First and foremost, I'm attempting to use a new format in which the entire thing can be indented and not spaced apart, so if the paragraphs look jumbled, I'll fix it before chapter two is posted. I hope you enjoy this on LoD's Haiatus, although bear in mind that story comes first. Once it is complete, this work will be updated more frequently. I hope you enjoy this everyone.

The Central Shadow Realm, or if you are like the citizens who live there and prefer the shortened version, CSR. That tells you something right there. A community takes a proper name, and shortens it to the point where the society knows these letters as an entire concept, but what was lost in these words? Do the citizens still remember what those words stood for? Or even what words their common letters mean?

Ask someone, and they will tell you they don’t know, or even if they do, they don’t care. Deeper meaning is something not searched for in the dow Central Shadow Realm. It is what it is, and you are what you are. Change is a matter for the Counsel to decide, and even then, events happen around you. One does not peruse their own causes.

To the higher class this is arrogant, to the low ones it is a death wish. All a monster needs to survive is provided for them. But there are those few, who stop trying to survive, and start trying to live…

Shadow Realm: Unity

By jkBAKURA

Inspired by Master of Paradox’s Central Shadow Realm featured in the fanfic Shadow Realm: Fifteen, with a few minor references to Dark Sage’s fic Shadow Realm: P.I. All monsters are the creations of the Yu-Gi-Oh! Manga and animated series. All credit goes to them. Credit to whatever else happens in this story, belongs to me.

Chapter One: Dark Beginning


Very rarely, is there a story worth telling in the Central Shadow Realm that does not involve their Police Force. And it was in their main Headquarters that a single being stood in the center of the dark and quiet interrogation room. From above, one could only tell he was a warrior, and they could also see he was outnumbered.

Twelve, in fact, was the number of other creatures around the edges of the room, each an opponent, looking for their chance to overwhelm their opponent.

The central warrior did not move. In fact, he didn’t even open his eyes, and he didn’t have to. They would come to him soon enough.

His eyes shot open as an opponent behind him made the first rush. Nimbly he raised his arm behind him, hearing a clang of metal, as he pointed his blade downwards behind him, saving his pelvis and spine from parting company.

The others all moved in at once.

Spinning his opponent’s sword away from him, he used the momentum to smack the conflicting blade into the helmet of another challenger. Turning swiftly, he braced his hands of the shoulders of a third warrior behind him. Bracing himself, he kicked at the first two, barely slipping over the blade of the third.

On instinct, he used the force to land on his feet, back to back with the third adversary. Keeping his arms around the thick neck, the warrior threw his captive over in front of himself, feeling satisfaction as he heard the wind leave from the monster’s lungs.

Grabbing his own blade, the central fighter made a jump. And with that he all but disappeared, leaving nine combatants confused in the dimly lit room. Everyone listened closely. A confused yelp and a heavy slumping sound confirmed that their numbers were now seven.

Taking advantage of the shift in glance, the two nearest to the back swiftly went down, now giving everyone a large amount of unconscious bodies to step over.

Apparently one of the opponents had played around enough.
“Shining Blade!”

The dull blue light was just enough not to hurt anyone’s eyes. Looking up, the remaining five found their opponent hanging from his sword, which was planted at an angle into the ceiling.

“Really, Runsei, I was just beginning to have fun.”

“Well, I just have to add back the challenge then don’t I?”

The shining sword now held in Runsei’s hand swept where the central man hung just a moment before. The four other fighters held ready stances, blades up, just before he hit the ground. The man rolled and came to his feet in a perfect ready stance without even a head rush.

Three of the opponents gulped before moving as one.

The Central man burst into action, weaving his blade, never pulling it close, he fought from a distance, weaving and swerving like a true fencer.

The other swung their swords in powerful arcs that would have been finishers if they had connected, but their opponent kept moving, giving ground to avoid the blows his elegant style could not deflect.

Leading them where he wanted, the figure got them slipping up, tripping over each other, and interfering with each others’ blades.

Ducking under a blow, a sweep kick knocked one on their rump. His opponent jumped out of the way, just in time for one of his own teammates to send a blade at his grounded form. Doing the only thing he could think of, the fallen teammate put out his feet, and caught the lunger in a two-footed kick, which led to a critical pause in which the opponent knocked the lunger into unconsciousness, before hitting the grounded one’s head to the floor to do the same.

The third man struck then, only to get the climber’s blade through the hand guard of his own sword. An impact of an elbow quickly took him out of the fight.

Now it was down to two, and the next one to attack was by far the fastest. Her sword was shorter, and even he had to keep up his delicate strokes to avoid her getting too close.

Slowly he backed away, nearing the wall, placing his short stabs to lure her where he wanted to go. All too soon, his blade left scratches in the wall at his opponent’s back as she narrowly dodged each stab. Having no other choice, she made a leap over him, just as he wanted her to.

He caught her midriff with the side of his sword, knocking her breath away as he used the force to slam her into the floor.

Now it was just him, and the one he had called Runsei, the only one that would truly force him to use all of his strength.

Blades locked intensely. Runsei used his own style against him, using the lack of kinetic force to block the blade away, getting close where he worked so hard to keep an opponent from getting, but at the same time keeping the blade spinning in front of his own body, preventing space for a stab.

Worse, the light from the blade obscured his vision of the rest of the fighter, leaving him more then once righting himself after a leg intent on tripping him.

Now, this was what he had been waiting for.

Summoning up his true power, he finally let it all go. This was why he was where he was. Others were faster, others were stronger, but no one could match his skill with a blade.

Moving like a watercolor, his strokes became faster, forming a circle of dancing metal. Runsei could do nothing but speed up his cycle of blocks, but he couldn’t keep it up for long.

It seemed like fighting seven swords instead of one. Looking behind at the rapidly approaching wall, he made a desperate attempt to wound his opponent’s leg.

He was met with a swift downward stroke, the opposing blade piercing his own, sticking it like a pin into the floor.

Recovering, he felt a palm thrust into his abdomen, and felt a tickling that filled him with dread.

“Chivalry Fist!”

The attack echoed throughout the chamber. Red and black beams of power shot from his fingertips like claws. Runsei waited for the end to come, and was shocked when it did not. He looked down to see the four holes burned through his body and stared at his opponent.

“You didn’t hit anything vital?”

“I do riot control, and sometimes the lower class need something to scare them into line. You should see the looks on their faces sometimes.”

The Blade Knight known as Runsei took a look at the battered array of Armails, M-Warriors, and the single Warrior Lady of the Wasteland that had given him so much trouble.

“You certainly have a way with the lower class …”

“Meridio!”

The victor turned to meet the source of the voice, a young woman wrapped in blue, with hair a shade unseen in the mortal plain. She wore simple sandals, but what she wore that Meridio found most distressing was a scowl.

She was a Protector of the Throne, no one of consequence in the class system, simply hired help. With the high crime rates, there was a constant need for anything available to prevent and react to crimes. Her species were naturals for the job based on their sense of duty, and their hints of clairvoyant ability.

Meridio regarded her politely.

“Protector PeeTee Two Thirty Seven Dash See Nine, is there something wrong?”

“Well, Jack’s Knight Seven Oh Six Dash Jay,” She responded coolly, “Only if taking time off from your duties to beat up on your subordinates and call it work would raise an issue with Dupin.”

His mouth tightened with distaste.

“I spent a lot of time picking out my name, so I’d prefer if you used it.”

“I found mine in seconds and the feeling is the same.”

Runsei, the Blade Knight, rose to his feet.

“Don’t you worry about me, I can nab him on a good day still. I take it you were sent for a briefing.”

The Protector looked to him, politely avoiding the other unconscious fighters around the room.

“Yes, and this one may need Dupin’s personal attention… but for now, Sergeant,” she turned back to Meridio, “it looks like it falls to you. You’ll be filled in, but if this doesn’t quiet Forseti himself might interfere.”

Meridio had his duty, and he knew it.

“Very well, I will be with you shortly…Veronica.”

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Meridio was exceptional, a prodigy among the Shadow Realm Police Force. He had exited the Beginner’s Hall in three days, closed his first case within a week, been promoted to Sergeant within a year, and was still relatively young at that.

Everyone had him pinned as Dupin’s replacement or even Forseti’s, and those who had fought him expected him to live long enough to do it. The one who called herself Veronica however, found him to cause unease as they walked down the otherwise empty hallway.

Finally ending up at a briefing room, the two of them took separate seats, and waited for their instructions. The Jack’s Knight struggled to find a way to break the silence, but was spared, as a Cyber Commander came through the opposite door carrying a file.

“Oh, boy,” he chuckled, “You are going to have your hands full with this one, let me tell you!”

“Skip it, and give us the briefing so we can get to work,” Meridio barked, causing Veronica to jump. Clearly nervous, the Cyber Commander continued.

“Yes well, I suppose I should start with this.”

Redirecting some of his power, the machine began a perfect recording of Dupin.

“Getting straight to the point, seeing as you already know why you’re here. You both remember the double Uprise of felon Witty Phantom D15-A and the Magician of Faith Tessia?”

“Surely you have a more accurate identification of her then just a name.” Meridio stated, with expectation.

Veronica looked at Meridio’s expression. It was not shown in his face, but she couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a bit of distaste in his last statement.

“Whatever she is, it doesn’t matter. The point is, monsters thought it was simply a myth. Now they have a documented case, and our control over some of the lower levels is starting to slide. Other old stories are starting to be looked at again. Meridio, that event has triggered something that could cause the largest revolt this Realm has ever seen. Monsters are dying everyday now experimenting with new magic. Cults are forming; we’ve seen everything from back lot Level Conversion Labs to public telling of the Fusion Gate legend. Meridio, we are losing monsters to the dragons because they go out on foot looking for Fusion ingredients, and I can’t keep my eyes on everyone anymore.”

Couldn’t do that before, Veronica thought, but wasn’t going to say anything out loud.

Taking the large object on his back, the Cyber Commander projected an image onto the blank, although stained wall.

“One of the most outspoken, we think it’s someone around a Level Four, someone who can get the lowers’ attention, is starting to get some hopeful. You know as well as I do that the Shadow Realm cannot support everyone like us, and they can’t expect to. A tip directed us to this meeting. Now, any hostility and we make their cause greater, so we need them to see this as the better alternative. You enter, you locate the leader, and you bring him here for a briefing. If we can have him convinced, we save ourselves a bit of trouble. Protector C9 is going with you. The rest is in the file. Good luck.”

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As the two entered the hallway leading to the building’s exit, Veronica could feel Meridio’s tension. More to put herself at ease then comfort him, she asked the first question that came to her mind.

“So, what do you think?”

The sergeant gave her a sly wink.

“I think I can handle this myself. A low-level riot is nothing I haven’t seen before, and I’d hate to think of you getting into any trouble on my account.”

“Is that so?” She stated with utmost calm, “Or is it because that company of my level does not advance your reputation. You think I didn’t notice that we’re missing half the GB squad because you knock them out every week for practice? You practically tasted bile when that monster mentioned Tessia…”

“M-RD-017,” he corrected, and quite smug that he knew information that wasn’t in the file.

The Protector shot him a pleading look.

“Why did you have to say that?”

He gave a comforting look as they neared the front door, giving a brief wave to the Manju of the Ten-Thousand hands at the desk.

“It simply means that you are looking too hard. Of course the low levels are essential to the structure of this city, but I don’t see the reason why they think they need to keep asking for help that they should be able to make for themselves.”

Noting the hurt look, he took her hand, making Veronica tense up in an instant.

“I sense the exception in you, however, and someone with so much spirit at your level is certainly worth the time of day. I do hope that even after this assignment we can get to know each other better. If you would permit me, that is.”

Veronica refused to meet his eyes. Here was a monster whose name was very well known in the police force, and was spreading with each new case. Her role was mostly to gain and relay information, Meridio was commanding the officers, so why would he be interested in her? She was a nobody among several monsters who worked her job. Heck, most of the time she was referred to by her seat number.

Still the question needed a response.

“I’ll think about it.”