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.

give the two Saints

the change in the

is the matter, Lord Shadow? Do you not wish

'Sunny smiled darkly.'

am a peaceful man. I hate

throat. His sudden attack was violent and ruthless, aimed at

odachi easily, taking a sidestep in the opposite direction at the same time. Her movements flowed like a placid river,

odachi down just a split second ago, but was already flying forward. It was moving at a speed that could not be perceived by the

the silver sword missed

exchange, Sunny and Nephis circled each other

The, she suddenly spoke:

battle style you used. Only those trained

a little, Sunny responded

Swords. It only seemed polite to greet them by using the battle style of his

corner of Neph's

have used if we were sent by

odachi and took a

"Something like this."

moment later, they were upon each other once more, their swords weaving a complicated web of attacks and deflections in the air. Both were moving with astonishing speed, exchanging dozens of blows in a

the spot where the Lord of Shadows and the radiant Star of Ruin clashed, sending a cloud of dust rushing

is it… this is

limit, Sunny was momentarily overcome by the exhilaration of combat. He had missed

much more furious and destructive than the previous fight. After all… he was a Trasncendent Terror, and she was a Transcendent Titan. Neither was using their Aspect to

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

be seriously damaged… not unless

without having Nephis realize that I

There were two problems.

swordsman, so weaving any kind of pretense