Part 9
I like to take walks at night.
The world lit by the moon is quiet and erases the doubts of the mind.
I don’t often get lost these days, but in a previous life, I sometimes wavered between the ideal and the reality of becoming “The Eminence in Shadow”.
At such times, it is good to practice mindlessly, but it is also not bad to take a walk at night to reflect on oneself.
Looking up at the moon in a quiet world can make me look like “The Eminence in Shadow”.
If there is a biker gang that is making bombastic noises, I will swing a crowbar down on them in the name of the cause.
Well, anyway, that’s why I often sneak out of the dormitory after entering academy and go out for a walk at night.
My favorite thing to do these days is to look down on the night world from the rooftop of the school.
“Kukuku……”
It’s cool just to laugh fearlessly like this.
The moonlight is especially beautiful today.
I washed away Delta’s saliva, took out a red gem and held it up to the moon.
The deep red color is fantastic and outrageously beautiful.
“It’s like it’s filled with some kind of magic power. I wonder how much it will cost.”
Well well, Delta did a great job.
I am now looking forward to putting it up for auction at Mitsugoshi Company.
If the high price is reached, I’ll buy all the “The Eminence in Shadow Set” I’ve put on my mind’s shopping list.
The black lion’s stole and the dark crystal tableware, and then…….
“…….Hmm?”
I looked to the side and saw an old man in a black robe standing in the corner of the rooftop.
That’s unusual for a place like this.
Hmm? Looking closely, isn’t he wearing a black robe made of dark spider silk?
There is no doubt about that sheen and deep black.
It is a supreme material texture that cannot be produced by cheap products.
“…… He’s got good taste.”
I observed an old man with good taste.
He has silver hair that grows to his waist.
The face is quite cool, with deeply shaped, eagle-like eye pupils.
When I listen carefully, he seems to be muttering something.
“They’re behind schedule. Checking against the plans……”
He’s a thief.
Those who prepare the plans and sneak in are the only kind of people who can do that.
It seems that the academy is full of valuable artifacts and such.
In other words, he’s a stylish thief.
“I knew they intervened. But we’ll get rid of anyone who gets in the way. …… That’s it.”
He is muttering something meaningful without knowing that I am watching him.
Isn’t he have nice taste in his choice of words.
At that moment, the stylish thief suddenly turned around.
Our eyes met perfectly.
I am hiding my presence, but I am not hiding my figure. Naturally, I can be seen.
“Wha!? How long have you been ther——”
“Ah, don’t mind me. I was just taking a walk.”
I have no intention of disturbing him, so I appeal to him to be harmless.
“You don’t even look like a member of the Knights. Well, who are you?”
“An ordinary student, I guess.”
“A student, huh? …… Judging from your mannerisms, it doesn’t look like you’re lying. I didn’t expect to be seen by a mere student on my first day of arrival.”
“I’m sure it can happen. Well, see you later.”
“Wait. Now that you’ve seen me, I have to erase you.”
“Ah, I’m not trying to get in your way or anything. I don’t care if there are thieves breaking into Midgar Academy——”
But the Stylish Thief did not listen to me.
“You’re out of luck, boy.”
“Oops.”
I dodge the two scythes aimed at my neck with a sway.
It’s reasonably fast and he’s strong for a thief.
As expected of a stylish thief.
“Wha——! You dodged it!?”
He was wary and maai is open. (TLN: distance between opponents)
“You …… aren’t just a student.”
The Stylish Thief’s voice lowered.
“I don’t mean to interrupt you.”
“That technique, are you a special unit of the Knights. You’re the first person to ever deceive me.”
“I’m just an ordinary student, though.”
“Nonsense, It was you who killed “The Dark Smile” right. It’s hardly likely that he would call for reinforcements. No wonder they sent me, the “Dark Spider”……”
“Unn, I think you got the wrong guy.”
“But you’re out of luck.”
“Luck?”
“I’m —— stronger than “Dark Smile”.”
The stylish thief scythe slashed my arm.
GAKII!!
A hard sound comes from the arm and sparks fly.
“Wha, I can’t cut him!”
I change my uniform.
The black slime covered my arm like a flowing stream and made a claw at the tip of it.
“Black Equipment, it’s Shadow Garden’s…….”
The stylish thief hurriedly took a distance.
But no matter how he moves, the result will not change.
“So fas!?”
I closed the distance and hollowed out his heart with my claws.
“Impossible…….T-This power…….”
“Hmm?”
He clenches my claws with both hands and his face contorts.
“No way…….No, in a place like this……. No way, by a guy who disguised as a student. Fenrir-sama…….I am so sor…….”
He said that much and coughed up a lot of blood.
“Yare yare, another wasted kill.”
I take the black robe of dark spider silk to keep the blood from staining it and kick him off the rooftop.
“Ah, crap.”
Looking down, I saw a stylish thief had fallen to his death.
That’s all well and good, but the point where he fell was on top of the statue, and unluckily, he was pierced by the sword that the statue held up.
It was like some kind of execution.
What should I do with the corpse?
“……Well, doesn’t matter”
There’s a lot of blood splattered all over the place and it looks to be a hassle to clean up.
It was a surprise present from me to the students who lead an ordinary school life.
“Hmm?”
Suddenly, I noticed a strange white fog floating around me.
There should not have been any fog a while ago.
“Fog……?”
But in the blink of an eye, the fog disappeared without a trace.
“Areh, it’s just my imagination……or maybe not?”
It’s not a mistake.
It was only for a moment, but I was sure I saw a white fog.
“…… It doesn’t matter.”
I can see white fog, but it has nothing to do with my life, and if it is fog, I can see it as much as I want in the mountains.
Rather than that, tonight I shall sleep with a black robe of dark spider silk on my wall.
It was a place that was dim and white foggy.
Four cylindrical red lights illuminate the surroundings.
“The fit rate is low …… I guess it’s still a bad subject. It’s hard to get demon possession at all these days.”
A thin man stood in front of the cylindrical light.
He sighs as he writes the letters in the file at hand.
“Is there no report of the procurement unit of the subject yet?”
Upon closer look, there was something floating in the red light.
It’s human.
Four human bodies were floating in the light, connected by what looked like thin tubes.
The tube seems to be expanding and contracting like a living creature, sucking something out. Already there is no life in the human face.
“We don’t have time …… At this rate …… “
He paces back and forth in front of the red light.
At that moment, he heard footsteps coming from the fog.
“[Willow]-kun, how are you doing?”
The owner of the voice stopped in the fog and said so.
The thin man called “Willow” hurriedly straightens his posture.
“We have secured four students from the academy who are compatible with the magic power. They are absorbing magic power smoothly, so I think the seal will eventually be broken……”
“Eventually, I’m sure there were also four objects before, right?”
“Well, there’s been an interruption from Shadow Garden……”
Gulping, “Willow” swallowed his spit.
“I heard that.”
“That, apparently, was the executive level of the Shadow Garden as well.”
“He~e……Is it “Seven Shades”?”
The unidentifiable man seemed intrigued.
“Perhaps. It’s probably “Seven Shades” which we have never seen yet.”
“Then I guess it’s Zeta.”
“Yes. She seems to be good at running away and hiding……”
“I haven’t heard many reports of her fighting. Even though I just thought she was not good at fighting.”
“The fact that “The Dark Smile” was eliminated means that she is at least as good as or better than the named children.”
“Fuhn. It sounds pretty interesting, doesn’t it? Speaking of which, I heard you called for a replacement for “The Dark Smile”?”
“We called the top-ranked “Dark Spider” among the Named Children to take all possible precautions. With this, the plan is——”
“The “Dark Spider” is dead.”
“……Eh?”
“He was skewered in front of the academy.”
“Ano……That’s.”
“It’s true.”
“R-Really? No, of course I don’t doubt it. You think Zeta killed him?”
“Who knows. I don’t know who the culprit is, but they work fast, Shadow Garden. I envy them. I wish I had a subordinate like that.”
“Haha……”
“What are you going to do about the delayed plans?”
“We’re going to call in more reinforcements from headquarters.”
“Our funds were greatly reduced by the recent credit collapse. I’m sure we could get more people for the 2nd and 3rd, but I’m not sure we can handle it by gathering a bunch of small fries.”
“T-That…..”
“The Shadow Garden is already aware of these ruins. There’s not much time left before the defense system is breached.”
“We’ve already found the prime subjects. Claire Kagenou and, with your permission, Alexia Midgar. Once we have these two, I think we can finish the project quickly.”
“Alexia Midgar, huh…..”
“After all, is it difficult?”
“…..No, that’s fine. Zenon must have already laid his hands on her. Some overdoing is allowed. A little overstepping is acceptable. We, Fenrir Faction, have administered the Kingdom of Midgar for a long time.”
“Then I will instruct my subordinates.”
“You’re going too, “Willow”.”
“Eh…..?”
“It’s about time you missed the scene. Since I’ve set up a position for you at the academy, use it.”
“Well, my arm is already…….”
At that moment, wind pressure passed through the neck of “Willow” and left a single scar.
“The position of “Willow” would make them both let their guard down.”
“……Yes.”
“I’m busy coordinating the ruins. You’ve got to make it work.”
“Yes.”
“Willow” left as if to run away.
“……Now.”
Something is projected in the fog.
There were two girls in the image. A golden-haired beastman and a pink-blonde human.
They are two of the Shadow Garden.
“So this is Zeta and the “Saint”, huh……I didn’t expect Shadow Garden to pick her up. I wonder what would happen if that country found out”
Zeta and Viktoria in the video proceed through the white fog.
Behind them, there was another shadow.
They wear a different robe from Shadow Garden and their face is hidden by a hood.
“The defense system has been breached to the third layer. Depending on the results of “Willow”……”
As he muttered so, the man’s presence disappeared.
Images continue to be projected in an empty space.
From within the image, golden eyes were looking over here.
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