18 Dark Protector
There was once a boy who wanted to protect those weaker than him. A child who admired his father.
Though the 'Shadow Overlord' was called an evil entity, Shane believed his father was much more.
He wanted to become just like him.
However, reality was too cruel.
"Don't go spreading around your our son. You'll only taint your father's name." When her husband wasn't looking, his mother's attitude would take a turn for the worse. Always bringing up his talent.
And how his younger sister gobbled it all up.
In his particular Lower Realm, people were born with inclinations towards their particular Affinity.
Their powers depending on both their 'Magical Talent' and 'Affinity' towards a certain Attribute.
His little sister was an A Rank Magical Talent with a Water and Dark Affinity. She was a true prodigy.
As for Shane himself, he was literally nothing in comparison. Being a so-called 'Failure' in her eyes.
With an F Rank Magical Talent of the Fire and Dark Affinity along with his frail body, it was no wonder…
Someone like him could never protect anyone.
They could only be protected…
It was later that despite knowing his lack of strength, he lead his little sister to be a runaway.
Assisting Judetta Darby in her escape.
They hadn't known each other for long, but he remembered clinging to her and begging:
"Please… Help me become stronger." His deep blue eyes containing the inability to accept his destiny.
The woman was hesitant. She knew quite well about the severe detriments her 'augmentations'.
Still, she couldn't deny it when he was insistent.
She carved out his eyes and gave new ones in their place. Promising he'd see a new world one day.
However, such a thing was never come to be…
He lost track of her hand while they were on the run from his mother. The new eyes she'd given had yet to settle in enough. His vision was pitch black for months, but he learned to survive on his own.
That's when he met his guiding light…
He'd already lived a rough life trying to get a handle on his newfound strength, and could hardly protect himself in the vast world. The power he had was unstable. There was no way to live without help.
Simon was an existence he was reluctant to follow.
Even when he regained his sight and was accepted despite the look of his eyes, he was still reluctant.
Deep in his heart, that desire never went away.
He trained hard under his master's guidance exactly because he too wanted to protect others.
Shane believed he was no longer a child.
Because traversing different worlds made him less ignorant than others, he thought he'd matured.
Oh how ignorant he'd been…
Due to unavoidable circumstances, Shane was separated from his master in one particular world.
There, he came to know the harshness of reality.
"Monster…!"
"Look at those freaky eyes!"
"He must be a devil!"
"Kill him!"
Because he'd never known true alienation, he had never been aware how frightening his eyes were.
After obtaining 'Dragon Eyes', his once black hair had reddened. His body infused with vigour.
Despite being a young child at the time, he had become far more physically adept for his age.
And that also reflected in his appearance.
Unfortunately, having strength didn't matter in the Earthland Domain. Many people had rejected him.
Under the oppression of the Frozen Heart DUST Company, he started to live as a mining slave.
Their brand burnt into his face for good measure.
So that he'd never forget who was his owner.
At first, he grew stronger for the sake of getting his revenge. Even making his weapon from scratch.
His blade made specifically to kill his enemies.
But after he'd assimilated with the 'Beastkin', his thoughts had changed. His motives became pure.
That was how he was reborn as a freedom fighter.
He remembered the day he initiated himself into becoming a 'Beastkin'… using a secret the Frozen Heart DUST Company kept hidden from the world at large. That day, over time he became 'himself'.
The current 'Bull Beastkin' with Dragon Eyes and the power of Black Lightning was his own making.
He'd given up on his humanity to obtain strength.
But he'd never forget the one who'd given him that strength in the first place. The one was by his side.
The one who'd given that fragile child a new leash on life… He'd never forget her for the rest of his life.
That's why he was here.
Despite the odds stacked against him, Shane was still here to save the person who'd protected him.
His hand holding the Red Steel chokutō tightly...
There might be two opponents, but the one he was most cautious of was the mysterious 'Small Hope'.
The information he'd gotten hadn't said much about what she was capable was, but she shouldn't have been this strong of a physical fighter. Her Class SHOULD be a magic type...
Shane instantly understood that the longer he dragged this out, the worse things would get.
Clara Arcadia seemed too good with a sword, it didn't seem like she was inexperienced in battle.
This had limited his options even further.
After their initial clash, the mysterious woman was the first to charge in his direction in front of Bryan.
Maybe because they lacked chemistry, her action forced the Duke to stop the attack he was casting.
They definitely weren't used to fighting together.
Normally, this wouldn't have mattered. They were both individually strong enough to compensate.
However, Shane wasn't one to waste opportunities.
He held the trigger on his collapsed Black Steel Rifle Sheath. His hand on the red blade's handle.
He waited for the right moment to strike…
Clara lifted her Sword Cane and enhanced it with her Light Mana. A bright energy radiating from it.
A masterful slash cut through the air.
And from the looks of the end result, it seemed like the Shane couldn't dodge due to a miscalculation.
The slick samurai was rooted in the spot.
It was a situation his opponent had grasped, as it was hard finding anyone else like her in Pandorica.
While the 'Darkening' Enhancement used by most fighters of this nation focused on strength, the type of 'Lightening' Enhancement she used focused on speed instead. Making the edge faster.
The result turning out like this was expected.
However, in that millisecond when the blade cut into Shane's body… a counter slash was drawn!
"This time, I'll be the one protecting…" His eyes hidden inside the mask burned with a raging fire.
A ripple of magical energy occurred on his body…
Some might look over such a small phenomenon and see it as nothing, but Clara could sense it.
Within that ripple of magical enhancement that ran through his body… was the might of his full power!
It was different from normal enhancement methods. In fact, her methods were crude in comparison to this spectacular technique- No, it was likely no one in Pandorica could match him.
Regular people imitated Beasts when enhancing their bodies. With one change in their methods.
They'd apply the power outwardly to inwardly.
It was because enhancing from the inside to outside respectively caused stress on the body.
The strain was enough to cause internal injuries.
It was similar to the difference between 'exploding' the enhancement from within, to letting it seep in front the outside. The former needed a body that could withstand the impact, while the latter didn't.
However, she wouldn't have been surprised if it was only this much. Such a thing meant nothing.
Clara had slain many Beasts and Humans alike.
A small boost in the potency and speed of his magical enhancement didn't make a difference.
And that's where the 'ripple' came into play…
By shortening the duration of his physical enhancement, the potency increased further.
But so did the strain it put on Shane's body.
The slick samurai immediately bursted with heavy injuries, and her blade was adding to the damage.
In that split second, the sword in her hand continued to sink into his body without stopping.
Shane then finally attacked with all his might!
A silent roar erupted from his mouth, and he ignored the attack threatening to bisect his body.
Pulling the trigger of his Rifle Sheath, the Red Steel blade was launched out at speed faster than vision.
Clara, despite focusing on agility, couldn't see the blade that cut through her body and sent her flying. A shockwave pushed her body, it caused an eruption that could only be heard by sensitive ears.
The woman's eyes only looking at her bloodied clothes in disbelief while falling powerlessly.
Her expression was enough to make the former freedom fighter resolutely change targets.
Duke Bryan's face was livid when he saw his precious future experimental subject get injured.
He conjured up many attacks in retaliation.
Like a conductor of death, he manifested countless Poison Lances and Paralysis Spikes around him.
His magic coming at him from all directions.
And Shane retaliated in kind.
The red blade returned to his sheath, but he didn't fight specifically in the form of an Iaido style user.
His martial arts seemed free flowing between various forms- No, he used 'forms' to be formless!
The 'half-sword' style of Mordhau to use his blade's handle to pommel incoming magic, and followed it up half-drawing his blade to act an irregular guard. His feet added for good measure.
There seemed to be something distinctly 'aggressive' about his particular style of Iaido.
He charged towards through all that rain of attacks to make his way to the Duke, but was cut off.
A fence of black swords blocked his path…
Although he had temporarily defeated Clara, the slick samurai believed she wouldn't go down easily.
He needed to end this fight quick as well.
That way, he could fight on a one-on-one basis.
He once again got into stance and watched the opponent carefully. Pain making his senses sharp.
This wasn't his first time getting injured.
It also wasn't his first time abusing his blade by attacking magic head-on. It was the same before.
The only difference now was his enemy…
After his trip to 'that realm', Shane had cultivated the pain and alienation he'd felt as an Innate Gift.
Rather than feeling annoyed by the distance between him and the Wizard waving his wand, the strong feelings he cultivated in that world started to envelop his heart. His ability started manifesting.
The damage done to his red blade started to vanish at that moment, and he started to glow.
A moonlight silver radiance covered his body…
"What the…?" His opponent could sense a sudden spike of his dark magical energy at that moment.
The black lightning turned silver across his red blade. The significant change was ominous.
There was no way the Duke could dodge this…!
That's why used his only Spell Slot to manifest the strongest defence he could possibly conjure up.
A thick black barrier surrounded Bryan's body.
However, that was useless towards the samurai.
The pain that had been inflicted on him… Shane used his ability to turn that into useable power.
Hostility followed once the damage done to his blade was converted into a one-time enhancement.
Like a moon in the silent night, his blade carved through the darkness and cut all that harmed him.
Pain was inflicted and the animosity within his heart had been been released into the world.
Therefore, his retaliation was justified!
"Your life ends here." Was the last thing Duke Bryan heard before the flying sword wave of cut into him.
The barrier he conjured ripped apart like paper…
Shane didn't care what kind of thoughts the man had when he saw his feet falling to the wrong side.
Evil eradicated was justice served.
And anyone who hurt caused him pain were nothing less than the incarnation of wickedness.
When the light shining on him vanished, the corridor once again became dark and morbid.
He became a guest of the shadows…
…all until a light illuminated the darkness.
Like a immortal fairy, her wounds healed up rapidly.
Her gestures showing she risked a lot in doing so.
If he was indeed justice, than who was this woman that paraded around her radiance in the shadows?
Was she a fallen angel, or a false prophet?
Regardless, only women and children could stay his sword once his power had been unleashed.
Not creatures that feigned divinity…
Those who'd never known weakness and pretended they'd help the weak with sincerity.
He hated those kind of people the most!
When he saw how she callously ignored her father's corpse to crack her neck, he frowned.
Her one, single action decided her fate.
