Great Kaiju War

SHADOW

The three of us stood there, sizing each other up.

Yukime watched me with eyes like clear water; Juggernaut glared with the intensity of a black bird of prey; and I, of course, maintained a perfectly inorganic stare, my eyes glowing a vivid, dramatic red.

"Shadow...? I’ve heard that name somewhere before."

"He’s the leader of Shadow Garden, that mysterious armed group everyone’s whispering about-dosu."

"Ah, right. I remember now. So this is the famous Shadow?"

"I thought the rumors were mostly bullshit, but he’s clearly got enough bite to justify at least a little of the hype."

The two of them bore down on me with razor-sharp gazes, but I didn't let it ruffle my feathers. Style is everything, after all.

A gust of wind howled, making my katana ring out a sharp, metallic note. In response, Yukime snapped her Iron Fan open, and Juggernaut hoisted his Great Machete onto his shoulder.

The silent standoff stretched on.

"What's the plan? Are the three of us having a formal sit-down, or are we skipping straight to the triple-threat deathmatch?"

Juggernaut was the one to finally break the silence.

"In that case, I’d like to cordially invite Shadow-han to team up with me. What do you say, Shadow-han?"

Yukime shot me a look that was practically dripping with suggestive intent.

"Careful there, pal. Don't trust the shitty fox. If you let your guard down, she’ll slit your throat before you’ve even finished dreaming," Juggernaut snorted.

"Pointless."

I turned my back on them with practiced ease, completely ignoring the tension.

"The Red Moon has risen, and the Frenzy has begun... I don't have time to waste on the likes of you."

"Ha! Talk about cocky."

"He seems to know something. The Red Moon... I feel like I've heard that phrase somewhere before..."

"The old hag’s going senile. It’s pathetic."

"Pipe down. Shadow-han is right; fighting here is a waste of time. I’m already pissed off that the Ghouls laid a finger on my girls. Surely you feel the same?"

"Don't lump me in with you. I just decided the Lawless City doesn't need three towers anymore. It's about time we tore one down."

"Then shall we focus our attention on the Queen of Blood for now?"

"Fine. Later, shitty hag. Next time, you’re dead."

Juggernaut gave us both one last glare before stomping off.

Yukime watched him go, then called out to me.

"Wait a moment, Shadow-han. To be honest, I’ve known about you for a while. I run the Red-light District in this town."

I caught her gaze out of the corner of my eye.

"Many of my girls were saved by you, so I really do owe you one. If you’re willing, I’d love to show my gratitude properly sometime."

"I have no need for thanks... and I had no intention of saving them."

"So humble, even though they were all so truly grateful. You really are a modest man. I'll be waiting for you, so if the mood strikes, please do stop by the White Tower..."

Yukime gave me a polite bow.

"Well then, until later."

With a seductive smile, she vanished toward the Crimson Tower. I made my exit right after.

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THE WATCHDOG

I was waiting for my prey at the Crimson Tower.

I sat huddled in front of the door, clutching my emaciated frame, my face twitching into a hideous, distorted grin.

Once, they called me the White Demon. I was a murderer—no, I was a knight.

I had been a Knight Order Commander in some nameless country. With my white uniform and my beautiful, flowing silver hair, I looked like the ideal protector of the people.

But that was a lie. Every night, I prowled the streets, cutting people down just for the thrill of it. I was born to kill. The spray of red blood, the screams, the faces of pure despair—taking a life was the only thing that made me feel like I was actually alive.

Then, a colleague caught me. In that instant, I fully embraced my role as the White Demon.

I slaughtered every single member of the Knight Order in a single night and vanished. I kept killing wherever I went until I finally drifted into the Lawless City.

I wasn't afraid of anything. I truly believed I was at the top of the food chain.

But that illusion was ground into dust when I challenged the Crimson Tower. I, the feared White Demon, was crushed by Crimson without landing a single blow. He toyed with me, humiliated me, and I ended up begging for my life like a pathetic dog.

Now, I'm just the Watchdog.

I don't even have the freedom to kill anymore.

Murder was my entire reason for existing, and without it, I was nothing...

But then, a golden opportunity arrived.

"Heh... heheh..."

The Red Moon had arrived, and most of the Vampires had cleared out of the tower.

There was no one left to tell me what to do. As long as that moon stayed red, I could kill whoever I wanted.

So, I waited. Not as the Watchdog, but as the White Demon, hungry for something to slaughter.

Rumor had it the Magic Swordsman Association was coming to take down the Queen of Blood. I practically prayed for someone to show up at my door.

And then, it happened.

Heavy, violent footsteps echoed through the hall. My long-awaited prey had arrived.

"Heh... heheheh?"

I looked up in pure ecstasy, only to see the Brown-skinned Great Evil himself.

He was a mass of rippling, supple muscle, carrying a Great Machete that was longer than he was tall.

His sharp eyes bore into me, radiating an aura of absolute, overwhelming violence. There was no mistaking him: Juggernaut, the Tyrant of the Lawless City.

"Out of my way, parasite."

"Eep..."

I looked away instantly and scrambled to clear the path.

I’m a killer, but I’m not stupid. I know when someone is out of my league. You don't mess with the rulers of this city or their top brass. Crimson taught me that lesson the hard way.

"Nuisance."

The Tyrant didn't even use the handle. He just swung that massive slab of iron and shattered the reinforced door into splinters.

"Hiiiii!?"

I cowered as he stomped past me into the Crimson Tower.

That door was thick and plated with iron; most Spellswords couldn't even dent it. He’d obliterated it in one go. I started to get a very bad feeling about what was coming next.

Then, I heard more footsteps.

These were light, soft, and elegant. Definitely a woman. Good. Women's flesh is always so much softer.

I turned around, a vicious sneer spreading across my face.

Standing there was a woman of such haunting beauty she didn't seem human.

She had glossy Silver Hair and fox ears with black tips. Two Iron Fans were tucked into her kimono's obi.

That was fine. I could handle that.

But then I saw them—nine white fox tails swaying lazily behind her.

"Hiiiii!?"

It was Yukime, the Spirit Fox. Another ruler of the Lawless City.

"Move."

"Heh! Yes, ma'am!"

I didn't even wait for her to finish before I bolted out of the way. She was a monster I couldn't beat if I had a thousand years to practice. I stayed huddled in the corner, shivering as I watched her enter.

First the Tyrant, then the Spirit Fox. This tower was going to be a goddamn war zone. It was like watching a Great Kaiju War unfold in real-time.

Then, I heard a third set of footsteps.

Click. Click. Click.

I started to laugh.

There was no way in hell someone more dangerous than the last two was coming.

Just as I thought, it was some random guy in black I’d never seen before.

He wore a Jet-black Longcoat with a deep hood and a mask hiding his face.

The weird part was his presence. I couldn't read his strength at all. Usually, someone at my level can size up an opponent before the first swing, but this guy felt like a total void.

Whatever. He wasn't the Tyrant or the Spirit Fox, so he was fair game.

"...Heheh... DIE!!"

The moment he stepped into my range, I lunged.

I got him.

The next thing I knew, I was staring up at the night sky.

"Huh...?"

Confused, I looked around. My lower body was still standing right where I’d left it.

Then, my torso-less legs collapsed, geysering blood into the air.

That’s when it finally clicked: I’d been sliced clean in half.

"Heh... agh..."

I expected the man in the longcoat to walk through the shattered door, but he didn't. Instead, he just stepped onto the vertical wall of the tower and started running straight up it.

"Hiii!?"

I couldn't believe my eyes, even as the blood loss started to dim my vision.

But he wasn't done being a freak. Halfway up the tower, he suddenly stopped, punched a massive hole through the solid masonry with his bare fist, and hopped inside.

That’s just cheating.

I realized then that I had tried to pick a fight with something that wasn't even a living creature. It was a force of nature.

"Heh... heh..."

As the light faded from my eyes, one final thought drifted through my mind: Wait, isn't the Treasury right around where he broke in?