The Real Him

“Too bad, Owl. You’re a little late to the party. It’s already—”

“Will you please be quiet for a moment?”

Owl didn’t even give Maximilian a full look, just a dismissive glance.

“...Excuse me?” Maximilian’s eyes narrowed, sharp enough to cut glass.

“I don’t have time to deal with you right now,” she said flatly.

“Keep talking. Shadow is finished. Once I’ve disposed of you, too—”

“You’ve been his plaything from the very beginning.”

“His plaything...?”

Owl turned her back on him and looked toward the pile of rubble I was currently calls-ing 'home.' “Master Shadow, I have something to ask you.”

I waited a beat. This was the moment for the dramatic reveal.

“...Very well,” I rumbled, my voice reaching that perfect, low-frequency gravel.

I let my Bluish-purple Magic Power surge, violently shoving the debris aside as I slowly stood up. I made sure to move with a deliberate, haunting grace.

“Wh-!? You mean he still has that much power left!?” Maximilian’s eyes practically popped out of his head.

Owl, on the other hand, was the picture of cool composure. “Why won’t you get serious?”

“...I wished to grasp the full extent of that man’s ability,” I said, looking down at my hands. “For the sake of the future, you see...”

Translation: I was just messing around to see what kind of moves he had. It’s called research.

“For the sake of the future... I see.” Owl’s voice turned heavy, a certain tension creeping into the air. “I will ask you just one more thing.”

I gave her a silent, brooding nod to continue.

“What is the meaning of this...?”

With a swift motion of her sword, she cleared the snow at her feet. As the white powder scattered, it revealed a lump of black material.

Specifically, it was a slime double I’d fashioned to look like Cid Kagenou.

“Answer me,” she demanded, her voice rising to a shout that cut through the howling blizzard. It was a total cry from the heart. “Cid-kun... where did the real Cid-kun go!?”

“That voice...” Clara murmured, staring at Owl as if she’d finally put the pieces together.

But Owl didn’t care about Clara. She was locked onto me.

I took a theatrical pause. “Cid is in a safe place...”

“And where is that?”

“...Is there a need to tell you?”

Owl flinched. For a few long seconds, we just stared at each other. The tension was so thick you could have sliced it with a dark-knight-grade blade.

“You saved my life,” Owl finally said, her voice trembling slightly. “You gave me power and showed me the path I should take. I... I don't want to doubt you. So I will believe those words... for now.”

She fixed me with a gaze that felt like it was trying to bore a hole through my mask.

“But if this is a lie... if Cid-kun isn't actually safe... I might never be able to forgive you!”

I caught her gaze out of the corner of my eye. “I never intended to ask for your forgiveness. No matter what you know or what you think, my path shall never waver...”

Man, I’m good at this.

Owl’s eyes narrowed into sharp slits.

“Now then...” I said, lightly flicking my blade to the side. “Shall we continue?”

“Then I shall return to my mission,” Owl said, turning her back on me to approach Clara.

“Princess Clara. My mission is to escort you to the Royalist Faction Headquarters.”

“You’re Owl... I heard the Royalist Faction had a trump card. Was that you?”

“It’s not just me; our organization is providing support. I was supposed to give you a more detailed explanation, but we’re out of time. Please, come with me. This is likely your last chance to get out of the Royal Capital.”

Clara stared at Owl’s outstretched hand for a long moment. “You’re... no, never mind. I understand. I’ll trust you.”

“Lady Clara, are you sure we can trust her...?” one of the Royalist Faction Prisoners asked, sounding pretty shaky.

“It’s fine,” Clara whispered, her voice almost lost to the wind. “I’m sure she cares about him much more than I do...”

“Follow me. We’ll take the underground route to rendezvous with the squad.”

Owl hoisted the injured Bart onto her back and started leading the group out of the courtyard.

“Wait! You think I’m just going to let you walk away!?”

Maximilian lunged toward Owl’s exposed back.

I didn't move a muscle—I just let out a massive wave of Bloodlust. The sheer pressure of it froze him mid-step.

“Wh-!? This Bloodlust—!?” Maximilian scrambled backward, looking like he’d just stepped on a landmine.

“—Did you think I’d let you go?” I asked.

I’d cranked the intimidation factor up to eleven. The air itself seemed to vibrate. I locked him in place with nothing but the sheer killing intent in my eyes.

“Shadow...!” Maximilian’s face twisted in a mask of pure rage, but he couldn't do a damn thing. He just had to stand there and eat dirt while Owl and the Royalists made their exit.

Finally, there was only one person left—Zack.

Just as he was about to make a break for it, I let my Bloodlust flare up one last time.

“—!?”

Zack jumped about a foot in the air and spun around, trembling like a leaf.

I just stared at him. Staaaaaaaaare.

Zack started sweating buckets. He nodded frantically, over and over, his head bobbing like a toy on a dashboard.

Yeah, you’d better keep your mouth shut about seeing me swap places with that slime.

Message received. Zack turned and hauled ass out of there as fast as his legs could carry him.