Shadow Slave

The dark copy of Nephis did not deflect, evade, or block Sunny's blow. She simply turned slightly, allowing his blade to pierce her shoulder instead of her neck — while, at the same time, delivering an attack of her own.

She had accounted for one of her arms being severely damaged, the muscles cut and the bone shattered, using only one hand to drive the black longsword forward. As a result, a split second after Sunny's odachi pierced her shoulder, her blade pierced his chest. He staggered back, barely saving his heart from being shredded.

A grim smile twisted Sunny’s lips.

‘It seems I've grown too accustomed to the Jade Mantle.'

If he was still wearing his armor, the dark copy of Nephis would not have been able to drive her sword through his breastplate with one hand. Well... she would have probably aimed for his armpit instead and dealt just as much damage — because he was one step behind.

He had already realized that the Creature of Darkness had created a facsimile of Nephis based on its flawed understanding of her, but he failed to realize that it fathomed Neph's battle art, too.

When Nephis was a Saint, she had woven her ability to mend herself into her battle style. That was why most pillars of combat collapsed when facing her. Any other opponent would attempt to defend themselves, which dictated their movements — Nephis simply chose which parts of her would be mangled while enduring the pain to deliver lethal attacks. People did not fight like that. Even Nightmare Creatures did not fight like that — while they did not necessarily possess a self-preservation instinct, they were overcome by a frenzied desire to destroy and devour remnants of the Flame, and being needlessly killed went against that overwhelming obsession.

But Nephis had all but liberated herself from the deeply ingrained need to avoid harm. That made most of the combat experience Sunny possessed nearly useless in this battle — in fact, it was not only useless, but actively worked against him.

He needed to rid himself of all preconceived notions and approach this fight as a blank page.

...But did he, really?

Clutching his chest, Sunny looked at the dark copy of Nephis.

Far away, the real Nephis calmly grasped the sword that impaled her and pulled it sideways, slicing her own fiery body to drag it out. At the same time, she flourished the Blessing, deflecting the attack of the second incarnation of the dark clone and unleashing a radial wave of immolating flame.

Sunny could not hear her voice, but her lips moved, no doubt invoking the Names of Fire and Destruction.

The incarnation assaulting her from the front managed to escape in time. The one who had pierced her with the sword, though, was a moment too late — after all, his sword was still in her grasp, and she was not letting go. The flames engulfed him, and a stifled scream drowned in their hungry roar.

Sunny faced the dark version of Nephis with a resolute expression.

At the same time, he thought:

'...To hell with this!'

Fighting a version of Nephis with only one incarnation? Sure, it was an exciting idea. He was very curious to see how their battle would go.

But he wasn't crazy... well, he wasn't that mad.

So, without a second thought, Sunny turned around and fled.

Restraining and containing Nephis? That was a good strategy. The best strategy, however, was not to fight her at all!

Before the dark copy of Nephis could fry him the same way the real Nephis had just fried a copy of him, Sunny dove into the shadows and escaped them near her — near the real Changing Star, that was.

For a moment, he was enveloped by unbearable heat. Then, Sunny turned into a shadow and wrapped himself around Nephis, augmenting her and fusing their two titanic Wills into one. The power of shadows fused with the power of purifying flames, and the resonance between the two increased Neph's strength explosively.

[That thing can only use those of our powers that we have shown in the Underworld. And it doesn't seem capable of Shaping.]

Nephis assumed a defensive stance, looking around warily. The remaining incarnation of the dark clone was yet to reveal itself, so an attack could come from any angle.

[I see.]

Her own copy, meanwhile, summoned a pair of magnificent black wings and was descending from the vast emptiness above like a dark comet.

[Get ready!]

The dark Blessing moved, and an annihilating ray of pure darkness shot from above. At the same time, a ray of blinding light shone from the ground. The two collided midair, and the fabric of reality itself seemed to part, space and time rippling as a wave of unfathomable destruction was unleashed upon the world. Everything was consumed by darkness. Then, everything was drowned by blinding light.

The world shook, and a deafening roar obliterated all notion of silence — its very concept was made meaningless, banished from Sunny's memory.

In that roaring inferno, Nephis moved, raising her sword. In the next moment, a black blade bit into its radiant surface, throwing Nephis back.

She slid across the shattered stones, looking ahead with a grim expression.

There, a winged spirit of darkness landed gracefully and took a step forward, a dark figure rising from the flames to fuse with her — instantly, the chilling pressure she exerted multiplied, crashing into Nephis like a devastating wave.

She pursed her lips, ready to attack.

Then, however, something about Nephis changed.

Sunny felt it — a brief moment of confusion, a hint of hesitation. A spark of recognition. And then, a deep, debilitating fear rose from the depths of her being, weakening her grip on her sword.

Nephis suppressed that fear, but its claws still left their mark on her resolve, making her voice sound shaken and low.

"I... I know you."

The dark copy of Nephis continued to smile as she walked forward, the black surface of her sword consuming all light.

Nephis gritted her teeth.

"I know you, don't I? We've met before."

She inhaled deeply, then slowly exhaled.

"In the depths of my Nightmare."

Sunny, who was confused and startled by her reaction, suddenly understood.

That creature — the abyssal horror that extended its tendrils from the boundless darkness — it was the same creature that Nephis had met in her Second Nightmare. Nephis believed it to be, at least. It was the horror that wiped out the settlement she had built, and made her kneel.

Slowly, Neph's fear receded, replaced by... a dark, frightening, scathing joy.

A cold smile slowly appeared on her bloodless lips.

"I begged you for mercy back then."

Grasping the hilt of the Blessing with both hands, she pointed it at the dark apparition.

“I've wanted to meet you again for a long, long time. But I won't be begging today."

A moment later, she lunged forward with a speed so dire that it seemed like she had simply blinked out of existence, appearing near her copy at the same time.

Two swords — one forged out of pure light, the other forged out of pure darkness — collided, sending a shock rippling through the entire Underworld.