The Eminence in Shadow

However, Beta hadn’t realized that until it was too late.

Because of that, the worst-case scenario is unfolding before her eyes.

If the unthinkable happened and her master’s sister were to fall, Beta wouldn’t be able to face him anymore.

“Time to see what I can do against the legendary Blood Queen…,” she murmurs. Her eyes are filled with determination.

There’s only has one way she can fix her mistake: by beating the Blood Queen.

An intense look crosses Beta’s face as she concentrates magic into her ebony blade. Then she taps her toes against the ground to signal her orders to her subordinates.

The other three fan out.

They’re ready to act at a moment’s notice.

Beta stares at the Blood Queen and waits for the timing to line up.

All the Blood Queen is doing is slowly walking forward to close the distance. As the Red Moon’s light shines on her nude body, she stares right back at Beta. Although the look in her eyes is inscrutable, she seems almost sleepy.

She enters Beta’s range.

“—Hyah!!”

Beta’s slash marks the start of the battle.

Her attack’s gentle elegance call Shadow’s swordsmanship to mind.

The Blood Queen blocks it with the claws on her left hand. As she does, her right moves to attack.

However, before she can, Number 666 launches an assault on her from behind.

The Blood Queen has no choice but to use her right hand’s claws to ward Number 666’s attack off.

At the same time, Numbers 664 and 665 are already rushing in from her sides, and Beta begins her follow-up attack, as well.

The Blood Queen casts a drowsy glance at the three slashes bearing down on her—then only protects her heart.

All three blades cleave deep into her fair skin.

Fresh blood fills the air and sullies her flesh. However, she doesn’t so much as stir.

“I—I can’t get it out!” cries Number 664.

The three swords, still buried in the Blood Queen’s body, refuse to budge.

By catching their attacks in her muscle sinew, the Blood Queen has succeeded in sealing their movements, too.

“Rgh!!” Beta reinforces her body, then forcibly rips her sword free.

However, Numbers 664 and 665 don’t act in time.

“Change your swords’ shapes!” Beta cries. But she’s too late.

The Blood Queen’s claws bear down on the two of them.

That’s when Number 666 makes her move.

In a beautiful display of swordwork, she slices through the Blood Queen’s tendons.

When she does, the vampire’s arms go limp. They regenerate a moment later, but it’s just long enough for the other two to change their slime swords’ shapes and yank them free.

Then Beta lands a slash on the Blood Queen’s face, Number 664 lops a chunk out of her side, Number 665 slices open the tendons in her leg, and finally, Number 666 sends her flying with a slash to the back.

The Progenitor’s naked body crashes into the wall.

“Good work, 666.”

Number 666 responds with a tiny nod.

Buried in the rubble, the Blood Queen can’t move. Beta warily readies her blade, making sure to keep a safe distance back.

All it had taken was a glance for Beta to determine that the Blood Queen was a formidable foe.

Her initial impression was that fighting her one-on-one would be impossible. Even with three of her subordinates, she’d been expecting a rough fight.

In reality, she

had

been a fearsome opponent.

However, she’s easier to fight than Beta had anticipated.

The rookies were exceeding her expectations, too. It’s just as Lambda

had told her—between Number 664’s leadership, Number 665’s wisdom and intellect, and Number 666’s battle prowess, they made for a solid team.

“We might just be able to win this…,” Beta says unthinkingly.

But—

“You can’t… You people are strong, I’ll give you that. But Queen Elisabeth has only just awoken… This isn’t anywhere close to her full strength.” Mary’s eyes are filled with tears and despair as she cradles Claire. “Queen Elisabeth…has always been a late riser!”

“Huh?”

The Blood Queen’s magic is rising explosively, causing the very air to tremble.

When she rises from the rubble, she’s clad in a dress the color of blood.

No, that’s not quite it.

She’s clad in blood in the shape of a dress.

Her once-naked body is now hidden away under liquid. It slithers hypnotically over her skin, almost as if it were alive.

Beneath her mask, Beta grimaces, feeling the power radiating from the vampire.

“So

this

is the Blood Queen.”

Something cold runs up Beta’s spine. She can feel in her very skin just how fundamentally outmatched they are.

The Blood Queen is an honest-to-god monster.

The only person who could possibly stand up to such a freak of nature is her master.

“Beta…” Number 664 looks toward Beta for guidance.

Beta shakes her head.

She doubts the Blood Queen would let them escape if they tried, and they’d have to leave her master’s sister behind anyway, so the plan is a nonstarter.

A voice breaks the tension.

“Well, well, well, I see you have quite the monster here… Allow me to join the fray.”

Its owner is the nine-tailed fox who just appeared. Her silvery hair flutters as she snaps her iron folding fans open.

“You’re… Yukime the Spirit Fox…”

Beta’s never met her in person, but she’s fully familiar with the Lawless City’s rulers.

She and Yukime exchange a stare, each trying to discern something about the other.

Beta makes her decision. “We appreciate the help.”

“Then let us fight as comrades.”

They all square off against the Blood Queen.

However, they’re interrupted by yet another intruder.

“Hey now. Don’t go gettin’ this party started without me.”

The tanned behemoth marks his arrival by smashing in through the windowpane. Lifting his massive billhook onto his shoulder, he looks at the Blood Queen and scoffs.

“So you the boss round these parts? This town’s mine, lady. Don’t go thinkin’ you can just come in and do as you please.”

“Where exactly did you come in from?”

“Where I came in from is none of your damn business, hag. But this woman’s head is mine.”

“Oh, be my guest.”

The tanned giant readies his billhook.

Beta knows who he is, too. He’s one of the Lawless City’s other rulers, Juggernaut the Tyrant.

Now, all three of the Lawless City’s rulers are gathered in one room. Each of them boasts power enough to control a third of the city, and a full two of them are squaring off against the Blood Queen alongside her.

Beta thanks her lucky stars. They still have a chance.

“Take that!!” Juggernaut seizes the initiative.

With barbaric movements, he closes the gap and brings his billhook crashing down.

The Blood Queen doesn’t so much as move an inch.

“Th’ hell?!”

Although the vampire is the one who takes the weapon head on, the surprised shout comes from Juggernaut.

His billhook passes right through her without stopping.

“Mistform?!”

It’s the ability exclusive to powerful vampires that allows the user to turn their body into fog.

When the Blood Queen uses it, though, there isn’t any warning or lead-up. And what’s worse, she’s able to use it only on the part of her body in the billhook’s path.

“This is bull!!” Juggernaut swings his weapon in a wide sweep.

Once again, the Blood Queen takes the attack without even flinching. Her neck distorts for a moment as the billhook passes through it like air.

Then an orb of blood gathers at her right hand.

It’s filled with insane amounts of magic.

Yukime and Beta cry out in unison.

“That’s dangerous!”

“Get down!!”

The Progenitor releases the orb into the air, and it explodes.

When it does, blood sprays around them. In the blink of an eye, though, it coalesces into arrows and goes flying at each person present. The projectiles paint the air scarlet.

“—!!” Beta doesn’t hesitate.

She immediately moves to cover Claire and blocks the arrows with her body.

Her slime bodysuit hardens over her vitals, and she cuts down as many of the arrows as she can while using her body as a shield.

The projectiles cut deep lacerations into her cheeks, arms, and thighs.

Finally, the rain of arrows dies down.

Claire is unharmed.

Beta, on the other hand…

“Y-you…” The words get caught in Mary’s throat as she looks at her.

Beta’s black bodysuit has been spliced to ribbons, exposing her white skin and the red blood trickling from the dozens of punctures in her arms and legs.

“Rgh… I’m fine.”

Blood streams from Beta’s body and pools around her feet as she readies her sword.

However, not everyone was able to move like Beta had.

Number 664 is covered in wounds, and she’s losing blood from her abdomen at an alarming rate.

Number 665 is in the same condition, with lacerations running all over her body and heavy injuries to her feet.

Number 666 is covered in cuts, too, but none of her wounds seem serious.

Yukime took a couple hits, although she doesn’t look too bad.

As for Juggernaut, who was getting up close and personal when the bloody rain started…

“That stings like a mother…”

He’s utterly drenched in blood.

The arrows hit him all over, dying his tanned skin red. Even so, he remains standing on his own two feet with his billhook perched upon his shoulder.

The weapon in question is notably chipped. He must have used it to protect his vitals.

“Dammit… What the hell’s up with this chick…?”

Even so, he soon drops to one knee.

“The Red Moon… I finally remembered. To think that the Blood Queen was a Progenitor Vampire…!” Yukime’s face goes white.

“Th’ hell’s that?”

“An age-old tale… A legend of a vampire who destroyed several countries in a just three days. Knowing that, Mr. Shadow must have come to stop her…!”

“She took out a country in just three days…?” Juggernaut’s face twists into a grimace as he looks up at the Blood Queen.

At this point, there isn’t anyone present who doubts the legends.

“Fall back, 664 and 665.” Seeing that they’re in no state to continue fighting, Beta issues her orders. “You too, 666.”

“But I can still fight!”

“Don’t you have something you need to accomplish?”

“…Huh?”

Beta smiles beneath her mask as she steps forward.

Given the situation, no matter how they fight, even if they all work together, they can’t possibly win.

However, there’s still a way for them to emerge victorious.

After all, they have Beta’s master.

All she has to do is buy time until he shows up.

No matter what happens, no matter whom he has to face, Beta’s master is her absolute.

She squares off against the Blood Queen and gathers as much magic in her ebony sword as she can.

“Wha—?!”

Suddenly, though, her power starts running wild. She tries dropping her output to regain control, but her rampaging magic refuses to be quelled.

“Rgh!”

“Beta?!”

A familiar, unpleasant pain runs across her body.

Her skin starts turning black around the wounds where the blood arrows hit her.

These—these are symptoms of the possession.

Now that she knows the cause, Beta immediately changes how she’s trying to suppress her magic. She’s largely successful in getting it to settle down, but she’s still having a hard time controlling it.

Meanwhile, the Blood Queen makes her move.

She creates a gigantic orb of blood above her head, then piles enough magic into it that the air starts to quiver.

“No…”

Beta’s voice trembles. This attack looks to be far more powerful than the last, and she isn’t in much of a condition to move at the moment.

She hears shouts from behind her.

“Claire?! Claire, pull it together!”

Beta turns her head to see Claire in Mary’s arms. Her wounds are turning black, too.

Wait, she isn’t—

Everything is going horribly, horribly wrong.

The hovering orb condenses, ready to burst at any moment.

“Master Shadow, forgive me…,” whispers Beta, her voice sounding like she’s on the verge of tears—and Claire’s eyes snap open.

Claire is dreaming.

The white space she’s floating in seems to go on forever. She doesn’t see anything else there. Only her.

She just hears the beating of her own heart.

“…Can you hear me?”

Suddenly, she thinks she can make out a sound. She looks up.

“Can you hear my voice…?”

Now she’s sure of it.

When she looks in the voice’s direction, she sees a woman with long black hair. Claire peers into the woman’s violet eyes.

“Who are you…?”

“I’m here to help you.”

“Help me?”

“Yes, you.” The woman’s purple eyes sweep over Claire’s body.

“Huh? Wait, what’s going on?”

Claire’s fair skin is beginning to turn black.

It’s the exact same symptom as the one she experienced in the past.

“This can’t be…the possession?”

“Technically, it’s a little different. He cured you long ago of the thing you call the possession. He knows everything, after all.”

“Wait. It’s healed? And who is ‘he’…?”

“I believe you know him quite well.”

“No, I don’t. Who are you talking about?”

The violet-eyed woman’s only answer is a cryptic smile.

“Soon, the corruption will overtake you. That’s why I’ve come to lend you a bit of my power.”

“Hey, hold up! I still don’t have a clue what’s going on here!”

“Forgive me, but explanations aren’t exactly my strong suit.”

“Please, just tell me. What’s going on with my body?!”

“Hmm, how to put this simply…? Unfortunately, you’re adapting, and losing control in the process.”

“Sorry, I don’t follow.”

“The full explanation would take too long, and I’m afraid time isn’t on our side. I’ll see how concise I can make it.”

“I appreciate that.”

“Are you familiar with ‘evolution’? Long ago, a colleague I shared a laboratory with told me that humans originally came from apes. According to one theory, apes spent countless years adapting to their environments, and that’s how humans came to be. It’s an interesting hypothesis, although I’m unsure how much water it holds.”

“Um, okay… Does that have anything to do with this?”

“Absolutely. See, the thing is, one of the other researchers asserted that living creatures don’t adapt to their environments. This academic didn’t refute the claim that humans came from apes, though. Even among apes, there are smarter ones and stupider ones. Due to the harsh natural environment, more of the smarter apes survived and went on to breed among themselves and increase their numbers. Over time, only the smart ones were left, and after countless years, they became humans.”

“So, um, isn’t that the same thing? And also, what’s the point of telling me this?”

“They’re completely different. In other words, just because the apes happened to adapt to their environments doesn’t mean they adapted by choice.”

“O…kay?”

“See, the thing is…forgive me, what were we talking about again?”

“You were talking about me, right…? At least, I think you were.”

“Right, right, I was talking about adaptation.”

“…Huh?”

“The point of the matter is, the children who happen to adapt to their environments survive and gradually change their forms. The fact that the blood’s nature is currently divided in two is the product of adaptation as well. The original type placed too large a burden on its carrier’s body, so all those descendants died out. But when the blood split in two, its properties were divided as well. Now, though, both types of blood are trying to adapt to each other inside you. They split in two for a reason, so they don’t adapt to each other easily. But unfortunately, you fulfill the conditions, and even worse, you have no means by which to control them. That’s why your blood is running wild and destroying your bod—ah, we’re out of time.”

“H-hey, hold up, the part you just got to sounded really important! Wait, ow?!”

A sharp pain suddenly shoots across Claire’s hand. When she looks at its back, she finds an intricate magic circle drawn on it.

“The seal will teach you how to control it.”

“Hey, it’s healing.”

The black bruises are gone.

“Our time is up, and things are looking bad out there.”

“You know, you could have skipped the first half of that explanation.”

“I’m afraid I’m going to need to borrow your body for a little bit. I won’t be able to use my full strength, but…”

With that, the violet-eyed woman’s body starts going hazy and indistinct.

“Wait! What’s your name?!”

“Aurora…”

“Aurora… Why did you save me?”

“Because you’re his…” Aurora’s voice grows faint.

“His what? Who is ‘he’?!”

“Shadow…”

Before she can finish her sentence, Aurora vanishes completely.

“Wait… Shadow…?”

As she stands frozen in place, Claire whispers his name.

As Mary cradles Claire in her arms, Claire’s eyes snap open.

They’re now a beautiful shade of violet.

Then Claire suddenly rises to her feet. Those purple eyes make Mary catch her breath.

“Claire, your eyes…”

That isn’t the only thing that’s changed. The air about her feels more mature, and the quality of her magic seems different, too.

The biggest difference, though…is the fact that all her wounds have closed.

There’s blood smeared around the gash on her chest, but the crimson liquid squirms and coalesces in the air as an orb.

It’s just like what the Blood Queen did.

“Now then, let’s see how much this girl’s body can withstand…,” Claire murmurs. Her voice is calm and collected, and the way she’s talking, it’s almost as if she’s someone else entirely.

“Are you really Claire…?”

The moment the question leaves Mary’s mouth, the Blood Queen’s blood orb bursts.

The spray transforms into arrowheads so thick and unavoidable, they strike despair into every heart present.

They’re all frozen, unable to do anything but stare at the hopelessness bearing down upon them.

Everyone except

her

, that is.

“Sorry. But I’m the original…,” Claire mutters softly. Her blood orb bursts, too.

When it does, it scatters into tiny, tiny droplets. The blood practically forms a mist.

The incoming blood arrows get stuck in it.

“Huh?”

Mary is the only one who utters a word, but she’s far from the only one doubting their eyes.

The blood arrows have lost their momentum. They drip harmlessly to the floor.

“Once you released it from your body, stealing control of your blood was child’s play. I wasn’t able to take it all, but…”

Claire is grinning bewitchingly and looking at the vampire, who’s currently sporting several wounds.

After Claire’s blood mist stole control of the arrows, she turned them around. However, it was successful on only a few of them. All the others she was forced to just drop on the ground.

Still, the feat isn’t something a human being could pull off.

It’s like watching two Blood Queens go at it. Everyone is at a loss for words.

“Come now, projectiles are no way to fell a witch.” Claire licks up the blood spattered across her lips. It stains her tongue bright red.

Then the Blood Queen makes her move.

Her arrow wounds heal in an instant, and as they do, her blood dress changes form.

What was once a dress is now gory feelers.

In the flash of an eye, they propagate.

“See now, that’s more like it…,” Claire says, then releases feelers of her own from her body. They look the exact same as the Blood Queen’s.

The scarlet feelers spread, each set seeming like it’s trying to intimidate the other.

All at once, the battle begins.

Each spear-like tip rushes forward to meet the enemy.

Some of them come up from beneath the floor and others come down from the ceiling, but there are enough of them to pack the room full. Both combatants are assailed from all directions.

Many of them crash into each other, leaving scant few that reach their marks.

When they see the feelers bear down on them, Claire draws a scarlet scythe and the Blood Queen extends her crimson claws.

Then they each slice down the enemy’s feelers with a single strike.

The feelers soar through the air, crash into each other, slice each other up, and paint the room ruby with fresh blood. The Red Moon’s light streams down from the newly opened holes in the ceiling, casting the two beautiful women in its radiant glow.

Their fight is playing out too quickly for the eye to keep up with. They’re utterly inhuman.

Nobody can tear their gaze from the exquisitely savage battle.

“They’re incredible…”

“What a battle…”

Are the two evenly matched? It’s impossible for any of the observers to tell.

All they know is neither of them has dealt a decisive blow yet.

As the feelers’ fervent dance drags on, Claire sighs.

“We seem to be at an impasse. However”—she flashes an impish grin—“you’ve breathed in quite a bit of my blood mist, haven’t you?”

As the words leave her mouth, the Blood Queen collapses to one knee.

Gory vomit gushes from her mouth. Red tears stream from her eyes. Blood gushes from every orifice in her body.

“Groah…”

For the first time, the Progenitor lets out a moan of pain.

“You really have to make sure you take control of the mist you breathe in, you know.”

Claire’s feelers surge toward the kneeling Blood Queen.

She tries to raise feelers to defend herself, but they’re crushed under the mass of Claire’s assault.

The wall of feelers conceals the vampire from view. Blood fills the air.

All that’s left of her is a red puddle.

“It’s a far cry from my full strength, but perhaps it will do.”

The mature bearing. The enigmatic smile. The inhuman battle prowess. The violet eyes.

The Claire standing there with her arms crossed isn’t the girl Mary knows.

“Claire, what in the world happened to you…?”

She casts a fleeting glance Mary’s way and offers her a troubled smile. It almost resembles Claire’s.

The next moment, though, her violet eyes are filled with caution.

A dense mist of blood envelops their surroundings, eventually coalescing into the shape of a person.

“You’re kidding…”

“This can’t be. She’s still

alive

…?”

Alarmed voices fill the air, but Mary understands. The Elisabeth she knew wouldn’t go down so easily.

As Claire is right now, though, she’s going toe to toe with her.

As long as she’s here, the tragedy of a thousand years ago won’t be repeated.

But as the unharmed Blood Queen emerges from the mist, Claire’s body keels forward.

She drops to one knee.

“I suppose this body has reached its limit…”

The look on her face is pained, and a line of blood trickles from her mouth. Claire’s body is unable to withstand the inhuman power it’s putting out.

Claire is kneeling, and the Blood Queen is lording over her. It’s a complete reversal of the scene from just moments ago.

“Man, we just can’t catch a break here…”

“This is bad…”

“Oh, no…”

Mary’s eyes water.

If Claire goes down, there won’t be anyone left to stop Elisabeth.

The tragedy will repeat itself, and when everything is over, her queen will fall into despair once more…

Mary never wants to go through that again.

She rushes to Claire’s side. “Claire!”

“You’re…”

“Claire, are you okay?! I’ll—I’ll buy you some time.”

Mary draws her sword and squares off against the Blood Queen.

“It’s fine. I’ve done enough.” Claire extends a feeler and stops Mary in her tracks. “My work here is done. All I needed to do was buy time until

he

showed up…”

A radiant smile spreads across her face.

“‘He’…?”

“That’s right. He’s here…”

An ebony shadow descends on them.

“My name is Shadow. I lurk in the darkness and hunt down shadows…”

Upon seeing him, Claire collapses with a relieved look on her face.

The ebony figure’s longcoat flutters behind him as he draws his blade.

“Hey, it’s that little—!”

“Good heavens! You’re—!”

“—Master Shadow!”

Beta trembles with joy.

Her faith in her master is absolute.

Ever since she and the others were young and weak, he’s tirelessly stood before them to fight back the darkness. She grew up watching him from behind.

Even against the Blood Queen, she’s sure he’ll be fine.

Maybe it’s because of how safe he makes her feel, or maybe it’s because of how long it’s been since she last saw him, but she feels almost as though his body is a little bit bigger than usual.

But not everyone necessarily feels the same way.

“The hell you show up

now

for?”

“Mr. Shadow, be careful. The Blood Queen, she is not normal.”

The look Juggernaut casts Shadow’s way is disgruntled, and the one Yukime does is filled with worry.

How rude!

Beta glares at the two of them.

While all that is going on, the air between Shadow and the Blood Queen is growing tense.

Shadow readies his ebony blade. The Blood Queen deploys her red feelers.

That’s when Beta realizes.

The aura the Blood Queen is emanating has grown even stronger.

“The woman’s a monster…”

“Sweet heavens! That wasn’t her full strength…?”

Juggernaut and Yukime seem to have noticed it, too. The Blood Queen’s power has grown since her fight against Claire.

Her eyes flash like scarlet rubies as her blood dress writhes even more animatedly than before.

The tension between her and Shadow reaches its crescendo—and at long last, the blood feelers and the ebony blade meet.

Innumerable feelers bear down on Shadow, but his ebony blade arches beautifully through the air as it slices them all down.

Trails of red and black collide over and over as the combatants’ terrifying speed leaves all the bystanders in the dust.

For them, though, the attacks are meant as little more than feints.

Suddenly, the Blood Queen’s body wavers, and a second later she’s behind him.

Her red claws are aimed straight at his back.

Shadow’s body abruptly wavers in turn.

The claws find nothing but empty space as the black sword impales the Blood Queen from behind.

Sploosh.

The Blood Queen bursts with a sound like water being dumped from a bucket, and blood arrows fill the air around them.

As Shadow swats them down, the Blood Queen puts some space between them.

They square off again, as though the fight just started over from the beginning.

“He’s…goin’ toe to toe with that monster?”

“My! What incredible speed…”

The battle was far too fast for any of them to make out, but they all gawk at it regardless. Beta’s heart is filled with joy.

This is her master in all his glory.

At the same time, though, she feels uneasy in a way she can’t quite put into words. There’s something about him that seems just a little off…

Before she can try to figure out what it is, the Blood Queen makes her move.

She detaches two of her feelers, then uses their blood to create two copies of herself.

“Watch out! This is what made Queen Elisabeth the strongest Progenitor: her ability to make blood copies of herself and control them at will!”

Immediately after Mary finishes shouting, three of her queens shoot feelers at Shadow.

The ebony blade slices through their feints.

The battle is playing out just like it did before.

Unlike last time, though, there are three Blood Queens that use the feelers’ cover to launch a surprise attack this time.

One of them attacks from behind, one from above, and the last from his side.

Shadow adroitly avoids all three.

His defensive movements are so flowing and elegant that it’s almost like he knew where the Blood Queens were going to come from. Their dance seems destined to go on forever.

As the fight goes on, though, Beta comes to realize her initial sense of unease is growing larger and larger.

What is it?

In all her memory, has her master ever spent this long crossing blades with an opponent?

—No.

Something is different.

Something about her master is off.

Suddenly, apprehension surges through her heart.

She devotes her full attention to the battle, trying to figure out what it is that’s making her so worried.

The red feelers assault Shadow, then the three Blood Queens ambush him from his blind spots.

As she watches the process repeat, Beta finally realizes.

For all his skillful defense, none of Shadow’s movements are leading into counterattacks.

No matter how well someone protects themselves, they’ll never take their opponent out if they don’t hit back.

So why isn’t Shadow counterattacking?

The endless onrush of feelers coming from every direction is limiting his movement, and the Blood Queen’s surprise attacks are constantly leaving him on the back foot.

How can that be happening?

There’s a reason for it—Shadow’s legs aren’t moving.

Beta knows her master, and she knows that he normally dodges his opponent’s attacks with an undetectable amount of movement so he can immediately shift into his counterattack.

Yet now, he’s repelling the feelers with his sword. Because he’s using his sword to block the assault, his counterattacks are delayed by a beat. During that time, the Blood Queens invariably bear down on him with their claws, so he loses the chance to strike back entirely.

Why—?

Why aren’t you dodging, my lord—?

His feet are sluggish. His movements are stiff.

That combat style he’s using, where he stands in place and repels the feelers manually—it’s almost as though he’s protecting something precious.

“—Gh?!”

That’s when the pieces click into place.

Beta herself is standing behind Shadow.

Behind her are the wounded Number 664 and Number 665, Number 666 trying to protect them, and her master’s unconscious sister…

“O-oh…” Beta’s voice trembles.

This whole time—he’s been covering for them.

He’s spent the entire fight protecting them all.

That’s

why he hasn’t been dodging.

Tears well up in Beta’s eyes.

“Master Shadow…”

Then the equilibrium finally shatters.

The red feelers smash into Shadow, and the three Blood Queens press the assault.

He’s sent flying and crashes through the wall.

“Mas-Master Shadowwwwwwwwwwwww!!” Beta’s heartbroken shriek echoes through the room.

Ignoring her body’s screams of agony, she practically drags herself toward the collapsed wall.

“No, no… Master Shadow… Master Shadow… Master Shadow!!”

This would never have happened if they hadn’t been dragging him down.

Beta curses her own weakness.

She hates herself for not even being able to stand up.

Tears stream ceaselessly from her eyes as she crawls along the floor and leaves a bloody trail in her wake.

“Master Shadow! Master Shadow!!” Beta stretches her hand toward the shattered wall.

Before she can reach it, bluish-purple magic comes pouring from the rubble.

“Wha—?!”

“What is—?!”

Its power is so overwhelming that the air is shaking and the rubble is floating up off the ground. The bluish-purple magic paints over the moon’s red light.

Then Shadow emerges from the other side of the wall clad in a colossal mantle of energy.

“Master Shadow!!”

Her lord is standing there the same as ever.

The unease Beta felt is gone.

She sees her master surrounded by his beautiful bluish-purple magic.

Although he looks a little smaller for whatever reason, he’s brimming with power.

He focuses the magic into his sword and squares back off against the Blood Queen.

“I might just show you what I’m capable of…”

Beta’s heart leaps when she hears his voice. It’s so deep, it sounds like it’s coming from the depths of the abyss.

There’s nothing left to be worried about.

She feels almost sorry for the Blood Queen, now that her master isn’t pulling his punches anymore.

“Oh, Master Shadow, thank good— Huh?”

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, Beta sees something glimmering behind the wall.

For some reason, there’s a huge pile of gold coins strewn about there. Beta cocks her head to the side.

Why would there be…? Oh, whatever.

Given the fact that her master is fine, everything else seems trivial in comparison.

“Master Shadow! You can do iiiiiiiit!!”

And with Beta’s cheer of encouragement, the battle begins anew.

Bluish-purple magic rages all around Shadow.

“Shit! He’s a fair match for the Blood Queen… No, he’s

stronger

…”

“Verily. No human can wield magic like this…”

Shadow’s heels go

click

,

click

on the floor as he strides nonchalantly toward the Blood Queen. However, the Blood Queen has no intention of letting his arrogance stand.

A massive number of blood feelers surround Shadow and assail him.

He fends them off with his sword.

Then he takes a casual step forward.

“Wha—?!”

“What is he—?!”

Everyone present can tell just how terrifying his footsteps are.

He isn’t even using his sword anymore.

The innumerable feelers all just stream past him, almost as though they’re trying to avoid contact.

Another step.

Click.

It’s as carefree as the last.

The way the Blood Queen’s feelers keep missing, it’s like watching a magic trick.

Shadow’s completely seen through their trajectories.

He dodges them with the tiniest movements possible, then closes the gap one step at a time. It’s like he’s saying they’re not worthy of his notice.

Even when a Blood Queen appears behind him, he dodges her almost before she strikes, then keeps walking.

He doesn’t counterattack.

He knows he doesn’t need to.

He just ignores them and keeps walking.

All he’s looking at is the real Blood Queen.

“He’s dodgin’ her attacks just by walking—?!”

“Such microscopic movements…! Is that even possible…?” Yukime gasps.

He’s attained an ideal.

Perfect movements. The kind people imagine, the kind they only dream of. He’s reached the pinnacle of martial skill.

“So

this

is the real Shadow…”

“Mayhap he is the real monster…!”

Click, click, click.

The sound from his boots echoes throughout the room.

Finally, he comes to a stop.

When he does, the blood feelers pause, too.

He’s so close, he could reach out and touch her.

For a short while, the beautiful Blood Queen and the jet-black Shadow just stare at each other.

The Blood Queen stands with the crimson moon at her back. Shadow stands clad in his bluish-purple magic.

Everything is still, almost as if all the tempestuous violence had never happened.

Yet despite the utter silence, it feels as though the two of them are conversing.

“You seek death…?” Shadow’s voice is low and deep, as if it were coming from the depths of the abyss. “Very well…”

A tremendous amount of magic gathers in his ebony blade.

The bluish-purple energy converges in a spiral.

The Blood Queen extends her crimson claws.

Why is it…? Why is it that those loathsome nails seem full of sorrow now…?

“—Wait!!”

That’s why Mary leaps forward.

“Please, wait!!”

She dashes toward them.

They can start over. She’s certain of it.

That’s why she needs to—!

“Queen Elisabeth!!”

She frantically stretches out her hand.

But…the blood feelers knock her away.

“I AM…”

Shadow’s heartless voice sounds out.

“Queen Elisabeth!!” Mary screams.

For a second, Elisabeth looks her way.

Her red eyes gaze gently at her.

“…ATOMIC. RECOVERY.”

The red claws and the black sword collide, and the world disappears into the bluish-purple light.