Shadow Slave

By a twist of fate, today, Harus was facing possibly the worst opponent he could have faced on the Forgotten Shore… among the Sleepers, at least.

However, Sunny wasn't surprised.

He had always felt that he and the murderous hunchback were destined to end up fighting each other to the bitter end. Before, he had thought that this was just intuition, but now he knew that his occasional and subtle premonitions were anything but random.

All that time ago, he had already sensed that the two of them were connected by a string of fate.

Was it such a surprise, then, that his Aspect happened to counter that of Harus to large extent?

And it did counter it, although not completely.

If anyone else was in Sunny's place, they would have been already dead. Robbed of their sight, very few people — if anyone at all — could have resisted the furious assault of the terrifyingly strong hunchback. But Sunny wasn't just anyone.

Even while blind, he had Shadow Sense on his side. While it wasn't the same as being able to see Harus, by sensing the movements of his shadow, Sunny was able to predict his attacks with at least some level of precision.

It wasn't perfect, though. At least he had not reached the level where this form of perception could fully replace vision.

So, now, Sunny had a choice to make.

While his shadow was wrapped around his body, it gave him an incredible boost in strength, speed, and endurance. It wasn't able to provide him with a second pair of eyes, however.

So he could either continue to rely solely on Shadow Sense and keep this boost, or let the shadow go and fight Harus with just his own strength while being able to see.

'Decisions, decisions…'

Sensing the hunched shadow of the murderous butcher lunge forward, Sunny dodged left and heard something whistle past his temple with terrible speed. A fraction of a second later, and his skull would have been crushed by the links of the iron chain wrapped around his enemy's fist.

He missed the hunchback's other hand, though.

His wrist was suddenly caught in an iron grip and twisted, forcing Sunny to yelp and let go of the Midnight Shard. Another second, and his bones were going to shatter…

Following the direction of the twist, Sunny performed an aerial cartwheel to save his arm and reluctantly ordered the shadow to slip off his body.

As he landed on the stones, Sunny was finally able to see again.

Harus was holding him by the wrist with one hand, his other raising to deliver a crushing blow. Sunny doubted that there would be anything left of his face if he were to allow that blow to land.

…He still held the Midnight Shard in his free hand.

tachi upward, Sunny thrust it in the direction of the hunchbacks' throat. As a hint of surprise appeared in his enemy's eyes, Harus changed the direction of his strike, turning it into a

links of the heavy chain wrapped tightly around his forearm and bounced

the fact that his bruised hand was shaking, he put it back on the hilt of the Midnight Shard

hunchback titled his head and stared at Sunny

how are

Sunny grinned.

like

added after a

you thanks to my

Harus grinned.

is nice of you

suddenly threw his hand

'What is he doing?'

distance between them was too large to land

the next moment, Sunny realized his mistake.

between them. Before Sunny could react, it was

it back with tremendous

right in front of the cruel executioner or let go

ringing. There was little hope of retrieving it… and Sunny doubted that Harus was going to

lunging at him, the iron hammers of his fists ready to break every

'Go die, bastard!'

delivered a ferocious blow of his own. His fist connected to the hunchback's

not as tall as most men, but he wasn't a weak outskirt kid

power of nine hundred shadow fragments, each earned in a deadly fight against unimaginable horrors, coursed

enough to shatter stones with his

Harus. While shaken by the blow to the face, the hunchback didn't look seriously

moments, the two of them became entwined in violent, barbarous combat. Using their fists, legs, and even teeth, they did anything in their power to destroy the enemy. Harus

was to wrestle Sunny to the ground. Knowing that, Sunny had done

fists, and especially that damned chain of his, had left terrible marks on his body.

both of his eyes were already blind; he was using

'...How ironic.'

of time before Sunny made a mistake. And very soon,

wide palms on his shoulder. Then, he gripped it with enough strength to make

opened wide,

to die,

net of cracks streak through its stone surface. Hurt and disoriented, Sunny

victim right in the eyes, Harus squeezed