Lord Shadow-Chapter 32: Heroes and villains

JAPAN

ECHIGO

A man is riding a horse, overlooking a hill, behind him was other people in full armour body all matching almost the same.

The man looked far away and his armour was different from the other.

It was not only full with intricate designs there could also be seen static charges discharges from the man armour, like he is bathing in lightning.

He is the Thunder Lord, Houtarou Oreki, Dragon of Echigo. And he is waiting. Behind him is his retainer looking all serious, guarding their lord.

They were waiting for someone. Then as they waited a man could be seen riding towards them.

Then he arrived and bow a little to Oreki.

‘Oreki-sama’ The man said as he bowed his head.

‘So?’ Oreki said, his voice was the very definition of a lazy voice.

He almost seems like he doesn’t care either way when he said ‘so’ but the people under him has been used to it.

His retainer behind him, looks at him and just shakes their head.

But even though they don’t approve of his laziness, they approve of his strength. Thunder Lord Houtarou Oreki was the one who saved them and teach them all they know on how to defeat monsters and the leader of this 2367 large man army.

Only those who were with him in the beginning truly understand the true power that this man commands.

Lightning and thunder fell from the skies when he destroys his second large beast and create a 10 meter crater.

He gained the ability Thunder Strike when he completed the class changing Quest and he became a Chosen.

It was like the Sky listens to him, winds and thunder obeys him. Holding powers that is revered by the people he rescues.

They look in awe and listen in reverence no matter how unreasonable Oreki request may be.

The scouts then report his finding to Oreki.

‘Oreki-sama. There is no large monster for a few miles. Near the river however I could see a large monster. A seven headed snake.’

‘People?’ he asked the scout.

Even in his word he rarely speaks a few words.

Most of his new followers attributes it to a no nonsense attitude and that he prefers to remain quiet but his close friend knows that he is merely too lazy to speak.

A misunderstanding, that their enigmatic and powerful leader is someone who is very concise and prefers cold hard fact is borne in his group.

‘A few leaded by some people. Doesn’t seem like they have reached level 20, since they have troubles defeating zombies’

‘Evolved?’

‘No, Oreki-sama.’

‘Hmmm’

This makes it easy he mused. If they are not evolved then that means they could not defeat him no matter how stronger they are.

Combined that with his racial ability of Repression and Superiority, he is practically a god among his followers.

He has 5 pillars. Looking back he could see thousands of people, looking at him, revering him like a great hero.

Thinking back to his past, he almost scoffed and ask himself, Why did his life get so troublesome that he become these people leader?

So troublesome, so troublesome he mused.

Oreki was one of the slackers in his school but very smart.

He never had any problem with his studies only the fact that hates doing troublesome things.

He is lazy if one is to describe him. He likes to do things in which that it doesn’t make him do too much effort.

When the Fall happens, he was at his home. He quickly secured his younger sister and saved his older sister.

His mother was abroad and there is nothing he could do about that. His father was dead when he was a child.

After that accident, his mother was never the same. Nevertheless, they were family.

He doesn’t know what happens to her but he hoped his mother also survive the initial attack.

One could see that on the back there is some squadron protecting two girls.

This is the guard that Dragon of Echigo, Houtarou Oreki has charged with the protection of his family. 𝘧𝔯e𝗲𝙬ℯ𝙗𝓷o𝘷e𝗹.𝐜𝑜𝒎

‘Dragon of Echigo, huh?’ He said it, almost a whisper.

‘Troublesome, troublesome’ he said it again while his retainer behind him is waiting for his order.

Oreki found a teleportation stone a few days ago with runic writing and saved someone from Kai.

It was then that he knows that there are many survivors that survive the initial fall. Tokyo is devastated though.

Some people who got to the Teleportation Stone could teleport themselves to other places.

For level 1 to 29 they could only teleport in the country of origin.

For level 30 to 50 they could teleport outside their country while for level 51 to 70 they could teleport to Secret Realm.

It then birthed a new question in the back of his mind. How these teleport stones knew what to call these places, these countries, even regions?

One answer. Whoever attacked, whatever forces that landed here, that bring these monsters and magic, they are highly superior in their knowledge about earth.

The fact that they could set teleportation stone and even knows the name of each country in earth proves to support his theories.

A few days ago, he met one of those who sues the teleport stone.

Anyway, when he met the young man he wear quite fancy armour and he introduced himself as one of the Twenty Four Generals of the Tiger of Kai, Kirishima Torayasu.

When Kiriyama was saved by him, Kiriyama then expresses his gratitude and then he return back to report his findings to the Tiger of Kai, his daimyo.

Oreki let him go since they are fellow survivors but was reprimanded heavily by his retainers.

‘My lord?’ One of them say looking at him. Oreki held up his hand and his retainer shut his mouth, letting his lord think for a while.

First they were the people they saved; now they call themselves as his retainers.

Maybe they got the inspiration from hearing the depiction of Kirishima lord. Kirishima said, if they wanted to join Lord Hikigaya army and live a good life they can join him at Shinano.

Kirishima called his lord as the Tiger of Kai. And Tiger of Kai is working hard to pacify the Kai region and establish a new Tokyo.

The Tiger of Kai from this act of his, he could be seen as ambitious and while many of the people in Japan is still suffering from the initial fall and zombies still roamed about, this Tiger has already pacified many regions saving thousands in his region.

The new world is ruled by strength and of course they will be people staking the claim early.

Hearing this, many of them also heard that Hikigaya has cleared out many of the monster around Kai and has amassed about 10 thousand survivors who is then integrated into his army.

Whoever this Hikigaya is, he has clearly consolidated his power and create a haven for survivors in Kai….and a large army

It is said that Tiger of Kai hold all the authority and has started creating villages after the sudden change of the world.

He also declares himself as a daimyo and many people in the new created region of Kai flocked to him, revering him, as their savior.

The sudden change refers to the light that vanishes all modern necessities, sprouting large trees, and mountains that reached the skies.

This new change also marks the end of the old world, and a new world arises, a world where everything wills start anew.

When Kirishima returned to his lord, many of the survivors in his camp also wanted that same kind of authority and peace so they appointed him as their leader and called him the Dragon of Echigo.

They were jealous hearing that the people of Kai had not only protection but an army and many of the people in his camp fears that the stability that many of the people has created in his camp will fall apart.

Even though at first he rejected the offer to be a daimyo, his advisor advise him to take on the role to give a sense of calmness on the survivors.

And the Daimyo part is just until a new government could be built again.

But Oreki knows and his advisor knows, there is no longer a government. And if there is talk of creating a government, not all people would be happy with it.

Oreki understand it better. Why would Tiger of Kai amass army if he did not want to be King in this new world?

Oreki accepts because he does not know what kind of person this Tiger of Kai is.

This is the end of the world, and Oreki in his journey of saving people also met some of unsavory characters, people who have powers and used it to **** and kill fellow humans instead of helping each other in the time of darkness.

What if this Tiger of Kai is a psychopath and his people are all ruthless?

Oreki couldn’t take the chance and hearing 10 thousand people under him, that is enough to be called a proper army.

Then he declared the region he is making a home as Echigo making the modern name to its older ancient name.

They are following the ancient border of the daimyo during the Sengoku Period.

Many of his retainers are young and treated this like a game and like they were transported in a game like world.

But Oreki knows better.

This is not the kind of game like world where you get harems and special ability like in the web novels or light novels.

When you die, you die for real and there is no god that would reincarnate you to other places.

You want power? Fight for it! You want to live? Fight for it!

But most of his retainer was saved with their family intact. Not to mention since he acted as a pillar and there is nothing yet that threaten their safety too heavily, they are all optimistic of the days ahead.

It is also thanks to his brilliant suggestion and charismatic leadership. He is their protector much as like the Tiger of Kai is the protector of Kai, he is the protector of Echigo.

Maybe that is why the young people in his camp, they don’t understand the severity of the situations.

He sent one of his people to Tokyo to assess damage and then returned via the Teleportation Stone.

Tokyo is full with monsters that resemble youkai and even though the buildings no longer exist it is now replaced by a large forest.

The initial fall did not affect Echigo very bad but the large beast did affect Tokyo and Kyoto…badly.

In Echigo, it was a large bird with thorns for a face that sprays green gas from the gaps of its teeth and kill millions in a matter of a minute.

A simple blocking your nose for a few second would have saved the people but not everyone was that lucky.

And then when they’re dead they became zombies.

Those that survives, usually have their family intact and then found by Oreki and his friends.

And then their ranks swelled. And as their ranks swell so did their expertise and offensive power.

Which is why now, he has a large group of people following him.

They are also some of the survivors they found and rescue which all help to boost their power and with an army even though they get less experience when fighting they could defeat many great beast.

Even though Oreki was lazy, when the time calls for it he was an inspiring leader and one of the most powerful people in Japan now and probably in the world.

When he entered the Hall of Fame he could also see Hikigaya name in the ranking and his fame was higher than him.

There is also a foreign name in there. Raymond and Rollo.

But in Japan the only one who has form Pillars and could be said the strongest in all of Japan is him and Hikigaya.

In a few days maybe they would be others that would carve their name in the Hall of Fame.

The reason that the people easily accept him as their leader is because, he is not only the most powerful among them but he is also honorable, brave and has quite the military expertise.

They all have seen it his way of handling the distribution of people when fighting a beast and how he trains everyone in a way that is suitable for them.

Oreki is also finding a spot where it is beneficial for them to create a village.

Creating a village and then hunting and increase their EXP and power would one day help them if a beast that is out of their league came attacking.

‘The place is good. Send people to rescue the people you saw.’ Oreki said

‘Anko!’

‘Yes, Oreki sama.’

‘You will lead the newbies to gain some experience.’Anko nodded and quickly went to follow her orders

‘Akira!’

‘Oreki sama!’

‘You take a 10 elite levelers and swept the area. Report to me immediately if there is a large beast.’

He nodded and quickly steer his horse and picked 10 men and they dashed forward. Then Kuro, one of his retainer ask

‘Oreki sama, then can we move there?’

‘Let Akira do the sweep first then we can move.’

‘Should I prepare the arrangement?’ One of his other retainers ask.

Oreki then nodded. The retainer then quickly inform his other officers.

The place the scouts have scouted is as good as any place to start. It is also near the river and protected by the hills and his people need to rest.

They have ben marching ever since, relying on the warrior class and the mages to capture low leveled beast like Horned Rabbits or Red Snakes to sate their appetite.

Then suddenly as they were about to climb down the hill a notification appears.

LORD SHADOW IS THE FIRST ONE TO KILL A PREHISTORIC BEAST. AWARDED 1000 FAME. A UNIQUE SKILL BOOK HAS DROPPED FROM THE MONSTER. ANNOUNCING TO ALL THE USERS.

SCALE BODY TECHNIQUE IS DROPPED.

TIME UNTIL THE BOOK DISSAPEARED: 1 MONTH

He was shocked. Unique skill book. He quickly ask the System and information streamed inside his mind.

Lord Shadow? Who is he? And Malaysia? Where is Malaysia? Which part of Malaysia? Then a place appears in his mind ,bottom of the river.

Another notification appears.

THE PLACE IS MARKED ON THE TELEPORTATION STONE. TEMPORAL TELEPORTATION STONE IS CREATED NEARBY THE BOOK. THE TEMPORAL TELEPORTATION STONE WILL SELF-DESTRUCT IN ONE MONTH

‘Oreki sama did you get the message?’ Kuro said to him, Oreki look behind him and could see everyone is looking in front of them like they are shocked and dumbfounded.

It is safe to say everyone has been looking at the message.

‘Hmm’ he nodded.

‘What do we do? Do you want to go?’

Oreki shakes his head. It is too early and he doesn’t know who is Lord Shadow and what he is capable of.

Since Lord Shadow kill the beast, he must possess great powers and must possess the Unique skill book by now.

Then that means if he wanted the unique skill book he needs to grab it from Lord Shadow and this is too early.

This Lord shadow did not only defeated a prehistoric beast , a unique rank monster but also steal the first place in Hall of Fame.

Fighting him without knowing what power Lord Shadow possess is stupid. And Lord Shadow also has a home ground advantage.

Forget it he mused.

I could get Unique Skill in Japan. He consoles himself. Then looking at Kuro , he said

‘We strengthen ourselves.’ Saying this he climbed down the hill and thousand followed as they began building their new home.

***

FRANCE 𝑓re𝘦𝔀𝗲𝘣𝘯𝘰νℯ𝒍.c𝗼ｍ

‘Paulette, how is the men?’ the young man asked a woman who has a nose ring, a brown hair, bandaging her wounds and then gulping a vial of health potion.

‘They are fine; some of them are bandaging the others. Don’t worry about them too much, Jean’ her voice is hoarse but she is still energetic.

Jean nodded and sighed.

Jean is looking at his men a 100 ragtag bunch. They huddled up beside a large fire.

A few moments before, they were startled that a notification appears showing that a user has defeated a prehistoric beast Sarcosuchus Imperator a unique rank beast.

Whoever this Lord Shadow is he sure is strong.

Jean is about to level up to 30.

Unlike the other nation suffering from the Fall, France are not riddled by zombie infestation like the high populated nations like the US, China or Russia but they are riddled by large beast and terrifying beast.

In this ragtag bunch, Jean is the leader.

A new leader after the old leader killed by him. His ragtag bunch consists of Arabian migrants and drug dealers….and the occasional civilians

One might ask how did he pick up drug dealers and Arabian migrants…..it’s complicated.

‘How about my mother?’ he asks.

‘Traumatized.’ Paulette replied as she is now downing some scotches. She got that when she was ransacking a bar before the Light fell.

Since then she has been storing it inside her storage rings and she never shares it with anyone.

Scotch is not her kind of drink but that is the only thing she grabbed before.

‘Hmm’ he said looking his mother huddled up with his younger brother. Jean is one of the 99 percent, poor and destitute.

The reason why there is so many drug dealers following him is because he himself was a drug dealer.

He was 21 and dealing in the street.

Before he could assemble this group he had to fight the people in charge and kill him. He was smart.

First it was not him that rule this group but another man by the name of Tony from the crime family Cardazio.

He was an Italian crime family enforcer who was entering the street, fighting a turf war with the Jamaicans before the Fall came.

When the Fall came Jean save his mother and brother and joins the ragtag bunch. But he was smart.

He hides his power and his level, always pretending to be the sheep and did miscellaneous job to avert Tony suspicion.

He kills monsters in secret and when he has enough people disgruntled with Tony despotic rules, Jean stepped up, kill Tony and take his place.

Paulette was his right hand woman.

This drug dealers and immigrant is all under his charge. Most of them chose to become warriors or sharpshooter.

The civilians chose to become healer and support characters

Jean comes from suburb at the North of Marseille.

One of the people following him was a genius when it comes about gadget and he managed to intercept signals that are coming from the military in Paris.

At least until the light fell and destroy any signs of modern world. Now they are walking in woods in what used to be tar roads and sky high towers.

They are now moving to Paris. The government is being set up if the news is correct.

But now without modern equipment how can the government function again? This is big stuff and Jean doesn’t have to think about it.

He just needs to keep moving and survive…and lead this people to Paris

Thinking of this matter, he checks the people under his care.

Among them, he is the strongest and the most powerful and acts as a pillar of the group.

When they are fighting a beast he charged forward with his trusted friends. Now they would lay their lives for each other.

Looking at the long road ahead of him he sighed.

‘Paris…will we reach there?’ he asked.

Paulette gives him a glass.

‘Scotch?’ she offered

‘Is it delicious?’

‘Taste like puke’ she said and she smiles. Jean takes the glass of scotch and downs it in one shot

‘What do you think, Paulette? Will we reach Paris? Or die trying?’

Paulette takes another gulp and look at the crowd in front of her. With a sniper behind her back and loose clothing and her short brown hair, she looks like a gun for hire.

A sexy gun for hire. It helps that her chest area is bountiful.

‘I don’t know. But our men needs hope. And the news that maybe a government is being set up gives them hope. Paris becomes their purpose and a promised land. I won’t take that away from them, if I were you’

Jean nodded.

‘What if there is nothing in Paris?’ he asked

‘Then we deal with them.’ Paulette said, determined.

‘You lead better than I will ever be, Paulette.’

‘True, but they do not trust me. They trust you.’ She said, and she has a bitter smile as she brings out her last bottle of scotch.

She pours a glass into Jean empty cup and hers.

‘Because you insist on playing the bad guy’ Jean said as they knocked their glass and both downs it in one shot, looking at each other, smiling.

‘Maybe. Or maybe because you’re a nice guy.’

Paulette and Jean look at their men and as they drink their last bottle of scotch, both of them got up and they keep marching.

To Paris, they go.

***

ALL AROUND THE WORLD.

Some nation military survives the initial attack and was preparing to launch an attack with their weaponry but then the light fell and their weapons, nuclear, missile all the weapons humans was so proud off disappeared.

The military and the leaders all then defend their base at their capital city. Some nation military and power structure on the other hand crumbled instantly but some survives.

The country that survives and maintain their capital city is USA, Russia, France, Iran, and Denmark.

The other country was demolished, their political structure and military was destroyed or left to tatters.

But there are so many countries and when the most dangerous beast went into hibernation, all these countries begun rising up again.

There is no lack of believers towards their country and government even though clearly the old world has ended.

China was almost destroyed completely when a large black dragon came, a Legendary ranked beast, and burn Beijing with a fire that could not be extinguished, killing millions of people and then the people rise from the dead.

Millions of zombies roam the land.

Some country still have their president or Prime ministers hiding in their underground bunker, waiting for a time to rise up to the surface again.

Of course they are some unlucky ones who deep underneath the ground but still found by the monsters.

One could only attribute this as bad luck.

The Prime Minister of Japan hid under an underground undisclosed location with the Special Forces and the Secret Service but was found by a large mole that eat everything, even steel and the prime ministers and the people guarding him were all killed.

The Emperor of Japan however was saved by some people.

The Imperial Family of Japan at the time was visiting Kyoto when the fall happens and one of the Emperor guards managed to stay ahead of the destruction by killing monster and gaining level.

Thus he become the Imperial Family protector at Kyoto and named himself as Hirate. He also visited Kai and declares himself as Temporary Shogun under the rule of the Emperor.

As the Temporary Shogun he began putting his plan in motions and guarding Kyoto with his retainers and act as the protector of the Imperial Family.

In China, however, the people struggles to survive and there is death in the millions every day, it was almost like whatever this monster is doing, is thinning the herd before the large black dragon stop when the light fell and hibernate.

The Communist party didn’t even got a chance to mobilize any army before all key positions of the military was burn by the black fire that melts everything and anything.

When the light came, the resistance crumbled.

And warlords appeared Yue Xing, Feng Jing, Wang Jian, many warlords appears and all create their own sphere of influence with power they have as levelers.

They promised peace. They promised stability. And the ultimate prize? The throne of China.

And all these warlords strengthen their sphere of influence, killing monster, leveling themselves up, strengthening themselves as the clouds of war is gathering.

A world of a new warfare is about to begin in China.

In France some of the political leader survives the fall and command their own militia to try recreating back the nation and sending signal for survivors to come to Paris.

The Front National, a political party which discriminates against migrants and the Socialist party who is very powerful because of the trade union before the Fall and the anarchist which is led by Pierre were all that survives from the fall.

They are reforming back their party and with the army they are diligently resisting the beast attack.

Pierre, the leader of the anarchist, he himself is a very powerful leveler and almost reached level 30.

There is also the mafia who occupied other part of Paris and is recruiting people as they create their own army marching to Paris with nothing good in their hearts.

In Turkey a man named Usman commands a 1000 armed man is making a new nation in what used to be Istanbul, while at the same time killing monster, using a scimitar.

And with the old government looking at Usman as the protector of the New Turkey, he got all the help he need because he was approved by the former President of Turkey.

And all around the world, heroes and villains rise.

***