Shadow Slave

Sunny gritted his teeth and groaned, feeling his whole body being slowly crushed by the monstrous chieftain of the Barrow Wraiths. One of his arms was pressed against his body, and the other one was, too… but just barely.

If only he could free it…

But no matter how hard he tried, the tyrant's hold was just too strong.

…Back in the gymnasium, the terrifying beast was lunging at the defenseless children. Its maw was wide open, the red shine of the ghostly flames burning in its eyes reflecting from the jagged, sharp fangs.

It was flying directly at Rain, moments away from closing its jaw on her throat.

She felt paralyzed by fear, desperately wishing to run, but unable to move.

Was this how she was going to die? No, no… it couldn't be!

But it was...

Suddenly, a spark of a strange, dark emotion ignited in Rain's heart.

'Die? No… not like this… I refuse!'

She was holding a sword, was she not?

Even if that thing was going to devour her, Rain was determined to die fighting, just like she had been taught to. She was going to remain human, not a cowering animal only good enough to be the stronger beast's prey.

She owed that much to her parents, at least.

Knowing full well that her dull training sword was not going to stop a Nightmare Creature, Rain stubbornly made a motion to raise it. Even though her mind was panicked and her thoughts scattered, the body remembered countless hours of practice…

Not that it was going to do her any good.

was already so close that she could see every harrowing detail of its hideous snout and frothing maw. There

'Unfair! This is unfair…'

childish thought appeared in her mind, as it had undoubtedly appeared in the minds of countless people just before they were

then, something strange

beautiful magenta lights ignited in the darkness to the

sword flashed out of the shadows and

round shield made of something that resembled stone then appeared and swatted the headless body away

a graceful woman wearing menacing black armor stepped out of

seen someone so

indifferent calmness, and then turned around to easily pierce another hound with her stonelike sword, then sever one more in half with a swift, vicious strike. It was as though the flesh of

killed

that, but she also killed them in the

'Who… who is she?'

was doing, she heard herself saying in a

"Who are you?"

the children and the advancing monsters,

at that back, feeling as if nothing was going to get past this

burning desire suddenly appeared in her

a spirit, or a strange Nightmare Creature.

I want to be strong, someday. Strong like

***

suffocating in the iron grip of the Fallen Tyrant. He was being brought closer and closer to the three burning red eyes, and as he did, it felt as if life itself was being sucked out of him, his mind balancing on

'What… the hell…'

could do… some trick he could employ to wrestle free. A Memory he

how hard he

was slowly starting to grow

I need

were free, but they were not. He could have turned the Mantle of the Underworld too heavy for the tyrant to lift, but it

almost ready to panic, and then… a subtle change suddenly happened to the