Trust Me, Sometimes You Just Can’t Help But Look Even When You Really Shouldn’t

BETA

"Shadow!!"

"Shadow!?"

"Master Sha—!?"

I barely managed to bite back the rest of his title before I blew my cover.

Luckily, everyone in the VIP section was too busy staring at the man himself to notice my slip-up. Alexia, Rose, and that greaseball Nelson—our Acting Archbishop—were all frozen in shock at the sudden intruder.

I snapped my mouth shut, realizing I was gaping like a fish. This definitely hadn't been in the script.

But wait, I thought, my mind racing. My glorious Master would never do something so reckless without a reason. There has to be some 4D-chess move happening here. There’s a deep, profound purpose behind this intervention, and it’s my job to figure it out and back him up.

I regained my composure in an instant.

Alright, what’s the play? What do I need to do?

"I see. So that’s Shadow," Nelson muttered. "I don’t know what he thinks he's doing, but the Holy Knights of the Church are already on-site. The fool overestimates himself. He won’t be getting away."

Nelson started barking orders to summon the Holy Knights.

The Holy Knights—the Church’s elite, "chosen" through baptism. Their skill supposedly made ordinary knights look like toddlers. I remembered tangling with them back when I was a kid, trying to rescue another Possessed girl. It was a bit of a struggle back then, honestly. Not that I’d ever be that pathetic now, obviously.

"Shadow... what are you even doing?" Alexia whispered.

"I hope he’s alright... I hope he hasn't been caught up in this..." Rose added. She was frantically looking around the venue, clearly more worried about her "civilian friend" than the legendary criminal standing right in front of her.

Then, the stadium turned white.

The Ancient Letters flared to life, weaving together to form a warrior. I scanned the glowing text, decoding the strings of data on the fly.

"The Witch of Calamity Aurora..."

"No way. Aurora?"

My voice overlapped with Nelson's.

When the light died down, a woman stood in the center of the arena. She had long black hair and eyes the color of vivid violets. She wore a thin black robe over a deep purple dress, her pale skin peeking through the fabric. She possessed an almost haunting beauty, looking less like a person and more like a masterpiece carved from marble.

"Who's Aurora?" Alexia asked, completely ignoring me to question Nelson.

"The Witch of Calamity Aurora. She is a woman who once plunged the world into absolute chaos and destruction."

"The Witch of Calamity Aurora... I’ve never heard of her," Alexia said.

"I haven't either," I chimed in, playing the part of the confused author. "I’m impressed you knew her, Author Natsume."

"I only know the name, really," I lied to Rose.

Well, it wasn't a total lie. Aurora’s name pops up every time we dig into Ancient History, but we still don't know the specifics of her "chaos" or "destruction." To be honest, she’s the second biggest mystery on Shadow Garden’s to-do list, right after the whole Mystery of Diabolos.

And now, I finally knew what she looked like. Score! This was a huge breakthrough. I whipped a notepad out of my cleavage and started sketching her. Then I sketched Shadow facing off against her. Okay, let’s be real, the Shadow sketch is the priority here.

"Is that... research for a new book?" Rose asked.

"Yeah, something like that..." I muttered, finishing my note with: Master Shadow looks absolutely dashing today.

"If you would be so kind, please tell me more about this Aurora," I said, putting on my best fawning tone.

Nelson practically preened. "It’s only natural you wouldn't know. I’m honestly shocked Author Natsume is even aware of her. Aurora's name is known only to a tiny inner circle within the Church."

He gave a nasty little sneer, his eyes glued to the cleavage peeking out from my blouse.

"Though, I doubt the Holy Knights will even need to lift a finger. Shadow’s luck has finally run out. To think he’d be the one to summon Aurora..."

"Is she really that strong?" Rose asked.

"She is the strongest woman in history. She’ll handle a brat like Shadow with one hand. Sadly, that’s all I can disclose."

Nelson shut his mouth, acting as if the rest was beneath his explanation.

I felt a spike of irritation. The strongest woman in history? Please. As if my Master could ever lose to her! Still... a tiny seed of worry sprouted. This was the Witch of Calamity. A literal legend. If Master got worn out fighting her and the Holy Knights jumped him during the opening...

There’s always a 'what if.'

But then it clicked. I realized what my Master was doing. He had said he’d "release the ancient memories sleeping in the Sanctuary." He wanted to summon Aurora. He’d decided she was the one worth his time.

If Master thinks she’s the key, then I’m all in.

I tapped the beauty mark on my face. That was the signal for Epsilon, who was lurking somewhere in the stadium. Change of plans. I didn't need to give her details; I trusted her to figure out the best way to move.

"It’s beginning," Nelson said.

I looked back at the arena. Master had drawn his Jet-black Blade. Opposite him, Aurora stood with her arms crossed, wearing a graceful smile. It was a remarkably vivid expression for a mere memory.

"I don't think Shadow is going down that easily..." Alexia muttered. She was watching him with a look of intense focus.

Credit where it's due, Princess, I thought, feeling a rare moment of respect for her. At least you have some taste.

The atmosphere in the stadium turned heavy, dominated by a suffocating silence.

Shadow and Aurora. They just stood there, locked in each other's gaze. Perhaps it was a precious moment for the two of them to sense the power within one another.

And then.

The battle began, appearing almost reluctant to break the silence.