Chapter 78

A beat later, the sheer pressure from his slash blasts away the fog. Cracks begin splintering across the world, then loudly engulf everything in sight. The world breaks. Just like that, they’re back in their original world, as if it were just a dream. However, the pool of blood the downed librarian now lies in serves as proof that it all really happened. The librarian coughs, sending flecks of blood flying from his mouth. “Well, Shadow… Looks like I was no match for you…” “I have yet to glimpse the pinnacle.” With a swish of his black longcoat, Shadow vanishes. “That was what Shadow is capable of?” Claire murmurs. A chill runs down her spine. The head librarian was a powerhouse, and he was completely powerless before Shadow’s might. “He’s gotten even stronger…,” Alexia says, vexed. The two of them stand up after working together to undo their bonds. They look down upon the librarian’s figure. “Mr. Librarian…” “I’m…beyond help.” There’s a deep wound in his chest. “You were once a pretty famous dark knight, weren’t you?” Alexia can’t help but ask the question. That final attack of his had a beauty to it that only the truly talented could achieve. The librarian shakes his head. “No… Just a nameless hack.” The man is lying. Even Alexia can tell that much. She looks down at his arms and sees timeworn scars carved in his flesh. “What happened to your arms?” “They were severed. The Cult used their technology to reattach them, but they were never quite the same. Back in my day, I was able to wield a much subtler blade.” “Who cut them off?” “Fenrir. That was the day my sword broke.” “Would you mind if I asked what happened?” The librarian looks down at his chest wound. “Very well… I’ll share the story with you, right until I breathe my last.” Alexia and Claire sit down beside him. “My story begins some fifty years ago, back when I worked for this nation’s Knight Order…” He looks through the hallway window at the night sky now free of fog, dredging up old memories as he does. “I joined the Order after winning the Bushin Festival. There, I righted wrongs, apprehended villains, and secured a future for myself.” “See, I knew you were a notable dark knight,” Alexia says. “Zeal was the one thing I had in spades, and it led to me discovering evidence of wrongdoing far above my pay grade. I found vermin infesting the Midgar Kingdom…no, the entire world. I imagine you’ve discovered the same thing, Your Highness.” “…The Cult of Diablos.” “Exactly. At the time, I didn’t know they existed. I thought the Holy Teachings priests had just gone rogue, and so I marched straight into the Church.” “Into the Church?” “I was so young then. I believed that so long as I had justice on my side, I could do anything. There I was, so certain I was about to bring the hammer of justice down on the corrupt Church. “My men and I searched the building, hoping to find hard evidence of their crimes. “However…the ordinary clergy had nothing to do with it. Their devotion was true, and all they’d been doing was spreading the Church’s teachings. And the believers were the same. They believed in Holy Teachings with all their hearts. “It turned out, the crimes were being committed by just a tiny segment of the clergy leadership. “After patiently surveilling the priests, we discovered that there was a secret chamber hidden beneath the church. After descending a long staircase, we were greeted by a horrifying sight. “Down in the chamber, there were countless rotting possessed locked up and crying in agony. All of them had been wounded, and some of them had had something horrible implanted in them. “As we stared at them in horror, we heard the door close behind us. “It was a trap. “I sensed hostility and immediately moved to protect myself. The mighty blow that came next sent me flying, and I skidded across the ground. “When I returned to my feet, I saw my severed left arm, the corpses of my beheaded men…and the dark knight Fenrir, standing at the center of it all. “I slashed at him, giving in to my rage as I clutched my sword in my remaining hand. That was how I lost my right arm, too. “The Cult of Diablos was no stranger to having to deal with do-gooders like me.” He drops his gaze to the old scars on his arms. “His power was overwhelming. As I lay there, prone, Fenrir brought an unconscious woman before me. It was my wife. I was a Bushin Festival winner and a prominent member of the Knight Order, so the Cult thought I could be valuable to them. I sold my soul to them in exchange for my wife’s safety.” “What happened to her? If she’s safe, I promise I’ll protect her.” “Thankfully, she died of old age without ever learning the truth.” “And you never tried to defy them?” The head librarian gives his head a sad shake. “Any will to resist I had was cut off in the same stroke that severed my arms. Take heed, Your Highness. The road you walk is the same one I did, and at its end lies despair and a darkness that never ends.” His stare bores into Alexia, but she meets it without flinching. “That doesn’t change what I must do. As a princess, I have a duty to this nation.” The librarian stares at her in amazement. “You’ve become a fine young woman. In that case, I have one final thing to tell you…” His breathing is shallow, and a trickle of blood runs out the side of his mouth. “Tell me, Highness…do you know what the Cult’s goal is?” “They want to resurrect the demon Diablos, don’t they?” “Let me rephrase. Do you know why they’re trying to resurrect it?” “Well, that’s because, uh…” Alexia is at a loss for words. She knows what the Cult is trying to do, but she’s never stopped to consider the why. “There are two reasons. The first is to obtain more power. The three heroes were all women, and the possessed are all women, too. Women are the only ones Diablos cells have ever responded to. That’s why the Cult has been forced to rely on these flawed pills to gain strength.” The librarian pulls out some red pills. “Those are the ones Zenon used,” Alexia notes. “He was a fool, that pupil of mine.” “Why didn’t you use them?” “Because to do so is to shame yourself as a dark knight. However, the Cult saw potential in them. They’re trying to perfect them, to create a more potent version without the side effects. That’s why they’ve spent so many long years researching the heroes’ blood. If they resurrect Diablos, they’ll likely be able to attain their goal and obtain power surpassing that of even the heroes.” “I don’t like the sound of that.” “However, the Cult’s second reason is the more pressing of the two. You know about the Beads of Diablos, correct?” “They’re supposed to grant you eternal life, right?” “Well, the Cult can harvest only twelve a year. Imbibing a Bead prevents you from growing older for the coming year, but at the moment, the amount they’re able to produce is declining.” “What do you mean, it’s declining?” “I don’t know what’s causing it, but if things go on like this, it won’t be long at all before they lose that eternal life of theirs. That’s something the Cult’s leadership absolutely cannot allow to happen. They want to resurrect Diablos so they can go back to mass-producing Beads and ensure their eternal lives. The Cult has been ruling the world from the shadows for a long time, and their immortal leadership is what keeps their operation unassailable. If they lose the Beads, though, that foundation will waver… Koff.” The librarian takes a moment to steady his breathing, then looks up at the moon hanging in the night sky. “I don’t think it’s a coincidence that this is the era the Shadow Garden appeared in. This is the beginning of the end for the Cult’s long rule. That’s why you must pro…ceed with caution. Are those people truly…defending the peace and fighting for justice?” Alexia has no answer for that. All she knows about the Shadow Garden is that they stand in opposition to the Cult. Aside from that, everything about the organization is shrouded in mystery. “They might simply…be trying to steal it from the Cult…” “Steal it? Steal what?” Alexia asks the head librarian. “Eternal life… And also…the world itself… Koff, kaff!!” “Mr. Librarian…” “Wh-when the Cult falls…the world…will belong…to…the Shad…ow Gar… Koff.” The librarian hacks up a huge mouthful of blood. “Mr. Librarian!” “P-Princess Alexia…” He sucks in a pained breath as he chokes out the words. “The fate of Midgar…is in your hands…” And with that, he breathes his last. A beautiful young woman with fiery-red hair inspects the librarian’s corpse. The woman is Iris Midgar, one of the Midgar Kingdom’s princesses as well as Alexia’s older sister. Alexia sent Claire home and went to explain to the Knight Order what had transpired. “Right before he died, the librarian told me what the Cult was planning. They were the ones behind the disappearances, and they’re trying to unseal the right arm of Diablos that’s here in the—” “That’s enough,” Iris says, cutting Alexia off. “Huh?” “I’m through with listening to this nonsense.” “N-nonsense?” Alexia repeats in bewilderment. Iris gives her a stern look. “Listen to me, Alexia. The Cult of Diablos doesn’t exist.” “Doesn’t exist? Iris, what are you talking about? You swore to me we would investigate the Cult together…” “And through that investigation, we learned that the Cult of Diablos doesn’t exist.” That statement doesn’t come from Iris, but rather from the tall man beside her. He has eyes like a snake’s and pallid skin, both of which are vaguely unsettling. “And who are you?” Alexia asks. “It’s my pleasure to make your acquaintance, Princess Alexia. I’m Adder, vice-captain of the Crimson Order.” “He’s Glen’s successor,” Iris adds. “His talents have been a huge asset to us.” “You flatter me, Highness,” Adder says, smiling faintly at Iris’s compliment. “Now, you wanted to know about the Cult’s nonexistence? Well, we’ve gathered plenty of proof.” “The entire thing is a Shadow Garden hoax.” “I-I’m sorry, what?” “The Shadow Garden has committed countless crimes,” Adder explains. “They kidnapped you, Princess Alexia, they attacked the school, they destroyed the Sanctuary, and they slaughtered scores of people over in the Oriana Kingdom. And we’ve heard talk that there are even more victims across the world.” “But it was the Cult of Diablos that was behind all that!” “The Shadow Garden made the Cult up. In order to cover up their own crimes, they invented a criminal enterprise that doesn’t actually exist.” “You seriously think anyone’s going to believe that deranged nonsense?!” “Here’s our proof.” “Huh?” Adder hands Alexia a hefty document. On the cover, it says “How the Shadow Garden Invented the Cult of Diablos.” “A thirty-four-year-old man confessed that he pretended to be a Cult adherent on the Shadow Garden’s orders. They took his family hostage, so he had no choice but to obey them. A twenty-eight-year-old woman was kidnapped by the Shadow Garden and forced to forge documents about the Cult of Diablos. A fifty-seven-year-old man was—” “This is all bullshit!!” Alexia throws the document on the ground. “These confessions aren’t worth the paper they’re written on! If anything’s been forged, it’s this!!” “Don’t be uncouth, Princess Alexia. Are you accusing these fine people of falsifying their testimonies?” “I’m not even convinced they exist!” “We have material evidence as well, you know. This here proves that the Shadow Garden—” “I can’t take this anymore!” When Adder tries to hand her something, Alexia shoves it aside. Adder’s eyes narrow. “You have to open your eyes, Iris,” Alexia pleads. “Why are you listening to this charlatan? Please, look at me!” Iris averts her gaze. “You’re the one who needs to open your eyes, Alexia.” “I’m begging you here. They’re trying to free the right arm of Diablos!” “The Shadow Garden has pulled the wool over your eyes. All those people you thought were working for the Cult were acting as another arm of the Shadow Garden.” “You’re wrong, Iris!! You have to listen to me!!” As Iris turns her back on Alexia, Alexia reaches out for her. Slap. Iris swats Alexia’s hand away. “But…” “My enemy is Shadow, and I’ll mow down anyone who gets in my way. Even my own sister.” With that, Iris leaves. “The Crimson Order is busy dealing with the Shadow Garden,” Adder says triumphantly. “I’m afraid we need to take our leave.” Alexia stares in shock as her sister goes. Then she hears a voice from her side and turns to see a familiar face. “Princess Alexia…” “Marco…” It’s one of the Crimson Order’s founding members. He’s still young, but Glen trusted him a lot, and Alexia had always assumed that Marco would be the one to fill Glen’s shoes. “I’m sorry, Princess Alexia.” Marco walks briskly off, unable to meet Alexia’s gaze. “You too, Marco?” Marco doesn’t answer her question. Members of the Order carry the librarian’s corpse away. The forbidden book tumbles from Alexia’s hand. A golden tail sways amid the white fog. “Hmm-hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm.” There’s even some idle humming. The girl’s graceful footsteps are like those of a dancer. There are red pools of blood all around her, and each step she takes is accompanied by a loud squelch. “You’re certainly in a good mood, Zeta.” On hearing her name, Zeta stops mid-hum. “I was just at the good part.” “My apologies.” “Hmph.” Zeta twirls a blood-flecked chakram around her finger. A short, hooded girl emerges from the fog. “If you’re thinking of throwing that at me, please don’t.” “I’m not. Where’s Victoria?” “Working on the plan.” “Mm.” “I have a report from her.” “Mmm.” All of a sudden, Zeta stops spinning her chakram and hurls it into the air. Shlunk. A severed head falls from above. It cracks and shatters with a look of shock still etched on its face. “Good spot.” “Mm.” “I have a report from Victoria.” “Mmm.” “It would appear that Master Shadow intervened on behalf of Princess Alexia and the sister.” “That’s Claire to you.” The chakram whirls, and the girl’s hood flutters. “My apologies.” “Make sure it doesn’t happen again. So? What did he do?” “After dispatching the librarian, he brought them back out of the Sanctuary.” “Clever. Fenrir is in trouble now.” “That’s right. He doesn’t have many moves available to him. How is your progress coming along?” “Hmm?” “You know, analyzing the Sanctuary.” “Oh, I’m done.” “Already? But it’s only been a few days.” “Eta’s artifact is great.” Zeta produces a strange palm-size device. When she imbues it with magic, it begins faintly glowing. “It makes magic circuits visible. You can tell where they’re flowing and what they do at a glance.” Thin veins of light spread outward. They pulsate and lead to a set of pillars of red light. Inside each of the four pillars, there’s an academy student hooked up to a slender tube. “They’re trying to use the students’ magic to break the seal,” Zeta explains. “Looks like they don’t have enough mana.” “Yeah. They need high-quality magic. From the heroes’ descendants. I’ve figured out how the Cult sealed Diablos and how they built the Sanctuary.” “Then I guess we’re done here.” “Mm.” “What do you want to do? If we destroy the tubes, the seal will stay protected.” Zeta ponders the hooded girl’s question for a moment. However, there’s no need for her to do so. She already knows her answer. Zeta merely wants to steel her own resolve. “We leave them be.” “Are you sure about this?” “I’ve made my choice.” Zeta strides through the fog. After passing the pillars of red light and arriving at a massive door, she lays her hand on it. “The right arm is sealed away just past here.” “What do you intend on doing?” “While we’re here, I thought I’d pay my respects.” “Should we give the sign?” “If you want. Zeta, going in.” Zeta pours magic into the door. The door is covered in ancient script, and it’s locked shut with layers of thick chains. “Will it open?” the hooded girl asks Zeta. “Dunno. But I know who sealed the demon’s arm here.” “Who?” “Here she comes.” Zeta pours even more magic in. When she does, the door flashes red, and the magic circuits in the air expand. There’s a creak, and the door starts vibrating ever so slightly. However, it doesn’t open. The magic circuits gather in front of the door, and the vein-thin lights coalesce into the shape of a person. “Fall back.” “Yes, ma’am.” On Zeta’s order, the hooded girl backs all the way up. Eventually, the thin lights vanish, revealing a therianthrope woman standing in their place. She has golden hair, golden cat ears, a golden tail, and decidedly feline eyes. She bears a striking likeness to Zeta. The hooded girl gulps. “Is that…?” “Nice to meet you, therianthrope hero.” “Zeta, what in the world is going on?” “None of this is new information,” Zeta says matter-of-factly. Not a moment later, the therianthrope hero’s claws flash, and Zeta’s head goes flying. After spinning through the air, the severed head turns into black mist and vanishes. As it does, Zeta’s torso vanishes as well. The black mist melds into the white fog, and from it, Zeta emerges unscathed. She floats in the air and casts a cold look down at the therianthrope hero. “But I wanted to double-check it,” she says. The hero doesn’t reply. She simply gazes up at Zeta with eyes devoid of emotion. Still floating in the air, Zeta shoots a question down at the hooded girl. “Do you remember the day you first met our lord?” The hooded girl presses a hand to her chest. “Of course. How could I ever forget?” “Me neither. I’ll never forget that day.” Zeta stares intently at the therianthrope hero like she’s seeing the distant past just behind the woman’s frame. “I was just a tiny kitten—and our master took me in.” That there is what fuels Zeta’s resolve. “Bye-bye, Hero. I’ve chosen a different path than you.” Zeta turns to go. The short, hooded girl hurriedly follows her. “Are you sure about this? We haven’t given the sign yet.” “Mm. We can give it next time. We’ve achieved our current goal. Now we lurk in the shadows and wait for our moment.” “Then wait we shall.” As they talk, the two girls disappear into the fog. The therianthrope hero silently watches them go.