Dorian moved through the inn in an instant. The entrance was in shatters, as was much of the lobby. Shards of glass, shattered chairs and tables, broken planks, the place was a mess. The patrons of the inn had long since fled, leaving the entryway abandoned.

thud

crunch

Wooden boards cracked beneath his feet as he sprinted up a set of stairs at the back. He ran up to the second floor and then down a small hallway till he found the exact room he'd left Helena at.

Without hesitation, he threw the door open, a mix of happiness and worry filling his heart.

"Helena?! Are you al- who the hell are you?!" He abruptly cut himself off, starting. His body was already on edge, his every sense flooding forward.

A Shade wearing a set of ornate purple robes turned to look at Dorian. The Shade was handsome and muscular. He had several throwing knives strapped to the front of his robe.

When his eyes collided with Dorian's, Dorian felt as if a huge weight had slammed into him. His mind was sent back reeling, almost stunned from the glance. His heart pounded deep in his chest as he gasped for breath.

This person was strong.

Overwhelmingly strong.

The strongest being he had ever met.

'Ausra!' His eyes flashed as he commanded the Soul Spell Matrix Genie, conveying his will. Immediately, he received a notification.

–

Species – Shade

Class: ???

Maximum Energy Level: ???

–

'She can't scan him?!' This was the first time Dorian had ever encountered a situation like this. Even the Pseudo-Angelic Excelsior Gamin had been seen through by Ausra. Yet this Shade here… it was inconceivable.

'How powerful is he?!' His heart was filled with horror.

He pushed past that feeling, taking in the rest of the room.

Helena was laying down on an ornate bed, resting quietly. The room was mostly the same as it had been before. A few paintings had fallen from the walls and the window was cracked, likely a result of the explosive battle that had taken place outside.

What caused his entire body and soul to freeze, however, as he looked around, was what he sensed when he looked at Helena.

Dark bruises covered her neck, as if she had been grabbed roughly by the throat. Her clothes were ruffled and damaged, the result of some type of struggle.

Her body lay still.

Her chest did not rise and fall with her breath.

Her heart did not beat steadily.

It did not seem to beat at all.

"You… What did you do to her…" Dorian blinked slowly. The air around him began to quiver, his eyes glued to her body. Reality itself seemed to twist in slightly as he spoke, a deathly Aura rising about him.

"She's not dead, child. There's no need to go into some sort of insane killing rage. She's only resting." The Shade sighed as he spoke, his voice deep and authoritative, preempting Dorian's actions.

"Uh." Dorian blinked and stuttered, the dangerous Aura fading slightly at the reply. That was not at all the response he had expected. After a second, he rushed forward, running up to her body and ignoring the ominous Shade. For some reason, he got the feeling that the Shade didn't mean him harm.

'Ausra! What's wrong with her?'

Out loud, the Shade continued to speak,

"Her soul has been badly injured. She drew heavily on the Laws to attack me, injuring it worse. I sent her into a magically induced coma to restore this damage. I did not mean to harm her."

'Scanning… her body has gone into a coma after suffering severe injuries to the soul. A supplemental healing additive has been applied, however, and she is in a stable condition. She should recover awareness in a few days. Her body has also taken moderate physical damage from an abrupt impact.' Ausra's voice confirmed the man's words.

"Why? Who are you? What do you want?!" Dorian clenched his fists as he looked up, his hands trembling. It took every inch of his willpower to not leap across the bed and strangle the man for daring to hurt her.

'Helena, I'm so sorry! I thought I'd be able to make it back before anything dangerous happened!' He mentally berated himself for leaving her here. It wasn't as if he had had any other options, but he felt like he could've thought something up.

"A dead Vampire Reaver, one that is beloved by Highlord Marcus Aurelius, is far less useful than a live one." The Shade sighed again, rubbing his forehead. He gave off an Aura of morose exhaustion.

The Shade took a deep breath.

Before Dorian could reply, an Aura of raw majesty poured out from the Shade. An awe-defying, heaven-challenging Aura exploded forth. One that represented absolute power and might, one that was blindingly powerful, shocking Dorian to his soul.

"You would be Lord Inigo, yes?" The Shade's voice took on a sense of grandeur, like a king looking down upon one of his servants.

Despite that, and the shocking Aura, Dorian felt strangely unaffected. His only thought was for the danger Helena was in and his rage at this particular Shade for hurting her. Nothing else seemed to matter.

"Yes. Who are you?" Dorian replied back, the air around him twisting as he released a stubborn Aura of his own. One full of righteous, Valorous might, of Chaste power, Charitable spirit, and a Merciful mind. Every single one of the Virtuous Laws he had he made use of.

The Shade's eyes widened slightly as he sensed this. After a tense moment, he replied,

"I am Hasith Shanty." His words echoed like rippling explosions in Dorian's ears,

"The leader of the Shade Commune. Your king." The Shade King smiled ever so slightly, a smile that did not reach his eyes.

'Damn.' Dorian blinked, his heart pounding as he realized the enormity of the situation. It was the worst possible scenario.

He was facing an Angelic Class Shade.

"Inigo…" The Shade King shook his head slowly,

"Why would you choose a Vampire, despite knowing we are at war with them? You must be aware of who she is. She is one of the worst enemies of our kind." The Shade King seemed to want to reason with Dorian. When he heard this, Dorian felt a spark of hope fill him. If this was the case, then getting Helena and himself out of this scenario was a possibility.

"Your war is not a just one." Dorian spoke from his heart, standing under the pressure given off by the Shade King without trembling.

"Just because you consider her an enemy does not mea-" Before he could finish speaking, he was cut off.

"You do not understand." The Shade King shook his head again as he broke in with a frown. The Aura he gave off felt even more powerful, full of a hint of anger that slammed against Dorian's shoulders, trying to crush him where he stood.

"I know more than enough. Your way is not in self-defense, you slaughter others to gain territory. Your actions are wrong." Dorian remained steadfast, weathering the Aura without a visible hint of strain.

"You criticize from a position of ignorance, child." Hasith replied slowly.

"A wise king would not lead his people to their deaths." Dorian returned, moving in front of Helena to shield her from the fluctuating Aura the Shade King gave off.

"Yes, that is right, child. And that is why we must go to war." The Shade King sighed again, rubbing his eyes.

"Uh?" Dorian stuttered back slightly, not understanding.

"You do not understand." The Shade King stated the obvious.

"Then make me understand. Our kind does not need to wage war. We can find peace. Don't just leave me with questions!" Dorian's voice was full of passion.

"Peace is impossibl-" The Shade King began but was cut off by Dorian this time. Instead of being angry, he seemed to accept it, allowing Dorian to speak as if he was humoring a child.

"It is only impossible because you have yet to try!" Dorian replied, clenching and unclenching his fists.

"We have already tried. It is not feasible." Hasith took a few steps away from the window, crossing his arms slowly. It was apparent that he intended to reason with Dorian, likely because of Dorian's status and potential, something Dorian took full advantage of.

"Then let me try! Just because you did not manage to succeed does not mean I will." He urged, staring the Shade King in the eyes. The weight of the Shade King's gaze was incredibly heavy, one that made Dorian's soul shiver. He held steady under it, however, his body brimming with purpose.

"You?" The Shade replied slowly, tasting the word as if he had never considered it.

"Am I not worthy? I am a genius Shade, able to kill King Class warriors despite being in the Lord Class. A Shade that is beloved by Fate. A Shade that just returned from cleansing Moria, a world of death brought back to life!" Dorian began to explain himself, pounding on his chest.

He meant everything he said. The wars between the Vampires and Shades had been horrific, ones that had killed hundreds of thousands, if not millions, over the years. If he could put a stop to it, not only would it save Helena's family from a large amount of grief, but it would also protect her from the dangers she'd face fighting against the Shades.

"Who else but me?"

For a single split second, the look on the Shade King's face wavered.

Right after, however, he made a decision, his eyes gleaming as he looked at Dorian.

"You are too weak. You don't have the strength to have an impact on this war."

"I am not! Not everything depends on- woah!"

WHOOSH

Abruptly, Dorian found himself outside the city walls, a few hundred meters distant. He, the Shade King, and Helena had all been transported. Helena's bed had teleported too, moving them away from the inn. She was currently laying down in it, off to the side, several dozen meters away from him.

"What?" He blinked.

"I locked down the space of that room when you arrived. I warped us away now that I have seen the level of your obstinance." Genuine anger filled the Shade King's voice as he spoke.

"I value you greatly, and the potential you hold. But you need to wake up from this childish dream of yours. There are some things you simply cannot change, and the Fate of the Shade Race is immutable, regardless of what you have done on any planet or what exploits you have achieved." His voice shook the air, thundering mightily. The air trembled, a glowing Halo appearing on the Shade's head.

"It… is not… a dream…" Dorian's reply was stunted as the full force of Hasith Shanty's Angelic Class Aura slammed into him.

The pressure he felt was absurd. His entire soul seemed to be locked down, sealed into space by a gargantuan weight, as if a mountain was pressing down on him. His body was unable to move, not even a finger.

'Damn it… shrug it off! SHRUG IT OFF!' He mentally yelled at himself, drawing upon the various Laws he controlled to enhance his soul.

Slowly, the burden he felt eased, allowing him to move and free himself.

When the Shade King saw this, his eyes widened again, this time in genuine shock.

He was not holding back anymore. His full Aura had been unleashed. Anyone else that wasn't at least a powerful King Class expert should've fallen unconscious on the spot. A Lord Class being like 'Lord Inigo' should've collapsed long ago.

As he came to terms with this, a stiff frown appeared on his face.

'…Your power is still far too weak to have an impact on this war. Resisting my Aura is a feat that merits respect, but…' He shook his head slowly.

"Very well, child. I will give you a chance." His hand reached out, grasping hold of one of the daggers that the Shade King had attached to his robe.

As he held it, the dagger transformed into a bright blue orb. The moment Dorian caught sight of it, he felt his entire body shudder, an incredible feeling of danger sweeping through him.

Space itself seemed to fold in slightly, aimed towards the orb. It was heavy, excessively heavy, and incredibly concentrated. While it was less than half a meter across, in terms of weight, it likely weighed more than several mountains.

"This is a Force Orb. I was only able to make this after I achieved the Angelic Class, the culmination of all of my studies, my effort, and my strength." The Shade King's voice was cool. As he spoke, he took a few steps forward, making sure that Helena was completely out of the way.

"Block this attack and I will consider your request." Hasith flicked his wrist, without waiting for a response from Dorian.

"Prove to me you have the power to change the future of the Shade Race."

Dorian's mind went into overdrive when he heard those words, his eyes boring in on the glowing orb. His heart was pounding, thoughts of protecting Helena filling his heart with absolute faith and courage.

WHOOSH

The glowing blue orb shot through the air, aimed right at Dorian's chest. It moved with incredible speed and precision, crossing the distance in a split second.

As Dorian saw this, he drew upon every Law he held. With such a massive conflagration of energy, he wasn't worried about his Demonic Laws being successfully recognized, even from an Angelic Class expert.

'Perfect Body, activate! Mystic Armored Body!' He activated his strongest Abilities, his many passive Abilities already running strong.

He put every last bit of energy he had into this defense, twisting Fate with all of his might as he drew heavily upon his soul, causing reality itself to warp.

Everything he had he threw forward, his mind focused on a single thing.

Stopping the Shade King's attack.

"…"

'I COMMAND YOU TO STOP!'

.

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