Chapter 11 - "Supreme Sovereign of Eternal Darkness" (Patreon)

Marian stared at Vivi for several seconds.

—What are you wearing?

Vivi proudly placed her hands on her hips.

—Elegant clothes.—That was not my question.—I am about to challenge a ninja. Obviously, I had to dress appropriately.

Marian looked at the green kimono, the black horns, and the overall appearance.

—You look like Ogerpon.

— What?

— Ogerpon.

—OF course not.

—You absolutely do.

—No.

—Yes.

—No!

—Yes.

Vivi crossed her arms.

—This is a traditional-modern fusion outfit, thank you very much.

—Of course it is.

—And I picked green because it matches the city's vegetation.

Marian stared at her.

Then at the outfit.

Then back at her.

The young psychic could hardly believe it.

After spending hours trying to understand the meaning of her cards, the answer had apparently been "a girl dressed like Ogerpon."

It was one of the dumbest coincidences she had ever witnessed.

—Very well.

She decided not to question fate any further.

—Have you reconsidered my proposal?

Vivi groaned.

—Unfortunately.

Marian smiled.

—I shall take that as a yes.—If you become as annoying as you were in the café, I’m so gonna leave you alone!

—That seems fair.

Marian responded with a small, elegant bow.

—Thank you.

Vivi immediately pointed at her.

—Now let’s go, Princess Fortune Teller.

Marian blinked.

—Princess Fortune Teller? That is a rather strange nickname.

— Says the fortune teller acting like a princess.

Marian sighed.

She already suspected this partnership would be exhausting.

Together, the two girls approached the entrance of the pagoda. Vivi pressed the communicator beside the gate and immediately spoke into it.

—Hello! We are here to challenge the Gym!

A brief silence followed.

—Me and Princess Fortune Teller!

Another silence.

No answer came from the speaker. Instead, the enormous wooden gates slowly began to open. The deep sound echoed through the entire courtyard.

The challenge had been accepted.

The girls stepped inside. Almost immediately, both of them found themselves staring in awe.

The interior of the pagoda was magnificent. Elegant wooden corridors stretched in every direction while red pillars supported the massive structure. Ancient banners hung from the walls, and countless lanterns illuminated the building with a warm golden glow.

For Marian, it felt like walking into one of those feudal fairy tales she read as a little girl.

For Vivi, it felt like stepping directly into one of her favorite anime.

—This is AWESOME!

—It is quite beautiful.

—There are probably secret tunnels everywhere!

—There are probably not.

—Oh! There are definitely hidden ninjas watching us!!

—That would be rather concerning.

As if the pagoda itself had decided to prove Vivi right, two figures suddenly appeared beside them.

—AAAAAAHHH!!

The girls jumped nearly a meter into the air.

Standing calmly beside them were two ninjas dressed in black. Neither Vivi nor Marian had the slightest idea where they had come from.

The ninjas bowed politely.

—Welcome, challengers.

—The Supreme Sovereign of Eternal Darkness awaits you.

Vivi's eyes sparkled.

Marian's eye twitched.

Without another word, the two attendants began walking deeper into the pagoda, silently motioning for the girls to follow.

The journey upward seemed endless. Floor after floor, staircase after staircase, the pagoda continued to climb higher toward the sky.

Vivi could barely contain herself.

—This is the coolest Gym ever!

—It is certainly memorable.

—Do you think Mukuro uses smoke bombs?

—Probably.

—Do you think he disappears dramatically for no reason?

—You tell me. I am not keen to ninjas.

—Do you think he practices cool poses in front of a mirror?

Marian considered the title "Supreme Sovereign of Eternal Darkness."

—Almost certainly.

The two girls continued climbing until they finally reached the highest floor of the pagoda. At the very end of the corridor stood a pair of enormous doors.

The ninjas stopped. Then, without a single word, they pushed them open.

The enormous doors slowly opened.

Beyond them waited a dark room illuminated by an eerie red glow. The atmosphere was so dramatic that even Marian had to admit it was impressive.

The two ninja attendants stepped forward and immediately knelt.

—Great Lord Mukuro, Supreme Sovereign of Eternal Darkness, the challengers have arrived.

For a few moments, nothing happened. The room remained silent.

Then a voice emerged from the shadows.

—So...

The voice echoed through the chamber.

—Two wandering souls have crossed the veil of fate and arrived at the sanctuary of forgotten shadows.

The girls looked toward the darkness.

—Two challengers have chosen to stand before the Lord of Eternal Night.

The shadows shifted.

—And I, Mukuro, Heir of the Ancient Shinobi, Arrow of the Unavoidable Destiny, Guardian of the Moonless Path and Supreme Sovereign of Eternal Darkness...

A figure slowly stepped into the red light.

—Accept your challenge.

Vivi's eyes widened.

—Whoa...

The guy actually looked incredible.

The dark outfit, the hood, the mask, the glowing eye, the dramatic cape. He looked exactly like the kind of legendary ninja master Vivi loved in movies and anime. Beside her, Marian felt her heart skip a beat when Mukuro removed his mask. The Gym Leader was surprisingly handsome.

For a brief moment, both girls simply stared.

Then Mukuro continued speaking.

—Like an arrow released toward its inevitable target, our destinies now converge beneath the—

The effect immediately vanished.

The girls' expressions slowly flattened.

Behind them, the two ninja attendants remained perfectly still. Fortunately, their masks hid the cringe expressions they had learned to suppress years ago.

Vivi raised her hand.

—Quick question.

—Speak, challenger.

—Could you maybe stop doing... all this?

Mukuro blinked.

—All what?

Vivi pointed at him.

—The darkness, the destiny, the eternal night, the dramatic pauses. You were super cool for like ten seconds and then you kept talking.

Marian nodded.

—I must admit that the mysterious ninja image suffers somewhat from excessive exposition.

Mukuro looked genuinely offended.

—You mock the legacy of my clan?

—Not really.

—The sacred traditions of the shinobi?

—Not really.

—The wisdom accumulated through generations of devoted guardians?

—At first, no.

Vivi scratched her cheek.

—But now I am not entirely sure.

Mukuro placed a hand over his chest.

—Unbelievable!

He pointed dramatically at Vivi.

—And yet you dare criticize me while wearing an Ogerpon cosplay!

—IT’S NOT A COSPLAY!

—It clearly is!

—IT’S NOT!

—It clearly is!!

—IT IS NOT!

Marian sighed.

—It does resemble Ogerpon rather significantly.

—YOU’RE NOT HELPING, PRINCESS FORTUNE TELLER!

Vivi pointed back at Mukuro.

—And you do not get to judge my clothes.

—Why not?

—Look at yourself!

Mukuro immediately crossed his arms.

—My attire has been meticulously designed according to ancient shinobi principles. Every layer serves a purpose. Every detail allows me to become one with the shadows!!

Marian raised her hand politely.

—I am terribly sorry.

—For what?

—I cannot quite hear what you are saying over how your Shedinja hoodie speaks volumes.

Silence.

The two ninja attendants froze.

Mukuro froze.

Even Vivi froze.

The Gym Leader slowly turned toward Marian.

—My... what?

—Your Shedinja hoodie.

One of the attendants quietly looked away. The other suddenly became very interested in a nearby wall.

Mukuro's eye twitched.

—This is not a hoodie.

—It has a hood.

—That is different.

—Is it?

—Yes.

—How?

Mukuro immediately launched into a detailed explanation involving stealth, shadow concealment, ancient warfare, tactical mobility, and the symbolic representation of darkness within the history of his clan.

Three minutes later, he was still explaining.

—...and that is why the silhouette itself represents the—

Vivi interrupts him.

—Oh my Arceus, dude’s a pizza cutter.

— Pizza... Cutter?

—Yeah.

—Why?

—Have you listened yourself talking?!

Mukuro stared at her in complete disbelief.

For the first time since entering the room, the Supreme Sovereign of Eternal Darkness was speechless.

Mukuro's face turned red.

—THAT IS ENOUGH!

The sudden outburst echoed throughout the chamber.

For the first time since they had met him, the Gym Leader sounded less like an ancient master of darkness and more like an annoyed teenager.

Marian calmly adjusted a strand of hair.

—I am merely trying to help.

—Help?!

—Yes.

—By calling me a pizza cutter?

—That was her.

Marian pointed at Vivi.

—By mocking of my attire?!

—That was me, yes.

—YOU ARE NOT HELPING!

Marian sighed.

—If I may offer some advice...

Mukuro narrowed his eye.

—What?

—You are never going to find a girl if you keep speaking like that.

Silence filled the room.

Mukuro blinked.

—What?

—You heard me.

—I already have a girlfriend.

Neither girl reacted.

—I do!

Still nothing.

—I have a girlfriend!

Vivi and Marian exchanged a glance.

The silence somehow became even worse.

—I do!

—Sure.

—Of course you do.

Mukuro pointed dramatically at them.

—She is real!

—Naturally.

—We believe you.

The Gym Leader clenched his fists.

—She is beautiful!

—Convenient.

—She is blonde!

—How specific.

—She is energetic!

—Mm-hm.

—She is a cheerleader!

The room became silent.

Mukuro immediately realized that had somehow made things worse.

Vivi slowly crossed her arms.

—… A cheerleader.

—Yes!

Marian nodded politely.

—And I suppose she is also a princess?

—She is not a princess!

—My mistake.

—She coaches sports teams!

—Oh?

—FIVE OF THEM!

—Impressive.

—SHE DOES!

Neither girl looked convinced.

Mukuro stared at them in disbelief, then he looked toward the ninja attendants.

Neither of them moved.

Neither of them offered support.

Neither of them even attempted to save him.

Mukuro slowly lowered his head.

A vein appeared on his forehead.

—Oh, to Hell with this!

The room shook.

Before either girl could respond, Mukuro reached into his sleeve and threw a rolled-up piece of paper toward them.

Vivi caught it.

—Huh?

At the exact same moment, a massive cloud of smoke exploded around the Gym Leader.

FWOOOOOSH!

The girls shielded their eyes. When the smoke cleared, Mukuro was gone.

Vivi's eyes sparkled.

—OKAY, THAT WAS AWESOME!

Marian rubbed her forehead.

—We just spent twenty minutes arguing with him and that is what impressed you?

—Did you see that smoke bomb?!

The two ninja attendants stepped forward before the argument could continue.

—The second trial shall begin tomorrow.

—Trial?

—The battle against Lord Mukuro is divided into multiple stages.

The attendants pointed toward the scroll in Vivi's hands.

—The first trial has already been completed.

Vivi unrolled the paper.

—Which was?

—Forming a team of two challengers.

The girls immediately looked at each other.

Neither seemed particularly happy about that.

—The second trial will begin tomorrow morning.

—What is it?

—Finding the battlefield.

Marian blinked.

—Finding it?

—Correct.

One of the attendants pointed toward the map.

—The battlefield lies somewhere within the Ancient Mist Forest.

—The location is hidden.

—You must use the map to find it.

Vivi looked at the complex network of trails and landmarks.

—You are kidding.

—We are not.

—And the final trial?

The attendants exchanged glances.

—That shall be revealed when you arrive.

Before the girls could ask another question, both ninjas suddenly stepped backward.

—We wish you luck, challengers.

—May your journey through the mist be successful.

Then, with perfect synchronization, both threw smoke bombs at the floor.

FWOOOOOSH!

The room filled with smoke, and a moment later, they were gone.

Neither spoke for several seconds.

Finally, Vivi looked down at the map, then toward the place where Mukuro had disappeared.

—That was weird as hell.

—Quite.

The two girls looked at the map once more.

Somewhere within the Ancient Mist Forest waited the battlefield.

And neither of them had the slightest idea what kind of challenge awaited them there.