1. TLed from: https://www.wenku8.net/novel/2/2542/index.htm
2. V6c0: https://pastebin.com/EWw4Wmuy
3. V6c1v2: https://pastebin.pl/view/b38f34af
4. V6c2: https://pastebin.pl/view/ca4a2c68
5. V6c3: https://pastebin.pl/view/77554c44
6. V6c3c2: https://pastebin.pl/view/a49059cb (some small changes)
7.  
8.  
9. Chapter 4: And Then A Monster Becomes A Legend!
10.  
11. “Jack the Ripper didn’t show up, huh?”
12.  
13. One of the Night Swords said in annoyance as he enjoyed his dinner.
14.  
15. It was almost midnight and time for the day to roll over.
16.  
17. “So he ran off in the end because he was afraid of us, then?”
18.  
19. “I heard he defeated a bugeisha of Wagoku. How disappointing.”
20.  
21. “Still, this is fine. It shows that nobody can resist the Night Swords when we band together, no?”
22.  
23. “Looks like we gathered too many fighters. It might have been a bit too much for Jack the Ripper.”
24.  
25. The Night Swords laughed derisively.
26.  
27. “We’ll spread the word once the date changes. Jack the Ripper fled like a coward and the Night Swords still stand. That way, nobody will dare take us lightly again…”
28.  
29. Just as White spoke, a faint glow filled the colosseum.
30.  
31. The glow gradually grew in intensity, as though it was reacting to something.
32.  
33. “This is…”
34.  
35. “See, he came. This is a reaction to an intruder’s mana.”
36.  
37. After that, once the entire colosseum was filled with a brilliant light, the dome-shaped artifact forcefield was established.
38.  
39. In its middle was a bloodsoaked clown who had appeared there without their notice.
40.  
41. “Is that Jack the Ripper?”
42.  
43. “He’s a bloodstained little clown, just like the reports said.”
44.  
45. “Hmm… He doesn’t seem very strong.”
46.  
47. “You can’t really tell that by appearances. That said, he doesn’t seem very smart. After all, he deliberately stepped into the trap we set for him.”
48.  
49. “No doubt about that. Still, at least it will help relieve our boredom.”
50.  
51. The Night Swords leaned out to look at Jack the Ripper.
52.  
53. “Well done on not running away, Jack the Ripper. You did keep us waiting for a long time, though. Did it really take so long to prepare yourself for death?”
54.  
55. Count White adopted a more theatrical tone of speaking as he said that.
56.  
57. However, Jack the Ripper remained unmoved.
58.  
59. “Go on, say something. You’re looking for the Night Swords, aren’t you? Don’t you have any complaints or grievances? Come on and let us hear all about them. Did we kill your mommy or daddy? Or did we sell off your kids? Confiscate your property? Well I’m sorry, but there’s just too many of these for us all to commit to memory.”
60.  
61. The colosseum echoed with the Night Swords’ laughter.
62.  
63. “Or are you so scared you can’t even speak? Meh, it doesn’t matter. I’ve prepared a secret game for you. The rules are simple; you just have to beat all the assassins we’ve prepared for you. That way, the forcefield surrounding the colosseum will be dispelled. And who knows, you might actually be able to kill us like you announced, no?”
64.  
65. Count White looked down on Jack the Ripper with a smug grin on his face.
66.  
67. “Just in case, I should tell you that this forcefield is being created by a powerful artifact. The amount of money it took us to acquire it isn’t a sum you’d be able to match even in a hundred lifetimes of work. You won’t be able to break it by brute force. Therefore, you have only one path to survival; which is to defeat all the assassins here!”
68.  
69. Count White spread his arms and raised his volume.
70.  
71. “Now let the games begin! Enter, the first assassin!”
72.  
73. The gates of the arena swung open, and a magic swordsman walked through them.
74.  
75. He was a hulking man in heavy armor, wielding a gigantic sword which he swung through the air with ease. He turned to the audience seats to bow to the Night Swords.
76.  
77. “This man is a magic gladiator from the city-state of Spartan! His record is two hundred wins and no losses in the Spartan gladiatorial arenas, famed as the cruelest in the world! That mighty blade of his has cloven foe after foe in half and earned him the title of “Mincemeat” Butcher!”
78.  
79. Butcher walked forward and looked down at Jack the Ripper.
80.  
81. “Oi oi, there were all those nasty bastards in the ready room so I thought we’d be fighting a real badass, but turns out it’s just a fucking clown!”
82.  
83. Butcher sneered and took a stance with his greatsword.
84.  
85. “Now then, let the first match begin!”
86.  
87. Butcher swung down with his sword as the starting signal was given.
88.  
89. A terrible noise and collision made the entire colosseum shudder.
90.  
91. “W-What kind of sword was that?”
92.  
93. “Is that a magic gladiator from Spartan? The rumors don’t do them justice.”
94.  
95. “He missed, though.”
96.  
97. Indeed, Butcher’s strike had missed.
98.  
99. However, Jack the Ripper had not dodged his blow. In other words, the first strike had never been meant to hit.
100.  
101. “I missed that one. After all, the audience would get bored if the fight ended in one stroke. A magic gladiator who only knows how to win is ultimately second-rate. Only those who can play to the audience are first-rate.”
102.  
103. After that arrogant declaration, Butcher rested his greatsword back on his shoulder.
104.  
105. “Come on then, you fucking clown. I’ve got your number. You couldn’t even react to that hit just now; you won’t be able to beat me no matter how hard you try. Don’t worry though, a magic gladiator’s job is to take even a third-rate fight and liven it gwaaaargh?!”
106.  
107. Butcher was sent flying through the air.
108.  
109. His face was covered in blood as he crashed violently into the forcefield above them. There was a loud pecha sound as he lodged into it.
110.  
111. Drip. Drip. Butcher’s blood rained down on the clown.
112.  
113. He slowly retracted his upraised leg.
114.  
115. “...And, and the winner is Jack the Ripper.”
116.  
117. It sounded like Count White was forcing himself to say that.
118.  
119. There was a commotion among the Night Swords.
120.  
121. “W-What just happened?”
122.  
123. “He kicked him. He kicked him at incredible speed!”
124.  
125. “Count Battler, did you see that?”
126.  
127. “Just barely. It may not seem that way, but I made my bones with sheer skill. That guy…”
128.  
129. “Come to think of it, Count Battler’s supposed to be an excellent magic swordsman.”
130.  
131. “No way, are you saying that he finished off his opponent with one kick?”
132.  
133. “Still, we did go out of our way to pick an opponent he could beat for the first fight. That much was within expectations.”
134.  
135. “Why don’t we switch up his opponents for the second bout then? You don’t mind, do you, Count Battler?”
136.  
137. “Ah…”
138.  
139. There were no objections.
140.  
141. White took a sip of wine and summoned the contenders for the next round.
142.  
143. “Now then, your opponents for the second fight!”
144.  
145. This time, there were three magic swordsmen.
146.  
147. “These are the captains of the legendary mercenary band “White Wolf”, which won fame in song and story during the Vegaltan Uprising!! However, their employer Doem Ketsuhat was slain during the battle for the Oriana Kingdom and their finances are in trouble! These veteran warriors would normally never have appeared in a place like this; each and every one of them is a true master, far beyond Butcher’s level! Behold their coordinated offense, and the steely spirit born of operating in the red!”
148.  
149. The three men were calm magic swordsmen in their thirties and forties.
150.  
151. Each of them used a sword, axe and spear respectively.
152.  
153. They were all studying Jack the Ripper with keen gazes.
154.  
155. “...What do you think?”
156.  
157. The swordsman asked.
158.  
159. “I don’t know. I can’t read him at all. Still, not being able to read him is quite unusual in itself.’
160.  
161. The axeman replied.
162.  
163. “And here I thought this would be an easy job. It might be a three-on-one, but don’t go resenting us, you hear.”
164.  
165.  
166. After the spearman spoke, the three of them raised their weapons.
167.  
168. “And now, let the second match begin!”
169.  
170. As the battle began, the three of them moved to encircle Jack the Ripper.
171.  
172. They carefully kept their distance from him while studying the situation.
173.  
174. Meanwhile, Jack the Ripper remained immobile.
175.  
176. The leaders of “White Wolf” slowly began to move around him.
177.  
178. Once, twice, three times…
179.  
180. A long, boring period where nothing happened elapsed.
181.  
182. “...Aren’t they just going around him in circles?”
183.  
184. One of the Night Swords said.
185.  
186. Other dissatisfied voices spoke out in support of him.
187.  
188. The members of “White Wolf” must have heard them too, but none of them responded or changed their actions. They simply continued circling Jack the Ripper.
189.  
190. Nothing happened.
191.  
192. Although this only seemed like an ordinary battle on the surface, a faint ripple was going through the White Wolves.
193.  
194.  
195. Drip, drip, drip. An abnormal amount of sweat flowed from the faces of the trio.
196.  
197. Their breathing also grew rapid, and they were so focused that their eyes were turning bloodshot.
198.  
199. A strange tension filled the colosseum and those unsatisfied voices vanished.
200.  
201. Everything was silent.
202.  
203. Right at that moment, Jack the Ripper made his move.
204.  
205. All he did was raise his foot and step forward.
206.  
207. It was a casual step, which carried no danger or change with it.
208.  
209. However, the “White Wolves” reacted in quite an abnormal way.
210.  
211. In an instant, they had retreated to the edges of the colosseum.
212.  
213. Their breathing was heavy and ragged and their faces were tense. The shaking of their weapons explained how they felt.
214.  
215. They were gripped by a fear they had never experienced before.
216.  
217. Before them was nothing but a strange little clown.
218.  
219. But in the eyes of these hoary veterans, it was as though they were staring down the end of the world itself.
220.  
221. One of the mercenaries dropped his sword.
222.  
223. This was immediately followed by the spear and axe user putting down their weapons too.
224.  
225. “Let’s call it off, it’s not worth it…”
226.  
227. The sword-user said in a trembling voice.
228.  
229. “Calling it off…?! Are you forgetting something?! You’re breaking the contract!”
230.  
231. “Yes, we’re mercenaries. Yes, we’re all prepared to die on the battlefield. But not underground where it stinks of mildew.”
232.  
233. The spear user replied.
234.  
235. “Are you kidding me?! Do you have any idea how much the penalty clause is?! The rep of the “White Wolves” is going to plummet if word of their captains running away starts going around!”
236.  
237. “We’ll pay, whether it’s one or two hundred million zennies. And you can say whatever you want about us.”
238.  
239. With that, the axeman chuckled.
240.  
241. “W-why you?! What’s so damn funny?!”
242.  
243. “The fact that you actually think you’re going to survive until tomorrow is the real joke here.”
244.  
245. With that, the three mercenaries turned and left the colosseum.
246.  
247. Jack the Ripper did not pursue them, only chuckled quietly under his mask.
248.  
249. “Kuh… What uncouth mercenaries.”
250.  
251. A red-faced Count White muttered.
252.  
253. “How disappointing.”
254.  
255. “We need to punish those mercenaries appropriately. Send pursuers after them.”
256.  
257. “White Wolf” is finished if trash like that actually became their captains. Is something the matter, Count Battler?”
258.  
259. Count Battler looked very pale.
260.  
261. “Is something wrong, Count Battler?”
262.  
263. “Maybe we should send out everyone to crush him.”
264.  
265. “What are you saying, Count Battler?”
266.  
267. “...I had no idea what was going on with that battle just now.”
268.  
269. “Well, they were simply walking circles around him. We didn’t learn anything either.”
270.  
271. “However, the strength of the “White Wolves” captains is a known quantity. There’s no doubt that they’re the pinnacle of this continent’s mercenaries.”
272.  
273. “Then it seems the pinnacle of this continent’s mercenaries is nothing much.”
274.  
275. The Night Swords laughed in mockery.
276.  
277. “But they ran off without even fighting. They were willing to flee battle even if it meant discarding the reputation of the “White Wolves”. There’s got to be a reason for it.”
278.  
279. “What reason?”
280.  
281. “Could it be that to them, Jack the Ripper was some unimaginable monster?”
282.  
283. “...Utter nonsense. Count Battler, you seem to like scaring us.”
284.  
285. “Well, I think we should heed the Count’s advice and pick a proper opponent for his next fight. How about the Vegaltan blademaster?”
286.  
287. “Yeah, that’ll do. Hey, change up the opponent for the next fight.”
288.  
289. The butler’s face looked like he’d eaten something bitter after receiving the request to change the lineup.
290.  
291. “About that… The Vegaltan blademaster’s gone back.”
292.  
293. “What? Did you say he went back?!”
294.  
295. “Yes. He said “I have a bad feeling about this” and left just like that.”
296.  
297. “So he went back just like that?!”
298.  
299. “Y-yes. He paid back the full fee and, ah, vanished like the wind. Nobody could catch up with him…”
300.  
301. “What on earth… They’re making fools of us! I’ve had it! Send in the demon from the city-states and the legend of the Lawless City!”
302.  
303. Count White was trembling with rage as he said this.
304.  
305. “A-alright. I’ll go right now!”
306.  
307. The butler quickly made his exit.
308.  
309. “Honestly, it makes me so mad.”
310.  
311. “There, there, calm down. Count. That beastwoman probably wasn’t strong to begin with.”
312.  
313. “Well, she was a pretty good-looking rabbit beastwoman fighter. Her reputation was probably exaggerated. You can find people whose skills don’t match up to their fame everywhere.”
314.  
315. “We’ll only embarrass ourselves if we send out trash. All we need is the demon from the city-states and the legend of the Lawless City.”
316.  
317. “I can’t believe we’ve got to play our strongest cards right away when we’ve got so many fighters. And it’s even two on one.”
318.  
319. “Meh, that’s good, right? The longer it drags on, the more fun it is. Do you think it’s workable, Count Battler?”
320.  
321. “Ah…”
322.  
323. The Count looked very pale as he nodded.
324.  
325. And so, the demon from the city-states and the legend of the Lawless City showed up.
326.  
327. ========================================================================
328.  
329. Faced with the two fighters from the city-states and the Lawless City, Jack the Ripper dispatched them without so much as breaking a sweat.
330.  
331. “So that’s Jack the Ripper…”
332.  
333. As Alexia watched the bloodsoaked clown fight, she sucked in a breath of cool air.
334.  
335. It was a one-sided slaughter.
336.  
337. Jack the Ripper was completely toying with the two experts.
338.  
339. Once the demon from the city-states and the legend of the Lawless City turned to flee, they were ripped to pieces, leaving nothing but bloodstains in the colosseum.
340.  
341. “It’s as though he’s not even taking them seriously…”
342.  
343. That was what shocked Alexia most.
344.  
345. Both fighters from the city-states and the Lawless City were quite strong by Alexia’s estimation. Their skills were legit and their legend was by no means exaggerated.
346.  
347. Therefore, the skills of anyone who could essentially torment them to death could not be ordinary. Within the scope of Alexia’s knowledge, there was only one person who could do this.
348.  
349. “Shadow…”
350.  
351. Perhaps Jack the Ripper’s strength could rival Shadow’s.
352.  
353. It was hard to swallow, but she had no choice but to believe it.
354.  
355. What really bothered Alexia was the fact that Jack the Ripper had a mood around him that made her think of Shadow.
356.  
357. “Those movements… No, it can’t be.”
358.  
359. Both his fighting style and mana quality were different from Shadow.
360.  
361. Alexia recalled what the war goddess had said about how strong fighters fundamentally moved the same way.
362.  
363. “What should we do, Alexia-hime?”
364.  
365. Christina asked quietly.
366.  
367. “...Let’s wait a little longer.”
368.  
369. “Still, now that everyone’s attention is on Jack the Ripper, isn’t this the best opportunity for us?
370.  
371. “No, it’ll be easier for us afterwards.”
372.  
373. “Afterwards?”
374.  
375. “That’s right, once everything is over.”
376.  
377. As she said this, Alexia looked at Jack the Ripper, standing in the middle of the colosseum. She wasn’t even blinking in order to avoid missing a single detail.
378.  
379. The next set of opponents had already entered the colosseum.
380.  
381. There were over a hundred of them.
382.  
383. “What a joke. They sent out their fighters piecemeal and they were destroyed over and over again… Reminds me of a country on the verge of destruction.”
384.  
385. “But can Jack the Ripper really beat all these magic swordsmen?”
386.  
387. The people surrounding Jack the Ripper were all first-rate magic swordsmen.
388.  
389. The Night Swords had spared no expense in hiring them, and in Alexia’s estimation, they were probably on par or perhaps even better than the capital’s knights.
390.  
391. “Recently, I’ve started to realize what strength really is, and how much difference there is between my own strength and that of the powerful.”
392.  
393. “So what does Jack the Ripper look like in your eyes, Alexia-hime?”
394.  
395. “Hmm…”
396.  
397. Alexia fell silent to organize her reply.
398.  
399. “...He’s on a completely different level from me.”
400.  
401. She muttered.
402.  
403. “He’s on a different level, huh… I can’t believe he’s that strong.”
404.  
405. “Gulp…”
406.  
407. Kanade held her breath as she heard them speak, and then…
408.  
409. “O my vassal Jack the Ripper… Slaughter them, butcher all these foolish Night Swords.”
410.  
411. She quietly murmured.
412.  
413. In the next moment, over a hundred magic swordsmen attacked Jack the Ripper.
414.  
415. ========================================================================
416.  
417. “How could this…”
418.  
419. Count White muttered, stunned.
420.  
421. The audience box fell silent, as though the Night Swords had lost the power of speech.
422.  
423. The mood around them had started to change ever since the demon from the city-states and the legend of the Lawless City had been defeated.
424.  
425. The demon from the city-states left a mark on Jack’s mask.
426.  
427. The legend of the Lawless City had slashed up Jack the Ripper’s outfit.
428.  
429. But that had been all they could do.
430.  
431. Their movements were swiftly seen through and they were tormented to death.
432.  
433. And then, someone spoke up.
434.  
435. “Is there anyone here stronger than them?”
436.  
437. Nobody answered. Both the fighters from the city-states and the Lawless City were the best fighters they could get.
438.  
439. A sense of dread instantly spread through the air.
440.  
441. The Night Sword’s composure was gone.
442.  
443. After that, they sent in all the remaining magic swordsmen, regardless of who they were.
444.  
445. The fighting continued, but the outcome was plain to see.
446.  
447. All the magic swordsmen were dead.
448.  
449. From where he stood in the blood-soaked colosseum, Jack the Ripper looked up at the audience seats.
450.  
451. “Sorry, I need to go! I’ll leave the rest to you, Count White!”
452.  
453. After the first Night Sword stood up, the others all began to rise, as though in agreement.
454.  
455. “Wait, wait a minute! I haven’t…!”
456.  
457. Count White held on to the Night Swords as they tried to leave.
458.  
459. Just then, a low and majestic voice filled the air.
460.  
461. “Gentlemen, where do you think you are going in such a hurry?”
462.  
463. A dignified man in the prime of his life appeared in the audience seats.
464.  
465. “M-Marquis Darkaigan! You’re here!”
466.  
467. “I had no choice but to come here because were all useless.”
468.  
469. After hearing Darkaigan’s scathing criticism, several Night Swords frowned but they ultimately remained silent.
470.  
471. “But what can we do at this point…”
472.  
473. “Humph. I obtained a special helper from the Cult for your sake.”
474.  
475. Saying so, Darkaigan pointed to the colosseum.
476.  
477. There was a robed man standing there. No, could you even call it a man?”
478.  
479. “A helper from the Cult, you say… But what IS that?”
480.  
481. Said helper’s form was twisted and distorted under its robe. It didn’t look human at all.
482.  
483. “Kukuku, this is the humanoid weapon the Cult developed after much experimentation. ALright, now show everyone your true form!”
484.  
485. With a command from Darkaigan, the humanoid weapon shed its robe.
486.  
487. Its alien form was completely revealed.
488.  
489. “What, what IS that!?”
490.  
491. It was a patchwork hunk of meat.
492.  
493. Even telling its gender was difficult. It was probably male… No, it ought to be female.
494.  
495. While there was a leftover sense of femininity about it, what use was gender to a lump of meat like this?
496.  
497. It was nothing more than a barely-humanoid piece of meat.
498.  
499. “This is Subject 227, Millia. That is her name.”
500.  
501. “Is… Is she a woman?”
502.  
503. “She’s an experimental subject from the Fenrir Faction, although she was discarded because she was defeated by Shadow Garden. However, the Loki Faction recovered her and regenerated her.”
504.  
505. “So she was defeated by Shadow Garden…”
506.  
507. There were disappointed sighs from the Night Swords.
508.  
509. “There’s no need to worry. This is a Fenrir Faction test subject that has been further improved by the Loki Faction. This almighty humanoid weapon was created from the fusion of two different branches of technology that should never have intersected. She is ten times stronger than before… supposedly.”
510.  
511. Darkaigan walked to the front of the group, and then raised his voice, as though to encourage the group.
512.  
513. “Subject 227, Millia! Obey my command and slay Jack the Ripper!!”
514.  
515. And so, the battle began.
516.  
517. The deformed test subject Millia charged like a beast.
518.  
519. She circled around behind Jack the Ripper, so fast that she was a blur.
520.  
521. And then, she suddenly raised her mighty right hand.
522.  
523. “Ohhhhh?!”
524.  
525. A terrifying surge of mana dominated the entire colosseum.
526.  
527. Even the forcefield which ought to have been unbreakable began to crackle.
528.  
529. “W-What kind of mana IS this…!?”
530.  
531. The mana aftershocks gouged deep marks into the colosseum and even warped the terrain.
532.  
533. “Where… Where did he go?!”
534.  
535. The only person left in the colosseum was Millia, still swinging her arm.
536.  
537. Upon seeing Jack the Ripper had vanished, everyone assumed he had been blasted to smithereens.
538.  
539. “Well, I’m at a loss for words upon seeing this…”
540.  
541. Count White muttered from the silent audience box.
542.  
543. A look of relief appeared on the faces of the other Night Swords.
544.  
545. “As expected of the Cult’s most powerful humanoid weapon. I almost thought the forcefield was about to break.”
546.  
547. “Hahaha, this forcefield is unbreakable. I had my doubts for a moment, though. That’s the Cult’s power for you.”
548.  
549. “It looks like we should strengthen our bonds with the Cult.”
550.  
551. The Night Swords let their tongues wag.
552.  
553. “Indeed. Although the Night Swords lost a lot of members, the fact that we could establish a link with the Loki Faction is an accomplishment on our part.”
554.  
555. After Darkaigan spoke, someone began to applaud.
556.  
557. “Mhm. Everything is for the sake of the Night Swords.”
558.  
559. Darkaigan looked around.
560.  
561. However, he did not see anyone.
562.  
563. The group looked at each other, but only the sound of a single person clapping echoed through the audience box.
564.  
565. Among them, a single man turned pale and trembled.
566.  
567. This man was Count Battler.
568.  
569. He pointed to an empty seat with a trembling finger.
570.  
571. “What’s wrong, Count Battler?”
572.  
573. Darkaigan asked in curiosity.
574.  
575. “That, that’s…”
576.  
577. He pointed to an empty seat.
578.  
579. —Or rather, a seat which ought to have been empty.
580.  
581. However, a bloodsoaked clown had been sitting there for some time now.
582.  
583. “Jack the Ripper?! W-What are you doing here?!”
584.  
585. The Night Swords immediately recoiled from Jack the Ripper’s presence.
586.  
587. “W-What about the forcefield?! What happened to the forcefield?!”
588.  
589. Jack the Ripper should not have been able to appear in the audience box as long as the forcefield was active.
590.  
591. “But how, how did he…”
592.  
593. Jack the Ripper stopped applauding and slowly stood up.
594.  
595. He held a 7 of spades in his hand.
596.  
597. And then, he slowly threw it.
598.  
599. The world seemed to come to a halt as he did this. Only Jack the Ripper was able to move; everyone else was unable to stop his slowed movements.
600.  
601. Thunk.
602.  
603. And with that quiet sound, the poker card embedded itself deeply into a Night Sword’s head.
604.  
605. “Ah, ah…”
606.  
607. He fell forward and twitched on the ground a few times.
608.  
609. Nobody could move.
610.  
611. All they could do was watch in silence as the blood slowly pooled on the ground.
612.  
613. Everyone had the same feeling; “Our lives are in his hands.”
614.  
615. If they moved, they would die. If they screamed, they would die. Even if they did nothing, they would die anyway.
616.  
617. And it was during this tense moment that Jack the Ripper began to move, slowly taking out card after card.
618.  
619. The 8 of Spades.
620.  
621. The 9 of Spades.
622.  
623. The 10 of Spades.
624.  
625. The Jack of Spades.
626.  
627. The Queen of Spades.
628.  
629. The King of Spades.
630.  
631. Precisely six cards.
632.  
633. After spreading the same number of cards in his hands as there were surviving Night Swords, he withdrew the 8 of Spades.
634.  
635. And then, he slowly took a stance.
636.  
637. The Night Sword he was eying vigorously shook his head.
638.  
639. “Aiieee, aiiiiiyeagh… save me…”
640.  
641. As if in response, the mana in the colosseum swelled.
642.  
643. It was Subject 227, Millia.
644.  
645. She had instantly closed the distance to them and swung that fat, meaty right arm of hers down on Jack the Ripper.
646.  
647. There was a tremendous impact.
648.  
649. Bam, bam, bam. The sound echoed continuously.
650.  
651. However, Jack the Ripper was unmoved.
652.  
653. Subject 227 continued banging on the wall of light which kept her from Jack the Ripper.
654.  
655. “It, it’s the forcefield…”
656.  
657. Someone said, their voice trembling.
658.  
659. The forcefield was still intact.
660.  
661. It kept Subject 227 inside.
662.  
663. But if that were the case, why was Jack the Ripper here?
664.  
665. Nobody could understand this.
666.  
667. Bam, bam, bam. As the very air trembled from the impacts, Jack the Ripper threw the 8 of Spades.
668.  
669. Following which, a person died.
670.  
671. He threw the 9 of Spades.
672.  
673. Another person died.
674.  
675. He threw the 10 of Spades.
676.  
677. Another person died.
678.  
679. Yet another person died.
680.  
681. Bam, bam, bam. Subject 227 continued pounding on the forcefield.
682.  
683. “That, that’s why I said we should have thrown everything at him…
684.  
685. After saying that, a Jack of spades sank deep into his heart.
686.  
687. Count Battler clutched his chest, a despairing look on his face as he fell.
688.  
689. “Right, right, the forcefield… as long as the forcefield is gone… Someone, someone bring it down!”
690.  
691. Count White raised his voice.
692.  
693. However, nobody heeded him.
694.  
695. “Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?!”
696.  
697. Count White seemed to have gone mad as he screamed.
698.  
699. No, all sanity had long since left his eyes.
700.  
701. “Is anyone there?! Is anyone there?! Is anyone…”
702.  
703. A Queen of spades pierced his throat.
704.  
705. And so, Count White died while going coughyu, coughyu, as though he was still trying to shout something.
706.  
707. And then, only Darkaigan was left.
708.  
709. His legs went limp and he fell down on his butt.
710.  
711. Jack the Ripper held up the King of spades, spinning it around in his fingers.
712.  
713. He was practically toying with the other man’s life.
714.  
715. “Who, who the hell are you… Why is a monster like you here…”
716.  
717. It was a weak voice that did not fit the leader of the Thirteen Night Swords in the least.
718.  
719. “Let me go, I’ll do anything you want, I’ll pay you.”
720.  
721. Jack the Ripper fooled around with the King of spades card in increasingly intricate ways.
722.  
723. “I can bow my head and give you as much money as you want, so please, spare me…”
724.  
725. As he said this, Darkaigan began kowtowing before Jack the Ripper.
726.  
727. “Please spare me, please spare me…”
728.  
729. And then, the King of spades sunk into the back of Darkaigan’s head mid-genuflection.
730.  
731. In that moment, the Thirteen Night Swords had been wiped out.
732.  
733. The way Darkaigan died was as though he was apologizing to the entire world.
734.  
735. Bam, bam, bam. The hollow echoes of Millia’s banging on the forcefield was the only sound left in this place.
736.  
737. Jack the Ripper looked around at the corpses in the audience box, and then turned to Millia.
738.  
739. She kept pounding on the forcefield.
740.  
741. Jack the Ripper slowly walked forward.
742.  
743. Up to the forcefield—
744.  
745. And then, Jack the Ripper’s arm touched the forcefield.
746.  
747. Bluish-purple mana spread and his body entered the forcefield.
748.  
749. Millia immediately attacked him.
750.  
751. “GUOOOOHHHHHHH!”
752.  
753. With a joyous roar, she swung her right arm at him, sending the defenseless Jack the Ripper flying.
754.  
755. He crashed into a wall with shocking force.
756.  
757. However, he stood back up again, as though nothing had happened, and continued looking at Millia.
758.  
759. “GUAAAHHHHHHHH!”
760.  
761. Millia lunged at him like a beast.
762.  
763. Her massive body, her physical attributes and mana were a perfect match for each other. One could call it the Cult’s finest work.
764.  
765. In this form, she wrecked the entire colosseum with overwhelming force and even the sturdy forcefield trembled.
766.  
767. Jack the Ripper bounced around like a pinball.
768.  
769. He rolled around the colosseum again and again.
770.  
771. But he was not defeated.
772.  
773. Although he was hit, he skillfully diverted the incoming force from his vitals  and avoided taking fatal injuries.
774.  
775. His eyes were glued to Millia.
776.  
777. “GRAAAAHHHHH!!”
778.  
779. Millia roared.
780.  
781. Reddish-black liquid splattered from her body and her flesh began to warp.
782.  
783. There were countless fine tentacles on her back, chest and even her face.
784.  
785. These ominously-colored and shaped tentacles spread out to cover the entire colosseum.
786.  
787. There were over a thousand of them and they surrounded Jack the Ripper.
788.  
789. And then, they all stabbed at him.
790.  
791. The tentacles pierced his body and covered him up.
792.  
793. After that, the only thing visible was those tentacles.
794.  
795. ========================================================================
796.  
797. They’re just like earthworms, Christina thought.
798.  
799. Jack the Ripper was no longer visible post-impalement. However, the spine-chilling sight of the long tentacular chunks of flesh made her think of earthworms.
800.  
801. “Is he dead…?”
802.  
803. Alexia murmured from the side. She looked like she couldn’t believe her eyes.
804.  
805. “Who knows? I have no idea why he stood still and let the enemy defeat him.”
806.  
807. “He didn’t even strike back.”
808.    
809. “Yeah…”
810.  
811. Jack the Ripper showed no intention of retaliating.
812.  
813. The Thirteen Night Swords had died, as he willed it.
814.  
815. The end of these people who had ruled the shadows of the Midgar Kingdom had come just like that.
816.  
817. And they wielded so much power in the past. What a joke.
818.  
819. Christina could not help smiling, and she hurried to cover her face up.
820.  
821. In any case, the Thirteen Night Swords had been wiped out, and Jack the Ripper’s aim had been met.
822.  
823. To him, fighting Millia was not part of his objective.
824.  
825. “Maybe he was satisfied with achieving his aim and wanted to end it all…”
826.  
827. That said, something felt off about the whole thing.
828.  
829. “It would be hard to survive among all those tentacles.”
830.  
831. Alexia said with a grave expression on her face.
832.  
833. Each tentacle was strong and tough, containing potent mana, and their number was constantly increasing.
834.  
835. It was only natural that she would think that.
836.  
837. —And then.
838.  
839. Bluish-purple light leaked through the gaps between the tentacles.
840.  
841. The light was faint at first, but soon it streamed out from everywhere, dying the entire colosseum a violet color.
842.  
843. “What, what is this mana—?!”
844.  
845. It was unimaginably potent.
846.  
847. And then, this surge of mana blew all the tentacles away.
848.  
849. “GWAAAAAAAAARGH!!”
850.  
851. Millia howled in pain.
852.  
853. She ripped off the disintegrated tentacle bits and roared.
854.  
855. The bluish-purple light faded.
856.  
857. In its place was a man dressed in a black coat.
858.  
859. “But how… don’t tell me…”
860.  
861. The man began to walk and his boots clicked crisply against the ground.
862.  
863. “I am Shadow… He who lurks in the shadows and hunts the shadows…”
864.  
865. His voice echoed, like it came from the blackest depths of the abyss.
866.  
867. “Shadow… What is he…”
868.  
869. Alexia was struck dumb.
870.  
871. Christina was also confused. However, she felt that there was a reason he had appeared before them.
872.  
873. There had to be some reason for doing this.
874.  
875. He had once said that there was something he had to do, even if it meant taking all the world’s sins onto his shoulders.
876.  
877. Christina wanted to witness his blood-soaked path with her own eyes.
878.  
879. ‘GYAAAAHHHHH!!”
880.  
881. Christina and the others were not the only ones who had been thrown into confusion.
882.  
883. MIllia had also stopped moving upon seeing Shadow appear all of a sudden.
884.  
885. “aaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA.”
886.  
887. And then her confusion turned to hatred.
888.  
889. “SHAAAAAAAAAAAAADOOOOOOOOOOOWWW!”
890.  
891. This was the first human-like utterance she had made.
892.  
893. She seemed to be calling Shadow’s name.
894.  
895. “SHAAAAAAAAAAAAADOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOWWW!”
896.  
897. There was a wet squelching sound as new tentacles grew through her skin.
898.  
899. Millia used her tentacles and her powerful right arm to attack Shadow.
900.  
901. A storm of blows rained down on him.
902.  
903. Countless tentacles lanced out, and that arm swept across with incredible force.
904.  
905. Amidst that endless stream of hits, Shadow began to dance.
906.  
907. He sliced the tentacles off and evaded the arm by a hair’s breadth, like a flower petal borne by a hurricane’s winds.
908.  
909. There was the occasional thrust amidst this beautiful dance.
910.  
911. Purplish trails were carved into Millia’s body.
912.  
913. Blood from Millia splattered everywhere, but it seemed as though that purplish mana was sticking to her wounds.
914.  
915. As time passed, more and more violet marks were etched into Millia’s body.
916.  
917. “Why… Why doesn’t he defeat her?”
918.  
919. Alexia asked.
920.  
921. “That monster is very strong, but Shadow is clearly taking it easy. He looks like he’s torturing her.”
922.  
923. Christina felt the same way too.
924.  
925. Why did he not kill her? Shadow had the power to do it. She knew that very well.
926.  
927. “There must be some reason he’s doing this.”
928.  
929. “A reason?”
930.  
931. “He has a mission. In that case, I will bear witness to his blood-soaked path…”
932.  
933. “Hah?”
934.  
935. Alexia tilted her head in bafflement. Just then—
936.  
937. “Shadoooooow!”
938.  
939. Millia’s voice filled the air.
940.  
941. Her voice was clear now, and there was no mistake that she was yelling Shadow’s name.
942.  
943. “She’s gotten her voice back?”
944.  
945. Millia’s voice was slowly reverting to that of a human girl.
946.  
947. But she continued her endless combination attack.
948.  
949. Meanwhile, the purple trails continued gleaming between the gaps in the offensive.
950.  
951. The purple mana clung to Millia’s body, and soon it covered her completely.
952.  
953. “W-What IS this…!”
954.  
955. Millia’s body shrank.
956.  
957. The big flabby lumps of monstrous flesh were sliced off, revealing the pale skin of a girl.
958.  
959. She had reverted to the form of a human.
960.  
961. “That purple mana was curing her…”
962.  
963. Christina noticed that the parts where the purple mana was denser had already recovered.
964.  
965. The soft, white skin, the frightening monstrous meat-lump and the thread-like tentacles…
966.  
967. All these combined together in a single pained cry.
968.  
969. “Shadoooooow…!!”
970.  
971. Several people realized that she was crying.
972.  
973. Half her face had returned to that of a girl, and she was shedding tears of blood.
974.  
975. “Shadooooooooooooooow…!
976.  
977. The girl sobbed.
978.  
979. As she wept, she kept flailing her right arm and tentacles with her body that was a mix of human and monster.
980.  
981. Her movements slowly changed from a monster’s wild abandon to a human’s nimble twisting.
982.  
983. And then, the girl’s skin produced a massive amount of tentacles that looked like they would flood the colosseum.
984.  
985. “Sha…doooow…!!”
986.  
987. She moaned in pain.
988.  
989. The places where she sprouted tentacles bled and looked very painful.
990.  
991. With her countless tentacles, she managed to bind Shadow’s limbs.
992.  
993. And then, she swung her right arm down.
994.  
995. However, Shadow sliced all the  tentacles to bits before hacking off MIllia’s right arm.
996.  
997. The severed monstrous right arm flew into the air.
998.  
999. It had not returned to its human form in the end.
1000.  
1001. But she still had a human left arm.
1002.  
1003. That arm held a dagger.
1004.  
1005. Where on earth had she put it before?
1006.  
1007. She had been swinging her right arm all this time, while her left arm had been cradling something.
1008.  
1009. She seemed to treasure the dagger very much.
1010.  
1011. “Shadooooooooooooooooooooow!!”
1012.  
1013. She thrust it, as though to pierce Shadow’s heart.
1014.  
1015. “...Well done.”
1016.  
1017. Shadow said.
1018.  
1019. At the same time, purplish mana enveloped Millia.
1020.  
1021. Her dagger stopped just short of Shadow’s heart.
1022.  
1023. “Ah… ah…”
1024.  
1025. The light of reason returned to Millia’s eyes.
1026.  
1027. The tentacles were gone.
1028.  
1029. There was a clattering noise as the dagger fell to the ground.
1030.  
1031. It was socketed with a red gem.
1032.  
1033. On its hilt was carved, “To my beloved daughter Millia.”
1034.  
1035. “Pa… Papa…”
1036.  
1037. She collapsed while muttering those words.
1038.  
1039. Was it Shadow who stopped the dagger, or her?
1040.  
1041. Shadow scooped up the unconscious Millia and then waved.
1042.  
1043. Immediately afterwards, women in tight black clothing appeared around Shadow.
1044.  
1045. Where had they come from? She hadn’t noticed them at all before.
1046.  
1047. They all fell to one knee, awaiting their master’s orders.
1048.  
1049. “...Take care of the rest.”
1050.  
1051. Saying so, Shadow handed Millia to what looked like the leader of the band, and then he vanished.
1052.  
1053. After confirming Shadow’s departure, they spread out to begin their work.
1054.  
1055. Their leader recovered Millia, the right arm and the dagger, then glanced toward Christina and the other’s hiding place.
1056.  
1057. Then she indicated the exit with a turn of her head.
1058.  
1059. Her expression seemed to be saying “I’ll let you off for now, so hurry up and go.”
1060.  
1061. “I, I think they found us…”
1062.  
1063. Alexia broke out in a cold sweat as she said this.
1064.  
1065. “Hawawawa…”
1066.  
1067. Kanade was scared out of her wits.
1068.  
1069. “What should we do?”
1070.  
1071. Christina asked.
1072.  
1073. “Let’s pretend to leave for now. It’ll be fine; they’ll be gone soon.“
1074.  
1075. Alexia sighed and snuck back into the hidden tunnel.
1076.  
1077. Kanade frantically followed behind her. Meanwhile, Kanade Christina looked back one last time.
1078.  
1079. “Is this your choice, then…”
1080.  
1081. He said he would walk a bloody path, yet he had chosen to save that monster.
1082.  
1083. It was just like how he had once saved Christina from danger. In all likelihood, he had rescued countless others during the course of his mission.
1084.  
1085. His bloody road shone in Christine’s eyes.
1086.  
1087. ========================================================================
1088.  
1089. Jack the Ripper, who had killed the Thirteen Night Swords and shocked the capital, vanished into anonymity.
1090.  
1091. There were countless guesses about his real identity. Some said he was a Vegaltan assassin. Others speculated that he was a legendary magic swordsman resurrected as a vengeful spirit. All sorts of baseless rumors spread.
1092.  
1093. Of course, there were those who said Jack the Ripper was actually Shadow, but the knights immediately denied that.
1094.  
1095. In the end, Jack the RIpper’s identity remained a mystery.
1096.  
1097. The night when he had slaughtered seven of the Thirteen Night Swords who were under heavy guard from the knights and magic swordsmen had become a legend. His incredible strength meant most people wondered if he really was a ghost, a demon or something similar.
1098.  
1099. In a hundred years, it would probably become a movie, playing in theaters worldwide with a title like “The Shocking True Identity of Jack The Ripper?!” or something.
1100.  
1101. In any case, everything had gone perfectly.
1102.  
1103. I had achieved my objective.
1104.  
1105. The legend of Jack the Ripper would be carved into history.
1106.  
1107. “What’s so funny?”
1108.  
1109. The man sitting opposite me said. I think his name was Chief Gray of the knight orders’ investigative department or something.
1110.  
1111. As a witness, I was being questioned about the incident as part of their investigations.
1112.  
1113. “Oh, I was just thinking that the knights would be able to catch Jack the Ripper with capable people like you around.”
1114.  
1115. I thoughtlessly said.
1116.  
1117. “But of course. You’re pretty keen despite being so young.”
1118.  
1119. Gray nodded in satisfaction.
1120.  
1121. “So, let me confirm with you one last time. You didn’t go into the White House, did you?”
1122.  
1123. “Yup. Of course. Illegal entry and whatnot was too scary so I didn’t go along…”
1124.  
1125. “Honestly, Alexia-hime is really frustrating. I can’t believe she actually entered the White House on her own. People are going to doubt her testimony now.”
1126.  
1127. “Then, er, what about that rumor going around that Jack the Ripper is actually Shadow?
1128.  
1129. “It’s just a rumor, of course. After all, Shadow has also been causing all kinds of trouble in the capital. My guess is these people are trying to use the fact that the knights are having trouble to smear our reputation.”
1130.  
1131. “But, but I heard Alexia-hime saw him…”
1132.  
1133. “She must have gotten it wrong because it was so dark in there. Plus, there were no other witnesses besides them and she’s at the age where she wants to get attention.”
1134.  
1135. “I see…”
1136.  
1137. “Just so. Now then, we’re almost out of time. Sorry to keep asking you to help us with your investigations. I believe this should be the last interview I’ll be conducting with you.”
1138.  
1139. “Ah, thank you very much.”
1140.  
1141. “That’s it, then. Please take care.”
1142.  
1143. After bowing to Gray, I left the windowless interrogation room.
1144.  
1145. While his detective skills were rubbish, he was pretty good as a magic swordsman. I was thinking if he'd be better off fighting rather than doing investigative work.
1146.  
1147. Now then, Kanade ought to be the next one to be questioned. She’d been called up with me.
1148.  
1149. I walked down the corridor heading to the room where she was being questioned.
1150.  
1151. Along the way, I rubbed shoulders with a slightly interesting man.
1152.  
1153. “Hm?”
1154.  
1155. I stopped and looked at the man who had passed me.
1156.  
1157. “Is something the matter?”
1158.  
1159. The man stopped too, and looked at me.
1160.  
1161. He was a tall man with narrow eyes. He seemed very kind and he had a smile on his face.
1162.  
1163. “No, it’s nothing.”
1164.  
1165. “Is that so? Are you… No, never mind.”
1166.  
1167. He looked like he was about to say something, but then he gave up on it halfway.
1168.  
1169. After that, he left with a smile on his face.
1170.  
1171. I began walking too. At the same time, I sensed his presence from behind me.
1172.  
1173. RIght after that, he walked into Gray’s interrogation room.
1174.  
1175. “He seems pretty strong.”
1176.  
1177. I quietly muttered.
1178.  
1179. ========================================================================
1180.  
1181. After entering the room, he promptly sat down in front of Gray.
1182.  
1183. “W-Welcome, sir!”
1184.  
1185. Gray hurriedly bowed.
1186.  
1187. “You took too long.”
1188.  
1189. He sighed.
1190.  
1191. “What do you mean, sir?”
1192.  
1193. “You took too long to notice me.”
1194.  
1195. “I, I’m sorry, sir. There’s no way I could sense you if you were hiding your presence.”
1196.  
1197. “That boy just now did, though.”
1198.  
1199. “That boy… Do you mean Cid Kagenou?”
1200.  
1201. “I don’t know his name. I’m talking about the boy who walked past me just now.”
1202.  
1203. “But he’s just a below-average magic swordsman… Perhaps it was a coincidence?”
1204.  
1205. “Perhaps. Coincidences can happen anytime and anywhere.”
1206.  
1207. With that, he smiled.
1208.  
1209. This was nothing more than idle conversation to him. He would probably have forgotten that boy by tomorrow, that was all.
1210.  
1211. “The loss of the Thirteen Night Swords is most regrettable.”
1212.  
1213. “Yes, I’m terribly sorry, sir. We’ve been working on our end, but we can’t move freely enough in the Kingdom of Midgar.”
1214.  
1215. “Well, it can’t be helped. That idiot Fenrir caused us to lose influence in Midgar. Shadow Garden did not fail to take advantage of that opening.”
1216.  
1217. “...Will it affect the plan?”
1218.  
1219. “It’ll be fine. “Shadowhunting Fang” will succeed.”
1220.  
1221. “Shadow’s strength was greater than expected. According to the reports. Subject 227 Millia was completely overwhelmed.”
1222.  
1223. “That’s still within the realm of our expectations. Everything is.”
1224.  
1225. He snorted in derision.
1226.  
1227. “As for the loss of the Thirteen Night Swords, it means we have that many less pieces that we can use in the Kingdom of Midgar. The time might come when you will need to act too, so be prepared.”
1228.  
1229. “Understood, Loki-sama.”
1230.  
1231. “...I’ll leave the rest to you, then.”
1232.  
1233. And with that, he vanished.
1234.  
1235. The only person left in this windowless interrogation room was Gray.
1236.  
1237.