'Curse it all!'
The great Spire Messenger towered over Auro.
'How the hell did he call upon one of MY shadows!'
It didn't matter. Clearly normal rules did not apply to this gauntlet, plus Sunny didn't have time to come up with any idea on how such things were possible.
Sunny melted into the shadows, following the mental command, Saint dashed toward Auro, whilst Fiend followed his master into the shadows. It was a simple plan, Sunny and Fiend were going to kill the Cursed Herald. While Saint took care of Auro.
There was just one problem with that plan...
'Damnation.'
The Spire Messenger was now a Cursed Tyrant.
The same rank and class as Condemnation.
'I've already killed a Cursed Devil today. Why not a Tyrant?'
Before emerging, the great pool of shadows rippled, hundreds of inky-black hands surged, reaching grasping at the Hearlds legs. Screeching so loud Sunny felt the whole mountain tremble from inside the shadows, its great wings began the stretch, the wings with their dreadful power flapped.
The shadow hands held, the Cursed one down, now allowing it to ascend, however its power was too great. Terrible winds rolled throughout the mountain valley, as it flapped its wings harder, slowly rising from the ground. Some of the shadow hands started to break, unable to hold withstand the power of a demigod.
Fiend flew out of the shadows, soaring high into the sky, landing of the Cursed ones back. Sunny manifested more shadows, large chains flowed from the dark pool, wrapping around the wings of the Herald. Its great wings slammed down into the ground, sending a tremor through the battlefield.
Fiend crawled to its left wing, opening his mouth, a crimson glow started to devour the shadows.
***
Close by Saint was locked into a dual with Auro of the Nine.
Her dark sword dripped with darkness, her crimson flames burned coolly, unperturbed by the great battle happening meters away.
Auro' spear spun like a windmill, deflecting blow after blow, he sent clusters of thrusts at Saint. Sewing traps in all his actions, however, the great General of the Shadow legion was just too much.
Her grounded footwork prevented her from falling for his feints and traps, her sword danced around his spear like a river rolling over stone.
"You fight well General. But I'm not much of a spearman."
Saints red flames narrowed.
Ducking a high slash from her sword, Auro slipped under her, spinning around and striking her in the back with his spear. However, the metal blade shattered when it met her stone-like armor.
But that did not stop Auro's assault.
Following his forward momentum, he jabbed at Saits visor, then hitting her side with a right hook. The shadowy skin of Auro knuckles peeled slightly, but so did Saints armor.
Saint jumped back, sliding on the snow, looking down at her side, the flames nestling in her visor ignited. Her armor was ever so slightly peeled up, a trickle of ruby dust rolled out from the opening.
Her gaze lingered at the strange sight, her armor had been cracked, ripped apart, destroyed. But it has never peeled off.
If she could speak, she probably would have said.
'Curious. I was hoping master would let me fight the Cursed one. But it looks like this will be just as interesting.'
Saint brandished her dark sword, then slammed it blade into the ground, she looked up to Auro. She pressed her peeled armor back down, wrapping it back around her side, stopping the flow of ruby dust.
Auro smiled for the first time.
"Such honor."
Saint cracked her knuckles.
Auro placed a hand on his chin and pushed, cracking his neck.
It appeared Saint was taking a page from her master's book. She didn't want to fight an unarmed man, why would she? She enjoyed battle just as much as Sunny did.
She didn't want this fight to end so quickly.
Elemental Darkness swirled around Saint growing her body to three meters.
Auro gaze shifted upward at the approaching giant.
A white light shone in the depth of his inky-black eyes.
***
A blaze of crimson flames poured out of Fiends mouth, the Spire Messenger wailed. Sunny rose from the shadows in a blitz, the serpentine odachi held behind him.
Running for his hind legs, Sunny vaulted over rocks, wind bared past him as he ran at astonishing speeds, the Cursed one even though was in great pain, slammed its sharp beak, attempting to impale Sunny.
The black peak plunged into Sunny.
However, instead of being skewered, his form rippled into a cloud of shadows. The cloud of shadows rolled over the rough terrain of the Black Mountain; the dark cloud reached the hind legs. It mended itself back together turning back into the handsome young man that was Sunny.
'Holy shit! That worked?!'
Sunny did not know if it was possible.
But he had a sneaking suspicion, due to how adaptable his Aspect was, and the fact that he was not just any shadow.
He was a Divine one.
Sunny had done something that as far as he knew, no one had done. He had discovered a facet of his transformation ability.
When Sunny took his own life to reach Supremacy, his original body was destroyed by the merciless sun of Godgrave. Sunny's true form now, was that of a shadow. So, Sunny had loosened his grip precisely enough, to keep in in the physical realm, but rendering his body incorporeal.
This ability opened a door to hundreds of more.
In that moment Sunny felt more like a shadow than he ever had before.
Perhaps it was fate...
Sunless had chosen death.
But what had crawled from his corpse was not him—it was a treacherous echo cloaked in dusk, bearing the forgotten name: Lost from Light...
***
Not too far. But too close.
Back on the fractured battlefield, the fearsome black mask trembled.
The shadows all around Godgrave trembled.
Anvil was suddenly surrounded by cold darkness.
Weavers Mask slowly rose into the air, the shadow of Anvil slain enemy rising with it, taking shape... Until it turned into a familiar figure.
The Lord of Shadow had risen from the dead. And now stared at the King of Swords coldly.