[Third Person's PoV]
As Akane led Cid to the meeting room, Cid broke the silence. "Cid…"
"What?" Akane asked, confused.
"My name now. After my reincarnation, I'm called Cid, not Minoru. Minoru is the name of my past life—the one who died."
"I see…" Akane muttered before stopping to give him a suspicious look. "Wait… how old are you really?"
"You're asking me that now? After everything we... you know," Cid said with a suggestive smirk.
"I mean, you said you were reincarnated, right? So with how you look now, I assume you were born as a baby and grew into the man you are today. I'm just curious—how old are you now? You should've been 20, the same age as I am," Akane explained.
Cid looked at her with amusement. "I'm 15."
Akane's expression dropped. "What?"
She grabbed Cid's blazer with a horrified look. "How old are you, exactly?"
"Fifteen," Cid repeated with a smirk.
Akane slowly released him, crouching down and clutching her head in horror. "I… I'm going to jail…"
Zeta, watching the exchange, looked at Cid in confusion. "Why is she reacting like this?"
Cid leaned in. "Eighteen is the age of consent in this world. To her, it's no different than sleeping with a minor."
"Ah, I see. Is being 18 here the same as being 15 in our world?" Zeta asked, watching Akane have a mental breakdown.
"Exactly."
"I'll need to flee the country…" Akane mumbled.
"Okay, calm down." Cid said, his expression deadpan. "Where I'm from, you're considered an adult at 15. So, you're fine!" he added, giving her a thumbs-up.
"You're still a minor," Akane said, gritting her teeth.
"I think you're forgetting who my soul belongs to. Technically, I'm 32," Cid said, counting both his current and past lives.
Akane froze, then stood up, rubbing her chin thoughtfully. "I suppose you have a point… but you should've been honest about that," she said, glaring at him.
"So, does that mean further action is off the table?" Cid teased.
Blushing, Akane sped ahead. "We're going to be late. Let's go."
Cid smirked, looking at Zeta. "That wasn't a 'no.'"
…
Akane entered the meeting room to find everyone seated and waiting for her.
"You're late, Akane," the man at the head of the table said with a sigh. "This is important. Please take it more seriously."
"I'm sorry, Captain. It won't happen again," Akane apologized, quickly taking her seat while Cid and Zeta leaned against the wall behind her.
"And they are...?" the captain asked, eyeing Cid and Zeta.
Saejima, who was also present, glared at Cid with clear apprehension.
"They're Minoru and Zeta," Akane said. "They saved me before. They're incredibly strong, and I can vouch for them. Since they've been outside and know how to deal with monsters, I thought their experience might be useful."
The captain nodded. "Very well. Let's begin. My name is Haitani, and I'll be leading this meeting today. The squad we sent to investigate the monsters hasn't returned. This likely means the worst."
His expression turned grim as he continued. "The monsters are growing more brutal and aggressive by the day. We must remain vigilant and prepare for attacks from all sides. It's fair to say we're surrounded."
The tension in the room was palpable, morale sinking to an all-time low. Haitani turned to Cid. "Do you have anything to add? Anything that could help us?"
"Every monster follows a hierarchy. In video game terms, they all have a 'boss.' Your best chance at surviving an attack is to take out the boss," Cid explained, before glancing at Akane. "From what I've heard, the monsters are well-coordinated, which makes them harder to handle. Take out the boss, and they'll fall into disarray, making them easier to defeat."
"That's easier said than done," Haitani replied, his expression darkening. "We don't know where the boss monster is, and we're already struggling with the minions. The boss must be on a completely different level."
"First of all, you're terrible at this," Cid remarked, eyes closed.
"Hm?" Haitani frowned in confusion.
"You're supposed to be their leader, right? Then act like one. Don't show weakness in front of your subordinates. Even when things seem hopeless, you need to display confidence. Why do you think the atmosphere here is so tense? Why does everyone look so demoralized? It's because you're projecting defeat. Everyone here can sense that you don't believe we'll survive."
The room fell silent, stunned by Cid's blunt assessment. Akane lowered her head, smiling slightly, while Zeta looked at Cid with admiration, her eyes filled with pride for her master.
Haitani glanced around the room, noticing the subtle shifts in everyone's expressions. He straightened up, his face hardening with resolve, and the room's atmosphere followed suit, turning tense and focused.
"You're right," he said, his voice steady. "Now, more than ever, we can't afford to show weakness. We need to stay strong for what's coming."
Someone from the group spoke up, a hint of doubt in their voice. "But you weren't wrong earlier. What Minoru (?)—said is easier said than done. We can't even take down the minions without suffering casualties. How are we supposed to handle the boss?"
Captain Haitani rubbed his chin, deep in thought, but before he could respond, Cid interrupted.
"You can leave the boss to me," Cid said calmly. "I'll take care of it. All you need to do is focus on the minions."
The same man from earlier scoffed, clearly unimpressed. "Sorry, but we don't know you. We don't know what you're capable of, or what your motives are. Just because Akane vouches for you doesn't mean we're going to trust you with something as crucial as taking down the boss."
Cid leaned his head back against the wall, letting out a small sigh. Without a word, he unleashed a fraction of his mana. The oppressive force slammed everyone into the table, their eyes widening in shock and terror as they struggled to move. Those who tried to counter the pressure with their own mana found it useless.
As they strained to turn their heads toward him, all they could see was a shadowy figure, bathed in a dark, swirling aura, with glowing eyes that pierced through the room. "What other alternatives do you have?" Cid asked, his voice chilling and emotionless.
The room fell silent. Everyone gulped, realizing the extent of his power. Once Cid was satisfied they understood, he retracted his mana, the pressure lifting from the room. The sudden release left everyone gasping for air, their bodies trembling, and sweat pouring down their faces. Hands clutched at their chests as their hearts raced uncontrollably.
A girl sitting near the table turned to Akane, her voice shaking. "Akane... What kind of monster have you brought into our base?"
Even Akane, who had known Cid, looked at him with a hint of fear. "I... I don't know..."
Captain Haitani, however, broke into a wide, almost manic grin, his eyes gleaming despite the sweat running down his face. He looked at Cid, who was casually leaning back against the wall again, completely unfazed.
"The kind of monster that's going to help us survive."
A/N: For those who have made it this far know we like to turn that cringe factor to 11! So enjoy this cringe worthy chapter ✌😘✌
************************
[Third Person's PoV]
Cid sat on the edge of the wall that protected the high school from monsters and other dangers, casually swinging his feet. Akane joined him, taking a seat beside him.
With a teasing look, Cid glanced at her. "Looks like someone isn't afraid of me anymore, huh?"
"I was never afraid of you," Akane pouted.
"Says the one who was shaking like a leaf," Cid scoffed.
"I was scared of your power, not you. Did you really have to use that much on me?" she replied, irritation creeping into her voice.
"Sorry, but it was the only way to get everyone to stop underestimating me. It was getting annoying," Cid shrugged.
Akane turned to him, her expression serious. "Be honest with me, just how strong are you?"
Cid leaned back, looking up at the sky. "I can't give you an exact estimate, but I'll say this—what you saw back then wasn't even close to one percent of my real power."
"Okay, now you're exaggerating," Akane said with a flat expression.
Rolling his eyes, Cid sighed. "People say to be honest, and when you are, they don't believe you..."
"Wait, you're serious? That wasn't even one percent?" Akane asked quietly, her disbelief wavering.
"If it was, all of you would've been crushed under the pressure and turned into a bloody mess," Cid replied nonchalantly.
Akane frowned. "That just seems so... unrealistic. How do you expect me to believe that?"
Cid shrugged again, but his expression suddenly darkened. "Playtime's over."
"What does that mean?" Akane asked, concern creeping into her voice.
"The monsters. They're already charging and headed this way," Cid said ominously.
"Shit," Akane muttered as she stood up quickly. She turned toward the guards stationed along the wall, all of them holding rifles. "Ring the alarm! The monsters are coming!"
"But we don't see anything yet," one of the guards mumbled, glancing around in confusion.
"Just do as you're told!" Akane snapped. "This is an emergency. There's no time to waste!"
One of the guards clicked her tongue but rushed over to hit the alarm. Red lights flashed, and sirens wailed across the school. The students were quickly ushered to safety, while the guards nervously readied their weapons.
Cid leapt into the air, landing on the wall's edge with a graceful thud. Chains began to wrap around his arms, and two large daggers materialized in his hands.
"Whoa, what is that?" Akane asked in surprise, staring at the chains and daggers.
"My weapon, obviously," Cid smirked.
The guards, still scanning the horizon, were growing more confused. "Why do we have to listen to her? It's a false alarm..."
Hearing this, several of the guards began lowering their weapons. But just as their guard dropped, the ground trembled beneath them.
"Great, an earthquake, just what we need right now..."
"IT'S NOT AN EARTHQUAKE—IT'S THE MONSTERS!" someone shouted, causing the guards to raise their weapons in panic.
A dust storm rolled toward them, and as it drew closer, they saw monsters and demons of all shapes and sizes charging in.
Before Akane could react, she was forced to step back and cover her face as Cid launched himself into the air, creating a powerful gust of wind.
As Akane watched him fly through the sky like a shooting star, she found herself entranced.
Cid landed with a thundering crash, a small crater forming beneath his feet as he gripped his chains tightly. Magic swirled around his weapons as he swung them in a wide arc, ripping apart any monster in their path. He whirled his chain before him, cutting through the approaching horde.
With a flick of his wrist, Cid embedded one of his blades into the stomach of a massive, bloated red demon. He yanked the creature toward him, using its body as a foothold to launch himself into the air. As he soared, he twisted the chain around the demon's neck and pulled hard, tearing its head clean off before landing smoothly back on the ground, spinning his weapon effortlessly.
'Being this physical is surprisingly fun... too bad the real me isn't here to enjoy it,' Cid thought as he carved a path through the monsters, splitting them like the sea.
…
Akane stared in awe as she watched Cid battle the monsters in front of him. She slowly saw him disappear further into the horde.
"Please be safe out there, Minoru… No, Cid… I already lost you once. It can't happen again," Akane muttered, praying for his safety.
Akane then put a hand on her katana. "Men! When the monsters get within range, do not hesitate to attack. We will survive another day!" she said confidently as she withdrew her katana, her blade shining beautifully in the moonlight.
As she pointed her sword forward and got into a fighting position, she drew her sword near her eyes, which reflected against the steel. Mana began to escape from her body, surrounding her sword and enhancing its potential.
When she went to attack, she, along with everyone else, including the monsters, froze at the command of an unknown voice.
"Heed my words; I command you to stop under my orders!"
As they all froze, the only thing they could move was their heads. They turned toward the source of the arrogant statement.
They looked towards the moon to see a dark figure standing in the air with the moon shining brightly behind him, wearing a black hood and coat that fluttered elegantly behind him.
No one knew why they had stopped or why they had frozen. They all wondered if it was the power of that mysterious figure.
The hooded figure softly descended onto the rubble-strewn mountain. He stretched out his hands and commanded, "My loyal followers, come forth and bear witness to the sight before me!"
All anyone could do was watch as everything around the hooded figure began turning black, as his shadow expanded. From the shadow emerged females of different races, plus one boy and a baby, all dressed in similar black and gold clothing and eye masks that obscured their faces.
"As you all can see, this world is on a fast track to destruction. It is our duty, as emissaries of the shadows, to save this forsaken world from its inevitable doom!"
"Lay your eyes on these pitiful creatures known as humans, as they struggle to survive and fight against the impossible… So I ask you, Shadow Garden, are we going to stand by and let such unfairness befall this world!?"
"NO, WE AREN'T!" they all shouted righteously as they drew their weapons.
"And why is that!?"
"Because we are Shadow Garden! Guardians and protectors who watch from the shadows, and from the shadows, we bring justice to those wronged!"
"Good! Then go forth, Shadow Garden! Go forth and protect this fateless world!" Shadow said as he snapped his fingers, allowing everyone to move again.
"HAI, Lord Shadow!" They all surrounded themselves in a thick aura of magic, blasting through the air like a meteor shower as they charged towards the monsters.
Aurora stepped close to Shadow and looked at him with amusement. "You're having too much fun with this, aren't you?"
Shadow then looked ahead mysteriously and narrowed his eyes. "I have no idea what you're talking about… I am the shadow, and the shadow is me… And shadows never have fun…"
There was an awkward silence, interrupted by the giggling of a baby. Celeste was covering her mouth as she giggled cutely.
Aurora gave a 'Fufufu' before kissing Celeste. "Daddy is an idiot, isn't he?"
Celeste nodded in agreement and continued to giggle.
"Why are you agreeing!?" Shadow said, looking at Celeste with a hurt expression.
You may also Like
Paragraph comment
Paragraph comment feature is now on the Web! Move mouse over any paragraph and click the icon to add your comment.
Also, you can always turn it off/on in Settings.
GOT IT