Shadow Farms

” ‘I AM.

Clad in pitch black from head to toe, with the headscarf pulled forward, and the face hidden behind the magician's mask.

The man stepped forward calmly, until he finally stopped a step away from the Zenon maai.

“Black-robed man .. So you are a stray dog who has been brandishing his fangs against Order lately.”

With a sharp glint in his eyes, Zenon glared at the man.

“My name is Shadow. I lurk from within the shadows, and I hunt from behind the shadows .. ”

It was a sound so deep and so low that it almost looked like it was coming from the bottom of a ravine.

“I understand. You may feel yourself great after destroying some of our little hiding places, but I will wake you up. In the hideout you destroyed, not a single person was truly important to the Order. In other words, you are just a coward who only targets the weak.”

For some reason, the man who called himself Shadow was an enemy of Zenon. For Alexia, this is great news. However, he could not imagine this man as his ally either.

“Who I hunt, and where I hunt, are all the same.”

“Unfortunately, it's not all the same. The core strength of the Order is here. Today, you will be the hunted. That seems to be your destiny.”

Zenon turned his sword towards Shadow.

“I'm Zenon Griphi, the man who will soon occupy the 12th Seat of Rounds. Killing you will be my achievement!”

Then he flew towards Shadow with hurricane-like strength.

Yet.

Shadow's figure disappeared, causing Zenon to just pierce through the air.

“What ... ?!”

Soon after, Shadow stood behind Zenon.

In an instant, his back was already in danger.

He can't move.

As if forgetting the flow of time, Zenon held his sword silently, and even stopped breathing, concentrating fully on his back.

Nobody is moving.

Indeed, Shadow just stood on his back to each other with Zenon. With crossed arms.

Then one question arises.

“So, core member strength or something ... where is he?”

Zenon's face changed because of that humiliation. Immediately, he turned around and launched a sharp slash attack.

But no one else was there.

“How can ...?”

The sound of the flickering of the robe made him turn his head.

He realized that Shadow was now standing in his original position, looking as if nothing had happened.

Even as someone looked from afar, Alexia was unable to catch what had happened. If there was no trickery or illusion involved, then it meant that this man was someone with sufficient skill.

Zenon pressed down on his shaken heart, and slowly turned around.

“Looks like I've underestimated you a little. Although they are weak, it seems that you do have the power to destroy some of our hiding places.”

This time, he began to be on guard, and increased his magic before facing Shadow again.

The magic gathered around him made the air tremble. And on a much larger scale than the attack he used to destroy Alexia's sword.

Shadow is very strong.

However, Zenon was not weak either. Growing up in the midst of a furore and being called a prodigy, he had won several tournaments, until he finally rose to the position of a Pendang Instructor. In this country, there was no swordsman who did not know the name Zenon Griphi.

“I'll show you. This is the strength of someone who is only a few steps away from the members of Rounds.”

Very quickly…!

Alexia's eyes could barely see Zenon's sword.

A white light split through the air, flying straight towards Shadow's neck.

Yet.

“Dull sword ..”

With a pitch-black sword that he seemed to pull out of nowhere, he easily received Zenon's attack.

“Kuh ..!”

Zenon tried to lock their swords to become a power struggle.

But Shadow instead weakened all the power out of his sword and used Zenon's momentum to throw it.

“Fuh ..!”

Shortly before hitting the wall, Zenon did ukemi*, then he rediscovered his stance.

(TN: Ukemi \= aikido techniques to reduce impact impact and avoid serious injury)

But the disturbance in his heart was now clearly visible on his face.

None of them move.

For Shadow, he simply chose not to move.

For Zenon, he could not move.

Because he was under the illusion that his every move had been sealed.

“Do not want to attack, Si-candidate-Rounds?”

“…!”

Zenon's face was tinged with anger. Anger at his opponent, but even more so, anger at himself.

“HOW DARE YOU INSULT ME !!!!!”

Along with his roar, he swung his sword.

Stabbing at a speed like a storm.

A continuous slash with ferocity was like a raging fire.

But.

Not a single attack landed.

“AAAAaaaaaaAAAAHHHHHHH!!”

His roar echoed around the room.

It looks like an exercise session between adults and children.

Alexia watched this fight with great shock.

Has Zenon ever attacked in such a pitiful manner before? With his calm smile as the mask that became his character was gone, but still he could not reach it. The strongest creature Alexia knew of was her sister. But even his sister would not be able to deal with Zenon so easily.

Kan Kan Kan Kan's.

The sound of the sword ringing so casually did not seem suitable to be in this place.

No doubt this is a sound like during a training session.

The jet-black and white swords made their arches in the air.

Before she came to her senses, Alexia found herself mesmerized by the fight.

He was pulled deeper and deeper towards that pitch-black sword, and was unable to avert his gaze.

Wh why? Because it's…

“Pedang rakyat ..”

It was the appearance of what was beyond Alexia's own sword technique.

It was the perfect condition of the ideal sword that Alexia had been craving all the time. It was a sword for those without talent, without strength, without the speed of – swords that could be achieved only with pure hard work.

But her sword technique was compared to her sister's and labeled ‘the sword of commoners,’ and caused Alexia to lose her way.

Even so, he could not force himself to give up.

‘That commoner's sword’ is now completely cornered the genius Zenon Griphi.

“Outstanding ..”

Alexia likes this sword technique.

By looking at someone's sword technique, you can see the path they have traveled.

This sword technique is very diligent and straight, sword technique that is built little by little.

Could it be that his sister thought the same thing?

“Nee-sama ..”

Now, he felt that he finally understood his sister's words from that day.

“Gah .. si-, shit ..!”

Zenon's body was thrown into the air, then fell down. This is the nth time.

Zenon looked at Shadow while panting.

His eyes filled with anger showed that he still could not accept this reality.

“K-, you *********, who are you…! Why do you hide yourself when you already have such power!”

With Shadow's power, wealth, and fame, Zenon was just like his fingertips. And his power will be known and feared throughout the world.

But no one had ever heard of the Shadow sword technique. Even if he hid his face, those who only saw his sword once would never be able to forget it. But today was the first day Zenon and Alexia knew of the existence of someone with such power in the sword.

“We are Shadow Garden. We lurk from within the shadows, and hunt from behind the shadows. That is the thing we do .. ”

“Are you sane ?!”

Zenon and Shadow's gaze met.

Alexia was truly an observer at this moment.

Why are they both fighting? He did not know their reason or purpose.

Bloods. The Devil and the Order.

There were a few keywords he had heard.

But he was unable to connect the dots into a complete picture. Maybe it's just some delusional prank.

But, what if.

What if it wasn't just a prank.

“B-, okay. Since you are serious about this, then I will answer it in turn.”

zenon said, as he took out a red pill from his pocket.

“Pil can turn people into people who have transcended human boundaries. We call it The Awakened. However, a normal person could not control this power well, and thus would injure himself and die. But Rounds is different. Only those who are able to fully control this overwhelming power are acceptable into Rounds.”

Zenon swallowed the pill.

Then.

“Awakened, third.”

Magic shook around him like a roaring storm.

All Zenon's wounds healed in seconds.

His muscles tighten, his pupils turn red, and his capillaries bulge out.

The weight of his strength was so strong that it seemed to be destroying anything that was blocking his path.

“I will show you the strongest power in the world.”

Zenon said with a calm smile returning on his face.

Without a doubt, the current Zenon was much stronger than Princess Iris.

In the face of such strength, Alexia would cower and despair. But that was, if he found out about the Shadow sword technique.

For Alexia at the moment, Zenon's current appearance is still far from the title of the strongest ‘.’

In fact…

“Very bad ..”

“What's bad..”.

Alexia and Shadow's voices overlap.

The Sword Technique sought by the two of them was the same. Therefore, their sentiments are the same.

“Bad, you said ..?”

Zenon asked, his smile disappearing from his face.

“Don't pretend to be the strongest with just such a level of strength. It was an insult to those who were really strong.”

“You fucker!”

“There is no way to the strongest title if you still use the power of loan.”

For the first time today, Shadow magic gathered. Until now, he only used a small amount.

Shadow's magic power began to solidify. And it becomes so dense that it is almost no longer felt.

But, what is this?

The condensing magic changed its appearance into purple stripes.

Lots of very thin sheets. Like lightning, like a vein, and it surrounded Shadow, depicting a beautiful painting design.

“Very beautiful..”.

Alexia was fascinated by the sight. Enchanted not by the beauty of light, but by the beauty of the density of purified magic. Enchanted to the level of wanting to adore him.

“What's this..”

Zenon was once again surprised. He had never seen someone use magic in this form.

“What is true power like.. Look with your own eyes.”.

Magic gathered into the pitch-black sword and carved out a pattern.

It was a spiral that sucked in more magic.

It was as if everything in the world was being sucked towards that spiral.

A terrifying amount of strength now lay within that sword.

“This is my strongest attack”

Shadow raised his sword preparing the horses.

That's an attitude from to stabbing.

It was a mere attitude to stab.

“T-, No. ..”

What is it that actually vibrates and makes that sound?

Is it earth?

Is it air?

Is that Zenon?

No. .. The answer is everything.

Everything's shaking.

Alexia realized that she was trembling too.

But he's not afraid. Instead, he was very happy.

Because this is his last goal.

This ... is the strongest sword.

“Look..”.

The jet-black sword wrapped in light was pulled back …

“Secret Technique: I AM TAEPODONG.”

… and then released.

Voice disappears.

A burst of light engulfed Zenon, then shot past Alexia.

The light went through the wall, the earth, everything. Penetrate, swallow, then lead to the sky.

And then .. The light exploded.

A pattern of light crashing into the night sky, casting a purple tint across the royal capital.

From far away, very far away..The strong wind finally reached the capital after a while. It quickly spread out all the rain clouds, shook every house, shook the earth, and disappeared.

The only ones left in the aftermath were the bright starry sky and the full moon.

Zenon became steam, not even atoms were left.

The hole through the wall continues to rise above the ground.

And then .. With the fluttering of his robe, Shadow faded back into the shadows.

 

⊕⊗⊕

 

Previously, there was a man who challenged taepodong.

The man trained his body, his mentality, and his techniques.

But the taepodong was too far, too high.

But he did not give up.

At the end of his madness training, he got the answer.

Question: How can I not become steam in front of taepodong?

Answer: I just have to BE a taepodong.

So from the simple inspiration chain was born the highest Secret Technique: ‘I AM TAEPODONG.’

 

⊕⊗⊕

 

How long had he been standing in this place, shaken.

Suddenly, Alexia realizes that someone has called her name.

“Alexia…! Alexia...!”

From far away, there was a gasping sound calling out to him.

Alexia recognized the voice.

“Nee-sama ... Iris nee-sama !!”

After shouting, he started running.

Passing through a big tunnel, all the way to the other side.

“Alexia, Alexia!”

Iris hurried.

“Nee-sama, i ..!”

Before Alexia could say anything, she was wrapped in a hug.

Iris' body was soaked and cold, yet so warm at the same time.

“I'm grateful you're okay. Very ... very grateful.”

His embrace is getting tighter.

Alexia hesitantly wrapped her arms around me to hug Iris.

“I'm sorry, I must have felt cold.”

Alexia shook her head, and slammed it into Iris' chest like that.

I don't know why her tears won't stop.

 

⊕⊗⊕