" I wonder where Kojo is" Sharone wondered out loud. It had been hours since they last saw him. Sharone had gone to his room to wake him up but had found no one in the room though the window was open.
" He's probably out hunting or something." Koniko said." You know how he's been busy these past few months trying to change Ekron into a more stable city. He probably wants some time off."
"Koniko's right. He is impulsive but he wouldn't just up and leave now would he?" Lin added.
There was silence.
" Anyway,let's begin the meeting." Adriana said. The girls sat at a round table in the middle of a space engulfed with mist. This was Sharone's Isolated Space. They were not alone. They were joined by the leaders of the various races that had been introduced. There was a crystal ball that projected the images of Sol,Vanessa and Maxwell.
During the time Kojo had been stabilizing the economy of Opal,Sharone and the others worked in the shadows. They managed to convince other players about their motives and bring them over to their side. Sol was already their informant so it was no problem integrating his network into their mist. They had sent a few spies to join Sols watchdogs under the pretense of trade and other excuses. The new additions to their group were already well versed in the art of espionage but with the use of the Isolated Space where time could be slowed down a bit, Sharone and the others trained them until they became a unified front.Now they had a organization which though not as strong as the Dark Apostles but enough to get the job done. Aside themselves,the Duke ,Jack and Glenn no one else knew of their existence. Not even Kojo.
They named themselves after something Kojo had said.
" Moon Shadow sounds really cool" Kojo said one day as he and Sharone walked through the streets of Ekron. The roads were being paved and things were starting to take shape.
" Moon shadow?" Sharon asked.
" Yeah,like a Shinobi"
" What's a Shinobi?"
" Well they're kinda like assassins who roam the night." Kojo answered.
" So who do you want to kill?" Sharone asked in a serious manner.
" Hey,hey I don't wanna kill anyone. Just thought it'd be really cool." He said looking up at the clouds.
" Anyway,I hear a new shop has opened down the street. Let's go check it out" h said as he grabbed her hand and ran toward that direction.
Sharone smiled as she remembered that scene. Kojo had unknowingly acknowledged the need for a black ops unit to handle things behind the scenes and in accordance with his wish they'd decided to call themselves Tsukikage; children of the moon shadow.
" So what are we going to do about that merchant who showed up a while back?" Lin asked.
They were referring to the merchant who had showed up around the same time they had begun to renovate the city.
" To the best of my knowledge He's the founder of the Golden group,a well renowned trading firm." Sasha added.
" It's true it is quite strange that he'd show up at that time."
" From what we were able to gather he deals in exotic material that he gets from other continents like Heliopolis. He's even managed to get a few wooden crafts from the Savage lands as well as rare relics from Saifelle and Sierodragann. We had some of our experts check out his goods. There are authentic." Rose said. She was thier secretary complaining the information and checking to make sure it was relevant.
" He's also a shrewd cunning man who's also made money by issuing loans and demanding them back with high interest. Anything else about his company is still under investigation."
" That's a whole lot of security for a merchant. Suspiciously so." Sol said.
" Looking at him one would assume that he was just being cautious. However the timing is too good." Eduar said.
" Being the shrewd man. That he is it would be very disadvantageous to settle at a place with its economy on ground level yet he did it anyway." Ovid said.
" Maybe he saw Ekron s potential?' Kalori said.
" It is a possibility,but even then he'd need to be cautious but he he just unloaded and began walking around like he owns the place." Heinz added.
" It is very suspicious especially now that ther have been reports of missing persons rumors of an uprising from Decorum." Adriana said.
" These events are too close to each other to be mere coincidences. And they're not happening only in Archadia but all over the continent and possibly beyond."
"That aside did anyone feel a huge surge of Arcana yesterday." Sasha said.
" It was like a huge rift had been carved into space and it's essence was being pulled out."
" As a fellow spatial magic user I also felt it all the way here in the Capitol." Vanessa said.
All of them felt it in other ways,either as a lingering feeling that something was going on or a tingling sensation in their spines.
" What could this mean?" Gwen asked.
" Is it also connected with the aforementioned events or is it something else entirely."
There was a moment of silence.
" Well in any case we'll need to keep an eye open for anything that may occur." Vanessa said.
Sharone leaned on her chair and looked up.
Things were getting extremely complicated.
Kojo and Nefaria clashed with Dona Crymson, their attacks relentless. Their movements only being seen as two lights darting around a central figure within the dome.
Through his enhanced cognitive ability by he'd learner so much.
There were three categories of gifts granted by magic.
Magic Skills were the normal skills anybody could do.
Special Abilities were either acquired or evolved skills that were unique to the individual. Then there were Supreme Enchantments.
He'd learned that depending on the skill of the wielder a Special Skill user could challenge a Supreme Enchantment. The outcome however was decided by mastery though most often the Supreme Enchantment came out on top.
In this situation Nefaria was only using her special ability in the fight.
Nefaria, the Progenitor demon of Pride, unleashed he Special Ability
Ego.
Kojos Scan ability was now improved to the point he could now see and appraise the specifications of all Skills and specila abilities as well as the supreme enchantment of beings on a lower level than him.
Scan.
( Special Ability:-Ego.
Sub-Abilities:
Ego Refraction (reality manipulation):manipulates reality by warping the fabric of space-time. It creates localized gravitational waves, distorting the environment and affecting the perception of those around her.
*Effects:*
Reality Distortion: Space-time bends, creating small singularities or pockets of altered gravity.
Gravitational Waves: Nearby objects, including allies and enemies, are affected by unpredictable gravitational forces.
Perception Alteration: Enemies' perception of reality becomes unstable, causing disorientation and confusion.
ura Expansion: Nefaria's presence grows, making her appear larger and more intimidating.
Ego Mirage (physical illusions):Can creates elaborate, realistic illusions with physical form, deceiving senses and blurring reality.
Effects:
Physical Manifestation: Illusions take on tangible form, interacting with environment and opponents.
Sensory Deception: Illusions mimic sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and textures.
Reality Distortion: Opponents question what's real and what's illusion.
Ego Analysis (weakness detection): enables one to see all weaknesses associated with an abilities,skill and techniques and automatically adjust ones power accordingly ti take advantage it those weaknesses as well as formulate the ooan with the highest rate of success
Acquired Skill due to Fealty
Poison King)
Kojo's eyes widened. All Nefaria had was the Special Ability: Ego yet she was a powerhouse. That and the fact she was an elder demon with years of experience made her the ultimate opponent. However.....
He looked up at Dona who had barely been moved by their attacks.
Using Caliburn, he made a swing that bent reality and warped physics as an arc of multicolored energy moved toward Dona at an impossible speed
Nefaria appeared on the other side and expanded her aura to create a localized gravity wave which she fired in the form of a serpentine construct. There was an explosion as the two attacks converged on Dona. The smoke cleared and she floated there,a look of amusement on her face.
"Tanking your attacks is boring," she said, with a yawn.
"You think you can withstand our combined might?" Nefaria sneered.
" Hey shut it. Don't make this worse." Kojo scolded her.
Dona stretched and leaned toward them.
"Now it's my turn." Dona said , licking her lips.
Something flew past Kojo with so much force that the jet stream knocked him away.
Before Kojo could balance himself,Dona appeared above him,fist raised.
" Fuck" was all Kojo could say as he was knocked into the forest floor.