The Eminence in Shadow, Vol. 2 (Light Novel)

by Daisuke Aizawa

  If you don’t stop, you’ll get cut, he’d been telling her.

  That had been enough to make her hallucinate.

  That’s how real the illusion had been.

  Iris recalls something her mentor once taught her: “An expert’s ‘lies’ seem all too real.” And sure enough, she’d fallen for her mentor’s feints time and time again.

  Mundane’s moves felt even realer than her mentor’s.

  Was that even possible?

  Iris isn’t conceited enough to think she’s the strongest person in the world. She understands that greatness is relative. Objectively speaking, though, she’s supposed to be one of the best dark knights alive.

  To be able to drive a woman like her into a corner with feints alone?

  That would make Mundane, without a doubt, the world’s strongest fighter.

  It would represent a degree of skill no one could hope to match.

  Was that really possible?

  Like hell it was.

  Iris forces herself to believe that.

  Don’t get rattled.

  He hasn’t even raised his sword yet. Don’t go deciding the match on mere speculation.

  “…Don’t stop me,” Iris quietly instructs her instincts.

  After steeling her resolve not to stop, she takes that one step forward.

  Something whizzes through the air.

  A second passes.

  Then, a fierce impact rocks Iris’s body.

  Her mind goes blank for a few seconds, and before she knows it, she’s looking up at the sky.

  She’s collapsed faceup in the dead center of the arena.

  What happened?

  She had been unable to see Mundane’s blade, but he’d caught her in his gaze the moment the impact landed.

  It’s a miracle she’s still holding on to her sword.

  She forces her unresponsive torso to rise.

  “Iris Midgar…I expected more from you.”

  She finds a sword being thrust into her face.

  Mundane is looking down at her. She can’t detect any emotion in his eyes.

  They’re close enough that she could reach out and touch him, yet he seems impossibly far away.

  Far, far away…

  Ah…so that’s what it is.

  Iris finally understands.

  The reason he looks so far away isn’t because of an illusion or a hallucination.

  From the very start, he’s been looking down on her from the pinnacle of heights. Even if she extends her entire hand, he’s standing eternally beyond her reach…

  Iris’s sword falls from her grip and topples to the ground with a clang.

  The noise echoes throughout the silent stadium.

  Iris Midgar is defeated in a single blow.

  The fact of it has everyone frozen in shock.

  Not a sound can be heard.

  That is, until the click, click, click of footsteps rings out from behind her.

  The stadium begins to stir.

  The footsteps continue forward. Click, click, click. Then, they come to a stop.

  The audience’s eyes are glued to the person walking.

  Even Mundane looks a little surprised.

  “Father, I’ve returned.”

  There stands the Oriana Kingdom’s beautiful princess, Rose Oriana.

  Rose doesn’t spare a glance for Iris and Mundane. Her honey-colored eyes are glued to the deluxe suite.

  The legendary Iris Midgar was beaten by a single sword stroke.

  That simple fact stupefies Perv.

  He knows members of the underworld more skilled than her, but could even the strongest dark knight with whom he is familiar really bring Iris Midgar down in a single swing?

  No.

  Unless they caught her by surprise or got incredibly lucky, there was no way.

  In other words, something unthinkable just happened.

  Because Mundane took out Iris with one attack, it means he’s the strongest dark knight Perv knows of.

  But he’s practically a child…!

  Nothing wounds Perv’s pride as much as getting overtaken by someone he considered below him.

  The astonishment in his heart is quickly painted over with fiery envy.

  His brain races to reject Mundane.

  Mundane’s one-hit takedown of Iris must have been dumb luck. Even if it wasn’t, it probably has to do with their compatibility in combat. Iris just happened to be a good match for Mundane, that’s all.

  Iris’s strange behavior gives him cause for doubt, too. She stopped all of a sudden as though wary of something, and she paced around Mundane for seemingly no reason. Perhaps she’s been under the weather, or maybe Mundane took advantage of some weakness.

  There are plenty of ways he can deny Mundane’s strength.

  And yet…

  Perv found Mundane’s swordplay daunting.

  He realizes that he and Mundane see the world through different lenses.

  Their assessment and approach to combat are fundamentally different. Perv knows he could spend centuries training and never be able to catch up with that boy. That’s how polished Mundane’s swordplay is. It’s like he’s kneaded together the best parts of countless other martial arts and refined them into a single, incomparable masterpiece.

  As Perv tries to disavow Mundane’s mastery, his heart is filled with the innocent admiration of a child.

  Mundane’s sword style has a devilish charm that draws Perv. It’s like how he was captivated by his instructor’s sword work as a boy.

  He grinds his teeth.

  He refuses to accept this.

  He can’t be sure this boy’s skills reign supreme just yet.

  Perv is no stranger to masters. However, he still hasn’t met the Cult’s leadership.

  Mundane can’t possibly be the strongest.

  “What did you think of the fight, Beatrix?” he asks, hoping to hear her denounce him.

  The blue eyes peeking out from within her robe are fixed on the boy. The look in them…is one of wonder.

  “…I want to fight him.”

  “What?”

  Just as Perv is about to ask for clarification, though, a stir runs through the crowd.

  He turns to look at the arena, and there, he sees…

  “Rose Oriana…”

  His mouth curls up into a sneer.

  She’s come.

  What a stupid girl. The king and kingdom are beyond saving. The puppet king is no more than a shell, and thanks to that, they control the country’s leader. Showing up here without even realizing that fact reveals a naïveté unbefitting a princess.

  Covering his mouth so his twisted grin won’t be noticed, Perv steps forward with King Oriana in tow.

  “My dear Princess Rose. I see you’ve decided to return.”

  There’s a long staircase leading straight from the deluxe suite to the arena. Perv and King Oriana start descending it.

  “Rose, I’m so glad you’re back. Come up here.” On Perv’s instructions, King Oriana speaks. His words are hollow and lifeless.

  As Perv descends, he issues orders to his men with a glance, telling them to be ready to capture Rose.

  The princess begins ascending.

  “Father, I’ve come to apologize. For everything I’ve done and for what I’m about to do… I’ve made many mistakes, and I’m sure I’ll make many more. But as the princess of Oriana, and as your daughter…I’m walking down a path I believe in.”

  Rose’s voice is trembling. Her eyes are moist with tears.

  But they’re still filled with resolve.

  Seeing that, Perv takes a step back.

  He should send in the king first.

  If he uses the king as a shield, the girl will be powerless.

  As long as he has his puppet king, his plan can succeed without a hitch.

  “I forgive you for your sins,” replies King Oriana, but Perv hadn’t told him to say that.

  “Thank you, Father.”

 
Afterward, everything happens in a flash.

  Rose draws her blade, and Perv reacts by hiding behind the king.

  His men make their move.

  Rose is too fast for them, though.

  Perv’s eyes widen in shock.

  “Wh—?!”

  Abandoning everything, the girl stabs King Oriana through the heart with her rapier.

  “As the princess, and as your daughter…this will be my final responsibility.”

  The king had been reaching out as though to embrace Rose, but halfway through, his hand slumps lifelessly in the air. The rapier passes cleanly through his heart and into Perv’s chest.

  “Thank you for everything.”

  She wrenches the rapier free.

  Blood gushes from the king’s heart as he topples to the ground.

  Tears burst from Rose’s eyes.

  “H-how dare youuuu!!” Perv screeches.

  Blood pours from Perv’s chest, too, but his wound isn’t lethal.

  His rage stems from the loss of his puppet. His whole plan—in ruins.

  “Get herrrrrrrr!!”

  His men charge at Rose.

  She doesn’t attempt to flee.

  As Perv watches her place the tip of her rapier against her throat, he smiles.

  She won’t really—

  His face goes pale.

  “No! No! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

  But just as Rose is about to pierce her neck…

  “—So that’s the choice you’ve made.”

  A beautiful, almost artistic flash cleaves through the air, slicing through both Rose’s rapier and the swords of the men bearing down on her.

  Standing there is Mundane, the most unassuming of men.

  “Y-you’re…”

  However, the sword he’s holding is as black as night.

  Final Chapter

  Just Who Is This Mysterious Badass?!

  Until she saw that beautiful arc, Rose had been prepared to die. If she was captured and turned into a pawn, her father’s death would have been in vain. She wasn’t going to let that happen.

  Death is petrifying.

  However, it was the only option she had left. She’d been allowed her indulgences as a princess, but she still intended to carry out her royal duties.

  This was to be her final task.

  She’d been prepared for that.

  “Y-you’re…”

  However, the instant she sees that boy beautifully cleave through everything, she’s reminded of a memory from her childhood.

  “The time for lies is over…”

  And with that, Mundane rips off his face.

  The crowd stirs.

  Beneath Mundane’s skin sits an all-too-familiar mask.

  Black liquid swirls and spirals around him.

  When the spiral subsides, it leaves a man wearing a jet-black long coat in its wake.

  “Shadow…,” someone murmurs.

  But to Rose, he isn’t Shadow.

  He’s the man who made her want to take up the sword. The one whose blade embodies beauty.

  “Shadow, are you…? Are you the Slayer?”

  The memories flash through Rose’s mind.

  Once, long ago, Rose was kidnapped.

  Her father had official business to attend to in Midgar, and she’d secretly snuck out of their inn to play outside. As she was playing with the commoner kids, though, everything suddenly went black.

  Then, she passed out.

  When she came to her senses, she found herself confined in a small, dark room.

  Her hands and legs were bound with rope, and there was a gag stuffed in her mouth.

  Although she was outwardly free of injury, her body trembled from worry and fear.

  She could hear bandits talking in the room next door. “Man, I knew her clothes looked nice, but we got us the princess here!”

  They’d probably figured it out from her personal effects. Now they knew who she was.

  “You did it again, boss! We hit the jackpot!”

  “This wasn’t luck, dumbass! This was all skill!!”

  Crude laughter echoed out.

  Terrified for her safety, Rose fell into despair. The bandits had two options: They could either use her as a hostage to bargain with Oriana, or they could sell her to someone who knew what she was worth.

  She was certain they’d pick the latter. Although she was valuable as a hostage, mere bandits would be hard-pressed to use her right.

  By selling her, they could make some easy gold. Then, she would end up falling into the hands of political enemies…

  That prospect terrified her.

  She twisted her body to try and undo the ropes.

  She shouted through her gag.

  But her efforts were for nothing.

  “Hey, sounds like the princess is up.”

  “Go check on her, then.”

  She could hear footsteps drawing closer. Her muffled shouts turned to screams as tears began running down her cheeks.

  But just as the door was about to open…

  “Yahoo!! Gimme all your money!!”

  She heard a child’s voice saying some rather unchildish things.

  “Wh-who the hell is this kid?!”

  “He just showed up outta nowhere! Kill his ass!!”

  “C’mere, you!!”

  Something made a sound as if it had sliced through the air.

  A scream rang out.

  “Wh-who the hell is this?! He’s too strong!!”

  “What?! He took out three people at once?!”

  “You guys can help me practice my fancy swordplay.”

  Something ripped through the air again.

  Rose could smell blood. She timidly peeked through the crack in the door.

  Outside, there was a boy wearing a sack over his head and a group of bandits fleeing.

  “If you run, you’re just bandits! But if you don’t, that means you’re trained bandits!!”

  “Ah, ahhhhh!”

  “P-please—!!”

  The sack-clad boy swung his sword.

  “…?!”

  The arc was so beautiful that Rose forgot what was going on and simply stared at it.

  She didn’t know much about swords, but that technique…was far more beautiful than any work of art.

  The blade sliced skillfully through the bandits’ necks, and the screaming stopped.

  Dumbfounded, Rose just gazed at the boy with the sack.

  “Man, I came all the way out here, and they don’t have any gold. Huh? Oh, there’s more of them.”

  Noticing Rose’s gaze, the boy in the sack opened up the door.

  Light streamed into the room as their eyes met.

  “Ah, a kidnapped kid. Rough day for you, huh?”

  The sack boy swung his sword. Rose was captivated by the elegance of his sword work.

  “Bye now. Take care on your way home.”

  The sack boy began briskly walking off.

  Before she noticed, Rose’s bindings had been cut.

  She called out to him in desperation. “W-wait!”

  “Hmm?” The boy stopped and turned back toward her.

  “Wh-who are you?”

  “Me? Hmm. I’m still in the middle of my training, so…just think of me as a fancy bandit slayer who happened to pass by.”

  “The Fancy Bandit Slayer… Um, I want to thank you somehow.”

  “Uh… All right, well, then I’d appreciate it if you didn’t tell anyone about me.”

  “O-okay, I won’t.”

  “Cool, I’m counting on ya.”

  And with that, the Fancy Bandit Slayer vanished.

  “The Fancy Bandit Slayer…”

  He had saved her from the depths of despair and, in doing so, changed her very life. Out of admiration for the beauty of his swordplay and the way he lived his life, Rose took up the sword that very day.

  It’s a precious memory of her childhood, one that she’s never told anyone. It’s Rose’s little secret.
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  In that moment, though, she gives voice to that secret for the first time.

  “Shadow…you’re the Fancy Bandit Slayer, aren’t you?”

  Shadow doesn’t answer.

  But to Rose, his silence is answer enough.

  Ever since he was a child, he’s fought tirelessly against evil. He’s been saving people behind the scenes this whole time, just like he once saved Rose.

  Shadow’s words run through Rose’s mind. If true strength comes not from power but from the way one lives their life…then Shadow must be strength incarnate.

  Rose feels ashamed at having chosen death so readily.

  She could still have fought, but living is painful, and failure is terrifying. She wanted to put an end to it all.

  She had sought refuge in death.

  But she could still fight…because she admired his beautiful swordplay and his way of life.

  “Your battle is yet unfinished…” Shadow thrusts his jet-black sword forward.

  It impales the stadium’s wall and creates a large hole.

  “Go…”

  “Got it!”

  Rose scoops up her rapier and leaps without hesitation through the opening. She still has things she needs to do.

  “S-stop her!!”

  “No one else goes through…”

  Shadow plants himself in front of the hole.

  Thick clouds roll in at some point and obscure the sun, blanketing the stadium in shadows.

  Thunderclaps echo within the clouds.

  Drop by drop, rain begins to fall.

  “What are you waiting for?! After her!!” bellows Perv, and his men burst into action.

  They move to surround the hole’s guard, Shadow, then leap at him in unison.

  The moment they do, an obsidian arc cleaves through them.

  A single blow is all it takes to send all of Perv’s handpicked dark knights flying.

  “This can’t…”

  So this is Shadow. True to the rumors Perv heard, he cannot be contained by the riffraff.

  He presses down on his bleeding gut and falls back.

  “H-help! Is there anyone?! Anyone who can take him down?!” he cries.

  The only response he hears is the sound of the rain.

  The knights of Midgar surround Shadow from a distance, but that’s all.

  There isn’t a single person present who plans on making light of the man who defeated Iris.

  The rain is now a bona fide deluge. Massive droplets cascade from the skies.