Greetings fanfic fans.

And welcome to "Shadow Realm: P.I."! It's a fanfic that follows in the footsteps of Man Called True's great fic, "Shadow Realm: Fifteen". I'd like to give him credit right now for creating this great setting. He did a great job.

One warning: I got permission from him to do this fic, and if you want to do a story in this setting, you must get the same – from him, not me. I give no promise that he will grant it.

Now, some words…

This fanfic takes place approximately one year after the events of "Shadow Realm: Fifteen". That fanfic will not be referenced much, as I hope to be independent of it. However, I'll be conforming to the rules that MCT set forth for the setting. And by the way, he set forth a lot of them.

There's not much to say otherwise, because this fic has nothing to do with dueling. It isn't even a real Yu-Gi-Oh fic, to tell the truth. The fact of the matter is, MCT created a whole new setting with nearly infinite possibilities. I'd like to encourage other writers with some understanding of the game to use his guidelines to create their own CSR fics – again, with his permission, of course.

Anyway… on with the show!

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SHADOW REALM: P.I.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

A fanfic by Cyber Commander

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

Based on the setting created by Man Called True

Creative rights to him.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

It's a crazy, mixed-up world. Most of us would agree on that. Just when you think you've seen it all, just when you think you've seen all the ugly, vile stuff that the world has to offer, the world comes up with something uglier and viler. With so many crazy things happening, it's a wonder anyone bothers to get out of bed in the morning.

But we take a lot of thinks for granted. We think this is the only world there is, and as far as we're concerned, that's the truth. There are no other worlds for us to live in. We were born to live in this world, so we might as well live in it, no matter how crazy it is.

Still, there are other worlds beyond our awareness. In one corner of the universe, there's a world that some people call "The Dominion of Beasts"…

A fancy name that humans who know of it made up. The inhabitants would likely laugh at such a weird name. To them, it's simply the Shadow Realm. And the place that most of the population knows of is the Central Shadow Realm.

And the creatures that live there often make the same assumption that we do – that the world they live in is a crazy, mixed-up world. All monsters, rich or poor, powerful or weak, make that assumption at some point in their life.

But let's make a hypothetical situation if we may. It could never truly happen, but let's say that it could. Say that a monster from the Central Shadow Realm were to come to Earth. It doesn't really matter what kind of monster, so long as it were a smart one.

Say that monster could pose as a human, and live on Earth for one year before going home. Say that it could have the same job and status as it had in its home world.

If it were asked to make a comparison after that year, it would almost certainly say that its world was a whole lot more crazy and mixed-up than ours was. It would probably even add that our world was rather boring.

Know why?

Because its world is the Central Shadow Realm.

The reason isn't any more complicated than that.

0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

CHAPTER ONE

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

The Reliable Guardian

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

0 0 0 0 0

In the Level Four Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters, a building with the word "Spaces For Rent" stood among other shops and businesses. This place was type of building that was used by businesses that really didn't need a building of their own. Private businesses.

About half of the spaces were currently being rented. The place was owned by a Warrior of Tradition who owned several buildings in the neighborhood. Once you got used to that huge cleaver she always had, she was a pretty good landlady who didn't bother you much as long as you paid the rent on time. (Someone had started a rumor that she had once beheaded someone who didn't, but the guy who started the rumor turned out to be a Dream Clown. They were always playing jokes that no-one else found very funny.)

There were a variety of offices here. One profitable business belonged to a Hero of the East who had a profitable exterminating business. His success lay in the special spell cubes he had commissioned. An old legend told of a spell called Exile of the Wicked that could destroy every Fiend in its area of effect – fortunately, such a genocidal spell was only a myth. But this guy had managed to start a business using a version of Exile of the Wicked that only destroyed Kuribohs. He could clear an apartment of the pests in five minutes, and a large building in an hour. Sure, these spell cubes cost money, but his work was in such demand, he was making very little overhead.

Another office was run by a Kojikocy who worked as a bodyguard for anyone who needed one on a temporary basis. He wasn't as tough as he looked – on his own. But he did always have a Fusion Sword Murasame Blade handy that came as a surprise to anyone who thought he was weak. Not many knew exactly where he got these expensive spell cubes…

At least one person knew the truth: He had once saved the life of one of the Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters's richest residents, the Mystical Knight of Jackal who named himself Musafa. He owned one of the Penthouse apartments, and he had a great deal of enemies. At one point, he was the target of an assassin – a Skull Knight #2 who was likely a hired gun (the Dark Ruler was suspected, but it was never proven). The Skull Knight tried to shoot Musafa with an Ookazi gun (in the back, no less), but the Kojikocy saw him and struck the Fiend down before he fired.

After that, Musafa hired the Kojikocy as a bodyguard, and when the Warrior went into business, Musafa kept supplying him with spell cubes.

The one who knew this, who owned the office next to his, thought that having a Level Seven monster as a benefactor must have been swell… Jealousy was beyond him, but it still would have been swell…

His office?

The nameplate on the door said:

OCG E-013-Z

Private Investigator

Inside the office, it was clean, but drab. The occupant didn't care much for décor. Shelves and closets held his clothes and personal belongings, and a bed was stashed in the wall (this was also his apartment – he couldn't afford both an office and an apartment, so he lived in his office). A china cabinet held some dishes and cups (they were mostly for show – they were so fancy, he didn't like to eat off of them), and a bookshelf held various tomes. A couch was by the bookshelf, and a desk was situated with the chair to the window…

On a hook by the window was a sword in a sheath. The occupant was never far from it. He was holding it in his hand when he had appeared out of nowhere, scared and confused, in the Fiend Living Quarters, fifty-five years ago.

He wasn't very scared and confused now. Not much scared him anymore.

Right now he was sitting at his desk, reading the newspaper. His clothing was pretty typical of a Warrior: His armor had a green and brown color scheme, and had a matching cape. (He had many times considered ditching the cape, because it tended to get in the way of anything he did that didn't involve a fight. Some law of fate stated that a Warrior's cape would never hinder him when he did what he was supposed to do, but anytime else, it was a pain. However, every time he decided to get rid of it, he felt naked without it, and put it back on.) His helmet was currently resting on the desk.

His face was handsome, if a bit feral. He had sharp features, and large, green eyes. His ears were a little too big and pointed.

He was an Obnoxious Celtic Guardian. Every two days, on average, he wondered intently just what the first members of his species had done to deserve being labeled "obnoxious". Of the members of his own kind that he knew of, they were pretty nice guys…

He admittedly wasn't a very nice guy himself – so maybe he deserved the title.

One co-worker had once half-jokingly given him a how-to book called How To Be Nice. Books like that made him laugh. You were either a nice person or you were not a nice person. He was not a nice person… He could have memorized that book, and it wouldn't have helped.

Like the sign outside his office said, his number was OCG E-013-Z. The Z in it gave him a pretty strange predicament. Fully twenty-six Guardians with his number had lived before him. He had been told at Beginner's Hall that they all had been killed within ten years of their creation. When he had asked why, the best answer that could be given was that thirteen was an unlucky number. The Forgiving Maidens had felt sorry for him at the time…

Understandably, he'd been frightened for the first ten years of his life… And nervous for the next ten… But after that, he had decided that the curse connected with his number had run its course. At the current time, he had lived more than five times longer than any other Guardians with his number, and he wasn't worried.

Of course, that didn't make having that particular number pleasant. Since his number started with E and ended with Z, people started calling him EZ, or "Easy". He got the joke quickly – the nickname had been earned for the same reason some Giant Orcs were called "Tiny". Giant Orcs were too dumb to get it, but he was smart. Unfortunately, the nickname persisted, and eventually he decided to accept it rather than fight it.

He read the headlines again…

He smirked. The Dark Magician Knight was in the news again. Something about him defending a Mystical Elf who had been bullied by a Lesser Fiend…

That was the most interesting thing that had happened last year in this part of town. EZ knew that the original Dark Magician Knight had been killed in the First Dragon War, along with the original Dark Magician, but just last year, a second one had appeared. Recently, he had taken up residence in the richest part of the Warrior Quarters, just a stone's throw from the Buster Blader's penthouse. (A common rumor was that the Council's Warrior Representative didn't like him that much – it made sense because the Buster Blader didn't like the Dark Magician that much, and with a name like "Dark Magician Knight"…)

He was very eccentric, as far as a high-level Monster was concerned. Most of them didn't care much about the welfare of low-level citizens, thinking them a necessary evil at best or gutter-trash at worst. This guy was an exception. He seemed truly concerned about folks like EZ, and even Monsters lower than him. Exactly why, he didn't know.

The point was even proven by a companion he had, a Magician's Valkyria. Publicly, he claimed she was a page, but it was a poorly kept secret that she was his girlfriend. Exactly how a Warrior (even one with the word "Magician" in his name) had fallen for a Spellcaster, he'd probably never know.

EZ sighed and put down his paper.

He wondered if the guy needed a bodyguard of his own, or even just somebody to polish his armor. It would be a better job that this.

He could make a good bodyguard – he could certainly throw himself in front of anything that was powerful enough to kill someone with as much power as the Dark Magician.

See, Obnoxious Celtic Guardians had one thing that separated them from ordinary Celtic Guardians. The two species looked identical, but his species was set apart.

The most common way for a monster to die, as sad as it was, was for it to be killed by another one. The murder rate in the city was high, and one statistic said that Level One Monsters were killed at the rate of ten per hour.

In a one-on-one fight between two monsters, without any extra help or protection, the one who was stronger would kill the one who was weaker.

That wasn't always the case in EZ's situation. He could be killed by a monster who was stronger, but not if said monster was stronger beyond a certain point. If the monster was any stronger than a Mechanicalchaser (for instance), he would survive.

The problem was, a lot of people gave his species more credit than they should have gotten. Some people thought that if an Obnoxious Celtic Guardian was blasted by the white lightning of one the Blue-Eyes White Dragons, he'd just smile and wave.

That wasn't true, and EZ knew it. He'd survive if that happened…

But he'd likely be thrown back a thousand feet, be knocked out cold for two days, and wake up with most of his bones broken. His race wasn't indestructible, and they'd be the first ones to tell you that.

Still, their ability to survive blows from strong monsters made them ideal candidates for the police force…

And that had been EZ's job, up until two years ago, when he quit for reasons he didn't like sharing.

He sighed. It looked like he wasn't going to get any customers today.

He looked at the clock – half past four. Work would be getting out soon for most monsters.

He placed his helmet on his head and strapped his sword onto his belt.

It wouldn't hurt to be more… sociable.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

As he left the building he noticed that someone was watching him…

It was a female Warrior in very revealing clothing – a halter and a breechcloth, as well as a short, tattered cape and headdress. A sword similar to his was strapped to her belt.

She looked at him with an expression that didn't seem at all friendly. He stared back.

EZ knew better than to say anything. The best way to deal with an Amazon was just not to deal with them, especially if you were a male monster, whom they had a great dislike for.

Eventually, the Paladin simply turned and left without a word.

EZ wondered what the heck that was about. She was pretty far away from the part of the Warrior Quarters where they had grouped together, and they weren't all that sociable.

"Meh," he said with a shrug.

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

In the busier part of the Level Four Warrior and Beast-Warrior Living Quarters was the Shield and Sword. It was the best bar where a Warrior of Level Four or lower could get a drink and a bowl of potato chips, and the place was pretty safe. It didn't usually tolerate fighting or other roughhousing. The bartender made sure of that. Very few folks wanted to get on a Garoozis's bad side, and rumor was he actually had an Axe of Despair behind the bar in case his own axe wasn't enough.

When EZ came in, it was as busy as it usually was. A Command Knight and a Kanan the Swordmistress were at the bar. A Hunter With 7 Weapons (armed to the teeth of course – EZ wondered why they needed so many) was sharing a table with a Marauding Captain. A Goblin Attack Force was at another table, holding what appeared to be a drinking contest. They'd likely be thrown out once they got rowdy.

EZ saw someone he knew at a table. It was a Hibikime.

These Warriors were some of the more unusual of the type. They didn't wear anything that suggested a Warrior, wearing a plain green dress. Even weirder was their choice of weapons – scythes shaped like musical notes. They looked similar to Sonic Maids – a common theory was that the two races were once the same race, but split into two in ancient times, but if either race knew the truth, they weren't telling.

Both races weren't the type to enlist in the army or the police force. They were more or less artists. They were Warriors, but not very good ones.

Of course, EZ's landlady had once been a Sonic Maid… She and a Beautiful Headhuntress…

"So, Ninety-Nine," he said, sitting down. "How goes the oils? Sell anything lately?"

"Enough…" she sighed. "It beats having to get a real job… You know how artists are, EZ, they don't get paid until they die."

"That's an old joke, Ninety-Nine," he replied.

A Swordsman of Landstar came up to the table.

"Gin and tonic, please," said EZ.

The Swordsman nodded and went back to the bar.

"Why don't you ask him to pose for you?" he suggested, half jokingly. "I mean, who could resist something that cute?"

"What about you?" asked Ninety-Nine, not responding to the joke. "How's the private eye business?"

EZ sighed.

"Like you said," he answered, "enough, and it beats having to get a real job…"

Ninety-Nine looked at him.

"You know, EZ," she said, "you're only holding yourself back. You left a great job that had a great future, and it's not too late. Inspector Gonzap would just love to have you…"

"No!" interrupted EZ.

The whole bar noticed the remark.

"Ninety-Nine, we've been through this before," he continued, "going back on the force wouldn't do anyone a bit of good…"

"Yes it would!" she insisted. "Are you going to torture yourself your whole life because of one isolated incident?"

"It wasn't an isolated incident…" he muttered.

"It wasn't your fault!" she said.

"Yeah, right…" he said with a scowl. "All right, fine, I'll rejoin the force the same day you manage to become an Empress Judge…"

As soon as he said that, he regretted saying it. And upon seeing the look on Ninety-Nine's face, he was even sorrier.

If it were possible for a monster to fuse with another, it usually wanted to. A fusion was one of the best ways to improve your station in a place where station usually couldn't change. Two low-level monsters could become one high-level monster, and even better, fusion monsters got a lot more respect than other monsters of the same rank.

It was possible for a Hibikime to fuse with a Queen's Double to become an Empress Judge…

The only problem was, for most monsters like this, fusion was a dream that couldn't be reached. Polymerization spell cubes were only available by special order, and were among the most expensive spells that could be legally purchased.

And EZ had probably just rubbed Ninety-Nine's nose in it.

Ninety-Nine crossed her arms. The waiter came up to the table with the drink.

"Well how do you know I'm not planning that?" she asked, somewhat annoyed. "Maybe I happen to know a Queen's Double, and we're planning to do just that!"

EZ sighed.

He knew that wasn't likely. Ninety-Nine's painting had only resulted in one major sale since he had known her. He never told her this, but she was a poor excuse for a Warrior, AND a poor artist. He was a friend only because of an incident that had happened five years ago. It was a long story, but suffice to say that even a poor excuse for a Warrior is better than no Warrior.

And the only way a Queen's Double could ever contribute money to something so expensive – maybe – was if the Queen's Double in question was the one that represented low-level monsters on the Shadow Council.

What was her name again? thought EZ. I always forget…

"I just might take you up on that deal!" she snapped.

"Fine," chuckled EZ. "You fuse into an Empress Judge, and I'll rejoin the force. Deal?"

He held out his hand.

The two shook on it.

"You go back on your word," she warned, "and when I do, I'm gonna kill you…"

"Hey, I don't go back on my word…" he assured her with a chuckle.

I'm completely safe, he thought. I'll be in the Graveyard before she…

Then his train of thought was interrupted as the door opened, and an intimidating figure came in.

The bar was silenced.

"Speak of the devil," muttered EZ.

The Dark Blade strode up to the bar, and everyone stared with frightened looks. The Swordsman of Landstar hid behind Ninety-Nine's chair, and even the Garoozis looked nervous.

He went up to where the Command Knight and the Kanan were seated.

"Is this seat taken?" he asked.

The two Warriors jumped off their stools and ran to the other side of the bar.

"Didn't think so," muttered the Dark Blade, sitting down.

The only other monster in this place right now that wasn't intimidated was EZ. He was, in fact, disgusted.

Of all the bars in all the Quarters in all the Central Shadow Realm, he had to walk into this one, he thought.

Dark Blades weren't all that special as far as monsters went, but a rumor among those who didn't know better stated that they came from the Dark World. Some people thought them servants of the Dark World Fiends or even the Archfiends.

EZ knew that the rumor was nonsense. They had likely started the rumor themselves, and they did nothing to discourage it, because they liked having folks afraid of them.

And this particular Dark Blade was one that EZ remembered. He had arrested him three years ago for assault and battery (the victim had been a Shadow Tamer – this guy was not only a thug, he was a bully on top of it).

EZ straitened his helmet and walked up to where the Dark Blade was sitting.

"Bartender!" ordered the Dark Blade. "Whiskey."

"You ever hear of the word 'please', Twenty-One?" asked EZ, sarcastically. "It's a phrase that works wonders."

The Dark Blade turned his head, and his eyes narrowed.

"So when did they let you out?" asked EZ.

"Last week, no thanks to you," muttered Twenty-One. "Be grateful that I'm not a vindictive guy. Now get lost."

"If your attitude is any indication, three years in the pen didn't seem to change you much…" replied EZ.

They stared at each other for a minute.

"I may not be on the force anymore, Twenty-One," remarked EZ, "but I have connections. If anyone around here is mugged and I find out that you're responsible…"

Then the Dark Blade laughed.

"Not on the force anymore?" he laughed. "What happened, were you canned?"

"No, I was not 'canned'!" shouted EZ. "I quit…"

"Quit?" chuckled Twenty-One, somewhat surprised. "Why? Don't tell me that Sergeant Easy found his job too difficult!"

They stared at each other for a few seconds.

"Maybe you just got sick of that nickname, is that it?" he asked.

EZ grit his teeth.

"No, I know, there was a case that you just couldn't handle?" asked Twenty-One. "You always were a perfectionist…"

EZ clenched his fist…

"Guys, please," said the Garoozis. "This is happy hour… We don't have an angry hour…"

"YOU be quiet!" snapped the Blade.

The Beast-Warrior slunk under the bar. He knew something was about to happen.

EZ fingered something in his pocket.

"I know," chuckled the Blade. "You finally got the nerve to ask that Pyro out on a date, and then she dumped you, and then working with her was too… awkward. Am I right?

"You know what they say pal, love is fickle at the best of…"

He was interrupted as EZ's fist slammed into face.

The Dark Blade fell against the opposite wall, and slumped down on the floor. He was out cold.

Everyone looked to see an incredibly angry Obnoxious Celtic Guardian deactivating a Rush Recklessly cube.

That had been pretty reckless, but this guy had crossed the fine line.

EZ threw a five-spot on the counter.

"Sorry about that," he muttered. "Do me a favor… When he comes to, tell him that if he ever mentions Elfour again, I'm punching his ticket to Pandemonium."

He stormed out of the bar.

The Swordsman of Landstar had been hiding behind Ninety-Nine's chair this whole time.

"What happened?" he asked.

"Elfour was his partner… and one of his friends before a casualty happened," answered Ninety-Nine.

"Did some crook kill her?" he asked.

"No…" sighed Ninety-Nine.

She paused.

"He did…"

0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

EZ sat on a bench on the sidewalk, sulking.

In under an hour, two monsters – one a friend, and one some cheap thug – had reminded him of one of the worst experiences of his life.

He hadn't been a bad cop. He had roughed up a few crooks who had deserved it, but then again, a lot of cops did that.

He hadn't broken any laws while on the force, even though he had bent a few sometimes to achieve a greater justice…

But something happened two years ago that he wondered if he ever would forgive himself for.

It all started with an Earl of Demise who had a sick sense of humor. He got ahold of a Change of Heart cube. Exactly how he had gotten it, no-one ever knew. Even owning them was a serious felony, because whoever used it could turn another monster into his absolute slave.

And he used it… On another cop. A Lady Assailant of Flames. Everyone simply called her Elfour, seeing as her number was LAF L-004-D.

Elfour had been a close friend of EZ for a long time. They had handled a great many cases as partners…

But when that spell cube took effect, she didn't recognize him or anyone else anymore. She turned on her fellow officers – three of them were gunned down before anyone realized what had happened.

They tried to restrain her, hoping to find the Fiend and deactivate the spell cube. But she couldn't be stopped. She had been trained too well, and had a virtual arsenal of spell and trap cubes at her disposal, specially designed for Pyros. Ten more cops died before EZ realized that only one option remained…

The terrible scene played out in EZ's mind almost every night since it happed…

Elfour activated a Salamandra, only to have EZ destroy it with a Magic Jammer; followed by EZ activating his Legendary Sword…

…followed by a scream from Elfour, before she collapsed, and shattered into a thousand pieces…

…followed by EZ sobbing for an hour.

No one had told him to do it – he had made the decision on his own, and most of his fellow cops thought it was the right one.

He, however, didn't. He regretted it after he did so, thinking that there had to have been another solution, even though he had never thought of one since then.

They eventually caught the Earl of Demise who was responsible. When they asked why he had done it, the only excuse the lunatic could give was, "I was bored."

Fourteen lives lost because some maniac was bored.

Inspector Gonzap had tried to console EZ with a lot of bunk, saying things like, "It was her or you," and "You were just doing your job," and even the dreaded "She knew the job was dangerous when she took it."

It didn't change the fact that he had killed someone who was a colleague, a friend, and who was as much an innocent as the ones she had gunned down.

It was too much a burden for any monster. Despite Gonzap's protests, he turned in his badge.

As he was thinking this, he heard wicked laughter behind him…

He turned and saw what it was.

He frowned.

A Headless Knight.

What is this weirdo doing here? he thought. If Fiends start moving into here, it's going to ruin the neighborhood…

"Sergeant EZ…" chuckled the Fiend. "Remember me?"

Every time EZ saw one of these guys, he wondered how they could talk. Of course, that then led to him wondering how they managed to see, hear, eat, and do everything else that required a head, which made him wonder just who was in charge of creating monsters. Whoever it was, he must have been drunk when he thought up these guys.

"Yeah," he said sarcastically. "I know a lot of guys who are missing major body parts. You could be any one of them."

"You still have the same wit that you did three years ago," chuckled the Fiend.

"All right, enough jokes," muttered EZ. "Who are you, and what do you want?"

"You don't remember me?" asked the Knight. "You personally busted me for armed robbery!"

"Do you know how little that narrows it down?" asked EZ, now annoyed.

He couldn't believe this – in a two-hour period he had met two jerks he had arrested who were out of jail again. This guy obviously wasn't as memorable as that Dark Blade, but it was ridiculous. The justice system in this city just didn't work…

"Well, you may not remember me, but I sure remember you…" said the Knight.

"Okay, I'm done being polite," sighed EZ, fingering the spell cube in his pocket. "I'm only gonna say this once…"

He stood up and turned his back to the Fiend.

"Get lost before I knock your block off. Oh right, you don't have a block to knock off… Well, get lost anyway."

The Headless Knight growled…

"I don't think so…" he said.

The Fiend pulled his sword out of his sheath…

And with a loud clang, it flew from his hand.

EZ was now standing before him, angrier than ever, and with a Legendary Sword in his hand.

"Uh oh…" muttered the Knight.

EZ was not done with him.

He grabbed the Fiend by the armor, and slammed him against the bench.

"Listen brainless," he growled, "I've had a bad day, and you just made it worse. But since I'm so considerate, I'm more than willing to pretend this little incident never happened. However, if I so much as see you in this part of town again, I'm gonna do this to you!"

He brought the Sword down on the bench, cleaving it in half. The Knight fell over.

"And that's if I'm in a good mood!" he added. "Now beat it!"

He threw the Fiend against the wall of a building, and he fell down with a clang of armor that was likely coming undone.

The Knight finally took the hint, and fled.

EZ deactivated the Sword.

"Headless Knights…" he muttered. "What's next, legless bishops?"

EZ wasn't a nice guy. He'd be the first one to tell you that. In his business, being nice didn't cut it.

As EZ turned to walk home, he checked to see if she was still watching.

No, she wasn't.

A good cop learned to know when he was being watched, and he was quite aware that an Amazoness Paladin had been watching the whole exchange with the Headless Knight. He couldn't tell if she was the same one who he had that staring contest with outside his building, but he was smart enough to know that she likely was.

Swell. An Amazon was spying on him.

He wondered if this day could get any worse…

As if to answer him, he saw a small black bird flutter down ahead of him…

Instinctively, EZ closed his fist around his thumb. That was what you did when you saw a Yata-Garasu.

He shuddered. Those birds were the only surviving Spirit Monsters – creatures that had at one point threatened to tear the Shadow Realm apart. Yata-Garasu were the weakest, but it was considered an evil omen to even see one.

As the creature flew away, a feeling of doom came over the Obnoxious Celtic Guardian…

He doubted that tucking his thumb into his fist would be enough…

0

0

0

Coming up next:

Some new members of the cast are introduced, as a strange series of assaults start to happen in the Warrior's Quarters.

And just who is that Amazoness Paladin anyway? Is she friend or foe?

I'm just getting started. In the crazy, mixed up world that is the Central Shadow Realm, things are gonna get crazier…