To Be a Power in the Shadows!

The air surrounding Shadow has changed.

Violet magic rages around him.

“Unreal……”

“What an unbelievable amount of magic……”

Kotsu, kotsu.

With his jet-black boots ringing out crisply with every step, Shadow nonchalantly approaches the Queen of Blood.

But there is no way the Queen of Blood would allow such impudence.

A dreadful number of tentacles encircle Shadow in a split second, then assault him simultaneously.

With only his sword, Shadow deflects those tentacles.

Then, kotsu.

He nonchalantly takes another step.

“Wha——?!”

“How can he just——?!”

How incredible that one step is, everyone present understands full well.

Then, one more step.

Kotsu.

Shadow nonchalantly steps further in.

This time, he does not even use his sword. The tentacles, in their unbelievable numbers, seem to be evading him of their own accord.

As if they are merely here to show a magic trick, the tentacles swing wide.

Shadow fully perceives the movement of every last strand of tentacle.

Then he evades using the minimal amount of movement, closing the distance one step at a time.

It is almost as if —— nay, he is declaring that the tentacles are not even worth his attention.

Even when a Queen of Blood appears behind him, he casually dodges as if he had already seen it coming, his gait not showing even a hint of delay.

He does not counterattack.

Because he understands the futility of doing so.

That is why he only walks on, ignoring everything.

The only thing in his eyes is the main body of the Queen of Blood.

Kotsu, kotsu, kotsu.

The sound of his boots sound frighteningly loud.

Then Shadow stops.

At the same time, the tentacles also stop.

The distance between the two is now within arm’s length.

The beautiful Queen of Blood and the jet-black Shadow stare at each other for a while.

Behind the Queen of Blood is the deep crimson Red Moon. All around Shadow is his violet magic.

The entire place is seized by silence, as if the intense fight just now was but a lie.

Within the silence, the two seem to be conversing.

“You wish for release in death……”

Like a reverberation from the depths of the earth, his voice rumbles out.

“Very well……”

Then an incredible amount of magic begins gathering towards his jet-black sword.

The violet magic draws a spiral as it converges.

The Queen of Blood extend her claws.

Why is it so? Why do those claws that used to instill such fear now look so frail and unreliable……

“WAIT!!”

That is why Milia jumps out.

“Elizabeth-sama is a gentle person!! I’m sure she can start all over again!!”

She dashes. Because she has promised to grasp a future where everyone can laugh together after everything is over.

That’s why——!

“PLEASE!!”

She reaches out with desperation, with everything she has, with everything she is.

Shadow looks at Milia for a fraction of a moment.

However——

Tentacle of blood throw Milia back.

“I AM……”

His voice rings out mercilessly.

From where she has fallen on the ground, Milia’s head jerks up. The tentacles could have stabbed Milia, could have torn her apart. Despite that, Milia is unhurt.

“ELIZABETH-SAMA!!”

Milia thinks she caught Elizabeth looking her way for a split second.

Those red eyes that she glimpsed were filled with kindness, just as they had been so long ago.

“…… RECOVERY TAEPODONG!!!”

Red claw and jet-black blade clash, then the world is dyed pure violet.

◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇

“Uu……”

It seems that she had lost consciousness.

When Beta wakes up, she finds a still night illuminated by the light of the Red Moon.

Everyone around her are still unconscious. Beta was apparently the first to come to.

The figure of her master is nowhere to be seen.

He has surely already departed for the next battle. How busy he is…… and how kind-hearted he is.

“Thank you so much, Shadow-sama……”

Realizing that all her wounds have been healed, Beta naturally breaks into a smile.

Looking over, she observes that the wounds of 664, 665, and even 666 are all fully healed.

It hardly needs to be said that her master’s sister and Milia are also without a scratch.

As an aside, it seems that Juggernaut and Yukime have been healed too.

“It appears that Eta’s hypothesis was indeed spot on……”

Beta retrieves a sample of blood from the Queen of Blood into a small flask.

Then she focuses on her own blood that’s staining her own bodysuit…… and manages to make it float.

“Could I make use of this if I train it……? Haah, I have a sense of foreboding that I’m going to be made into a sample myself…… ei.”

Beta shoots off the blood under her control to wake up her subordinates.

“Ow.”

“What?!”

“Where is this……?”

“How long do you three plan on sleeping. We’re going back.”

“Y-, yes, ma’am!”

Upon being roused, the three get up in a fluster.

“Kuh…… what happened……” (Juggernaut)

“What is it that happened……?” (Yukime)

The two from Outlaw City seem to be getting up also.

Then a quick pan around induces blank amazement.

“Wha-, don’t tell me, this was done by that guy……?!” (Juggernaut)

“Shadow-han, who are you……” (Yukime)

The Red Tower has been pulverized.

The two of them look up at the sky from the ground where the Red Tower once stood. As if to burn into their eyes and hearts that man’s power and strength……

“Alright, we’re going.”

So saying, Beta turns her heels.

“Uun……”

“Elizabeth-sama?!”

That moment, Claire and Milia also wake up.

Beta shoots a quick glance behind her, and sees Milia rushing towards and embracing someone within the rubble.

“Elizabeth-sama——! Oh thank heavens…… I thought that I would never again……”

Then, with her sobbing in the background, Beta murmurs.

“This time for sure, it would be great of if you can truly find it…… a Land of Peace……”

Then she begins melting into the night.

“With this, it’s ‘Mission Complete.’”

Leaving behind a soft giggle, Beta’s figure disappears entirely.