Shadow Slave

Nightmare flew through the battlefield where the servants of dead deities fought against each other, unable to resolve their ancient grudge even after thousands of years had passed. All around the galloping steed, giants made of black bones clashed with murderous fury.

Each strike of a rusted blade, each blow of a vicious claw, each snap of crushing jaws produced powerful shockwaves that stirred the white sand and made it seem as if the world was on the verge of collapsing. Angry sparks flew into the air, and a cacophonous clangor filled the dark sky.

'Crazy, crazy... this is crazy!'

Sunny was in the form of a shadow, gliding across the sand in front of Nightmare. He was serving as a guide, and the black stallion followed, carrying Jet and Seishan.

Sunny's mind was in overdrive, absorbing every minute detail of what was happening around them. He had to find a way to avoid the ancient wraiths and slip between them, somehow, while not being destroyed by their destructive wrath.

It was not easy... no, it was almost impossible. His only saving grace was that the dead did not seem to pay them any attention.

Still, just the aftershocks of their dreadful attacks were enough to obliterate a puny Ascended like Sunny.

'Damn it all!'

As they moved away from the ruin, Sunny saw...

A black skeleton easily parting the night sky with its obsidian sword. The abominable bone behemoth that had been attacking the dead swordsman shuddered and collapsed, making the whole desert shake. Its mountain-like skeleton, almost a kilometer long, was cleanly cut in half along the spine.

A phalanx of ancient warriors marching forward to meet the charge of monstrous skeletal cavalry. The moment the two tides of black bones met, millions of stars were suddenly extinguished in the sky.

Two giants colliding above the dunes. One wielded a sword, while the other had iron shackles fastened around its wrists and ankles. The heavy chains rang as a gargantuan shackled hand shot forward, grabbing the colossal sword and flinging it away.

the direction of

'Curse...'

- instead, the ancient weapon plunged into the shadows, disappearing into their bottomless embrace.

survive

really knew what the Nightmare Desert had been before, but it was known that one of the last - or at least one of the fiercest - battles in the

this land had

rose from the dead every night to continue the ferocious clash, either. Why did the continue to

that this was no place for the living. It was barely a place suited for the

to powerful Corrupted creatures. The strongest... he did not even want to know. From what Nephis had said, the true horror was hidden in the heart of the desert, where the champions of the two armies had

happening around them, but he understood very well

but with how intense and harrowing the fighting between the dead was, it was only a matter of time - minutes, or maybe even seconds

an echo of a distant strike was enough

had been planning to reach some other ruin. The location of the nearest structures was burned into his memory, but once they entered the battlefield, Sunny realized that it was of no use - the white dunes had shifted, and he had no marks

moment the three of them escaped the ruin, they were utterly

skeleton in rusted armor slammed its war hammer into the shield of a six-armed demon, and Nightmare almost stumbled. Baring its fangs, the black steed soared into

held on for

the shadows and rolled on the sand, then jumped to the side, barely avoiding a titanic foot that descended

him stumbling

he dove back into the shadows and flew

hide...

saw a flash

shadow, but from the purity of the light, he knew

skeletons, a white halo was rising