The World Is Mine For The Taking

I didn't grant her the luxury of a response—only a silent, unwavering gaze that cut through the tense air between us.

If my instincts weren't betraying me, then this woman was none other than Eris—a name whispered in the shadows, a legend in the underworld. She was the leader of the Silver Blades, an organization hell-bent on dismantling monarchies. A ghost of rebellion. A blade honed for a single purpose.

Yet, despite her reputation, I hadn't expected to come face-to-face with her here of all places.

I took a slow step forward, my voice calm, yet laced with quiet authority.

"Now then, why exactly are you so eager to know about the Eclipse?" I asked. My words weren't a mere question—they were a probe, a challenge. "You didn't seek us out, draw your blade, and demand answers about them without already knowing something. Perhaps you even share a connection with them. So tell me—what led you to this moment?"

Her expression hardened instantly.

"Kuh..." A sharp click of her tongue broke the silence, her eyes narrowing into slits.

She wasn't going to give me anything freely. That much was obvious. She was too seasoned, too disciplined to spill her motives at a mere provocation. But that reluctance only confirmed my suspicions—she was hiding something.

"Tell me," I continued, my voice like steel, "you aren't one of them, are you?"

A flicker of something dangerous flashed across her face.

Then—fury.

Not just anger. This was raw, unfiltered rage, erupting like a sudden storm.

"I'm not!" she snapped, her voice laced with venom. "Don't you dare lump me in with those bastards!"

Her reaction told me more than any confession could. Whatever connection she had to them, it wasn't allegiance—it was hatred.

"Then let me return the question," she countered, her voice low, like the growl of a beast before it lunged. "Are you one of them?"

I held her gaze, unflinching.

"I'm not. We aren't." My voice was steady, resolute. "Or did it not occur to you that we might have our own reasons to despise them? That we could be after them just as much as you are?"

For the first time, her eyes wavered.

It wasn't hesitation—it was assessment. Weighing the truth in my words.

Slowly, the suffocating pressure of her bloodlust began to recede, like a tide pulling back from the shore. But it didn't vanish completely. She was still on edge, still poised for battle.

I, however, took the first step toward de-escalation. With a slow, deliberate movement, I lowered my blade, letting Ayuru dissolve from my grip into nothingness.

Her gaze flicked to my empty hands before snapping back to my face.

"Who are you?" she asked at last.

"I am..."

For a moment, I turned toward Rose, who stood just behind me. Her usual calm expression remained intact, but there was something in her eyes—an unspoken concern.

I couldn't risk using my real name. Not now.

"Christopher Faust."

The moment those words left my lips, her eyes widened.

Recognition.

"You're...?"

A second of silence stretched between us before her expression darkened once more.

"Why is the owner of the Leonamon here?" she asked, suspicion lacing every syllable.

I glanced at the blade she still held in a death grip, exhaling a quiet sigh.

"Would you kindly lower that first before I answer?" I suggested, my voice as calm as ever.

"This stays in my hand," she retorted coldly. "To make sure you don't do anything reckless."

I held my ground.

"It's evident by now that we have no ties to the ones behind the Eclipse," I stated. "So tell me—why are you still treating us as enemies?"

"I don't trust you."

A sharp statement. Firm. Unyielding.

"Fair enough, I suppose." My voice remained even, my expression unreadable.

It was expected. No one in their right mind would completely lower their guard around a stranger, especially after a confrontation like that. If the situation were reversed, I wouldn't trust me either.

Then, suddenly—

Creak.

Before the silence could stretch any further, the door at the back of the pub suddenly swung open with a sharp creak. A woman with fiery orange hair stepped through, her apron still tied around her waist—Arianne.

But what caught my attention wasn't her presence.

It was the rifle in her hands.

Click.

The cold, metallic sound of the safety being switched off echoed through the air as she aimed it straight at me.

I stared at it.

Firearms. In this world.

I had encountered many things since arriving here, but firearms were something I still found baffling. The mere fact that rifles existed in a place like this was almost surreal. Then again, if they had existed somewhere outside this world and knowledge of it was carried here through means I still have no idea about, it only made sense that someone had preserved the knowledge and made them into a product

Honestly, I couldn't blame them.

I was doing the exact same thing.

Using knowledge from a past life to forge something that shouldn't exist here.

"Drop your weapon, if you don't want a bullet in your skull." Arianne's voice was cold, unwavering. The kind of voice that didn't tolerate hesitation.

I let out a slow breath.

"I don't have a weapon on me."

Her eyes narrowed, her grip on the rifle tightening. "Huh? But I saw—"

"Well, no matter," I cut her off smoothly. "I have no interest in fighting either of you. This is a misunderstanding. I only came here to pass on some information to Rose. She's a former agent—perhaps she could make sense of what I found."

A tense silence stretched between us.

Then, after what felt like an eternity, Arianne finally lowered her gun.

A quiet exhale slipped from Eris's lips, as though the situation itself had given her a headache. With a flick of her wrist, she twirled her dagger around her fingers in a perfect rotation before sliding it back into its sheath. The movement was almost hypnotic—elegant, precise, effortless.

Apparently, even the art of sheathing a weapon required finesse in this world.

"So, the two of you are really just after James Moriarty?" she finally asked, her gaze steady, searching.

The name hung in the air.

James Moriarty.

I had already suspected as much, but hearing Eris confirm it made everything feel far too real.

"James Moriarty is the one pulling the strings behind the Eclipse," she continued, her tone sharper now, like a blade being drawn from its scabbard. "He manipulated a professor from Milham Academy, bending him to his will. That professor was the one who created the Eclipse in the first place."

"Wait, Leader!"

Arianne's voice cut through the tension like a knife, her movements sudden.

In the next instant, the rifle was raised again.

Her body had tensed, as though suddenly realizing she had made a mistake by letting her guard down. "I don't think it's wise to tell them that! That man—he's a student at the academy! And I know this woman, too!"

Her eyes snapped to Rose, suspicion flaring behind them. "That green hair of hers stands out anywhere. People call her the Green-Haired Demon. She was once a professor at Milham Academy too. For all we know, they could be affiliated with the very man James Moriarty manipulated!"

I turned my head slightly, my gaze locking onto her.

So much for keeping a low profile.

It seemed that introducing myself as Christopher Faust had been unnecessary—Arianne already knew exactly who I was.

Her eyes narrowed as she scrutinized me. "You... You were a classmate of Shredica. And you had ties to Princess Titania as well." Her voice wavered slightly. "Are you really not affiliated with the Eclipse?"

A soft chuckle escaped my lips.

"Are you seriously still doubting me?" I asked, tilting my head slightly. "Even after I fought off so many of their members to protect Charlotte? You were there, weren't you? Watching me from afar."

Arianne visibly stiffened.

Her grip on the rifle faltered.

"W-Wait... You knew I was watching?"

A flicker of a memory surfaced.

Last year.

Charlotte had been kidnapped by members of the Eclipse. I had intervened before they could take her away. And Arianne had been there. Hiding. Watching from the shadows.

"Yes." I met her eyes, my voice laced with quiet amusement. "You weren't very discreet."

She had used an ability to conceal her presence, blending into the surroundings like a phantom. Yet, despite her best efforts, I could still feel her. That faint, almost imperceptible presence—like a ripple in still water—had been impossible to ignore.

And yet, she still doubted me.

Even after everything.

"I... I still don't trust you." Arianne's voice wavered slightly, but her stance remained firm. "Your name is Leon, right? Then why are you calling yourself by the name of the owner of the Leonamon Company?"

Ah.

So, she had overheard my introduction to Eris.

I let out a slow breath, unfazed. Before I could respond, another voice cut through the tension.

"I can confirm that this man and the man who owns Leonamon are one and the same."

Rose.

Her tone was calm, confident—absolute.

"You don't have to worry about me lying. I'm telling you the truth." Her gaze flickered between Arianne and Eris, unwavering. "Although, I have no proof to show you... but I know Leon far better than either of you."