Chapter 404 — Shadow Council

[Unknown Location- A day before the attack]

A massive obsidian table stretched across the center of the room, surrounded by fourteen chairs carved from black stone, of which only three chairs were occupied currently.

The fourth, twelfth, and fourteenth positions held figures draped in darkness, their faces hidden behind black masks as they sat perfectly still, looking at the figure standing before them.

The standing figure looked completely distorted, making it impossible to see who or what it actually was.

The figure in the fourth chair leaned forward slightly, fingers drumming once against the armrest.

"I didn’t know you were planning to visit us today." The voice came out as barely more than a whisper, yet it carried perfectly across the chamber. "Head of the Death Cult."

The distorted figure tilted where its head might be.

"The other Shadow Kings are occupied with their own matters." The voice that emerged from the distortion sounded hollow. "You three were the only ones I could reach."

The figure in the twelfth chair shifted, mask turning toward the visitor.

"You seers don’t care about privacy at all, do you?" The whisper held an edge of amusement mixed with annoyance. "Walking into our sanctum uninvited."

"What has prompted you to come here personally?" The fourth Shadow King’s fingers stopped their drumming. "The Death Cult doesn’t make house calls without reason, unless they want to kill someone."

The distortion pulsed once.

"Variables have appeared in the world." Each word dropped into the silence like stones into still water. "For the first time in many years, my predictions have failed... And Elizabeth Murdock remains alive."

"..."

As soon as he finished, the temperature in the chamber seemed to drop.

The Death Cult head continued.

"Our goals are not aligned in most matters." The distortion spread slightly, filling more space. "But we share one certainty... Neither of us wants to see another Sage walk this world."

"And so you’ve come to ask for our help." The fourth Shadow King whispered

"The variable causing me trouble is the same one causing your organization trouble... Damian Valcor." The name hung in the air like smoke. "By every calculation and every thread of fate, Elizabeth Murdock should have died that day. But at the last moment, Damian Valcor interfered and saved her life."

Screeech

The fourteenth Shadow King leaned back in his chair sharply, dragging it back.

"Damian this, Damian that~" A snicker escaped from behind the mask. "What is everyone’s obsession with this boy? He hasn’t even reached S rank yet–"

"He has powerful figures following him." The Death Cult head cut through the words like a blade through silk. "The so-called Unnamed Four... S rankers who move in his shadow."

"We’re aware." The twelfth Shadow King’s fingers tapped the armrest once.

"And are you aware that I cannot calculate anything related to them?" The distortion pulsed again, faster this time. "Every thread of fate that touches those four simply... ends. It’s as if they’re already dead. Corpses walking through a world that forgot to bury them."

"..."

Nobody spoke as the silence stretched, heavy and thick, until the Death Cult head moved forward half a step.

"The Sage is returning back to the world soon." The hollow voice dropped lower. "And this will be the last chance I can calculate to eliminate Elizabeth Murdock before she is protected again by that man."

"And you have a plan." The fourth Shadow King’s whisper held no surprise.

"She is currently in Tranquil City... The city controlled by Damian Valcor’s Mafia." The distortion gestured with something that might have been an arm. "He has been causing you considerable trouble as well, the Smiling Death Syndicate who have been killing your low ranked operatives, is just the Northern branch of his Mafia. You can eliminate both the Mafia and Elizabeth Murdock in one strike."

"While it is indeed important to kill Elizabeth Murdock, support will arrive quickly." The fourth Shadow King’s fingers resumed their drumming, slow and deliberate. "Attacking a city is completely different from setting an ambush out in the open and Tranquil City is a major Federation city... The S rankers at Stormhold Academy will respond within minutes."

The distorted figure reached forward and pulled out a device.

It was a small metallic cube appeared in its hand, covered in blinking lights and circuitry.The fourth Shadow King took it from across the table.

"When you activate this, all digital communication and devices will cease functioning in the area surrounding both the Academy and Tranquil City for some time." The Death Cult head’s voice carried absolute certainty. "The Federation will remain ignorant... As for the reinforcements from the Academy, my forces will intercept them."

The fourth Shadow King examined the device. It sat in his palm, smooth and cold.

"Almost all the SS rank awakeners are occupied thanks to the changes brought upon the world by the red sky. The only SS rank in the vicinity will be the Central Regional Governor, he has been on my tail for some time." The distortion pulsed one final time. "I will be keeping him company personally."

"..."

The implications crashed through the chamber like thunder.

The Death Cult head had just claimed he could occupy an SS rank awakener... Alone.

The three Shadow Kings exchanged glances behind their masks, but their body language showed no fear despite facing something that could challenge beings far beyond their own power.

"Very well." The fourth Shadow King’s whisper came out flat and final. "We accept."

The distorted figure produced another object from the warping space around it. It was a folder, thick with papers and it slid across the obsidian surface toward the fourth Shadow King.

"This contains everything we know about the Unnamed Four. Their patterns, their capabilities and what little we’ve been able to get from the Veiled Syndicate." The hollow voice paused. "If these variables prove stronger than expected, you will need to use the last resort."

The fourth Shadow King’s hand stopped halfway to the folder.

"That’s impossible." The whisper came out sharp, almost breaking into actual speech. "The time has not come yet, if we reveal ourselves now it will disrupt too many plans. Every major power in the world will start hunting us the moment they realize what we’ve done."

"If you don’t commit fully, there won’t be another chance like this." The Death Cult head’s distortion began to fade at the edges. "Elizabeth Murdock needs to die before she gains more understanding of her seer skill."

As soon as finished, the distortion collapsed inward and the Death Cult head vanished.

"..."

Silence reclaimed the chamber, then the twelfth Shadow King turned toward the fourth.

"Are we truly proceeding with this?" The whisper came out sharp. "The Death Cult head’s plan is bold, but the risks are enormous."

The fourteenth Shadow King leaned forward in his chair.

"And he is asking us to reveal ourselves." His mask turned toward the Fourth Shadow King. "Is killing Elizabeth Murdock worth that price?"

The Fourth Shadow King said nothing.

His hand reached for the folder the Death Cult head had left behind. Pages rustled as he pulled out the documents, scanning through information about the Unnamed Four and about Damian Valcor.

His fingers stopped on one page.

"Interesting." The word came out as barely a breath.

He closed the folder and set it down carefully on the obsidian table.

"We should indeed kill Elizabeth Murdock." His whisper carried across the chamber with absolute finality. "But what I want more than her death is... Damian Valcor."