Case Closed, Yes, Let’s Talk About the Old Days

Well, last night was a very serious incident.

The culprit in the serial disappearances was, to my surprise,

the head librarian of the school.

I witnessed the head librarian kidnapping nee-san and

Alexia and tying them up in a mysterious fog. What a bad

hobby.

He was a pervert——.

However, he could not stop himself from committing the

crime even though he was conflicted about himself as a

pervert.

Each person has their own purpose in life. But when that

purpose is rejected by society, one must make a choice.

Do you go through with it or do you kill yourself?

I was the former and he was also the former.

The fact that the culprit in a series of disappearances is a

pervert is not very "Eminence in Shadow," but, well, it's the

truth, so it can't be helped.

People from the Knights come and go at the school in the

morning. It is probably an investigation of the head

librarian's case.

"Hmm? That is..."

There was a dark-haired female student who was stumbling

around, looking down, as she passed the Knights.

"It's nee-san."

It would be a trouble to be found, so I would normally hide,

but that doesn't seem to be necessary.

By the looks of her, she won't even notice me.

"Fuhn fuhn fuhn ~"

I hummed random tunes as I basked in the pleasant

morning light.

I am a student mob you can find everywhere.

What should my reaction be when I find out what happened

to the head librarian? Should I be exaggeratedly surprised

like a mob, or should I tremble in fear ...?

While thinking about this, I passed nee-san.

"Wait."

At that moment, I was grabbed by the neck.

"Y-Yaa, nee-san, did you notice me?"

When I turned around, there was nee-san staring at me.

"Of course. Anything else you want to say?"

"G-Good morning?"

"Good morning, Sid. Anything else?"

"Nothing else ... though."

I thought for a moment and said so. I couldn't think of

anything to talk to nee-san about.

"I'm depressed."

"He~e."

"I was slumping my shoulders and looking listless."

"Aa~."

"If you're my little brother, you should have something to

say to your big sister who's feeling down."

"Hm~m."

I thought about it for three seconds.

"You don't look well. What's wrong?"

"... You just barely passed."

"So I barely passed?"

"Be more worried. And even guess at what's going on."

"That's ridiculous."

"Well, you seem to want to know, so I'll tell you."

"I never said I wanted to know..."

"——You want to know, right?"

"I seriously want to know!"

I answered while being strangled by nee-san.

"It's too noisy in here, so let's change places."

"Etto, what about class?"

"School's cancelled for the day."

She said and looked back at the school building.

"The head librarian is dead."

She muttered in a meaningful way. I decided to be surprised

like a mob.

I was elegantly drinking milk tea in the gorgeous drawing

room.

It seems that this is a special reception room that only

celebrities are allowed to enter. It is a mystery why nee-san,

a rural noble is allowed in.

"I'm sorry. I can't give you the details. I don't want to

involve you…"

Nee-san said with a serious face.

"But the Knights are trying to keep the truth about the Head

Librarian in the dark ... and there's nothing I can do about

it. That's what frustrates me..."

"The truth about the head librarian, huh..."

Of course, they will try to hide the truth that the head

librarian is a pervert. For the sake of the head librarian's

honor, I am in favor of the Knights' idea.

"I don't think it's always better to be right."

I muttered.

"You mean I'm wrong!?"

Nee-san glared at me with a scary look.

"I didn't say that. Just ..."

"Just?"

I sense from nee-san a strong intention that if I say random

things, I won't simply get away with it.

"The darkness of the world is always deep. And not

everyone can accept the depth of that darkness."

"... You mean, if it was made public, it would confuse

people?"

"Probably."

The female students who used the library would be very

hurt and confused.

"But that doesn't mean the truth should be kept in the

dark!"

"Of course. That's why we need someone to solve the case

behind the scenes."

"Solving the cases in the shadow..."

"Yes. Even if the truth is kept in the dark, it doesn't end

there."

"I see...That means I'll just have to solve it."

"No, it doesn't have to be nee-san."

"A person who can move freely while knowing the truth ...

I knew I was chosen."

Nee-san clutched the bandage on her right hand.

"No, nee-san wasn't chosen."

"Sid, I am the only one who can protect you."

"No, I can protect myself."

"I got it. You don't want me to worry."

CRACK CRACK, I was hugged by nee-san.

"I'm going to go protect Midgar Academy, this country, and

you, Sid."

"... That's fine."

"I'm not going to let it end like this."

I sipped my milk tea while nee-san hugged me.

The milk tea was delicious after all.

The school was closed today, so when I returned to the

dormitory, Hyoro and Jaga rushed in.

"Well, it's a very disturbing case. The head librarian was

murdered."

"Right. Maybe it really is the work of that organization."

"It's getting to the point where it's not funny anymore."

"Everyone seemed so serious."

Hyoro and Jaga were relaxing, drinking Mitsugoshi's finest

coffee as if they owned the place.

It's my room.

"Shouldn't you do the special assignment?"

I say, putting pressure on them to leave quickly.

"We can do it later. We have plenty of time now that the

school is closed."

"That's right. That's right. If we are too occupied with our

assignments that we can't chew on our little happiness,

we're finished."

Slurp, they sip their coffee.

"That doesn't mean you can't come to my room"

"There's a premium coffee made by Mitsugoshi in Sid's

room, right."

"There are also some premium sweets made by Mitsugoshi"

Jaga rummages through a drawer without permission and

opens a package of chocolates.

"That's mine."

"Isn't it fine? We are friends, aren't we."

"And frankly, I don't think your allowance could buy it."

"I've always thought it was weird."

With a suddenly serious look on their faces, Hyoro and Jaga

turned around.

"T-That's..."

Indeed.

A cup of Mitsugoshi's high-grade coffee costs more than

2,000 zeny. It is strange that it is always available in my

room as a poor nobleman.

It's just that Gamma sent a lot of them.

"Sid, you. You're in debt, right."

"Eh?"

"If that's so, please say so quickly."

"Eh, no, no, what do you mean by debt?"

"I mean this, it is the flyer I found in your room."

Saying so, Hyoro showed me a single flyer.

"Mitsugoshi Bank's New Service "Mitsugoshi Revolving

Payments", please tell me if you have the best debt like

this."

"Mi, Mitsugoshi Revolving Payments...?"

I had a bad feeling about this and read the flyer, which

described a service that looked just like the revolving

payments of my previous life.

Come to think of it, I told Gamma about the revolving

payments.

"B-By any chance did you also borrow, Hyoro, Jaga?"

"Of course. I borrowed two million zeny right away."

"I borrowed a million zeny. All I have to do is pay back a

fixed 20,000 zeny every month!"

"Ah..."

They are finished, I thought.

"What's the matter, Sid-kun? You look like you've guessed

something."

"What is the interest rate of Mitsugoshi Revolving

Payments?"

"The interest rate was 2% a month, I think."

"The annual interest rate is 24%. That's cheap for a

moneylender in the royal capital."

I looked at them with distant eyes.

"You borrowed one million zeny and paid back 20,000 zeny

every month, and the interest rate is 24% per year, no

mistake right."

"Yes."

"Right, what's wrong with that?"

"Did you calculate when the repayment will end?"

Since the annual interest rate of 1 million zeny is 24%,

interest of 240,000 zeny will be charged in one year.

And since the repayment per month is 20,000 zeny, that's

240,000 zeny per year.

One year's interest is 240,000 zeny and one year's

repayment is also 240,000 zeny.

In other words, they just keep paying interest and the

repayment will never end.

"Who knows, it's about five years, isn't it?"

"Don't bother doing the math. You only have to pay back

20,000 zeny every month."

"Mitsugoshi Company is really reasonable to save us the

trouble of doing the math."

"... I think you should raise the repayment amount a little

more."

"What are you talking about? Mitsugoshi said 20,000 zeny is

fine, so don't bother returning more."

"That's right. Rumor has it that some students have

borrowed 10 million zeny. If you are a nobleman, it seems

that even students can borrow easily. If your family has

assets, you can borrow money."

I looked up to heaven.

"Well, let's get started, shall we?"

"You know we borrowed the money, so you understand the

rest, right."

Saying so, the two took out the playing card.

"... Poker, huh?"

"What, are you scared?"

"We will not allow you to run away with the win. We have

plenty of money in the war chest."

"Nope."

I let out a deep breath.

"——Double push."

Then we piled the wads of bills high on the table.

"Damn it, remember this!"

"T-This can't be right… Y-You are cheating! No mistake!!"

Hyoro and Jaga screaming.

"Yes, yes, it's already night, so be quiet."

I grabbed them both by the neck and threw them down the

hallway.

"Wait! Play the game one last time!"

"I'm not satisfied! We can't end the day on a losing note!"

"I'm sorry, but I have no use for people who don't have

money. Good luck with your repayments."

With a slam, I forcefully closed the door and locked it.

"Why ... after all that cheating practice."

"Impossible. Are you saying that everything has failed?"

"How is that possible?"

"But that's the least I can say..."

"Damn. I'll borrow again at Mitsugoshi."

I hear voices whispering on the other side of the door.

Of course, I destroyed all the cheating. And if the other

party comes at me with cheating, I have the right to cheat

back.

I gathered up the stack of bills on the table and smiled.

"Hyoro and Jaga are my new piggy bank. Thank you

Mitsugoshi revolving payment."

Money flows from Mitsugoshi Bank to Hyoro and Jaga, and I

collect it.

This is the survival of the fittest.

"Fuhn fuhn fu~hn."

Humming a random tune, I put a wad of bills into the

military fund box.

I call out to the other side of the window.

"I'm sorry to keep you waiting, Zeta. You can come in."

Then, without a sound, a golden-haired beastwoman

appeared.

"Happy Birthday, Master"

"Hmm? Ah, I see. I turned sixteen."

When I realized it, the date seemed to have changed. Today

is my birthday.

"Happy birthday"

"Thank you."

I'm not really happy about it.

In this way, one year of the planned 600-year lifespan is

reduced.

How short life is, even though I haven't reached the height

yet as "The Eminence in Shadow".

"Does Master hate birthdays?"

"I don't like it. Because the time I have left in my life is

decreasing."

"I know, that feeling."

Zeta loosened up and let out a small laugh. It was a natural

smile, unusual for her.

"Life is too short to achieve our goals."

"Nn. I understand."

She also agreed.

Then she looks at me with a serious face.

"I've come here tonight mainly because I have something

important to tell you."

"Fumu."

Are you talking about money?

Zeta has taken care of me, so I might be willing to lend her

a thousand zeny or so.

"Master wants "eternal life", right"

"Of course."

I answered immediately.

With eternal life, when people forget about me a hundred

years from now, I will appear again, and 'Don't tell me, he is

that legendary' ... I can play that as many times as I want.

As long as I live, I can reset "The Eminence in Shadow" play

forever.

I plan to live six hundred years with my magic power, but it

is still not enough to enjoy life.

I want to live forever as I am. Ah~, God, please create a

system to buy the lives of those who don't want to live long.

"I know how Master feels."

"Umu."

"So that's why I was making the move."

"Umu?"

"Do you remember the day we first met?"

"Umu."

I think it was a rainy day.

"It was a cold, snowy day."

So it was a snowy day.

"I got demon-possession and learned about the ugliness of

people."

"Umu."

"And I was thinking. Of the people who have trapped us. Of

this stupid world."

She said and made a cold look.

From the first time I met Zeta, she does this eye at a

random moments. This is pretty cool, and I have secretly

imitated it myself.

"People repeat their mistakes. Over and over again, without

ever getting tired of it, and the world remains foolish and

unchanged."

"Umu."

"I thought it was okay to die. Even if I died, the world would

be no different. If I lived, the world would still be the same.

But when I met Master, I realized I had something to do——"

Then Zeta began to tell an old story.

She was born into a prestigious tribe among the beastmen.

Golden Leopard Tribe.

It is said that even the king of the beastmen showed respect

at the mention of this name.

The Golden Leopard tribe has many tribes and she is the

eldest daughter born to a family that has been the chief for

generations. She was named Lilim there.

Lilim's excellence was outstanding even at an early age,

and she was carefully nurtured so that it would be better to

leave her at home than to give her away as a bride.

The chief imported books for her and gave her an advanced

education. This was unusual even for the relatively

intelligent Golden Leopard tribe.

She, too, loved books and looked forward to eventually

using her knowledge to benefit her family.

In this way, Lilim grew up straight while being loved by his

clan.

It was around the time she turned twelve that the anomaly

appeared.

She had what looked like a black bruise on her belly. At first,

it was small and did not bother her. But it gradually spread,

and Lilim became concerned and consulted her mother.

Her mother paled.

Then, without saying a word, she called her father.

The face of the father who appeared was also pale.

At this point, Lilim realized that this was not just an ordinary

thing.

He checked Lilim's stomach and said, trying to keep his

voice down.

"... It's demon possession."

Demon possession. Lilim racked her brain.

She knew it by knowledge. Lilim, who had read numerous

books, was also confident that he knew more than the rest

of the clan.

But she couldn't make the connection between that

knowledge and the black bruise on her belly.

Demon possession.

Again and again, she ponders.

And Lilim naturally shed tears.

She was smart.

As she accepted the reality of the situation, she also

guessed what would happen to her in the future.

Demon possession is a filth. The filth must be purified

before it spreads. That is the clan code.

The problem was that a filth was born, especially in the

prestigious Golden Leopard tribe, and that too in the clan

chief's family lineage. This is not just a problem for herself.

It would be a big problem that would shake the clan.

"Tou-sama, burn me at the stake."

Lilim said so, wiping away tears.

"But..."

"The bruise on the belly is not very large. The stain is still

small. If you burn me now, you can save our house. The clan

will be convinced."

"But..."

"Tou-sama, please. It is for the good of the house. And also

for my little brother."

Lilim looked at the baby in his mother's arms. He was born

only six months ago and would be the heir to this family.

"Please ... Please, please."

Lilim bowed her head and pleaded.

"... I won't do it."

"Tou-sama!"

"No! It was in an elven book. That there was a way to cure

demonic possession."

"You can't trust that!"

"It was written that there is also a miracle medicine that

cures demonic possession."

Saying that, her father began to dig through the books.

To Lilim, his back looked much smaller than usual.

"What is the matter? Tou-sama, be strong. Do not put your

trust in such things. Please say something, Kaa-sama."

But her mother kept her face down and said nothing.

"Here. It's written right here."

"Tou-sama! That's enou——"

After saying that much, Lilim's words stopped.

A drop of water fell on the book her father held out to her.

For the first time, Lilim saw her father's tears.

"Tou-sama..."

"I'll definitely find it. So trust your father and wait."

"Tou-sama..."

Her father's warm arms embraced her.

Her mother joined them.

"Tou-sama...Kaa-sama..."

Tears that had been held back began to well up in Lilim's

eyes.

The next day, her father set out on a journey.

Her mother bandaged Lilim's belly and said.

"He said he'll be back in a month. You'll be laid up with an

injury until then. You must never go outside."

"Yes, Kaa-sama."

"It's okay, don't worry. I'll take care of the house."

Her mother smiled softly.

Touching the bandage her mother had wrapped around her,

Lilim smiled, too. She felt that it would turn out well.

Then, a month later.

In the middle of the night Lilim was woken up.

There is a lot of noise outside. Her father might have come

home. Lilim was taken outside by her mother.

Her father was there.

He was tied with a rope and knelt.

"Tou...sama?"

Numerous torches surrounded her father. Blood stains were

smeared on her father's clothes.

"You guys, what do you mean by this?"

Her mother said in a courageous voice.

"It seems the filth has come out of the clan."

Stepping forward from the group of torches was a man who

was the leader of a branch of the Golden Leopard tribe.

"Filth must be cleansed immediately. That is the law."

"..."

Her mother stood in front of her without a word.

"Where is the filth? Answer me."

A man from a branch of the family put his sword to her

father's shoulder.

"... I don't know."

Her father said in a hoarse voice.

"I see."

The man from a branch of the family thrust his sword into

his father's shoulder.

Blood spurted out and the sound of bones shattering could

be heard.

Her father did not raise his voice. He kept his face down and

didn't move an inch.

"It's boring."

Saying so, the man from the branch family thrust his sword

again.

"Stop! To swing a sword at a chief, do you think it will be

forgiv——"

"I will be forgiven. I am the new head of the Golden Leopard

clan. This man betrayed his clan."

"No way, what proof do you have..."

"A priest of the Holy Church came to our village and told us.

He said he smelled demon possession. He said that in the

East, the Holy Church gathers demon possessed people and

cleanses the filth."

A new man stepped out of the group. The man was dressed

in priestly garb and had a thin smile on his face.

"The filth must be purified immediately. If left unchecked,

the filth will spread throughout the village and lead to

destruction——"

"... Lie."

The priest's words were interrupted by a hushed father's

voice.

"Did you say something, beastman?"

"I said it's a lie, human."

The father met the priest's scornful gaze head on.

"What do you mean 'lie'?"

"All of it. Demonic possession, etc., is all Holy Church

bullshit."

"You say interesting things. I think you've finally lost your

mind."

A man from a branch of the family mocked her father.

A sneer escaped from those around him as he was caught.

Neither Lilim nor Lilim's mother could understand what her

father was saying.

But only the priest and the father stared at each other

without averting their gaze the whole time.

"Do you have any evidence, Beastman?"

"The Golden Leopard is a tribe with a long-standing

tradition. The chief of the tribe has a tale of heroism passed

down to him. It's the heroic tale of a beastman, one of the

three heroes who fought against the demon Diabolos."

"A fairy tale, huh?"

"Yes, it is a fairy tale. However, it is a little different from the

fairy tales of the world. The three heroes are not men but

women, demon possession is not a curse but a blessing, and

so on."

"That statement would be blasphemy against the Holy

Church."

The priest's gaze sharpened.

"I had always wondered. The fairy tales of the world and the

fairy tales of the golden leopard tribe. Why are they so

different."

"Nonsense. Fairy tales, they fade with time."

"Is that right? It is a tale of heroism that has been passed

down from generation to generation only to the chiefs of the

tribe. It should not fade away so easily. Above all, we are the

Golden Leopard Tribe. We are the descendants of Lili, one of

the three heroes who defeated the demon Diabolos, the

hero of the Golden Leopard tribe. That is the answer."

"... that means?"

"The heroic tales passed down to the golden leopard tribe

are the truth. The Holy Church has twisted that truth."

Her father said so with unclouded eyes.

Silence enveloped the area for a while.

Eventually, small laughter became contagious and became

loud laughter that echoed throughout the village.

"Kuhahaha, funny, it's funny! I haven't laughed this hard in

a long time!!"

A man from the branch house was holding his belly and

laughing.

"This is interesting"

The priest was also laughing. But his eyes were never

smiling.

"I see, I see, so this is what it means. That demon

possession is a Holy Church nonsense, and that they are

really the offspring of heroes. So there is no need to purify

the filth. Is that what you mean?"

The man from the branch family said with a laugh.

"... That's right."

"Don't be kidding!!"

An angry shout echoed through the air.

"You want to endanger the whole clan with your stupid

fantasies?!"

"You may not believe it. But this is the truth...!"

"Don't talk nonsense——!"

The fist of the branch family man hit her father on the

cheek. Again and again, he hit him.

Lilim couldn't move. Her knees were shaking and she just

stood there cowering.

"Well. The sideshow is over."

Wiping his reddened fist, the man from the branch family

said so.

"Where's the filth?"

"..."

Her father had a small smile on the edge of his lips.

"If you don't tell me, I'll burn you all together."

"Even if I told you, it would be the same. You just want to

torture me."

The man from the branch family was silent. That was the

answer.

"Then I'll give you what you want."

A man from the branch house draws his sword.

"S...Stop!"

Everyone's gaze gathered on Lilim.

"I-It... It's m... It's me."

Lilim's knees trembled.

"I-I have... d-demonic poss..."

Lilim squeezes out a pathetic voice.

Tears blur her vision.

In the midst of it all, her eyes met her father's, who was

staring straight.

"Listen."

Her father's voice was ever so gentle.

"The Golden Leopards are descendants of Lili, the hero who

once saved the world. We are a family of proud blood. Why

did Lili give us this tale of heroism? Why has she passed it

down from generation to generation? There is a reason. We

have a mission."

"Tou-sama..."

"You have the blood of a hero thicker than any of us. You are

strong and wise, and I am proud of you. Lilim, go to the

east. There is a cure for demonic possession in the Kingdom

of Midgar. There lies our mission."

"T-Tou-sama...I am..."

"I know Lilim can do it."

Saying that, her father looked at her mother.

"I leave two of them to you."

Her mother gave a small nod and pulled Lilim into her arms.

"Do you think I'll let you go?"

The area was already surrounded by beastman men.

"I'm going to make them escape. Even if it costs me my

life..."

There is a creaking sound, as if something is creaking.

It was coming from her father's body. Something was

pulsing inside her father's body.

The next moment, the father's restraints burst open and an

enormous amount of magical power overflowed.

"W-What's that power!?"

The man of the branch house shouts.

"The Golden Leopard tribe has a thick beast's blood. I

manipulated that blood and released it."

Her father's golden hair was growing.

It was like a mane, as if it were going from man to beast and

back again.

"N-No way. Such a story..."

"This technique, handed down only to the chiefs, is a

forbidden technique that will reduce their lives."

Her father cried tears of blood.

His muscles wriggle.

Blood vessels pop and spurt blood.

"GoaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!"

Then he became a raging beast and blew up the beastman's

surroundings.

The father stands in the way to protect Lilim and the others.

"Go! Run!!"

"Tou-sama, come with us!"

"No!!"

Lilim is astonished when he looks back at her father's face.

"..."

Her father's face had become a half-beast.

"I will eventually become a beast. Before that happens..."

"N...No! Tou-sama!"

Lilim extends her hand to her father's back. But she couldn't

reach him.

"It's an interesting power. I never thought I'd find a

descendant of that in a place like this."

The priest swung the red-black chain down and interrupted.

"GaaaAAAAAAA!!"

The father's right arm flicked the chain.

The spiked weight at the end of the chain popped off.

"This is a tremendous... The collection of demonic

possession is going to be an unexpected harvest."

"Go, Lilim! Run!!"

Her father and the priest clash.

In that split second, the mother grabbed Lilim and started

running.

"Tou-sama... No, NoOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!"

The last time Lilim saw her father's back was very large.

The mother, with Lilim in her arms, was running fast through

the deep forest.

No footsteps. Her mother is a master of stealth.

However, the signs of pursuers are gradually approaching.

Some of the Golden Leopards have a special nose. They are

joining their pursuers.

"Let's split up."

Her mother stopped in front of the river and set Lilim down.

The forest at night was cold and snow was flickering.

"Mother proceed southeast along the river. Lilim, go

eastward over the river."

The mother said so, and left the little brother on her back

with Lilim.

"I asked for my brother, Lilim."

"No…! Let's go together, Kaa-sama!"

"Don't be selfish. It will only take a little patience. We will

meet up in the Kingdom of Midgar."

The mother hugged Lilim tightly.

"Then why do you entrust my brother to me?"

"Lilim..."

"I can't fight. I can't run as well as Kaa-sama."

"Lilim, listen."

"It would be better for my brother to be with Kaa-sama!"

"Listen, Lilim!!"

"No..."

"Lilim..."

Lilim buried her face in her mother's chest and shook her

head.

"If I hadn't been demon-possessed, if I had been burned at

the stake, Tou-sama would... It's my fault...!"

"That man has changed since Lilim was born. He was always

wielding a sword, but when I saw him reading a picture book

to you, I thought he was going to lose his mind. He always

said that this child was a genius."

"Tou-sama..."

"Watching you grow has been such a joy for us. Lilim ...

you certainly can't fight. But you are a very smart girl. You

have the knowledge to overcome difficulties. So you will be

fine."

"Kaa-sama..."

"Lilim. Please take care of this child."

The mother held out her little brother. The baby, who knew

nothing about it, looked at Lilim with a puzzled expression.

Lilim received the baby in tears.

"Thank you, Lilim. We have been happy ever since you were

born."

"Kaa-sama...definitely, in the Midgar Kingdom..."

"Lilim, go now. Cross the river and get rid of the scent."

Lilim turned around and went deeper into the forest to the

east, turning around several times as she disappeared her

scent in the shallow river.

The mother saw them off, and then sprinted southeast along

the river.

Her loud footsteps echoed through the forest at night.

To the east.

Just as if being pushed, she went east.

Lilim ran through the dark forest. The winter night was cold,

and her hands and feet were icy cold.

Then, at dawn, she exited the forest.

"This is..."

It was the first time to see the sandy beach and the endless

surface of the water. But with knowledge, Lilim knew.

"... It's the sea."

She licked the seawater to make sure.

"Salty"

There was no mistake.

"Tou-sama... there is nothing."

She exhaled white breath into the sky. Snow fell from the

sky.

She sits on the cold sandy beach and face down.

"There is nothing ... in the east. Where is the mission ...

where is the kingdom of Midgar ... Kaa-sama."

Her legs were stiff, and she couldn't take another step.

The black bruise spread to her chest. It throbbed and ached.

She has a little brother in her arms. Lilim had to protect the

little life entrusted to her.

"Let's go ... and cross the sea."

She knows that there is a country across the sea. She does

not know if it is the Kingdom of Midgar, but she is sure it is

because her father told her so.

Her mother is waiting for her there. Maybe her father is

there too.

If she continues down the coast, she will find a fishing

village. Somehow, try to get a ride on a boat.

Lilim started walking again.

——At that time.

"Well well, there you are, in a place like this"

That priest stood in front of Lilim. The bloody chains jangled.

"D... Don't come..."

She backs away on trembling legs.

"Now here's the question. Where is the one who has demonpossession?"

The priest held up the fresh head with a twisted smile.

"This man was different."

"To... Tou-samaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

It was her father's head.

His bloody neck made her imagine a violent end.

"This woman was different, too."

Saying this, the priest holds up another fresh head.

"Kaa-samaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA"

It was her mother's head.

Her mother was dead with her eyes wide open and looking

at something.

"Why...Whyy?"

"Now there are only two left."

The priest throws away the two fresh heads and walks up to

them.

"Noooooo...Tou-sama...Kaa-sama... "

"There are very few reported cases of male demonic

possession, but not zero."

"...S-Stop... D-Don't touch my brother."

Lilim hugs her brother with tears in her eyes.

"Now, which one of you is the demon-possessed one?"

"I... I am the one who got the demon possession, so

please, my brother..."

"Good girl. Nice and honest."

The priest then stroked Lilim's head with his blood-soaked

hand.

"Hih..."

"This could be a long term relationship. Let me introduce

myself. I am Petos, a high priest. You will be a valuable

experiment."

"My...My brother is..."

"Don't worry. I have no use for a child who is not demonpossessed."

And Petos stroked her brother's neck with the chain.

"So let's kill him without making him suffer."

Blood splattered.

The head of her brother fell out of Lilim's arms.

"aaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAH"

"Kuku, kukukukukukuku. Come on, let's celebrate."

Petos gave a drawn-out laugh as he looked down at the

screaming Lilim.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!! Why, why!!"

"Today is a great day. Thanks to you, I'm on my way to

Rounds."

Lilim picks up and gathers up the three heads that fell to the

ground.

Her father, her mother, and her brother.

"aaaaaaAAAAA... I'll kill you... I'll definitely kill you!!"

With eyes tinged with hatred, Lilim screamed.

But Petos turned away, ignoring Lilim.

"——Are you done?"

Then he calls out towards the forest. Then a group of people

in strange robes appeared.

"Yes, every single one of them."

"Show me."

Countless raw heads rolled on the beach. All were the heads

of the golden leopard tribe.

"The Golden Leopard clan has all been taken care of. There

will be no more information leaks."

"Well, that's good to know."

Those were words directed at Lilim.

"Your father's enemy is dead."

Petos laughed and tossed a fresh head to him. It was the

head of the man who leads the branch of the family.

"AaaaaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

Lilim kicked off the beach and jumped on Petos.

However, Lilim is blown away by Petos' chains.

"Geho... K-Kill... Kil... yo..."

Her body is not strong enough. Her consciousness fades.

"Take her into custody and send her to the Valiola

laboratory. I'll lay the groundwork for the faction——"

There, Lilim's consciousness was cut off.

When Lilim woke up, she was in a carriage.

Her hands and feet were shackled. Her mouth tasted of

blood.

"I'll kill you... All of you, definitely."

When she muttered, the man on guard laughed with a snort.

"I'll kill you..."

The tears had already dried up.

The only thing holding her up was hatred.

What is needed is power.

Knowledge is useless. It cannot protect anyone. Pure power

is the way.

"I want power..."

Lilim wished.

The power to destroy this restraint, the power to kill that

priest, and——.

"——Do you want power?"

A voice echoed from somewhere.

"Ah...?"

She looks around, but there is no one there except for the

man on guard.

She looks around, but there is no one there except for the

man on guard.

"Do you want power——?"

This time she heard it clearly. It was a low voice, as if

echoing from the depths.

"I want ...! If only I had the power ... if only I had the

power!!"

"Haha, the kid's gone crazy."

The man on guard doesn't seem to hear it. But it certainly

reaches Lilim's ears.

Even if this was an audio hallucination, or even if it was the

devil. It didn't matter to her.

She just wanted power.

"If you want power——I'll give it to you."

Then a blue-violet magic appeared in the carriage.

"W-What's this light...!?"

The carriage stops and men enter from outside.

"What's going on?! What is this magic power!!"

The blue-violet magic spirals as fine particles.

In the center of the spiral, a shadow of a person appeared. It

was a boy in a long jet-black coat.

"How did this guy get into the carriage?"

"Seize him! Drag him out of the wagon!"

"I...Am..."

The boy raised his jet-black sword at the center of his

magic.

The atmosphere trembles due to the enormous amount of

magic power.

Lilim saw the overwhelming power converging in the jetblack sword.

This is exactly what she wanted.

The power to shatter everything.

"──pseudo-Atomic"

The magic power burst.

The sound faded and the world was tinged with a blue-violet

light.

"... I'd say it's about 60 points. It's still incomplete."

The boy's voice woke Lilim up. Apparently, she had passed

out.

"This is not enough to reach it. The goal I aim..."

He was muttering in the center of a large crater.

The carriage had blown away, and that eerie group had

vanished without a trace.

Lilim trembled.

But this feeling is not fear.

"A-Ano..."

"Hmm? You woke up. For now, I'll just heal the demon

possession."

Saying so, he released a blue-violet magic power.

It glowed warmly around Lilim's black bruise.

The blue-violet magic regenerates her skin as if it were

rewinding time.

"Lies...No way."

When the light subsided, the black bruise had disappeared

cleanly.

The demon possession that had tormented Lilim was easily

cured.

"I think this one is 95 points. The control is near perfect. It's

exhausting, though."

"was not wrong..."

Tears welled up from the bottom of her heart.

"wasn't wrong...Tou-sama wasn't wrong..."

"Hmm?"

"He said that demon possession is descended from heroes

... and that there is someone in the east who can cure

demon possession ... and he wasn't wrong about all that."

"That setting has been spread all the way there..."

"But why... Why Tou-sama, why Kaa-sama... Why...

everyone is, even though they weren't wrong...!"

The boy scratched his head.

"... It's the fault of the Diabolos cult. It's all the fault of the

Diabolos cult."

"Diabolos cult...?"

"That's right. The men I mentioned earlier are not from the

Holy Church. They are actually from the Diabolos cult. They

are hiding the truth, burying the children of heroes in the

darkest corners of history, and plotting the resurrection of

the demon Diabolos. To them, the Child of Heroes is an

obstacle——"

He said so, and tossed his long jet-black coat.

"We are the Shadow Garden. We are the ones who hide in

the shadows and hunt the shadows——"

"Lurks in the shadows and hunts the shadows…"

Lilim's heart trembled.

She felt like everything was connected.

"After all, Tou-sama was not wrong."

"That's right."

"There is someone in the Kingdom of Midgar who can cure

demon possession. That is where our mission lies. Tou-sama

said so."

"Hmm? I see."

"You are my mission"

Yes, this is her mission.

The death of her father, the death of her mother, and the

death of her brother.

They sacrificed their lives to save Lilim.

"I want the power ... Give me the power to hunt them

down!"

"Fine, she should be here soon."

"She...?"

Then the darkness of the night shook.

She was a beautiful golden elf in a jet-black bodysuit.

"I said wait! We can't keep up with your speed."

She seems to be in a bit of a bad mood.

"But the mission is over."

"I can tell when I see it. Looks like it's definitely a cult

carriage, all shattered up. I always told you to leave

evidence."

An elf girl stares at the boy with a grudging look on her face.

The boy scratched his head.

The elven girl sighs as if she has given up.

"So, she's this time...."

She looked at Lilim.

"Yes. I left the rest to you."

"Eh? Hey!"

"Well, ask Alpha for the details."

After saying so, he simply disappeared.

"Mou! He'll soon leave."

"Ano....You are?"

Lilim asked, and she smiled softly.

"I'm sorry, I guess I startled you. I'm Alpha. I'm the first seat

of the Shadow Garden. Nice to meet you."

"Alpha ... I am"

Alpha stopped Lilim from trying to introduce herself.

"Wait. You're going to live under a different name from

today."

"Eh?"

"We are the ones who lurk in the shadows and hunt the

shadows. For us, the appearance of the front is just a mask.

The shadows are who we really are. We may never return to

the surface world again..."

Saying so, Alpha held the mask in her hand.

Beautiful clear blue eyes looked at Lilim.

"If you are ready for that, accept it. Sixth seat of the

Shadow Garden "Zeta"."

"Zeta ... I am Zeta."

Lilim muttered as if chewing.

"You seem determined. You have strong eyes. But..."

"... I want power."

"Your qualities are good enough. Eventually, you will gain

great power. But that hatred will one day ..."

Alpha was about to say something but stopped.

Her blue eyes stare at Lilim for a while. And then——.

"No, it's nothing."

She said sadly. White snow was falling silently from the

night sky.

"Umu, that was tough."

When Zeta had finished telling him everything, he looked

out and said so.

It was a casual word.

But it seemed like an all-encompassing statement. Zeta is

not looking for thinly veiled sympathy.

"Nn. It was tough."

So Zeta responded without hesitation.

The hatred of that day was shoved deep into her heart and

kept a lid on it. Unnecessary emotions interfere with the

plan.

Her words were somehow reduced in order to prevent her

emotions from leaking out at a moment's notice.

It seemed like a favorable change for Zeta. It seemed to her

that she was getting a little closer to her goal according to

her emotional and physical changes.

"I am an abandoned cat. I was a tiny kitten that Master

picked up. That's why I've always wondered what kind of

world Master wants. Master doesn't tell me much. It was a

little difficult for me."

"I see."

"Unn. Right."

He held a glass of wine in his hand.

Zeta quickly prepared the wine and poured it into the glass.

Then she snuggled up next to him.

"Master wants eternal life. I know what that means."

"You got a good understanding."

"Master is looking far ahead. So do I."

"Right..."

He looked out the window at the deep darkness. Zeta also

saw the deep darkness outside the window.

"I will resurrect the demon Diabolos"

"... I see."

"I knew you wouldn't stop me."

"I'm not going to deny that choice."

"Master is too kind. So Master can't choose it."

"Is that so."

"The world is not moved by kindness. That kindness is the

shackles of Master."

"... Is that so?"

"Yes. Because I am not kind. Even if I endanger the world, I'll

resurrect it."

"... You'll be hated."

"I don't mind. Because that's what the world needs——"

Zeta leaned hesitantly on his shoulder.

"——I will be resented by the world in place of Master.

Because that is my mission."

"I see..."

Zeta turned away from him and backed away.

"When the time comes, cut me off ..."

With those words, she disappeared into the darkness of the

night.

Zeta stood on a rooftop at night, looking down on the

school. His golden tail swayed in the cold winter wind.

"——The time has come."

Zeta muttered.

"At last, huh?"

"You made a decision, didn't you?"

There were two shadows behind Zeta.

One is from Viktoria. And the other is a woman with a deep

hood.

"Resurrect Demon Diabolos"Zeta said.

"What did Shadow-sama say?"

Viktoria asked.

"We talked. That's all."

"You didn't get permission?"

"I had no intention of getting it in the first place. However, if

I was stopped, I would have stopped."

"In other words, they couldn't stop it."

Viktoria smiled.

"Unn. From here on out, it's all on my own."

"It would be a betrayal of Shadow Garden."

"I don't care. Alpha is too kind. She has no vision after

defeating the cult. But I am different."

She squinted her ice-purple eyes.

"I will resurrect the demon Diabolos and take the eternal

life. And I will manage the world forever."

"Thereupon Shadow-sama becomes a god."

Viktoria was entranced and her cheeks were blushing.

"... You will be resented."

The hooded girl, who had been silent until now, said.

"Master asked for eternal life. I will bear all the sins."

"Now let's go. Glory be to Shadow-sama."

"... Proceed with our plan."

Viktoria and the hooded girl disappeared without a sound.

Only Zeta remained on the rooftop.

She stared down at the lights of the school.

"I will take it all away. Eternal life and control of the world.

And then ... comes a perfect world where mistakes will

never happen again ..."

The lights of the academy flickered in the darkness of the

night. It was like the torchlight of that day that brought back

memories for Zeta.

"This is my mission..."

She hugged herself tightly, as if to make sure.

She's fine, her knees aren't shaking.

Her heart is calm.

She exhaled a deep white breath into the night sky.

"Tou-sama... Master... I've become stronger."

She muttered, all alone.