Shadow Slave

While Sunny and Mordret struggled to survive as their souls were being destroyed…

A human figure emerged from the darkness of the Sky Below and shot into the sunlight, flying with incredible speed. It was a man with skin that looked like polished bark and a burned, disfigured face.

His armor was battered and painted dull by dried blood, and the quiver attached to his belt was long empty. The man had been an officer of the Sun Legion once, but now, he returned to kill its commander.

His eyes were full of resolve.

Months had passed since the terrible day when Kai and his most brave soldiers were chained to the white cliff on the Sacrifice Island and left there to be devoured by the Ivory Dragon. Who could have thought that he would be back to this cursed place so soon?

Leaving the heat of the burning city behind, Kai had hidden himself under the island where his comrades were turned to ash by the dragon's flame, waited for Sunny to get the full attention of the prince of Valor, and then dashed forward without looking back.

He did not wish to see the white cliff and the soot-covered chains hanging from its surface ever again.

Flying under the last bridge connecting the rest of the city to the Ivory Island, he avoided being noticed too soon, and then ascended into the sunlight. Behind him, a dome of shadows suddenly appeared at the entrance to the bridge, hiding his friend from sight.

With his heart growing heavy, Kai soared above the emerald grass of the Ivory City and finally saw his goal.

A magnificent dragon was laying on the ground, blood streaming from his mangled neck. His white scales were painted crimson, and one of his wings was broken. But the great beast was still alive. He was still breathing.

He was immortal, after all…

But not for long.

In his hand, Kai held a knife made of ghostly glass. Inside the knife, the dragon's fate was sealed, placed there by a ruthless god.

Was Kai breaking the will of the gods by delivering it back to its owner? Or completing their design?

He did not know, and he did not care.

cared about was killing the

very strong, or very brave, or very smart. It took him a long time to grow a little. He was not a person of great conviction, either. But if there was

city he ruled was

ignored the pain that had tormented him for months and lunged

Glass Knife glistened

wounded, the immortal Transcendent was still immensely powerful and deadly. How could a mere Awakened ever hope to

Kai could thrust the ghostly blade into the exposed flesh on the great beast's neck, Sevirax suddenly stirred. His

moved his healthy wing, and a torrent of wind crashed into Kai, sending him spinning. The glass knife scratched

to avoid being killed, but just this light touch was enough to rip his breastplate

few dozen meters, and by the time he rose shakily to his knees, the

surfaced from the ocean of madness hidden

moment, and then, a low, tired, sonorous voice resounded from

"You… I know you…"

Kai gritted his teeth.

attack had failed… he

strike. No matter how wounded and exhausted the Ivory Lord was, he would still be immeasurably

Hope was not going to escape. The Nightmare was not going to

friends would

been able to fly through

he was no

with a disfigured face looked at the immortal beast towering in front of him. He shook slightly, and then

he lunged forward, sending bits

twisted his neck, protecting the wound left on it by the fangs of the Beast of Twilight, and then opened his maw to crush the small human between

Kai could

But he didn't.

into the dragon's maw, which

like that, the

froze for a moment, stunned by