I will strive beyond this cursed bloodline!

They had moved into a tunnel, the woman had left walking into one of the walls where she had sank inside the walls and disappeared. Most left a relief sigh escape when she left.

 

But Alice was thinking something else... If she could come and go so long shadows were around...Then she had a variation of the [Shadow Travel] skill she also had... And if it worked by using shadows...So long it wasn't limited to her own [Shadows]...Then she could travel anywhere she wanted...

 

"That is one dangerous skill..." Mumbled the girl, If it wasn't limited to her own shadows then so long a place held [Darkness] she would be able to travel there, her own skill only allowed her to teleport into a [Shadow] that was of her own...

 

And it didn't seem to have a limit on distances as far as she had tested. So if that woman could do the same using [Shadows] as a medium...

 

A look around her and seeing the dark tunnel only made shivers run down her spine, She didn't even feel her interact with the shadows so that either meant that she could do so with any shadow...

 

Or in the best case scenario [Echidna] had covered this whole place in her [Shadows] and as such she could do whatever she wanted in her [Domain], that meant that Echidna's shadows were imperceptible from normal ones though.

 

"And that was our boss," came the voice of the man with the black mask once again, he walked up to them from behind. "She likes to do that sometimes, don't think too much about it." Added the man looking at everyone in the crowd and spending a few seconds extra on her.

 

"So this will be your first lesson of the day," he started standing at the front of them with his hands extended to the sides." What is the thing you will do the most in the powered world, either as [Hero] or [Villain]?"

 

No one seemed to know since not a single one answered, she was tempted to answer from the [Villain] side she was supposed to be on...But the [Hero] part of the question made her stop.

 

"No one? That's a new one, usually, we have a smart ass or two around, can't say I hate this." Said the black-masked man while fishing a controller from his suit and pressing the button.

 

One by one lights started turning on illuminating at the end of the tunnel an Underground Arena with a running track on the outer parts of it. They trickled in and stood in small groups while the black-masked man walked to the middle of the arena.

 

Once he was sure they all were inside he addressed them again, Alice was somewhat sure of what he was going to have them do, but couldn't for the life of her understand how they would address it.

 

"The answer is...You run." He said while pointing towards the running track. "If you are on the [Villiain] side, either as full-blown [Villian] or as a lovely [Minion] you run." At this point a group of masked nondescript minions went and set up a few tables with drinks near the running track, it seemed not many had taken notice of them.

 

Just a few among them turned to them, most were enraptured by the black-masked man who went ahead and explained his point." If you are on our side, you will run when [The Heroes] arrive. Why we don't want to end up in prison after all." The mask grew a red devilish smile on it, creepy.

 

She could see what he meant, most of the [Villains] wouldn't really want to fight against the [Heroes] since for them a fight wasn't the end goal... Unless you had a grudge against said [Hero].

 

"You run as if a demon from one of the four hells is coming for you." The black-masked man said while pointing to one of the screens in the ceiling. "If you are a [Minion] your work is to move something from point A to point B or to guard point C so no civilian comes to interrupt. It isn't to fight against a [Hero] nor a [Sidekick] unless your [Villian] states as such. And even then... If they are winning, you must run."

 

That seemed like a fair order to give, "As such...[Run]." He said and she felt his words were coated in [Mana], so, for now, she tentatively walked towards the running track.

 

A few of them followed suit, but not nearly enough, since the black-masked man snapped his fingers and eight tendrils of shadows blossomed from his back, each and every one of them held a vicious maw resembling those that Echidna had used. "That wasn't a suggestion." And every single one of them seemed to be salivating while looking at them.

 

So most understandably started a mad rush, she on the other hand stretched for half a minute and then started a slow run, She wasn't sure how long they would be running, so for now she wanted to keep her energy.

 

"Now, if you are working as a [Villian]... You can't actually run when the [Hero] shows up, you do need to entertain him for a few minutes, maybe poke fun at him..." He started saying while keeping up with the biggest group of runners.

 

She was glad that they could keep the man away from her, but when that group caught up to her in the second lap she got shivers from the way the black-masked man looked her way, so decided to keep her speed at roughly the same that the biggest group, just so that the black-masked man would stay in the other side of the running track.

 

"After keeping the [Hero] company long enough that your [Minions] had retreated (Or captured) you can run. Not a moment before, if you do try to use your [Minions] as a scapegoat... You will find that most [Minion] will not want to work with you after all." Said the black-masked man while walking toward the center of the arena.

 

He seemed to have noticed how Alice was keeping her distance but didn't actually do anything about it, so the black-haired girl was quite happy with that.

 

"Now, we don't actually enforce work for [Villians] on this gang, and we aren't in the business of employing our [Minions] to other [Villains]. So you shouldn't need to worry about working in harsh environments... But if no [Minion] wishes to work with a [Villain] of our fold, you will need to [Hire] minions from the outside. And we will not be held liable for a backstab in that situation." Ended saying the black-masked man, so there were [Gangs] that worked as an employment site for [Minions] to work with other [Villains]?

 

That was one interesting way for one to work, "Sadly most of you are [Tainted] as such, not many [Villains] will want to work with you all... " And when some of those running started grumbling he added, "... Even if your [Skills] aren't as heavily [Shadow Based] as ours."

 

No way in hell that someone would misunderstand what her skill did, so she couldn't help but smirk at the idea of someone thinking her skill wasn't [Shadow Based].

 

"Some of you received the [Taint] by one of your parents being [Tainted] and while your [Skill] isn't shadow-based. As said.." He said while looking at the ones running around, "You... Your skill has something to do with threads right?" He said while pointing to one of the ones running around.

 

She turned her head trying to find the one running around and found a young man dressed in one tacky white suit similar to the ones used by [Idols] ... Was he a friend of that kid in her classroom with the [Idol] theme powered suit?

 

"Yes sir." Said the powered in question, "I can manipulate threads and ..." He started saying while trying to keep his pace.

 

"Yeah, don't care... Does your skill have any [Shadow] type of signs when you use it?" Interrupted the black-masked man.

 

"...No sir, unless I try to use black threads no one can feel the [Taint] in me... I was actually diagnosed as [Tainted] by a teacher and got sent this way instead of using the government aid by my mother." Answered back the young man.

 

Interesting...

 

"Raise your hand if your skill is clearly a [Shadow] Based one." Said the black-masked man while raising his hand.

 

A few of those running around raised their hand...Her included, but she was surprised by seeing how... few of them did.

 

"Now to answer your question...No, we did not send those with [Shadow] skills to another area, if we were doing so that girl wouldn't be here." He said while pointing at her.

 

Great...She really was sticking like a sore thumb.

 

"She is probably the second or third most talented [Shadow] user after our lovely boss. Why she is able to deal with the [Taint] without the help of a bracelet already!" And at this mention, almost everyone looked her way.

 

...Was it that special of an achievement?

 

"So if you all don't want to be under [Echidna] might as well try to try and bribe her, if she develops her skills right... Then she might actually manage to purge the [Taint] from others like Echidna does now." And now almost everyone stopped running and looked at her.

 

She actually felt shivers run through her spine at the eyes, she had never ever seen so many look at her like this, granted as the daughter of the most powerful man in Avalon she had been told someone at some point might look like her for favors...

 

She didn't pay much attention to that since her dumber, younger, and more important blonder self didn't think much of it. "...Hi?" And so she just waved at them and carried on with her running.

 

She could hear the gossip about how they had noticed how the shadows around her looked different, and how in the theater the shadows near her had tried to rise at some point.

 

She just focused on moving her feet and feeling the embrace of the shadows under her clothing. "Now on the second question you all must be wondering..." Carried on the black-masked man as if he hadn't put a target on her back. "Being near [Pure Shadow] users will neither accelerate nor [Taint] a powered."

 

Almost no one looked relieved at this, "Now don't misunderstand me, you can indeed be [Tainted], it just that...The only way to prevent the [Taint] from creeping in you is if you manage to live without stepping in any [Shadow]. This includes natural shadows, artificial shadows, and even projected shadows!" She could swear the man was enjoying toying with them.

 

As if you could live without stepping in shadows, why every step one did would mean one was stepping in a shadow already!

 

"Yeah...[The Stygian Bane] did a nasty one..." Mocked the black-masked man.

 

"But you said that [Echidna] and now that scrawny girl," Came the voice of the second idol wannabe she had seen in her life interrupting the black-masked man," could deal with the [Taint]."

 

She pretended that nothing was going on and just kept running while most started to group near the black-masked man, of course, she expanded her [Shadow Sense] to spy in the conversation and make sure she was getting all the right information.

 

"Anyone can do that actually." He answered, of course, no one believed that "You just need to feel the [Taint] in your mana and shove it away. You don't actually need a [Shadow] skill to do that, it just makes it easier since [The Stygian Bane] was a [Pure Shadow] user too." Said the black mask while shrugging.

 

So she wasn't special after all!

 

It was almost as if she had asked for this and just now had gotten what she asked for so long ago...

 

"... That is impossible, no powered can channel mana that well." Said one of them, "I'm a [Mage], and not even I think an archmage could do that."

 

...What?

 

"That is where you are wrong kiddo," answered with a smirk on his voice the black-masked man, " [Echidna] proved it was possible when she purged herself from the [Taint] fifty years ago... And now that girl proved that it wasn't because of her [Skill] since someone else managed to do it."

 

"... What is [Echidna]'s [Skill]." Asked Alice finally deciding that running alone while everyone else stopped was dumb. " Maybe hers is like mine."

 

Everyone else turned to her as if she had just killed their dog or slapped their mother in the face.

 

"... Yeah no, we do have a [Tinker] with especialization in identifying [Skills] but [Echidna]'s skill is more oriented in the [Tamer] subclass, while our data in you shows that you are more of a brawler." Came the answer of black mask.

 

Most murmured among themselves about how she was a brawler while looking so scrawny, and one of them even stood forward saying " If she is a brawler then I'm the son of [The American C rusader]." It was an almost two-meter tall muscle man.

 

He stood there looking down at her, "...Did you not see me trashing that dummy 10 minutes ago?" Asked the black-haired girl looking up, she...missed those centimeters she lost from her blonde form.

 

"Heh, that would make you a [Caster] type metahuman, not a brawler...So as [Villians] we duke it out and the loser will be the [Minion] of the winner, so if I win you will purge me at my demand from the [Taint]. For free." Said the muscled man while taking off his shirt and showcasing his abs.

 

Alice for her part could feel her eye twitching at this, looking around she found that most of the other people here had left and went towards the bleachers... They had bleachers in an underground arena, of course.

 

"We aren't [Heroes] nor [Civilians] so we encourage this kind of solution to the problems, don't kill anyone though." Said the black mask walking to the side.

 

She...Was going to need to do this, wouldn't she?

 

"Fine... If I win you will... I dunno, not bother me for a month or something?" Said the black-haired girl while the shadows started leaking from her clothes and covering her body.

 

The tall man in front of her jumped backward looking warily at her, while she didn't mind him that much and just focused on the feeling her shadows transmitted to her.

 

"What? You never saw a girl change into something more comfortable?" Teased Alice as soon as her clothes morphed into her preferred armor set, her obsidian armor was still as awesome as the first time she made it.

 

She stretched to make sure the armor was normal with no problems while the other man was staring at her while opening and closing his arms, "You don't scare me, girl." He said trying to convince himself more than trying to scare her.

 

Alice couldn't help but smirk at that while the shadow started climbing into her face, "Oh it's okay... I believe you," she said while her face was being covered in shadows, leaving her mouth for the last part, "But we can fix that, you [Will bow down to your betters] when I'm done with you." She felt him flinch more than see him at her statement.

 

Before he could run away she summoned a claymore made of pure shadows and raised it pointing at the silly man, the black-masked man took this chance to add "The first combat of the day will start soon, in the south corner we have..." He looked through a list in his holopad and said after a few minutes," The [Shadow Empress]... Staying in tone it seems, tacky name but have seen worse. For the north side we have..." he didn't have to search much this time, probably he was already marked or something. "...The [Gladiator]... Amateurs... The fight will go on until I state otherwise, no surrendering, we don't like boring things. Start." And just like that her first encounter with the dark side of society started.

 

Being thrown into a powered fight, she didn't want it to start like this, but beggars can't be choosers.