Re:Zero x Eminence in Shadow: The Star among the Shadows

Subaru POV:

Cid or rather Shadow, what he calls himself now, finally was done explaining everything that he knows about the Cult of Diablos, possession and descendants of the heroes. I guess Alpha was too absorbed into it, so she couldn't notice his body language. Seriously, his ability to bullshit his way through astonished me.

He designated her as a Shadow Garden's Second-In-Command aka the first recruit. As for me… He explained to her that I was a second co-founder of the Shadow Garden. I have conflicted feelings about this.

He left us to our own devices, saying "I don't have time... time is but a fleeting shadow, as I stalk the corners of the night, seeking the elusive moment of triumph amidst the suffocating darkness." Before going away.

I deeply signed as I turned my attention to Alpha, who was staring at the place where Cid was a few seconds ago.

"He's so… Knowledgeable and wise…" She said under her breath in awe.

'Yeah, yeah, sure he is…' I thought to myself.

"May I ask, Lord Pleiades?" Alpha turned her gaze at me, her voice had a hint of respect and devotion.

"Subaru. Subaru Kagenou, that's my name." I corrected her, calling me Lord doesn't feel right to me, I don't want a master-servant relationship. I just want a friend. A sane friend.

"Subaru-sama…"

"Just Subaru is fine, no need for formalities."

"S-subaru, may I ask how you found me?"

"Well…" I pondered for a moment. "We found you uh… locked into the cage in the bandit camp , Ci— I mean Shadow has slaughtered all the bandits, before we spot you. "

"Bandit camp?" She looked deep in thoughts, before she slightly frowned, as she realized something.

"Yeah, I think Bandits wanted to sell you to the church, so they could purify you."

"Purify me? What does it mean? "

"Well, although they explain it as a purification, it's basically just a murder. They are actively seeking possessed people and killing them in the process, calling it a purification." I told her the truth, from a little I knew about the Church.

Alpha eyes widened in horror, before her face confronted Into rage.

"They are just… killing people with possession? Maniacs! Those are innocent people! They can… They can be cured… I mean you—"

"That's the harsh truth, I am sorry." I paused, contemplating what to say next. "That's not all, I want to talk about Shadow, or rather his previous intentions regarding you."

Alpha's brows furrowed into confusion.

"He wanted to use your possessed body to experiment on… I have no idea what he would try to experiment with and I don't want to know, so it could be fate worse than "purification" by the Church." I don't know why, but I felt like I had to say it, to get it out of my shoulders. I decided not to tell her about the made up Cult, it would sure break the trust I have now.

Alpha's mouth gaped in shock and horror, her composure faltering. Her voice was growing shaky. "H-he what?

"He would if I hadn't interfered… Although he is my brother, I don't trust him much."

"Why… Why did you save me then?"

"Why? Well…" Exactly. Why did I do it? To gain a devoted follower? Was it because I couldn't bear seeing a person suffering? Or some other ulterior motive? No, I know the answer. I deeply exhaled.

"I'm not going to pretend that I'm some kind of almighty hero, out to save everyone just because I have this weird ability. Honestly? I don't even fully understand how it works, that I can heal people from possession. But when I looked at that pile of flesh, it hit me hard. That could've been an innocent person—someone with their own life, friends, family—all ripped away because fate decided to play a cruel joke on them. And trust me, I know that feeling of being separated from the ones you love all too well." I clenched my chest, memories of my old life swirling through my mind.

"So, I saved you because… well, because my heart wouldn't let me do anything else. I couldn't just stand by and watch someone suffer. Hell, if I saw a little girl trapped in a burning house, you bet I'd dive right into those flames without a second thought. I'm just a regular guy at the end of the day—I don't need some grand reward for it. Just a smile or a simple 'thank you' is enough for me. That's what really matters; knowing that my efforts aren't just wasted"

Did I really say everything without taking a single breath?

Suddenly, Alpha leaped at me, completely enveloping me in a right embrace. As she buried her face against my chest, I felt the wetness seeping into the fabric of my shirt.

"A-alpha?" I spoke softly, my voice heavy with concern as I patted her head gently to try and provide comfort.

"...Thank you." She said, between her quiet sobs. "Thank you, Subaru…"

"Ah… It's not really a big deal! Anyone would do the same if they were in my shoes, you know?"

Subaru and Alpha stood side by side, with Alpha's head resting against Subaru's chest. The room was enveloped in silence, occasionally interrupted by her quiet sobs.

I was following the Cid's route, he didn't go too far away from us. I have to talk with him about everything. The organization. The made-up cult. Shadow and Pleiades stuff. And Alpha.

"Cid! God dammit! Hold on for a second!"

"Hm? Oh, Subaru. How was my first performance?" Cid asked rather enthusiastically.

I looked at him, my brows furrowed in confusion. "Performance?"

"That's right! My first performance as Eminence in Shadow! I was repeating the poses and the lines all the days in my head, but after all I had to improvise a bit. But the efforts paid good results, don't you agree?"

"What? You are gaslighting her Into believing the cult is real!" Just what is wrong with this guy, he makes my blood boil.

"I find this story pretty believable, so we could keep her around before they learned the truth, we would train her, teach her, keep the roof under her head until she can establish herself and then she can get back into the society."

At first I thought he was indifferent towards her, only using her for his twisted fantasies. After hearing his explanation, I calmed down a bit. This might not be a bad idea, but it still left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"Shadow Garden…" I said, while looking straight in Cid's eyes. "What are your plans with it?"

"An organization which would operate from shadows, pulling strings from the shadows."

"That doesn't answer me anything…" I signed.

"Alright, why did you include me in your plans?"

"Wouldn't it be neat for a main character to have 2 different personas, two sides of the same coin?"

"Wait… Why are you treating this like a game?! This stuff is certainly real!"

Cid chuckled, folding his arms thoughtfully. "You're looking at it all wrong. This isn't just some game—it's a stage where we can mold our fate. Including you in this... it's about synergy. You see, a main character needs depth. Two personas aren't just for show; they're a method to navigate the chaos we're facing."

Cid met my gaze, his expression unwavering. "And yes, it's real. Very real. But even in reality, those who can adapt and play their part have the upper hand. Think of it as an intricate dance between light and shadow. One persona inspires strength, while the other aligns with the darkness. Together, they create a balance."

Cid leaned in, lowering his voice slightly, half-smiling. "So, let's make the most of this. While you may see this as a game, I see opportunities. Let's embrace both sides and rise to whatever awaits us. After all, the story isn't over yet, it's just the beginning.

I raised an eyebrow, crossing my arms and letting out an exasperated sigh. "Great, so it's a stage where we can 'mold our fate'—but you know what? I've seen enough of this script already, and it's got way too many plot twists I didn't sign up for. This isn't some philosophical play, Cid; it's my life we're talking about! I want to live my life goddammit!"

"And Alpha! Do you know how hurt and betrayed she would feel after she learned the truth about the Cult?"

"Alright, let's make a small deal. You will play a role as Pleaides for a while and after she feels confident enough to go on her own, you will tell her about the Cult right away. Although it saddens me, a compromise must be made." Cid made a proposal.

Yeah, this guy is stubborn as hell, standing still on his point. I don't really have any choices here. I was the one who cured her, so it's my responsibility to be her caretaker.

"Fine…" I agreed, shaking his extended hand.

"Oh, by the way! Your training arc will happen soon as well, I saw you have quite nice reflexes with a whip, so we will be improving that!"

"Eh?"

"So there it is, it seems like you were right, Alpha." I said, looking over a bandit carriage, possibly containing another possessed.

"I heard some rumors about the possessed in a village nearby, this carriage came from that village so I suspected that they captured the possessed."

I was scouting the area, looking for any weaknesses and covers we could use.

"A group of 10 bandits, each 5 on both sides. Guarding a carriage, probably a cage with a possessed in it."

"Alpha, you take the right side of the carriage and Shadow you take the left. I will distract them, so you will be able to catch them off guard."

Both of them nodded, before moving Into the positions. It will be our first mission together, I am kinds nervous

Me, myself, got into position in front of the carriage, they didn't notice me since they were too focused on conversation.

I lashed out my whip, creating a loud crack noise, instantly gaining the attention of all of them. "Heya, heya! You stupid bandits! Look at me!"

They were too stunned seeing before erupting into laughter. "Haha! Kid! Go back to your mommy, or else these scary and stupid bandits will have to teach you a lesson."

The second bandit replied. "Haha! That's righ—"

However, before he could finish his sentence, his head was sliced off by a slime sword, wielding by Alpha.

On the other side, Shadow was already taking care of the other 2 bandits.

At this moment, I actively engage with the whip. A bandit slows down, sensing danger too late. I flick the whip, lashing at the bandit's weapon, knocking it from his grasp. Alpha quickly cut him down in two parts before moving to the next one.

Confusion and panic erupted among the bandits, getting ambushed from all of the sides.

Shadow effortlessly was fighting with 3 bandits at the same time, swinging, ducking, stepping away from their attacks. He was just toying with them.

One of the bandits lunged at me trying to strike me. I materialized my slime sword, blocking his strike. With a quick flick of my wrist, I pushed back against his attack, forcing him to stagger. Seizing the moment, I pivoted sharply, bringing the sword around in a wide arc.

However, my hands trembled and I missed the attack. No! I can't hill him, I am not a murderer!

The bandit managed to regain his balance and seeing the opportunity, tried to slice me once more. The blade was mere inches from my chest. Is this it? This is how I die?

However, before I could process everything, the bandit was frozen in place, before his head slid off of his neck and I saw Alpha standing behind him with an enraged and concerned expression at the same time and a bloodied blade in her hands.

"Lord Pleiades!" she said with a clear concern in her voice.

I fell on my butt, breathing heavy. I was never this close to death before this moment.

"I-i am fine… Just a bit shaken…" I said, trying to regain my composure.

Alpha helped me to get up on my feet, while searching for any injuries. "I am sorry, if I was more cautious enough, the bandit wouldn't have come closer to you." She said with a guilty expression.

"Don't beat yourself to it, I kinda messed up. I am fine now." I looked around, noticing all the bandits lying in blood. So they took care of them.

Me and Alpha, who still refused to let go of me, approached the carriage, where Shadow stood by himself.

"If you refuse to kill, it might cost too greatly for you to endure." he said in a cold tone.

"R-right… I just got too careless…"

I pulled down the cloth, which was covering the content of the cage and revealed a pulsing blob of flesh with its sapphire blue eye staring at us.

"You were right, Alpha. That's another possessed. Poor thing…"

"Those depraved bandits," she spat, rage and disgust pooling in her voice. "They'll stop at nothing to profit from suffering."

I extended my hand towards it, intending to cure it. My palm landed on the flesh, before the same calm feeling washed over them. The blob was rapidly transforming into something, looked like a human body, before a silver-haired elf fell, Alpha catching her in her arms.

"That's certainly interesting… I didn't pay much attention the first time you cured Alpha." Shadow said, while staring at the silver-haired elf.

"Hm? Did you notice something? I am not sure how this works, it just works I guess."

"You don't exactly cure the possession, more like you are nullifying the negative effects of it, transferring the part of the curse to yourself."

Alpha and I stared at Shadow in shock.

"E-eh? Am I absorbing the curse then? Does it mean that I'll turn into… that as well?" That's definitely not the good news.

"You should have when you first absorbed the curse from Alpha…"

'That's just another score in being a main character' Cid thought to himself.

Slowly, the silver-haired elf opened her eyes, before she started frantically looking around with her hands exploring her body in disbelief. "H-huh? H-how? But I was—"

"I see you have finally awakened." Shadow stated, in his usual ominous voice.

"E-ek!" She squeaked, being frightened of Shadow's figure and voice.

"Calm down, we have cured you from the curse which was plaguing your body." I said in a gentle voice, trying to ease her discomfort.

"Y-you did?" The elf looked at me with a bit of fear and gratitude.

"But how… A-and my family…" Tears started picking up in the corners of her eyes.

"That's the fate that I endured as well, it hurts me as well, more than you realize. But now you have 2 options. First is to try going back to your family, however it would raise more questions and you would be sent to the Church either way, to get experimented or be executed."

The Elf listened intently, the fear was visibly gone from her, however it could be shown only at surface.

"The second option is to join us, join us to fight the people who damned us, the people who cursed us, sending our life's into a spiral of suffering and despair. Join us to fight the Cult of Diablos, the ultimate evil of this world." Alpha said, extending her hand to her.

I felt uneasy hearing her speech about the Cult of Diablos. I hope she won't get too worked up in the end.

"I-i… There are probably more people like me there, right? Being betrayed, stabbed in the back by the people who you loved and cherished. If… if you want me to help you, rescuing people and fighting against such force, t-then I'll join you!" Silver-haired said, despite her shaky voice there was a tone of determination in it. She took the hand of Alpha and stood up, the dark slime covering her body

"Then your name shall be Beta, welcome to the Shadow Garden. As I am the Shadow, he who lurks and he who kills in shadows." He said while giving me a substantial glance, trying to hunt something.

"And I am… Pleiades, the star which lights the path of the shadows." I barely managed to restrain myself from sighing.

It's been a few months since the creation of Shadow Garden or I rather say - Cid's fantasies. We managed to gather a group of individuals dedicated to defeating the made-up Cult.

Besides Alpha and Beta, our first recruits, we have addition of new 5 members - Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Eta and Zeta.

Gamma, 5th member of the Shadow Garden, is a dark blue-haired elf, who Cid rescued during one of his "missions", later being recruited by Alpha. She seems to have suffered the same fate as other girls.

Delta, the 6th member, is a wolf therianthrope with the black hair. She was found by Shadow, Alpha and me. We heard the commotion in the forest and went to investigate it and found her in a very poor state. Despite the weakness, she tried to lunge at me and Alpha, attacking us. However, the moment she felt Shadow presence she immediately went into submission. I offered to cure her and give her a new family, to which she accepted 3 of us as pack leaders.

Epsilon, the 7th member, is an elf with azure hair and light blue eyes. She was found by me by pure coincidence. She crawled her way up a mountain trail but the Possession started to take effect on her body. I cured her and later she swore her loyalty to me, joining the ranks.

Zeta, the 8th member, is a cat therianthrope with blonde hair and purple eyes. When we found her, she was furious, pleading for someone to save her and give her power. Her parents were mercilessly killed along with her little brother. Shadow cured her and gave her power later being recruited into our ranks.

And Eta, the 9th member, is an elf with brown hair and purple eyes. She was found by Shadow, curing her and taking her to us.

"Yo Cid, are you sure that… Cult is actually a made-up thing?" Cid and I were currently in the abandoned town, where the girls were living. It was late evening.

"I definitely made that up." he said nonchalantly

"I am just getting… Way too many reports from Alpha regarding the Cult and Zeta's story about the church, possession and Cult felt way too real."

"They are just playing along with us, having fun. I was impressed by Zeta's story. I wonder where she learned such skills as an actor."

"Yeah… I see…" I facepalmed. This is just getting ridiculous with each passing day.

We entered the house, which was well-built with working lights visible outside. Upon entering, the smell of the delicious food entered my nose. I looked around, admiring the modern architecture which was chosen by me and Cid.

"Boss!" Delta, upon noticing the presence of Cid immediately jumped on him. "Boss! Delta hunted so many bandits today! When are you going to hunt with me?"

"Soon Delta, I hope you've been a good girl and didn't cause Gamma any trouble today." Cid said, petting her wolf ears.

"But Gamma is weak, I won't listen to her!"

Delta was from the tribe, where strength meant everything. Weak were getting pressured and belittled by strong and having such a mindset she would often try to bully weaker girls.

"Lord Pleiades, Lord Shadow. Welcome." Alpha greeted us, wearing her casual clothing which we got from Claire's wardrobe. I hope she won't notice the missing clothing.

"Hey Alpha, I see we are not late for dinner, huh?"

"In fact we were ready to place the plates on the table just now, please join us."

"Is Beta doing fine now?" I asked with concern.

Alpha took more soft expression. "Beta finally stopped having nightmares… It's all thanks to you and Shadow." She softly smiled at me.

Beta, just like me, couldn't just mindlessly kill another person, essentially going trauma after being ordered to kill people. That was the source of her nightmares. As her restlessness worsened, we tried comforting her in our different ways.

Shadow told her bedtime stories from our world, documenting each take to read to herself again.

As for me, I decided to pick my old habit from my old life - sewing. I sewed her doll versions of each of us: Me, Cid, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon, Zeta and Eta. And our efforts worthed the results.

"I am glad to hear that."

I settled myself on the dining table with Alpha at my side, while seeing Epsilon and Zeta approaching with plates of food.

"My Lords." Epsilon gracially bowed to me and Cid.

"Lord Pleiades, Lord Shadow." Zeta bowed as well to us.

"Yeah, Hi…" I still wasn't used to such formality. I already embraced myself as a Pleiades, well kind of, but such formality was odd to me.

Slowly, everyone started gathering on the table. Gamma, followed by Cid and Delta, sleepy Eta and lastly Beta with a doll version of myself.

I found this kinda cute, seeing her carrying around my doll. A sense of pride also hit me. Alpha told me that she would sleep with that doll, hugging it tightly all the nights.

Various girls sent her jealous glances, which went unnoticed by me.

"Uhm… Lord Pleiades…" Alpha looked at me, with an expression, while sending quick glances towards Beta with a doll.

"Eh?" I managed to muster. "Ah! You want me to sew you a doll too? Which one do you want? Yours?"

"I want a doll of you as well…" She said while casting her eyes down, a light blush appearing on her cheeks.

"Y-yeah, no problem!" For some reason, I got flustered as well.

"Hey! I want one too as well!" Epsilon exclaimed.

"Lord Pleiades… if it doesn't bother you…" Gamma and Zeta also said, rather sheepishly.

"..." Eta stared at me, her message was clear to me.

Meanwhile Beta was staring at everyone with an unreadable expression. Well, I guess I have a few restless nights to sew.