AN: Here's the next chapter, the end of this arc! Enjoy it! Also, sorry it took over a month.
As the sun set on the Academy, the cultists split into 5 groups. Their purpose was obvious, they wanted to approach the lab and the office from all angles, cutting off the escape routes. The fifth group was going to reinforce the groups guarding the entrances. They were sending out a massive force, relative to what they held back.
This all fit into what they needed. Better than they had planned it, dividing their forces to such an extent would make the systematic elimination simple. The Cult may outnumber them, but once this strike was completed Shadow Garden would have the edge in numbers. Of course, it wasn't like the numbers mattered when they were against a bunch of Thirds.
Nu divided her forces along the lines Lady Gamma outlined for dealing with suppressed magic. They should be able to handle everything if the difference in number against thirds stayed at 3 to 1. They should be able to handle this, and without injury if the ambushes went off without a hitch. Even with Lord Shadow making his own preparations away from the rest of Shadow Garden they should get everything ready.
As everyone moved she joined the teams moving toward the Lab. She didn't need to expose herself to Marco anymore than she already has. The Crimson Order would serve Shadow Garden, so she couldn't just eliminate him.
The Cult was moving in force. Until now they were quietly eliminating small teams, diverting them away from the Crimson Order. Now, they were using the weight of numbers to try and force their way to the last sections they haven't properly checked yet. They so desperately wanted that relic.
The Cultists were rushing to the office, while Nu took her position next to her sisters. She used the slime to hook onto the wall above the windows, and waited. She could hear their approach, they were practically rampaging to the office. The fools were likely just as loud as they approached the lab.
Nu swung down and shattered the window, her heel impaling the throat of a hapless Third as she beheaded another. As they turned toward the ambush she rushed two more, a quick jab to the throat with her blade on the closest as she ducked under a wild swing from the other. Nu swept his legs and sent him to the ground. Before he could recover she stomped his neck.
Quick and simple, they barely had a chance to react.
Omega dropped onto two Thirds. One of the benefits of the slime weapons was how well they cut through things. Twin slime daggers cut through the skulls like they weren't even there. She charged another before he could react, and stabbed the dagger up into his stomach, pulling it up to get behind the rib cage. Which wasn't needed, it would have been easier to go through the rib cage.
Omega looked to her sisters, it seems that it was a flawless ambush. No fight at all, just a culling. From what she could see everyone except 603 killed at least two cultists. Of course 599 was really only close to one target. She was newer, best to start her slow.
Well, as slow as you could go on a stealth op in an anti-magic field while wearing clothes that would literally fall off of you if you didn't have good enough magic control.
603 dove in, taking the Cultist by surprise. She stabbed the man in the chest. She meant to get him in the neck, but she was low and to the right. She wretched it up, carving through him.
Sloppy. She was new, but she needed to be better for Lord Shadow. She needed to be faster for this. Her sisters already took out nearly all of the other Cultists, there was one left. She formed a throwing knife out of her slime and threw it.
It lost its shape and the slime slapped into the Cultist's eyes. He dropped his weapon and tried rubbing the slime out of his eyes. 604 beheaded him.
604 and the others looked at her. She could feel their gaze on her. "603, the-"
"I know, just pretend that didn't happen." This was terrible. She made such a stupid mistake on her first real mission that Lord Shadow was participating in. No one's day was going as terrible as hers.
The Moonlight Sonata was his favorite musical piece. The first movement was the best one, the sullen tone, when played properly it carried such a mysterious tone. It took real skill to play it right, to not go too fast or too slow.
However, there were three movements to the Sonata. No one really knew or recognized the second movement. Sure, Cid could play it expertly, but there was really no need. It didn't carry the same mysterious vibe or tone. It was more of a mob piece. It wasn't bad, it was great, but it was between the first and third movements that were absolute perfection. It was the music that would be played as a mob went about their day with nothing happening. It wasn't a piece he felt the need to play to match the tone, playing it to fit a situation wasn't on his bucket list.
Really, what mattered was that each movement truly fit with an Eminence in Shadow. The first movement captured the mysteriousness of the Eminence, a quiet power. The second movement was the mob, blending in and being beneath everyone's notice. Perfectly acceptable and respectable, known but ignored.
However, the Third Movement! That was the culmination! Chaotic yet controlled! It was where the power of the Eminence was unveiled! Where the plans of the Eminence reach their climax flawlessly. It was powerful, intense, and it would have been perfect.
He set up the situation, Shadow Garden were right now wiping out most of the Cult's forces in the Academy at this very second. It was the perfect moment to play the Third Movement of the Moonlight Sonata! He could have knocked that off his bucket list!
This classroom had a piano in it. A music club met here, though Cid wasn't a part of it. The piano was destroyed. Some teacher's corpse on it, she probably tried to stop the Cultists before realizing she didn't have magic.
Because of that everything was ruined. They just HAD to destroy the only piano here when they killed that teacher!
Would he ever get another perfect moment to play the Third movement? Why couldn't the Cult leave the piano in one piece? There was no reason to destroy the piano.
For this injustice, he needed every aspect of Gaunt's plan to fail. No. He needed to taste victory before being crushed by defeat.
Claire finally escaped the Knight Order. They held her back when Cid was framed by that trash Zenon, and now they tried to hold her back while her school was being occupied. She needed something better than the Knight Order if all they were going to do was hold her back from saving Cid.
When she reached the school she felt her rage boil over. They were just standing there! Why weren't they going in?
She had her sword, she would go in and save her brother herself.
"WAIT! STOP!" She didn't care who said that as she hopped the barricade.
Claire let her magic flow, and pushed off launching herself forward onto the school grounds.
Something's wrong. Everything feels wrong. Clair pushed off with her next step, but her strength and power isn't there. She was leaning too far forward, she expected so much more power behind her step. She still had much of the momentum from her first step as her face met the ground, skidding face first across the pavement.
She looks up, dazed, just in time to see men in the building ahead of her aiming muskets at her. She can't build her magic, she can't move fast enough without it. Why couldn't she use her magic?
A Mithril Greatsword crashed in front of her, bullets pinging off it. She had a chance, but what could she do without magic?
This was why they were standing back.
"GET UP!" Claire felt a big jerk on her collar, pulling her to her feet.
Claire got her feet under her and scrambled after her rescuer. Princess Iris came out to save her. She didn't hear any gunshots as she ran back behind the lines. Perhaps they didn't want to hurt the Princess?
She got back behind the line and felt her magic return. Claire looked back, the Mithril Greatsword was sitting there, and now that she could look at it without the fear of being shot she saw it for what it was. It was the Holy Sword once wielded by the Hero Freya. At the very least that meant that it couldn't be used by anyone who wasn't a descendant of the Hero, they didn't have to worry about the attackers using it against them.
"What was that!" Princess Iris was clearly holding back from screaming.
"Th-thats… Why isn't magic working?"
The Princess snarls at that, and drags her away to a carriage. Claire was shoved in, Iris following behind. "What are you doing?"
"M-my brother… What's happening in the Academy?"
The Princess sighed, and looked away. "We aren't sure. They are somehow disabling the magic of anyone they choose. Right now we are waiting on the attackers to make demands or for enough knights to get here so we can overcome through the weight of numbers alone."
"Thats…" Claire didn't know what to say.
"I know. It's not how I'd like to do things, but we tried a regular assault. I've never really thought about how important magic was until that moment. We need to wait until we have enough knights or we can't do anything." Iris looked pained as she spoke. Claire could understand why. A lot of people would die in that kind of magicless attack, but she couldn't see a better option. Even if they could sneak people in, what could they do without magic? Who would volunteer for it? Sure, Claire would go in, but what could she do alone and magicless?
"How many are in there?" If she knew more she might be able to do something to save Cid.
"We don't know. They have teams watching the entrances with muskets, about ten people watching each gate with multiple muskets to rotate fire." Iris leaned back and sighed. "I'm trying to assemble knights, but it seems that they are coming in slowly."
Claire bristled at that. "Why aren't they coming in immediately?"
"Fear. They know the plan, and the Knight Order is spreading out over the city. Apparently my father is concerned that there could be a mass attack like the last time my sister was taken. More knights are moving to defend the city, and half the knight promised to me just haven't shown up. I can't even blame them, it's not like this will be a big heroic fight. It will be at best a horde of knights without magic against an entrenched enemy who can still use magic."
Claire couldn't hide how nervous she was. Sure, she had been without magic long ago before she came to the Academy when she was kidnapped. She didn't know who wiped out her kidnappers, but she has some idea how to fight without magic helping her. "Whatever happens, your Highness, please let me be a part of saving the Academy."
Iris's gaze was piercing. "Claire Kageno, correct?"
"Yes, your Highness."
"When the time comes, you will be by my side as we rescue our siblings." Princess Iris smiled warmly at Claire.
Right, Princess Alexia is a current student. Claire forgot that.
The sun was setting, it wouldn't be long until it was dark out. Sherry tried to focus on her equipment, the lines were in place, the artifact was in position, and she was struggling to push magic into the matrix. She tapped the enchanted stone of ash, and struggled to feel the flow of magic as it was pulled away.
She took a deep breath and tapped it again. Listening to her tool, feeling the vibrations, pushing what magic she could into the matrix and forcing it against the magic draining field.
Then it was easy. Her magic wasn't being pulled away as the stone glowed. The magic flowed to the adjacent array, flowing to the 4 carved stones, the magic arcing between them and converging on the artifact. The red gem in the center shone briefly.
It worked.
"Did it work?" Sherry jumped. She forgot Marco was here.
"Ummm, yes. This sh-should work." With this she could fix things.
"What do we need to do?" Glen asked, not taking his eyes off the door to the office.
"If, um, if we get it cl-close to th- main unit… It sh-should st-stop the anti-magic."
"Where is the main unit?" Marco asked.
It was a good question. One she hadn't considered yet.
"How does the main unit work?" Glen asked.
"We-well, it drains ma-magic. Th-the closer it is t-to the p-people drained, the better it-."
"Auditorium." Marco interrupted. Sherry turned to him, as she thought of what he said. "I-I mean, it makes sense, right? It's a wide open room, with upper-level seating that musketmen could watch and threaten all of the hostages at, and if all of the hostages are there it makes sense to have the Eye of Avarice close to them. If you cram the students and staff in close together you could fit them all in the Auditorium, and with a few teams of musketmen they can keep an eye on and threaten everyone."
"It's also a separate building, approaching it would be…" Glen added.
She could help with this too! This was actually incredibly good luck! "I-I can help!" She ran over to the bookshelf and pressed the hidden switch, opening the bookshelf to the hidden path.
"...There are hidden tunnels in the Academy?" Glen asked.
"Yes? You didn't know?" Sherry had known about them for years. "They reach all over the Academy."
"We definitely need to tell the Princesses about this."
"Doesn't matter at the moment. Once people can use magic again any forces outside will be moving in. If these tunnels can get us into the Auditorium, we have to take them. Miss Barnet, we will keep you safe, we'll only move in to fight if we're seen or we find Princess Alexia."
It was late. Alexia could see that it was dark out now. Most of the students had cut their bindings, and thankfully no one has fought back yet. Soon they would need to. Their magic was running low, and once it was gone they would have absolutely no chance.
Thankfully, a lot of the forces holding them left, and didn't return. The teams of musketmen on the second level were still in place, she wasn't sure what she could do about that. They needed something, anything to distract them.
She looked toward Gaunt. The man in armor was stressed. He looked like a man with everything falling apart around him. That was why she hadn't attacked yet. The man was so worried, like he was waiting for things to fall apart. Panoptes already left, and he didn't seem to go with the men Gaunt sent out earlier.
She was both glad and concerned that Panoptes was gone. She had no clue what he was, but Gaunt was deferential to him. Gaunt was strong, and Panoptes treated him like he was a joke. A part of her was terrified that he might just jump back in at any moment. It definitely didn't help that they were all unarmed.
They needed something, anything that could distract the forces for even a moment and it could save them.
Sir Gaunt had failed. Most of his assets were gone. No one came back, he didn't dare make the draining effect flicker to call back the Thirds watching the entrances. He had to hope that Shadow Garden didn't want the Knight Order to come in.
Hope, that's what he's been reduced to. He wasn't sure how to get out of here. Shadow Garden was a bigger threat than he thought. His tools were utterly helpless against them, and they are somehow still using magic. He didn't link them to the Eye, they should be affected by the Eye! He had never been without his half, there is no way they should be immune to the magic draining effect.
How was he going to get out? This was meant to frame Shadow Garden, save his life from his own frail body, and elevate him to the Rounds. Now he felt like the best case would be not dying today.
He would need to leave soon, some of the students should be running out of magic soon. He would have to personally fetch the other half of the artifact. It was a worrying prospect, as no one has returned. Now Panoptes has abandoned him too.
Then he saw it. On the second floor, behind one of the teams was the Lion's Mane, Glen. No matter that the musketmen had magic and Glen was without, a sword in the back is a sword in the back.
Gaunt looked to see where the young Crimson Knight was. He saw it on the other balcony, cutting down his thirds by surprise.
Then, just what he needed. The control unit sailed through the air, shining. He felt the draining field break, but it didn't matter. The Eye had absorbed enough. If he had the control unit he could fix this mess.
"Our magic has been unsealed! It's time to fight back!" He didn't care about the Oriana Princess, how she killed one of the few remaining Thirds he had.
"The Crimson Order's attacking the musketmen! Now's the time to move!" Alexia was up and had killed and seized a sword, and the hostages were all getting up.
Gaunt grabbed the control unit, and pulled out the Eye. The glass roof shattered as the real Shadow Garden dropped in. He charged magic into his armor and turned a blow away.
He turned and fled. Staying served no purpose, and he had a chance to escape and survive if he could get the two parts together. He just might be able to still pin the blame on Shadow Garden. He charged out of the auditorium and knew he needed to move faster. He could hear the Knight Order clashing with the Thirds he left at the gates. Without the Magic draining field they wouldn't be able to hold them off for long.
He rushed to his office, and he was now certain that the asset finished the work on the control unit in the room. Some of its tools and equipment were still there.
It was concerning that he got here without challenge. He needed to act quickly to keep everything secret. Gaunt grabbed books off the shelf and tossed them behind him. He had a couple of books with information on the Cult and notes that could reveal some of his involvement. It didn't matter which books he piled up, this office was going up in flames.
He pulled out his lighter, ignited, and tossed it to the pile.
Shadow grinned as he signaled his people to stand back, letting Gaunt flee. The attack on the auditorium was underwhelming, to say the least. They outnumbered the Cult, even without the students and the Crimson Order. So far the only problem was the lack of a proper piano.
For now, the teams in the auditorium were sufficient. He had a few teams guiding the Knight Order to the auditorium, Nu's team was with him, and the remaining teams were making sure their escape was secured.
Gaunt was constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting to be followed. Even so, he made a straight shot for Lutheran's office. Shadow looked back to the auditorium, the students were starting to flee.
"Nu, ensure that the Crimson Order is moving back toward Lutheran's office. Don't let them know we want them there." It was time for the finale.
Shadow created a small ball of slime, aimed it with a finger gun, and watched as Gaunt stacked books. Gaunt tossed a lighter, and Shadow released his shot. The slime hit the lighter, covering it and extinguishing the flame.
Shadow went full speed into the office, making sure he was in Gaunt's blind spot as he sat on his desk. He manipulated the slime making his coat so it billowed behind him.
"What? You! Shadow!" Gaunt said as he turned toward him. Shadow said nothing as he stood up and started walking towards him. All he needed to do was see what else Gaunt would do. "Like you I am a man who has lived by the sword, I can tell a lot when I come face to face with an opponent. Including the fact that at the moment I am at a disadvantage."
He pulled his helmet off, showing himself to be Lutheran Barnet, as expected. "I am not going to waste any time." He pulled out both halves of the Eye of Avarice, and a bottle of pills. "It is only when you combine both halves that it shows its true power, let me show you!"
The two parts came together, with the orb centering itself on the cross before blooming like a rose. Shadow felt the magic erupt from it, before it redirected toward Gaunt. It merged with his armor, then his flesh.
That was it? He could have done this without taking the school hostage. It would have been easy to cover up random magic draining as part of the study of the artifact. Also it would have been much easier to steal the artifact himself then fake his death. He has keys to all of the doors in the Academy. Shadow thought that he was missing something, that this attack was needed for something.
Sure it would still make him look awesome beating Gaunt, but it was still disappointing. He still got some of his bucket list done, only at the last minute did he miss the opportunity for the third movement of the Moonlight Sonata.
Shadow really hoped that Gaunt wasn't close to the Rounds, if he was it would make the Rounds really disappointing.
Shadow blocked a simple strike from Gaunt. He should probably pay attention to this, he kind of stopped listening to what Gaunt was saying. Gaunt was jumping all over the room, wasting massive amounts of magic and movement. He wasn't sure if it was due to a lack of skill or if Gaunt simply wasn't used to the amount of power. They locked blades.
"I'll admit you are very strong, indeed, and to show respect for your strength," Gaunt jumped back, "I won't hold anything back either! You've compelled me to fight you as an equal. That will be something to brag about in the afterlife."
Gaunt charged forward, his speed going far beyond what he displayed before, maintaining some control over his strikes. It was nowhere near enough. Shadow gave a single slice, to his shoulder, careful to not be too deep. Enough to be painful, not enough to stop him. He could feel the wasted magic push, and it shattered the wall behind him. As Gaunt's magic receded Shadow heard him shout in pain as the single slash's pain hit him.
"So that's really the best you can do? I can see why Panoptes already fled." Shadow said as he turned to Gaunt.
"NO! I will NOT fail here!" It was simple, Gaunt was angry now. He was lashing out with everything he had. No longer even attempting to act with precision, just pure unrelenting power and speed. Shadow barely had to try. He had to expend more effort to hold back a smile as he felt Marco, Alexia and one other approach. "It's impossible that you can be this good! Well it doesn't matter how strong you are. It's over for you and Shadow Garden! I've arranged for this attack to look like your work. From the evidence to the testimonies, everything has been prepared. Everything you've worked for will end in nothing!"
At this, Shadow finally let himself smile and laugh. "You think I care if we're blamed. I am beyond the petty thoughts others have of good and evil. Everything has proceeded as I desired."
"You expect me to believe that you want this!?"
"Everything has gone as I desired. Everyone has moved as I desired. Everyone has lived as I desired. Your plans for the Cult of Diablos are falling apart as I desired. Right now, the Crimson Order is listening as I desired." Shadow heard Alexia and Marco gasp as he announced their presence. Gaunt himself was distracted by the revelation that would ruin the last aspect of his plans, turning to the doorway they were hiding behind. Shadow built magic in his palm and rushed around to Gaunt's back and slammed his palm into it, forcing his magic in.
Gaunt screamed in pain as the magic tore through him. Shadow felt through him, the flow of the magic in the Eye of Avarice, how it tied to the very soul of Gaunt. He could feel it, and was cutting him off from it. Ripping apart bits of soul to sever it from the artifact, then cleanly removing the soul from the Eye. The artifact needed to expel its magic, so Shadow directed it up to the sky, shattering the ceiling and roof above them and scattering the debris. As he did his work it expelled all of the magic it drained away over the course of the day. The Eye was severed from Gaunt's soul, now to sever it from the body. He pushed, and could feel and hear the armor fused to Gaunt's flesh creak, bend and break as the artifact slowly pushed through Gaunt's body.
The Eye was free, with bits and chunks of Gaunt's armor still in his chest. Shadow gave one last act, pushing magic to Gaunt's lungs. He damaged them just a bit, and strengthened the disease that had been killing him. Still, he might be able to survive that with proper application of his magic.
Shadow grabbed the Eye, felt its power, and directed it. He rested it against Gaunt's chest, and drained any remaining magic from the man. Back to his sickly state with worse lungs, without the magic he used to keep himself going. Gaunt struggled to take a single breath. He couldn't even breath enough to cough as he slowly died.
Shadow turned him around and locked eyes with him. He turned his mask back into slime and had it retreat, revealing the face of Cid Kagenou. Gaunt's eyes widened in terror and shock, as the mask returned. "You struggled so long and sacrificed so much to avoid dying of disease. However, that is how I desire you to die, and so you will die as I desired."
Shadow dropped Gaunt, leaving him to suffocate on his diseased lungs. "Nu."
She stepped through the doorway, leading Marco to yelp in surprise. A great way to get a proper dramatic entrance. "Yes my lord."
"Collect what he wanted to burn and," Shadow tossed the Eye to Nu, which she caught without looking, "that can serve as a new training tool."
Nu snapped her fingers, and about 20 members of Shadow Garden dove in through the windows and the open wall. They took everything, leaving the bookshelves bare as Alexia and Marco came out, Sherry trailing behind them quietly muttering something.
"I can't let you take everything here." Marco said, sword drawn.
"'Let me?' Who will stop me?" Shadow asked with a glare as his people cleaned out the office. That was all it took to make him back down.
"I'll stop you." Alexia said, standing as firm as she could.
Shadow stared at her, nothing showing on his face. Every book in the office had been removed, Sherry's equipment removed. There was nothing to stop at this point. "No." Sherry was on her knees next to Gaunt. "This isn't right, you wouldn't do this!"
Marco turned away and looked at the girl as she started to wail. "Sherry…"
"This is some kind of lie! Some kind of trick! You wouldn't do this! You wouldn't attack the Academy! You didn't send people to kill me! You didn't do this!"
He forgot about Sherry in all of this. He didn't want her to see this. "The truth can be painful. It's still better than living with lies." And with that, his role in this came to a close.
He still needed to prep a reason why Cid didn't participate in anything.
AN: Yeah, Sherry doesn't get a happy ending here. She gets emotional scarring. Still, we reached the end of this arc, and next chapter we'll have things cool down a bit as we see the full consequences of everything and how it will affect things. There's a lot of information for the Crimson Order and Iris to digest.
Also, Panoptes disappeared. Will he return? Probably. Will there be other new fake identities? Probably. All you need to know is that everything will go as Lord Shadow desires.