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The Necromancer in Shadow (The Eminence in Shadow fanfic)

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Chapter 158: Please Train Me, Alpha-sensei!
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    • Chapter 158: Please Train Me, Alpha-sensei!

    I finished my conversation with Kuzaya, who thankfully refrained from asking too many probing questions, especially regarding Shadow, who's not here at the moment, and they left my room afterwards.

    Even if the information is from another world entirely, I cannot rule out the possibility that the people from this world may end up in my world, which will be disastrous should they possess too many information, especially regarding Shadow Garden.

    After a few days the squad of fighters sent to Tokyo returns with a few additions from several other factions. Despite that, the number of people returning is much less than what they set out with. They returned not with high spirits but with despair. Just from that alone it is obvious that the battle was lost and they are the survivors. I suppose… that is to be expected unfortunately. Even Shadow Garden suffered great losses in our last battle against him.

    Luckily Mari and her friend Akane are among the survivors. I jumped from the tall apartment building I was staying in and landed right in front of her. A few people reacted with surprise but Mari didn't seem to even acknowledge my existence as she kept staring into the void with empty eyes.

    "Mari-chan." I call out to her with the affectionate honorific as befits this country's culture as she has permitted me to call her that. She still does not respond. Only when I pull her into a hug that she somewhat responds.

    "Alpha…-sensei…" She says my name with subdued voice, as if she's holding back her tears.

    "I tried… my best… we… tried our best… But in the end… we couldn't save… the people…"

    "Mari-chan. I know how you feel. I… I failed against him too… many times in fact. But despite that I decided not to give up… and so shouldn't you. You want to avenge your brother's death, don't you?"

    "Yes… but how can I…"

    "All I can say is… that we have no choice but to keep fighting. Even if we are doomed to fail, wouldn't it be better if we go down fighting?" I say to her in hopes of at least lift up her spirits. Perhaps it worked somewhat as she began returning my hug and begin crying her heart out.

    She cried for a few minutes before calming down. It's at this moment that Akane, Mari's friend and the sister of the scientist who tried to poison me, steps in.

    "Alpha-dono. My name is Nishino Akane. I'd like to… apologize on behalf of my family for what my brother has done to you." She says while bowing as is the custom of this country.

    "I… I…" She has difficulty in finding the words to say but I say nothing in order to allow her to continue.

    "I… Because of me… we lost so many people… I…"

    "Akane-chan. I told you. It's not your fault." Mari interjects while wiping her own tears.

    "It's because I was too weak and distracted that… so many people died right in front of our eyes. Even he…" Akane continues with her rant and self blame, something I'm unfortunately familiar with in Shadow Garden.

    "I've heard that you… trained Mari-chan. Can you… train me as well?" She stares into my eyes with hollow eyes that hide so many emotions which didn't hide her determination. It is the eyes I've seen in many Shadow Garden members when we cured their possession and subsequently recruited them.

    "Hm. Very well. I shall teach you in the ways of the shadows. But be warned that my training will not be easy."

    "I'm prepared to face any hardship… in order to beat him." She seems to have a grudge against the Necromancer, who is known by his old serial killer name here, as well. What has that monster did to you?

    "We begin tomorrow at dawn. For now, you must rest your body and mind."

    "Yes… Alpha-sensei." Hmm… Calling me sensei already? Heh. Mari did the same when we started our training.

    "Umm… I want in too!"

    "Me too! Please train me!"

    "Me too!"

    A crowd of fighters began stepping in, asking me to train them as well. It is good that they haven't lost their spirits… or perhaps seeing how two girls didn't give up after what they've seen they began to have hope again? I do notice that the two of them are looked upon with high regard among the members of the alliance.

    Perhaps that's a factor… or maybe these men are just attracted by their beauty, just as they are attracted to mine judging from how some of them are looking at me like schoolgirls in love. I could've sworn I could see heart symbols in their eyes. No matter. Whatever their reasons, I'll happily accept anyone who's determined to keep fighting.

    It seems that I must recall Lambda's method of training our recruits when I make the plans to train this many people. Shall I make a whip out of my slime too?

    Either way, the only thing I have to train them in this limited amount of time is their magic control, a glaring and obvious weakness that the people of this world, who are novice at magic manipulation, have. Magic control just so happen to be one of the most important things that he taught us besides swordmanship.

    I hope to at least train them until they are close to reaching the level of a Shadow Garden operative or at least the level of Midgar Knights if they couldn't.

    Even Mari benefitted a lot from this training as it allowed her to master the use of magic spells more easily. I could also learn a thing or two while training her. I hope to learn more from training these people as well.




    "Good morning, Alpha-sensei!"

    "Good morning to you too."

    "Alpha-sensei! You're cute today too!"

    "Is that so? Thank you."

    "Alpha-sensei! I love you!"

    "Thank you. But unfortunately I cannot reciprocate."

    "Aghh…! I just got rejected!"

    "Better luck next time, moron! Alpha-sensei will be mine!"

    "No! Mine!"

    "Mine!"

    And with that they start quarrelling again.

    I spent a few days training various people on how to control their magic powers and they grow stronger as a result.

    Training these people also allowed a lot of interactions with them that I was previously unable to do due to language barrier. This made me become very popular among them, especially among the boys.

    The bald monks, the priests and few other people wearing robes, who are adept at spellcasting similar to Necromancer's art, are the most enthusiastic about gaining control over the forces of magic that they are the most active participants in our training, even more than others who are more interested in me rather than my lessons. In fact, among the people I train, I appreciate them the most as I have a lot to learn from them too. The knowledge I've gained from them would probably make even Eta drool.

    "Alpha-sensei! Are you single?"

    "Alpha-sensei! Please marry me!"

    "Alpha-sensei!" "Alpha-sensei!" "Alpha-sensei!"

    Some of them even approached me to ask me personal questions that I refused to answer or make brazen advances that reminded me a lot of the friends that Shadow kept for his civilian persona. In fact, some of them, mainly from the Akihabara faction, brought me several outfits and asked me to wear them. Most of these costumes are… too revealing for my liking.

    Though part of me would like to wear them in front of him.

    I'm more used to leading female operatives and thus, interacting with so many horny men daily is… testing my patience. But I must persevere. They are easier to deal with than suicidal and broken half-dead people.

    Today though, instead of training people, I'm going out of the city because there's someone I have to meet.

    "Alpha-sensei! Where are you going?" One of the boys I trained asks.

    "According to the report, the dragon you called Godzilla is currently residing in that mountain called Fuji, isn't it?"

    "Y-You're going to meet THE Godzilla!??"

    "Don't kill him! He's a good kaiju!"

    "Isn't that dangerous?"

    "Take me with you, Alpha-sensei!"

    "No! Me!"

    "ME!!"

    Oh dear. They're fighting over me again. What troublesome boys.

    "Looks like you're as popular as always, Alpha sensei." Says Mari as she appears with her two comrades with Akane in tow. She seems to have regained her spirits and cheerfulness that she even teased how much more popular I've become compared to her and her friends. Akane seem to have recovered mentally too, though I can't say that for sure.

    "That makes me, curious! Sensei! Do you have a boyfriend? Or someone you like?" Aki, the one dressed in red, bluntly asks the question that most people wouldn't dare ask me. The jaws of everyone present (except hers and mine) dropped in response, which confuses her.

    "Huh? What? What did I do?"

    "Aki-chan… you can't ask such a personal question in public!" Shiina, the one dressed in green, scolds her.

    "I'm actually curious too! Please tell us, Alpha-sensei!" Mari, however, pressed on with a teasing smile, not letting the subject drop easily, making Shiina and Akane panic.

    "Hmm… Someone I like, huh." I say as my cheeks starts blushing at the thought of one man. Everyone's reaction is obviously surprise.

    "WHAAAT!? Alpha-sensei! Who is this guy!?"

    "Alpha-sensei is in love!?"

    "It's not fair! He must be a nobody! A mob character!"

    "How could a nobody capture Alpha-sensei's heart!?"

    "It should've been ME! Not him! It's not fair!!!"

    Ah. No… I messed up and revealed my true feelings. How embarrassing. At least their reactions are a little amusing.

    "A-A-A-Alpha-sensei… Wh-Who is this… person…?" One of the boys asks while shaking with curiosity. It got me into the teasing mood.

    "Hmm…"

    "Y-Yes…?"

    "Hmmm….."

    "Yeeees….?"

    "Hmmmmmmmm……"

    "Yeeeeeeeeeeessssss……..?"

    "It's none of your business."

    """GWAAAAAAGHHHH!!!""" They seem to have received a huge damage in their hearts that they comically drop to the ground.

    "A ha ha ha… N-Never thought that you... actually have someone…" Mari, who was teasing me a moment ago, is now shaking at the unexpected answer she received from my reaction.

    "Indeed. Anyone who wants to know more better be prepared to have their memories wiped out. Is that clear?" I warn with stern tone that I usually use during training and they all respond by simply nodding.

    "Anyway, I'm going out to Mount Fuji to meet the dragon. I'll allow Mari, Aki, Shiina and Akane to accompany me. I assume you're all geared up and ready to leave immediately?"

    """"Yes, Alpha-sensei."""" All four of them reply in unison.

    "Very well. Let's go." I say and we walked out of the walled settlement and with our enhanced magic, dashed towards Mount Fuji to meet the dragon, who, according to Mari and Akane's testimony, possessed the same color of magic as him. I have to meet this creature in order to confirm it myself.

    With our enhanced strength, it only took a few hours to reach our destination. With their magic control strengthened from our training, the four girls are able to keep up with me. I could go as far as to say that they've surpassed the level of ordinary knights from my world, though still not on the level of a Shadow Garden operative just yet. But that's talking about raw power. The spellcasting skills they've gained makes them unique even compared to Shadow Garden members.

    Anyway, as we approach the famous mountain, we can feel the enormous magic power. And something about that magic power does feel familiar. This is promising.

    We discover the dragon that they called Godzilla in the crater at the summit of the mountain. He stares at us as if expecting us. Just as Mari and Akane described, the spikes on his back and the magic core in his chest does glow purple… the same shade of purple as Shadow's. Seeing that color makes me smile. How I've missed seeing that beautiful color.

    I jump to the creature's snout immediately in order to allow it to see me up close.

    "Alpha-sensei!" The others shout with concern, fearing that I would provoke the creature but he didn't respond with hostility. In fact, he's wagging his tail the way Delta does.

    *Boom Boom Boom*

    The sound of his tail pounding the ground echoes throughout the crater. As expected of a creature that he tamed. He is very docile and even a little cute.

    "It's good to finally meet you, Godzilla. I trust that he sent you to aid us. From the bottom of my heart, I thank you." I say with the language of my world while petting the beast's gigantic head, which makes him wag his tail harder. The mountain began shaking from how hard his tail is slamming against the ground.

    "A-Alpha-sensei! What is going on!?" Shouts Shiina while trying to retain her balance in the shaky mountain.

    "Is it… wagging its tail… like a dog?" Akane mutters in disbelief.

    "Alpha-sensei has tamed Godzilla! That's totally fire!!" Exclaims Aki with voice full of admiration.

    "He's cute! Totally cute!!" Added Mari.

    It seems that even though he is still unable to come to aid us, he is still watching over us… ever present. He even sent us aid. Shadow… Thank you… I shall not give up and I will make sure not to squander this gift.




    Author's Note:

    A comedic chapter to take a break from all the death and despair from the last chapter. Now Alpha has met Dogzilla. Will the two of them be able to turn the tide of battle? Find out in the next episode of Sensei in Shadow.
     
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    Chapter 159: Abandonments
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    • Chapter 159: Abandonments

    Today is the day I have a meeting with the leaders of other factions from our alliance. Of course we don't meet face to face because travelling is difficult with the monsters infesting our lands, and thus we held an online meeting. A camera is pointed at my face, giving live video feed to other leaders and they did the same. All of our faces are displayed on a large screen and our voices can be heard to each other… though I wish that it isn't.

    I was expecting a heavy atmosphere when I heard the news of the alliance's crushing defeat at Tokyo. I expected our fragile alliance to nearly collapse and turn into a blame game as soon as this accursed meeting starts. But I suppose I should've expected the Messiah faction to convince other factions to put pressure on me due to sheltering Alpha-dono and start blaming ME for the whole disaster at Tokyo. I know their game. "Fulfill our demands or we will abandon you."

    Obeying the tyrannical emperor was a hard choice to make but at least he kept these old men at bay. Now that he's gone, nothing's stopping these old bastards from doing what they want.

    I don't want to deal with this petty politicking but I need their help because the Akihabara settlement is the closest to Tokyo and I have no doubt that we are the Occult Killer's next target. In fact, I'm surprised he hasn't attacked few weeks after destroying Tokyo.

    This kind of makes me regret not moving Akihabara further away from Tokyo back when we established our faction.

    Now I have to face these selfish old men who care more about themselves.

    "Why didn't you convince her to fight, Kuzaya-dono!?"

    "I merely shelter her. I neither control nor command her."

    "You should've tried harder! Her participation is crucial!"

    "She is far too strong and far too wary for that to happen."

    "You just didn't try hard enough! Send her to me! I shall make sure to tame her!"

    "No. You can't handle such a fine specimen! I'll take good care of her!"

    "I thought we agreed that MY faction shall be the one to shelter her? I have the facility that will surely entice her to join our cause!"

    These old men are arguing about taking Alpha-dono like she's an exotic animal. Some of them even lick their lips without hiding their lewd intentions. I know Alpha-dono is extremely attractive but she is more powerful and terrifying than she is beautiful!

    "I highly suggest not think of her or treat her like a wild beast."

    "She is a weapon! An asset! It would be foolish not to use her, Kuzaya-dono! Our survival is at stake here! Surely you understand!?" That is a dangerous mindset and will turn her against us all, you fool! I need to divert the conversation to the more important topic.

    "I know that our survival is at stake. Akihabara is the closest to Tokyo and I have no doubt that we are his next target, and I ask that you respect our alliance and send reinforcements or we'll all be--."

    "I have a proposal then, Kuzaya-dono. Give that elf woman to our faction and we'll send our reinforcements." Of course they won't let go of the topic about Alpha-dono.

    "You have to convince her yourself. As I said, I don't control her. Also, I ask that you refrain from antagonizing her like what Akira-dono did." I turn towards Akira, Akane-chan's brother, who's representing the Messiah faction in this meeting. He merely smirks in response.

    "Do not worry about that, Kuzaya-dono. I've prepared a stronger poison extracted from an Apex Beast. We only need your help to put the poison on her meal and--" I slam my hand on my desk angrily, which cuts his words.

    "Did you not hear what I said!? If you antagonize her, she will no longer help us!! Or worse, she may turn against us!!"

    "Don't be a coward, Kuzaya-dono. Such cowardice has costed us Tokyo and our emperor. If you want reinforcements, you better do as we say." Akira says with a fiendish smirk. Millions of lives are at stake and you would blackmail me into betraying our strongest ally!?

    Just as I was about to refuse, an alarm starts ringing loudly… though thankfully it's not Akihabara's alarm.

    "What's going on!?"

    "Whose alarm is that?"

    "It's mine! Hey you! Report!" The leader of Fukuo faction, who settled in Fukushima and whose family is appropriately named Fukuo, shouts at his subordinate, demanding reports. Eventually his subordinate returns.

    "Report, Fukuo-sama! A massive army of zombies suddenly appeared and have laid siege to our city! We're completely surrounded!!"

    "What!? How could a massive army move unnoticed!?"

    "We don't know! Our magic detection radar didn't work these past few days and there was thick fog too so we didn't send out scouts!"

    "And why is this the first time I've heard of this!?"

    "W-We reported them to you but you didn't--"

    "Are you saying that it's MY fault!?"

    "N-No, sir!"

    "You're dismissed! I'll deal with you later!" The leader of Fukuo faction dismissed his subordinate and sits back in his chair. His previous smirk nowhere to be found, replaced by panic. The rest of the leaders, including Akira, also have lost their smirks and are frowning instead.

    "T-The Occult Killer's army has invaded! P-Please! Send reinforcements immediately!" Now that I'm no longer the next target, the leader of Fukuo faction starts begging for aid.

    The response? Predictable.

    "My apologies, Fukuo-dono. We cannot do that."

    "My deepest apologies, Fukuo-dono but we need to protect our own city."

    "I also apologize, Fukuo-dono. But considering the unpredictable nature of our enemy, I don't think it is wise to leave my base undefended. Surely you understand?"

    "No! We are allies, remember!? DON'T ABANDON ME!! PLEASE!!!"

    "Sorry, Fukuo-dono. It's nothing personal. It's just business."

    The rest of faction leaders, who are only here to blackmail me, have lost their leverage over me and thus they decide to abandon their ally and cut off communication one by one. Even Akira shuts down his broadcast without even a single apology. How funny. Just a few seconds ago they were threatening to abandon me and all of Akihabara and yet look at how easily they abandon their own ally.

    "What!? Wait!! Come back! I beg you! Please!!!" He starts crying immediately as he sees the other leaders disconnecting one by one. When all of them except me left, he turns to me to beg.

    "K-Kuzaya-dono! Please! Send reinforcements immediately! Send that elf woman! Right now! I beg you! I don't want to die!!"

    There are so many things I want to say… but I decided not to waste my breath and cut off my broadcast as well.

    "NO! PLEA--" His words are cut as I disconnect from the group video call.

    "Haaah… I don't know if that went better than expected or not. But at least Akihabara is not at immediate danger. That gives us time to let Alpha-dono train our fighters." Luckily I still have the occultist factions, the remnants of the imperial forces and the Japanese Self Defense Forces, the power ranger faction from Kyoto and Alpha-dono herself to count on should the time comes.

    But will that be enough? I have a feeling that even with Godzilla on our side, we are still outmatched compared to the Occult Killer's personal strength. His armies, perhaps we can handle. But the man himself? I doubt it. What a nightmare.




    "Ha ha ha ha! That's so precious! I knew targeting other cities first would be more amusing than attacking Akihabara first!" I laugh as I finished watching the online meeting between the remaining leaders of the alliance, courtesy of one of the Doomsday Cult's spies planted in one of the factions.

    The Fukuo faction, based in Fukushima, does possess nuclear power and thus has developed nuclear weapons for use against the monsters. But has that ever worked out? Certainly not according to America, since the nuclear weapons couldn't cull enough of the monster numbers but would ravage the environment, which eventually become nests for the monsters to breed in after they become immune to nuclear radiation.

    All in all, the Fukuo faction that I've sent my army to invade has nothing special about them, just an army of ordinary awakeners and some nuclear weapons. They don't even have anyone that stands out like Nishino Akane or Mari Blue does. Not even a unique super hero theme. In other words, they are doomed. So doomed that I don't even have to watch over the battle and would simply let the horde of undead do the work.

    Now then. I've amused myself enough. It is time to go back to creating a proper response to the Godzilla. I've tried some experiments with the emperor but I don't think that's good enough. I need to find the proper species amongst these monsters in order to create a proper rival for the Godzilla.

    Finding this elusive species is what takes the most time, which is why I sent my armies and minions to destroy the remaining factions in the meantime, leaving Akihabara and Messiah factions for the last.




    Tch. That damn Occult Killer. My plan to force that freaky otaku Kuzaya to give up the elf woman has failed. If the stories of her being an otherworldly being is true, then her DNA is a treasure trove of knowledge and power! Perhaps greater than any Apex Beasts we've ever encountered! With it, I could create awakeners surpassing even the Original Knight! And with such a weapon in our hands, the Nishino family shall not only survive this crisis but also reign supreme!

    But no matter. I have another pawn to use. That's why we haven't called my sister Akane back to Messiah and instead let her stay in Akihabara. No matter how defiant she is, she is a daughter of the Nishino and she will obey the will of the family no matter what.

    It's a shame that the emperor and his son are dead, and thus we are unable to secure a political marriage with the imperial family. But that only means we just have to seize the empty throne for ourselves.

    "A most unfortunate series of events, don't you agree, Akira-dono?" The old man who sat beside me speaks, feigning disappointment even though he is still grinning.

    "Indeed. But no matter. We still have pawns over there. My sister and your daughter." I say as I turn to face him, who smirks.

    "I thought I told you that I could not control my daughter, Akira-dono. She has been very defiant towards me ever since my wife's unfortunate demise."

    "And you have no one but yourself to blame for that, Mr. Abandon My Family While I Escape By Myself."

    "Heh heh heh. I know. I know. You don't have to mention that every time, Akira-dono." Says the old man who doesn't feel a single shred of shame or remorse for what he has done.

    "Then why are you still grinning?"

    "Heh heh heh. You caught me. How observant you are, Akira-dono."

    "I don't need to be observant if you barely hid your emotions in the first place. Now tell me. What leverage do you have against her?"

    "Heh heh heh. I'd like to keep my secret weapon a secret if that's alright with you, Akira-dono. As long as it could serve for our mutual benefits, you don't have to know." He speaks so arrogantly as if he's a partner, not a pawn himself. But no matter. I don't have to care about his little schemes as long as he plays his role.

    "Fine. But I expect you to hold your end of the bargain. That's why I'm keeping you around and even kept our partnership hidden from father after all, OLD MAN." I emphasize the words "old man" when referring to him.

    "Of course, Akira-dono. I shall honor our agreements." He says as he left the room.

    He is a useful pawn but he is… a little too arrogant and unsettling. I don't know why he is arrogant enough to even call me by my first name (which is why I refuse to even call him by name).

    I probably won't ever find out the reason for said arrogance but as soon as he gets his daughter under control, I must remove him before he becomes an even greater threat. If the reports are to be believed, his daughter is currently stronger than even Akane… and his attitude even suggests that he has more leverage against her than I have against Akane.

    But no matter. He does not know… none of them know of a secret about Akane… a secret that only I know… A secret that I guarded and almost lost my life over.

    And by obtaining the elf woman's DNA, I would be able to make her… complete. Heh heh heh.

    And thus, I'll let you behave arrogantly towards me for now, Miyazaki-san. Soon enough, you will be disposed of, for you are nothing but stepping stone for me.

    I take my cellphone from my pocket and dials a certain doctor's number.

    "Dr. Yuuka. The plan has changed. We have more time, and thus you must work to make a stronger poison. It doesn't matter if we kill the elf woman as long as we can obtain her sample."

    "As you command, Nishino-sama."




    Author's Note:

    This update was delayed for a week because I was busy drawing three big artworks mimicking Light Novel style. If you haven't seen them, visit my socials: Tumblr (@OminousRain), Twitter (@TheOminousRain), Deviantart (@OminousRain) or in The Eminence in Shadow subreddit. Wasn't able to upload them to my instagram due to unknown errors.

    Anyway, now the plot thickens and I hope you're not bored by the Japan arc yet because I don't want to shorten the story this time unlike what I did with the Goddess Trial arc (which may be extended in my Records of the Seven Wraiths side story later). And I know I'm constantly teasing Shadow's return… yes I'm so evil. >:)

    I want his return to happen when you least expect it, though that might be hard considering I want to foreshadow it too and some readers might notice. Either way, I hope I can keep writing!
     
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    • Chapter 160: Magician’s Secrets
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    • Chapter 160: Magician's Secrets


    View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wdCMAasp2ww&ab_channel=WarriorsBattleJukebox

    The time has come. I have finished my little side project and my minions have destroyed every single settlements I could find besides Akihabara and Messiah. I also allowed some survivors to gather somewhere else and of course they chose to gather in Akihabara, which is my next target.

    Instead of letting my minions do all the work, I chose to lead the battle personally this time, much to the pleasure and excitement of Yukime and Astaroth. They are excited to see what I would do in this battle, to see what kind of sinister plans I have in store for these poor fools.

    "Today Akihabara falls." I mutter as I raise my hand up in the air and using magic to send dust particles to the clouds, filling the sky with it and trapping them there. The dust comes from smoke where I've set fires around the nearby forests beforehand. All I have to do is to hasten the gathering of the dust and smoke to the sky which scatters the blue lights of the sun and leaving only the red lights. The result? Blood red sky that makes the scene appears apocalyptic.

    Yukime, Astaroth and the Dommsday Cultists are so impressed by my display of power, even though that was just science I managed to search up in the internet. Yukime was especially impressed because she sensed that I didn't use as much magic as she thought I should to dye the sky red.

    Heh heh heh. I could have expended a lot of more magic to cast a huge illusion spell to achieve the same effect but combining it with science makes me feel like a stage magician who uses tricks to do magic. Of course I will never elaborate on my secrets. A magician never reveals his secrets after all.

    Anyway, my huge army currently consisted mainly of undead, who are formerly members of the factions that my minions subdued, monsters, both freshly summoned from the 4th​ Realm and captured from their nests on Earth, and the Doomsday Cultists, whose number increased by recruiting some people from subdued factions as well. They are already scattered to completely encircle the walled settlement like they did back in the battle of Tokyo. They number in the hundreds of thousands. I wonder how the enemy, with merely around 20000 men, will respond.

    I can already smell the fear coming from the walled settlement. How delicious.

    "How shall we begin, my lord?" Yukime says from beside me.

    "Give them a little more time to either fall to despair or find their courage. Either way, we shall show them no mercy."

    "You heard that, lads!? Show them no mercy!" Shouts Astaroth to the cultists behind us.

    """OOOOOOHHHH!!!!!!"""




    The day has come at last. After a month and half, the Occult Killer has finally sent his armies against us. Akihabara faction had a lot of time to prepare for this assault… but none of us are prepared for this terrifying atmosphere which greatly exceeds what I've experienced in Tokyo. The blood red sky… the immense power level we currently feel from the enemy army…

    Seems like he's more serious now than back then. Perhaps he considers Akihabara a greater threat than Tokyo?

    We did gather plenty of allies after all. Although the grand alliance gathered by the tyrannical emperor have collapsed not only due to his death but also due to the greed and selfishness of each major faction leaders, we still secured the assistance of the occultist factions, the power ranger faction, remnants of the imperial forces and Japanese Self Defense Forces, and of course… Alpha-sensei and Godzilla-kun.

    All those things combined made us the strongest faction in Japan. The major factions that worked together with Akane-chan's brother who tried to bully us into giving up Alpha-sensei have been destroyed one by one. Many of them pleaded for help but refuse to give anything except money (which is useless in our current state of affairs) in return or at least agree to our conditions of mutual military assistance, insisting on keeping their own forces in their territory while expecting us to spare ours to defend them. Obviously we ignored them. In time we lost contact with them.

    Many innocent lives will be lost yes, but Kuzaya-kun taught me that we can't allow them to use their own people, whom THEY are responsible to protect, to pressure us into helping them whilst putting our own people, whom WE are responsible to protect, at risk. What a cruel world we live in.

    But looking at the size of the enemy army… I suppose not helping them was a bad idea too… as it has only increased the size of corpses he can collect and reanimate. We have greatly underestimated that ability of his as well. There's probably thousands or even millions of undead out there. But it's too late for regrets for a lose lose scenario like this.

    "Steady men." Says Alpha-sensei as she stands alongside me in the walls of Akihabara facing the enemy army. Her presence and words reassured not only me but the other defenders who shivered at the sight of the enemy army. How could she not? She is very well respected among us and has helped us strengthen our defences beyond our imagination.

    She is wearing a white and red bodysuit developed by the scientists of Akihabara. She said she prefer it black but due to time constraints, agreed to wear it since it is the best battle suit we've created for her. I must say… she looks very cool in it. She brandished a black sword made out of slime monsters native to her world. Said slime has greater magic conductivity than any materials we've ever encountered. If only it could be replicated and mass produced...

    Nonetheless, she shared knowledge of weapon enchanting, which is actually developed by our enemy, allowing us to create stronger weapons. My magic wand has been upgraded to empower my magic casting and can even transform into a naginata when I want to engage the enemy in melee combat. Akane-chan's katana has been enchanted as well and its blade now glows red. These magic enchantments should allow us to kill those unkillable zombies without resorting to magic spells.

    But even with these improvements… do we stand a chance against him? Or even against his massive army alone? Alpha-sensei said that and her comrades fought him with superior weapons, technique and magic power and yet they lost miserably. Only her master could stand a chance against him and said master couldn't come and sent Godzilla-kun in his stead. I do hope that Godzilla-kun will make a difference… and survive the battle. The way he wags his tail to Alpha-sensei is cute.

    Ah. It looks like Alpha-sensei is giving a speech. Everyone's attention is on her now.

    "Today, the monster who caused me great pain in the past, the monster who haunts my dreams ever since, the monster whose evil is undeniable, has come… not to eradicate humanity, not to kill us all… but to toy with our lives. I have seen his evil firsthand and let me tell you... He will not stop even if we surrender. He will not stop when we are dead. He will not stop… because all he wants… is to torment us all… both in life and in death. Thus, we have no choice but to keep fighting!" Alpha-sensei's voice echoes throughout the whole city, amplified by magic. The entire city hears her voice clearly no matter the distance.

    "If you surrender, you would surrender more than your lives and the lives of your loved ones! You'd be surrendering your very souls! Look at the undead army he has gathered! That's the fate of those who lost… and gave up! If you want to protect your souls… and the souls of your loved ones, victory, is our only option today! Are you with me!?"

    """OOOOHHHH!!!!"""

    "But do not worry! We shall not be fighting alone! For Godzilla is with us!" As if on cue, we hear the familiar roar in the distance seconds after Alpha-sensei mentioned him. Hearing said roar lifts the spirit of every defender in the city.

    "Today is not the day of our doom! Today is the day we fight for our very souls! I say to you again! Are you WITH ME!?"

    """OOOOHHHH!!!!""" The entire city's defenders roar in unison in response to her voice. Naturally they include mine and Akane-chan's.

    "Ahh... Nothing like a good speech to raise the morale of our troops." Says Goro-sensei as he walks to my side carrying an enchanted nodachi. Instead of wearing his usual hakama, he now wears enchanted samurai armor, making him look like a genuine samurai. The designers of Akihabara once again did an awesome job.

    "But will that be enough? I've seen his power firsthand and I could tell that wasn't everything he has." Says Aragaki-sensei as he joins Goro-sensei with his enchanted shakujō staff in hand, now wearing a brand new enchanted Buddhist monk robes.

    The sight of both respected elders also raised the spirits of the defenders. I could've sworn their bald heads shines brightly as they stands side by side to defend humanity.

    "Goro-sensei! You're joining the fight?" I say as I'm surprised that he decides to join the battle considering his contract with Kuzaya-kun which states he will be employed simply as a martial arts instructor and not as a fighter.

    "Of course. Things have changed after all. If I don't fight today, I'll die in vain. Besides, these old bones craves some real combat after spending too much time training youngsters and… having my job as a teacher taken away by that amazing young lady over there." He says as he points towards Alpha-sensei.

    "Everything she taught us has been invaluable. If we have several more years… perhaps we could've created a weapon to match that monster. But we have no such--"

    "Ah, shut yer trap, Aragaki! You got your ass kicked once and you're already so pessimistic!?" Says Goro-sensei as he smacks Aragaki-sensei in the head.

    "That's right, Aragaki-sensei! I've faced him in combat too and I haven't given up! It's too early to give up! Besides, if we're talking about a weapon, we already have one!" I say… and as if on cue again, we hear Godzilla-kun's roar in the distance.

    "Ha! Even this young lady has more courage than you, baldie!" Goro-sensei says with a laugh.

    "You're bald too, baldie!" Aragaki-sensei retorts, which results in them both laughing afterwards.

    "Ahh… you're right. I musn't give up… or I'll end up like Hakuro or worse… become one of that monster's zombies." Aragaki-sensei says. The mention of their deceased old friend's name makes Goro-sensei lose his smile and frown.

    "Then we have another reason to fight today, don't we?" Goro-sensei says and Aragaki-sensei nods at him with a solemn expression.

    "For Hakuro." Aragaki-sensei says as he produced a cup of sake from his robes.

    "For Hakuro." Goro-sensei responds by producing his own cup of sake from his armor. Both of them have a toast before drinking, leaving me in bewilderment.

    "Huh? Wait. How did you do that!?" I ask while pointing at the cups as I couldn't understand how Goro-sensei hid that cup of in his armor. Hiding it under a robe is one thing… but that armor!?

    "A magician never reveal his secrets." He says with a wink. How… this old man…!




    "Hmm… It looks like they didn't fall into despair after all." Yukime remarks after hearing No. 001's speech and the roar of the defenders that follows.

    "Heh heh heh. As I expected of my very first experimental subject."

    "What about that black dragon, my lord?" Yukime asks, wondering if I will summon my own dragon to the battlefield. But I have a different idea.

    "Do not worry about that, Yukime. I have the perfect counter for it."

    "Oh, I'm excited to see it." Yukime says with a chuckle.

    "What should we do now, my lord?" Astaroth asks behind me, eager to begin the action now that we have confirmed the enemy's response to our presence.

    "Begin the attack. As we planned." Astaroth grins in response, excited at the slaughter that we are about to commit.

    "You hear that lads!? The slaughter has begun! Mwa ha ha ha!!" He shouts and the cultists begun preparing our first move by mounting their respective monster mounts and leading a unit of zombies to advance towards the walled settlement.

    "Now then. Let the games begin."




    Author's Note:

    This chapter is one week late because I suddenly got a writer's block. I may or may not take a break during Christmas.

    Either way, now begins the battle of Akihabara. Funny that last year I was writing the Red Moon Arc during Christmas week and now we're having red sky during Christmas season too.

    In case I couldn't get the next chapter out during Christmas, I'll say it early. Merry Christmas!
     
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 161: Battle of Akihabara
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 161: Battle of Akihabara


    View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BoA5S1mQ2wM&ab_channel=Grays83718

    At my orders, my minions rush towards the walls of Akihabara with at least 1000 undead troops accompanying each of them while I stay back alongside Yukime to watch the slaughter. The defenders, wearing various colourful costumes that make them look ready to attend an anime convention, stood on the walls with solemn expressions, steeling themselves for the coming battle.

    Unlike in Tokyo, where internal corruption in the emperor's own court and distrust between the factions allied with him allowed the Doomsday Cult to slip through the cracks and plant some spies who opened access to the city, which allowed me to smuggle the plague spreading zombies, the alliance of Akihabara is tightly knit, making me unable to use the previous tactic. Shocking how these people can put aside selfish politics in favour of working together against me. If the other factions followed their example, it would've been more fun for me. But they didn't and their corpses now serving me in death are proof of that.

    Anyway, I could've teleported my minions into the city but that won't be fun. This time, since I have so many expendable undead, I'll try a bit of brute force.

    My strategy is to simply make the massive undead army form piles of bodies using themselves, allowing others to climb said piles to reach the top of the walls. It would be completely unexpected for humans who are unfamiliar with just how expendable zombies are, adding to the shock value.

    The first wave already reached the walls and has started piling on top of each other. The defenders on the walls shoot them with their spells and with some guns which shoots enchanted bullets. It is a response I expected because they've likely figured out that attacks of pure magic are the only weakness my undying zombies have, mainly because the phantom soldiers that the monk back in Honnō-ji Temple used has the same weakness. They even applied the paper charm technique to imbue bullets with magic. Interesting.

    But they are still unable to keep up with the number of undead rushing towards the wall.

    The defenders already look panicked as the undead keep getting close to the top of the walls but they still fight on, most likely thinking that the undead are too uncontrollable and are just trying to break the walls by mindlessly pushing. Fools.

    The zombies climb on top of each other, gradually rising higher and higher. Only after the piles have risen to about half the height of the walls that the defenders start to notice.

    "Drop the C4s!!!" I hear a commander wearing the uniform of the Japanese Self Defense Force yell with my enhanced hearing and his soldiers start dropping C4 bombs at the piles of zombies. The explosions cannot stop the relentless onslaught of the zombies, some of which could survive the C4 bombs due to their magic defense reducing damages they suffered and by feeling no pain at all, allowing them to continue forming the pile of bodies despite losing large portions of their bodies.

    "It's no use! Burn them! Burn them all!" Oh they're bringing Molotov Cocktails and flamethrowers now. They came prepared it seems. Although the Molotov cocktails lack the destructive blast of the C4, they can set the zombies on fire, weakening their rotten flesh overtime, which actually slows them down… a little bit.

    "Use them!" I hear Alpha yell something vague, no doubt because she knows I can hear them just fine even with this distance. I wonder what she's referring to. Come on. Surprise me.

    The defenders, mainly from the occultist factions, start dropping grenade-like objects filled with magic on the zombies and… they create colorful magical explosions that, unlike the C4s, bypass the zombies' magic defense and vaporizes them. Heh heh heh. This is getting interesting.

    "WOOHOO!"

    "YEEEAHH!"

    "TAKE THAT YOU ZOMBIE BASTARDS!"

    "DIE!!"

    The defenders cheer prematurely as if they've already won the battle even though they are literally still cornered right now. Such loud cheers might've shaken the morale of an ordinary enemy army a little bit but my army consisted mostly of zombies, who are fearless and mindless killing machines.

    It takes more than courage to defeat them, especially with such numbers. I wonder… How many magical grenades do you have in store? I doubt you have enough to destroy all zombies I've brought. Heck, I doubt you have enough to even prevent them from climbing the walls.

    And it doesn't take long for the zombies to reach the top of the walls. The defenders start to scramble about trying to fend them off with the best of their abilities because they know what happens should they fall to the zombies.

    Naturally I don't make it easy for them by arming the zombies with etherite weapons that I enchanted to raise anyone they kill as zombies, which means the defenders not only have to worry about the bites and claws of the zombies but the weapons as well.

    The zombies also fought with a small degree of martial skills, though naturally not the best due to me putting outdated combat AI on them in order to make it easier for the defenders. I did expect the defenders to perform well due to being trained by No. 001, but never to this extent. All of them fought with surprising proficiency in martial arts and swordsmanship, some of which somewhat resembles the swordsmanship style used by Shadow Garden members, though many also use their own style, such as kendo and even iaido.

    One man in particular, who wears a red samurai armor, stood out amongst the crowd of cosplayers as he fought with a nodachi. I can tell that he is a master martial art from seeing his movements and I see that he has completely adapted to the new powers granted by magic, allowing him to use his superhuman strength to take on hordes of enemies at once. Reminds me that I used to train under an instructor back in the day.

    Fighting besides him is the monk who fought me back in Honnō-ji Temple. He seems to have improved his magic casting abilities by turning himself into an awakener. I can tell by sensing the magical energy currently present in his body.

    Nishino Akane and the trio of magical girls, who are the mascots of Akihabara, also fought with upgraded weapons. The three magical girls now wield magical wands to shoot magic spells. Said wands can also transform into melee weapons so that they can continue to make use of their martial arts training and enhanced strength while conserving their magical powers.

    Their weapons are enchanted using my technique. No. 001 must've shared it with them. But making the wands turn into melee weapons? That's their own creation. I can't help but admire their creativity in developing something I've never thought of before.

    Now… who else stands out among the crowd?

    I hear the familiar sound of jet engines. The three power rangers have sent their zords outside the walls to blast through the hordes of zombies.

    I hear more engines though. Just as I was wondering what it was, a bunch of smaller robots piloted by people fly out of the city walls to help the three zords take the fight outside the walls. It seems that they managed to make full use of the time I gave them by producing more robots.

    "My my my. They took your gift and use them against you. How ungrateful." Yukime comments as she sees the army of robots flying around raining bullets on the zombies and occasionally hacking through them with etherite swords and spears.

    "That makes it all the more fun for me though. Heh heh heh."

    "I suppose this must be very entertaining for you, my lord." Yukime says as she smiles.

    I turn my attention to the fighters once more. I see No. 001 fighting while yelling orders on the defenders. She hasn't shown her full strength though, obviously. She's most likely conserving her strength for our next encounter. Even then, she isn't trouble by the horde of zombies at all. After all, the zombies I've made in the other world are far stronger than the ones I'm bringing here.

    Good work on dealing with the expendable zombies so far. But how will you handle the explosive ones?

    I watch as one of the zombies carrying the plague reaches the top of the walls and its skin starts to crack, revealing the green glow within.

    "It's the exploding ones!" Shouts one of the defenders, clearly recognizing this zombie type. Now… what will you do?

    "I'll handle it!" One of the spellcasters from the occultist factions shouts as he begin whispering some chants while his comrades from other factions protect him from the zombies, who rushes after him. Other occultist faction spellcasters also begin chanting behind their comrades.

    The plague spreading zombies explodes and spreads green gas around the defenders… but they didn't turn into zombies. It seems that they've created a spell that protected them from the gas.

    "It worked!"

    "So what she said is true!"

    It seems that they have No. 001 to thank for that. The gas is not just dangerous to breathe but will also seep into skin (even if it's covered by clothes) and eyes in order to work so gas masks are useless, though skin contact works longer than breathing the gas directly. Although I haven't used this tactic in Midgar, it seems that No. 001 already guessed its sinister nature and prepared countermeasures for it even if they have to expend some precious magical energy for it.

    Great job. No 001. You know me all too well. But what about the ones inside the city?

    I give a hand signal telling the cultists to begin the second phase of the plan and they obeyed, giving instructions to the giant monsters they held in reserve to begin throwing the plague spreader zombies into the city.

    "WHAT!?" The defenders exclaim as they see the monsters begin picking up zombies and throwing them into the city. Said zombies passed through the walls and would've fell into the city itself but they seem to have anticipated that as well as they begin shooting at the zombies with anti-aircraft turrets, which causes them to explode harmlessly midair. The zords and robot army also assist in that effort however they can.

    But despite being prepared for it, they cannot stop all of the zombie projectiles being thrown at them as some of the zombies manage to fall inside the city walls and explode, spreading the zombie plague around the city. Now they have no choice but to deal with zombies within their city as well. I can already hear the screams as the defenders have to kill their zombiefied comrades. Heh heh heh.

    To cope with their losses, the occultist factions start summoning their familiars as reinforcements.

    I give the signal for the third phase of the plan, which is for the monsters in the back to start advancing. These monsters are also zombies and… let's just say I've equipped them with something. Heh heh heh.

    The giant monsters advance and the zords and their army of robots try to stop them… but there's too many monsters and not enough robots to stop them and thus many of them manage to reach the walls.

    The moment they reach the walls, their skin starts cracking and glows green.

    "Oh no! RUN!!!" Nishino Akane shouts and most of the defenders immediately jump out of the walls just in time for the monsters to explode, destroying the walls. These monsters do not spread plagues so that their explosions can become strong enough to destroy walls, which they did perfectly.

    Now the wall of Akihabara has multiple breaches, allowing hordes of undead entry into the city. The defenders scramble around to either run away or to fight back. The sudden destruction of the walls broke their chain of commands and gave their troops panic. It's now chaos in the city. Absolute and delicious chaos.

    "Go and play with them, Yukime."

    "As you wish, my lord." Yukime replies as she walks nonchalantly towards the chaotic battlefield.

    As she walks away, the roar of a familiar kaiju is heard once again. Said roar is now closer and said creature's silhouette is visible in the distance. Its spikes and chest still glows purple in contrast to its obsidian body. The defenders cheers as they see its titanic visage.

    "Now it's your turn to play, monkey emperor." I say as I give the signal to the emperor, now transformed into a giant gorilla to confront Godzilla. I turned him specifically into a King Kong in order to make him a Godzilla counter. The monkey emperor beats its chest like the ape that he is and charges forward to meet his designated enemy.

    When the monkey emperor reaches the Godzilla, he starts the battle by delivering a mighty punch, which is dodged by the Godzilla. The Godzilla retaliates by swiping its tail, hitting the ape squarely in the chest and knocking him away. The ape rose back up immediately and attempts to deliver a hammer fist but the Godzilla caught the ape's hand with its mouth and bites it off. The ape regenerated the lost limb immediately but the pain it felt enrages it, making it beat its chest once again before attacking once again.

    As the battle continues… it becomes painfully clear that the battle is terribly one sided. I gave little care on my experiments on the emperor and as a result, he lost his mind to the pain and becomes permanently angry, a berserk creature that can barely be put under control and… a complete and utter idiot. In fact I'd argue that he was more dangerous before being turned into an ape. Truly my most disappointing creation. Which is why I abandoned my plans on making him the counter to Godzilla.

    The Godzilla becomes bored fighting the stupid monkey and launches a quick blast out of its mouth to vaporize the giant ape's head, killing him instantly.

    The defenders cheer as the Godzilla defeated its opponent easily, as if the tide of battle has already turned to their favour. Fools. The battle has only just started... for my true counter to the Godzilla is about to be revealed.

    """ROOOAAARR!!"""

    As if on cue, three roars start sounding in the distance, stealing everyone's attention, even the Godzilla's. In the direction of the three roars is a creature of enormous power whose form is covered by smoke which occasionally flashes with green lightning.

    Despite its form not currently visible yet, everyone knows who it is.




    Author's Note:

    Managed to finish this on time for Christmas. Merry Christmas everyone!

    What's with the three roars? Who is coming? Find out in the next episode of The Monster Zero in Shadow!
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 162: Monster Zero New
  • Threadmarks
    • Chapter 162: Monster Zero


    View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=McjvF5MB_2I&ab_channel=WaterTowerMusic

    Three terrifying roars are heard in the distance, stealing the attention of everyone present in Akihabara, especially that of Godzilla-kun's. It sends shivers down my spine considering what I know of the series... I couldn't believe it. Akane-chan also couldn't believe it. Many of us from Akihabara, who are familiar with the series… couldn't believe it.

    It was bad enough that the enemy army destroyed the walls and are pouring in through multiple breaches to flood the city. Godzilla-kun's aid was supposed to help us turn the tide as he even defeated King Kong pretty easily.

    But I have a feeling that those three roars are different. Especially considering how the magic power we're feeling from the direction of those three roars completely dwarfs that of the King Kong's and pretty much matches Godzilla-kun's, whose power level have risen since the battle of Tokyo.

    And of course… here they come… the Monster Zero… the one who challenges Godzilla-kun's place as the King of Monsters as they have King in their name… and unlike King Kong this king has the power to match him. The beast spreads their mighty wings as they emerge from the smoke accompanied by green lightning reminiscent of the color of the Occult Killer's magic.

    King Ghidorah have shown themselves.

    Three roars come from three different heads… although unlike what we expected the three heads look different from each other. The middle one looks a bit more similar to the classic King Ghidorah head while the left one looks more like a Chinese dragon head and the right one looks more like a snake head than a dragon one, complete with huge venomous fangs. In fact, the color of the body's scales, which is black instead of the classic yellow, matches the color of the middle head whereas the left one has green scales and the right head has white scales.

    It's almost like the other two heads have been forcefully stitched and fused onto the body, which has four legs instead of two like we expected. The monster also sports only one tail which branches into three at the end.

    And most importantly… the monster has a magic core in its chest, much like Godzilla-kun's, which glows green instead of purple like Godzilla-kun's.

    Godzilla-kun roars in response and… I could've sworn I see him grin before advancing towards his ultimate enemy. King Ghidorah charges in response and they clash.

    Godzilla-kun attempts to bite off one of the heads but King Ghidorah, whose necks are longer than Godzilla-kun's has more range and are faster than expected and thus manages to bite Godzilla-kun's neck before he could reach theirs. Godzilla-kun smacks the head biting him away with his tail before it could injure him deeply.

    But the other two heads responds by biting his shoulder and tail, immobilizing him while the middle head bites his chest, trying to tear off his flesh bit by bit in order to feast on the glowing magic core on his chest. Godzilla-kun responds by blasting the head with a quick atomic breath from his mouth.

    Then he claws the head that's biting his shoulder and swipes the head biting his tail and jumps away, disconnecting from King Ghidorah's grasp. Both of them stand there glaring at each other, waiting for the other to make their move.

    Such rivalry… If this scene is adapted to a movie, I bet it'll be the best Godzilla movie ever.

    "Mari-tan! Look out!" Shouts one of the fighters of Akihabara as he dispatches a zombie heading my way. Looks like I've been distracted by the titanic battle.

    "I'm sorry I was distracted! Thank you!" I thank said person and resumes fighting off the zombies by transforming my wand into my favourite weapon, the naginata, and engage them in melee combat, keeping them at a distance with the length of my naginata.

    I have to focus on the battle as thousands of zombies have poured into the city… Especially when I sense an enormous power approaching me… a power that somehow gave me an image of a dreaded white fox with nine tails.

    "My. You're a cute one." I hear a sensual voice coming from a lady in pure white standing atop a pile of rubble looking down on me. Her kimono, her hair, fox ears and tail… they are all white. She is also very extremely beautiful. She must be Tamamo-no-Mae.

    "Why, thank you. You're no slouch yourself."

    "Oh ho ho ho! What a good girl you are. Makes me wanna take you home." The white woman laughs in the classic ojou-sama laugh. Does that laugh come naturally for these mythical creatures or did she watch any anime?

    "Unfortunately I can't. I have responsibility here."

    Well, I probably won't know the answer because we are not here on friendly terms. She opens her war fan and I respond by adopting a stance, pointing my naginata at her. Goro-sensei and Aragaki-sensei jump to my side facing the white fox lady.

    "So, you're the vixen who killed Hakuro." Aragaki-sensei eyed the yokai in white with hateful eyes.

    "Then it's revenge time!" Goro-sensei also glares at the yokai, who merely smiles sensually, unaffected by their wrathful glares.

    "O ho ho ho! Were you friends with that priest I killed back in Kyoto? Good! Do make this amusing would you? I don't want to be disappointed a second time."

    "Oh, I assure you that you won't be disappointed!"

    "That's right! Prepare to be exorcised, demon fox!"

    All three of us prepare ourselves for a tough battle against a mythical creature.

    For now I have to concentrate on this battle and have faith that Godzilla-kun can defeat his archnemesis.

    Ganbatte, Godzilla-kun!




    What a disaster. Despite our best efforts, Necromancer's fiendish tactics managed to breach the walls protecting Akihabara from not just one but many sides, allowing hordes of his undead army to flood the city we're protecting. They are weaker than the ones Shadow Garden used to face but there are too many. Even if I mobilize the entire Shadow Garden members for this fight, we'd still see many casualties… casualties that Necromancer would then add to his ranks.

    It seems that I still have much to learn… Even when I anticipate many of his cruel tactics, he still finds a way to surprise me… sometimes through brute force that we simply cannot keep up with.

    We placed our hope on the dragon known as Godzilla that Shadow sent to aid us… but of course Necromancer has created his counter to Godzilla, the monstrous three headed dragon that the people of Akihabara refer to as King Ghidorah.

    Their power levels are evenly matched and so are their skills… but King Ghidorah has the advantage of not only three heads but also range in the form of longer neck. And I'm willing to bet that the snake-like head has venomous fangs.

    As if to confirm my suspicion, Godzilla almost drops to one knee, seemingly in pain. Godzilla looks at his tail where it suffered the bite from the snake head. To my surprise Godzilla decides to bite off his own tail and then proceeds to regenerate it. With the old tail gone, he managed to purge most of the venom out of his system.

    Both of them are now locked in a staring contest and are circling around each other, trying to find an opening.

    This sight reminds me of the battle between Shadow and Necromancer. I suppose it fits because both these creatures were created by them both… as evidenced by how their magic signatures resemble that of their creator's.

    Godzilla starts inhaling and his chest glows brightly. It seems that he decides to use long range attack as he's charging his signature attack named appropriately as Atomic Breath (I wonder how the people of Akihabara know that word) and King Ghidorah reciprocates by charging their own breath attack. Their mouths glow with the color of their magic, Godzilla's being purple and King Ghidorah's being green.

    "Brace yourselves!" I shout a warning to my allies to prepare for the incoming shockwave that will come from their clash.

    Finally, they unleash their breath attacks… Godzilla's being a purple beam of light and King Ghidorah's being three green lightning bolts. Both attacks clash spectacularly, causing a shockwave to erupt, shaking the entire city.

    The bright light from their clash makes it a bit hard to see but after witnessing the destructive capabilities of both Shadow and Necromancer, I can perceive how only two of the three lightning bolts that King Ghidorah unleash clashes with Godzilla's Atomic Breath. The other lightning bolt is aimed directly at Godzilla's chest, electrocuting him and making him lose the clash and disperses his Atomic Breath. But instead of taking all three lightning bolts head on, Godzilla jumps away from their trajectory, though even that is useless as the lightning bolts change directions and catch him, further electrocuting him.

    This isn't good. The three heads gave King Ghidorah a lot more flexibility than I thought they would. And they are even capable of changing the direction of their lightning breath just like Necromancer's magic.

    *BOOM*

    Looks like Godzilla isn't going to let it slide as he unleashes a shockwave out of his chest that even disperses the lightning. He follows up by charging at King Ghidorah, opting to clash in melee once more as even ranged combat is disadvantageous for him.

    King Ghidorah try to stop him by biting him but he just crashes his body into the three headed beast before the three heads could even bite him, knocking the beast at least a kilometer away. I would've heard cheers by now if we aren't so busy fighting the undead horde spilling into the city like flood.

    Godzilla chases after the beast and they resume their battle away from the city.

    "Screeeeech!!"

    A zombie screeches at me as it tries to catch me by surprise but I bisect it before it could attack me with its weapon. I've been distracted by the battle between the two dragons for long enough. I must return to the battle.

    It should be time for Kuzaya-dono to activate that Artifact so we can turn the tide of battle to our favor.




    I watch the battle at the command center, both through the screens and through the window, which is already shattered from the clash between the two kaijus' breath attacks despite being reinforced bullet proof glass.

    This is a battle beyond everyone's imagination. It didn't take long before the walls of Akihabara that I have proudly built years ago to be breached. A single breach we can handle… but the enemy army has breached the wall from multiple sides. Even from the windows, I can still see the horde of zombies flooding the city like a black tide. The kaiju clash outside the walls is also damaging for the whole city.

    At least Godzilla has knocked King Ghidorah away from the city so the shockwaves from their clash wouldn't damage the city even more than it already has.

    "He did it!"

    "He's winning!"

    My subordinates and staff members operating Akihabara's command center are already celebrating Godzilla's victory even though so far Godzilla has suffered more damage than King Ghidorah did. I can only pray that he could win because none of us actually expected King Ghidorah to actually show up.

    "Kuzaya-dono! Godzilla is winning!"

    "It's too early to say that."

    It's good that they are still optimistic but as a leader I knew better than to ignore reality and hope for the best.

    With King Ghidorah keeping Godzilla busy, our forces had to deal with the horde of zombies ourselves. And through the screens I can see that the casualties are increasing already with how overwhelming the number of zombies invading the city. And… as with any zombie apocalypse… casualties from our side means reinforcement for theirs. At this rate we will be overwhelmed.

    But to be fair, we didn't actually expect Godzilla to take them all on because there's a risk of him destroying the entire city along with all of us when he does so. That's why, through Alpha-dono's limited knowledge of it and with the work of the occultist faction, we managed to create an Artifact that can deal with the undead army. It is too early but… considering their armies have already went this far, we have to activate it.

    "Activate the Anti-Zombie Field at once!" I order my subordinates and they obey, activating the orb-like object in the center of the room. It generates a barrier engulfing the entire city which weakens the zombies inside it, giving our fighters extreme advantage… though it consumes a lot of energy to maintain even when powered by nuclear energy converted into magical energy, something that our scientists manage to invent with the help of the occultist faction. The enormous energy consumption cannot be helped as this field is still in its infancy and thus terribly optimized.

    In time, we should've been able to create a much more efficient method… if we survive this battle that is. I'd like to create more of this Artifact to shield other cities in order to ensure the survival of mankind after all.

    Alpha-dono said this Artifact was designed after another Artifact that her enemies once used. We were unable to replicate the magic absorption from that Artifact and instead designed it to seal the magic of anything non-human (and non-elf) instead, which includes the zombies and monsters that the enemy army mostly consists of.

    With the Artifact activated, our fighters began tearing through the hordes of zombies easily as the weakened zombies not only had their strength sapped out of them, they also become more vulnerable as their magic defense no longer protect them.

    With the hordes of zombies taken care of, I turn my attention towards the battle of the kaijus which is displayed at the cracked monitor. The battle has intensified as Godzilla opted to use brute force against King Ghidorah, who has more flexibility with their three heads.

    Godzilla now attacks swiftly and without mercy, constantly knocking King Ghidorah away before the latter could react. The three headed beast tries to stop him by shooting lightning breaths at him but he endures the attack and didn't stop charging and crashes his body against King Ghidorah like a rugby player.

    After taking the beating for too long, King Ghidorah opted to fly away this time. Godzilla tries to jump in order to chase them but the three headed beast is far more flexible midair as they can easily maneuver themselves midair with their mighty wings.

    King Ghidorah attacks with lightning bolts whilst flying in the sky as Godzilla tries his best to dodge the lightning bolts even as they change directions to chase after him. He still gets hit several times though.

    Not letting King Ghidorah get aerial advantage forever, the spikes on Godzilla's back glows brightly and starts shooting several beams of light towards the sky. The three headed beast tries to dodge the beams but just like King Ghidorah's lightning, the beams follow the three headed beast until they hit, causing the them to fall down to the ground.

    King Ghidorah stand up and they glare at Godzilla hatefully as Godzilla returns the glare. Once again they circle each other.

    Watching this battle doesn't evoke the image of a battle between beasts or monsters but a battle between warriors indeed. They thwart each other's strategies in ways we couldn't predict even after watching so many Godzilla movies few years back. I suppose watching them on screen and watching the real deal are always going to be completely different experience.

    I have to wonder though… how did they come to being? Where did they come from? Tamamo-no-Mae being real is understandable as she is a mythical figure but both Godzilla and King Ghidorah are fiction. Did someone create them? Or were they actually have always existed? How curious.




    Author's Note:

    Happy New Year! First chapter of 2025! Hope I wrote the King Ghidorah fight well enough. Also, should I continue using plural pronouns for King Ghidorah due to the three heads or should I use singular pronouns? May edit it later.
     
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    • Chapter 163: Tetsuya New
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    • Chapter 163: Tetsuya

    The battle is going really well… for my side that is. My simple strategy has managed to breach the walls and my undead minions are now flooding the city. But it seems that the defenders are well prepared and they have activated some kind of Artifact. Thanks to said Artifact, my zombie minions are weakened and each defenders are now capable of dispatching many of them with ease. The suicide bombers among the zombies can't even access their self destruct function now. I see what you did there, No. 001. But how long will this advantage last?

    I see that Yukime has engaged three opponents in combat. That fight will be… a little interesting but I have no doubt that she will toy with those cannon fodders. What's more interesting is the battle between the two kaijus that me and my nemesis have created.

    The King Ghidorah creature I created has performed well enough for now. I do notice that it is trying to damage the Godzilla's chest during the fight though. Most likely it intends to devour the Godzilla's magic core and add it to its own. I was in quite the hurry and thus I didn't have much time to subjugate it so it still intends to resist me. How interesting. It… no… he has made himself worthy of my attention.

    My decision not to place any subjugation spells on him and just tame him with raw power is apparently the right move… for entertainment purposes of course.

    I'm excited… will he live up to the reputation of the fictional King Ghidorah or not? It all depends on him. Now... show me your villainy, Chimera Ghidorah.

    Tetsuya…

    I hear the familiar whisper that calls out to me directly at my soul.

    There he is. I knew he would come. His inevitable arrival is part of why I rushed the work with Chimera Ghidorah.

    He is getting close… dangerously close. But this time I'm well prepared. With the part of your soul I have devoured, I have increased my powers exponentially. And I shall soon devour all of you. There can be only one of me… and that is Claude Normann.

    "Now come… my other self! COME!!!" I shout at the sky it splits apart, revealing not the familiar form of my eldritch counterpart but a boundless darkness. With several red orbs shining inside… and they are not gazing at me like during our last encounter.

    I'm confused. I am his target. Why is he not coming after me? And why is his aura not as wrathful as before? In fact, it is so subdued that no one but me has noticed the sky being split apart.

    I thought what we had was spe--

    Something's wrong. Is he… Oh I see. Feeling nostalgic, are we? Very well. I shall allow a brief moment for you to indulge in nostalgia before we destroy this world together. Heh heh heh.




    "Magi Magi Maririn-chan Beeeeamu!!!" I shout as I imitate the signature pose of my favourite character in the anime I'm currently watching.

    "Beeeeamu!" I suddenly hear a boyish voice from behind me, which startled me.

    "UGYAAAA!??? Onii-chan! Don't do that!"

    "A ha ha ha! Sorry sorry! You were just so cute that I couldn't resist!" My stupid big brother laughs as I pout at him angrily even as he pats my head.

    "But seriously. You still like this anime even though there's other better mahou shoujo anime out there?"

    "I-I like what I like, okay!?" I agree that there are other anime with better quality than Magical Maririn-chan but the reason why I like her so much…

    "Is because you like her interactions with her big brother… and because her name is similar to yours."

    "AAAGH! Onii-chan! Stop reading my mind!" I start pounding on his chest angrily with my tiny hands.

    "A ha ha ha! It's not my fault that you're just so easy to read." He says as he hugs me, making me stop my assault on his chest and just enjoy his warm kindness.

    "Nee… Onii-chan. Will you always be kind to me? Will you always stay by my side even when you get a girlfriend?"

    "I thought YOU want to be my girlfriend."

    "I've grown past that phase, Onii-chan! Just answer me!"

    "Of course I will! It's what brothers do after all!" He says with a bright and lovely smile… a smile that I will forever cherish… a smile that I missed a lot.

    Onii-chan you liar…




    Ah… Why did that memory suddenly… No! I musn't be distracted! There's a great enemy that I must defeat!

    "Hm. What a curious barrier you've made. It may have worked against the cannon fodder undead minions but it won't work on me." I hear the sweet lustrous voice coming at me and I prepare my weapon.

    *CLANG*

    My naginata clashes against the white vixen's war fan… That fan is harder than I thought. I thought with my naginata I can gain range advantage as long as the enemy doesn't use a longer weapon but she proved me wrong.

    Her martial arts style somewhat resemble a traditional Japanese dance and not only is she strong… she's fast. Damn fast. With such a short weapon she can handle not just my naginata but also Goro-sensei's nodachi and Aragaki-sensei's spells.

    And most importantly, the Artifact that Alpha-sensei and the others created, which targets non-human and non-elves, which should include a yokai like her, didn't work on her.

    "Tch! What a monster. It seems that the Artifact that you guys created didn't affect her." Goro-sensei says uneasily.

    "Buddhist Art! Spirits of Preta!" Aragaki-sensei didn't reply and merely shouts the spell name as he conjures the phantom soldiers to aid us. We have the overwhelming numeric advantage but all the white vixen does is frown in response.

    "Hmph… You just reminded me of a bad memory. Naughty boy. I shall punish you for that." She mutters in that sweet voice of hers that barely conceals her malice. She immediately dispatches many of the phantom soldiers with a single swipe of her fan, which is coated in yellowish magical aura.

    "Tch! So you knew the weakness of the phantoms as well."

    "I have fought real spirits of the dead, monk. You need to do better than that to frighten me." She says in response. I suppose there is little we can do to surprise a centuries old mythical creature like her.

    "Tch! Then all we need to do is seal you again!" Aragaki-sensei declares before beginning his Buddhist chant, preparing a grand spell. This is our cue to distract her so he can complete his spell.

    "Uryaaaa!!!" Goro-sensei shouts as he delivers a downward slash from above her. She grins as she prepares to respond as if mocking Goro-sensei who announced his attack loudly but as someone who sparred with him extensively, I know that's not what he's doing.

    Before the attack lands, he maneuvers his blade to the side. She jumps away from the attack but we notice a small bruise on her cheek which is shaped like a line. Even with our cutting edge etherite and the new magic enchantment we still can't even leave a cut on her, huh?

    Goro-sensei didn't stop there and kept slashing at her. She dodges and occasionally blocks his attacks but through feints and tricks he managed to breach her defences bit by bit, landing his blade on her despite not actually harming her.

    Having enough of letting his blade harming her, she conjures a small tornado with her fan, pushing Goro-sensei back.

    "Heh. Your swordsmanship is impressive. Almost reminds me of my lord's." She comments on Goro-sensei's skills… which once again confirms this suspicion of mine.

    "Ho? So your master is a swordmaster himself? I thought he's just your ordinary conjurer! I'd like to test his blade myself after I cut you down!"

    "Ha! You can't even scratch me with that dull blade of yours. What hope do you have against my lord?"

    "Don't underestimate the strength of humanity, vixen!" As the tornado she conjured disperses, Goro-sensei once again jumps to strike her. This time I join the fray.

    Both of us deliver many strikes, both feinted and committed, but she has learned well from her earlier exchange with Goro-sensei and parries everything we throw at her. The remaining phantoms join in but she easily dispatches all of them with one strike.

    "Hmm… I'm getting bored. That monk's chanting is taking too long so I shall end it." She says as she conjures several blue fireballs and sends them towards Aragaki-sensei.

    "Oh no!"

    I and Goro-sensei can only watch as the fireballs explode on him. But she didn't laugh and bask in her victory in response. In fact, she remains wary.

    "Aragaki won't die from just that, Mari-chan." Ah… right. I musn't lose hope that easily. I should pay more attention to my surroundings. In fact, now that I actually pay attention, Aragaki-sensei's power level didn't drop even a little bit from that attack. In fact, I'm sensing two other power levels in front of him.

    "Shiina-chan! Aki-chan!" I shout their name as the dust and smoke from the explosion disperses, revealing their forms and the barrier they conjured to protect Aragaki-sensei.

    "Well done, girls!" Aragaki-sensei exclaims in gratitude as my two comrades joins the fray as well, brandishing their weapons to strike at the white vixen.

    "My… how cute you all are." She says teasingly as she parries all our attacks. Even with four people attacking her, she's still able to—

    "What!?" Shiina-chan exclaims in disbelief as her hook swords are pushed away.

    "Impossible!" Aki-chan follows as her huge mace is also pushed away.

    "As I said. How cute you all are." The vixen says with a teasing grin, which infuriates the hot headed Aki-chan.

    "Oh, You'll see how cute we truly are!" Aki-chan charges again, raising her mace high above her head. But instead of striking the vixen, she drops her mace to the ground near her, obscuring the nine tailed fox's vision.

    "Nice!" Shiina-chan shouts as she and I follow up with a pincer attack.

    But the fox conjures another tornado to push all three of us away while also dispersing the dust.

    Goro-sensei didn't let the opportunity go to waste as he attacks the vixen from behind, intending to cut her tails… but the vixen's tails whips him away before he could do that.

    "Your blade is far too dull and unworthy to trim the fur of my tails." The white fox says so smugly.

    "Sorry to hear that. And sorry to keep you waiting but you need to go back to the rock!" Aragaki-sensei shouts as he completes his spell.

    "Supreme Buddhist Art! Palm of Buddha!!" Aragaki-sensei conjures a shining hand in the sky that falls rapidly to the earth, slamming the white fox underneath and keeping her there as if she is the monkey king.

    "I was saving this spell for your master but… You will--" Aragaki-sensei's words are interrupted as the ground shakes and the palm shines brightly… but the light didn't originate from the palm… it comes from the fox who's underneath said palm.

    "Wha!?" Aragaki-sensei exclaims as we all feel the fox's power level rises until finally… she breaks the palm completely, emerging with her nine tails shining golden. In this form… she looks absolutely mythical.

    "What the fuck…" Aki-chan swears like she often did before the three of us become magical girls.

    "Tch… it seems that I'm still lacking compared to Buddha if I can't seal a monster of this calibre." Aragaki-sensei comments as he smiles uneasily.

    "Aki-chan! Shiina-chan! Let's do it!" I shout and my comrades and they nod in response.

    The two old men charge forth to distract her but she simply swipes them away with a flick of her fan. But instead of trying to stop us, she merely watches as we transform our weapons into magical wands and focus our energies around them.

    "Ugh… do we have to do this? It's kinda cringe. Not to mention we haven't come up with a better attack name." Aki-chan complains but didn't stop.

    "I also think we should at least change the name." Shiina-chan says while cringing. But it's too late! We've already associated that name with the spell in our minds due to extensive training! No time to change!

    "Let's go! Together!"

    """Mystic Witches Purification Beeeaaam!"""

    We shout as we unleash a tri-colored beam at the vixen, who receives the attack without flinching. Afterwards we cease our attacks as we sense that the fox's power level remains steady despite receiving our attacks head on. She emerges from our attack completely unscathed and still coated in that golden fox aura.

    "Is that all you've got? Surely you have more." She taunts with a sultry smile.

    "Old man! You know a lot of strong people, right? Do you know anyone who can help us?" Aki-chan asks Goro-sensei, who is well connected to other strong elderly figures.

    "I know of one but she's busy fighting right there." Goro-sensei replies while pointing at Alpha-sensei's direction, who cannot be disturbed as she is doing more than just fighting but also commanding the troops. Fighting this fox would no doubt make her unable to do both.

    "I meant besides her!"

    "Well…" Goro-sensei hesitates for a second while glancing at me before continuing. "I know of one guy… a brilliant student of mine. Could've won the national kendo championship if he wanted to but he just never enters any tournaments. Said he wasn't interested. Sometimes I thought that one day he would've been able to surpass me. But… he died years ago."

    "Well, fuck that! First Alpha-sensei's master being lost in another dimension… and now your student is already dead!? Fuck my life!" Aki-chan swears as I'm unable to comment on that.

    "Ah, I remember. Tetsuya-kun, right? He used to come to me for questions about the mythologies and stuff. If he were still alive, I have no doubt he would've been a great asset considering his many skills and interests in the occult." Aragaki-sensei added.

    Well I couldn't tell them… But he's most likely still alive… and unfortunately for us… is on the other side.




    Author's Note:

    No more red herrings, no more teasing and no more beating around the bush.
     
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    • Chapter 164: Messages and Blackmails

    I fought hordes of zombies alongside fighters from various factions aligned with Akihabara. The number seems endless. Even with the Anti-Zombie Field deployed it's still challenging to fight an endless stream of undead. It doesn't matter how weak they are if we would run out of energy before we could make a dent on their numbers.

    "Nishino-san! Fall back and rest!" I hear Alpha-sensei's voice.

    "Alpha-sensei! But I can still fight!"

    "You can later! For now just retreat!"

    "Alright…" I conceded and retreats to the back and allow fresh new troops to fight in my place.

    Alpha-sensei's direction is quite flawless. She made sure to switch fighting troops with new ones in order to keep the fight going and reduce casualties. But in the face of such overwhelming force…

    Now that I have time to rest, I jump to a tall building to observe the battle below.

    Finding Mari-chan and her friends fighting alongside the old men against the white nine tailed fox isn't hard seeing as that's the fiercest battle I can see happening in this city besides the kaiju battle that now rages outside the city walls.

    The Mystic Witches and the old men did everything they have but they could barely harm the vixen, especially when she starts coating herself in that golden aura. I was about to go aid the when I was interrupted by a voice behind me.

    "Nishino-sama. I bring a message from Messiah." A messenger from Messiah, huh. Although we were wary of spies infiltrating Akihabara due to the Tokyo incident, some rats still slip in. They never give up even though I've ignored their messages for so long after telling them straight up that I'm cutting ties with the Nishino family.

    "Don't call me that. And I don't need to hear it. Especially not at this time." I reply with a stoic voice. It didn't deter the messenger though, who produced a laptop from his briefcase.

    "Don't be so cold, sister. No matter what happens, you are a daughter of the Nishino and you will obey the will of the family." I hear my brother's sickening voice once again. His face is displayed on the laptop's screen but I didn't bother looking at it.

    "I thought I made it quite clear that I have cut ties with the Nishino family."

    "That's impossible. Family is all you have."

    "I have friends and allies who are fighting here."

    "And to do that you would abandon Messiah? Abandon the people who trusted you?"

    "Don't try to use the people as blackmail material, Akira. It makes your argument weaker."

    "Just like you've abandoned Arcadia." Hearing the name of a settlement lost to time, I freeze.

    "What does Arcadia have anything to do with this?"

    "Oh, you mean you didn't remember? My… how cruel you've become, Akane. All the people you've PERSONALLY slaughtered are nothing but insects to you, huh. That's why you didn't bother remembering them." He emphasized the word "personally" in that sickening tone.

    Lies… it's all lies… It's not true… so why am I shaking so much right now? I look at the screen and see his evil grin.

    "What nonsense are you…?"

    "Nonsense? Did you not remember that day you went on a rampage on Arcadia? Killing countless innocents? I have a footage of the incident if you don't believe me." He says as he opened a new window on the screen that plays a shaky video footage of the destruction of Arcadia… and a blonde haired figure wielding a bloodstained hatchet slaughtering innocent people and destroying buildings.

    "That's… the Original Knight?"

    It's a sickening scene… but I can't take my eyes off of it. It's lies… I don't remember any of it. It has to be fake. It has to be an edited footage… so why does it look so familiar?

    "Does this footage ring a bell? How about this?" He says as he pauses the video at the right moment when the face of the blonde haired figure is visible. Despite the video's low resolution, I can recognize her face instantly. How can I not? I've worn that face all my life after all.

    "You see what I mean?"

    "Lies…"

    "If it's lies, why are you shaking so much right now? Surely this would refresh your memory." He proceeded to show several photos of the aftermath of the rampage… focusing on the mutilated corpses. I turn away as I almost throw up from the gruesome sight.

    "Urghh…"

    "Now let's get down to business, shall we? My messenger will give you poison dart gun and you will use it to poison that elf woman and after she's down, you will take a sample of her blood for me. She will recover in time. Completely harmless and everyone goes home happy."

    "You think I could do that…?" You've severely underestimated Alpha-sensei, you fool.

    "You've been quite close to her these past few weeks, haven't you? Of course you can. Just approach her and shoot her when you're both alone. I doubt that you can't accomplish such a simple task. Don't think you can escape from this. If you disobey, I will release this footage to the people of Akihabara. Then all those people whom you call friends and allies will abandon you… assuming they survive this day that is." He laughs… laughing at my suffering and internal turmoil. And he has the gall to use the family card.

    "Why…?"

    "Why? You have to ask why, Akane? Don't be foolish! Isn't it obvious that I'm doing this for the survival of the human race? By studying her cells, I can make the perfect soldier that will save us not just the Occult Killer but from the monster apocalypse!"

    "And how did you think it's gonna succeed…? If the last time you did that… you made the Original Knight?" I reply as I recall that he was heavily involved in the creation of the first awakeners back in Arcadia.

    "You're just doing it to increase your power base. If you truly care about our survival, then you wouldn't foolishly try this stupid scheme and join our alliance in the first place." I continued.

    "We'll see about that, Akane. We'll see whose path is the right one when Akihabara falls." He says with a grin as he cuts off the video feed. The messenger closed the laptop, left the dart gun he mentioned on the floor and left afterwards.

    Now truly alone, I drop to my knees as my suppressed memories starts to resurface.

    Blood. Destruction. Death. Chaos. Fire. Smoke. Screams. Fear. Slash. Hack. Chop. Blood. Screams. Blood. Blood blood blood.

    "Urrghh…" Unable to hold it in, I finally throw up.

    Minoru-kun… I'm so sorry… I cannot be a hero like you… I'm a monster.

    "UWAAARGH!!!" I hear a scream from below. And when I look down, I see that the undead horde have started pushing back. The advantage that we have earlier is nowhere to be found and it caused the number of casualties among our ranks to skyrocket. It is then that I noticed that the Anti-Zombie Field has been disabled. It shouldn't run out of power this early! How did it… Ah… I see. That's why Akira grins confidently when he declared that Akihabara will fall.

    "Heh… Since I'm a monster… I know what I have to do." I grin as I remember my purpose here… and regain my resolve.




    "What the…" I mutter as I see the barrier conjured by the Anti-Zombie Field fades, letting the undead horde regain their strength which led to the number of casualties to increase exponentially.

    *BOOM*

    Just as I was wondering what's going on, I have my answer in the form of an explosion in the building that serves as the command center of Akihabara's military forces. The enemy has infiltrated the city and have sabotaged our operations.

    Kuzaya-dono did his best in making sure no spies from the Doomsday Cult would infiltrate the city… and it appears that our focus on the Doomsday Cult has made us blind to other hostile factions.

    "The headquarters!"

    "Alpha-sensei! What should we do!?"

    My men are getting confused now that our strategy has been sabotaged. We are cornered. There's only one thing left to do.

    "Fight! Fight to the last man!" I shout as I rally the troops to fight back. Even the ones resting are back to fighting now that the situation is getting more desperate.

    The spellcasters of the occultist faction summon as many familiars as possible to serve as reinforcements now that we are in desperate need of it but I doubt they can do more than buy us a bit of time. Even the phantom soldiers that they summoned are useless as some of the zombies are armed with enchanted weapons, likely because Necromancer anticipated us using them.

    "It can't be helped then. You guys hold out as much as you can! I'm getting reinforcements!" I shout to my men as I conjure my draconic aura and fly towards the location where Yukime of the White Tower is fighting several of Akihabara's best fighters at once.

    I allowed them to fight alone because I was hoping that they would keep that damn fox at bay while we take care of the undead horde ourselves with the help of the Anti-Zombie Field, but now that the situation has completely changed, I need all the fighters I can get.

    I land in front of the fox, which cause her to frown as if her fun has ended.

    "Alpha-sensei!"

    "Thank goodness!"

    "Heck yeah! Now that sensei's here, that damn fox is screwed!" The girls are happy at my arrival. The old men are especially in awe of my draconic armor, something I haven't shown to them before.

    "Yukime of the White Tower. To what do I owe the pleasure?" I say to her in my native tongue while glaring at her.

    "Oh my. It seems that my fun has ended." She replies back in Japanese. How surprising.

    "You're going to run, just like that?"

    "All my master told me to do was to have fun, not to fight to the death. This is all nothing but a game to him after all." Hearing her say that make the girls grit their teeth. The old men and I feel the same but we held our emotions in check.

    "Then run. Run like the cowardly fox that you are." I try to taunt her but she merely grins and jumps away. I disperse my draconic armor the moment she left.

    "Let us regroup in the center of the town and fight as much as we can." The others nod at my words and left with me to regroup with the rest of the men to mount a counterattack.

    But it is then that I notice something odd… something terrible… in the sky…

    How come I didn't notice the sky being split apart… like it did back when the Black Rose was unleashed?




    Alpha-sensei's aid is greatly welcome. Just with words, she managed to force that fox to retreat. She's amazing.

    Things are not getting better though. In fact, things have gotten worse now that the Anti-Zombie Field has been disabled and the command center has been destroyed, with Kuzaya-kun most likely dead already.

    But my mind is occupied with thoughts about my brother. My kind brother. My beloved brother.

    I found out through the diary that I found in his apartment some time after he went missing that he has been engaging in serial killer activities… and took pleasure from inflicting terror upon the people.

    The serial killer that people would later call the Occult Killer… has taken over my brother's mind… drove him mad and turned him into what he is now. What I said to him last time I met… that he has killed my brother… is true in a sense. My beloved brother has been killed and a monster took over his corpse. That's how I felt.

    But in that same encounter… he hesitated to finish me off. That white fox also commented how Goro-sensei's swordsmanship is similar to his, further convincing me that my brother is still there somewhere.

    I cling onto that hope… which is why despite numerous defeats, failures and setbacks… I didn't give up. Even if it costs me my life, I would bring my brother back.

    Just as I was about to catch up with the others, a man in black suit calls out to me.

    "Miyazaki-san. I have a message from your father." He says as he holds out over a piece of paper to me.

    "I'm not interested. He's not my father." I was about to walk away when he walks to my side and whispers.

    "You cannot refuse. If you do, your brother's secret will be exposed."

    What…. How… How did…

    I wordlessly take the note and watch him left before reading the message on the paper.

    OBEY

    Is all it says.

    Can't even write a proper message, can you, former father of mine?

    Ah, my phone suddenly rings. The theme song of my childhood heroine, Magical Maririn-chan, can be heard throughout the empty streets.

    I take the phone out of my pocket and…

    *CRACK*

    Destroy it in the palm of my hand.

    As if I am willing to become your pawn after everything you did...




    "Tch. She's not answering my phone call. What a disobedient bitch she has become." I mutter angrily as I close the call and throw my phone to the desk.

    Both me and Akira-dono were banking on the fact that the desperate situation at Akihabara would make both of them more… receptive towards our messages. That's why we sabotaged their operations by sending our agents through the help of Messiah fighters who are already there with Akira-dono's sister since the aftermath of the battle of Tokyo. Stealing all the technology they've developed for the invasion is also a nice bonus.

    That daughter of mine… that tool of mine. She continues to defy me even now… even when I revealed my trump card, which is my knowledge of her beloved brother's secret.

    Of course I know that he is the Occult Killer. I found out before she did and I was about to dispose of that damn diary when I found out about it but my daughter took it before I could secretly destroy it. I let that slide as at least she wouldn't spread the word that her brother is a serial killer. It would affect more than just my work but also our family after all. And I've allowed her to defy me for so long so that she could grow stronger and stronger… and become a better tool for me without my interference. But that ends today. I need more power.

    I've worked so hard to get to this position, sacrificed so much. I won't let anything get in my way. Not even Akira-dono's schemes involving his sister. Not that his little scheme can amount to anything anyway. I'm simply better than him after all.

    Since she refused to answer and continues to defy me… I suppose I need to have a talk with my serial killer of a son.

    Surely he will be far more receptive than that wayward daughter of mine. I heard that he left her alive when he encountered her in the Doomsday Cult headquarters after all.

    That's why I need to hold her hostage. Luckily I dispatched my agents to Akihabara without Akira-dono's knowledge. The messenger who delivered her message is one. After she's weakened from the battle, they should be able to take care of her.

    I take my phone back from the desk and call said messenger.

    "Time for plan B."

    "Yes, Miyazaki-sama."

    Soon… Soon we shall reunite as a family and I shall reign supreme… with my children… my tools at my side.

    Heh heh heh.




    Author's Note:

    Akira and Mari's father has made their move and the situation is getting more desperate. Can our heroes survive this battle? Find out in the next episode of The Blackmailers in Shadow.

    Edit: I wrote Mari' brother last time. Ignore that. 😅
     
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    • Chapter 165: Failed Monster

    "Where's Mari!?" I ask her two friends but they shake their heads as they too didn't notice her leaving. The old men are the same. We were so distracted by the battle that we didn't notice her missing. This is giving me flashback to that time in one of Necromancer's tomb… when I lost people under my command.

    "We have to search for--" I cut my words when I notice her heading out of the walls… straight to the direction of that monster. I also notice Akane going in the same direction.

    "Alpha-sensei! What's going on?" Aki asks as she hasn't noticed her friend plunging herself to danger.

    "Aragaki-dono and Goro-dono. Can you both gather everyone who's still alive and escort them to the escape tunnels?"

    "That girl went outside, didn't she?" Goro-dono remarks with understanding.

    "What!? Mari-chan!? What is she doing out—No… She can't be…!" Shiina reaches her conclusion due to her knowledge that Mari was looking to avenge her brother's death at the hands of Necromancer, something I wouldn't know if I didn't eavesdrop on their conversations with my enhanced hearing.

    "We have to help her!" Aki exclaims as already jumps away towards the direction where her friend is currently heading towards without even waiting for my cue.

    "Alpha-dono. Please save that foolish girl before her lust for vengeance and sense of righteousness kills her." Goro-dono begs me while bowing his head.

    "That's my intention. Let's go, Shiina." I say as I start chasing the two girls who are carrying burdens of their own, with Shiina in tow.

    I hope these two can convince the two of them to abandon their reckless suicidal mission. If not, I shall knock them out and carry them to safety before they reach that monster, especially when he's about to unleash that eldritch abomination upon us.




    I head towards the direction of my brother… who is possessed by evil, dispatching zombies and monsters on the way.

    In the middle of the way, I met Akane-chan, who seems to have the same idea as me.

    "You should leave, Akane-chan." I say to my best friend, who looks… determined to die… just like I am.

    "No. YOU should leave." She responds without looking at my direction.

    "This is my fight." I press on.

    "No. It's mine."

    Looks like neither of us are going to give up.

    "This is… personal, Akane-chan. I have to stop him."

    "What a coincidence. It's personal for me too." She replies. Of course I know how personal it is for her… because my brother was her classmate. She has told me her secret and I've yet to reciprocate.

    "The Occult Killer… Miyazaki Tetsuya… was… is… my brother." I finally confess. Her eyes widen because she never know this despite being friends with me for years. We both stop right then and there as she stares at me in disbelief.

    "I knew it was him years ago… when I discovered his diary in his apartment. As his sister… it's my responsibility to--"

    "He'll kill you, Mari-chan! He has changed!"

    "I know he won't. He didn't do it the last time we met…"

    "You don't understand!"

    "No! YOU don't understand! He is my brother! He will listen to me!"

    "Mari-chan! He's…"

    "He's a monster. I know. But he is also my brother… while you're just his classmate. Or… were you his secret girlfriend all along?"

    "No."

    "Then why are you so insistent on confronting him?" Why, Akane-chan? Do you want to die so bad?

    "Because I… like him… am a monster!"

    "What do you mean? You're--"

    "I am the Original Knight." She drops a bomb that even I didn't expect.

    "I am the monster who destroyed Arcadia and slaughtered hundreds… perhaps thousands of innocent people. I volunteered myself to become the one of the test subjects to create the first awakeners back in Arcadia… in order to become a hero like Minoru-kun did… but I failed… becoming a monster instead."

    "But your hair--"

    "Perhaps it changes to blonde when I am out of control."

    "Then that doesn't make you a monster, Akane-chan! It's out of your control!"

    "The same could be said of you. You're just his sister. What he did wasn't your responsibility."

    We kept going back and forth about which one of us should be the one to risk her life to stop my brother. This is getting us nowhere. It seems that there's only one choice.

    "Let's go together then." I hold out my hand to her and she grabs it while nodding. We continue running towards the direction where we feel the greatest amount of magic power without letting go of each other's hands.

    Strangely we encounter no obstacle… The enemy army parts, giving us free pass to go deeper and deeper into their ranks… as if welcoming us.

    "Mari-chan!! Akane-chaaan!!" We hear Aki-chan's voice behind us but we ignore her and increase our speed, not letting her catch up with us, hoping that she'll just give up and leave. But I somewhat doubt she will do that. She's… too attached to me and would gladly give up her life for me just because I've saved her life in the past… and I don't want that.

    Due to encountering no obstacles we finally reach him… my brother… the Occult Killer… still wearing that black robe and terrifying skull mask with his ominous red eyes shining inside its eye sockets. He's sitting on that floating throne of his which is decorated with bones, with Astaroth and Tamamo-no-Mae standing at his sides grinning amusedly, anticipating a show. But his attention however is not on us.

    "Occult Killer!" I shout at him in order to draw his attention but he still didn't pay attention to us, as if we're insects that don't deserve his attention.

    "Tetsuya-kun!!! It's time to stop!!" Akane-chan shouts his name and that finally got his attention. Tamamo-no-Mae and Astaroth raise their eyebrows at the mention of the name, perhaps not anticipating the namedrop.

    "I've long since abandoned that name. Address me as the Occult Killer here." He says in that terrifying voice of his… only addressing Akane-chan and intentionally ignoring me.

    "Whatever! It's time for you to stop this madness!"

    "Heh. And what are you going to do if I don't?"

    "We'll kill you!" Akane-chan declares, with her red katana pointed at him… which is taken as a joke by him and the two minions he has at his sides.

    "Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!!! You!? Kill me!?" He laughs before suddenly appearing in front her, pointing her own katana at her face. Both of us didn't even notice when he did that. "Now tell me how you're going to do that." Akane-chan is speechless while her own weapon is pointed against her.

    "Are you afraid then, Occult Killer? At engaging two girls in a sword fight?" I say as I transform my wand into a katana and adopt a kendo stance.

    "Ha! Interesting. I shall indulge you in this game then. Do make this entertaining, will you?" He says as he throws Akane-chan's katana back to her before walking back and summoning a western style runed sword to his hand, only facing us when he's far enough. Akane-chan takes back her katana and also adopts the kendo stance. This will be the ultimate test… where we shall use all of Goro-sensei's teachings to fight him.

    "Come." He says while motioning us to come without even adopting a stance. We both rush at him at the same time, attacking him from two sides.

    He parries both of our sword strikes with his sword and pushes us back.

    We didn't give up and jump at him again. I try to feint an attack while Akane-chan attack him from behind but he blocks her attack and slash my torso through my weapon, leaving me with a not so deep wound. But it wasn't the pain that shocks me… it's how willing he is to harm me. I suppose I was too arrogant in thinking he wouldn't do that. Perhaps Akane-chan is right. He has changed… more than I anticipated.

    "Agh!" It's at this moment that someone catches me from behind.

    "Alpha… sensei…" I call out to her weakly as I see Aki-chan and Shiina-chan joins the fray, with dragon shaped aura covering her body like an armor.

    "Haaah… You're not the only one with burdens. Remember that." She sighs and scolds as she quickly heals my wound and joins the fray herself.

    "Ah. You're here, No. 001. This should finally be interesting." He calls out to Alpha-sensei, referring to her with numbers, which I don't understand the context of, but it seems to anger her as she and my bother fought at such high speed that I could barely follow their movements.

    "How did they…"

    "Is that Alpha-sensei's true power?" Aki-chan and Shiina-chan mutters as they too couldn't believe what's happening and can only watch as they couldn't keep up with Alpha-sensei's movements.

    *CLANG CLANG CLANG*

    Their blades clash, occasionally generating shockwaves that blows wind around us. We still couldn't see them besides slight blurs.

    Suddenly the spectre of death appears in front of me, intending to cut me down. Alpha-sensei appears just in time to parry his attack. They continue fighting at high speed afterwards just as I drop to my knees.

    "Why…?" Unlike last time… he tried to kill me. It seems that he is long gone… I was too naïve. My eyes gets wet as I now know that my brother is lost.

    "Mari-chan…" Akane-chan calls out to me with her hand in my shoulder. She smiles uneasily as if saying goodbye without saying it.

    Don't do it, Akane-chan… I want to say but the words couldn't escape my lips due to my shock.

    She stands up and… with the magic control training we received from Alpha-sensei, slowly raises her power level, tapping into her innate magic previously untapped. The amount of magic I'm feeling from her is higher than what I've felt out of her up until this time. Her power level goes so high that the tips of her hair start to become blonde followed by golden colored aura covering her body. Her power level rising got the attention of everyone present, even Alpha-sensei and the Occult Killer stops their fight as their attention is stolen by her.

    "Heh heh heh. She has returned." The Occult Killer remarks amusedly.

    "What do you mean?" Alpha-sensei asks as she didn't know the history of Arcadia.

    "The monster created by humanity, who went berserk and destroyed a settlement called Arcadia all by herself… the one whom these fools almost mistake you for… the monster known as the Original Knight." Just as he finishes, Akane-chan's hair turns fully blonde. She opens her glowing… empty eyes and grips her katana tighter as she locks her eyes at the Occult Killer. The sight of her blonde hair shocks Aki-chan and Shiina-chan, who are shocked that their friend is the Original Knight herself. Alpha-sensei is also shocked but her reaction is more subdued.

    "Akane-chaaaan!!!" I shout as she jumps at the Occult Killer.

    But in an instant, she's slammed into the ground by the force of the Occult Killer pushing her down with his sword when he blocks her attack. The impact created a small crater on the ground with her at the center. No matter how powerful she is… she is still not even close to his level.

    "A monster you are… but so very disappointing. All that power and yet you can barely control yourself. You failed at being a hero due to being a monster… and yet you're not even strong enough to be a proper monster. A failure is all that you are." The Occult Killer remarks mockingly as Akane-chan lost her consciousness, her blonde hair returns to black.

    "Hmph. You all bore me. None of you are worthy as my opponent." He says, still in that scary voice.

    "You're going to kill us all then? Before you unleash that eldritch abomination of yours?" Alpha-sensei replies. What eldritch abomination?

    "Funny you say that. But I didn't unleash him. He unleashed himself." He says ominously as both of them look at the sky.

    It is in that moment that we all notice how the blood red sky has been split apart, revealing pitch black darkness underneath the veil filled with countless shining red orbs staring at us all with great hatred… though I have a feeling that the hatred is not directed at our group.

    "What is…"

    "Is that… Cthulhu?" Aki-chan and Shiina-chan mutter in disbelief at the alien sight above us. That pitch black darkness is similar to the black portals that summoned the monsters to our world years ago… but as we feel the hatred out of that creature… we feel its power level… which is so high that even the Occult Killer's own power feels small in comparison. What kind of monster is that!?

    "It's good that you've finally paid attention to me, Thanatos. I almost thought you'd forgotten about me." The Occult Killer taunts that monster. What is he doing?

    "Stop it! Onii--" I try to stop him from taunting that monster but…

    *STAB*

    "Aghhhh…!" Breath leaves my mouth as his sword stabs me in the chest. Even he is startled at what happened as his shining red eyes can't stop staring at me and his own sword which has pierced my chest, spilling fresh blood to the ground.

    "Nee… Onii-chan. Will you always be kind to me? Will you always stay by my side even when you get a girlfriend?"

    "I thought YOU want to be my girlfriend."

    "I've grown past that phase, Onii-chan! Just answer me!"

    "Of course I will! It's what brothers do after all!"

    Thoughts of my beloved brother… when he was… kinder to me… flood my mind as my vision gets darker and darker.

    "Onii…. -chan…" I mutter weakly as my consciousness slowly fades away.

    The last things I hear before losing consciousness are the screams of my friends… and an alien screech.




    Author's Note:

    Oh… he has went and done it. What happens now? Find out in the next episode of The Eldritch in Shadow 2!!!
     
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    • Chapter 166: The Grand Spell

    "Stop it! Onii--" The girl in blue shouts as she jumps to me. I reflexively stab her in response due to being distracted by my eldritch counterpart lurking beyond the torn veil in the sky… and a great uncomfortable feeling floods my entire body and mind as it happens.

    "Onii… -chan…" She mutters weakly with tears on her eyes as she lost consciousness. I would've thought that she was calling out to her deceased brother when she said that… but she was looking at me the whole time when she said that. She was referring to me as her brother.

    I didn't want to admit it… but she's most likely my little sister… whom I've lost the memory of.

    "SCREEEEEECH!!!!!"

    An alien screech proves that theory. Of course you would have the memory of her, Thanatos.

    I did it. I've done it… I've crossed the line…

    I've killed… my little sister…

    I catch her body in my arms after I take my sword off her chest. I stare at her cold pale face with my hands shaking… ignoring the shouts and screeches around me as if they are muffled.

    I stare at her… trying my best to remember her… Then it clicked in my mind… My sister used to like… no… love magical girls… especially a certain bad show called… The memories are starting to come back to me… although they are still blurry even now.

    "Magical Maririn…-chan." I mutter the name of her beloved show quietly. Of course… She loved that show so much because of how much the main character resembled her, especially the name and having a brother complex and all… even though that anime was largely considered bad among magical girl fans back then.

    I couldn't recognize her as my sister due to her hair being dyed blue, most likely due to being turned into an awakener. But her name… and her magical girl costume should've reminded me of her… why didn't it then?

    How could I… forget what she loved? How did I… forget about her…?

    Because I chose to… or because Thanatos took the memory of her from my soul the last time we fought each other? Or have I already lost it since I reincarnated as Claude Normann?

    "SCREEEEEECH!!!!!"

    A giant scythe going down to me snaps me out of my trance. I deploy a barrier to block the giant scythe. The impact causes a shockwave that blew away everyone else present.

    I drop the body of my sister to the ground as I stare at my eldritch counterpart, who has decided to show himself in his all his grotesque glory, complete with that green ring of light around his "neck" as his giant skull-like head stares at me with glowing red eyes.

    He screeches at me with hatred. I jump away as a giant skeletal hand drops from the sky to retrieve her.

    Heh… Still can't let go of the old days, can you? Well… to be fair… Even I am feeling immense shock and sadness right now. But now is not the time for mourning. Now is the time to fight!

    Come at me, my other self!




    "MARI-CHAAAAAN!!!!" I shout to the top of my lungs when that monster stabbed her. Shiina-chan follows suit. For some reason he held her in her arms afterwards.

    I could've sworn that I heard her shouting Onii-chan before being stabbed. If that's the case… is he… her brother? I thought he's already dead. She said so herself… though now that I think of it… she was shifty when she said that… just like whenever she lies. I never thought much of it because I trust her with my life. But if she did lie…

    Then… it all makes sense. That monster… the Occult Killer… is her brother. And she was hiding this secret from everyone… even from us. Though… I can understand why she did that. I would've done the same had I been in her shoes.

    She spoke so fondly of him otherwise. She loved him. She missed him greatly and yet… when he finally returned… he killed her.

    Unforgivable!

    Just as I was about to charge forth to absolutely beat that motherfucker to submission before killing him, we hear an unholy screech from the sky, from where that dark portal thingy in the sky is located. Then a giant scythe falls from the sky, aiming for that motherfucker. Too bad that motherfucker blocks the scythe with a barrier. But the shockwave that comes from it blows us all away.

    Then a monster with a giant skull and ring of light around its body emerges from the sky. The power level we're feeling from that creature is enormous. Even Godzilla, King Ghidorah and the Occult Killer's powers combined cannot match it.

    The Occult Killer faces it alone. Good. I hope he dies from it… and I'll watch every second of it. I'll save my tears for when it is over.

    Save… her…?

    Huh?

    Do you… want to save her…?

    I hear an ominous male whisper. I look around but there's only ruins around me… Am I imagining things or is the whisper really in my head? Because it sounded so close.

    "Who's that!? Show yourself!" I shout to the wind.

    Do you want to save her? I hear a clearer reply and yet nobody's around me.

    "Absolutely! I'll give my life for it!" I shout in reply to the whispers despite not knowing the source. I don't care whether that whisper is the voice of a god or a devil as long as Mari-chan is saved.

    Yes… as long as she is saved… I don't care what happens to me. I'll die a thousand deaths if I have to!

    "Aki-chan! There you are!" Shiina-chan's voice can be heard behind me but I didn't reply. I collapse instead.

    Ah… I never thought that… my wish would be granted… So suddenly…

    But… if it's for her… then I have no regrets.

    Mari-chan… This life that you've saved… belongs to you. Now it's time I give it back to you.




    Tetsuya. That's the name that the black haired girl referred to my master with before turning her hair blonde. My master responds by saying that it's no longer his name. What did he mean by that?

    Also…

    Onii-chan. That's the word that the blue haired girl uttered in her last moments. Lord Claude was affected by those words. I can see it from his reaction when he reflexively stabbed her with his sword.

    The poor girl probably has/had a brother and she was calling out to him in her last moments. Despite that accident, Lord Claude still bravely fights the eldritch monster that appears through a tear in the sky.

    That creature… from the reports I've read, Lord Claude referred to it as Thanatos and… it probably has a special connection to him considering it possesses similar magic signature to him… almost like the three headed dragon he created. Is this Thanatos creature one of his out of control creations? It seems so considering how eager Lord Claude is to fight it.

    But the amount of magic I'm feeling from it… is terrifying... unlike anything I've ever sensed in my life… greatly exceeding even Lord Claude's monstrous power. It sends shivers down my spine just being in its presence. If Lord Claude isn't here, I would've given up on life and accept death entirely just seconds after laying my eyes on that thing.

    Last time he was able to drive it away due to having his great enemy Shadow aiding him… but this time…

    Please, Lord Claude. I understand your desire for more power... But you cannot protect your sister if you died. Not to mention that Lady Sherry… and I… will miss you greatly.

    "Lady Tamamo!" I hear Lord Claude's native servant, Astaroth, calling out to me. His mask is off, showing his bewildered expression.

    "What the hell is that thing!? Is that thing really… a god…!?" He asks a question I don't have the answer for, though he is somewhat excited when he said the word god.

    "Even I don't have the answer. Our master is far more familiar with that creature than even me." I give my honest answer, which actually makes him even more excited for some reason.

    "Amazing… To think that my lord is more knowledgeable than even a mythical being!" Ah, I almost forget that I am a mythical creature here. That's why he's so impressed.

    "All I can say is that the creature he called Thanatos… most likely came from another world."

    "Truly!? An outer god…? And my lord is challenging it to…?"

    "To increase his own power most likely."

    "Whoa… I have no words… my lord… is amazing!" He says as he watches Lord Claude and the eldritch creature's fierce battle with a mad grin. Looks like Gilfried has a competition in terms of fanaticism.

    But I could care less about that right now. I'm feeling so powerless… Even if I join the fray, I will likely only get in his way.

    Lord Claude. Is your love for your sister so strong… that you would challenge cosmic horrors in order to devour their powers so you could protect her?

    But at what cost?




    I failed again. Once again I've let someone under my command to die… right in front of my eyes no less.

    After training her and spending time with her for so long… I've grown fond of Mari-chan… so much so that I think of her as an honorary member of Shadow Garden.

    But Necromancer's reaction after stabbing her was… strange. It almost reminds me of that time he stopped himself from killing Delta… and even sparing the rest of the Seven Shades and took only me captive.

    He wasn't boasting about his cruelty or basking in our anger and sadness… in fact his body language suggests that he was hurt by her death almost as much as we do. What's going on? What is his relationship with her?

    But we all have little time to mourn as the creature he called Thanatos appears once again to challenge him in combat. The creature is still as strong as ever… in fact I have a feeling that the creature is far more dangerous now than it was before.

    Without Shadow around to help him… he will probably perish… but who will stop that creature's rampage once Necromancer is killed? If the combined force of Shadow and Necromancer can't even kill it, what hope do we have without either of them?

    This is frustrating… Once again there's nothing I can do but watch as the titanic battle unfolds.

    Do you… want to save her?

    I hear a mysterious and suspicious whisper in my mind. Where did it come from? Necromancer?

    Do you… want to save her?

    I choose not to reply but the same question kept getting repeated over and over again in my mind like a broken record.

    Do you want to save her?

    "Silence. Of course I do. But I'm not gonna trust a random disembodied voice like you." I give my reply, which seems to anger the voice considering it is now hissing like an inhuman creature.

    Then your world is forfeit.

    "What!?"

    Just as I hear that ominous declaration, I see floating runes appear in the sky. One part of the runes seem to project an image… an image of the familiar clock tower in Midgar Royal Capital that Shadow likes to stand on as it gave him clear view of the entire city.

    What does that mean…? What is going on!? I have a bad feeling about this!

    Shadow…!




    View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gq9v_qvk3xg&ab_channel=Yorizura

    Hmm… An interesting spell array that he's casting in the middle of our battle. Looks like he has learned much from devouring a piece of my soul.

    But what kind of spell is it? Even I have no clue. It's certainly not a spell I've designed myself. This creature is creating a new grand spell from scratch. Interesting.

    My magic system and spells are developed by yours truly and works by telling the magic what to do in a similar way computer binaries work. Reading and translating the magic arrays is a hassle especially without interpreter spells, which is impossible to use on a spell being cast from scratch like this, but it is still possible for me, just takes a longer time, especially in the middle of a battle.

    Still… my other self. You're so reckless. This is probably your first time constructing a spell from scratch and you're already choosing to cast a spell of such a grand magnitude? Without the aid of interpreter spells that help translate the magic arrays to human language? You might've done it in order to hide your intentions but I AM the creator of this magic system! I am far more proficient in it than a novice like you! What you're doing is merely delaying the inevitable! Not to mention there's no guarantee of your spell even working or being properly optimized because you've never tested it on a smaller scale!

    *FWOOOM*

    I dodge another laser beam from his skulls' eye sockets in my flight. You never learn do you? And here I thought the piece of my soul that you devoured would give you some semblance of intelligence. It would appear not—

    "Agh!" The laser splits into several smaller beams behind me, catching me completely off guard and blowing a hole in my stomach. It seems that you've learned after all. Heh heh heh.

    I quickly heal that wound before he could attack again.

    I was about to retaliate but I was distracted by a projection… no… a thinly veiled portal showing Midgar clock tower on the other side… and his grand spell is heading towards that opening, trying to pry it open. What are you planning to do to MY world, you little shit? With such crude way of opening a portal, you'd break the fabric of space of both realms!

    He shoots another laser beam but this time, instead of dodging, I deflect it by creating my own ring of light behind my back, though it is shaped more like a crescent moon instead of a full circle due to my lack of proficiency. But its force is still enough to blow away his laser beam.

    Heh heh heh. You're not the only one who has learned something since our last encounter, Thanatos.

    Though… I have to note that you're somehow holding back, Thanatos. Is the grand spell you're casting really that taxing? Even I could cast a grand spell from scratch without taxing myself that much!

    I form my own grand spell and spreads a magic array into the air around us.

    "Watch and learn, Thanatos." I say as I let the magic flow according to the instructions given by my magic array and execute the spell.

    "Negative Field." I utter the name of the newly crafted spell to aid the spell casting and the spell shows it effect, generating a sphere-shaped field of rot magic that spreads around me, with Thanatos within its range. Not even his vaunted ring of light is capable of defending against my rot magic. Not even Shadow himself can do it. Thanatos' ring of light and body began disintegrating slowly while they are within the field.

    I still couldn't shoot my rot magic as projectile without the aid of blood but, with large energy consumption, I've discovered that I can spread the rot magic to all directions around me, just like what I'm doing now. Of course I've experimented this beforehand and thus this spell is quite optimized and didn't consume that much energy. There is more room for improvements of course but for now this will do.

    Now then. Shall I devour his soul now or…

    Oh? Before his body disintegrates completely, Thanatos's eye sockets shines brighter for a second as he casts… a spell breaking spell, which disperses even my Negative Field. Good thinking. Being an unencrypted spell which was cast from scratch, it was far more vulnerable to spell breaker than normal spell despite being a grand spell. Shall I do the same to your grand spell you're currently casting?

    No. Not yet. I want to see what you're cooking so I'll break it after I interpret it.

    As I try to read it, Thanatos casts a rain of fireballs that rain down from the sky in order to distract me. With the size of the fireballs, I bet that each of them can at least destroy a city. From down here it looked like a meteor shower and will surely cause great amount of destruction like my Apocalypse did in the mountains of Oriana when it hits the ground.

    I dodge the fireballs by flying around but it looks like it follows the same principle as my own barrage of fireballs that chases after the victim. I increase the force output of my own ring of light in order to deflect the barrage of fireballs chasing me. It's not that taxing thanks to my improved magic control and my current proficiency with the ring of light but the constant explosions around me is quite distracting. Despite not harming me, the fireballs served their purpose by distracting me from reading the spell array. How annoying.

    "They say you should fight fire with fire… but I'd say fight fire with ice!" I declare as I disperse the ring of light and cast a blizzard around me which is so cold that it disperses the giant fireballs that comes in contact with it. With the distraction out of the way, I resume reading.

    Let's see… this part of the spell array says "Heal" and "Life".

    Before I can continue reading, I was interrupted by a skeletal hand which looks like it's flowing with electricity considering how it's covered by sparks of electricity. If I got caught by that, I'll be constantly electrocuted and paralyzed. Naturally I dodge that hand, and the hand that comes after and after that. I dodged multiple electrically charged skeletal hands whilst I continue reading the spell arrays.

    This one says "Soul Taking". This array is quite contradictory in nature compared to the previous one but I can hazard a guess at what you're doing.

    You failed to heal her dead body because she's already dead… and thus…

    You're trying to bring her back to life, aren't you?

    Interesting how you're trying to create a resurrection spell with the souls of others as fuel. Unfortunately for you, nothing you can do matters as I have captured her soul with my sword. Yes, the very sword that stabbed her was empowered to steal souls just like a certain rune blade carried by a certain Lich King. Hers was the first one it claimed. Heh.

    Without taking her soul from my possession, you cannot revive her! No matter how many souls you take!

    Wait… souls as fuel… the portal to Midgar… He can't be serious.

    I was about to continue reading in order to confirm my suspicion but was hit by a gravity curse that pulls me down to the earth before I could do that.

    I dispel the curse with a single swipe of my hand before I reach the ground. Afterwards I fly back up and open a portal to summon several skeletal dragons, which were remnants of my dragon hunting sessions that I did in order to find the perfect species to create Chimera Ghidorah, from my reserve troops to distract him while I try to continue reading.

    The skeletal dragons launches their corrosive breaths, which somewhat damages Thanatos when they come in contact with his body, which is when Thanatos reactivates his ring of light, simultaneously blowing the skeletal dragons and their corrosive breaths away.

    The skeletal dragons launches energy beams from their mouths in response, trying to breach the ring of light's defenses. Thanatos responds by shooting them down one by one with his eye laser beams.

    In the meantime, I resume my reading.

    "Let's see… Portal… Human Realm, most likely means Midgard, the realm of mankind form Norse Mythology, which in this case refers to my Midgar Kingdom… Soul Harvest… Global."

    That crazy motherfucker! Are you crazy!? Are you trying to destroy all of Midgar… no… the entire other world… Charlotte included… just to revive Mari-chan!?

    Oh wait… I'm not dealing with a sane version of myself. Of course he'd be that reckless. He's clinging to ever precious memory he's got because that's all he has, unlike me who has everything… almost everything.

    And also… unlike me… he likely has little affection for Charlotte… not to mention taking away my sister could be considered a payback for taking away his. But hey! Mari-chan was my sister too!

    Not to mention, no matter how many souls you use, you will never resurrect her fully! Not as long as her real soul is still in my hands! All you will do is create an empty soul bearing the memory she still has on her currently dead brain! Basically a cheap imitation! A clone! Or perhaps you didn't even care about that? I doubt you do.

    "Ghidorah!!!" I call out to the strongest beast that I currently have available to aid me. I can see that he still hesitates to respond as he has long stopped his battle with Godzilla in order to watch my battle against Thanatos.

    "Ghidorah!! Get your ass out here before I snap your forked tail off and SHOVE THEM UP YOUR ASS!!!" I shout again, and this time he cringes and complies as he flies to my side while Godzilla decides to retreat.

    "Get his attention while I break his spell!" I order the three headed beast, who obeys begrudgingly judging from the angry growls.

    Chimera Ghidorah shoots three lightning beams out of his three mouths, which penetrates deeper than any skeletal dragons could with their own beams.

    Thanatos occasionally shoots elemental spells and laser beams at him and the skeletal dragons but Chimera Ghidorah and several other skeletal dragons manage to either survive or dodge his attacks and continue their own assault.

    While Chimera Ghidorah and the skeletal dragons are keeping my eldritch counterpart busy, I focus on my own spell breaking spell in order to break his grand spell.

    It was going well… until I hit a block.

    "Tch. An anti-spell breaker array, huh. You're certainly well prepared despite being deranged, my other self. But don't underestimate me. Anti-spell breakers can be broken with brute force… especially when it's unencrypted like this. I just need to literally brute force my way in." I say as I cast the spell breaker over and over, trying to overwhelm the anti-spell breaker array he placed upon his spell arrays.

    In a short amount of time I was almost 50% done when I'm suddenly interrupted by a phantom stabbing me. The phantom is not a phantom soldier like the one conjured by the monk but genuine ghost, a spirit of the dead. This particular phantom looks like one of the warriors of Akihabara who wears cosplay-like outfits to battle. Looks like my eldritch counterpart has summoned his own minions using necromancy, manipulating the souls of the dead to do his bidding.

    I point my palm on the phantom and activate my glove, which absorbs his soul and use it to immediately heal the spiritual wound he inflicted upon me when he stabbed me.

    Several more phantoms, who used to be the defenders of Akihabara recently slain in battle, appear and surround me. If I defend myself, I have to use both hands which are currently maintaining my brute force spell breaker!

    The phantoms didn't give me time to prepare myself as they immediately charge towards me.

    "Defend me, my former sister." I summon a phantom of my own, which is the soul of Mari-chan, from the sword I used to stab her with.

    She summons her wand and conjures a barrier around me, not letting the spirits pass through to harm me as I finish the spell breaking process, completely shattering the spell array he has painstakingly constructed.

    "SCREEEEEEECHH!!!!!"

    He screeches as his plans failed. No longer being bound by his own grand spell, he unleashes a great wave of pure magical energy, decimating the skeletal dragons around him instantly. The blast even shakes the already unstable space around us, cracking open several portals to several realms, including to Midgar.

    Chimera Ghidorah survives the blast but chose to escape when a portal coincidentally opened near him. He has escaped to another realm that not even I know of. Perhaps there he shall fulfil his destiny of being a world destroyer. While I'd love to chase after him just to see his villainous handywork firsthand while he's free, there's a bigger concern around here.

    First things first, I must close the portal to Midgar, which is done easily with Mari-chan protecting me as Thanatos wouldn't dare unleash anything big and deadly while she's around.

    Great. That's done. Midgar and Charl are safe. But my eldritch counterpart isn't done yet… as he manipulates the distorted space around us to drag us into a pure white space… a sub-space… a sanctuary.

    Mari-chan…

    Both Mari and I hear a male voice… the voice I once had in my previous life… the voice of Miyazaki Tetsuya.

    Onii… -chan…?

    Mari-chan's soul responds as she faces a figure that stands in this pure white realm besides the two of us.

    Said figure wears a grey hoodie, a jeans and a plastic skull mask. Yes… the appearance of the first Occult Killer.




    Author's Note:

    Claude and ghost Mari-chan has been dragged into Thanatos' Domain Expa—Reality Marb—Sanctuary whereas King Ghidorah has been unleashed into the universe, becoming the world destroyer he was meant to be.

    How will this encounter end? Find out in the next episode of The Marble Expansion in Shadow!
     
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    • Chapter 167: Reunion New
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    • Chapter 167: Reunion


    View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekBlN7ciQC4&ab_channel=NeoFGO

    I stand in the pure white space and turn to face the figure wearing my previous life's skin, staring at my old clothes. Oh, how this brings back memories. It's like being reunited with an old friend.

    Mari-chan's spirit stands beside me as my minion and my hostage. With her at my side, he will never make any reckless move. Her soul is crying out internally but under my control, she is nothing but an obedient doll and a good shield.

    "Judging from how you're choosing that form, I assume you're identifying yourself as my… our previous self, Miyazaki Tetsuya. Such a shame. After I've kindly and graciously gave you the name of the god of death." I say to the figure, who did not reply and instead removes his plastic skull mask. I remove my own metal skull mask in response, letting him see my new face as I gaze upon the old face we used to wear.

    I grin as I try to get a response from him, who stays emotionless and expressionless, like a monster trying to be human in front of a human who is a monster inside.

    "Don't you think it's foolish to identify yourself as that when you're already so far gone from that identity? You've been warped into something so inhuman that even I am still closer to what we were… and I don't even identify myself as that. Why don't you accept the name I've so graciously granted you if you crave identity so much?" I keep talking but he does not respond, preferring to stare at the soul of our former sister instead.

    "Though… impressive move back there. Resurrecting her, even without her soul, shouldn't require the souls of an entire world. You did that just to spite me, didn't you?" It is only at this moment that he turns at me with a glare.

    You're wrong…

    He replies in a disembodied voice that sounds like how I… we did in our previous life.

    "Wrong am I? Then, pray tell!"

    I had intended… to restore this world… to its former glory…

    "What did you say?" I reply as if offended by the nonsense that he's saying.

    You heard me. I want to restore this world… undo everything we've done to it… bring back not just her… but everyone who was killed…

    "Heh… heh heh heh… Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!!!" I laugh. I laugh as if I'm going crazy at the absurdity of his words. He, however, does not find it funny and continues being expressionless.

    Suddenly, I stop laughing and take a deep breath. In that same instant, my emotion changes to pure rage.

    "WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU EVEN SAYING!!!??? WHAT ABSURDITY IS THAT!??? YOU WANT TO RETURN TO BEING MIYAZAKI TETSUYA SO MUCH AND YET YOU'VE FORGOTTEN THE VERY THING THAT DEFINES MIYAZAKI TETSUYA!??" I shout in pure rage at the monster pretending to be human… pretending to be Miyazaki Tetsuya… who is so bad at it due to only possessing partial memories of the human once known as Miyazaki Tetsuya.

    I want the old days returned… those happy days… together with my family…

    "DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER OUR FAMILY!? BESIDES MARI-CHAN HERE!! DO YOU EVEN REMEMBER ABOUT OUR TRAGIC MOTHER!? OUR ABSENT FATHER!? WERE WE TRULY A HAPPY FAMILY LIKE YOU THOUGHT!!?" I ask a question that I know he wouldn't be able to answer as even I barely remember our parents, especially my father.

    As I predicted. He cannot answer. He does not know what he wants. He does not know whether we were a functional and happy family or not.

    "Do you not remember our wish? Our aspirations?" Once again, he does not answer. He remains expressionless and does not properly emote like a human does but I bet he's totally confused right now.

    "WE are the Occult Killer! The villain! The monster! The mass murderer! The god of evil! We wish to be a villain for the sake of it! No higher goals! No justifications! No logical reason whatsoever! We, Miyazaki Tetsuya, just wish to be evil! And we aspire to be a villain! The greatest villain of all! And to do that… I… WE NEED MORE POWER!!!" I clench my fist in front of my face as I deliver my monologue. He still does not emote but I can feel a horrified emotion from Mari-chan's soul. Heh heh heh… This is… intoxicating... just like when I crossed the line the first time… which is the first time I killed someone…

    The horrified reaction from everyone… was so sweet and satisfying. So intoxicating that I feel like I'm at the top of the world.

    And this day… I've crossed another line… a line I was previously not ready to cross. But I crossed it anyway...

    "Just face it, my dear Thanatos. We are meant to be evil. Don't pretend to be the good guy here because you're not. We're not good guys. At his very roots, Miyazaki Tetsuya, is an evil person. If you want to become Miyazaki Tetsuya, then you should stop playing hero and embrace the villainy."

    Then why did you feel sad when you stabbed her?

    Ah… He made a comeback that left me speechless for the first time. I stop grinning and look at Mari-chan's spirit and she turns to look at me in return.

    Yes… I was sad… But I've tasted the intoxicating drug… and I cannot stop anymore.

    I grin once more while locking my eyes with her, which horrifies her even more. Yes… that's the emotion I want. Like a certain eldritch creature who disguised itself as a clown… I'm now devouring the tasty tasty beautiful fear.

    "Heh heh heh heh… Mwa ha ha ha ha!!! Do you remember? The time we killed someone for the first time?" I ask him. He may or may not have a semblance of memory about that time but I press on anyway.

    "It was horrible at first… but afterwards… that drug… that drug called fear… It was intoxicating. So addicting. And now, Thanatos… now I AM BASKING IN IT!!!" I declare as I snap my fingers to release my hold on Mari-chan's spirit, specifically the part that restrains her emotions, in order to let her freely express her fear and horror of me.

    "Agh…!" She gasps as she fell to her knees. She didn't rise back up and continue staring at me with horrified expression, a face not of someone who discovered something horrifying but of someone who confirmed it. She must've read my diary. That's why she knew…

    "Onii…-chan…" She mutters quietly, calling out to me. Her voice shaking.

    "Yes… like that." I grin as I continue to bask in her fear and despair.

    "Can you feel it? The intoxicating feeling of power? Holding power over others?" I say as I look back at my counterpart. He does not reply and remains silent in that permanently expressionless face.

    It seems that you cannot be reasoned with…

    "Ha ha ha. You're the one who refused to listen to reason, you failure of a villain."

    Then… I shall just kill you and use you and myself as fuel for my spell.

    He says as he changes his stance and forms the ring of light at his back, ready to cast spells.

    "Heh… Absurd. You want to commit suicide while also killing me… just to restore earth? How disgustingly heroic. Like I'll let you do that. I'll devour you instead."

    Resistance is futile.

    "Yes. For you that is. I am, after all, better than you." I respond by forming the half ring of light behind me while also putting my hold on Mari-chan back, commanding her to stand in front of me like the good shield that she is.

    You bastard…

    Finally I hear a word with emotion put into it coming out of his mouth. Heh heh heh. That's the reaction I wanted!

    He opens up by shooting a beam out of his ring of light and I position Mari-chan right in front of the beam, forcing him to redirect the beam elsewhere.

    I shoot a mini Armageddon at him and it hits him while he's distracted, engulfing him in a huge explosion.

    When the smoke clears from the explosion, he emerges with no damage as he was protected by his ring of light. Realizing that he can do nothing to me as long as I have my beautiful hostage at my command, he casts a spell breaker spell on her, which is intercepted by the anti-spell breaker function I placed on her spirit beforehand as I anticipated this move since the beginning.

    "Heh heh heh. My former sister. Give him a little pain, will you?" I order Mari-chan to attack and like the obedient puppet she is, she obeys and shoots a bluish beam from her wand on him, which easily hits him as he didn't bother dodging or defending himself, not even with the ring of light. With her power level, she cannot truly harm a being of his magnitude… but it certainly hurts his heart, which is what I'm going for in this moment. Heh heh heh.

    Once again he attempts to cast spell breaker. Trying to copy my brute force method, eh? You poor fool. You're still a novice in the magic arts. You are merely copying my spells while struggling to keep up with me. Your brute force method won't work as long as I keep repairing the damage your spellbreaker does on the anti-spellbreaker that I put on her.

    I point my palm at him and activate my soul devouring glove to start the extraction process, which he resists instantly after being forced to abandon his attempts at breaking my hold on my cute little shield.

    "Agh…!" This time it's my turn to be distracted as memories of my last kill on earth before being reincarnated flashes in my brain due to absorbing parts of Thanatos' soul, completing the puzzle on my own soul bit by bit.

    I'm forced to recall the moment when the profane ritual with human sacrifice I performed that time finally worked… or at least it looked like it did (but I know better now) because a dark portal coincidentally opened where I was and devoured me. The chaotic force of that portal split my soul into two, something I see from Thanatos' perspective as he was immediately sent to an alien world that I assume is the 1st​ realm.

    That confirms my hypothesis about my chaotic reincarnation at least.

    But my distraction costs me as he manages to shoot a beam from his ring of light, blowing a hole in my chest where my heart was. Too bad for you, I can heal this just fine… while what I did to you must've hurt a lot because I can hear you screeching like a Nazgul!

    "SCREEEEECH!!!!"

    He screeches as he suffers another soul wound while I heal my own. He tries to get it back by casting his own soul devouring spell. This time, I cannot use Mari-chan as a shield as her soul would be taken away by the spell, which would result in me losing my precious shield and with it my advantage over him, and thus I choose to dodge to spell, though the beam from his spell seems to follow me around as I fly through the vast expanse of this white void with Mari-chan in tow.

    Come to think of it… he's a novice at sanctuary creation too, isn't he? He went as far as to create this space but does nothing to fill it… even though this sanctuary is his domain that he should be able to weaponize against me. How foolish. Let me take it away from you and turn it into MY domain then!

    I cast a grand spell to spread my magic all over the subspace, trying to take control over the whole thing, which forces him to abandon his attempts at devouring my soul in order to resist my taking over his sanctuary.

    He resists with pure power alone, which is difficult to overwhelm… but I am far more proficient in spellcasting, and thus, I know how to get around it. There are plenty of cracks in his defences that I can exploit. And exploit it I did.

    In no time at all, the white void disappears and is replaced by a scene of hell, where the sky is pitch black in contrast with the green colored inferno below. The burning land is made of flesh and various bone parts, which almost resembles Thanatos' own monstrous form, with several towering flesh pillars that stretch from the ground to the black sky above. Countless tortured souls are shackled by spine-like chains coming out of the fleshy ground, forever tormented by the heat from the green tinted hellfire.

    To avoid being trapped in the raging inferno below, he flies upwards, with me and Mari-chan chasing him. The heat from the hellfire still damages him constantly though.

    "Welcome to MY world." I bid him welcome as I let him bask in the horrors of my new domain, letting him admire the hellscape he helped create as I still use his own magic power as fuel to create this space.

    His attempts to resist my taking over his domain, the domain absorbing his own magic power at an alarming rate and the hellfire constantly damaging him is extremely taxing for him… though it is still not enough to take down a monster of his level, and thus I need to harm him more and immobilize him so that I can easily extract his soul bit by bit with minimal resistance.

    To do that, I command the domain to unleash several giant skeletal hands and giant scythes to attack him. He is forced to dodge and occasionally deflect the attacks with his ring of light, which is another thing that's taxing for him right now.

    He could've broken free and even collapse the entire sanctuary with his level of strength if he actually try… but that may result in damaging poor little Mari-chan here, something even he knows very well, which is why he holds back his punches and still hesitates. That's what you get for playing hero, fool.

    Though I'm one to talk considering I just saved the other world from his grand spell. Heh.

    Still, I can't bet on him clinging to his wish to save her forever. I must proceed with the plan.

    "Enjoying the taste of your own medicine?" I taunt him as I summon several skulls from the flesh pillars around us. The eye sockets of the skulls shines as they shoot several laser beams at him, who continues to dodge and deflect the attacks like before. Dodging them is hard because I occasionally redirect the trajectory of the laser beams to chase him whenever he dodges, forcing him to defend himself with his ring of light more often than he's comfortable with.

    Let's push him a little further.

    "Don't move." I say as I manipulate the entire domain to increase gravity for him and only him, dragging him to the burning inferno below. Of course he resists with all his might but that's what I'm waiting for.

    "Got you." I say as I cast the soul absorbing spell from my glove at point blank range, draining so many of his essence in one sitting.

    Due to that, his memory starts rushing into me again, raw and unfiltered, giving me massive headache and causes me to nosebleed.

    From the memories, I confirm that when our souls were split apart, he took the body of Miyazaki Tetsuya with him whereas I went to reincarnate into a new body, which means that the body he currently inhabits is the real deal.

    I see the way he adapted to the alien landscape that is the 1st​ realm, by unconsciously absorbing the massive amount of magic form the air of that realm and killing and devouring anything that gets in his way, no matter the size and shape, until he started noticing how he is losing more and more of both his humanity and memories, and therefore his identity as Miyazaki Tetsuya.

    His body warped more and more as time goes on. By the time his form no longer resembles human, he forgot how he originally looked like and continued surviving until… a vision of a vampire standing on top of a skyscraper overlooking a red moon called out to him…

    So that's how he found me.

    "Aghh!" Distracted by the memories, I had my entire head blown away by his laser beam. Luckily my regenerative powers are broken at this point. I quickly regenerate my head and continue maintaining the gravity increase on him while summoning more skulls to shoot lasers at him.

    Hesitating to use long ranged attack out of fear of harming Mari-chan and no longer wishing to be bullied by my laser beams, he charges forward to engage me in hand to hand combat.

    "Ohh… you wanna play? Let's play then." I say as I block his punches and kicks while delivering my own counterattacks, most of which lands perfectly.

    Hand to hand combat against me is a fatal error, as he quickly learns. I have massive advantage here because even if he possess the body of Miyazaki Tetsuya who trained in martial arts for years, he has lost most memories of being human and are more used to a monster body than a human body at this point. Not to mention his movements are shackled by the increased gravity which is applied only on him.

    I, on the other hand, remained human after the split, possess a body which has trained with magic induced super human strength for years, and do not have any kind of restrictions or handicaps placed upon me… well, besides my soul wound that is slowly but surely being healed by absorbing his soul.

    I deliver a right hook on his face, which sends him away where I once again send laser beams to overwhelm him.

    Being trapped by the increased gravity, he can barely dodge the barrage of lasers and can only deflect them with his ring of light, which slowly crumbles from the constant barrage of laser beams. He struggles a lot from my merciless assault, which I stop briefly in order to indulge in my inner troll.

    "You see now? Just how much I am better than you?" I can't help but taunt him before sending another round of laser beams.

    Shut up…!

    He says with greater emotion than his earlier words as he continues to endure my relentless assaults.

    I know I probably shouldn't taunt him… that angering him is a bad idea as it will make him more reckless… but I can't help it.

    "You can't do anything. Whether it's keeping your own identity, or protecting dear Mari-chan. You know what I'm gonna do to her after this? I'm gonna smelt her soul, purify it into an empty soul and forge a weapon using it as an ingredient."

    "SCREEEECH!!!!"

    Oops. He's angry. His anger combined with losing parts of himself causes him to mutate. Similar to how he adapted to the 1st​ realm's alien environment, his body is once again warping and bulging. His flesh and bones expands and splits into several grotesque appendages that he sends to attack me with.

    I attempt to use my dear shield again but this time he barely cares and hits her anyway, sending her away. Looks like I don't need her anymore now that he lost whatever semblance of reason he has left.

    He attacks again using appendages made of flesh and bones but dodge them all as I send skulls to attack him again with their laser beams. He once again deflects them with his ring of light.

    He now tries to brute force his way out of my sanctuary. The amount of pressure I'm feeling is enormous! Despite every advantage I got, he can still overwhelm me! I must make this quick!

    While he's still struggling with the sanctuary, I point my palm at him again and absorb chunks of his soul once again.

    I didn't get much this time as he expands his ring of light, blowing me away while also causing the space around us to start cracking.

    "Well. Might as well go all out. Apocalypse!!!" I shout as I create multiple black orbs around him. The orbs flashes green and explode outwards, pointing all the blasts at him. The force of Apocalypse clashes with his ring of light, completely shattering the dimension.

    As the dimension shatters, we appear once again in the real world. The force of our clash shook the earth and destroys the land below, easily vaporizing the city of Akihabara and the surrounding area.

    I hit him with all I've got. I even absorbed whatever energy I can from him while he is extremely taxed in several ways at once. But I finally did it. I defeated him.

    What remains of him is merely a head, which is not yet warped. I absorb the rest of his soul and finish the job.

    An overwhelming headache assaults me as his memory rushes into me, mainly his recent memories, including both encounters against me. I grip my head as not only my nose, my ears start leaking out blood as well from how much my brain is strained from the rush of memories. But I endure it all. Since this is a memory which is originally my own, coming from parts of my soul, I must not filter it in anyway. I must integrate his soul fully into mine! No matter the pain!

    Oh? From the remaining memory I absorbed from him, I see that he has done something to Mari-chan before the end without my noticing. It seems that he didn't completely lose his mind back there, though his rage still overwhelms him. I grab his head before it falls to the ruined land below and bring it to my face.

    "Farewell, Thanatos… You shall be remembered. Heh heh heh heh…. Mwa ha ha ha ha ha!!!" I laugh… I laugh but I'm not completely happy. Because due to how much I tormented him, the memory of what I did to him rushes into me like firsthand experience, as if it was done to me directly.

    All the pain, sorrow and anger… I feel it all. I was an asshole to myself.

    But above all… I am feeling… extremely liberated. Finally… no longer feeling the pain of the soul wounds… my growth no longer shackled by limitations of my spiritual body…

    I am… finally whole again.




    Author's Note:

    You gotta be a special kind of evil if your monstrous counterpart is in a way a good guy compared to you who is still in human form.
     
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    • This time he didn't digest, but completely consumed. Would he get Miyazaki's love for his sister?
    I got the impression that he genuinely cares about the people he's close to, and could only kill his sister because he didn't remember her.
     
    Chapter 168: Aftermath of the Battle New
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    • Chapter 168: Aftermath of the Battle

    It happened all so sudden. One moment the area is as quiet as a ghost town ever since that creature disappeared alongside Lord Claude, and the next moment is total chaos.

    A great barrage of explosions in the sky shook the Earth… and shattered the very fabric of reality as well. If I weren't so close to the place where it happened, I would've been able to enjoy it as fireworks. But alas, Lord Claude's magic is far too potent and terrifying up close. Astaroth, Lord Claude's most loyal servant in this land, has already been blown away by the shockwave. Even I am struggling to survive the chaos brought by his terrifying power.

    I jump away whenever I sensed a shockwave coming and use my fan to blow away any debris that comes my way. It might sound simple but considering the shockwaves and debris comes from all sides and at random intervals, it is easier said than done. As I said, total chaos.

    When the explosions and shockwaves finally subsided, I can finally see the results of the blast.

    The city of Akihabara and the lands around it has been vaporized by the sheer might of the shockwaves alone. I didn't know if there are any survivors or not but that is not my concern at the moment.

    I gaze at the source of my current anxiety, a great tear in the fabric of reality in the sky… as if the wall separating this world with another dimension that has been shattered. It looks similar to the black abyss where the creature came from but this time there is only pure white on the other side, not pitch black darkness.

    And from said tear in reality, two figures fell from the sky, a figure clad in black and another in blue. I rushed towards them immediately and managed to catch them both by blowing a wind with my fan to break their fall, leading to them landing on the ground safely.

    "Lord Claude…" I mutter his name as I lay his head on my lap. He's unmasked and unconscious. His hair grayish white unlike his usual blonde, although this is the result of him dying his hair in order to hide his identity. If his hair color is a bit whiter, we would match and I would've teased Lady Sherry about it.

    His face is as pale as back when he received attacks from the ghosts of my village. Although I don't see any visible wounds on his body, his magic feels like it's fading. He's even barely breathing.

    "Lord Claude…! Please… return to me…!" I plead as my eyes begin to water in desperation.

    Just as I was starting to worry about his condition, suddenly his magic surges and skyrockets to unbelievable heights. His eyes opens, flashing blood red eerily with his sclera blackened, making it look demonic. Blackened veins start appearing on his pale face. His body twitches and sparks of both green and dark red energy flashes around his body, occasionally hurting me through close contact alone. But I endure the pain and keep his head on my lap, hoping that whatever is happening to him would subside and that he would return to me… to us…

    Eventually his twitching stops and the raging magic in his body calms down as well. The blackened veins are also thankfully gone from his handsome face. He exhales softly before opening his eyes once again, showing a normal pair of blue eyes.

    "Lord… Claude…?" I call out to him in a quiet voice as I hold my tears back, hoping that he's still with us.

    "Yukime…" He mutters my name.

    "Ohh… Lord Claude…! You idiot…!" I could no longer hold my tears, letting the dam burst open. My tears fall down to his tired face.

    "Please… don't put yourself in such dangers again…!" I cry and sob like a little girl with both worry and relief that the man I love is still alive.

    He responds to my pleas with a smile… no… a grin.

    "Heh heh heh…" He chuckles weakly, almost coughing in between his laughter with bloodshot eyes. It gives me an ominous vibe but I ignored it.

    "What's so funny, Lord Claude? Is worrying a woman who loves you that funny?" I say with a frown while making eye contact with him. The audacity of this lovely man.

    "Heh heh heh… I am… whole again!"

    "Lord Claude…?"

    "Do you hear me? I am…"

    "I hear you the first time, Lord Claude. But… if you're whole again… then why are you crying?" I say as I gaze upon the tears that flows down his cheeks, tears that aren't mine.

    "It's… your imagination."

    "Really, Lord Claude. My eyes might be blurred by my own tears but… I've been staring at your handsome face for awhile now… and thus of course I would notice your tears."

    Really... If you're already like this after taking the life of someone else's little sister, what would happen to you if you truly lose your own sister, Lady Charlotte? I have no doubt that she would've taken a piece of you with her to the grave if that happens… just like how my mother took a piece of me to the grave… and how Gettan took another piece of me even after he…

    He does not reply to my words and breaks eye contact with me. He even loses his smile. In turn I take look at the figure in blue that fell with him.

    "Little sisters are truly your weakness, huh?" I mutter quietly, to which he would chuckle again.

    "Heh heh heh… Does it…? We shall see." He mutters something ominous… but this is Lord Claude so I ignored his words just now and just sigh.

    "Hush now, Lord Claude. Don't push yourself any further. Just rest." I caress his cheeks and lull him to sleep, with his head still on my lap. He slowly closes his eyes and drifts off to dreamland.

    This is not the first time I've seen him becoming so vulnerable… but this is the first time I've seen him sleep. So this is his sleeping face. As charming as I imagined. As I caress his face, my fingers go dangerously close to his inviting lips.

    "Don't even think about it." He whispers without opening his eyes.

    "Oh ho ho. I wouldn't dream of taking advantage of you while you're asleep." Although the temptation is certainly there.

    He does not reply further and from his steady breathing, I can tell he's finally asleep.

    Rest well, my Lord Claude. Please lose the paleness so I can lose my anxiousness about you dying in my arms.




    "Mari-chan! Where is Mari-chan!?" Shouts a girl in green frilly dress as she searches around the Akihabara survivor shelter for her friend, who went missing since their encounter with the Occult Killer and the eldritch abomination that appears in the outskirts of Akihabara.

    Her other friend in red is currently unconscious, which makes her more desperate to confirm the safety of her group's leader despite witnessing how she was stabbed by the Occult Killer. With the condition of her friend in red uncertain and the death of their beloved commander Kuzaya, she is worried that she will be left alone in this shelter, which is why she still clings onto the hope that the person she's looking for is still alive.

    After the appearance of the abomination in the sky, Alpha told her to take the unconscious bodies of Akane and Aki to the shelter while she searches for Mari. Then the city was destroyed by the fierce battle between the Occult Killer and said abomination and Alpha returned empty handed.

    After escaping Akihabara through their emergency escape tunnel, the survivors of Akihabara were escorted by the very people who sabotaged their efforts during the battle and even killed their commander and faction leader, Kuzaya. The survivors were very angry at the betrayal of their former allies but seeing as they have little choice in the matter, they followed the Messiah agents and found themselves in this shelter. Even Alpha agreed to follow them despite her distrust of them.

    The shelter is located in Messiah, the last standing settlement in Japan. Despite everything that happened between them, the Akihabara faction has no choice but to seek help from Messiah and even fulfill Messiah's demands for them to hand over every single technology they developed to defend Akihabara and even agreed to defend Messiah in exchange for a mere crowded shelter with barely any infrastructure.

    Akira Nishino of Messiah tried to demand Alpha's blood too but Alpha vehemently refused and all of Akihabara stood with her, even threatening to leave Messiah altogether. Despite their position, Messiah still needs the survivors of Akihabara almost as much as the survivors needed shelter from Messiah. Despite all the time they have for preparations, Messiah cannot possibly defeat the Occult Killer's forces alone. Not to mention losing Alpha means losing not only the fighters of the Akihabara alliance but also losing Godzilla, one of their trump cards.

    Being the last settlement standing means the time has come for Messiah to actually face the threat of the Occult Killer. All this time they know they won't be attacked, and thus they have little worry about it… but now they have to, and thus they need all the help they can get. Even the cruel Akira cannot deny this, which made him relent.

    But that doesn't mean Akira has given up. Even now he is still counting on his last scheme just so he can finally get the otherworldly elf's precious blood. Said scheme requires the assistance of his own sister.

    "I still have my tool… my little sister. She should be able to get that elf. And she has no right to refuse." Mutters Akira as he waits for his sister in a hallway to her room, just like he always did whenever he want s to bother her to try and get her to do his bidding.

    "There you are, Akane." He calls out to his sister when he sees her walking in the hallways. He didn't notice the hollow expression on her face, nor does he care.

    "Akane. Now is the right time for you to do what you're told. You have the poison dart gun. Go and knock that elf unconscious with it NOW." He says… no… commands his sister, who didn't respond and didn't even bother stopping her steps, completely ignoring his presence just as he ignored her feelings.

    "Akane! Are you listening!? If you don't obey me, I will—Gyaaaah!?" Akira stops his words when he sees the ends of her hair suddenly turning blonde. He screams and falls to the floor, pissing himself like a child, trembling in absolute fear as the memory of the Arcadia Massacre, which haunted him too, resurfaces in his mind.

    Akane ignores him, walks past him and enters her room. Akira, whose plan failed miserably, can only leave the hallway quietly while still trembling and regretting his past actions, not because he realized that it hurt his sister but because it made him lose his control over her completely.

    However, his little interaction with his sister didn't go unnoticed.

    "Ha ha ha. Looks like your foolish plan failed miserably after all, Akira-dono." Laughs an old man who witnessed the incident through a secret hidden camera installed on the hallway in order to monitor Akira's interactions with his sister.

    "When she stayed in Akihabara, I thought this camera would be useless and should be removed in order to erase the evidence of me spying on him. Luckily we haven't removed it so we can witness this glorious moment, don't you think, Dr. Yuuka?" He addresses the brown haired woman in a lab coat behind him who is grinning as she witnesses the downfall of the siblings with him.

    "Yes indeed. The suffering of the people responsible for the destruction of Arcadia and the death of my husband is so…. Satisfying to watch. Even if she obeyed him, I've made sure that the poison I made wouldn't work on the elf. His miserable plan is doomed to fail from the start." She replies without losing her grin.

    "Whereas I… My plan will not fail. Because I have an actual tangible blackmail material." He says as he turns towards a girl in blue lying on a medical bed beside him, slowly caressing the pale face of said girl. She is given constant dose of sedative through an IV bag to keep her unconscious as he didn't want her to defy him the way Akane defied her brother.

    "The agents who managed to find her after all that chaos deserve a raise, don't you think, Miyazaki-sama?"

    "Indeed they do."

    "But still, do you think he will listen to you, Miyazaki-sama?"

    "He will. I'm sure of it."

    "But I heard from the witnesses that he stabbed her during the battle."

    "Yes, but she's still here. Her heart is still beating and her wound has been healed. He must've healed her. What a good brother he is. Heh heh heh."

    "Hmph. If you say so, Miyazaki-sama. I wish you luck on your endeavour." Says the brown haired woman as she leaves the room.

    "Heh heh heh. Come to me, Tetsuya. Come back home. Mari and daddy are waiting for you. Come back home for a grand reunion. Together, we shall rule the world." The old man mutters to himself as he waits for the inevitable invasion of Messiah to come, the day he would finally enact his plans against his own son.




    Author's Note:

    I want to sleep in Yukime's lap too.
     
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