Shadow Slave

Dismissing the Sin of Solace, Sunny called upon the Cruel Sight and looked at Nephis. There was no time to explain everything, but he still had to warn them in advance. What to say? How would he even explain a situation like that? Not finding any good words, Sunny just said what came to mind:

”I... found Jet. She is being attacked by a powerful enemy - a wraith-like creature capable of dealing damage directly to our souls. I’ll try to get Jet and retreat... prepare for battle!”

Before she had time to respond, Sunny already dove into the shadows.

’The reason I died was because I lost the initiative by not knowing the nature of the enemy and not having the correct weapon to deal with a wraith immediately at hand. Most importantly, I failed to realize that my shadows would be vulnerable to Undying Slaughter’s attacks, as well.’

He had dodged the first attack of the Defiled without too much trouble. It was unknown which one of them would have lost in the end after the Cruel Sight had manifested itself... in a normal fight. However, Undying Slaughter had moved to destroy his shadows first.

It was no surprise that she had known just how to kill him in one fell swoop... after all, the mist wraith was most likely a Defiled version of Soul Reaper Jet using her future Transformation Ability. Jet knew a lot about his Aspect, and the future Jet would have known even more.

That had been Sunny’s undoing.

After a vast part of his soul had been destroyed, he was in no condition to put up any further resistance. So, he died miserably on his knees.

This time was going to be different.

First, he had already summoned the Cruel Sight.

Second, he would protect his shadows.

And lastly, he knew a lot about Jet’s Aspect, as well.

Stepping out of the shadow, he wrapped it around his body and dashed toward the clearing.

’The Dormant Ability allows her to absorb the essence of living beings she kills. The Awakened Ability allows her to strike directly at the souls of her enemies, bypassing all forms of physical defense. The Ascended Ability allows her to increase the size and capacity of her shattered soul core, as well as removing the limit on how much essence she can use to enhance her body.’

Sunny did not know how ancient Undying Slaughter really was... how distant was the future she had come from. However, her Frankenstein’s monster of a soul core would have already reached an enormous size, considering how many people the Six Plagues had slaughtered. She was powerful...

He also did not know much about her Transcendent Ability. It was most likely how Undying Slaughter had attacked him in the form of a wraith, but the details of her Transformation were unclear.

’I should be able to get through this, as long as I’m careful.’

...Or not.

Bursting from the line of trees, Sunny ignited the silver blade of the Cruel Sight with divine flames and dashed toward where Jet was laying on the ground, her blood pouring into the moss.

As he kneeled in front of her, tense and ready to fight, she opened her icy blue eyes and looked at him weakly. Her lips moved.

”Don’t speak. I know.”

’Now.’

Sunny did not have to kneel and show his back to the enemy. However... if he had the opportunity to fool Undying Slaughter into thinking that she had the upper hand, it would be criminal not to use it.

Sensing an almost imperceptible disturbance in the mist, he shot to his feet and lashed out with the radiant blade of the Cruel Sight. There was a vague figure hidden in the fog, already moving to attack him - caught by surprise, it had no chance to avoid the sudden strike.

...And yet, it did.

’Fast...’

Sunny pulled back his spear and froze, tensely observing the mist. Despite the fact that their roles had reversed, and he was the one to deliver an unexpected attack, the end result was the same. Undying Slaughter had dissipated into the fog, and he was left not knowing where the next blow would come from.

Or he would have, if not for the fact that he knew the future.

’Wrong.’

Sunny knew what would have happened, not what would happen. Him changing the opening exchange of the battle could have changed what Undying Slaughter would do, as well. He still had to be careful.

However, the next few seconds went just as they had before.

The mist wraith did not attack him again, hiding and waiting... until the happy shadow flew from behind the trees and rushed toward its master.

Sunny remembered the harrowing agony of having his soul torn apart and felt his hair stand on end. The mist swirled, and the wraith hiding within it moved to intercept the swift shadow.

’D-damn it...’

Even knowing what was about to come, he couldn’t suppress his fear.

Undying Slaughter brought its ghostly blade down... but before it could plunge into the shadow, it was met by another blade.

This one made of pure darkness.

As two ruby flames ignited in the depths of his shadow, Saint deflected the wraith’s blow and stepped into the clearing.

”Blade of Darkness” Ability Description: [The true darkness dwelling in this Shadow’s heart can be summoned in the form of a fearsome weapon, as long as the Shadow has mastered the use of that weapon. The Blade of Darkness can slay those of flesh and those of spirit; it never dulls, never falters, and never breaks. Alternatively, the darkness can be summoned to augment a mundane weapon.]

Saint’s dark sword could cut both tangible and intangible enemies, just like the Cruel Sight could. More than that, she was immune to soul damage... which made his taciturn Shadow an almost perfect adversary for the hateful mist wraith.

Even if Undying Slaughter was a Defiled Transcendent like the Mad Prince was, Saint was a Transcendent Devil. Their power... at least theoretically... was on par.

Or so Sunny hoped.

Faced with the dark blade, the mist wraith glided back. The next moment, a second shadow appeared in the clearing. Fiend jumped out of it, infernal flames burning in his eyes.

The happy shadow wrapped itself around the graceful stone knight, while the gloomy one wrapped itself around the steel ogre. Sunny himself was augmented by the other three.

Undying Slaughter was caught in the middle of a triangle formed by Saint, Fiend, and Sunny.

’Let’s see who will die now.’

Forcing himself to grin, Sunny gripped the Cruel Sight tighter and dashed forward.