"Second Boss!" Delta shouted with a wide grin, then slammed the bear's carcass onto the ground with a heavy thud.
"Delta got a bigger one, nanodesu!"
Gabriel stared at the bear in silence. The pale white wing on his back slowly faded, breaking apart into particles of light.
A single white feather drifted through the air.
Delta watched it with sparkling eyes, like a dog fascinated by something unfamiliar—until the feather landed right on her nose.
"Hachi—!!!"
Delta sneezed loudly.
The white feather was blown away and vanished without a trace, just as Gabriel opened his mouth.
"Delta," Gabriel said flatly, "I remember throwing a stick… and I'm fairly certain it wasn't a victim impaled by a stick."
He pointed at the claw marks on the bear's neck.
"This… is your doing, isn't it?"
"Yes!" Delta answered enthusiastically. "Delta hunted it, nanodesu!"
Gabriel let out a quiet sigh.
"Next question," he said, looking back at Delta, "why a bear?"
"Because hungry, nanodesu!" Delta answered with a completely serious face—as if it were an existential problem of the highest order.
Gamma, who had been sitting silently beneath the tree the entire time, slowly closed her notebook.
She chose… not to comment.
Gabriel tilted his head up, gazing at the sky for a moment before his eyes returned to the bear's carcass.
His right eye—hidden beneath his bangs—slowly closed.
A moment later, he gave a small nod.
Gabriel then looked at Delta. The beastkin girl stood straight, her tail swaying impatiently, her expression exactly like a dog waiting for praise.
Gabriel smiled faintly. He stepped closer and gently patted Delta's head without the slightest hesitation.
"Yosh… yosh… yosh," he said softly, repeating the words as his hand moved lightly. "Good girl… good… girl…"
For Gabriel, a gesture like this was not awkward at all. In his mind, Delta was nothing more than a younger sister—reminding him of the children from the orphanage he had once known.
Delta had fulfilled her role.
Even though she had made a mistake near the end, her effort and loyalty were still worthy of recognition. Offering praise was not only natural—it was necessary.
The same principle applied to the other members of the Seven Shades as well. To Gabriel, they were his sisters—those who had chosen to stand at his side, and therefore deserved acknowledgment for their efforts.
Delta's tail wagged even faster.
"Ehehe… I'm strong, right?" Delta said enthusiastically. "Delta is amazing, right, Second Boss?"
"Yes," Gabriel replied briefly, his hand still resting on her head. "You did very well."
Delta nearly melted on the spot.
Gabriel then withdrew his hand and lifted his gaze to the sky, which was growing brighter by the minute.
"It's already noon," he said calmly. "The others are probably getting hungry."
"The small animals that wandered into Alpha's traps today," Gabriel added, glancing at the bear, "can be stored as reserves for tomorrow."
Then, in the same flat tone:
"For now… the menu is grilled bear meat."
Delta's eyes immediately lit up.
"Big meat!"
Gabriel glanced into the distance. "Gamma," he called without raising his voice.
"Y-yes! I'm coming!" came the reply from afar.
A few seconds later, Gamma's figure appeared, running in a hurry—and, as usual, her foot caught on absolutely nothing.
"Ah—!?"
In 0.01 seconds, Gabriel raised one hand. Dark Matter Magic moved almost imperceptibly, forming a gentle yet precise current of air that supported Gamma's body before she could hit the ground.
Gamma floated lightly, her skirt and hair fluttering softly, before being lowered back to the ground perfectly.
"Thank you, Lord Gabriel…" Gamma said as she adjusted her glasses, her face faintly flushed.
"Next time, focus on your steps," Gabriel replied flatly. "We're having lunch."
Gamma froze for a moment.
"Eh—lunch?"
"Bear," Gabriel answered shortly.
Delta raised her hand high. "Delta caught it!"
Gabriel nodded once. "I know."
Not long after, the three of them left the area together—Delta carrying the massive bear carcass by herself, heading toward where the other four Shades were training with Cid.
Their steps were unhurried.
Today… lunch had already been decided.
***
"You stray cat!" Delta shouted in fury. "Give back Delta's meat—!!!"
The sky seemed to darken, even though it was still midday.
However, the darkness was not a natural phenomenon. It was the effect of a Bounded Field deployed by Gabriel.
A barrier that transformed the scenery within it into a bleak twilight—while simultaneously concealing everything inside a forty-meter radius.
For the past two months, Gabriel had studied this Bounded Field spell by tracing fragments of Morgan's memories, until it finally gave birth to a new spell.
The name of that spell was:
Malchut Schloss des Leerenlichts.
Beyond obscuring the outside world, this Bounded Field carried an effect far more dangerous.
Within its domain, Gabriel could impose laws—rules that did not need to align with the reality beyond the barrier.
Naturally, the more complex, powerful, and varied the laws imposed, the greater the Mana that had to be sacrificed as the price to be paid.
Just like the other Dark Matter constructs up to this point.
However, for now, all of that could be set aside.
In the courtyard of the cabin that now served as Shadow Garden's headquarters, a campfire burned brightly, casting warm light across the faces of its members—standing in sharp contrast to the artificially darkened sky that loomed overhead.
The aroma of roasting meat filled the air, mingling with the crackle of burning wood and the sound of hurried footsteps.
Alpha sat closest to the fire. Her posture was upright and composed, her eyes calmly surveying the entire courtyard without taking part in the commotion.
Beside her, Beta, the silver-haired elf, enjoyed her meat with a relaxed expression, occasionally glancing toward Delta and Zeta with an amused smile, as if treating their chase as evening entertainment.
Gamma sat a little farther away. She cut her meat with meticulous care, maintaining proper manners and cleanliness, though her eyes flicked about restlessly, tracking Delta's movements as she nearly collided with a table.
Epsilon, the pale-blue-haired elf, ate with elegance and careful deliberation, keeping a safe distance from the fire, the dust… and especially from Delta.
Not far from them, Zeta, the Cat Therianthrope, darted lightly around the courtyard, her blonde hair flowing freely as she clutched a large piece of meat in her hand.
"The one that was caught belongs to everyone," Zeta said casually, never breaking into a stop as she ran.
"That's Delta's meat!" Delta shouted, chasing after her at full speed. "Delta doesn't want to share with a stray cat, nanodesu!"
In one corner of the courtyard, Eta sat by herself, her brown hair falling in a messy curtain as she focused on chewing her meat while absentmindedly scratching something into the ground with a twig—whether it was notes, ideas, or simply her own little world, no one could say.
Not far from the commotion, Gabriel and Cid sat side by side, yet each was completely absorbed in their own thoughts.
Gabriel gazed at the campfire with half-lidded eyes, murmuring softly.
"…The basic foundation is in place. But their strength is still insufficient. It's too early to expand the network."
His gaze briefly shifted toward the Seven Shades.
"Recruitment of additional forces… postponed until next year."
Meanwhile, Cid bit into his roasted meat with satisfaction.
The noise, the campfire, and the secret organization operating behind the scenes…
Perfect.
This really felt like a shadow headquarters.
Cid nodded slightly to himself, utterly unaware of just how serious the plans being woven right beside him truly were.
At last, when everyone had finished eating, Gabriel rose to his feet and spoke in a calm yet firm voice.
"Shades, listen."
The attention of all seven members of Shadow Garden immediately shifted to him—including Delta, who froze mid-chase after Zeta, her tail suspended stiffly in the air.
Cid, who had been lost in his own thoughts, also glanced toward Gabriel, one eyebrow lifting slightly.
"Mana Zone."
In an instant, Gabriel's Mana spread like a thin mist, unfolding within a one-meter radius. The air itself changed—natural Mana was forced into submission, resonating solely with his will.
"Ten Units: Output Release."
His grimoire, manifested in digital form, opened wide. Several pages shimmered and spun rapidly before stopping on a single formula.
[- Dark Matter Union Magic: Raziel Rotation — Speichers des Leerenlicht -]
The pale white Mana that had cloaked Gabriel's body flowed downward, seeping into the ground beneath his feet in steady pulses—like the breathing of life itself.
The ground trembled faintly.
In the next instant, seven figures began to materialize slowly from the pale light.
Their forms were… the same.
Blonde, silver, black, blue hair—each one identical to Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta, and Eta.
Even their posture, aura, and the minute details of their existence felt nearly perfect.
This was the result of a fusion between Dark Matter Magic and Gigan.
Through Gigan, Gabriel read and copied their existential data—not merely their physical forms, but their potential, Mana patterns, and fundamental characteristics.
Dark Matter then shaped that information into high-level inorganic entities, far more stable and complex than any of his previous creations.
Simply put, they were clones of the Seven Shades.
Not empty puppets, but vessels possessing abilities and data that closely mirrored their originals.
The Seven Shades fell silent.
Alpha narrowed her eyes, her expression calm—yet unmistakably alert.
Beta froze, her breath caught in her throat.
Gamma reflexively clutched her chest, her glasses trembling.
Epsilon stared at her clone with a sharp, calculating gaze.
Eta… smiled faintly, as if she had just found a new toy.
Zeta leaned forward, intrigued.
Delta pointed straight ahead.
"Is that… Delta?"
Amazed was far too mild a word.
On the other side, Cid watched the scene with sparkling eyes.
Oh… this is good.
This is very good.
He held back the satisfied grin that nearly surfaced.
Clone creation techniques—with visuals like this—It truly felt like the ability of a late-game secret boss.
Cid nodded faintly to himself.
This Gabriel… he really put his heart into it.
___
Author's Note:
For clarity, the following are estimated ages and heights of Shadow Garden at this point in the story. They are still children—in other words, still very young (Loli).
Alpha
Age: 8–9 years
Height: approx. 128–132 cm
Beta
Age: 8 years
Height: approx. 125–128 cm
Gamma
Age: 9–10 years
Height: approx. 130–135 cm
Delta
Age: 7–8 years
Height: approx. 132–138 cm
Epsilon
Age: 8–9 years
Height: approx. 126–130 cm
Zeta
Age: 8 years
Height: approx. 127–131 cm
Eta
Age: 9 years
Height: approx. 124–127 cm
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