章 198: Chapter 197
[Third Person's PoV]
As Shadow hovered in the air, he snapped his fingers, and the ground beneath everyone began to tremble. The earth groaned as buildings, skyscrapers, and homes began to rise from the rubble, lifting back into place as if time itself had reversed.
Members of the Shadow Garden leapt onto the tops of the rising structures, looking down at the stunned crowd below.
"Is... Is he a god?" one of the survivors stammered, voice trembling with awe.
"With a single drop of his sword, he wiped out every monster in sight."
"And now, with just a snap of his fingers, he's rebuilt the entire city... it's like he's restored everything."
Captain Haitani swallowed hard, stepping protectively in front of Akane. "Who... who are you? And what do you want?" he asked, his voice edged with both fear and respect.
A collective shiver ran down their spines as Shadow's dragon-like gaze swept over them, his cold eyes filled with unfathomable power.
Captain Haitani bowed deeply, his voice low and careful. "Forgive me for my rudeness. We're just... wary. Your strength and abilities are beyond anything we've seen."
Shadow's voice was deep, almost otherworldly. "I am called Shadow. As for my goals... they are beyond human comprehension. But rest assured, I mean you no harm. You are facing forces that defy the very laws of your reality. In short, you are all powerless... utterly helpless, with no chance of survival."
"What's that supposed to mean?" Akane asked, stepping forward, defiant, her eyes burning with determination as she stood beside the captain.
"Akane, don't," Captain Haitani warned softly.
"But don't you hear what he's saying?" Akane turned towards him, incredulous. "We can't just take his word for it because he says so!"
"I know," Haitani replied, his tone heavy, "but we don't have any other choice. We've seen his power. Antagonizing him would only make things worse."
Akane hesitated, knowing he was right, but her curiosity still burned. She looked up at Shadow and asked, "You speak of forces... what forces? The monsters?"
Shadow scoffed, "The monsters should be the least of your concerns. From where I stand, you're all like frogs at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vast world beyond your narrow walls. Tell me, do you even know where these monsters come from? Who controls them? For what purpose? What do they want?"
Captain Haitani's eyes widened as the implication of Shadow's words sank in, and the others grew visibly tense.
Akane's voice faltered as she asked, "You don't mean..."
Shadow's tone was cold, final. "It's exactly what I mean. Someone out there is sending these creatures to exterminate humanity. They won't stop until their mission is complete."
Despair flickered across their faces. Akane swallowed hard before asking, "Do you know who's behind this?"
"I do," Shadow answered with a chilling calm. "But you needn't concern yourselves with that. I will handle him. You've seen my power... you have nothing to fear."
A collective sigh of relief escaped the group, but Shadow's smirk beneath his hood went unnoticed.
"But there's a cost," he added, his voice dropping like a guillotine.
"Wha—" They all froze as Shadow's cold gaze pierced them.
"In exchange for saving this world from destruction, I will be taking it for my own. You have two choices: submit... or perish."
"A-Are you saying you'd kill us if we refuse to submit?" Captain Haitani asked nervously, beads of sweat forming on his brow.
"No," Shadow replied evenly. "I am saying I will not save you. I will give you seven days to decide. But know this—your answer will determine the fate of your people."
Beta, now sitting on the ground, reached into her shadow and pulled out her trusty notebook and pen. With stars in her eyes, she fangirled, furiously scribbling down everything Shadow had just said.
"Shadow is so cool!!" she squealed, mimicking his deep, commanding voice as she wrote. "'Submit or perish,'" she repeated, lowering her voice dramatically while putting a hand over her face. "'Your answer shall determine the fate of your people,'" she continued, savoring every word as if it were poetry.
"Kyaa~ Shadow-sama is simply the best!" Beta beamed, scribbling away with fervor.
Shadow, unfazed by her antics, turned his attention back to the group. "I will return in seven days to hear your answer," he announced, his gaze stern and unreadable. Then, with a snap of his fingers, a sound barrier formed around them, cutting off the outside world.
The camp would hear nothing of what came next.
"Shadow Garden," Shadow said as he descended gracefully to the ground, "I have a special mission for you. More specifically, for Lambda."
Lambda, taken slightly aback, stepped forward and knelt with one fist pressed over her heart, awaiting her orders.
"Lambda," Shadow continued, "you have proven yourself time and again as the General of our forces. Your loyalty is unquestionable. For this, I entrust you with a special task: take our forces and do what a General does—conquer the land in my name. There are other camps of survivors across this world. I want them to submit to Shadow Garden."
Lambda's eyes shone with pride and devotion as she bowed deeply. "It is a great honor to be entrusted with this mission, my lord. I will not let you down."
A slight blush crept across her face as she caught Shadow's approving smile. "I know you won't. So, here's a reward for you."
Shadow touched his middle finger to his forehead before pressing his thumb gently to Lambda's head. Instantly, a surge of power coursed through her, causing the air to crackle with energy. Several of the others gasped at the intensity of it.
"This...!" Lambda muttered, wide-eyed in disbelief.
"Conqueror's Haki," Shadow said with a smirk.
"Thank you, my lord. I am forever grateful," Lambda whispered, deeply moved.
Shadow nodded. "You're dismissed."
Lambda rose to her feet, her voice ringing with authority. "You heard our lord! It is now our duty to lay the world bare at his feet! Let's move!"
In perfect unison, the Shadow Garden members sprang into action, disappearing into the sky like streaks of shooting stars, their resolve unwavering.
As the barrier vanished with another snap of Shadow's fingers, Alpha stepped forward. "What about the rest of us? What are your orders?"
Shadow gave a dismissive scoff. "Rest. I allowed you to indulge in battle this time, so now take time to recover."
Alpha pouted, puffing her cheek out in frustration. "But—"
"As for the rest of you," Shadow continued, cutting her off, "I want you all to train. Especially you, Beta and Delta. You've both just received the powers of a Monarch, and you need to learn how to wield them properly."
Then, turning his attention to Claire, his sister, who had stayed behind, Shadow added, "As for you, Claire, I'm making Bellion train you."
"Huh? Why?" Claire tilted her head, looking puzzled.
"Because you're the one who's going to be fighting and inheriting this particular Monarch's powers. If you don't want to lose, you'd better start training."
"Really!?" Claire's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Yup. And I need you to be a Monarch for what I have planned next." Shadow gave a sly grin before engulfing them all in darkness and disappearing into his shadowy realm.
Not long after, Cid appeared, dragging the severed head of a massive monster behind him. Blood trailed behind as he whistled nonchalantly, looking around at the newly reconstructed city in confusion.
"Minoru!" Akane called out joyfully, happy to see him.
Cid blinked at her, bewildered. "I killed the boss monster... but did I take so long that you managed to rebuild civilization?"
Akane laughed, leaping down from the wall and embracing him. "You don't even know the half of it. Come on, I'll explain everything you missed!"
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