Shadow Slave

Sunny held his odachi lightly as he watched Nephis take unhurried steps in his direction. The familiar white flames were dancing in her eyes…

But what was this?

As he walked, the same sparks ignited in the eyes of the seven Fire Keepers. A moment later, their bodies shone with a soft white radiance, and the bruises and contusions left on them by his restrained blows disappeared without a trace. Expressions of gratitude and relief appeared on their faces, and at the same time, Neph's own face grew colder.

'Since when can she heal others from a distance?'

Before he could consider the implications of that unexpected turn of events, her sword left the enchanted scabbard with a quiet murmur. Its mirror-like blade was as black as the night sky, the light of the magical lanterns reflecting in it like distant stars.

He knew that sword well… or rather, he had known it once.

The silver blade was a Transcendent Memory of the Seventh Tier Nephis had received after slaying Soul Stealer. It was a mighty weapon, and had been made mightier still by Sunny himself. He had transplanted a Supreme soul shard as one of its nodes, augmenting the fundamental enchantment of the silver blade..

But now, it was different.

Sunny frowned behind the mask when he noticed a familiar symbol branded into the mystical steel just above the crossguard. An anvil pierced through by a sword…

Had one of the forgemasters of the Clan Valor deemed themselves competent enough to improve on his own work? No, they wouldn't have been able to.

That left only one person, then.

The King of Swords himself.

That bastard. Who gave him the right to taint the gift I gave her with his dirty hands?

Suddenly, Sunny felt displeased.

And since he did, the shadows drowning the great hall of the Nameless Temple moved, overcome by the same displeasure.

Fire Keepers, who had been retreating to give the two Saints space to fight,

sensed the change

Do you not

'Sunny smiled darkly.'

am a peaceful man. I

throat. His sudden attack

sidestep in the opposite direction at the same time. Her movements flowed like a placid

a split second ago, but was already flying forward. It was moving at a speed that could not be

sword

and Nephis circled

The, she suddenly spoke:

battle style you used. Only those trained

a little, Sunny

esteemed guests have been sent by the King of Swords. It only

corner of Neph's

you have used if we

odachi and

"Something like this."

complicated web of attacks and deflections in the air. Both were moving with astonishing speed, exchanging dozens of blows in a second. The clangor of steel fused into a continuous wail that echoes in the

where the Lord of Shadows and the radiant Star of Ruin clashed, sending

is it…

body to its limit, Sunny was momentarily overcome by the exhilaration of combat. He had missed having someone to spar with, and dueling the Fire Keepers

Terror, and she was a Transcendent Titan. Neither was using their Aspect to augment themselves, but their power was still

this day otherwise… granted, Sunny had found it in a rather sorry state, and had to perform

would be seriously damaged… not unless either Nephis or

without having Nephis realize that

There were two problems.

Nephis was too good of a swordsman, so weaving any kind