Chapter 27: The Necromancer's Secrets
"So they're trying to smear our name by blaming us for many things like the night raid we did on Cult bases during Princess Alexia's kidnapping and the school terrorist incident." Alpha remarked as she read the latest report on Cult activities in the aftermath of the school incident.
Someone has published many incriminating evidence and testimonies blaming Shadow Garden for many damages caused to the kingdom during those incidents and even forged fake stories of people being murdered, robbed, blackmailed, experimented on, etc by Shadow Garden, though the Necromancer and his Reaper Squad's involvement is undeniable in the school incident considering the presence of zombies and giant lizard monster is not something they can cover up, though she noticed that there has been no attempt to cover them up like how the Cult usually operates.
The academy vice principal's death was officially blamed on Shadow, no doubt the Necromancer's work, and Alpha feared that would make Sherry, the girl she assumed Shadow cares about, turn on him. But she seemed to be in good hands for now.
Shadow must've predicted that his ally Claude would take care of her. That's why he told us it's okay when we failed to locate her. Thought Alpha.
Shadow now has a high bounty on his head along with the Necromancer after their titanic battle exposed just how dangerous they are to the kingdom... no, the world. Alpha gazed on the wanted posters and newspaper which depicts their likeness, a sketch of a man wearing black hood and another sketch of a hooded figure wearing a skull mask.
WANTED
SHADOW: ENEMY OF THE STATE. WANTED FOR MASS MURDER, ARSON, THEFT, ROBBERY, KIDNAPPING, HUMAN EXPERIMENTATIONS…
WANTED
NECROMANCER: DANGEROUS SERIAL KILLER AND PRACTITIONER OF VILE MAGICS. FORMERLY KNOWN AS THE OCCULT KILLER. WANTED FOR MASS MURDER, TERRORISM, KIDNAPPING, UNLEASHING MONSTERS UPON CITIES…
"I can't believe they would put Lord Shadow on the same level as that monster." Remarked Gamma.
"Hm. I met him the other day in his apartment room. He was staring at these posters while smiling." Alpha said.
"Huh? Why?"
"He said he doesn't care what the world thinks of him. This isn't enough to break his resolve. He merely found this amusing."
"As expected of Lord Shadow!" Muttered Gamma in awe.
"He also said that they can accuse us for the sins of the world. We shall shoulder the burden but nothing will change. We shall do what we're still meant to do." Continued Alpha.
Alpha burns Shadow's wanted poster in her hand with her magic.
"I used to think that we are on the side of justice. But he didn't see it that way. He is prepared to carry the burden of the world. We shall answer his resolve." Declared Alpha as she created a knife out of slime and stabs the Necromancer's poster, right between his eyes.
"And we will not let the evil schemes of this dreaded enemy get in our way. Gather all the available Seven Shades. We have much to discuss."
The Seven Shades gathered in a meeting room located in the Mitsugoshi building in the Royal Capital of Midgar, though only 5 of them are present, which are Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Epsilon and Eta.
"Thank you for coming, everyone. We are here to discuss the topic of Necromancer. We need to uncover his secrets in order to give us an advantage when facing him in the future." Declared Alpha.
"Lady Alpha and Gamma are the only ones who witnessed Lord Shadow's glorious battle against his dreaded enemy, Necromancer, right? How I wish I was there too!" Beta remarked while preparing to write on her notebook.
"Indeed. But I certainly wasn't… happy about it." Gamma muttered.
"Eh!? Why!?" Beta asked confusedly as if what Gamma just said was blasphemy.
"Because… that battle showed just how powerful Lord Shadow is.. and that his enemy was able to match him blow by blow." Gamma explained.
"Wha…." Beta muttered, the pen she holds in her hand fell to the floor. Epsilon and Eta also shared her sentiment as they thought their lord is the strongest in the world.
"I-Impossible…" Epsilon muttered.
"That is true. And that monster has made his move already by smearing Shadow's name along with Shadow Garden. You've seen the news, didn't you?" Alpha remarked.
"Yes. But as you said, Lord Shadow won't be deterred by such a pitiful move!" Beta answered.
"It may not affect us now but on the chance it could affect us later, we must prepare countermeasures against Necromancer. That's why I called you here." Alpha said.
"So we must come up with a plan to counter him? His reputation in the kingdom isn't any better than Lord Shadow's. I'd say he is feared as much as Lord Shadow at this point." Beta said.
"Indeed. That's why we must find out more about him in order to decide our next move." Alpha declared.
"Eta. How is your progress on analyzing the Artifacts we obtained from his tombs?" Alpha asked about three box shaped Artifacts they acquired from three different undead filled tombs that she entrusted to Eta.
"The puzzle lockboxes… easy to dismantle. The items contained within… confusing. Even after analyzing them over and over again… results are the same." Eta explained in her usual sleepy voice.
"What do you mean?" Epsilon asked.
"The Artifacts… not dangerous weapons… they actually… has mundane functionality." Eta clarified.
"What are their functions?" Asked Alpha.
"First is this." Eta said as she pulled an amulet with square shaped purple gem that can be mistaken for an ordinary jewelry.
"This item's effect… could change the size of specific body parts…. And nothing else." Eta explained.
"S-Specific body parts!? L-Like what?" Epsilon asked curiously.
"Any part. But just a part. Not the whole body… Like this." Eta explained as she demonstrated the amulet's effect by enlarging and shrinking her left hand.
"C-Can it change the size of more than just one body part?" Epsilon asked.
"Maybe. Haven't tried." Eta answered.
"O-Ohh… interesting… Very interesting indeed!" Epsilon said almost nervously.
"Are you sure that's all it did, Eta?" Alpha asked.
"Yes. V." Eta said while making peace sign with an enlarged hand.
"Does it increase power of the affected area?" Gamma asked.
"No. Just changes its size." Eta answered.
"That makes no sense! Why would Necromancer keep such an item and place them under such heavy protection?" Beta questioned.
"M-Maybe he has some insecurity about his body or s-something?" Epsilon answered, totally not finding that relatable at all.
"Eh?" Alpha and the other Shades are confused by that statement.
"Maybe he has… small thing in his pants. He he." Eta said amusedly.
….. *cough*
"C-Can I keep this item, Lady Alpha?" Epsilon asked nervously.
"Why?"
"M-Maybe with my magic control, I can figure something out!"
"Very well."
"Yes!" Epsilon happily took the item from Eta's hand.
"Moving on to the second item. Eta." Alpha said in order to change the subject.
"Second is this item." Eta said while holding a silver ring with small red gem.
"This ring, when worn, would make you feel hot… like you're standing in a desert." Eta explained while wearing the ring, which caused her to immediately sweat a lot and dropped on the floor.
"Hueehhh…. Help…" She muttered sleepily.
"Just remove the ring, will you?" Beta said. Eta removed the ring and stood back up.
"Hmm… An item to help him survive the cold perhaps?" Alpha muttered.
"That makes sense. I could see the commercial value in it if it were to be mass produced! As long as the heat is reduced to an adequate level of course!" Exclaimed Gamma excitedly.
"Not to mention it could be used by our agents during winter too!" Beta said.
"Hm. Requesting more research budget… to mass produce…" Eta requested while making peace signs again.
"Granted. What's the next item?" Alpha asked.
"It's this." Eta muttered while holding an unassuming glasses.
"This glasses, when worn, would let you see what's under someone's clothes." Eta said.
"Even our slime suits!?" Gamma asked.
"Yes. I checked." Eta confirmed, preparing to wear the glasses.
"No!" Epsilon exclaimed as she quickly snatched the glasses from Eta's hands while blushing.
"Epsilon? What are you doing?" Beta asked.
"N-Nothing!" Epsilon said as she wore the glasses… and saw Alpha and the other Shades' naked figures.
It's true! Luckily I didn't give her the chance to use it on me! Thought Epsilon as she immediately removed the glasses while blushing in envy of her more... naturally well endowed comrades.
"Epsilon?" Asked Gamma.
"A-Anyway… Don't you think it's strange that he would p-possess such an item?" Epsilon said in order to change the subject.
"True. Could it be that… Necromancer is a pervert!?" Beta exclaimed.
… *cough*
"If it's true then he's a far greater danger to Shadow Garden than we previously imagined. Warn all Shadow Garden members. Make sure they are all wary of him." Alpha ordered while wearing a disgusted face.
"…And there was an early prototype of glasses that I enchanted with X-Ray to help me study human magic circuits and how they work while the subject is alive without the need to dissect them but that glasses turned out to be a failure and only allows me to see through clothes." I told stories about my failed Artifact creations to Sherry while we are still in the carriage.
"Claude… Are you a pervert?" Sherry asked.
"N-No! Of course not! I'm not a pervert! I swear!"
"Really?"
"Truly! Geez! Even you think of me as a pervert." I pouted.
"Tee hee hee. I'm just teasing you." Sherry said while smiling. Sherry-sensei. Please spare me from your teasing.
"So, where is this glasses now?" Sherry asked.
"Hmm… Last I checked, I put it inside a lockbox and placed them on one of my secret bases like my other failed projects and…" I stopped as I remembered the three dungeons that have been raided and their lockboxes stolen. "Oh no…"
"Claude?"
"The glasses has likely been unleashed upon the world, Sherry."
"What!? Such a perverted item…!? And you let it…!?"
"I just hope that whoever took it couldn't figure out how to open the lockbox or connect the fact that the dungeons belong to me… or they may think I'm a pervert." I said with worry over my reputation.
Author's Note:
Now we're back to comedy. I wrote this chapter while imagining the meeting scene like it was a Kage-Jitsu episode. Thanks to Epsilon now the Seven Shades thinks the Necromancer is a pervert and has small PP. Thanks to Hexylen for the Artifact suggestions.
TheVirtualPug: Bro the Sherry situation is just. If this were like a serious story without the chuuni.
Foster Father - Murdered her mother (Not Known)
(Cult of Diablos) Love Interest - Murdered foster father
(Shadow Garden) Love Interest - Blamed for foster father's murder
It would literally have the elements of a rom-com with plot twists, drama, thrill, and intrigue.
Her two "love interests" are on opposing sides. One murdered her "father" while the other was blamed for it. However, her "father" murdered her mother and has been using her all this time.
This is literally something I would like to watch/read.
Answer: Yeah. The situation is now more fucked up than in canon. That's why even I, the author, said sorry to Sherry a lot.
J-More: You have some great inspirations there, you have been writing some very good chapters lately!
Answer: Thanks! Glad you enjoyed the last few chapters. I was on a roll that I almost didn't sleep the whole night, only stopping after I finished the angsty chapter.
BetweenIandGirl: wait a second, you know Female Eminence in Shadow? are you lurker in SV forum contain that fanfic discussion? btw, now School terrorist arc is done what would you do for Sanctuary arc?
Answer: Yeah, I lurked in the SV forum. Just signed up to the forum though. Also I just read the latest comments on the Female Eminence in Shadow thread and saw my fanfic mentioned XD. I have plans for the Necromancer to be involved indirectly in the Goddess Trial. You will see. But before that arc, I want some mini arc first.
Wholesome07: certain galactic emperor...Hol' up, r we talkin bout Liam Sera Banfield in
"I'm the evil lord of an intergalactic empire!"? (referring to Chapter 2: Experiment No. 001)
Answer: I don't know that series. "A certain galactic emperor with cold themed name from a certain famous manga." I was referring to Frieza from DBZ actually.