“... “

With a battered face, Sagaki stared at Naku--Shadow before him wordlessly, he was seen sitting on the ground with his hands and feet bound by the power of shadow.

He then glanced to his side where Beru was currently sitting Dogeza tensely, his face also looking a little frightened.

‘No, wait, how do I know this monster’s expression looks scared?’

As Sagaki thought this, he saw Beru turn his head to look back at him with teary eyes.

From that look Sagaki somehow understood what this ant monster wanted to convey.

[“This woman with penis is really scary!”]

Beru, who was Kouro’s strongest warrior, felt frightened and helpless after feeling Shadow’s power.

“huft-!”

Sagaki almost choked on his own saliva as he understood the information Beru had conveyed.

Even monsters misunderstood Shadow’s gender.

Well... This was actually not surprising, after all how could Beru know such strange knowledge as ‘Transgender’, ‘Cross-dressing’, and so on.

Moreover... Who would have thought that Shadow would disguise himself as a woman and join Schicksal without being caught?

‘Well... With how he can deceive my senses, it’s not surprising that he didn’t get caught...’ Sagaki thought with a helpless expression.

He then looked at Beru and conveyed information using his eyes.

[“If you can’t defeat him alone, can’t you call your other friends?”]

[“No way, they will definitely lose, no, wait... It’s possible that the woman with the penis can be defeated if Igris is here... “] replied Beru’s gaze.

[Igris, ahh... That armored warrior with the big sword? He is indeed a warrior who has great sword skills...”] Sagaki raised his eyes slightly remembering Igris.

[“By the way, have you shared your senses with Kouro?”] Sagaki looked at Beru while raising his eyebrows.

[“With my death earlier, Master should already be aware of the situation here, as to whether Master will come here... It’s up to Master's will... “] replied Beru’s gaze weakly.

Beru is an immortal shadow warrior as long as Kouro does not run out of SP so that he can rise from the dead.

["Kouro is currently facing Herrscher... No, he also has to face the strongest spear representative Schicksal. So it's no surprise he won't be back here."]

As the two of them sent information to each other by staring at each other and lamenting fate.

Somehow the relationship between the two of them became better because of the same fate.

Then they both glanced at the perpetrator who was currently smiling brightly facing the sun as if having a great day.

Shadow patted his hand a few times before wiping away his sweat that was pouring down with a relieved expression.

"Haa~ How long have I been waiting for this day to arrive?"

He felt that his heart had become very light after beating Ashborn to a pulp.

Honestly, he had dreamed of being able to beat Ashborn to satisfaction and now that dream had come true.

"Is this how it feels when your dream comes true? It feels really good..." muttered Shadow while grinning widely at his hands.

He then looked at Ashborn and Beru with a creepy smile.

Seeing how terrifying Shadow's expression was, Sagaki could only sigh helplessly before saying.

"...You've improved a lot, Shadow. Even though you used sneaky means... It doesn't take away from the fact that you defeated me and captured me."

"So, what are you going to do? Take me back to World Serpent to prosecute for my betrayal or kill me outright?" he continued.

His expression and tone were completely calm, not like someone who feared death.

What a joke, he had already felt what 'death' really was once.

Although it was only once, it was a feeling he would never forget.

Boundless darkness, there was only empty silence, you felt your consciousness exist but at the same time it did not.

Having tasted 'death', he now knew very well how precious 'life' was.

As such, he knew very well the reason why the resurrection technique he created had such severe restrictions.

As he wore a pensive expression, Shadow suddenly asked him.

"Kouro, is he... Really a Herrscher of Shadows of Current Era?"

Sagaki raised his head and looked at him, he saw that although Shadow's expression looked calm, it could not hide his eyes that radiated deep loneliness.

"...Yes. " Sagaki confirmed his question.

With Kouro being chosen to be the true Herrscher of Shadows, Shadow's greatest value as KOURO's clone had disappeared.

Project Shadow was to create a clone of KOURO's DNA as a vessel for the core Herrscher of Shadows.

But with Kouro's rise to become the Herrscher of Shadows, the project's goal has finally been achieved.

...he did not contribute anything to the rise of Herrscher of Shadows, unlike Ashborn who trained Kouro.

Ever since he was created, he has never made a major contribution to World Serpent.

No, he didn't even contribute at all, come to think of it he was used to replace Ashborn's original role.

Whether it was as an assassin, whether it was tracking, and so on.

He just borrowed Ashborn's reputation, whether it was as a 'Shinigami' and so on.

'What was I created for?

Questions that had never crossed his mind since his birth suddenly appeared in his heart.

Unlike most people who live aimlessly and just go with the flow.

Shadow had been taught and doctrinated by Aponia from childhood that every living being has a reason why they were created and destiny will lead them to that 'reason'.

But humans are special beings and have a different destiny that allows them to choose their own path in life and their own purpose.

In the process of finding the reason for life or self-discovery, sometimes there are those who laugh happily, those who shed tears, those who go with the flow, those who get lost and even those who stay silent in fear while going through the process.

Fate only guides them, but it is their choices that determine their own reason for living.

Aponia even used her [Discipline] ability to make Shadow remember this.

Unfortunately she did not know that Shadow had never thought of himself as human... He was just a tool, nothing less and nothing more.

As such, he never made his own choices in the process of living out his destiny.

Shadow had no identity because he was an 'empty vessel' for the Previous Era's Herrscher of Shadows, KOURO.

But... It was all different for 'Kurokami Nakuru'.

She is a talented Valkyrie with a tomboyish personality but a warm heart, she has many friends and her goal is to be admired by the one she considers her rival, Hanagami Kouro.

Shadow is too immersed in his role as Kurokami Nakuru, an identity crisis begins to gnaw at his mind but he remains unconcerned.

It gets worse when Shadow sees that his greatest value as a 'Shadow' has disappeared.

Kurokami Nakuru and Shadow... Which one of them was more human?

Head bowed and expression grim, an ominous aura seemed to be creeping over his body.

The seed of hatred in the deepest part of his heart was beginning to germinate.

Just as that seed was about to grow, Shadow suddenly felt a strong embrace from someone, his muddled mind cleared for a moment and realized that it was Ashborn who was hugging him.

"You're really good, Sid, you're really good to be able to endure all that... It's okay, just let go, no one is forbidding you... Just cry. " 

Ashborn's soft voice rang in his ears making the wall he had built to hold back his emotions break.

His eyes instantly watered, his face flushed with excessive emotion.

He did not think about why Ashborn was able to escape from his bonds as another thought came first.

'A tool should have no emotions!'

The thought flashed, but disappeared as Ashborn patted his back and muttered 'it's okay'.

Shadow cried as much as he could, in the end a human being was not a tool that was supposed to be emotionless.

Rather, having 'emotions' is what makes a human a human.

Shadow had them and that proved that he was human.

Nothing can defeat 'emotion'.

KOURO the first generation Herrscher of Shadows has proven that.

... 

A few tens of minutes later.

Shadow's crying had subsided, but even so he still hugged Ashborn.

Sagaki's expedition looked uncomfortable as he realized that Shadow in Nakuru's form looked very cute and beautiful.

He then looked at Beru who was currently looking back at him with a meaningful expression.

["Oi! Help me get through this ambiguous situation!"]

Beru blinked and spread his hands as if to say that he didn't know what to do.

["I don't know anything, I'm a monster."]

It seemed that after being beaten by Shadow, Beru seemed to have an epiphany.

Sagaki's eyebrows twitched at how self-aware the ant monster named Beru was, he put on an innocent expression that actually looked very annoying.

Beru then touched his chin and looked at him with an interested gaze.

["But honestly, I didn't know that there are female humans who are have male's genital... Unbelievable. "]

Beru praised sincerely.

'Perhaps this is what master meant when he mentioned out loud that humans have unlimited potential?'

If Kouro had known his thoughts, he would have fallen silent.

A blue tick appeared on Sagaki's forehead, he swore that Beru was the most annoying monster he had ever met.

He glared at Beru.

["You are the most annoying monster I have ever met."]

Beru looked back at him and gave a thumbs up.

["And you are the most interesting human I've ever met. To think you're interested in an female human that have male's genital... I give you the highest honor. "]

Beru originally wanted to give a military salute like the one she watched on television, but seeing Sagaki's expression getting angrier, he decided against it.

["Hey! What's with that weird expression of yours, I'm not interested in Shadow, okay!"]

Sagaki was still normal, especially since he was old and had a wife.

It's just that he was a little confused, he thought of Shadow as a daughter who carried the burden of an adult.

The problem was that Shadow was a man, but his overly charming and feminine appearance made his brain short-circuit a bit.

A woman with a penis... It seemed like an inappropriate nickname for Shadow, after all he was technically born a male.

But...

'Damn, this is the most confusing thing in my life! '

Right at that moment, Shadow pushed Ashborn away and took a few steps back with his head bowed as if realizing that his actions were truly embarrassing.

"You-you have to pretend not to see this! I-I'm not crying! I never cry!" cried Nakuru with a flushed face while trying to cover her face.

'Cute'x2 thought Sagaki and Beru with flat and innocent expressions.

'No, that's not it Sid is a boy! ' Sagaki slapped himself in the face.

["See, you're interested in that woman with a penis."] looked at Beru with raised eyebrows.

["Are you picking a fight? No, how did a monster like you have eyebrows in the first place?"] Sagaki glared at Beru.

Truly Sagaki swore, this was the first time his emotions could easily overflow because of a monster's meaningful gaze.

"...But, thank you..." muttered Shadow.

His heart felt refreshed and light now, the seed of hatred had disappeared.

He looked at his hands with determined eyes and then said.

"I have decided, I will live as a human now. "

"...What's your first choice?"

"I will confess to someone I like. " Shadow said with a serious expression.

"Hoo... Here I was worried that you would be like my 'dense' son who couldn't be helped... Thank goodness you're not like him."

Said someone who didn't realize the feelings of other people's love.

Ashborn then closed his eyes and rubbed his temples before looking at Shadow.

"I will pretend not to know anything that happened here and I also hope you will pretend not to recognize me, when you as Kurokami Nakuru. "

Sagaki's words brought Shadow's actions to a halt, he raised his head to stare at him for a moment before nodding his head.

“I assume that you have listened to my conversation with Kouro, so I will answer one of your questions.” Sagaki said while raising his index finger.

Shadow did get valuable information from Ashborn and Kouro’s conversation, but he didn’t get information like this world was a game or information about ‘Outlanders’.

He was really surprised that this world in less than two years would experience an invasion from cosmic beings.

“...Then... Who am I really? “ Shadow said while patting his chest.

Sagaki’s eyes widened slightly at this question, he had thought that Shadow would ask something else.

His expression then softened and Ashborn’s memory flashed in his mind.

__

Decades ago when Shadow was less than two years old at an orphanage under the name World Serpent.

“Huh?! Aponia-sama, you really weren’t kidding to tell me to raise this child?”

Ashborn with a dumbfounded expression let a toddler sit between his neck and pulled his hair with an expression of excitement.

“Of course, no. I will also help you, this child has the same origin as you, he has a tough destiny... That’s why I want him to at least have a pleasant childhood. “ Aponia said with her slanted eyes as usual.

Hearing her words made Ashborn’s eyebrows rise, “Don’t tell me that this child is--“

Aponia shook her head, “Not him... The Herrscher of Shadows core did not accept him, even so... His destiny affected the humanity of the world including World Serpent, even you and me.”

“What do you mean? “

Aponia seemed to think for a while trying to string together the right words and finally said.

“Do you remember your friend named Otto Apocalypse? That boy’s destiny is similar to his. “

“You mean... This kid is going to create a big change to the world for better or worse? Are you unable to see his future? “

“I can only see his destiny but not his future just like you. “

As she looked at the future of the two of them, there were two future lines she saw, the first coming from the boy which was a future where the existence of ‘KOURO’ the first generation Herrscher of Shadows never existed.

But she saw a future line where a girl named ‘AYAME’ in the Previous Era who made great changes and defeated every Herrscher until the Herrscher of the End without the destruction of human civilization.

This made the Current Era never happen.

Then the second future comes from Ashborn where the existence of ‘KOURO’ and the existence of ‘AYAME’ never existed.

Herrscher of the End was never defeated, the remaining humanity of the Previous Era hibernated for 50,000+ years to build a new civilization again.

She had died soothing humanity’s desperate emotions and made herself as the energy source of the Elysian Realm.

Of the two future lines, she didn’t know which one was true and which one was false.

But her intuition told her that the latter was the original future.

But strangely, if she saw the future of someone other than Ashborn and this child, it would show the future where the existence of ‘KOURO’ exists, which is the present.

“Maybe it’s because we were both created from the same DNA. “ Ashborn said.

“Maybe it’s because... The potential that this child has is very strong and far surpasses you. “

“I know, that’s why... I’ll name him Sid.”

__

Sagaki blinked, he looked at Shadow who was staring at him with a serious expression before shaking his head.

“I don’t know. You can ask me something else. “

Shadow looked a little disappointed but didn’t think much of it.

“In that case... Until when do you side with Otto?”

Sagaki was silent for a moment before saying, “Until his goal is achieved. “

“... Undersood. “

Shadow glanced at Sagaki one last time before turning into a crow and leaving without looking back.

Staring at Shadow’s departure, Sagaki then turned to look at Beru.

“...Can you keep our meeting with him a secret from Kouro?”

Beru seemed to think for a moment and spread his hands.

[“I can keep it a secret but there is no way I can lie to my master.”]

“It’s okay, that’s enough. “

Beru was seen scratching his head and remembered something.

[“As a condition of keeping the meeting a secret... Can you tell me if that person named Otto will bring any harm to my master?”]

He remembered that his master, Kouro was wary of Otto.

Sagaki closed his eyes to string his words together before opening his eyes.

“His actions have largely brought good changes to the civilization of the Current Era’s human race, but when it comes to his goals... I can assure you that he has no adverse impact on Kouro’s primary goal... Because his secondary goal and Kouro’s primary goal are the same, which is to save the world and protect those closest to them. “

After saying that, Sagaki let out a long sigh, he took an iron mask from his pouch that also contained the Signets of Vacuity.

He put on his mask before saying goodbye to Beru before sinking into the shadows.

Beru was silent before finally saying, “Humans... They really complicated. “