Gabriel shifted his gaze.
On the other side of the field, Delta and Zeta were fighting their respective clones like true hunting beasts—feral, fast, and without hesitation. Every movement was natural, as if instinct itself were guiding their bodies.
Gabriel gave a small nod.
"Delta and Zeta are already fine," he murmured softly. "They don't need guidance. Which means next… Gamma."
He turned.
And let out a quiet sigh.
On the ground lay Gamma and her clone.
The real Gamma was sitting there in a panic, her face dirty, glasses crooked, and hair slightly disheveled.
The Gamma clone lay flat on her back, dizzy, yet still hugging a notebook that had appeared from who knows where.
"…I fell again," Gamma muttered weakly.
"Me too," her clone replied.
"…I don't know why."
"I do," said the clone. "But it's too long to explain."
Gabriel closed his eyes for a moment, took a breath, then walked toward the two of them.
His steps were calm, unhurried—like someone who had already accepted fate.
He stopped in front of them and bent slightly forward.
"Gamma," he said softly.
Gamma immediately straightened her posture—then slipped again and nearly fell, barely managing to steady herself.
"I–I'm sorry!" she cried in a panic. "I-I'll fix it right away—!"
"No," Gabriel interrupted gently.
Gamma froze.
Gabriel knelt down, bringing himself level with her gaze.
"You didn't fail," he said. "You're just… too consistent."
Gamma blinked.
"…Is that a compliment?" she asked uncertainly.
Gabriel gave a faint smile.
"In your case," he replied, "yes."
The Gamma clone nodded firmly in agreement.
"I agree with that conclusion."
Gabriel glanced at the clone.
"…You don't need to reinforce the argument."
"Reflex," the Gamma clone replied innocently.
Gabriel turned his gaze back to the original Gamma. "You have one major weakness," he said calmly. "And one strength just as great."
Gamma swallowed.
"My weakness is… that I'm clumsy?"
"Your strength," Gabriel continued, ignoring the question, "is that you always get back up."
Gamma fell silent.
"Every time you fall," he went on, "you still stand again. Even when you're shaking. Even when you're panicking."
Gabriel lightly patted Gamma on the head.
"And this organization," he said, "stands on people like you."
Gamma lowered her head, her eyes glistening.
"…Thank you," she whispered.
The Gamma clone's eyes also welled up.
"…I'm moved too."
Moments after comforting Gamma and her clone, a flicker of curiosity surfaced in Gabriel's mind. Cid's battle with his clone was taking place outside the Bounded Field—beyond normal observation.
But—
"Second Boss…!!!" Delta shouted, her voice bursting with excitement.
"Creator…!!!" another voice cried out—the tone, intonation, even the enthusiasm… perfectly identical.
Gabriel didn't even have time to turn.
The two figures slammed into him at the same time.
BRAKKK—!
Gabriel's body was sent flying, his breath knocked out of him as he was dragged across the ground before finally crashing hard into a tree trunk.
"—khh…!"
He coughed, blood spraying from his mouth.
On top of him, Delta and her clone had already pounced—like two oversized dogs far too excited to greet their master.
"Delta likes the Second Boss!!" Delta shouted, her tail wagging furiously.
"Delta also likes the Creator!!" her clone shouted, just as cheerfully.
Gabriel let out a weak groan.
"…please… one at a time…" he murmured faintly.
But the two Deltas only moved closer.
"Second Boss smells nice!"
"Agreed!"
Gabriel struggled to breathe, then gave a small, resigned smile.
"Delta's affection…" he said quietly, "…always manages to almost kill me."
He coughed again.
"And now… the damage is doubled."
Both Deltas froze at once.
"…Second Boss hurt?" Delta asked.
"…Creator damaged?" her clone asked.
Gabriel slowly raised one hand, signaling them to calm down.
"It's fine," he said. "It's just that… my body is fragile."
He turned his head slightly, closing his eyes.
"I didn't have time to reinforce myself with Mana," he continued flatly. "And physical durability… was never my specialty."
Delta and her clone looked at each other.
Then—
"Sorry!!"
"Sorry!!!"
They retreated in unison, bowing deeply, their tails drooping low.
Gabriel opened one eye, looked at them, then let out a soft sigh.
"…Next time," he said gently, "just call me."
Delta nodded vigorously.
"Yes!!"
"Yes!!!"
Gabriel gave a faint smile.
But inwardly, he noted one thing: keep his distance from Delta—and her clone—when Mana reinforcement was not active.
On the other side, Delta and her clone fell silent. The excitement that had filled their faces slowly faded, replaced by a hollow expression rarely seen on either of them.
Unnoticed, old memories surfaced—
of a mother who had once protected them,
of a body growing weaker by the day, and of death that came from helplessness.
Delta's tail drooped.
"…Weak body," Delta murmured quietly.
The clone clenched her fist.
"…If weak, die."
They looked at each other.
Then, almost at the same time, their eyes lit up again.
"Delta will find meat!" the clone suddenly shouted.
"The freshest meat!" Delta added quickly. "So Second Boss becomes strong!"
"So Creator becomes strong!" the clone followed, brimming with enthusiasm.
Without waiting for a reply—
WHOOSH—!
The two of them shot out of the Bounded Field, leaving behind a violent gust that swept across the ground, kicking dust and sand into the air before they vanished from sight.
Gabriel raised a hand reflexively, waving the air in front of him to clear the dust.
"…?"
He blinked once.
Then twice.
"…why," he murmured softly, "did they suddenly feel like hunting?"
Gabriel let out a small sigh.
Yet beneath the confusion, there was a warmth he hadn't fully noticed—affection that was too great, too intense, and more often than not… hazardous to his health.
He closed his eyes for a moment.
"…I really need to keep Mana reinforcement active at all times," he muttered quietly, more to himself than anyone else.
After that, Gabriel lay back on the ground.
His back met the cold grass inside the Bounded Field, his gaze fixed on the artificial dark sky stretching above—silent, starless, yet oddly stable.
His breathing gradually steadied.
From where he lay, Gabriel continued to observe.
The clang of weapons, the rush of Mana, and the collision of bodies echoed one after another. The Seven Shades kept fighting their respective clones—learning, failing, adapting, and then rising again.
He no longer gave instructions.
There was no need.
The evaluation was proceeding on its own.
Their weaknesses were clearly visible. So were the potentials that had yet to be fully drawn out.
Gabriel closed both eyes for a little longer, allowing Gigan to rest.
"Not enough yet," he murmured softly. "But… the direction is right."
A gentle wind drifted through the Bounded Field.
And beneath that artificial sky, the process of forging Shadow Garden's strength continued—without cheers, without recognition—yet steady and undeniable.
Thus, the evaluation battle between the Seven Shades and their respective clones carried on, becoming another step toward the next phase.
***
"What are these kids…!?"
"Argh—!!"
"S-stop…!?"
Screams mixed with the scent of blood filled the floors and walls of the secret tunnel. Red splatters stained the damp stone, flowing along cracks in the ground like stains that were impossible to erase.
A month had passed since the Seven Shades' battle evaluation.
During that time, they had shown significant improvement—enough for Gabriel to call them the Core Pillars of the Organization.
Tonight, without Cid's presence, the Seven Shades carried out a simple mission: cleansing the Diablo Cult—like scraping stubborn filth off the surface of the world.
Amid the chaos, Gabriel stood calmly.
His black trench coat draped over his shoulders fluttered gently, silver ornaments along its edges catching the dim light of the torches. His gaze was cold and distant, completely uninvolved—because there was no need to intervene.
This was their stage.
Gabriel briefly arranged a narrative in his mind.
…A pitch-black night.
"No… not quite right."
He exhaled slowly.
What was more fitting—inside the rust-scented cave, Ash walked along the stone corridor carrying a bouquet of shadow flowers…
Gabriel paused.
Then he shook his head slightly, his expression clearly showing disappointment.
"…Still not right."
In his mind, he muttered, "If only Cid-kun were here… this roleplay would be far more entertaining."
Yet reality remained reality.
Cid was off adventuring to the north—alone.
A fleeting memory surfaced—the image of Cid in his Shadow persona, delivering cool lines before departing, handing the stage entirely over to Gabriel and the Seven Shades.
Gabriel touched his chin, pondering.
"…There has to be a line that fits better," he murmured softly. "As Ash."
On the other side, Gabriel remained lost in his own world.
When he finally refocused on reality, the tunnel was completely silent. The cleansing had been completed.
The corpses of the Diablo Cult members lay scattered across the stone floor, their blood flowing along the contours of the ground. Not a single one remained—except for one.
A man, around thirty years old, stood panting at the far end of the tunnel. His body was trained, marked with old scars.
His white hair was soaked with sweat and blood, while his hands gripped a sword tightly, as if it were the only reason he could still stand.
Without a word, the Seven Shades moved.
They naturally gathered, forming a loose circle, leaving a single gap in the center.
__
Author's note:
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