Chapter 3: Night of Shadow Garden
Azaka was interrogated in a room comparable to a detention cell and released after five days.
It's evening, the sun sets before nightfall.
"Go on. Scram" They shove an almost naked Azaka out of the building and throw a suitcase that is filled with his clothes on his head.
Azaka lays on the ground with only his underwear on, his blood drips from his body as he tries to stand up with his elbows because all his fingernails were ripped off.
The temptation to destroy this entire planet with Ars Almadel Salomonis keeps rising, but he keeps his calm as he thinks rationally.
He simply takes the briefcase with his bloody hand and starts walking towards his dorm building, which is not far from here.
Azaka simply walks in his underwear, not caring over the fact that his body is beaten up and drenched in his own blood.
He walks using the back alley since the busy street will definitely try to arrest him who is walking around almost naked, he leaves the trail of his own blood as he walks.
His glasses are gone, they broke it. The only reason why his Mystic Eyes didn't break loose is because he still can control it, patience is the key.
He pays attention to his surroundings and senses strange shadows lurking behind him. "Two of them are tailing me" He whispers.
The kidnapper of Alexia hasn't been caught. Which obviously means that the state of Alexia's well-being is up in the air. Just because they have released Azaka doesn't mean it's all sunshine and roses. They just don't have enough evidence to convict him, and his name hasn't been cleared yet.
He keeps on walking, until he gets to the backdoor of his dorm building where enters through the door and gets to the sixth floor, at the end of the floor, where his dorm room is at.
He is too lazy to find the key inside the suitcase, so he breaks the lock with the suitcase through brute force and enters the room as he slams the broken door behind.
The room is Japanese traditional, it has tatami as the floor. Azaka throws the suitcase to the floor, then he turns the lights on as the silhouette of a girl emerges from the darkness.
"Hey there" Alpha waves her hand with a smile.
"Oh, it's you" Azaka said, he can already tell from the faint scent of a familiar perfume.
"You must be hungry" Her black suit fits her perfectly, accentuating her feminine curves. She's holding out a sandwich with a thick slab of tuna in her hand from Tuna King, the famous restaurant in the capital.
"No, I'm not. All that rage feeds me enough" He summons the Gate of Babylon, he puts his hand through one of the portals as he pulls out a healing potion and drinks it.
In just a second, he heals all of his injuries and gains his peak of health.
"It's been a while, Alpha. Where's Beta? I thought she's the one who's supposed to be on rotation to assist me" Azaka said, cracking his neck, checking his regenerated body.
"She contacted me. What a mess." Alpha sits cross-legged on the bed, eating the sandwich that she's holding.
There's a nostalgic quality to her shiny golden locks that trail down her back and those blue eyes the shape of almonds. A sign of grown up since last time.
"I can't believe you walked all the way here naked" A slight of frustration can be heard from Alpha's voice.
"Hey, the fact that my Mystic Eyes didn't destroy everything on sight is just a miracle itself" Azaka states.
"That has nothing to do with being shameless"
"If you said so" Azaka said, changing the subject. "Anyway, just do your thing. I will take care of this case myself"
"Really? What did you plan?"
"Oh, I already know who's the one behind this" He said, narrowing his eyes to the window. "It's just a simple jealousy type of revenge, I think"
Alpha chuckles. "Not quite. The abductor is from the Cult, they must have think she has blood of heroes im her"
"Ah, so that's how it is"
If the real culprit is never found, the next suspect in line will be punished. Especially since this involves the kidnapping of a royal. Someone has to die or else the case will never be closed. A basic rule of the Middle Ages.
"Someone is trying to escalate the situation and frame you as the culprit" Alpha states.
"As expected"
"I'm guessing they want to settle this matter quickly, and an unassuming student from a poor noble family is the perfect scapegoat"
"An obvious"
"We can't trust the Knight Order"
"Definitely"
"Without a doubt. The abductor is a member of the Cult. Their goal is to obtain high concentrations of the blood of the heroes"
"So Alexia is still alive, right?" Azaka asks.
"If she dies, they won't be able to extract any more of her blood"
"True" He nods.
"Though I'm not sure why you decided to woo the princess" Alpha glares at him.
Azaka coughs. "Um.. That is not what happened"
"I'm sure you have your reasons, reasons you can't tell us"
"Eh…" He simply avoids her gaze. There is no way he would say that this happened because of a stupid penalty.
"I understand. I know you're struggling with something deep down in your heart. But I hope you can trust us even a little bit more. If you told us about this earlier, it wouldn't have gotten out of hand. Don't you agree?"
"Yes.. Please help me"
"It's okay. Our job is to make sure you're covered" She adds with a smile.
She stands up and heads to the window. Once she gets it open, she hooks one foot out of the room, wiggling her tiny hips. "Lay low for a while"
"Got it. What's our strategy?"
"We'll assemble an army. There are not enough members in the capital. And I believe we should summon Delta"
"You're sending Delta?"
"She wants to see you"
Gunshot Delta. Otherwise known as Suicide Weapon Delta. She is known as a blockhead who's spent all her experience points on her battle skills.
"I will let you know the details when the preparations are complete. See you soon" Alpha flashes him a final smile before yanking on her bodysuit to hide her face and slipping out the window into the night.
Azaka walks and closes the window, he looks at his room as he remembers the Noble Phantasms that he gave to 7 girls years before.
Alpha has the sword of Joyeuse, the legendary sword from Father of Europe, Charlemagne.
Beta has the infamous Durandal, the peerless sword.
Delta has Monte Cristo Mythology, the very existence of the King of the Cavern in a form of black flames.
Gamma has Sha Naqba Imuru, the eyes that concealed the truth. The eyes of King of Heroes, Gilgamesh. However, she only possesses half of the Noble Phantasm.
Epsilon has Crocea Mors, the golden sword of Rome's infamous emperor, Julius Caesar.
Eta has Sha Naqba Imuru, the same eyes like Gamma, she possessed another half of the Noble Phantasm.
Zeta has Fragarach, the ultimate form of counter attack, an indefeasible weapon.
Azaka specifically chose the Noble Phantasms for them, the proof is that all of them are compatible with using them.
The Noble Phantasms are also original, meaning they're not prototypes like the ones in the Gate of Babylon.
They were still trying to master them the last time he saw them, the thought of how well they grow on using them over these past years is certainly on his mind.
"Is that the end of your report?" Asks a redheaded beauty. Her fiery, straight hair reaches to the small of her back, illuminated under the flickering lights of a candle, and her wine-red eyes are set on the investigation papers on her desk.
The reporting knight blushes in the presence of her poise and allure. "Y-Yes, Princess Iris. We will continue our search to the best of our abilities"
Iris nods, cuing him to take his leave. When the door clicks closed behind him, Iris is left alone with a handsome man with blond hair.
"Marquess Zenon. Thank you for your cooperation"
"The incident took place on school grounds. I was responsible for keeping her safe, and more importantly, I am worried about her well-being…" He lowers his eyes and bites his lower lip in frustration.
"You had to attend to your duties as an expert swordsman. No one blames you. And we don't have time to point fingers right now. We need to focus on getting Alexia back safe and sound"
"I suppose you are right…"
"Another thing" Iris stops speaking for a moment and snaps the report closed. "Is it true that this Azaka Kagenou is most likely the perpetrator?"
"I don't want to believe one of our students could be the culprit, but based on the circumstances, I have to say I find him suspicious… Though I don't think he's strong enough to overpower Alexia in a duel" Zenon tacks on the last bit, carefully choosing his words.
"Which means he either had an accomplice or drugged her. But he didn't crack during interrogation. Do you really think it's him?" Iris asks.
"I can't say for certain. But I want to believe him"
Iris nods and narrows her eyes. "I have my most trusted knights surveilling him. We'll wait for the next report"
"I pray for Alexia's safety" Zenon offers a bow before taking his leave.
Just as he opens the door, a young girl skids through it into the room.
"Your Highness! Please listen!"
"Claire! What are you doing here? Excuse us, we'll be leaving!" Zenon grabs the girl with black hair, Claire Kagenou, attempting to push her out of the room.
"Marquess Zenon, who is she?"
He halts. "She's…"
"Claire Kagenou! I am Azaka's older sister!"
"Claire! S-She's currently one of our top students, and she's shadowing the members of the Knight Order" Zenon states.
"I see… All right. I'll listen"
"Thank you so much!" Claire exclaims, approaching Iris and pleading her case.
"My brother would never kidnap Princess Alexia! This must be a mistake!"
"The Knight Order is taking every precaution in its search to avoid any mistakes. It hasn't been confirmed that your brother is the criminal"
"Yes, but if no one finds the real culprit, he will take the fall!"
"Our knights are carefully investigating the matter. I can assure you that no one will be wrongfully convicted"
"But!"
"Claire!" Zenon warns, stopping Claire from desperately pressing Irisany further. "Settle down. I know how you feel, but any more would be an insult to the Knight Order"
"Ksh!" Claire lets out before glaring at Zenon and then Iris. "If anyone lays a hand on my brother, I will-'
"That's enough!!" Zenon cuts her off and yanks her out of the room.
Slam. Iris lets out a sigh, staring at the closed door behind them.
"Huh. We feel the same way about our respective families…" Iris murmurs. "Alexia, I hope you're alright…"
The two sisters used to be close, but somewhere along the way, they started drifting apart. In fact, they haven't spoken in years and Iris knows they may never again.
"Alexia…" Iris shuts her wine-red eyes and lets a single tear trail down her face.
When Alexia opens her eyes, she finds herself in a dimly lit room with no windows and a candle as the only source of light. A heavy door is embedded in the stone wall before her.
"Where am I?" She doesn't remember anything after saying good-bye to her Pooch on her way home from school.
Upon shifting her body, Alexia hears the clang of metal striking metal and looks down to see her limbs bound to a low table.
"A magical restraint…"
That means her magic is being subdued, and it might be tough for her to escape on her own.
Who brought her here and for what purpose? She goes down the list of possibilities: Abduction, blackmail, human trafficking… There's no definitive answer.
Though Alexia may not be the heir to the throne, she knows she has enough leverage as a princess to attract criminals. That said, she has too little information to figure out the current situation.
She takes a step back. A new thought pops into her mind. Is Fido okay? Yes, Fido. A weird and charismatic friend. But she likes him for speaking his mind without fear.
If he's dragged into this mess, his life would be… Alexia stops herself from finishing that thought, shaking her head to clear it before scanning the room.
A stone wall, a steel door, a candlestick, and… Something that looks like a black pile of trash. That heap is chained up for some reason, seated beside her.
Alexia is staring at it curiously when she thinks she sees it move slightly.
It's breathing, something in tattered clothes.
"Can you hear me? Can you understand-!?"
The being turns to look at her. It's a creature. Alexia has never seen one this malnourished before. She can barely make out its eyes, nose, and mouth in its black, festering face. Its entire body is distorted and bloated, and its right arm is longer than Alexia's legs.
In contrast, its left arm is thinner and stumpier than hers, and there is a protrusion in its body as if it is carrying something in its stomach.
The creature is right next to Alexia. Her hands and feet are chained to the table, but it's only bound by its neck. If it were to just extend its long arm, the monstrosity could potentially touch her.
Alexia hushes her breath, averting her eyes to avoid provoking it. She's being observed. There is a long pause that seems to freeze time… And then its chains begin to rattle.
Alexia shifts her gaze to the side, and the creature is lying face down as if it has fallen asleep. She heaves a huge sigh of relief. It isn't long before the door opens.
"Finally. I've finally got you" A lanky man in a white coat enters the room. His cheeks are sunken, his eyes caved in, and his lips cracked. The little wisps of hair left on his thinning head are slicked down with the oil from his scalp, from which wafts a dreadful smell.
Alexia calmly watches the man.
"Royal blood, royal blood, royal blood" Royal blood. As the man in the white coat repeats this phrase, he retrieves a device equipped with a thin syringe.
He's planning on drawing her blood. The castle doctor took it many times before. But she doesn't know why this man would kidnap a princess for her blood.
"May I ask you a question?" Alexia asks coolly.
"Hmm, hmm?" A strange gurgle emerges from the man.
"What will you use it for?"
"Y-Y-You have the blood of a demon. I will use it to resurrect them in the modern day"
"I see. Pretty neat idea you've got there" Although she can't understand what he's trying to say, she's very aware he's gone completely mad and realizes he must be motivated by a cult.
"Hey, I will have a hard time staying alive if you take too much blood. I am not ready to die, you know"
"Heh-Heh-Heh… I k-know. I want all the blood you can give me. I will siphon bit by bit from you each day"
"Yes, please do"
As long as he needs her blood, he won't kill her. Which is why she keeps docile and doesn't try to resist. For the time being, she decides to wait to be rescued instead.
"T-This wasn't supposed to happen. I blame those morons for all this"
"Uh-huh, I hate idiots, too" She stares at the man in the white coat as she mumbles under her breath "Because dealing with them wears me out"
"They destroyed m-my laboratory. It all started with that dumbass Grease"
"Uh-huh, dumbass Grease is the one who started it"
"And then they kept coming and coming and-Aaaghh!"
"That's a shame. I'm sorry to hear that"
"Yes! Yes, it is! My research is almost done! If I don't finish it soon, I will be banished-.. banished!
"That sounds terrible"
"C-Curse it all! That good-for-nothing… Nothing!" The man in the white coat approaches the chained creature and punts it as far as its chain will allow.
He kicks it over and over, stomping on its body, as the creature all but keeps still, huddling into itself.
"Weren't you going to take my blood?"
"Oh, right. Right. With your blood… With your blood, everything will be complete"
"Good for you"
The man in the white coat readies the device and sets the syringe against her arm. "With this… With this, it will be complete… I-I won't be banished"
"Don't hurt me" Alexia adds.
The needle enters her arm, which she watches as though someone else's blood is filling the glass tube.
"Heh-heh…heh-heh-heh…"
When it's full, the man in the white coat lovingly carries it out of the room, and Alexia waits for the door to close before releasing a heavy sigh.
Two days have passed since Azaka was interrogated, tonight he's preparing himself for the raid. He didn't use the slime despite being the one who discovers it, instead he uses the armors that he found in the Gate of Babylon.
Now he wears a large cloak with a set of purple armor behind it, he's also wearing a purple helmet that can hide his face and alter his voice to be a lot of menace.
He can also change if he uses the Gate to himself, meaning that the portal of the Gate will transform his clothes once his body goes through it.
At the same time, a girl in ebony enters through the window. "The time is ripe… The shadows run the world tonight…" Beta arrives.
Those were the greeting words that Azaka came up with just because he thinks it's edgy, though he never actually uses them.
"A world of shadows. The clouds cascade over the moon tonight. How Fitting. For us" Beta adds. "We're ready"
Semvoid walks towards her, keeping his silence.
The truth is, he actually knows almost everything Beta is about to say. But Beta continues to speak regardless, as is her duty. "Under Lady Alpha's command, we have assembled all the people in the area and mobilized them in the capital. There are one hundred fourteen intotal"
"A hundred fourteen? You hired extras?" Semvoid glances at her. "So be it"
"Understood.." Beta doesn't inquire any further, because she knows his words contain more depth than she could ever fathom, and she has neither the right nor the power to ask for more details.
That said, she can't stop hoping for a day when she will stand beside him and support his every secret. But until then, she's going to keep these feelings hidden.
"The strategy" Semvoid said.
She continues to speak. "Our strategy is to launch synchronized attacks against the hideouts of the Fenrir sect in the Cult of Diablos scattered throughout the capital. At the same time, we will search for traces of Princess Alexia's magic. Once we locate her whereabouts, we will switch plans and prioritize her rescue"
Semvoid nods, silently encouraging her to keep going.
"Gamma will handle tactical commands. Lady Alpha will command the battlefield and I will serve as her assistant. Epsilon will lead support from behind and Delta will ambush them, marking the beginning of our entire operation. The troops will be formed by…"
Semvoid raises his hand, stopping her short detailed explanation. He's holding a letter. "An invitation" He adds, flicking it to her.
Beta catches the sheaf of paper, which he urges her to read.
"This is…" She trails off, shocked and angered by the crass message.
"Send my apologies to Delta… But this prelude is mine to perform"
"Yes, we will make sure that happens"
"Come with me, Beta" He turns to her. "Tonight, the world will know who we are"
Beta trembles with joy upon knowing she gets to fight beside him.
The ransom note brought him to the forest path deep in the woods. Semvoid uses the Gate of Babylon to make his appearance in his school uniform, the place is close to where Princess Alexia was abducted, and Beta covertly lurks a short distance away from him.
It only takes a little while before he senses two energies approaching.
Something flies in his direction, which he catches in one hand and glances at.
"Alexia's shoe?" He mutters.
Then they appear, two men on the path.
"Hey there, chick magnet. What're you doing with Princess Alexia's shoe?"
"Ooh, and it contains traces of magic. You are the culprit, Azaka Kagenou"
Both are in the armor of the Knight Order. There's no doubt they are the ones who interrogated him before.
"I see. That's what you're trying to do, truly foolish"
The men unabashedly sneer at Azaka's words.
"If you'd cracked sooner, we wouldn't have had to get in this mess"
"You could've gone through it without getting messed up"
The two wield their swords and brazenly close the distance separating them from Azaka.
"How stupid…" Beta mutters, she can't find the words to describe their idiocy as she watches from the hidden spot.
"Okay, Azaka Kagenou. You are under arrest for the abduction of a princess"
"Don't fight back. Struggling will get you nowhere"
One of them haughtily chuckles as he thrusts his sword toward Azaka.
"Bend"
"Hm?"
The knight can see his hand starts folding, rolling like a ragdoll as he drops his sword. "AAAH… Agh…augh!!" The knight drops to the ground, clutching his arm.
Then his legs start bending as they roll slowly, breaking every bone like they were nothing, rolling the legs all the way up like roller blades.
"You bastard!!" His partner is horrified with the scene, he panics and tries to slash Azaka, but his attack is too simple and careless.
Azaka dodges by tilting his head, glaring at his legs, cutting the legs off off and leaving him empty below the knees. "Aaaaaaaggghhhhh!!" Shrieks the knight as blood gushes from his thighs, which he clutches. "My… My leeeeegs!" He starts crawling away from Azaka.
"What the hell are you!? You didn't move, you didn't have weapons, nothing! So how did you-"
The knight was too foolish, too ignorant, to see the difference that Azaka has. It is his eyes, which are sparkling with the mixture of rainbow colours. They're beautiful, yes. But they're also terrifying, the eyes of a monster.
"You broke my glasses, remember? I just show you what would happen if I don't have my glasses" Azaka grins.
Mystic Eyes of Death, the original Mystic Eyes of Balor. Unlike the nerfed version of Perception, these eyes can kill from a single glance as they see the lines of death.
Mystic Eyes of Distortion, the Mystic Eyes that can distort the physical and space.
All Mystic Eyes are actually mixed and formed into Azaka's eyes, that's why he needs the magic glasses which can act as limiters.
There are more abilities, but using all of them can drain him very fast.
"L-Lies… All of that… Just from a glance!?"
"So you don't believe me?" Azaka asks. "How about I show you more?"
Azaka glares at the Knight's fingers, slowly letting them cuti by themselves, one by one. The Knight continues to scream as he looks at his fingers in horror. "Aggghh!!"
"D-Don't think you can get away with hurting the Knight Order, you swine! I-If we die, you're gonna be the first one they suspect!"
Azaka glances at another knight, where he sees the corpse has folded into a perfect rectangle shape, no wonder he was screaming all the time.
Azaka leisurely treads the man's trail of blood and draws closer.
"E-Eek…! I-It's over for you…! Over!" screeches his prey, desperately and fumblingly dragging himself across the ground. "When dawn breaks… They will find the corpses of two knights. Y-Yeah! Come morning, it's game over!" The man inches forward. Azaka follows his bloody path.
"Morning will never come, because I am the Night, I am eternal" Azaka whispers in a chilly tone. He pulls out a spear from the portal, aiming at the fool. "This is my world, I am the rules. I am above all" The same portal turns him into his Semvoid's appearance. "You are judged"
The fool has lost words, his neck is slowly cutting itself off as his head drops on the ground, Semvoid stabs the head with the spear and puts it on the ground as a monument.
After nearly fainting upon seeing his commanding and arresting silhouettes, Beta hastily retrieves a notepad called "The Chronicles of Master Semvoid" from between her breasts and draws a rough sketch of the scene.
Next to it, she records every single one of his utterances from that day. And voilà. All this takes but five seconds.
On an unrelated note, these drawings and lists of his catchphrases comprise the wallpaper in Beta's bedroom. Writing a new entry in "The Chronicles of Master Semvoid" every night before bed brings her one of her greatest joys in life.
The roar of a distant explosion drags her back to reality. Azaka also looks up to see the smoke from a certain place.
"That must be Delta. Nocturne has begun. Let's go, Beta"
"O-Okay! Coming!" Beta stuffs the notepad back into her cleavage and dashes after him. And, of course, Semvoid is totally unaware that she's done any of that in the first place.
"Eek… What the hell are you? We've done nothing to deserve this!"
A sea of blood. That's what this is. And there's a man screaming in the middle of it. It has come unannounced. Without any warning or stating its reasons, it burst through the wall and commenced its slaughter. Yet another man becomes prey to its black katana blade.
No one wants to fight it. The men wish to make a hasty escape and nothing more. But it is blocking the only exit.
"What have we ever done to you?! Nothing, right?!"It turns to the man and starts to cackle.
"Eek!" From behind its black mask, it laughs viciously.
"H-Help…!" He sputters. His body is split down the middle, sliced from the top of his skull to his crotch. Blood bursts from each side as the two halves fall to the right and left. As it submerges its body in blood, it catches the falling drops tenderly.
It might have the appearance of a woman, but the temperament is of a devil. Upon noticing there are only a few spoils in the area, it sheathes its weapon, keeping its black blade.
Then, a black aura appears in the figure, the aura that turns into flames that has the temperature of the sun itself. The black flames of vengeance, the flames of Monte Cristo.
Without exaggeration, the flames grow bigger as it spreads all over the place, burning everything it touches into ashes as it destroys the building with pure black flames.
"It's begun" From atop a clock tower, an alluring elf watches the complete annihilation and fall of a burning building. It's a joke, almost. The breeze tousles her long golden locks, which glisten in the dark of the night.
"Oh, Delta… She always overdo things" She sighs, shaking her head. But she can't undo what's already done.
Alpha looks over the Capital from the top of the tower. The entire capital begins moving frantically. Everything commences as planned. And most of the attention is directed at Delta, who just destroyed a building to bits.
"I have to give it to Delta for making it easier for the others to start…" If she could just ignore the victims, she could admit Delta's moves are exceptional.
"Guess I should get going, too" She murmurs. Alpha hides her face behind a pitch-black mask.
There is something going on outside. Alexia opens her eyes for the first time in hours. The only ones who ever enter the room are a female caretaker and the manin the white coat, which gives Alexia nothing to do except sleep on the same table that binds her hands and feet.
Neither Alexia nor the creature bother the other, which means they are getting along all right. The clamor intensifies, indicating there's some kind of conflict beyond this room.
Alexia smiles, expecting to be rescued. " wonder if they will crash through the wall all dramatically" She mumbles for no particular reason.
The stress must be getting to her. And even though she knows it's meaningless, she shakes the chains that bind her.
"I'm sorry for waking you" The creature next to her lifts its head.
"But I think it's best to stay awake. You don't want to miss out on the fun" Alexia knows it won't answer her, but she talks to it anyway. Boredom can have strange effects on the mind.
It takes a while before the sound of the key unlocking the door echoes throughout the room in a flustered and apprehensive way.
"Shit, shit, shit!!" The man in the white coat barrels into the room.
"Good day to you, too"
"I was so close! So close!!" He ignores Alexia, who is clearly having fun with all this.
"Those bastards… They're here!! This is the end! The end!"
"Give it up. Resistance is futile. If you unchain me now, I will ask them to spare you" Alexia tells him. "But no guarantees" She adds quietly.
"Th-those brutes would never let me go scot-free…!! Th-they will kill everyone…everyone!!"
"The Knight Order does not kill without reason. If you don't resist and go quietly, they won't take your life" A voice in her mind chimes in Not.
"The Knight Order? I don't give a shit about them! Th-the fiends will kill everyone, everyone, I tell you!!"
"You're not talking about the Knight Order?" Then who? Alexia can't imagine anyone else. But then again, she knows it's completely possible he's gone nuts. "Either way, this is the end for you. Turn yourself in"
"No, no, no, no, no!! N-Not until it's complete!!" The man in the whitecoat claws at his head and shifts his bloodshot eyes toward the creature.
"I have made a prototype. I-If I use this, even a worthless shit like you might be useful" He pushes the device with the syringe against the creature's arm.
"You shouldn't do that. I don't have a good feeling about this" Alexia warns, sounding quite serious.
But he obviously just ignores her, shoving the needle in its arm and injecting it with an unknown fluid. "B-Behold! I will give you a glimpse of Diabolos!!"
"Ooh, how exciting"
The creature begins swelling, its muscles bulging before their eyes, and even its skeletal structure starts to expand. Its right arm, which was long andthick, morphs into a malicious and ominous form.
Its fingertips sprout nails as long as human legs. Its left arm appears to be holding something and stays stuck to its body. It lets out a high-pitched shriek.
"I-Incredible! Astounding!!"
"This… Is surprising"
But the chains cannot endure the rapid growth of the creature and snap off on their own.
"I told you it was a bad idea"
Splat. The man in the white coat isn't even spared a final scream of agony before he's crushed by its right arm.
"Well, then" Alexia and the creature lock eyes .She studies its movements. Her hands and feet are bound, which means there isn't much she can do.
But she can move around a little bit. Plus, she can't stand the thought of dying as a consequence of some idiot's mistake.
The creature swings its right arm. Alexia twists out of the way as much as she can. As long as her injuries aren't fatal, she can survive.
"—…gh!" It avoids Alexia and pulverizes the table that binds her. The impact sends her flying against the wall, where she writhes in pain.
"Augh!" But she doesn't have any broken bones or visible wounds and can still move. After checking herself for injuries, she quickly rises to her feet. But the creature is gone, leaving behind a shattered table and demolished wall.
"Did it… Really save me…?" Even if she hadn't shifted away, its arm wasn't anywhere close to hitting her.
Which would mean… No, it can't be. Maybe it missed.
"Well, anyway" Alexia swipes the keys from the man's corpse and removes her magical restraints. With this, her magic can flow free. She stretches once to loosen up, then heads through the wall the creature destroyed.
There is a long, dimly lit hallway before her. Piles of trampled soldiers slitter the ground.
"I will take that" Alexia borrows a mithril sword from a corpse. It's flimsy, but it will get the job done.
When she goes down the hallway and turns the corner, she sees someone.
"We can't have you leaving on your own"
"Y-You. Why are you here?" Alexia's eyes widened with fear. What in the world is going on?
Iris' red hair swirls behind her as she dashes through the capital late at night. She was told that a building had been burned and destroyed.
At first, she thought she'd misheard the news. But as Iris sprints toward the city, half in disbelief, her subordinates keep receiving report after report. There are many ambushes occurring in the capital simultaneously. It doesn't take long for her to reach that conclusion.
But there's nothing logically connecting the various locations under attack: films, warehouses, restaurants, private homes of nobles.
The crimes must be premeditated, but she can't figure out the goal. That said, the capital is shaking. The Knight Order is mobilized in a state of emergency, and they begin evacuating high-profile leaders.
Even though it's late, the residents crack open their windows to check what's happening and there are more than a few onlookers outside.
Iris shouts at the meandering residents, telling them to go home, and rushes to the scene.
Something strange is happening. This is in no way a normal incident. Iris can sense it.
It's right at that moment when a scream reaches her ears.
"M-Monster!! Help!!" They are shouts from the Knight Order. They aren't too far away.
Iris changes directions and books it toward the cries for help. When she turns the corner down a back street to the main road, she spots the monster.
It's a colossal, hideous beast. With a swipe of the enormous, blood-soaked fingernails on its right hand, it transforms the knights into piles of flesh.
"What is that?" Iris mutters as she dashes toward it. "Stand back!" With one fluid movement, her unsheathed blade shimmers in the darkness as it slices through the creature's chest. And completely bisects it. She cuts down its immense body in one fell swoop.
"Are you hurt?" Iris calls out to the Knight Order and forgets all about the creature as it slowly falls to the ground.
"Princess Iris, you've saved us!"
"That's our princess! She slayed the monster in one stroke!" The men are unharmed. Almost all the soldiers are completely unscathed. Well, the ones who survived, at least.
"The monster killed eight of our men" A single hit took them down. Her red-wine eyes tremble with sorrow when they fall upon the ghastly corpses.
"Gather the bodies and head back. Please inform the lieutenant that…"
"Princess Iris!" Shouts one of the knights all of a sudden. He's standing there, pointing at something behind her, and the other knights try to raise their muted voices.
"What!?" Iris turns and strikes without missing a beat. Her sword collides with the right arm of the creature.
"Ksch!" For a moment, it seems as though Iris has been beaten until she quickly releases a huge quantity of magic that effectively blasts its mighty arm.
From there, she dives into its bosom, severing its leg, and leaps back to prepare for a counterattack.In the following second, the monster swings its right arm where Iris had stood and retrieves a few strands of her long red hair.
"Is it regenerating?" The injuries from the bisection vanish, and the new wound on its leg is starting to heal.
"Ridiculous… How can it regenerate when Princess Iris sliced it in two…?"
"This can't be…"
"Stay back" Iris calls to the shaken knights as she blocks its next attack.
Its moves are quick, powerful, and heavy, but bland.
"It's only a creature, after all" Iris counters ruthlessly: She slices its arm to pieces, chops off its legs, and beheads it.
Successive strikes rain down on the creature, as if to mock, try Healing from all that. She won't let it retaliate. She's the only one attacking.
"Is it still healing?" But the creature survives. In the brief moment Iris stops her assault, it regains its form and swats her away with its right arm.
And then it shrieks into the night sky. As if in response, rain begins falling from the moonless sky. It drizzles at first but quickly becomes a torrent.
White steam rises where the droplets hit the creature's blood. "This might take a while…" Iris straightens her posture, preparing for a long fight. She doesn't think she will lose. Even now, she never considers that she might see defeat.
But it seems this battle is going to require more time. Iris readies her sword. When the monster finishes healing, she rushes toward it.
The next moment, her sword is knocked out of her hands, accompanied by a shrill sound, and the impact sends pins and needles up her arm.
She glares at a sudden intruder, ignoring the fact that her beloved sword whirls into the distance. The newcomer glances at her. They stare each other down.
The first to break the silence is the interloper. "Why won't you see it's hurt?" The uninvited guest is a girl in a black bodysuit. Iris can't see her face but notices that her voice sounds young.
"Who are you?" Iris cautiously keeps both the intruder and the creature inview.
"Alpha" After uttering a single word, the girl turns her back to Iris as if she has lost interest in the conversation.
"Wait, what are you planning to do? If you plan to oppose the Knight Order, we won't go easy on-"
"Oppose?" Alpha cuts in, giggling condescendingly at Iris while continuing to face away from her.
"What's so funny?"
"Oppose… I think that might be the most ridiculous word in the world. Opposing an ignoramus would be senseless"
"Excuse me?!" Iris' magic begins to swell, transforming into a massive wave that sweeps the rain away and forms violent gusts of wind.
But Alpha doesn't even glance in her direction. She stands there unfazed, her back still turned to Iris.
"Play your assigned role as the spectator and keep your eyes on the stage. Don't disturb our performance" She utters before approaching the creature. From behind, she seems solemn. She's already completely forgotten about Iris.
"Did you just call me a spectator?" Iris clutches her tingling hands as she glares at Alpha.
"Poor thing. That must've hurt" Says Alpha, walking toward the monster. "There is no more pain. No more sadness" Alpha unsheathes her blue sword, which starts glowing in blue light. She starts using her gifted Noble Phantasm, Joyeuse.
"You don't have to cry anymore" Then, with a step forward, she slices the creature in two. A blue light traces the cut, the same light shines the darkness in the area.
No one has time to react. Iris and the creature can only watch as Alpha bisects it. Everything about it feels natural. There is no bloodlust; it's as if this is the only reasonable solution.
The monster's massive body crashes onto the ground, and white smoke rises from the husk as it gradually shrivels to the size of a little girl.
"I pray… You achieve peace in your next life" With that, Alpha vanishes within the blue light as it fades into darkness.
A clap of thunder sounds in the distance. Iris is stunned in place. Raindrops run down her hair and fall onto her face. She's trembling, but she doesn't know why.
"Alexia.." Iris murmurs. She senses that her little sister is at the epicenter of this chaos, and this premonition pushes her forward. "Alexia, please be safe…"
Iris picks up her sword and starts running. The storm rages on.
"W-Why are you here?"When Alexia turns the corner, she sees an all-too-familiar visage.
"Because this is my facility, that's why. I invested thousands of Zeni into that man. That's all there is to it" Confidence overflows from the smile stretched across the face of a dashing blond. It's Zenon Griffey.
"That's nice to know. I always thought you were messed up in the head. I guess I was right" Alexia takes one step back and then two.
There's a staircase behind him,and she guesses it's her best bet to escape.
"Huh. Think whatever you want. But I don't mind as long as I have your blood"
"All people talk about around here is blood. Is this a research facility for vampires?"
"If that's what you want to think. More or less"
"Skip the explanation. I'm not into the occult"
"Figures"
"I'm sure you're aware, but the Knight Order will be here any minute now. This is the end for you"
"The end? What do I have that can possibly end?" Zenon is still all smiles.
"Your title and reputation will be ruined, and you will obviously be put to death. I will be happy to drop the guillotine on your neck"
"You're off the mark. You and I will be escaping through a secret route"
"What a romantic offer. Too bad I can't stand you"
"You're coming with me. With my research and your blood, I'm destined to receive the twelfth seat in the Rounds. I shall bid farewell to my meaningless position as an instructor"
"The Rounds? Is that a group for lunatics?"
"The Knights of Rounds is a gathering of twelve superior knights from my religion. Becoming a member brings me rank, honor, and fortune like you'd never believe. They've already acknowledged my power. All I'm lacking is experience, but my research on your blood should fix that right up" Zenon melodramatically spreads his arms out and lets out a guffaw.
"Whatever. I'm just sick of all this blood talk" Mutters Alexia.
"I would have preferred Princess Iris, but it looks like I will have to settle for you"
"I'm gonna kill you" Alexia grits her teeth.
"Oh, excuse me. I forgot you hate being compared to your sister" Zenon grins.
A forceful swing from Alexia's sword signals the start of their battle. She goes straight for the jugular.
"Ooh, how scary" Zenon repels her attack at the last second and blocks the following strike. Sparks fly from the colliding blades.
Judging this skirmish merely by the manner in which their swords dance in the air, one might be inclined to say their skills are equally matched.
But the sword bearers wear very different expressions. Alexia angrily glowers, whereas Zenon has a relaxed smile. And Alexia is the one burning with wrath, sure enough. She clicks her tongue with frustration and backs away.
"You start using shoddy swords the moment I stop seeing you" Zenon glances in on her weapon. She glances at it with a pained expression.
The battle has only just started, but her blade is already filled with countless nicks.
"They say the choice of weapon shouldn't matter to an expert"
Alexia grimaces and stands her ground.
"I see. If we're talking about experts, I'm sure that's true" Zenon sneers. "But you're mediocre. As a sword-fighting instructor, I guarantee it"
Alexia visibly screws up her face. For a moment, it looks as if her urge to cry is drowned out by pure fury.
"Just watch me. Then you can say if you really think I'm mediocre" With that, she lunges at him with all the energy she can muster.
Alexia knows. She knows full well she isn't strong enough to beat Zenon, and her flimsy weapon won't last long.
But Alexia hasn't spent all those days training with her head in the clouds. In her mission to become as strong as her sister, she's realized her own shortcomings and worked hard to make up for them.
She's observed her sister's swordplay more than anyone else andcan picture every move with impeccable accuracy. Which is why it's easy for her to replicate.
"Haaaah!!" It's a stroke reminiscent of her sister's assaults.
"Gh…!" For the first time, Zenon's smile vanishes. The sword he's blocked is filled with magic.
The two swords violently clash and repel each other. They're equally matched. No. Alexia might be a bit stronger. A red line is carved into Zenon's cheek.
Visibly taken aback, he looks at the blood he wipes off his cheek. "I'm stunned" There is no hidden meaning behind his words.
"I had no idea you were hiding your strength" Zenon tilts the palm of his hand. He studies it as if checking the color of his own blood.
"I'm going to make you regret looking down on me"
"Pfft" Zenon laughs. "I was on-"
Then, footsteps can be heard, the same noise that is heading towards them, they look to the west of their view to see a person heading towards them.
"Pooch!?" Alexia widened her eyes.
"... Azaka Kagenou" Zenon narrows his eyes.
Azaka stands a few meters away from them, he's in his school uniform and also has his glasses on. He's grinning, matching his body language.
"What are you doing here!?" Alexia asks.
"Strange thing to ask, I'm here to save you, princess" Azaka rolls his eyes, then he smirks. "The Capital is in chaos right now, some group is wrecking things up because they're searching for something. I trade information with them, that's how I got here"
"A group is searching for something, you say?" Zenon mutters.
"Yes, the weirdos that would kill anyone on their sight. Funny thing is, they're searching for you"
Zenon clicks his tongue. "So those people are the bastards who picked a fight with the Cult" He turns to Azaka. "You said you traded information with them to get here, what did you give them to get here?"
Zenon starts to suspect that Azaka may know more about the Cult, he readies his sword as he awaits for his answer.
"An information about how you made me a scapegoat for your awful plan, that's it"
Zenon breaks into laughter. "Is that the truth!? I can tell that you're lying through your teeth!" He tightens his grip on his sword. "Just die already!"
Azaka pulls out a black knife from his pocket. "Back to you, Zenon"
"W-Wait!" Alexia calls out.
Zenon lunges towards Azaka as he swings down his sword with full force, where Azaka dodges it and thrust his knife forward that Zenon barely dodges.
"So you hide your strength, too" Zenon takes a step back.
"No, it's just swordplay is not my forte. I'm more of a guy who do whatever I wanted, that include fighting styles"
Zenon raises his magic energy as he lunges at Azaka and swings his sword, which Azaka blocks it with his knife that is channeled with magic as well.
Then, Azaka swings his body, crouching down and tackles Zenon's legs as he falls on his back where Azaka jumps and tries to stab him with the knife but Zenon rolls his body out of the way to dodge it.
"What a cruel tactic" Zenon stands up.
"Ha. Coming from you. That's meaningless"
Zenon charges his magic energy more as he charges towards Azaka, he swings his sword from the bottom as Azaka blocks it with his knife.
The sound blades colliding echoed, Alexia watches from the sideline with a surprised expression because the person whom she thought is weak, is actually really strong to the point of capable fighting against a swordmaster.
Alexia's gaze is fixed on this imitation practice session, mesmerized by the black knife. There's a reason her eyes can't stray from it. "Mediocre swordplay.."
The Azaka in front of Alexia fights the same way she does, a total chaotic and out of style .When Alexia was a child, she had her own idea of perfect swordplay.
The words uttered by Azaka echoed in her mind, about a fish climbing a tree, a monkey swimming.
It isn't about talent, strength, or speed but building up from the basics and perfected it. Yet others keep comparing her to her sister and mock her for being average, which makes Alexia feel as if she's lost her direction in life.
But despite all her struggles, Alexia never gives up. And she's just witnessed these unremarkable moves slay the genius Zenon Griffey.
"Amazing…" She mutters admiringly.
Witnessing this, she can see the path he's walked in life. It's a direct result of his serious and unwavering efforts.
Alexia's sister might have the same thought. "Iris…" Alexia feels she finally understands her sister's words from long ago.
Azaka blocks the sword's swing, then sends a flying kick that hits Zenon's face, he slices his sword up while Azaka spins his body and launches a flying kick on his face that pushes him back.
"Bastard!" Zenon spits out blood from his mouth.
Azaka grins. "And people thought swordplay is absolute, what a joke"
Alexia can see that Azaka is definitely winning the fight, the fact that Zenon can't do anything to harm him despite being in a close range and the opponent is just using a short blade, is just proof that he's powerless.
"Let's settle this, Zenon. The fact that you kidnapped the princess is already a crime, but for you to-" Azaka gets interrupted as a gold chain wraps his right ankle. "What the-.. Aak-" The chain drags him off his stance, pulling him towards the darkness of the night which is through the hole of a wall.
Both Alexia and Zenon are in surprise, they did not expect that to happen.
Another footsteps can be heard, Zenon looks at his back to see Semvoid stares at him.
"What!? Who are you!"
"Semvoid. The one who is hunting you down, members of the Cult" Semvoid answers, his voice is obviously altered.
"I see. So you're the real one who seems to have an inflated ego from destroying our smaller facilities, but you haven't even taken down one of our main fighters. You're Just a coward who picks on the little guys"
It seems the man who calls himself Semvoid is at odds with Zenon. This is good news for Alexia, but she doesn't think this man is her ally.
She's also worried for Azaka, who gets dragged away in such a mysterious way. She couldn't even react because it was too sudden, but she thinks it must be related to Semvoid.
"Information is lacking, we use Azaka Kagenou to lure you out, who we suspect to be involved with the Cult" Zenon can see his irritated expression from Semvoid's helmet. "You took the bait, as we expected"
"Gr.." Zenon gritted his teeth, the fact that he's outsmarted by an unknown group just makes him look more stupid.
"We are the Shadow Garden. We lurk in the darkness and hunt the sinners of Diabolos. Hear, the only reason we exist…"
"Shadow Garden? You're out of your mind!" Zenon and Shadow exchange glances. Alexia is completely excluded from this exchange.
She doesn't know why they're fighting or what they're trying to accomplish. Blood. Creature. Cult. Making Azaka as bait. There are many keywords to remember.
But Alexia doesn't know what they mean. To her, it all sounds like the ravings of a madman. But what if? What if it isn't just nonsense? What if there is something going on behind the scenes that Alexia doesn't know about?
"Fine. If you're ready to get serious, it looks like I will have to answer to your needs" Zenon produces a pill from his breast pocket. "With this pill, I shall be awakened and surpass all human limitations. An ordinary human would break under this power and eventually self-destruct. But those in the Rounds are different. Only those who can manipulate this devastating power have the privilege of joining the Rounds"
"Oh?" Semvoid learns this new information.
Zenon swallows the pill. "I am the Third Awake" Zenon's wounds instantly begin healing. His muscles tighten up, his eyes become bloodshot, and his capillary vessels protrude. It looks as if he's being crushed by a tremendous force.
"I will show you the almighty power" Boasts Zenon, his calm smile returning.
In his current form, there is no doubt Zenon is stronger than Princess Iris. Alexia thinks Zenon is the strongest being in the world and shrinks back in despair.
No… She would if she'd never seen Azaka's style. She doesn't think Zenon's current form is the strongest at all.
"You call that almighty? Very well, I will show you my almighty of powers" Semvoid states.
Semvoid activates one of the strongest Noble Phantasms he has, the level of this magic is beyond humans.
In that moment, the sky turns into blood red, the rain drops are red, the moon is nowhere to be seen. The night has turn into dark red, another form of darkness.
This surge of magic shows itself in the form of red and black rays of light. There are hundreds of ultrathin strands. These create a dazzling pattern as they wrap themselves around Semvoid like veins.
"It's beautiful…" Alexia is mesmerized by this sight. She isn't admiring the beauty of the lights, though, but the precision of his magic.
"What is this?" Zenon is once again shocked. No one has ever created such beauty through magic.
Red and black magic cover his body as three headed dragons with the same colours, are formed and head towards Zenon who looks horrified as the dragons tie his entire body and lift him off the ground, all the way to the ceiling.
"W-W-What the hell is this!?" Zenon cried.
Alexia notices that she's shaking, too. It isn't out of fear, but joy.
Is the ground trembling? Or the air? Or Zenon himself? No, it's everything. Everything is rippling.
The blood red sky turns everything into red, black and red covers everything on the sight of humans tonight.
"Repent. Be crushed. I beckon the wicked ones. The deceiving ones. Pour oil over your sins, and brand them with a seal" Semvoid chants with a tone with pure evil.
The dragons melts deep into Zenon as he screams on the top of his lungs, turning his body into a pure energy of red and black in a shape of sphere where the human figure is no longer in sight.
"Pomiluj Nas Gospool"
The sphere then pours out a flood of black and red mud out of it, the sphere has the voices of thousands of souls screaming, something that will make Alexia's legs shaking nonstop.
Zazhiganiye Angra Mainyu: Overflowing Heart of Darkness.
A Malignant Noble Phantasm that uses the three-headed dragons as a catalyst to spread chaos onto the world. A flood of curses that gain physical mass and become flames that, upon contact, burn the bodies of those who repeatedly committed evil thoughts or deeds.
The sphere explodes into as vermillion red light shines the entire kingdom from that spot, the black and red mud didn't disappear, they're also proof of Zenon's remains that are turned into sins.
In one story's conclusion, the prayers of the people convinced them that metaphysical beings exist, making a god take the proven and measurable form of a gaping hole in the world.
Thus, pollution spilled out of the heart of the god representing the most extreme evil in the good-evil dualism, like a flood of black mud spreading all over the lands.
How long did time stand still? Alexia suddenly notices someone calling her.
"Alexia… Alexia…!" The person gasps for air and shouts from far away. It's a voice she instantly recognizes.
"Iris… Iris!" Screams Alexia, dashing out through the large hole in the wall to the outdoors, stepping over the black and red muds on the ground.
"Alexia! Alexia!!" Iris hurries toward her.
"Iris… I-I…gh" Alexia is embraced before she can tell her sister she's unharmed.
Iris is soaking from head to toe, and her body feels chilly and warm at the sametime.
"I am so glad you're safe… I really am" Iris hugs her sister tightly.
With some hesitation, Alexia wraps her arms around Iris' back.
"I'm sorry. I must be cold"
Alexia shakes her head against her sister's chest. Tears flow from her eyes.
That night, the kingdom labels it as night of terror.
The Knights find Azaka unconscious on the nearby spot, Alexia orders them to treat him.
The news about Shadow Garden and how they changed the night into red, makes the kingdom see them as a huge threat.