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.

could see every harrowing detail of its hideous

'Unfair! This is unfair…'

childish thought appeared in her mind, as it had undoubtedly appeared in the minds

then, something

in the darkness to the side of

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

resembled stone then appeared and swatted the headless body away from Rain, not allowing even a drop of

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

someone so terrifying, yet so

then sever one

killed three Nightmare

but she also killed them in the span

'Who… who is she?'

doing, she heard herself saying

"Who are you?"

did not answer and simply stood between the children and the advancing monsters, her

if nothing was

desire suddenly appeared in her

the menacing black knight was a human, a spirit, or a strange

I want to be strong, someday.

***

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

'What… the hell…'

do… some trick he could employ to wrestle free. A Memory he could summon, an enchantment he could

how hard

vision was slowly starting to

I

could have summoned 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 was already as heavy

panic, and then… a