Shadow Slave

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.

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.

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

'Curses!'

retreat and create distance between

here, you rat! Why

behind the mask and struggling to

"No… reason… in particular…"

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

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

going to cost him

this is not much worse than facing… against…

worse.

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

he would have grown weak and

yet, he resisted and continued to retreat, desperately deflecting one lightning-fast strike after

proud Legacy, he

and beard were completely grey. There was almost no sign left of the handsome youth he had known…

still as murderous and scathing as it had been

"Die, mongrel!"

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

and fell backward, landing on the ground in

smile appeared on the old man's weathered face, he lunged forward to finish

second, a calm voice

hated, but

ordered in a tone that denied

"Back!"

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

he did, he saw nothing but