Shadow Slave

"Not good..."

Sunny landed in a roll and instantly dashed to the side. Almost at the same moment, claws tore through the air, almost brushing against his skin. They were so close that he felt the wind stirring as it threw his hair into disarray.

"Fast!"

Sunny landed on his feet and slid backward. Sensing the movement of shadows, he raised the Sin of Solace to block the attack - not because he actually perceived it, but because he knew that it had to come.

Then, he screamed.

A deafening, inhuman, monstrous roar suddenly split the skies apart, and Sunny's head was instantly pierced by pain so intense that he couldn't help but groan.

"What... what the hell is that, a sonic attack?"

As his vision blurred, the strike that he had predicted came. The Sin of Solace was in the way, but it was not in a position to form a solid block. Sunny's whole body shook as he was thrown back once again, his bones and tendons creaking under immense pressure.

Luckily, they did not burst apart.

But it really, really hurt...

Falling to the ground, Sunny dove into the shadows and flew out of them a couple dozen meters away. He barely had time to grab Saint Tyris and carry her forward with his momentum before Dire Fang's claws tore into her battered armor.

The two of them came to a stop some distance away and froze for a moment, supporting each other. Sunny's breathing was hoarse, and Sky Tide's face was ashen.

In front of them, the towering monster - Saint Dire Fang, who had finally unleashed his transcendent power - slowly turned his wolf-like snout and looked at them with a bestial, bloodred, terrifying eye.

Sunny's intuition was screaming. Looking at the monstrous creature - half-human, half-beast - he felt it, deep in the dark expanse of his lightless soul.

Death.

Fighting Dire Fang meant death.

a Saint, after

Creature. Although humans possessed only one soul core, their intelligence and Aspect powers made them equal to Devils, at least - someone like

fought, and killed, many Corrupted

were nothing

to do with raw power, and everything to do with who

- the First Nightmare, the Second Nightmare, the Third Nightmare... the Dream Realm, and the waking world. Countless humans had tried, but only the absolute best of the absolute best could survive all five of these

most lucky. By far. Only a person possessing all these qualities could become a Saint. Even

comparable to facing a random Corrupted

one of

A fiend among fiends.

alone, either. There were several Ascended of Clan Song and powerful thralls surrounding

"Curse it all..."

take a step back, knowing that they would not be able to run.

hesitated for a heartbeat, and then glanced at Sky

other trick at his disposal... it

Mirror of Truth, but Sunny was not sure that it would be of any help - not before both of them were torn apart by Dire Fang, at

He trembled.

I... I don't know what

at him, her bloodied face remaining calm and

you do. You

Sunny gritted his teeth.

always an option... he was a great master of staying alive, after all. He could dissolve into shadows and emerge from them hundreds of

on that snowy field in the

problem was that he couldn't take anyone

she was telling him

But Sunny... he...

Didn't want to.

was not going

time for conversations, really, so he simply raised his sword and

"Like hell I will!"