Lord Shadow

The throne room become silent. The sound of the wind outside could sometimes be heard and the coldness on the wind could be felt in the room.

Azief did not feel it and was not affected by it. His throne room had some changes after the expansion of the world

There is even broken glass on the floor on the corner of the throne room. But this detail is ignored by both Death Monarch and Sasha

Azief did not care about it because he had many things in his mind. Sasha on the other hand was brought here almost instantly. 

Even though she saw the messy throne room, she attributed it to the chaos during the Multiversal Convergence and after that she bows her head to Death Monarch and care not about her surroundings.

She did not use her Divine Sense since it could be rude doing it when Death Monarch is beside her.

But if she would look outside right now she could see there is clouds all over the towers of the Palace. 

Maybe, after she goes out of the throne room she would be able to see it more clearly

Azief look at Sasha who was frowning. She seems to try to think a better way to word her thoughts after listening to his order.

Sighing, she then said

‘She would be on Sofia side. I don’t think she would want to come back unless Sofia also come back. Sina is stubborn that way’ she replies to Death Monarch

Most of the time, Sasha would not hesitate to fulfil any request of Death Monarch. 

She is efficient and capable and that is why Azief could always entrust her with his trust.

But when it is about the people that Death Monarch consider families and friends, Sasha had to tread carefully. 

Unlike other people, Sasha could not really force these people and uses the methods she uses on other people

Not to mention, that the one that Death Monarch is talking about is Sina. Sina is Azief friend. But Sasha is also close friends with Sina. 

As such, she understands quite a bit about what Sina would do in this current situation. She is very supportive of Sofia.

She would not go back unless Sofia go back. She looks at Azief. Azief sighed. Then he shakes his head. He doesn’t have time.

He is already rushing now. He still has many enemies. If not for the fact that he had to quickly raise his level, he would not be this anxious

He would have time to settle and calm any storms that could arise. 

But, he had to leave. 

And while Hikigaya would abide by his promise, it is always safer to have many measures in place.

He refuses to lose anybody else. Loki had taken the blame for him. Katarina is kidnapped by some Demon King.

Sofia wanted to give him an ultimatum. And now Sina is roaming the brand new world without being fearful at all. 

Sophie had her arrow. 

While she would not be invincible in this world, she could survive almost any encounter. And she had many other treasures and artifact on her that Azief did not have to worry about her

Sina on the other hand, ignorance had made her brave. She did not see the dangers that lurks on this brand new world

But, he is not her. 

His gaze extends all over. And there are all kinds of monsters. Some of them, that he could not even see but only sense.

It is too dangerous for her. He would not be able to take it if he goes away and another person that he loves, suffer.

The more he becomes stronger, the more he needed an anchor to remind him who he is and why he did the things he did.

So, he looks back at Sasha and simply said

‘Bring her back nonetheless. She is still too weak. There are too many threats for her outside. And I will not be able to see her all the time during my seclusion’

Sasha sighed and then said

‘She would not be happy to know that you called her weak’ Azief only smiles at this and said

‘That is the truth. Connection could only go so far. If another monster appears, would she be able to call all of her friends to save her in that moment? She could not. I know you are close to her. And you wanted to shield her. But, my orders are not to harm her. It is to keep her safe. Then he paused for a second before saying.

‘I……do not want to lose anyone else.’ 

Sasha heard this and there is an understanding looks on her face. 

She had her fair share of losing people she loved so she understood the feeling of Death Monarch. 

‘This makes him seems a bit human’ she thought to herself. 

‘Only slightly’ she added. 

This is after all still the fearsome Death Monarch. 

Sasha had been the first person that Death Monarch had met after he returned from the Thirteen Steps of Supremacy. 

But, even then, Sasha did not feel the way she feels right now. There is no world shaking pressure bearing down on her.

But, the feeling of uneasiness still creeps in her heart. It is not easy to make Sasha feel like this. There are only a few people in this world that would make her heart sways like this.

These people are people who are dangerous to her and those who were stronger than her to the point it almost activates the fight and flight response. 

Sasha could feel that there is a powerful vigorous energy that circulated around the area of Death Monarch

The aura of the world and the Laws of the world seems to circulate around him as natural as the wind that blows, the sun that rise and fall and the lapping waves of the ocean.

Everything felt calm and peaceful. 

And that is the terrifying thing. 

When something that is out of place happened and you thought that it is natural, that is more terrifying than a world pressure bearing down on you.

The simple aura of Death Monarch could affect her heart. 

All around the throne room is full of messy stuff. 

Glass on the marble tile, broken furniture on the other side, yet there is no feeling of fear and instead there is this feeling of serenity

How could Sasha not be alarmed? 

And she knows that Death Monarch did not intentionally doing this. It is unintentional. It looks like whenever he sits, everything seems natural, like he is a part of the world

Even when she met Loki she was not freaked out like this. 

It is clear that Death Monarch seems to comprehend something during his fight with the Demon King and he had become even stronger now.

She shook the thought of her head and then she remembers what she and Death Monarch was talking about.

‘As per your order’ she said. 

But, then she was reminded of another woman. She knew she had to ask the question so she takes a deep breath and then ask

‘What about Sofia?’ This time Azief was stumped.  Sofia waited to know what Death Monarch would decide. 

Unless Death Monarch give her the order, she did not dare do much against Sofia.

Sofia herself is not a weak opponent that Sofia could easily take away. 

Of course, if she uses the resources of the Shadow Guard and under the premise that Sofia would not want a bloodbath, she would easily take away Sofia away from that hill.

But, in the end, she still needs Death Monarch permission. Azief sighed when thinking about Sofia.

He knew why she went there. He closes his eyes. 

A memory of the past enters his mind. 

When he went back from his journey, after he went to have that coffee with Sina, he went to Sofia. That night, they kiss each other like they had never kiss before.

It was passionate. It was full of hunger. And they touch each other, kiss each other like there is no tomorrow.

He had been quite good at it.  Kissing, that is. He would kiss her on her forehead and he would utter words of love

Then he works his way down, peck her on her nose. And then he would press his lips to her chin. And each time, he would tell her that he loves her.

He wanted to convince her. And yet, nothing he could say, nothing he could do, would be enough to convince her.

They kissed each other, love each other and also talk with each other. That night she talks to him about how he had to make a choice.

He was sitting on the swing in front of the porch, looking at the white picket fence. She lay down her head on top of his lap and ask him to make a choice.

He pretends not to hear. He pretended he was asleep. She knows that he pretended to sleep and pretended not to hear.

Why would Death Monarch need to sleep? How could he not hear when he could hear a conversation a mile away?

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