Shadow Slave

Sunny stared at the little girl, trying not to lose his composure.

'...What is wrong with these people?'

He had two horns, a mouth full of sharp fangs, long claws, and four damned arms… and yet, the first thing that both Effie and Kai had reacted to was his height. Was he not allowed to be tall, for once?!

Continuing to pretend to fight the monstrous child in earnest, he pointed to his chest instead of an answer. Effie, too, slowed down her relentless assault a bit — just enough to give him some breathing room without making her changed attitude obvious.

A few moments later, when they were close to each other, she hissed quietly:

"Let me guess, you saw the message I left that said to not come to the Temple of Chalice… and, naturally, decided to do the exact opposite."

Sunny spun, avoiding her fist, and raised two fingers.

The girl frowned.

"Two… someone else is with you? Cassie? Kai? Ah, it's Kai… so, both of you decided to ignore my warning!"

She deflected his dagger to the side, grimaced when it slid over a barely healed laceration on her forearm, and then squeaked in her childish voice:

"Well… good! I, uh… I might have been too full of myself, thinking that I would be able to actually escape this damned place. So... I am really, really glad that you came…"

Sunny thrust his greatsword forward, narrowly missing the girl's head, and then let out a low growl.

Effie gritted her teeth.

"But, Sunny… we have two problems. One is that these lunatics never let their disciples leave the sect alive. The second… the second is that if one of us doesn't kill the other in this duel, my teachers are going to kill us both… so…"

She caught his sword with one hand, then brought her fist on its blade, shattering it and making Sunny stumble.

hope that you have a plan!

cheerful. Knowing that Effie was confident in his ability to get them both

not have a plan. In fact, he didn't have the slightest idea

Yet.

simply shook his head, making Effie pale and grow

didn't see any chance of escaping the Temple of the Chalice without a bloody battle against the War Maidens, as well as any way for the three of them

was not Solvane. She would not have been able to fight her way out

didn't look too

of the three, Sunny was the powerhouse. Even though his physical might was lesser than that of the huntress, overall, he was a much, much deadlier creature. Added to that were

would have to handle the third one… which would leave Kai alone against dozens of Awakened warriors gathered in the hall. That wouldn't work. No matter how Sunny

to be a way… the War Maidens had been defeated in the future, after all, so they were not

hesitated for a moment, and then glanced at the massive stone chalice towering in the center of the hall, full of furious white flame. Unlike in the

His face grew dim.

don't like this idea… no, I don't like

because it would be extremely dangerous and hard to pull off, but also because going through with

come up with anything else to do. If moving the elements did not

he concentrated for a few moments, and then gestured

the same time, several things

She took a small step to the side to shield Kai with

surrounded by countless onyx threads that ensnared his body. One of his four hands was enveloped by a swarm of scarlet sparks, one in

demon undergo a strange transmutation. Although just a little, their stances shifted, revealing their readiness to intervene should

reluctant to intrude upon

on Saint's arm, while the odachi she held silently slid into the shadows. Sunny was suddenly clad in intricate onyx armor, holding a somber spear in one of

a scarlet string and a strange arrow that seemed to

[Strike of Thunder]... and [Mantle

knowing that he might not have a chance

last Memory that he