Shadow Slave

Leo sent the clip to a couple of his buddies and waited in the dark void, chatting with the viewers and laughing about his terrible performance in the duel against the demonic newbie.

'That Mongrel... there's something about him...'

Just as he had expected, his friends joined him in the Dreamscape almost immediately after receiving the message.

Yes, his defeat was rather embarrassing… but there was an opportunity in every disaster!

This was going to be a very special broadcast.

A rare and bombastic… crossover episode!

Answering the invitations, two figures joined him in the black void. The viewers grew silent for a moment, and then sent so many reactions that the Broadcast Interface almost crashed.

Well, as expected. Both guests Leo had invited were very prominent duelists, at least as popular as he was himself, or perhaps even more.

One wore a heavy plate armor. There was a castle engraved on its breastplate, and four dragons depicted on his pauldrons and vambraces. This was Daoist Saifer, a renowned swordsman who possessed a powerful Aspect that allowed him to control fire.

The other was a taciturn warrior in a grey silken robe. His alias in the Dreamscape was the Fool, and he was known to be one of the most peculiar and persistent duelists in the professional league.

Leo grinned.

"Hey there, Saifer. Hey there, Fool. Long time no see!"

Saifer scoffed, then pointed at him.

"Leo, my friend. What the hell was that? You got killed by an amateur… in one strike!"

The Fool simply shook his head and remained silent.

Leo coughed in embarrassment and looked down.

"Yeah, well… it's not like the two of you never tasted a piece of humble pie, is it? If I remember correctly, Queen Bee decimated both of you just last week…"

Saifer grinned.

"I am ready to be killed by our noble Queen every day. But a newbie? Come on..."

Leo shrugged, then pointed to his sword.

"Alright, alright. But there's a reason the two of you arrived so quickly, right? You saw it too?"

glanced at

to the camera

you battle geniuses have noticed it? Well, well, well. It's this rare moment when I get to mock my dear viewers and

his friends, then

my colleagues, but also disciples of the same cranky old man who taught me swordsmanship. Basically, the three of us are childhood friends,

paused, and then

while it hurts my pride a little to have been defeated by an unknown novice, the real reason why I was so shocked by our duel… IS… YOU WON'T BELIEVE IT... oh

his eyes

Strike style to defeat that dolt. And while there are many — lots and lots, really — people who can beat

at his friend with vitriol, but then gave up on the

So, the three of us are going to go and see who that Mongrel really is, and

***

dispatched the young man in azure armor. The other Awakened seemed to

same went for the human spectators in the amphitheater.

all these people? Did I go overboard and move too

dash to not appear too powerful. Maybe they just liked the spectacle? Sunny was, indeed, giving them a good show. Not that doing so

Stop wasting my

had been waiting for their turn to fight him seemed willing to step forward now. Sunny stared at them in boredom for a few minutes, trying to understand what was going on. They had been very eager just a

finally walked toward him, unsheathing a

with an intricate engraving of a castle

Be.

same style… he was obviously practicing the

eyes narrowed, the voice of the

has

plate armor could even attack, Sunny unceremoniously bashed him in the face with the pommel of the odachi, swiped his foot, and then viciously thrust the tip of the great sword into the narrow crack of his

the steel helmet, the voice of

"Mongrel has won!"

faces in the crowd grew a

is wrong with these people?! Is there no one here who

could even clean the blade of

one was wearing a grey silken

Fool has challenged

was wielding a heavy saber…

low growl and

managed to sidestep the attack… sadly, it had turned out to be just a feint. Before he could correct his footing, the odachi pierced his chest and exited from

the enemy's body and

patch on his silk garment. Looking up at Sunny, he silently gave him a

"Mongrel has won!"

need to go to a