The Eminence in Shadow, Vol. 3 (Light Novel) Page 5

  “You’re saying that that’s the Red Moon…?!”

  If it was, they were all in danger. When the Red Moon last appeared a thousand years ago, vampires decimated an entire country overnight. If things kept on like this, that tragedy was about to be repeated.

  Claudia calls out to the black swordsman as he turns to leave. “W-wait! Please, as a member of the Dark Knight Association, I’m asking for your help!”

  Having his insane power on their side would be an enormous boon. Selling her shitty bosses on the idea was going to be a struggle, but still…

  His response is flat. “That won’t be necessary—I’ll end this soon.”

  “You’ll end this…?” Claudia shivers. “Wait, you’re planning on taking on the Blood Queen alone…?!”

  It couldn’t be done.

  The Red Moon and the Blood Queen were practically on the level of natural disasters. It took an entire country mobilizing to stand up to them.

  But for this black swordsman—maybe it wasn’t so impossible after all.

  “Wh-who exactly are you…?”

  “The name’s Shadow. I lurk in the darkness and hunt down shadows…”

  His jet-black longcoat flutters as he walks atop the carpet of blood. In shock, Claudia watches him leave.

  “That was Shadow…,” she mumbles.

  His footsteps click as they become more and more distant.

  At his destination lies the Crimson Tower lording over the city and the dark red moon shining above it.

  “Master Crimson, the sacrifice is ready.”

  “I see…”

  Crimson has been looking down over the Lawless City, but his gaze shifts to the moon floating in the night sky. His wine-red hair washes down past his elegant features.

  “The Red Moon…isn’t ready yet…”

  The moon is stained red, but it isn’t enough. He has to keep waiting if he wants to be absolutely sure.

  “How is gaining control of the city proceeding?” he ventures to ask.

  “Things have begun according to plan. But…”

  “But?” Crimson whirls around and fixes his gaze on his tongue-tied subordinate.

  The man’s eyes dart around as he continues. “But…a few localities have offered more resistance than we anticipated.”

  “Is it the Dark Knight Association’s doing?”

  “No, they aren’t proving a threat. However, there are three people who are. One is Yukime the Spirit Fox. Another is Juggernaut the Tyrant.”

  “Those two…”

  Crimson grimaces as he looks back down over the city. The ghoul swarm is spreading out and expanding its area of influence well, but there are three waves fighting against the tide.

  Crimson is all too familiar with Yukime the Spirit Fox, ruler of the White Tower, and Juggernaut the Tyrant, ruler of the Black Tower. He’s suffered bitter losses at their hands many times before. Although he’s loath to admit it, both of them are a fair bit more powerful than he is.

  Now, though, things are different.

  The Red Moon has begun. All he needs to do is resurrect his Queen, and they, too, will sink into the ocean of blood.

  “Heh-heh-heh… Let them do as they please. It’s not as though they can reach us. When the Blood Queen is reborn, our victory will be assured…”

  Crimson laughs as he approaches the coffin enshrined in the middle of the room.

  “Oh, my beloved Queen… Soon, this world shall be ours…”

  As he strokes the coffin, he suddenly realizes something.

  “Wait, you said three people. Who’s the third?”

  Crimson only knows of two with the strength to stand against the Red Moon.

  “W-w-we’re not entirely certain yet. But we know he’s taken out a number of ghouls on his own, as well as the vampires we sent as reinforcements.”

  “What…?”

  “His name is Shadow. As we see it, he may well pose the biggest threat to us…”

  “Shadow…”

  Crimson frowns as he whispers the name.

  Chapter 2

  Storming the Crimson Tower!

  There are three forces rushing toward the Crimson Tower.

  One is the Tyrant on a violent rampage.

  The man is like a tanned goliath. His weapon is a massive, billhook-shaped slab of iron, and he uses it in conjunction with his raw brute strength to cleave through the ghouls.

  Nobody dares get near him. The moment they do, they’re bound to be reduced to mincemeat.

  The next force is the Spirit Fox, prancing toward the tower.

  She’s a foxwoman with bewitching beauty and fur the color of snow. Nine tails shine in the moonlight. Each of her hands holds an iron-ribbed folding fan, and she weaves an elegant dance as she slices through ghoul after ghoul.

  The moment their eyes are led astray by the alluring skin peeking out from within her kimono, she brings them to their eternal slumber.

  As they massacre their way through the creatures, the two forces crash into each other.

  “Screw you, vixen!”

  “What a positively troublesome man you are.” The Spirit Fox skillfully repels the Tyrant’s billhook.

  When it smashes into the ground, a large cloud of dust flies up.

  “Been a while, Spirit Fox.” A fiendish smile spreads across Juggernaut’s face.

  Yukime sighs in annoyance. “I, personally, would have preferred not to see you at all.”

  “Hey, I’m just here for the bloodsuckers. But I’m happy to put your ass in the ground, too.” Juggernaut brandishes his gigantic weapon like it’s a toy.

  “Nobody likes a persistent man, you know.” Yukime readies her fans in turn.

  But the moment the two of them are about to attack, the final force converges on their position.

  A man wearing a jet-black longcoat silently descends through the night.

  Then, in the blink of an eye, he vivisects his three vampiric pursuers.

  Seeing the man’s agility stuns the Tyrant. His movements are smooth, explosive, overwhelmingly powerful. Even the Tyrant finds himself forced to admit the man is strong.

  What impresses the Spirit Fox is the way he handles his sword.

  She’s lived a long time, but she’s never seen such beautiful swordplay or such efficient, economical technique. His sword dance is practically an art, to the point that it amazes even Yukime.

  The two speak in unison.

  “Who the hell’re you…?”

  “And who might this be…?”

  The man in black turns to look at them as he shakes the blood clean from his sword.

  “My name is Shadow. I lurk in the darkness and hunt down shadows…”

  And with that, the three forces collide.

  Each of them tries to stare the others down.

  Yukime’s eyes are like pools of still water, Juggernaut’s are black and have a falcon-like glint in them, and Shadow’s are red, glowing, and inhuman.

  “Shadow…? I feel like I’ve heard of ya before.”

  “Rumor has it that there lies a mysterious armed group called the Shadow Garden outside the city. Its leader goes by the same name, it would seem.”

  “Oh, so he’s that Shadow.”

  “The rumors were of questionable veracity, but the man has the skills to support these claims, it seems.”

  Their steely gazes bear down on Shadow, but he doesn’t seem to mind.

  The wind blows, causing Shadow’s sword to whistle. Yukime unfurls her fans, and Juggernaut hoists his billhook up onto his shoulder.

  The wordless standoff draws on.

  Juggernaut is the first to break the silence. “Are we just gonna keep staring at each other? Or are we gonna get this death match started?”

  “If there is going to be killing, I would like to have Mr. Shadow on my side. Pray pardon, Mr. Shadow, what say you?” Yukime casts an amorous glance Shadow’s way.

  Juggernaut scoffs. “Hey, word to the wise, don’t trust that fox. She’
d kill you in your sleep.”

  “—This is insipid.” Despite the gravity of the situation, Shadow turns his back on the other two without a shred of trepidation. “The Red Moon has risen, and the rampage has begun… I don’t have time to waste playing around with you people.”

  “Turnin’ your back on me? That takes balls.” Juggernaut glares at the back in question.

  “It would seem you have a peculiar insight into this situation. The Red Moon… I feel as though I’ve heard that name before…”

  “You goin’ senile in your old age, Grandma?”

  “Quiet. As Mr. Shadow said, I, too, verily believe fighting here would be a waste of time. I only came hither because I did not want to lose any more of my people to the ghouls. You’re the same, no?”

  “You and I ain’t got nothin’ in common. The Lawless City doesn’t need three towers, so I just figured I’d come and knock one of the spares over, that’s all.”

  “Your efforts would be better spent on the Blood Queen, no?”

  “Screw this, I’m out. I’ll kill you next time, hag.” Juggernaut glares at Yukime and Shadow, then leaves.

  Yukime watches him go, but stops Shadow before he can follow suit.

  “Wait. Truth is, Mr. Shadow, I know who you are. I run the pleasure houses here, you see.”

  Shadow looks at Yukime out of the corner of his eye.

  “Word has it that a number of my girls owe you their lives. I owe you a debt, certainly, and I would love a chance to show you my appreciation sometime, if you’d let me.”

  “I don’t need your thanks… It wasn’t like I was trying to save them.”

  Shadow’s shoes click as he walks away.

  “And they were all so thankful, too… What humble man crosses our path… I will wait as long as it takes, just know that the White Tower’s doors are always open to you.”

  Yukime bows toward Shadow’s back.

  “I do think we shall meet anon.”

  With a coquettish smile, Yukime turns toward the Crimson Tower, and Shadow vanishes from sight.

  The Watchdog is waiting for prey outside the Crimson Tower.

  He sits on the ground, cradling his gaunt body with a warped smile stiff upon his face.

  Once, he was the killer—no, the knight—known as the White Demon.

  Back in his country, he’d served as a knight captain. With his white hair fluttering over his white uniform, he’d cast the image of an ideal defender of the peace.

  However, his true nature was that of a bloodthirsty serial killer who stalked the streets at night. Ever since he was born, he’d taken joy in killing people. The red blood, the screams, the looks of desperation on their faces… Killing others made him feel alive.

  One day, though, one of his colleagues caught him in the act. In that moment, he became the White Demon.

  In the space of a single night, the White Demon slew his entire knight order before fleeing. Then, once he escaped, he kept on killing, eventually making his way to the Lawless City.

  He knew no fear. He thought he stood at the very top of the food chain.

  However, when he challenged the Crimson Tower, his misconceptions were shattered. The White Demon had struck fear into countless hearts, but he was unable to lay so much as a finger on Crimson. He was unilaterally defeated and ended up having to plea for his life.

  Now, he works as a Watchdog.

  The freedom to kill was stolen from him.

  Killing had given his life purpose, and he’d lost even that…

  Now, an opportunity was finally approaching him.

  “Hee-hee…”

  When the Red Moon started, most of the vampires had left the tower.

  That meant there was no one left to judge him. As long as the Red Moon continued, he could kill as he pleased.

  And so, the White Demon waits for prey. He’s the Watchdog no more—he’s the White Demon, and he’s waiting for people to slaughter.

  Rumor has it that the Dark Knight Association is planning on assassinating the Blood Queen. As the White Demon waits for his target, he practically prays that someone will come by.

  And then—

  Violent footsteps rumble through the streets, and his fervent wish is granted.

  “Hee-hee…hee?”

  The White Demon looks up in ecstasy to see a tanned behemoth.

  The man’s body is covered in thick, veiny muscles, and he’s carrying a billhook longer than he is tall.

  The man glares at the White Demon with a stern glint in his eye. He practically exudes violence. The White Demon is certain of it—this is Juggernaut the Tyrant, one of the Lawless City’s rulers.

  “You’re in the way. Move.”

  “Hee…” The White Demon instantly averts his gaze and steps away from the door.

  He knows full well that there are people who are stronger than him, and he knows he absolutely can’t lay a hand on the Lawless City’s rulers or their inner circles. He learned that the hard way—from fighting Crimson.

  “Annoying.”

  The Tyrant stops in front of the door, then swings his colossal billhook and smashes it to smithereens.

  “Hee?!” The White Demon shrinks back to let the Tyrant pass and looks at the pulverized door.

  It had been thick, not to mention reinforced with iron. Even a dark knight would have had trouble getting through it. The man who obliterated it in a single blow enters the Crimson Tower.

  The White Demon is terrified at the thought of what might be starting.

  Then he hears footsteps from behind.

  They’re reserved and light, so they clearly belong to a woman. He likes women. Their flesh is so tender.

  A wicked grin spreads across his face as he turns around.

  There, he finds a woman so bewitching and fair, she seems almost unworldly.

  Her hair is lustrous and white, and it’s adorned with a pair of fox ears. Two iron fans hang from her kimono’s sash.

  That’s all well and good.

  However, the problem is the nine fox tails swaying behind her.

  “Hee?!”

  There’s no mistaking it. The woman is Yukime the Spirit Fox, one of the Lawless City’s other rulers.

  “Move.”

  “Hee-hee!”

  The White Demon shuffles to the side before she even finishes her sentence. She’s way, way out of his league. He cowers behind a corner as the Spirit Fox passes him by and enters the tower, then he looks up.

  Is the tower going to survive, now that the Tyrant and the Spirit Fox are inside? Are those monsters going to have an all-out war?

  Then he hears footsteps once more.

  Upon hearing them click, the White Demon grins.

  The Tyrant and the Spirit Fox are already inside, so there’s no way someone of their caliber can possibly show up.

  Sure enough, who he finds is just some guy in black he’s never seen before.

  The man’s wearing a jet-black longcoat, and his face is covered beneath a hood and behind a mask.

  However, it’s impossible to get a read on the man’s strength. When someone is as strong as the White Demon, he can usually tell how powerful his foe is before the fight even starts. However, he’s drawing a complete blank on the man in the longcoat.

  Still, compared with the Tyrant and the Spirit Fox, he’s probably an easy target.

  This is the prey I’ve been waiting for.

  “…Hee-hee!!”

  The moment the man in black enters his range, the White Demon strikes.

  Got him.

  As soon as that thought passes through his head, the White Demon finds himself looking up at the sky.

  “Hee…?”

  Unable to tell what’s going on, he glances around, only to find that his bottom half is still standing.

  It’s been separated from his top half, and it gushes blood as it topples to the ground.

  That’s when the White Demon finally realizes he’s been cut in two.

  “Hee�
� Hee…”

  He assumes the man in black will just head into the Crimson Tower after having sliced him in twain, but instead, he plants his foot on the outside of the tower and begins running straight up its side.

  “Hee?!”

  As the blood pumps out of his body, the White Demon can’t believe his eyes.

  But the man in black isn’t done yet. Halfway up, he comes to an abrupt stop, smashes open the wall with his fist, and slips into the hole.

  The man is insane.

  He’s clearly far more dangerous than the other two…

  The White Demon now realizes that he’s laid a hand on someone he absolutely wasn’t supposed to.

  “Hee… Hee…”

  The moment before the life fades from his body, he recalls something. “Wait, isn’t that where they keep the treasure?”

  Thump, thump, thump. Hearing a low thud, Beta glances up from her book.

  When she looks around the spacious library, she sees that one part of the wall is vibrating in concert with the noise.

  Is someone hitting the wall from outside?

  Right as the thought crosses her mind, the wall suddenly gives way, and a pair of women come tumbling through, accompanied by a fair bit of dirt.

  “Ow?!”

  “Oof.”

  The dark-haired girl lands on the ground face-first, and the red-haired girl collapses on top of her.

  “Owww… I wasn’t expecting the wall to be so brittle.”

  When the dark-haired girl looks up with her hands clamped on her nose, Beta realizes that she knows her. It’s Claire Kagenou, her master’s sister.

  “I told you to be careful…,” her attractive redheaded companion notes emotionlessly.

  “If we’d taken it slower, we might not have made it in time. Also, Mary, would you mind getting off me?”

  “Oh, sorry, Claire.”

  After the redhead does as requested, the two of them stand up and dust off their clothes.

  “By the way, where exactly are we?”

  “We should be right under the Crimson Tower, but…”

  Beta chooses to answer their questions. “You’re in the Crimson Tower’s underground library.”

  That’s when they finally notice her sitting on her chair.