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 ✌😘✌
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[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.
[Third Person's PoV]
Akane and the other survivors stood frozen in shock and confusion as they witnessed the scene before them.
"Who are they?" Akane asked, her brow furrowing as she struggled to comprehend what was happening.
Captain Haitani, appearing beside her, crossed his arms thoughtfully. "Could they be another survival camp? That guy over there must be their leader."
But before anyone could respond, silence fell over the group as they watched in stunned awe. The mysterious girls revealed their powers, showcasing incredible displays of magic and might.
Alpha, calm and composed, raised a hand, commanding the earth itself. The ground before the charging monsters cracked open as thick, pulsating vines erupted from below, violently ensnaring the creatures. The plants tore the monsters apart, feeding on their blood. As the crimson fluid soaked the roots, the once green vines turned blood red, growing stronger with each drop.
A few monsters managed to push through the carnivorous plants, unleashing waves of destruction in retaliation. But Lambda, a dark elf in military garb, was already leading the charge. Sword drawn, she pointed it forward, and in a blur of motion, she and the other Shadow Garden members vanished, leaving behind only a trail of magic. The monsters stood no chance, shredded to pieces by blindingly fast strikes, each one accompanied by dazzling bursts of color from the enchanted blades.
Above them, Beta floated gracefully in the sky, her silver hair swirling in the wind. Her skin transformed into a shimmering blue, her eyes glowing like polished crystals. With a breath, she unleashed a chilling wave of air, raising her hands as shimmering ice lances materialized around her. With a flick, the lances shot toward the remaining monsters, embedding themselves deep into their flesh. The creatures froze, crystallizing before shattering into thousands of pieces.
Meanwhile, Gamma flew on her broom, giggling behind her hand. "Fufufu." Her flight wobbled slightly, forcing her to grip the broom tightly with both hands. "Oops, hehe," she giggled, embarrassed.
After regaining her balance, Gamma focused, closing one eye and sticking her tongue out in concentration. She flicked her finger, forming a swirling ball of purple gravitational energy. The orb flew into the dwindling hordes, disintegrating everything it touched. Gamma flipped her hair and puffed out her chest, proud of the destruction she'd caused with just a flick of her fingers.
Delta, however, was enjoying herself the most. Running on all fours, her claws made quick work of any monster in her path. A single swipe was enough to obliterate them. She punched the ground, causing it to crumble, burying monsters alive beneath the rubble. Her hair slowly turned white, and her tail and ears elongated. Her once dark eyes turned crimson, and she let out a thunderous howl, so powerful it acted as a shockwave, ripping through the enemies.
Epsilon stood at the center of the chaos, arms outstretched. A pulse of sound magic radiated from her, tearing apart any monster unfortunate enough to be caught in its path. With a grin, she summoned her weapon, its edge glowing white as it vibrated at unnatural speeds, ready for the next wave of foes.
Zeta, on the other hand, was blending in with the survivors, biding her time to reveal herself. She remained in the shadows, observing, while Eta glared at Shadow with half-closed eyes, clearly unimpressed.
"What?" Shadow asked, tilting his head, confused by her glare.
"I was promised sleep," Eta said, her voice flat. "This... is the opposite of sleep. It's work. Not what I was promised at all."
Shadow chuckled, patting her head affectionately. "Sorry about that. Here, you can go into my shadow and sleep for as long as you want."
Eta smirked, trailing a finger under his chin and kissing his cheek before sinking into his shadow, where she curled up with her pillow, quickly falling asleep.
With that resolved, Shadow shifted his attention to Celeste, who was cradled in Aurora's arms.
"Hi, baby! Daddy missed you," Shadow cooed, lowering his hood and taking Celeste into his arms. He showered her with kisses, causing her to giggle as she squirmed, trying to escape his affection.
Aurora watched in amusement but soon looked puzzled. "Wait, what do you mean? You just saw her a few seconds ago when you pulled us into your shadow."
Shadow grinned. "I adjusted the time dilation in my shadow. What was a few seconds for you was a few days for me. So yes, daddy missed you a lot." He nuzzled Celeste playfully, making exaggerated "nom nom nom" sounds as he tickled her.
Celeste squealed in delight, her tiny hands grabbing his face as she tried to fend off his playful bites. "Hehehe!"
Cid gently placed Celeste on his neck and said, "Alright, little one, pull up my hood. We've got some work to do."
Celeste giggled as she grabbed the hood and pulled it over his head. She rested her small hand on top, holding on tightly as Cid, now in his Shadow persona, let his intimidating illusion fade. Despite the baby nestled around his neck, his aura of power remained undeniable.
Aurora, watching from a distance, pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. Shadow, unfazed, began to walk through the air as if strolling on solid ground. Celeste clung to him, one tiny hand gripping his forehead to maintain her balance.
As Shadow reached the center of the battlefield, his aura still commanded respect and fear, even with the baby on his shoulder. He unsheathed his obsidian-colored sword slowly, the blade gleaming in the air. A ribbon of mana swirled around him and Celeste, growing denser and more vibrant.
Celeste's eyes sparkled with wonder as the mana danced around them like stars in the night sky. She reached out, trying to catch one in her tiny hand, mesmerized by the colors and power.
Magical lines, like glowing circuits, appeared on Shadow's skin, spreading across his body. One of his eyes turned into a burning purple flame as his power surged, creating an almost palpable tension in the air.
In a voice barely above a whisper, yet heard in the very souls of everyone present, even the monsters, Shadow spoke, "Atomic… Apocalyptica."
He let go of his sword, and it fell toward the ground, glowing like a descending star—or a Nuke.
Time seemed to warp as the sword made contact. A massive beam of purple light shot toward the sky, enveloping both Shadow and Celeste before exploding in a cataclysmic wave of destruction. The beam grew in size, obliterating everything in its path, reducing monsters to dust, while leaving the survivors feeling strangely rejuvenated, as though the power had healed rather than harmed them.
The beam, after reaching the size of the entire city, began to shrink back, pulling itself inward until only Shadow and Celeste were left within its glow.
Akane, eyes squeezed shut in terror, slowly opened them, realizing she was still alive. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as she looked at her hands, opening and closing her fist, a sentiment shared by all the survivors. But as they looked around, their relief turned to stunned silence.
Everything was gone.
They stood in a barren wasteland, with only their school and patches of dirt remaining. Beyond that, a massive crater stretched out in every direction, evidence of the devastation Shadow's attack had caused.
Celeste, still perched on Shadow's back, gazed at the destruction with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. The glow intensified as she heard Shadow's next words.
"Princess," he said, his voice deep and proud. "If you would do the honors?"
Celeste grinned widely, her eyes gleaming mischievously. "Kekekeke—cough cough cough!" She tried to let out an evil laugh, but her baby vocal cords couldn't quite manage it.
Shadow's lips twitched, barely containing his laughter at her attempt.
Clearing her throat dramatically, Celeste raised her tiny fist in the air. "AWISE!!!" she shouted triumphantly, her small hands waving enthusiastically.
In response, shadows began to surge from the ground. Out of these dark tendrils, monsters began to materialize, the same ones they had just annihilated. However, this time, they all knelt, bowing in reverence toward Shadow. Celeste, in her youthful ignorance, assumed the homage was for her.
With a self-satisfied giggle, Celeste puffed out her chest, placed her tiny hands on her hips, and raised her nose into the air, basking in the moment.
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