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Alpha was 18.
Beta was 18.
Gamma was 18.
Delta was 18.
Epsilon was 18.
Zeta was 18.
Eta was 18.
On a night thick with dark clouds, an 18-year-old girl dragged her body along a mountain path.
Demonic Possession had corroded her from the inside out.
“Do you crave power?”
A voice like a demon’s rang out.
Epsilon looked around.
She didn’t see anyone.
The pain in her body tormented her mind and spirit.
Because of the Demonic Possession, that home could no longer accept her.
Her parents had treated her well on the surface after learning what she was.
But they’d secretly contacted the Holy Church.
They planned to have her purified.
Epsilon had found out and escaped on her own.
She walked without purpose.
She’d thought of suicide countless times.
She never had the courage to follow through.
She didn’t know why she was still alive.
She didn’t know what the point of living even was.
“Do you crave power?”
Epsilon heard the voice again.
“It’s not a hallucination?”
“I crave it!”
The next second, her eyes dimmed again.
“But what use is power?
It can’t even cure the Demonic Possession!”
“Do you crave the power that can cure it?”
A figure in pitch-black attire appeared before her.
“Join Shadow Garden.
All your desires shall be fulfilled.”
Another black figure descended from the sky.
A pure black military uniform beneath a black robe, majestic and handsome.
Epsilon just stared blankly at the two people in front of her.
Shino stepped forward.
A blue-purple magical aura enveloped Epsilon’s entire body.
“We are Shadow Garden.
I am Shadow.”
“I am Phantom.”
As Shino spoke, the Demonic Possession on Epsilon’s body healed.
“Then I’ll leave her to you for now.
I have important matters to attend to.
So…”
“After you’ve settled her in, I’ll come find you.”
In the blink of an eye, Shadow vanished without a trace.
Shino turned to Epsilon.
“The Demonic Possession on your body is actually a curse.
A curse placed by the Demon Diablos upon the descendants of the Three Heroes.”
“The Cult of Diablos has twisted the truth.
They’re trying to revive the Demon Diablos.
Shadow Garden’s mission is to overthrow them.”
“Descendant of the Heroes, are you willing to join us?
To overthrow the Cult of Diablos that has turned black into white?”
“I am willing.”
Epsilon nodded.
“From now on, you are a member of Shadow Garden.
Epsilon is your new name.
From today, you abandon your old one.”
Epsilon thought back to the moment the Demonic Possession had appeared on her.
It had been like falling from heaven straight into hell.
There was no need to cling to memories of her former friends and family.
“Yes.”
Magical power surged from Shino’s body, enveloping Epsilon.
A Slime Body Suit cloak formed around her.
After settling Epsilon into Shadow Garden’s temporary base, Shino went to find Shadow.
He tossed a huge money pouch at him.
“This is what we agreed on.”
Shino had let Cid show off.
And Cid had taken the money.
Cid had taken both the credit and the cash this time.
Even he looked a bit embarrassed.
“Phantom, do you want to see my collection?”
“No, I’m not much of a connoisseur.
You should find someone who knows their stuff.”
“What a pity,” Cid lamented.
…
Over the following period, Shino taught Epsilon swordsmanship and magical control.
Epsilon’s talent was about the same as Beta’s.
She learned fast.
Later, Shino introduced Epsilon to Alpha and the others.
After Epsilon learned about the rest of Shadow Garden, she started feeling inferior.
Everyone had a strength.
She was nothing.
The bottom of the pile.
On top of that, her figure was the worst.
That made it even worse.
Shino noticed.
“Epsilon, in that case, let me teach you a unique art.”
“A unique art?”
“The piano.”
Shino used his own private funds to buy a piano.
He taught her personally, guiding her hands.
Epsilon’s talent was strong.
She picked up the piano quickly.
During the day, Shino taught her combat.
At night, he taught her piano.
Time flew.
A month passed in no time.
Epsilon had memorized every single one of Shino’s piano pieces.
She had completely graduated.
That day was the end of the month.
Shino gathered everyone in Shadow Garden for a reunion dinner.
Of course, he’d communicated ahead of time.
It wouldn’t interfere with Alpha’s intelligence work.
It wouldn’t affect Gamma’s business plans.
Everyone ate together like one big family.
Epsilon played the piano.
Under the music, the home felt even warmer.
The next day, Shino told Epsilon to follow Alpha and start with intelligence work.
Shino focused on improving his own strength.
A few days later, he received a message from Alpha.
They’d discovered a large-scale operation by the Cult.
Apparently, many Cult members were heading to the territory of the Golden Panther tribe.
The specifics were unclear.
But it certainly wasn’t anything good.
“The Golden Panther tribe…
isn’t that Zeta’s tribe?”
Shino thought for a moment, then decided to head straight there.
He walked out the door.
Then stopped.
He didn’t know the way.
Shino had no choice but to find Alpha.
“Alpha, long story short, I need to go to the Golden Panther tribe.
You lead the way.”
“It’s in that direction.”
“Epsilon, Delta, you two head back to the base first.”
Afraid he might not make it in time to save Zeta, Shino picked Alpha up.
Before Alpha could even react, he had her tight in his arms and was flying into the sky.
To avoid Alpha getting lost, he flew low.
“The direction’s off.
It’s this way.”
When Shino arrived at the Golden Panther tribe, corpses were everywhere.
Cult of Diablos members were scattered across the territory, cleaning up survivors.
The Golden Panther tribe had learned a truth they shouldn’t have known.
And so they were wiped out.
Shino grabbed a random Cult soldier and cut off his limbs.
Magical power turned into threads that entered the man’s body, binding his internal organs.
The man screamed and begged for mercy.
“Tell me, where did the Demonic Possession victim of the Golden Panther tribe go?”
Zeta was Shino’s favorite character.
He didn’t want his own appearance to mess up the story and get her hurt.
“Please spare me!
I’m just a soldier!
I don’t know!”
Shino moved on to the next person.
He interrogated many people.
None of them knew.
Shino waved his hand, casting a magical barrier that enveloped everyone.
“Alpha, I’ll leave these people to you.
See what you can get out of them.
If you can’t, kill them all.”
Unable to find Zeta, Shino called for backup.
“Calling Shadow.”
Shino had a method for long-distance tracking and communication.
Cid had learned it from him.
Contacting each other was simple.
In less than a minute, Shadow appeared.
“Phantom, what do you need?”
“Help me find the Demonic Possession victim of the Golden Panther tribe.
20 million zeni.”
“No problem.”
Cid vanished.
Shino headed east.
He clearly remembered Zeta’s story.
At this point, she should be heading east, carrying her younger brother.
Shino traveled on foot, searching bit by bit.
He ended up lost in the vast forest.
It wasn’t that he wanted to get lost.
But in the night forest, everywhere looked the same.
He couldn’t figure out the direction at all.
Flying up to look, still the same.
Just trees and grass.
The stars and the moon?
He couldn’t make heads or tails of them either.
Just as Shino was at his wit’s end, Cid contacted him.
Zeta had already been captured by the Cult.
She emitted a rich Heroic bloodline, high research value.
So they hadn’t killed her.
Zeta’s heart was filled with nothing but revenge.
The only meaning of her life now was revenge.
“Do you crave power?”
A voice sounded in Zeta’s ear.
“I crave it.
I need power.
No matter the cost, even my life, I don’t care.
As long as I can take revenge.”
“Then, so be it.”
“Hahaha!
This Demonic Possession victim has gone mad!
Muttering to herself!”
“And she wants revenge on the Cult?
Right now, you’re nothing but a prisoner!”
➤ Next: Zeta’s Story — Heartbreak