been speculating that he brought Hirate to Pandemonium to settle old score.

He might have before and he might still settle it….but at least it will not happen today. Because there is something more important than their feud.

They both recognize this. Which is why this talk even happens.

Azief look at Hirate and then said

‘Hirate. You heard what the Orvanians said. What did you think?’

Hirate heard the cold deep voice of the Death Monarch. Usually Death Monarch would emanate his domineering aura and tries to intimidate the people talking to him.

But this does not seem like a prelude to such talks where he strong arms other people to cave into his demands.

Hirate thought for a while before he answers

‘That we are not ready. We are too unprepared to play with the big leagues’ Then he added

‘We need more time’

Azief looked at Hirate and then he nodded. He also seems to agree with what Hirate is thinking.

He taps his finger on the handle of his throne. Then he said

‘That is true. We are not ready. Humanity as a whole is not ready to compete with the many races in the Universe’ as he sigh and look at the sky.

Then he added

‘Out there, there are millions of races of aliens. Not all of them are powerful but those that are….they are not something to be underestimated’

Hirate nodded in agreement.

Hirate then ask Death Monarch about one of the topic they agreed to discuss before.

‘Death Monarch what is your purpose of the World Distribution Event? Is it to divide up the lands between our three forces?’

There are many meanings in Hirate words. This is one of the questions Hirate wanted to ask the Death Monarch the n most.

He did not mention any other faction. He said the Three Forces.

‘Are you intending to restore the détente? To restore back the status quo?’ Azief look at Hirate with disbelief and then he snorted.

‘Status quo? I admire your optimism. Hahahaha’ he laughed and then he look at Hirate and said

‘Almost three years ago when I fall in battle in an attempted assassination, the status quo has already been broken’

Hirate eyebrows creased. He put down his tea cup. He no longer had any mood to continue drinking.

He then look at Azief eyes and said

‘You are back. We could restore back the status quo. If we work togeth-‘ But before Hirate finish his sentence Azief interjected and said

‘The floodgates has already been opened Hirate. It is too late to do anything now. The so called balance you and your organization pursue is no longer viable. You have to make do with what we have now.’

Then looking at Hirate defiant expression Azief added.

‘We could not close it because it is already broken. The best we can do is containing it’ Then sighing Azief spoke

‘In the years I am not here, there seems to be many organizations that sprouted up all over the world’

Hirate nodded.

For a while there is silence between the two men. They could hear the birds chirping not far away from them.

The butterflies around Hirate flaps it wings and purple dust falls down from their wings. Then Azief remember something.

He laughs a little as his gaze look down on Hirate

‘Hirate, do you think I don’t know one of yours scheme involves me?’

‘What do you mean?’ Hirate asked.

‘You might seem to dislike me, but you surely have no qualms in using me in pursuing you Great Plan. The Three great Powers. Hah’

Azief scoffed.

‘You think I didn’t know it is also one of your plans? When I first began to be well known you exaggerate my achievements and spread it all around. You make me out to be this fearsome warrior. An object of fear. Heh, a common enemy’

Hirate face darkened

‘You made me the common enemy to unite you people together. I mean there is no easier way to unite different types of people other than giving them a common enemy to fight’

Azief eyes sharply look at Hirate, the pressure is slowly rising on Hirate body. It was truly like a ten feet God is trying to kill him with just his gaze.

When Hirate look at that gaze, it was almost like he hallucinated the image that Azief body and his presence growing larger and larger.

From ten feet tall to twelve feet tall. With each sentence he spokes he seems to grow larger. Azief continue speaking

‘Of course at that time I think you have a different plan. You held me up as an unstable force in the world, an obstacle to World peace’

Then Azief smirk.

In a way because of that there is a pressure on him to improve himself. It was a heavy pressure. But he never shows it to his friends and Sofia.

In a way Sofia was right. Thinking about it, he never let her in. She did not only want the sweet things. She wants everything.

The bad, the good. The happy times and even the sad times. She wanted to share all of that with him and she wanted him to be able to share those things with her.

And Azief remembers how Sofia shouted at him

‘When will we truly love each other? When will this man opens his heart to me and truly let me enter? When will that happen?’ And he saw how tears fall down from Sofia eyes.

And remembering it still hurt him.

She wanted everything. And everything scares him. He sighed and then he continues looking at Hirate and said

‘What you didn’t probably expect is that I am too much for you and your organization to handle. In a way, I grow too much and too fast for you to react sensibly. If am not wrong, you intend to defeat me when you first capture Will and show off your power to the world. The fact that Will spies for me is secondary. You just needed a reason’

Hirate did not say anything but he did not denied it either

This matter happens a long time ago. Nothing he said or do now could change the past. Azief then continued speaking

‘You intend to defeat me and capture me, and planting the idea that you are the one that have the right of hegemony and then you would defeated the weak Revolutionary Army that was based in Russia’

Azief just laughed when recalling of this matter.

‘What you couldn’t possibly predict was that I not only survives your schemes I even defeated you and break down that image of invincibility of the World Government. From then on, your organization was always regarded second below me. Your well-crafted plans to strengthen the image of the World Government with my defeat ended up helping me create the image of invincibility.’

Hirate just smiles bitterly.

***

Like I said this chapter is meant to be read in one sitting and is hard to cut since it would also cut the conversation.

Anyway, I promised you an announcement right? I am thinking of putting Age of Adventure here. For my original readers they know all about Age of Adventure.

So, what do you think about that?