Lord Shadow

WORLD GOVERNMENT

Raymond returned to his room late at night. The moment he enter his manor his tired face instantly morphed into a face of an angered man.

"Tch" he snorted as he remembers how he had to keep the façade.

He remembers today how in the Quorum Will was honored and could not help but wanting to smash the traitor face.

The Quorum has been stabilized as the Quorum members have resumed back their duties to govern the World Government.

The last time Raymond did the investigation to uncover any other spies he managed to find five spies from the Forest Region and three spies from the Flame Regions.

But not one spies from the Central Plains.

"Will" Raymond says the name while gritting his teeth in frustration.

He and Hirate have always suspected the Dark Speedster of double dealing.

During the last investigation, Raymond and Hirate tried to investigate Will but were unsuccessful

The reason why it was unsuccessful is because the Quorum members listen to Will suspicion.

Will suspected Raymond was using the military authority that the Quorum gives him to enact a purge of his political rivals and he shares this suspicion with the other Quorum members.

Will convince the other Quorum members, that if Raymond and Hirate come for him today, then tomorrow, it might be other Quorum member.

So when the investigation was about to commence on Quorum members many of the Quorum members stood up to Raymond led by Oreki and Hikigaya and forces Raymond to relinquish back the military power to the Quorum.

They all feared that Raymond will once again wield power as a dictator like he once did in the United States

Raymond and Hirate have no other choices then to relinquish the vast military power he possesses to a certain degree.

The other choice is an all-out war with the members of the Quorum. Oreki and Hikigaya have their own supporters and they are not without allies.

The Twin Sage of j.a.pan is also very powerful, both of them is an Energy Disperse Stage Middle Realm like Raymond.

An internal unrest in the middle of a growing power in the Plains is not to the World Government interest.

Will has played his cards carefully.

After uncovering the Budiman plots and now proposing peace treaty with Lord Shadow, the Quorum was very grateful towards Will.

Hirate and Raymond then thought that the Seven Fairy Conflict could end Will unstoppable momentum in the Quorum but instead it only strengthens his position as an ardent supporter of the World Government vision of a world peace.

Will arguments were that since Lord Shadow momentum is unstoppable in the first place why not lend him a helping hand and put ourselves in his good will.

He answers the Quorum question regarding his aid of Lord Shadow in the Seven Fairy conflict.

All of the Quorum members they knew what League Of Freedom was planning and most of them unanimously agreed to not interfere with the matters.

The emergence of another powerful force in the Plains is not something any member of the Quorum of the World Government would like to see.

But Will pa.s.sionately tell the Quorum members that after the conflict ended and if Lord Shadow found out that the World Government knew about a cover-up that makes him kill potential ally, then it is quite possible considering Lord Shadow temperament that he would set his eyes on destroying the World Government.

Will also explained to the Quorum members that Lord Shadow rise of power was inevitable considering his level.

He asks the Quorum to present him a man more powerful than Lord Shadow in the world right now and all of the Quorum members were speechless.

What Will argues was the truth.

There is no Seed Forming High realm in the world right now. Sasha is crippled after her last battle making Azief the sole Seed Forming Realm in the world.

Will then shows the videos of the battle between the Seven Fairy and Lord Shadow in large screen in the Quorum Meeting Room.

He pointed out that Seven Energy Disperse Stage user was played around like little children by Azief superior prowess.

Each Energy Disperse Stage user could defeat thousands of Pillar Forming Stage user and hundreds of Orb Condensing Stage user.

Then going by that logic, Azief who is Seed Forming High Realm user is equivalent to a walking natural disaster.

Many of the Quorum members agree with this.

Looking at the screen, they all drew a long breath and was relieved that they were not the one being attacked by him.

In the screen, the proof of his prowess can be seen. The impact of his punch circles the world and changes the weather of the Central Plains.

Will also pointed out even if the World Government went to war with Lord Shadow, the casualties that would be incurred would not be worth it and would be detrimental for the World Government in the long run.

Will then also shared his worries of not only Lord Shadow powers and strength but also of Azief other supporters.

w.a.n.g Jian, Loki, Divine Archer Sofia.

All of these people is an Energy Disperse Stage user and each and one of them are powerful and dangerous.

w.a.n.g Jian possesses the full set of Sun Wukong attire and weapons. With Ruyi Jingu Bang he could decimate thousands of normal soldiers.

Not to mention he is a genius in deploying troops.

Then there was Loki.

There is no one that is more slippery then Loki. He could sabotage you and create confusion since Loki is well known for his ability to change his face.

He also possesses variety of tricks. The conflict between Wei and Yue was all thanks to him.

And then there is Sofia the Divine Archer.

She possesses the Houyi Bow. With arrows that could shoot the sun down. Of course she never uses it but the threat is there.

With her torrents of arrows, she could kill hundreds if not thousands of lives. She specializes in AOE attacks.

The Quorum argues that the World Government also possess Energy Disperse Stage user but Will then said

"Did you forget what I just said? I just said that Lord Shadow treated seven Energy Disperse Stage users like children"s. How many Energy Disperse Stage user we have?"

In the World Government the Energy Disperse Stage user is Raymond, Hirate, Erika, Holy Maiden Giselle, Arno who just turns to Energy Disperse Stage user low realm, Will, Oreki and Hikigaya.

"Eight Energy Disperse Stage user." Will answered his own question and he continued speaking

"But since Lord Shadow could handle seven with ease what makes you think he can"t handle eight? And while our eight could restrict Lord Shadow movement for a while, who will restrict Azief Energy Disperse Stage User like w.a.n.g Jian and Sofia from wreaking havoc and destruction?"

If the World Government really went to war with Lord Shadow, Will estimated that the World Government might be able to oust Lord Shadow forces with the World Government superior numbers of troops.

"A pyrrhic victory" he reminded the Quorum members

Will also estimate that the casualties of the World Government would reach a whopping 100 thousand lives.

Most of the troops in the World Government are either Pillar Forming Stage or Orb Condensing stage.

By then, the World Government will be too weak to face other external threats and forces.

In the end, the World Government will fall to ruins while Lord Shadow will once again make a return during the chaos.

It is then more profitable to ally with Lord Shadow forces and strengthen internal security while having a double protection against other external forces.

Raymond proposed that the peace treaty will not be an effective way to stop Lord Show if he ever wanted to expand to his eastern front but his arguments seems weak after Will lay out the pros and cons of stubbornly resisting Lord Shadow rise in the Plains.

Will and the other Quorum members argue that Raymond just wanted a war to fight.

Then what makes Raymond more incensed was because of the decision of the Quorum today.

The quorum today vote on a referendum signed by most of the Quorum representatives ordering that the WG to move to the boundless sea.

With Hirate artifact a new Island of Peace can be constructed.

It seems like a good idea since that island will be in sole control of WG but Raymond knows that the reason why many of the Quorum members agree on the referendum is because they did not want to clash with lord Shadow in the Plains.

Will manages to strike fear in the hearts of the Quorum members regarding Lord Shadow powers

All the Quorum members know sooner or later, Lord Shadow will pacify the Central Plain since the Central Plains does not possess any noteworthy forces and factions other than Eden right now.

Then, he will undoubtedly expand his land to the four corners of the Plains until he put all the Plains region under his rule.

With his strength, even Raymond is not confident that he could hold Azief down. Not to mention there is still w.a.n.g Jian to worry about.

w.a.n.g Jian could be said a genius in ordering troops and battle stratagems.

His personal prowess while impressive, Raymond knows he could fight w.a.n.g Jian and win. But it was his ability to lead troops that made Raymond s.h.i.+vers.

If Lord Shadow as the expert of this generation launches an attack here, people like Raymond are the only one that would stand any chance of stopping him killing the low weaker one.

But even then, Raymond knows he can just delay, not stop.

If w.a.n.g Jian and Lord Shadow both attack at the same time, then WG will fall.

As a sign of goodwill, the World Government has even decided to bestow the t.i.tle Prince of the Central Plains to Lord Shadow.

It was an acknowledgment from many representative of the world that the Central Plains belongs to Lord Shadow.

World Government rarely gives acknowledgment of sovereignty through its history.

Even before the White Explosion, there are only a few nation led by people who were pro-WG that was approved.

A few days from now an amba.s.sador will be sent to the Central Plains to bestow the t.i.tle and to propose an alliance.

Raymond and Hirate during the meeting could not help but pointed out, that if they were to move to the sea, then this will show to other faction and forces a sign of weakness.

It was then Will replied

"We are in a position of the weak. This is the truth of the situation. There is no point in pretending otherwise. We can either pretend or accept the truth and plan for the future of the World Government instead of sending it to an early grave. Instead of stubbornly rus.h.i.+ng ahead to our destruction, we will bide our time and wait for the opportune moment."

His words make the other Quorum member agree.

"The soldier."

Raymond spoke under his breath.

"Where is the soldier?" He asked.

After Will return to whatever places he disappeared from, this Will seems different.

Raymond knows that Will does not work for the WG and that Will worked for the Royal Family of Britain but usually the decision of the WG is also the decision of its members.

Even though Will shows a tough stance against other forces Raymond realizes that while the World Government did not lose any influence it also did not expand its influence.

Raymond was feeling like he was in the palm of some other people hands. And he doesn"t like it.

Raymond then walked to his study.

In his study there is a large bookcase.

He then takes a sip of his unfinished wine drink from before and finished in one gulp.

Then he move closer to his bookcase and pull the book t.i.tled the Origins of Species.

A creaking sound could be heard as the bookcase swings away from the wall to reveal a pa.s.sageway.

The walls of the pa.s.sageway were lined with runic markings designed to hide from the detection of divine consciousness.

Raymond walk down to the pa.s.sageway as the bookcase behind him closed automatically.

The torches on the walls of the pa.s.sageway automatically burns with fire that lights the way.

This is the secret pa.s.sage to the secret room.

There is only a handful of person inside the World Government that knows about this pa.s.sage.

As tonight requires absolute discretion and secrecy, Raymond has decided to meet Hirate to discuss about Will and how to trap the fastest man alive.

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IN THE EASTERN PLAINS

WORLD GOVERNMENT

Hirate manor was full of servants. But the moment he returns he dismisses all his servants saying he wanted to be alone.

All of his servants went home to their houses leaving Hirate alone in his huge manor. Hirate went to his room and he could feel the headache coming.

Hirate then sit down on his bed organizing his thoughts.

He seems older than his age. He was not as joyful as he was during the time he founded the World Government.

It was different time.

A happier time. A more exciting time.

When things were not as complicated as it is today. Hirate intention back then was at least partially n.o.ble.

He is now six feet five; his hair reaches his shoulder, tied on top. His body while thin is packed with muscle.

On his chin are some stubbles of a beard.

He looks like a weary man in his late thirties when in truth he is only in his late twenties.

He was still wearing his official robe with his Mon.

Realizing it, he got up and went to the bathroom.

He looks into the mirror and realizes the face looking back at him and he smiles bitterly. He does not like who he sees.

Taking the shaver on the top of the bathroom case, he began shaving his hair on his chin. Slowly and methodically.

Finished he rubbed his face with water and put the shaver back. He changed his clothes and took out a candy.

And start consuming it as he sits back down on his bed, while combing his messy hair.

When he is nervous he likes to eat something sweet.

It has been his habits since he was a child, a habit he did not advertise since it look childish and inappropriate for someone his age.

But some of his staff knew and that"s why in each Quorum meeting there will be a bowl of candy reserved for him.

He was actually thinking.

"Haish" he could not help but sighed.

He put the comb away and takes a deep breath

It seems the more he tries to think, the harder the problem becomes. For someone who can read people minds, Hirate sure seems powerless right now.

"Will have become a huge problem" he said it to himself like acknowledging his own mistake.

Hirate has begun being suspicious of Will since he found out he couldn"t even hear nay stray thoughts of Will.

Like he was hiding something.

For someone that is higher level than him, Hirate could not read their minds.

They are exception of course.

For example people with higher levels that him but less focused on their mental strength.

And Will.

His thought process is to fast that to read his mind would require Hirate to also process thoughts as fast as Will and that was impossible for him.

Every time he tries to read Will mind, the only thing he could hears was a buzzing.

A loud buzzing. Like a swarm of bees. Sometimes it was like the sound of a lightning storm. Hirate could never read Will mind.

It was like his mind was s.h.i.+elded from him by some external force.

It seems that maybe he was being played.

"Hmm" he sighed as rub the temple of his head like he was having a headache.

"I will discuss this with Raymond first. I need to know what he is planning to do. And if there is no other evidence to discredit Will, then I need to consult the Oracle."

Hirate doesn"t like consulting with the Oracle.

That woman always gives him the creeps.

Every time she looks at him, it was like he was standing in front of her naked. Like she could see all about him in a glance.

That feeling of total and utter openness scares the living s.h.i.+t out of Hirate.

Hirate after all has many schemes and always keep his plot close to his heart.

Feeling all of his scheme seen in a glance…that is not a pleasant feeling for a person like him.

Even though the Oracle sided with the RA, she still accepts people coming to her Temple regardless of affiliation.

That what keeps the peace between the Revolutionary Army and World Government.

IF Revolutionary Army wanted to monopolize the powers of the Oracle by their lonesome, all the forces in the world would band together and march to the Ice Region.

n.o.body felt safe if the Oracle started predicting other people forces and as such the Oracle herself restrained herself in making too many prophecies.

Revolutionary Army seems to allow people from other faction to visit the Oracle and as such there is no discontent.

Hirate making sure he is presentable gets up and went to his fireplace.

In the fireplace brick wall, there is one brick that sticks out a little only by a few centimeters.

Hirate push with all his strength until the brick become even with the brick wall and the sound of a click could be heard.

The fireplace slides upward and a pa.s.sage revealed itself to Hirate. It was a narrow staircase that leads to an even narrower s.p.a.ce.

At the end of that narrow s.p.a.ce is the secret room for the selected few in the administration.

Adjusting his clothes he then stepped inside the pa.s.sage as the pa.s.sage behind him closed by itself.

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IN A SECRET ROOM

THE WORLD GOVERNMENT

Raymond and Hirate look at each other in the dark room illuminated only by the flame of the candle.

It was late at night. People were already asleep.

They were both sitting in their chair looking opposite of each other as they both review the reports they got from their spies.

The reason why this report gained such attention from them is because the secret that it carries.

It begins late this afternoon.

One of Raymond spies in the Central Plains was caught by Loki Intelligence Agents. One escaped. One executed.

The escaped spy manages to meet a city officer outside of the World Government town to send a report to Raymond.

The spy was then rescued and is now in the Healing House.

Hirate after finished reading sighed.

He then looked at the opposite direction of the round table and seeing Raymond creasing his eyebrows, Hirate knows that this secret threatens not only the Quorum but the existence of the World Government itself.

After reading the full report Hirate sighed and then he looks at Raymond and saw the complex expression on Raymond face.

It was not shock but it was more of an amazement.

Hirate then said looking straight at Raymond eyes.

"Raymond, if we move on Will without any evidence we will only repeat past mistake. The Quorum laws will protect him. Unless of course you decided to do a coup."

And saying this Hirate look at Raymond expression.

He was calm.

Raymond shakes his head.

He respects the laws of the Quorum. It might seem illogical considering that Raymond once declares himself King.

But the reason he declare himself king was because of his comrades and the circ.u.mstances of that time that requires a leader, a tyrant to prepare for war.

And to prepare for a war at that time, it needs a highly trained and perfectly obedient bureaucracy

Now, the World Government has decided a new and more efficient structure. Of a World Government that is govern by defined laws.

Lord Acton once says that that "all power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely."

Raymond believes this with his heart. And Raymond knows power will corrupt him. He was a simple man before the Fall.

Now, he was the general of a large army with overreaching influence. Each choice that he makes concerns millions of lives.

To be honest, the fact that Raymond wanted a democracy in this broken world is idealistic and at best naive.

Azief once he heard about the structure of the World Government scoffed and said these words.

"In the end, that democracy will be led by one man. It will be no different than a monarchy only the monarchy is hidden. The only thing that the World Government will offer is an illusion of democracy. The Old World is dead" he concluded with certainty

Human beings act in a great variety of irrational ways, but all of them seem to be capable, if given a fair chance, of making a reasonable choice in the light of available evidence.

Democratic inst.i.tutions can be made to work only if all concerned do their best to impart knowledge and to encourage rationality.

But this world is crazy.

Azief knows it best.

In the times before the Fall, it matters how much troops you have or how many nuclear weapons you stored in your country.

This is the indication of power.

But after the Fall, a new hierarchy of power is formed. And it revolved around exceptional men and women.

Azief once saw a man cleave a planet into half with his bare hands.

One time he saw a man exploded and the explosion generated from his body was like the sun was going supernova.

One man could possess the power to end all life on Earth.

In Earth Two, Azief was only in Energy Disperse Stage and he was powerful enough to alarm that world.

In fairness, Earth Two is a slightly weaker version of Earth prime.

And the only way the World Government will survive the oncoming years, is to throw their lot with a powerful defender.

An individual.

And if they do not succeed in nurturing one, sooner or later, the World Government will be swallowed.

And if the World Government wanted to make sure its democracy exist, then it needs a defender that will not turn his back on the rules of such democracy.

Someone that believes protecting that democracy as a public service. Someone that believes in the concept with all of his heart.

A man like Cincinnatus.

But how many would be that honorable? That is why Azief didn"t think it would work.

But clearly Azief has never met Raymond. Those who have known Raymond in the year after the Fall, describe him as a stubborn bull.

Azief governance on the other hand was like an anti-thesis of Raymond idealistic ideas and notions.

Because Azief never live in a democratic country.

His country was ruled by the same party for 58 years, tyranny in disguise. Azief don"t believe such party is not corrupt. Only a naïve person would think that.

Azief was living in a police state for most of his life before the Fall.

It might laud democracy loud to the world, but to him who lives in Malaysia he didn"t see democracy.

The police was on the side of the rich and the powerful

Free speech?

The moment you express you opinion that runs contrary to what the national party is selling, you will be thrown to jail and accused of inciting a national riot.

The police will come to your house and accuse you of things and that is how the honest one rots and dies in the so called democracy of his country.

Azief don"t believe in the self-correcting character of humanity. Azief has seen a lot of people.

And he believes some people need to die, to be put down...because some people are like mad dogs.

And the only thing you can do to a mad dog is to execute it.

Because some people are not fit to live among normal people. Serial killers, cruel men and women, those that take pleasures over somebody else pains.

You only need to hear an audio tape containing various recordings that some serial killers made to change your stance on death penalty.

The serial killer Lawrence Bittaker and Roy Norris made an audio recording of themselves raping and torturing a 16 year old girl.

You could only wept in anger and you would be convinced that there are some people that needs to be put down like the animal they are.

Azief was a radical more so in his country.

But he was a silent radical. He was weak and does not possess any power to change anything.

He always believes there is something fundamentally wrong in his country, not just because the inequality of wealth, not because of the racism that is fanned by political party but something rotten at the core.

The situation required not just a new prime minister or new laws, but an uprooting of the old order.

Now, that he has power he could change the world as he wished and pleased. n.o.body normal likes to see the suffering of others.

Especially if they were kind and good. A benevolent dictator. A perfectly obeying bureaucracy.

At least Azief was honest in how he views the world and did not put his hope in some kind of a broken democracy where democracy means that "my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge."

Sooner or later that democracy will fall.

This fundamental difference in governing and ideological notions is what separates Azief and Raymond.

"Raymond, are you listening?"

"Yes" Raymond replies. Then rubbing his chin he said

"What you said is right. But I think with this much evidence even though it is circ.u.mstantial we can convince the Quorum member."

Hirate nodded.

"Who are you thinking?"

"Oreki" Raymond replies.

"He"s a good choice."

Hirate does not like Oreki that much especially because he was the one that stop Hirate investigation last time but Hirate knows that Oreki did not stop Hirate investigation because he was protecting Will.

It is because Oreki was wary that Hirate and Raymond will come for him next.

"But there is still one problem" Hirate said as he closes the doc.u.ments.

"What"s the problem?"

"How do you trap a man as fast as Will?" Hirate asked as he laid his back on his chair asking for Raymond input.

Raymond closes the doc.u.ments and sighed

"I don"t like asking for his help" he said under his breath and he remembers a man with a white lab coat and a funky hairstyle.

A j.a.panese man who is lanky and pale all the time.

Akira. The Mad Scientist.

Then Raymond resigning himself looks at Hirate and said

"I know a guy"

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