Lord Shadow

The meeting room was white in colour. And there is a large round table. There is hundreds of seat with a microphone in each table.

The design of the room was simple but also a luxury in this new world filled with people that have special abilities.

The army of the world crumbled and warlords, heroes, villains all make a grab for power, each of them create their sphere of influence to survive and prospers in this new world.

The World Government meant to unify this fragmented sphere of influence not only as a form of control but also as a form of order.

But the Shogun and the people that is coming understand that this World government meeting serves as a way to increase their power and to create a new world order.

They were villains. They were losers. Ordinary. Criminals. Unimportant people. Poor and destitute, weak and powerless.

But when the Fall came, those who was tempered by the hardship of their life….they thrive. They revel. They breathe.

And crawling from the blood of the fallen, they stand up, look at the world and cried out Is this the best you can do!

They become…more. In this new world they become a lot more…alive. In this new world, they became Kings. Emperors. Leaders. Great men and women, leading people.

They became…..extraordinary

The world is in chaos and while there seems to be some kind of resistance from humans as they grow stronger, monster still reign in many parts of the world.

To control the world, one needs to make sure it has order first. And order will be established. But to enforce order…it needs people.

Extraordinary people.

And the World Government Meeting intends to control, or at least bind these great men and women by some laws that would at least create the best possible condition for humanity to thrive.

And it will begin in this great large white room.

The large white room has four door representing west, east, south and north.

Outside the representatives of countries, kingdoms and empires waited as they are escorted to the tunnel and into one of the four entrance to the room.

Why there is a tunnel?

Because this World Government meeting is conducted underground, 400 feet below the surface with the hardest steel lining as the walls to make sure drilling abilities monster could break down here.

And even if they did…it would at least buy time for the representatives to run and escape.

After all Kyoto has graciously prepared countless of teleportation stone for the representatives.

Each stone is counted as a fortune but an organized organization like that of Empire of Japan could easily find a way since peace has been at least partly achieved in the territory of Japan.

The moment the large door open there are many men entering from all four sides of the room.

Raymond from USA.

He appears to be wearing a military uniform instead of his battle armour and behind him is his commander, appearing very powerful.

They take a seat on a table that has the plaque of USA.

He looks around as he watched other great men take their seat.

Taking center seat was the Shogun of Japan, Ashikaga Hirate.

With a mon of a butterfly and robe that seems to accentuate his scholarly aura he smiles as he look at his effort come to fruition.

Raymond watched as a man with a diamond like mon seat at his chair appearing very unconcerned with the proceeding.

Raymond look at the plague and it says Kai.

So this is the Tiger of Kai. Raymond mused.

He heard from his intelligence agency that Tiger of Kai was a ferocious man in battle but his strategy is eccentric and unorthodox and he usually win by employing some weird strategy and there is no bottom line when he sets out in achieving something.

Beside him a man who had a strand of hair covering his eyes takes his seat and Raymond look at that man table and sees the plaque of Echigo.

The Tiger of Kai and Dragon of Echigo.

Both are rivals and great leaders and one of the few people in Japan who has quite the military prowess.

Then come into the room from the eastern side of the room a man with pale white face but donning a robe fit for Kings and there is a symbol of eagle in his standards as his standard bearer comes into the room.

The man himself was wearing a golden crown, and on top of the golden crown embedded itself was the most beautiful jewel Raymond has ever seen.

Raymond looked at the plaque and he was surprised. The French Empire. So, this must be the Emperor of the French, Jean.

Beside him was a woman with great figures and of beautiful complexion. She has a trace of innocence with a hint of danger.

‘Paulette’ and Raymond gritted his teeth.

His spies once come back to him getting shot in the rib because of that woman. They nearly lost their lives.

His subordinate describes her as one of the greatest marksman that ever lived.

Raymond knew one man that would really fit that title. Leonard…but then he shakes his head as he tries to shake of the memories.

When Jean sits down there a few people that is standing behind him. The Party leader of France.

They have become merely advisors to the Emperor. If this was a feudal time, they would be ministers.

When Raymond looks towards the Norway side, he is amused to find two people become the representative of Norway.

Rollo and Odin.

Rollo is accompanied with a woman whose eyes is cold as winter and her face shows no expression at all.

Which only adds to her cold beauty.

Freya the Valkyrie. On her shoulder were two ravens perched on both of her shoulders.

He was warned by his advisors that Freya is the mind in making sure that Rollo remain forever victorious in battlefield.

Hugin and Munin was the name of Freya ravens. Raymond believes that this raven has its own abilities.

Unlike the other advisors or friends of the other representative, Freya did not stand beside Roll, instead she sit beside him like an equal.

Rollo with his wolf fur covering his body like an armour and his beard looks like a depiction of the old age Vikings.

He is also very loud.

On the other hand Odin appears to be more reserved but Raymond knows that this reserved man is very cruel in his method.

Those who disobey him…would not be killed but tortured until they wish for death.

Odin is powerful, commands a fanatical zealots that believes what is happening to earth right now, is Ragnarok and powerful.

Did he mention powerful twice?

But and he smiles as he think of that event. There was one man who dares contend with Odin and not only that but cut of his dick and blinded him in one eye.

Loki.

At least that is the name he is using now. During his time at Odin camp he was using the name Thousand Face.

Now he is using the name Loki.

Raymond wanted to recruit him when he first heard of the altercation between him and Odin.

But then he heard another shocking story.

Loki has teamed up with one who Raymond would call the most mysterious and powerful man in the world right now.

Lord Shadow.

Hearing the reports of his subordinate about the explosive battle that Lord Shadow is engaged in and watching the footage of the Imperator corpse…he could only imagine the power that Lord Shadow possesses.

And now he teamed up with a man crazy enough to cut Odin dick? One could only imagine the chaos both of them could make.

Raymond is actually looking forward to see Lord Shadow in this meeting. From what he heard Kyoto is inviting him.

But then seeing him not here, he is disappointed.

He heard from Akira that Lord Shadow it seems has disappeared from the face of the earth, so carefully hidden, that not even the full force of Hirate could find Lord Shadow.

And that is saying something. Raymond looks at Hirate and sighed. That man has a very powerful abilities and usually those he wanted to find he would easily find it.

To think he couldn’t find Lord Shadow and Loki….those two must have a method to avoid detection.

First Raymond ask Akira if Lord Shadow is already dead.

But from what Akira said, he is alive only he could not be found. Some speculated that he might be on a quest.

Quest is hard to trigger.

Rather than the initial quest for class change and for unique class user, to trigger a quest depends on luck.

He sighed again as more people enters the room.

Raymond even though he is the representative of USA this does not mean he control all of USA.

The same could be said for everyone else here in this room.

Raymond controls a few states but some states is in the hands of the militia, and other people.

Some even designated themselves as a Republic. The 51 states of America is divided. Even before the fall, America is divided….but now…it is even more divided.

There are places where migrants were discriminated while some places the migrants Carlos execute Caucasian Americans.

For what reason?

Raymond doesn’t know. But on some parts of America, migrants are also being hunted.

Some of those who do not share the same belief as the people in the majority is also executed.

Villains rose. And heroes are scarce. They need a symbol of hope.

The reason why the Shogun chose Raymond as the representatives because what the World government want the most is stability and Raymond have that.

In his camp, there is no division between race, religion or nationality. He was a wise and kind leader.

Maybe this behavior could be attributed as his personality as a gamer. He was a nerd before the fall to say it simply.

Of course seeing him right now, 6’4 tall, dark and handsome one could not see the slightly chubby nerd he was before.

But before the fall, he has good friends, they do nerdy stuff, fight about who would win between Superman and Batman, attend the Comic con every year and their circle was tight.

But situation changes.

Most of his friend died in the initial attack. He found a group. He made friends again. Hope again.

He was hurt.

He suffers the loss of a friend.

He was betrayed. He was deceived. And he grows. Grows to become a man who shoulders the lives of thousands on his shoulder, a pillar for his people.

All of the people in here, all have that amazing qualities to bend people to their will either by manipulation, by fear, or by brute strength.

Raymond achieved the same effect by promising….hope.

He then closes his eyes as he waited for all the leaders to enter so that they could start the meeting all the while thinking about the benefits that this World Government will have for his regime.

***

Erika sits down on her seats.

She wore a purple robe, long and full of runic designs. In her left shoulder there is a design of a closed eye.

She is looking at the people inside the room and then after finding out the man she wants to meet is not here she sighed.

‘He is not here. Once again my Sight is wrong. Why? Is there something about him?’ She said.

Erika is the Oracle of Greece. She has no other abilities other than seeing the future and as such her powers is a curse and both a blessing.

She alone united the many factions and warlords in Greece to create a unified Greece under her.

How did she achieve such an amazing feat?

Simple.

People like Jean who uses his considerable military force in France is powerful, true and Greece also has people like this.

A man named Alexandros was a great warlord but in the end he submits to Erika all the same.

The reason is because those who did not want to enter her treaty, their future as a warlord will be short.

No strategy could work, when someone already knows what is going to happen.

Alexandros first trying to launch an offensive attack and even prepares a life endangering trap by trying to poison the Oracle but since the Oracle already seen the future, she simply avoid the trap, and make her own ambush with the help of Antonius.

Antonius was Alexandros rival.

By giving assistance to Antonius, she won herself a formidable ally. They all enter the Treaty of Delphi.

Signed at Delphi, seven warlords sign the Treaty and acknowledge Erika as the mediator if a huge scale war were ever to erupt between them.

And so temporary peace is achieved while the warlords could amass their wealth by fighting monster and clearing more lands for humanity in Greece.

Her abilities alarmed Shogun Hirate so much so, that she becomes a high level priority to please.

There is still many parts of Greece that is not yet cleared and full of monsters.

While other nation faces monster of what is mostly called RPG monsters, her nations produces monster of mythical nature.

In her journey she met Lamia, Minotaur and many more monster that she always believes only exist in fairy tales.

Behind her was Antonius. He come closer and approached the oracle when she sees the Oracle displeased expression and he whispers.

‘Is he not here, Great Oracle?’

Erika shakes her head.

‘Great Oracle Sight…why is it wrong?’ Antonius say it with puzzlement. He knows the fearsome power of Erika sight that could see through the future.

Erika ponders for a bit and she said.

‘Time changes. The flow of Time, rivers of Cause and Effect, a stone has been thrown into it. A large stone capable of changing the current.’ She said this with a bitter smiles.

Time is both fragile and sturdy and no one knows it better than Erika who have many ties manipulated Time to work in her favour.

But it is not so fragile that it would change just because a butterfly flapped its wings, but it will change if strong enough stone is thrown into the River, changing the current, obstructing the flow.

When it is changed, when that ripples turns into a great enough current….time will change endlessly, creating many more worlds.

The moment she gains her Sight, she was blessed….or cursed…with the knowledge that there are other worlds beside this…..thousands of worlds.

She called it the Multiverse.

When she sees the future, she did not only see this future. She sees all the futures. All possibilities, all worlds.

Something magical is happening in this world right now…and her sight is not powerful enough to see it.

‘Somebody is messing with Fate.’ She then said and she heaved a tired sigh. Looking into the future…she expends more stamina than fighting.

‘This was the only reason you agreed to attend this meeting. Is our effort meaningless?’ Antonius said sighing.

Erika then said.

‘It is not entirely useless. I see a man with an interesting fate in front of me.’ She was looking at Jean.

When she looks at him, she saw the most unbelievable scene. She saw a world dyed red, and in the center was a man howling to the sky, holding a woman.

His eyes was red with anger and denial and she sees two sides, people flying and hurling attacks on the skies, while the world erupts and the sky part away.

Behind him were six silhouettes, six people with the same aura as Jean. They were powerful and the aura they emitted was a godly aura, powerful to the extreme.

And in the center of that conflict was an Orb….orb filled with life and everywhere the Orb passed, life would sprout and death could not approach.

She then looked at the woman beside Jean and she was startled. She was the woman in his arm that she saw in her vision.

The woman she looks at was Paulette.

Antonius on the other hand began setting a perimeter of protection around Erika. Erika after getting off that vision feels a little dizzy.

Erika sighed.

The reason she came here is to see the Man in the Shadows as she likes to call him.

The Man in the Shadow.

It’s the image of a person she saw since her level increased. With every level increase she could see further to the future.

And when she reached level 35 a few days ago…she saw a vision so visceral, so vivid that it gave her a fever…and dread inside her heart, creating like a mental trauma.

The dreams begin with her sitting inside her temple, when dark mist enters the temple, every barrier she constructed, every pillars of protection shattered and she felt cold and shivers in fear, trembling and sweating at least for a while before she calms herself down in the vision.

Her behaviour in her vision was like welcoming an old friend. Which is weird considering what will happen next.

She saw a man appearing from a shadow…powerful, overbearing and his eyes was like the shining stars in the sky, with ten rings, five rings in each finger and he emits an aura of death and times fluctuate differently around him, making him even more mysterious.

He then talks to her and then proceeded to rip out her eyeballs. The pain was indescribable.

But what makes Erika fearful..….is the fact that in her vision…..it was like she volunteer to give her eyeballs and she could not understand that part of her vision.

There is also the matter of when. This was the most vivid vision she ever had…and she didn’t know when will that happen, why it happens and what she talked about in her vision?

This never happens to her before

She thought that if she could see him….see The Man in The Shadows….she could understand or she could see another vision.

Then thinking again, she mused.

Maybe this is the best.

***

That week great leader all over the world discuss about the formation of the World Government.

Most of Europe leader were there. There was France, Belgium, Belarus, Poland, Romania, Slovakia and many others leaders.

Germany was not there since it was not stable. So, was Scotland and Ireland. Vietnam participated. Cambodia and India also participated.

Australia could not participated because the sheer amounts of monster in that continent that creating a community there is almost impossible..

Malaysia was represented by two generals. South Korea was represented by Lee Hyun Woo.

China on the other hand debated about the World Government intentions. Boris did not like the World Government mission but agree that a more united effort would be preferable in battling the monsters.

And by the end of the first week, they agree on a few articles.

The World Government is determined to save the world from the scourge of the monsters which has brought untold sorrows to mankind

To reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights, in the dignity and worth of the human person.

To once again enforce the equal right of men and women of nation large and small.

Establishing a condition under which justice and respect for obligation arising from this treaty can be maintained and to promote the new world order.

In order for these articles to be maintained, the World Government will act as a mediator comprised of the members that will be chosen at the next world government meeting which is comprised of the most powerful leaders and nations.

The obligations of those agreeing to these treaties are to unite their strength under the banner of the World Government to create a world humanity could thrive in.

And as such, the Word Government will offer protection by collective cooperation among all the leaders that agree with the articles.

The first week the leaders finalize in their aims and objective and the second week, they began designing the Chairman of the Organization which will chair the Meetings for the next five years and hold considerable power to summon the nations under the treaties to heed the call of duty.

And while all this is happening, Azief and his group has reached the fifth floor after untold hardship and they began entering the fifth floor and meet their worst nightmare.

The moment they enter they were shocked looking at the fifth floor. And so, the world began to move.

Meanwhile on the stars, the warship of the Werons is speeding ahead to Earth with the desire to rule and conquer.

In a corpse of stars at the corner of the Universe, The Destroyer is awakening bit by bit and a black hole nearby His awakening, shattered into oblivion as the Destroyer formed his corporeal body.

And so…..time moves forward.

***