“I’ll kill you!” Ignoring her frozen, stiff limbs, Zeta lunged at Petos.
With a flick of his wrist, Petos sent his chains flying, binding Zeta tightly.
“By the way, every last member of the Golden Leopard Clan is dead.
I gave the order myself—they knew things they weren’t supposed to know!” Petos threw Zeta into a cage.
She continued to snarl, “I’ll kill you,” over and over until her voice was too hoarse to speak.
Petos then ordered his subordinates to transport Zeta to the Valliora’s Laboratory while he went to report to his superiors.
When Zeta woke again, a faint sliver of dawn was touching the horizon.
She was surrounded by Cult soldiers, still trapped within the cage.
*I need power,* Zeta thought fiercely.
*Knowledge is useless.
I need strength–strength to shatter this cage, and strength to kill that man!* “Do you hunger for power?” A voice suddenly rang out.
“I do!
I hunger for it!
I need power no matter the cost…
no matter the price!” In the shadows, Cid was observing Zeta.
*I played the “cool mysterious savior” last time and took the money…
maybe I should let Shino handle the “cool” entrance this time,* Cid thought, feeling a bit guilty about hogging all the glory and the cash.
“Then I shall grant you that power!” Shino descended from the sky, appearing right beside the cage.
He reached out his hand toward Zeta.
She grasped it firmly.
“Who’s there?!
Seize him!” the Cult soldiers barked.
A massive explosion of blue-violet mana erupted from Zeta’s body, shattering the cage into splinters.
“I have lent you my power.
Now, use it as you wish!” Zeta felt a titanic amount of mana surging through her veins.
She lunged at the nearest enemy; with a single swipe of her claws, the man was reduced to a bloody pulp.
Within seconds, Zeta had slaughtered every Cult member in the vicinity.
Once the last one fell, she collapsed.
The power Shino had granted her was merely a “mana trial card.” Her current body was incapable of sustaining such a massive output, leading to her loss of consciousness.
Shino quickly cured her Demon Possession.
“Shadow, I need you to wait here for a moment.
If anyone else shows up, hold them back.
I’m going to take Zeta and Alpha back to the base first, then I’ll return.” “No problem,” Cid replied.
Shino found Alpha, who had finished extracting information from her captives.
With a wave of his hand, Shino finished off the remaining Cult survivors.
He gathered Alpha and Zeta into his arms and flew back to their residence.
After leaving Alpha to care for Zeta, Shino returned to Cid’s location.
He tossed a bag containing twenty million Zeny to him.
“As promised.” Cid caught the money and tucked it into his cloak.
“What are you planning to do here?” “Wait for the rabbits to come to the hole.” “Interesting.
Can I join you?” “Of course.” Shino and Cid waited for three days.
On the first day, five waves of Cult fodder arrived, but after that, no one else showed up.
Shino had considered following the fodder back to a base, but he still didn’t feel confident enough in his current strength to storm a major headquarters.
“A shame we didn’t catch Petos.” “Forget it.
Let’s go,” Shino said.
The two left.
Petos, being a coward, knew something was wrong when five consecutive squads failed to return.
He realized it was a trap and didn’t dare risk showing up himself.
Over the next few days, under Alpha’s care and explanations, Zeta recovered her strength and came to understand the situation.
*Father, you were right.
There truly was someone in Midgar who could cure the Possession.
Is Shadow Garden my destiny?* Cid did not return to the base with Shino; he had gone elsewhere.
Only Shino entered the common area.
“Phantom, you’re finally back.
Where did you go?” Alpha asked.
“I was staking out for Petos, but he didn’t bite.
The coward didn’t show.” “That’s a pity.
We could have gained a lot of intel from him.” Alpha knew who Petos was from her own interrogations.
Zeta looked at Shino.
“Welcome to Shadow Garden.
I am Phantom.
From today on, your name is Zeta.” Zeta knelt immediately.
“Thank you.” *Father, Mother…
are you watching?
I have found my mission.
I will avenge you.
I swear it!* Zeta thought.
Shino reached out his hand, and Zeta took it.
A Slime Cloak materialized over her shoulders.
“The mana I gave you before was too much for your body to handle.
I will train you to become a powerhouse so you can achieve your own revenge.” “If need be, Zeta will die for you!” “That won’t be necessary,” Shino replied calmly.
“Just do what needs to be done.
I don’t want to see a dead Zeta; I want to see a Zeta who is living well.” “Understood!”