Shadow Slave

Sunny swayed slightly and thrust the Soul Serpent into the ground, leaning on it for support. His breath was labored and ragged. The wound on his neck had already disappeared, but drops of crimson blood remained on the onyx surface of his fearsome armor.

All around him, the crowd was going crazy.

"Mongrel! Mongrel! Mongrel!"

The fight against the noble Queen had not been as savage and bloody as some of his previous ones, but it had been incomparably harder. Even though each of the fighters had only managed to land one strike, the mental strain and physical effort the duel had required of them was nothing short of tremendous. Facing a true battle master was a tough trial.

Sunny was completely spent… but more than that, he was also bitter and full of fury.

'Damnation! I almost had it!'

Not paying the crowd any attention, he closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the dissipating sensation he had felt during the last seconds of the intense battle against the undefeated champion of the Dreamscape.

During their fight, after grasping the secret of the elusive Queen, he had come close to making a breakthrough in his mastery of the Shadow Dance. It had been so close that Sunny could practically see it… but in the end, he failed to make the last step. There was an invisible obstacle in his way that had pushed him back, one that he didn't know how to overcome.

Something was still missing… all the styles he had absorbed created a vast and solid foundation, but it was not enough. At this point, he knew that the problem was not quantity. He had already done the groundwork. Then what? What did he need to do to bring this stage of Shadow Dance to completion? Find a unifying element? Face even more formidable opponents?

Sunny didn't know, which made him extremely frustrated.

However, he didn't receive any time to savor his frustration or consider the issue deeper, because a thundering voice suddenly drowned out the roar of the crowd.

Up on the central tribune, the Saint of the Dreamscape had risen from their seat and was now looking down with a brilliant smile, already in the middle of an excited speech.

'Right… I won! I am about to receive my reward!'

Sunny grinned behind the mask and straightened, lifting the odachi and putting it back on his shoulder.

The reward… wasn't this why he had entered the tournament in the first place? And now, it was finally time to reap it!

going on and on, showering

of the Awakened… true warrior… bravery…

just get to the

in the middle of the arena like the world's most fearsome scarecrow and

uh, woman?... this person really likes the

it gave him

the Saint was finally finished with their long speech and gestured at the representative of

personally reward

black armor stood up and approached the parapet of

he felt a small shiver run down

They were also of a strange, vibrant color — bright red, the same as her full lips and vermilion cape. With her

could be felt

'...A Master.'

woman spoke, her raspy voice easily reaching all across the arena. It sounded friendly enough,

clan Valor. Congratulations, warrior… ah, what a splendid duel it was! You

at her for a moment, then bowed his head slightly, expressing his

response, Morgan of

Valor. In fact, your remarkable skill brought me so much joy that I have decided to

'Jackpot!'

had hoped would happen did, indeed, happen! Ascended Morgan seemed to be in a very good mood. Whatever it was that a Master of one of

for the excited cheers of the crowd to quiet down and looked at him

do you wish to

a weapon would

but then,

'Crap!'

before he could think of a crafty lie, the Flaw forced

"...No."

crap, crap!

Valor tilted her