The Dawn of the New World

As they flew through the air Hao Xuan caught a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye. The shadowy figures from his memories once again became visible at the very edge of his vision but when he tried to look at them directly they would melt into the darkness.

He could tell they were always there but seeing them directly was not as easy now.

'Maybe with time they will completely fade away. I hope they do...' he thought to himself because despite their many uses the price was too high.

Absorbing all the shadows would mean he would integrate their memories and life experiences with his own, which would change him from the inside out.

Even while lost in thought he managed to land precisely where he needed to be, in front of the building that previously housed the protection array for the city.

"We're here...you can let go now..." he tapped on Claudia's back thinking she was scared of heights and had lost herself for a moment.

"Yes...thank you, master," she flashed a quick smile but noticed a moment later that Hao Xuan was focused on something entirely different.

[Stand tall brothers! We shall not meet the Emperor empty-handed!]

[TO ARMS!]

[TO ARMS!]

A roaring tide of battle cries landed in his ears and for an instant, he was transported to another place. A blazing heat impacted against Hao Xuan's face as his gaze rested upon a city that went on for as long as he could see.

But most of it was on fire while explosions were bombarding the rest. Peering down into the streets he could see two waves clashing against one another.

One was an army of humanoids clad in grey armor while the other side was clad in blazing red armor made from flesh and bones. It warped around demonic figures that tore through their lines with little effort.

And yet, it only spurred on the grey warriors even more as they ran into hellfire with open arms trying to drown the enemy in their own blood.

Hao Xuan blinked and found himself back in Argham with Claudia's face just an inch away from his own. He stepped back, instinctively putting up his arm in between them.

"What are you doing?!"

"Master...you were in commune...?" she asked doubtfully.

Noticing her questioning gaze he lowered his guard and inquired further hoping that she might have an idea as to what he had been experiencing all this time because he had been seeing these things ever since he came to this planet.

"What do you mean in commune?"

"A long time ago I saw a shaman while he was trying to pray to the spirits of our ancestors. His eyes were similar to yours. But-" she stepped forward staring right into his eyes for answers, "-Who could one such as you be praying to?"

*Snap*

A crisp flick landed on Claudia's forehead making her wince from the pain.

"Ow!"

"Too close. You need to learn about boundaries. A lady must always keep her distance from unknown men," Hao Xuan threw out the words before walking into the building, leaving Claudia rubbing her forehead in anguish.

It felt like someone had punched her in the head but that pain simply melted away when she thought about Hao Xuan's words.

"He...was worried about me!" she skipped after him joyfully like a kid in a toy store.

She had never felt this way before. Just standing in his shadow made Claudia feel like she could take on the whole world. It filled her with the kind of warmth she had not known since the days of her childhood.

His scent was intoxicating, his presence provided her safety from all the bad things in the world, and a single touch was enough to leave her satisfied from the bottom of her heart.

There was no way to explain it but she just wanted to be as close to him as possible.

She did not even mind that he was heading right into a demon's lair. Her feet moved on their own and when she saw his silhouette her heart beamed with joy.

"Master~!" she called out lovingly but paused upon sensing the other auras in front of him.

The grimoire immediately appeared in the palm of her hand as she stood behind Hao Xuan staring daggers at Eurig's kneeling figure.

"We have finished our preparation, my lord. On your word I will take you the Savior."

"The savior, huh?" Hao Xuan glanced back at Claudia who shook her head vigorously.

"That will have to wait. First I need you to treat that poison. The man you inflicted it upon still has a use for me and I can't have him out of the fight just yet."

Since Eurig was already under the impression that Hao Xuan was automatically on his side, he decided to play along and have Eurig work for him for as long as possible.