And so…
I was taken to a cold, damp underground chamber.
They said I had to be punished.
The reason?
Just for a few gold coins.
Even though I wasn't the one who took them…
But this is how the world works.
Justice? Truth? Those are nothing but cheap illusions on the gambling table of greedy officials.
They pushed me into a dark room.
The walls were damp, moldy, and the stench of old iron filled the air.
They tied me to a wooden chair, rough ropes tightly binding my wrists and ankles.
I said nothing.
Then…
"You little bastard!"
A hard slap struck my cheek.
My head twisted to the side, fresh blood spilled from my mouth.
Another blow.
And another.
My body trembled. But… I remained calm.
"Why won't you talk, huh!? Just admit you stole it!!"
yelled a bald man, his face red with rage.
I stared at them blankly. Not angry. Not afraid.
Just… calm.
…Such a perfect scene.
In my mind, I whispered a dramatic narration.
"So this is it… the moment of my downfall, the scene where the shadow is crushed by the false light of tyrannical guardians."
"However… this is merely a part of the grand scenario I had crafted from the very beginning."
Of course, I didn't plan any of this, but… hey, it sounded cool.
They kept beating me, but I stayed silent.
The wounds on my body were real. But the suffering?
It was just part of the role.
They continued to beat Kazuki mercilessly.
Blood dripped from the corner of his lips, his small body trembling as if on the verge of collapse.
"I-I BEG YOU… P-PLEASE, FORGIVE ME!!"
I screamed, panicked… or rather, pretending to be panicked.
Yes, all of this was just acting.
I wanted them to drop their guard. I wanted them to believe.
But then...
SLASH!!
The sound of claws ripping through flesh came from behind.
Suddenly, from the darkness of the room, a wolf-eared girl leapt in.
Her eyes glowed red, and her fangs protruded sharply.
Without hesitation, she tore apart one of the guards who had been hitting me. Blood sprayed through the air.
I froze for a moment.
"…A wolf…?" I muttered, my eyes wide.
Wait, wasn't she…
The girl I saved from that rotten hero…?
"W-WHY ARE YOU HERE!?"
I backed away in a panic, struggling to free myself from the ropes, trembling in the most dramatic way possible.
"DON'T COME ANY CLOSER! I'M SCARED!! I'M A GOOD PERSON!!"
I shouted… with the most terrified expression I could make.
Of course… still acting.
But the wolf girl ignored me.
With a single swift motion, she cut the ropes binding me.
Then, without saying a word, she pulled me into her embrace.
"You…!?"
I tried to ask, but didn't get the chance.
With incredible speed, the girl leapt out of the underground room, carrying me away.
My body flew through the air, her warm embrace contrasting the brutal scene from before.
And I… was swept away by the night wind.
"So this… is what it feels like to be rescued by a wild beast. Well… at least it looks cool."
"But this is also the sign… that the next stage has begun."
After the wolf girl rescued me, we landed in a quiet forest, far from the guards.
Suddenly...
"BOSS REAPER!"
she shouted loudly, then leapt onto me without hesitation, like a dog that had found its owner.
I was speechless.
"…Ehh!?"
My reflexive reaction slipped out unintentionally.
A few seconds later, she realized what she was doing and quickly jumped off.
She immediately knelt before me, full of respect.
"Boss… please allow me to join your forces!"
she said with sparkling eyes and a tail wagging gently behind her.
I watched her silently.
…She knew who I was.
How…?
Wait… maybe she recognized my scent. Creatures like her are sensitive to smell.
I'm just too fragrant… the scent of darkness.
I nodded slowly, gazing at her with a mysterious look.
"Very well… I shall accept you."
My voice was deep and calm.
"You have great potential in battle. And… I need a unit that can slip through shadows."
"REALLY, BOSS!?"
she shouted excitedly, her eyes shining like a child who just got candy.
I gave a faint smile.
"Yes."
My answer was short, but full of meaning.
Without warning, the wolf girl rushed in and hugged me tightly, her tail wagging happily like a puppy.
"Finally… I have a place…" she whispered softly, resting her head on my chest.
I looked up at the sky, now turning to dusk.
"Heh…"
I continued communicating with Neera and the others via long-distance magic.
"Neera… our mission begins tonight."
That voice I uttered in the dark, full of mystery and chill.
Yes… most of my members are girls.
But… DON'T GET THE WRONG IDEA.
I'm NOT the type of guy who builds a harem in his organization!
I am a shadow. Not a pervert.
Though, well…
With all these unique members, secret magical powers, and a hidden base I built…
I can proudly say one thing:
All the absurd magical things that once only existed in my fantasies… have now become reality.
And this is only the beginning…
In the city…
The very same place where I was taken by those corrupt guards.
Now, all members of Nocturne Eclipse have gathered there.
Including the wolf girl, because yes… I did tell her to come.
Meanwhile, I… Kazuki… walked casually through the city, biting into a piece of bread like an ordinary person.
But in one narrow alley…
Two city guards were whispering to each other.
"That's him, right? The one who stole the gold coins?"
"Yeah, that's him. Let's just catch him and beat him up."
And without shame, they threw a rock at me.
I caught the rock with one hand.
Expressionless. Silent.
They glared.
"Heh… so you still haven't had enough punishment, huh!?"
I simply looked at them, blankly.
"So that's how it is…"
"Yeah, of course! You can tell just by your face!"
But the next moment…
One of them collapsed instantly, blown back by a flash of light magic I launched without any flashy movement.
"W-WHAT JUST HAPPENED!?"
screamed the other guard, panicking.
He stared at me… and his body trembled.
That was when I reached for my black cloak, and put it on.
My body was wrapped in shadows, and the world seemed to halt as I transformed into…
White Reaper.
"Y-YOU'RE…!?"
And he collapsed before he could finish his sentence.
I gazed at their bodies calmly.
"A game far too easy…"
I said quietly, as if all of it was just a small part of a grand plan from the shadows.
As the guards lay helpless, shadows began to gather behind me.
One by one, they emerged from the darkness of night, with silent steps, radiating a menacing aura.
The members of Nocturne Eclipse.
"Nice move, Lord Reaper," said Neera with a slight smile, bowing respectfully.
I, White Reaper, looked at them with cold eyes, then slowly raised my hand.
"Alright… tonight, the world will know our name."
Silence. Then I spoke with a deep, arrogant tone:
"WE, NOCTURNE ECLIPSE, SHALL ANNIHILATE ALL HEROES!"
The sky seemed to rumble as I raised both hands…
And activated my ultimate skill…
"Death Bloom."
A thick black-and-white aura spread out, blooming like a flower of death, beautiful… and terrifying.
"Chaos is merely the beginning…"
I whispered, barely audible.
I looked up at the night sky and said,
"We are not heroes… nor are we villains…"
"We are shadows… playing our own roles on the grand stage of this world."
And a small laugh escaped my lips, soft yet full of certainty,
as if everything was part of a grand scenario… whose ending only I knew.