For the first time, Cid Kagenou—master schemer, shadow manipulator, and self-proclaimed mastermind—was caught completely off guard.
….
He stared at her.
Her clear, sincere eyes.
Eyes that didn't waver.
Eyes that believed in her own words.
And for just a moment, Cid felt…
Ashamed.
Ashamed of his own selfishness, his deceptions, and his endless scheming.
"Kanase… Are you sure you're not secretly a saint or something?"
His words were half-joking, but the admiration in his voice was real.
Kanase blinked, confused.
"Did I… say something wrong?"
"No.
If anything, it's me who's wrong.
I can't even begin to think the way you do."
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
"Kanase."
Her attention snapped back to him.
"Normal people don't think like that.
When someone rejects their kindness, their first reaction isn't patience or understanding.
It's anger."
"Anger?"
She tilted her head, clearly struggling to follow his logic.
"Yes.
Because instead of thinking about what the cat wants—
They only see what they gave.
They assume their way is better.
That the cat is ungrateful."
Kanase fell silent.
Her hands clenched into fists.
Cid leaned closer, his eyes sharp.
"Kanase, it's not that you can't reject people.
It's that you can't handle the anger that comes from rejecting kindness—
Especially when it's coming from your father."
Her breath caught.
And her eyes fell again.
But this time, Cid didn't let her look away.
He reached out, gently tilting her chin with both hands until their eyes locked.
Kanase's body stiffened.
But she didn't pull away.
She trusted him.
And Cid knew it.
Which was why he refused to let her hide.
"Look at me, Kanase.
If you can't face me—how are you supposed to face your father?"
Her lips trembled.
But she didn't look away.
For the first time since this conversation began—
Cid saw it.
A flicker of defiance.
A spark of courage.
And in that moment, he knew—
He'd done his job.
"Kanase."
Cid Kagenou's voice softened, but his gaze remained sharp.
"You need to understand—this is your life.
What I think doesn't matter.
What matters is—what do you want to do?"
Kanase Kanon bit her lip, her shoulders trembling.
Her voice quivered, barely above a whisper.
"I don't know, Cid-kun…
I really don't know what to do."
Tears began to well up in her eyes, spilling over in silent streams down her cheeks.
Cid's hands, still lightly cupping her face, felt the warmth of her tears.
He let out a deep sigh.
This—
This was exactly what he'd expected.
Asking for help and taking action were two completely different things.
And Kanase Kanon clearly wasn't ready to make that leap on her own.
He wasn't angry.
If anything, he felt a bit… tired.
Honestly, he would've preferred to keep his distance.
Let her figure things out on her own.
But if he wanted to help her—truly help her—he had to force her to make a choice.
Because if she froze at the wrong moment—if she panicked when he confronted her parents—
Then everything would fall apart.
And those eyes—
The ones he'd gone out of his way to protect—
Would be forever stained with regret.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder—
Was there a simpler solution?
Something less dramatic than all this psychoanalysis?
Maybe he should've just promised to fix it himself.
Told her he'd take responsibility.
After all, that's what protagonists were supposed to do, right?
"Leave it to me!"
"I'll handle everything!"
Yeah.
No.
That wasn't his style.
And besides—
He wasn't responsible for her life.
This wasn't some fairy tale.
It was reality.
Kanase Kanon needed to decide for herself.
Cid Kagenou would just give her a nudge in the right direction.
Standing up from his seat, he made his way toward the exit.
Before he could leave, though—
"Excuse me, sir!"
A waitress flagged him down near the counter.
"Our parent company, Mitsugoshi, is currently offering a special VIP promotion.
With today's purcKanon, you're entitled to a free couple's meal—beautifully packaged, of course!"
Cid's eye twitched.
Mitsugoshi.
Of course.
Gamma.
As usual, she'd gone overboard.
The so-called "free meal" sitting on the counter?
Two sandwiches.
Wrapped in matching packaging—clearly a set.
And priced at eight times the cost of a normal sandwich.
Ridiculous.
Cid's jaw tightened.
The Mitsugoshi VIP program wasn't something just anyone could join.
There were fewer than 100,000 members worldwide.
This wasn't about money.
It was about prestige.
Which made the whole "free meal" gimmick even more absurd.
Well, at least for normal VIPs.
Cid Kagenou didn't count as normal.
He glanced back at Kanase, who was still seated at the table, her expression lost in thought.
Grabbing one of the sandwiches, he walked back over and set it down in front of her.
"Kanase."
Her head snapped up.
"You can't expect people to know what you need if you don't say it out loud.
So stop acting like a coward and just tell me—
What do you want me to do?"
Kanase's eyes widened.
"And this is for you."
He gestured toward the sandwich before turning away.
Grabbing the other sandwich, he headed for the door.
He'd save it for later.
Throw it into time-space storage or something and use it for breakfast tomorrow.
Dinner?
He'd just summon a demon and mooch off them like always.
"Thank you, Cid-kun!"
Her voice called out behind him, trembling yet hopeful.
"Bye, Kanase.
And don't forget—
Find someone to take in those cats, okay?"
"I will!
I promise!"
Her response echoed as the café door closed behind him.
….
Cid Kagenou lay sprawled across his bed, staring blankly at his outstretched hand.
The empty milk carton—courtesy of Itta—rested on his bedside table, but he made no effort to clean it up.
Tonight, there was no triple-magic compression training.
No endless hours spent pouring through the knowledge locked within the library crystal.
Just silence.
And thoughts.
"Puberty, huh?"
The words slipped out almost instinctively, but the more he said them, the stranger they felt.
It wasn't like Cid didn't know what puberty was.
He was a seventeen-year-old high school student.
Having a biological response to the opposite sex should've been normal.
But he wasn't normal.
Not anymore.
Cid Kagenou had spent his entire life cutting away unnecessary desires.
Trimming himself down until only the essentials remained—
The unshakable core of his identity.
"To become the Eminence in Shadow."
That was it.
His one true goal.
Everything else?
Disposable.
Money? Influence? Relationships?
Tossed aside.
Even lust—that most primal of instincts—was shoved into the category of:
"Unwanted but manageable."
The same couldn't be said for his "Holy Sword."
Even before his body modification, it had been impressive.
Afterward?
Let's just say spatial compression runes on his underwear had become a necessity.
Not for vanity.
But for survival.
There'd even been a point where he seriously considered cutting the whole thing off.
But—
"A eunuch Eminence in Shadow?"
"Not a chance."
And so, it stayed.
Much like the desires he'd worked so hard to bury.
But today…
Today, something shifted.
Watching Kanase Kanon cry—
Feeling her warm tears slip through his fingers—
He'd felt it.
A spark.
Something deeper than just biological instinct.
Something that unsettled him.
Because it wasn't just lust.
It was… human.
Cid's fingers curled, his nails pressing into his palm.
He hated it.
Not because it was wrong.
But because it was dangerous.
He couldn't afford to be distracted.
He'd spent years refining himself—
Breaking his body, reshaping his soul, merging magic, flesh, and spirit into a singular, flawless existence.
He was beyond human.
At least—
That's what he'd thought.
"So why now?"
"Why this?"
Cid's brows furrowed.
His mind raced, running through every possibility.
External interference?
Impossible.
His body was an enigma—
A puzzle that even "The Library" couldn't fully decipher.
If someone had managed to tamper with it—
They'd have to possess knowledge equal to the entire history of the First World.
And that?
Was about as likely as the Diablos Cult being real.
So then—
The problem wasn't external.
It was internal.
Cid Kagenou's fist clenched.
"It's me, then."
The one flaw in his design.
The desire he'd tried so hard to erase—
Had never actually disappeared.
He'd just ignored it.
And the worst part?
Deep down—
He didn't even regret it.
A normal person might have panicked.
Spiraled into doubt.
But Cid?
He laughed.
A sharp, almost mocking sound that echoed off the walls.
"Seriously?
I've become so powerful—so detached from humanity—
That puberty is what finally catches me off guard?"
He covered his face with his arm, grinning like an idiot.
"Ridiculous."
But fitting.
Still—
He'd need to monitor it.
If this was just his body adapting to his soul's desires, then fine.
He could control it.
But if it was something else—
Something darker—
Then he'd have to cut it out.
No hesitation.
For now, though—
Cid Kagenou, the Eminence in Shadow, would simply observe.
Analyze.
Adapt.
And plan.
Because no matter how much his body rebelled—
No matter how human he might feel—
His shadowed ambition would never waver.
….
"Maybe I should just get a girlfriend."
The thought slipped out before Cid Kagenou could stop it, and for a brief moment, he actually considered it.
A girlfriend.
Not a mission partner.
Not a co-conspirator.
Just a normal girl to help him deal with…
This.
Puberty.
To be clear, in Cid's mental hierarchy, being a side character didn't disqualify someone from dating.
Not everyone was cut out to be a protagonist.
In fact, with the ratios stacked at millions to one, most people—
"Hell, even nobles like me—"
Were destined for the background.
So in theory, getting a girlfriend wasn't the problem.
It's the reality.
Relationships?
Messy.
He'd read the posts.
Watched the dramas.
"My girlfriend is too clingy."
"Help! I'm losing arguments every day!"
Cid had no patience for that kind of thing.
Not when he was trying to forge himself into the Eminence in Shadow.
"What about prostitutes?"
No.
Absolutely not.
Using his shadow funds on that?
"Disgraceful."
In the end—
"I'll just tough it out."
Yeah.
His 'Holy Sword' wasn't going anywhere.
He'd keep it sealed.
Graduation wasn't too far off.
After that, his family would probably arrange a marriage.
Until then—
"Endure."
Reaching for the library crystal, Cid activated it and threw himself into training.
The ache in his body would pass.
His resolve wouldn't.
Deep underground…
In a dimly lit corridor, the sharp click of heels echoed against the stone.
The sound slowed as a pink-haired girl reached her destination—
A heavily reinforced door.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed it open.
Inside, the air was stale and claustrophobic.
Piles of papers covered the floor, scribbled with calculations and formulas.
At the center of the chaos—
A violet-haired elf slumped over her desk, rubbing her eyes.
"Ahhh… Victoria, huh?"
Her voice was lazy—almost disinterested.
Without even turning around, she added:
"Move your left foot—no, more to the right.
One more step and you'll trip the motion sensor on that bomb over there."
Victoria froze.
"…Bomb?"
Her heartbeat spiked.
In an instant, she leapt backward into the doorway—
Far away from the danger zone.
Then, quickly dropping to one knee, she bowed.
"Lady Eta.
I've delivered the test materials from Lady Zeta.
She requests that you finish processing them as soon as possible—
Before Lady Alpha catches wind of it."
Eta yawned, barely acknowledging her words.
"Got it. Tell Zeta I'll handle it."
Victoria released the breath she didn't even realize she was holding.
Eta's tone may have been casual, but her reputation was terrifying.
The brains of the Seven Shadows.
A genius whose research shaped the backbone of the Shadow Garden.
And also—
A scatterbrained disaster who regularly forgot to deactivate her death traps.
Victoria stood up, ready to bolt for the exit—
When Eta's voice called out behind her.
Victoria had barely begun to relax when Eta's voice pierced through the silence, freezing her mid-step.
"Wait."
She turned, already feeling the weight of Eta's gaze bearing down on her like a physical force.
"Did you deliver the package I asked you to bring to Master?"
Victoria swallowed.
"Yes, Lady Eta.
I delivered it personally, and—"
Her breath hitched as the pressure in the room seemed to intensify.
This wasn't the oppressive aura of magic power.
No—
It was the psychological weight of knowing exactly who she was speaking to.
Eta wasn't the strongest among the Seven Shadows.
In fact, her S- rank put her closer to the middle of the group.
But—
She was, without a doubt—
The scariest.
The others might punish mistakes.
Eta?
Eta would experiment on you.
And no one who'd been through that ever wanted to go back.
"And… did you see what was inside?"
Victoria's heartbeat spiked.
Her pulse roared in her ears as she kept her head bowed.
"I wouldn't dare."
Silence.
The kind that chilled her down to her bones.
She could feel Eta's eyes on her—
Sharp. Cold.
Even though her words lacked emotion, her presence was suffocating.
Finally—
"Leave."
Victoria didn't need to be told twice.
She bolted before Eta could change her mind, her heart racing as she disappeared down the corridor.
Inside the lab, Eta remained motionless for a moment before slowly turning back to her desk.
She reached out and picked up a photo—
A snapshot of her and Cid Kagenou.
Her slender fingers traced the edges of the frame.
"Master…"
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Hours Earlier—
In the wake of Cid's departure from the café, two figures stepped inside and closed in on Kanon Kanon.
The first—a green-haired woman in a crimson suit—leaned down, her voice dripping with malice as she spoke into Kanon's ear.
"We've been looking everywhere for you, little bitch.
Playtime's over. It's time to get back to the lab."
Kanon flinched.
"…I understand, Beatrice."
Her voice trembled—weak and resigned.
The woman smirked and straightened up, gesturing for Kanon to follow.
Kanon obeyed without another word, trailing behind them like a shadow.
By the time the car started, Kanon was sitting in the back seat, staring blankly ahead while the driver—another vampire—began talking.
"I don't know what that old bastard Kanon was thinking," she muttered.
"Giving you this ridiculous 'farewell tour' like you're some kind of human.
But I think you need to be reminded—"
She threw a glance at the rearview mirror, her crimson eyes narrowing at Kanon's blank expression.
"You're not a person.
You're a tool.
An experiment.
And the next time your 'father' requests something this idiotic, you better remind him what's at stake."
The woman's words were sharp and venomous, but Kanon didn't react.
She didn't flinch.
Didn't blink.
Didn't even move.
It was as though she hadn't heard a word.
Beatrice's grip tightened on the wheel.
If this had been anyone else, she would've snapped their neck by now.
The only thing holding her back was the fact that this fragile girl—
This pitiful, broken tool—
Was the key to the experiment's success.
For now.
But if she failed?
Well—
Tools could always be replaced.
"Otherwise, to save us some trouble, we might just make sure your little sweetheart doesn't have the time to come looking for you—or perhaps, we could bring her to the lab and let her see your true colors."
The words carried a veneer of casual advice, but whether it was the so-called "tool" mentioned or the underlying threat that followed, malice seeped through every syllable.
"No! Don't hurt Cid! I'll behave—I promise, so please…"
Since getting into the car, Kanon Kanon hadn't uttered a single word. Even the earlier taunts, laden with disdain and cruelty, had failed to stir the slightest reaction from her. Yet now, for the first time, her voice wavered with emotion.
"Huh?"
The sudden shift caught both the vampire and the beastkin in the front seats off guard. They exchanged brief, wordless glances, their expressions tinged with disbelief.
They knew all too well how dulled Kanon's senses had become.
As one of the experimental test subjects for the human weapon project, "Synthetic Angel," most of her sensory functions had been forcibly shut down to prevent her from succumbing to pain during combat.
Her sense of touch, smell, and taste were all but destroyed, leaving only her hearing to receive commands and her vision to monitor surroundings.
But this severing of nerves had not only dulled her body—it had eroded her emotions as well.
After all, human emotions are deeply rooted in biochemical reactions—hormones, dopamine, and adrenaline.
While emotions do possess an element of randomness, they cannot exist without these chemical triggers.
The vampire had spoken earlier purely out of boredom, tossing out threats to entertain herself during the monotonous drive.
The mockery and anger had been nothing more than reflexive habits—who would bother getting genuinely upset over an emotionless, disposable experiment with one foot already in the grave?
In fact, the moment the words left her mouth, she had already dismissed the matter and refocused on driving.
The thought that Kanon might respond had never even crossed her mind.
Yet here she was—responding, and even pledging obedience.
That unexpected reaction was enough to make the two front-seat passengers pause in astonishment.
"Good. That's more like it."
The atmosphere in the car quickly settled, but the sudden increase in speed betrayed the tension lingering beneath the surface.
At this pace, it wasn't long before they arrived at their destination—the Magitech Laboratory.
Once the vehicle came to a halt, Beatrice, the vampire, led Kanon out of the car and straight toward a middle-aged man waiting nearby.
"Mr. Kanase, we've brought Kanon back as requested. If possible, please begin the experiment as soon as you can. The company's been pushing us pretty hard for results."
Despite the polite tone, her words carried a subtle urgency.
Kanon Kensei, however, didn't immediately respond. Instead, his eyes drifted toward the beastkin, who had stepped away and was now engaged in a phone call on the far side of the lot.
"You know how it is, Mr. Kanase," Beatrice added with a nervous chuckle, filling the silence. "The company's been breathing down our necks for weeks. We're the only ones they can pressure to keep things moving."
Finally, Kanase turned back to her, his gaze sharp.
"If you want these Synthetic Angels to operate flawlessly, we need observation periods after every test. Their bodies must fully adapt to the spiritual cores, and we have to monitor for any unforeseen anomalies."
His voice carried the kind of authority that made objections difficult.
"Unless, of course, you're volunteering to handle any… complications that arise."
He paused before adding, "And besides, hasn't the emergence of global warzones been a goldmine for your company? All you're after now is an even stronger weapon, isn't it?"
Beatrice listened patiently, her smile never faltering despite the veiled accusations.
"Hahaha, you're quite the joker, Mr. Kanase. You know as well as I do that ever since the witches formed Neserell, they've cornered most of the arms trade worldwide."
Her laughter, light as it was, barely concealed the bitterness behind it.
"Well, since you've made yourself clear, I won't take up any more of your time. I'll be heading out now."
And with that, Beatrice turned and walked away, leaving Kensei alone with Kanon and the ominous silence of the lab.
Beatrice exchanged a few quick words with the beastkin before gesturing for them to leave.
After watching them go, Kanon Kensei turned away and addressed Kanon without so much as a glance back.
"Let's go, Kanon. We need to run a diagnostic on your body and check for any signs of rejection in the spiritual core."
He strode forward but paused after a few steps.
When he turned around, he saw Kanon still standing in place, her head lowered and unmoving.
His brows furrowed.
"What's wrong, Kanon?"
Kanon hesitated, her voice trembling as if each word scraped against her throat.
"Father… I—I want to know… Do you really have to complete this 'Synthetic Angel' experiment?"
"Of course I do," Kensei replied, his tone firm and absolute. "The world is dangerous now. Conflict lurks beneath the surface everywhere. Only by completing the Ascension Ritual can you truly be safe."
"But the gods have already descended into this world, haven't they? There's no need for these experiments anymore!"
For the first time, Kensei's weathered face twisted with anger. His eyes locked onto Kanon, sharp and unyielding.
"Enough, Kanon. Everything I'm doing is for your sake."
His voice dropped, laced with menace.
"Those so-called angels that descended? They're not real angels. If anything, their existence proves my point—they're nothing more than false gods. And their presence has only strengthened my research."
He took a step closer, towering over her.
"I don't know what's gotten into you today, but forget it. Focus on the experiment."
Despite his claims of acting out of love, Kensei's oppressive gaze felt like a lead weight pressing down on Kanon, suffocating her.
It was as though she had been plunged into deep water, the crushing pressure threatening to drag her under.
The very air around her seemed to harden, turning to molten iron, forcing her to fight for every breath.
I'm sorry, Cid…
Her thoughts drifted to him.
You were right—I'm a coward. I can't do anything. I can't even say what I truly want.
Her voice trembled as she finally yielded.
"I—I understand, Father…"
Meanwhile, back in the car, Beatrice didn't start the engine right away.
She waited until the beastkin companion rejoined her, sliding into the passenger seat, before turning the key.
The car moved in silence for a while, leaving the Magitech Laboratory far behind. It wasn't until they cleared its perimeter that Beatrice finally broke the quiet.
"What did they say?"
It was an abrupt question, but the beastkin seemed to understand her perfectly.
"They're interested. But they won't agree to anything until we show them tangible proof or evidence that it's real."
"That's all?"
"Not quite."
The beastkin continued.
"Until they see the proof, they've granted us limited access to the MagiNet for intelligence gathering and partial weapons procurement. The company also authorized us to use all available resources and permissions."
Beatrice's lips curled into a slow smile, her eyes flickering with anticipation.
"And the boy?"
"Orders have already been issued to investigate him. As long as he doesn't have any powerful connections, we can take him anytime. But to avoid triggering Kanon, we can't let him approach the lab while he's conscious."
The corners of Beatrice's mouth stretched wider, her smile growing sharper. Her eyes burned with ambition.
"Perfect. I thought this operation was a lost cause, but it looks like fate's on our side after all."
She leaned back in her seat, her voice brimming with excitement.
"Once we join them, we'll finally be able to cast off these fake identities and step into the light with power that no one can question."
….
Thud, thud, thud.
A knock echoed against the door.
Thud, thud-thud-thud…
"Who the hell is it?! It's too early for this nonsense!"
Cid bolted upright from the sweat-soaked bed, his eyes burning with unrestrained fury.
In the palm of his left hand, a dark orb of magic crackled to life, surrounded by black flames that licked ominously at the air.
It didn't take a genius to figure out that he was in a spectacularly bad mood.
And why wouldn't he be?
Anyone who had just barely avoided getting killed would feel the same way.
Parts of his body still resembled mashed flesh—though they'd regenerate within seconds, the pain remained very real.
Black liquid seeped out from his pores, coating his damp sleepwear before hardening into a sleek black T-shirt and pants.
The remaining liquid gathered in his palm, condensing into a jet-black sword that pulsed with latent power.
If it's some pushy salesman, I'll drag them inside, beat them half to death, erase their memory, and dump them on the street.
He flexed his grip on the blade, the edges of his anger sharpening.
No need to thank me. After all, anyone capable of nearly killing me in full force deserves that kind of treatment.
With those thoughts, Cid cracked the door open slightly.
Through the narrow gap, he saw a girl standing outside. No—calling her a girl wouldn't do her justice.
From her curvaceous figure to the sheer black stockings clinging to her long, slender legs, she radiated an allure that felt almost dangerous.
Silky black hair cascaded down her back, perfectly framing a pair of striking crimson eyes that seemed to pierce straight through him.
Despite her beauty, however, her expression was far from pleasant. Irritation flashed in her red eyes, adding a sharp edge to her charm. She looked, in Cid's opinion, like someone who had just been stood up by her boyfriend—an impression that would have prompted more than a few strangers to try their luck if they'd seen her on the street.
But for Cid, the moment he laid eyes on her, the fire of his anger died out as if doused by cold water.
Not because he harbored the same lustful thoughts as those hypothetical passersby—far from it. Given that most of the men who tried hitting on her were still recovering in hospitals, that sort of thinking never even crossed his mind.
No, his rage vanished for one simple reason—standing before him was his sister, Claire Kagenou.
The slime sword in his hand dissipated instantly, and with practiced speed, he pressed both palms against the door, channeling magic to force it shut.
Cid swore this was pure instinct. His brain was still reeling, completely unable to process why his sister was standing at his doorstep.
"Smack!"
The door didn't budge. A slender yet impossibly strong hand wedged itself between the door and the frame.
"Cid," Claire said, her voice carrying the weight of authority only an older sister could wield. "Is this how you greet your sister after nearly a year apart?"