Unbreakable Shadows

"Kukuku! It's been a while, sister. Your fiery temper hasn't changed a bit."

As a massive shadow surged upward from the ground, tourists shrieked in terror.

"Kyaaah! What is that?!"

Watching the crowd scatter in panic, Shirone let out a sigh.

Even nobles accustomed to magic found Harvest to be on a completely different level of grotesque.

Tess, too, was dumbfounded.

"No way... The shadow just rose up and started talking? Rian, have you ever seen anything like that?"

The creature had a small head atop an absurdly broad set of shoulders. Its waist was lean like a tiger's, and though it resembled a human, its arms were twice as long as a normal person's, with hands as massive as shields.

"No, this is my first time. But it seems like Shirone has met it before."

Harvest, who had blocked most of Canis' body with its massive palm, spoke.

"Let's be careful about getting too close. I'd rather not see blood spilled in a place like this."

Its tone dripped with condescension. Just as Amy was about to step forward again, Shirone cast a spell.

A crimson glow began to spread across the surface of his body, and for the first time, Harvest fell silent.

'Laser.'

The memory of being annihilated by that attack on the battlefield of the "Uncrossable Bridge" was still fresh.

It meant Shirone was serious.

"Apologize to Amy. Digging up someone else's wounds is a cruel thing to do."

Canis did not back down.

"Wounds? You call that a wound? Just because I said a few words? Typical nobles and their childish whining."

"That's not for you to decide. If someone feels pain, then it's a wound. If you remind someone of their painful past, the least you can do is apologize. How long are you going to keep looking at the world with such a twisted view?"

"Cut the crap. Just because you beat me once doesn't mean you get to lecture me. I'm not who I used to be."

Harvest's upper body swelled even larger, and Shirone's crimson aura flared in response.

Arin took action.

'Sorry, Shirone.'

She had no hostility, but if it came to a fight, she would side with Canis.

Just as her tentacle-like Spirit Zone began reaching toward Shirone, Amy immediately stepped in front, blocking its flow.

Her Crimson Eyes severed the mental connection.

"Where do you think you're aiming?"

"..."

A tense stand-off emerged. The battlefield was now entangled in a web of magical beings, laser attacks, mind control, and the Crimson Eyes.

No one dared to make the first move, as doing so would put their allies in danger.

"Hey, I don't know who you are, but—"

Just as Rian was about to step in, Tess quickly grabbed him and pulled him back.

"For the love of—please read the room! If you jump in, everything's going to fall apart."

If the delicate balance they were maintaining collapsed, someone was bound to get hurt.

"Mmmph! Let me go! Shirone! Mmph!"

As the two wrestled with each other, those locked in the standoff couldn't help but feel exasperated.

-Enough, Canis.

As Harvest shrank back down, Shirone extinguished his laser light. Arin's Spirit Zone dissipated, and Amy's Crimson Eyes returned to normal.

Canis spoke.

"Let's not waste our energy on meaningless battles. We didn't come all this way to fight you."

"Yeah. There's no point in fighting amongst ourselves. We all have more important things to do."

With that, the tension eased, and Canis finally asked the question that had been on his mind from the beginning.

"You guys failed the test, didn't you? But you're still here, which means you found a way to challenge it again?"

"Ah, actually—"

Just as Shirone was about to answer, Amy raised a hand to stop him.

"Why should we tell you?"

This wasn't just about picking a fight.

The information they had risked their lives to obtain wasn't something they could casually share with potential competitors.

"No need to be so wary. We already know how to get into the autonomous zone. I'm guessing you're planning to use the loop smuggling route?"

"..."

Amy didn't show it, but she was shocked. She hadn't expected them to know about the loop smuggling operations of the Parrot Mercenary Corps.

'Wait a minute... then why are they taking the test? There must be something in the Chamber of Achievement and Sacrifice...'

Canis smirked.

"I can hear your brain working from here. Want me to tell you what the test is really about?"

"Hmph! Who said we're curious? We already know everything we need to know!"

"Oh? Arin, what do you think?"

Canis turned to Arin.

Lost in thought, Arin snapped to attention and answered hastily.

"Huh? Oh, yeah, she's lying. She's dying to know. She's practically bouncing up and down inside."

Amy gritted her teeth in frustration.

She didn't know what "bouncing up and down" meant exactly, but since Arin had never been good at hiding her emotions, it was clear her excitement was obvious.

"Hah, see? You're the ones who are desperate—"

Grrrnnnn.

A sudden growl made everyone turn their heads.

Arin's face flushed red like a ripe fruit.

Canis' expression darkened instantly.

With an unreadable look, he asked, "Arin, are you okay?"

"Yeah, sorry. I'm just a little hungry. It's nothing. Back in Ladum, this was normal."

Canis bit his lip.

He had refused Alpheas' support, determined to survive on his own strength, but his funds had run out, and they had been starving for three days now.

He could endure it.

But Arin couldn't.

The instincts he had developed over a decade of protecting her in Ladum still held strong. Swallowing his pride, he turned to Shirone.

"Do you guys have any food? Arin hasn't eaten in days. I don't care about myself, but she needs something."

Shirone finally took a closer look at Canis' condition.

The signs were all there—his clothes were worn from sleeping outdoors, his body bore traces of starvation.

'They lost everything from Arcane's inheritance…'

Since the Mental Pulse test, Canis and Arin had stopped attending school.

Surviving without any connections must have been difficult.

With magic, they could have taken on requests to earn money, but without proper certification, most of the available work would have been shady.

The fact that they hadn't resorted to that gave Shirone a glimmer of hope.

'He's changed a little.'

Of course, it wasn't a matter of newfound righteousness.

It was simply the realization that to rise higher, he had to fight in the light, not the shadows.

Amy let out a sigh.

"We need to eat first. There's a tavern we went to before. The noodles there are great."

"No, really, I'm fine!"

Arin frantically shook her head.

Her stomach was screaming in hunger, but she didn't want to trample on Canis' pride.

Amy grabbed Arin's wrist and dragged her along.

"Fine, let's go! Canis, you're coming too."

Canis hesitated before following, muttering, "Tch. Lucky bastard."

And so, the group headed to the tavern.