Lord Shadow

To change the future, killing Azief would not change the ending. It might even start a more terrible future. The key to changing the future have always been on Azief hand

Change his heart and the Universe would also probably change. Loki is trying to save Azief soul.

Save his soul, save the Universe. That is the simple plan that Mind Master, Sofia the Divine Archer, Time God Jean had concocted in that other timeline.

It sounds simple in theory but everyone knew how stubborn Azief is. Even before he became a Sovereign, he is a stubborn asshole. 

Like Loki had told him once, he is a bit of an ass.

And Loki had also had to walk that delicate balance of between revealing certain things but not everything since it could change a lot of other things.

Azief had to be present in the Final battle. 

If not, all of his effort would be in vain. 

If he told everything what will happen to Azief, who would guarantee that Azief would not get scared and hide in some other star system?

If such thing happened, Loki could not control certain things that could be controlled. 

Earth must be the place where the Final battle takes place. It had happened like that before and it had to happen like that once again.

So, Loki could only slowly change how Azief feel.

He shakes his head like doing it could shake off the memories of once upon a future. Loki then smiles widely as he felt the cool breeze of the wind blowing his hair and he smiles. 

‘It would be better if you do not get angry all the time and summon thunders and lightning. Too much and it lose its effect’

Azief scoffed and said

‘It is not always that I could make such a grand entrance’

Loki smiles and then he said

‘A sword, huh? That is a new repertoire. I even sense some Sword Will in that sword strike. I guess it would be very sharp’ Loki said casually

‘Want to try it?’ Azief ask back casually. Loki laughed.

‘Spare me, great lord’ he said and he cackles. 

Azief smiles a bit. In this world, the people that could joke with Death Monarch and not shrink into fear could be counted on one hand.

They both sighed and then they look back at the city. 

Their eyes look at the same direction and they look at the same scenery but both of them knows that they hold different things in their hearts

Azief took a glance at Loki beside him who was almost standing as tall as him right now

Today, Loki transform himself into a young man with rugged looks. His face is manly and his body is muscly and he is standing around six feet six.

He was very tall. Azief would not find it weird if not for the fact that he knows Loki true age is around teenage years now.

When Loki first joined him, he was around six or seven years old. Using his transformation abilities, he joined him seamlessly. 

At that time, Azief could not even see through the disguise.

It would not seem so surprising when you found out that Loki is a time traveler from the future.

When Azief reaches that conclusion he was shocked but at the same time it also explains a lot of things about Loki behavior.

Azief was the first one that notices Loki true age. But now, as he looks at Loki he could no longer see any flaws in Loki transformation.

At that time, the only reason he could see through Loki disguise was because his level was so high that Loki could not hide in front of his eyes. 

It was a matter of purity of energy. And the more Perfect Azief become, the more such methods of illusion and disguise could not work against him.

But, Loki is not some normal person either

Now, that he had six years and a Disk Formation leveler, any flaws in his ability to disguise himself and transform had all been perfected.

Maybe, there is a trick that Azief don’t know. 

Considering that Loki had the memory of the future, he probably knows a thousand ways to disguise himself without even people of higher level than him to be able to see his disguise.

‘Why you are staring at my face?’ Loki ask Azief smiles and said

‘is it not tiring to wear a different face every day?’ Azief ask casually.

‘I’m used to it’ he answered

‘You should let Sina see your true face’ Azief said with a little of smile on the corner of his mouth

Loki quickly reply by saying

‘A teenage year old kid face is not a face I like for her to see. I fear she would think she is a pedophile. After all, she kisses me and do other things’ and Loki smiles mischievously

‘I’m not comfortable with this.’ Azief suddenly said

‘What? The not telling part or the kissing part?’

‘The explanation of your intimacy’ Azief reply.

‘Oh. Look who is trying to pretend to be a prude. Guess how I feel when I see you lovey dovey with Sofia. It probably felt the same’ Loki said. 

‘I felt nauseated when I try to imagine you and Sina…doing that’

Well, likewise’ Loki said. It took a moment before Azief understood what Loki is implying and I this was normal days and he have normal thoughts in his mind, he would probably laugh.

But today, Azief did not say anything. He did not have the mood to joke around now. Loki who was about to laugh notice the drop in the temperature around them and he nodded

Then smiling bitterly, he said

‘I guess we will talk about some serious stuff now.’

‘That is why I invited you to the balcony’ Azief said and Loki understood what Azief is saying. 

Everyone in Pandemonium knows that when Death Monarch summon anyone and brought him to the balcony of Pandemonium that means he would be talking serious stuff with you.

The talk in the balcony could change life and even the world. 

When he made judgment, he made it from his throne. But when he wants to talk to someone, really talk to someone o he would bring them to the balcony

It is a peaceful gesture.

‘So, what it is about?’ Loki ask. 

‘Is it about Sasha? Or the Shadow Guards? Or is it about the Three Army?’ Loki ask. Azief did not respond to any of those question. It was like he was waiting.

Then Loki said

‘Or is it about Sofia?’ Azief eyes turns sharp for a moment. But his eyes are still looking forward like the words did not affect his heart. 

Loki did not miss that momentary movement of Azief eye.

‘I guess it is about her after all. With you, it is always about those two. It is predictable and sad all at the same time’

Azief did not respond. And Loki did not pile on. Azief is trying to think of question to ask. And Loki is thinking of how to answer the question.

There was silence between them as both of them look at that vast expanse of Pandemonium. They could see many construction program going on all over the city

With their attainment in power, their eyes could see thousands of kilometers away so they could see everything from this balcony.

Then Azief ask

‘Did you know it from the very beginning?’ That is his first question

‘Know about what?’ Loki ask back. Azief was not even surprised that Loki would answer the question like that as he scoffed.

‘Did you predict that this will happen? Did you predict I would see such things?’

‘I predict nothing’ Loki reply. 

Azief heard Loki reply and then he nodded. 

When one thinks about it, it is true that Loki predicted nothing. Since he had the memory of the future, then instead of saying he predicted it, it is more accurate to say that he had seen it

Azief did not let up as he said

‘I am slowly forgetting things’ he said but its sound more like a question.

Loki reply quickly

‘It is probably a side effect of traveling through a Time Tunnel’

‘It is not good’ Azief states

‘No one said getting stuck inside a limbo of Time is good’ Loki reply. Azief ask and Loki answer in fast pace, like they are playing tic tac toe. 

Then Azief ask

‘Where is the Oracle?’ Like a trap in a yes and no question, Loki nearly blurt it out before his eyes narrowed.

He had the urge to smirk but for some reason he did not. Loki smirk not only when he is happy. It is also when he is nervous, that he smirks.

It is his way of alleviating that feeling of nervousness.

He did not feel like smiling right now. Loki sighed internally. He knows that this would happen sooner or later.

He wished he could do what he wanted. 

But life has never been about doing what you wanted. Especially for the life of someone like him that had made the choice to go back to the past. 

There is a plan. 

And he intends to see that plan to the end

He would play this game of chess and he would win it. And maybe at the end of all of this, there is a happy ending for him and for the ghost that he sees in his dreams.

‘No more ghost’ he thought to himself.

He did not wish for this matter to happen but he also knows that this is supposed to happen and should happened.

In that brief moment, he thinks about the conversation that number Five had with the Oracle. It would not be long now that Erika would have only one eye.

That would not be a good look for her. He thought.

Azief on the other hand, look at Loki and notice that his expression stiffened.

For some reason, he had such an intense reaction to the Oracle name. Like he had suspected, Loki must know something.

And for the first time since they began playing question and answers, Loki stop answering.

Loki avert his gaze from Pandemonium and then he looks toward the man beside him. Then smiling he ask

‘Why would you want to know?’

‘Do you know?’ Azief asked again

‘Why do you want to know?’ Loki ask again. If anyone trying to play with Azief like this, they would already be dead. But since it is Loki doing it, he could survive

‘I see some things during my time in the Time Tunnel’ he said. 

Loki ears is wide open now. He could probably predict what Azief had saw but he still needs confirmation. There is a trace of hope and excitement in his heart.

But there is also dread and fear. He fears it would be exact the same yet at the same time he also knows that feeling is contradictory to his plan. For things to progress it should happen all the same.

Loki truly did not know what he hoped to hear from Azief mouth

‘What do you see?’ Loki wanted to know what Azief saw. 

He desperately wants to know. His answer would decide how Loki should plan his next move.

‘I see myself getting betrayed’ Azief said simply. Loki is still smiling, maintaining his face expression but internally he felt disappointed.

‘Is it still the same?’ he thought to himself. 

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