Before they could recover, Jin was already moving.
His scythe traced arcs of midnight purple, its edge flowing like water, like a dancer weaving through chaos. Every step clean. Every pivot precise. He slipped through shields, broke stances, and tore straight through the Holy Federation's ranks as if they were tall grass in a storm.
Screams.
Metal collapsing.
Soldiers stumbling back in panic.
And ahead—
The paladin who mocked him stood frozen, eyes widening by the second.
Jin stopped just a few meters from him, planting the heel of his scythe against the ground. For a heartbeat, nothing happened.
Then Jin exhaled.
Dark mana surged.
The scythe's blade slammed into the earth—THOOM—and a massive magic array erupted beneath him, rings of violet, obsidian, and ghostly white overlapping like layered sigils. Mana spiraled upward, swirling around him in a vortex.
From within the circle, something rose.
A colossal draconic head—formed entirely from black mana, eyes burning an unnatural purple—burst out with a thunderous roar that shook the battlefield. Its maw glowed with eerie violet fire.
The paladin stumbled back, drenched in cold sweat.
"W-What—?!"
The dragon lunged.
A tidal wave of violet fire detonated across the battlefield, swallowing the paladin and the remaining holy soldiers in a single explosion that repainted the horizon in purple.
When the flames faded, only a charred crater remained.
"Phase one… complete," Jin murmured, voice low but somehow carrying.
A faint pulse of mana rippled from his scythe.
"Proceeding to phase two—field eradication."
For a moment, no one on the Dark Alliance side spoke.
Commanders who'd been shouting orders seconds ago stood frozen. Even the Crows operatives—usually unreadable—looked like they'd forgotten how to blink.
But Jin's shadow army didn't wait for silence to settle.
Igris surged forward like a comet, slicing through the remnants of the Holy Federation's frontline with disciplined, knightly precision.
Beru tore straight through shields and armor, his shrill cry rattling the air as he ripped open formations.
Hannibal barreled through squads like a living catastrophe.
Wave after wave of shadow soldiers poured through the gaps.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Just overwhelming pressure.
The Holy Federation's defense collapsed.
What had been a chaotic stalemate minutes earlier became a decisive rout. Standards fell. Lines shattered. Screams drowned out commands. By the time the last pockets of resistance crumbled, the battlefield already belonged to the Dark Alliance.
But every soldier—ally and summoned—froze when a faint pulse rippled across the ground.
Jin raised one hand slightly.
From the shadows around him, several new figures emerged—humanoid, lean, carved from flowing black mana. But they were unlike the knights or beasts. Each held an instrument: a violin, a lute, a curved horn, even a floating drumset forming itself mid-air.
Then, he simply snapped his fingers.
The musicians straightened—and the first sharp riff cut across the settling dust. Tense, rhythmic, unmistakably battle-driven. It wasn't a war hymn, but it fit the battlefield perfectly:
At the Edge of History—a battle theme from MS Saga: A New Dawn—cut through the air.
Shadow knights advanced in time with the beat.
Igris's slashes lined up cleanly with every drum hit.
Beru practically vibrated with excitement as he tore forward in rhythm.
Even Jin's steps fell naturally into cadence, as if the battlefield itself had synced to the melody.
Dark Alliance soldiers stared.
Not only had a masked stranger wiped out a battalion…
He had music.
Live music.
From his own summons.
And somehow, it didn't feel ridiculous—
It felt like the arrival of someone on a completely different scale.
"…a music?"
"Are those… summons?"
"What the hell kind of necromancer is he…?"
No one had an answer.
But everyone watched.
The melody climbed, sharp and relentless, pushing the Shadow Army farther as they swept the entire battlefield clean.
As the dust settled, Igris and Beru led the reassembled Shadow Army toward him.
Igris lowered his head.
"My Liege… Monarch. The task is complete."
Jin nodded once.
"Good work. Thank you for your efforts."
"It is our honor," Igris replied steadily.
Beru struck a claw against his chest, wings trembling.
"Your will is absolute, my liege! Beru lives to serve!"
Jin hadn't moved.
Yet from him, a silent wave of darkness, like living shadow, spread outward, sinking into the ground, clinging to every shadow, pressing against every soul. It wasn't killing intent. It was authority—the kind that made even monsters bow.
Soldiers felt their breathing hitch. Their instincts screamed. Their knees trembled.
A whisper slipped out, almost against someone's will.
"…Monarch."
Another voice followed.
"Shadow… Monarch."
Then another.
"Shadow Monarch."
Like a rising tide, the chant grew—hesitant at first, then louder:
"Shadow Monarch…"
"Shadow Monarch!"
"SHADOW MONARCH!"
And with that, a new name was etched into the Dark Alliance's history:
Jin, the Shadow Monarch.
A few hours later—
When the report reached Neftis, she paused mid-stride. A quiet exhale slipped out—relief, pride, and something close to satisfaction.
"So he pulled it off… Good," she murmured, unable to hide the small smile tugging at her lips.
The world didn't take long to notice.
Rumors spread across the Dark Alliance within hours—carried by scouts, soldiers, and returning officers. At first, it sounded too exaggerated:
A masked reaper turned the tide.
A lone scythe-wielder erased a battalion.
A man with… background music?
Then came the most important detail:
A new Legion Commander.
Not one of the seven. Someone new.
Someone named Jin.
With speculation spiraling out of control, Nefthis realized there was no point waiting.
A few hours later, she stood at the central hall podium. Banners hung behind her. Reporters filled the room. Recording crystals lit up.
"Thank you all for coming on short notice," she began, calm and steady.
"This press conference concerns the emergence of a new force on the battlefield… and the individual responsible for securing our border."
Questions erupted. She raised a hand—just slightly—and silence fell.
"Today," she said, "the Dark Alliance officially recognizes the debut of a new ally."
"The Shadow Legion… and its commander—the Shadow Monarch, Jin."
————————————
Character Voicelines · Knox: About Hannibal
Knox: When I pulled Hannibal from the gacha, my brain just froze.Knox: Then it hit me—that Hannibal from God Eater.
Knox: I may have screamed and danced a little.
Knox: …Good thing no one saw it.
Loraine (outside Knox's door): …?
Loraine: What was that noise just now?
Loraine: Don't tell me he got "inspired" again…
Loraine: Please don't be another tear-jerker novel…