Shadow Slave

Just like in the battle against two Fallen beasts, the Stone Saint attacked first. Striking her sword against the rim of the shield twice, she dashed forward without fear or hesitation.

Of course, Sunny was not sure if Shadows were even capable of feeling fear.

The carapace centurion reacted swiftly and savagely, lunging at her in a furious onslaught of adamantine chitin and jagged blades. In front of this towering creature, Shadow Saint looked meager and slight.

The two monsters collided in the middle of the street, a small shockwave spreading outward from the point of their impact. Dust and small pieces of gravel were sent flying through the air.

Sunny watched the battle with vigilant eyes.

He suspected that these two Nightmare Creatures were somewhat equal in terms of power. The centurion was much bigger and heavier, the impenetrable carapace making it an especially deadly adversary. All carapace creatures were unnaturally tough and strong. It also had the advantage of reach and mass.

The Shadow Saint was equally as resilient due to her heavy armor and stonelike nature. Despite her small frame, the graceful knight possessed a stunning amount of strength. Sunny also had to keep reminding himself that she was not actually human, and as a being made of stone, weighed much more than a human would.

The disadvantage of her size was bridged by battle awareness and skill, making the outcome of the fight unpredictable.

However, that was only true if he failed to account for the dark embrace of his shadow. With its reinforcement, the Stone Saint was unimaginably more powerful.

Sunny was pretty sure that the centurion stood no chance.

in a ferocious battle. The Shadow Saint withstood the onslaught of bone scythes by bashing one away with her shield and evading the other. Not losing her momentum, she brought the shield down and

sent cracks running through the impregnable carapace. Sunny marveled at

the opening that she had created, the Stone Saint twisted her torso and delivered a backhand blow with the boss of the shield, striking the same spot again. The already damaged chitin plate splintered, revealing the soft

of the savage carapace creature.

learned enough to be able to recognize the hints of a distinct battle style in

efficient. Combining hard blocks, dodges and deflections with grounded footwork and well-timed ripostes, the Shadow was able to create a stark contrast between defense and offense, the former being

himself had been taught. Only now did Sunny realize that the basic katas and forms he had practiced were, in

his fighting style

both in terms of how to improve his current technique and how to incorporate new elements into it.

interested in the outcome of

her monstrous enemy. A few of the centurion's legs were either broken or severed, streams of azure blood gashing out of the

matter how enraged it became, the silent and menacing poise

moment, the Shadow Saint sidestepped a downward slash of one of the centurion's scythes and then pinned it under her greave. Using her weight to

loathsome little fiend with the remaining one. However, he was a fraction of a second too late. With one side of its body left defenseless, the Stone Saint

the motion, she then stepped through the rain of

pierced through the flesh of the monster and devastated its spine. The force of the blow was so immense that the tip of the sword broke through the chitin on

off the blade. Then, she indifferently stepped back and froze, seemingly turning into a dark, motionless sculpture. Only the crimson fire still

to speak. Soon, he heard its