Chapter 101

Chapter 5 Welcome to the Shadow Garden! Akane Nishino awakens in a completely white room and looks around. “What is this place…?” The good news is that she isn’t tied up. When she gets out of bed, the floor is cold against her bare feet. Someone has dressed her in something resembling a thin white hospital gown. “It all looks so familiar, but it isn’t.” The floor seems like marble, but that’s not quite what it is. The same is true of the gown. Although its design gives her a sense of déjà vu, it’s made of not synthetic fiber but rather something closer to silk. “Have I been taken overseas? I’ve never seen writing like that before.” Akane looks at the pieces of text dotted here and there around the room, but they don’t correspond to any language she’s ever heard of. She needs to figure out what’s going on, and quickly. “I have to imagine this is a research facility of some sort. That means I probably got abducted by some group that wants to use my power for themselves…but then, why would they not tie me up?” If they know how strong she is, they should be keeping her tied up, especially now that she’s regained her memories and the power of the Original Knight alongside them. Whoever her kidnappers are, their plan seems shoddy at best. “Looks like they underestimated me.” Akane walks over to the door. She can sense two people standing outside it. Her captors at least have the sense to station guards outside her room. Akane’s newfound power means she could annihilate them with her eyes closed, but there’s no guarantee they’re actually bad people. The odds are low, but there’s a chance this group rescued her out of the goodness of their hearts. “Hmm…” As she stands there pondering things, she senses the presences move away. “Perfect.” Akane makes a snap call. She punches the door with all her might, deciding that she can deal with the consequences later. A loud thonk echoes. “O-owww!” Akane drops to her knees and clutches her hand. The door she just punched looks none the worse for wear. “B-but how?! I poured magic into that punch and everything!” Some of her black hair has just turned gold. “What is this door even made of?” When Akane looks up, she notices something. All the writing on the walls and door is faintly glowing. “That light… Is that…magic?” Now that she’s paying attention, she can definitely sense magic coming from it. “Did they seriously manage to keep magic usable after it has left the human body? But Akira always said that was impossible.” Researchers across the globe have poured tons of hours into studying the practical applications of magic. The idea of removing magic from a human body and using it as a new energy source is an obvious one, but everyone who’s ever tried has had their attempts met with failure. “This can’t be real…” If these people have devised a way of pulling that off, then the fact that they didn’t bother restraining her suddenly makes a whole lot more sense. With the technology this group has, they didn’t need to. “L-let’s not go jumping to any conclusions just yet, though.” Maybe that failed punch was just a freak accident. Akane packs her fist full of magic again and makes sure to take a full swing this time. Then the door abruptly swings open. “Oh no.” She can’t stop her fist in time. It goes hurtling straight toward the silver-haired girl on the other side of the frame. With a crisp smack, her hand comes to a stop. “Huh?” Akane blinks in shock. Without even breaking a sweat, the silver-haired girl caught Akane’s full-force punch with just a single hand. Akane can’t believe her eyes. “The door isn’t was locked. Would have opened at any time if just asking.” Akane recognizes that girl talking in broken Japanese. “W-wait, you’re Natsume. What are you doing here?” Natsume is Minoru’s little sister. She’s supposed to be back in Akira’s lab. “All is good,” Natsume says. Akane isn’t sure what exactly is supposed to be good, but the silver-haired girl declares it to be so. “Uh…” “You sitting now.” Akane does as instructed and takes a seat on the room’s chair. Now that she’s met someone she knows, she decides to at least hear her out. “I didn’t know you could talk, Natsume. Who exactly are you? What is this place?” The silver-haired girl tilts her head and sinks into thought. “Correct. Me not am Natsume. Beta, me are Beta.” Akane suspects she’s not quite getting through to the other girl. “Um, so you’re saying your name isn’t really Natsume, it’s actually Beta?” “Me am looking after you. No worrying.” “I see…” Akane finds herself more worried than ever. “Me am Beta of Shadow Garden. Did taking you back with me.” “Let me get this straight. You’re Beta, you’re with a group called the Shadow Garden, and you kidnapped me.” “Is correct!” The criminal admits her crime with a big old smile on her face. “I take it you’re a spy who used the false name ‘Natsume’ to infiltrate Messiah, then.” “Not am spy, am researcher. Was researching otherworld life-forms.” “Otherworld life-forms?” Akane gives Beta a look of utter confusion. “Otherworld life-forms,” Beta says, pointing at Akane. “Wait, you’re saying I’m an otherworld life-form?” “Is correct!” Akane has no idea what Beta is talking about. “Me am showing you.” With that, Beta takes Akane’s hand and leads her away. “Wh-what’s up with this place?” Akane gawks as Beta leads her through the facility. There’s a strange imbalance between its magitech, which is leagues ahead of anything Japan has, and its scientific tech, which is downright archaic. Then there’s the matter of the women there. All of them are talking in a language Akane’s never heard before, and the vast majority of them have strikingly distinctive ears. According to Beta, those aren’t after-effects from awakening, but rather inherent traits of races called elves and therianthropes. What surprises Akane most of all, though, is how outlandishly powerful everyone there is. As Beta gives her the grand tour, Akane shudders at how strong they all are. Beta crosses her arms with pride. “Are you want to trying?” Much to Akane’s shock, Beta appears to hold a position of some prestige in the facility. Everyone they come across treats Beta with courtesy and respect. “You mean, do I want to try fighting someone?” Akane is merely asking for clarification, but Beta takes it as an affirmation. There are definitely some things being lost in translation. “Bring on out the weakest sunnuvabitch ya got!” Beta shouts with a big smirk. That would appear to be a phrase she picked up in Japan that she’s been saving for a special occasion. The problem is, nobody understands her. After all, she is talking in Japanese. “She says she desperately wants to fight someone, so let’s match her up against the weakest person we have. We wouldn’t want her getting hurt,” Beta says, sounding a bit embarrassed. However, she’s speaking a language from another world, so Akane has no idea what she’s saying. A short while later, a one-eyed dark elf shows up with a young girl in tow. The girl is about thirteen. She’s cute, with hair as white as fresh-driven snow. There’s something almost heartwarming about how she’s trying to make her big, adorable eyes look intimidating. “You’ll be her opponent, Number 711. I trust you understand what will happen if you dare bring dishonor on the Shadow Garden’s name.” When the dark elf speaks to the girl, the girl’s already-nervous face stiffens even more. She glares at Akane. “Um, it’s nice to meet you.” Not fighting doesn’t seem to be an option, so Akane offers the girl a handshake as a show of sportsmanship. “I’m not gonna lose to the likes of you. I can’t afford to fail, not now.” The girl’s glare intensifies, and she swats Akane’s hand away. “Oh, I’m sorry.” Apparently, shaking hands is a faux pas in this world. Akane tucks that information away in her head. The two of them each take a practice sword and head to the center of the training area. Beta and Lambda station themselves by the side of the training area and wait for the match to start. “Might I ask who you think will win?” asks the dark-skinned elf Lambda. She’s in charge of training the Shadow Garden’s new recruits. Beta narrows her blue eyes and offers Lambda an ambiguous laugh. “I’m afraid I don’t know enough about Number 711 to say.” “She’s been here for half a month. She’s still our weakest member, but in terms of raw talent, she might well be the best we have.” “That’s rare praise, coming from you.” “The girl is a prodigy. That said, she has a rebellious streak…” “She’s still a child. Once you train her up, I’m sure that won’t be a problem.” “Of course, ma’am.” “Who do you think is going to win, Lambda?” “My knowledge about the black-haired girl is similarly lacking, but…there’s something different about her magic. I take it she’s the one you brought back with you?” “That’s right. Her name is Akane Nishino…although I’m certain Master Shadow called her Akane Nishimura.” “Then surely she must be Akane Nishimura. If our lord says it, it must be so.” “You’re right. Her name must be Akane Nishimura.” “Well, Akane Nishimura’s magic is fascinating…but I believe Number 711 will be the victor.” Beta immediately concurs. “I agree.” Over in the middle, Akane and Number 711 are squaring off with their swords at the ready. The moment Lambda gives the signal, the battle will begin. Suddenly, the door to the training area swings open to reveal a petite elf girl wearing a tattered lab coat. She rubs her sleepy eyes as she comes Beta and Lambda’s way. “What do you want, Eta?” Beta asks with a hint of wariness in her voice. The short elf is Eta, the seventh member of the Seven Shadows. Her main job is researching Shadow Wisdom. “I came…to check in on the test subject,” Eta says sleepily. She has terrible bed head; her long dark hair is sticking out in every direction. “You mean Akane Nishimura? Did you get permission from Alpha?” Eta averts her gaze. “…Of course.” “I’m going to confirm that with Alpha once we’re done here. I don’t want you laying one finger on her until I do.” “You don’t need to do that. You’d just be wasting your time.” “Not one finger, you hear me?” Beta says, repeating herself to stress the point. “Hmph,” Eta pouts. “We need to be researching her irregular magic as fast as we can.” “May I begin the fight?” Lambda asks them. Beta and Eta nod. “Then you may commence!” On Lambda’s signal, Akane and Number 711 swing their swords. “Whoa… She’s good.” Akane shudders as she blocks Number 711’s initial strike. It’s a far harder and more pointed blow than Akane ever would have imagined given her opponent’s build, and it sends tingles down her arm. “I’m not going to lose. I’m through with losing!” Rather than fall back, Number 711 pours in more magic and uses the sheer force to send Akane flying. “Ack!” Akane has spent a long time at the top of the Japanese pecking order, so this is a new experience for her. At no point has she ever imagined herself losing in a contest of raw magic. She narrowly manages to land on her feet, then readies her sword again. She was completely underestimating her opponent. Who would’ve thought that someone so young could be harboring such strength? At this rate, she’s actually going to lose. “This is bad…” Akane’s black hair slowly begins turning gold. This isn’t a fight she needs to win. As a matter of fact, it might not even be a fight she needed to have. However, Akane feels like she needs to demonstrate her strength here. She needs to prove her worth. Akane suspects that this little girl is one of the stronger people in the organization. She likely isn’t the strongest, though. The three people watching the fight from over by the wall appear to rank higher than her, and they probably have other heavy hitters, too. That means it’s going to be incredibly difficult for Akane to break out of here on strength alone. Plus, she needs to stay with them so she can find a way to get home to Japan. That means her best option is to use this opportunity to prove her worth and increase her standing with the group. She’ll find a chance to escape sooner or later. Having made her decision, Akane unleashes her magic. Her black hair takes on a beautiful shade of gold. “Sorry, but I’m going all out.” Akane holds her sword at the ready as she patiently inches toward her foe. “Hmph.” Number 711 is on guard, and she eyes the situation with a sullen expression. The space between them continues to shrink. The moment Akane steps into range, she makes her move, lashing out with her golden magic at a terrifying speed. “Wha—?” Number 711’s eyes go wide at the raw intensity of the attack. On pure reflex, she brings up her sword to block. Her sword creaks when she does, and her arm goes numb. Realizing she’s going to lose the exchange, Number 711 leaps backward to blunt the blow. However, she isn’t able to deflect the force entirely. “Rgh…” Her face contorts as pain shoots through her right arm. That must have really hurt. But then Number 711 quickly deadens her expression and resumes her stance. Her quiet gaze is fixed squarely on Akane. At this point, she’s finally regained her composure. The pressure Lambda and Beta are putting on her is far from her mind, and she’s giving Akane her full, undivided attention. “Whew…” She lets out a small exhale to steady her magic, and her aura turns as clear as flowing water. She’s been studying the blade for a while, but it’s only been a few weeks since she learned how to use magic. This here—this is Number 711’s true strength. This is why Lambda calls her a prodigy. “I’m not going to lose,” Number 711 says, as much to herself as anything. “Who even is she?” Akane asks, trembling. This little girl is carrying herself like a seasoned master. That should have been the perfect time for Akane to launch a follow-up attack. Number 711 got hurt in the initial exchange, and Akane knew it. If Akane had immediately chased her down, that might very well have ended the fight there and then. And yet, Akane couldn’t do it. Number 711’s eyes seem to see through everything. People with eyes like that are dangerous. “I can’t afford to lose, either.” Akane can’t understand Number 711’s words, but she can tell that Number 711 is carrying some sort of burden into their fight. However, Akane’s in the same boat. She’s determined to see him again. “Hrahhhhhhhhhh!” “Hyah!” Their battle cries overlap as their swords meet. Once they clash, then twice, then thrice… At first, Akane’s sword presses Number 711’s sword back. At this rate, the battle’s going to be determined by who has more mana. They clash a sixth time, then a seventh, then an eighth… As the fight goes on, though, Number 711’s strikes grow crisper. No, that’s not quite it—she’s skillfully deflecting Akane’s magic. Number 711’s blade begins grazing Akane’s body more and more frequently. “Kageno, give me strength!” As the number of clashes crosses twenty, Akane presses in dangerously close. She knows that if things go on like this, she’s going to lose. “Hah!” However, that’s precisely what Number 711 is waiting for. She’s been baiting Akane this whole time. Luring her into taking that extra step. The thing is, Number 711 is the one who’s going to lose at this rate. Number 711 chooses the perfect moment to swing her sword. As soon as she does, a snapping sound comes from her right arm. Her bones have chosen that precise second to shatter. “Ah…” Number 711’s sword slows by the slimmest of margins. Her blow coincides with Akane’s. “Kageno…” “Father…” With that, the fight is decided. “I can’t believe we had a double knockout…” “It would seem we were both wrong.” Beta and Lambda look down at the two collapsed fighters in the center of the training area. “It’s just as you said,” Beta adds. “Number 711 is a prodigy. I do have to dock her points for her impatience at the start of the fight, though.” “As her teacher, the failure is mine. I’ll make sure to train that out of her.” “In terms of raw strength, Number 711 was the stronger of the two. Akane Nishimura’s magic must really be unusual to let her take the fight to a draw like that. It’s not just that she has a lot of it. It’s almost like it’s a variant or something.” “Do you think it’s because it comes from another world? Or is there something special about her in particular?” “I don’t know. Either way, I have a mountain of questions for her once she gets settled in, and we’ll need to look into— Hey!” Beta stops mid-sentence to grab Eta by the collar. “Irregular magic… Highly intriguing.” That’s because Eta is trying to scuttle over to the Akane like a little cockroach. “Dammit, Eta! You’re not allowed to get near her until you get Alpha’s permission!” “But if I have to wait that long, she might die.” “I promise you, she won’t!” “Time is money. I have an obligation to prevent opportunity costs caused by stupid decisions.” “I don’t care what you say—I’m not giving you the go-ahead.” “Hmph… I think I’ll have you be my next test subject.” “Ack! If you do that, I’m definitely reporting you to Alpha!” “Hmm… My budget would get cut… But if I give in to the threats, my research into Shadow Wisdom will stall…,” Eta mutters to herself as she sinks into thought. Beta turns to Lambda. “While we have a moment, could you take the two of them to the infirmary? When they wake up, I’ll explain my plans for them.” “And how would you have me proceed going forward?” “I’m leaving Akane Nishimura in your hands until she gets settled in. Once she does, I’m planning on having her make herself useful.” “As you wish, ma’am.” Lambda gives an order to her subordinates, and Akane and Number 711 get carted off to the infirmary. “Unh… Where am I?” When Akane awakens, she finds herself lying on a fluffy white bed. It looks like she’s in some sort of sick bay. “Did I…lose? No, I felt my sword land…” In the final moments of their fight, Akane’s opponent read her surprise attack like a book. By all rights, Akane should have lost. However, something dulled the incoming strike, and the two attacks landed at almost exactly the same time. That’s the last thing Akane remembers. She sits up and looks around the room. When she does, she spots the white-haired girl sleeping in the bed beside her own. “I guess we both knocked each other out.” On seeing that the girl isn’t visibly wounded, Akane breathes a sigh of relief. She looks so adorable, sleeping like that. So innocent. However, that tiny girl’s skills are well beyond Akane’s. Now that she’s fought her, Akane knows painfully well that if they spar again, Akane is certain to lose. The white-haired girl scrunches up her face. “Dad… Mom…,” she mumbles. “Are you okay? Are you having a nightmare?” Akane goes over to her and pats her head. “Hn, hnn…” “There, there. It’s okay.” The girl is so young, yet she has no choice but to fight. Perhaps this other world is just as brutal an environment as Japan has become. As Akane gently strokes her head, the girl’s expression gradually softens. Then she slowly opens her eyes and looks at Akane. “Hey, you’re up. Are you all right?” “Mom…?” Still half-asleep, the white-haired girl gives Akane a warm smile. “Hey, Mom… Where’s Dad…?” With an angelic smile, she reaches for Akane before snapping to her senses. “Y-YOU?!” She leaps up with a start and distances herself from Akane. “C-calm down!” “S-stay back! I can’t believe it!” “You shouldn’t jump around like that. It’s dangerous.” “I can’t believe I lost…to the likes of you? I…I lost?” The girl looks around as the situation dawns on her. “I promise it’s going to be okay.” “I lost… But I can’t afford to lose…” Tears begin welling up in her eyes. “What’s wrong? Did something sad happen to you?”