Shiro Zheng

To describe Shiro in a few words would not do him justice. He was a kitsune, and upon his arrival to Agartha, was known as the Imperial Counselor of the Illuminated, placing him second in charge of the religious sect. His years outside of Agartha were spent entirely on his studies and religious practice, scarcely ever leaving the libraries in Sheng. Selected to be the primary candidate to stand alongside Chancellor Yan Qiuhui in the new world, he was shipped off without much fanfare nor question. To serve the Illuminated, after all, was his major goal. 
 
The first few years in Agartha, Zheng was much of the same person he was when he left. Quiet, often dressing in dark colors to let the General stand out, and willing to serve without question. He strived to be a man that would bring honor and greatness upon the other kitsunes of the colony, and the entirety of Ardent Cliff as a whole. Despite his best efforts to remain unnoticed and quiet, the crystalline angelic wing upon his back, as well as the bright yellow glow from his achievements atop Mount Kunlun, often made him stand out. While General Fan Zhengfu was a person who refused to back down, offering very little time with her people, Shiro Zheng did his best to ensure his relation with the residents of the colony were his top priority.
Despite the very obvious amount of power that he held, Shiro himself would take very few lives when it came to combat. His spars would often lead him to reveal that his one wing would split into two massive, bright yellow wings that made him seem more like an angel than a kitsune, and the massively bright white-yellow flames that he commanded made it clear that he was an agent of Jiuweihu. When his holy flames and cosmic magics were combined, alongside his massive wings which carried him at speeds most could only dream of, one could easily view him as the Avatar of the Sun, a true prophet to the Goddess of the Sun. He commanded a catacylsm at his fingertips, an apocalypse of flame and power, and yet always he strived for what he believed was the best thing for everyone.
However, when General Zhengfu ordered Shiro to fight the Atl Seer Rasha'ka, he did so without question. Knowing the end result, if he won, would be the Dryad's death, he pushed forwards with hesitation. Their fight was grand, and though the Seer fought with great strength, at the end of everything, the victor was clear. General Zhengfu took Rasha'ka's life, yet Shiro took the entirety of the fault for it, going as far as to tell the Atl couriers "Send whoever you will to speak with me, and I will speak with them. If they wish to speak with blades, then I will meet their challenge as well. This was a dishonorable act, and I will atone for it in one way or another."
When Kalthas, the fairy prince of Valmasia, marched his armies in an impromptu raid on Gao Deryu, Shiro and Fan Zhengfu were amongst the two leading the counter attack. After the battle began, Shiro found himself against Kalthas himself. Despite the fairy obviously having a great grasp of Occultic magic, he would be utterly obliterated by the sheer strength that the kitsune had hidden within. The very area around their battlefield would be decimated with unholy lightning and bright holy flames, and when everything was said and done, Shiro had won- Despite the fact that Kalthas managed to escape.
This victory was hollow, however, and once the smoke had cleared off the battlefield, the report came that General Zhengfu had died against the Redeemer Tesha Otho. Swearing vengeance against Tesha, the Oscuri, and all of Valmasia, Shiro would take the leadership role over Ardent Cliff and the Jianghu Colonies, declaring himself Lord Regent and appointing Fu'kesi Ma to become the new General of the Fourfold- A decision which is often seen as questionable despite the obvious results.
Shiro waged war against Valmasia and Avalon, allying himself with the Gehennans in order to ensure his victory. Despite the sheer amount of sacrifices that he had to make, despite quite a few questionable acts, he saw their alliance with the Gehennans as an absolute necessity. His friendship with Faustus and Nellihuitl Izel proved that, even when it came to foreigners, Shiro was open to any and all who could prove themselves as decent people.
The Prophet's war seemed to be going very well. Sending a small excursion into Gehennan lands, Jianghu and Gehenna managed to push outwards and take the Fortress of Galeford while losing Commander Fu'kesi Ma in the process. Despite the pleas of his armies and commanders to slow down, or stop the war due to fatigue, there was only one thing on Shiro's mind. The Valmasians had taken many of his best friends, and he saw them entirely as a blight on humanity. He would push them regardless.
During the Siege of the Necropolis, Shiro took command of his armies and pushed them forwards. The Redeemer Teshim Otho would be his opponent, and as they clashed, it would be nigh impossible to tell who would come out on top. Back and forth they traded blows, Occultic magic slamming into Holy fires. Both of them were not fighting for prisoners, were not fighting for glory, but they were fighting for their honor. The fires that swarmed Shiro and the sheer Occultic masses that flocked around Tesha blocked out the fight entirely, but at the very end of everything, with a massive explosion into the ground, Tesha would come out victorious.
The attack on the Necropolis would be pulled back, and despite the death of Shiro, the Valmasians would soon surrender. Shiro had won his war, had beaten back the Valmasians to a corner, forced them into a position where they would kneel to the strength of Jianghu- But at what cost?Category:Characters