Darkside Syndicate Showdown
"Something like that happened, and this one's the God of Nurture."
She said it so casually while recounting how she'd killed a classmate and then revived them. She'd tried to use necromancy to bring them back but messed up because she didn't know it well, so she ended up using possession magic instead and turned them into a vessel for a god—making them a cleric.
Was she planning to start a new religion for some ancient god from another world? I'd heard there was even an orc with an octopus head in her class, and honestly, Kaoru was worried about the future in all sorts of ways.
Anyway, that was that. I could buy the professor targeting her—it even felt kind of obvious.
"Someone as sweet and pure as you? They'd wanna grab hold and shake you up. You're like the ultimate all-purpose stress-relief machine for pent-up desires."
"The metaphor's a bit weird, but you're talking about something like a succubus that drives virgins insane, right?"
"It's like comparing it to an AI that makes you cum instead of horny fanfic, but same difference. Anyway— the professor? Not bad, right? Gets respect and all."
But as we'd see with the Divination professor, it wasn't a job that raked in the big bucks. Hearing she'd have to do side gigs to take care of her mom for life, I shook my head. I was never going to become a professor like that.... probably.
But on the flip side, if I got roped in as a TA or grad student, cleaning up her messes... I might end up there by accident. Honestly, I didn't have rock-solid goals anyway, and I knew objectively that I was a pretty vague person.
"Then if push comes to shove, use that pretty face and debut as a VTuber."
"VTubers don't need faces, though...?"
"Use it as the twist reveal to own all the haters who assume you're ugly under the model. Ride the peak popularity, then doxx your face and pivot to acting."
"Isn't that taboo?"
The God of Nurture just grinned, like it wasn't her problem anyway.
Let's wrap up the talk about my future. What mattered wasn't the distant horizon—it was today, tomorrow, and my first-year life.
The professor issue didn't seem harmful, so fine. But the repeat-year students were the real problem.
"Right? Insane special treatment. They were too scared of Aris Witchcraft's brutal personality to expel her, so they just held her back for three years instead. And now the academy's making a special graduating class for her daughter—from first year?"
Kaoru senior cackled, saying the repeat-year students locked in prison—and future ones—would hear the rumors, build up their hate and rage, and just bide their time for revenge.
She stuck a thick cigar in her mouth, snapped her fingers to neatly slice off the end, then snapped again to light it with a spark, inhaling deeply. No idea how her mouth worked, but she exhaled pure white smoke and muttered, "Repeat-year students, huh..."
"Stuck in prison too long, but she said there were seven problem kids including you, right?"
"Yeah?"
Kaoru Ortokanna herself and Wiyu Witchcraft. Excluding us, there was Akarino Kiduna, called the Ghost of the Manga Club. Onozuka Yungmei, with her gentle personality but bear-like threatening build and magic specialty. Amamiya Echo, infamous as a witch-hater who made guys uncomfortable.
"Echo senior's a witch-hater?"
"Why, did that hothead stab him or something?"
...And no one stopped me from joining the Manga Club with someone like that? Maybe they figured even if Echo senior lunged, he couldn't win. It was ironic—thanks to Mom, the one person who didn't hate me was a witch-hater like Echo senior. Personal reasons, probably. Asking would be rude, so I'd leave it.
"And the last two are the biggest problem children."
One had been expelled from two other academies before enrolling here—a legendary troublemaker. The other was—squatting in this academy's "underworld" with no intention of graduating.
"She won't lead the repeat-year students. Just nudge them from behind. That's cleaner, usually."
The agony and pain of failing to graduate... the fear and terror of maybe never graduating... She pokes at those emotions just enough from the shadows, plants bombs in their hearts, lights the fuse, and lets them explode. Then she can wash her hands of it—"I just gave them a little push, never told them to go that far."
"So what do we do?"
"What do you mean? Just beat 'em up."
Kaoru senior said flatly that if there's no evidence and you don't like them, smash their faces in.
...Something I could never do. My conscience twinged, and I sighed, hand on my chest.
"By the way, the underworld?"
"Ah, it's a secret space the students made. Got all kinds of stuff... straight-up black market. Probably tunnels to outside the school too?"
She casually admitted even her cigarettes came from there. First-years probably didn't even know it existed, but professors sneaked in incognito too. A lawless zone totally outside academy rules.
Why would anyone need a place like that? I wondered.
"It's a special warped space the students banded together to make to survive Aris Witchcraft. Started as safe storage, turned into a market, and escape routes for smuggling goods when things got dicey."
"..."
Wait, even that was because of Mom? Thinking about it, the academy kept getting half-destroyed and collapsing. Made sense as a student bunker for evacuations.
"Anyway, it's a real lawless zone. Professor titles mean nothing. Heard there's paths to other academies too."
Mysterious, but bad luck and you could get lost inside forever. Dangerous, so you needed special qualifications or conditions to enter. Kaoru senior tossed in a tip at the end: "Wanna find the academy's treasures? Dig there first."
"Hm, been in prison so long—maybe time to pay a visit."
"Pardon?"
"Don't know where one is, but I know where the other one's at. Beat her up, and if not her, then one of the rest is the culprit."
"Pardon?"
"No—please listen to me!!!"
Forget if the academy had a space like this. Kaoru senior ripped open a locked gate—bars and all—like it was nothing. Once she decided, her action speed went full runaway truck with busted brakes.
"Might as well grab smokes while I'm at it," she said casually, strolling into the darkness like it was a walk in the park.
Wasn't provoking the repeat-year students still just speculation?
"You gotta consider it might just be natural hate and jealousy from the graduating class's existence!!"
"Then beat 'em when they come. Not too late."
She giggled, thrilled they'd come get pummeled themselves. I hid behind the God of Nurture—who I needed to report getting summoned by the Divination professor to—and followed her.
"Man, I just wanna clock out."
"Sorry... hang out a bit?"
"Eh, give me more divinity and sure."
Felt less like a scam and more like getting played for a fool... But she was a goddess, after all. Paid upfront, and we followed the glow of her cigarette into the dark.
How long did we walk? Suddenly, the darkness cleared with a roar, revealing a massive cavern.
Vast enough for trams on rails, people in casual clothes—not uniforms— milling about. Even outsiders who didn't look like students hawking wares. Street carts, booze stench—the underground was a mystical city unto itself.
So different from what I'd imagined, my jaw wouldn't shut. I gawked around like a country bumpkin.
Then, through a fancy BAR's glass, my eyes met Ephemera Flash leisurely sipping. She glanced, waved, then lost interest. Our top student.
"Oh, the first-year top? Got an invite already?"
Rare for first-years, so mega special treatment, senior said. No wonder she knew so much.
Then men surrounded us in a flash.
"Three intruders via unauthorized passage detected!"
"No invite, using a sealed old entrance... Ballsy!"
"Got some guts? Wanna test? Heh heh..."
"Two girls in a rough spot like this... Gotta rate 'em at least '1.5 high school girls' combat power.'"
"There's police here?"
"More like an organization. Welcome to the Darkside Syndicate."
A crime syndicate ruling the underworld—like something from comics. My heart raced a bit. But just for a moment. We were the rude invaders!! At least outside academy rules, no demerits.
"Wait—it's the third-year psycho Kaoru Ortokanna!! How'd you bust out of prison?! Heard 30 years for academy assault!"
"Senior, what the hell have you been up to..."
"Thought exchange matches meant we could beat professors and principal too. You—new face? Third-year?"
"Second-year."
"So you know I'm your senior?"
"Acting cocky despite knowing me... Guess you underestimate me?"
A tooth rolling on the ground, a student with a twisted neck unmoving. His buddy downed in one strike. Someone yelled to attack, mouth agape—but chilling silence fell. No one moved. Just clutching throats as mushrooms sprouted from mouths, staggering.
"Walk up to big shrooms without caution? Sprayed spores when I swung earlier."
Mushrooms sprouting visibly on skin and clothes. Senior hopped, swept her leg wide—no one dodged, all floored in one go.
Screams from shocked students, more gang members charging—uniforms making them easy to spot, plus plainclothes ones blending in. Monitoring the whole area like that?
Things escalating, no way to stop her. Glanced at God of Nurture for advice.
"Stay back, don't fight, watch like bystanders."
"Huh? God, then what?"
"Betray her."
"What?"
"Illegal spot, so burn it—no one to blame. Tell 'em to prove it."
"That screams 'ditch senior, I survive' route."
"From what Divination prof said, next best third-year after her. Remember: people's value changes. Self-preservation first. Be selfish."
This was a god of nurture...? Could ask if she raised livestock?
"Got it! Self-preservation above all! Even betray trusted allies if needed... with faith they'll forgive."
"Pardon, but where you from?"
"Greece ring a bell?"
"We don't summon from there..."
"Don't summon Zeus."
Felt like sincere advice, whatever god she was. Decided not to summon.
While chatting, senior had already downed 50 goons. They rushed in waves, shopkeeps grabbing weapons to defend—but senior dominated.
Academy practice fights made violence common, but her excess got her imprisoned for "reform." Overkill gore like a horror flick; eyes squinted. Arms and legs bending like whips—normal?
"Good our senior's strong."
"Yeah, strong—so delay the betrayal."
Listening, her words rang true. What rhetoric... She'd crush as a streamer.
Mid-chat, she plonked an oil drum—her power?—on the ground.
So options: let senior beat everyone, or torch the place? Hoped for the former, watched the entry melee.
Then—clack clack. Amid screams, heel clicks echoed.
Far off, barely a silhouette, but felt more "extraordinary" than anyone I'd met. Chaos froze in fear—even limb-broken goons biting.
Beauty. Sleek black bob, horn-rimmed glasses screaming intellect. Elite face, but bold—tailored jacket over nothing, cleavage out.
"Who'd cause this mess in the Darkside Syndicate?—Escaped, Unchained?"
She knew senior, called her name with disgust. Senior tossed the goon she was face-pummeling.
"—Yo, MJ."
Nickname, probably. They closed in chummily—then senior blindsided her with a face punch, no warning.
"Even if she loses here, we're uninvolved—bail fast."
"No wonder you said stay put. All planned."
"Plotted it while smoking. Crime and betrayal gotta be clean for no backlash."
God tipped the drum, oil flowing toward senior's dropped cigar. Win or lose didn't matter—she bolted sharply.
Wait, by her logic, I was betrayable too?
"No way?"
"Why think you won't get betrayed? Sucker!!"
Quitting time—scam, bolt. God of Nurture gone.
Damn, should've made a contract upfront!! No Grand Duke, scammed instantly!!
Fire—I could do fire. Might stop the fight. Watch senior for now.
Senior overwhelming. MJ slammed into concrete—crashing roar, floor buckling. Huge damage, but she rose unscathed, dusting off.
"What gave you that confidence?"
Sensing something off as MJ darkened.
"Forgot 'cause it's been ages? Mushroom head."
Red-glowing eyes. No warning—senior rocketed to the syndicate's dark ceiling, vanished skyward, no descent.
Senior launched, MJ unscratched, stood brushing dirt.
"Rough tagging along with that grouch, second-gen Witchcraft."
"Uh... um..."
"Forgot to introduce myself?"
This syndicate's boss—and senior who envied/admired Mom most.
"Someday, pinnacle of this world's darkness. Aspiring Darkside boss."
Not graduating, squatting as repeat-year: to surpass Mom's infamy with new terror.
Shocking reason, she politely offered a business card.
"Park Minji."
"Ah, pretty name."
"Everyone calls me MJ—doesn't fit."
Pretty name aside, extraordinary aura clear. Battle lust in her eyes toward me. Same tribe as senior—combat race craving strong fights!!
"—Grant this lovely demigod the honor of battling the strongest witch ever?"
"Wait—"
"【Over the Rainbow】"
Stunned by demigod, tried saying no fight—but her power flung me into the wall.
"Th...th...that huuurts..."
Was this... real academy life...?
Splat. Wet on my face—looked up, oil from floor flying at me.
"Wai—!"
"Returning the favor."
Explosion roared, flames erupting. Cavern shook like collapsing. Flames spread; MJ picked up the cigar, lit it.
"If this kills you, oh well."
Zero interest in graduating—worst repeat-year. Hell, academy vaporizing? Fine by this battle maniac.