Shadow Slave

Hearing the thunderous cheer, Sunny almost flinched.

The last duel of the tournament was different from all the rest. The courtyard had changed slightly, somehow becoming even more magnificent. The grandstands were extended, with dozens of thousands of spectators crowding the stone seats. Their cheers blended into a deafening, excited roar that rose and fell rhythmically, like the sound of a turbulent sea.

Rose petals were raining from above, covering the arena in a beautiful carpet.

…No matter how cynical Sunny wanted to be about the whole thing, it was hard not to feel his blood boil at this scene.

He turned his head slightly, taking in the sight of the chanting crowd. Then, his sight lingered for a few moments on a tall tribune that loomed above the arena, decorated with the vibrant vermilion banners of the Great Clan Valor. Since this was the final duel, very special people were going to spectate it in person.

Sunny easily recognized the creator of the Dreamscape, who was dressed in ridiculously colorful silken robes and looked like a parrot that had taken a bath in a tub of face powder. He still couldn't believe that this gaudy clown was an actual Saint…

The person near him had to be the representative of Valor, then. Sunny couldn't see much, and just noted that it was a young woman with dark wavy hair and alabaster skin. She wore an intricate suit of lusterless, black armor and a red cape, which was the same color as the banner of her clan. Her sharp and austere appearance was in stark contrast with the Saint of Dreamscape.

The tribune was too far away to see any details, but Sunny wasn't inclined to stare at a Legacy from a Great Clan, anyway. He was already uncomfortable knowing that she would be observing him fight.

On the other hand…

'I better put up a good show. Who knows, maybe if that girl likes it, I'll receive an extra good Memory!'

Throwing these thoughts out of his mind, Sunny finally lowered his gaze and studied his opponent.

the idea that he might have met the formidable Queen

her thirties, and even though the lower half of her face was hidden behind an elegant half-mask, he was sure that he had never seen her before. She stood calmly in the center of the arena, as if not affected by the cheering crowd and the esteemed guests

and resolve. She wore a light metal armor and wielded a slender estoc, its blade long and sharp. There was a strange serenity about her that somehow seemed simultaneously alien

the same vibe Neph sometimes

But while Changing Star was sharp and inevitable like a striking sword, Queen Bee was

'What a weird contradiction.'

even purple, and instead seemed to shift from one color to another, as if reflecting her mood. The strangest thing about them, though, was that… those weren't the eyes of a

how to recognize one, because he was a

the desire to scratch the back

tell me that

a hobby was

things a little easier for him. Sure, Queen Bee might have been a prodigal duelist — she wouldn't have gotten to

combat was not something interesting or engaging. It was not something he did for fun, or even his profession. It was

Life for nothing. Life was a constant, brutal struggle, and Sunny knew it better than

to be easy. Killer or not, Queen Bee was still a

put its blade on his shoulder, and

***

speech afterward. Sunny didn't listen to it and simply approached the middle of the arena, then hesitated

wasn't a courteous person, but in this situation, bowing seemed