Shadow Slave

1514 Burning Rust

The dome of the SerpentKing's palace entirely collapsed, falling under its own weight in a colossal cloud of dust. Two enormous, dark figures rose from the cloud, vaguely visible as they tangled together in a furious struggle.

…Down on the streets of the city , Nephis was making her way to the crumbling palace. She was fighting against the human flood, the radiance of her skin shining brightly in the dim twilight of the early dawn. Her incandescent sword had turned into a blur, followed by a trail of crimson haze.

She had long lost count of how many enemies she cut down, how many bodies she sundered, and how much time had passed since the start of this nightmarish battle.

No matter how many vessels of the Soul Stealer she destroyed, their number never decreased. Instead, it only grew. More and more of them flooded from all sides, rushing to pierce her flesh with their swords, their spears, their arrows, their nails and teeth. Their power had grown, as well. There were more Awakened warriors surrounding her now, and more Ascended.

Their powers were like a constant hail that relentlessly assaulted her, lethal and unpredictable, growing more perilous with each step she took.

But something else grew with it, as well.

Her will.

Slowly but surely… Nephis was shaking off the burden of doubt that had covered her heart like rust, at some point. Little by little, its weight had added up, until she became pressed into the ground by it without even noticing.

Here, in the throes of this macabre slaughter, there was no place for doubt.

There was only combat. Steps, lunges, and feints. The movements of her sword, the movements of her body. The measured ruthlessness of her mind, the cold lethality of her skill. The empty eyes of her enemies, the perilous sheen of their weapons, and the inevitable moments of their deaths.

This was clarity. This was the stark world where only pain and will existed.

She was always tormented by harrowing pain. Pain burned everything away, leaving only will.

And Neph's will…

Was to kill them all.

She cut through countless humans, erasing them from existence with her sword. Their bodies come undone under its blade, forming a gruesome path. A river of blood flowed where she had passed, paving the way.

…Her blood was in that river, as well.

flawless, fatal machine. Lifeless corpses fell to her feet —

she wasn't

steel wall of her defense. His cleaver landed on her shoulder, biting into the chainmail. Her armor held, and her bones held,

the impact slowed her down, allowing an Ascended champion to ram a spear into her

chainmail broke. The white tunic beneath it was pierced.

kick and twisted, her sword cutting through the shaft of the spear and the Ascended's head. The bloodied

wound on her back, mending the torn muscles and broken

later, the wound was gone.

teeth, the same

'Come, all of you!'

plunged into the frenzied mob, calling upon the fires of

it. Those who could were cut down by the spirit of light dancing

palace

flames to burn her enemies, but she couldn't maintain the blaze around herself constantly. Her reserves of essence, no matter how deep, would run out too fast that way. In the end, she released the control of the flame, leaving a burning street in

fire spread, devouring

endless, relentless assault of

enemies broke through her defenses, leaving terrible marks

became shattered and torn, full of holes… until it crumbled completely, disappearing into a

sharp sword slithered its way to her chest,

who was holding the sword,

grabbed his throat, crushing it in an

chest,

landed on her shoulder, cutting deep, and a beak of a war hammer struck

of

bodies of everyone around her. She did

become even faster, even brighter, even deadlier. Washed by the

was not going to

was only

damage dealt to her body anymore, she lunged at her enemies, forcing them to

"I…"