Shadow Slave

Sunny and Nephis scrambled in an attempt to find a hiding spot... but there was no need.

Their first thought was that the dreadful butterfly had won the battle against the Azure Serpent. If that was the case, then their fates would be sealed. However, a moment later, a deafening roar shook the world, pushing them to the ground.

Turning to the stormy waters of the Great River, they saw a familiar creature rising to the surface.

The serpent was looking the worse for wear, with countless deep lacerations covering its mighty body. Streams of scarlet blood were flowing down its azure scales, and its giant eyes seemed even more deranged than usual. Flames of indescribable, murderous malice were burning in their cloudy depths - but, for once, that malice was not directed at the two humans.

Instead, it was aimed at the battered butterfly.

Now that Sunny and Nephis had a few moments to observe the Great Monster in detail, they noticed that it was in a sorry state, too. One of its six legs was missing, and there was an ugly tear on one of its beautiful wings. Its body looked strangely disheveled, and although none of the white scales covering it were missing, many of them were covered with thin cracks.

The Great Monster was retreating.

Sunny froze, momentarily stunned. Even though he had hoped that the Azure Serpent would win the battle against the much stronger Nightmare Creature, he could not quite believe that it actually happened.

'Old snake... just what damned kind of abomination are you?'

It was already miraculous for a Great Beast to defeat a Great Monster. Two of them, though? While not impossible, it was certainly abnormal. Even if the monstrous butterfly was an aerial creature, and was thus at a disadvantage while fighting underwater, the tenacity of the Azure Serpent was confounding.

Sunny stared at the bloodied leviathan somberly. As if sensing his gaze, the serpent lowered its snout and glared back at him.

Crimson water was flowing out of its slightly opened maw.

He shivered.

'...It's no mere Beast.'

Indeed, he should have known. His luck wasn't good enough to stumble on just any Great Beast. No, it surely had to be some kind of unique and singular existence... a damn monarch among all Beasts. [Fated] wouldn't have it any other way.

Maybe it was no coincidence that the Azure Serpent had come from much further upstream than the other two abominations.

'Ah, curse it.'

Sunny felt conflicted. On the one hand, he should be ecstatic about the fact that the harrowing butterfly was retreating. On the other hand, the ancient river serpent seemed much more dangerous now.

The butterfly, meanwhile, was swiftly rising higher and higher.

...However, it didn't leave.

Instead of disappearing into the distance, the Great Monster turned into a black dot once again and started to slowly circle the island from above. It looked like the creature was not giving up on the carcass of the Black Turtle, just recovering its strength and biding its time to make another attempt.

angry hiss. Soon, the island shook slightly, hinting that the abomination was

tumultuous water

at the vast expanse of the Great River in exhaustion. After a while, he slowly

guess... it seems

She nodded slowly.

I'll go

blinked a couple of

'Huh?'

she

"A pond? Why?"

at her in confusion,

bath in a river of blood. I

his head, only now realizing

he was

sly smile appeared on his lips. Suddenly feeling mischievous, Sunny

"Can I join?"

already

Go find your own pond...

He laughed.

if I drown? Those fissures are very deep, you

Nephis scoffed.

Memory first. It will be sad if

watched her go. The silver anklets were singing a quiet melody

shook his head in

about the meat? How

the seven suns had already plunged into the water, Sunny and Nephis were

and the Covetous Coffer, back to its usual size, were standing nearby. Neph's sleeping bag was laying on one side of the pit, while Sunny had

the ground, still digesting the huge amount of tarnished silver he had devoured. Saint was standing guard above,

camp was illuminated by a softly glowing lantern, and a delicious fragrance of roasting meat was spreading through the air. Nephis was preparing a late supper over the coals. Not only

had washed the stench of blood off their bodies, and were now preparing for sleep, feeling refreshed. Before that, however, they were going to finally satiate the gnawing

into the carcass of the Black Turtle they had undertaken seemed

chunk of meat on a plate and handed it to Sunny. In

you wait

relaxed, so he didn't

"Sure."

a splinter of the synthetic firebrick they had used to light the fire, and thrust it into the meat. Then, she touched it with the tip of her finger, and a wisp of white flame

strange dish with a confused