Chapter 28: The Wild Shadow
The morning sun bathed the Kagenou estate in golden light, casting long shadows across the polished stone walls of the viscount's manor. The tranquil morning, however, was shattered by the arrival of a frantic messenger.
Cid and Claire Kagenou stood before their father, Viscount Gaius Kagenou, in his study. The messenger, breathless from his ride, knelt before them, his face pale and drenched with sweat.
"An explosion, my lord! A surge of mana unlike anything we've seen! It came from deep within the forests east of the territory, Therianthrope lands!"
The room fell silent. Gaius Kagenou frowned, stroking his beard thoughtfully. "A surge of mana? That deep into the Therianthrope lands? Impossible. Mana does not linger in the air. It is cast, and then it disperses. What you describe should not be possible."
Claire crossed her arms, her amber eyes narrowing. "Unless something, or someone, is forcing it to remain."
Cid, standing beside her, remained quiet, deep in thought. His mind already worked through the implications. An unnatural concentration of mana was not just an anomaly, it was a warning.
"We cannot ignore this," Gaius said after a long moment. He turned to his children. "Cid, Claire, you will take a contingent of our troops and investigate. Be cautious, whatever caused this might still be there."
Claire nodded sharply. "Understood."
By midday, Cid and Claire rode at the head of a well-armed force of Kagenou household knights, their polished armor gleaming beneath the sun. The road leading toward the Therianthrope lands was a rough path through dense foliage, the towering trees closing in overhead. The region was known for being largely untamed, home to wandering tribes that seldom interacted with the rest of the Viscounty.
As they traveled deeper, the terrain became more rugged, thick roots breaking through the dirt paths, and the shadows of the towering trees swallowing the daylight. The further they went, the heavier the air became.
Claire was the first to notice. "Do you feel that?"
Cid inhaled slowly. The air was thick, unnaturally thick. Mana was never supposed to remain like this. Once magic was cast, it dissipated, returning to the world's natural cycle. But here… it was lingering, pressing against them like an invisible weight.
A strange humming sound filled the air, low and barely perceptible, like the distant murmur of chanting voices. It set the knights on edge. Even the horses began to grow restless, their hooves kicking against the dirt uneasily.
"This isn't normal," Claire muttered. "I don't like it."
The soldiers riding behind them shifted uneasily, some gripping the hilts of their weapons.
"My lord, my lady," one of the knights called out, his voice hesitant. "The air… it feels wrong. I have never sensed mana like this before."
Cid glanced at him. "Let's stay alert."
Another knight spoke, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's as if the land itself is cursed."
The words hung in the air, unchallenged.
By the time they reached the outer perimeter of the explosion site, the oppressive mana was nearly suffocating. The trees around them bore unnatural scorch marks, but the burn patterns were irregular, as if the fire had not followed normal magical principles. The once-lush greenery had withered and blackened, as though drained of life itself. The bark of the trees seemed twisted, like something had forcefully reshaped them. The earth was cracked, the soil dark and dry, unnatural in its decay.
Claire pulled on the reins of her horse, dismounting with practiced ease. "We go in on foot from here. Stay together."
The knights followed suit, fanning out cautiously. The only sound was the rustling of leaves and the distant cry of birds, but even those natural sounds seemed muted, subdued by the overwhelming presence of raw magic.
Cid narrowed his eyes. He could see the distortion in the air, waves of mana radiating from the epicenter, swirling unnaturally, almost as if something had burned itself into existence here.
"There's something ahead," Claire whispered, pointing toward the deeper thicket. The air shimmered there, like a mirage on the horizon.
Then, the mana shifted.
"Movement!" a knight called out.
A shape burst from the dense forest.
It was fast, too fast. A wild shadow, writhing and shifting, engulfed in an aura of pure purple mana. It tore across the clearing like a phantom, its form unrecognizable, unnatural.
For a moment, Cid thought it was going to attack. The thing surged forward, its shape twisting midair, closing the distance in a heartbeat. It moved like something alive yet not bound by normal movement, flickering in and out of vision, warping the space around it.
The knights raised their weapons, shields clanking, their formation holding.
But then, at the last moment, it veered off, disappearing deeper into the Therianthrope lands beyond the explosion site.
The silence that followed was deafening.
Claire exhaled sharply, stepping forward. "What in the hells was that?!"
The knights were murmuring amongst themselves, some pale-faced, others gripping their weapons with white-knuckled tension.
"That wasn't human," one of them whispered.
"It didn't move like anything I've ever seen before," another added, his voice barely steady.
Cid finally spoke. "It was watching us."
Claire turned to him. "You think it was intelligent?"
"It didn't attack. It could have, but it chose not to. That means it's aware of us."
She frowned, scanning the forest where the creature had vanished. "Then we have to find out what it is."
"If we follow, we might be walking into a trap," one of the knights warned.
Cid smirked, his excitement barely concealed. "That makes it even more interesting."
Claire sighed, gripping the hilt of her sword. "Let's be careful. Whatever that thing was… I doubt we've seen the last of it."
And with that, they pressed deeper into the forest, toward a mystery greater than any of them could have anticipated.
~!~
The deeper they ventured into the Therianthrope lands, the more unnatural the world around them became. The oppressive mana thickened, pressing against their skin, like a physical force bearing down on them. Even the knights, hardened warriors who had faced monsters and brigands alike, moved with hesitation.
"The air is getting worse," Claire muttered, her amber eyes darting to the darkening canopy above them. The trees here were massive, their branches intertwining so densely that only faint slivers of light pierced through.
Cid remained quiet, observing everything. He was certain now, this was no natural occurrence. The surge of mana they had sensed wasn't an accident, nor a result of untamed magic. Something had happened here.
The group pressed forward, stepping carefully over thick roots and damp undergrowth. The once vibrant flora looked wilted, drained of life, as if something had sucked the very essence from the land. The scent of charred wood and burnt flesh reached them before the sight did.
Claire was the first to spot it. "Over there!"
The knights rushed forward, forming a defensive perimeter as the siblings stepped into what remained of a battlefield.
It was a grim sight. Therianthrope bodies lay scattered, many torn apart, their powerful forms reduced to lifeless husks. Blood soaked the earth, mixing with ash from scorched trees and shattered weapons. The sheer violence of the scene made even the most hardened warriors grimace.
One of the knights, Sir Roland, knelt beside a fallen Therianthrope, his brow furrowed. "This was no ordinary skirmish," he murmured. "Therianthropes are among the toughest warriors in existence. Whatever did this… tore through them as if they were nothing."
Claire stepped beside him, inspecting the wounds. "These aren't normal blade strikes. Look at the edges, jagged, like something ripped through their flesh instead of cutting it cleanly."
Cid examined one of the broken weapons, a massive battle-axe, cracked down the middle. Therianthrope weapons were built to withstand immense force, yet this one was destroyed beyond repair. He turned the shattered steel over in his hands, running his fingers along the break.
"Not a normal battle," he mused. "Something else was here. Something that left no survivors."
A few feet away, another knight let out a sharp breath. "Sir! This one is still alive!"
The group rushed over, gathering around a massive Therianthrope warrior, his fur matted with blood, his breathing ragged. His body was covered in wounds, but despite his injuries, his amber eyes burned with defiance.
Claire knelt beside him. "Can you speak? What happened here?"
The Therianthrope exhaled, his breath rattling. "The shadow… the cursed shadow… it devours… it does not belong."
Cid's eyes narrowed. "The same thing we saw earlier?"
The warrior coughed, more blood spilling from his lips. "You must leave. It sees you now… it… watches…" His breath hitched, and his body finally gave out, slumping lifelessly into the dirt.
A heavy silence settled over the group.
One of the knights swallowed hard. "Whatever that thing is… it's still here. And it knows we're coming."
Cid smirked slightly. "Good. That means we're on the right path."
Claire shot him an exasperated look. "You're enjoying this way too much."
The oppressive mana swirled around them again, pulsing like a heartbeat. The deeper they went, the closer they would come to the truth. But at what cost?
~!~
The ride back to the Viscounty was tense. The knights, usually disciplined and firm, were uncharacteristically silent, the weight of what they had witnessed pressing down on them. The battle site was a clear sign that something far beyond human or Therianthrope capabilities had taken place.
Cid and Claire rode at the front of the formation, their thoughts heavy with the implications. The fact that Therianthropes, some of the toughest warriors in existence, had been slaughtered so easily was more than just concerning. It was a warning.
Upon arriving at the Kagenou estate, they wasted no time in reporting to their father. Viscount Gaius Kagenou listened intently, his usual stern demeanor darkening further with every word.
"Therianthropes slaughtered en masse… and not by anything known to us." Gaius exhaled sharply, tapping his fingers against the wooden desk. "A shadow creature that doesn't belong in this world?"
Claire nodded. "The dying warrior called it 'cursed,' something unnatural. He also warned that it was watching us."
Cid smirked slightly. "Which means it knows we're coming after it."
Gaius turned his gaze toward his son, his expression unreadable. "You say that like it excites you."
Cid shrugged, as if it were obvious. "Wouldn't you want to know what we're up against?"
The Viscount sighed but nodded. "Knowledge is power. But power means nothing if we're not prepared." He turned toward one of his trusted officers standing near the room's entrance. "Increase the garrison on the eastern borders immediately. Double patrols. I want scouts in the forests, but tell them to engage only if necessary, we need information, not casualties."
The officer saluted before hurrying off to relay the orders.
Gaius stood, stepping toward the large window that overlooked the lands beyond the estate. His gaze was distant, as if searching for something just beyond his sight. "If this creature decides the Therianthrope lands aren't enough, it may set its sights on the Viscounty. And we cannot allow that."
Claire crossed her arms. "We'll be ready."
Cid simply smiled. "Looking forward to it."
Despite the looming danger, the best way to clear one's mind was through battle. That was a belief both Cid and Claire held, and the training yard soon became their sanctuary.
They faced each other on the dirt sparring ground, the setting sun casting long shadows across their forms. The estate's knights, while busy with their duties, occasionally paused to watch whenever the siblings fought, it was always a spectacle.
Claire stretched, rolling her shoulders. "Try to last longer than five minutes this time, little brother."
Cid sighed. "You say that like I haven't been improving."
She smirked. "You have. Just… not enough."
Cid knew his sister was a monster in combat, in the best way possible. Her lightning-infused swordplay was beyond human capability, and her mastery of both raw strength and mana control made her nearly unstoppable.
Which is why he decided to give himself an edge.
As Claire took her stance, Cid activated a small tendril of slime to coat his blade, ensuring that the effect was imperceptible to everyone else. To the untrained eye, the blade was wrapped in flickering shadows, as though his sword itself was channeling darkness.
His sister raised an eyebrow. "Cheating, are we?"
Cid smirked. "I think of it as balancing the odds. You get lightning, I get a little shadow magic."
He swung his blade experimentally, and to Claire and the gathered knights, it looked like a true shadow blade, flickering in and out of form like a mirage, shifting unpredictably like a living entity. The slime adapted seamlessly, extending the blade's reach, and shifting its shape ever so slightly, making it appear as though Cid had mastered a mysterious new magic.
Claire whistled. "Okay. That's actually impressive." Then she grinned. "Let's see if it helps."
Without warning, she burst forward, her sword crackling with raw electricity. Cid barely had time to react before he was forced to parry, the impact sending vibrations through his arms.
She wasn't holding back.
Perfect.
He grinned, eyes alight with challenge, and lunged back into the fight.
The air between them was thick with tension, not of hostility, but of the thrill of battle. Cid and Claire had fought countless times before, yet every spar between them felt like an event in itself. This was no mere practice match, it was war in its purest form.
The training yard had emptied of idle chatter. The watching knights, servants, and even some of the house retainers had formed a loose ring around the sparring ground. When the Kagenou siblings clashed, it was a sight to behold.
Claire stood tall, her stance loose but ready, her blade crackling as faint arcs of lightning crawled up its length. Cid, on the other hand, held his sword casually, his shadow-coated blade shifting in and out of perception, its unnatural flickering giving the illusion of a weapon woven from darkness itself.
For a moment, neither moved. Then,
Claire struck first.
She was faster than lightning, quite literally. One moment she was standing still, the next she was already upon him, her blade arcing downward in a devastating vertical slash.
Cid reacted just in time, raising his blade in a swift parry, the clash of steel sending a shockwave through the dirt beneath them. The force of her strike would have shattered a normal blade, but his was no ordinary sword.
The moment their weapons connected, Cid felt the surge of electricity course through his arms, numbing them slightly before the slime coating his sword absorbed the excess energy, dispersing it harmlessly. To the audience, it seemed as if his shadow magic had negated her lightning completely.
Claire grinned. "Hah. Didn't expect that."
Cid smirked. "You'll find I have a few tricks up my sleeve."
They broke apart, only to collide again in a whirlwind of flashing steel.
Claire's attacks were relentless, her footwork flawless. She moved like a storm given form, weaving between powerful strikes and feints, pressing him from all sides.
But Cid was just as fast. His shadow-infused blade morphed in the heat of battle, shifting slightly with each clash, altering its reach, redirecting his strikes with supernatural fluidity. Every block was perfectly timed, every dodge just close enough to feel the wind of her blade passing.
"Not bad!" Claire laughed, twisting midair as she aimed a powerful diagonal strike downward.
Cid dodged, pivoting to the side,
But Claire anticipated it. Her free hand lashed out, fingers crackling with electric mana.
A bolt of lightning shot point-blank toward him.
Cid acted on instinct, his blade twisted unnaturally, the slime absorbing and dispersing the mana, making it seem as if his shadow sword swallowed the attack whole.
The crowd gasped. Even Claire's eyes widened in momentary surprise. "Okay, that's new."
Cid pressed forward. His sword extended in a blur of dark motion, slashing toward her midsection.
Claire barely managed to block, her arms straining against the sudden weight behind his attack. Her expression shifted, no longer playful, but serious.
"Fine," she muttered. "Let's really test you."
With a surge of power, her entire body lit up with mana, arcs of lightning crawling across her form like a living storm.
Cid could feel the shift, her control over mana was so precise that the very air around them vibrated with her power. She adjusted her stance, her blade humming with an overwhelming charge.
Then she was gone.
A flash of light, she was behind him.
Cid barely turned in time, raising his sword to intercept the devastating strike, but this time, her power was overwhelming.
The impact sent him skidding across the dirt, his boots digging deep furrows in the ground. Dust exploded outward, and the watching knights shielded their eyes from the blast.
Cid rolled to a stop, panting slightly.
Claire stood across from him, her sword still humming with energy, her dark hair flowing wildly from the residual charge.
She grinned. "Come on, little brother. Surely you can keep up?"
Cid exhaled slowly. His blood was singing.
This was it. The kind of fight he lived for.
"I guess I'll have to go all out too," he murmured.
His grip on his sword tightened, the shadows around his blade deepening, twisting, as if responding to his will. The illusion was flawless, his sword no longer seemed like steel, but a weapon woven from darkness itself.
The crowd held their breath.
And then, they clashed again.
The tension in the training yard had reached its peak. The gathered knights, servants, and retainers barely breathed, their eyes locked on the two combatants at the center of the storm.
Cid and Claire stood across from each other, their weapons crackling with their respective energies, one with violent, untamed lightning, the other with an eerie, flickering shadow blade that seemed to devour the very light around it.
Then,
They moved.
In an instant, they closed the distance between them, swords clashing with an impact that sent a shockwave ripping through the training yard. The sheer force cracked the ground beneath them, throwing up a cloud of dust as raw mana and lightning collided against Cid's abyssal shadows.
Claire pressed her advantage, her strikes coming at blinding speed. She became a storm incarnate, her blade leaving trails of electric arcs as it swung. Every strike was an explosion of force, every movement sharp and deliberate. She was relentless.
But Cid matched her. Barely.
His sword, coated in its imperceptible slime layer, flowed like a liquid extension of himself. It warped, extended, shifted, countering every attack with precision. To the spectators, it looked as though Cid's shadow magic was evolving mid-fight, adapting to Claire's strikes like a living entity.
She feinted right, Cid ducked and pivoted.
A downward slash, Cid parried, twisting into a counterattack.
Then, Claire vanished.
Lightning surged behind him.
Cid barely twisted in time to raise his sword, but the impact was immense, Claire's full-powered attack came down like a judgment from the heavens, her sword now an unstoppable force of energy.
Boom!
Cid skidded backward, barely keeping his footing, the very air trembling from the sheer force of the blow. His arms burned from the impact. If it wasn't for his sword's unique ability to absorb and redirect energy, he might have lost then and there.
Claire grinned. "You're still standing? Good. Let's finish this."
She raised her sword above her head, mana crackling wildly as lightning surged into it, condensing, thickening, until the entire training yard was bathed in its glow.
If he had to name her technique, Thunderous Judgment.
Looks like she was serious too...
Cid exhaled. Fine.
If she was going all out, so would he.
He planted his feet, adjusting his stance. The shadows around his sword deepened, solidified, becoming more than just flickering illusions. The air grew colder around him, his very presence exuding something… unnatural. The knights watching felt the hair on their necks rise.
If she had a move (that he named on his own, but who's keeping tabs?), then so would he!
Shadow Breaker.
The moment Claire's Thunderous Judgment fell, Cid moved.
Their swords met one final time,
A blinding explosion of energy erupted outward.
The very ground beneath them shattered. Lightning surged through the air, crackling violently as the training yard was engulfed in a storm of clashing forces. The knights barely held their footing, shielding themselves from the backlash.
For a moment, nothing.
Then the dust settled.
The spectators looked on in awe.
Standing in the center, Cid and Claire remained locked, their blades inches apart. The air between them crackled with residual energy, both fighters panting, sweat dripping from their brows.
Then,
A spasm from one of their hands!
Claire's sword dropped from her hand.
She stumbled back, eyes wide, before falling onto one knee.
Silence.
Then, a low chuckle.
Cid took a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. "That was close."
Claire, still catching her breath, grinned despite herself. "You… you actually beat me."
The crowd erupted into cheers. The watching knights and retainers exchanged glances of astonishment. For the first time in years, Claire Kagenou had lost a duel.
She looked up at Cid, shaking her head. "I hate to admit it, but… that shadow magic of yours? Totally unfair." Mimicking him from a spar long ago.
Cid smirked, knowing full well the secret behind his so-called 'magic.'
He reached out a hand. Claire hesitated for a second before taking it, allowing him to help her up.
"Next time," she said, "I'm not holding back even a little."
"Looking forward to it," Cid replied.
The Kagenou siblings stood victorious, neither truly defeated, yet one now acknowledged as the superior swordsman, for today.
The crowd cheered once more.
And somewhere, in the back of his mind, Cid was already planning how to make their next fight even more ridiculous.
~!~
The Kagenou estate was silent beneath the moonlight, the grand halls dimly lit by flickering sconces. It was deep into the night, and most of the household was asleep, except for one.
Cid Kagenou moved silently through the corridors, his footsteps barely making a sound against the polished marble floors. His duel with Claire earlier in the day had been exhilarating, but the night had its own demands. Tonight, he was not Cid Kagenou, heir to the Viscounty.
Tonight, he was Lord Shadow.
Slipping out of the estate grounds, he made his way toward a hidden path leading deep into the outskirts of the territory. It wasn't long before he reached an abandoned-looking warehouse near the ruins of a village, its exterior weathered and worn to discourage prying eyes. But within, a different world awaited.
Donning his signature slime suit he stepped inside, the hidden base of Shadow Garden revealed itself.
The once decrepit structure had undergone significant improvements. Where once there were dilapidated walls and broken beams, now stood reinforced stone reinforcements and polished wooden supports. What had once been a sparse hideout was now a thriving underground hub.
Gamma's handiwork was everywhere.
Stacks of newly arrived materials lined the walls, carefully sorted by type and purpose. The outer halls, which had previously felt abandoned, now had actual defensive structures, thickened walls, escape routes, and even reinforced storage rooms that could hold weapons, artifacts, and essential supplies.
Shadow Garden was no longer just a fledgling group, it was growing into a true organization.
As Cid entered the main hall, figures in slime suits like he was wearingturned toward him, their postures snapping to attention. Among them stood Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, the pillars of his organization.
Gamma approached first, her sharp eyes gleaming with pride. "Lord Shadow, you see the results of our work? With the funds from our operations, we have secured rare materials, and construction is ahead of schedule. Soon, we will have enough space for training grounds, armories, and even a proper intelligence network."
Cid nodded, his voice carrying the weight of authority. "You have done well. Shadow Garden is beginning to take shape."
Gamma beamed, but before she could continue, Alpha stepped forward, her expression serious. "My Lord, your message summoned us. Has something happened?"
Cid folded his arms, his presence commanding as he spoke. "Yes. Today, I have witnessed something that confirms our suspicions, there are forces moving beyond what we can see."
Beta's ears perked up. "Is this related to the recent mana anomaly near the Therianthrope lands?"
Cid nodded. "Yes. Claire and I led a scouting party to investigate. What we found was more than just an anomaly, it was a massacre. Entire groups of Therianthrope warriors, cut down with brutal efficiency. And at the heart of it… something unnatural. A creature of pure mana, one that does not belong."
The room fell into silence. Even the most composed among them exchanged glances.
Alpha clenched her fists. "A creature that shouldn't exist… Could this be related to the Cult of Diabolos?"
Cid met her gaze, his expression unreadable. "Perhaps. But whatever it is, it has noticed us. It knows we were there. And it did not strike, not yet."
Gamma's usual excitement dimmed slightly as she absorbed the implications. "Then we must assume that it is either calculating… or waiting."
Beta shivered. "A predator watching its prey."
Cid exhaled slowly, allowing the room to settle before speaking again. "This is not something we can afford to ignore. Shadow Garden must prepare. We move forward with fortifying our operations, but we also increase our intelligence-gathering efforts. If this thing is a remnant of the Cult's experiments, or worse, something unknown, we will uncover the truth."
Alpha placed a fist over her heart, her blue eyes burning with conviction. "As you command, Lord Shadow."
The others followed suit, the room filled with the quiet determination of an army growing stronger in the dark. Shadow Garden was no longer a mere idea. It was becoming a force.
Cid allowed himself a small smirk. This was only the beginning.
The moon hung high over the land as Lord Shadow led his most trusted warriors through the darkened forests. Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and several other Shadow Garden operatives followed closely, their steps silent, their forms shrouded in the darkness. They moved as predators in the night, unseen and unheard.
The air around them once morethickened with mana, a sensation that only grew stronger as they advanced deeper into the Therianthrope lands. An unnatural energy pulsed through the trees, warping the atmosphere, making even the most hardened among them feel an inexplicable pressure on their very souls.
Gamma adjusted the enchanted monocle over her eye, scanning the environment. "The mana density here is… impossible. Even battlefields with high-level casters don't leave this much residual energy."
Alpha kept a hand on her sword, her voice firm. "Then whatever we're approaching isn't just an ordinary anomaly. We need to be prepared."
Cid, standing at the front, narrowed his eyes. The sensation in the air reminded him of the encounter earlier that day, the shifting, chaotic mana, the overwhelming presence. But now, it was even stronger.
Then they saw it.
A shadow twisted within the clearing ahead, its form flickering violently with purple and black energy. The same wild entity from before. But now, with focused vision, Lord Shadow peered deeper into its core,
And he saw her.
A girl, barely older than Alpha, stood within the churning mass. Her long, tangled wolf-like hair whipped around her face, her sharp canines bared in a snarl. She was clad in rags, her feral purple eyes burning with unrestrained madness. Behind her, her bushy tail twitched, crackling with an unstable energy that almost looked like possession.
Beta sucked in a sharp breath. "A Therianthrope?"
Gamma adjusted her eyes with mana as well, mimicking her Lord Shadow before blinking. "That's not just any mana, that's corruption. If she's fully consumed, we might not be able to reason with her."
Alpha unsheathed her blade in a smooth motion. "Then we do what must be done."
The girl tilted her head, sniffing the air. Then, her purple eyes locked onto Cid, and she let out a guttural growl.
And then, she lunged.
"Engage!" Lord Shadow commanded.
Alpha met the first strike head-on, her slime suit giving her the knightsword and colliding with the girl's clawed hand. The force of the impact shattered the ground beneath them, sending dust and debris into the air.
Beta moved back in an instant, her slime bow flashing in the moonlight as she went for a precise strike, only for the wild girl to twist unnaturally, dodging at a speed far beyond normal Therianthropes.
"She's fast!" Beta hissed as she barely avoided a retaliatory claw swipe.
Gamma raised her sword, a blast of potent mana *erupting from her hands to envelop the sword, aiming to subdue the girl, but the corrupted Therianthrope avoided the attack, twisting her mana into another chaotic form around herself.
Cid watched, analyzing her movements. Uncontrolled. Furious. Yet not mindless.
"She's still in there," he murmured. "We take her down without killing her. She has answers."
Alpha gave a quick nod and adjusted her form, switching from killing strikes to precise, disabling attacks. But the girl fought like a cornered beast, her speed erratic, her movements almost impossible to predict.
And then, her mana flared.
With an inhuman howl, the girl unleashed a shockwave of raw energy, sending Alpha, Beta, and Gamma flying back as if struck by a mountain's weight.
Cid remained standing.
And the girl turned her purple eyes to him.
A grin spread across his lips beneath the shadows of his hood. "Now this… just got interesting."
The wild Therianthrope girl lunged at Lord Shadow again, her claws coated in crackling, corrupt mana. She was fast, far faster than any ordinary warrior, but against him, speed alone wasn't enough.
Cid moved like a phantom.
Every strike she threw was met with an almost effortless deflection, every claw swipe dodged at the last possible moment, his counters so precise that she barely had time to react. His sword flickered in and out of her vision like a shadowy mirage, weaving through her defenses and striking at her exposed limbs.
Her breath hitched. She was losing ground.
Inside Cid's mind, Minoru's old instincts stirred.
*Shift weight. Readjust grip. Parry left. Feint right, *
Cid's movements became even sharper, his counterattacks faster than the wolf girl could process. Every single attack landed with surgical precision, cutting through her swirling mana and forcing her back step by step. The rhythm was perfect. The battle was his.
Watching from the side, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma stared in awe.
"He's… unreal," Beta murmured, gripping her bow tightly. "She should be faster than him, but he's reading every move before she even makes it."
"No," Alpha corrected, her eyes narrowing. "He's controlling the entire fight. This isn't just combat, it's domination."
The wolf girl let out a guttural snarl, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She was ferocious, but she was losing. Her movements became sloppy, her attacks desperate, her feet unsteady. Her raw speed and mana-infused strikes were nothing more than predictable flails to the one who had already mapped out her every move.
Cid smirked beneath his mask. "I see. She's strong, but she's never fought someone who could outthink her before."
Her aggression turned reckless. She lunged again, teeth bared, claws extended, only for Cid to sidestep smoothly, twisting his blade and slashing at her exposed ribs. The force of the strike sent her skidding back, clutching her side. She howled, the corrupted mana in her veins pulsing violently.
The beast was faltering. The hunt was nearing its end.
"Now!" Cid called, giving the signal.
Alpha was the first to move. Her knight sword gleamed as she surged forward, bringing down a crushing overhead strike that forced the wolf girl to block. The sheer impact drove her to her knees, her arms trembling under the force.
Beta took her chance, firing an arrow coated in mana, aimed precisely to hit a weak spot in the shifting aura surrounding the girl. The projectile pierced through the unstable energy, causing a chain reaction that sent violent shocks through her limbs.
Gamma charged in next,
And immediately tripped over her own feet.
"Gyaah!"
The impact of her fall discharged an uncontrollable wave of energy, slamming into the wolf girl like a battering ram.
The corrupted Therianthrope's eyes widened in shock as the mana backlash sent her flying straight into a tree, her body collapsing into the dirt, unmoving.
The air was still, save for the faint crackling of dissipating mana.
Silence.
Then, Alpha, Beta, and Cid turned to stare at Gamma.
Gamma groaned from the ground, half-buried in dirt. She slowly lifted her head, dazed, and blinked at them. "…I meant to do that."
Cid exhaled, placing a hand on his hip. "Well… a win's a win."
Alpha ran a hand through her hair, sighing. "That was the least dignified way to end this."
Beta shook her head. "I'll give it a five out of ten for form."
"I'll give it a ten out of ten for results!" Gamma shot back, dusting herself off as she got to her feet.
Cid turned back to the fallen wolf girl. She lay motionless, her chest rising and falling in slow, steady breaths. The fight was over, but something about her corrupted energy still made the air feel heavy.
He had a feeling this wasn't the last surprise she would give him.
~!~
The air was still in the aftermath of the battle, the once-chaotic battlefield now eerily quiet. The wolf girl's corrupt aura had faded, but what it revealed beneath was even more unsettling.
Cid approached cautiously, his keen gaze analyzing her fallen form. Now that the violent energy had dissipated, the true extent of her affliction was visible.
Dark splotches marred her skin, pulsating like living things, patches of her flesh swollen with sickly pus sacs that glowed faintly with residual corrupted mana. The blackened veins spread across her arms and legs, evidence that the corruption had run deep. She was in critical condition, if something wasn't done soon, she wouldn't last much longer.
"This is bad."
Cid heard the familiar voice in his mind, dry and analytical.
"She's losing coherence. If the corruption spreads any further, we'll have a real mess on our hands."
It was Minoru Kageno, his past self, his other half, the voice only he could hear.
Where Cid Kagenou had the body and the instincts, Minoru had the mind, the calculations, and the vast knowledge of technology, biology, and warfare. Together, they were an unstoppable force.
Cid knelt beside the girl. "Suggestions?"
Minoru scoffed. "Oh, sure, let me just pull out my nonexistent medical degree on shadow-infested werewolves. You've got two options, purge it with raw force and hope it doesn't take her with it, or stabilize it by syncing your energy with hers and drawing the corruption out manually. Like we usually do."
Cid exhaled. He already knew the answer.
"Alpha, Beta, Gamma," he commanded, his voice cool and controlled. "Hold her down. This won't be pleasant."
They didn't hesitate.
Alpha grabbed one of the girl's arms, Beta secured the other, and Gamma pressed down on her legs. There was no question, no doubt, only absolute faith. They trusted him, as their savior, master, and leader.
Cid placed a hand over the wolf girl's chest, just above her faintly beating heart, and started to use his healing technique. Minoru worked in tandem with him, adjusting their output, directing their shared knowledge toward purging the corruption safely.
"Easy now… Focus the extraction here, control the output, watch for blowback. There, right there. That's the breaking point."
The shadows at Cid's fingertips shifted, their inky blackness weaving through the corrupted mana, coiling like a serpent hunting its prey. The pus sacs hissed, bursting as the raw magic seeped out. The blackened veins along her limbs began to recede, drawn into the abyssal force that only he could control.
The girl thrashed violently, a low, guttural growl escaping her lips. Her fangs were bared, her body instinctively resisting the invasive force, but she wasn't strong enough to break free.
Minoru's voice sharpened. "She's stronger than she looks. Keep pushing. If you stop now, the corruption will rebound."
Cid clenched his jaw, maintaining his grip on the energy. The wolf girl wasn't just a victim, she was a fighter. Her raw power had been feeding the corruption, making it more resilient than normal. If he wasn't careful, the backlash could hit them all.
"Almost there," Minoru noted. "One final pulse should do it."
Cid pushed his power forward,
The sickness collapsed inward, dissolving into nothingness. The dark patches faded, leaving only raw, pink skin behind. The tension in the air lifted, the oppressive mana dispersing as if it had never been there.
She was saved.
The wolf girl stirred, her breath coming in shallow gasps as her purple eyes fluttered open. For a moment, she seemed lost, confused. Then she lifted a trembling hand, staring at it in shock.
"I…" her voice was rough, not from fear, but from disuse. She wasn't accustomed to speaking much. "I'm… free?"
Cid stood up, watching her carefully. "Yes."
The girl pushed herself up weakly, still trembling, before her gaze locked onto him. Her purple eyes, no longer clouded by corruption, sharpened in recognition.
Then, to everyone's surprise, she lowered her head and bowed.
"I am Sara, and I submit."
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma remained composed, not flinching at this sudden display of submission. They simply watched, waiting for Cid's response.
Cid tilted his head. "What?"
The girl looked up, her expression serious. "You're strong. Saved me. In Therianthrope packs, strong lead. Weak follow. You… strongest."
Her tail flicked as she knelt completely before him, her body language displaying absolute deference. "I follow now. Pack gone. You pack now. Need new name."
Gamma crossed her arms. "So… we have a wolf now."
Beta, still studying the girl, muttered, "Seems that way."
Alpha simply kept her eyes on Cid, waiting for his decision.
Minoru's voice chimed in Cid's head, amused. "Well, now you've got a pet. What are you gonna do about it?"
Cid smirked slightly. This was unexpected but not unwelcome. A powerful Therianthrope warrior, once lost to corruption, now pledging her loyalty to him?
He looked down at the kneeling girl. "Then rise. We'll talk later."
She blinked, processing his words, before nodding with determination. "Yes!"
As she stood, she moved closer to him, still keeping her head slightly bowed. There was something primal in the way she regarded him, not just as a savior, but as a leader she had chosen to follow.
Gamma glanced at Beta. "This is going to be interesting."
Beta sighed. "That's an understatement."
Alpha, however, simply nodded. If Cid had accepted her, then so would she. That was the way of Shadow Garden.
Cid's smirk widened. Yes… this was getting interesting.
As the air settled from the tension of battle, Cid's gaze hardened. There was still unfinished business. The scene of slaughtered Therianthrope warriors they had encountered earlier had not left his mind. The corpses had not just been killed, they had been torn apart, their bodies twisted with strange mana signatures. That kind of slaughter wasn't normal, not even for Therianthropes, who prided themselves on battle.
He turned toward Sara, his voice level but firm. "The warriors we found earlier, was that your doing?"
Sara's purple eyes darkened, her body stiffening. A low growl rumbled in her throat, her tail flicking behind her. There was no remorse in her stance, only irritation.
"Weak. They hunt me," she said bluntly. "Deserved to die."
Beta shifted uncomfortably but said nothing. Alpha remained still, waiting for more information.
Cid's expression didn't change, but Minoru spoke in his mind, ever the tactician.
"She was being hunted? That means she's not just a random outcast. Someone wanted her dead. Or controlled."
Cid nodded slightly, as if speaking to himself. "Then why did they hunt you? Were you a threat to them?"
Sara exhaled sharply, baring her fangs slightly. "Not them. Not those weak ones. Their scent, wrong. Smelled like another. Smelled like…" she hesitated, her body tensing.
Cid waited patiently.
Then she muttered, almost like a curse, "My father."
The realization struck like a thunderclap.
Cid glanced at Alpha, Beta, and Gamma, watching their subtle reactions. Minoru, however, was already putting the pieces together.
"Oh. Oh-ho-ho. This just got interesting. You just rescued a Therianthrope princess."
Cid didn't react outwardly, but he understood. Sara wasn't just another warrior. She was the daughter of the pack alpha.
"Your father sent them?" Cid pressed.
Sara nodded, her claws twitching slightly. "He knew. He sent them to take me. Thought they could." She scoffed. "They could not."
Alpha frowned. "And yet you ran. If you were strong enough to take them down, why did you flee?"
Sara hesitated. Her fingers curled into fists, her tail bristling. "Father… different. He strong. Too strong. Alpha of Alphas. Not just my pack. All packs."
"He is King of the Hunt."
Cid exchanged a glance with Minoru in his mind.
"If she fears him, then her father must be something else entirely."
Beta spoke up for the first time. "Then why did he want you back so badly? A father chasing after his lost daughter is one thing, but sending hunters after you like a fugitive?"
Sara's jaw clenched. "Because I had to die."
A cold silence followed her words.
She took a breath, then continued, her voice rough, almost animalistic. "Mother was weak. No pack, no strength. Just me. She got sick. Died alone. Father did not care. She was nothing to him. Only strength matters. Only the strong deserve to live."
She bared her teeth, not in anger, but something bitter. "I stay with her. Watch over her. She loved me. But love is weak. Love makes soft. Makes you lose. I grew soft."
Her ears flattened as she spat, "And soft is dead."
Her tail twitched restlessly. "Then I got cursed. I saw before, cursed ones die. Pack must be pure. No cursed in the pack. So, I had to go. Father had to kill me."
Her claws dug into her palms. "But I ran."
Cid watched her carefully. There was more than just fear in her voice. There was defiance.
"I not weak like mother. But I am not like him. I fight. If cursed must die, then we must fight for life. If strong survive, then let us prove we are strong. I do not want to be weak. I do not want to be like him. But I will fight."
Her eyes burned with conviction. "One day, I will kill him. Not because of right or wrong. Because I must. Because I will not let him decide."
Minoru chuckled in Cid's mind. "Well, well. Not just a princess. A rebel with a cause. This girl might be worth keeping around."
Before Sara could elaborate further, a thundering sound echoed through the distant forest.
The ground trembled. Birds scattered from the trees. The pressure in the air shifted, thickening like an oncoming storm. The scent of primal authority, of something old and unshakable, filled the air.
Sara's ears flattened, her purple eyes widening with fear.
"No… He found me."
A new sound cut through the trees, a deep, rumbling growl, so powerful it vibrated through their bones. It was not just a warning. It was a claim.
Cid's smirk faded. This was going to be a problem.
Then, the trees snapped apart.
Emerging from the dense foliage was something monstrous. A Therianthrope unlike any Cid had ever seen, his sheer mass dwarfing even the tallest warriors of the race. The raw mana pouring off of him was dense, suffocating, warping the air around him like heat off scorched earth.
His fur, once dark, was streaked with faint, glowing veins of unnatural red. His eyes, identical to Sara's, locked onto them with piercing intensity.
"Sara." The voice was deep, almost guttural. A predator addressing its prey.
Sara's stance widened, her claws flexing, but Cid noticed something rare in her eyes. Genuine fear.
Minoru whistled in his mind. "Well. That's a big one."
Alpha instinctively reached for her sword. Beta notched an arrow. Gamma tensed, waiting for orders.
Cid only smirked slightly, tilting his head. "Guess we'll see how strong 'King of the Hunt' really is."
The battle had only just begun.
~!~
The tremors grew stronger, the ground shaking beneath their feet. The heavy scent of blood and power filled the air, a suffocating pressure bearing down upon them. Then, from the depths of the forest, he appeared.
Sara's father.
A behemoth of a Therianthrope stepped into the moonlit clearing, his sheer size dwarfing even the largest warriors Cid had seen before. His muscles bulged grotesquely, his body seemingly stretched to the limit with unnatural strength. His fur, once a proud silver, had darkened into an almost black shade, pulsing faintly with an eerie red glow. His clawed hands were the size of a man's torso, and his glowing red eyes locked onto them with unwavering hunger.
Sara's breath hitched. Terror. True terror.
She had already feared her father before. He had always been stronger than any of them, the Alpha of Alphas. But now... this thing was not her father.
Cid's sharp eyes took in every detail, assessing. This wasn't just strength. This was a mutation.
Sara's voice was barely above a whisper. "...not right. He not supposed to be like this. He… changed."
Cid turned to her. "Explain."
She swallowed, ears flattened against her head. "One day… human came. Dark robe. Dropped something. Bottle. Red pills." Her claws twitched as she remembered. "Said it was a gift. Strength. Offered to pack head. Father ate."
Beta's expression tightened. "And he became… this?"
Sara nodded stiffly. "Not right away. Grew bigger. Stronger. More fights. More rage. Less mind."
Her voice dropped lower, almost trembling. "Then he made me try one. Said all pack must take it. I put in mouth. But... tasted wrong. Bitter. Felt… burning. Not natural. Spat it out. Ran."
Minoru's voice rang in Cid's head, more intrigued than alarmed.
"Red pills, huh? Chemical enhancement, maybe? No, too unstable. If they caused immediate changes, that means this isn't just physical augmentation. It's a forced evolution... or worse, mana corruption."
Cid narrowed his eyes. "If you didn't swallow it, but let it touch you… That's when the curse got to you, wasn't it?"
Sara nodded slowly. "Yes. After. Body felt wrong. Cursed."
Minoru clicked his tongue. "Then we're looking at a two-stage transformation process. A full pill induces complete mutation, turning them into something like him. But incomplete exposure? That triggers the unstable state she was in before you saved her."
Cid exhaled. "So, this is what full corruption looks like."
A low, guttural growl ripped through the clearing, pulling them back to the present.
The beast that had once been Sara's father took another step forward, the sheer weight of his body crushing the ground beneath him. His claws flexed, glowing faintly red, and his deep, primal voice rumbled through the air.
"Daughter."
Sara flinched but stood firm. "You… not father."
The behemoth loomed over her, his breath ragged, uneven, monstrous. "You are pack. You return."
She shook her head violently. "Not pack. Not anymore. Pack dead. You killed them."
The monster's eyes flickered, his snarl twisting. "Pack... strong. Weak fall. You ran."
Cid stepped forward, his presence unshaken by the overwhelming force before him. "She didn't run. She survived. That's what strength really is."
The towering Therianthrope's head snapped toward him, as if noticing him for the first time. His red eyes narrowed.
"Not… pack. Kill."
He moved.
Fast.
For something so large, his speed was monstrous. One second he was feet away, the next his massive claws were streaking toward Sara.
But they never reached her.
A shockwave erupted between them.
Cid had intercepted the attack, his sword clashing against the monster's claws, the sheer impact splitting the earth beneath them. The ground cracked, trees bent from the force.
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma immediately took formation.
Alpha drew her knight sword, eyes locked onto their opponent. "Orders, my lord?"
Cid grinned. "We put this beast down."
Sara's father roared, the force of it sending out a pulse of raw energy. His muscles bulged further, the red glow intensifying.
The battle had begun.
~!~
Sara's father lunged again, his monstrous claws ripping through the air with bone-crushing force. The sheer weight behind his blows splintered trees, tore through the earth, and sent shockwaves through the battlefield.
But Cid moved like liquid shadow.
His slime-coated suit, reinforced and fine-tuned for combat, absorbed the force of each strike, dispersing the impact while allowing him to redirect his movements with supernatural fluidity. To an outsider, it seemed as if Lord Shadow was an untouchable phantom, effortlessly weaving through the onslaught of a living juggernaut.
But Cid knew better.
We can't win this head-on.
Minoru's voice echoed in his mind, sharp and clinical. "The slime's doing its job, but it won't last forever. He's burning through mana faster than he should be able to, this isn't natural. His body is consuming itself for power. If this keeps up, he'll self-destruct… but not before taking you with him."
Cid dodged another earth-shattering blow, watching as the force alone split a boulder clean in half.
"Gamma!" he called out, his voice carrying through the chaos. "Find a way to neutralize him or at least get us out of here!"
Gamma, who had been carefully analyzing the battlefield, snapped to attention. Her sharp eyes scanned their surroundings with the precision of a strategist at war.
"A ravine! Forty meters north, beyond the tree line!" she announced. "It's unstable terrain, if we can bait him there, we can collapse it on him!"
Cid smirked. "Perfect."
"Alpha, Beta!" Gamma barked, slipping into command mode. "We need to push him toward the drop! Hard and aggressive, don't let him land a solid hit!"
"Understood!" Alpha responded without hesitation, already moving into position. Her knight sword flared with mana, her strikes aimed at his legs to disrupt his balance.
Beta followed suit, unleashing a hailstorm of mana-infused arrows, striking his back and shoulders. Each projectile exploded on impact, sending ripples of force through his massive frame.
The monstrous Therianthrope roared in fury, his glowing red eyes snapping toward the new nuisances.
Exactly as planned.
Cid kept his movements calculated, staying just at the edge of the beast's focus. Each time he appeared close, he was gone just as quickly, frustrating Sara's father further into a blind charge.
Sara, breathing heavily, looked at him with suspicion. "You... run?"
"No," Cid corrected. "We retreat strategically."
Sara hesitated, then gave a sharp nod. "Good. Not stupid."
The plan was working.
The King of the Hunt, blinded by fury, zeroed in on Alpha. She led him toward the ravine, her movements precise as she weaved between the trees at breakneck speed.
But this was the moment of truth.
Gamma had already taken her position at the ravine's edge, waiting for the perfect moment. "Almost there… almost… NOW!"
Beta let loose a specially-prepared arrow, the projectile coated in volatile mana. It exploded against the ground in front of the beast, forcing his next step into an uncontrolled stumble.
Alpha pivoted mid-stride, her blade singing through the air as she delivered a downward shockwave-infused slash to unbalance him further.
His momentum carried him forward, too forward.
The beast plummeted over the edge, his sheer mass causing the unstable terrain to give way beneath him.
The earth shattered, massive boulders cascading into the ravine. A deafening crash shook the air, the sheer impact sending dust and debris into the sky.
For a moment, the battlefield was still.
Then… silence.
Gamma exhaled sharply. "We did it."
Alpha kept her sword raised, Beta notched another arrow, and Sara remained tense, her instincts screaming at her that something wasn't right.
Cid, watching the shifting dust clouds below, narrowed his eyes.
"Move. Before he gets out."
With perfect synchronization, Shadow Garden disappeared into the night, vanishing into the forest, leaving the beast buried beneath tons of rock and earth.
But as they fled, Sara's ears twitched.
And far behind them, deep within the collapsed ravine, something stirred.
A deep, primal growl rumbled through the wreckage. The battle wasn't over.
Not yet.
~!~
The journey back to Shadow Garden's base was silent but swift, the night air thick with the scent of damp earth and fading traces of battle. The sky had begun its slow transformation from deep midnight blue to the soft grays of approaching dawn, signaling the urgency of their retreat.
Cid knew his time was running out. If he didn't return to the Kagenou estate soon, questions would be asked, questions he had no intention of answering.
Their hideout, built from the ruins of an abandoned village, had undergone significant changes since its initial occupation. A growing fortress in the shadows, it now served as the perfect base of operations for an organization that moved unseen. New structures had been reinforced, supply caches meticulously organized, and the once-crumbled ruins were now an intricate maze of underground tunnels and chambers.
Gamma's handiwork was evident in every corner. What had once been a dead husk of a village was now an expanding foundation for something far greater.
As they approached, Alpha, Beta, and Gamma moved swiftly to secure the perimeter. The mission had been a success, but there was no telling how long the ravine would hold that monstrous Alpha.
Sara stumbled slightly as they crossed the threshold, her breathing uneven as her body continued to recover from their grueling escape. She scowled at herself, frustration flashing in her piercing eyes, but pride kept her from asking for help.
Cid removed his cloak, exhaling slowly. "She stays here. Take care of her until I return."
Alpha gave a sharp nod, already anticipating the order. "Understood."
Beta's gaze flickered toward Sara. "She's still processing everything. The moment she recovers, she's going to start asking questions."
"Good. Let her. She needs to understand what just happened," Cid replied, already stepping toward the exit. "I expect a full report on her condition next time I visit."
Gamma, arms folded, studied him. "And what about you, my lord? You've been up all night."
Cid paused, considering his current state. He had gone without sleep before, many times, in fact, but that didn't make it any easier. His body could push through exhaustion, but even he had limits.
Then, with a half-smirk, he muttered, "Minoru. Any chance you've figured out how to get a full night's rest without actually sleeping?"
Minoru's voice responded in his mind, genuinely intrigued for the first time in a while.
"Huh. You know, that's actually an interesting problem. Sleep is essential for cognitive function, but if we could bypass the normal recovery process… Leave it to me. I'll look into it."
Cid blinked. "...Wait, you're actually going to work on that?"
"Hey, don't underestimate me. If I can hack into government mainframes, I can figure out a way to keep us from needing eight hours of sleep. You might not need to live in a perpetual state of exhaustion after all."
Cid shook his head with a light chuckle. "Alright, then. I'll be waiting for results."
Alpha, who entered at the last quip, raised an eyebrow at his amused expression but didn't pry.
"What are your orders for us, my lord?"
He turned back toward them, his gaze sharp as ever. "We lay low. No unnecessary movements until I return. Keep an eye on the ravine. If that thing gets out sooner than expected, I want to know about it immediately."
He shifted his focus toward Sara, who now sat at the edge of a makeshift cot, her clawed fingers curled tightly against her palms.
She wasn't trembling, but there was something unsettled in her posture, something unreadable in the way she stared at her hands as if they were foreign objects.
She was processing everything.
And Cid knew that process could go one of two ways.
"And keep her safe," he added. "She's one of us now."
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma bowed their heads in unison. "As you command, Lord Shadow."
With that, Cid disappeared into the fading night, slipping away toward the Kagenou estate just as the first rays of morning light kissed the horizon.
And as he vanished, Sara's purple eyes slowly flickered toward the exit, where he had stood just moments before.
She exhaled, flexing her fingers before clenching them into tight fists.
One of them, huh?
A small, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of her lips.
Interesting. Her Pack leader was something else.
~!~
Cid slipped through the halls of the Kagenou estate, moving with the same precision and silence he used in the field. The sky was still a deep shade of blue, the sun barely beginning to creep over the horizon.
He had made it back just in time.
His room was as he had left it, neat, organized, undisturbed. With a quiet exhale, he shut the door behind him and removed his slime suit. He barely had time to think before the exhaustion set in. His body wasn't completely drained, but it had been a long night.
A few hours. Just a few hours, and I'll be fine.
He collapsed onto his bed, shutting his eyes. Sleep took him almost instantly.
The sound of soft knocking on his door stirred him awake. Cid blinked groggily, forcing himself upright as the door creaked open.
Claire stood there, arms crossed, her red eyes studying him carefully.
Cid kept his expression neutral. She hadn't barged in like she usually did, which meant she wasn't angry. That was a good sign… probably.
"You look a little tired today," she noted casually, stepping inside.
Cid stretched slightly, rubbing his neck. "Do I? Must've been a weird night."
She gave him a knowing look but didn't press. Instead, she leaned against the wall. "You've been acting normal, but I notice these things. You've been having trouble sleeping?"
For a brief second, he considered lying.
Then, an idea struck.
Cid sighed, scratching the back of his head. "Sometimes… I get these dreams. About making something impressive. And when I wake up, I just keep thinking about it, so I end up losing sleep."
Claire tilted her head slightly. "Making something?"
"Yeah," he nodded, throwing in just the right amount of enthusiasm. "Something big. Something that would change everything. But by the time I wake up, it all fades away. And then it just bothers me, like I almost had it but lost it."
Claire blinked. For once, she looked thoughtful rather than suspicious.
"Huh." She tapped her chin. "That... actually makes sense. You've always had a weird way of thinking about things."
Cid chuckled. "You don't know the half of it."
Claire shook her head, smiling slightly. "Well, don't let it get in the way of your training. If it gets worse, tell me."
She turned to leave, pausing at the door. "And Cid?"
"Yeah?"
She glanced over her shoulder. "Whatever you're dreaming about, if it's really that important to you, maybe you should try making it real."
Then, without another word, she left.
Cid stared at the door for a moment before falling back onto his bed with a sigh.
Minoru's voice chimed in his head. "You know, for someone who's suspicious of you half the time, she does have a point."
Cid smirked. "Maybe. But first, I need actual sleep."
With that, he shut his eyes, hoping for at least a little more rest before the day truly began.
The day passed uneventfully, filled with Cid's usual routine of noble obligations, etiquette lessons, and the occasional sparring match. He moved through the motions with practiced ease, concealing his anticipation for the moment the sun dipped below the horizon. Every minute that passed was another step closer to the true purpose of his night.
As dusk fell, he slipped away from the estate, moving with the silent precision that only years of training had refined. The route to Shadow Garden's base was second nature by now, winding through narrow paths and abandoned clearings, each step bringing him closer to the fortified ruins of the hidden stronghold.
Inside, Sara was waiting.
The former Therianthrope outcast sat on a wooden crate, arms resting on her knees, her keen eyes watching him as he approached. Her posture had changed. The exhaustion from their battle had faded, replaced with something new, something sharper. She had recovered, but she was restless.
She was strong. But not strong enough. Not yet.
Cid leaned against a nearby pillar, arms crossed. "So? How are you liking it here?"
Sara's ears flicked slightly. "Strange place."
He grinned slightly. "Good strange or bad strange?"
She shrugged. "Not pack. Not den. But..." She tilted her head, her expression unreadable. "Feels... safe. No fear. No looking over shoulder. Not weak here."
Cid nodded. "That's good."
She met his gaze directly. "But still not strong. Still not strong enough."
He raised an eyebrow. "For what?"
Sara's purple eyes burned with unyielding resolve. "To hunt him. To end him. My father."
Her voice was rough, carrying a mix of hatred and acceptance. There was no trembling, no hesitation. She had made peace with the war in her heart.
"I want to kill him," she admitted. "But I can't. Not yet. If I try now, I lose. I know this."
Her tail flicked behind her, agitated. "So, I ask you, Leader. Make me strong. Stronger than any pack. Stronger than him."
There was no hesitation. No doubt.
She was willing to throw everything away to reach that strength.
Cid studied her for a long moment. In her eyes, he saw not desperation, but certainty. She was a warrior who had already accepted her own death but refused to let it claim her just yet. It was the same look Alpha once had. The same look Beta had. The same look all of Shadow Garden had before they were reborn.
He gave a slow, knowing smile.
"You're ready, then. Ready to abandon your past?"
Sara didn't even blink. "Past is already dead. Only future matters."
Cid pushed off the pillar, standing tall. "Then you'll have it. But there's a price."
She watched him intently as he stepped forward.
"To gain strength beyond any pack, beyond any Alpha, you must shed everything you were. Your name, your past, your ties. You must become a shadow, loyal only to our cause, devoted only to the path we walk. You must forget who you were and be reborn anew. Can you do that?"
Sara didn't hesitate. "Yes."
Alpha, Beta, and Gamma stood nearby, watching with silent reverence as Cid reached into the shifting darkness of his own mana, forming a blade of shadows. The ritual was about to begin.
"Then kneel," he commanded.
Sara obeyed, dropping to one knee, head bowed. The final moment before her rebirth.
"Repeat after me."
His voice was calm yet absolute.
"I cast aside my name. I cast aside my past."
Sara's voice was steady. She struggled a bit, due to her lack of use of humanoid words, preferring growls and meaningful body gestures to get the meaning across.
"I cast aside my name. I cast aside my past."
"I embrace the darkness. I become one with the shadows."
"From this moment forward, I am reborn, bound in shadow."
Cid raised the shadowed blade, its ethereal edge gleaming under the dim torchlight.
"Rise, Delta. The fourth of Shadow Garden."
Sara, now Delta, slowly lifted her head, her eyes flickering with violet energy, reflecting the glow of the blade. A new identity. A new purpose.
A new predator in the darkness.
She grinned, a wild, razor-sharp grin filled with anticipation, her fangs glinting under the dim light. A hunter's grin.
"Now... we hunt."
Cid smirked. Shadow Garden had gained a new force.
And soon, the world would feel it.
~!~
Extra Chapter: A Beast's Lament
The ravine groaned under its own weight, the once-solid ground now a fractured mess of stone and debris. From beneath the rubble, something stirred.
A low, rumbling growl echoed through the darkness, followed by the agonized shifting of something massive. A mound of broken earth quaked, then exploded outward as a clawed hand, thick with sinew and bristling with darkened fur, burst free from the rockfall.
The King of the Hunt pulled himself from his would-be tomb, his glowing, red-lined veins pulsating with unnatural energy. With a heaving breath, he surged forward, shaking off the mountain itself as if it were a mere inconvenience. Boulders shattered against his body, dust and debris cascading down his monstrous form like rain.
He had survived. Of course he had.
His instincts had screamed for him to brace at the last moment, and that fraction of a second had spared his life. But he could feel it, his body was failing him.
He swayed for a moment, blinking sluggishly as his red eyes flickered between intelligence and bestial rage. The air around him shimmered with mana, his enormous chest rising and falling in labored breaths. His power had become a curse, devouring him from the inside out.
His monstrous instincts snarled. Kill. Hunt. Tear. Shred. Find the prey. Finish the hunt.
But then…
A whisper of clarity broke through the storm of violence in his mind.
A thread of thought not yet drowned in the endless sea of hunger.
His breathing slowed.
Through the fading chaos, he grasped onto something distant, something familiar.
His name.
It had been so long since he had thought of himself as anything but The Alpha. The Apex. The Unchallenged.
But now, in this fleeting moment of lucidity, he remembered.
He was once more than just a beast.
His mind clawed its way through the fog, dragging himself back from the depths of madness just enough to remember his daughter.
Sara.
The one who had inherited his eyes, his instincts. The one who had defied the pack's laws, had defied him, and survived.
The weak should perish. The strong should endure. That was the law. It had always been the law.
Yet… she had lived.
She had fled, survived the wilderness, battled against hunters, and escaped even him.
His ragged breath came in slow, heavy exhales, and for a moment, just a moment, his lips curled into something resembling a smirk.
Good.
His own daughter had escaped his jaws. She had proved herself strong.
For the first time in decades, the thought of pursuing prey did not appeal to him.
The mind of The King of the Hunt, his old self, knew what this meant. She had earned her right to live.
He could not say he had ever loved her mother. He was not built for such sentimentality. Therianthrope alphas did not form attachments to their mates, nor to most of their offspring. He had hundreds of children, scattered across his vast domain, each fighting for survival, each expected to prove their worth or be discarded.
But Sara…
She was different.
Not because she was special. Because she had defied fate.
A deep chuckle rumbled from his throat, the sound a mixture of pride and inevitability.
"Live well, little one," he murmured. His voice was gravelly, but unmistakably his own, for the first time in years.
The flickering mana around him cracked violently, his monstrous self clawing back into control. His brief moment of lucidity was slipping away, dragged into the abyss of raw, unshackled instinct.
His muscles tensed. His claws flexed. The world blurred again.
But before the beast fully consumed him, he decided.
He turned away from the pursuit.
He would return home. Back to the untamed wilds, back to the kingdom of Therianthropes where the strong devoured the weak.
He would rule until he was slain. Until the day one of his own rose strong enough to end him.
Perhaps… one day… it would be her.
Then, with a final breath of clarity, he surrendered to the roaring abyss of his instincts.
The beast took over.
His thoughts scattered into hunger and violence, and with a final, earth-shaking growl, he vanished into the mist.
The hunt would continue.
But not for her. Not anymore.
Author's Note:
Hello Everyone! I'm here with some questions that I have handpicked to answer! If you don't see it here, it will either be answered in a future chapter or I haven't quite decided how to answer it, so please stay tuned!
Question: When will Gaius get started on reforming the lands?
Answer: Its started, but innovation can only do so much! That being said, the process is going and will eventually blossom with Cid's knowledge and creative ability. Stay tuned!
Question: What is the status of the side story?
Answer: It's pretty much outlined and ready to go. I honestly don't know when to release it, whether after a certain point of the main fic, or release it now and get spoiled on some aspects of the story that is yet to come. Let me know what you think and if it gets swayed to one side, I may just release it, and let everything land where it lands, so to speak.
Question: You are going too slow! Time skip?
Answer: No, no time skip, not at this juncture.
Question: Order of recruitment? Any changes?
Answer: I have thought long and hard about this: Recruitment will be the same, up until Epsilon. After that, I'm branching off and even changing some of the origin meetings and make it my own spin. Feel free to rage or praise!
Anyways, That's all for now! Happy reading!
Yours Truly,
Terra ace