The dark sea was gone.
And all the horrors that dwelt in its cursed depths were gone with it, too.
The world was bathed in pure sunlight. The surface of the Labyrinth suddenly became vibrant and bright, with stark shadows hiding under the jagged pillars of the crimson coral. The furious white sun burned above the Crimson Spire, as if frozen in the middle of the sky.
Sunny even had to cover his eyes for a few seconds.
Laying on the ground, he allowed himself a few moments of rest. A short laugh escaped from his lips.
'I actually did it?'
Speak about the unlikely events...
Unfortunately, he couldn't really rest yet.
The battle wasn't over. The horde of Nightmare Creatures was not defeated yet.
…And somewhere in the Spire, the Crimson Terror itself was not defeated, either.
With a deep sigh, Sunny collected himself and rose to his feet. They were almost there. They almost escaped. Now, all that was left was to make one final push. Even if it was going to be the hardest one yet...
Looking at the tall mound of coral towering above him, he squinted against the light and began climbing it.
Was it always so bright?
As Sunny climbed, he summoned the runes and glanced at them.
Shadows: [Marble Saint].
'Thank gods.'
He knew that Saint was alright, but still wanted to check. The taciturn demon had been heavily damaged and was bound to spend a long time restoring herself, however, her existence was not in danger.
Then, his eyes slid lower:
Shadow Fragments: [999/1000].
'...Crap.'
Sunny gritted his teeth. He was simultaneously excited and scared to find out what was going to happen once he saturated the Shadow Core. It was bound to be beneficial, but at what cost?
Would he go into a slumber for several weeks, as Saint had? Or suddenly become incapacitated amidst furious combat, as Nephis had been after defeating Gunlaug?
That could cost him his life…
'Not like I can do anything about it now.'
Full of unease, he continued his climb and soon reached the very top of the coral pillar. Standing on it, Sunny looked in the direction of the Dreamer Army.
Something wet suddenly fell on his hand. Looking down, he saw a drop of blood rolling off his skin. A moment later, another fell on the vambrace of the Puppeteer's Shroud.
Surprised, Sunny raised his hand and swiped it across his upper lip. It came away wet with blood.
'...A nose bleed? What the hell?'
Come to think of it, why did he feel so weak?
As Sunny stared at his hand in confusion, a violent ripple suddenly ran through his shadow.
***
Across the deep moat that surrounded the island, the remnants of the Dreamer Army were at the precipice of turning the tide of battle in their favor.
Just a few minutes ago, they had been drowning in the rising flood of black water and the relentless onslaught of the horde, lost in the fury of a cataclysmic storm. But now, things were different.
The storm was no more, and the dark sea had retreated. The sun shined brightly in the sky, drowning the battlefield in its light. Bathed in it, the Nightmare Creatures seemed to become hesitant… almost sluggish.
They were not giving up, however. The monsters continued to attack the humans in a frenzied rage, their claws and fangs reaping one life after another. But the survivors of the Dreamer Army were repaying every loss tenfold.
Reinvigorated by the exhilarating gift of sudden salvation, they steeled their hearts and fought with zeal, fervor, and murderous will. More and more Nightmare Creatures fell to their blades, and the horde did not seem to be endless anymore.
The Sleepers did not know why the storm had dissipated and why the cursed sea had retreated, but their faith in Changing Star now burned even brighter. She had promised to guide them out of this hell, and somehow, even the black water had capitulated to her radiant light…
The victory was not impossible anymore. They could practically taste it…
But Nephis herself suddenly stumbled and slowed her sword dance. A confused, alarmed frown appeared on her face. Dodging the claws of an attacking abomination, she thrust her sword into its maw, then jumped back.
Free of the swarming monsters for a few short moments, she lowered her sword.
And looked at the sky.
***
High above her, Kai was still alive… somehow.
'What is happening?'
He had spent so long flying at a terrible speed, struggling against the crushing wind, dodging bolts of lightning and the cursed Spire Messengers, pushing the limits of both his body and mind… the exhaustion was catching up with him now, making it hard to think.
Let alone react…
He really, really didn't feel well. His whole body ached, and his vision was slowly turning blurry. A sickening feeling of weakness permeated his body.
The storm had come out of nowhere, and then disappeared without a trace. The skies were blindingly bright.
…That was a relief.
But the damn abominations were still there.
At least they didn't look tireless anymore.
In fact, the Messengers seemed to be in as much of a sorry state as Kai himself. He wanted to flatter himself and assume that it was because of his arrows. He had wounded the damned monsters many times, after all…
But no, it didn't make any sense.
They seemed able to resist the effect of the Blood Arrow before, at least to a large extent, so why would it change now?
'Something is wrong…'
Using the sun to blind his enemies, Kai dove into the light and dashed to the side, narrowly avoiding the claws of one of the Messengers. Or so he thought — in reality, it wasn't narrow at all. He dodged it with a lot of room to spare. The Quiet Dancer didn't even need to get involved.
'Are they… growing slower?'
With a sudden feeling of unease, Kai hesitated for a split second, and then reduced his speed to take a good look at the terrifying creature.
What he saw made him scowl.
The Messenger looked… wrong.
Its glassy black eyes were erratic and senseless. They were seeping with blood, which flowed down the black feathers like a crimson stream. There were two other similar streams, coming from the monster's ears. The muscles of his pale body were spasming, rolling under the white skin like panicking worms.
As Kai watched, the Messenger suddenly opened its beak in a silent scream. A moment later, a flood of blood erupted out of it and dispersed in the wind like red mist.
Then, the creature convulsed one last time and lost control of its wings. Not even trying to correct itself, the terrible abomination plunged down.
Kai flinched and opened his eyes wide in terror.
…The Spire Messenger was dead.
Chapter 332: siege of the Crimson Spire (18)
Sunny swayed a little, and then looked down at his shadow.
The shadow seemed to be in pain. It was slumped, clutching at its chest with one hand and waving at him with the other. When it noticed that Sunny was staring at it, it desperately pointed to itself.
'What… what is this guy trying to say?'
Was he having a heart attack? No, of course not. That would be ridiculous. Shadows didn't have hearts…
What was it pointing at, then?
Sunny scowled.
The shadow was his reflection. So maybe it was not pointing at its own heart, but at his.
But his heart felt fine. What else was there to point at?
Suddenly, his eyes widened.
The Soul Core. The Soul Core usually overlapped over a human's heart…
With a shudder, Sunny dove into the Soul Sea.
Instead of the usual peace and quiet, he was met by ominous chaos. The dark waters that were always tranquil and still were now restless and turbulent. They rippled and surged, as though under the assault of the invisible winds.
Up above, the spheres of light that represented his Memories shimmered and blinked, as if about to be extinguished. The black sun of the Shadow Core was trembling. He could almost see tiny cracks appear on its transparent surface.
Only the silent shadows were still the same, not disturbed by the approaching disaster at all. They stood motionlessly, staring at him with no expression on their black, lifeless faces.
Sunny did not pay them any attention and stared at the Shadow Core with wide eyes, dumbfounded.
'...Soul damage. I am receiving soul damage.'
He was under the effect of a continuous soul attack.
Escaping the unquiet sea in panic, Sunny wiped the blood off his face and looked around with a grim expression. He was even paler than usual.
'What the hell is attacking me?'
After a few moments, he suddenly shivered, stunned by a chilling revelation. And then looked up, at the blinding disсus of the sun.
…He had not been wrong. Its light was indeed much brighter than it had been before.
The skies of the Forgotten Shore, which had always been grey, were now almost white, full of merciless heat and radiance. It looked as though someone had erased reality itself, leaving behind nothing but an endless white void. With each second, it was growing more and more incandescent.
'The sun…'
The source of the soul attack was not a Nightmare Creature.
It was sunlight itself.
Anywhere it reached, the souls of living creatures were being slowly eroded and destroyed. And since the sun was now directly above them, at high noon, there was almost nowhere where it couldn't reach.
There was no escape from it.
Except for…
Turning around, Sunny stared at the opened gates of the Crimson Spire. Behind them, welcoming darkness promised shade and safety. This was the only place where he could hide from the annihilating sun.
'The army!'
Spinning around, he peered across the moat.
Out there on the battlefield, the Nightmare Creatures had stopped their endless onslaught. Now, they were stumbling and swaying, as though drunk. Many had already fallen to the ground, blood streaming from their orifices.
Their souls had been destroyed, and they were dead.
The surviving warriors of the Dreamer Army were staring at them in bewilderment, their distant figures full of both relief and confusion. Sunny wanted to scream, warning them of the terrible danger they were in, but knew that he was too far away for anyone to hear him.
From the tall mound of coral he was standing on, he could see the graceful shining figure in their midst. He knew that Nephis must have figured out what was going on by now.
But she didn't know that the gates of the Spire were open.
'Think, think!'
Sunny lingered for a few seconds, and then raised his hand.
A moment later, a clear ringing of a silver bell spread across the Labyrinth, rolling over the remains of the Dreamer Army.
Far away on the battlefield, Nephis spun and looked in his direction.
'Come on! Come on, Neph!'
Sunny rang the Silver Bell again and waved his hand in the air.
However, there was no need. Changing Star had already moved, thrusting her sword toward the Spire. In the next moment, the Dreamer Army lunged forward. Sleepers were running with all the speed they could muster, following the command of their Lady.
"Yes! Wait… what is she doing?!"
Nephis herself did not follow her soldiers. Instead, she turned around and ran in the opposite direction.
…To the distant pillar of coral that they had left at the start of this mess.
Sunny's heart skipped a bit when he realized that she was going back for Cassie.
But there was nothing he could do to help, not anymore.
'Good luck…'
Jumping down from the mound, he rolled on the ground and ran toward the darkness of the Spire's doorway without looking back.
…However, before Sunny could reach it, he saw something falling down from the skies.
'What the…'
A ragged human figure slammed into the crimson coral and rolled several times before coming to a stop, then remained still. Sunny dashed toward it, quickly recognizing the bright colors of Kai's armor.
To his relief, the charming young man was still alive, if barely conscious. A graceful rapier was worriedly zipping in the air around him, the steel of its blade bleak and devoid of the usual luster.
The two of them must have been high up in the sky when the soul erasure had begun, much closer to its source, and so suffered more than those of them on the ground.
Not wasting any time, Sunny grabbed Kai by the collar and dragged him toward the opened gates of the Spire. The Quiet Dancer followed.
Soon, the three of them reached the border between light and darkness. Without hesitating even for a second, Sunny dove into the cool shade, made a few steps to get deeper into its shelter, and fell to the ground.
"Ah…"
Only now, protected from the annihilating sunlight by the solid mass of the ancient tower, he realized how terrible his condition had been. But no more. His soul was finally at peace once again, whatever wounds dealt to it already healing.
Kai was still alive, too.
"Lucky bastard."
'Thank gods… uh, I mean — that fool owes me big time now!'
Breathing heavily, he checked on the unconscious archer, then sat down and stared at the blindingly bright landscape outside.
Were the... were the others going to make it?
A few seconds later, something suddenly flashed through the air. It was Caster: falling on his knees near them, he glanced at Sunny with tired eyes and then gently placed an unconscious Sleeper he had carried with him on the ground.
Without saying anything, both of them then turned to the gates of the Spire and looked into the light.
Seconds passed in torturous silence.
...And then, a human silhouette appeared out of the brightness. And then another, and another.
The survivors of the Dreamer Army had reached the island and dashed toward the life-saving darkness of the gargantuan tower. Soon, they crossed the distance separating them from the gates and dove into their shade.
Sunny watched, something sharp moving in his chest.
A torturous eternity later, he finally saw the familiar figure in white armor appear at the doorstep of the colossal structure.
Carrying Cassie, Nephis entered the shadows.
She was the last one to come.
Looking at them and at the small crowd of Sleepers gathered at the border between darkness and light, Sunny was finally able to exhale. They made it.
The battle for the Crimson Spire was over.
Now all they had to do was find the Gateway hidden somewhere inside the ancient tower.
…And survive the wrath of its master.
Chapter 333: ln the Belly of the Beast
Sitting on the cold stone floor, Sunny inhaled deeply and looked at the people that surrounded him.
All of them were exhausted, wounded, covered in blood, dirt, barely staying conscious. Their armor was broken and torn, and their faces were deathly pale. They sat on the ground, too tired to move or talk, breathing heavily, and stared down with empty eyes.
There were so few of them left…
But also much more than he had expected.
Around a hundred Sleepers had survived the battle of the Crimson Spire. They were the strongest, the bravest… but mostly, the luckiest warriors of the Dreamer Army. Four-fifths of it had been eviscerated in the slaughter.
Not to mention another five hundred or so that had died during the bloody struggle for the throne of the Bright Castle.
This hundred was all that remained of more than a thousand humans that had been surviving on the Forgotten Shore before Changing Star had arrived in the Dark City like a brilliant omen of disaster. Like a herald of ruinous change.
But Sunny was appalled and horrified as much as he was surprised and elated. He had honestly thought that the number of people who would make it this far was going to be in the single digits.
...Looking around, he searched for familiar faces.
Nephis and Cassie were there, of course. So was Kai. Effie was slumped against a wall, dressed only in her white chiton, which was now torn and painted completely red with blood. Her armor seemed to have been completely destroyed.
Caster was also there, bandaging a shallow wound on his shoulder. Compared to other survivors, he seemed strangely clean. However, his armor was seriously damaged, too. It seemed that even incredible speed had not been enough to avoid the fury of the nightmare horde.
Seishan stood slightly apart from the rest of them, surrounded by a dozen surviving Handmaidens. The beautiful woman was heavily injured, the luster of her skin and sparkling eyes growing bleak and dim. From what Sunny could see, she was barely alive.
He also noticed Aiko, who was sitting on the floor, wiping tears off her delicate face.
But there were also many people whom he did not see.
The scarred hunter who had welcomed them into the outer settlement after their long expedition was dead. So was Park, his nonchalant friend who had been responsible for turning Effie into a folk hero with his tales.
The talkative watchmen who had asked Sunny about his opinion on who could have killed Harus were now dead, too. So was the young man who had thought that talking to Sunny was a headache.
Stev, the ample giant that had been in charge of the Memory Market during Gunlaug's reign, did not make. Perhaps this was why Aiko, his friend, was now silently shedding tears.
Even Gemma, the dauntless leader of the Dark City Hunters, had perished. Sunny did not know what could have killed the seemingly immortal man, but suspected that his last hunt had been a truly terrifying sight to behold. Most of the people Gemma had brought to Changing Star's faction with him were now dead, too.
And so, so many more.
Their absence pressed down on survivors like an unseen weight.
But those who survived had no time for sorrow, at least not now. They weren't free of this nightmare yet.
In fact, there had just entered the very belly of the beast.
***
Turning away from the hundred Sleepers, Sunny looked into the depths of the Crimson Spire.
Once, the entire tower must have been hollow, but now there were growths of coral everywhere inside. They resembled frozen waterfalls of blood, as if rivers of it had once streamed from the top of the Spire and then suddenly turned solid. Because of that, it was hard to see what hid in the depths of the cyclopic construct. Further away, the interior of the tower was shrouded in the cold darkness.
Lingering for a few moments, Sunny decided not to send his shadow to explore. The Crimson Terror had already proven its ability to hurt the it, so he was unwilling to risk the well-being of his invaluable helper.
Instead, he glanced at Neph.
Changing Star was peering into the growing brightness that drowned the Forgotten Shore. By now, the light of day outside was almost blinding. On her face, there was a strangely thoughtful expression.
As Sunny watched, she turned around and raised her head, looking in the direction of the Spire's tip.
After a while, she frowned, and then faced the surviving humans. Her calm voice echoed in the darkness of the ancient tower:
"It's time to go. Gather your strength. We are almost there!"
The Sleepers looked at her with tired eyes, the light of hope igniting in them with renewed strength. Slowly, they rose to their feet. Those who were relatively fine supported those who were seriously wounded. Those who had lost consciousness were being carried by their friends or fellow warriors.
Soon, the procession of humans headed deeper into the Spire. Nephis was walking at the front, holding Cassie by the hand. Somehow, Sunny ended up side by side with them.
Looking at the two young women, he wanted to say something, but no words came to his mind. Instead, Neph was the one who spoke.
Glancing at Sunny, she hesitated for a while, and then said:
"Thank you. For ringing that bell. And… for everything."
He looked at her for a long time, and then shrugged.
"There's no need to thank me. We are allies. Are we not?"
She smiled slightly and remained silent after that.
Soon, they passed through the barrier of coral and approached the center of the Spire.
There, the dark sea was imprisoned under an indomitable seal.
In front of them was a vast pool of black water. Its surface was perfectly still and flat, like that of a harrowing mirror made from pure darkness. Although the water was opaque and no one could see how far down that gargantuan well went, Sunny felt as though it was unimaginably deep. He felt that it reached such depths that mere thought of light would be impossible there.
As they watched in solemn silence, a subtle ripple spread across the surface of the imprisoned sea. It was as though it was straining to spill over the edges of the pool and break free. However, the invisible powers that held it down were too mighty to overcome, even for this vast, boundless, inconceivable creature.
Turning away from the eerie black mirror, Sunny peered into the darkness and frowned.
Hidden in the shadows, far away from the light of human lanterns, countless figures were standing motionlessly, staring at them.
Chapter 334: Silver Sword
At first, Sunny wanted to shout to warn everyone, but after observing the silent figures for a few moments, he changed his mind.
Hidden in darkness, countless coral golems were staring mindlessly into the distance. They were very similar to the creatures he had fought to get to the Star Sigil, but also different.
Because they weren't copies of ancient heroes… just that of mundane people.
As such, they wouldn't be too dangerous. A single Sleeper could fight dozens with ease, let alone the experienced, powerful warriors of the Dreamer Army. More than that, the golems did not seem to be hostile.
Some of them stood motionlessly, while some aimlessly wandered about. These sad, empty things were even more lifeless than Echoes. He felt that they weren't really creatures, even. Just… physical manifestations of the Crimson Terror's madness, perhaps. A representation of its broken psyche and scattered thoughts.
He was sure that each of these golems represented one of the souls that had been sacrificed to the artificial sun and had once flowed through its vessel, becoming a part of it. Forever.
…There were thousands of them, and even more had to be hidden somewhere out of sight.
Lingering for a bit, Sunny informed Nephis of his discovery. She frowned and glanced into the darkness, then nodded.
"We will be careful."
Now that they had a better understanding of the ground level of the Crimson Spire, it became clear that the Gateway was not on it. To find it, the remains of the Dreamer Army were going to have to ascend higher.
There were no stairs or lifting mechanisms in sight, but luckily, many of the twisting coral pillars were wide enough for several people to walk on them, and not as steep as to make things too difficult. The Sleepers could use them to easily reach the next level.
…However, as soon as Sunny stepped forward, Neph suddenly pulled him back and shouted:
"Everyone, back!"
Just a moment later, a wide ray of blinding light fell from somewhere above and swiped across the interior of the Crimson Spire, annihilating the tranquil darkness.
It didn't take a genius to realize that the ray was imbued with the same soul-destroying property as the deadly beams of sunlight outside… only this one seemed much more powerful.
It was also different. Although its movements were erratic and strange, they were unmistakably aimed at the exhausted mass of human invaders and full of intent.
"Hide in the shadows!"
Swiftly, the Sleepers dove behind growths of coral and pressed themselves against them. A few unfortunate ones lingered for too long and were exposed to the light. They didn't scream or struggle, just fell down to the ground, their lives extinguished in a split moment.
The rest froze, consumed by tense fear.
Sunny found himself leaning against a slightly inclined pillar of coral, Nepth and Cassie by his side. Carefully looking out, he saw the deadly beam of light grow dim and dissipate. A moment later, however, several more fell from above, tearing the darkness apart.
But that was not all.
Guided by the light, the mass of coral golems suddenly surged forward, moving toward the place where the Dreamer Army was hiding. Their movements, which were aimless and mindless before, were now full of malevolent will.
'...Crap.'
Turning to Nephis, he summoned the Midnight Shard and asked:
"What now?"
She lingered for a bit, and then said evenly:
"Someone will have to attack the Crimson Terror directly to draw its attention away."
Sunny smiled, feeling a strong sense of deja vu.
"And who might that be?"
Changing Star sighed and took a step back, summoning her silver sword.
"...Me. It has to be me."
He frowned, feeling very reluctant to say his next words. But in the end, he still couldn't help but say them:
"Are you crazy? That's a Fallen Terror we're talking about!"
Nephis didn't answer, instead looking up, as though trying to discern the source of the blinding rays of annihilating light.
Sunny gritted his teeth and added:
"Alright, whatever. Say someone really needs to distract that thing. But why does it have to be you alone? Because you are the great daughter of the Immortal Flame clan? Don't tell me that you started to believe in your own bullcrap!"
Neph gave him a strange look and then shook her head.
"No. It can only be me because of my sword."
Sunny stared at the silver longsword, confused. A lifetime ago, after their first meeting on the Forgotten Shore, Nephis and Cassie had told him about their Memories. The sword in particular had an extremely rare enhancement…
"I am the only human on the Forgotten Shore who has a Memory that grants them a measure of protection against soul attacks. So I am the only one who can approach the Terror and survive."
It was hard to debate against logic. Still, Sunny was not done voicing his objections… only that Changing Star didn't give him a chance to.
Turning to Cassie, she took the blind girl by the hand and said:
"Cas. Give me your wing cloak."
A few seconds later, the transparent fabric of the Dark Wing appeared on her shoulder. Without wasting any time, she then looked at Sunny.
"Once I'm gone, lead the people to the Gateway. Make sure that everyone escapes."
With that, Nephis bent her knees, and then jumped with all her might. Supported by the enchanted cloak, she shot up with considerable speed, then pushed herself off the pillar of coral and flew into the darkness.
The ray of light swiped in her direction, but Changing Star somehow managed to dodge it, crashed into another coral growth, and launched herself off of it a moment before another annihilating beam of light had reached it.
With most rays now pursuing Nephis as she leaped from one coral pillar to another, ascending higher and higher, the Dreamer Army could once again move.
Gritting his teeth, Sunny glanced at the hundred frightened people and yelled:
"Follow me!"
Chapter 335: Ascent
Sunny had never expected to become a leader of anyone, let alone of a hundred desperate people. But now, that was exactly the situation he found himself in.
To add insult to injury, he was really the best person for the job.
Not because of any kind of leadership qualities, but simply for the fact that he could see in the dark. Now that the rays of soul-destroying light were led away by Nephis, he could also let his shadow free and send it forward to explore and search for the Gateway.
So if anyone could guide the remains of the Dreamer Army to it, it was him.
'How the hell…'
Hiding his unease deep inside, Sunny projected nothing but absolute confidence and shouted for everyone to follow him. Surprisingly, the Sleepers did just that without voicing any objections.
'Confidence is easily confused for competence, I guess.'
Of course, the fact that he was affiliated with Changing Star in some capacity helped a lot, even if most people were not completely sure how and to what extent.
Taking Cassie's hand, Sunny dove out of his cover and dashed toward a wide, spiraling coral root that reached high into the darkness above. He could hear the sound of footsteps following him from behind.
The Dreamer Army was on the move once again.
Jumping on the root, Sunny send the shadow forward and glanced at the approaching sea of coral golems. There was still time.
He ran forward, using the coral growth as stairs. A second later, he yelled:
"Those at the back! Ready your weapons!"
They did so while the first rows of Sleepers followed Sunny up. Almost everyone had time to climb onto the root by the time the first of the golems showed up.
The coral figure stumbled from the darkness, only to be met by a flash of a sword. It crumbled instantly, offering almost no resistance.
But a moment later, several more appeared, and then more, and more.
The Sleepers destroyed the first wave to buy themselves a few moments and then jumped onto the root, then dashed away, soon catching up with the rest of the survivors.
At the head of them, Sunny hesitated for a moment. Thanks to the shadow, he knew that the wide coral growth they were ascending was soon going to twist upward at an almost vertical angle and grow much more narrow.
Luckily, there was another one crossing it just a few meters ahead, separated by a very small gap.
Picking Cassie up, he took a step forward and jumped, landing on the other root, then turned around and moved in the opposite direction to the one they had been going... but still upward.
Behind him, the Sleepers repeated his jump. And down below, the wave of golems was already climbing on the twisting roots to pursue them.
'Damn it. I guess they can climb!'
He ran forward, struggling against the steep incline, then suddenly froze and looked up. There, a few dozen meters away, a wide gallery circled around the empty expanse of the Crimson Spire.
And on it, another mass of golems was surging in the direction of the Dreamer Army. Countless twisted figures were appearing from the chaotic mess of crimson coral and rushing forward, searching for a path to reach them. Many fell off the edge of the gallery and plunged down, to explode into shards once they hit the floor.
But some fell right on the root he was standing on.
Gritting his teeth, Sunny looked back and noticed a familiar tall figure close by. Effie stared at him tiredly and forced out a smile:
"What is it now?"
He put Cassie on the ground and gently pushed her toward the huntress.
"Take care of her for me, alright?"
Effie waved a hand, letting him know that she got it.
Sunny watched the two of them for a moment, then turned around and summoned the Midnight Shard.
A few seconds later, he reached the first golem and slashed it with his sword. The golem's body offered some resistance, but no more than a mundane creature would. It almost disintegrated under his assault, crumbling easily into a pile of broken coral.
'Not too bad…'
Curiously, the Spell did not congratulate him on the kill. Just as Sunny had suspected, these things were not really living creatures.
That was going to make things a tiny bit easier.
Running past the destroyed construct, Sunny soon approached another one and pushed it off the root with one strike of the Midnight Shard's pommel. The golems were not that dangerous…
At least not in small numbers.
He led the Dreamer Army forward, climbing higher and higher. Every couple of minutes, they would have to leave one root and make use of another, sometimes moving across stone galleries that were situated here and there on the walls of the Crimson Spire.
At some point, both the vanguard of the human procession and its rear became embroiled in a rolling melee with the sea of coral golems. Those in the middle only had to keep their eyes on the layers of coral and stone structures overhead to make sure that nothing fell on them.
This battle was not too terrible, however. The constructs were slower and weaker than even the mundane humans whose visage they were meant to recreate, not to mention almost completely mindless. Not a single human had fell to their attacks yet.
…That was not to say that surviving the onslaught of countless golems was easy.
Somewhere high above, meanwhile, the flashes of white light slowly turned into one continuous, radiant halo. Nephis was probably already approaching the very pinnacle of the ancient tower. The fact that none of the annihilating rays had returned to attack the Sleepers served as proof that she was still alive, drawing the attention of the Terror away from them.
'Where are you… where are you…'
At the head of the Dreamer Army, Sunny cut through another golem and suppressed a curse.
Where was the damn Gateway?!
…And just he thought that, the shadow finally found what it had been looking for all that time.
Their way back to the real world.
Chapter 336: The Gateway
Out there in the darkness, a vast balcony was built into the wall of the tower, reaching almost to the center of the gargantuan structure. On its surface, broken pillars of marble were overgrown by the everpresent streaks of crimson coral. They led to a circular dais, with a wide iron ring submerged into its stone surface.
Around the ring, a beautiful pattern of runes was shimmering with familiar light. They were just like those runes that every Awakened had seen countless times when communicating with the Spell.
But that wasn't the first reason why Sunny had noticed it. The most unusual thing about the dais was that unlike everything else inside of the Spire, it was utterly devoid of growths of crimson coral. The stone surface surrounding the ring was strangely clean and untouched by it.
Looking at the shimmering runes and the iron rings through his shadow, Sunny felt something move in his heart.
He was sure that this was the Gateway.
They were so close…
As he watched it, the whole Spire suddenly shuddered. Massive pieces of coral broke off and fell down, crashing into other branches down below. Suddenly, the darkness that surrounded the Dreamer Army became less impenetrable.
High above them, the radiant halo of light became several times more bright.
…Nephis had reached the Crimson Terror.
With a somber grimace, Sunny escaped from his reverie and dashed forward, slicing several golems as he went. The frightened Sleepers followed, entrusting their fates into his hands.
As more and more tremors ran through the ancient tower and several enormous pillars of coral completely collapsed, they ascended even higher and approached the vast balcony.
And then, finally, Sunny jumped down and landed on solid stone.
Shattering a few golems, he cleared enough space for others to follow and watched several more people reach the balcony. One after another, the Sleepers jumped off the treacherous coral and joined him. Those who were the first to catch up repelled the attacking golems to let the others come down.
Soon, all hundred of them were on the balcony — and just in time. A few seconds later, a tremendous piece of debris fell from above, pulverizing the branch of coral they had used to get there.
Sunny lingered for a few moments, watching as crimson pieces rained down, and then turned away with a determined expression.
"Come on! We're almost there!"
The remains of the Dreamer Amry cut through the mass of golems and escaped it. Running with all the speed they could manage, the crowd of young men and women approached the Gateway and froze, stunned by the sight of it.
Hypnotized by it.
In front of them... was the hope that they had forgotten for so long.
The torturous promise of freedom that had taunted them every day, hidden away in the terrifying, looming silhouette of the Crimson Spire.
Their way home.
Salvation.
Most of them had spent so long on the Forgotten Shore that the thought of ever being able to escape it became nothing more than a distant dream. Even when they had followed Changing Star and chose to believe her promises, salvation was just a concept. An idea.
Now that they saw it as a real thing, many did not know how to react.
…Well, Sunny was there to make the process easier.
"What are you staring at, idiots?! Pick up your jaws and move! Battle formation! Protect the rear! Wounded and non-combatants go first, everyone else holds off the damn golems and then follows! One at a time, bastards!"
Coming back to their senses thanks to his angry shout, the Sleepers quickly reorganized themselves. Those who could still fight faced away from the Gateway and formed a defensive line, protecting the wounded with their bodies. Those who couldn't helped the people in the worst condition enter the iron ring.
Sunny watched as the first human was placed in the center of the Gateway. A moment later, the runes surrounding the ring flashed with shimmering light. The body of the Sleeper suddenly shone, too. The ghostly shine was dim at first, but then grew brighter and brighter. Soon, it was hard to distinguish the shape of the human body at the center of that light.
And then, the light dissipated, much like a Memory or an Echo would, leaving nothing behind.
After all these years, all that suffering, all that loss, the first Sleeper had finally escaped the Forgotten Shore.
Looking through the emptiness left by the disappearance, Sunny realized that he had forgotten to breathe.
A second later, an exhilarated cheer rose above the crowd of humans. The intensity of emotion in their voices… no words existed to describe the complicated, overwhelming conflagration of feelings burning in the chests of the survivors of the Dreamer Army at that moment.
Well, at least Sunny had none.
In the next moment, the pursuing wave of golems crashed into the defensive line, and the next human stepped into the Gateway.
The defenders held their ground, throwing the coral creatures back.
Sunny lingered at the edge of the dais, watching the crowd of humans. One after another, they were disappearing into the beautiful radiance of the Gateway, while the others continued to confidently repel the assault of the golems.
They were going to survive.
That meant that his job here was done.
…And, just as he had expected, Caster was nowhere to be seen.
Lingering for a few short moments, Sunny glanced at the Gateway one last time and then stepped away.
As he moved through the crowd of humans and approached its edge, someone suddenly called out his name.
Turning his head, Sunny saw Effie. The huntress was carrying the unconscious body of Kai on one shoulder, and keeping Cassie close to her own under another. The blind girl's face was ashen, confused, and empty.
"Doofus! Where are you going?"
Sunny stared at her for a few moments, and then suddenly smiled.
"...There's just some unfinished business I need to deal with. Take care, you three. I will… see you later. I hope."
With that, he took a step back and disappeared into the shadows.
Chapter 337: Nobody
Summoning the Dark Wing and the Prowling Thorn, Sunny jumped off the edge of the stone balcony. In the next second, his dagger pierced the darkness and bit into a fractured coral branch high above. With a sharp pull, Sunny sent himself flying upward, the transparent cloak turning into a blur behind his back.
All around him, the interior of the Crimson Spire that remained unchanged for thousands of years was shifting. The ancient tower continued to shudder and quake as it endured the calamitous consequences of the battle between Changing Star and the vessel of the artificial sun.
Vast coral roots were shattering and plunging down, drowning the echoing expanse of the Spire with deafening clangor. As massive slabs of coral collided against lower branches, they were pulverized in turn.
Moving through all this destruction, Sunny struggled to stay alive.
Before he could even reach the root he had been aiming for, it was obliterated by falling debris. The mass of coral then rained down, threatening to bury Sunny under its deadly weight. Not phased, he twisted and hurled the Prowling Thorn sideways, then flew out of the way of the collapsing coral. Just a second later, Sunny hit the side of an intact root and pushed himself off its surface, continuing to ascend.
He spun and twisted, using the Prowling Thorn and every surface he could reach to dodge the falling slabs of coral, avoid being cut to pieces by deadly clouds of flying splinters, and soar higher and higher.
As he did, the shadow jumped from one root to another, searching for Caster.
The Legacy was much faster than Sunny, but was chained to the ground and didn't have the advantage of being able to see in the dark. Sunny was certain that he would be able to catch up to him before too long.
And after a few torturous minutes, he inevitably did.
Emerging from a cloud of coral dust, Sunny left a crimson trail in the air as he landed on a wide root in a nimble roll. A moment later, he jumped to his feet and stood silently in the darkness, waiting for Caster to appear.
Up here, at the highest levels of the Spire, the chaos was not as pronounced. Those branches of coral that were going to break had already fallen, and the few remaining ones were relatively stable. That allowed Sunny to predict which route the Legacy was going to take.
The cool polished wood of the Weaver's Mask rested comfortably on his face, hiding his features.
Sunny wasn't sure what resources and connections the Han Li clan possessed, so he chose to be extra careful. He was wary of someone tracing Caster's death back to him with the help of a prophetic Aspect Ability or some strange and powerful Memory… a vengeful Legacy clan was the last thing he would want to deal with after returning to the real world.
And by now, he was sure that one of the two of them was going to die here, in this cursed and dreadful tower.
This confrontation was long overdue.
He was also wary of Caster himself. The proud scion was many things, but a fool was not one of them. There was a chance that he had long guessed Sunny's Flaw.
The mask was his insurance against that eventuality.
'Let's see which one of us is better… let's see which one of us deserves it more…'
For Sunny, this fight was not only about defeating Caster. It wasn't even about defending Neph.
It was about defeating the world itself.
A lifetime ago, when he and Caster had first met in the Academy, they were on the opposite sides of humanity.
One was on the top, and the other was on the bottom.
One was strong and surrounded by a circle of admirers, and the other one was weak and alone. One had the best education, the best mentors, the vast resources of his powerful family, the inherited arsenal of Memories, and plenty of soul shards to propel him forward to future success.
The other had nothing.
Sunny had always had nothing. No family and no home, no place to call his own, no one to care about whether he lived or died, no opportunity, no chance… no future.
Thrust into the same hell as Caster, he clawed and fought, suffered and endured, survived and bettered himself through will, intellect, and countless brushes with death. And now, a year later, he was ready to claim his rightful place.
By defeating Caster, he was going to prove once and for all that he wasn't lesser than anyone. That he wasn't some inconsequential nobody to be discarded and forgotten, to be lost on the pages of history. That he mattered as much as those "real" humans did.
That he was as exceptional as the best of them, despite the fact that he wasn't born into wealth and prosperity.
…Much more so, even.
As Sunny waited in the darkness, a light of a Memory lantern swiftly approached from below.
***
Caster was rushing to the pinnacle of the Spire, using his incredible speed and training to avoid being killed by the falling debris. He was already getting close when, suddenly, the light of his lantern fell on a motionless figure that stood in the center of a wide coral root, barring his way.
Dark armor weaved out of soft fabric, with lusterless black leather protecting vital spots. An austere blade held lightly, its tip turned to the ground. The wooden mask that resembled the face of a fearsome demon was new, but still, he had no problem recognizing who was in front of him.
Slowing down and stopping a few meters away from the hateful little vagrant, Caster gritted his teeth and spat:
"It's you."
Hidden behind the mask, Sunny smiled.
"No, no. You are mistaken. Actually, it's not me."
Then, tilting his head, he stared at the proud Legacy and said, his voice full of surprise:
"Oh! Hey, Caster. What a coincidence, to run into you here of all places. So unexpected! Ah, it must be fate…"
Chapter 338: Rest of the Mongrels
Caster remained silent for a while, then calmly looked up, at the furiously pulsating radiance of the Crimson Terror's light. Finally, he lowered his head and exhaled through gritted teeth.
"Out of my way, Sunny."
Sunny blinked a couple of times, then said in a humorless tone:
"Or what?"
The Legacy grimaced and stared at him darkly, his face full of resentment.
"I am so tired of you and your insolence. Why must you always ruin everything? Why can't you just know your place?"
Summoning his beautiful jian, Caster shook his head and said:
"Stay out of this if you value your life. This is the last chance I am going to give you."
Sunny did not move, watching the young man silently. There was nothing but darkness in the eyes of the disturbing black mask. A few moments later, his voice resounded from behind it, strangely hollow:
"...Know my place? What is my place, in your eyes? Huh, Caster?"
The Legacy smiled slightly and then said naturally, as though stating a fact:
"Out of the sight of those better than you, with the rest of the mongrels. What else?"
Sunny shifted slightly. When he spoke, his tone was unexpectedly carefree and friendly:
"Ah, not exactly what I expected to hear. Well, never mind. Before we do this, though, can I ask you one question?"
Caster snarled.
"Sure. Go ahead."
This was something that had been pressing on Sunny's mind for a long time.
"Why do you even want to kill Nephis? What is so important that you are even willing to risk your life?"
The Legacy looked at him with no humor in his eyes. After a few moments, he said in a strange tone:
"This is not something that you, scum, will ever understand. Survival is all you creatures care about. Duty. Loyalty. Honor. Those are the words the likes of you know nothing about. So I will put it in a way that will be easy even for you to comprehend."
He pierced him with an intense gaze and said, each word falling like an avalanche:
"The Immortal Flame must be destroyed."
And then, his voice ringing with profound inevitability, Caster added:
"...This is the will of the Sovereigns."
Sunny stared at him for a bit, engrossed in the solemn atmosphere of this proclamation.
A few seconds later, in a sincerely confused tone, he asked:
"Uh… who?"
Caster's eyes widened. He looked at Sunny with a dumbfounded expression, then shook his head in disbelief.
"Wait… you… you really don't know? She didn't tell you anything?"
Sunny scratched the back of his head.
"...Of course she did? Actually, I know exactly what you're talking about. I've been told everything. No one knows more than me on this topic, really."
The Legacy stared at him for a few moments, then suddenly threw his head back and laughed out loud.
"Pathetic mongrel… you don't even know who you serve! You don't even know who rules the world you live in. Why am I even wasting my breath talking to a worm like you?"
Sunny tilted his head, then said in a reproachful tone:
"Ouch. That stings."
Caster smiled darkly, then raised his sword.
"Enough of this! I'm done trying to reason with you, fool. I have allowed you to sculk in the shadows, playing your vulgar games, for long enough. I only permitted you to live because there was no reason to get rid of you. What, do you think that you… you! Can defeat me? That your little schemes and secrets will give you a chance against a true Legacy? Sorry to disappoint, but I figured them out a long time ago."
Sunny remained silent for a bit and then asked in an indifferent tone:
"Oh yeah? Do tell. What are my secrets, exactly?"
The Legacy grinned:
"You hide your strength and pretend to be weak. You go around telling ridiculous tales, making everyone think that you are a lunatic. At first, I thought that you have lost your mind, too. But once I started paying attention, it was so obvious. The constant misdirections, the obnoxious bragging that no sane person would ever believe, the crazy act… this is you Flaw, isn't it?"
As Sunny tensed, Caster smiled triumphantly and said:
"...You are compelled to lie against your will. Did you really think that no one would see the pattern? You even bribed that idol friend of yours to try and mislead everyone. A pathetic attempt. Were you expecting that anyone would buy it?"
Sunny stared at him for a few moments, and then exploded with laughter.
"Ah, crap. You got me! Yes, you are right. This is my Flaw. What sane person would go around telling such outrageous lies?!"
Then, he pierced Caster with a murderous gaze and said:
"...Sadly, it seems that I am at a disadvantage in that regard. It is such a shame that I have no idea what your Flaw is, huh? That I haven't figured it out a long time ago, too."
Caster looked at him, a corner of his mouth turning downward. In the light of the Memory lantern, he looked handsome and confident.
...Mature.
There was a short beard on his face, and a few grey hairs in his luscious mane.
Hidden behind the mask, Sunny smiled:
"It is so sad that I don't know that your powerful, incredible, amazing Aspect Ability shortens your lifespan every time you use it, and that you reverse its effect on your body with a charm Memory in the shape of a sandglass. Ah, if only I was more observant! Too bad I am not."
The Legacy stared at him with a dark expression, his face slowly turning pale. After a while, he uttered:
"...It doesn't matter. After I fulfill my duty and return to the real world, the Awakening will allow me to take back the years that had been stolen from me. While you, rat, will stay in this cursed place fo…"
Before he was done talking, a heavy triangular blade suddenly flew into his face. As a hint of outrage gleamed in Caster's eyes, he easily swatted the kunai away… and turned into a blur, lunging at Sunny with astonishing speed.
Invisible to a human eye, the string of the Prowling Thorn was wrapped around two coral outcroppings, drawn across the wide root right ahead of him. And the proud Legacy was about to…
A green light flashed through the air, and Sunny felt his wrist jerk back, the tension of the string suddenly gone.
'Cr…'
A fraction of a second later, Caster was upon him.
Chapter 339: Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger
'Fast… too fast…'
Caster was moving with astonishing speed, his figure turning into a blur. His Flaw was a cruel one, but the power of the Aspect Ability he possessed was also incredible.
In fact, Sunny had never met anyone with an Ability as powerful as this, with the exception of himself and Nephis. Even the greatest warriors on the Forgotten Shore would have had no chance against it. Gemma, Effie, Seishan… all of them would have been easily killed by the deadly scion of the Han Li clan.
Perhaps only Harus could have fought him to a draw.
But even then, Sunny wasn't sure. Not only did Caster possess a terrifying Ability, but he was also one of the most skilled swordsmen of their generation. He also had a whole arsenal of Memories hidden away inside his soul. Surely, he had a way to fight while blinded.
…That's why Sunny did not waste any time trying to destroy the Memory lantern illuminating their surroundings. Instead, he just trusted his sword, and met Caster's attack with his own.
Two swords collided in the air, and in the next moment, Caster flew past Sunny and slowed down, eventually coming to a stop. A drop of blood fell off the tip of his jian.
Sunny staggered.
'Curse you…'
The sleeve of the Puppeteer's Shroud was torn, and there was a shallow cut on his shoulder. He had managed to deflect the strike aimed at his heart, but wasn't fast enough to avoid being wounded after all.
On Caster's face, there was a dark expression. Looking at Sunny, who was still alive, he grimaced and spat:
"Not bad. This is going to be entertaining, at least."
Hidden behind the mask, Sunny grinned.
"Oh, yeah. I'm having a lot of fun myself, thanks."
Of course, that was a lie.
Back in the Academy, Caster had been the only person to defeat Nephis. Granted, all of them had been much weaker back then. Neph also had not used her Aspect Ability, while Sunny was using his to augment himself right now.
Because of it, the gap in speed between the two of them was not completely lethal. And yet, he was incomparably slower. In terms of pure physical ability, Sunny had no hope of surviving this duel.
…But he already knew the secret of how one had to fight against Caster. He had learned it from Changing Star herself, during that short and fateful spar.
A year ago, Nephis had been in a similar situation, and yet almost defeated her swift enemy. She had anticipated Caster's moves instead of reacting to them, and due to that, his speed advantage had been made less severe. This was what Sunny had to do now.
Of course, to achieve such a feat, one had to possess an intricate understanding of the underlying laws of combat and a true mastery of both their mind and their body.
Luckily, Sunny was one such man. He had obtained clarity a long time ago, and spent every waking hour sharpening his skill and instincts. His mind had entered into the state of flow, making his perception stark and all-encompassing, his thoughts quicker. His intuition was enhanced by the knowledge of the essence of battle.
…That gave him a chance to win.
A moment later, Caster attacked again, and Sunny jerked the Midnight Shard sideways, blocking the ghostly green jian at the last possible moment.
'Up…'
He had begun to chain the next move even before the two blades collided. A split second later, the Legacy brought down his sword in a downward slash, aiming at Sunny's head. However, it was deflected…
'Thrust at the neck…'
…once again, sliding down the length of the tachi and biting Sunny in the shoulder. This time, the leather pauldron of his armor held, but just barely.
Almost instantly, Caster pulled the jian back and then immediately thrust it forward, aiming to cut the enemy's throat. The Midnight Shard awkwardly pushed the gleaming blade away, but not fast enough — another shallow cut appeared on Sunny's neck, seeping with blood.
'Damn it!'
Infuriated, Sunny tried to counterattack, but was forced to concentrate on nothing but defense. Dozens of strikes rained on him in a span of a couple of seconds, filling the echoing expanse of the Crimson Spire with the clangor of steel. More and more cuts appeared on his body — none of them were too deep or dangerous, but that didn't make them less painful.
No matter how cunning and perfect Sunny's movements were, he couldn't make up for his lack of speed completely. Months of training, hundreds of battles, countless hours spent gaining insight into the inner workings of swordsmanship... Caster had done all of that, too, and then some. And he was so much faster.
But, somehow, Sunny was still alive. Not only was he alive, he wasn't even seriously injured… yet.
At some point, he feinted a block and dodged the blade of Caster's sword instead, then whipped his empty head forward, as though trying to punch the Legacy in the head.
At the last moment, however, a ghostly stiletto appeared in his hand.
…Only to be thrown aside by a powerful hit of the jian. Sunny barely managed to save his arm from being severed at the wrist.
Sparing him a contemptuous glance, Caster snarled:
"Cretin! Have you forgotten that I was there when Changing Star gave you that Memory?!"
Sunny gritted his teeth and lashed out with the austere tachi, buying himself a moment to regroup.
"I guess it slipped my mind!"
With that, he suddenly hurled the Moonlight Shard at the Legacy, then followed it with a fearsome thrust of his sword. Caster easily dodged the stiletto, deflected the tachi, and kicked him in the stomach, sending Sunny staggering back with a pained moan.
For a fraction of a second, he was wide open.
His enemy did not miss that opportunity, turning into a blur as he lunged forward. The gleaming jian flashed through the air, and at the same time, Sunny suddenly spun and twisted his body.
The two of them almost brushed against earth other as Caster flew by.
A moment later, Sunny shuddered and bent over, blood streaming from a deep wound on his side.
The Legacy turned around and smiled cruelly, a hint of satisfaction reflecting in his eyes.
"...Not so boisterous now, are you, worm?"
Sunny groaned and slowly straightened his back, pressing one hand against his bleeding side. His voice sounded strained and solemn:
"Ah, yes. That… that didn't go exactly as planned."
Then, he titled his head and raised his other hand, staring at the object dangling from a torn chain that was gripped in it.
Suddenly, Caster's hand shot toward his neck.
"You…"
Sunny grinned and dangled the sandglass charm in the air.
"Wait… wow! How did this thing get here?"
Caster's gritted his teeth, and the stolen Memory immediately began to radiate a subtle white glow. He was trying to dismiss the charm and return it to his soul core.
…Before that happened, however, Sunny caught it and clenched his fist, ruthlessly shattering the crystal hourglass into tiny pieces.
Caster's eyes widened.
"Bastard!"
As his shout resounded in the darkness, the shards of the precious Memory flew to the ground, turning into sparks of light and disappearing as they fell.
Chapter 340: Honor
For a few seconds, both of them stood without motion. On Caster's face, shock and disbelief were mixed with fury, indignation… and fear.
Slowly, he raised his head and pierced Sunny with a hateful gaze.
"You scum..."
His voice was trembling with suppressed rage.
'Good. Rage is good. Anything that makes him lose control is g…'
In the next moment, Sunny got hit in the chest and flew back with a pained scream. Although he somehow managed to deflect the tip of the enchanted jian, the Legacy still ended up slamming into him like a speeding train. The blade of his sword pierced the Puppeteer's Shroud once again, slicing Sunny's forearm.
'Godammit!'
This was just unfair. The Shroud was a tier-five Memory of the Awakened Rank. Where did the bastard find a weapon that could cut through it so easily?!
…Well, Sunny more or less knew where. Who was to say that the ghostly green jian wasn't of the same tier, if not higher? Legacy clans had a lot of powerful Memories in their treasuries.
Unlike him.
Hitting the ground in a roll, Sunny dashed to the side and used the pommel of the Midnight Shard to slam Caster's hand away. He barely saved himself from being decapitated.
Shaken, Sunny threw a handful of coral dust into the air and retreated. A moment later, his enemy emerged from the dust like a vengeful demon. The damned jian was once again aimed at his heart.
But…
Caster looked different.
It seemed that Sunny was right on the money with his guess about the proud scion's Flaw and the purpose of the mysterious charm Memory. Before, Caster had already looked slightly older that the other members of the cohort… which was strange, considering that both Effie and Kai were supposed to be the oldest among them. This was what had initially caught Sunny's attention, because back at the Academy, there had been no such difference.
However, now that the crystal sandglass was broken, time seemed to be catching up with the Legacy. If anyone were to see him now, they would have assumed that he was in his late twenties, perhaps even early thirties.
He still resembled the youth that Sunny had met just a year ago, but just barely. Instead, a handsome, mature, powerful man was attacking him, his dark skin still smooth, but already showing the signs of future wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and mouth. There were several silver hairs in his beard.
Straining every muscle in his body, Sunny stood his ground and parried the deadly thrust, then dodged to the left. Once again, he was a fraction of a second late, and another cut appeared on his body.
'Curses!'
With a pained grimace, Sunny dodged, evaded, parried and blocked, continuing to retreat and create distance between himself and Caster. At some point, a furious roar made his ears ring:
"Get back here, you rat! Why are you running like a coward?!"
Hidden behind the mask and struggling to breathe, Sunny gritted his teeth and hissed:
"No… reason… in particular…"
The next time he and Caster clashed, the Legacy appeared to be in his late thirties. Now, he resembled a man in his prime. His powerful physique became even more formidable, his broad shoulders straining the metal of the sturdy scale armor. His temples were grey, and his beard had silver streaks running through it. He looked like the kind of older man young girls would be utterly smitten by.
Sunny groaned as he felt another laceration appear on his body, pushed Caster away, then dashed back. The Midnight Shard flew from one side to another, from low to high, not stopping even for a split second. The ringing of steel fused into a continuous, deafening clamor. He felt as though his lungs were on fire, but couldn't allow himself to slow down ever for a moment.
A momentary lapse was going to cost him his life.
'Come on… this… this is not much worse than facing… against… Saint…'
But it was worse. So much worse…
Even while augmented by the shadow, Sunny couldn't resist Caster's furious onslaught. He was stronger and much more resilient, but that was the thing about sharp weapons — they were created to make the amount of force required to kill someone much less demanding. A skilled swordsman that relied on speed could dispatch of an enemy with one well-aimed touch of the blade.
To someone like Sunny, Caster was a nightmare. If not for the Blood Weave, he would have grown weak and slow from blood loss a long time ago, just from the numerous cuts on his body.
And yet, he resisted and continued to retreat, desperately deflecting one lightning-fast strike after another.
…The next time Sunny got a good look at the proud Legacy, he felt a cold shiver run down his spine.
Attacking him was an old man. His gaunt face was laced with a spiderweb of wrinkles, and his hair and beard were completely grey. There was almost no sign left of the handsome youth he had known… and despised… for so long.
Caster was still full of power and vigor, though. His fury was still as murderous and scathing as it had been before. His speed, however… was just a tiny bit slower.
"Die, mongrel!"
With a furious roar, Caster brought down the ghostly jian down on Sunny, who was still reeling from the previous blow. Desperate, Sunny raised his tachi into an awkward semblance of a block. When their swords collided, the Midnight Shard flew aside and almost slid from his hands.
…What's worse, Sunny lost his balance and fell backward, landing on the ground in a heap.
As a cruel smile appeared on the old man's weathered face, he lunged forward to finish the defenseless enemy.
…But at the last second, a calm voice resounded from behind his back.
The voice he hated, but knew so well.
Standing somewhere behind him, Nephis ordered in a tone that denied refusal:
"Back!"
Caster's eyes widened. With an expression of utter terror, he spun around and raised his sword, ready to finally face the person he had dreaded and wanted to kill for so long.
However, when he did, he saw nothing but emptiness.
There was no one behind him. Just a simple rock laying on the ground.
As Caster watched in confusion, his thoughts slow due to the debilitating effect of age, the rock shouted in Changing Star's voice:
"Hide in the shadows!"
Almost immediately, the proud scion's pupils narrowed. With a dark grimace, he spun back, moving his sword into a defensive position.
...He was just a fraction of a second late.
Without making any sound, the tip of the Midnight Shard pierced his scale armor, his flesh…
And then his heart.
Staring at the stunned face of the feeble old man in front of him, Sunny scowled and sighed.
Caster looked down, at the blade protruding from his chest and the blood streaming from beneath, then weekly grabbed the tachi with his hand. A pained, resentful grimace contorted his pale, wrinkled face.
Straining to raise his head, he looked Sunny in the eyes and whispered:
"You… you have no… no honor."
Sunny stared at the dying old man with pity, then looked away.
"...There is honor, indeed. Honor... is not just a word powerful scumbags invented to make young fools like you die for them. And kill for them. It's not a chain that they wrapped around your neck, to make you a slave."
Caster looked at him for a few moments, trying to say something, but then slowly fell to his knees.
In the sudden silence, the voice of the Spell whispered:
[You have slain a dormant human, Han Li Caster.]
[Your shadow grows stronger!]