Chapter 16: Declaration of War
Did she say Lutheran Barnett? The infamous Sir Gaunt himself? That psychopath is trustworthy? Pffftt…. I must try not to laugh.
"The vice principal? Is he capable of analyzing these artifacts?" I asked Iris curiously.
"Not him but his foster daughter, Sherry Barnett. Her mother was a brilliant researcher and she herself is a very talented student that she is being recommended to obtain scholarship to study in Laugus. If there's anyone who can analyze Artifacts, I believe it's her." Explained Iris.
Ahh I knew it… poor Sherry Barnett. Few years ago her mother, Lukreia, was murdered by Sir Gaunt and the psychopath tricked her into working for him by adopting her. I'll have to see her in action, to see if she can be useful to me after I inevitably kill Sir Gaunt.
"On the topic of the Cult of Diablos, Mr. Claude, I want to know the results of your investigation." Asked Iris.
Now, to recite the backstory I've prepared!
"Well… this is a secret I've never told anyone. Do you remember reports of several knights who mysteriously went missing after my sister was kidnapped?"
"Yes, I seem to recall that we officially blamed their deaths on Necromancer." Answered Iris.
"I killed them." I confessed. They were my first zombies. A duke's son killing his own knights is definitely a scandal bad enough it has to be kept secret.
"… Because they were members of the Cult?" Alexia asked.
"Yes. Ever since then, I didn't trust the Knight Order. Or anyone else for that matter."
"How are you so sure they were members, Mr. Normann?" Asked Marco.
"They told me themselves after I sneaked into their headquarters and they caught me. Back then they didn't have the Pseudo-Artifacts so I could kill them before they could alert anyone else. But ever since then the Cult was wary of me so it becomes harder to investigate." I answered.
"How about the other knights?" Asked Glen.
"I've investigated and so far found nothing. Either they weren't members of the Cult or they've become better at hiding it."
"Shall we, the Crimson Order, help with the investigation?" Suggested Marco.
"That would be a bad idea, Marco. It will make it seem like the royal family is meddling with the Normann family's affairs." Refuted Glen.
"Indeed. However, at some point we must go to Everick to investigate because Necromancer is based there. Anything else, Mr. Claude?" Asked Iris.
"Nothing much. But the reason they kidnapped girls are definitely not for ransom, aren't they?" I answered.
"They were after my blood. They took my blood almost daily that I almost thought they were a vampire cult. They say they wanted the blood of Heroes that flows within the royal blood." Alexia answered.
"Blood of Heroes? What for?" Marco asked.
"I have no clue." Answered Alexia.
"And those monsters who went into rampage last night. You said they were turned into girls, your highness?" Asked Glen.
"Ah yes. There's another secret organization we have to worry about besides the Cult of Diablos, Shadow Garden." Iris remarked.
Huh, so even Iris is starting to call them Shadow Garden. This name I made up has been getting popular I see. Though just to make sure.
"Are you sure they're called that?" I asked Iris.
"Yes, I'm sure. One of them, whose name is Alpha, called her organization Shadow Garden."
WHAT THE HECK! THE NAME I INVENTED WAS ACTUALLY ADOPTED!? Can I consider this plagiarism? Can I sue them for copyright infringement?
"Do you know anything about them, Mr. Claude?"
"No, I don't. I only went after the Necromancer after all. Sorry." I answered.
"That's fine. They were the ones who… turned the monsters back to human form but refuses to say anything about it." Iris elaborated.
"Does that mean the Cult of Diablos has been turning innocent girls into monsters and Shadow Garden are the ones saving them? One of them even saved me!" Alexia questioned.
"That may make them sound heroic but they refused to elaborate on their operations and they didn't let us take those girls into our custody so that we may return them to their families." Iris answered.
Oh Iris. It's cute that you think their families will welcome them with open arms after personally casting them out of society.
"They are a dangerous organization that operates outside of the law. Until we truly know their purpose, we cannot trust them." Iris declared. Glen and Marco agreeing with her.
Hmm… Isn't this my chance to manipulate Iris slowly into antagonizing the Shadow garden? I mean, she is already on the right track.
"I agree with you, Princess Iris. Perhaps they are doing their own experiments with the girls they captured." I said.
"…" Alexia went quiet, being the only one in the room with something positive to say about Shadow Garden.
"About this person who saved you, Alexia. Can you describe the person to me?" I asked curiously.
"His name is Shadow. He wore black hooded long jacket that obscured his face in the dark and the rest of his outfit is black as well. His swordsmanship was… amazing. He defeated Zenon without breaking a sweat. And that's after Zenon got power boost from his Artifact and some red pills that turned him into a huge monster similar to those monsters who rampaged in the city. And finally… that huge explosion from last night… It was his doing." Explained Alexia.
I had to suppress my grin as I hear her describing my fated enemy who, judging from that name, which was unmistakably from an English word, is undeniably a reincarnator just like me.
Shame that he vaporized Zenon's corpse, though. I would love to reanimate and improve him.
"Something bothers me though." Marco said. Our attentions are now on him.
"Why only girls? Not boys or men?"
No one but me knows the answer. And even then I'm still not sure why the Demonic Possession only happens on women. Maybe this world is filling a harem trope of some kind?
"Delta's bored! Delta wanna go hunting!" Shouted Delta in the throne room of Alexandria where the Seven Shades is present.
"Oh no, you're not! We must wait for Lord Shadow!" Scolded Gamma.
"Boss man is coming!? Okay! Delta stays!" Declared Delta.
"I'm here." Shadow said as he suddenly appeared, already sitting on the throne before the Seven Shades could sense his presence, shocking them all.
Heh. Nailed it. Shadow thought.
"Boss man! Since when did you come!?"
"Just now." He turned towards Alpha as the Seven Shades bowed to him.
"So, Alpha. What is so important that you summoned us all here?" Asked Shadow.
"It concerns Necromancer, Shadow. Last night I encountered him in the Capital." Replied Alpha.
"The Necromancer." The dreadful name escaped his lips.
"Yes. He said the Possessed who rampaged around the Capital last night was a result of the Cult's experimentations which is based off his own experiment… with me and another girl… whom he called No. 002." Explained Alpha.
"They were the girls we brought last night, right?" Asked Epsilon, who helped Alpha on healing them.
"Yes. And he also mentioned he has done even more terrible things to his own experimental subjects." Alpha said while clenching her fists.
"Even worse than those girls?" Epsilon asked, horrified as she thought the conditions of the Possessed girls they brought home last night were terrible enough, and that's after Alpha treated them. She thought it would be better if their lord would help them but he hasn't said anything, which means this is their duty.
"Can I… take a look at them?" Eta sleepily asked.
"If we failed and have no other choice. But even then you're not allowed to dissect or mutilate them." Said Alpha.
"Okaay…"
"Moving on. When I encountered him, Necromancer fights using floating sword Artifacts, just like your report, Zeta." Alpha explained further. Zeta nodding at the mention of the information she gained from spying other branches of the Cult.
"Also, he was able to vaporize one of the Possessed with just a finger." Alpha continued.
"So that's one of the magic which earned him the name Living Artifact." Zeta remarked.
"Did he bring any undead with him?" Shadow asked curiously.
"No. At least I didn't see any undead last night."
What kind of Necromancer didn't bring any undead? Though the floating swords sounds cool. Thought Shadow.
"And finally… Shadow… His reaction towards your ultimate move…"
"Hmm. Go on." Heck yeah! Please tell me how this guy reacts to my I am Atomic move!
"He laughed and excitedly declared you as his fated enemy, someone he has been waiting for a long time." Explained Alpha. The Seven Shades went silent after hearing that.
"Heh…. Heh heh heh heh…" Chuckled Shadow, whose chuckles soon turned into laughter.
"Mwa ha ha ha ha! HAA HA HA HA HA HA!" Shadow's laughter echoed throughout the throne room.
"Very well. I accept your challenge, Necromancer!" Declared Shadow, his words reassures the Seven Shades of his inevitable victory.
Shadow stood up from his throne and said "From this day forth, I declare the Necromancer as my fated riva—no… ENEMY! I declare war on the Necromancer! The day we finally clash in battle…" Shadow clenches his fist excitedly "…shall be legendary!"
"Boss man so cool!"
"And then Lord Shadow declared war on his dreadful enemy, Necromancer! And-" Muttered Beta as she excitedly wrote on her notebook.
The Seven Shades left the throne room after a few more discussions about new information Zeta obtained about the Cult's movements which seems to be centered around Everick and the Capital City of Midgar. Even the Reaper Squad is on the move. They weren't able to discern the Cult's intentions yet and will keep investigating.
Shadow was about to leave when Alpha approached him.
"Shadow."
"What is it, Alpha?"
"I want to ask you… What is the meaning of my name?"
"Hm. It is an old alphabet from an ancient civilization. Beta, Gamma, Epsilon and others all the way to Omega are part of these letters. Yours is the first letter, which to this day also means the leader or commander, which suits you beautifully as my right hand woman." Alpha blushed at hearing his explanation of the significance of her name.
"So that's why… Wait…. He knows it too…" Alpha remarked, recalling how Necromancer also have access to wisdom that only Shadow knows.
"As I suspected." He's a reincarnator too. That explains the necromancer theme, undead filled dungeons and the freaking Mimic. Thought Shadow.
"Don't look so worried, Alpha. Whoever he is, I won't lose." Shadow declared, greatly easing her worries.
"Very well. Let us know if you need any help. We won't hesitate to offer our lives for you." Declared Alpha.
"That… will be unnecessary." I mean, this guy is just a roleplayer like me. You don't have to take him that seriously. Shadow thought to himself.
"I see." Replied Alpha, saddened by his resolve to face his dreaded enemy alone without relying on her and the other Shades.
"For his crimes of harming what's mine, the first thing I'm gonna do when I meet him is to punch him in the face." Yeah. I'm so gonna punch you for the Mimic Incident. It hurts my feelings you know! Thought Shadow.
"Heh... So you're always thinking about us. About me…" Whispered Alpha, blushing after seeing Shadow get angry on her behalf.
"Then I pray that you'll claim victory over your fated enemy, Shadow. And… thank you…" Alpha said with a bright smile on her face.
"You're welcome, Alpha." Thank you for what though? Thought Shadow.
Author's Note:
Lots of info dump and a moment between Alpha and Cid. For once Alpha is not suffering in my fic. Once again I hope I portrayed the personalities of Cid and the Seven Shades properly in this chapter. Shadow and Necromancer are now aware of each other's existence and know each other as reincarnators too. They're now officially rivals! Though they basically treat each other like they were opponents in a game rather than enemies at this point. But Cid is still sour about the Mimic though.
Also, The Academy Terrorist Arc starts! With Lutheran lacking in resources compared to canon I plan to have him change his plan, though I'm still thinking about how to do it.