Shadow wandered through the labyrinthine halls of the Bureau of Magical Development, his grin faltering slightly as he surveyed his surroundings.
"I am lost" he muttered, spinning in place and throwing his arms up in exasperation. "You'd think a bandit den this fancy would have some treasure lying around! What kind of bandits don't have a stash?"
He paused, scratching his head, his blade resting casually over one shoulder. The intricate, rune-inscribed walls seemed more suited to a scholar's sanctuary than a hideout. Rows of glowing glyphs hummed faintly, their meaning lost on him.
"What is this place anyway. I've heard echoes of it being a children trafficking bandit den, hum, but is it really a bandit den?" he grumbled, stomping forward before stopping abruptly at a fork in the corridor. He looked left, then right, and finally spun on his heel.
"Hmph, maybe this way?" he said, heading down a random path. Minutes later, he groaned in frustration. "Where do they even keep their loot? It's like they're not even real bandits. They're just weird."
As his voice echoed through the empty halls, Shadow heard the sound of slow, deliberate footsteps approaching from behind. He stopped and turned, his grin instantly returning.
A tall figure stepped out from the shadows, his regal robes brushing the ground as he moved. Brain, the director of the Bureau, fixed Shadow with a cold, calculating stare. His pale, angular face was framed by strands of white hair, and his eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity. He carried an aura of authority and menace that filled the air with a suffocating weight.
"Who are you?" Brain asked, his voice calm yet laced with danger. "And what business do you have here, child?"
Shadow tilted his head, pretending to consider the question. Then, he twirled his sword dramatically, striking a flamboyant pose.
"Who am I?" he repeated, his voice echoing theatrically. "Well, since you ask so nicely… I am the Stylish Bandit Slayer, the terror of bandit dens far and wide! Kya-ha-ha-ha!"
Brain raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. His lips curled into a faint smirk, though his gaze remained icy.
"A high-quality child," he murmured, more to himself than to Shadow. "You have potential. An abundant magic power and a strong body. Yes… you will make an excellent subject for my experiments. I will also mark you as my own."
Shadow blinked, then leaning backward made a disgusted face. "Mark me? Ew, you're not going to elongate your neck and bite me on the shoulder ?"
Brain blinked in return, not following this child imagination.
"Anyway, let's fight final boss. Let's see if you've got what it takes to keep up with the Stylish Bandit Slayer!" cackled Shadow.
Brain raised a hand, and the air between them shimmered with raw magical energy. A pulse of violet light erupted from his palm, crackling like a bolt of lightning as it carved through the air toward Shadow. The young man leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with mischief, and darted to the side with inhuman speed. The attack struck the wall behind him, obliterating it in a spray of rubble and magical residue.
"Oh, you're stronger than the others. As expected of the bandit boss!" Shadow quipped, his voice tinged with excitement. His black blade materialized in his hand with a low hum, pulsating with an eerie energy. Without hesitation, he dashed forward, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat.
Brain's eyes narrowed as he flicked his wrist, summoning a shimmering barrier of dark energy. Shadow's blade met the barrier with a sharp clang, the impact sending a shower of sparks into the air. The young intruder grinned, spinning on his heel and delivering a series of concentrated slashes that crashed against the magical shield, shattering it.
Brain jumped back, retaliating with a burst of energy that rippled outward like a tidal wave. Shadow flipped backward with a gymnast's grace, evading the onslaught as the dark magic scorched the floor beneath him.
The corridor became a battlefield. Brain extended both arms, and swirling vortexes of dark magic erupted from his palms, surging toward Shadow like ravenous beasts. Shadow's form blurred as he weaved through the assault, his feet barely touching the ground as he danced around the spiraling projectiles. One grazed his cloak, singeing the fabric, but he continued his advance, his laughter echoing through the smoke-filled hall.
"That's right, that's the power of a boss!" Shadow exclaimed, leaping into the air and bringing his blade down in a powerful arc.
Brain sidestepped with surprising agility, countering with a concentrated beam of energy that sliced through the corridor like a knife. Shadow twisted mid-air, his body contorting unnaturally as he narrowly but easily avoided the attack. The beam struck a support pillar, causing the ceiling above them to crack and groan ominously.
"You insolent brat," Brain muttered, his voice laced with irritation. He clasped his hands together, and a ring of glowing runes materialized around him. The runes flared brightly before shooting out dozens of razor-sharp tendrils of magic, each one homing in on Shadow.
Shadow's grin widened as he danced through the tendrils, his movements fluid and almost playful. But his eyes sharpened as he studied the tendrils' rhythm and flow, weaving through them with calculated precision.
Then, with a sigh, his expression shifted. "Unfortunately, you've got no control over magic, your style of fighting is barbaric, and it's not even your real body. It's becoming boring. Playtime is over."
Shadow suddenly propelled himself forward, using the magical tendrils as stepboards, his speed transcending the limits of perception. With a series of rapid strikes, he shattered the tendrils and appeared behind Brain. The director's projection body disintegrated into shards of light, scattering and fading into the ether before he could react.
"Are the bandits in this world so high-class? Even using projections to fight." Shadow shook his head, his grin undiminished. "Well, if you're not here, I guess I'll just help myself to your treasure!"
---
Meanwhile, in a distant, dimly lit chamber, Brain woke with a start. His chest heaved as he gasped for air, beads of cold sweat rolling down his face. He clutched his head, the memory of his projection's destruction replaying vividly in his mind.
"That speed… That precision…" he muttered, his voice trembling with disbelief. "Who is that monster kid? Stylish bandit slayer? No, that's no ordinary human. Only Zero might stand a chance against someone like him."
His fingers clenched into fists as he stood, forcing himself to suppress the lingering fear. "I need to stay as far away from him as possible."
Even as Brain tried to convince himself that avoiding Shadow was the best course of action, a nagging sense of dread lingered in the back of his mind. The boy's grin, that unshakable confidence—it was as if he was facing someone who enjoyed chaos, not out of malice, but for the sheer thrill of it.
For the first time in a long while, Brain felt the weight of caution press down on him like a phantom hand. "If he's after the treasure… Zero might have to come out. I don't want that to happen …"