"So they made their way to the deepest level, did they?" Fenrir mutters amid the white fog.
In front of the undamaged equipment, there's a pool of blood and two sets of footprints.
"They should have been able to destroy the devices. Did they realize we didn't have enough magic? No, even if they did, it would have been safer to destroy it anyway."
The bloody footprints go right past the devices and on to the door beyond them.
"The door won't open until the seal's been undone. What did they even come here for?"
Fenrir walks over to the door with Diablos's right arm sealed behind it. That's when he notices that the defense mechanism's been triggered.
"Did Lily drive them off?"
It's the only explanation that makes sense to him.
Whatever the case may be, though, it won't be long before the Shadow Garden makes their next move. He's running low on time.
"…My, my. It would seem you're in a bit of a bind."
All of a sudden, a voice echoes out from the fog.
Fenrir whirls around and lashes out with his sword. The force of his slash parts the fog.
He sees a priest standing in its place.
The priest gives him a thin smile. "Ooh, scary."
"Oh. Petos. It's you. Next time, at least tell me you're here. I was about to kill you there."
[+]
"It's been too long, Fenrir—fifth member of the Rounds. I see your blade is as sharp as ever. I could feel my blood run cold."
"Hmph."
Fenrir launched that attack fully intending for it to be lethal. If he'd been operating at full power, there's no way Petos would have been able to block it.
However, there isn't a scratch on him. What an infuriating man Petos is.
"If we fought seriously, I have little doubt you'd trounce me," Petos offers.
"Like you've ever fought seriously in your life, young Petos—tenth member of the Rounds," Fenrir spits back at him. "So, what do you want?"
"I saw you were in trouble. I thought I'd lend a hand."
Fenrir scoffs. "And you think I'd take help from a fiend like you?"
Petos's smile deepens. "A fiend? You wound me. I'm but a humble servant of the Cult."
"I'll ask you again. What are you doing here, Petos? If we wanted someone to shoot the breeze with, neither of us would be the other's first choice."
Fenrir turns the hostility way up, and the grin vanishes from Petos's face. "The Fenrir sect's repeated failures have begun causing problems for the Rounds Table." He casts a quick glance at the cylindrical devices. "The right arm's sealing is behind schedule."
"We're about sixty percent of the way there."
"Sixty, hmm…? As I'm sure you're aware, the Sanctuary's destruction set the left arm free. We're expecting to produce even fewer Beads this year."
"So Aurora is rejecting us."
"Indeed she is, and more so than in years prior. She's rejecting us at every turn. In all likelihood, being set free is causing her to regain her sense of self."
"Well, that's a problem. How many Beads are we looking at?"
"Nine...and that's if we're lucky. It might be as few as eight. The one silver lining is that thanks to the Shadow Garden culling our ranks, we don't need as many...but I suppose that's indelicate to say." Petos breaks into a chuckle. It's unclear what he finds so funny. "If the Bead production falls below our estimates...or if we end up appointing a new member, then there won't be a Bead for you this year."
"You've got a lot of nerve, Petos."
Fenrir unleashes a murderous slash. It slices through Petos's jacket and leaves a thin trail of blood running down his neck.
"Ooh, careful there," Petos cautions.
"How dare a neophyte think you're my equal."
"The decision was the Rounds Table's. I'm merely the messenger. See it as a sign of how seriously the Rounds Table is taking the Fenrir sect's blunders."
Fenrir clicks his tongue and quells his bloodthirst. "Was Loki behind this?"
Loki is the leader of a faction that's been at odds with Fenrir's for years.
"Loki was...present at the discussion, certainly."
"And you threw your vote in with him, didn't you? You were scared that if it wasn't me, it would be your Bead on the chopping block."
"Oh, perish the thought. I am, as always, your faithful ally."
Fenrir scoffs at Petos's reply. "If people want to point fingers, this is the whole Cult's fault for not taking the Shadow Garden seriously enough. Those first reports were, what, five years ago? You know, those attacks by an unknown group on our carriages carrying the possessed. If we'd put them down then and there, then they never would have grown to the scope they have today."
"Perhaps you have a point."
"The Cult's immortality has made it complacent, and now they're as dull as fatted swine. The twelfth seat was always empty, but now we've lost Nelson and Mordred, too. I swear, the Rounds' quality is dropping by the day. The only reason you're on the Rounds is to replace the tenth seat that Shadow killed two years back. Someone of your caliber should never have been allowed to become a member."
"I suppose in a sense, I have the Shadow Garden to thank for my current position. They really do have my utmost gratitude," Petos says mockingly. "Apolo-gies, that was a slip of the tongue. In any case, though, the Rounds Table is finally making their move. They're taking things quite seriously now."
"Ah yes, the plan... The Shadowhunting Jaw, was it?"
"Do you think it will work?"
"It doesn't bring me any joy to see Loki spearheading the operation, but this should be a valuable opportunity. We need to nail down whether Shadow's strength is the real deal."
"You suspect it isn't?"
"I didn't say that. If it is real, though, it seems a little difficult to believe. Either he's using an artifact of legend, or he's from another Realm, or maybe he possesses the same technology the Cult does..."
"And what if he's just an ordinary man?"
A fearless smile flashes across Fenrir's face. "Then he's a man who's reached the peak of martial prowess. If that's true, then I need to see it for myself. Whatever the case, it's been hundreds of years since the Rounds Table has offered me support. Sooner or later, you'll learn exactly why that is."
"I see... Then as the rookie, I suppose I'd best keep my mouth shut and follow your lead. I do have a part to play in the plan, however minor it may be."
"Don't mess it up, young Petos."
"I could say the same to you, Fenrir. If you fail to free the right arm, if the ruins fall into the Shadow Garden's hands..."
Petos trails off mid-sentence and braces himself. The magic pouring off Fenrir is truly ominous.
"You forget who you're talking to, Petos. I am Fenrir. Long have I held the Rounds' fifth seat, and long have I held my pride. One way or another, I'll see that arm unsealed."
"I would expect nothing less, sir."
"We will revive Diablos and, in doing so, attain true immortality. I won't let anyone question the methods I take to achieve that end. Even if I have to break this nation in twain."
"…All that matters are your results. That's why I came here. To help."
"I already said, I don't need help from the likes of you."
"The Rounds Table has made their decision. Please, don't hesitate to make use of these artifacts."
The artifacts in question are a gaudy set of collars with something resembling a clock hand attached to each one.
"What are those?" Fenrir asks.
"New artifacts, fresh from the Cult labs. It looked as though you were having trouble gathering magic, so we thought these might serve you well."
"...I'll use them if the mood strikes me. That aside, I find it hard to imagine you came all this way just to run a simple errand. What's really going on here?"
"I'm merely following orders. I am nothing if not devoted to the Cult. Now, to change the subject a little... Have you ever seen a gold-haired therianthrope in these ruins?"
Petos asks the question casually, like he's simply making small talk, but Fenrir hears something in his tone. This, he intuits, is the real reason Petos came.
"A gold-haired therianthrope? I'm not sure..."
Fenrir hasn't forgotten the golden Seven Shadows member, not by a long shot. However, he sees no particular reason to share that information with Petos.
Fenrir's gaze meets Petos's.
Petos is the first to break eye contact. "If you spot her, do let me know."
"Is there something special about her?"
"Oh, nothing worth mentioning. I'll be seeing you." Petos scuttles off into the fog.
"A gold-haired therianthrope... Petos acquired a sample by wiping out the Golden Leopard clan. That was what earned him his promotion to the Rounds. Could it be? Did one of them survive?"
Fenrir looks at the cylindrical devices 60 percent full of magic. Petos has just confirmed that he's free to use whatever methods he deems fit.
He bares his teeth in a grin.
"Now this is getting interesting."
<<•>>
Although the black beasts all but destroyed it, the Oriana Kingdom is recovering quickly, thanks in part to the Shadow Garden's assistance.
Alpha narrows her eyes from within the royal castle as she stares out at the reconstruction efforts dyed red in the sunset's glow.
"So? Are you prepared to do what needs to be done?" she asks the girl behind her.
The girl in question has a beautiful face and honey-colored locks. It's Rose Oriana.
"Will they ever forgive me?" Rose murmurs, her eyes wavering.
"Probably not. Many of the people still resent you."
"I...I can't be the queen. All that would do is bring more turmoil to Oriana."
"Perhaps in peacetime, that would be the wise choice to make. But things are different now. You know what's about to become of this country. You know there are no other options available." Alpha turns around and fixes Rose with a harsh stare. "I assume you've heard that Midgar is breaking off their alliance with you. Holy Teachings has officially branded the Oriana Kingdom a heretic state. Your imports and exports have been sanctioned, and it won't be long before they dry up completely. Soon enough, they'll give the order, and the Oriana Kingdom's neighbors will move in to suppress you. I don't know how many nations will answer the call, but seeing as you don't have a proper military, it doesn't much matter. You'll get annihilated."
Rose clenches her fists and hangs her head. "A heretic state... How did it come to this?"
"The Cult is afraid of you. Of Oriana."
"But we're so small. What could they possibly have to be afraid of?"
"They're scared little lambs. That's why they fear the sun's light."
"What do you mean?"
"There's nothing humanity seeks more than eternal life. Now that they have it, they're utterly terrified that it might get stolen away. If they ruled the world out in the open, someone would eventually show up to do exactly that. That's why they hide. It's why they keep their immortality secret, and why they chose to use Holy Teachings to rule the world from the shadows. All this time, they've been running from the sun."
"So that's why you called them scared lambs..."
"But now that the Oriana Kingdom is making a stand against the Cult, the world's public side and its underbelly are becoming one. If they leave Oriana unchecked, then eventually they'll find themselves dragged onto center stage. That's what they're afraid of."
Rose stares intensely at Alpha. "And the Shadow Garden wants to take advantage of that."
"We do. We want to take advantage of the Oriana Kingdom. That's the whole reason we helped you."
"With how much power the Shadow Garden has, you could just defeat the Cult straight-up. What do you need Oriana for?"
"Defeating the Cult wouldn't be enough to destroy it."
"What?"
"People can die. Countries can fall. But cults never perish. Even if we defeated the Cult, nothing would end. It's impossible to put a cult down as long as there are people who believe in it. That's just the way cults work."
"But..."
"Don't underestimate them. When you make an enemy of them, your own people stab you in the back. Most of the Holy Teachings priests and believers are good, upstanding people, but the Cult will use their faith to whip them into a frenzy and get them thirsty for blood. The Shadow Garden is strong, but we're not strong enough to kill every last Holy Teachings believer in the world. That's what the Oriana Kingdom is for. We need the kingdom in order to force the Cult's evil out into the open and to separate them from the Church."
"How would you even do that?"
"By getting Holy Teachings to sever ties with them. It's Holy Teachings that people believe in, not the Cult of Diablos. If we can make that distinction clear, the Cult will become public enemy number one. But to do that, we have to win. Oriana's neighbors will come to put you down before long, and we need Oriana to win that fight. Win, and then tell the world that their real enemy is the Cult."
"And that's why you want me to become the queen."
"If we want to destroy the Cult, we need a nation that can act publicly on our behalf. The fight between Oriana and Holy Teachings is going to be a proxy war between the Shadow Garden and the Cult. If you're prepared to become the queen, we'll offer you help from the shadows."
Rose hangs her head. "Will I even be able to be a good queen?" she says, each word sounding labored.
"You aren't going to be a peacetime queen; you'll be a crisis queen. In peacetime, queens need to be loved by the people and kind enough to make their nations plentiful. But in times of crisis, all that goes out the window. In crisis, a queen needs strength. Strength enough to achieve her goals, even if that means taking on pain, or making sacrifices, or being loathed by the masses." Alpha fixes her gorgeous eyes on Rose. "And you, Rose Oriana, will be a strong queen indeed."
"A strong queen..."
Rose mulls over the phrase. She repeats it again and again, not out loud, but within her mouth. The only thing that comes to mind is her own weakness.
"But...I'm weak."
"Only those who know weakness can ever be truly strong."
A trickle of tears rolls down Rose's cheek.
"My father left the Oriana Kingdom and its people in my hands. If there's anything in my power I can do for them...Even if it means being hated, I want to protect this nation. I..."
Rose wipes away her tears and looks up. Then she takes her rapier and holds it to her golden locks.
"I...I can't go on being weak forever."
She slices through them.
The severed strands flutter through the air.
"I will become a strong queen."
What hair she has left goes down to only her shoulders.
Alpha offers her a kind smile. "Then as long as your resolve holds firm, the Shadow Garden will not forsake you. This, I swear."
Then she calls for Numbers 664 and 665. It's unclear why, but the two of them are dressed in maid uniforms.
"I'm stationing these two by your side. I figured it would be best to pair you with people you already knew."
"Thank you, ma'am."
"There's no need to be so formal with me. You and I are equals. You want to become a strong queen, do you not?"
"That's right, ma'— I mean, that's right," Rose says, not used to the new dynamic. "That's exactly what I'm going to do."
"Heh..." Number 665 chuckles under her breath. "Number 666 is so adorable."
"I'm just glad it all ended happily," Number 664 quietly replies. "Though if she had just come and talked to me, we could have hashed this out ages ago."
Rose turns to them. "Thank you both so much."
"Hey, yeah, anytime."
"F-for the record, I'm still the squad leader here. Don't you forget it!"
Rose gives the two of them a warm smile. "Of course, leader."
"I'll be using them to relay information about our plans going forward, so I'll need you to arrange proper positions and identities for them," Alpha says. "For the time being, we'll want to keep the connections between the Shadow Garden and the Oriana Kingdom a secret."
"I'll hire them on as my personal maids. As for the identities, I'll have those ready as soon as I can."
"That would be wonderful. Oh, and it appears we have company."
As the words leave Alpha's mouth, the door swings open and reveals an indigo-haired girl. It's Gamma, third of the Seven Shadows. For whatever reason, she's dragging another girl along behind her.
"Ah, Alpha, I finally found you."
"Well, hello, Gamma. I had no idea you were here in Oriana."
"Considering the direction things are taking, I felt it would be prudent to close down all Mitsugoshi operations in the kingdom," Gamma says, keeping her voice low. "I just got finished laying the groundwork to retrofit all our stores into Shadow Garden bases."
"You never fail to impress, Gamma. I appreciate the quick turnaround."
Gamma casts a sidelong glance over at Rose. "And what about Princess Rose?"
Alpha looks over at Rose as well. "She's prepared to walk this path alongside us."
"I look forward to working with you."
Gamma gives Rose's greeting a wordless bow, then turns back to Alpha. "I have two items of note to report. Do you want to talk here?"
It appears that Gamma is concerned about Rose's presence. Rose can tell that she hasn't earned their trust yet. "I'm happy to prepare another room for you to—"
Alpha cuts her off. "Here is fine."
"Are you certain?" Gamma asks.
"Very. I have no objections to talking here."
Alpha looks at Gamma and Rose. The implication in her eyes is clear: I have no objections. Do either of you?
"…I have no objections, either," Gamma accedes.
"Nor do I," says Rose.
"Then my first report is about the equipment Beta retrieved from the Realm the other day."
"Ah yes," Alpha replies. "The 'Lapped Op' and the 'Tabbed Let."
"Eta's finished examining them." Gamma turns and looks at the girl she's dragged along. "Eta, tell them what you told me."
The girl lets out an adorable snore. "ZZZZZ."
"Dang it, Eta, get up!"
Gamma grabs Eta by the shoulders and shakes her awake. When she does, Eta's head sways back, then immediately smashes into Gamma's nose.
"ZOINKS!" Eta's eyes snap open from the force of the impact. "Huuhn?"
That, in a nutshell, is Eta. She's the seventh member of the Seven Shadows and spends most of her time researching Shadow Wisdom.
"Where am I?" She looks around unconcernedly.
Eta is a short elf with long dark hair. At the moment, her bedhead is causing that hair to spring up in every direction.
"C-come on," Gamma says as she squeezes her bleeding nose. "You need to give Alpha the report we talked about!"
"The report? Ohhh, about the Lapped Op."
"E-exactly."
"Um, here's my report..." Eta turns her sleepy gaze to Alpha. "Everything that used electricity like the Lapped Op did was broken. I tried disassembling them to find out why, and it looks like it's because of the electromagnetic waves coming through the gate."
"Can you fix them?" Alpha asks.
"Not now. But eventually, I'll understand them."
"I see... Eh, it is what it is. I guess we'll just have to be patient. Honestly, Beta, couldn't you have brought back anything that doesn't run on electricity?"
"It's not all bad. The level of engineering used to make them is incredibly high. Even without being able to turn them on, I still learned a lot from their designs."
"Really? Well, that's good. Still, I imagine Beta was pretty torn up about the news."
"She bawled her eyes out."
"Is that really something to cry over?"
"Not quite. She was feeling down, so I mixed some chemicals into her tea to make her feel better."
"…And?"
Eta's mouth curls into a smirk. "She started stripping and sobbing out of nowhere. Cause: unknown. Highly fascinating."
Alpha lets out a long sigh. "I'm slashing your research budget for next month."
"What? Why?!"
"How many times do I have to remind you not to experiment on people without their consent? You need to think long and hard about what you've done."
"Boo. Sacrifices have to be made in order to advance Shadow Wisdom."
"Don't 'boo' me. Now, I expect another report as soon as you find anything we can put to use here in our world."
"Boooo."
Alpha's eyes narrow. "Also, I notice there's one item she brought back that you haven't mentioned yet."
"An item... Ah. The otherworlder just woke up. We don't speak her language, so we're having Beta talk to her. Her name is Akane."
"Akane... What else have you learned about her?"
"Her body is more or less the same as a human's. Don't know any details yet. I could get them a lot faster if you let me experiment on her."
"Have Beta continue looking after her until she's settled in. And don't pull any funny business, you hear? None."
"Boo." Eta reluctantly nods to Alpha.
Alpha turns back over to Gamma. "All right, I'm up to speed on the Eta situation. Now, what was that second report you had?"
"It's about Zeta, over in Midgar. Have you heard anything from her?"
"Nothing." Alpha sighs again. "I swear... Getting that girl to send in sitreps is like pulling teeth."
"I checked on her before leaving for Oriana, so allow me to report on her behalf."
"You're a lifesaver, Gamma."
"The Fenrir sect is making their move. It would appear they've been kidnapping Midgar Academy students. We've been retrieving the majority of the possessed, so they've been having trouble undoing the seal."
"And how has Zeta responded?"
"That's the thing... She hasn't."
"She hasn't done anything?"
"Not a one. And she should have had no trouble figuring out what the Fenrir sect is up to."
"Zeta marches to the beat of her own drum, but no one can deny that she's talented. I wonder what's going on?" Alpha says quizzically.
"The Fenrir sect may be in decline, but they've still ruled Midgar's underworld for a long time. What's more, Fenrir is one of the founding members of the Rounds. We can't afford to make light of them."
"The credit collapse should have dealt them a grave blow. I had assumed that their capital and combat assets were all but drained...but perhaps I was too hasty to count out an original member of the Rounds."
"We might want to consider sending in backup. Delta is still stationed in Midgar, but I find it hard to imagine those two ever actually working together."
"You're not wrong there…," Alpha mutters noncommittally as she stares at the scenery outside.
"I'm busy setting up the bases. We can't tear Eta away from her research. Meanwhile, Beta has the otherworlder and her paperwork to deal with... The only member we have available is Epsilon. We could also send in some of the Numbers—"
"That won't be necessary," Alpha says, still staring out into the distance.
"But... Are you certain?"
"There's no need to worry. I'm sure she'll be fine. She's always been able to handle herself."
It's not like Alpha to be so optimistic, Gamma thinks. "I don't know what, but something feels off."
"I still remember the first day I met her. I'd never seen eyes like hers. They were so sad, like they resented the entire world. I welcomed her in and treated her like family so I could mend the wounds in her heart...and now she's changed." Alpha turns around and gazes at Gamma with her blue eyes. "That's how I know it's going to be okay. Because we're family."
Alpha smiles. It's a warm smile, the kind that seems to wrap everything up in its embrace.