Chapter 19: Donning Back the Mask

"Are you sure that was even necessary, Mr. Sir Gaunt? The freaking Reaper Squad already engaged the Shadow Guardian people already." Asked the man called Rex.

"It's not enough. We must lure them all to this location." An old man answered.

"Heh. They're gonna come after you too, you know. While you're still frail and sick."

"Hmph. I'm not frail enough that I can't kill you right here right now, Rex." The old man threatened.

"Whoa there! I get it, Mr. Former Rounds! Make sure to prepare me enough compensation when you get your seat back, alright?"

Rex vanished from the office as the old man grinned sinisterly as he held an eyeball shaped Artifact and another claw shaped Artifact in his hand.

"Soon… I'll make you regret not dying back then, Necromancer."

Today, I'm assigned to guard Sherry again. Sherry's comfortable with me because I'm around her age group compared to other knights and because I'm already her friend so I can guard her while inside her lab instead of standing outside. I grabbed some random book to read. It's one of the old Artifact catalogues.

"Claude? Are you interested in reading?"

Can't tell her that I'm something of a scholar myself. "Just bored so might as well read something."

"But that book is written in an old language."

"Yeah, I'm just treating it as picture book and these runes as art." I lied through my teeth. I can actually read this book.

"I see." Her mood dropped slightly. She probably wondered if she can be a bookworm buddy with me. Hmm…

"How's the Artifact's analysis?" I changed the subject.

"I'm done listing the required ingredient to make adjustment to this Artifact. This Artifact is a Control Unit designed to work with another Artifact like you said." Explained Sherry.

"Hooh. With what Artifact is it?" I asked while I arrived at the page of the relevant Artifact.

"It's an Artifact called the Eye of Avarice!"

"Oh, you mean this one?" I showed the page of the Eye of Avarice to her.

"Eh? You can read it!?" Exclaimed Sherry.

"It's a secret, okay?" I winked at her and she just smiled happily as she seemed to have found a fellow nerd. Her smile seemed to warm my heart. And my heart has been feeling warm a lot these past few days. Dammit sis.

"What's wrong, Claude?"

"It's nothing." I lied. I'm actually bothered by something. And it's not the magic signatures I detected which are infiltrating the school. Hm? Infiltrating? And I've barely noticed it until they're already here? Damn. I've been too relaxed these days. I must call upon my inner Necromancer back out.

"Uaghhh!" The voice belongs to Marco Granger, a fellow Crimson Order member who's standing guard outside. His voice is followed by a thud. I unsheathed my sword as the door opens. A cloaked figure wearing a skull mask entered the room.

"That sword will not save you, boy. Surrender and give us the girl!" The robed figure said while brandishing his blade threateningly.

"Hiiiii!"

"Sherry! Calm down!"

"C-Claude! Claude! Help…!" She's panicking.

"Sherry! Look at my eyes!" I commanded.

"Look at my eyes! Look at my eyes… and sleep…"

"Ahh…" Sherry, falling for my hypnosis, fell asleep.

"A Curious technique. Now give her to us." The robed figure said. It is at this time I summoned my Necromancer robes and mask. His eyes went wide when he saw me donning the mask once more.

"Wh-What!? Lord Necromancer!?"

I stared at him in the eye and starts questioning him.

"Report."

"W-We have tracked the thieves who stole one of your experimental subjects, my lord!"

"Which one?"

"N-Number 176, my lord!"

"Who are the thieves?"

"We captured one of the thieves and he said he was a part of Shadow Garden before he committed suicide by poison! But the tracks seem to deliberately lead to this school!"

"Shadow Garden wouldn't leave tracks that you could follow. Sir Gaunt is the one who operates here and he has a grudge against me."

"T-That's what we thought too, lord!"

"Also, why do you want the girl?"

"We want to interrogate her due to her relation with Sir Gaunt!"

"Leave her to me. She knows nothing."

"Very well, lord."

"Have anyone found out you're infiltrating?"

"N-No, my lord! We're being as discreet as possible!"

"KYAAAAHH!" A student's scream echoed throughout the school's hall, no doubt from seeing Marco's body who's bleeding in the hallway outside the lab.

"It appears that your presence here has been discovered."

"P-Please have mercy, my lord!"

"No matter. Sir Gaunt's forces should be limited. Make sure to continue the search and kill every single one of Sir Gaunt's men you come across. But before that…." I stared at him in the eye. "You will forget about meeting Claude Normann here. You will forget about my true identity. There is only Necromancer here." I commanded him with my hypnosis.

"Yes, my lord…" With that, he left.

Sir Gaunt. I valued your villainy highly and thus I'll be disappointed if this is all that you've got, especially since Shadow Garden aren't here yet. Come on. Show me what schemes you've been cooking.

"Rex reporting! The Reaper Squad is here!" Reported Rex. This time's meeting does not occur in the vice principal's office anymore but in an underground passageway underneath the school.

An imposing armoured figure stood at the center of the room surrounded by several cloaked figures who are members of Third and Second Children he had left under his command numbering about 40 people. Behind him is a cage containing a monster whose features is obscured by darkness.

"Too early. Shadow Garden aren't here yet, are they?" Said the armoured figure.

"Looks like it's time for plan B, eh, Sir Gaunt?"

"Indeed. Commence the attack on the school." Commanded the armoured figure as he activated the eyeball shaped Artifact he held in his hand.

"And this… this Artifact costs me a lot of fortune to find and acquire. You'd better be here for it, Necromancer." Muttered the armoured figure as he activated another Artifact which is shaped like four fingered claw whose size is similar to a certain flower shaped Artifact. The two Artifacts worked together to form a barrier that encompasses the entire school.

"Uhh…" I woke up in my desk. I must've fallen asleep while reading… though I had a scary dream about a man with black cloak and skull mask entering the room.

"C-Claude?" I look around the room. He's not here.

"Claude?" I call out again.

"I'm here." He entered the room with a slash wound on his chest.

"C-Claude! You're hurt!"

"I'm fine. We're under attack. You mustn't stay here. Take the Artifact and anything you need and go somewhere safe." He said while sounding…. colder and more distant than usual… as if my friend… who is so kind to me has been replaced by a stranger wearing a familiar face.

"Y-Yes!" I obeyed, as I panicked and unable to focus on his new cold demeanor.

I collected the Artifact and the tools needed to adjust it… when suddenly the window crashes and an evil looking man entered through it.

"My name is Rex, the Riveting Rebel! I am from the Shadow Garden thingy! Ha ha ha!"

Shadow Garden? I heard of them in passing. But what are they doing here!?

"You're a poor excuse of a villain. Fit to be a mere pawn." Claude said coldly.

"What did you say, pretty boy!? You have no idea the situation you're in, ain'cha!?"

"I know full well of the barrier that currently encompasses the school."

"That's right! Which means you got no magic and can't escape from here!"

"Huh!? T-Then the Caging Unit of the Eye of Avarice is active too!?" I shouted. If the Caging Unit is active, that means not only will our magical energy be absorbed, we will be unable to escape the barrier that the Eye of Avarice made too!

"Ho hoo! You're surely smarter than this boy, girlie! Tell you what. Help us with the Artifact and not only will you be allowed to live, we'll also let everyone else in this school live! Except you, pretty boy."

"Heh… HA HA HA HA HA!" Claude laughed scarily…

"What's so funny, damn brat!? You gone crazy!?" Shouted Rex angrily.

"You're funny." Claude stated with full confidence.

"Now you've done it! I'm so gonna kill you!"

"Sherry. Run!" Claude commanded.

"Y-Yes!" I ran away as fast as I can, passing through a wounded Crimson Order member. Claude… I hope you'll be okay! I hope… you'll return to being a kind person and remain my friend. I don't know why but… I'm scared of you changing… especially before I could repay your kindness. Please…

Author's Note:

And so he wore the mask again. Peaceful school days is over.

J-More: Enjoying the story very much 3

Answer: Thanks for always enjoying it.

Zero: I can imagine the fight between shadow and Necromancer fight be like two role players in a anime festival pretending fighting each other but this time they have actual power it hilarious and exciting but both of them are having fun. It best for Necromancer to recruit Sherry as his subordinate to her revenge role against shadow.

Answer: Indeed. Shadow's still gonna punch Necromancer in the face though. And yes, I have plans for Sherry.

Soulbow109: Didn't expect Charl to play matchmaker between Claire and Claude. Wonder what kind of funny events we can get out of this. Though it is hard to imagine any events happening too not just because of Claudes disinterest but Claire being a brocon. Well if anything does happen at least Claude has experience dealing with girls like Claire. Heck I can see him being ok having Cid as an in-law too lol. F*ck suddenly I can't help but imagine how funny it would be if the two guys did become family due to their other identities. Feels like it would a funny sitcom or something lol.

Answer: What if Claire did the same to Charlotte and Cid? :thinkingemoji:

Claire x Claude likely not happening yeah. Claude may be fine with marrying whoever but he has ambition so he would aim for Alexia, but not by wooing her but through political marriage, which is why he didn't bother wooing her, though she would hate him more if he started wooing her. But the thought of Cid and Claude being brothers in laws is pretty funny.