Lord Shadow

A flaming red sky.

Today, the world all witness an almost unbelievable sight. The sky cracked and the whole world heard it.

From the cracked sky descend a stream of fire that seems to promote life and rebirth enveloping the entire atmosphere.

All was enveloped in this fire

One could even hear the sound of trumpet the signs of the Earth groaning. The first thing that happens when the stream of fire descended was the sound of something cracking.

This sound of cracking could be heard all over the world.

‘What is this sound of cracking?’ someone said in another part of the world.

But the people in Cairo knows. The Great Sphinx of Giza where one of the pillars of the Weronians was erected…crumbled to pieces

The pillars that reached to the skies arrogantly and aiding the Weronians forces all over the world cracked and then exploded

The sound waves of that explosion travel the world three times crushing everyone ears in Egypt and the surrounding area buildings and structure all cracked and some falls down because of the impact of the shockwave of the explosion

The Easter Island

The surrounding island nearby the Easter Island has wilted because of the absorbing power of the pillars before is now thrumming with life as the Easter Island pillars melted and create a huge landmass from the melted pillars remains.

With it, the restriction of the World Orb was activated as the Weronians could all feel their attacks become weaker and their speed slower.

All over the world, where the resistance fight, the resistance notices that the Weronians forces suddenly becoming weaker.

By now… the fate of the Weronians are sealed. But, the many powerful faction did not pay attention to this.

Their eyes are concentrated on the figures floating in the skies right now bathing in stream of fire.

Through the many inventions of the Merchant Association every great factions has found a way to watch the battle of Purunghasa and now they are watching an even more unbelievable sight.

The moment the fire descended a stream of information entered Azief mind as he was shocked of what he found in that sea of information.

His face hidden by the black hood reflect this shocked feeling. One of the information is that he found out that his body Physique is not yet the ultimate form.

The moment he got this information Azief immediately decided he will cultivate his Physique to the grand completion later.

But now, as the fire descended and hit his body, instead of the fiery and hot sensation he expected to come, he felt something different.

The fire…. it was like a cool river stream pass by him, nourishing him, washing his body in the purest fire.

Then without him meaning to, his body absorb the essence of this pure fire

Like a hungry wolf, his Seed absorbed the energy of the fire and his seed were revitalized as the leaves appears, the branches grows and the Tree of Life once again revived inside Azief consciousness.

The many eyes watching this sight gasped. That fire instead of incinerating Azief to mist of blood instead did nothing on his body.

They do not know that the Seed Formation could be cultivated to such level. Because those who are watching this never did once embark the Path of Perfection.

At least not this far. Path of Perfection like its name suggest requires perfection in each step.

So that when the Path of Perfection is actualized, each steps could tremble the Universe and each swish of one hand could determine the fate of the galactic order.

As the eyes kept watching, Azief was immersed in this feeling of being enhanced. The fire is slowly being integrated into his blood.

Below him, the world was being healed as it was exposed to the Purifying Fire.

This is the Purifying Fire, not Hellfire, or the Fire of Divine Punishment.

As the name suggest Purifying Fire is used to Purify….which also means to Purify evils and banish Demon, to light away the dark and to bring light to creations.

Azief also realized something when he absorbed the fire that there is something else inside the fire that also lodged itself into Azief body but it was not harmful.

Instead it increases Azief resilience so Azief did not pay too much attention to it.

The whole world was watching this event with their own mode of viewing as they do not understand what kind of phenomenon is actually happening right now.

Another stream of fire gushed inside Azief body.

Then suddenly Azief felt his body was startled and then he started shaking. All around him his surrounding becomes slow as if time is slowly stopping.

His Tree of Life shines white as his normally golden body changed color to a Holy White Light that shines the world as the time of the world stopped.

It was like he was the Light of Primordial Creation lighting the Dark Universe filling it with the Song of Holy Creation

The people watching did not realize that Time has stopped for they were trapped in Time.

Even if the whole world was illuminated no one could see it for Time has been stopped. Even if the Song is being sung no one could hear it.

Azief own blood was roaring with its vitality as his absorbing energy turned into a ferocious vortex sucking all the Purifying Fire.

Azief entire body is slowly becoming heavy as his blood also becoming heavy. This creates a pressure that crack the skies even without Azief doing anything.

It suppresses the Earth and stunned the Heavens. Azief entire being is slowly being remolded to be something that is in defiance of the natural order.

Perfection.

This is…Perfection.

A being that transcended limitation also means a being that could not be suppressed or controlled.

And a Perfect Being…..that is a taboo across the ages. For it attracts unwanted attention from many dark gazing eyes in the dark universe

Slowly Azief could see an ethereal thread over his body slowly being unraveled.

Azief deduced this ethereal thread is the suppression of the World Orb as Azief body slowly becoming more powerful that even with a slight movement, the wind around Azief roars and becomes ferocious.

With an accidental swish of his hands storms of lightning were created and the ground below exploded.

Azief crack his knuckles and his feet moved forward. That alone created a wind gust that roared with all of the impact in the world as the Space around Azief cracked and rips.

The streams of fire was never-ending as Azief heavy body and heavy blood suddenly became lighter and faster as his blood is traveling all over Azief veins like a gigantic dragon that is rampaging, fierce and immense.

It was then Azief feel another shaking inside his body.

His body went into a rampage as the cool stream of fire felt overbearingly hot and tearing apart his entire physique.

First, his Violet Palace crumbled, the sound of which travels the world three times as Azief coughed a lot of blood and his face instantly turn pale.

The droplets of blood that falls were as heavy as a mountain as that blood created a ten foot crater when it falls down.

Then His Sovereign presence was erased making him appears like a normal mortal, the golden light that used to accompany his activation of his Physique has now disappeared.

Even though Azief was still standing amidst the stream of fire, he looks like a ship that is about to capsize.

After that his Nine Forbidden Opening was blocked causing him to feel his energy dried up, his Celestial Meridian was tear apart, the pain which is indescribable

Then his Celestial Bones was broken, his Golden Domain was extinguished, his golden Vein ruptured, his Golden Flesh cracked and his Golden skin exploded.

Within but a moment Azief Physique was entirely ruined. Azief who felt it firsthand could not describe the pain of this agonizing experience.

It was like he was being grinded and tear apart, again and again. It was a pain that even he couldn’t confidently handle.

Then like a glass that is being crushed by a hammer, a sound of crack fill the world.

A crack appeared in Azief body and in the next second Azief whole body began to shatter.

But Azief also felt as his body is shattering, that if he could survive this and endure, his body could overwhelmingly destroy everything.

He could even fight with a Divine Comprehension levelers toe to toe. This is the advantages of pursuing Perfection.

You could break common sense of level of power.

Not many people could walk the same path as him and not many people even knows the path to take to reach here.

As Azief body was severely being crushed, Azief felt he was about to be erased from existence. But Azief also knows that this fire is certainly not trying to kill him

It was now, the formation of Nine Seeds shows its usefulness.

This is why the Path of Perfection lies in perfecting each step. If Azief did not perfect his Physique he could not have perfected his Seed.

If he could not perfected his Seed he could not summon the Fire. If he summons the Fire with one step missing, then he would be dead by now.

After all if one did not perfect his Physique in Energy Disperse Stage but form Tenth Seed in Seed Formation one could still summon the Purifying Fire.

But since that person did not Perfected his Physique, he would surely die the moment the Fire tries to bestow more power.

Each steps work in tandem. The body has been destroyed, but not completely and this lies the great step of Perfection. To be at the edge of life but never truly dying, the very essence of the Undying Physique.

The body is broken and shattered, like a small leaves being whirl by the wind but the Seeds still remains and still alive, vigorous of life energy.

It was then the Tree of Life in Azief consciousness slowly grows larger and larger until it seem that it was larger than a Universe inside Azief consciousness.

It towered above everything, full of energy and life.

Then this tree started absorbing all the Fire and these fire radiate life essence through Azief body.

Then the tree sings the Song of creation. Azief did not understand the Song but Azief suddenly knows that it is the Song of Creation.

‘Yggdrasil’ Azief muttered to himself even as his body was crippled. He remembered Alsurt. He remembered that rune.

As the Fire enter his body information about Disk Formation entered his mind. This path of Disk Formation is different from the conventional way of forming the Disk.

He needs to create Thirteen Disk instead of the nine for the requirement of breaking through to Divine Comprehension.

But Azief only smiles and smirk. It will be tough but as long as he knew the Path at least he will not fall into despair of not knowing.

The Life Essence gushed out countless of energy, full of Life Essence and it was like a sea appeared below the Tree of Life.

The Sea was full of Water of Life.

This sea nourishes Azief soul as Azief felt his soul is being purified and his mind become clearer. Azief knows from this moment on, Illusion and Mind powers will have minimal effects on him.

The branches of the tree of Life has become as sturdy as metal. The leaves was birthed in thousand showing a tree of Life that is lush and fertile inside Azief consciousness.

The Tree below the Sea full of Water of Life. Every droplet of that water emitted countless Life Essence.

It was then the tree of Life absorbed the Sea inside Azief consciousness as Azief body was healed miraculously, locking together his shattered body

The Heavens cried and the Earth shudders as Perfection is born.

A song of creation and praise sounded in one part of the Universe, a song which no one recognizes.

But one Being in the Universe recognizes the song.

That Being was sitting on his Red throne looking down on all creation but his eyes is intensely looking at a human millions of light years away.

In the planet of Belthana the Three Sisters of Fate sighed as they yarns their magical threads.

In Olympus, Zeus which was fighting with the Titans look momentarily dazed, recollecting something before his eyes become clear again as he continues dashing to fight Kronos.

On Earth, Azief transformation is still not finished.

The tree of Life formed a protective aura that wrapped around Azief broken body like a cocoon.

It was like the transformation of an ugly caterpillar that will be born into a beautiful butterfly.

Azief body right now is heavy, even one droplet of his blood dropping down to Earth creates a mini quakes and craters.

Azief understand now.

Even though his body was shattering and he only had a breath of life in his body, the fire is not trying to kill him.

The fire is trying to recreate his body.

Because of the cocoon like energy around Azief body, Azief completely shattered body did not break into pieces and fall into the ground.

Slowly, the stream of Fire in concert with the energy wrapped around his body burns and heal, as it recasted the affected area in order to rebuild his body.

Time stopped. So no one could see the suffering that Azief is enduring right now. It was like an eternity.

Pain is always like that. One moment of pain could feel like an eternity. But when in pain, since he could not avoid it, he endures.

He is good at enduring.

Not because he is like that. Because he knows if he endures he will get what he want at the end.

It is why he endures.

Enduring without having a reward, is pointless enduring.

From the moment he summons the Purifying fire, he knew it would not be as easy he would imagined.

But this kind of pain is still within his expectations. If anyone that could hear Azief thought right now they would surely felt terrified.

The pain akin of your skin being flayed is within his expectations and he still push forward? What kind of an insane person who would do that?

To a Time that felt like an eternity, Azief body reshaping has been completed, his shattered body pieces is connected once again as the cracked around his body merged forming back his body.

His pain disappeared as his body is now flawless without any sign of the terrible injury he suffers before.

The world becomes calm but Azief knows this is not yet complete. The Purifying Fire was not only used to purify the body physique but it is also used to create the Tenth Seed

The stream of Fire is now slowly dissipating but Azief knows this is enough to do what he desires the most.

He shouted

‘FORM!!’ This shout sounded all over the world, as the clouds parted and the skies opens up to the space beyond.

Then like a gigantic mouth, Azief body absorbs all the fire.

Now that Azief body becomes stronger than before, his power of absorbing was elevated a few level higher than before.

As the energy rushed inside Azief body, countless notifications appeared. All the notifications look blurred but Azief will check the notification later.

Nine Seed create the Tree of Life. But what does the Tenth Seed creates?

The moment he shouted form, the information appears inside his mind

And the information shocked Azief.

Tenth Seed create an independent Source!

What is Source Power? Will uses it. Raymond uses it. And many other people Azief knows uses it. Will tapped the power of the Speed source and with it his speed is even faster than Azief.

He could even at times runs through the timelines.

Raymond tapped the source of Earth, creating the Terra force making him able to fight people of higher level than him by utilizing the boundless energy that the world possesses.

But independent Source?

It is a source that borrows the powers but refines it to become your own power which means you will ultimately be using your own power and not be constrained or fear that source would disappear one day.

And as he yells Form he instantly knows what kind of Source he wanted to create.

He visualizes it in his mind as his Tenth Seed was formed.

The moment his tenth Seed was formed, the Tree of Life, exploded as it branches dissipated and its leaves were burned as that Tenth Seed becomes a black hole and devour everything

Inside that black hole that powerful essence of life energy is still existing. So even though the tree of Life is no longer, Azief abundance of Life energy remains.

He will need only a thought to break through to Disk Formation and form his Disk. But he still did not take that step

Azief opens his eyes, and stars were reflected in his eyes an eye that contain wisdom and breadth of mind that surpasses everyone.

For that one brief moment Azief could see his Grand Path.

As he formed his tenth Seed a source of energy was tapped and Azief could feel he wield the power of the Worldly energy and a bit of Universal Essence.

He created his tenth Seed and his tenth Seed is the Death Source. The moment he created his own Source he could feel he could control the Dead.

A slew of abilities are opened up to him.

He felt that he could now manipulate the essence of death. He could causes things to wither, rot, weaken and eventually die.

Azief could sense and manipulate the essence that allows Death, Destruction and Decay, allowing him to control decayed matter or to request assistance from the Dead.

Azief could have created the Life Source but Azief has always been fascinated with death. He brushed with death too many times for him not to be interested with it.

He now could manipulate his age, read people aura, manipulate dark energy. Absorbing life force, and life force transferal.

He could also induce madness, disease, weaken people body resilience and strengthen his own body resilience, poisons manipulation and possessing regenerative healing factor.

But the more terrifying part of his ability is necromancy, erasing of power, reanimation, rot and decay inducement, soul summoning, spiritual force manipulation and…resurrection.

This is only a few of his power as he create his own Death Source.

Death Force energy surround Azief that kill anything living around him

Even the laws of Time near him is slowly being unravel, withering and rotting.

Then the remaining fire assault Azief which Azief embraced gladly. This time his Source was purify and his body turns mortal.

The Purifying is now complete. So, Time moved again.

But Azief knows the fire is actually inside his body slowly purifying every inch of his body. And it will not take long.

So even as he is falling down form the skies, he is not worried. By his estimation, in three seconds, his ability would return

So, as he is falling down, his body now is as weak as a mortal

Time moved again as the last vestiges of the fire has dissipated blown by the wind.

In the distance, snow slowly falls in Spain. Azief notices the snow and he do not know how to feel. The storm has already ended.

Some people, watching the conclusion sighed with heavy heart.

The strongest person on earth is not given that title carelessly.

But even though Azief noticed the snow, noticed that eyes watching him has now gone away, he did not notice someone.

Someone who has been watching him from the beginning of the battle inside the dome. Someone who was not affected when Time stopped.

It is the reason why she created the Dome. To shield her form the effect of Time Stop of the Purifying Fire.

The girl is Morgana.

‘I must break this wall in front of me’ She clenched her left fist as she threw the spear she designed to take the life of her father.

It was then as Azief floated down, with all of his divine sense is still not activated and his body is at its weakest moment, a spear shoots out from somewhere as it pierces Azief heart.

Blood covered the skies as a sight that no one was prepared to see happens. For many people, The Prince of Darkness is a godlike figure, undefeatable and invincible.

But today….today…God….has bled.

Without being even prepared of this and with the frailty of his body, the spear crushed through Azief heart as Azief falls down with alarming speed.

As he falls down two second passed. Then three second passed and his ability returns but by now it is too late.

He could feel that the spear has lodged itself on his heart. It was then a powerful energy enveloped the sky of Spain.

Spain was suddenly covered with snow and cold energy blows from the south to the four direction.

Walking through the clouds like a heavenly fairy of white, the most beautiful woman appeared. Her hair is as white as snow, her movement as elegant as the moon

Below her steps, was the appearance of the ground being frozen and snows falling heavily. She appears to be walking among the clouds but her speed is as fast as light.

She did not wear her amour. Instead she wear red dress that has laces of snowflakes. With three steps she appears before Azief embracing him as he falls down.

They both slowly floats down the scene of which was both tragic and heartbreaking. Azief was bleeding heavily staining the red dress of Katarina

They floats down and they landed on a patch of green grass. The cold wind blows. Katarina was not crying. Her face only shows she was relieved she is here.

She did not scour the area to search who throws that spear. Her eyes only have Azief in it. Concern and longing could be seen from her gaze.

‘I’m late’ she said. Azief coughed another round of poisoned blood and he smiles

‘You…are never late. We always….only miss each other by a breath.’

Azief also look at Katarina. His head is on her lap, his chest heaving up and down having the difficulty to breathe.

He muster his strength and caress her cheek. Katarina lean a bit down as a droplet of tears falls down from her eyes.

‘You….are always beautiful’ he said with a smile on his face. Katarina pull up his hood and look at Azief face.

Lines of black could be seen in the neck veins of Azief.

‘You always deny it when I ask you to say it’ Katarina said trying to force a smile but her tears did not stop as her tears falls down onto Azief face.

‘At the end of my life, I felt no reason to lie or deny anymore. You truly are beautiful’

‘Uhuk, Uhuk’ he coughed another lump of blood

‘To be accompanied by a beauty right before I die…I don’t think this is a bad way to go’ Azief said despite of the pain he is enduring right now.

He did not expect that one would targeted that one moment of vulnerabilities. Now, he is paying the price.

The people inside that invisible dome has long gone.

‘I will not let you die’ she said with a determined face even as the tears streams down her beautiful flawless face.

‘In a world without you….. I would be lost’ she said before she burns her energy.

Then Azief felt it. A drop in temperature. This kind of cold is not the kind of cold ice would bring.

This is the kind of freezing power that could even froze concepts and Laws.

‘Katarina what are you doing?!’

‘The one who was always shining in this era is always you. Will you let me light the era this once and be the center of the world attention?’ she said with a smile.

But Azief knows what Katarina wanted to do. She wanted to sacrifice herself by drawing her power to the ultimate brim to save him

‘Katarina, stop it!’ Azief wanted to scream but then it was too late.

‘HYARRGH!!’ Katarina screams as her power was pushed to the brim. Katarina embraced Azief body as ice surrounded the area and slowly freezing everything around one hundred kilometers radius of Azief and Katarina.

Katarina created a mountain of ice sealing herself and Azief inside it with Azief and Katarina on the center of that mountain guarded by the hard ice.

This display of sacrifice and power was terrifying. A mountain was created purely by the power of Laws.

Cold energy surrounded the mountains creating a thick fog that not only disturb eyesight but also induce illusions.

Spain from today onward turns into a country of ice as snows kept falling and become as white as the tundra of Siberia.

The whole world saw the strongest man on Earth and the strongest woman on earth just seal themselves in the turning moment of the era, on the brink of victory against Weronians.

Some people sighed in regret while some was rejoiced since now, the overlord that everyone feared right now has probably died.

The same could be said about Katarina which was the deterring force that made people wary of the Revolutionary Army.

Many people who was seeing this, believes that Katarina commits suicide wishing to be buried together with her loved ones.

But those who have a little bit of brains knows, that Katarina has sealed herself and Azief life force as the mountain slowly absorbing the life force and healing Azief slowly from inside the nucleus of the mountain

Inside the nucleus of the Ice Mountain, two heart are beating. It was slow…but it was beating. And if one observe with attention, one could see the spear lodged in Azief heart is slowly pushed out of his heart.

But as long as the snows is falling in Spain, the Snow Princess Mountain will exist.

The battle of the Azief and Purunghasa ended and it ended with such a tragic and unexpected ending.

Now, the whole world is searching the culprit that attacked the Prince in such a sneaky manner that causes the Prince to die.

To the eyes of the world, Azief has died. Only a few expert realized that Azief did not die. In a world where the Prince do not exist, how will the world fare?

But even as they ask this question, the resistance is still fighting. The world moves and time flowed.

Only in Spain near the Snow Princess Mountain, a tribute to a sacrificial love, Time has no meaning

***