Chapter 1: Warm-up Boss

"I'm so lost," Leon mumbled to himself as he reached another dead end hallway.

Apparently going off the memory of a map wasn't going to help him as much as he thought it would. For starters, while he could somehow remember the layout of the dungeon, it was based on remembering directions in relation to the entrance of the dungeon. Not as clear when going backwards. He also couldn't see the exact path to Claire's location. No mini-map of the dungeon, just a radar showing him the general direction of his sister.

At least Cid wasn't here to count this as evidence for his reincarnation-skeptical stance.

"What the?" he mumbled as he referenced his radar again.

Claire's dot was on the move, and for some reason, so was her kidnapper's. It seemed Shadow Garden's assault had finally spurred the bandits to retreat, and his sister was deemed important enough to evacuate from this place. With how the dots were moving closer to his location, his decision to take the back door looked to be paying off. These minions of the Forest of Ladies were in for a nasty surprise.

As he turned the corner, Leon finally heard footsteps echo down the tunnel. Based on the noise, it sounded like it came from just one person. His tracker showed that Claire and her kidnapper were going to run straight towards him. It looked like this was where their confrontation would take place. He was itching to dole out justice on the unlucky sap who decided to kidnap his sister.

Even if it was totally Claire's fault… Maybe sixty percent at least.

Footsteps grew louder until they stopped completely. A hooded figure had finally noticed Leon in their path. Even at this distance, Leon could see Claire tucked under their arm. Unconscious most likely, as she would have been cursing a storm if she wasn't.

"Another one here?! Were you expecting this?!" the hooded figure assumed; frustration clear in his words.

"Put her down," Leon materialized a sword and pointed it at the bandit. "And hand her over."

"Her? This attack was for her?!"

In their anger, the bandit tossed Claire to the side. Leon's calm demeanor broke causing him to take a step forward but he managed to catch himself. While he was in disguise, reacting too blatantly could expose himself.

"And you show concern for her. You know her personally," he concluded from Leon's actions. The hooded figure pointed their own sword at Leon, which he identified as Claire's own training sword.

A notification appeared on the HUD of his visor, which showed his armor had managed to resync with the medical sensor still on Claire. Readings showed she was relatively unharmed, except for trauma to the cheek and abdomen. Leon growled at the implications of the readings, and practically vanished in a burst of speed.

So much for keeping a cool head.

The bandit was barely fast enough to raise their sword to block Leon's strike. The impact rang loudly in the tunnel and caused a gust of wind. The hood of the bandit fell back, and revealed to Leon the identity of Claire's abductor.

"Viscount Grease," there was a slight pause as Leon took in this revelation. Was this the reason the viscount was stalking them that day? Was Claire always the target?

"Die!" screamed the viscount.

Leon refocused his assault and dodged the attack sent his way. The flurry of attacks forced the viscount back on the defensive. The ringing of steel echoed as Viscount Grease blocked Leon's strikes. Each attack pushed the viscount backwards, while Leon steadily advanced. Viscount Grease tried his own counter-attacks but Leon easily blocked those, without having to give any gained ground.

"This style! Where is this-?"

Another attack pushed the viscount backwards. Frankly, for a tournament finalist, Grease's performance was slightly disappointing. Even in this world with magic, Leon has had harder fights from his old life. Granted he's comparing them to his old sensei, and he was kind of an outlier. Only Claire had come close as a challenge some times. His sister probably wouldn't have been caught by these people if she could properly wield her magic.

Leon blocked another strike from the viscount and countered with a thrust. The viscount managed to dodge backwards, but lost his footing and shamefully landed on his rear. Right now, a grown man was staring up in shock at a child barely into adolescence.

"Tsk! Don't make light of me!" The viscount's face contorted in anger as he realized his position.

Instead of getting back up, Grease grabbed something from his coat pocket, tossed in his mouth, and swallowed it. Despite barely having enough time to digest the contents, effects were immediately visible. The viscount's body bulked up, like a bodybuilder on steroids, as the veins on his body popped out. More esoteric effects occurred, such as how his eyes glowed red, and a burst of energy tore the cloak off him to reveal his tattered attire.

More importantly, was how the magical sensor displayed a dramatic increase in the amount of magic the viscount was emitting. It was higher than Alpha's, who had the most developed capacity among the cured. However, compared to control shown by Shadow Garden members, his was wild and leaked all over. It was still a significant boost, and did increase the danger level of Viscount Grease.

"Damn brat!"

The viscount charged at Leon, faster than he had been earlier. Leon raised his sword to block the attack, and was taken aback by the increased strength exerted by the viscount. He had to use the momentum to jump back to maintain his grip on his sword. The viscount followed pace and swung at him again. Each blow felt heavier than the last and it wasn't because Leon was tiring out already.

A loud snapping sound echoed through the tunnel as Leon was finally forced to retreat and put distance between them. He landed not too far from Claire; still made sure to put himself between her and the viscount. Looking down revealed his sword was shorter than before, a clean break near the middle. Instead of repairing it, Leon absorbed the sword back into his suit.

"Foolish decision!" screamed Viscount Grease as he exploited Leon's lack of a weapon.

The viscount charged in a loud fury, only to receive a blow to the chin that drew blood in his mouth. A kick to the gut that knocked the wind out of him. A twist of an arm to counter his swing. A knee to the forehead dazed his senses. A sweep of the legs knocked him down. And finally a kick to the back sent him rolling across the dungeon floor.

Leon let out a breath to calm himself. He rarely used his martial arts in this new life. Dark Knights focused on bladework with some magic thrown in. Even bandits were fond of using swords when fighting. It was a testament to the viscount's new found strength that he had to fall back to it. Punching the unarmored viscount felt like punching solid steel. That was counting the fact that magic now allowed Leon to punch through solid rock with relative ease; not to mention the boost from slime suit.

If other members of the Forest of Ladies could do the same, he'd have to bring this up with Cid regarding countermeasures.

A sword slammed into the ground and the viscount used it to prop himself back into a kneeling position.

"Tell me," Viscount Grease grunted in pain. He raised his head to lock eyes with Leon's behind the mask. "Just what is Shadow Garden?"

If the viscount already knew that name, that meant someone spilled the beans already. Well, that was the reason for the cover after all. Time to play-up the mysterious organization stick.

"We lurk in the darkness and hunt down the shadows. That is our goal," Leon kept it simple. "And your diabolic forest hides too many shadows."

He couldn't help but throw in a reference to the Forest of Ladies there. Though maybe he was too on the nose for that one, as Viscount Grease had a look of shock on his face, but also one of recognition. Leon couldn't fault the others for leaking information now.

"Do you really mean to oppose them?" The viscount stood back up. "No matter how strong you are, you'll never defeat them. Their darkness is rooted deeper than you can imagine."

If Leon didn't know better, he'd think the viscount was trying to warn him. Maybe he was as much a victim of the Forest of Ladies as Leon's family was?

"Then we will burrow even deeper," responded Leon. A good improvisation in his opinion.

The viscount let out a deranged laugh before glaring back at Leon. "You think this is some sort of game?!"

Leon saw the pouch the viscount pulled out a handful of pills from, before ingesting everything at once. This time, magic exploded from the viscount's body, practically destroying his already frayed clothing. Thankfully, only his upper attire was destroyed. Viscount Grease's body didn't bulk up any more, but more of his veins bulged out while his skin turned red. He let out a beastly roar before seemingly vanishing into thin air.

Leon swiftly leapt back, barely dodging a body splitting attack. Viscount Grease's blade shattered the floor and the shockwave sent Leon flying back further than intended. Both the viscount's speed and power had dramatically increased compared to before. Blocking these attacks would lead to debilitating injuries.

Luckily for Leon, while the viscount's speeds had increased, the attacks became simpler. They were more predictable now, as the viscount seemed to be relying on his increased strength and speed, forgoing any strategy. Uncontrolled strikes missed Leon but continued to destroy more of the tunnel. Craters appeared all over the resilient dungeon tunnel as Leon danced out of harm's way.

As he dodged the last attack, Leon was already planning a proper counter strike to incapacitate the viscount. However the viscount finally showed signs of a plan, by changing his attack from Leon, to his sister slumped on the floor.

Leon was barely able to kick the arm off course, breaking it at an unnatural angle and sending the attack hurtling towards the wall instead. He followed up with a double punch to the viscount, and could feel the cracking of ribs underneath flesh. However, this would be miscalculation on Leon's part.

While the viscount tanked the blows, he did not move from his spot. A free arm grabbed Leon by his hood and pushed down hard. The boy barely brought his hands together to block the knee headed to his face. He managed to protect his face, but the blow sent shockwaves through his arms. Leon grunted in pain, as the viscount still had a grip on his hood and forcefully threw the small boy against the tunnel wall. Another grunt of pain escaped Leon as he slammed against stone, but managed to land on both feet and remain upright once he slid back down.

Warning messages blared on Leon's HUD, indicating injuries he was already very aware of, as well as damages to his slime suit. Despite the pain, Leon stood back up to face the viscount.

"Your weakness reveals itself! I figured you out, boy! " The viscount managed to point his sword arm at Leon. The same arm that had a bone sticking out from Leon's kick earlier. However, the arm regenerated as flesh and bone mended themselves back into functionality. With the way the viscount was boasting and breathing, his ribs had likely healed as well. "To think the backwater Bartfort barony produced such children. Once you're defeated, we'll capture the rest of your family. You and your siblings will be useful subjects."

Something snapped in Leon and he disappeared in a burst of speed, leaving a shattered floor where he once stood. The viscount barely brought his free arm to block the punch Shadow delivered. The snapping of bone echoed once more but Shadow didn't stop there. He ducked under the sword strike and sent a blow at the viscount's thigh. The femur fractured and the pain caused Viscount Grease to bend forward, which Shadow capitalized by sending a punch straight towards the man's chest.

A blade extended from above his fist and drove into the viscount's chest, easily piercing the heart.

To Shadow's surprise, a hand clamped over his wrist, and pulled the blade out the body. The same hand pulled the small boy off the ground, until he was dangling from an arm and brought eye level to the Viscount.

"Good resolve but useless!"

Viscount Grease let him see how the chest wound was already healing itself. Even the fractured femur wasn't hindering the viscount from standing upright and lifting Leon with one arm. The regeneration rate was turning the viscount into an unkillable machine.

Shadow responded by kicking against the previously injured chest. It didn't seem to hurt the viscount, but the force was enough to push him back and cause the viscount to lose his grip on Shadow. The hooded boy flipped backwards and landed upright. A quick glance behind him showed his sister still slumped unconscious on the floor.

"You're powerless against this! This power! This strength!" The viscount was drunk on his rampage. "Stop resisting! Join your siblings as offerings for the cause!"

A cold sensation flowed through Shadow that had nothing to do with magic. As he raised his right hand over his head, Shadow's cloak started to disassemble itself. The material flowed to his outstretched hand and transformed into a long dark sword. Once it fully formed, he grabbed the handle with both hands and lowered the crossguard eye-level, but kept the sword upright.

"Your artifacts are useless, boy! You've just revealed yourself!"

Indeed even though he still had his visor on, with the cloak gone, the resemblance between the siblings was plain to see.

"No more mercy," Shadow finally spoke, eyes narrowed behind the mask.

"Ha! If you want mercy-"

A burst of magical pressure silenced the viscount. Shadow's blade emitted visible magical particles that bathe him in an ominous light. Unlike the viscount, the young boy's magic was not leaking anywhere else. A sign of the immense control compared to the current state of the viscount.

Without any preamble, Shadow closed the distance between them and swung down with his new blade. The Viscount could barely react with his boosted reaction speed, but all it did was give him an enhanced view of his demise. He saw the blade cut through the training sword, his flesh, bone, and organs in a single stroke. His last vision was Shadow slowly getting further as the viscount's body fell in two onto the floor. Not even time for last words.

A loud exhale escaped Shadow's lips, releasing the tension in his body. The sword in his hand started to crumble as if it was turning into black sand. Its material now unstable after the last attack. He let the remaining matter pour out of his hands and turned back to Claire to check on her status. She was still unconscious, but thankfully untouched by the fight. Leon let out a final sigh of relief, finally confirming his sister's safety.

He turned his attention back to the once whole and alive Viscount Grease. Scans on his HUD showed the magical energy from the body dissipating back into the environment. The physical effects of the body remained but readings showed no lifesigns. Cutting a person in two would do that.

Yet the look of shock remained on Viscount Grease's face, as his lifeless eyes stared back at Leon.

Leon promptly threw up.

"Should we send someone down?"

Alpha looked away from the exposed trapdoor and towards Beta.

"That won't be necessary. He will likely take care of it."

"Right," Beta has a look of pleasant realization. "It's just as Master Shadow said."

"We just need to follow his instructions. Tell the others once the cultists are secured, we'll go inside to meet-up with Master Shadow."

"That will no longer be necessary, Alpha."

Leon entered the main hall from the tunnel leading further into the base. His sister was slumped over his back, unconscious but rescued. He was greeted by a chorus of 'Master Shadow!' as he approached the rest of Shadow Garden. Some of the unoccupied members approached and helped him carry his sister to a clear space in the main hall. The rest guarded the captured prisoners gathered in another area.

"How'd it go on your end?" The leader of Shadow Garden approached Alpha.

"Nothing we couldn't handle. They were better trained than the bandits we usually fight, but we were still able to disable them without killing them. But," Alpha turned her gaze to the trapdoor, "One of them did escape. He was dressed differently if I remember correctly."

"'Cause he was a nobleman: Viscount Grease apparently," supplied Leon. "And don't worry. I took him down."

"You did, Master Shadow? He did not seem that strong when I fought him."

"He probably wasn't. But he ate a bunch of pills and turned berserk with super regeneration capabilities. He wasn't going down any other way. Also," Leon's voice dropped to a low tone. "He threatened to kidnap the rest of my family."

"I s-see…" A shiver of fear traveled up Alpha's spine at Leon's words. She had never seen Leon this angry before. "Then the one who took Lady Claire…"

Leon looked at Alpha in confusion. "Yes, he's been dealt with."

Alpha momentarily shifted her eyes to the bound figure with the rest of the prisoners. "Indeed but-"

Screaming interrupted their conversation. All of Shadow Garden turned their attention to the bound prisoners. They weren't screaming in rage against their captors, but seemingly under immense pain. Alpha thought that one of her fellow Shadow Garden members had started with the interrogation, but even those guarding the prisoners were backing away from them.

"Everyone!" Leon shouted over the howling. He had fingers pressed against his visor as if he was seeing something beyond the screaming prisoners. "Full Retreat! They're going to explode!"

Despite their confusion, there was one thing Shadow Garden would always do: follow their leader's word as law.

"Help retrieve Lady Claire and move!" commanded Alpha, confirming Leon's orders.

Shadow Garden, along with the unconscious Claire, swiftly withdrew from the base through the same entrance they came from and back into the woods. They had managed to clear a good distance from the dungeon, when a loud explosion shook the forest.

"And that's when my suit received a detonation warning in the area. So I ordered everyone to retreat and get as far away as possible. Good thing since whatever exploded leveled the whole hideout."

Which Leon wondered if that was going to be an issue. He may have inadvertently removed an important beginner dungeon for the Main Character in the Otome game. Granted it wasn't really important in the overall plot, but Leon had now created a possible divergence in the story. Would this cause the bandits to go elsewhere and change where the MC would have to go? Would that cause a big change in her character growth? Or would the bandits still be on the island, but just move their future main base somewhere else?

Thinking about it just gave Leon a headache, so he decided it was Future-Leon's problem.

Current-Leon was busy recounting the events to Cid. The AI's orb was projecting a recording of the events of the hideout, from Leon's perspective. Technically the AI could just digitally study the file by themselves. This was more for Leon's benefit when reviewing the events.

"So what can you tell me, Cid?"

The projection shifted to the point the captured bandits were visibly screaming in pain.

"The alert your suit received was a demolition signal sent out as a warning to nearby users. A standard safety feature used by Old-Human technology, especially for explosives. As to why there was one, this could be the possible cause."

The AI magnified the image of one of the bandits and highlighted a portion of their exposed skin. Leon was surprised to see a Forest of Ladies' brand, as well as black veins that emanated from it.

"Data from the other suits support a high probability that the material shown is programmable matter. Specifically, converting them into demolition charges."

"Suicide brands," concluded Leon. "They're not just marking their members. They're making sure no one lives to expose them."

"An inefficient use of programmable matter, if the estimated amount of matter per person is accurate."

"They collapsed a dungeon already. How bad could it have been?"

The orb changed its projection to a map of the local area of the dungeon. A red circle was overlaid on the map, its center on the dungeon. Just at the edge of the circle was a marker representing Leon's group.

"Worse but at least we could have still outran a collapse that far."

Dungeons were made of almost indestructible stuff and even the bombs the bandits triggered couldn't penetrate above ground. Hence only causing the surrounding areas to collapse downwards after the explosion

"Not a collapse, Master. That would be the blast radius. For context, the explosions generated by programmable matter are not chemical based but more akin to cold-fusion reactions. A controlled atomic explosion but without the radiation.

Leon was lucky his parents didn't hear him swear. Future sci-fi human technology was just bullshit.

"We got seriously lucky this time," he reflected. "If that's the danger we're facing from actual agents of the Forest of Ladies, we're gonna have to revise our tactics."

"And it would seem the previous assumption regarding the New-Human's obliviousness to programmable matter's use is inaccurate. Even as crude as demostrated."

"That, and also whatever was contained in this pouch," Leon brought out the empty pouch he had pilfered from the corpse of former Viscount Grease. It was sealed in a plastic bag, to be analyzed by better equipment at base. "It boosted the Viscount so much I had to sacrifice some material. Never getting those back."

It was one of the few weaknesses of programmable matter. Exposure to extremely high levels of magic basically removed the programmable part of the material, practically turning it into useless sand. Which Cid claimed was likely one of the reasons the Old-Humans lost to New-Humans during the war. Not that they had any way of confirming it.

"Based on the evidence, their threat level is slowly reaching Diablos-level. I would suggest a purge of the New-Humans-"

"Denied," Leon quickly shot down the bloodthirsty AI. "No genocide. Killing… should be a last resort."

Leon from his memories might have balked at killing as any resort, but this was a world of pseudo-medieval aristocracy. Being soft meant not surviving at all. Not to mention hunting bandits would eventually lead to having to take a life eventually. It wasn't something Leon liked, but he and Shadow Garden wouldn't have survived this far on non-lethality alone.

"As you say, Master. Upon your return, suggested countermeasures will be presented for your review."

"I hope we have some good ones, Cid," Leon stared at the red circle still on the map. "Or else we might need a way to survive an atomic bomb."

A/N: Not much in change to the big picture. Viscount Grease and the whole base is still killed but the difference is in the details. If you got a second alert, there was a slight edit that had to be made. Literally one word only but it was definitely wrong