Lord Shadow

But then he thinks of the many things the Oracle has done to meet the Death Monarch.

Why did she suddenly decided to steer off course and sailed out from Pandemonium without seeing the Death Monarch?

After all everyone knows that the Death Monarch is already in the Palace.

So, hesitatingly he ask

‘Great Oracl-‘ Erika cut him off before he could finish that sentence

‘Call me Erika, dummy’ Erika said and she smiles at Antonius.

And this time the smile on her face is not the usual painful smile Antonius always sees when she is smiling.

This is a sincere smile. And because it is sincere, it melts his heart

‘Er…ika.’

‘I think you got to practice that’ Erika said chuckling a bit.

‘Yeah, I’ll start practicing it from today’ Antonius replies smiling bashfully.

‘Erika.’

‘Hmm?’

‘Why do you want to go out of Pandemonium right now?’ There is a silent for a moment as the wind blows by her and caress her cheeks.

‘Why are you curios?’ Erika ask

‘You still haven’t met Death Monarch? He is there inside the Palace right now. You said you have something to tell him’

Erika only smiles a mysterious smile

‘It is not yet the time’

Then sighing she added

‘I thought it is already the time to told him certain things. But I guess….I am too hasty in my decision. Fear clouded my mind. The timing…is not right.’

Then she sighed and does not speak any other words after that

Antonius did not understand what the Oracle is trying to say but he only nodded.

Then without anything else to talk about they both look at the vast water in front of them as the ships comes and goes.

Then as they wait for their boats, and enjoying the scenery of the sea a slight commotion happened on their backs.

The crowds seem to be noisy all of a sudden.

Antonius quickly responded to the commotion.

Even Erika turns back and looks at the crowd

The crowd is parting to pass one man ahead of them. Most of them bowed slightly to that person.

The black robed men of the Shadow Guard did not look surprised instead they blend in the crowds also looking at the person causing the commotion.

A man appears, standing out from the rest of the crowd.

He is wearing a purple robe that seems to fit him perfectly. His long black hair is tied up neatly and he seems to possess a regal bearing like the whole world is underneath his feet.

He is handsome and his eyes seem to contain an unbreakable will. Erika knows people like that. It is someone who has firm conviction about what they were doing is right.

Many of the people in the crowd are awed and some of them are the citizens of this man organization.

As he walks to the port he is emanating an aura of a Great King.

Around him purple butterfly flapping it wing gently as it stays around the vicinity of the man

This man strode powerfully to the Port when he notices Erika as people parted ways for him not daring to match eyes with him.

Erika eyes turn sharp.

This man in the purple robe is none other than the President of the World Government Ashikaga Hirate.

‘Erika, we meet again’ Hirate said as he hold out his hand. Erika smiles courteously and shakes his hand.

‘It has been a long time since we meet’ Erika said. Hirate nodded then he stands not too far away from her. Antonius is also there protecting her.

‘Waiting?’ He asked

‘Hmm’ Erika replied.

There was silence in the Port. It was the crowd in the vicinity of the port that seems tense and noisy.

Everyone knows that Hirate was brought to Pandemonium by Death Monarch. Now he is here in this port of Newark safe and sound and doesn’t seem to be hurt or stressed out.

There were many speculations saying that he is in Pandemonium Secret prison and some even suggested he is dead.

But here he is standing here on the Port. But disregarding the speculations, something must have happened.

But everyone knows whatever happened between those two men, it must have to do with some world shaking decision that would affect millions.

By now most of the people in the world knows that the race of aliens coming down from the sky a few weeks ago come from a planet called Orvan.

They also knew that they are hunting a fugitive of their planet.

That is the story the World Government and the Republic told the populace. There is no need to tell them about some curse about this fugitive who could not die.

That would only invite panic. The fact that Sithulran could not die already becomes a headache for the World Government and the Republic.

Every time Sithulran causes a problem the most they can do is kill her before she returns back stronger and more adept in her fighting techniques.

The Orvanians that is staying in the World Government is also incensed.

They suggested bringing their warship down on Earth which had the whole Senate of the Republic and the Quorum Council of the World Government to veto that idea.

They would never let a warship of an alien civilization landed on Earth unless it is the last measure.

If they ever bring down their warship down to Earth, imagine the panic that will spread on the world.

The Weronian Invasion is still fresh in everybody mind. Even now, there are some people still hunting Weronians.

And everyone knows about the Great Oracle arrival which is even earlier than the President of the World Government.

And if the Republic and the World Government allowed it, they must also explained to the world the real truth about Orvanians and Sithulran which will only invite more panic.

How do you kill something that can’t be killed?

While this is all happening all over the world, news came out from the White Owl that Hirate is at Pandemonium.

Since then people have begun speculating many things and people fearing another war would erupt between the two men

But here they all could see that Hirate is fine. Not only that they also saw the Oracle is going out from Pandemonium.

Today, both of them are going out from Pandemonium.

The discussion between Hirate and the Death Monarch had been concluded. But for some reasons even though Erika did not meet Death Monarch she is also leaving.

Many intelligence agencies have already deduced why the Great oracle would leave the conform of her Temple in Moscow and go to Pandemonium

She wanted to meet the Death Monarch. But suddenly when she had the chance to meet the Death Monarch she is returning home.

The sea breeze once again blew passing the Port. This time, the wind passes these three people.

The butterfly flaps it wings and perched itself onto the left shoulder of Hirate

Erika look at the sea and then she ask

‘Did you get what you want from Death Monarch?’ Hirate shakes his head regretfully.

‘I got some, lose some’ he said. Then looking at Erika he said

What about you?

Smiling Erika said

‘Like you I got some, lose some. If there is something true about the Death Monarch it is that he is consistent’ and she chuckles.

Hirate also chuckles. Then seeing there is no longer any reason to talk to each other, silence descended again.

The relationship between the World government and the Great Oracle Erika is quite iffy to say the least.

She is now under the Republic but while it is so, she is also not the enemy of the World government.

Her Temple is open to all and her believers are many. Some of them are people from the World Government while some of them are from the Republic.

Whether it be for people of the World government, the Republic or even the people of the League of Freedom, her temple do not discriminate.

The fact that Hirate as the President of the World government could still talks to her even after her betrayal shows how much the influence the Great Oracle possesses in the world.

A few minutes pass by in silence and then in the horizon one could see a large ship coming to the Port, the size is gigantic and it emitted emanations of power that parted the waves in front of it.

The crowd was shocked because this doesn’t look like normal ship that usually appears in this Port but thinking about it again, there are rarely people as influential as Hirate and Oracle ever come to this humble Port.

Some people in the crowd speculated that the ship belong to either one of them

But then as that large ship slowly coming into views, that and that shocked expression is no longer in their face.

Everyone was gasping in awe.

Because coming into the views of the people in the Port is not a large ship but instead it is a titanic warship with plasma cannons on each of the side of the ship with a hull crafted from an unidentified metal.

And then their expression turns into one of fear.

They do not fear for their safety weirdly enough. Instead they fear for the safety of Hirate. Bringing a warship into Pandemonium.

The last person trying to do that learned a very hard lesson from the Death Monarch.

Hirate might be influential in his dominion and the World Government controlled lands but here in Pandemonium his influence means nothing.

There is the Three Army, the Shadow Guard and most importantly there is the Death Monarch.

It is coming closer and closer but the Shadow Guards and none of the patrol forces in the Port is moving.

This puzzled the crowds. Shouldn’t they stop that warship from coming?

Even Erika was perplexed. So she looks toward Hirate and then ask

‘He allowed it?’ Erika ask

Hirate nodded smiling.

Death Monarch allowed Hirate to summon his warship to sail him back home to the Island Of Peace and prepare for the World Distribution Event.

Azief would never open the protection barrier on his continent to allow teleportation channel to be constructed in his territory.

If one uses teleportation stone in his continent the most they could travel is inside the boundary of Pandemonium.

He will also not allowed air travel so the only mode of transportation left for the President of the World Government is the sea

It is really funny come to think of it. At least it is funny for Hirate. What else he could do other than swallowed this humiliation?

Defy the words of the Death Monarch in his dominion? Even when Death Monarch is in other people dominion, he never cares much.

Hirate is not that sick of life yet that he would seek death purposely.

Erika then looks at that warship and said

‘Your ride is big’ Hirate only smiles and then he said.

‘And pretty too. Want to ride together?’ Hirate ask as sign of courtesy. Erika looks at Antonius for a moment before shaking her head.

‘I am grateful for the offer but we have a different destination.’

‘Ah, that is unfortunate but I understand. Until we meet again then Great Oracle’

The warship slowly approached the dock area and then when they appears that they will sail forward and enter Pandemonium boundary they stopped just outside the Sea Barrier erected by Pandemonium Army.

Hirate was about to jump to the ship from the port when suddenly in the sky, thunder booms. A hole had opened up in the sky and the clear skies before suddenly turns cloudy and dark.

It was like the Heavens are angered.

The winds turns harsh and heavy and storms of lightning and thunders are forming, the waves of the sea are in chaos that it even hit upon the warship, like an old man is beating the ship with a mace made of sea waves.

The Earth also trembles like a man in anger

And who is the Heavens and Earth of Pandemonium?

Death Monarch!

Hirate almost stumbled back in fear. But the he remembered that he already was given permission so this anger is not for him.

But then who?

Then a roar sounded out echoing through the large continent. It was a roar of anger and full of anxiousness.

The shockwave of this roar trembles the earth, and causes the sea to rumble and the waves of the sea to smash around wildly.

‘WILL!’ He seems too shouted. The source of this sound is from the Centre Palace. His roar spread out to all of Pandemonium.

Like the Heavens are responding to Death Monarch roars, thunder rumbled across the vast continent of Pandemonium.

Endless thunder spread out that it causes the protection barrier in Pandemonium to crack.

Those that cultivated or have thunder energy in their body in Pandemonium all felt their thunder energy trembled.

Even Oreki recuperating somewhere in Japan could feel the calling of Thunder.

His eyes sharpened as he look towards that source of energy feeling complicated in his heart and he only said one word

‘Tribulation thunder!’ before he closes his eyes and continue healing himself.

It is no doubt the only one that could induce such heaven defying phenomenon is Death Monarch.

He was refined by Tribulation Thunder and that refining causes him to have a trace of tribulation lightning in his body.

So each time he uses thunder based energy, there is the sense of the tribulation thunder.

In Pandemonium arcs of lightning fills the sky and thunder boomed like a war drums.

It was like the thunder is readying for a fight. The ground trembles and the clouds suddenly burst into black flames.

A killing intent spreads out all over the sky. Then the sound of glass breaking could be heard from the Centre Palace, the shockwaves shatters the residence in the Centre palace.

Something black in color shoots out from the balcony of the Centre Palace into the sky in a shape of a blur because of the speed the black blur is moving which warps space and gravity around that black blur.

That black blur is faster than lightning as sonic boom exploded behind that black blur.

Thunder followed that black blur and the area that black blur passed slowly withers and dies.

Hirate saw this. Erika also saw this. The whole of Pandemonium who look up to the sky saw this.

They saw the black blur fly out from Pandemonium with such speed that it causes the sea water to part in two.

By now there is no doubt in anyone heart that the black blur is Death Monarch! Seeing the black blur passes him by Hirate was relieved. At least his target isn’t him.

Hirate is still standing on the port and he realizes his hand is shaking. He calms himself down and he then asked Erika

‘You know something?’ Erika shakes her head

‘I don’t know. But judging from the way Death Monarch is acting, he is out for blood’

Hirate nodded and said

‘I pity the fool that try to fight him’

On the sky, thunder is ready to fight

***

Ok, here is the second part of the chapter. Hope you enjoy it. Like always if you enjoy it share it with the people you love. leave some comments, give me some reviews ( hopefully a good review) and vote.

Anyway this is a long time coming. It is not unexpected and it is hinted before. Will was chasing Sithulran in the past chapters and this is related to that. This chapter also shows that Hirate is out of Pandemonium and Erika too. Whether something happen later that is a secret.

For this chapter I recommend the song The Score – Heat to listen while reading the chapter. It also mentioned Oreki briefly recovering from the injury he got from Sithulran. Next part of the chapter will be about ….hehehe…I got you for a moment didn’t you. Not going to give you all spoilers. Meet you all tomorrow.

And below is my obligatory promotion time for my story

And guys and gals( Thought I don’t think many girls read this kind of story)do check out my other s Age of Adventure and Song of Heroes. Song of Heroes is kind of stopped for a moment since I am editing Age of Adventure and writing Lord Shadow at the same time.

But do check it out.

That’s it and thank you for reading.