Ricky's body is disappearing. It reminds me of the man I fought with when I first went to the Bushin Festival. Ricky was holding onto the stick that was glowing since earlier, the left side of Ricky's body is disappearing. It looks like an artifact—it's an artifact. So, I can only assume that the thing the other guy left with at that time was an artifact as well? It doesn't matter. I want to grab the artifact from Ricky's hand before he disappears, but at the same time... I wonder where this is headed. Could I de-active it? I think not. I can only watch, because if I dare grab it, I'm certain I'll teleport where it's headed, and while it's not really a bad idea, I need to save Hitomi-san and Nee-san. So I could only watch as Ricky's body disappeared. The light blue glow covering the entire room before at last, he was not there anymore.

...I can only assume that it's headed towards a secret base of sorts. A base of the Cult. With that said, these past three years I've been unknowingly fighting the Cult of Diablos. That's... good to know. The bases we've raided, the information that the girls have given me, and everything else... it's all been real. That's good to know. I started walking towards the direction I was headed—towards Nee-san and Hitomi-san, before I repeated the words Grease had said.

"Revival of Diablos". That's their purpose; the thing from the myths, the Diablos, is real. I knew possession was real, Nee-san had it, Kaa-sama too, as did everyone in Shadow Garden and Hitomi-san... But if that wasn't enough, I heard it from the bandits when I first saw Alpha. Something about having a possessed one and something about the Church...? I don't remember. It's way too far in the back of my head... such details aren't going to be remembered fast. But this Church... I used to think that at times my Tales sounded real because these people; these bandits continued talking about the Church and the kidnapping of the possessed... but now I know it's real. Does the Church have to do anything, then?

I have too little information. Is the Church behind it all? I need more information. I have to ask Alpha and the girls, because they seem way more informed than I do... That's if they know it's real. They've acted as if it's real all this time. "Acted"? Maybe they know it's real, and have been genuinely giving me information yet I've been throwing it to the side thinking it's in jest. The girls knew it's real? They must've known.

What do I do now? As I continued walking, I took my time. Trying to remember everything I could. Was the silver-haired man from the Cult? He never said anything... right? I'm trying to remember... But I really can't. He never mentioned anything about Diablos... What about the Elf lady? Did she know? Did the people I once saved Nee-san from, did they know? The girl I saved in the Oriana Kingdom or the Therianthrope I saved in Lawless city... did they know? Have I unknowingly helped someone from the Cult?

Wait... now I'm noticing. There are more life forces; more presences I couldn't feel earlier. I know that Nee-san and Hitomi-san are at the end of the corridor, that's for certain... But there are hundreds of doors and they each have multitude life forces; multiple presences; multiple people... with Magic Overload. How didn't I notice earlier? Was I too hyper focused on Nee-san and Hitomi-san...? Or was I being ignorant? I should've been able to tell, yet I didn't.

I was careful when walking up to one of the doors. Metal, huge and wide. Heavy. Multiple chains held it and needed a specific key to be able to open it. So, I'll blast through them. I kicked open the door with such force they almost went flying. It wasn't my intention, but it woke up the people inside. Three girls, all with dark spots all over their body. They all had blond hair and were elves. They're all chained up to the walls, tied up with a multitude of chains on their wrists and ankles; magic restraining chains and chains reinforced with magic. Breaking out wouldn't be easy. They all had little to no clothing-almost naked. They seem to be starving and thirsty.

"W-Wha..."

The noise I made when opening the door seems to have woken one of them up. What do I do here? Should I heal their possessions? Should I take them with me...? What should I do? This is too much for me to deal with...

"Who... Who are you?" The one in the middle was the one who woke up and the one that asked. She seemed to be the oldest of the three... and she looks younger than me. She looked at me with green eyes—wary.

"Do...do you work with them?"

She asked. Them, as in the ones who kidnapped her. I don't... want to answer just yet... but I can't let her live with that thought in her head.

"No. My name is Shadow... he who lurks in the Shadows, to hunt down the Shadows."

"S...Shadow...?"

I feel bad for her, but I really don't know what to do... This sort of reminds me of the events with Nishuto or whatever her name was. She was tied up to a wall before I jumped in and saved her, even after getting injured. But this is different in a certain case. I...this is different. This is a Cult... not some thieves. These are people who've worked under the Shadows far longer compared to what I have... I assume.

Wait. With that said... I was angry because Ricky, Esteve and Grease did something before I could, right? They're criminals while acting all innocent on the surface. What... then if I'm the opposite? I still want to control things behind the curtains; I still want to be the Eminence in Shadow... but every villain needs someone to oppose them. That's... that's what I'll do! The Cult did what I wanted to before me—sorta. I never wanted to kidnap random children to try to revive the "diablos"... never. But they work in the Shadows and have been for a while. So much in fact that they even manipulated the story so people believe it's a myth and not reality! I'll rival them—no, I'll surpass them.. Destroy them! And save those who've been kidnapped or injured by the cult. That's it. And then, "Shadow" the hero will be known throughout the world..! Even when it wasn't my original goal… My identity is still hidden though…

"What's your name?"

"Eve..."

"And the girls besides you?"

"My younger sisters... Elly and Emma..."

"Hmmm..."

"Y-you said you don't work for them...?"

"Them... as in the ones who kidnapped the three of you?"

"...yeah?"

"No. I oppose them and everything they stand for. I have a purpose here, and that is to save you—all of you, those that we're aware of, even the ones we're not aware of."

Her eyes widened a bit. Tears filled her eyes before she looked to the side and down.

"...liar."

Liar? Lying? I'm not lying, Eve. I'm being as truthful as I could be here... maybe she's calling me a liar because I haven't shown her that I'm capable of such a thing?

"...you can't remove possession. You can't heal it... we're done for."

I raised an eyebrow. Not that she could tell... before I walked forward and bent down to her eye level. I looked at her and grabbed her chin; made her look at me.

"You're giving up when you haven't tried? You're going to succumb to failure? Do you have dreams? Do you have people to go back to? You're going to let possession overtake your whole being?"

"What can I do?! I can't do anything, neither can you...! No-one can...! My parents were killed…! Because of this stupid possession…!" she began crying in my hand.

That's sad. I feel sorry for her and her sisters…

"My condolences. But, can't what? Heal it? Overcome it?"

"It's said that no-one can heal possession... you can only be executed to cleanse you off the world...! No-one can heal it no matter how hard they try... you can't heal us..."

To be fair with her. I know of no-one that overcame possession by themselves, except Kaa-sama. As far as I'm aware, no-one healed her... possession just didn't do as much damage as it would've to other people. But I know of no-one else that has suffered from possession and overcame it on their own...

"Watch, Eve. Then, grow."

I poured my magic towards her and instantly controlled the Magic Overload; her possession disappeared pretty much instantly. I can't recover what she has lost. That's something that no-one can recover… But, I can try to give her something; give them something. Not only these three girls, but everyone else around. Everyone inside this place, that's trapped.

"Wh-...how?"

I turned to her sisters and healed them, before I broke the chains. Only Eve was conscious, though. She looked at me in disbelief as I walked out of the room, before I opened another pair of doors. I opened them, more girls… I've decided to heal all of them. So, instead of… healing them one by one. No. I'll… [Author: Theme of Cid Kagenou OST here lol.]

"...how…?"

I could hear one of the girls muttering as my magic began appearing once more. The sphere. The magic sphere has appeared once more. Remember how my magic sphere used to work? It turns the magic in the air into mine, no matter where it is. If it's inside the sphere, it's mine. I practiced to drain the magic off people… But what if: instead of draining, I inject magic that neutralizes Magic Overload?

That's the reason why I spawned the sphere. I know how to do this, and to make my life a lot simpler… I'll use it on everyone here.

"Hey you!"

Two guards approached me from the hall. They're terrified… and with good reason.

"What… what is this?"

Claire asked herself… Whatever this… purple sparks of magic that reached her then passed through… it had healed her. Whatever damage she had taken prior had just disappeared. Same with Hitomi.

They hadn't recovered their strength, the chains were doing wonders when it came to limiting them… but Claire could only admire the magic. It's beauty and perfection as it traversed through. The purple reminded her of the bracelet Cid had, which matched hers in everything but the color.

"So beautiful…"

They had the fights of the Bushin Festival and even the fight that happened two years ago after the first round. The magic they showed then didn't compare to this, at least in terms of beauty. Its color changed from deep purple, to pink, to magenta. Sparks, almost like lightning, flashed through and reached them.

They watched in fascination as the power with ease phased through the walls and further—places they couldn't see.

All Claire knew is that… this power had healed her. This power had healed whatever had happened just a few minutes prior. It's helping her.

Suddenly, a multitude of footsteps could be heard—people were running down the halls. So many of them, in fact. Metal doors could be heard swinging open, then footsteps. A combination which made both Hitomi and Claire look at the doors, expectedly.

They could feel that they were safe. They had no evidence to back it up, but it's a feeling which they could not shake their belief in.

Suddenly, their doors swung open, and with it came light. After blinking a couple times, they could see a figure—the light blocked their appearance…

"No… there's… this darkness hiding your appearance…"

Claire noted. And it's the truth. The figure was covered by pure darkness. Something hid every detail of the figure.

This figure was bursting with magic; pure purple power showered through everything and lit up the room. It has become evident that this person is responsible for all the purple that had surrounded them; for all the power that surrounded them. This magic is so incredibly concentrated that it's visible—this power is so incredibly overwhelming, if it wasn't this person, it'd cause havoc. The figure was jet-black with strips of gold and dark purple on the inside of its clothing. The figure wielded a sword—an obsidian looking sword. The power it radiated was enough to make Hitomi cower in fear, but Claire didn't. No, she felt as if they were saved.

"You've done well. Now it's my time to take care of the Cult."

The figure said as it walked closer. The voice so deep it felt as if the abyss itself had spoken. It raised its blade and then aimed it in their direction, and in a moment's notice, they weren't restrained anymore. The chains that held them to the wall were broken with ease.

"Who are you? W-Why did you save us?"

Hitomi asked.

The figure didn't answer. Its red eyes did turn to her and looked at her. The figure turned around and looked through the metal doors. Hitomi tried to stand up, but her legs didn't have the strength… she used a wall to stand up, before she almost fell… before a being…? No… magic had hugged her. A human-like figure made of magic had hugged her. It was light purple, had no defining features; bland… but it's evident. The figure clad in darkness had stopped her from falling.

But the figure didn't answer. It walked out through the metal doors and waited for them. It turned around, the red eyes stared at Claire, before staring at Hitomi. It waited. It didn't move. It merely stared as the two girls got their strength and stood up. They weren't wary. This figure had saved them, after all. They walked up to the figure and then the figure started walking through the hall. They followed.

Hitomi had to cover her mouth to not throw up, upon seeing the bodies of some guards. She's not used to this. Or better yet, she never expected to see such a thing… live it, even less. Seeing the bodies of two guards cut in half didn't help her cope with what she's currently living through.

Claire took it better. She has accepted how this world is, so it doesn't really surprise her.

What surprised her were the three bodies… the two and a half bodies of the three men that were interrogating her and Hitomi earlier. Grease, Ricky, and… the blond one. She never knew his name.

"These men worked for the Cult. Their lives had been set in stone the moment they reached your mansion."

It seems that this figure was able to identify where they were because they were kidnapped? Or did this figure have something in favor of them? Claire could not tell, and probably would never.

"...They said something about us being compatible…"

Claire muttered, but the figure heard it loud and clear.

"Compatible? With what, exactly?"

"With the Diablos right arm…?"

Claire was confused. She remembers how she used to read stories to Cid, especially about the myth that is Diablos and the three heroes. She remembers it talking about the Demon—talking about Diablos… Could it be real?

"But there's no way it's real… right?"

The figure didn't even look at Claire. It continued walking forward, it continued walking towards a set of stairs, and the two girls were following him.

"Sadly enough, it's real. It's the reason everyone here was kidnapped."

"Everyone?"

The figure didn't answer her question, but two people are not "everyone". There must be others that were kidnapped, then.

"Asking around, most people were taken away from their families; all the people's families were killed. You have avoided that fate, Claire Kagenou."

Claire's eyes widened. Her parents could've died? Why? Why go to such extents? Before she could ask any question, the figure stopped and pointed upwards. They were still walking around in its power.

"Atomic arrow."

The figure muttered… an arrow of its power appeared in the tip of his finger and it shot upwards, piercing the roof and letting the moonlight reach where they stood. The hole was so wide that a whole house could fit.

"What is that for?"

Claire asked. Not feeling any type of terror. She was piqued — curious as hell. The giant hole let the moon shine down on them, but it shined purple; the figure's power. But the figure didn't do anything, except lower its arm. It was waiting for something.

"...should…we do something?"

Hitomi asked, scared. She was not as confident as Claire in this department. The figure once more said nothing, merely waited. Hitomi got close to it and looked to the sky with it and Claire… were they getting closer to the moon? It felt as if they were rising.

Hitomi looked down to see a platform made of pure power was rising to the field. The moment they were leveled with it, the figure spoke.

"Out of the platform."

They followed its orders immediately. Leaving the platform as the magic dispersed and disappeared. it looked to its right, and the two girls did so with it. Claire and Hitomi's eyes widened.

"This is what you meant with everyone?"

Hundreds, but hundreds of young girls all either crying, shuddering or having a look of disbelief; all crowded in one area… before they noticed the figure.

"Shadow!"

A young blond elf shouted. 'Shadow' walked forward and reached out. The elf hugged the figure, and it hugged her back.

"T-Thank you, Shadow! Th-There's no way I could repay this…!"

The girl began crying. Shadow spoke once more, with a soothing voice compared to the one he had prior.

"Never give up, Eve. There's a lot to live for; there's a lot to stand for; there's a lot to do in this world. Look to the sky and wonder… Can I do better?"

Shadow itself looked to the sky.

"You and I have a lot to do in this world. You can start a-new, now that you're free."

He stood up and carried the girl with him. Hugging her, even as he walked forward towards the group of girls. Claire and Hitomi followed him. He approached and they cried their "thank you"s and things across those lines. Tears fell down most of the girls' eyes as they watched what they assumed was their savior approach them.

Praises, tears, and cheers could be heard. No-one introduced each other. All they knew is that they were saved. The figure let the blond elf down and turned to his side.

"Lord Shadow."

Seven people approached the group. They were all covered in blood… but they were all strong.

"With this… mission is complete."

"What do you plan with them, my Lord?"

A therianthrope asked. A cat-like one at that. Shadow turned his head towards everyone who had grown silent at the new people. They watched with curiosity and fear as the man took his time thinking.

"They can do as they please. They're free."

"!" This caught the attention of everyone sans the seven figures that he's talking to.

"Um… sir…"

One of the young ones took a step forward. Shadow looked at her as she bowed down.

"Thank you! I… am really thankful for what you've done for us."

"Think nothing of it. It's our goal."

He said that so casually. It had become quite obvious that Shadow took this seriously; his one and only intention was to defeat the Cult that had kidnapped them.

"...but I don't have anywhere to go. My… family was slaughtered… because of me…"

This caught the Therianthrope cat's attention… she lived through a similar fate, after all.

"S-Same thing here…"

Another girl took a step forward as she too bowed down.

"..." Shadow himself didn't know what to say. One could not see his facial expressions… but you could almost feel that he's in disbelief.

"Lord Shadow, why not let them join Shadow Garden?"

"It's too dangerous."

Most girls looked at the blond-girl in front of the other six. The one closest to Shadow himself. She looked at the group.

"Look. Our mission is to destroy the Cult of Diablos. Our mission is to free those who have been captured. Our mission is to improve the world and remove all evil."

Shadow looked at the elf—from what could be told, with a questioning look.

"Who here has nowhere to return to?"

All the girls sans two raised their hands. Claire wanted to, because she felt as if she needed to know more information… but she also had to return to her brother. And she had her priorities straight. Hitomi as well. She doesn't want to abandon her parents—she has to see them again, and she has Cid to go back to.

"...you're all being honest?"

Everyone nodded to her question. She looked perplexed.

"Look. We're up against an opponent who has had years of time to prepare. We're up against the unknown, and to fight it, we need to be unknown. We must do things in the Shadows…"

"...I wish for vengeance…"

"I wish to pay for the new chance you've given me…!"

"We want to help on this mission…"

Most girls said. Some stayed quiet, but by looking at them, you could assume they were thinking of something similar.

"This is a choice you cannot go back from. Betrayal will not be tolerated—this is not only for your own good, but the world."

Shadow spoke. His voice grew wary yet hardened… as if warning them.

The girls all looked at each other as he stared at all of them.

"This is something neither of us can backoff from. If you choose to go with us, we'll welcome you with open arms… but the past must be forgotten, as it'll do more damage than good… especially with what you all have gone through."

They could feel the wisdom just oozing off him.

"We understand if you rather choose not to work with us. After all, we've only begun not that long ago. So, you have two options…" He raised two of his fingers as his power went back towards him. The sphere that had manifested was disappearing.

The only light that remained was the moon light. You could properly see the surroundings. Tall trees that covered almost everything, grass tall enough to hide a full sized person, logs cut in half all around. The only place that wasn't covered by tall grass and logs was where they currently were, as Shadow had cleared the spot for those that he had freed.

"You join us. The Cult is still potent; still strong. While we're informed… There's too much unknown. What I can say, for certain, is that there's hundreds more, if not thousands that have yet to be saved, and thousands, if not millions that work to revive the Diablos itself."

Shadow said.

"T-The revival… of Diablos…?"

One of them asked shyly, interrupting Shadow… but he didn't seem to mind. Quite the opposite. Those two red eyes glowed brightly, but you couldn't feel malice. No. You felt gratitude.

"You've all heard the myths, have you not?"

Nods all around him. Claire herself had read the book multiple times, and Hitomi was aware of the myths… never really read into them nor anything across those lines.

"Those myths aren't myths. They're reality. They, the Cult of Diablos, have molded the story in such a way to make it sound fictional… but it's all real. There was a demon, Diablos and there were three heroes who fought it off… if not more. The information is hidden and hidden well by the Cult itself, and that's information that we have to find."

Shadow went pensive for a minute and lowered a finger.

"The Cult is not aware of who we are. They are aware that we exist… or at least, that there's someone attacking their bases. We don't do this for fun… Lord Shadow has been fighting the Cult for three years… and we, Shadow Garden have supported his every move. If you're to join us, you must understand: the only reason we fight is because he does. None of us would be here if he wasn't fighting… he's our Lord for a reason."

The blond elf from Shadow Garden said. Her eyes didn't show a bit of deceit in them. She meant every word she said. Shadow himself seemed to slouch for a bti before he coughed to his fist.

"But there's always the second option. You can return to your civilian life. The only condition is that this is never talked about again. You're to forget every detail since I freed you. You'll be restarting your life a-new."

He lowered both fingers.

He stared at all of them, from one girl to another. Staring at all of them.

"If you have come to your decision, do not worry. We'll understand whichever decision is done."

The girl Shadow had carried; the girl Shadow called Eve took a step forward.

"I…I've seen your power, and I've seen what you fight for… is… is it fine for me to fight by your side, Lord Shadow…?"

She questioned her own words. It went quieter and quieter by the second, but Shadow himself heard it loud and clear.

"Are you sure of your decision, Eve?"

"...I doubted you. I doubted what you could do… yet you didn't judge me… you… woke me up to reality…"

Shadow didn't say anything, but he looked at the blond elf that was part of Shadow Garden, who immediately took a step forward.

"We'll welcome you with open hands. But you must understand… Whatever Lord Shadow says, goes. It's not trying to admonish you, but he's the one best informed about what's going on, how to deal with it, and the best course of action. What he says, goes. That's for all who decide to join."

Eve looked at Shadow, before looking at the blond haired elf… before bowing down. The two sisters of Eve bowed down with her.

"Anyone else?"

An avalanche of girls who all took steps forward and bowed down.

From there, they were all given instructions on what to do and where to head to.

"We have to improve the hideout…"

"Actually, my Lord. We've moved our hideout elsewhere. It's already improved. We go back to the old hideout when we meet with you."

"Oh, is that so? Where is this new hideout, Alpha?"

Alpha placed a finger on her lips, "It's a secret." a small smile on her face.

Shadow chuckled, but it seemed saddened. No-one could really pinpoint why. He turned to the girls as they all bowed down to him. He merely looked as they all bowed down and promised absolute and undeniable faith and loyalty. He didn't react to anything, just watched. Sometimes he'd twitch for whatever reason.

Claire and Hitomi watched as they all went in a certain direction through the woods. The group of girls surrounded by the seven that had appeared before Shadow… which, speaking off, stayed with them.

He was watching with them. Claire could finally get a good look at him. His cloak was majestic; it reflected the moonlight beautifully, but it felt as if he wished for it to stop doing so, it'd stop. You couldn't feel an ounce of magic of him, but he had proven that he had it… and a lot of it. He took a step back before staring at the moonlight… Claire tried to see the figure behind the shadow yet she couldn't.

He was so tall compared to her. Claire's your average height, with Cid and Hitomi being a bit under. Shadow was above Daric's height. He could, with ease, be one of the tallest people Claire has ever met.

"It's time for you two to head back, isn't it?"

Before either could say something, Shadow grabbed them by the waist. Once more, before either of them could say something, a deep-blue, purple magic appeared beneath them… and after a blink, they're in the sky… Almost like a shooting star. If someone was below them, they'd see a bright dark purple trail going through the sky.

Hitomi screamed—terrified in this new experience. Claire did so as well, but she limited herself.. Because, imagine if Cid was somehow seeing her act all scared? What type of cool and stylish Onee-chan would she be if so…? But she's scared nonetheless.

"This view…"

Claire gasped. They could fall at any moment, but the grip Shadow had on them felt as if it was the safest place on the planet. She watched the ground… or what she could. Shadows magic blocked most of it.

But what she could see were towns of people, the Midgar Capital and a bunch of trees… and even animals.

"L-Lord Shadow… is there corruption in the Midgar Capital?"

Hitomi asked, while not looking down.

"Corruption is everywhere, Hitomi Shitori. Even in your own Kingdom."

The Kingdom of Vlarc. Where an anarchy almost happened. Where Xander is looking for a marriage partner. Where Ecno and Lucy have all the power—not metaphorically, but literally.

"Vlarc?"

"...I'm going to start an investigation of my own there, soon. There's too little known. What happened to Soe Funtas? Why is magic the main topic of research there?"

These are basic questions. But they're questions nonetheless. Soe Funtas, a marriage candidate of Xander. Her disappearance caused havoc throughout the Kingdom two years ago…

"...I see…"

Before they even knew it, they had reached the mansion where they lived. Shadow stepped with elegance on the ground and landed without any issue. He let the two of them down and turned to the sky. But, before he could live, Hitomi spoke.

"I-I know you've heard it a lot today, but I thank you from the bottom of my heart… seriously… Thank you for everything, Lord Shadow!"

"Yeah. Thank you, Lord Shadow for helping us and all those people… you have a second home here where you're always welcomed."

Claire spoke right after. The two of them bowed down.

"Think nothing of it. If you truly want to thank me, mention nothing of me or either of the organizations you're now aware of... To no-one."

He said. The two of them straightened up and nodded immediately… and he went flying. A shooting star flew through the sky.

Claire and Hitomi stared as the purple trail continued one way, before suddenly turning and heading another. Shadow had a place to be, another mission to deal with. That much was evident for them… and just because they're aware of him and what he's capable of, they're going to fulfill his wishes.

The trail vanished, and they couldn't pinpoint where he headed to anyways. They felt a sudden breeze, and that was enough to let them know: enter the mansion.

Claire walked in front and reached the mansion doors. They were wide open. Claire and Hitomi looked inside. There were Daric and Miki talking to some knights. Daric was suited; Daric is covered in armor, ready to go find his missing daughter and his friend's daughter… but it was unneeded.

"That armor doesn't fit as it used to, baldy. Take it off–ooph!"

The moment words left her mouth, Claire was brought to a hug. Miki had pulled her to a hug so fast that it surprised Claire.

"Oh my sweet angel…!"

Claire could feel tears falling on the top of her head. Miki was crying while pulling her closer to her body as possible… trying to keep Claire away from any possible danger…

"I'm so… so sorry for letting that… happen…! It won't even happen again…!"

Claire too, began shedding tears—a waterfall poured out of her eyes. She just lived through something that no child should live through… and then being told by the Shadow figure that her parents are the only ones that survived…

"...I'm back… Kaa-sama…"

Daric took off the armor, grabbed Hitomi and dragged her to the hug. A four-way hug happened and all of them were crying.

"—the doors were opened and we weren't chained… Ricky-sensei and his companions were killed. We walked out of the doors and tried to find a way out, and we weren't the only ones… there were others that have gone through the same fate… we all found our way out and headed towards where we felt our homes were located… we were just lucky…"

Claire finished explaining what had happened. To where Ricky let Cid go, to where he knocked them out, to where they were interrogated, to where they were knocked out again, to when they were free. There were some guards taking notes of every single word they said… but both Claire and Hitomi are keeping their promise…

Why would Shadow want them to be unknown? Why wouldn't he try to make him and his organization be seen in a good light? Claire is unaware, but she won't question his decisions. She doesn't know what's going through Shadow's head, but there must be a reason.

"You couldn't see anyone near? Not a living being other than the ones that were saved alongside the two of you?"

"No. Not a thing… only the corpses of those who worked with Ricky-sensei and Viscount Grease…"

"Is that the case?"

"Yes."

"And those people that were saved alongside you?"

"All there really is to say is that they're girls… they left in an opposite direction compared to ours, all in a different direction."

"Could you tell where? Towards the Midgar Capital?"

"...no, I couldn't see anything."

"And you, Hitomi-san?"

"Same. They went through the woods, and trying to see them in the middle of the night was hard on its own…"

And it's the truth. Even if they wanted to tell where they went, they couldn't. Not only because the directions were completely random, but the speed and height they went made it hard to distinguish appearances. Plus, his magic was so dense it made it visible. But in conclusion, it meant they really couldn't see where they had gone. Of course, they were aware that they went with the blond elf girl, Alpha, and her team… but they were unaware as to where exactly… not that they needed to know as of now.

"Is that all? Is there anything you'd like to add before we go to the place where you all have mentioned?"

"That's… all."

They said that they came from a certain direction, but they didn't know if it was north, west, south, or east… they just bullshitted it and said they came from the south west… Shadow never gave them that information.

After a couple of minutes, the Knights were out of the mansion, leaving Daric, Miki, Claire and Hitomi all there.

"Are the two of you fine? Nothing… nothing happened?"

"Apart from a punch in the guts, we're fine."

"I'm sorry… for letting such a thing happen, Claire, Hitomi."

Miki Kagenou was the one who felt the worst because of it. She felt as if she was the cause of this for whatever reason. Which is totally not the case.

"It's not your fault, Miki-san…! Ricky-sensei and his colleagues had this planned since the beginning… we were all just unaware… no-one here is at fault."

And it's the truth. Neither did Daric nor Miki have any fault. Sure, they trusted Ricky a bit too much… but it was all planned, as Hitomi has mentioned. They couldn't have predicted such a thing, even less from someone they trusted.

"Y-Yeah. What Hitomi-san said."

They didn't talk about the possessed or the reason they were even kidnapped. All that was mentioned was that Ricky had kidnapped them for an unknown reason, and that they weren't the only ones.

"And are you two alright, both physically and mentally?"

Daric asked. After all, the two young girls before them went through something that no parent wants their children to go through.

"Y-Yeah. We're fine. Not much was done to us…"

Hitomi for one was scared. Scared of what had happened and scared of the Cult. This Shadow figure that had saved her didn't soothe her nerves at all… but she felt as if she could trust them. She felt as if she could trust Shadow Garden and Shadow.

"I've noticed how powerless I am in the real world…"

Claire was the same to a certain extent. She was not scared by any means. But it did scare her that she didn't have the power she thought so fondly of. It scared her that there are people way stronger than her, and she wasn't aware of such a thing. It scared her that the Cult still lurks, according to Shadows words. It scared her that Shadow could've done something evil… yet they're lucky he's not, thus far.

It's not to say that she doesn't trust Shadow… well she doesn't. They don't know who he is, after all. But the fact that he was willing to save each and everyone of them… She was not wary of Shadow, but she didn't fully trust him… at least yet. She understood why they hide their identity and why they want nothing to be known. They're up against the unknown; they're up against the Cult, who has hid everything yet are aware of everything… She wonders… if she'll meet them again.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh… if… if I were stronger, such a thing wouldn't have happened…"

It's a scary thought for the young girl because she turns fifteen soon. She just got saved from… the Cult. What if they try again, and Shadow, alongside his people, are not able to save her again? She has to grow stronger. She can't let such a thing happen once more. She has to grow stronger not only for her.. But for Cid…

"Which, thinking of. Where's Cid?"

She should've been the first one to greet her. Sure, maybe he wasn't aware that she had returned… but he should've by now filled three pools worth of water from his tears alone… So where is that guy?

"He locked himself in his room the moment he heard you two were kidnapped. He hasn't come out in hours, and we weren't able to see him…"

Miki said. She felt sorry for her adopted child. He might be adopted, but he's still her one and only son.

Claire and Hitomi were ecstatic, because why wouldn't they be? Cid worrying about them to the fact that he's not even willing to leave the room? Yeah, they could cry happy tears.

"Don't worry Cid!"

Claire stood up and aimed upwards, "I'm going to see you now!"

And dashed towards the stairs. Followed suit by Hitomi, who wasn't going to let Claire have a heads start. The two of them ran as fast as they could up the stairs and towards Cid's bedroom... and broke the door open, seeing Cid pensive on his bed... before his eyes widened and looked at them in disbelief. No, he's not angry that his door just got broken. Nah, nothing like that. He's ecstatic to see them once more. His worries went out the window. Definitely not mad that the door is broken. Nope. He'd never prioritize a door over them...

A man was working alone in a room. There was not much you could see, as the light was limiting. The man himself was bald with a gray beard. It wasn't long nor anything alike… He had a lab coat that covered his whole being. His brown eyes stared at some bags he had; blood bags. He carried them through the room, from one corner to the other. In one corner, he got the blood. In the other, he studied it, then, in another corner, he modified it. It has been his daily life-style for a while… for years. Inside the blood bags you could see the blood, obviously. It was normal blood but with a certain unique thing to them… you see, normally when there's blood inside a bag, it's bright red… this blood that this man carried was dark red… with even darker spots in certain areas… and then black spots; pure black.

He's currently studying the blood; researching the blood. His main focus was on the dark spots, of course. After all, it's the place where Possession was more evident; more potent. He had around four blood bags on a desk. He had to analyze every single one of them, get the information required, if there was any. It's hard with the technology he currently has, after all. If… if only he had better technology, then maybe, but being so limited because of the advancements of humanity really tired him…

But he has to do it. Possession is hard to figure out for the men from the Cult. They know why it only possesses women, after all, the heroes who were experimented on were only women… but what didn't make sense is why did it react differently per person? Not everyone's Possession reacted at the same time. Some started sooner, some started later… but throw that—throw all of that out the window. Look at the most worrying part of it all: The Beads of Diablos. The Rounds aren't really worried that they'll run out… especially with First and Second mass producing the beads… but the Fifth round is worried.

This man just happens to work for the Fifth. He's currently working on the go-to technique to produce Beads. Extract blood of a living being that has possession, preferably Royal Blood, which has the highest quantity of possession. Why? The heroes' descendants all happen to rule over Kingdoms because of their might, thus giving them the blood line with the most amount of magic and possession. Inconveniently, Kings nor Queens were really down to give their children to the Cult and had taken moves to keep them safe. So, the Cult itself had taken Civilians that were cursed with Possession.

The man observed the blood. He had to be careful and extract only the Diablos part of the blood; the possessed blood. To create Beads, you could use any blood as long as it had Possession, but the effects were weaker. To get the strongest outcome, you had to use at least 90% of the Diablos blood… and even then, compared to 99%, 90% is nothing… but it's what the man is dealing with… Only he and Noir, who work under the Fifth have this level of understanding and know how to work around it all.

"The only limiting factor is the amount of blood we can gather…"

There was only so much blood that could be drained. There were a lot of disadvantages when working with Possession. When one is possessed and it has already grown out of control, the effects are too strong for anyone to take. If the possessed is already a blob, the scientists are willing to try, but they rarely succeed. So, they make sure to grab one whose possession hasn't grown out of control yet… and even then, they have to be wary. They have to make sure that they don't accidentally kill the possessed one… and it's way too easy to kill someone when they're weakened. It's all a headache for the man.

But, after everything is done; after trying to further understand the blood (and failing), he uses syringes and with the help of his microscope, he drains the Diablos blood… As mentioned prior, that comes with troubles for the man, because the one possessed and the possession itself blood mix so the effects of the beads are weaker, but they work.

Since all the blood comes from a possessed, there's more normal blood than not. It takes the blood of many possessed to create a small quantity of potent beads.

"...now, the machine."

For the blood to take the shape of the beads, they have a few options. They mix the blood with powder until it hardens and then make the bead (pills) directly, or use a liquid capsule. Most of the time for safe-keeping, they make them pills directly, with the only downside that it reduces the effect of the blood… not that much but still an annoyance.

"With that… we need more blood."

The man turned to where he originally came from, from the first side of the room. There were capsules with knocked out people inside… Humans inside. They were possessed, that much was evident… but they couldn't control the rate of which possession grew, meaning that sooner or later they'd have to kill these poor people.

"Doing the beads is easy… the revival though…"

They still aren't sure how they're going to do such a thing. They had a theory, but actually working? They're still unsure… and they really haven't had the luck to try it out. Use a vessel with a high quantity of magic power and forcibly induce Beads of Diablos for the soul of Diablos to manifest and control… But they first need a vessel with high quantities of magic and those are not common to find.

Most who have such a blessing are already out of reach. Those beings? Iris Midgar and Rose Oriana. Of course, there are many more chances, especially with the plans Mordred has, and the First too, but it'll take a while for those plans to come to fruition.

"How's it going?"

A voice snapped the man out of his tranced state; the voice of the Fifth.

"Fenrir-dono."

The Fifth seat in the Knights of Rounds. Fenrir, The Chaos Demon of Midgar. He looked calmly as the man—as the scientist continued with his work… as he grabbed the pills and placed them on a bottle… before immediately starting work on another.

"It's been going well. Draining the blood is a nuisance and we're limited on the amount we can drain, but other than that, it's been going well."

"I see…"

Fenrir looked over the man's work calmly, before his attention turned to the capsules of the people.

"Do you think we're able to force more beads into these people for a higher quantity of blood?"

"No, Fenrir-dono. While a problem on its own is the amount of Diablos blood we gather per person, the main issue is that we drain too much blood… and we're not in the position of risking our only sources of blood forcing it more Diablos blood."

"We can gather other people easily…"

"It'd be more of a nuisance for me, Fenrir-dono. There's only so much I can do…"

"True. Maybe I should bring more people?"

"Fenrir-dono. Not to boast nor anything alike, but there are not many people who'd understand such procedures like Noir and I."

"We need the Beads."

"This Shadow person hasn't appeared in over two years, Fenrir-dono. Is it really worth it to keep hitting your head against the same wall?"

"...You're annoying me, but it's a valid point… but I still stand my ground. I need to be stronger… stronger than he was."

"You said he out-matched you without magic, even using your best skill…"

"And it's the truth. It's the reason I need these Beads."

"Can't you ask the First?"

"That pink-haired bitch? If only he wasn't one of the first to do such a thing—if he wasn't the first to use the blood of Diablos to his advantage… I'd be in the First seat."

"...so he has pink hair…?"

"Oop. You didn't hear that from me… got it?"

"Sir yes sir!"

Very few people know the identity of the First. The First six seats know, yet they don't know what he does or how… They just know that he's the strongest.

"I'll leave you to it, then…"

Fenrir readied himself to leave, but stopped as a light glowed brightly in some sort of platform. The same platform Fenrir appeared in after fighting Shadow… the place where the Artifact he, Fenrir, created teleports too. The two men stopped what they were doing and just watched as a bright light blue glow covered the whole room.

"So they're teleporting."

Fenrir knew it immediately. Someone's teleporting. After all, he's the one who gave Fern an artifact so Fern himself gave it to Grease and the men there.

"And they failed."

Fenrir knew it immediately. Seeing fresh blood leaking from the platform, even when he couldn't see who had appeared, told him everything that he needed to know. He doesn't know if Shadow is the one behind the attacks on the bases, but so many strong men being killed? It's definitely not normal. On Fenrir's mind, it's either Beatrix or Shadow.

"...Ricky-dono."

The scientist muttered as the top half of Ricky's body appeared and the light slowly died down… more particles of matter were appearing slowly, filling up his right side.

"How could Ricky-dono be killed?"

The scientist asked himself… and neither knew the answer. They have no evidence on who could be the ones behind the attacks, after all. The main reason was to know who was behind the attacks… but all they received was a warning—a warning in the top half of Ricky's body. Esteve, Jean and Ricky were all placed under Grease for a multitude of reasons… but it made no difference.

The light vanished, the teleportation had finished. Fenrir walked towards the platform and grabbed the Artifact… after all, it needs fixing.

"Fenrir-dono, how?"

"They were caught by those who are destroying our bases."

"...It's only reasonable to think that Grease has died too, right?"

"Unfortunately."

"Then, what now?"

"Nothing changes. We're secure here; we won't be found here. They could've found us had they used the device, yet they didn't."

Fenrir inspected the corpse… he couldn't really detail anything. The cut was clean—as if it was done in one swing. He couldn't even feel an ounce of magic in it.

"..."

"I'm going to dispose of Ricky's body. Continue with your work."

And with that, Fenrir grabbed Ricky's body and left, with intention to burn the body.

"Vlarc…"

I'm currently trying to know where this Kingdom is. I know it's south of Midgar, but a whole continent away… I can travel long distances in a short period of time with ease, but with so much information that's going to be available… It's going to be hard.

I said that I had been asking Hitomi-san for details on the Kingdom, and while she gave me details… they're really nothing note-worthy. They focus more on magic research, but what really has my attention is their King… Ecno? Apparently he's been king…for longer than a human should be able to—he never ages, he never dies. I can't say for certain that that's true… but it's what Hitomi-san and Kaa-sama told me.

According to Hitomi-san, the Kingdom uses more long range weapons with magic. They use guns… But I need more information… and sadly enough there's no-one I can ask. Not even my Shades.

It's been a whole week since I saved Nee-san and Hitomi-san. I've seen them once since then—them: my Shades… Do you think they've grown up…? I'm getting side-tracked.

If only there was a way for me to gather information reliably. I could always go there… but… I don't know how far it is to begin with, and how long it'd take for me to gather information. I need to know more… And I can't let the cult travel through my lands freely.

I'm walking in the middle of the night through nowhere—an open field. Through the open field that I once walked with my Shades through a couple years ago. I'm just thinking, really. There's nothing out of the ordinary—

"Shadow."

A voice… almost a whisper called me out. I'm in my Shadow persona, of course. I recognize this wavelength, this essence, this presence. This is the Goddess of War!

"Goddess of War. What a lovely night, is it not?"

"...It truly is."

I turned around and looked at her. She wasn't hiding her identity like she usually is. She's herself, and man can I admit she's beautiful. Her platinum hair flowed beautifully with the wind and her blue eyes reflected the moonlight in such a way—someone should paint her to the finest of details.

"What are you doing all the way out here?"

"Thinking. What about you?"

"...searching."

"Hm? For whom?"

"My niece… She's a younger version of me. Have you seen her?"

"Oh? I have not, though I wish you the best, then…"

I mean, she said what I thought when I first saw her. She looks a lot like Alpha. So.. like genuinely what are the chances?

"Shadow, do you mind if we speak?"

"Goddess of War, my time is limited."

"...I have questions, and only you can answer them."

"..."

"..."

"...sure, let me make a bench."

With magic, a bench appeared on the side of the walk-way. Pure purple… but hey, it's a bench. I sat on it and waited, before she sat down next to me.

"What is it that you want to talk about, Goddess of War?"

"You can call me Beatrix, Shadow."

"...sure. What is it that you want to talk about, Beatrix?"

"...you smell like an elf. Have you met some elfs lately?"

"I saved some from the Cult, as a matter of fact."

"...is that so?"

"You are aware of what I'm talking about, no?"

"...I must say, I do not."

"The Cult of Diablos. Those whose purpose is to revive the beast Diablos itself… and use the power of the Diablos to grow stronger themselves…"

"I know the beast of the myth and knew it was real at some point… not this…"

"The Cult of Diablos tends to kidnap the possessed for their research, as far as I'm aware."

"Does that happen at a certain age?"

"Age doesn't matter. A mere baby has the same chances of being kidnapped as an old man does."

"..."

"That's why the smell of an elf is present. I saved, possessed and healed their possession."

"You healed possession…?"

"Beatrix, I have a feeling that your niece was kidnapped by the Cult."

I think so, honestly. If… If she's Alpha's aunt, then… it's best for them to reunite, is it not?

"What makes you say that?"

"...call it a gut feeling."

I have to talk with Alpha about it first, though.

"Is that so…"

"I'm certain that that wasn't your only question."

"No, it wasn't… how are you so strong?"

"No beating around the bush, I see. I trained. Trained to levels not seen prior. Trained to levels no sane human would. Trained for what my dream… that no-one believes in…"

"..."

"I push myself—I push my mind and body to limits that would've killed me to obtain what I have."

"..."

"...and I'll continue to do so. I'll destroy the Cult with my own two hands… even if it's me against the world."

"..."

I said that… without really thinking about it… Am I growing alone? Alpha and the girls… they're not speaking as much time with me as before. It's not like… I need them, but I miss them… They do know it's real, right? Like, they haven't been acting before, right?

"...Shadow, are you alright?"

"Sorry. It's a bit rough as of currently. Things haven't been how I thought they'd be."

"...I understand."

…did she somehow feel my emotions?

"Is the Cult your only target?"

"Yes. There is no other enemy. Only those who dare fight me will face my wrath, but if you stay clear from me and don't join forces with the Cult… you'll be fine…"

I have to set my line. I need to have my goal.

"Why? Why go so far for people you don't know?"

"The same reason you're still searching for your niece. Is it wrong to do so?"

"...I know my niece, personally. Why go up against the Cult if you know no-one there?"

"That's ignorant, Beatrix. Is it wrong to save a life from those who're doing evil deeds? Is it wrong to save those who can't save themselves?"

"It wasn't my intention to say such a thing. You're right. It's just… weird to see someone with such a goal."

To be fair… my main intention is to be known as a hero in the Shadows… so I guess I understand where she comes from…

"I understand… But there's kids in this world that need saving… that need their suffering to end… and that's what I intend to do—save them."

"That's an honorable goal."

I looked at the stars. The beauty and power they each possessed… really…

"But when did you start… or why, even."

"Heh. Sorry, Beatrix, but my dream has been a thing since before I was born."

Technically the truth, after all.

"...when you saved me two years ago, you said that we had a common enemy… you spoke about the cult, then?"

"The Cult. They who have worked in the Shadows for longer than I have been born. The Cult. They who have worked in the Shadows for longer than you have been born…"

"...that long?"

"That long."

"Was Fenrir part of the Cult?"

"Fenrir?"

"The guy you saved me from."

"..."

Definitely could be. He and Ricky had the same light when they disappeared… it just happens that "Fenrir" disappeared faster for whatever reason… Does that mean that the Demon Chaos of Midgar is actually named Fenrir?

"Yes… A high-ranking member."

I think.

"How did you know he was the Chaos Demon of Midgar?"

Ah, my lies are catching up to me…

"...to say the truth—"

"You were hunting for him too?"

"No."

"...The Chaos Demon of Midgar killed hundreds if not thousands of people in Midgar. I was tasked with hunting him down years ago… so for you to know who he was before me before I even knew of his identity…"

I'll let her live with that lie.

"Any other questions?"

"Who are you?"

"I am Shadow. He who lurks in the Shadows to hunt down the Shadows."

"...no, I want to know who you are."

"I am Shadow. He who lurks in the Shadows to hunt down the Shadows."

"..."

I'm sorry Beatrix, but this is my identity.

"I… understand, Shadow."

"I have to compliment though, your swordsmanship is beautiful."

Why are you so surprised?

"For you to match with Fenrir even without the same output of magic as he… just depending on your years of practice and skill. It was truly beautiful."

"!"

Why are you so surprised? Again.

"It doesn't compare to yours."

"Nothing does. No-one is the same. No-one is going to be me nor near me. You have to be you. You have to play your cards… not the opponents."

"What are you trying to say?"

"Don't compare me to you, nor vice-versa. You're beautiful… your skills are refined. The fact that you used your own skill, even when faced against an opponent who you could not match in terms of magic is really beautiful."

"T-Thank you, Shadow."

Nothing was said. It's nice. Her company is nice. She's cool to be around.

"If I may ask… how is your magic so potent?"

"I have already answered that, haven't I?"

I died thanks to an Isekai starter (cough. Truck–kun. cough.). And even in my old world I was crazy for magic…

"But for you to heal me with magic outside your body… Not even I can do that."

"Of course you can. Have you tried before? Have you tried harder than? Have you repeatedly failed over and over and over and over until you succeed… then continue failing to surpass what you've done? If you haven't then you haven't tried."

"...that's crazy."

"Yes. But it's how it's done."

"I must ask you now, then, what were you thinking of before we started talking?"

"Ah. Thanks for reminding me. Are you aware of Vlarc?"

She nodded.

"I have this suspicion… that the Cult is also there. I am well aware that they're near here, and probably in Midgar as well… but I know too little about that Kingdom. I need more information to properly understand what's going on there."

"Vlarc itself is quite advanced. The technology surpasses that of Midgar. The main issue comes from the Monarchy… like in any other Kingdom, of course. They're constantly suppressing those who're weak or from low class families. The Prince himself has done some stuff that can be considered illegal in this Kingdom… but he's protected for obvious reasons."

Damn! That's all news to me! What the heck?!

"...How do you know all of this?"

"I'm constantly on the search for my niece. I visit different Kingdoms and such just to get a trace of her…"

"Do you mind if we work together, then?"

"?"

"I need you, Beatrix."

"...this is out of nowhere."

"I need information on the Kingdom itself… but that won't do. I need to visit the Kingdom myself. This is where you come in. You're well aware of artifacts, right?"

She nodded.

"There's this artifact that can teleport people. I know how artifacts function, but I've never seen one with such a thing… but I'm going to study it. I'm going to learn how to make such a thing. I need your help then, to do a few things: Gather the resources and study the function to teleport matter. With that, find a way to precisely teleport where you want to and then… Not sure, but we'll see from there on out."

I don't know how Fenrir nor Ricky did it. It truly has me curious… But you can't make matter disappear. In my old world not even Black Holes did such a thing. So, I can only assume that they're either making a worm hole or moving matter from point A to point B at such a pace that it's almost immediate… the problem is that I don't know how with the Ancient Language they made that work… but I'll figure it out.

"For you to gain something, I'll do almost anything that you desire."

I stretched my hand and waited for a handshake from her.

"What do you say?"

She looked at me before she looked at my hand before looking at me once more.

"You'll help me find my niece?"

"...Sure."

"We have ourselves a deal."

She shook my hand. With this… I can safely say… Nah I don't know... what can I safely say? Nothing honestly… just gotta trial and error this bitch.

Author:

I'm going to be completely honest. This one is a bit late. Like one or two days late, but still late. I had the problem that I just had this idea but didn't know how to actually do it properly... and continued having trouble through and through... But I think I did fine. I had a completely different intention on where to go with this chapter... at least at the end. I mean you'll probably see what I wanted to do in a next chapter... but it just felt out of place here. Got a few things to talk about, so let me get straight to it.

Classes started and schedule is a bit more tight. The 15 days will still be a thing, but each chapter might take longer than it has for the last month (almost two! That's wild!), so sorry for that.

Hitomi will be relevant to the story. She'll have a backstory and all, but the way she'll be relevant will be introducing the Kingdom sooner or later... like sure, there's things that are known already but she's a child still so for her to know a lot of what's going on in the kingdom is a bit unrealistic... so something will happen in future chapters involving her.

There's a whole bunch of ideas just going on and on in my head, the main problem is actually introducing them to the story in a way that makes genuine sense. I'm not the best writing, we've been through this, so every time I upload a chapter I'm always questioning what I did and if it was the right thing. I have this idea for everything that will go on, but I feel like I could've done way better in certain areas...

Dillan97: Honestly when I do an OC I mostly write them of how I imagine someone would look... I mostly use people I know in real life as reference... but reading this had me like "Wait right. Who can they use as reference?". My first thought for Hitomi was Zakuro Fujiwara... transformed, without the ears and tails... and maybe just in case, more vibrant hair and tad younger. For Kaida imagine Sesshomaru with a bit more looking metallic hair, light blue eyes and no face tats (and unruly hair. When I say metallic, I'm saying color, not texture nor anything alike).

After a bit of research, they're the best I could find for reference... and I think it's a decent fit. Not personality-wise, of course, but just to have an idea of what they look like.

ASB11: Oh completely. I understand you. I intend for it to be a tad different of course. Claire and Alexia aren't going to be the same a-hats... or at least won't be as the story progresses. That's what I love of Fanfictions. Nothing is going to be the same as in the main story. You guys don't know how much control you have over this story though. Every review you guys leave influences my decisions a bit... so if there's something you'd prefer, feel free to say it, because I'm always reading and making choices based on what I feel is right.

Bremt: Never. (I forgot in the fifth chapter: Midgar & Artifacts and I'm too embarrased to add it now lol)

Soulbow109: Never thought of it to be honest... But yeah it'd be funny. Just... wouldn't fit for her to be a student... Y'know where I'm going with this. Also definitely. You'll learn about Hitomi in some chapter soon. It won't be anything special, but a backstory and explaining more about where she comes from overall...

Cainabel201X: I'm going to be completely honest. I've been thinking of writting a spin-off to this story where is just mostly the Shades and their actions when Cid's not there... but I really don't know if I could keep that alive for long lmfao. So far, I won't do that, they'll appear in this story often after they seperate from Cid (spoiler?) but yeah.

Sebas602: Dude I don't know if you're aware but your reviews really help me understand what I want to do next. But to the plot? To some extent. She's been practicing with Cid since Cid was nine before she was on Hiatus for a year due to Marriage proposals (in Cid's mind). In reality it's just that she-... I'm saying too much. For the plot, she's going to me meh, but for Vlarc, and Cid as a whole, she gon be beneficial... but she's going to study with Cid. That's a given. Anything else would be spoilers on what I wanna do with Vlarc so Imma keep shut.

Did you guys see that about JJK ending? Has me bewildered bro! It genuinely left me in disbelief... and at the same time has me wondering how Gege is going to do so much with the little amount of chapters he has left. I hope he doesn't rush things... It's not a good look. I loved JJK. Pissed me off at times, but a fun story nonetheless. I know Aniisomeone is a fan of Sukuna while I'm an exact opposite, but I respect that. It's the point of the story, after all... to enjoy it. And I have. It has been a wild ride though, I can't deny that.

Anyways... If ya want to reach out, talk to me so I can see it, or just ask something about the story overall, you can on Twitter. CallingTheNest. I'm more active there than I am on Private Messages here.

Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed.

CTN out~!