The World of The Eminence in Shadow (Kage no Jitsuryokusha).
Abyss Woods was always shrouded in an eternal white mist—thick, disorienting, and almost alive.
The fog stretched for hundreds of kilometers, swallowing colossal trees and reaching the distant mountain lines.
Even the sound of footsteps could be distorted, causing anyone to lose their sense of direction within minutes.
Amid this sea of white, Gabriel moved silently. His long trench coat, adorned with silver ornaments, fluttered gently in rhythm with his calm and measured steps.
Beside him, Morgan walked in sync.
Her gaze cold, fixed straight ahead.
Her long, beautiful white hair swayed softly with each step, contrasting with the silent aura that enveloped her.
Some time had passed since their return to the Infinity Room.
The memory of that farewell was still vivid, as if it had happened just yesterday.
When they first arrived at the Infinity Room, Kurumi Tokisaki and Baobhan Sith had decided to undertake the Level-Up Trial Mission, while also accepting assignments to another world.
From the brief messages he had received earlier—Kurumi was currently undertaking a mission in the world of God Eater.
Meanwhile, Sith was in the world of Jujutsu Kaisen.
Gabriel did not stop them.
Everyone had their own path to grow.
"Although later, once the System Points and everything here are settled…" Gabriel murmured softly. "I intend to undertake missions to other worlds alongside them."
His words hung in the air.
Morgan cast a brief glance at him.
She understood the unspoken meaning.
The unacknowledged concern.
"They are not little girls you need to worry about," she said flatly. "If you need the power of Time and Shadow… hasn't the girl named Kurumi already left fifty clones within your shadows?"
Her statement was not an assumption.
It was a fact.
At this moment, fifty Kurumi Tokisaki clones were hidden within Gabriel's shadows—silent, undetectable, waiting for a single command to move.
Gabriel cast a slight glance at Morgan.
He paused for a moment.
Then the corner of his mouth lifted faintly.
"Very well," he said lightly, "then Ash will trust the Queen of Winters."
Morgan did not respond.
Only a faint, almost imperceptible smile.
The mist continued to part before them.
Soon after, the landscape shifted.
The trees receded, revealing a cityscape that should have long been abandoned.
Yet beneath the clear midday sky stood a towering fortress.
Sturdy.
Operational.
Members of the Shadow Garden moved briskly around it.
The moment their eyes fell on Gabriel and Morgan, the atmosphere shifted.
Movement halted.
In a single breath, the slime weapons they carried formed into blades in their hands—swords, spears, bows.
"Intruder!" one of them shouted. "State your identity!"
"How did you even get here?" another demanded, voice tense and wary.
SHWHOOOS—!!!
An arrow formed from slime shot forward with lightning speed.
It embedded in the ground just a few inches from Gabriel's feet.
The soil cracked slightly at the point of impact.
"Answer," another member said coldly, "or you will not have the luxury of dying quietly."
Gabriel did not react immediately.
He remained still.
Yet behind the calmness of his expression, his mind accelerated at an extraordinary pace.
Analysis upon analysis compiled in a fraction of a second.
New members?
Or was it because he no longer appeared as the child he had been six years ago?
Time in this world had indeed passed.
By calculation, since the last time he had set foot here… six years should have elapsed.
Both possibilities made sense.
Inside his mind, he gave a faint smile.
The leader they assumed was an intruder?
Hee~
A rare occurrence.
A perfect scenario.
His thought acceleration returned to its normal rhythm.
Reality resumed its usual pace.
Slowly, Gabriel smiled.
Faintly. Thinly. Calmly.
Yet, for some reason, that smile sent a chill creeping down the spines of the Shadow Garden members surrounding him.
Not a killing aura.
Not magical pressure.
Just the sense that they were standing before something far beyond their comprehension.
***
Just before Gabriel reached the Alexandria City fortress,
Beneath the clear midday sky, the grand castle serving as Shadow Garden's headquarters stood quietly, yet bustling with hidden activity.
Inside the main office, Alpha sat behind a large, meticulously organized desk, though piles of reports covered its surface.
Intelligence documents, Mitsugoshi's financial reports, and analyses of noble faction movements were all categorized neatly.
Her face remained gentle and elegant,
yet her expression was serious, focused, and nearly flawless.
In the room, she was accompanied by Chi and Omega, both busy typing reports on their respective typewriters.
The steady clacking of keys filled the office, creating a disciplined and professional working atmosphere.
Soon after, a soft knock sounded at the door before it opened.
Epsilon entered gracefully, followed by a General Member pushing a trolley laden with tea supplies.
Epsilon herself poured the tea with precise movements, then placed the cup in front of Alpha.
"Alpha-sama," she said gently, "your tea."
Alpha paused her pen.
She accepted the cup and took a small sip.
"Thank you, Epsilon."
A few seconds of silence passed.
Alpha's blue gaze lifted slightly.
"You don't usually come alone just to serve tea," she said calmly. "Is there an additional report?"
Epsilon gave a faint smile.
An elegant smile—yet carrying professional tension.
"That's correct, Alpha-sama."
She gave a subtle signal to the General Member to leave the room before continuing.
"Several nobles in the Midgar Kingdom have shown suspicious activity."
The atmosphere in the room immediately grew more serious.
"Large-scale fund transfers have been conducted through unofficial channels. In addition, there have been private meetings not recorded in the palace's official agenda."
Alpha set her cup down slowly.
"Indications of Cult involvement?"
Epsilon nodded slightly.
"No direct evidence yet. However, the communication patterns and symbols used in their correspondence… resemble the old codes of a specific faction within the Cult."
Alpha's gaze hardened slightly—though her expression remained controlled.
"Are they acting alone, or is there a central coordinator?"
"Still under investigation," Epsilon replied. "However, it's highly likely they are not independent actors."
The room fell silent again.
Only the sound of Chi and Omega's typewriters could be heard, now quieter—almost as if they too sensed the shift in the atmosphere.
Alpha closed one of the reports in front of her.
"Expand surveillance," she said calmly but firmly. "Do not carry out eliminations until we confirm the command structure."
Epsilon bowed respectfully.
"Understood, Alpha-sama."
Moments later, the atmosphere around the castle changed.
Not an explosion.
Not a physical tremor.
But an unseen pressure that shook the very space—like the air itself had suddenly grown heavier.
The walls trembled subtly.
The teacup on the table quivered faintly.
Chi and Omega reflexively stopped typing.
The gazes of all four girls instantly sharpened.
Their combat instincts kicked in in an instant.
Their eyes fixed on a single direction—
The source of that pressure.
Even though the distance from Alexandria was still significant, the wave of mana was unmistakably clear.
So distinctive.
So dominant.
Its effect might differ from six years ago, but there was no mistaking it.
That mana.
"Ash-sama…" Alpha murmured almost unconsciously.
A faint lift curved the corner of the Elf girl's lips.
A mix of relief, pride, and anticipation.
It had been roughly six years.
The Second Shadow.
Right Hand of Shadow.
The true King of Alexandria.
And Master of the Mist Dragon—
Had returned.
Alpha rose from her seat.
The aura of leadership radiated from her.
Her expression remained calm, yet she could not fully conceal the glimmer of excitement in her eyes.
"Everyone," she said firmly.
Chi, Omega, and Epsilon immediately straightened their posture.
"Prepare yourselves. We are going to welcome the King of Alexandria."
She stepped toward the large window of the room.
"The others have surely felt it as well."
Across the castle, members of Shadow Garden had indeed paused their movements.
The mana pressure was far too familiar to be ignored.
"Yes!" they responded in unison.
Without hesitation, the four of them leapt out of the castle's high window.
***
On their way to the city gate, Alpha observed the members of Shadow Garden moving swiftly toward Alexandria's protective walls.
Several Numbers had already arrived ahead of them.
Among them, Eta appeared, walking lightly yet with sharp eyes—rarely leaving her research room unless something truly caught her attention.
As Alpha and the others reached the location, the massive gates slowly opened.
The sight beyond made some of the newer members catch their breath.
A white-haired man stood calmly outside the gate.
His eyes were closed.
Both hands rested in a relaxed position.
Yet around him, the General Members who had confronted them earlier now knelt, their bodies trembling under the unseen pressure.
No movement.
No attacks.
Only absolute dominance radiating through his mana.
Beside the man stood a woman with long white hair, her gaze cold and elegant—Morgan—silent like a Winter Queen observing everything without emotion.
Without further signal, Alpha, Epsilon, Eta, and the Numbers moved in unison.
They stepped forward a few paces, then knelt with perfect alignment and disciplined precision.
"Welcome back!"