Shadow Slave

The great hall of the Bright Castle grew silent and still. However, that stillness was not tranquil, but like a predator that fell low to the ground, ready to explode into a violent lunge to tear its prey apart.

The Sleepers pressed themselves against the walls, giving Changing Star and the Bright Lord space for their battle. Effie was dragged away from the middle of the hall by two Guards, and now, there was nothing but emptiness separating the two fighters.

From one side of the hall, the five lieutenants — Gemma, Tessai, Kido, Seishan, and Harus — were looking at their master with complicated emotions. On the other side of it, Kai, Caster, and the leaders of the outer settlement hunting parties were doing the same. Cassie was also there, her hand resting on the hilt of the Quiet Dancer. There was a grim, somber expression on her beautiful face.

Sunny glanced at the blind girl, and then turned to the center of the throne room.

Two people were standing opposite each other there. One was a tall man encased in a strange golden carapace that followed the lines of his mighty body. The other was a young woman in an elegant plate armor forged of white metal.

There was a subtle similarity between them. Both were emanating a striking, compelling sense of power and confidence that very few people ever possessed. Both were fearsome and deadly. Both were at the apex of their kind.

However, this was where the similarity ended.

'This… doesn't not look good,' Sunny thought, evaluating the two fighters.

He knew better than anyone what Nephis was capable of, but even then, the sight of her facing Gunlaug made a deep scowl appear on her face.

The Bright Lord was much taller than her and weighed probably twice as much as Changing Star. He was stronger, had longer reach, and much more experience in slaughtering people.

That was not even considering that damned golden armor of his.

with the miraculous augmentation of the Dawn Shard, Neph's silver sword could barely be considered at the same power level as an Ascended weapon would have been. That was still

of a carapace centurion with a sword forged from mundane steel. Incredibly hard, if not impossible. And

air in front of Changing Star. The silver

that bastard going

possessed an arsenal of powerful Memory

Bright Lord, expecting to see the same sparks swirling around his

forward and assumed the shape of a heavy battle axe, which Gunlaug then grasped and

'Dammit.'

to use was also a part of his Echo, and as such, possessed the quality of a Transcended weapon. It was going to cut through the Starlight Legion Armor

is even worse

teeth, Gunlaug said in a serpentine, insidious

words,

her face completely, with only calm grey eyes visible through the crack of the visor. Finally, she answered with only one word, her usually even voice full of

"...Traitor."

of whispers spread through the crowd. People were guessing what exactly she meant by that, but

young men and women. She was accusing him of betraying the true duty of the Awakened and submitting to the

was

The only crime, even.

The Bright Lord laughed.