Thick, viscous Magical Power condensed into a long sword, hovering in the air. The side of its pitch-black blade seemed to swallow even light itself, vanishing into the night sky.
Cid made a finger-gun gesture at "Sherry," a trace of excitement curling at the corner of his mouth.
"Are you trying to scare me, Shadow?
You should know that Alpha and the others, no, the fate of the entire world, is in my hands right now. They're my hostages. If you don't want your family and friends to die, then you should obediently surrender and admit defeat!"
Sensing the intense danger coming from the sword in the sky, "Sherry" furrowed her brow, keeping the attack in her hand ready to fire.
"Aaah, not just the lines, even threatening people with other people's lives fits a third-rate minion perfectly. Are you really another me?"
Cid pressed a hand to his forehead with a faint headache. Behind him, the spear formed from Magical Power split into two, then four, multiplying again and again.
"The ones you can kill are Alpha and the others. Why should that make me admit defeat?!"
Cid snapped at "Sherry." He truly had not expected his other self to be this much of a small fry. Threatening him with Alpha and the others? An Eminence in Shadow being threatened by someone else was just too lame.
Yes, if Alpha and the others died, he might be sad. But after grieving for a while, he would absolutely keep doing what he had to do. Life went on, after all.
"If you want to play that badly, then let's play a game. I'll bet Alpha and the others' lives against yours. If I lose, then ten years from now, I'll throw a champagne party on Alpha and the others' graves. If you lose, you die. Want to play?"
"…You're bluffing, aren't you? Since I don't care about Alpha and the others, then you, as the part I discarded, should care about them. Don't think you can fool me!"
"Well, if that's what you want to think, go ahead. Hey…"
Right in front of "Sherry," Cid pulled a phone from his pocket and dialed a number.
"Hello, sir. May I ask…"
"Don't try to sell me anything. I remember your shop offers funeral services, right?"
"Yes, sir. Has someone on your end passed away? In that case, our funeral services come in five tiers. First, the cheapest first tier, its advantage is…"
"Enough. Go straight to the highest tier. As for the number, reserve seven for me for now."
"S-Seven? Sir, did you misspeak? Are you certain it's seven? No changes needed?"
"No changes… Wait, no, there is a change."
"Ah, I thought so. What would you like to change?"
"Not seven. Eight. One of them doesn't need a reservation. You can prepare it right now. Her name is Sonki. Make sure the inscription on the tombstone looks nice."
"Huh?"
"Crunch…"
Cid said nothing more. He crushed the phone in one hand, then looked at "Sherry" with a smile.
"She" seemed to have misunderstood something. The "things he discarded" that made up her were things he did not care about, did not need, and did not consider important. Alpha and the others, on the other hand, were "things he cared about and needed, but that were not important."
There was one word "Sherry" had used that was exactly right. "Sonki" was Cid's mental garbage. Most of his lewd desires, yet they had not even taken Cid's "Holy Sword" with them. They had emotions and memories, but no soul, spirit, or physical body. In the end, they could only cling to Sherry's soul.
"I've already arranged the funerals for you and Alpha and the others ahead of time. Now it's time for you to make your choice.
Either you keep that stance, and the moment you fire your attack, you'll be pierced through by ten thousand blades and lose.
Or you give up your plan, and the two of us keep fighting. Maybe you'll beat me one-on-one in a frontal battle.
Come on. Tell me your choice."
At his words, the ten thousand long swords formed from Cid's Magical Power all aimed at "Sherry" in unison, their chilling aura and merciless killing intent pointed straight at her.
Only just recovering from her stunned silence, "Sherry" looked at the swords poised to strike and could not help swallowing.
"You're just putting on an act… right?"
"…You really are small fry. Then I'll make the choice for you."
Cid sighed in disappointment and waved his hand. The pitch-black sword behind him began to move.
Air currents crossed in the sky, only to be effortlessly smoothed out by the blade, turning into faint wisps of breeze.
Silent and soundless, ten thousand long swords merged into a hundred-meter giant blade and approached "Sherry" with absolute stillness.
What should I do?!
As she watched the pitch-black sword draw closer and closer, that thought flashed through "Sherry's" mind.
In theory, since she did not care about Alpha and the others' lives, Cid had to care about them. That was the path he had chosen for himself. But as she stared at the sharp blade rushing toward her with a faint chill, "Sherry" still hesitated.
Although she kept claiming that she was the main body, "Sherry" knew perfectly well that she was the garbage that had been expelled.
So even with all of Cid's memories, "Sherry" could not immediately bring herself to be ruthless. Their thoughts were fundamentally parallel, and she could not be certain what Cid was really thinking.
Staring at the flying sword that had reached her almost instantly, faced with a choice that would decide her life or death, "Sherry" still backed down.
She released her aim. The Magical Power gathered in her palm shifted from offense to defense according to "Sherry's" thoughts, instantly unfolding a protective shield that blocked the sword.
The two collided, producing a roar that shook heaven and earth. The Magical Power scattered by the impact was like thick black smoke, engulfing the entire sky.
"Betting your own life on someone else's. I don't know whether to call that small-fry behavior or ruthless, but taking back your move halfway through a game definitely makes you cannon fodder."
Amid the thick smoke, Cid's voice sounded beside "Sherry's" ear. Before "Sherry" could react, a sharp pain and heavy impact struck her lower abdomen, and she instinctively bent over, clutching her stomach.
No, that move left an opening. I should be enduring the pain right now and attacking from the side…
"Still, you did remind me of something. I'd better get Sherry and Eta out of your body as soon as possible. Otherwise, I'll have to hold back too much in this fight."
Just as "Sherry" realized why she had made such a basic mistake in battle, Cid's cold voice appeared beside her ear, followed by an elbow strike from behind.
"I can't use absolute power to attack. Otherwise, when I destroy your body, I'll kill you along with Sherry and Eta inside you."
Driven upward by the overwhelming force, "Sherry" was struck by a heavy punch and screamed in agony. Even though she knew every counterattack she should make, she could not suppress her body's instincts at all.
"I can't sever the Magical Power link either. Otherwise, once you lose your source of Magical Power, you'll drain Eta and Sherry's life force without hesitation."
A black figure appeared, his cold eyes fixed on the screaming "Sherry" before him. In the next instant, he turned into an afterimage and vanished again.
"I have to use continuous attacks that won't kill you, but will still deal enough damage, to break your body apart and force you to reveal your true form. Only then can I save them."
Afterimages flashed one after another. In just half a second, tens of thousands of fists, each powerful enough to easily shatter a continent, rained down on "Sherry" like a raging storm, and wisps of black mist began rising from her body.
"You really are powerful. You took half my strength and can keep drawing Magical Power from my body. You might even be the strongest opponent I've ever faced. If this fight dragged on any longer, I might actually lose to you…"
Blow after blow rained down. Cid moved so fast he was impossible to follow, yet his motions flowed as naturally as water. As he continued pummeling "Sherry," he spoke at an unhurried pace.
"But how should I put it? There are too many restrictions. I can't feel any thrill from fighting you. And you probably don't even have the chance to show off some ultimate trump card."
After throwing one final punch, Cid materialized behind "Sherry" and turned to look at her as she held her defensive stance, her body trembling slightly.
"BOOM!!!"
Black Magical Power, dark as a Demon, exploded from "Sherry's" body. Cid looked at the black mist around him, mixed with spiritual energy potent enough to make a person fall instantly. His eyes, seeing through everything, swept across the area. Once he found his target, he sprang forward and leaped into the mist.
…
Could this be a memory from Shadow's past? Why am I here?
Walking through the pitch-black world, Sherry looked around in a daze.
After wandering for who knew how long, Sherry saw a house in the darkness. Firelight spilled from inside, instantly drawing her attention to a strangely familiar study.
"What are you doing dressed like that?"
Cid-kun? Why is he here? And… who is he talking to?
Sherry hurried to the study window. Through the glass, the first thing she noticed was the black-haired boy sitting on the sofa, along with those words. But for some reason, everything Cid said after that seemed to be blocked. She could only see his mouth opening and closing, without hearing a sound.
"I'm surprised you noticed."
Another voice spoke, accompanied by the clang of something metal striking the floor. Sherry followed the sound and saw a knight with his back to her. From his build, he seemed to be an old but sturdy man in armor.
"May I ask, for reference, how you found me out, Cid Kagenou-kun?"
"It was obvious."
The knight sat down across from Cid and nodded at his answer.
"Obvious, was it? Was it my way of walking, or my posture…? Either way, you have quite the eye."
"May I ask something too?
Why are you doing this? I really can't see you as the kind of person who would be interested in something like this."
The conversation felt strangely familiar to Sherry. The knight folded his arms and spoke in a low voice.
"Why did *** in the past ***"
"I heard you ***"
So much of their conversation was blocked out that Sherry gave up on trying to get useful information from it and shifted her attention to searching the area.
Although she was curious as to why Cid was here, she knew this was only a memory from Shadow's past. Sherry only intended to leave as quickly as possible, reach the deepest point, and activate the Holy Relic to contaminate and control Shadow's other half.
"*** Lukreia…"
!!!
Sherry whipped her gaze toward the knight, her pupils widening on their own. That name… was her mother's name!
"Lukreia was Sherry's mother, a woman rejected by the academic world because she was too brilliant.
But *** I supported her research and collected a great number of ancient artifacts. Lukreia focused on her studies, while I made use of that research. Because she wanted wealth and honor *** then *** that foolish woman Lukreia actually said ***
So I killed her. I stabbed from the ends of her body toward the center, pierced her heart at the end, and twisted the blade."
There was no mistake. There couldn't be any mistake…
Sherry pounded furiously against the window, glaring with hatred at the knight who had killed her mother and who spoke of the method Shadow had used to kill her foster father.
When she first arrived here, Sherry had one question. If this was Shadow's memory, then where was Shadow?
Now she knew. Shadow… was the knight before her!
So the truth was obvious. Shadow had killed her mother for his own gain, then attacked the school for something her mother had left behind. Her Cid-kun had discovered his true identity, and when Shadow tried to kill Cid-kun, her foster father had stopped him and covered Cid's escape. Enraged by that, Shadow had killed her foster father using the same method he had used on her mother.
Convinced she had understood everything that would happen next, Sherry stared fixedly at the knight. Her nails dug into her skin until blood appeared, yet she did not notice.
But what happened next was completely beyond Sherry's expectations. After another long stretch of blocked conversation, the knight and Cid drew their swords at the same time.
The two sharp blades crossed, slicing through the firelight. The overwhelming gap in strength decided the clash in a single exchange. Blood blossomed across Cid's chest, and his body was sent flying, smashing through the wall behind him and falling into the sea of flames below.
Where is my foster father? Where is my foster father? Where is my foster father?
Seeing Cid die once again, in a scene far removed from what Sherry had imagined, she instinctively began searching for her foster father. The kind old man she had pictured sacrificing himself to stop Shadow from killing innocents.
Just then, out of the corner of her eye, Sherry saw a black figure appear in the flames nearby. She instinctively took him for the foster father who had come to save Cid and turned to look. Then her beautiful, intelligent face went blank.
"Where do you think you're going?"
Shadow's quiet voice stopped the knight from leaving. As Sherry watched Shadow fight the knight with effortless ease, her thoughts were no longer on the battle.
If… the knight isn't Shadow, then who is he?
She froze at that question. By the time she came back to herself, Shadow and the knight had already decided the outcome. It was almost a repeat of the knight's battle with Cid. Even after absorbing something, the massive gap in strength still allowed Shadow to drive his sword into the knight's heart.
"Stab from the ends of the body toward the center, pierce the heart at the end, and twist the blade… was that it?"
Shadow murmured the words in a low voice and turned the sword in his hand exactly as described before pulling it out of the knight's heart.
"No… That can't be…"
A possibility surfaced in her mind beyond her control. Sherry muttered to herself, forcing out a smile as if trying to reject the thought that had suddenly appeared, but her legs still took two steps back on their own.
That day, among everyone who died, only one person had been killed by Shadow using that method…
The knight collapsed, blood pouring from his body. The glow of the ancient runes on him faded, and his body began to change shape.
"Otou-sama…"
"You don't need to know anything…"
The sound of small footsteps rang out. Sherry saw a pink-haired girl appear in the corridor, brushing past the figure of Shadow as he departed.
"It's fake. This is fake. This is an illusion created by Shadow's soul to stop me from controlling him…"
She kept saying it, but the aged face revealed beneath the firelight shattered the last of Sherry's illusions. It was… the face of her foster father, Lutheran Barnett.
"Nooooo…"
"What have I done…"
Sherry dropped to her knees along with the pink-haired girl clinging to the gaunt corpse on the ground. She stared blankly at her own hands, tears streaming down her face as she cried out in grief.
She… for the sake of the murderer who had used her, the man who had killed her mother, she had caused the deaths of Cid and Shadow, who had avenged her. What had she done?!
"You weren't supposed to know this…"
At some point, the "Shadow" who should have left crossed the boundary of the memory and came to Sherry's side, pointing the pitch-black sword in his hand at her.
"You dragged innocent people into this, couldn't tell right from wrong, and you don't even have anyone who loves you. Tell me, what meaning is there in you staying alive? How about… I set you free?"
As "Shadow" asked, he raised the pitch-black sword in his hand.
Sherry stared at the lifted blade and remained motionless. Her lifeless eyes slowly closed, and the protective barrier that had always shielded her disappeared.
Seeing her like this, a smile curved at the corner of "Shadow's" mouth, and the sharp blade in his hand came down toward Sherry.
"Clang!!!"
The sound of metal striking metal rang out. Sherry, who still felt no pain, opened her eyes in confusion.
Another Shadow had appeared in front of Sherry, blocking "Shadow's" strike.
Noticing Sherry's gaze, Cid turned back and glanced at her.
"Are you okay?"
Maybe it was just a delusion. Thinking that, Sherry stared dazedly at the ring on Cid's hand as he held his sword against "Shadow's" attack. That was… the one she had given Cid. The white crystal gleamed in the firelight.
"Cid-kun… is Shadow?"
"…Yes. It's me."
After a moment of silence, Cid swung his sword and knocked "Shadow" away. Then he crouched down, grabbed Sherry's hand with one hand and pulled her up, while using the other to remove the mask from his face.
"I'm sorry. I took away your right to know the truth and caused all of this…"
"Uu… aaaaah…"
Amid the girl's grief-stricken sobs, Sherry clung tightly to Cid.