212 Date 2-Chapters-in-1

The downstairs area of the inn was rather deserted, just a barkeep and a few guests mulling over their drinks. He walked through there to the stairs, up till he found Helena's room.

He waited for half a second before he knocked on it.

"…come in…" He heard a quiet grumble, one that made him smile.

He went inside, finding a sleepy looking Helena resting on her bed. Family General Balbinus was nowhere to be seen, but Dorian was confident he was lurking somewhere around the inn.

Helena had recovered a great deal, but not enough to travel yet. According to the General, now that there was a temporary ceasefire in place, they could wait a couple of days to allow her to heal before leaving. The Family General seemed to put a lot of trust in the Shade King's word, something that surprised Dorian. Despite being enemies, each side held a great deal of respect for the other.

"Hey, how are you holding up today, Smalls?" Dorian smiled slightly, looking at Helena.

Helena giggled,

"Not too bad, Shrimp." She deepened her voice in an impersonation of him, raising her head authoritatively.

They crossed gazes for a split second before both of them burst out laughing.

Dorian shook his head, smiling at her ruefully as he walked all the way in and sat down on her bed. He gazed at her with eyes full of cheer and delight. Even with her being bedridden, the obvious improvements to her health had left him ecstatic.

It wasn't too long ago that she had been constantly unconscious, with an injured soul that prevented her from doing almost anything at all.

Time seemed to fly by at a breakneck pace, the hours and days slipping by.

Eventually, the news about Moria being cleansed by the mighty Lord Inigo finally came out and caused a huge stir, shocking the entire Commune…

.. .. .. .. .. ..

On a world far from Moria…

A large, deep blue lake spread out for miles, teeming with life. Healthy, well-kept oak trees surrounded the lake, planted amongst large swathes of bright green grass. A large river connected to the north of this lake, rustling past peacefully in the mid-morning light.

To the west of this lake was a small keep, built out of aged grey stone. Rustic wooden platforms surrounded the edges of this castle but appeared to be in the process of being taken down. The castle had been restored from a previously decrepit state to a pristine, but still ancient, appearance. A grey, paved stone path led to the entrance of the keep. The path moved off in the other direction towards a populated city, many miles from here.

Atop the highest point in this castle, a flagpole rose, bearing a large, lightly glowing white flag, white sparks flowing from it. Six golden circles crossed each other on this flag, forming a unique shape.

A small wooden boat floated near the center of the lake, carrying two very important Shades.

High Priest Bashaba sighed as he looked out from the boat, his eyes tired. His tan, leathery skin seemed to have grown older, his once muscular and bulky figure thinning. The stress of the times was starting to get to him, even as a powerful Pseudo-Angelic Class expert ranked among the best in existence.

He scratched at his bald head for a moment, his grand and long, bushy white beard blowing in the breeze. He wore a set of simple white robes, adorned with small golden patterns on the edges. A necklace hung around his neck, with an icon of a golden sun hanging at its base.

He then turned to look at the other member of the boat.

"Is it true, Isaac? Has Moria truly been cleansed?" His words carried in the faint breeze, a hint of power present in them.

The other figure on the boat had a younger appearance, his face unlined by age. He had the same tan skin, and was also muscular, but more of a lean kind of muscular. Instead of an adorned white robe, he wore a set of faded grey leather armor, the insignia of a golden sun emblazoned upon it. The same necklace of a golden sun rested around his neck.

"Yes, sir!" The Holy Prince Isaac of the Church of Light gave a confident response.

As Bashaba looked at him, he smiled slightly.

He could see a fire in the Holy Prince's eyes that hadn't existed before. An intense desire to improve, to grow stronger, to exceed his limits.

The Holy Prince's expedition had failed, in the end. The Twentiethborn had failed to become a true Angel of Light. But in the end, such a failure was forgivable. The Anomalies were extremely difficult to understand or control, odd creatures that were a novelty.

This plan had been a test for the Holy Prince, a way for him to gain experience. If he was to truly succeed and become the next High Priest, he would need wisdom and courage, power and strength. He would need to learn how to handle himself in situations that were unfavorable.

He would need to fail, and learn how to move on after failing.

And, as Bashaba saw the fighting spirit lit inside Isaac, he knew his plan had succeeded.

Yes, they suffered some losses, unfortunately losing some Axios team members and failing their mission. But in the end, everything was acceptable as long as Isaac stayed strong.

The bigger picture mattered far more than any immediate losses.

"The esteemed hero Lord Inigo did it himself! His bravery has shaken the entire Commune!" Isaac's voice was full of admiration for the legendary hero.

"Yes, yes." Bashaba replied, glancing over at the Holy Prince. It seemed even Isaac had become enamored with this new hero.

"I've heard word of him from Gamin. It seems he truly does have the best intentions of the Commune at heart." The High Priest nodded. It wasn't a bad thing at all having someone of this caliber. New blood was always welcome when it came to the Commune, powerful heroes were always in demand.

"More importantly, Isaac, how has your training gone?" The High Priest cut to the chase.

"High Priest, I have reached the Peak of King Class and am preparing to break into Pseudo-Angelic." Isaac's eyes gleamed with light as he replied.

"Good… good." Bashaba smiled with a smile that did not reach his eyes,

"The future is rife with danger. Power will be needed if our kind is to survive… The Light would not have it any other way." His voice was grand and full of mystery.

Isaac's entire body shook, his fighting spirit rising even higher as he heard this.

The High Priest laughed out loud when he saw this,

"Keep up your training, Holy Prince. Don't let this Lord Inigo leave you behind!"

"Of course not, High Priest, and I shall continue my training at full speed." Isaac's eyes were full of determination, a smile on his face.

'Perhaps I can meet this Lord Inigo one day. He sounds like a real Shade, a being of honor and loyalty. A true hero.' The vision of Lord Inigo in Isaac's head was quite a large one.

At the thought of a true hero and meeting someone, a memory flared in his mind, one that made him clench his fists.

'As for that cretin that killed me several times over back on Magmor… what was his name again?' His eyes blazed with fury,

'Ah yes. He said he was Vice-Head Taemin of the Diamond Department.' The air around the Holy Prince shivered with righteous anger,

'I will obliterate you. A foul villain like yourself has no right to exist in this world.'

Bashaba looked at the fired up Holy Prince with fondness.

'I really should try to pull Lord Inigo over. I'm sure the two would be close allies.' He made a mental promise to put some requests in.

.. .. .. .. .. ..

In the southern area of the Shade Commune, on the World of Pantover, a magnificent castle made of dark blue rock jutted up from a cliff-face, majestically constructed with towering buttresses and curled spires. Several roads led to this castle, ones that split off towards huge major cities filled with millions of Shades.

At the center of this majestic castle, the Southern Duke of Shadow, Duke Barmo, stared down at the report he had been given, looking at it in disbelief, and then back up at the Shade that had run it to him, informing him of its contents.

"Did you say… Moria has been cleansed?!" Duke Barmo was a lean, but strong Shade, with a thin jawline but a powerful Aura. He wore a set of loose green robes, crossing his arms as he spoke.

"Yes, sir! Lord Inigo has successfully cleansed Moria, wiping away the traces of the vile Demons!" The speaker wore a set of black plate armor, one of his loyal guards.

The Southern Duke looked away from his subordinate, staring back at the report.

'…He actually did it… the madman…'

Barmo didn't know whether to laugh or cry as he read about someone doing the impossible, a feat that required incredible power and skill. Someone he just so happened to have personally attacked and attempted to discredit…

A sheen of sweat appeared on his forehead as he realized this, his eyes widening.

"Quick!" He spun around, staring at the messenger guard,

"Send for my long range messengers! Rush there now! Immediately! There is not a moment to waste!"

.. .. .. .. .. ..

When King Hasith Shanty heard that Lord Inigo had successfully managed to cleanse Moria, receiving confirmation that Dorian had actually managed it, he had been in the middle of weapons practice, concentrating as he tossed around several of the knives he kept strapped to his robe.

He was in a small, empty practice room, on a small, random Lesser Planet. The ceasefire meant the war no longer required his constant attention. Instead, he was waiting to hear back from the Aurelius Vampires, and from the odd Shade he'd recruited to help him save his race.

When the Shade King heard of Lord Inigo's exploits, his eyes merely flashed slightly, the Aura around him remaining perfectly unchanged. A new look appeared in those eyes now, however, one that hadn't been there before.

One of respect and genuine interest, as well as appreciation. And one that was mysterious, wavering back and forth with emotions that even Dorian would've been unable to decipher had he seen it himself…

.. .. .. .. .. ..

On the Lesser World of Tyro, a planet that was two planets away from Moria, a large, stone canyon was located near a large World Bridge.

This canyon was huge, stretching dozens of miles. It was made from some type of ancient, crimson stone, weathered and worn with time. No creatures of any sort lived in this barren area, not a hint of life present.

Deep within this canyon, a small cave entrance was tucked away, hidden randomly. This entrance led to a large, circular room, roughly two dozen meters wide, empty of any furniture or other niceties.

In this room, a heap of bedraggled looking figures could be seen, leaning against the wall or resting as they argued.

"That damned Fifteen! I can't believe he and his clone damaged what His Highness left behind!" Baron Radishow's voice echoed in the air as he swore, slamming his fist into the wall.

BOOM

crack

A network of cracks spread out as the impact from Radishow's punch damaged the wall, causing the entire cave to shiver.

"Careful, Baron. Most of us are badly injured, please don't bring the cave down on us." The Mistress of Lust, Priscilla, returned quietly, all seductive aspects of her voice gone as she breathed in long, ragged breaths. Her hair had turned a pale white and she was currently covered in a layer of energy, focusing on healing from the grievous injuries she had suffered.

"He is right! Moria is in shambles! It's been cleansed, the work his Greatness left behind ruined!" Damal, the Master of Pride, spoke out loud, his voice full of anger. Of all the members of the Demonic Council present, Damal was in the best condition. He was heavily injured, but his abnormally powerful physique meant the injuries didn't threaten him as badly as they did the others.

"It's not all ruined. The Inheritances should be intact, as long as Lord Obelisk managed to kill off Fifteen. I have faith that he managed to do that, even if Fifteen did manage to enact part of his plan." Hallow's voice cut through the arguments, the Master of Envy's words both cutting but wise.

"With them still left, all hope is not lost." Hallow finished, giving everyone a cool nod. His eyes gleamed with blue light, though he was just as badly injured as everyone else present.

The Guardian Knights had taken an enormous toll on everyone, drawing them all to their limits. They had been trapped in incredibly unfavorable circumstances, forced to face up against powerful creatures without even being able to draw upon the Power of Law.

"Hallow is right." Kandor, the Master of Greed, nodded his head as he leaned back against the cave wall, sitting opposite of Hallow. Of everyone present, Kandor's soul was the strongest thanks to his Law of Greed, allowing him to cut through the pain that plagued his mind with ease.

"All is not lost."

The other members of the Council all remained quiet for a few moments as they continued to rest and meditate.

After the destruction of His Highness's castle, and the subsequent cleansing of Moria, the Demonic Council had beat a quick retreat.

Not only had they all been grievously injured, leaving them open to attacks from Fifteen or their enemies, but everything that had happened here was bound to draw a huge amount of attention. When Moria was still obstructed, it had been fine. Fate Magic barely worked on Moria in its original state, there was little to worry about.

Now that it had been cleansed, however… they were forced to retreat immediately or risk discovery. And if they had been discovered in their injured state, well, it would've been the end of everything, then and there.

Even now, after they had put a great deal of distance between themselves and Moria and had hours and hours to focus on healing, all of them were still in a vulnerable spot.

Several minutes passed in silence. Faint hints of Auras leaked out from the various members of the Demonic Council as they continued their meditation.

Minutes soon slipped to hours. Like that, roughly 6 hours passed.

"I've received word from Obelisk!" Baron Radishow broke the silence at last surprising everyone and bringing them out of their meditation. A variety of Auras flared up as the members of the Demonic Council roused and stared at him.

"What?!"

"You've received… word from the Great Demon Disciple?"

"What is it?!"

The various members of the Council immediately broke out into discussion, voices full of curiosity filling the air.

"Fifteen never escaped after all! Lord Obelisk killed him, defeating him! Fifteen managed to enact his plans to cleanse Moria, but failed, in the end, thanks to Lord Obelisk! The Inheritances are all intact! Hallow is right!" The Baron's words were full of joy, jumping up and down as he forgot his still-healing injuries. In his hand, he held a glowing amulet, the Artifact he used to receive 'Lord Obelisk's' messages.

When everyone heard this, they immediately broke out into discussion.

"Oh? Well, with his Lordship's Heaven Killing Phoenix form, very little should've been able to stop him. We all saw how he wiped the floor with those Guardian Knights."

"Was it a Heaven Killing Phoenix? It looked more like a Brown Hellsworn Roc to me."

"I was thinking an Ancient Iridescent Three Legged Crow."

Radishow shook his head as he heard the Councilmembers speak, cutting into the conversation to continue,

"It's even better than that…" He began, gesturing with his hands,

"Lord Obelisk killed Lord Inigo as well, and has stolen his place! He's infiltrating the Church of Light, using Lord Inigo's fame as a cover!"

"What?!"

"Incredible!"

"Lord Obelisk… wow."

The Councilmembers were stunned for a moment before they began to celebrate. After all, having a spy or ally in the higher-ups of the Church of Light would prove a huge boon. None of them doubted that the Great Demon Disciple could achieve this, their faith in Dorian absolute.

"This is fantastic news!" Hallow, in particular, was pleased. He'd always held a personal grudge against the Church of Light.

"Oh, right. Let me inform Leader. Our new ally has been looking to make amends with the Great Lord." Radishow began to fiddle with the amulet he used to communicate, mumbling as he sat back down and concentrated.

A few minutes passed as everyone continued to talk and discuss, reviewing the developments. Soon, a full-fledged meeting broke out as the Council began to plan for the future.

Eventually, Hallow took control of the discussion, his voice booming as he changed the topic,

"Excellent! Now, everyone, remember, we must protect the Inheritances at all costs! Every single Array is active still, so even King Shanty himself shouldn't be able to shatter them. As long as we don't bring too much attention to ourselves, we will successfully survive!" Hallow looked to all of them calmly, getting nods back in return.

"Good, on to the next topic." He folded his hands together as he leaned against the cave wall.

"After we recover, we must begin enacting our preparations. Every squadron, every intelligence gatherer, every believer must now turn their focus to one thing." His eyes flashed with light,

"We must prepare to face off against the Destroyer. We can delay no longer." His voice boomed,

"The return of Lord Obelisk has confirmed my suspicions…" Hallow nodded slowly, looking at each member of the Council,

"Yukeli Shorn has returned to the 30,000 Worlds." His words slunk through the air, the quivering tension that appeared when the Councilmembers heard that man's name palpable,

"And there is no way we can deal with that man alone. Therefore…" Hallow raised an open hand and then slowly closed it, in a crushing motion,

"We must prepare. We will put all of our focus and concentration on this, every Councilmember must participate." A powerful Aura ran flush around Hallow, the air around him crackling with energy,

"We must begin raising an army."

.. .. .. .. .. ..

After arriving back, the next couple of days passed peacefully as Helena recovered.

Dorian spent his time meditating and in focus, concentrating on the Laws of the Universe.

He did take a few breaks, however, to do various things, like talk with Helena, catching up with her. They talked about their pasts more, their worries for the future, bonding over all that they had been through.

He managed to find the time to talk to the Moria Liberation Force members, thanking them all profusely and celebrating a little with them. In particular, Dorian made his gratefulness known to Captain Fabian, as well as all the other recovering members of the Force, sparing nothing to help them all heal up as fast as possible.

The Warrior-Alchemist Bayran had already left, going on what he said was a 'journey of self-discovery' to reflect upon his faults and strengths, hoping to solidify his recent breakthrough.

He also took the time to send a message over to the Demonic Council, using a special Signal Array Artifact Baron Radishow had casually given him at one point, when the Demonic Councilmember had become convinced of 'Lord Obelisk's' authenticity.

He managed to convince them that he was Lord Inigo now, impersonating Fifteen so he could infiltrate the Church of Light. By doing so, he tied up any last loose ends, settling a few issues that would've been ticking time bombs otherwise.

Dorian had acquired a bit of an awkward spot in the eyes of the Southern Duke and the local leaders of the Golden Moon Mercenary Alliance. Lord Inigo was now a famous hero of the Shade Race, so it was impossible for them to do anything to him. Conversely, they had also disrespected him by ignoring him and, in the case of the Southern Duke's men, actually attacking him.

As a result, neither had the face to come and greet him when he went out of his meditation.

Instead, they both sent apologies by proxy, bestowing a huge amount of treasure upon Dorian in the form of rare Artifacts and items.

Dorian directly took all of these to the Superior Moon Auction House and sold them off, as well as most of the treasure he had left over.

Whether it was rare B Ranked Energizing Elixir Pill, expensive A Ranked Whitaker Spears, pricey A- Ranked Ancient Forbidden Shields, no matter their status, every treasure he obtained he sold.

And in return, Dorian accrued a huge store of treasure geared towards a single thing.

Speeding up one's comprehension of the Laws of the Universe.

Whether it was the famous high-level Gold Shields, unique Dharma Pills, or Enlightenment Soul Liquid, Dorian gained a large variety of treasures all designed to enhance his comprehension speed and comprehension of the Laws of the Universe.

He also picked up a large number of healing medicines, ones he used to help treat the injured Moria Liberation Force members, especially the ones that had injuries that Magic couldn't quickly heal.

As a result of his Law-comprehension-enhancement treasures, Dorian began to steadily march forward, focusing on the many various Laws he controlled.

And right now, in the present moment, Dorian had been in the midst of his meditation when he caught something at the edge of his hearing. He had been using his Balance Demon form, the body that was most suited to comprehending the Laws of the Universe, its unique Abilities giving it an edge.

Dorian opened his eyes sleepily, waking from his meditative state. He was sitting in his own private room, in the same inn as his allies.

Slowly, he transformed back into his Shade form, blinking as he stood up. He then walked over to the door to his room, his forehead wrinkled.

He opened it up, revealing a familiar figure.

"Heyo, goose." Helena was on her feet, her face flush with health and vigor. A rippling Aura full of vitality was apparent around her, the debilitating injuries from before almost entirely absent. She wore a long, but tight, black dress that clung to her figure, looking the very image of her past self.

"Helena!" Dorian leapt forward and scooped her up in a huge hug, throwing her around as he laughed out loud, his voice full of excitement. Any thoughts of meditation were tossed to the side as he celebrated, unable to help himself.

"It's so good to see you!" He danced around for a little bit, doing a happy jig as he kept spinning her around, only stopping when she threatened to knock him out.

They talked for a few minutes as she walked in, trading jokes and greetings. Helena told him about how she'd felt a ton better, out of the blue this morning, the majority of injuries on her soul finally healing.

Dorian, in return, shared the improvements he'd made in his comprehensions. While they were still rather minimal, every little bit helped. As soon as possible, Dorian planned on hunkering down and meditating for a long period, immersing himself in growing stronger.

As their conversation slowed down, Dorian looked at Helena.

Her gorgeous smile, her welcoming eyes, her petite nose and short, cute hair. He felt his heart flutter as she looked back at him, smiling gently,

"What is it?" She giggled, poking him in the shoulder.

Dorian steeled himself, his heart pounding as he took a deep breath.

"Helena… I have an important question for you." He gave her a cheeky grin, completely hiding his wildly beating heart and nervousness. If nothing else, his powerful soul made such a disguise quite easy.

"Will you…" He began, forcing his courage to the front. Helena looked back at him expectantly.

"Go on a date with me?" He finished with an exhale, unable to control his still wildly beating heart as he looked her in the eyes.

Helena gave him a beautiful, warm smile as she grinned and looked at him, her eyes bright,

"What's a date?"

Dorian's jaw dropped.

"Hahahahaha." Helena's voice tinkled as she saw this, bending over in laughter as she grinned mischievously, clutching at her sides,

"Just kidding, Dorry." She wiped tears of mirth from her eyes as she shook her head at him, a small smile on her face. She then stood up on her tiptoes, right next to Dorian as she leaned in…

And kissed him lightly on the cheek.

"I would love to."

.