To Be a Power in the Shadows! (LN) - Volume 5 - Chapter 2.7

Part 7

A golden tail sways amid the white fog.

“Hmm-hmm-hmm, hmm-hmm-hmm.”

There’s even some idle humming.

The girl’s graceful footsteps are like those of a dancer. There are red pools of blood all around her, and each step she takes is accompanied by a loud squelch.

“You’re certainly in a good mood, Zeta.”

On hearing her name, Zeta stops mid-hum. “I was just at the good part.”

“My apologies.”

“Hmph.” Zeta twirls a blood-flecked chakram around her finger.

A short, hooded girl emerges from the fog. “If you’re thinking of throwing that at me, please don’t.”

“I’m not. Where’s Victoria?”

“Working on the plan.”

“Mm.”

“I have a report from her.”

“Mmm.” All of a sudden, Zeta stops spinning her chakram and hurls it into the air.

Shlunk.

A severed head falls from above. It cracks and shatters with a look of shock still etched on its face.

“Good spot.”

“Mm.”

“I have a report from Victoria.”

“Mmm.”

“It would appear that Master Shadow intervened on behalf of Princess Alexia and the sister.”

“That’s Claire to you.”

The chakram whirls, and the girl’s hood flutters. “My apologies.”

“Make sure it doesn’t happen again. So? What did he do?”

“After dispatching the librarian, he brought them back out of the Sanctuary.”

“Clever. Fenrir is in trouble now.”

“That’s right. He doesn’t have many moves available to him. How is your progress coming along?”

“Hmm?”

“You know, analyzing the Sanctuary.”

“Oh, I’m done.”

“Already? But it’s only been a few days.”

“Eta’s artifact is great.” Zeta produces a strange palm-size device. When she imbues it with magic, it begins faintly glowing. “It makes magic circuits visible. You can tell where they’re flowing and what they do at a glance.”

Thin veins of light spread outward. They pulsate and lead to a set of pillars of red light. Inside each of the four pillars, there’s an academy student hooked up to a slender tube.

“They’re trying to use the students’ magic to break the seal,” Zeta explains.

“Looks like they don’t have enough mana.”

“Yeah. They need high-quality magic. From the heroes’ descendants. I’ve figured out how the Cult sealed Diablos and how they built the Sanctuary.”

“Then I guess we’re done here.”

“Mm.”

“What do you want to do? If we destroy the tubes, the seal will stay protected.”

Zeta ponders the hooded girl’s question for a moment.

However, there’s no need for her to do so. She already knows her answer. Zeta merely wants to steel her own resolve.

“We leave them be.”

“Are you sure about this?”

“I’ve made my choice.” Zeta strides through the fog. After passing the pillars of red light and arriving at a massive door, she lays her hand on it. “The right arm is sealed away just past here.”

“What do you intend on doing?”

“While we’re here, I thought I’d pay my respects.”

“Should we give the sign?”

“If you want. Zeta, going in.”

Zeta pours magic into the door.

The door is covered in ancient script, and it’s locked shut with layers of thick chains.

“Will it open?” the hooded girl asks Zeta.

“Dunno. But I know who sealed the demon’s arm here.”

“Who?”

“Here she comes.”

Zeta pours even more magic in.

When she does, the door flashes red, and the magic circuits in the air expand. There’s a creak, and the door starts vibrating ever so slightly.

However, it doesn’t open.

The magic circuits gather in front of the door, and the vein-thin lights coalesce into the shape of a person.

“Fall back.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

On Zeta’s order, the hooded girl backs all the way up.

Eventually, the thin lights vanish, revealing a therianthrope woman standing in their place. She has golden hair, golden cat ears, a golden tail, and decidedly feline eyes. She bears a striking likeness to Zeta.

The hooded girl gulps. “Is that…?”

“Nice to meet you, therianthrope hero.”

“Zeta, what in the world is going on?”

“None of this is new information,” Zeta says matter-of-factly.

Not a moment later, the therianthrope hero’s claws flash, and Zeta’s head goes flying.

After spinning through the air, the severed head turns into black mist and vanishes. As it does, Zeta’s torso vanishes as well.

The black mist melds into the white fog, and from it, Zeta emerges unscathed. She floats in the air and casts a cold look down at the therianthrope hero.

“But I wanted to double-check it,” she says.

The hero doesn’t reply. She simply gazes up at Zeta with eyes devoid of emotion.

Still floating in the air, Zeta shoots a question down at the hooded girl. “Do you remember the day you first met our lord?”

The hooded girl presses a hand to her chest. “Of course. How could I ever forget?”

“Me neither. I’ll never forget that day.”

Zeta stares intently at the therianthrope hero like she’s seeing the distant past just behind the woman’s frame.

“I was just a tiny kitten—and our master took me in.”

That there is what fuels Zeta’s resolve.

“Bye-bye, Hero. I’ve chosen a different path than you.” Zeta turns to go.

The short, hooded girl hurriedly follows her. “Are you sure about this? We haven’t given the sign yet.”

“Mm. We can give it next time. We’ve achieved our current goal. Now we lurk in the shadows and wait for our moment.”

“Then wait we shall.”

As they talk, the two girls disappear into the fog.

The therianthrope hero silently watches them go.