Leo lay sprawled on the ground, twitching weakly, the light already gone from his eyes. Julian stood over him in silence.
"I did say I’d make your death quick," he muttered.
And with a single clean motion, he drove his blade through Leo’s heart.
No screaming. No resistance. Just silence.
Blood pooled beneath the body.
Julian stepped back and wiped his blade on the shredded remains of Leo’s cloak. He stared down at the corpse, expression unreadable.
This was the first time I’ve killed another human...
But strangely, there was no guilt. No hesitation. Not even a flutter of regret.
Maybe I’ve changed...
Or maybe this world has stripped away something I used to have.
He turned his gaze toward the corner of the room, where Leo’s followers, the Shadow Group, sat trembling, still bound by Clarissa’s telekinesis. Their expressions turned from fear to outright horror as Julian approached them, his bloodstained sword glinting under the emergency lights.
One of them whimpered.
"P-please... we were only following orders..."
They turned desperately toward Clarissa.
"You were one of us, right? Please! Let us go! We didn’t mean—!"
Clarissa didn’t even blink.
"Don’t talk to me," she said coldly.
Julian paused, genuinely surprised. The usually soft-spoken and kind Clarissa now had a chill in her voice. A simmering anger beneath her calm expression. Was she suppressing her rage? Fighting back the pain of being abandoned?
So... even the gentlest ones can break.
Emma stepped forward next to Clarissa. "You picked your side when you followed Erwin."
"We had no choice!" one of them cried. "He would’ve killed us otherwise!"
Julian slowly approached, each step deliberate, the blade still dripping at his side.
"You want to live?" he asked simply.
They nodded frantically.
"Then answer my question, What’s Erwin’s next move?"
"W-we don’t know!" one of them stammered. "He never tells us everything. We were only told to scout, find survivors, and report back. That’s it!"
Julian stared at them a moment longer.
Then a new thought formed.
They’re scared. Useless maybe, but still connected to Erwin’s inner circle. Maybe I can use that.
He smiled thinly. "Fine. Then here’s a better idea."
He crouched, and the shadows beneath him twisted and slithered unnaturally. Julian’s eyes gleamed as he invoked his new ability [Shadow].
From his own shadow, tendrils forked and reached toward the prisoners.
"You’re going to lure someone out for me. A man named Ryan."
The shadows extended, snaking toward each of them. They recoiled at first, but there was nowhere to run.
"You’ll each carry a piece of my shadow. It’ll hide inside yours. If you betray me... if you speak my name to the wrong person... I’ll know."
"And I’ll kill you."
They trembled, eyes wide as the shadow-threads merged with their bodies, silent, seamless, cold.
"And if you fail?" Julian asked, straightening.
"...You’ll kill us too," one whispered, resigned.
"Exactly."
A heavy silence followed.
Julian’s smirk returned, dark and cold. "You’ve already proven how good you are at abandoning people. Betraying them. This should be easy."
Their faces twisted in shame, guilt... and fear.
Clarissa crossed her arms without a word. Emma rolled her eyes. "Can we trust them?"
"No," Julian said simply. "But I can control them."
One of the prisoners, trying to sound brave through chattering teeth, said, "Fine... we’ll do it."
"Good," Julian said, voice low. "Let’s see how useful pawns like you really are."
He turned away, thinking to himself.
’ just gained the perfect set of tools.’
The group that Julian had released returned to the base under the veil of night, their steps heavy with both dread and urgency. They knocked, and a guard opened the reinforced door.
"Welcome back," the guard said casually. "Thanks for your hard—"
His words stopped short as he scanned the group. His eyes narrowed.
"Where’s Leo?"
They hesitated.
Then one of them swallowed and said, "He... didn’t make it."
The guard’s face darkened. "What do you mean?"
"There was another group," one of them continued, forcing a trembling voice. "They had a Skill user. Incredibly powerful. Leo tried to fight him but... he was defeated. Killed."
The guard stiffened, clearly stunned. He stared at them for a moment longer, then stepped aside.
"...Tell Erwin. Now."
They nodded, sweat already forming on their brows.
Inside Erwin’s office, the atmosphere was heavy. Erwin sat in his chair, legs crossed, looking at them with narrowed eyes.
"So it’s true," he said slowly. "Leo is dead?"
They nodded in unison.
Erwin leaned forward. "And yet you all managed to survive?"
There was silence.
One of them spoke up, "The enemy was too strong. We couldn’t do anything—"
CRACK!
Erwin slammed his fist onto the desk with such force that the wooden table cracked and split in half.
"You were supposed to protect him!" he roared. "He was a Skill user! Do you have any idea how valuable he was?! And now you stand before me, alive, while he’s dead?! What the hell were you thinking?!"
None of them dared answer. One clenched their fists, biting back the urge to scream that Leo was supposed to protect them. But they said nothing.
Just wait, one of them thought. Once Julian is done with Erwin... all of this ends.
Then, as Erwin cooled down slightly, he muttered, "I sent him out to recruit more Skill users, and he ends up dead..."
One of them, following Julian’s plan, stepped forward. "But what if we... recruited the one who killed Leo?"
Erwin’s eyes flicked to him.
"That person must be strong. Strong enough to be useful. Strong enough to be turned."
Erwin narrowed his eyes. "What’s his Skill?"
"Light," they said quickly. "He can generate light. Blinding light. That’s why Leo’s shadows didn’t work against him."
Another added, "If we send Ryan, he can easily deal with him. That guy’s ability is flashy, but Ryan has more raw power."
Erwin’s brow twitched.
"Why Ryan?" he asked slowly. "Why not me?"
They froze.
"S-sir, you’re our leader," one of them stammered. "You shouldn’t have to deal with scouting missions like this. It’s beneath you. And the guy’s Skill isn’t even that dangerous. Ryan will handle him just fine."
Erwin narrowed his eyes further, suspicion rising in his chest.
They forced uneasy smiles.
After a long silence, Erwin leaned back and spoke again. "Fine. Take Ryan. But Aya goes with you."
Their stomachs dropped.
"The two of them together, Tentacle and Blacksmith, should be unstoppable," Erwin continued.
The group smiled nervously. "Of course. That makes perfect sense..."
Erwin nodded. "And while you’re at it, check the gymnasium. I want an update on Kael’s position. Let me know if you find anything."
They bowed slightly and left the room, hearts racing.
From a shadowed corridor nearby, Julian watched them depart.
He leaned back against the wall, a cold smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
Shadow’s drawback is consent... but even that can be bent with enough fear. Or force.
The plan was working.
He turned to Clarissa and Emma, who stood nearby.
"Rest up," he said. "Tomorrow, we face two Skill users."