Chapter 1: The Shadow Garden
It's been three years since the establishment of the Shadow Garden. Alpha and Azaka have turned thirteen years old, and Azaka's older sister Claire, is fifteen.
There isn't anything special about turning thirteen, but fifteen is another story. That's when aristocrats begin their three-year education at a school in the royal capital.
As the bearer of the hopes and dreams of the Kagenou household, Claire had a crazy farewell party thrown for her, which was organized by the mother.
Well, it was fine until she vanished the day of her departure. All hell broke loose in the Kagenou household.
"The room was like this when I came in" Explains the dad in a low, suave voice. His face isn't bad, either.
"No signs of a struggle. But it looks like the window has been pried open. The culprit must have been skilled to do this without me and Claire noticing" He touches the windowsill and stares wistfully at the sky. A glass of whiskey would complete the scene. Now, if only he had hair..
"And?" Replies a chilly voice. "Are you saying it's our fault since the kidnapper was skilled?" The mother said.
"T-That's not what I'm saying. I was just stating a fact…" Answers the dad as cold sweat drips down his cheeks.
There's a pause for a moment. "Shut it, baldyyyyyy!!"
"Eep! I-I'm sorry! I'm sorry!!"
Azaka is at the corner of the room, he sneaks out quietly. They don't expect much from him and he doesn't cause any trouble.
Azaka punches the wall as he exits, his older sister, despite being not related, was kidnapped. He cares for her, since she treats him like her own brother.
"I will kill the people behind this" He mutters, then he tries to calm himself down.
Azaka is not the type to rage, but with his sister's disappearance, he would start to feel angry. The kidnappers nabbed her in the middle of the night when he was busy doing his research, which meant he couldn't do anything to stop it.
After watching with a concerned expression while his parents bicker, he sneaks into his room and rolls into bed.
"You can come out now"
"Okay" Replies a voice accompanied by the sound of the curtains swishing gently.
A girl in a black slime bodysuit steps out from behind them.
"Oh, it's you. Beta"
"Yes" Says the girl, an Elf like Alpha. But while Alpha's hair is blond, Beta's is silver, framing her blue feline eyes and the mole right under one of them.
She's the third member of the Shadow Garden, after Azaka and Alpha. He did tell Alpha to do things in moderation, but she keeps taking people in like they're stray cats.
Beta also has a Gift in her possession, Gifts are the Noble Phantasms that Azaka handed them. All 7 members have it, each one of them is also unique.
"Where's Alpha?"
"She's searching for signs of Miss Claire"
Azaka looks a bit surprised. "She's fast. I take it Claire is fine?"
"Most likely"
"So she will do the rest?"
"No, it requires your assistance, Master Semvoid"
Semvoid is a nickname for Azaka, since he is the leader of the Shadow Garden. It stands for "Symbiote", just because Azaka found the usage of slimes from his research.
"Alpha needs help?"
"Yes. She said we must take every precaution in a hostage situation"
Alpha is powerful, she should be just fine with her own. If she's asking for backup, the enemy must be a big shot.
All 7 members of Shadow Garden were personally trained by Azaka himself, mainly in controlling Noble Phantasms and magic. He also lectured them about some knowledge here and there, the longest member who experienced his training is no doubt Alpha.
Amongst the 7, Alpha stands on the top and is the one who has the leadership. Azaka groomed her to be one, plus she has natural talents on her own which is good for her.
"So I take it this will be an invasion rather than a rescue mission, yes?"
"Yes, as we'd expected, the perpetrator is a member of the Cult of Diabolos, presumably one of their highest-ranking officers"
"A high rank, huh? Did they suspect that she's one of the heroes' descendants?" Azaka looks at her as she nods. "I will rip those bastards apart, so what do we have about them?"
Azaka stands up from his bed, while Beta, thickens the plot. She takes out a pile of documents and puts them on the near table as she starts reporting. "Your story was true after all-" And "The Curse of Diabolos from one thousand years ago have-" And "This monument may be a sign of the Cult-"
Azaka takes one of the documents as he analyzes the ancient texts on them, the details inside of it fit all of his guesses about Diabolos.
"So Diabolos is sleeping, not sealed, that's really troubling" Azaka comments.
Beta widened her eyes. "Master Semvoid, you understand these texts? Alpha and I could barely understand them, we had to use the dictionaries to help us"
"Yes, it's a text from the late era but it doesn't mean it disappeared. So there are some people who could understand them"
"Incredible" Beta mutters her breath.
"So the two of you scrounge up these paperworks because you thought that they looked suspiciously enough to feel as if we're getting closer to the truth. Is that it?"
"Um.." Beta looks away, lost of words.
"I'm not scolding you, these texts are hard to understand so it's fine to misunderstand them" Azaka smiles.
"S-Sorry" Beta lowers her tone, then she takes out a map. "Please take a look at this report. According to our most recent investigation, Miss Claire seems to have been brought to this hideout"
Beta begins laying out a huge heap of files. The majority is written in an ancient alphabet, the same goes for the series of numbers and symbols. The map has a large circle on a certain location, which is what they mark as where Claire could be.
Azaka blinks at the map as he is thinking, then he gets an idea as he grabs the marker on his desk and marks a circle on the west side of the location.
"There"
"There? What? I don't understand" Beta looks utterly confused.
"That's where my sister is"
"But there's nothing there-"
"Beta, the hideout that you're pointing at is their secondary base. It's because the location of it is easy to get through, what kind of secret base has access to a river and apple trees so openly?"
She blinks, then she balks, hastily rummaging through her reports as if she's realized something. "A-After cross-referencing my reports, it appears that there is a hideout in that location"
"To think you instantly interpreted these documents and uncovered hidden details… You never cease to amaze me, Master Semvoid" Beta adds.
"You can improve, Beta. I believe in you, everyone can improve" He said warmly.
"I'll do my best" Beta blushes, nodding to him. "I will report to Alpha right away. Will we attempt our rescue tonight?"
"Yes, right away"
"Understood" Beta bows to him and leaves the room with all sparkly eyes. She has high respect for him, who has high talents and skills.
A man walks down a dimly lit underground tunnel. Appearing to be in his late thirties, he has a piercing gaze and a well-built body, and all his gray hair is slicked back.
He stops at the end of the tunnel, where there's one door flanked by two soldiers. "The daughter of Baron Kagenou" He orders.
"In here, sir" One soldier pipes up, bowing to Grease and unlocking the door. "We've got her restrained, but she's extremely hostile. Please proceed with caution"
"Hmph. Who do you think I am?"
"M-My apologies, sir!" Grease pushes through the door and enters the stone dungeon, where a girl is shackled to the wall with magic chains.
"You must be Claire Kagenou"
When she was addressed by her name, the girl looked up at Grease in response. Wrapped in the dainty negligee she wore to bed. It lightly veils her voluptuous breasts and shapely thighs, and her silken black hair is cut straight across her back. Claire glares defiantly at him.
"I've seen you around the capital. You're Viscount Grease, aren't you?"
"Oh, well, I used to be a royal guard…or you saw me at the Bushin Festival"
"Right, the tournament. Princess Iris really tore you apart" Claire smirks.
"Hmph. We're bound by tournament rules, which makes that an exception. I would never lose to her in a real battle"
"You would lose then, too, Viscount Grease. You first-round flunker"
"Shut it. A brat will never know the struggles of getting to the finals" Grease scowls at Claire.
"That's what a loser would say" Said Claire.
"Coming from you, that means nothing"
The chains that bind her clang loudly as she closes the distance between them, snapping her teeth a hair breadth away from the nape of Grease's neck.
Chomp. If Grease hadn't slightly turned his head, she would have severed his carotid artery.
Claire is howling with laughter when he punches her in the jaw, slamming her against the stone wall. But her glare remains unchanged and locked on Grease the entire time. His next punch doesn't land.
"Jumping backward now, eh?"
Claire smiles fearlessly. "Oh, I assumed you were trying to hit a fly"
"Hmph. I guess you're not letting your strong magical powers overwhelm you" He fixes his position.
"I learned that it's all about how you use magic, not how much"
"Your father taught you well"
"Baldy didn't teach me a thing. I'm talking about my brother"
"Kagenou household have a son?"
"Adopted, so what? He only stares at the papers and books all the time, he avoids getting into fights like a pacifist he is. A nerd, but his advice about techniques makes it seem like he knows more than I could. Which is why I make life hard for him" A playful grin plays across her face.
"My condolences to your brother. I guess this makes me the hero who saves him from his wicked sister. Enough chitchat" Grease pauses, observing her intently.
"Claire Kagenou, has your physical condition.. Felt off recently? As in, has it gotten harder to use and handle magic? Have you experienced any pain when you use it? Is your body starting to turn dark with rot? Do you have any of these symptoms?"
"Did you kidnap me to play doctor?" The corners of Claire's glossy lip lift to a smile.
"You know, I used to have a daughter. I don't want to knock you around more than I already have. Answering honestly would benefit us both"
"Is that a threat? When I feel threatened, I tend to get hostile.. Even when I shouldn't" Claire said.
"Are you saying you won't tell me the truth?"
"We'll see"
Grease and Claire glare at each other for a while. She's the one to break the silence.
"Fine. I'll answer your dumb question, since it's no big deal. What was it? About my condition and magic, right? Well, everything's fine now. If I wasn't chained up, I'd be doing good" Claire said.
"What do you mean by 'now'?"
"Well, I first noticed the symptoms a year ago"
"What? Are you saying it got cured, on its own?" Grease has never heard of a case where it healed on its own.
"Yeah, I didn't do anything.. Not me, technically. But my little brother would warm me with his magic, it honestly feels very gentle and smooth"
"No way.." He looks surprised. "Are you telling me this so-called brother of yours, healed you?"
"Could be, I told you, he's a cheeky one. He has all this bizarre knowledge, dare I say he's the smartest being in this world" Claire smirks, her expression is clearly about showing off.
He falls silent for a while. "But if you had symptoms, that means I wasn't mistaken in thinking you're compatible"
"Compatible…? What does that mean?"
"Nothing that should concern you. Either way, you're going to break soon enough. Oh, and I'll make sure to finish your brother-" Before he can finish his sentence, he suffers a blow to the nose.
"Wha?!" He barks, stumbling back to the door and glowering at Claire. He holds his bloody nose. "Claire Kagenou, you wretch!"
All four limbs should have been bound, but she somehow managed to free her right arm, where blood trickles down her wrist.
"You scraped off your own flesh and dislocated your finger!?" These are no ordinary chains. They're sealed with magic. In other words, she unleashed the full extent of her physical strength to slice the flesh off her hand, break her own bones, and slide out of the chains to punch Grease. This rattles him to his core.
"If you do anything to my brother, I'll never forgive you! I'll kill you, your loved ones, your family, your friends! Ngh!?"
Grease clobbers Claire in the gut with all his might. There's no way she can defend herself from his spells, especially when she's strapped down by chains.
"You bitch!" Spits Grease as she crumples to the ground.
On the floor, there's a pool of dark-red blood fed by a trickle from her right hand.
"Well, then. I'll know when I've used this.." He murmurs, reaching out to touch her blood when a wounded soldier flings the door open.
"Viscount Grease, we're in trouble! There are intruders!"
"Intruders?! How did they even know this place.. No, who the hell are they?"
"We don't know! There are only a few of them, but we don't stand a chance without you!"
"Ugh, I'll take care of it! The rest of you, stay on guard!" Grease clicks his tongue in irritation before turning on his boots and making his way out from the cell.
By the time Grease arrives on the scene, the area is already smeared with blood. The soldiers who protect the major facility aren't weak by any means, some even rival the royal guard.
"Why? This can't be!" Illuminated by a single light streaming in from the outside, countless dead bodies litter the ground of the underground hall in the facility.
Each bears a single slash, sliced by an unimaginably destructive force.
"Son of a bitch!" Grease glares at a group of figures dressed in black bodysuits. From their curves, he can guess they're petite girls, seven in total.
Under the dim light of the moon, they're stealthy enough that it's easy to lose sight of them without a concerted effort. These women are using a rare technique to control their magical presence plus unique powers, Grease recognizes this group might just rival him in strength.
There's one who's drenched in blood, eyeing him under the moonlight.
"Nnr!" In this moment, instinct overtakes Grease, not for any explicit reason, but he can sense danger. Blood drips down her bodysuit and onto the floor, and she lets her katana drag behind her apathetically, creating a trail of gore.
"Who the hell are you? What's your purpose?" He asks, attempting to suppress his unease. But he's faced with seven rivals as powerful as him.
To fight would be asinine. Grease curses his bad luck as he searches for a way out.
The blood-splattered girl isn't listening to him. She laughs, snickering from behind her bloodied mask.
"Back off, Delta" The girl halts in place before retreating without resistance.
Grease lets out a huge sigh of relief. Another girl walks forward to take her place. "We are the Shadow Garden" If they were anywhere else, her angelic voice would have entranced him. "I am Alpha"
He realizes she's revealed her face at some point, and her pale skin gleams under the moonlight. She steps forward.
"Nn.." He sees she's an Elf with golden hair and beauty that leaves him gasping for breath.
She takes another step. "Our goal is to eliminate the Cult of Diabolos"
He doesn't take notice of her black sword until it slices through the air and parts the night sky. Or at least, it seems to create that illusion, and Grease is overcome with intimidation by the force of her swing and the wind that follows it.
How did she acquire such power at this age? He trembles with jealousy and fear,but more than anything, he's petrified by her declaration.
"How… How do you know our group?"
The Cult of Diabolos. Grease is one of the few people in the facility who knows the name of this organization.
"We know everything. We know all about the demon Diabolos, his curse and the heroes' descendants. Also, the truth about the possessed"
"H-How did you-" Grease was only recently informed of this top secret information, which couldn't.. No, shouldn't have been leaked.
"You're not the only ones after the Curse of Diabolos"
"Ksh…!" He knows he can't forgive them for getting access to classified information. But would slaying them prevent it from spreading?
No, no good. Which means he needs to live, to survive, to inform headquarters about the girls.
Which is why Grease moves forward. "Aaaaaaaaagh!!" He shouts, unsheathing his sword and swiping at Alpha.
"How reckless" She notes, dodging and countering it with ease. Her blade grazes his cheek, where blood pours from the fresh wound.
And yet, that doesn't stop him. He continues to pursue victory, even as none of his attacks lands. Grease misses by a hairbreadth each time. On the other side, Alpha is focused on eliminating unnecessary movements and calculating the trajectory of his sword to sidestep oncoming assaults.
And all the while, Grease's arms are slashed, legs cut, shoulders sliced. But none of his wounds are fatal. Grease sneers when he realizes she won't kill him until she gets intel out of him.
After he slices through nothing again and again, he's finally slashed in the chest, causing him to retreat.
"Let's not waste any more time," says Alpha.
Grease doesn't answer, kneeling and clutching his wounded chest. A smile then spreads across his face as he starts pulling out a small bottle of pink pills, but his head is hit by a flying sword that flies at the speed of sound.
"Wha" He could barely react, all he knows is that everything turns dark around him as his head splatters into a grind meat from the impact of the flying sword.
Footsteps echoed in the place, a boy around the same age as the girls, walks towards the bottle of pills as he stomps on it.
"Master Semvoid, why are you-" Alpha looks at him.
"Because it's obvious, those can boost magical energy for themselves just like the possessed. But the difference is that they are in control, while the possessed is not"
Semvoid, who is in a dark purple cloak and a set of black and purple armour behind it, said. He's holding a bow, which is a hint that he was the one who shot the flying blade.
Just like that, the Shadow Garden accomplished their rescue mission.
They found Azaka's sister unconscious, so they simply undid her chains and left her there to avoid confusion, which contributed to her crankiness when she returned home the next day.
But she's a real tough cookie, tough enough that the wound on her hand almost healed overnight. After a hectic week or so of hospital treatments and follow-up investigations, she finally made her way to the Capital.
Though she pestered Azaka more than usual during that time for some unknown reason.
The girls in the Shadow Garden were busy, conducting their own research, taking care of the people of The Cult.
While Azaka is taking care of things since he would also go to the Capital 2 years from now, he yearns to get stronger.
There are more powerful Noble Phantasms that he could use, but he needs more magical energy to act as a fuel for them. So for now, he could use the cheap ones and train himself to gain more magical energy.
The girls gather around him as they want to share their reports on the Cult and lab findings on the curse and the possessed. It's unusual to have all seven of them in a room at once, especially since it seems they've got their hands full as of late.
Here's a simple summary of their findings. Their first claim is that the heroes who slayed Diabolos the demon were all women, which is why they're the ones who suffer exclusively from the curse.
Their next report was on how the curse was most common among Elves, followed by therianthropes and then humans. According to their research, it has to do with the life spans of the respective species.
With humans living short lives with weak traces of the heroic bloodline, they're least susceptible to the curse. On the other hand, Elves have long life expectancies with potent concentrations of blood, which makes them the most prone to fall victim to the curse.
The therianthropes, or known as hybrid beasts, are in the middle.
Azaka realizes that he's the only human in the Shadow Garden, and he has never been possessed for obvious reasons. Besides him, they have two therianthropes and aposse of five Elves, all seven have been possessed.
Then they proceed to report on a bunch of other things, they move on to their reports about the Cult, which is supposedly a massive organization that operates on a global scale.
In terms of the possessed, they reported that the Cult calls them "compatibles" and their members are supposedly going the extra mile to locate, acquire, and wipe them from existence.
Azaka could feel like there's something hidden behind it, but he chose to not say his theories for now.
Furthermore, they also suggest that the Shadow Garden must scatter across the world to prevent this from spreading. Their plan would leave him with one rotating subordinate, the rest of them will scatter to every corner of the world to protect the possessed, investigate the Cult and sabotage their activities.
When they suggest this new plan, Azaka realizes that they feel indebted to him for curing them, which is why they're going to stick with him on a rotating basis.
He supports the idea, believing that this is the first step for the girls to grow for themselves. He feels all soppy but agrees to send them on their way. He had never planned on having seven members to begin with, but he did care about them.
If they leave him with one subordinate, that's enough for him. He sees them off and they reluctantly exchange goodbyes.