Chapter 2: New members
She did not expect to be in any danger today. When she first heard that her family is going to visit some friends, she thought that they would go to the capital of Midgar Kingdom, Oriana Kingdom or even the Velgata Kingdom. But she didn't expect her parents planning to go to some unknown Baron. She played the role of the perfect daughter and didn't make the effort to complain because she knew from the look of her parent's faces that that would fall on deaf ears.
But she was pleasantly suprised by the trip to the Kagenou lands. She herself likes to admit that she is too beautiful for any standards in this world and that she could hook any man she wanted. To be this confident in her beauty in the age 6 seems very arrogant but she didn't grow up any different way because the Hikari household made her out to be a goddess. But then comes the second son of the Kagenou family, Cid Kagenou. A boy so ordinary and plain looking that if she ever saw him on the street before, she wouldn't have regonized him. But his reaction to her presence was so off and different to what she was used to, that she couldn't help but admit that she was curious why he didn't turn into a blushing mess when he first saw her.
Suddenly the Kagenou siblings, more the sister if she's being honest, suggested to go play, train in her mind, outside just next to the river bank. While she was being a little offput how the older sister decided what to do next, she was being spoken to by the youngest one in the family about her own opinion. And just like before, he didn't blush, he didn't stammer or did anything that would give her any clue why he didn't react to her. The only noteworthy thing she remembers is that his eyes aren't looking directly at her. She knows that he made eye contact to talk with her, but his eyes seemed to go right through her skull as if he was thinking about something else at the moment while multitasking everything around him.
She pushed that thought out of her head.
There's no way someone her age could do something like that.
And so she followed the siblings to the riverbank and set out a picnic blanket under a tree. The spar itself was very boring. The sister just violantly bashing with her sword while the younger sibling just defended the onslaught of his older sister. It happend exactly when she didn't pay attention to her surroundings. She only heard the sound of steel crashing into each other and a yelp from the youngest Kagenou but she never heard the sword falling to the ground.
"LOOK OUT!"
She looked upward and saw a sword flying directly towards her. In this split second she knew that couldn't ever possibly dodge and many thoughts raced through her mind. She closed her eyes in fear.
Am I going to die?
Is this how I meet my end?
NO!
I don't want to die yet!
I still have so many dreams!
For the first time in my life I found someone who isn't completly head over heels over me!
I wanted to know why!
WHY!
But to her suprise, death never came and as she opened her eyes again she would find Cid Kagenou standing over her with one arm on the tree supporting him. She saw blood dripping down from somewhere behind his back and came to find out that the sword, that would've definitely killed her, is now struck into his back. She could hear him asking her something but his words went into one ear and out of the other. She didn't have any time to think how he was able to get to so fast or why he even protected her because as six year old girl, when you see someone stabbed by a sword, you know that this isn't a pleasing sight. Thus she fainted.
When she woke up it was already time to go home. She didn't even get to thank her savior! Or spend any time with him! She promised herself to come back one day, she didn't care if it was tomorrow, in a week, in a month or even many years later, but she was determined to come back.
When I woke up from my little slumber, for the perfect act of course, I was suprised to find Claire napping on the side of my bed. Well suprised isn't really the word that describes what I think. I know that she would look after me while I was sleeping the "pain" away, but I specifically set my sleep time for three days so it would seem like that I made a miracle recovery. And so finding her beside me with eye bags made me a little bit guilty. But that moment of peace and quiet didn't last long, as just a little movement from me caused her to wake up immeadiatly.
"Cid! You're awake! Thank Goddess, I would never be able to forgive myself if you died here!"
My sister hugged me tightly forgetting that a blade was through my back and so I had to act according to the script.
"Ouch! Claire you're hugging me way to tight! Did you forget that my sword was in my back?"
She instantly lets go of me.
"Oh, I'm so sorry, Cid!"
"It's alright."
"I'm just so happy to see you awake and most importantly alive!"
"Yeah, I'm happy to see you too, Claire. Also I found out something really cool after this experience."
"What is it?"
"You can get stabbed as much as you want, but as long as it misses the vital organs and veins, you should be alright!"
Well I put my organs to the side with magic when the sword pierced my body but she doesn't need to know that.
Claire looks at me with a bewildered and horrifing expression.
"NO! Cid, that's something that you shouldn't learn by experiencing by yourself!"
"But Claire...!
"More importantly, why did throw yourself between miss Hikari and the sword?! Did you ever think about how it could have killed you!"
Meh, not really. I plan to live at least 200 years. I can't die by a merely throwaway sword. That wouldn't be eminence in shadow like.
"I- I don't know! It was just a reflex! But I also thought that it would be bad if the daughter of the duke and friends of our parents died because of us."
I add my parents to this discussion because I know that they're outside the door, listening to our conversation.
"You make a good argument there, but I still have one last question."
Is this a interrogation, or what? I just woke up.
"How did you get to miss Hikari so quickly? The force I put into my swing wasn't little and sword flew at high speed, but you were still fast enough to catch up to it in the last second. Tell me, Cid, how did you do it?"
Now she's grilling for answers. The way she asked me that reminds me of a crimi I read when I was still in my old world.
"I put all of my magic into my feet, I think?"
I give her the answer as vague as possible.
"That's it?"
"That's it."
She looks at me suspiciously for a moment before she smiles.
"At least you're alright. And I can use this fact for our parents to make you stand in a better light than before!"
"Yes, Claire."
"And then they'll be convinced that they should put you two years forward!"
"No, Claire."
"Urgh, why are you listening now out of all times!?"
She seems very adamant to push me two years forward.
"Still, you are way too strong, Claire. I don't think I will ever reach your level."
He lied as easily as he breathed.
"Don't speak such nonsense! I know you have the potential in you! Even if mom and dad don't see it, even if the world doesn't see it, I'll always believe that you could do so much greater with this potential of yours."
"Thanks Claire, but you're still overestimating me."
"Stop being so modest and accept my praise!"
"Yes, Claire."
Two years have passed since then. I found out that slime is a really good way to maximize my output in magic. Normal swords made out of iron only have a 10% efficiency, meaning that if you put in 100 points of magic into it, you would only get a output of ten percent from the 100 points you put in. A 90% loss of magic is way too much for me so I had to look for other ways. Even mithril, an expensive ressource and known to be used for many artefacts has only a 50% efficiency. So no matter what I do there always be a huge loss in magic.
But alas I found slimes. Out of boredom I poured some of my magic into them and found out that their magic conductivity is a whopping 99% percent! Furthermore, as they are in their liquid form, they can change to any form I like as long as I have the precision to put my magic into the right places. And so I hunted slimes for the next months, crushed their cores, until I realized there was a shortage of slimes in our territory. Luckly for me, nobody cared about some slimes disappearing here and there, so I didn't have to worry.
*knock* *knock*
"Come in."
A maid opens the door of my room but doesn't enter it.
"Lord Kagenou, you have a visitor."
A visitor? Who would visit this mob character? Maybe there is someone who likes to scam me? Unforgivable! I earned my money hard and honestly!
He stole it from bandits
"I'm coming down now."
Whoever this is, they are better ready for a beating if they think they can scam a eminence in shadow in the making! I need this money to financially support my 200 year old life!
As I go down, these thoughts plague my mind and I finally reach the door. Taking a deep breath I open the door, ready to confront any scammer in this world.
Contrary to my expectations, it wasn't a old or middle aged man looking like he wants to sell me something completly worthless, but a girl with blonde hair and sky blue eyes my age looking at me.
"Ummm, how can I help you?"
For some reason I can see a tick appearing on her forehead, but it quickly fades away as this random person smiles at me.
"Long time no see, Cid Kagenou. Do you remember me?"
Ohhhh. I see. That's the type of scam where they say "don't you remember me? I'm your friend!" and then ask to borrow some money only to never return.
But wait, I think I really saw this girl somewhere before. I just can't remember where. Meh, time for some mob bullshit time!
"Of course I remember you! I would never forget a face like yours!"
Her cheeks turn a little red at that.
"Oh, I'm honored that you remember me. So tell me what is my name?"
Why is she like speaking in riddles? Isn't she my age?
"Your name is.... Akemon Nikaro?"
Huh, sounds familiar to somewhere before. I just don't remember who or when.
"Completly WRONG!"
I flinch at the volume of her voice.
Geez, she didn't have to scream my ear off.
Seems like my bullshit techniques need some improvement.
"If you don't remember me, don't pretend like you do! It's insulting!"
"Sorry."
"For your information, my name is Amelia Hikari, remember that!"
Hmmmm. Where have I seen her before? Ah, I remember now! It was the time when I threw myself in front of a sword for the first time.
"Got it, Amelia. Won't forget again."
"You better."
"So back to my question, that you politly ignored. How can I help you?"
"You don't remember?"
"As you can see from our conversation before, I only remembered and memorized your name just now."
She looks down at the ground with a strange expression before looking up to me again.
"Nevermind, I came to play with you!"
"Play with me?"
I look around me while pointing my finger towards myself.
"Are you sure, you don't want to play with my sister or got the wrong person?"
"You are Cid Kagenou, right?"
"...No?..."
"Why are you lying again?! You just confirmed who you are just a few moments ago!"
"You lose every shot you don't take, right?"
She looks at me like my sister did two years ago when I told how sturdy the human body is if you just protect all the vital parts. But then she laughs out loud like she repressed in herself for many years and wipes some tears from her eyes.
"I knew it wasn't a mistake coming here."
And so she smiles at me while I still think about how many ways she has, to scam me and if I have already fallen into her trap.
"I knew it wasn't a mistake coming here."
Never in my life have I laughed out so loud before. Maybe I have but not this geniunely infront of a person I just met for the second time. And maybe it's just me but his eyes are looking at me more compared to the past.
I know, the time that I will spend with you, Cid Kagenou, will be a unforgettable one. Nobody can change my mind in that. Not some adults, not my parents and certaintly not Cid Kagenou himself!
If he even tries to put distance between us, I'll find him. No matter what.
Only he's able to make me feel so alive in this world and I'll never trade him for anything else.
And so my days of entertaining the little duchess began. At first it was funny and was even entertaining for me to be playing with her. Until Claire came in and saw us two playing and then something flipped in her mind. I don't know what flipped but many things do that in her brain if something doesn't go her way, so it's pretty normal for me now.
"YOU! You are the reason why my little brother almost died!"
"ME?! You were the one who knocked his sword my way and he only protected me from it!"
"Excuses over excuses! If you weren't there in the first place, Cid would've never come to rescue you!"
"You were the one who suggested that you two should go sparring and even wanted me to tag along with you!"
"I never said anything about you tagging along two years ago! You decided that by yourself!"
"Grrrrr!"
"Grrrrr!"
What am I looking at? Is this what you call cats and dogs bickering with each other? Well whatever, I have to stop them before they scream the whole mansion down.
"Hey, calm down you two, how about you get along with each other peacefully and don't make unnecessary enemies, yea?
Urgh. That sounded way too protagonist like. I should have thought more about the choice of my words.
"No, she's the reason you almost died, Cid! While I admit I'm also partly fault at that."
"No, why would I get along with someone who falsely accuses me of attempted murder on my friend?"
We are friends now? Who decided that? You are moving way too fast, little girl. Oh, whatever better not say anything before everything becomes worse.
"If you both say so."
""On which side are you, Cid?""
""On mine, right?""
""Stop copying me!""
It's almost scary how in sync they are. If we were ever to be attacked by twin angels, I would pick these two to be pilots of giant robots.
Time for a tactical retreat.
"I have to take a dump. Smell ya later!"
"Ah."
"Ah."
I run out of this place as fast as a mob character should be able to run (I know because I observed how fast other people run in average).
But that wasn't the only annoyance and headache Amelia Hikari would bring me over the years.
She became a frequent visitor in this household even more than her parents and would never miss any opportinuty to mess with me or demand something really ridicilous like promising to marry her when we grow up. While her parents and my parents found it cute and lovely, my sister and I weren't amused at all. The first time we would agree on somethink wholeheartly. Sometimes she would like to play "House" which I find suprising how universal this role play game is because children in my old world would play the same. Back to the topic, in this "House" play I would have to play the husband and she would be the wife showering me with affection and love but I know this trick! She just waits for me to let my guard down so she can snatch all my money away from me. But don't worry I'll never fall for such tricks!
This behavior and routine went on for two years until I found something really interesting.
"YAHOOOO!"
Three men were sliced up into pieces before they could even react.
"I see buisness is booming, my dear bandits! So kindly show me all your valuables."
I have crazy expression to my face, a face a normal 12 year old wouldn't have. But it's nighttime and everyone who sees my face will pretty much die tonight.
"Don't get cocky with us, kid!"
One bandit takes out a gun and aims it towards me. Without hesitating he shoots it. As expected from bandits, no mercy for those they don't like. And even more for a kid that is threatening them. I dodge the bullet easily by just stepping sideways.
"He just...!"
Mister bandit seems very perplexed by the fact that I'm not dead yet or even more that I dodged his bullet but that doesn't matter to me.
"You, over there, enough idle chitchat. I said show me the money."
And like them it is based on reciprocity how I handle people I don't like or in my opinion are evil. The best choice that I can do for them is to get fresh and clean kill before they even know anything. So I behead the guy who fired at me with an extended slime sword.
"A slime sword... Nice, isn't it?"
I look at my hand resembling a black hook before stretch out my hand towards the frozen bandits that cannot believe what they're just seeing. Out of my five fingers slime is stretching out to dismember and behead the rest of the bandit group.
"Wow, it's even more useful than I thought it'd be."
"Uh. wait."
As I talk to myself I see that accidently killed all of the bandits near the campfire.
Damn it. I couldn't even test the other features of the new slime suit.
"All right. Next... I can test it on you."
I say that while blocking the slash to my neck from behind with my slime sword.
"If you really work hard at it, you can survive for about two minutes. So hang in there."
I look back at the man towering above me while I'm smirking.
He pulls his sword back and tries to stab me between my eyes.
"Don't mock me, boy!"
I block his attack with my sword just before it connects.
"Suprised? I might not look like much, but I'm a Bushinryu master!"
Wow how mob and bandit like to reveal which swordsarts he is a master in just because he wanted to flex. For stylish points I'm allowing you to slash me once.
As I'm getting slashed, a suprised expression runs over my face and blood gushes out from my body. I can see him smirk and lavish in his temporary victory. Before everything changes its color into black slime and the "Bunshinryu master" is getting cut by slime coming down from my feet.
"Just kidding. You didn't even last two minutes."
"Yup, I'm really happy with this slime bodysuit, too."
"My caravan friends, I have avenged you."
As I say that I punch a chest full of gold coins open.
"Don't worry, I will make good use of the gifts you left behind."
"Money..." With money you start doing many things that you would have never done before. So I think it would never be a bad idea having too much of it.
"Art..." I can't say a lot about art. Just that if it comes from a famous painter, it's value will increase. But what makes a famous painter a famous painter?
"Food..." Not something I'm particularly interested in, so I usually skip over them.
Suddenly I hear a ruffle behind me. As I turn around I see a cage being hidden by a blanket.
"A cage? Is it a slave?"
I certaintly hope that it is not a slave! What would I even do with them? I can't really give them a place to stay and I can't even sell them because what 12 year old is selling slaves?
As I take off the white blanket, what greets me isn't a slave but blob of stinking and rotting flesh.
I crouch down and talk to it.
"This is unexpected. You're not a corpse. You've started to rot, but you're still alive."
"Which means you're a possessed?
Suddenly a familiar wavelengh of magic emits from the rotting blob.
"That wavelengh... I've felt it before. It's just like a magical overload."
Magical overload is something that I used to have in my early stages of using magic. Because I had too much output of magic in my body, some of bodyparts began to turn black. Luckly I just put more magic into these spots (It's a more sophiscated way but this one is easier to explain) but I can still feel the magical overload in my body.
Wait. If this blob is just like magical overload in it's final stages, then why don't I do some experiments on it to see how to cure it. If I can cure this blob, then I would be able treat myself. I smirk as I put in a lot of my magic into the possessed, making it grow larger.
"I can use this blob. It's not my body, so I can do anything I want with it without hurting myself."
This is our protagonist.
After that, I started shooting it up with magic. I tried all kinds of things that didn't work in a period of exhilarating experimentation. I had to fight off Claire and Amelia in the meantime, or more like hide from them because for some reason they would always be able to find me.
Then, one month later...
I finally succeeded in containing the magical overload.
Yes! With this new knowledge I'm able to increase my mana pool even more!
But...
Out of the rotten and stinking blob, a blond elf took its original form back.
"Oh, man... Who knew something that decomposed could revert back to normal?"
The naked elf infront of me shows signs of waking up as she twitches and tries to open her eyes.
Uh-oh! What do I do now? Oh! I have an idea!
I hurry to one of the boxes inside the abandoned house and sit on it.
Stay sharp. This is your first performance as the eminence in shadow.
"I see you've awakend."
The elf girl looks confused at her body
"Huh, I'm... But I can't be!"
"I have broken the curse that was gnawing away at you. You're free now."
"You did this? What curse?"
"Yes, the curse, it's..."
C'mon Cid think!
"...a terrible curse that cast on you and the other heroes's descendants."
She looks perplexed.
"I understand your consternation, But surely you, too, have heard of it."
As I look inside the box I was sitting on, I pull out a book having the three heroes on the title.
"The fairy tale recorded in the scriptures, about three heroes who defeated the demon Diablos and saved the world. That story is true."
She gasps in suprise
"And the demon, with his dying breath, cast a curse. That is what really turned you into that rotting lump of flesh. But someone has twisted history, and turned you into subjects of scorn, calling you possessed."
This elf girl looks up to me more concerned than before.
"And the one behind it all is..."
"Yes, the mastermind is..."
"No, it's too soon to speak the name. If you knew, you would only be in danger."
Wow, great job, me. I have to work on my LARPing a bit more.
"I don't care!"
Eh?
"Eh?"
"Who did this to me?"
"I see... In that case, I'll tell you..."
C'mon cid, 30 years of trying to be the eminence in shadow and you can't even get your first act right? Think Cid! THINK!
Ah!
"The cult of Diablos... a group of zealots who are plotting to revive the great demon."
As I reveal the name of "the cult of Diablos" the elf girl clenches her teeth and furrows her eyebrows.
"They never come out into the light of the day. My mission is to remain in the shadows, to put an end to their evil schemes. I guess."
While I'm ad-libbing my way out of this bullshit I engulf the the house in my magic and take on my other outfit.
"Yes, my name is Stylish-"
No I think it's time for a cooler name. Especially in this moment.
"Sorry."
"My name is Shadow. He who lurks in the shadows to hunt the shadows."
"Shadow..."
HECK YEAH MAN! Shadow is such a cool name. Plus the description behind it. I absolutely nailed it. 10/10, no complains.
"My path is not an easy one, but I must fulfill my mission."
I step down from the box and stand before her.
"Child of the heroes, are you prepared to walk my path with me?"
She looks at her hand.
"When I fell ill- I mean, when I was struck with the curse, I lost everything. My only future was to waste away as a hideous beast, but you saved me."
Her eyes turn upwards towards me.
"So... If it is what you wish, I will give you my life. And I will punish the guilty with death!"
I mentally do a guts pose.
Hell yea, this elf is hella gullible!
I stretch my right hand out towards her and she takes it.
My slime engulfes her entire body and changes into a black cloak.
I mean, I made the whole thing up.
"We'll probably be up against powerful government leaders and stuff. And I'm sure there will be many people under their control who don't know the truth."
"Nevertheless, I cannot show mercy to any who stand in our way."
"Yes, good! That's the spirit!"
She's really good at this! Almost like a natural if you ask me.
"We will need to find the other hero descendants and take them under our wing."
"Uh, right."
She stands up and comes closer to me. She's a few inches taller than me.
"As we expand our organization, we'll need to strengthen our base of operations accordingly. We'll need to collect funds to that end."
"Yeah, but in moderation."
I will not be using any of my hard earned money just for some role play game I just made up on the spot!
"Okay, then, uh, right...We'll call our organization..."
I go towards the exit and look back at her.
"Shadow Garden. And your name is now Alpha."