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“I’m going to kill you!”
Zeta ignored her frozen body and charged at Petos.
Petos flicked the chain in his hand, binding her tight.
“That’s right — the entire Golden Panther tribe is dead too.
I gave the order myself.
They knew things they shouldn’t have.”
Petos locked Zeta inside a cage.
She kept repeating the same words.
“I’m going to kill you.”
Until her voice went hoarse and she couldn’t speak anymore.
Petos ordered his subordinates to escort Zeta to the Valiora Research Institute.
He was going to report to his superiors.
……
When Zeta woke again, a faint light had appeared on the horizon.
Cult members surrounded her.
She was still locked in the cage.
I need power.
Knowledge is useless.
I need power, the power to destroy this cage, the power to kill that man.
“Do you yearn for power?”
A voice rang out.
“I do.
I yearn for it.
I need power, no matter the cost.
No matter what it takes.”
Cid watched Zeta from the shadows.
Last time I showed off and got paid.
Maybe I should let Shino do the showing off this time.
Cid, who’d both collected money and shown off, felt a bit embarrassed.
“Then I shall grant you power.”
Shino descended from the sky, landing beside Zeta.
He extended his hand.
She grabbed it.
“Who goes there?
Seize him!” a Cult member shouted.
A surge of blue-violet magic exploded from Zeta’s body.
The cage shattered.
“I’ve lent you my power.
Use it freely.”
Zeta felt an immense current of magic flowing through her veins.
She struck at the nearest enemy.
Her claw smashed him into minced meat.
In the span of a few breaths, she killed every Cult member in sight.
Then she collapsed.
What Shino had given Zeta was only a temporary magic experience card.
Her body couldn’t handle that much power.
So she passed out.
Shino cured her Demonic Possession.
“Shadow, wait here for a while.
If anyone comes, detain them.
I’ll take Zeta and Alpha back, then return.”
“No problem.”
Shino found Alpha with Zeta in his arms.
Alpha had already finished interrogating for information.
Shino waved his hand and killed every surviving Cult member.
He carried Alpha and Zeta back to the residence, told Alpha to take care of Zeta, then returned to where Shadow was.
He tossed 2,000,000 Zeni to Cid.
“As promised.”
Cid caught the money and pocketed it.
“What do you plan to do here?”
“Wait for the rabbit by the stump.”
“Interesting.
Can I join?”
“Of course.”
They waited 3 days.
Only on the first day did 5 waves of Cult cannon fodder show up.
After that, nothing.
Shino had considered following the cannon fodder back to the Cult’s base, but he wasn’t confident in his strength yet.
“Too bad we didn’t catch Petos.”
“Forget it.
Let’s go.”
They left.
Petos knew about Zeta.
After sending 5 waves that never returned, it was obviously a trap.
He was too timid to take the risk.
Over the next few days, with Alpha’s explanations and care, Zeta recovered.
She understood everything now.
“Father, you were right.
The Midgar Kingdom really does have someone who can cure Demonic Possession.
Is Shadow Garden my mission?”
Cid hadn’t come to the Shadow Garden base with Shino.
He’d gone elsewhere.
Only Shino returned alone.
“Phantom, you’re finally back.
What did you do?”
“Staked out Petos.
Didn’t catch him.
That bastard didn’t dare to show his face.”
“That’s a shame.
Catching him would have gotten us a lot of intel.”
Alpha knew who Petos was — she’d interrogated plenty of Cult members.
Zeta looked at Shino.
“Welcome to Shadow Garden.
I’m Phantom.
From today, your name is Zeta.”
Zeta knelt immediately.
“Thank you.”
Father, Mother, did you see that?
I’ve found my mission.
I will avenge you.
I will.
Shino extended his hand.
Zeta took it.
The Slime Cloak fell over her shoulders.
“The magic I gave you before — your body couldn’t handle it.
I’ll train you.
I’ll make you strong enough to complete your own revenge.”
“Zeta will serve you unto death.”
“That won’t be necessary.
Just do what needs to be done.
I don’t want to see a dead Zeta.
I want to see a Zeta who’s alive and well.”
“Understood.”
➤ Next: Epsilon