Chapter 229: Come Forth, My Shadow Corps!
John stared wide-eyed at the giant fangs inches from his face. Weren't they teammates? Why had she suddenly attacked him?
"No!" John would rather die fighting Kezli than perish under a sneak attack by an ally.
A surge of dark energy erupted from his heart.
"Come forth! My Shadow Corps!" John let out a roar. Two tall, lean Razor Shadow Ninjas materialized in front of him, extending their razor-sharp, lethal talons.
Clang! The Shadow-Eater's teeth stopped right against the Razors of the ninjas. It wasn't that the Razor Ninjas had blocked the attack; rather, the Shadow-Eater had simply stopped its movement.
"Come back, Little Five," Jenny called out.
Little Five trotted back to Jenny's side, wagging its tail and panting with its tongue out, seemingly waiting for a compliment.
"Good boy, Little Five is the best." Jenny reached out to pat Little Five's belly. Since Little Five had grown so large, she could only reach its stomach instead of its head now.
"What on earth is going on?!" Mike asked, confused by Jenny's sudden withdrawal.
John looked at the Razor Shadow Ninjas before him, took a deep breath, and said, "You were helping me activate the Shadow Corps?"
"Of course. What else would I be doing? Killing an ally? Don't be silly, why would I kill my own teammate?" Jenny was now holding a Shadow-Eater ninja dressed in a small bear outfit; she had named this one Little Six.
"Activating the Shadow Corps... Is the style of you Shadow Generals always this extreme?!" Mike hadn't expected that all this drama was just to help John summon his army.
Jenny explained: "Relying on Lieutenant John's natural talent, it would probably take another six months of practice to summon them normally."
"In six months, Kezli would have killed us all. So, I had to use a shortcut. When a Shadow General's life is in danger..."
"The Shadow Corps will naturally appear to protect their General." This was what Jenny understood now, and it was also how Kezli had awakened his own army.
"You must have awakened yours the same way, then," John said, finally understanding why a little girl could summon such monsters.
"No, I could summon them on my own a long time ago." Jenny didn't give John any face; she was just stating the facts. Even as an infant, Jenny had awakened the power of a Shadow General.
"..." John felt defeated. He wasn't even as capable as a little girl.
Seeing John looking so battered by the truth, Mike comforted him: "Buckle up, John. She's a genius. It's normal for us to be different."
Unbeknownst to Mike, this sentence only depressed John further.
"Alright, let's end this topic. Our primary target, Kezli, is still living the high life," Matthew interrupted them.
John immediately shifted his mindset. "Kezli is in Hell's Kitchen. He opened a boxing arena there. Finding him is easy, but we need a plan to arrest him."
"Do we still need a plan? Both of you can call out your armies. No matter how strong Kezli's ninjas are, he can't handle your superior numbers," Mike said, not quite understanding. Now that John had his Razor Ninjas, they could just charge in.
John shook his head. "Don't forget the Shadow Kingdom. Kezli can use it to escape."
"But we can go in there too," Mike said, clearly still unaware of how the Shadow Kingdom corrupts the human heart.
Helplessly, Jenny took some time to explain the dangers of the Shadow Kingdom to Mike.
"Then... since I just passed through it, will I be okay?" Mike gulped. He didn't want to die just because he took a shortcut through a shadow.
"Don't worry, Lieutenant Mike. A simple transit won't hurt you," Jenny reassured him.
"Phew~ that's good." Mike let out a sigh of relief. He really thought he was about to be corrupted.
"That's exactly why we need Lieutenant John's help. A Shadow-Eater General alone cannot defeat Kezli," Matthew stepped forward to say. Although Jenny's talent far exceeded John's and Kezli's, her age was a limiting factor.
"Don't worry. Now that I have the Shadow Corps, I can definitely defeat him," John said, full of confidence.
"I need to remind you of one thing, Lieutenant John: you cannot call your Shadow Corps for help inside the Shadow Kingdom," Jenny poured cold water on his excitement.
This rule had been set by Silas himself. The Shadow Corps could appear in the Shadow Kingdom to deal with intruders, but they were forbidden from attacking other Shadow Generals within that realm. This ensured the Shadow Kingdom remained the fairest place for Generals to duel—using only their personal strength to overcome the opponent without relying on their armies.
After all, there were power gaps between the different corps. Kezli's Shadow Corps wouldn't stand a chance against a fully grown Shadow-Eater Corps in a fair fight.
"So there's a rule like that." Jenny's words were a real eye-opener for John.
"So I need you, Lieutenant John. If Kezli hides in the Shadow Kingdom, you'll have to face him," Jenny said. She would have to stay on the sidelines using hidden weapons—throwing a dart or taking a shot—since in a physical brawl, Kezli would completely overpower her.
"Leave Kezli to me. My physical strength has also increased significantly," John promised.
"So, when do we leave?" Mike chimed in.
"We have a plan," Matthew said. "We implement it tonight."
"Why tonight?" Mike asked.
"Because the night is the home turf of our Shadow Corps," John answered before Jenny could.
"Seriously, I'm starting to envy you guys," Mike said. The Shadow Corps were just too cool.
Jenny gave a mysterious smile. Mike actually did have a chance to become a Shadow General. If Kezli's tattoo was torn off and placed on Mike, he would inherit that power. However, Jenny had already asked Uncle Matthew about it, and Matthew wanted that power too—partly for the strength, but also because it could restore his sight. So, Jenny kept that possibility to herself for now.
"By the way, Kezli is a Shadow General too. Night is his home turf as well," Mike reminded them.
Jenny understood this, of course, but they had two Generals on their side.
"Don't worry, Captain. With me around, what's there to fear?" John pulled Mike close, acting as if nothing could go wrong.
"I hope there really are no surprises," Mike muttered. He felt he needed to prepare; tonight was bound to be dangerous.
"Actually, you don't have to go," Matthew said to Mike. He was the only ordinary person there. When they reached Kezli, they might have to waste energy protecting him.
"Hmph! Don't worry, I don't need your protection," Mike said with a flash of pride.
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