Summer's almost here.
I swing my wooden sword on a day in late spring. I'm in the middle of my
practical elective. Now that I'm free from Alexia's clutches, I've transferred
to be with Skel and Po. And because a bunch of students dropped out of the
Royal Bushin elective after the Instructor Zenon scandal, all of us in section
nine have been bumped up to section seven.
"Whatever happened with you and Princess Alexia?" Skel asks as he
practices beside me.
"We haven't talked since the breakup."
Also, she tried to kill me.
"That's a shame. And you never even kissed?" prompts Po.
"No, never."
We're having a dumb conversation as we wave our swords around as
usual. This is what life in section seven is all about. Even though it's a huge
waste of time, this is the path I must take to maintain my status as a minor
character.
"The Bushin Festival's coming up. Did you guys sign up for the
qualifying round?"
"Of course! If I do well enough in the tournament, I can easily go home
with two or three lovely ladies," boasts Skel. He's a virgin, by the way.
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"Oh-ho-ho, with three, I'd have my hands full," comments Po, another big
virgin.
"Cid, you didn't sign up for the qualifying round, right?"
The Bushin Festival is a massive, semiannual tournament. Besides the
local fighters, famed knights from around the world come to participate.
There's a special bracket for students, and there are going to be preliminaries
for our tournament. But an ordinary side character would never stand on a
stage in front of everyone. Not in a million years.
"I'm not go—…"
"But don't worry! I went and signed you up! Show me your gratitu—…
Guhh!!"
Skel suddenly clutches his stomach and crumples to the ground.
"H— Skel!! What's happened to you?" Po cries.
It's a frighteningly fast hit. I'm the only one who can see it.
"Hey. Hey, Skel. You should have seen yourself. It was like someone
slammed you in the stomach with a right hook. What's up with you?" I ask as
I loosen my right fist.
"Th-that's a really accurate description, Cid."
"This is bad. He's a goner. Gimme a hand to get him to the nurse's office.
Hey, do you know if we're able to take back tournament applications?"
"Hmm, I'm not sure. Oh, Skel, you're foaming at the mouth."
Our instructor gives us permission to carry Skel to the nurse's office for
his "sudden seizure" that knocked him out.
It's on the way there that I notice something.
"Who's that?" I ask about a solemn-looking group entering the school.
"It looks like…Princess Iris is with them."
Alexia is there, too. Our eyes meet for a moment before she scornfully
turns away.
I still haven't told anyone she went all cuckoo on me and attempted to go
on a wild killing spree. And I don't plan on telling anyone about the incident
on the roof if she keeps her distance. With our peace treaty, she can kill
whomever she pleases. Her swordplay seems to have really improved, and I
think it's great that she's trying to get stronger. Well, as long as she doesn't
try to kill me, that is.
"By the way, I heard Princess Iris is coming to campus to request some
kind of investigation."
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Po doesn't look it, but he's always in the know.
The Midgar Academy for Dark Knights is a massive building that
contains the Midgar Academy of Science. I hear they conduct research and
do science-y stuff. I dunno.
"I see."
Wait, didn't Alexia mention Iris is building a new army?
After Po and I watch the Knight Order enter the building, we drop Skel
off in the nurse's office and just skip class.
There are a few people engaging in a discussion in a large reception room.
"We'd like to ask you, the most distinguished scholar in the kingdom, to
interpret this artifact for us," continues a beauty with scarlet locks, Iris,
holding a large pendant-shaped object.
"But I'm just a student," objects a lovely young girl with hair as pink as a
peach upon taking one look at the artifact in question.
"Everyone in the world knows about your incredible work. You're Sherry
Barnett, the best researcher in your field. No one could do it better than you."
"But…"
"It's a good opportunity for you. You should give it a try," interrupts a
man in his early forties, encouraging Sherry.
"Assistant Principal Lutheran Barnett…"
"You can call me Father, you know," Lutheran nudges gently, chuckling.
In return, Sherry smiles awkwardly.
"Sherry, it's your time to go out into the world of professional research.
Princess Iris's request will bring you closer to the bright future that's waiting
for you."
"But I'm not…"
"Don't I say it all the time? Have confidence. I know you can do this.
You're the only one who can." Lutheran places a hand on Sherry's slender
shoulder.
"Fine, I'll do it…"
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Iris hands Sherry the artifact.
"An ancient alphabet? It's written in a secret code," Sherry observes.
"There is a religious group that calls themselves the Cult of Diablos. This
artifact was in their facility. They seem to be doing research on ancient
civilizations, but we don't know the details. There must be a connection
between the code and the ancient civilizations," explains Iris.
"Well, you certainly came to the right person." Sherry scrutinizes the
object.
"I want a member of the Knight Order to guard it," Iris adds.
"What do you mean by guard…?" asks Lutheran.
"In all truth, the Cult of Diablos—that religious group—is after that
artifact."
"That's unsettling." Lutheran sharpens his gaze.
"We originally obtained this from their facility. Of course, this isn't the
only item we've confiscated. We've been storing other classified documents
and objects in our warehouse, but I'm embarrassed to admit that an
unidentified person burned down our warehouse the other day. This artifact is
all that remains."
"Oh, I've heard about the recent fire. Which reminds me, Princess Iris,
you established the new Knight Order after that."
"Yes, but it's still quite small."
"I believe it's called the Crimson Order, correct? I see you've brought
your Crimson Knights here today."
"I have…"
"Are you that distrustful of the previous Order?"
Iris doesn't reply to Lutheran's razor-sharp question, looking back at him
without changing her expression.
"Hmm. Fine by me. I'll approve up to two guards," concedes Lutheran.
"Two…? Well, I guess that won't be a problem if I'm guarding the
artifact." Iris looks troubled.
"The work of the Knight Order will experience delays if Princess Iris is
off-site."
The speaker is a broad-shouldered knight sitting to Iris's left. He's
muscular with a beard as bushy as a lion's mane. A large scar runs across his
cheek.
"Indeed… Glen, I leave the guarding to you."
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"Understood, Your Highness," he says with a bow.
"Iris, I'll help, too," says Alexia from Iris's right. "If you split up the
guards, fewer knights will be available to respond to the Ebony Incident."
Iris goes silent.
"The Crimson Order has its hands full, and I know who he is. I'm perfect
for this role."
"But, Alexia, you're still…"
"A student. I'm a student, but age is irrelevant if you've got skill. You
said it yourself."
"No, I didn't."
"That's what you've just told Miss Sherry." Alexia grins confidently at
her peeved older sister.
"And you used to be so cute…," mumbles Iris.
"I heard that. Anyway, Iris, I want to know. I want to know why they're
doing this and…if they plan to oppose us."
"But it's going to be dangerous."
"I know."
The sisters silently exchange glances.
"Fine. I formally request that you accept low-risk missions only and to the
degree that it doesn't interfere with your schoolwork."
"Thank you." Alexia smiles and bows.
"I hope all goes well with the artifact," Iris addresses Sherry after letting
out a deep sigh.
That evening, I try to cancel my application for the preliminaries after class.
"Thank you."
I bow and leave the student services office.
"Well, how'd it go?"
Skel and Po approach me outside the office. They were waiting for me.
"They said everyone's been paired up, and it's impossible to withdraw." I
sigh.
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"Hey, look on the bright side. If you do well, you're gonna be swimming
in girls, right?"
"Yeah! They say tough times bring opportunity, if you know what I
mean."
I shake my head. "I don't care if I win or lose. I just don't want to do it."
"Geez, you're hopeless. C'mon, I'm gonna introduce you to this special
shop. Try to lose the long face."
"S-special shop?" stutters Po, taking ragged breaths through his nose.
"Oops, not that kind of special. I meant the Mitsugoshi that everyone's
talking about. I've heard they've got all sorts of new items, and one of 'em is
a snack called chocolate. It's supposedly sweet and hella delicious."
"Treats? I'd love some."
"You doofus! It's not for you." Skel slaps Po atop his head. "We're gonna
give the chocolate to girls. Y'know, women go gaga for you if you give 'em
something sweet!"
"O-oh, I get it. Spoken like a true professional, Skel. You always teach me
so much."
"I know, right?" crows Skel, feeling full of himself.
"Come on, Cid. Let's get going."
"Let's go, Cid."
There's a sparkle in their eyes.
"Fine, I'll go," I agree with a sigh.
I have to admit I'm a bit curious to see what the chocolate of this world is
like.
Skel takes us to the main street in the capital. The bustling evening streets are
overflowing with people, and every store in this super-high-scale area seems
packed to the brim. Mitsugoshi is more crowded than the rest of the shops by
a long shot.
"Wow, it's so friggin' cool."
A brand-new, swanky building stands tall in the sky—trendy to the point
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that it seems almost contemporary. I haven't felt this out of my element since
I walked into a high-end store in my past life.
There's an enormous line snaking out from the entrance. All the people
waiting for their turn seem to be members of noble families or their guests.
One glance is all I need to know these are wealthy, special customers. At the
very end of the line is a woman in uniform holding a sign. The wait time is
approximately eighty minutes.
"It's an eighty-minute wait," I protest.
"I'm sure we'll make it back before our dorm curfew," argues Po.
"We've already gotten this far. Let's go," insists Skel.
"But I've heard there are slashers on the loose. I don't want to stay out too
late…"
"The three of us are friggin' dark knights, you nitwit. We'll slash 'em
right back!" Skel pats the sword on his lower back.
"Y-you're right."
"Did you say slashers?" I ask, interrupting their conversation.
"I've heard there were recent killings in the capital, happening at night.
And they've been carried out by expert fighters who've already taken down
members of the Knight Order…," whispers Po.
"Ooh, creepy. I wouldn't be caught dead walking around at night."
A slashing cutscene? Sounds fun. Sign me up.
"Chop-chop! If we don't get in line, we won't make it in time for curfew,"
presses Skel.
Po and I trudge to the end of the line.
"Hi, m-m-ma'am. Y-you're pretty. G-g-got any hobbies?" Skel attempts
to pick up the employee with the sign as soon as we get there.
But she flashes him a battle-hardened smile and proceeds to ignore him
before staring at me with a cheerful grin for reasons unknown.
"Excuse me, sir. Could I have a moment of your time?"
She's an exquisite woman whose face is calm and refined with darkbrown hair that matches the color of her eyes. Her work uniform is a short
and simple navy-blue dress marked with the Mitsugoshi logo. It reminds me
of the flight attendants I saw in my past life.
"Who? Me?" I ask, pointing to myself.
"Yes. Please participate in our short survey."
A survey? That's a rarity in this world.
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"Sure, I guess…"
"Thank you."
"I-I-I'll take the survey, too!"
"S-so will I!"
Skel and Po make a last-ditch effort to charm her.
"One customer will suffice," she replies, hooking her arm in mine.
Together, we cut the long line and make a beeline into the store. When I
look behind me at the last second, I can see the disappointment in Skel's and
Po's eyes.
I follow the woman into a boutique that seems excessively lavish. The
interior isn't outwardly garish, but I can tell every last detail of decor has
been carefully selected, and it gives off a chill vibe. Even the untrained eye
can tell it's decorated in a modern and tasteful fashion.
She escorts me through the sales floor to a door labeled EMPLOYEES ONLY.
I manage to sneak a few peeks around me, and every product that fills my
vision is incredible.
Of course, I notice the rumored chocolate, but I also see coffee, makeup,
and soap. It's the first time I've seen any of these in this world. Plus, their
clothes, accessories, shoes, and underwear are all designed with class and
novelty in mind. Even I know these items will fly off the shelves in this
world. It's a no-brainer.
This place is unbelievable. It'll take the world by storm. It's only a matter
of time, I'm certain.
We walk through the staff door and down a passage to a humongous
stairway. I swear I've seen it in a certain movie about a luxury cruise ship.
We ascend the stairs and continue walking through a bright and spacious
hallway. At the very end of the hall is a large, sparkling door carved with
exquisite engravings.
Two lovely ladies stand in front of the door. They bow to me and open it
slowly.
What lies beyond is a space that looks like an enormous hall. There are
tall pillars that resemble those in ancient Greek temples and marble floors
that glisten under the light.
A red carpet has been unfurled, extending to the back of the room and
flanked by two rows of attractive women.
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"Huh?"
The moment I set foot in the room, they all kneel simultaneously.
"Um… So how about that survey…?"
An enormous chair has been positioned in the backmost part of the room.
A crimson sunset pours down from the skylight and onto that delicate
masterpiece.
The seat remains empty.
A lovely blue-haired elf stands next to it. She's a refined woman with a
model-esque figure covered by an entrancing black dress. I know that face.
"We've waited a long time for you, my lord." Another woman stoops
down to one knee with the elegance of an actress.
"Gamma…"
She's the third original member after Alpha and Beta. Anyone can tell
she's a genius by taking one look at her clever face and sharp blue eyes.
That's Gamma, the brains of the Shadow Garden.
Gamma is clever, I give her that. But she has one major flaw.
Her nickname is Gamma the Weak.
Even though she's one of the longest-serving members in the Seven
Shadows, Gamma is the weakest by far. To backtrack, the Seven Shadows
refers to the first seven members of the Shadow Garden. I chose that name
because it's badass. Obviously.
When it comes to fighting and physical activities, Gamma's instincts are
fatally poor. If Delta is the most talented fighter in the Seven Shadows,
Gamma is the worst. I personally think the two of them are similar. If I said
that out loud, I bet Gamma would blow her fuse and Delta would tremble
with mirth, but I know for a fact they're the same type of person.
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I learned two things when I was teaching Gamma and Delta how to fight.
One: Intuition is wasted on an idiot.
Two: Intelligence means nothing without intuition.
At that point, I decided to try giving them the same instructions: "Infuse
your slash attack with a bunch of magic." And that's all.
I was suggesting they physically pummel the shit out of their enemy—
which is the brutish method I find absolutely abhorrent. That's right; my core
beliefs crumbled before this duo without pomp or circumstance. If I even
think about that day, I get a headache. Yeah, let's not go there. Forget about
it.
"Nice to see you again, my lord." Gamma gracefully walks toward me
like a model on a runway.
Her hips sway salaciously as I listen to the heart-stopping tap, tap, tap of
her heels against the floor.
"ZOINKS!" She trips and falls over nothing.
"Th-these heels are too darn tall."
And she blames it on her shoes.
Gamma clutches her nose as she rises to her feet. Meanwhile, the women
around her break into a lightning-fast whirlwind to produce shorter pumps.
"W-well, then. Come this way, Master," Gamma continues as if nothing
happened, sauntering forward in totally different shoes.
But I don't really mind. There are only two ways to react when a girl
embarrasses herself: either pretend not to notice or go all out and tease her.
Even though I'm in the former camp myself, there's something I have to say.
"Your nose is bleeding."
The girls around her hastily wipe the blood away.
"R-right this way, my lord."
I glance at Gamma's burning-red cheeks. She hasn't changed a bit.
She escorts me to the giant chair, where I take a seat. The view is…
fantastic.
Mighty fine, indeed.
There's a big and open space where a scarlet glow tumbles in through the
skylight, and two rows of hotties are kneeling beside the red carpet. It's as if
I've become king—the king of the Shadow Realm. Gamma must have spent a
fortune preparing this set for me.
My heart is pumping. I'm moved to the core. I cross my legs, rest my
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cheek in my left hand, and raise the other, focusing my blue-violet magic into
my palm and shooting it into the heavens.
It almost blasts into the ceiling before it dissolves into a myriad of lights
that flood the entire room.
"Receive your reward…"
There is a downpour of light, falling upon the kneeling girls and
temporarily dyeing their skin a bluish violet. It only replenishes energy,
promotes magic circulation, and heals minor wounds… In other words,
nothing much.
"I'll treasure this day forever." Gamma's voice wavers as she kneels at
my side. Her performance is very convincing.
But she isn't the only one trembling. All the lovely ladies on both sides of
the long red carpet are quivering, and some are even weeping. The employee
who brought me here sniffles through her tears. Gamma is the perfect director
for her troupe of actresses.
"You've done well, Gamma. By the way, I have a question about this
company."
Yes, back to business. From the chocolate to the products on the sales
floor to the architectural design of the building—I can't imagine them
coming from this world.
"Ask me anything."
"Is this Mitsugoshi merchandise based off my stories?"
Gamma has always been interested in picking my brain for some reason.
Every time Delta beat the living shit out of her, she would pester me in tears,
begging me to tell her a story. That was when I told Gamma about my
Shadow Wisdom, which included randomly embellished stories about
chocolate and the other goodies in Japan from my past life.
"Yes, my lord. I've only re-created a fraction of the divine knowledge that
you've imparted unto me."
"I s-see."
I only told her she could make chocolate by throwing together bitter beans
and sugar and waiting till it hardens. Calling that knowledge is overkill. And
how did she re-create all this? This must be what it means to have a brain. I
mean, she's eons smarter than me.
But that doesn't bother me. The world has its fair share of geniuses and
idiots. That's all there is to it.
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But I do have one question.
"Do Alpha and the others know about this company?"
"Of course."
Oh, I get it.
They've fallen into their usual shindig of leaving me out. I understand if
it's hard for them to include the only guy here in their clique of girls, but
come on.
"A-and have you been making money?"
"Right now, we have shops in every major city both domestically and
abroad. Our business is expanding at a rapid pace. But how long will we be
able to hide in the shadows under the guise of a company? This is the most
important consideration."
What's with the cheesy, slipshod setup? It's unnecessary. Just get to the
point!
Basically, she's telling me that everyone is raking in dough from my
knowledge. Everyone but me. If they just gave me a teeny-tiny portion of it, I
wouldn't have scrounged for cash or chased down coins like a dang dog.
Whatever, it's fine. The girls have prepared this huge prop for me, so I
can't complain.
But if I could just have a little slice of the pie.
"Um, I hope you don't mind me asking this, but could I borrow a few
zeni?"
I'll pay her back someday…maybe.
"Yes, I'll prepare it right away," Gamma responds quickly.
She gives orders to the woman who brought me here.
A few moments later, a wheelbarrow full of coins rolls into the room, as
tall as a mountain. I've never seen this many sparkling coins in one place.
This is easily over a billion zeni.
"Th-this is a bit…"
I can't borrow all this. I could never pay them back.
"—gh! Is this not enough? I'll send for more right aw—…"
"No, it's fine." I stop Gamma midsentence and reach toward the coins,
making a big show of thrusting my hand into the mountain.
The coins loudly clink together.
Now I've got their attention locked on my right hand. I concentrate with
all my might.
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"Hmph!"
I take about fifteen coins in my right hand and show it to everyone in the
room, before slowly putting it into my right pocket. I've just gotten one and a
half million zeni richer.
And I have another one and a half million zeni in my left pocket, too.
While focusing their attention on my right hand, I snatched some coins in
my left at top speed, stuffing them into my pocket before anyone could
notice. Alpha or Delta might have picked up on it, but Gamma never stood a
chance.
"I-is that it? You can have all—…"
Watching her is hilarious to me. She thinks I'm only borrowing one and a
half million zeni, but I actually pocketed three million!
"That's enough for now," I say, holding back laughter.
"All right. Take this back." Gamma claps, and the gaggle of women roll
the wheelbarrow away.
Gamma kneels before me. "My lord, I think I know why you've come
today. It must be about the incident."
"Yes."
I nod. What incident?
"My sincerest apologies. We're currently investigating the matter but
haven't caught the culprit. Please be patient. I'll hunt down the slasher in the
capital—the fools in ebony, pretending to be in the Shadow Garden."
"Hmm…"
This is the first I'm hearing about this.
"Hmm…"
Gamma gazes at Shadow as he trails off and begins contemplating.
Somewhere in her blue eyes, there's a hint of unease.
A tear streams down from the corner of her eye without warning. Seeing
those blue-violent rays reminds her of her past.
Gamma's life began with a light of the same hue.
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If he'd never come, she would have died a rotting mound of flesh. She
was abandoned by her family, chased out of her home country, stripped of
everything in her possession. She fell into an abyss of pain and fear and
disappointment—and the one who rescued her was the boy who produced the
blue-violet light. She would likely never forget that glow for her entire life.
To Gamma, it represents the light of survival.
Alpha once told Gamma there was life in it, and Gamma agreed, not for
logical but for instinctual reasons.
It didn't just heal external wounds—but a much deeper part of the soul.
When she touched the bluish light, it was as if she was released from her
shackles, liberated from something holding her back. She finally felt like she
had reclaimed her identity.
On that day, she was reborn. The moment she received the name Gamma,
she vowed to devote her new life only to him.
While her intentions were sincere, she was the least powerful member of
the Seven Shadows. She was defeated and surpassed by newer members, left
crawling on the ground and deeply humiliated. Somewhere along the way,
Gamma realized she couldn't beat her peers. It didn't matter how hard she
trained.
She was in anguish. What was she worth? She would rather die than
display her stupidity and bring everyone down. But he randomly called out to
her the day she planned to end it all. And he imparted his Shadow Wisdom to
her.
That insight showed her how to fight with her intelligence over strength,
and she dived headlong into his ways. And since she thought this was her
only chance at survival, she literally put her life on the line to re-create his
Shadow Wisdom.
When Gamma looks back on it, she's certain he recognized her pain—that
he shared his knowledge because he knew she was hurting and had foretold
the path she would walk in life.
It made her feel forlorn. It saddened her to know he was out of her reach.
Does Shadow need me? Tears well up in her eyes whenever she thinks
about it. But that's why she needs to wipe the tears away and keep fighting.
She'll make the Shadow Garden bigger and stronger, a more suitable
organization for Shadow…and on that day, she believes her wish is certain to
come true.
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"I see. Very interesting." His voice pulls Gamma back to reality. "I think I
know who did this. I'll take a look around."
Gamma's chest tightens when she hears his omniscient tone.
She'd failed to help him once again. He could surmise the correct answer
with a snippet of information. Even if she mobilizes all her subordinates, he
could easily find hints she never could.
But Gamma refuses to give up. One day, he's bound to notice her…so she
has to persist.
"Nu, come forward." Gamma calls over the dark brunette who brought
him here.
"This is Nu. She's number thirteen."
"Wow."
He peers at Nu through narrowed eyes. His gaze seems sharp enough to
see to the depths of her power.
"Even though Nu only just joined us, even Lady Alpha has recognized her
for her strength. Feel free to use her as a liaison, for chores or whatever you
like."
"I'm Nu. It's a pleasure to meet you." Her voice trembles slightly from
nerves.
"I'll call you if something comes up."
"Understood." She bows and steps back.
"I guess I'll be going now." He stands. "Oh, almost forgot. I'd like to buy
some chocolate—the cheapest kind. If you could give me a friends and
family discount, that'd be great."
"We prepare our best chocolate in-house."
"Um…how much will that be?"
"With the friends and family coupon, that'll be one hundred percent off."
"One hundred percent… That makes it free! Yippee, it's my lucky day! In
that case, I'll take three of 'em."
"Thank you for your business."
Gamma smiles when she sees him return to the role of Cid Kagenou the
normie.
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"We're not gonna make curfew!"
"That's 'cause Cid took too long!"
"I said sorry and gave you chocolate."
The three of us sprint down the pitch-black streets of the capital.
I'm definitely one of the two reasons we're late. But Skel's and Po's
constant questions about that lady are the other reason. Nu—was that her
name? Either way, I just batted away their interrogation with a bunch of
maybes.
That said, I never would have pinned Alexia as the type to become a reallife serial killer. If Delta's not the culprit, it's got to be Alexia. I knew it was
her the moment I heard about the recent crimes. She's a princess who has it
all. What could have possibly set her off…?
The woman's heart is an enigma.
You know, I don't look down on mass murderers. That's a way of life.
But sullying the name of the Shadow Garden is a whole different story.
Those unfortunate souls won't be getting away with this.
"Hey, did you hear that?"
"Nope, nothing."
Skel and Po are running ahead of me as they talk between themselves.
It doesn't seem they heard it well, but to me, it was crystal clear.
It was the sound of two blades colliding, which means people are fighting
nearby.
I stop in my tracks.
"Yo, what's wrong?"
"We're gonna miss curfew!"
The duo pause shortly after I do.
I point to a back alley. "I'm gonna go take a shit."
They look like they can't believe I'm for real.
"If I don't go now, it's gonna stream down my legs when I run."
"That's an emergency."
"A question of curfew or pride."
Their faces turn serious.
"You guys go ahead. I don't want anyone to see me…"
"Ew… Gotcha! I won't tell anyone you took a dump outdoors!"
"No matter what anyone says…I think you made the right decision!"
"Oof, I can't hold it in. Hurry… Just leave me behind!"
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"Cid… We'll never forget you!"
"Cid… Even if you poop outside, we'll always be friends!"
"Go! Goooooooooooo!!"
The pair turn on their heels and book it out of there.
After I watch them skitter away, I head down the back alley, following the
sounds of a duel. When I trace it to its source, I'm in the heart of the dark
alley.
Two dark knights are in the midst of a fierce battle.
There's no doubt in my mind that the one in the school uniform and short
skirt is Alexia. But the other is a masked man dressed entirely in black.
Something obviously isn't right. I could understand if Alexia wore jetblack, pretending to be in the Shadow Garden, but not the other way around. I
climb to a rooftop and covertly watch them from above.
"Give it up already. There's no way you can win," says Alexia.
She seems to have the upper hand. The man in black isn't necessarily
weak; he just can't touch Alexia, who greatly improved with her recent
training.
His black coat is torn and tattered, and his blood is dyeing the
cobblestones a dark crimson. One final push will determine the winner.
"Why do you kill the innocent? Is that why you fight?"
"We are the Shadow Garden…"
Just now, the man in jet-black definitely said, "Shadow Garden."
"Is that the only thing you can say? Is that what the man Shadow seeks?"
"We are the Shadow Garden…" The man in jet-black repeats himself.
Without a doubt, this man is the Shadow Garden impostor.
Sorry for doubting you, Alexia. It looks like you're innocent. My sincerest
apologies.
But why is this guy impersonating the Shadow Garden?
That is the obvious next question, and I know the answer all too well. I
can fully understand him, because I am who I am.
The answer is adoration.
This man is enamored by the Shadow Garden…and secret masterminds. I
can't say I blame him. I mean, my whole journey began because I loved
shadowbrokers. I fell in love with the hidden commanders in movies, anime,
and manga and started imitating them.
This impostor walked that same path and found the Shadow Garden. Yes,
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he's the Shadow Garden's first follower in the world.
A warm feeling rises in my chest. I'm just happy to know a total stranger
accepts us and our ways. I'm glad to know I've chosen the right path.
But this is unforgivable. Why? Because I'm a mastermind. If I forgive
those who tarnish my organization's name, then I no longer am one. Right
now, we can both call ourselves shadowbrokers, and I won't stand or settle
for that.
"It's over for you."
When Alexia thwarts his counterattack by knocking the sword out of his
hands, I feel another energy drawing near.
"It's over for you."
Alexia sends his sword flying, which clangs onto the cobblestone road.
"…Hngh!" Alexia tumbles, evading a sudden attack from behind.
She blocks another rapid strike, drives her foot into the assailant's
stomach, and swiftly backs away. Glaring at her new opponents, she steadies
her breath.
There are two more dark knights dressed in jet-black.
Alexia clicks her tongue as she watches the first man lift his sword.
This makes three, and she guesses they're all strong, too.
Against one of them? She could win easy. She has a good chance of
taking two down. But to fight against three opponents is…
"It isn't very nice to pit three of you against a dainty girl."
I pray they humor her with an answer.
"How about three one-on-one battles? Or is that no good?" she suggests.
They're slowly surrounding her from all sides. She's making sure her
back is covered as she inches away.
"Hey, look behind you. The moon is beautiful tonight."
One man nears her back, and she keeps him in check with her eyes. Their
swords dart around with small movements as they attempt to gauge the
other's intentions.
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"Oh my. You're not going to look? I think you should." Alexia smiles.
Her red eyes glisten in the moonlight.
"Because there's a lovely lady behind you."
"—gr…!"
She gets him.
Alexia moves instantly, swinging her bare blade down to slice her
blockheaded opponent who turned back to check it out.
Die. She doesn't say it out loud but sneers at him instead. She rips through
the black cloak, spraying fresh blood.
But the cut isn't deep enough. She just needs one more hit to finish him…
And in that moment, Alexia suffers a blow to the abdomen.
"Augh…!"
A black boot sinks into the side of her body, and she can hear her ribs
snapping under impact. As she spits blood and slashes her weapon, she jams
her sword into the black boot.
But the enemy evades her attack at the last second, and her blade bounces
off the cobblestones.
The men are too far to attack.
Alexia hacks up blood and wipes her mouth. Her hand is stained red.
At this point, she successfully distracted two of them, but there is one left
—the one who kicked her to stop her from killing the other man. Alexia
glares at him spitefully.
Three against one. The numbers haven't changed.
But the situation has gotten worse. Two of them are unharmed, and the
other is severely injured but capable of using his sword. She can't ignore the
last man.
On the other hand, Alexia's lungs are punctured by her broken ribs.
They'll kill me, she thinks. I guess this is it.
Alexia extracts a red pill from a pocket on her school uniform. She
secretly nabbed the drug before the warehouse burned down. She's against
brutish swordplay, but she prefers it to death. Alexia brings it to her lips.
While praying that her impromptu strategy will work, she raises the pill to
her lips.
At that moment, something inky comes down from the sky, landing as
silently as an owl gliding through the night.
The black blade bisects one opponent, from which blood erupts. The
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suffocating stench of gore penetrates the alleyway. With a sharp swing, the
man in ebony, Shadow, splatters the blood off his sword in a red line along
the wall.
"To the fools who mock the name of the Shadow Garden…"
This is Shadow, the strongest being in existence. He's the one who
demonstrates perfect swordplay—and the one she could never forget.
Is Shadow…fighting them?
That's what it looks like.
"Pay for your sins with your lives," Shadow continues.
In the next moment, the men in jet-black are set in motion, making an
instant decision to spring from the cobblestones, bound off the wall, jump
onto the rooftop, and flee.
"How pathetic…" Shadow moves to pursue them.
"Please wait…!"
Her voice stops him in his tracks. He turns back slowly, fixing his eyes on
her.
Her sword trembles violently. She realizes…she is doing something
stupid.
"I am Alexia Midgar, one of two princesses in this kingdom."
Shadow just stares at her. She knows he can take her life if he feels like it.
"State your purpose. What are you fighting for? Who are you fighting
against? And…do you pose a threat to my country?"
Shadow turns his back to her.
"Stay out of it. Ignorance is bliss."
"Wha—…?! Wait, if you're saying you oppose the kingdom…!"
"And what would you do if I did?"
She's taken aback by his bloodlust.
Faced with an insurmountable force, she instinctively cowers. But defying
our instincts is what makes us human.
"I'll fight you. I know you're going to try to kill my big sister, and I can't
let that happen."
Shadow lets his coat billow behind him.
"I understand your swordplay. I may not be able to now, but someday,
I'll…"
"Kill me?" he guesses.
With those parting words, Shadow vanishes into the darkness.
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Alexia murmurs in the dark to herself. "Yeah, that's right…"
Silence returns to the night. Deserted and alone, Alexia clutches her
stomach and huddles into herself. Her sword falls from her quivering hands.
She knows she's done something stupid. But she's recently discovered a
reason to fight: to protect the few things she holds dear—her only sister and
her one friend.
"This isn't good…"
Alexia is about to pass out.
She knows something bad will happen to her if she blacks out in the
alleyway. She tries using the wall to lift herself up.
"Alexia… Alexia!" A voice calls to her in the distance.
"Hey, Iris… Iris! Over here!"
"Alexia…!!"
The footsteps draw closer. Something soft catches Alexia in midair before
her body hits the ground.
"Alexia! What have you done…?!"
"Iris…" Alexia buries her face in her sister's chest.
"Prepare yourself. I'll have you fill me in on all the details later."
"…Okay."
"Including this."
"Huh…?" Alexia sees the scattered red pills on the cobblestone road,
where she dropped them. "Listen, Iris. I don't know anything about them."
"Quiet."
"I don't know. Honest."
"This is unforgivable."
"Oh, my head…" Alexia decides to let herself pass out and leave these
things up in the air.
Two shadows dash through the dark streets of the capital.
As they grow concerned about attacks from behind, the men in black veer
down an alley and skid to a halt. They appear to be in a hurry. They place
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their hands against the wall, trying to steady their ragged breath. For a few
moments, only their harsh inhales echo through the dark alleyway.
Thunk.
A sound from the depths of the alley.
They quickly turn to peer into the darkness. A black silhouette takes form
in the shadows, coming toward them.
Thunk, thunk.
The sound of his boots draws closer.
The men cautiously ready their swords. But then, a black blade is jabbed
into one of their heads, instantly passing through the hapless soul's skull
without warning.
"Agh… Aghh… Aghhh…!"
The ebony katana is withdrawn as the man shrieks in agony, spouting
blood and dropping to the ground.
The remaining impostor starts backing away in fear when the figure
emerges from the shadows and makes his appearance. In a black coat, he
possesses a sword and keeps half his face hidden behind a magician's mask.
"Did I keep you waiting?" His voice is deep, as if resounding from the
depths of the earth.
"Eek…!" yelps the man in black as he steps backward.
"Why are you afraid?" he asks. "Did you really think…you could
escape?"
The man in black turns to flee.
"Wha—?!"
"Great work, Master Shadow."
He turns to find a woman standing there. She's alluring and elegant,
wearing a short dress.
"You secured the culprit in no time at all. I'm in awe," she comments.
"Is that you, Nu?"
"Yes," she replies, continuing the conversation with the assassin
sandwiched between them.
He backs up against a wall.
"Please leave the rest to me. I'll extract information from him."
The man in ebony lowers his sword.
"…Don't mess this up," he warns.
"Understood."
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He turns on his heels and vanishes into the darkness. The lovely woman
bows her head as she watches him depart.
The beauty and the man in jet-black are left in the narrow alley. The latter
is fully armed, but the former is weaponless in a dress and heels.
The man acts quickly. With a series of rapid slashes, he stabs the unarmed
girl to death.
At least…that's what he hoped to do.
With her dress upturned, she rends the night asunder with her white,
sensual legs.
Ka-chank. The man's sword falls to the cobblestone road.
There's a beat before eight of his fingers drop next to it.
"A-aghh…!"
It's hard to tell if he's trying to retrieve his eight fingers or his sword.
With only the thumbs remaining, he extends one of his hands.
But it's crushed by a high heel.
"Gyah…!"
With that, an ebony blade emerges from the toe of her stiletto. The blood
from his fingers flows over the cobblestones.
"I'm not as kind as Master Shadow."
He can hear the bitterness in her voice. The man looks up to find a gaze
cold enough to freeze him to death.
"Don't think I'll let you die in peace."
With the hem of her dress rippling through the air, she slams his chin with
her milky knee.
The next morning, a ghastly corpse is found hanging over the main street
in the capital. There is a message written in blood on its stomach:
THE PATH OF FOOLS
The face of the dead man is warped with agony and fear.
Lying in an immaculate bed, Alexia looks up to see her sister's stern face.
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"I know what happened." Iris is seated next to the bed. "The murders
weren't committed by the Shadow Garden but by impersonators from another
organization."
"Shadow mentioned that," Alexia adds.
"Shadow, huh…? We still don't know what this organization is." Iris
lowers her eyes in contemplation. "During the attacks on the capital, I
identified the existence of a dark knight who may be in the Shadow Garden."
"The one who goes by Alpha."
Iris nods. "Other sources have indicated the Shadow Garden is an
extraordinarily powerful organization. And your report confirms their name
and the existence of a man called Shadow. But that's all we know.
Everything else is a mystery. We don't even know their goal."
"Shadow was fighting the Cult of Diablos. Maybe their purpose has to do
with them."
"Which makes the Cult our clue…" Iris lets out a sigh.
"Iris…?"
"I thought they were a normal religion that believes in Diablos the demon,
but it looks like they're pulling the strings in more operations than we'd
thought."
"Like that fire?"
"There's that. And the budget for the Crimson Order. I can't get the goahead, so I'll be funding it out of pocket for now."
Alexia knits her brows together. "Does that mean the Cult not only
infiltrated the Knight Order but that they're also civil officers?"
"I don't know. They're either members of the Cult or taking bribes…but I
can't say for sure. After all, I was reckless in throwing together the new
Order."
"I'll help you pay for it."
"It's the thought that counts. You know how many members are in the
Crimson Order, right?" Iris smiles bitterly.
"Eight."
"Right, just eight. With my contributions, they could easily survive for
over ten years."
"Then can't we make the Order bigger?"
"It would be senseless to make it bigger now. We don't even know who
we're fighting yet."
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"Iris, um…" Alexia apprehensively looks up at her sister. "Which is the
enemy of the Crimson Order: the Shadow Garden or the Cult of Diablos?"
Iris smiles. "Both. I refuse to allow any mischief in this kingdom."
"Iris… We shouldn't fight Shadow." Alexia clenches the bedsheets.
"Alexia, drop it…"
"Iris, you wouldn't say this if you knew him. I know you saw that attack
that colored the night sky throughout the capital!"
"We've already concluded that was just the artifacts burning."
"But I saw him use his magic!"
Iris huddles close to Alexia and peers into her red eyes. "That sort of
power is impossible for humans to achieve. Spending too much time in
captivity has made your memory foggy. And I bet all those strange drugs
made you hallucinate. I don't think you're lying, but I do think you need
rest."
"Iris!"
Iris places both of her hands on top of Alexia's. "And even if it really did
come from that Shadow, we can't turn a blind eye to him. Who will protect
our country if I flee?"
"Iris…"
Iris strokes Alexia's hair, then rises to her feet. "Get some rest until you're
healed."
"…I'll help you when I get better."
"That won't be necessary."
"Huh?"
"Oh, you're under house arrest. I must've forgotten to tell you."
"You can't be serious!"
"For stealing evidence." Iris shows her the red pills, and Alexia's jaw
drops to the floor.
"Think about what you've done."
The door slams closed behind her.