Lord Shadow

Chapter 372: The trickster and the monarch (4)

‘This time, I am not talking metaphorically. This time if you help me, you are truly helping yourself and Pandemonium’ Azief seems to think about it and Loki pushed through

‘I know what you are planning to do. From what you have been doing this couple of days, you are about to leave again. Everyone could sense it. This routine is getting a bit familiar and all the forces in the world kind of expected it. Forceful declarations, shocking moments and showing your might and prowess to the world is like some kind of warning and reminder to all the factions of the world. They all believes that you will leave and go somewhere else after this’

Loki look at Azief but Azief face is like a stone. His face expression did not even change

Loki sighed and then he continued.

‘Why do you think the world seems so calm now? Pirates in the sea hides in their coves and war merchant stopped selling. It is because of that belief that you will be leaving soon many factions and forces are laying low. They close their gates, shut their doors and hide in dark corners of the world. They all waited for you to go away first then reemerge again’

‘Why do you think they close their gates and door and hide? Because they know you are trying to tie loose end. And they do not want to become the one that stands out in your eyes. As long as they weather this storm they could still survive. This phenomenon is only possible because it is you.’

‘So?’ Azief ask nonchalantly

‘Well, Void is one of those loose end that you really need to settle’ Loki said

‘And…. What do you mean by that?’

‘It means what I said’

Azief shakes his head. It means he would not take it as an explanation. He needs more information if Loki is to make him target that person.

‘Void…well, it is true that he in is my plans’ Loki finally confessed

‘Thought you could not tell me what that plan is?’ Azief said, looking at Loki with a bored expression

‘Though I could not tell you what the plan is I know this. Void had just been elected to become the leader of the criminal underworld’

Loki expected a reaction out of Azief. But Azief doesn’t seem to care. Loki don’t know if Azief is just acting or he is truly do not fear the criminal underworld

Loki continued

‘And why do you think they chose him as the leader? They needed a figure that they believed could deter you from going after them’

Azief finally cracked a smile on his face.

‘Do they want war?’ Azief ask to no in particular and he said it so nonchalantly. But if the whole criminal underworld heard this question they would sweat and tremble in fear.

Loki sighed and shake his head

‘No one wants to go to war with you. Not even the criminal underworld. They just want to protect their interest. They have no interest or courage to provoke you. They just wanted to hold out until you are gone’

What Loki don’t say and what Azief don’t point out is that the criminal underworld in his absence would try to concoct way to fight him or even eradicate him in the future.

Unless he is eradicated the criminal underground would always have to hide in the dark, destined to never come out.

The reason why both of them don’t say it is because it is too obvious.

They are afraid now but if they find a chance to eliminate him, Azief and Loki both know that those people wouldn’t hesitate.

‘Doesn’t that mean they wanted to go to war with me?’ Azief still ask the same question while smiling.

Loki looking at Azief smile and he felt like instead of asking him this question out of curiosity, it seems like Azief is the one that wanted to go to war.

It almost seems like Azief wanted to make more example to the world.

It is true that is what Azief is thinking.

He felt like he need to send out a stronger warning and reminder so that everything would be still peaceful even after he leaves.

Of course there is still time before he leaves since he need to refine the other energy into Disk before he opens the Supremacy Stairway

It is not he is going to leave forever but he needs to be prepared for that possibility.

He is always dancing on the edge of life and death.

So, he was always prepared for death.

At least if he failed somewhere in the vast Universe, the warning and the things he did would at least protect his people for a period of time until they could mature and grow their own power.

Loki then replied to Azief question.

‘No. At least for now they just wanted to maintain the status quo. You could do anything you want like before and they would not interfere. They would not even set feet one hundred kilometers from Pandemonium sea’

‘For now, huh?’ And Azief chuckles

Loki then stares at Azief and said

‘You changed everything. They did not fear you in the past because they think you are only one lone man. Even if you are powerful their influence reaches everywhere. But they sure fear you now. There is a reason why they don’t show their faces anymore and why they have their meeting in dark corners of the world. There is a reason why they hide from you’

Azief only sigh at this. Loki continued

‘You hated them and when you found someone of their gangs or influence in Pandemonium you would sometimes express your dissatisfaction and the officials and the Three Army would eradicate those gangs and influence from the face of the Earth. And while that is only an inconvenience for them in the past, that is no longer the case’

‘They now look at you like you are their biggest and most frightening nightmare. The whole world saw what you could do and what you are willing to do. And the whole world was frightened. Especially them. You killed Kasap without blinking. Their entire workforce obliterated in a matter of minutes. No matter where they hide, no matter how far they go, red thunderbolts strikes down from the Heavens and turns them into dust. With each strike of lightning, the more the people of the criminal underworld felt fear and the more they became desperate’

The wind outside blows again, this time it is a little bit colder and Azief waved one of his finger as that windows slightly closed.

Loki did not feel that cold and instead continued his words

‘You…. changed the game. You know it and they know it. You are not someone they could buy, negotiate or reasoned with. Everyone knows you do what you want and the most terrifying thing is that no one in the world could stop you from doing whatever it is that you wanted to do. If you are some tyrants or some degenerate man they would not be so worried because you would be of the same cloths as them. But you are not’

Azief scoffed at this

‘While you are not some symbol of love and peace but if there is one thing people know about you, you have your own code of justice. It is not about being cruel, it is not about nice and kind, it is about just. And you found them to be an injustice against the world, a corruption and a parasite that suck the life out of people. Right now, you did not move against them. But no one like the feeling that if one day, you found them to be a nuisance, then you could wipe them out whenever you wanted. Weak and powerless and living in borrowed time. Nobody likes feeling like that’

Loki sighs and then said

‘Your thoughts itself is dangerous. You could forgive murder. You could forgive stealing. After all there are hard times and there are inevitable circumstances. But you could not tolerate the criminal underworld’

Loki laughed and then said what Azief always said when dealing with people of the criminal underworld.

‘To eradicate evil. And you won’t mind killing every bad person you find. That is a dangerous thought. Even in a normal person that thought is dangerous. The more terrifying thing it is that it is your thoughts. I know how you feel about them. I know if you could you would eradicate each and every one of them’

Azief hearing the long rant by Loki could only sighed and said

***

Foruth part of this long chapter between Death Monarch and Loki. Both of them is gauging eha cother. You woudl udnersatdn later what I eman by this. And don’t forget that raven. Juts saying.