**THE POWER OF DIABLOS**

My bluish-purple magic power stained the blizzard-choked sky. Man, I love this color. It really pops against the white.

“Kuh... what is this magic power...?!” Maximilian groaned, his face twisting into a grimace as he struggled to stand his ground against the blast.

I made my entrance, descending through the swirling snow with my jet-black longcoat fluttering just right. I had my hood pulled low and my face hidden behind a mask—total mystery man vibes.

“My name is Shadow...” I said, letting my voice resonate as if it were echoing from the depths of the abyss. “He who lurks in the shadows and hunts the shadows...”

“Shadow, you say... so it’s you...”

He looked genuinely rattled. I could practically see him mentally scrolling through the Cult’s ‘Most Wanted’ list. They probably think Shadow Garden is some world-threatening secret society that’s been systematically dismantling their shadow empire for years. In reality, it’s mostly just me making stuff up and the girls being terrifyingly efficient.

He was likely thinking about the Seven Shadows and how they supposedly rival the Knights of Rounds. He was probably even remembering some ominous, drunken rambling from Doem about me not being human—something about being the same kind of monster as Diablos. I’d actually overheard Doem saying that once; Maximilian had laughed it off as a drunkard’s nonsense back then, but now that he was seeing my magic in person, he was definitely having a moment.

“This magic power... it’s fascinating,” Maximilian muttered, trying to regain his composure. “It far exceeds the amount any human body should be able to manipulate. The quality is different, too. It’s denser than usual.”

I just stood there, letting my magic dissipate into the wind like I didn't have a care in the world.

“I see. It seems you actually live up to the rumors,” Maximilian said, curling his lips into a smirk and giving me a mock bow. “I welcome you, Shadow...”

I stayed silent, keeping the bluish-purple magic swirling around me. The silent-but-deadly routine never gets old.

“Thanks for trekking all the way out to the Oriana Kingdom. I don't know what you’re after, but you’ve got some rotten luck. I’m ‘The Cold-hearted’ Maximilian. Dealing with magic-reliant idiots happens to be my specialty. I think I’ll dissect you and see what makes that magic of yours tick!”

In the next instant, he vanished.

The snow on the ground kicked up, and the air right behind me wavered.

“—Behind you, slowpoke.”

Maximilian’s sword sliced right into my back. I felt the impact—it was a solid hit.

“...What?” he gasped.

I didn’t budge. I just stood there, then turned around slowly to look him in the eye as if nothing had happened.

“Did you just do something...?” I asked. God, I’m so cool.

“—Tch. I hate how dull you magic-junkies are,” Maximilian spat, clicking his tongue in annoyance as he jumped back to create some distance. “Is that coat an Artifact? It’s pretty impressive gear if it can tank a hit from me. Fine, I’ll just start by stripping it off your corpse!”

He vanished again.

“Over here!”

His sword came at me from behind. Then, before I could even ‘react’—

“Too slow!”

His blade appeared from the side.

“—Small fry!”

He started raining down attacks from all directions—left, right, above—without giving me a second to breathe. I didn’t even bother trying to dodge. I just stood there and let him slice away. It makes for a better show if the villain thinks he’s winning for a bit.

Finally, he went for the grand finale.

“It’s over!”

Maximilian put everything he had into a massive strike that caught me in the back and sent me flying. I tumbled across the snow and slammed hard into the wall of the detention center. Solid 8/10 on the landing.

“Artifacts have their limits,” Maximilian said, looking down at me. “Your coat must be about ready to fall apart.”

Then, he shifted his gaze to the space right next to me.

“So, you’ve finally decided to show your face—Owl.”

Standing there next to my ‘collapsed’ self was a woman I hadn't noticed before—a woman clad in a jet-black bodysuit. It was Owl.