The night sky over Kasukabe was drowned in thunderclouds. Far on the horizon, a ruin of steel and concrete jutted into the heavens like a dead giant—the villains' fortress. From the outside, it was a nightmare: broken pillars jutted like bones, exposed wires sparked faintly, and at its heart rose a throne of jagged black stone, sharp as teeth.
But once Ai-chan was dragged past that darkness, her breath caught.
The ruined shell gave way to a hidden palace within—an immense hall gleaming with chandeliers of black crystal, marble floors polished to perfection, and walls painted with scenes of ancient battles. Gold glimmered in the light, and fountains of wine and fire burned in equal measure. Servants—human men and women, dressed in fine silks—moved silently through the halls, carrying trays of food and filling goblets for the generals of Umbra.
At the center of it all, Lord Umbra himself sat on his obsidian throne, his cloak of living shadows trailing to the floor. Beside him, bound in coils of darkness, was Ai-chan.
Her voice trembled, but she lifted her chin. "Why did you kidnap me? What do you want from me?"
Umbra's eyes glowed faintly red as he leaned forward. His voice rolled like distant thunder. "Twenty years ago, your husband and his friends stole everything from me. I should hate him. I do hate him. But when I saw you, Ai… something in me shifted. You are beautiful. Your voice—so gentle, so pleasant—it ensnared me. I could not look away. And so… you will be mine."
Ai-chan stared at him, baffled and horrified. "That's all? You think beauty and a voice are enough reason to love someone?"
Umbra's cloak rippled as he tilted his head. "Is it not sufficient?"
"No," she said firmly, her eyes narrowing. "Love isn't about faces or voices. It's about seeing each other's shortcomings, respecting each other, standing together when it matters most. That… that belongs only to me and Shinchan. I don't like you, and if you try to force me, I will hate you."
Umbra's eyes flashed dangerously, then softened into a hungry smile. "Then I will do all those things. Respect you. Stand by you. And when Shinchan is gone, when his family is gone… you will have no choice."
Ai-chan shook her head. "I will never love you."
Umbra rose from his throne, his shadow stretching like a storm cloud across the room. "Lock her away. We have time… all the time in the world."
Two armored guards obeyed, dragging Ai-chan down a long hall to a heavy steel door. She fought them with her words.
"Why do you serve villains who will destroy this city?" she demanded.
The guards paused, glancing at one another before one answered, his voice hollow but steady. "Because we were abandoned. Forgotten. We were beggars, sick, starving in the streets. When we took our last breaths, it was not men who saved us—it was the villains. They fed us, clothed us, gave us shelter and honor… in exchange for loyalty. We are proud to serve."
The other added grimly, "The human world discarded us. Here, at least, we are something."
Ai-chan fell silent, her heart aching at their words. The door slammed shut, locking her inside. Two guards remained stationed outside, their shadows stretching in the torchlight.
Back in the grand hall, the villains gathered around Umbra.
Thornfang's vines lashed the marble floor, impatient. "Why waste time on a mere woman?"
Voltazo sparked with a sneer. "We should be crushing Shinchan already."
Umbra's shadow lashed outward, cracking the stone under their feet. His voice thundered. "Silence! She is not a mere woman. She is mine—the love of my life. Do not speak of her again with such disrespect."
The generals lowered their heads, cowed by the sheer force of his fury.
Umbra settled back into his throne, his gaze cold. "Shinchan and his friends will come. And when they do—we will break them. One by one, until hope itself rots."
The meeting adjourned, the villains slinking away to sharpen their weapons and polish their powers.
In the locked chamber, Ai-chan sat alone. A small barred window looked out at the night sky. Through it, the pale moon glowed.
She pressed her palms together, tears shining in her eyes. "Shinchan… please be safe. Please come for me. I'll wait. I'll always wait. We will be together again."
The moonlight bathed her face in silver, carrying her prayer out into the storm.