Lord Shadow

While Azief is in Antarctica, somewhere in the Island of Peace, inside a dark room illuminated by a floating golden candle is a throne. 

Near the throne there is two people. One is sitting on the throne, while the other one is a few feet away from the throne

The situation inside the throne room feel very constricted. 

Maybe it is because the wisp of energy that appeared every few seconds inside the room or maybe because of the gaze of that person who is standing a few meters away from the throne 

One of the person inside this room is a man who is wearing a purple robe with a crest of a butterfly. 

He sits on a floating machinery throne and on top of his head there is a metallic shiny helmet that seems to be connected with wires.

Powerful fluctuation of energy flows through the wires and transmitted to the real world though no one portably could recognize that power if they were exposed to it unless they are very sensitive to the energy of the world.

It is like a helmet only it looks more futuristic and its function is not as simple as just covering one head. 

It seems to amplifies the psychic power of this person. Of course this person sitting on the metallic throne is none other than Hirate the Mind Master

The other one is looking at Hirate, his eyes seems to contain a hint of worry but that person quickly wipes that gaze

Hirate is frowning on his throne and sweats seems to drip down from his body. Even the cold air of the room did not seem to be able to cool down his body 

Standing not far away from Hirate throne is a young man with blonde hair, green eyes and short curly hair.

He stands there, looking like a male supermodel and look at Hirate lazily.

‘Hirate’ The person shouted and in the enclosed room, the voice echoes endlessly. The air inside the room changed suddenly. It felt heavy somehow. 

The tall man only smirks as the heavy presence slowly materializing using the energy of the world.

Then an apparition of Hirate appears in front of the floating throne, standing and glaring at the tall man.

The apparition is translucent and looks to be unstable. Hirate only took a second to know who this person in front of him is.

‘Trickster’ he said.

Loki smiles. Yes, the other person inside the room that come unannounced is none other than the famous Trickster

Hirate frowned a little as his original body that is sitting on the throne is trying to determine the position of Loki. 

Looking through the Cerebral Enhancement Device, he could sense that Loki is still in there inside the largest space rip restraining the main bulk of the demonic army.

But it only took a second for Hirate to understand what happened. The Loki in front of him right now is probably an avatar of Loki. 

Hirate know all too well that while the Transformation Lord lack the offensive power of the other classes, it also has its advantages. 

Transformation is in the name of the class; one would not be surprised that if Loki reach a high level he could even turn inanimate things into an avatar of himself.

Hirate was not surprised about Loki appearance inside this secluded secret room because they have made a deal before the battle begins.

Loki had warned him about the explosion of space rips and the subsequent events that would happen.

Up until now, all the things that Loki had said had become the truth. Earth is attracting other realities, worlds , dimensions and even merging with some of it.

There is a lot of rips that seems to elad to a different world and reality splitting aprt and there are some aprts in the world where time seems to be affected affecting the timeflow rate that seems to defy the Laws of the world.

An ancient city usdnndly apapered in one of the region of the world like the past repalyiong itself in that region. All of this kind of phenemeoen that seems to defy all sense of logic is occurring in many aports of the world

Gushes of energy from the parallel universe that seeps in through barrier of worlds had transformed Earth larger and denser with energy than ever before and with it come certain changes to the world

And now, the trickster is here, Hirate thought to himself

The Trickster always had a catch. Loki would not help him without something for himself

And Hirate is waiting for the catch. 

Right now, Hirate could sense that Loki is still restraining the largest army of the demonic soldiers from coming out of the space rips as such, Loki here talking to him, it is surly not for some simple talk

Hirate is actually overwhelmed right now maintaining his psionic power over some parts of the World Government territory while at the same time taking notes of the enemy movements and locations. 

if not for Loki warning, the sacrifice that the World Government had to make probably rises to hundredfold. 

Because of the early warning, Hirate had manage to enact Protocol Eight and able to raise all the alarms and prevent total annihilation of many regions under the control of the World Government.

After all, Island of Peace is not the only place that deserve protection from the World Government. 

Even though Island of Peace is a moving floating island and could be anywhere in the world, it is the charge of the World Government to protect the North American Continent.

Luckily the forces of World Government there was mobilized early and is fighting fiercely to protect the cities and the population there.

But as with other continent, the North American Continent had become too large for him to effectively save everyone.

There would be casualties for those who live too far away from the influence of the great power. 

And the same for those who lives in some secluded places that even he did not know. 

Though, they might also be able to hide their villages from the eyes of the evading forces if they were truly secluded

Casualties could not be avoided in such a great war. And he felt a little bit sad at this.

Unless…there is a Divine Comprehension leveler that could ignore distance and time and possess the power to control Law, Hirate knew that today is going to be a long day for the World Government.

Raymond is one step toward Divine Comprehension. But that one step is like the distance between Heaven and Earth. 

Raymond did not lack energy. He lacks some kind of understanding. He could break through, but his breakthrough would not be powerful.

Hirate and Raymond both agree that unless it is truly desperate Raymond would not breakthrough until it is the most optimal moment

But it is not like he did not make any plans at all for the survival of humanity and Earth. After all he also contacted the Orvanians.

The arrival of the Orvanians would come in a half an hour. So, in half an hour they need to endure and od their best.

Hirate had always remain in contact with the Orvanian especially after the World Government created the World Gate.

He was always cautious and worry about the possibility that he would open a barrier to some other dangerous world.

And even when he sent people through the World gat to enhance their energy and found opportunity for faster leveling up, Hirate had abide by the rules that the Orvanians had set upon them

They do not prey on the Will of the World they come into contact with, they do not change and intervene in the world civilization and progress, did not introduce to them the ability of the great many worlds out there.

And Hirate was very choosy when it comes to the world that they could travel into. 

They do not travel into a world that have more power than them or a technologically advanced civilization that equals them in fear that they would reverse engineer the space coordinate and trace back to this Earth.

He fears that he would open a tunnel that connect this world and the Otherworlds.

But Hirate was clear on one thing. 

This rip that opens up all over the world is not the fault of his World Gate. 

Someone or something had destabilized the fabric of reality in Earth Prime. 

Whoever this person was, he or she had destabilized it to a point that the world is now being forced to assimilate with other world realities.

If not for the fact that Earth Prime possess such a powerful magical power that it is no easy to assimilate it to the other worlds, Earth might be different right now.

All this flashes inside Hirate mind as he looks at Loki. His eyes are still glaring and it is obvious there is a hint of emotions that is hard to describe. 

Is it hatred? Is it fear? 

Anxiousness? 

It is hard to describe the emotion contained in that glare.

But there is one thing that is clear. Hirate did not like Loki. Not even one bit. The reason is probably because they are similar. 

No, he thought to himself. 

‘We are similar in some parts’ Hirate thought to himself and smirking he thought of something else

‘And different in other respect’ he thought

Hirate apparition sighed and then he said

‘It is not time’ Loki smiles and nodded

‘I know. I just came here because my brother has appeared. I wanted to remind you. You made a deal with me. And as such you must fulfill it when the time comes’

Hirate frown as he closes his eyes and sighed. there is pity and helplessness in his sigh

He then opens back his eyes and said to Loki

‘Is it worth it?’

Loki went silent for a while. 

He looks at the ceiling of this place, created by some reflective minerals that were bought from the Order of Thinkers, seemingly to reminisce something.

Loki then laughed and said

‘I would not do it if I didn’t think it is not worth it’ 

there was silence between them after that. Sometimes the room would shake because of the tremors of the great battle above them. 

These two people keep looking at each other and their thoughts are different when looking each other.

Something that Loki deemed worth for all of the trouble that would follow is most certainly something that is close to his heart.

Hirate at that moment had complicated feeing in his heart about what Loki had decided. So he could only sigh in his heart

‘The path forward is hard indeed’ he thought to himself.

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