The Eminence In Shadow In Multiverse

Once, Shadow Garden had stood as equals against the cult—their enemies in the shadows.

But in this new world, they weren't even a second-rate power.

And their master?

A god.

Even here, in a world teeming with monsters, only four people could be said to rival him.

But the rest of them?

Dead weight.

To the world, Lord Shadow was one of its strongest.

An untouchable force standing atop all others.

But with them at his side?

Even the strongest could fall to weakness.

If no one could defeat him, enemies would never dare to reveal their claws in the open.

Instead, they'd lurk in the shadows, striking at his weaknesses.

And that's exactly what they were—his weakness.

Enemies wouldn't face him directly. They'd target them.

It had happened before.

World No. 1 had witnessed a war where demons, fallen angels, and celestial beings clashed.

On paper, the god of the angels was supposed to be on par with Lord Shadow.

And yet…

That god had fallen—dragged down by the Four Demon Lords in a mutual annihilation.

Theories varied about why it happened.

But the truth was undeniable—

The angels had held their god back.

If not for them, no matter how weakened that god had been, the Four Demon Lords wouldn't have been enough to bring him down.

Lord Shadow might seem cold on the surface, but to Gamma and the others, his kindness was crystal clear.

He wasn't the kind of man who would abandon them just because they were weak.

He had saved them—given them a second chance—when their own families and nations had discarded them.

He had taught them how to fight.

He had healed their wounds—not just their bodies, but their hearts.

He had done all that not because he owed them anything, but simply because he was kind.

To repay that kindness—and to seek revenge—they had formed Shadow Garden.

Most of its members had stories just like theirs—girls cast aside after becoming Demon Possessed.

But did any of that matter to him?

No.

Even if they had turned their backs on him, walking away and choosing not to fight the Diabolos Order, he would've kept fighting.

He would've kept saving more girls like them.

Could the Diabolos Order actually defeat him?

Impossible.

His power was absolute.

The world itself would bow before him, and Demon Possessed girls would be saved—whether Shadow Garden existed or not.

To him, the war against the Diabolos Order was probably just a game.

But even if it was, back in their old world, they could at least keep up.

They could hold their ground and even fight back when needed.

Now?

They couldn't even protect themselves.

So being cast aside was only natural, wasn't it?

If Lord Shadow were a cruel man, he could've just used them as cannon fodder—pawns to distract enemies while he dealt the finishing blow.

But unfortunately for them, he wasn't.

He was too kind.

And so, he wanted them to step into the light—to leave the darkness behind while he faced the world's threats alone.

"Nu. Did you catch what our lord just said?"

Gamma's voice was steady as she wiped the last traces of tears from her face.

"Yes, Gamma-sama," Nu replied without hesitation. "I've already contacted Zeta-sama. The intelligence unit is moving to infiltrate major nations and monitor their control over supply chains."

Gamma nodded, her tone sharp and composed—like nothing had happened moments ago.

But deep down, she knew what he'd meant.

"Gamma, think carefully about the things I've told you before."

That had been his final message before leaving.

A hint.

He had already seen the flaws in her report, and the answers were hidden in the knowledge he had taught her.

This was how he operated—never spoon-feeding them solutions, but guiding them toward the answers.

They could ignore the hint if they wanted.

And if disaster struck because of it, Lord Shadow would swoop in as Shadow and save them.

But that would only mean one thing.

They had disappointed him.

Gamma closed her eyes for a moment, replaying Lord Shadow's words in her mind.

"If things are going too smoothly, stop and look behind you. Otherwise, how can you be sure that what you call 'smooth' isn't part of someone else's plan?"

She opened her eyes, her thoughts sharpening like a blade.

Had she been too complacent?

Gamma had assumed Mitsugoshi Trading Company's neutrality was a given—something that would carry over into this new world just as it had in the old one.

In their original world, Mitsugoshi's economic dominance, its role in currency circulation, and its ability to stimulate growth had forced nations to tolerate its neutrality.

It wasn't just preferred—it was necessary.

Mitsugoshi could only function as a neutral force because the countries needed it to stabilize their economies.

But the world fusion had changed the playing field.

Mitsugoshi had already begun solidifying its position as the economic giant of the new world.

The only step left was formally declaring neutrality and securing trust from the factions of the other two worlds.

Or so she had thought.

Now that she looked back, she realized the nations of her old world probably didn't see things the same way.

Would they settle for Mitsugoshi being neutral among the three worlds?

Of course not.

They wanted Mitsugoshi's neutrality to be exclusive—to their world.

The implications hit her like a slap.

She had assumed peaceful coexistence, but they were likely laying traps.

They didn't want Mitsugoshi to float freely as a neutral power.

They wanted to bind it to their side.

Destroying Mitsugoshi outright was unlikely.

Its collapse would throw the delicate post-fusion economy into chaos.

Nations depended on Mitsugoshi to counter economic threats from the other two worlds.

But if the nations managed to anchor Mitsugoshi to their side before it declared neutrality, it wouldn't matter how angry Mitsugoshi got—it would be trapped.

Bound to the same sinking ship as the others.