Chapter VI: Heart of the Legion

Chapter VI: Heart of the Legion is the sixth chapter of Shadow Fight 3. Following the events in Chapter V, the party found Moira, the twin sister of the Legion Queen that was thought to be dead. It was Shadow who saved her life, and by her guidance, the party sails to the northern homeland of Moira and Marcus, where the Legion Fortress stands. The fate of Shadow Mind will be decided here.

List of Main Quests
Chapter VI consists of 15 main quests, of which 3 are boss fights.

Story
The party reached the north. After they bid their farewell to Okada and Phang, the party proceeds to the Legion Fortress with Marcus' guidance.

The player is revealed to have fallen ill after fighting Angel, as some kind of residual effect. The player is experiencing a nightmare, where they meet with Shadow Mind, face to face. It tells them that this means their fusion has begun. It is normal to feel confused and dizzy, just like May back then.

The Fortress Secrets
The party reached the Fortress, in front of the big wall that covering it. Marcus tries to reasons with a guard, but he refuses to listen. The guard attacks them, causing Iolanda, the Legion queen, to go outside to check the noises. Upon seeing Moira, she recognizes her pendant and questions the child where did she got it. Moira recognizes the queen as her twin sister and tells her who is she, as well as why they're here; looking for Shadow. As soon as Moira introduces June as the Dynasty princess, Iolanda invites her and June into the castle, while the rest will be taken to guest rooms. Except the prison is what she calls guest rooms. Marcus requests Iolanda to inform one of the Elders about his presence. However, all of them had died, except for one person, who is currently imprisoned with them and too old to be sane.

Once she leaves, Itu is confused, as he tought the Legion is ruled by the Elders and the queen only acted as decoration for parade. A prison guard suddenly joins their conversation, saying this woman they called queen is a witch and she will not stop until the Legion is doomed. Marcus is triggered when he hears the guard defame the queen like that, telling him he will be court-martialled immediately during his times. The prison guard replies by saying his times are long gone. He knows who Marcus is, as well as the player, greets them as it's been a long time.

Old Faces
The prison guard introduces himself to Marcus. He is Sarge, who was a sergeant of Shadow Squad, and the player used to serve under his command. However, everything went sideways, and Sarge was busted and captured. He will set them free, as he needs help supressing a riot that's going to be started by Dynastian prisoners. Marcus askes Sarge if he saw this coming and whether he reported this, in which he answers this wasn't a big secret, some mens who were not bribed by Dynasts are defending the queen in the throne room tower now. The riot is led by a wannabe known as Xander, and they're going to join Deng Rao's army on approach.

They then confronts Xander, which is none other than Xiang Tzu, Kibo's underdog who was lost and humiliated by the player at Hundred Schools Tournament. He gloats as the Champion of the North, five-time winner of the Legion prison fights, Xander the Immortal. Xiang Tzu fights the player for the third time, using three different weapons at once and strengthening himself with the power of anger. And for the third time as well he lose and humiliated again. Xiang Tzu once again declares he have mastered all known fight styles and this minor loss will not stop him, only to be brushed off by Itu, as they have more pressing matters now. Sarge then shows them the way out, having no idea how Marcus stays young after all these years, but he believes regardless that it's him and the Legion can be saved.

Deng Rao's Invasion
Marcus says that Iolanda had to be crowned after his Sphere campaign. He asks about the Elders, and Sarge informs that Iolanda silenced everyone who was against Shadow squad dispatch, failed many times but she kept on trying. Itu heads to the throne room to check on June and Moira, while the player along with Marcus and Sarge deal with the Dynasts. They rushes to the big wall to protect it from the grenadier. After stopping them, Sarge answers Marcus' question on why Iolanda need Shadow squad. Iolanda went crazy after shadow beasts invaded the land, she thought Moira died from Scourge, and she is very afraid of the beasts. Shadow squads was supposed to protect them from the beast, but none of them withstood the shadow energy temptations.

Deng Rao finally shows his face. Sarge wonders if this second confrontation is because of valor or pride, in which Marcus confirms that it's personal; Deng Rao dreams of tumbling the Emperor from his throne. Deng Rao once again is defeated by the player, stopping his invasion. Sarge then captures him and throws him to the prison.

Confronting the Queen
They are then approached by Itu, who informs them that both girls are alive, they're in the throne room surrounded by some Heralds. Marcus had experienced too many weird things lately that he is not so surprised anymore. Using the secret passage Marcus told them, they made it to the throne room, surprising Iolanda. Marcus questions the queen why she betrayed Legion percepts and who are these Heralds. They are Bolo's watchers, Iolanda's personal guards, and she gets angry at Marcus' judgement, as the Elders only cared about the Sphere. She accuses Marcus for left for glory while his homeland is vulnerable, while only Bolo helped them. She orders the watchers to kill them, but they failed after the player defeats them. Iolanda decides to get rid of them herself, revealing her mechanical body, an upgrade given by Bolo to supress the Scourge's influence. Moira pleas to her sister to stop this as the party are not their enemy, and tell them about Shadow and sign a peace treaty with June. Sarge agrees, as the party helped them drive away Dynasty army. Alas, she ignores everyone and starts the fight. Iolanda's mechanical body allows her to detach her body parts to extends her reach. Her body is also equipped with devices that acts as life supports that can regenerates her health. After she loses to the player, Itu tells her she'd be a shadow beast already if she is really infected with Scourge; Bolo deceived Iolanda. Itu then repeats Moira's wish: they're searching for Shadow, who can destroy Shadow Mind, which can control shadow beasts. Iolanda gives them her answer: Shadow disappeared long ago. She suggests to check the crypt, where May, Shadow's beloved one, is buried. She reveals that May was killed when the shadow beasts invaded their land. Shadow once visited the crypt, and he never came back.

Iolanda lead the party to the crypt, but no one but Bolo’s cryptkeepers can enter there due to an anomaly that turns the weak willed into aggressive husks, including these keepers. Shadow Mind returned, insisted that only the player, due to being Shadow's descendant, that can withstand the effect and the player must come alone. After the player passed these keepers, Shadow Mind tells them that the crypt is May's grave. It then tells the player its story, about what happened in the past between it, Shadow, and May.

The Mind's Eye
May brought Shadow Mind from the destroyed Gates to the human world, without her knowing. Upon realizing this, Shadow attacked. Shadow Mind summoned shadow beasts to protect May. Shadow killed them all, but Shadow Mind. All, including May, with his own hands. Holding May's lifeless body with the very same arms, Shadow vowed to kill Shadow Mind. But he could only imprison it in the Sphere. Several years had passed, and no matter how and what Shadow tried, every attempts to vanquish Shadow Mind were failed. It can't be helped, Shadow was a warrior, not a scientist. Shadow began slaying its shadow beasts minions, making him earned the locals' respect, and he was worshiped as a hero. In turn, they inherited his hatred towards Shadow Mind, and so the Legion was born.

Taking along the strongest Legionaries, Shadow started his search for a legendary shadow sword, which was belonged to a prince of a neighboring land. The prince didn't complying with them, and beat the Legionaries in a fight. Shadow witnessed the fight and figured that this skillful nation might figure out how to kill Shadow Mind. Shadow demanded the prince's father to help him studying the Sphere. The Sphere Temple was built, and the prince become the Sphere Keeper, the First Arrow, and the next Emperor.

Shadow Mind was suffered from being imprisoned. As a result, it tempted many people for its freedom. All of them were weak, as weak as the player's friends according to it. What Shadow Mind wanted was an extraordinary soul that could contain it like an equal and withstand its power. Its choice were Galen, the Second Arrow and a bodyguard of Emperor, and Bolo, the Third Arrow and a shadow weapon maker. Shadow Mind chose Galen, but it was another failure. A thief stole the Sphere and Galen tried to capture the thief. Shadow Mind saw this as an opportunity and gave Galen a power that allowed him to defeat the thief with ease. Galen was shocked by the shadow power. Shadow Mind promised him with more power if he break the Sphere, but Galen refused. Galen then informed Emperor that Shadow was wrong. It wouldn't be wise to kill Shadow Mind, as he insisted that Shadow Mind's power might serve the people, and the Arrows should keep it safe at any cost. Its last hope was Bolo, the Third Arrow.

Bolo knew well he is not qualified for Shadow Mind, as it would take him over. But he wanted its power and knowledge. Shadow was the only soul capable of fusing with Shadow Mind. Knowing this, Bolo stalked Shadow, hoping to find his source of power. Shadow used to visit the crypt to mourn May, from time to time. When Bolo came here, he found May's grave juicing with shadow energy. Bolo then spotted a weird-looking man that was trying to flee. The man wore some suits that seems to be not of this world, a seemingly advanced technology that was so alien. Bolo tried to interrogate the man, but the man put up a fight. After defeated, the man confessed that he come from the future, through May's grave. The shadow-soaked grave turned out to be a portal through time.

Shadow lost interest in destroying Shadow Mind when he learned about this, he went through the portal to the future, to find a way to resurrect May. Alas, Shadow found something more than that. Shadow Mind ends its story by revealing Shadow's hazardous intention: he is on to the world destruction, wanting to alter reality, where May could be alive and well.

Conclusion
Shadow killed May, but he and his stubbornness refused to admit such deed, blaming Shadow Mind instead. Ironically, if Shadow was to admit his fault and accept Shadow Mind, he'll become god-like, to the point where resurrecting May by himself is not impossible. Everybody and their loved ones will cease to exist because of Shadow's selfishness. Shadow Mind knows how to stop Shadow and he will help the player chasing Shadow through time. The portal, however, will destroy them if they do not fuse with Shadow Mind. It then tells the player to defeat it in a fight in order to prove their worthiness, and the fight begin.

Being the shadow energy in its truest form, Shadow Mind displays amazing shadow feats throughout the fight. It is capable of using various shadow abilities and commands shadow energy to assault the player mercilessly. Shadow Mind is also invulnerable to physical attacks, as the only thing that can hurt it is shadow form. After a long and exhausting fight, the player finally takes down Shadow Mind. It then disintegrates into shadow energy and proceeds to merge with the player.

Shadow Mind commends the player, saying that they have transcended Shadow. It then commands the player to enter the portal, as they're safe with Shadow Mind. The player, together with Shadow Mind, goes through the portal into the future, to stop the once great, invincible warrior.

This marks the beginning of Chapter VII.

Trivia
Shadow then tried to reopen the Gates, in which he succeeded. Entering the Gates, which was a portal to another world, Shadow befriended some of the world inhabitants, fought many strange creatures, trained by an Ancient being, challenged a very powerful warrior, and also confronted his evil counterparts, all that was to save May. After rescued May, who was brainwashed and made to fight Shadow with a power boost from shadow energy, May escaped through the Gates to return to the human world. While Shadow settled everything with the intergalactic conqueror that orchestrated the whole things. After Shadow won against the conqueror, Shadow returned to the human world and left the destroyed Gates together with May.
 * May was one of Shadow's allies that helped him stopping the demons and closing the Gates of Shadows. She was a blacksmith that ensured Shadow's equipment to be always in optimal condition. When the Gates were being closed, May was sucked into the Gates by an unknown force.