Shadow Slave

The eel tried to catch him, but was a second too late.

"Crap!"

Falling toward the dark waves, Sunny threw the kunai in the direction of the stone giant's hand.

Instead of a weapon, the colossus was holding a tool that resembled a mason's hammer. The kunai curved in the air and wrapped the invisible string around its shaft.

'This is going to hurt!'

Sunny plunged into the darkness. A moment later, the string drew taut, and he found himself swinging through the air at a terrible speed. Flying underneath the colossal stone fist, he almost touched the black water with his feet, but then the inertia pulled him up and away.

After a few seconds of weightlessness, Sunny landed on the hammer's head and let out a shaky breath. Without wasting any time, he dislodged the Prowling Thorn and pulled it into his hand, then wedged the dagger in a narrow crack on the surface of the giant hammer.

Landing on it was one thing. Staying here, though… that was something else entirely.

The colossus was swinging his arms as he walked, so Sunny basically found himself on top of a giant pendulum. Not only was the hammer swaying back and forth, but the angle of the surface he was standing on also constantly changed, making it hard not to fly off or slid into the raging sea.

Almost kneeling, Sunny held onto the kunai and tried to keep himself from falling. Then, his face pale and grim, he looked up and glanced at the eel.

"I'm right here, you slimy worm!"

The abomination lingered for a few moments, considering whether it should continue to climb up or follow the sound made by the prey. Finally, it twisted its long, repulsive body and slid over the shoulder of the giant, crawling down his arm.

Toward Sunny.

'Come on, come on!'

on the Corpse Eater. Both were, presumably, Fallen creatures.

himself with the Prowling Thorn for

have no effect on the eel whatsoever. The monster continued to pursue its prey without showing

not poisonous, really. It just tore that leech from inside because the stupid thing swallowed a whole lot, and the Weave embued my blood with the odd quality of always being attracted back to the larger mass of it. The Corpse Eater's innards were

Sunny was stuck on the swinging hammer, with his

"Damn it all!"

tentacle that approached him. Even enhanced by the shadow, the blade of the tachi failed to cut the flesh of the Fallen creature, and

'Not good, not good…'

types of tentacles. Some were thick, powerful, and few in number. These ones were used to push its massive body forward and hold onto the swinging arm of

and numerous. These were the ones that Sunny now

deflecting them while maintaining his balance on the chaotically swinging hammer

own technique. Its steadiness and indomitability were translated through grounded footwork, which allowed him to plant himself on the stone surface of the hammer

breaths, Sunny couldn't help but think that Nephis was right. The best fighters weren't those who were the strongest,

continued to follow it narrowly and neglected to add flexibility to his technique by incorporating

this situation, for example… what kind of a

find himself in such a situation. Only a

why adaptability was the most important trait an

Sunny had taken all the right steps, the seconds he had left to live were numbered. The onslaught of

'Twenty-eight.'

Sunny allowed the shadow to slide off his body and rush toward the approaching eel. Instantly

the Midnight Shard with tremendous force, sending it flying from his hand into

other hit him across the chest, causing Sunny to yelp in pain and roll back, almost sliding off the surface of the hammer. Catching himself at

had nowhere to retreat

But it was fine.

'Twenty-nine.'

hurled the thing entrusted to her by