Minoru Kageno stood out in the crowd, his muscular frame straining against his clothes. If Sora were to describe him, he'd probably just say two words: "reckless brute."
"Great, everyone has such amazing abilities."
As soon as he spoke, Shaka knew exactly what he was doing. This guy always loved to play the mysterious behind-the-scenes figure, never missing a chance to act like a "passerby."
But this time, he'd clearly miscalculated…
Yuuki stepped forward, looking up at the 1.8-meter-tall Minoru with unwavering resolve.
"Take that back!"
"Huh?" Minoru looked confused.
Yuuki pressed on: "What did you mean by that? Are you jealous of us?"
"No, that's not…" Minoru took a step back, his eyes showing a hint of panic for the first time.
Sadness filled Yuuki's gaze: "Do you have any idea who we envy the most? Its you! How could you say that!"
She yelled the words out before running off without looking back.
"Wait for me!" Yui waved her hands as she chased after her.
Kanade bowed politely before following with small, quick steps. That older sister is so amazing… we're a team, I can't fall behind.
Shaka put his hands on his hips, exasperated but amused: "You messed up big time, didn't you, Lord Shadow?"
"Hmph." Minoru dropped his exaggerated act, his face hardening into his usual scowl.
Shaka patted Minoru's thick biceps in comfort:
"Alright, you know how it is. Those kids have been through a lot. They don't want incredible power, they just dream of having healthy bodies. And you're the healthiest one here."
"Enough of that." Shaka slung an arm around Minoru's shoulder and lowered his voice:
"See? I wasn't lying about this being a real other world! Everyone else thinks it's a game, but you're the only one who knows the truth!"
Playing right into Minoru's tastes, he added: "Doesn't that feel incredibly satisfying?"
A spark flickered in Minoru's eyes.
Right this is exactly what I've always wanted controlling the unknown, leading those unaware mortals. When the truth comes out, the hidden master will suddenly show up! His mind raced with excitement.
He could barely remember all of Shaka's earlier persuasion, just that it had gone on for ages, until one line had struck him like lightning:
[Shaka: Do you crave magic?]
The question had awakened something deep within him. He'd always known there were limits to human training, no matter how hard you pushed your body, you could never truly break free.
So he'd decided to stop being just human. He wanted power beyond imagination, like a nuclear bomb!
[Shadow Lord: "Shaka-dono, I'm your loyal servant now! Woof!"]
Even if it was a trap, it didn't matter. He could take down any criminal with a crowbar, but missing this chance at magic would be unforgivable.
And so, the Shadow had come to this world.
Minoru scoffed at his friend's teasing: "Hmph I've already gotten my foot in the door. I don't need to grovel anymore… but as you can see, I haven't sensed any magic yet."
I'm getting impatient! hurry up!
"I can fix that." Shaka snapped his fingers, and a spatial portal opened beside them. He pointed his index finger like a gun at Minoru's forehead.
"Bang." He made the sound with his mouth.
This guy is still joking around? Should I hit him with my crowbar?Minoru's expression was grim.
"Alright, no more jokes."
Shaka's smile faded as he grew serious: "You know the permanent summoning slots are all taken by the kids."
"Since you probably won't waste time training in the real world, there's no need for you to stay here full-time. Eight hours a day enough to replace sleep will be plenty."
He paused before continuing: "As for your current issue, your body just needs time to adapt before your abilities manifest."
Minoru's face was cold and impassive: "What do I need to do?"
Shaka leaned back against a long table, popping a pastry into his mouth as he spoke:
"First off, your abilities have been activated. We just can't see them yet."
"So what you need to do is simple: make them visible."
He held up three fingers: "Three methods."
"Explain."
Here we go he's practically wagging his tail in excitement.
"I know you're in a hurry, but slow down." Shaka lowered one finger:
"First: Train extensively to rapidly boost your ability values, bringing your spirit and body into harmony. When your stats update, your skills might manifest on their own."
He lowered a second finger:
"Second: Try experimenting on your own. See if you have any special skills, or try chanting magic phrases. You might stumble onto something by accident."
Yes—I'm talking about a certain black cat.
Minoru frowned and pressed further: "And the third?"
"Third?" Shaka clapped his hands, jumping off the table: "Wait until I convert your spirit into a permanent life form."
"That would use up all my ability points." He shrugged apologetically: "Sorry, but I'm already drained dry by those girls."
Minoru: "..."
To be fair, with the permanent summons Kuroneko, the three patients, and others Shaka had already spent 500 attribute points. Now he only had around 100 magic points left, which he still needed to maintain the three temporary spirits.
Shaka sighed, patting Minoru's shoulder:
"Don't say I didn't give you a chance. The monster tide is almost here today's your shot to show everyone what you're capable of."
"I've set up a training ground in the backyard with powerful monsters. Let's get started!"
Monster siege? Tens of thousands of residents and soldiers, this is my stage!
Minoru's eyes lit up with excitement. A wild grin spread across his face, and his irises glowed red.
"Hmph, hahaha! Just wait and see! Today the world will know my name!!"
Shaka clapped his hands in approval: "That's the Lord Shadow I know!"
He was genuinely looking forward to what Minoru could do. Someone willing to sacrifice everything for power would improve at an incredible rate.
"Come on."
Shaka led Minoru to the backyard training ground and waved his hand:
[The stars have aligned here!]
A massive white Minotaur over two meters tall materialized before them.
"This is your opponent. Kill it, or be killed by it." Shaka's voice was cold and matter-of-fact.
"Exactly what I wanted." Minoru grinned, his eyes blazing with determination.
He knew perfectly well that to become a true master of shadows, hunting in the dark he needed power strong enough to crush anything in his path!
The monster roared as blood splattered across the ground.
Minoru's arm was broken, his internal organs damaged. But as long as he drew breath, the torture continued, this training was more brutal than anything he'd faced in his old life.
These were real monsters every fight was life-or-death, with no room for hesitation.
Shaka didn't need to worry about Minoru's safety. As long as he survived each battle, his abilities would upgrade immediately, until he finally defeated the beast and achieved his goal.
Minoru was relentless. Even before coming to this world, he'd trained by smashing rocks with his forehead until he'd passed out and once he'd even been hit by a dump truck during his workouts.
He belonged to that rare group of people who pursued power with absolute faith, at any cost.
As Shaka drank a mental energy potion, he watched intently as Minoru grew stronger bit by bit.
Perhaps this is what it takes to be truly strong.