An Awkard Alliance

--- Akira ---

It was a typical night.

Being the Duke's son granted me the privilege of having my own room in the Academy's dormitory. While it wasn't as opulent as the one back at the Duke's residence, it still surpassed the my room from the 1st Trial. It speaks volumes about the luxury and extravagance of this place.

Yet, being alone in this place felt a bit off.

I was growing accustomed to sharing my time with someone else, to the point where spending more than a few hours in solitude felt strange.

I'll need to steel myself in the future. These emotions are dangerous.

As I grumbled to myself, a sudden knock echoed through the room.

'Who could it be at this hour? I didn't sense anything...'

There's only one plausible explanation.

The individual standing beyond this door far surpasses me in strength.

Well, I already knew the drill.

Opting for a straightforward approach, I swung the door open.

Before me stood a young elf, her long golden-blonde hair cascading down her back, and her piercing blue eyes meeting mine in what appeared to be a rather nonchalant manner.

She was clad in an ebony slime bodysuit, intricately adorned with tasteful gold accents. A subtle cutout design graced the chest area, drawing attention to her bountiful cleavage, flanked by elegant gold stripes cascading down from beneath it.

These stripes seamlessly melded into the ornate golden streaks adorning her hips, further enhanced by the presence of three belts encircling her thighs. Her footwear, block high heels with delicately gold-edged collars, added a touch of sophistication.

Completing the look were dark bracers embellished with intricate golden patterns, safeguarding her hands with an air of elegance.

It was truly a work of art. Cid Kagenou's dedication and skill in creating something so complex deserved admiration and a kind of respect from me.

I know how slippery slime jelly can be.

"Pardon my manners. I was just admiring your attire," I admitted, breaking the silence. "You must be from Shadow Garden. I'm Fray Von Garoff. Please, come in. We can discuss further inside."

I couldn't help but find it amusing. I had anticipated a named Shadow to show up, and ideally, I hoped to engage with someone a bit lower on the organizational ladder, not the leader herself. But well, life doesn't always unfold as planned.

I needed to meet her for my quest anyway.

Well, here goes nothing.

She nodded in response to my invitation as I ushered her inside and closed the door behind her. As she settled into a chair, I sensed the tension in the air and decided to break the ice.

" ...Would you like some tea?"

Okay, that didn't sound as smooth as I thought it would be.

"No, it's fine. Thank you for the offer."

She rejected me, but well, it's the middle of the night. Would've been odd if she accepted instead.

"...I haven't introduced myself yet. I am Alpha. The reason I am here is to ask you one question."

Her eyes roamed the room before settling on me, her expression unreadable.

"Are you committed to eradicating the darkness that threatens our world?"

Although those words were delivered with casual ease, the weight behind them pressed down on me like an invisible force.

In the balance of my response hung the potential outcomes of either aligning myself with Shadow Garden or being marked as their enemy.

The sheer magnitude of our Magical Power difference made it almost surreal. Standing right in front of me, Alpha's presence was so overwhelming I struggled to fully grasp it.

It felt like staring into the abyss of a black hole, a void sucking in all light and leaving nothing but darkness in its wake.

The intensity of my emotions stemmed from the elevated level of my [Absolute Awareness], a heightened perception that far surpassed that of an ordinary human. As the leader, Alpha undoubtedly boasted [Extreme] Combat Prowess.

I refused to flinch. Demonstrating any hint of vulnerability at this moment could undermine my credibility. While I took my time to deliberate on my response, my gaze remained locked onto hers, and only when I had crafted a well-thought-out answer did I finally speak.

"My sword won't cease its quest until every last one of those lurking shadows is obliterated," I declared firmly.

"But more than simply eradicating darkness, my aim is to uproot its very source, ensuring it can never sprout again." The gravity of my words weighed heavily in the air.

Achieving such a monumental task requires dismantling the foundation that makes the seats of the Knights of Rounds an enticing rank for any Cult member. It also entails confronting and eliminating the existing Knights, as my objective would be unattainable unless every last one of them is eradicated.

Given that my quest explicitly commands me to obliterate the Cult of Diablos, it's evident that I must ensure they never have the chance to regroup.

Therefore, my words hold an undeniable truth.

No matter what bullshit I say, she's compelled to believe me, acknowledging the weight of my commitment.

In a situation like this, attempting to deceive her would likely result in severe consequences – consequences I'm not willing to entertain if I want to keep my head securely attached to my body.

I can always use loopholes, though.

"Ah, I see now. How foolish of me," she muttered under her breath, her tone suddenly shifting to one of self-reflection. "So that's what he's after... I get it now."

I blinked in confusion.

"What?" My mind struggled to keep up.

Before I could inquire further, she locked eyes with me, and for the first time, her stoic expression wavered.

My honed perception allowed me to catch that subtle shift, but our relationship hadn't reached a point where I could effortlessly decipher her thoughts. I merely stared back, perplexed by the unexpected turn of events.

"I apologize, Fray Von Garoff..."

With a graceful gesture, she bowed her head, a visible sign of her regret.

Couldn't help but let my attention linger on those pointy ears.

Were they consistent in length for every elf, or did they vary from person to person?

Well, not that it mattered much to me.

My loyalty would forever lie with cat ears. 

"We had been doubting you all this time, but it's clear you also share Shadow Garden's Ideals. If only you and Shadow-sama were not in an alliance, we would have gladly offered you an invitation to join us. Still, if you ever need assistance, you can always contact us. We will make sure to not be a hindrance in the plan our great leader has laid out."

...

I think some of my brain cells had just committed suicide.

...For now, let's just... go along with her?

I was so shocked I was actually having a hard time registering this was real.

She claimed Cid and I were in an alliance, navigating a grand plan together. I hadn't even met the guy, let alone cooked up some elaborate scheme. It felt like I had stumbled into a chaotic theater production, with me cast in a role I never auditioned for.

Sure, it might benefit me to have them misunderstand to establish an alliance with Shadow Garden without them suspecting me, but the absurdity of the situation left me feeling utterly bewildered. How did she even come up with such nonsense? 

Also, don't tell me I'll have to spout bullshit just like Cid from now on, to keep this facade up?

....Could someone tell me how things turned out like this?

What a headache.

--- Alpha ---

"...There is no mistake. His actions wouldn't make any sense otherwise."

The words slipped from my lips in the midst of our meeting. Recent intel indicated that Fray Von Garoff had been actively investigating slimes. Not only that, he appeared to be dabbling in the creation of something eerily similar to the techniques wielded by Shadow Garden.

In this world, only Shadow-sama had unveiled and exploited the concealed potential of a slime. The sudden interest displayed by Fray in such matters could only be explained by one thing—

Shadow-sama must have shared this secret with him.

If Shadow-sama has deemed him worthy, then so be it. Clearly, he holds significant value to be entrusted with such a sensitive national secret.

I wouldn't dare question the brilliance of Shadow-sama's plan, but maintaining caution is a wise course. What if, by some odd twist of fate, this was merely a series of bizarre coincidences? While the likelihood is almost negligible, it's not quite zero.

It's always prudent to be vigilant.

It wouldn't hurt to have a conversation with him, just in case.

It's time to transition from covert surveillance to establishing a foundation of trust.

Despite his awareness of our spies, he has displayed goodwill, even sharing details that he could have kept to himself. I anticipate that establishing open communication could lead to a more cooperative and mutually beneficial arrangement.

We must all strive to excel and avoid becoming a hindrance to Shadow-sama's plans. 

"I will personally meet with him. Are there any objections?"

The nods of agreement from the other Shadows affirmed the decision.

Very well, Fray Von Garoff. Let our encounter be under the moonlit embrace of the beautiful night sky.

---

Author's Note:

I really wanted to just name this chapter AAA and give no explanation about the real title of the chapter. My intrusive thoughts were almost winning, but I reigned them in.

Imagine Akira joining an organization that only had women everywhere.

Alexia would probably awaken her Stand just to massacre every single girl in Shadow Garden :p

If you have noticed, this time, I spent more effort into describing Alpha's attire.

This is also another little testing of mine!

I'd be glad if you could share your opinion about that. Was the description too lengthy? Was it good enough that you could properly imagine what she was wearing?

Or, did you think the description was boring and skipped it? You can be honest :)