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.

had been retreating to give the two

sensed the change in the atmosphere,

the matter, Lord Shadow? Do you not

'Sunny smiled darkly.'

am a peaceful man. I hate

thrust his odachi at Neph's throat. His sudden attack was violent and ruthless, aimed at slicing open her arteries and severing

the same time. Her movements flowed like a placid river, and yet Sunny instantly felt that he was in mortal

speed that could not be perceived by the Fire Keepers, and even Sunny struggled to sense its passing. ?ìg??օ???w????~?օ?. Unable to pull

tip of the silver sword missed his chest

Sunny and Nephis circled each

The, she suddenly spoke:

battle style you used. Only those trained

head a little, Sunny

the King of Swords. It only

Neph's

what style would you have used if we

his odachi and took a step

"Something like this."

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 darkness of the solemn hall, followed by a

from the spot where the Lord of Shadows and the radiant Star of Ruin clashed, sending a cloud of dust rushing outward like an opaque sphere. The Fire Keepers

it… this is

overcome by the exhilaration of combat. He had missed having someone to spar with, and dueling

course, the clash between him and Nephis was much more furious and destructive than the previous fight. After all… he was a Trasncendent Terror, and she was a Transcendent Titan. Neither

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

it would be seriously damaged… not unless either Nephis or him decided to unleash their

having Nephis realize

There were two problems.

too good of a swordsman, so weaving any kind of pretense in front of