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.

already so close that she could see every harrowing detail of

'Unfair! This is unfair…'

appeared in her mind, as it had undoubtedly appeared in

then, something

lights ignited in the darkness to

of a strange, stonelike sword flashed out of the shadows and easily sliced through

appeared and swatted the headless body

shock, a graceful woman wearing menacing black armor stepped out of the darkness, two ruby flames burning behind the

never seen someone so terrifying, yet so

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 the

killed three

only that, but she also killed them in the span of

'Who… who is she?'

doing, she heard herself saying

"Who are you?"

answer and simply stood between the children and the advancing monsters, her back straight and solid like

feeling as if nothing was going to get past this frightening, taciturn

burning desire suddenly appeared in her

whether the menacing black knight was a human, a spirit, or a strange Nightmare Creature. But she knew one

be strong,

***

Sunny was slowly suffocating in the iron grip of the Fallen Tyrant. He was being brought closer and closer to the three burning red eyes, and as

'What… the hell…'

be something that he could do… some trick he could employ to

matter how hard he

was slowly starting to grow

I… I

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

panic, and then… a