Chapter 15: The Rampage and the Aftermath

"ROOOOOAAAARRR!"

"Ho hooo…. So these are the results of Zenon group's experiments. They resembled No. 002's condition, though they seem more durable. Normal knights don't stand a chance." I muttered while enjoying the show atop a tall building. This time in my Necromancer getup. And I no longer need to use illusion to make myself look taller because I've grown tall enough.

"I wonder how Zenon's doing. If he got desperate, he would tap into Zakram's power further until it showed its side effects of enhancing his emotions. I'd like to know how far it'll push him. Will it turn him into a beast like these creatures? Heh heh heh." I remarked curiously.

The monsters broke out of Zenon's hideout and rampaged around the city. The Capital is in chaos. The knights and civilians are slaughtered en masse by the beasts. Even competent warriors like Iris are struggling. Only the group of black cloaked women wielding slime weapons is capable of fighting them.

"Hm?" I noticed bluish light in a direction where one of the beasts are rampaging. I went closer to the scene and noticed the black cloaked women carrying naked girls… Could it be? They have a method to reverse the mutation of Demonic Possession? About time someone figured that out.

I noticed a blonde haired figure approaching with hatred in her blue eyes. She looks familiar…

"Necromancer!" Ah, I remember that voice.

"It's been a long time, No. 001." I affectionately called her by the name I gave her.

"That's not my name. It's Alpha."

"Alpha, eh? Ha ha ha! It's ironic that in the end, you're still the first."

"What do you mean?" Asked No. 001, not understanding the meaning of her new name.

"Heh heh heh. Perhaps you should ask the one who gave you that name." Someone whom I suspect is a reincarnator like me. Unless it's pure coincidence that she has that name in this world, like how the names Midgar, Durandal, Fenrir, Mordred, Jormungandr, Loki, Hel, etc are all native names and have no connection to Earth.

"More importantly, why are you here? Are you the one responsible for these monsters?"

"Yes. But the sole credit is not mine."

"What are you talking about!?"

"Do you remember No. 002?" I asked.

"How could I forget…!" She answered with rage, her grip on her sword tightens.

"After she was slain, her remains was brought to this city. And these creatures… are the creation of this city's Cult scientist. They're not bad… for products of fools who are trying to play catch up with me."

As I was talking, one of the beasts jumped to my direction and raised its fist at me. I blocked its fist with one finger. And with my rot magic, I vaporized the thing in an instant.

"You…! Are you saying you've made worse ones!?" Shouted No. 001 angrily as she just witnessed me killing one of her kind.

"Better ones yes."

Enraged, she jumped at high speed and thrusted her sword at me, which is blocked by one of my floating swords.

"What you've done… to those girls!"

"Is making sure they have use to me. Just like you have." I was about to let my sword retaliate when I suddenly felt a spike in magic power in the direction of the Knight Order headquarters.

"Hmm?"

I looked at the Knight Order's direction as No. 001 grinned, expecting me to get scared. Then the ground starts rumbling and purple light of destruction emerged from the ground, illuminating the night sky and bringing destruction on earth.

"Heh heh heh… He he he he he he he he heh…" Instead of getting scared, I began laughing. "MWA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

"What are you laughing about?" Asked No. 001, losing her grin.

"My… fated enemy… I have finally found you…!" I declared while basking in the glow of destruction.

"MY FATED ENEMY! I HAVE FOUND YOU AT LONG LAST! MWA HA HA HA HA!" I laughed while No. 001 was surprised by my declaration.

"Such beautiful destruction! Good! As I would expect from my fated enemy! This night is yours! I look forward to when we finally meet face to face!" I said before teleporting away.

"Wait!" Shouted No. 001 to empty air where I once stood.

Alpha let go of the breath she had been holding ever since she faced her worst nightmare. She lacked information on how strong he is and she couldn't let him slaughter more Shadow Garden members and thus she faced him head on and tried to gauge his strength by behaving angrily and rashly when facing him, though the anger she felt was entirely genuine. But unlike that time in his Tomb, she is in full control of her emotion. And although it wasn't in the way she expected, she succeeded in her objective.

"Lady Alpha!" One of the Numbers called out to her.

"We'll continue the operation." Ordered Alpha calmly.

"Yes, Lady Alpha!"

I managed to obtain some information straight from him and managed to fend him off for now. But… that reaction to Shadow's power…I must consult this with him and the Seven Shades. Thought Alpha as she went back to cure the rampaging beasts of their afflictions.

The whole town was shaken when they witnessed the light of destruction descending upon the capital. Iris, abandoning her hopeless fight with a white haired one armed beast, ran to the direction of the light. In her way stood more beasts.

"Don't get in my way!" Red magic engulfed her sword as she began slashing. Her slashes, as expected, proved futile against the beasts who regenerated the wounds almost instantly.

"Is there no limit to your regenerations!?" Iris shouted while the white haired beast she escaped from caught up with her.

As she was preparing to break through the encirclement, the beasts were immediately restrained by some sort of black substance.

"Huh!?" She looked to her surroundings and found that she and the beasts were surrounded by black cloaked figures. The black substances restraining the beasts came from their black cloaks.

"Who are you people!?"

A bright light engulfed the beasts and one by one they turned into… girls…

"What is this…?"

"If you want to know, investigate it yourself and find out. If you can't, then stay out of our way." Said a blond haired woman wearing black bodysuit. Her face unseen by Iris due to her not even facing her.

"Who are you!?"

"I am Alpha. And we are the Shadow Garden." Said Alpha as she faced a white haired beast, reached out to it with her hand and allowed her bluish magic to engulf the beast, which slowly reduced the monster's body size until it eventually turned into a young girl with black blemishes still covering her body. Her left hand still gripping a knife tightly as if her life depended on it despite how weak she is now.

"As I thought. This one had it worse than the others. Take them back to our base. I'll need to work with Epsilon in order to properly-"

"What are you doing with those girls!?"

"Doing what you and your kingdom never considered to do. Saving them."

"Such insult! You think you're better than us!?"

"Yes." Replied Alpha with full confidence as she turned the last of the beasts back to what they once were. "Let's go." She ordered and they left immediately.

"Wait!" Iris called out but was left unanswered. She decided to ignore them for now and continued to search for Alexia. Her intuition told her than the area where the explosion occurred is where her sister is, which worried her more as she ran towards the crater that the explosion created.

As she reached the crater, she saw Alexia standing there with a sword in her hand, adopting a stance.

"Alexiaaa!" Iris ran towards the direction of her sister.

"Sister?" Iris immediately embraced her little sister.

"Thank goodness… Thank goodness you're okay!"

With that hug, the strained relationship of the sisters is fixed… for now.

"Why is he even here, Sister? I bet he's in league with that bastard Zenon!" Shouted Alexia, still distrusting me, as I entered Iris' office. Beside Iris, who is sitting on her desk, stood Glen and Marco, two of Midgar's finest knights. Iris called for this meeting to discuss last night's incident.

"Alexia. When you were kidnapped, he actually sneaked into the Knight Order's headquarters to search for clues but was caught and arrested by knights affiliated with Zenon." Explained Iris.

"Indeed I was, Princess. I actually went through a lot of trouble for you. It's sad to see my efforts went unappreciated." I confirmed the statement cynically, which is not a lie, just not for the reasons they thought.

"…" I was expecting her to give another venomous comeback but she's strangely silent while still scowling. Eventually she asked.

"Why do you care enough to get yourself arrested?" Alexia asked.

"…" I paused for few seconds while I think of a proper response. I can't possibly say I'm just curious about why Zenon kidnapped her after all.

"It's Necromancer, isn't it?" Alexia remarked. Huh? What's the Necromancer have got to do with this?

"Alexia. What do you mean?" Asked Iris.

"The scientist who came to harvest my blood almost mentioned that he would abandon the capital city to go to Everick in order to join Necromancer and receive his knowledge. Zenon's group must be affiliated with him." Explained Alexia. Now that's a story I could use.

"Everick… So he's indeed hiding there." Remarked Iris.

"Yes. Ever since my sister was kidnapped by him, I've tried to search for him… to no avail." I confirmed her theory.

"What!? But that's dangerous! Why didn't you tell us!?" Shouted Iris.

"Because I know the Knight Order is compromised. I don't know whom to trust." I explained.

"That makes sense…" Muttered Iris, frustrated at the knowledge of traitors within the ranks of the Knight Order.

"So that's what you've been busy about. So busy that you weren't able to attend Bushin Festivals. Well… I… apologize for what I said before." Apologized Alexia. Huh, I didn't expect such character development out of her. The kidnapping seems to have changed her.

"Anyway, Mr. Claude. I understand your concerns. That's why I'm forming a new investigation team which I would call the Crimson Order. I'd like to extend my invitation for you to join."

Hooh… A good opportunity to get on her good side and to gain information about their movements.

"I'm in." I replied after a few seconds pause.

"Thank you."

"Sister. I would like to join too. I refuse to be left in the dark!" Alexia said.

"But…"

"I'm already involved ever since Zenon decided to capture me. I'm already their target. It would be safer for me to stay close by your side, wouldn't it?" Reasoned Alexia.

"Haahh… You're right. Very well."

"And if you won't let me, I'll let the people know that you hug your bear plushies every night whenever you go to sleep. And that your panties have—"

"Alright alright, I get your point, Alexia!"

"Success!" Alexia said happily.

"You guys will forget what you just heard." Threatened Iris.

"Yes, ma'am." Replied me, Glen and Marco.

"Now then. Onto the topic of Zenon's group. From the documents we procured from the ruins, we confirmed that the organization that Zenon worked for is called the Cult of Diablos. And they've been purchasing Pseudo-Artifacts from Necromancer." Continued Iris.

"I can confirm. I took one of the guard's sword. Although it was regular steel, its magic conductivity is greater than steel, although not to the level of mythril. And Zenon himself seems to carry a much stronger weapon, an actual Artifact made of mythril. He broke the sword I carried effortlessly." Explained Alexia.

"This is troubling. To think they have access to such dangerous items behind our backs." Remarked Iris.

"We need to have them analyzed, to see if we can replicate the production. Same goes for that flower shaped Artifact we found in their base." Suggested Glen.

"Indeed. I'll contact an acquaintance of mine. Someone we can trust." Said Iris.

"Who is it?" I asked curiously.

"Lutheran Barnett."

Author's Note:

Character development for both Alexia and Alpha. Alpha learned from her past so she's now more cautious.