Lord Shadow

‘How could it be that easy to break these intricate and complicated formation?’ That is what he thought as he could not fathom how this scene in front of his eyes is even possible.

How could these people know, that even Azief blood was as heavy as a mountain. And that was when he was purified.

Now that he has already formed his Disk, his pressure of existence alone could crush a mountain and shakes the world.

Anyone under the Seed Forming, in Azief eyes, is nothing but a weak person, he could crush them anytime he wanted

This is the suppression of gap in power.

He still look down, his gaze is cold and emotionless like what he did was nothing out of the ordinary.

He then said, his tone was imperious like an emperor that rules over the four corners of the world

‘Artur, come out and kneel before me. And then present your head’

The cold and aloof voice was clear in each person’s ears.

Artur who was yelling until his voice was hoarse slumped down on his throne room seeing how easily Azief broke the barrier.

All hope he has is dashed. He could not believe it even though he saw it with his own eyes. He wanted to deny the reality.

‘This is impossible! Impossible’ he yelled like a madman.

He was still holding onto the hope that the barrier would delay the Death Monarch until the big guns comes.

But no one seems to be coming

General Shinji on the other hand kick the useless king.

Artur immediately fainted. Whether it is out of shock or Shinji kick too hard, Artur fainted on his own throne room creating a sorry sight for himself.

Shinji look toward the sky and he saw Azief. He was like the Heavens, high and unreachable, a legend of a generation.

Shinji smiles as he grips his katana tightly.

‘It would not be such a bad death to die under his hand.’ He thought to himself. A warrior need to have the determination to die, every time they went out to battle.

And Shinji embodies this principle the most.

Every time, he heads out into battle, he already accept that he might die. And by accepting that, he could fight without any hesitation, and no fear.

He jump out from the balcony of the throne room as his boot shines with incandescent colors and he fly into the air as fast as lightning.

He slashes through the air fearlessly, his black armor seems to enhance his martial bearing.

His katana was covered with sharp blue aura that slices the wind and air, his long black straight hair flying furiously in the wind.

Azief look toward the flying general rushing towards him. His eyes reflect his disdain and condescension

‘Only Seed Forming?’

Azief seems to mutter.

When Shinji flies out, his cultivation as Seed Forming was revealed. No one ever knew that Shinji was a Seed Forming Expert.

All Seed Forming Expert is famous in the world, their name is spoken in awe. Who would have thought that Shinji is a Seed Forming Expert?

There is a little hope in the eyes of the soldiers and Artur who has now got up from his sorry state.

Only Katarina who knew the true attainment of Azief cultivation sighed. She pities Shinji.

Such a brave warrior would die such a meaningless death.

Even as the legendary hero of the Weronian War gaze at him, Shinji did not dodge Azief gaze instead he look as fearless as he was when he flies off from that balcony.

Shinji actually admire the heroes of the Weronian War.

Azief might not know this since he was in the Ice Mountain in those two years but many of the heroes of the world respect the Death Monarch and the Snow Queen and even laments their death.

They were the true heroes of the Weronian War.

To many heroes, the World Government and the Republic only had to deal with the weak Weronians after Azief decisive battle with the Eight Horn Weronian.

With Azief Purifying Fire, the Pillars crumbles and weaken the Weronian. It is this weakening effect that led to humanity counterattack.

So, those who survive the Weronian War always attributed the ending of the Weronian War to Azief decisive battle.

But…that is that. This is this. Truth be told. Shinji did not want to clash with a person he respected.

But he owe too much to the World Government.

As he respected the Death Monarch, he did not want to verbally spar or mock him as he simply shouted

‘There is no heed to waste word Death Monarch! We will decide this with a fight!’

Shinji eyes gave of a sharp light. He raised his katana as he shouted, murderous intent explode out of him as his katana swiftly approaching Azief like a shooting star

‘For the World Government!’ He shouted as he slash and a sharp blinding light comes out from his slash.

At this moment Shinji shone like a star. And the entire skies was covered with bright white light that seems to almost repel away the dark clouds.

The soldier below are all motivated, their morale rising and their blood boiling seeing such a display of valiant act.

The gigantic purple tiger roared in excitement as the energy supplied to the formation doubled, the tiger roar pierces the dark clouds, shockwaves ripples through the entire Poland.

That roar was so powerful that it pierces the dark clouds and began showing a bit of the original clear skies for a moment.

The waves of sound resonate through all of Krakow. As he release his slash, he had the hope that his slash would injure the Death Monarch.

It was then this momentum that Shinji has created halted.

Why?

Because, his slash that was filled with power that could chop off mountains and bring down the clouds was dissipated with a simple waves of Azief sleeve.

The surrounding suddenly become silent, only the sound of one hundred cavalry following the Death Monarch could be heard approaching the palace.

Azief smirk as he said

‘Show me everything you got.’

Azief said excitedly like he found a toy he is fond with. This kind of casual attitude were like a basin of icy cold water that was poured over the soldiers

The fire that had just started to burn in their hearts, their high soaring morale were immediately extinguished.

They now understand why they felt so unease when Azief look on them from above. They clearly felt it this time.

The Death Monarch look at them like they were just ants in his eyes, easily destroyed whenever he wished it.

That feeling left many of them felt suffocated and stifled.

Their expression also become ugly as they could not hide how sour their feeling right now. But they did not dare to jump out from the crowd and attack the Death Monarch.

They could only endure the humiliation and maintain their formation.

‘Come on!’ Azief shouted, his shout was like a primal ancient beast roar as it splits the clouds and shakes the grounds of the palace.

Space cracked and winds broke apart creating explosion sound all over the skies of Poland.

Azief has established his dominance and his imperiousness reminds everyone why this person was hailed as the strongest person in the world.

Shinji even though he was shocked, did not falter as he rushed again his katana once again drawing upon a slash.

BOOM!

This time he in fuse his slash with his killing energy. Azief uses one of his finger to receive that slash.

Black mist shot out from Azief pointed finger. It was a soundless attack.

The pressure coming out from Azief finger was enough to force people to lose their spirit. Shinji face pales, he knew his slash pales in comparison with that finger attack.

Azief fingertips is swirling with death energy.

This energy was so concentrated that if this is the world before the Fall, any of his finger attack could create an extinction event that wipes out the whole humanity.

He only uses a thread of his death energy power to counter that slash drawn upon fifty percent of Shinji entire energy.

That finger attack collided with the slash, as the slash dissipated into showers of black energy.

The energy disperse to the ground, killing any life on the ground, as green grass withers and forest die off almost immediately, trees rots and broke down, the soils turns black and all plants turns into dust.

Time and Space around Azief withers and rot before the section of space around Azief disappeared.

A deathly silence fills the entire palace. Shinji was already flown backwards, his face clearly shows he is drained of energy.

His hand that is holding his katana trembles. His forehead sweated buckets. Yet, his eyes shows no fear.

It makes Azief felt that this person is truly a great warrior.

‘Hah. Hah.’ Shinji breathes loudly. He uses fifty percent of his energy in that last attack.

It was not that he underestimates Azief power that he uses only fifty percent power.

It is because if he uses one hundred percent of his power he could not make another move after that and his life will be forfeited meaninglessly.

The people watching from below could not help but gulped in fear. No one spoke. Even Tyrone could not help but feeling like what he is doing right now would be meaningless.

In the distance, the sound of the cavalry that Azief brought with him is approaching. Tyrone instantly recovered and immediately bark orders.

Katarina seeing that the cavalry is about to arrive glides down as she hurls sharp icicles the size of a spear towards the soldiers.

With each of her spear being hurled, the soldiers were injured. Meanwhile on the sky, that figure stood upright, his black cape blowing in the wind.

Suddenly, all the people present had a feeling. The world was under his feet and was his to govern.

Azief look at Shinji and said

‘You have great talent in fighting and brave. I rarely meet people like you. If you do not disdain me, then lay down your arms and rest under my banner’ Azief felt it when he clashed with that sword intent.

That sword intent was extremely pure.

This is a man that walk the path of swordsmanship. If he could find his grand path, Azief was sure that this man could cut down everything in the world.

Shinji was shocked to hear the Death Monarch asks him that question. He was about to smile when he remembers who he is and his responsibility.

And his face turns ugly.

He was happy that he was recognized by a person he respected. But he also felt bitter because he could not accept such good request.

It would be ungrateful of him to leave the World Government and commit such disloyal act after all they had done for him.

Looking at the Death Monarch, Shinji replied by shaking his head.

‘I owe too much to the World Government. I have given my word that I would protect this kingdom until my dying breath’

Azief shakes his head and close his eyes as he sigh in regret. He did not try to convince Shinji anymore.

That would be insulting such person.

‘Then, receive your judgment’ Azief said his voice is cold and indifferent. On the ground the cavalry broke through the Palace Gate with Katarina and Frederick on the lead.

On the sky Azief opens his eyes.

Then, a mighty presence emanated from Azief. The roaring purple tiger was suppressed as the ear deafening roar was oppressed by the roaring thunder in the sky.

Lightning attack the land, and gales of wind meld with each other as storms was formed. A strange powerful energy spread out from Azief.

It was the Death Source. As the hundred cavalry was about to face the garrison, underneath the ground, something stirred.

The ground trembles as soundly a skeleton hand shout out from the ground to the surface, the slit on the arm bones was inhabited by worms.

Slowly that skeletons hands crawls out. Skeletons broke out from the ground.

All over the Palace, undead rises up as black mist keep coming out from Azief black cape, supplying these undead with energy.

The one hundred cavalry suddenly have reinforcement.

They at first was also quite freaked out with what is happening but after they saw that the Snow Princess ignore those skeletons and fly forward the cavalry also rides forward without fear.

A thousand skeletons with varying cultivation level appear on their right wing and another thousand on their left wing, running behind them with fast speed, following them closely as the skeletons defended the cavalry from mages attack by throwing their body to the spells of mages.

With these undead, the garrison was easily overcome. Undead like the skeletons soldiers do not fear pain, and do not tire.

This takes time to explain but the appearance of the skeletons happens almost immediately the moment Azief opens his eyes on that skies.

Tyrone and the minister including even the King, all of their expression became terrible and fear it etched in each all of their faces.

The presence of the Death Monarch that was akin to a great Demon descending was so stunning and so impactful that the morale of the soldiers had dipped greatly.

The unfathomable presence of the Death Monarch left an indomitable imprint on their minds, and could never be forgotten.

Was this the presence of a legend? They all have heard stories in the last two years about the many feats that the Death Monarch has done.

Even then, they still could not believe it one hundred percent and thought he was at least exaggerated in the story.

But right now, they felt that the storytellers that told about the stories was instead underestimating the true prowess of the Death Monarch.

This time when Azief release his presence, all the barriers on top of Ward of Poland instantly exploded into motes of faint energy.

Poland is free! Frederick who was leading the cavalry look up at the sky as he felt that disappearing of suppression and suffocating energy disappeared with the blowing of the wind.

Tyrone felt that the situation has turned from bad to worse.

‘We still have the numbers!! Do not falter!’ Tyrone shouted to wake up the soldiers from falling deeper into their fear.

This shout immediately bring the soldiers to attention.

‘Yes!’ One soldiers shouted. The numbers was still on their sides. How could it falter in front of one person?

Even Tyrone believes this. After all this is not the first time the World Government have to face an expert like this.

Their formation could definitely hold Azief back.

Unfortunately this time Tyrone miscalculate.

It is true the World Government have many times fought experts and held them back using formations, arrays, and many other ways.

But they never fought an expert in the caliber of the Death Monarch. Even then, Azief who was in Seed Forming was invincible in the same ranks.

Now, his Perfection has reached the new level.

How could that calculation be accurate considering the person that Tyrone is facing right now could no longer be classified as an expert?

It is more apt to classified Azief as a calamity. Even so, Tyrone shout manages to restore morale in the hearts of the soldiers.

They also felt with some kind of an excitement. To pit their strength against the legend of an era.

But then their expression become serious.

Then…it was replaced by fear. And then there was resignation. Why? Because when Azief take a step forward, his presence rises again

This time his presence pierced the skies, and suppresses the energy of the world.

When he takes another step, the purple tiger roars in pain as many of the Orb Condensing soldiers spurt out black blood, like they were broken from withstanding an unimaginable heavy pressure.

If that is not enough their vitality and youth was sucked before their orb cracked and exploded as all of the soldiers in Orb Condensing realm fainted and weaken the formation.

Azief did not even smile.

He was as expressionless as ever. He has never found joy in participating in a killing.

On the sky, Shinji was forced back by the energy but his grip on his katana becomes tighter. And determination flashed in his eyes.

Azief could not help but respect such opponent.

Which is why he would not hold back. He takes another step and this time his presence rising at an astounding speed, covering the entire world.

This time the whole world could feel this presence. At the highest peak, of the Wawel Mountain, a dragon opens its eyes and roar as it felt threatened.

The dragon then got up and its wing unfurled and with one push of its legs it flew toward the source of that presence as it must not let that threat to continue existing.

The presence was like a suppression from the Heavens as the sun dimmed and the clouds covered with black mist.

Azief now was like the stars, burning hotter and brighter. Ripples of energy swept outwards like powerful surging waves that envelops all life in Poland.

His presence covered the entirety of Poland, suppressing momentarily the energy of the World Orb.

Any weak people that tries to resist this sweeping presence that is covering the kingdom would tremble before coughing blood in pain.

Even Shinji right now is rocked internally.

His internal organs burns like a hot metal is being seared into his innards but his skin felt a bone chilling cold.

This kind of weird phenomena made Shinji felt like he is being shredded into pieces both mentally and physically.

But his hand still grip his katana, his sword will made him able to resist the pressure. Azief once gain thought how pitiful that such talent would perish here.

Below, it is no longer fear that the soldiers felt.

Terror.

That is the only emotions they felt now.

Azief take another step and the air around him cracked and explodes while the wind that flew east went westward.

The clouds gathered under his feet and the space around him grew unstable. Lightning strikes down and the wind howls

This time, the purple tiger manifestation was lacerated by wind gales and lightning bolts shrieks upon that manifestation of the purple tiger.

Many soldiers broke down and fall down, dying because of such pain. This time Azief was only a few meters away from Shinji.

Shinji was almost unconscious, blood dripping from the edges of his mouth and his skins is melting, but his finger bones keep gripping his katana.

Around Azief complex turbulent space crack flows and reverbs around him surging chaotically.

The longer Azief stand there, the larger the area of turbulence became. It began to encroach upon the energy of the World Orb.

The energy of the World Orb is present all over the world.

It is what allowed the world to heal so fast and why even after many battle between many Seed Forming Experts, the world did not break down.

But Azief was an existence that is considered taboo in the Universe.

Such perfection is rare and as such he became the sole exception. His power level could not be calculated as the same as any normal Disk Forming Expert.

Azief looked at Shinji and then sighed.

He restrain his power and said, almost like a whisper

‘If you survive this punch, then I hope we will meet again.’

Azief only uses ten percent of his power as he punched out.

‘BOOM!!!’

The sound barrier breaks as the sound exploded in the air. And Shinji body broke. All of his bones, broken, his Seed cracked before exploding.

Like a meteor from space, Shinji dived down and crashed a hundred kilometers away, creating a gigantic crater in a middle of some forest.

Lying there…..his hand still gripped that katana of his. Release from that terrible presence, Shinji could finally open his eyes.

His eyelids feel heavy but he struggles to open his eyes all the same. He look at the sky, and seeing only dark clouds, thunder striking the world and a sky full of dark red lightning.

‘I am tired’ he thought to himself. He remembers Hirate and he thought to himself

‘At least I have paid my debt in full. Now, I rest’ He smiled.

And slowly his heavy eyelids closed down. And he exhale his last breath. But, Shinji did not notice as he about to exhale his last breath, an energy enter his body.

This energy was full of life. It was a gift. Azief is betting that Shinji would survive. He hoped that Shinji would survive.

Azief have helped Shinji fulfill his oath. To protect the kingdom until his last breath. He already breathed his last.

He has done all he could. He has given everything to fulfill his oath.

And by the time Shinji wake up the kingdom of Poland that belongs to the World Government is no more.

And by then, Azief hope he could persuade Shinji to join him.

Meanwhile on the Palace, when Azief releases his punch, something else happened. While Azief did use ten percent of his power, he divided that power into half. One of them went to attacking Shinji.

The other half went to attack the purple gigantic tiger. When that dispersed energy of the punch made contact with the tiger, it gave an anguished howl.

Its gigantic body become blurry and twisted like a spiral. That punch made the world loses its colors as that energy was sensed by all the great powerhouse in the world.

Somewhere in Spain, a person in her alchemy laboratory look up toward the outside of her windows and widened her eyes as she recognize that presence.

In China, a woman inside a golden carriage open the curtains of the carriage window and look outside and she said to herself

‘I need to see him. Only he can help me right now’

On the numerous island in the South China Sea, a person wearing an oversized robe that was sleeping on the beach suddenly awakened.

His eyes glints with green as he look toward the clear blue skies of the island.

The sound of waves and the smell of the sea has did wonder on calming his mind after the many scheming he had to do these couple of years.

He then shakes his head as he felt that overbearing energy

‘Always with the theatrics.’ The person said.

Then he sighed.

‘It is time to send Budiman away. I need to ask for the White Witch help to erase Budiman memories. Though I think he would notice that pretty quickly. But it is not yet time for me to reveal myself.’

He got up and his body morphed into the appearance of a handsome young man with six pack, wearing a dark green robe.

Closing his eyes he turns into a smoke of green and disappeared into the forest of the island.

In Athens, a woman is riding a Pegasus on the sky, when she felt a wave of energy washed over her.

She quickly pull back the golden rein of her horse as her Pegasus dive down and landed onto the top of a nearby hill.

She was shocked to feel that presence and knew exactly who that presence belongs to.

She frowned and said

‘The time has come for me to make a choice.’

In Norway, a beautiful woman is leading a group of Norwegian Berserkers to attack a Lake Dragon.

A great battle was fought, that saw the Lake area widened by another ten kilometers. But the World Orb is slowly repairing the damage that has been done on the area.

She in the end finally manages to stab the Lake Dragon with her spear and won the battle.

When she was resting on the shores of the lake she look up at the sky and a complicated expression appeared on her calm face.

She felt that energy when she was in battle. She knew who it belonged to.

She sighed as she got up. Then she made her decision.

She bellowed

‘My fellow soldiers. The Prince of Darkness has once again appear. I promise him my fealty. I will march to him right now. You can choose to follow or not.’

Then she jump onto her steed. She wears her scarlet helmet, tightened her armor that is drenched with blood, and gripped her spears that shine brightly.

Then the steed push its hooves and thunder boomed as the steed turns into lightning and flew into the sky.

The other berserkers did not hesitate as they jump onto their rides and follow their Lady into the battle once more.

In Poland, the mighty presence continued to rise. Azief did not intend to hide. He was never afraid of the world knowing where he was.

The only reason he did not publicly tell anyone because he was healing Katarina and requires absolute calm and peace.

That punch he unleashed possess the powers of the stars. Azief has surpassed the limits what people would call mortal.

He was a force of a nature.

Everyone was in shock seeing the unfolding events.

How could a mortal reach such level of power? With one punch, he causes the world to lose its color and pressure the entire world.

This is what is called suppressing the Heaven and dominating the Earth

In that punch Azief draws upon his Universal Energy, causing the sky to darken and a false night descended because of the concentration of Azief energy.

The world felt the cold wind nights when that false night descended on Poland.

The ground below him cracked like the world is breaking apart at the seams and stretch out like wound in the Earth.

Even the hardest mineral underground split apart.

Spider web patterns fill the land of Poland with abyss and deep crater. The instability of the lands sink villages and unfortunate cities into large sinkhole.

And this punch spell the doom of the formation.

The purple tiger to explode into motes of purple light as all of the thirty thousand soldiers coughed up blood and fall down on the ground, suffering severe internal injury.

They all felt like their internal organs being grilled and fried. And Azief presence is still rising as even the Heavens roars in defiance.

All of this seems to happen in a few minutes but it happens in a few seconds after that punch was thrown out.

‘This is not yet over!’ Azief said. As this time he raises up his hand and more undead appears.

All over the Center Krakow, the dead rises from the graveyard. From anywhere a body was buried, the death rises.

And they started walking to the Palace, like a parade. It is clear this battle is approaching its climax.

***

SOMEWHERE IN THE SAHARA

A young man look towards the sky as he felt the disturbance in the energy of the world. Behind his back is a stave full with unique carvings.

His purple robe flutters as the harsh wind of the Sahara washed over him. The lower part of his face was covered by a black cloth.

His hair was short and droop down covering his left eye. But there was something very mysterious about this person.

Even though he is in the Sahara, his clothes shows no signs of being touched by the sand.

And not only that. What truly make him look creepy and mysterious is the white mist beneath his feet.

His entire body was shrouded with white mist that coils around him like a pet. His eyes are sharp.

In front of him were some tribal groups that tried to rob him. They all have died…without wounds or injuries.

They looked peaceful like they were sleeping. He did not pay attention to any of the corpses. He only looked at the darkened sky.

‘The legend of the Weronian War. Could he match me?’ he ask as there is a bit of playfulness in his eyes.

He is now a Disk Formation with three Disk. But whether his Disk is one or three it does not matter.

Because his existence alone could be considered a cheat.

Azief might be powerful in the beginning because of his unique class but one could never deny it was his determination that paved his way forward.

It is his perseverance that earned him the title of the strongest person in the world.

But this person in purple robe…..relies on his unique class alone to fight people on higher realm of cultivation.

If anything, his power is the worst enemies of any high level person.

But he was practically unknown. This is because this person personality is that he likes to hide in the background.

But….hearing the feats of the Prince of Darkness, he could not help but feel that title of the strongest is unjustified.

The man in the purple robe knows he is not the strongest but he is confident that the Prince of Darkness could never win against him.

It is simply because of his unique class that made him a bane to all levelers.

It is because he knows of this fact he never dares make himself known. Else he invites the whole world to scheme ways to kill him.

And he did not want to live a life like that.

But he always wondered.

What if he fought the Prince of Darkness? Who would win? Could the Prince neutralize his inherent advantages?

He then look back down and smiles to himself

‘Maybe, next time’ he said as the white mist around him thickens and he once again merged with the white mist and disappeared like he never existed.

***

All over the world, expert in Seed Forming and Disk Formation all felt that energy. Some people immediately recognizes that energy.

They all knew what this means.

The overlord of an era has return once again.

***