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.

was finally able to discern

great hall… was

roof had toppled, and so did

were fractured and had collapsed outward… just like they would be in the

corpses of those War Maidens that had

because of those runes, many

'Curse it…'

wounded - whether by the lightning of the Strike of Thunder, the explosion, or the divine flame,

was

But not unscathed.

was not damaged, but 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 of his soul, it

Sunny endured the pain

damage… well, what else

the shadows slid between the dancing flames and attached themselves to his feet, one

with shock, sweat rolling down her

hell… happened…

and instantly regretted it when a torrent of scorchingly hot

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

by a

eyes widened, and she took a step in his direction, but then

"...What about the Masters?!"