Sunny and Nephis fought side by side, their movements synchronized as if they shared one heart. They had been in this situation before, in East Antarctica, when they faced Dire Fang. Back then, they were weaker, more inexperienced, but their will to survive had kept them alive. Now, history was repeating itself, but the enemy was far more dangerous.
Sunny manifested his shadows, creating a great dome that enclosed them all within. Darkness spread like a protective shell, isolating the battlefield from the outside world. He couldn't allow Uriel to escape or the battle to cause more damage to what remained of Twilight.
Uriel observed the dome with his single red eye and smiled. His smile was wide, showing all his sharp teeth, and there was no trace of the person he once was.
"Interesting," said Uriel, his distorted voice echoing in the enclosed space. "A dome of shadows. Do you think this can contain someone like me? Do you think you can trap me and defeat me?"
Sunny didn't respond. His gaze was cold, calculating, as he assessed the enemy.
"I hope this is a good battle," Uriel continued, leaping backward to gain distance. "I've been trapped in my own mind for so long... I need to feel something. I need to feel the pleasure of battle."
Saying this, he changed the shape of his body. The darkness enveloping him twisted and solidified, his figure expanding until he became a giant with four arms. In each hand, he held a sword wrapped in black armor like an Asura warrior. His single red eye gleamed from atop his imposing figure, and his smile had become even more terrifying.
"Now," Uriel roared, his voice like the echo of thunder. "Let's dance!"
Sunny strengthened himself with his shadows, a cloak of darkness enveloping him and enhancing his physical abilities. Nephis shared her flames with him, joining her divine power with her companion's. White flames intertwined with Sunny's shadows, creating a fusion of light and darkness that elevated him to a higher level.
Additionally, the blessing of the Crown of Dawn activated, further enhancing his abilities. Sunny felt the power flow through his body, a current of energy that filled him with strength and determination.
"Let's go!" Sunny shouted, launching himself into the attack.
The three moved at dizzying speeds, their forms barely visible to the human eye. Sunny and Nephis moved as one, a deadly dance of light and shadow attacking Uriel from different angles.
Sunny appeared on the left, his cursed sword cutting the air in a deadly arc. Nephis arrived from the right, her white flames forming a spear aimed directly at Uriel's heart.
Uriel laughed, his four arms moving in perfect synchronization. Two swords blocked Sunny's attack, while the other two crossed to stop Nephis's fire lance. The impact was brutal, an explosion of energy that shook the dome of shadows.
"Good!" Uriel exclaimed. "That's the way! More! I want more!"
Sunny retreated, but Nephis was already attacking again. Her sword moved like a dancing flame, each strike tracing arcs of white light. Uriel blocked and counterattacked, his four swords creating a barrier of steel and darkness.
Sunny slid between Uriel's legs, his shadows extending like tentacles to trap the giant. But Uriel was too fast, too aware of his surroundings. One of his hands moved downward, and the black blade cut through Sunny's shadows as if they were paper.
"Is that all?" Uriel asked, his voice mocking. "After everything you've been through, is this all you can offer?"
Sunny gritted his teeth. "We haven't even started yet."
His body moved faster, the shadows around him becoming denser, sharper. He attacked with a ferocity that even surprised Uriel, his blows raining down on the giant like a storm of steel and darkness.
Nephis followed him, her white flames enveloping him like a second skin. Together, they created a symphony of destruction, each blow calculated to weaken the enemy, each movement designed to find a crack in his defense.
Uriel felt emotion, a savage joy consuming him from within. He remembered his battle in the Crimson Spire, when the three were just Sleepers. Back then, they had fought unspeakable horrors and emerged victorious. But now, he was a Corrupted Terror, and the difference in power was abysmal.
"I remember!" Uriel shouted, his voice full of ecstasy. "I remember the Crimson Spire! I remember how we fought together! What times those were! But now... now I'm the one hunting you!"
Sunny felt a chill run down his spine. Uriel's words echoed in his mind, bringing back memories he preferred to forget. But he couldn't stop. He couldn't let the pain consume him.
"Shut up!" he shouted, launching himself into the attack with renewed fury.
Uriel laughed like a maniac, and in a sudden movement, he created another pair of hands on his body. Now he had six arms, each holding a sword. His fighting style changed radically, becoming much more primitive and effective. Each blow was like the bite of a wild beast.
His appearance mutated, his face elongated, his teeth became more prominent, and twisted horns emerged from his head. He looked like a demon straight out of hell, a Nightmare Creature whose sole reason for existence was destruction.
"Now, yes!" Uriel roared. "This is what I wanted! A true battle!"
The fight intensified. Sunny and Nephis moved like a storm, their attacks synchronized with almost supernatural precision. But Uriel surpassed them in every way: speed, strength, endurance. Each of his movements was a lesson in brutality, each blow a demonstration of power.
The battle continued for a little over a minute since the shadow dome emerged. That was enough time for the dome, unable to sustain the fight, to collapse. Darkness dissipated like smoke, revealing the devastated battlefield.
Nephis managed to open a huge wound in the Corrupted Terror. Her white flames cut through the black armor, leaving a deep scar that dripped black liquid. Uriel roared in pain and fury, his single red eye burning with intensity.
"Little witch!" he shouted, swinging one of his swords in a devastating blow.
Nephis blocked, but the impact was so powerful it sent her flying. Her body crashed into the remains of a building, collapsing what was left of the structure.
"Nephis!" Sunny shouted.
Rage engulfed him. He summoned the shadows, surrounding himself with them, and his form began to transform. Shadows twisted and solidified, his body elongated, grew larger, more imposing. He became an enormous and imposing serpent, black scales gleaming with a sinister radiance.
Uriel barely had time to react before the serpent bit him. The enormous fangs sank into his flesh, and Sunny dragged him at full speed into the depths of the great river.
Cold water enveloped them both, the river's darkness swallowing their silhouettes. Sunny felt the current carry them, dragging them to the depths where daylight did not reach.
Uriel only laughed as he let himself be carried. His distorted voice echoed through the water, a strange and terrifying sound.
"Yes! This is what I wanted! Come, my friend! Come to the depths! Here there are no witnesses! Here it's just you and me!"