One week later
A week had passed since the world of Edenfall had withdrawn into itself, since Elah and Sayil disappeared and the network became a presence.
But peace, as always, had an expiration date.
The squares were now empty. The cities were quieter. Emotions stabilized. It was the perfect climate… for something to infiltrate unnoticed.
And on the outskirts of Vel-Mirah , a commercial town that had remained untouched during the boom years, a factory burned down .
No one knew how the fire started.
But everyone knew what it meant when, amidst the flames, a hooded figure appeared .
He said nothing. He just placed
a black, molten metal mask on the ground .
And he left.
The forgotten signal
Akihiko received the fire report in a paper envelope, something rarely used anymore.
It didn't come from any network. Not from anyone trustworthy.
But the symbol engraved on the edge made him shudder:
⚫ A circle divided by a vertical line… the extinct brand of The Ebony Shadow .
—"That's impossible. That mafia was eliminated thirty years ago," Kael muttered.
—"No. It just stopped being visible."
And Akihiko knew that peace had been just a truce that wasn't earned...
but bought.
III. The new victim: infiltrated government
Hours after the fire, news spread to unconnected regions: Syria's security minister was found dead in his office.
There were no signs of a struggle. But his eyes were open, frozen… as if he'd seen something he couldn't understand.
On his desk, engraved with a knife:
"We're back for everything they left to rot."
No one claimed responsibility for the crime.
No one publicly investigated.
But in the basements of the old government, one name was whispered in fear: "He's back."
Presentation of the new villain – The Black Veil
In a subterranean chamber bathed in a faint red, seven hooded figures knelt.
In the center, a rusty iron throne. And upon it, a man wearing black gloves, his face covered by a featureless mask. Only his voice:
—"We slept for three generations.
Now… we awaken to crush the foundations they left alive. "
He is The Black Veil , the supreme leader of The Ebon Shadow.
A figure so ancient that even the hidden archives of Varosk believed him to be legend.
He doesn't shout. He
doesn't command in anger.
He inspires obedience with silence.
And his plan has already begun.
The Deadly Seven – The New Structure of Evil
The Black Veil relies on seven captains , all born and raised in the darkest strata of the world:
Kraven – expert in chemical weapons and human experimentation. Naresha – a master infiltrator, capable of mimicking behavioral patterns to the level of a copy. Torgas – the silent butcher, the killer without a trace. Ysin – the bone counter, economic strategist with a thousand illegal routes. Verruk – a melee fighter, surgically enhanced to kill without fatigue. Malith – the absent-voiced interrogator, who makes anyone talk… without saying a word. Serah V. – daughter of an ancient fallen family of Edenfall, expert in political and social corruption.
Everyone is active. And everyone has goals.
Akihiko prepares
After years of quiet retreat, Akihiko opens a compartment under his home. Inside: a sealed metal box.
He opens it.
It contains his old sword.
A map of logistics networks. And a list with names crossed out… except for one.
—"You cannot flourish while mud covers the foundations."
He puts his coat back on
and goes out .
Not to seek redemption. But to keep the world from silently rotting.
VII. First objective: Koreth
The first city to detect confirmed activity is Koreth, an industrial city abandoned ten years ago.
Now, patrols are once again on the streets… but they're not government patrols.
One of the Deadly Seven has taken control of its underground routes.
And bodies begin to appear hanging in the tunnels... eyeless.
Akihiko sets out alone. Because no one else is allowed to remember what it's like to fight without hope.
END OF CHAPTER 141 – BEGINNING OF THE SAGA: THE EBONY SHADOW