Shadow Slave

Because of Effie's easygoing personality and affable attitude, it was easy to forget just how fearsome of a warrior she was.

Out of all the members of the cohort, she had survived on the Forgotten Shore the longest… she had done so while hunting down Nightmare Creatures on the cursed streets of the Dark City all alone, as well. Mostly because anyone willing to help her would have been disposed of by the ruler of the Bright Castle, who had been scorned by her rejection.

The fact that the young huntress had never bowed to his demands despite the black mark placed on her only went to show how unyielding her will really was.

Her Aspect made Effie a perfect instrument of war. While not as drastic as the dire, but narrow speed augmentation Caster had possessed, it was still great and wondrous. More importantly, it was an all-around enhancement — speed, strength, agility, endurance, resilience… every facet of her physicality was elevated to an inhuman level.

Sunny knew of her abilities better than most, since Effie had taught him how to wield a spear. However, due to the fact that their lessons had taken place in the real world, where the huntress was bound to a wheelchair, he never experienced her full strength in a fight himself.

Until now.

'Crap… that really hurt…'

Before, Sunny had hoped that their strength would be more or less equal, considering that he was augmented by three shadows. However, it was not even close… that one blow almost shattered his body into pieces. That was only made more bizarre by the fact that it had been delivered by a scrawny child.

Maybe if he had an additional shadow, or two...

Sunny had become much more powerful, but Effie had grown much stronger after the Forgotten Shore, as well. Her core was now fully saturated… more than that, while Sunny had been surviving in the Red Colosseum, she had survived a hell of her own, it seemed.

Being tortured, taught, and tempered by the cult that had created Solvane, of all people.

Sunny spat some blood, gritted his teeth, and slowly stood up.

'This is… not good…'

girl glanced at him with

alive? Damn… tough

out the emerald amulet once again, but Effie gave him no time. A split second later, she was already

think about anything. He didn't want to hurt his friend, but he also didn't want to die.

to

Bone Weave, the organs protected by

forward, putting the sharp blade of the dagger in the path of Effie's small, bony, and bruised leg. She was going to have to rethink that attack

she was using her second Aspect Ability,

'Curse it a…'

dagger slid off the girl's skin without leaving even a scratch on it, as though it was made out of tempered steel. Luckily,

flying through the air. Before Sunny could regain his balance, the next attack came… and then the next,

under the onslaught of deadly strikes, receiving several glancing blows that left him reeling and in pain. The scrawny girl was very small, but made up for it by being incredibly nimble and swift. The little imp was so wily and fast, in fact, that it almost felt as though she was in several places

finish this quickly… I am hella hungry, you

for a second, you

down, creating some space between

hard to do… there were many ways, really. He could use one of his shadows, or

style Sunny was familiar with. He knew her usual technique pretty well, but this assault had nothing in common with it. In fact, her current ferocious style was leagues beyond what the

of… breathtaking. Even when performed

that was also the worst option, because doing so would reveal his ability to summon things out of thin air to the Maidens.

'Think, you fool!'

to be a better

then froze for a split second… and threw his buckler

thing was hideously

his hands now free, he made it into a fist, sent