The day after I return to school, my last class of the afternoon ends a bit
early.
"The candidates for Student Council and our current student president will
now give speeches. Everyone, please return to your seats." The instructor
addresses the students trying to book it out of class.
"Where are the third-year students anyway?"
"Who knows."
I answer Skel's random question with a yawn. He's sitting next to me.
"The third-years are out the whole week for an after-school program…"
Right when Po turns back in his seat to inform us, the door swings open.
Two girls enter as the instructor leaves the room. I know one of their faces.
She was my opponent from the other day: Rose Oriana, the Student Council
president. I've always wondered how a normal school uniform can exude
chicness when someone trendy is wearing it.
"Um, today, our instructor has given us this precious time to tell you
about the Student Council election…," starts a girl in her first year stiffly, as
if she isn't used to public speaking.
Am I the only one who feels like this speech is going in one ear and out
the other?
Skel and I yawn as we space out through the speech. Po seems to be
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taking notes.
Wait, I'm pretty sure I just made eye contact with the student president. I
would be surprised if she remembered the insignificant background character
she squashed in the first round.
"Hey, the student president just looked at me," says Skel, fixing his bangs.
"Yup," I respond.
"Hey, hey. She might scout me for Student Council."
"Yup."
"Hey, hey, hey. Being on the council would bug me. I'd hate it."
"Yup."
This is how we pass the time. Then, out of nowhere, my magic feels off.
"Huh?
"What is this?"
I'm constantly training by manipulating magic particles in my body, but
now it feels like I can't contain them anymore. Something is blocking my
magic flow. I'll probably have to pry it open or make the magic particles
even smaller to permeate the barrier.
As these thoughts run through my mind, I feel something rush toward the
classroom.
"It's here…," I say ominously, just because.
At that moment, I hear an explosion. The door flies off its hinges, and my
classmates fall into a frenzy. Just then, men in black burst into the room with
drawn swords.
"All of you, don't move! We are the Shadow Garden, and we're taking
over this school!" they scream, blocking the entrance.
"Are you serious…?" My groan is muted by the clamor around me.
The students can't move.
Maybe this is some kind of special training or a prank…or it was real.
Most of the students can't grasp that the Academy for Dark Knights is under
attack.
I'm the only one who completely understands what's happening. I'm the
only one who knows they're serious, that they're blocking our magic, and
that the same thing is happening in all the other classrooms.
"Incredible…," I involuntarily utter in awe.
These guys did it. I mean, they're really going for it. They're doing what
all the boys in the world dream about, what fills a page in the fantasies of
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boyhood adolescence.
They're reenacting the scenario where terrorists take over the school!
I'm so moved, I'm shaking.
I can't tell you how many times I've imagined this scene. Hundreds,
thousands…millions of times. I've thought out countless iterations, and right
before me, my dream is coming to life.
"Stay in your seats! Put your hands up!" The men in jet-black swing their
swords to threaten the students, who are slowly piecing together the situation.
They must be high-spec professionals with a cult following. I mean, they
chose to side with terrorists.
But the focus is, of course, on the student protagonists.
What will they do?
How will they act?
The possibilities are endless.
"You seem to have no idea where you are," echoes a gallant voice across
the room. A girl with a sword on her waist has confronted them.
"Take over the Academy for Dark Knights? You must be out of your
mind."
Rose Oriana is standing up to them, completely alone.
"I think we asked you to put down the weapon, missy."
"No." She wields her rapier.
"Hmph. You'll be a good lesson for the others." He readies his katana.
This is bad.
She hasn't realized she can't use magic.
"…What in the—?" With her sword at the ready, her face turns a
perplexed shade of red.
"Seems you've finally caught on." He sneers behind his mask.
At this rate, this is going to be really, really bad.
"But you're too late."
The all-black blade plummets toward Rose. She can't possibly defend
herself with her magic restrained.
I kick a chair over and run.
"—…nr!"
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Stop. Don't do that. I process the situation at a breakneck speed, and the
world around me slows down. I'm both exhausted and furious in this
moment.
"…Aaaah!"
If this continues, she'll be the first person killed by the terrorists.
And that can't happen. I won't let it.
"Aaaaaaaah, AAAAAAH!!"
To be the first victim of these terrorists…is my duty…as an extra!
"Stooooooooopppppppppppppppp!!" I let out a soul-wrenching howl as I
leap between them.
As she watches the bare blade draw closer to her, Rose knows this is the end.
Her fragile body can't tame the magic. Neither can she block nor evade
the attack. She tries to twist her torso to lighten the blow, but even that
movement is frustratingly sluggish.
She won't make it in time.
Her death has come. That's reality.
At that moment, a shout rings out that she can feel in her eardrums.
"Stooooooooopppppppppppppppp!!"
Something shoves her out of the way.
"Aaah…!" She instantly switches to a defensive posture as she crashes to
the floor. When she gets up, her eyes fill with a shocking view.
"What the hell…?"
In front of her…a stricken boy is lying helplessly on the floor. She can
clearly see the pool of blood beneath him growing larger and larger.
He's sustained a fatal wound.
"Nooooooooooooo!!" A scream reverberates through the classroom.
Indifferent to the blood staining her clothes, Rose cradles the boy in her
arms—the one who's recently left a deep impression on her.
"Cid Kagenou…," Rose murmurs. The boy slightly opens his eyes. "You
idiot. Why did you protect me?"
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They only met the other day. They've never even spoken properly to each
other. She can't imagine why he risked his life to save her.
The boy opens his mouth. "Gack, kaff!"
He vomits a stream of blood.
"Cid!"
His hacked-up blood splatters across her porcelain cheeks, and he smiles
at her…before drawing his last breath. He wears the dying expression of a
man who completed his mission.
"Why…?"
A tear cascades down her face. She stops herself from weeping as she
holds him in her arms. When she looks at the dead boy's face, she feels as if
she's figured everything out.
She knows why he was so strangely persistent during the preliminaries.
She knows why his eyes burned when he gazed at her.
And she knows why he laid down his life to protect her.
They are all connected.
Rose isn't dumb. Ever since she was young, she's had suitors chasing
after her for being a beautiful princess. But she's never been pursued with
this much fervor before. No suitor ever loved her enough to sacrifice his life.
"Thank you…"
She can never tell him how she felt, but she vows to avenge him.
"Let this be a valuable lesson for you." The man in jet-black stands before
Rose.
"—…h!" Rose bites down on her lower lip and glares up at him.
"Still thinking of defying us, huh."
"Tch… I'll obey your orders." Rose hangs her head, knowing it isn't yet
the time to get her revenge.
"Hmm. Head to the auditorium!" the men in black order, making their
move.
They get the students to stand, shackle their hands one behind the other,
and lead them out of the room. No one dares to resist.
Two male students at the end of the line turn back toward the classroom.
"Cid…"
"Poor Cid…"
The boys stare at his stiff face, looking as if they have more to say.
"Keep it moving."
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The terrorists force the duo out of the classroom. The sound of footsteps
in the hallway grows distant. It's silent again.
And then, the arm of the alleged corpse begins twitching.
When I confirm the classroom is clear, I pound on my chest.
Beat! Beat, dammit!
I hit myself over and over, forcing myself to suck in air.
Up and at 'em!!
Until…
"Koff, hack, gak!"
It stirs, and my once-stopped heart starts pumping again.
This is another esoteric technique, Ten-Minute Death: Heartbreak Mob.
With this technique, I let tiny magic particles trickle into my brain from
my stopped heart, preserving blood flow and allowing me to stay in cardiac
arrest for a long time without any consequences. It's a risky technique: One
slipup, and I go to the other side. But sometimes, I have to endanger my life
for the art of performance. And that's what happened today. Nothing more,
nothing less.
"Oww…"
I check the gash on my back. I let him cut me because I knew I might be
examined up close. I avoided getting fatally injured, of course, but it was
deep enough to be convincing.
I try using my magic to heal myself. It looks like my magic can get
around the barrier if I process it in teeny-tiny amounts. Alternatively, if I
apply pressure and release magic, I think I'll be able to remove the membrane
by force.
"Good enough for now."
It'll take too long for them to completely heal, and I'll be in a tough spot
if someone catches me in the act. I heal to the point where I have no trouble
moving, and with my trusty "I-somehow-miraculously survived" routine, I
should be good to go.
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"All right," I grunt, rising to my feet.
I make sure I can control my body and magic, wiping the blood off my
face and straightening the wrinkles out of my school uniform.
The white curtains ripple in the midday breeze that flows through the
window. As they billow and fall, the patches of bright sunlight and black
shadows change form.
The fallen chairs and scattered desks. The broken door and bloody
ground. The sight announces the end of a normal life.
I close my eyes and take a deep breath.
"All right. Let's go."
I leave the classroom and start down the empty, silent hallway.
Sherry Barnett is too focused on deciphering the pendant-shaped artifact to
notice the commotion right away.
"This is…"
She picks it up and studies it up close, noticing something and narrowing
her light-pink eyes.
"This…can't be."
Her gaze remains focused on the artifact as her pen begins twirling across
the paper.
She doesn't seem cognizant of the chaos around her. The explosive
sounds, the footsteps in the hallway—all of this is beyond her scope of
awareness.
"What's going on?"
"Someone is attacking the school."
"You can't use magic, so don't be careless."
Even the conversation between the two knights doesn't reach her ears.
"But how…? There's no way…"
She's completely fixated on the artifact. She tends to forget her
surroundings during her research, but it's never been this extreme. There's
something important about that relic that's captured her attention.
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Her quill makes crisp movements across the paper.
Those light-pink eyes come one step closer to uncovering the truth.
At that moment, a man in jet-black comes crashing through the window of
the lab. Flying shards of glass leave small cuts on Sherry's face.
"What the…?!"
"Who goes there?!"
The two knights ready their swords. The stinging sensation in her cheeks
finally makes Sherry aware of the situation.
"Huh? What?"
She grabs the artifact and crawls under her desk to hide. After touching
her cheek, she finds a little blood on her hand.
"We are the Shadow Garden. Or was it the Shadow Guardian? Oh, who
gives a crap. I'm Rex. Rex, the Game of Betrayal." He scoffs behind his
mask. "This thing is such a nuisance."
He flings his mask aside, revealing a flippant man with dull red hair,
laughing with the eyes of a starving, feral dog.
"Eek." The mask lands near Sherry's feet, causing her to back away, still
concealed.
"You're the Shadow Garden I've heard so damn much about…"
"I don't know your motives, but did you really think you could get away
with attacking the school?"
Rex chuckles. "I guess that'd be too easy. Oh, the Shadow Garden has it
tough. By the way…" He stops midsentence. "I forgot why we're attacking."
He cackles evilly.
"Stop messing around."
"Oh, but I'm serious. Though that doesn't matter. My job is to acquire the
artifact. Once I have it, you can struggle and squirm to your heart's
content…"
Rex narrows his eyes sharply.
"Do you know where it is?" He glares at the knights.
"…I have no idea what you're talking about."
"We know nothing."
Rex smiles from ear to ear. "Your faces tell me otherwise…!"
The air quivers, and his magic overpowers the room.
"A—…!" Sherry clasps her hands over her mouth to prevent herself from
screaming as she crawls. It's just a bit farther to the door.
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"So who wants to go first?" Rex's ravenous, feral gaze scours the room.
"Let's start with the girl."
He disappears into thin air.
That's when Sherry realizes he's standing before her.
"Aaaaaaahhhh!"
"Farewell."
"No!" Sherry closes her eyes as she covers her head, huddling.
"I won't let you!"
The sword hurls toward her and strikes the floor.
Sherry fearfully peeks through her clenched eyes to find a stocky knight—
with a beard as bushy as a lion's mane—standing in front of her with his
sword at the ready.
"Ooh, impressive. Considering you're working without magic."
"Magic isn't everything. If I'm fighting a weakling, I can easily dodge
any attack."
"Weakling…? Damn buffoon. Do you really think you're stronger than
me?" Rex ferociously scowls at the large man.
"I do."
"Why don't you tell me your name?"
"I am Glen, the Lion's Mane, vice commander of the Crimson Order."
Another knight lines up next to him.
"I'm Marco of the Crimson Order."
"I didn't ask you."
In that last moment, Marco looks down at Sherry.
"Run."
With that, the battle begins.
Sherry crawls into the hallway and proceeds to sprint at full speed. She
covers her ears to muffle the bloodcurdling screams behind her.
I walk onto the rooftop and peer down at the campus.
I can see all the faculty bound up by the auditorium, which is a massive
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hall that can easily fit all the students. It's where the school hosts its entrance
ceremonies and the occasional lecture by a public figure or a theatrical
performance.
The Knight Order has gathered outside the campus in response to the
commotion, but there's a clear threshold beyond which they aren't
advancing. That could be the boundary of whatever's blocking everyone's
magic. There didn't seem to be any students left in the school buildings, just
men in black scrounging for anyone still hiding.
I scoff as I look down at the school.
I've always wanted to do this.
I peer at the ravaged school, the shackled students, and the mysterious
terrorist organization. I can cross this off my bucket list.
Gaze down at the campus from the rooftop. Check.
Well, I guess I'll have some fun before it gets dark. The truth is, I realized
something when the men in jet-black barged into class.
They have no sense of style.
Imagine a light breeze, a clear blue sky, a sunny afternoon—and someone
coming out onstage in a long black cloak. Who does that?
Unheard of.
They made one dire mistake. Right… They've underestimated the
importance of TPO: There's a Time, Place, and Occasion for everything. If
you don't adhere to it, fashion sense will be totally out of whack. Their
disregard for TPO is tacky. I mean, black cloaks should only be worn at
night.
I'm planning on taking them out nice and slow; time isn't an issue. I
would rather hold out and savor the fun.
Which is why I'm going with the strategy Operation: Slow 'n' Steady Till
Nightfall.
I'm thinking all this as I observe the campus when I spot two men in black
walking down the corridors. Yuck, wearing jet-black on a sunny day? Talk
about uncool.
Yeah…they make me want to play sniper.
I slice off a thumb-size piece of slime from my suit. I roll it into a ball,
infuse it with magic, lay it on the rooftop, and prepare to give it a good flick.
"You're in my line of fire, you dummies," I mutter to myself, then send it
flying.
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Whiz. Zooming through the air, my slime ball zips through one of their
skulls.
"Augh…"
In the same way, I pierce the second man's heart. I've already defeated
them in two hits. Unbelievable. I'm bummed. I was in the mood to launch
one more.
"Oh well. My next target is…"
With my slime bomb at the ready, I close one eye to scope out my next
victim.
In the school building across from me, I spot a defenseless blockhead.
"Target acquired. It's a girl with light-pink hair… Wait, what?"
That's Sherry.
What's she doing over there? She's giving herself away by blatantly
looking back after each step.
"Sherry, you're blowing your cover."
I confirm that a man in black is lunging at Sherry from behind. I lock onto
my slime bomb target…and shoot.
Whir.
The man's head flies off.
"Mission complete."
Completely oblivious, Sherry keeps moving until she disappears from
view.
Hmm. I wonder what's up.
My normie senses are tingling, telling me there's a major cutscene about
to happen. And then, right around the climax, I shall grace the stage as the
mastermind behind it all…
Ooh, I can't wait.
Okay, here I go. I infuse my legs with magic and bound into the air when
no one's looking.
"Yahoo!"
I safely land on the school building across the way. After that, I jump
down, grab hold of a window ledge, and swing into the building. I glance
around the hallway…and there she is.
The girl with light-pink hair looks around like a gopher.
"Like I said, you're blowing your cover."
There's a man in jet-black behind Sherry. Right before he grabs her, I rush
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at him at full speed.
"Huh?" Sherry senses something moving and looks behind her.
She hears a whoosh…but no one is there. A silent hallway extends into
the distance.
"Maybe I'm just paranoid…?"
Sherry cautiously peers around her, her shoes lightly tapping against the
floor. She presses the artifact against her chest.
Just a moment ago, the knights said they couldn't use magic. If that's true,
it would mean it has something to do with her, and she might know what
caused it. And in terms of the artifact…
Sherry hugs it tightly one more time.
"I've got to do something about this…!"
The image of the two knights bravely fighting to help her escape floats
into her mind. She knows she can't let them die in vain.
Wrestling with these thoughts, she turns the corner.
"Ack!"
There's a man in black. Sherry panics and attempts to conceal herself.
She thinks she's done for. She swears they lock eyes.
There's another whish.
"It's fine. I'm still good… I haven't been caught…" Sherry prays as she
looks ahead once more… "Phew, I'm still safe…"
Her ebony assailant has vanished.
She bravely yet cautiously surveys the area while her shoes tap
rhythmically on the floor.
"Oh!"
Another of the enemies gazes down the hall from the classroom window.
Sherry tries to hide in a frenzy, but it's too late. The door swings open to
reveal the man in jet-black.
"Eep!" Sherry covers her head and closes her eyes.
…
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...
Another whiz.
"What?" Upon nervously opening her eyes, she finds he's gone.
"Phew. They haven't found me…"
Sherry braces herself even more as her feet softly patter against the floor.
She checks every inch of the hallway, the classrooms, and, most obviously,
behind her. Her eyes flicker left and right. She's surveying the area when she
trips over herself.
"Oof!" She crashes on the ground, looking up in time to see the artifact
whirling into the air.
"Ahhh!"
It's about to crash onto the floor…when someone catches it. Sherry
glances up to find her newest friend.
"Cid!"
But he's covered in blood.
"Are you okay?! You're hurt…"
"Don't worry about it. I miraculously escaped death. No biggie."
He seems exhausted for some reason and stares at Sherry through halfclosed eyes.
"I've got to tell you a few things. Like, you've gotta stop talking to
yourself. And thinking while you're walking. And you should watch your
step."
He lets out a deep sigh.
"And your tap-tap-tapping down the hall is super-loud. Let's start with
taking off your loafers."
Sherry nods in response.
I guard Sherry as we head to the back end of the first floor into the assistant
principal's office. Oh, and I secretly kill five more of them along the way.
We open a thick door and walk in.
There's a tasteful lounge in the center of the room and an entire wall
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stacked with oversized books. Files are piled high on a desk in the back.
Sunlight gently pours in from the northern window. It's obviously a space for
proper adults.
Sherry sits at a desk she seems to know well and rummages through the
drawers.
"Try not to make so much noise."
Her light-pink hair sways as she obediently nods.
"Whew." I lie across the love seat and take a deep breath.
I'm beat.
I know Sherry is the main character, but there's no way this is going to
work out. She won't be able to beat the Final Boss. Under these
circumstances, it's normal for the character to have a sidekick, but I don't
sense any allies around here. It's a flawed scenario.
But after significant consideration, I've decided to intervene as the savior
type of background character. I'm an extra who will never act where others
can see—never ever.
"Found it." Sherry comes back from the desk with a pile of documents,
spreading them across the coffee table.
"What's this?" I don't know anything about these strange alphabets,
landforms, or formulas.
"This artifact is called the Eye of Avarice. I believe this is what's
currently blocking our magic."
She shows me a sketch of an ominous-looking sphere that's the size of a
Ping-Pong ball.
"The Eye absorbs and collects the magic around it. When it's activated,
it's harder to hone magic in the area."
"But the men in black had no problems using magic."
"They must have programmed the Eye to recognize their magical
wavelength. I've already confirmed it doesn't consume preregistered magic.
It also has difficulties absorbing microscopic particles with powerful energy,
but neither of us would recognize those in the first place."
Hey.
"And as if that's not troubling enough, it can also use the magic stored
inside it. I'm guessing they were originally planning to use this artifact as a
weapon, but it can't store magic for long periods. I believe it's defective."
"But it's effective in the short-term, even if it can't store the power very
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long."
"Correct. Right now, there are hundreds of dark knights held hostage in
the auditorium. In theory, if they released the magic in the artifact…they
might just be able to obliterate the school."
"Whoa…"
"I was the first one to decode the Eye with my research. When I realized
its potential dangers, I kept it away from the world of academia and asked the
kingdom to store it for safekeeping… Oh, why did this happen?" Sherry
looks at me with gentle eyes.
"It's either a replica or it was stolen. Is there a way to operate it?"
"Yes." Sherry nods and produces a large pendant.
"That's a real dirty pendant you got there."
"This seems to control it. The Eye cannot move on its own; I believe it
can only be used when attached to this device. When they act together, the
artifact is no longer defective and is limited to storing magic short-term."
"It'll be able to hold magic for longer?"
"I would have to put them together and experiment to know for sure. But
yes, I believe it's possible."
"Huh."
"This device has the power to temporarily disable the Eye. We should be
able to free the people in the auditorium in that time."
"Sounds good. And then?"
"Well, I haven't finished examining the artifact, so I'd like to prioritize
that."
"I see."
"After I interpret it, we can bring the activated artifact closer to the Eye."
"How?"
"Um…they're vigilantly patrolling the ground level, so I think we might
have to get closer underground." Sherry smiles somewhat nervously.
"Underground?"
"Yes." Sherry takes a few books off the bookshelf, and it swings back to
reveal a staircase leading to a lower level.
"Neat."
I love these kinds of gimmicks.
"There are still a few hidden escape tunnels left in some of the on-campus
facilities, but no one's used this passage in a while."
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There's a hint of sadness in her eyes.
"The stairs are dusty…and there aren't any footprints. I wish my foster
father had escaped though here…"
"Ah, Assistant Principal Lutheran. He adopted you, right?"
"He used to help my mother with her research, and he's taken care of me
for as long as I can remember. Even after Mother died and I had nowhere to
go, he took me under his wing and raised me as his own."
"Sounds like a great guy."
"Yes, he really is. He's always the one saving me…and this time, I want
to be the one to save him." Sherry beams.
"I hope he's all right. After we get closer underground, what should we
do?"
"Oh, um…we go through the tunnels and throw the active artifact into the
auditorium."
"Won't it break?"
"Even if it does, it'll still disable the Eye temporarily. All we'll need is the
dark knights to give us a hand…"
The climax sounds a bit weak, but I could spice it right up if I turn into
Shadow and go on a rampage. To tell you the truth, I'm thankful she prepared
a great scene for me to show off what I can do.
"Fantastic. Let's do it."
"Great! I'll just hurry up and finish deciphering this."
"My back hurts, so I can't help too much. But good luck."
I'm glad she has a decent tactic. I guess I won't have to be the supporting
side character after all.
"Cid, don't overdo it. I'll do the best I can. I've never been able to help
anyone, but now it's my turn to save my foster father and everyone else."
"Yeah, you got this. Oh, I'll be right back—gotta go to the bathroom."
I leave Sherry to her research so I can go out and play.
With the wild eyes of a starving dog, Rex opens the auditorium doors and
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boldly saunters through the room. A group of men follow.
The students are forced to stay in their chairs, lowering their heads when
the group approaches them. There are three floors in the enormous, drafty
auditorium, and all of the exits are guarded by men enshrouded in jet-black.
The students are being monitored and not allowed to make a single peep. An
insincere smile plays on Rex's face as he slips out of the auditorium and
heads toward a waiting room.
"How was it?" asks a man in black as soon as Rex shuts the door.
His voice is deep and dignified. Even though he hides his face with a
mask and is dressed like the others, his superiority is instantly recognizable.
"You don't waste time, do you, Sir Gaunt? We've almost completely
taken over the school. The Knight Order is making a ruckus outside, but
they're not even worth our breath."
"Irrelevant. I'm asking whether you've obtained the artifact."
"Oh, the artifact. About that…" Rex shrugs as he looks at Sir Gaunt. "I'm
pretty sure it's in that young girl's possession. You know, the one with peach
hair."
"Are you saying you couldn't retrieve it?"
Rex scratches his head and averts his gaze. "Well, I guess."
"Quit screwing around." Sir Gaunt's magic heightens, and the
surrounding air undulates under its pressure.
Rex's cheeks go stiff as he feels the knight's bloodlust. "Take it easy. I've
secured its general location and shall be retrieving it soon."
"Your antics are interfering with my plans. The next time you screw up,
I'm taking your head. How's that?"
"All right, I get it."
Sir Gaunt's piercing eyes follow Rex, who's heading toward the door with
his hands lifted above his head.
"Oh, almost forgot." Rex stops before making his exit. "We may have
trouble."
He looks back to see Sir Gaunt's reaction and receives the cue to
continue.
"A bunch of Thirds have been slain. Two of the Seconds are dead. One
man's heart has been crushed, and the other had a small incision in his
pressure points. My best guess is the latter was stabbed by a rapier. All of
them were only struck once. The enemy seems dexterous," comments Rex,
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sniggering like a ravenous wolf.
"Well, well…perhaps it's the Shadow Garden. The bait has finally
worked."
"Seems that way. You might want to watch your back."
"Keh-heh… You think a man like me needs to be cautious?"
"Oh, I think you'll be just fine, Mr. Ex-Rounds."
"Hmph. Make sure to bring the Shadow Garden's heads along with the
artifact."
"That goes without saying." Rex leaves the room with the corner of his
lips curled into a grin.
Sir Gaunt sneers to himself. "Finally, everything will fall into place…" He
takes the ominous artifact out of his breast pocket and stares at it
suspiciously.
"This will mark my return to the Rounds."
The man continues snickering to himself creepily.
When Rex and his subordinates are walking through the corridor, something
strange suddenly attacks them while they're searching for the artifact. Rex's
subordinate vanishes before his eyes.
"What the—?"
Rex scans the area to determine what it was, but there aren't any
suspicious shadows around him. The only hint he has is a whoosh in the air.
Buzz, zip. A sound slices through space.
"Nng…!"
And the lackey next to Rex is gone.
But this time, he manages to catch a glimpse of it. There was a boy in a
school uniform—drenched in blood. Using the heel of his palm, the boy
knocked the man out and stole him away.
Rex powers up, intensifying his vision to its limit and focusing his gaze.
Only then can he detect these rapid movements.
"Stay alert! Enemy!" Rex shouts, vigilantly scoping the area. "…Oh?"
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He stands in place, bewildered.
The subordinates who were at his back are gone. Before he's realized it,
he's standing alone in the corridor.
Then there's a whiz.
Hearing it, Rex immediately channels all his strength into protecting his
heart.
"Guh…!"
The heel of someone's palm hits his arm.
Crack. The force of it snaps Rex's bones and sends him flying backward.
"That…little shit!!" Rex promptly resets his stance and brandishes his
sword.
But no one's there. He clucks his tongue in frustration.
A single palm strike has broken the bones in his left arm, which he'd been
protecting with magic. His heart might have shattered if he hadn't shielded
himself when he did.
Whish. Rex moves with the noise, tuning in to the presence behind him
and swinging. His timing is perfect.
The runt…is getting faster! How dare he! Rex takes stabs at the air behind
the boy, quickly resuming his posture with the sole aim of protecting his
heart.
"Agh…!"
He suffers a blow to the ribs.
Rex jumps back to reduce the impact as he tracks the boy with his eyes.
He can barely make out his afterimage.
"Ts…" Rex hacks out a mix of saliva and blood and stands on the
defensive.
It's nearly impossible to detect the enemy, and countering is out of the
question. Only he's taking damage. From an objective standpoint, there's no
graver situation. But…Rex has a wealth of experience worming himself out
from between a rock and a hard place.
For he is Rex, a Named Child.
"That's a handy artifact you're using," Rex comments so his enemy can
hear.
He's figured out the enemy's shtick.
It doesn't take him long to piece it together. His opponent moves faster
than humanly possible, which means he requires extraordinary power to keep
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it up.
"At first glance, I have the disadvantage. But you can't fool me. You're
pushing yourself, right?"
With inhuman speed comes sacrifice. He sees the traces of it already.
"Don't you know your uniform is covered in blood?"
Yes…Rex solved the riddle when he saw the red uniform: His opponent
used the power of the artifact to achieve logic-defying speeds. And in
exchange, it's wearing him down. It's clear from the rivers of blood pouring
out of his enemy. The boy will reach his limit. If Rex can hold out until
then…victory is his.
That's Rex, the Game of Betrayal, the Named Child, who can completely
expose his victims with minimal information.
"I'd guess that you have a few hits left. That's when you'll have reached
your limit!" Rex declares in a powerful voice.
But his enemy doesn't reply. He's been silent and still ever since Rex
started his little speech.
"Guess I've hit the nail on the head." The corners of Rex's lips form a
sinister smile.
He can see his victory. But…it's not as easy as Rex makes it out to be. In
fact, he still has to evade the undetectable palm strike a few more times.
"Hey, why so silent?" Rex starts feeling confident, refusing to show any
sign of weakness.
This battle is one of…intense psychological warfare.
"Come out, you chicken!"
Whoosh.
Just as the sound rushes through the air, Rex evades the attack using only
his instincts, twisting his upper body to avoid the trajectory of his hand.
That fast?! He uses his right arm as a shield at the very last second.
"Gaaaah!!"
It snaps in every possible place. He backs away, retaining his grip on his
sword through sheer determination.
And yet, his opponent persists. Rex has only seen the enemy's most basic
moves, and he's drawing near.
In other words…this is the turning point in their battle.
"Come at meeeeeeeeee!!" Rex shrieks as he protects his weak points.
His enemy has reached his limit. If Rex can endure this final strike,
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victory is his.
Seconds later, a palm slams into his stomach.
"Gah!! Aaaaaghhhh!!"
Rex vomits a stream of blood as he's thrown backward. He blasts through
the wall into a classroom, tumbling into desks and chairs before crashing onto
the ground.
"Kah-kah…!" Clutching his stomach, he coughs up blood. His ribs tear
his internal organs.
But…he's alive. Guarding with all his might pays off.
"Heh-heh…" Rex's bloody lips curl into a sneer as he lifts his head.
That's when he sees them.
"The hell is this…?"
Corpses lie in a heap in the classroom.
All of them are men in black. It's clear they hardly bear any wounds; each
was slain with a single attack.
Did that one child kill all these Named Children by himself…?
Tap, tap, tap.
He hears someone walking toward him in the hallway.
Tap, tap.
The sound of footsteps ceases at the doorway.
Silence.
Rex notices the palm gripping his sword is abnormally sweaty.
Click. The doorknob turns and breaks the silence.
Then…the entrance opens.
There's no one there.
With a whir, Rex's right arm is ripped to pieces.
Another hum, and his left arm is torn off.
Whoosh.
Whish.
Whiz.
And so it goes.
Every time there's a sound, Rex loses more flesh.
"AAAAAAGH… Aaaaaaaghhhh…aghh…"
Right before his head whirls into the air, Rex realizes the boy possesses an
infinite amount of power.
"You're doing great."
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That's the voice Rex hears when he dies.
In the ransacked lab, Nu looks down at a corpse. With dark-brown eyes and
matching hair, Nu wears a pair of frumpy glasses and the uniform for the
Academy of Science as a disguise to blend in, but she can't hide her
sensuality.
"You're Glen, the Lion's Mane, from the Crimson Order."
The corpse glares into space, wearing an anguished expression. He seems
to have suffered profoundly. Without magic, he whose name is known
throughout the Knight Order is feeble.
Nu's attention is directed elsewhere. There's one more knight in the room,
and he's still breathing.
"Marco Granger. You joined the Crimson Order."
Nu recognizes his face, which is handsome with luscious blue hair. Not
only is he one of the strongest dark knights, but he is also rumored to be the
future commander of the Order. She remembers him having a strong sense of
justice.
Marco was supposed to be Nu's husband in their arranged marriage.
They sent many letters to each other and shared dances at the ball. But in
the end, he was nothing but the man her parents chose for her. She never
knew how he felt about the situation, but she could never bring herself to love
him.
But she doesn't necessarily hate him. She may not have loved him, but
she thought he was kind. She wouldn't have minded marrying him one day.
She imagines that tying the knot with a respectable man would have led to a
bright future.
An arranged path, an arranged partner, an arranged future.
Nu never used to have much of an opinion. In the past, she conformed to
the values of those around her and lived as per their dictates. She didn't mind
at the time. But looking back on it now, she finds that lifestyle terribly
confining.
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As she gazes at his face, she suddenly remembers the ball. Nu wryly
smiles as she recalls showing off Marco's attractive face around it like some
kind of accessory.
Somehow, memories always stick with us the more we try to forget about
them.
"What's up, Nu?"
She hears a voice behind her and turns. That she hasn't sensed him
doesn't surprise her. She knows him by his voice.
"Master Shadow…"
She didn't notice that an average-looking black-haired boy had entered
the lab. He walks past Nu and flings open one cabinet after another.
"This used to be my arranged fiancé."
"Oh. What will you do?"
"I personally have no reason to kill him or keep him alive."
"And that's fine," he replies, rummaging through the cabinets and
continuing his search.
Nu leaves Marco's side and stands next to the boy. "Master Shadow, I
know it's a bit late, but I have something to report."
"Go ahead."
"The Shadow Garden has infiltrated the campus. We're waiting on
standby and will move at your command."
"Got it."
"But fighting when our magic is blocked comes with a risk. Only the
Seven Shadows can operate at their usual speed, but the only one of them in
the capital is Lady Gamma. And…well, this kind of thing isn't her strong
suit…"
"She's got no game."
"Um…correct. As for me, I-I'm only at about half my normal strength…"
"I see."
"Lady Gamma is currently leading the entire organization. She's
suggested they won't be in control of our magic for much longer and that we
should wait it out until then."
"All right."
"The men in jet-black are holed up in the auditorium and haven't moved.
At the moment, they don't seem to have any demands. The Knight Order has
the campus surrounded, but Iris Midgar and the other commanders are the
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only ones strong enough to take them on. Given that they weren't fond of us
in peaceful times, I don't think they'll lend us a hand."
"Okay."
"Master Shadow. We'll stay on standby until further orders."
"Okay."
"Is that all right?"
"Okay… Oh, wait a sec."
"Sure."
"I'm looking for a few things. I need mithril tweezers, the bone powder of
earth dragons, and the enchanted stone of ash…"
Nu retrieves each item from the cabinet.
"Thanks. Whew, you saved my butt."
"My pleasure. May I ask what they're for?"
He holds the various items in both arms. "Oh, this stuff? I'm going to use
this to alter the artifact."
"Alter the artifact, huh?" Nu parrots.
She couldn't have guessed in a million years that he was so well versed in
artifacts, but it wouldn't be odd for him to know such things. Why would he
want to alter it in this dire situation?
"Something called the Eye of Avarice is impeding our magic. I'm
currently making the final adjustments to a different artifact to temporarily
disable it."
"Incredible… You never let us down."
She's stunned. Not only has he identified the source blocking their magic,
he's even preparing to nullify it. Plus, disabling a powerful artifact requires
extraordinary knowledge. Without the wisdom of one of the greatest minds in
the nation, this is an impossible feat. She shudders in the presence of his
limitless mind.
"I should be done around sunset."
"Understood. We'll be ready to mobilize when it's complete."
"I can't wait."
"Yes."
Nu watches him leave the room with his items before checking to see if
her ex-fiancé is still conscious.
She runs her ebony blade down the nape of his neck.
His breathing and pulse are normal—stable. He's alive but clearly
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unconscious.
"I'll spare you your life."
Nu leaves a shallow cut in his neck and disappears.
"I'm back."
Upon seeing Cid return with the ingredients, Sherry smiles, retrieving
them from him and lining them up on her desk.
"Thank you so much. I should be able to finish it now."
"Good luck."
Sherry quickly sets to work on the artifact. Cid is lying on the sofa,
reading a book.
It's silent for a while.
The light that flows in through the window slowly turns vermilion.
Cid occasionally gets up to go to the bathroom. When Sherry offers him
medicine to relieve his upset stomach given his frequent visits, he accepts it
with a complicated expression.
Time passes, and the sun begins to set. The red hue intensifies, and the
shadows grow darker. When Sherry turns on the lantern, everything becomes
a shade darker outside the room. She finally approaches the end of her task
around sunset.
"I'm done." Sherry holds up the pendant and shows it to Cid.
"It's amazing."
"Thank you. It's the best I could do."
"Yeah, and it's nice that it's just after sunset. The future of the school
depends on you." Cid stands up and pats Sherry on the back. "I can't help
you anymore. You must save the world with your own hands."
"I-I'll do my best," she says nervously, picking up the lantern and facing
the stairs. "My sincerest gratitude. Thanks to you, I'll be able to rescue my
foster father." Sherry glances back at him once more, then lowers her head.
"It was nothing. I hope he's okay."
"Thanks." Sherry grins and descends.
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After a long trip down the damp staircase, she arrives at the bottom. The
air is completely different down here. The dark tunnels are illuminated by the
light from her lantern, and the paths start forking off: One wrong move, and
she'll never reach her destination.
"Erm…" Sherry takes out her map to confirm the path to the auditorium.
"Go straight and then take a left at the third turn…"
At first, she timidly scampers down the path.
But then she remembers having walked these tunnels with her foster
father. Even though she pestered him while he was working, he came down
to play with her anyway. This is an incredibly precious memory to Sherry.
The young woman doesn't remember her biological father. He died soon
after she was born. And the memory of her mother has almost entirely faded
from her mind. Her mother was murdered during a robbery one night when
Sherry was only nine years old.
Sherry remembers the black shadow she saw through the crack between
the closet door. Her dreams were occasionally plagued by her mother's
screams and the sound of ghastly laughter.
For many years after the incident, Sherry couldn't speak. She rejected
those around her, instead choosing to work on the artifact her mother left
behind. As if following in her footsteps, Sherry devoted herself to research.
Her foster father was her savior. He took her in, supported her research,
and gave her a loving family. Through that, Sherry finally regained her voice.
Almost all her memories of family are of him.
Her entire life, she's been supported by her foster father. And now it's
time to repay him.
"I've got to keep going."
Sherry walks the dark path alone. Her steps are no longer frightened or
timid.
It isn't long before she arrives.
"I think I'm under the auditorium…"
The single path split into many: the path to the first floor, then the middle,
then up to the second floor…
She follows her map.
"Oh…!"
She's found it.
It's a small air vent running between the second and third floors. While it
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can't fit a person, there's plenty of room for her to toss the pendant inside.
Sherry furtively peers through the vent to see what's happening.
She remembers Cid's words: When in hiding, it's important to release the
tension in the body—to breathe slowly and relax.
There are hundreds of students sitting in the auditorium and a few
instructors, who were present nonetheless. Then there are a handful of men in
black. Sherry believes all the hostages can escape once their magic is free.
She's ready.
First, she steps away from the vent and takes out the pendant. When she
connects it to the enchanted stone, a white light and shining letters float in the
air.
Sherry tosses the glowing pendant into the air vent without hesitation.