Reader Discretion is Advised
The Thirteen Nightblades (十三の夜剣, Jūzō no Yoru Ken?) was a secret society of thirteen corrupt noble families headlined by Marquis Brad Dakuaikan.[1] Recognized as the shadow rulers of the Midgar Kingdom, they built a strong relationship with the Cult of Diablos to maintain their established wealth and power.[2][3] The aristocratic cabal fell apart after Shadow, posing as Jack the Ripper, eliminated all leading members and ended their rampant oppressive rule.[4]
History[]
The group of prominent noble families began their illicit activities by making contact with the Cult of Diablos[3] , which also makes them a target of Shadow Garden.[1] Through the assistance of the Fenrir sect, the Thirteen Nightblades received money, slaves, assassins, monsters, and artifacts to control the Midgar Kingdom.[4] In the final years of their existence, the Thirteen Nightblades’ authority surpassed the sovereignty of the Royal Midgar Family.[1][3]
Power & Influence[]
Due to their noble status and Cult connections, members of the Thirteen Nightbladess and their families held significant power. The Midgar Kingdom government exercised rules and laws, but the Thirteen Nightbladess operated outside the state, imposing unregulated violence and authority.[5][3] Such a privilege allowed them to commit crimes with impunity and invoke special privileges or immunities to alter official proceedings.[1]
The Thirteen Nightblades’s sway extended beyond the public sector, associating with criminal gangs and paramilitary organizations. They created illegal militias consisting of the best dark knights and mercenaries.[2] Many Bushin Festival tournament participants, Lawless City assassins, and martial artists from Wakoku, resided within their ranks.[5] As a testament to their influence, the organization hired all the best warriors and mercenaries on the continent to exterminate Jack the Ripper.[3]
After Fenrir's death and his sect's subsequent destruction, The Thirteen Nightblades lost significant underworld backing.[2] Immediately, they sought out alternative benefactors. Members started negotiations with the Loki sect to supersede previous connections.[3] The speed of the assassinations outpaced their discussions, and the entire upper echelons of the organization were killed.[4]
Membership[]
Chronology[]
Following an incident at Midgar Academy for Dark Knights, The Midgarian Court was to try Eliza Dakuaikan for her participation in the deaths of several students. Eliza's father, Marquis Brad Dakuaikan, employed the Thirteen Nightblades' authority to keep his daughter from being imprisoned. In accordance with the order, Count Goethe Mono began the laborious paperwork necessary for bribes, false testimonies, and assassinations. Count Goethe never completed his work and was unceremoniously murdered by a man in a clown suit.[1]
The Thirteen Nightblades quickly learned about Goethe's death. Deciding issues needed a swift solution, the organization assigned Count Kuzaya and Baron Grehan to the assassination of Christina Hope and Kanade. Baron Grehan and Count Kuzaya met the same fate as their compatriot.[2] The killer clown hung their dead bodies on a fountain; all that remained was letters in blood. It revealed the killers name, Jack the Ripper.[5]
Compensating for the aforementioned failures, Oyano Bow, Viscount Shinobi, and Marquis Jet gathered a small army of assassins to storm the Hope Estate. Their objective was again to eliminate Christina and Kanade. The battalions encountered fierce resistance from Jack the Ripper, and their counteroffensive proved inadequate. Jack eliminated the surrounding army, decapitating Viscount Shinobi and Marquis Jet—members of Thirteen Nightblades and strong combatants. Oyano Bow and his son, Dekuno Bow, headed to Christina and Kanade while Jack was preoccupied with the outside men. Quickly dealing with the outside threat, Jack the Ripper entered the manor and slaughtered Oyano and his entourage, saving the frightened schoolchildren.[5]
Hearing about the massacre, the remaining Nightblades regrouped at Count White's mansion to set up a trap for Jack the Ripper. They lured him to the Thirteen Nightblades' underground colosseum, where a massive force of the best mercenaries, Dark Knights, and a mutated girl—courtesy of the Loki sect—was assembled. They likewise erected a magical barrier around the arena to prevent the clown from escaping.[3] To the Thirteen Nightblades' horror, Jack the Ripper turned the arena into a one-sided bloodbath and escaped the barrier to confront them. Jack butchered the remaining members, with Count White and Marquis Dakuaikan being the last to meet their end.[4]
Known Members[]
- Marquis Brad Dakuaikan (Deceased)
- Count Oshoku White (Deceased)
- Count Butler (Deceased)
- Count Oyano Bou (Deceased)
- Marquis Jet (Deceased)
- Viscount Shinobi (Deceased)
- Count Kuzaya (Deceased)
- Baron Grehan (Deceased)
- Count Goethe Mono (Deceased)
Relatives[]
- Eliza Dakuaikan (Deceased)
- Goethe Mono's Unnamed Father (Deceased)
Legacy[]
The Midgarian authorities took immediate action against the houses of Dakuaikan, Mono, and other nobles implicated in the Thirteen Nightblades. On the order of Klaus Midgar, king of Midgar Kingdom, the Knight Order confiscated the families’ wealth and estates.
Eliza Dakuaikan aimed to rebuild the collapsing Thirteen Nightblades, lost power and influence notwithstanding. She planned to create a new generation to fill vacant seats and surpass their predecessors. These preparations never came to fruition, as Christina Hope thwarted the plan. Christina took up Jack the Ripper's mantle and eliminated Eliza.[6]
Trivia[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Volume 6 Prologue: The Clandestine Ruler of the Midgar Kingdom... I'm so Jealous!
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Volume 6 Chapter 1: Jack the Ripper makes an Entrance
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 Volume 6 Chapter 3: Deciphering the Threatening Message!
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Volume 6 Chapter 4: And the Monster Becomes a Legend!
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 Volume 6 Chapter 2: Intruders at the Sleepover Party!
- ↑ Volume 6 Auxiliary Chapter: The Inherited Monster