Shadow Slave

The bolt of darkness-wreathed lightning shot between two of the senior War Maidens and struck the side of the stone chalice. A flash of light drowned the hall for a split second, and almost instantly, three arcs of electricity tore through the air, traveling back to strike the sect leaders. Since there was no one else near them, the lightning did not chain further, spending all its might while coursing through the bodies of the Ascended warriors…

Sunny did not see any of that, however, because he was already dashing toward a wide stone pillar with Effie's scrawny figure held in his arms…

Behind him, a single narrow crack appeared on the surface of the chalice.

…And through it, a furious white light suddenly shone.

A moment later, countless fractures appeared on the ancient stone, and then, everything became white.

"Argh!"

Sunny was on his knees behind the column, his back to the center of the hall, hugging Effie with all his four arms. His vision was gone, replaced by an endless field of flawless white, and so was his hearing. He felt a shockwave go through his body, and the pillar behind him shatter, turning into a rain of broken, melting stone. Then, a flash of agony pierced his soul.

Everything was enveloped by terrifying, suffocating heat. He felt it wash over him like a wave, and prayed that they would survive its immolating embrace.

He had a reason to believe that they would. In the future, there had been bones littering the floor of the hall, after all. That meant that when the real chalice exploded, not everyone around it had been turned to ash.

Sunny also had the [Stalwart] enchantment of the Mantle of the Underworld providing him with high resistance to elemental attacks, as well as [Underworld Armament] enchantment channeling and enhancing the protective effect of the Memory of Fire through the onyx armor.

That was not going to be enough to withstand divine flame itself, but could save him — and Effie, whom he was shielding with his towering body — from the heat produced by the flame.

A few moments later, the white field veiling his sight suddenly dimmed, and gave way to beautiful darkness. The Shadow Lantern was devouring the light surrounding its master, uncaring for what had produced it.

Sunny was finally able to discern the shape of

great hall… was

floor, which was cracked and shattered. Most of the pillars supporting the roof had toppled, and so did a section of the roof

and had collapsed

the devastated chamber, small pieces of the divine flame burned. Some danced on shards of stone, slowly devouring it, some on the charred corpses of those War Maidens that had been killed in the blast. However, the flames did not seem to be spreading… strangely, there were numerous runes shining on

many of

'Curse it…'

Ascended were all alive, although two of the three were severely wounded - whether by the lightning of the Strike of Thunder, the explosion, or the divine flame, Sunny did not know. Some of their Awakened disciples had survived, as well, and were now slowly rising from the ground, shock and fury written on

was alive,

But not unscathed.

one of his shadows seemed to have been too slow to retreat from the chalice and had gotten itself burned a little by the divine flame. Since the three shadows were manifestations

his teeth, Sunny endured the pain and rose to his

damage… well, what else

as he thought that, the shadows slid between the dancing flames and attached themselves to his feet, one cradling its damaged

looked around with shock, sweat rolling down her

hell… happened… you

spoke and instantly regretted it when a torrent of scorchingly hot air streamed into

torn and his wooden mask glowing angrily, as if seconds from catching on fire. The young man was surrounded by

by a dozen surviving

she took a step in his direction, but then hesitated and looked at Sunny

"...What about the Masters?!"