The Eminence in the Shadow

Violet mana tinted the blizzard sky.

"Kuh… what monstrous mana...!!"

Maximilian grimaced feeling the raw blast of mana.

In the middle of the snow storm, one man landed onto the ground before him. A man in a jet black longcoat.

He wore a deep hood, and covered his face in a mask. He was--

"My name is Shadow… I lurk in the shadows, hunting the shadows..."

A voice as if from the depths of the abyss.

"You're… Shadow..."

Shadow Garden was a recognized threat to the Order. An hidden organization that boldly opposed them.

They had exposed the existence of the Order to the world. They couldn't be taken lightly.

Even the combat potential of Shadow Garden rivalled that of the Order. Their leadership, known as The Seven, are rumored to house individuals of equal measure to a Knight of the Rounds.

And within this shadowy organization, most mysterious of all was the man Shadow himself.

Every member of the Order said to have fought him had been eliminated, and the only places he'd been witnessed, to date, were at the G.o.ddess' Challenge and the G.o.d of War Festival.

His strength was measured at… Undefeatable.

Maximilian suddenly recalled what Doem, who had witnessed Shadow first had, had said: "It's hard to believe that thing is even human. He's like Diabolos... No wonder he noticed our existence..." Doem had rambled on like that one drunken evening.

Maximilian had dismissed it as the alcohol talking.

But now, after feeling that vast magic, he was starting to understand his colleague's fears.

"Your mana, it is certainly interesting… it far surpa.s.ses anything mere mortals can contain. And it is dense. Far denser than anything I've seen."

Maximilian calmly scrutinized the mana that kept gushing out of the man like the blizzard was carrying it away.

"Indeed, you're as impressive as the rumors claim… Greetings, Shadow..."

Maximilian's lips curved upwards.

Shadow still stood there coated in violet mana.

"I welcome you to the kingdom of Oriana. I do not know what your goals are in this land, but your luck has just run out. I am Maximilian 'Coldblood'. I specialize in people boastful of their mana such as yourself… As such, I shall dissect you thoroughly to find how exactly you hold so much!"

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The next moment, Maximilian disappeared.

The ground settled snow surged upwards and a figure blurred into existence behind Shadow.

"Behind you, fool."

Maximilian slashed Shadow clear down the back.

He felt his sword strike.

"... How?"

Shadow simply stood there, unfazed.

Then, as if that attack had been an illusion, the man in black turned and faced Maximilian.

"Oh, were you doing something…?"

"--Tsk, manahouses are always so painfully slow."

Maximilian clicked his tongue and took distance.

"That coat must be an artifact. A good one too to have blocked my sword. I shall relieve you of it soon enough..."

Once again, Maximilian vanished.

"Over here."

Maximilian was approaching from behind.

--But before that.

"Wrong way."

Before Shadow could turn, Maximilian appeared from under him.

"-- Weakling."

Maximilian's strikes came from all directions, and even from above, successively and without pause.

Shadow couldn't even react as he was cut away at from every which way.

Then finally--

"It is done."

One last powerful blow sent Shadow to the ground.

Shadow rolled on the snow before crashing on the camp wall.

"All artifacts have a limit to their endurance. Now your precious coat is finished."

Maximilian moved his gaze from Shadow to something to the side.

"So you finally show yourself-- OWL."

At some point, a female form had been already standing where Shadow lay collapsed-- dressed in her pitch black bodysuit, it was OWL.