My sister Claire ended up winning the Bushin Festival.
Rose showing up out of nowhere threw me for a bit of a loop, but thankfully, I was able to improvise a satisfying climax to my performance.
She nearly stole the show from me, but in a flash of brilliance, I was like, Wait, can I pull this off? and stole it right back from under her nose.
And I totally nailed it.
The world is ever changing, and we all have our own motivations as we walk through life.
No performance goes exactly according to script. So I need to keep my mind pliable to handle any situation the universe throws at me with a little bit of improv.
Anyway, once the Bushin Festival ended, everything settled back into its ordinary routine.
I mean, apparently the Oriana Kingdom is kind of a hot mess right now, but I'm just your average aristocrat, so that doesn't affect me starting my second semester.
Still, word on the street is that Oriana Kingdom has split into the something-something faction and the other something-something faction and they're starting to go at it. Everyone's saying that civil war is probably gonna break out before the year is over. Man, if they really do start a civil war, I gotta get in on that action. That sounds like a blast.
As for school, little has changed despite Rose's absence.
I hate to say it, but that's the way things go.
Everyone around me has been saying all sorts of nasty things about her — that she acted in a fit of jealously or that there was some sort of succession dispute — but nobody actually knows what really went down. I'm on her side no matter what her reasons were, so I hope she's doing okay wherever she is.
Claire's schedule has supposedly been booked ever since her victory. Between all the speeches she's had to give and the parties requesting her attendance, she's like a bona fide celebrity. All that died down a bit when we headed into fall break, though, and she's back at the academy now.
I guess that's why they call it "fifteen minutes of fame."
Unfortunately, now that she's free, she's been breathing down my neck, and I've found myself reluctantly forced to throw her a celebratory dinner.
That brings us to the present, where she and I are in the middle of enjoying a meal at one of Mitsugoshi's restaurants.
I'm pretty sure I ordered the "Blessing for the Peasants" course — dirt cheap, a limited-time offer — but for some reason, they brought us this super-extravagant banquet. Weird.
"I had no idea you could pull something like this off. Not even the party they threw at the castle had food this nice...," Claire remarks upon seeing the feast.
We're also in some sort of private room for high-class VIPs.
I wondered if maybe they'd mistaken me for someone else, but I doublechecked with our waitress on my way to the bathroom, and apparently there's been no error.
Just thinking about the bill makes me squirm.
Oh, wait, this place is part of the Mitsugoshi Group. Maybe they're giving me special treatment because I'm friends with Gamma.
"You know, I'm friends with Mitsugoshi's president," I tell my sister.
"Oh please."
"No, seriously. I'm pretty sure that's why they're giving us the VIP treatment."
"I wish your jokes had better punch lines. Don't worry, I get what's going on here. I can see how much work you must have gone through to put this together for me."
Claire smiles.
I haven't seen her look this pleased in a while. Better just let her believe what she wants.
"I love the food at Mitsugoshi's restaurants. It's all so unusual-and delicious. You know, this is the first time I've had roast beef."
"Huh."
The two of us continue making small talk as we enjoy our meal.
"Annerose lost, Princess Iris dropped out, and that Mundane Mann guy got disqualified. I guess I only won because I got lucky."
"Yeah, basically," I tell her.
"Take that back."
"I meant to say, No way! You won 'cause you're the best!"
"Of course I did. But that's not how society will see it."
"Eh, you can hardly blame them."
"Why don't you try that again?" she threatens.
"If the world can't see that you're the best, there must be something wrong with their eyes!"
"Well, that's just how things are. The masses are blind. But I'm not the kind of woman who'll just sit quietly as they look down on me."
"You'd probably be more likable if you were."
"I'm this close to blowing a fuse."
"Damn the masses! Go prove to them just how strong and pretty you really are!"
"That's the plan, of course. And you're going to help me."
"Am not."
"You have no say in the matter. It's for your sake, too."
"Wait, mine?"
"Yours. What do you think's going to happen to you after you graduate? With your mediocre grades, you'll have a hard time getting a decent job."
"I mean..."
Now that she mentions it, I haven't given the issue much thought. She's going to be the head of our household, so I guess l'm gonna have to get a job of some sort.
Something flashy like joining the Knight Order is out of the question.
I need to be someone more forgettable... Aha!
"I'm gonna become Gatekeeper A."
You know, an extra who tells the protagonist that he can't pass until he pays the toll.
"Gatekeeper A? What's 'A'?"
"You know, like, 'average'?"
"For the love of... Gatekeeping is hardly a job fit for an aristocrat. They work twelve-hour shifts and get barely any days off. Plus, the work is grueling, and the pay is dismal."
"Oh. Darn..."
Not having any days off sounds miserable.
For one, it'd get in the way of my shadowbroker activities.
"What about jailhouse guards?"
"That's even worse. You have to interact with the dregs of society all day."
"Maaaan... Well, I'll just figure it out when the time comes. As long as I can do the stuff I want to, I'm fine working pretty much anywhere."
"And what exactly is this 'stuff' you want to do?"
"It's a secret. I have a policy of not talking about things that are really important to me."
"So I'm gathering you have no goals. Stop making up excuses on the spot to postpone thinking about what you want to do with your life."
"What makes you think that's what I'm doing?"
"Oh, I think you can figure out why."
"Well, whatever."
"You're not 'whatever'-ing yourself out of this one. We're talking about your future here. So clear your calendar for fall break. If you do as I say, l'll be able to wedge you into the Knight Order."
"Wait, what do you mean?"
Claire flashes me a fearless smile. "Heh-heh. We're going off to hunt the Blood Queen, a Progenitor Vampire. Just stay behind me and you'll be fine."
<<•>>
After we finish our dinner, we walk through the darkened capital.
When I tried to pay for the meal, they told me it was on the house.
I guess Gamma really did give me a freebie.
Well, Claire did just win the Bushin Festival, so maybe that was why. Could go either way.
"It's passed the dorm curfew," I note.
"I got you permission ahead of time. I told them you were attending a party."
"Ooh, good going."
The street is oddly quiet.
I glance up at the sky and catch a glimpse of the new moon shining overhead.
It sort of seems...redder than usual.
"What's wrong?" Claire asks.
"I feel like the moon has a red tinge to it."
"Does it? Looks normal to me."
"Maybe you're right. Anyways, even if the moon turned red or blue or some other color, it wouldn't really matter."
It definitely looks cooler red, though.
"Oh, I guess I wasn't finished telling you about the Blood Queen," Claire remembers.
"Oh, right."
"I assume you already know her followers have been recently venturing outside the Lawless City and causing no small amount of destruction."
Bold of her to assume I already know about this.
"The affected countries have requested that the Dark Knights Guild hunt her down."
"Makes sense."
"In short, they put together a team of the finest dark knights. That said, many of them are egotistic assholes, so there's no guarantee we're actually going to be able to work together as a team."
"Huh."
"And that's exactly why I'm bringing you along with me. Don't worry, all you have to do is find somewhere safe to watch me while I do the work. Even that'll be enough to let you put the mission on your résumé."
"Ah."
"Once we've padded up your job experiences, it'll be easy to squeeze you into the Knight Order. I hit it off with the Imperial Guard's commander at a party the other day, so if you want, I can get the ball rolling for you."
"Let me think about it."
"The mission's going to take place over fall break. Some of the more eager ones will set out early, but there's no need for us to rush."
At that moment, I catch the smell of blood in the wind. It's pretty thick. Did someone die or something?
My sister notices a moment later.
"I smell blood. And it's coming from around here."
She stops in her tracks, then peers into a dark alleyway.
"Stay behind me," she orders.
"Got it."
She reaches down to her waist, grips her sword, and walks on in. I follow her, leaving a little room between us.
As we get a little farther into the alley, we see a dark figure hunched over.
We can make out the crunch, crunch, crunch sounds of chewing.
Yup, someone's dead, all right.
"Gh...!" Claire stifles her surprised scream and draws her sword.
The shadowy figure must have sensed her, because it turns.
It's a person, drenched in blood.
No wait, not quite.
Its eyes are bloodred, and its slack jaw is lined with jagged fangs. Crimson drool drips from its mouth onto the pavement.
The half-eaten remains of a human corpse lie by its feet.
"Lower your weapon and surrender peacef—!"
"GRAAAAAAH!"
The thing bares its fangs and launches itself at my sister.
Its movements are closer to those of a beast than a person.
Claire's blade glistens in the moonlight-then slices its stomach clean through.
"I warned you," she growls to her bisected assailant.
But...
"Is it still alive...?!"
The thing's torso is scuttling across the ground. It reaches out and grabs Claire by the leg.
"GRAAAAAH..."
"That's enough!" My sister's sword cleaves through its neck.
Its head rolls across the stone ground, its teeth snapping impotently against the air.
Then, after leveling a weak glare at Claire, it eventually goes silent.
The cloying stench of blood fills the alleyway.
"A ghoul... Could it be, one of the Blood Queen's…?"
The creature had been shaped like a human, but its skin was pallid and bloodless, and its red eyes and sharp fangs caught my attention, as well.
Furthermore, its bestial movements hinted at an incredible degree of vitality.
However, it seemed to have completely lost its sense of reason.
"Ghouls are vampire minions, right?" I ask.
Honestly, I couldn't care less about ghouls, but vampires sound like they might be strong.
Claire looks down and mutters, "Monsters..."
"Sis...?"
"Ghouls were originally humans, weren't they.?"
"I think so, yeah."
"I've been so scared these days, wondering if I'll end up like them in the future. What if I become a monster, robbed of my reason…?"
"I'm pretty sure you don't have much in the first pl-"
"— Quiet. Supposedly, Princess Rose was one of the 'possessed'... It's just a rumor, but still. I haven't told anyone, but...I might be possessed, too..."
"Huh? You might be possessed?"
Does she mean that thing I healed, like, forever ago?
"A long time ago, I found some black bruises on my back. I couldn't tell anyone because I was so scared, but they kept spreading and getting bigger. Then, out of the blue, I got better one day. They just vanished like they were never there. 'Thank goodness,' I thought, 'I'm cured.' But when I looked into it more recently, I found possession never goes away. So if that's what caused those black bruises, then eventually, l'll..."
"I'm pretty sure you have nothing to worry about."
You're totally cured, after all.
"That was a joke, silly. There's no way l'm one of the possessed." Claire smiles and gazes up at the night sky. "But still... There's no guarantee I'll be able to stick around forever... That's why I need you to clear your schedule for fall break."
"Ugh..."
"This isn't up for discussion. I'm going to go let the Knight Order know what happened here."
She turns her back to me and starts marching off.
I catch another glimpse of the sky, and sure enough, the moon really has a hint of red tonight. I kinda wanna see what these vampires are all about, and the Lawless City sounds pretty interesting, too.
<<•>>
I'm sitting in my dorm room listening to Beta talk.
Every night, after I'm done with my classes, I have my regularly scheduled Shadow Garden briefing.
"After the incident at the Bushin Festival, Perv has been..."
"Uh-huh."
After thinking over everything my sister told me, I'm really starting to get fired up about going to the Lawless City.
After all, I haven't had a chance to go bandit hunting recently, and the Lawless City is basically a glorified crew of bandits. And when it comes to outlaws, what's theirs is mine.
"It's made Epsilon's job considerably easier, as well. Now, as far as the Oriana Kingdom internal affairs go..."
"Uh-huh."
Like Claire said, I'm going to have to think about what I want to do in the future.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to money. As long as I can make some cash, everything will all work out.
And did I mention the Lawless City is full of glorified bandits?
I'd bet anything that their boss is making mad bank off all the shady stuff they're doing.
In other words, all I have to do is bust in and make off with their treasure, and my problems will go away. Easy.
"The Shadow Garden continues to grow at a satisfactory rate, and the laboratory at Alexandria has begun development on the steam engine, with..."
"Uh-huh."
If I focus on amassing enough money to spend the rest of my life goofing off, I'll never have to worry about finding a real job.
Heck, I can even try out a bunch of different unassuming jobs: a gatekeeper, a guard, a bum, a baker... The possibilities are endless.
By having access to money, one can live one's life unshackled to it.
Ooh, that sounds kinda smart.
Anyhow, there are three influential parties in the Lawless City, and unfortunately for them, one of the three is going down.
Which one should I pick, though? Eenie-meenie-miney-mo...
I mean, I could just annihilate all three, but then I wouldn't have anything to look forward to in the future.
Honestly, this Blood Queen lady sounds the most interesting, and I can think of badass ways to kill a Progenitor Vampire, but at the same time, it's the kind of thing where I wanna save the best for last.
Decisions, decisions.
As things stand, the Blood Queen really does feel like the best candidate.
"...and that concludes my report."
"Uh-huh."
"If there's anything l've omitted or overlooked, by all means, let me know..." Beta is kneeling before me with her head bowed.
"It reeks..."
When she hears me, she twitches.
"The Lawless City... It reeks of blood..."
"Thank goodness he wasn't talking about me...," Beta murmurs quietly.
"It seems the Blood Queen is up to something..."
"That's correct. We couldn't find a strong connection between her and the Cult, so we didn't feel the need to do anything about it, but..."
"A storm is coming... A storm of blood..."
"A storm of what...?"
"Look at the moon, Beta."
"Huh...?"
I point at the vaguely red moon hanging in the air outside the window.
"Huh, is it a little redder than usual...?"
"Took you long enough to notice... That's the Red Moon..."
"—?! Wait! Is that really the legendary Red Moon...?!"
"...And if it is?"
I cast a sidelong glance at Beta, who's staring dumbfoundedly at the sky, then hold my bloodred glass of wine up to the lamp as I take a sip.
The "legendary Red Moon," huh?
Anything sounds cool if you stick the word legendary in front of it.
"Th-that can't be...! If that's the case, then the Lawless City-no, everything around it will be wiped out…!"
"Worry not."
"B-but people are in danger! We need to dispatch the Shadow Garden at once — !"
"Didn't I tell you? Worry not..."
"—Ngh!! F-forgive me..."
I look down at Beta as she trembles before I leisurely cross my legs.
"Leave this to me."
"You don't mean... You're planning on handling this one alone, Master Shadow?!"
"Are you trying to stop me...?"
"I understand that's the most efficient way to handle the situation, but...Master Shadow, what if something were to happen to you?!"
"Worry not." The corner of my mouth curls into a grin. "After all...the moon is just a little redder than usual. Right?"
"—?!" Beta looks at me, eyes wide.
She initially looks shocked, but her face quickly softens into a gentle smile.
"I fear I forgot who I was talking to."
She offers me a deep bow.
"The moon is just a little redder than usual... Against you, Master Shadow, even the legendary Red Moon amounts to little more than that. I'll be praying for your success."
Damn. All it took was the moon looking kinda red, and now it's the "legendary Red Moon."
Beta's always been good at this stuff.
"Don't you think...the moon looks beautiful this way?"
"Hee-hee... So it does. And it's thanks to you that we can see it that way."
"Will you drink with me...?"
"Yes! Gladly."
Beta and I gaze up at the moon as we enjoy our wine.
Looks like l'm gonna be able to start my fall break at the Lawless City with a bang.
<<•>>
The Lawless City is, to put it succinctly, one giant slum.
The homeless are huddled everywhere, shanties line the roads, and the foul stench of garbage permeates the air.
But that isn't all the city has to offer.
For example, it's home to a notable peculiarity— three skyscrapers towering above its streets.
"That's the Blood Queen's castle. The Crimson Tower...," comments a man who looks like a professional wrestler heel. He gazes up at the bloodred edifice. It looms over him, illuminated by the setting sun.
"What's wrong, Quinton? You chicken?"
Standing beside him is a handsome blond man.
"Like hell I'd go chicken, Goldy. I just ain't never seen a building that tall before."
"Hmm... You know, l've fought all over the world, and I have to admit, it is an impressive spire. It'd probably take all day just climbing it."
The two of them sigh as they cast their gazes up at the Crimson Tower.
It looks almost like a spiral of blood circling up into the sky. Neither of them can even begin to imagine how it was built.
"Just 'cause they got a fancy tower don't mean that the guy inside's strong. Let's get a move on."
"At the end of the day, they're just a band of hoodlums, after all. The Blood Queen's head is ours for the taking."
Quinton and Goldy's appearances make them seem like complete opposites, but they hit it off surprisingly well from the day they first met. Maybe it was because they bonded over having been beaten by the same opponent, but for whatever reason, the two of them have been working as a team since the Bushin Festival.
They walk through the Lawless City under the evening sky. The closer they get to the city's center, the less it feels like a decrepit slum and the more like a multicultural hodgepodge.
"Well, that's a surprise..."
"Yeah... Stay sharp."
People merely looking in from the outside never see this aspect of the Lawless City.
The buildings aren't the only thing that are different. The people passing by them are no longer commonplace bums, but ruthless hunters casing them with gleams in their eyes.
Not a single person around them seems like an easy target.
Quinton and Goldy immediately pick up on that.
They brace themselves as they walk, ready to draw their swords at a moment's notice. The buildings around them start to take on a unified aesthetic.
It's proof they've made it to the Blood Queen's turf.
They notice a change in the air, too.
"We're close."
Strangely, there are no signs of any residents. However, there's clearly something scuttling around inside the houses. Quinton and Goldy can see the Crimson Tower straight ahead.
They tighten their focus and press on.
Finally, they reach the tower.
"This must be the front entrance...!"
Quinton approaches the massive door. Ominous, inhuman figures are carefully etched across its surface. "Here we go." He reaches out to touch it, but...
"Hee-hee-hee. Stop right there..."
...someone calls out to him. The voice is painfully hoarse, to the point it's almost difficult to make out the words.
Quinton's hand freezes, and when he looks around, he spots a filthy mound of cloth piled up beside the door. Then he sees it move —there's someone wrapped up in it.
"Hee-hee-hee. You two aren't qualified enough to touch the door..."
With that, the person wearing the tattered rags stands.
It's a gaunt man. He's taller than Quinton, but his cheeks and eyes are sunken.
He's little more than skin and bones. His dirty white hair stretches all the way down to his shoulders.
The best way to describe him would be a "living corpse."
"You think we aren't qualified?!"
"The only ones allowed to open the door are servants, guests, and the strong..."
"Gotcha... You got a point. We aren't servants, and we weren't invited. But we are strong as hell, and we're here to take down the Blood Queen."
Quinton looks up at the white-haired man and grins.
The man stares back at him with unblinking eyes, then laughs. "Hee, hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee..."
[+]
"Whaddaya think you're laughin' at?!"
"Hee-hee-hee, I think I'm pretty stupid, but...it's always funny when I find someone even stupider than me..."
"The hell you say?!"
"Hee-hee. You really should know your place... Now, it's too late."
The white-haired man sheds a section of his rags, exposing the right side of his body.
There's nothing from the shoulder down.
"This was the result of my stupidity when I tried to challenge the Blood Queen four years ago... Not only did it cost me my arm, but now I'm a lowly Watchdog on a leash..."
There's a thick collar with a chain fastened around the man's neck.
"Ha. I'm Quinton, a Bushin Festival veteran. And he's Goldy the Victorious Golden Dragon. We ain't chumps like you."
"Hee-hee. That means nothing to me... I have a policy of not remembering the names of anyone weaker than me..."
"Huh? And just who the hell are you supposed to be?"
"Hee-hee, I'm just a Watchdog... But once, long ago...they used to call me the White Demon..."
"The White Demon? Never hearda you. Goldy, you know this guy?" Quinton turns to his partner.
Goldy shakes his head. "It does sound familiar, but... Sorry, I can't pin it down."
However, his eyes are fixed cautiously on the Watchdog.
"And there ya have it, Mr. Nobody," Quinton snaps.
"Hee-hee. Fine by me. The names of the stupid are best forgotten anyways..."
"No hard feelings, but we're goin' through that door whether you like it or not."
"Ah, but l'm a Watchdog... I can't just go letting weaklings by me..."
"...Eh. It's your funeral." Quinton glares at the Watchdog and unsheathes his blade.
The Watchdog reaches down with his left hand and draws his narrow, single-edged sword in kind. It's a beautiful weapon and longer than he is tall.
Goldy follows suit and draws his blade.
"Quinton…be careful."
"Whaddaya mean, be careful?"
"That man... I just can't gauge how strong he is."
"What? That one-armed pile of skin and bones? You're full of it!"
Quinton ignores Goldy's warning and attacks.
His greatsword casts a shining trail through the evening sunlight-and a moment later, blood sprays.
"...Huh?"
Cleaved neatly in two, pieces of the greatsword clatter on the ground.
"Q-Quinton!" Goldy shouts, and as he does, Quinton crumples from the gaping wound in his chest.
"Now, then... Who's next…?" The Watchdog stands before Goldy, drenched in Quinton's blood.
"D-damn you!"
Goldy hadn't been able to make out the Watchdog's slash that downed his friend.
All he saw was the spray of blood and the greatsword falling.
It was an incredible display of skill.
Goldy can tell the Watchdog stands far, far above them-despite being robbed of his dominant arm and being reduced to skin and bones.
He readies his sword regardless.
He hasn't known Quinton for long. However, they were united by the common goal to get back on their feet after the same crushing defeat.
"Don't worry... He's still alive. He's no good dead, after all..." The Watchdog laughs.
"How dare you!!"
Goldy gathers magic in his sword, then unleashes his strongest attack.
"Demonic Golden Dragon! Fatality Strike!!"
The moment he releases it, his eyes meet the Watchdog's.
The Watchdog's eyes are black and horribly bloodshot. When Goldy meets this bottomless gaze, he suddenly remembers who the White Demon is.
"W-wait, you're..."
The Watchdog's lips curl upward.
If this one-armed skeleton really is the White Demon...
Understanding the insurmountable difference in their strength, Goldy makes a spur-of-the-moment choice and fires his attack into the ground.
"Hmm...?"
A massive cloud of dust billows up.
Receding footsteps echo out, and a shout reverberates through the air.
"Quinton!! I swear-I swear I'll come back for you!!"
"Fleeing, huh...? Well, I can't follow him... I'm a Watchdog, after all..."
The Watchdog sweeps away the dust with a single swing of his sword, then watches Goldy sprint off.
"Hee-hee, but... Will he be able to get out unscathed...?"
As the Watchdog watches, the doors to the houses creak open, and their "residents" swarm Goldy.
"Hee, hee-hee-hee. Hee-hee-hee-hee-hee...!"
He looks up at the towering skyscrapers.
The Lawless City-the world's dumping grounds, controlled by three rulers in three lofty towers.
A world operating on survival of the fittest, where evil, wealth, and power from all over the globe congregate.
A world that no kings, no knights, and no monsters can intervene in.
Welcome to the Lawless City.
A world where might makes right.