Outside, the sun was already moving past its zenith. There wasn't much time left before sunset, so Kane was genuinely unsure what Nephis could do to change Effie's mind before evening. However, judging by the determined expression on her face, Changing Star wasn't just throwing words to the wind. She had something specific in mind.
Sunny hesitated and spoke, "So, uh... what exactly are we going to do now?"
Nephis glanced at him, white flames dancing in the depths of her cold grey eyes. Then, she turned away and said, "Follow me." With that, she walked forward in the direction of the castle.
Kane thought, 'Aren't we supposed to hunt a Fallen?'
Somewhat uneasy, Sunny gently took Cassie by the arm and hurried to catch up to Nephis. Kane left the watch from behind. Sunny suddenly threw over his shoulder, "Tell me about that Pathfinder again. The one who was accused of murder three days ago."
Nephis frowned, then repeated what he knew about the guy. When he was almost finished, she asked, "What's his Aspect Ability?"
He hesitated, then said, "He can make any weapon become incredibly sharp when it's in his hands. Sharp enough to cut stone, maybe even steel. It's a very powerful combat Ability."
Changing Star was quiet for some time, then said, "What about his Flaw?"
Sunny shook his head. "That I have no idea about. People are very protective of their Flaws, you know. Not everyone goes around telling everyone about their greatest vulnerability like that lunatic, Effie."
Cassie, who seemed to be very protective of him today, decided to support this claim: "Sunny is right, Neph. We don't even know what his own Flaw and Kane's Flaw is, remember?"
Kane thought, 'No use, her brain isn't that compatible with people.'
Soon, they scaled the magnificent stairs and were approaching the gates of the castle. Kane grew more curious about Nephis's intentions. Sunny spoke, "Uh... Neph? What do you need us to do?"
She shrugged, then said in her usual indifferent tone: "Both of you don't really need to do anything. Just follow me and try to look… uh… virtuous."
Kane spoke with a sigh, "Nephis, what do you intend to do? Aren't we supposed to hunt a Fallen?"
Nephis spoke, "Kane... Just follow me. You will understand soon."
Cassie spoke to him, "Follow her. You might be surprised." Kane looked at her and spoke, "Maybe this time, but next time you should explain."
The Guards standing watch in front of the gates blocked their path with contemptuous and suggestive looks in their eyes. The contempt was directed toward Sunny and Kane, while the rest was directed toward the girls, of course.
"Stop! What business do you have in the Bright Castle? Want to pay the tribute?"
"Or maybe want to get paid, instead? If you know what I mean…"
Both of them laughed, making Kane's face contort in anger.
Nephis looked at them with a calm expression, then said, "I want to go inside, but I'm not going to pay tribute."
The laughter suddenly stopped. The Guards looked at them with a bit of amusement, a harsh and dangerous light finding its way into their eyes. "Have you lost your mind, wench? Why are you here if you're not going to pay tribute? Stop wasting our time!"
Changing Star stared at them with no emotion whatsoever showing on her beautiful ivory face. Then, she said evenly, "I'm here to invoke the Right of Challenge."
For a few seconds, everyone stayed silent. Kane was confused. 'What is she planning?' Kane had traveled with Nephis, and he came to understand that she had her own plans and agenda. But Kane never cared about it. Now, he might want to check on her plan.
Meanwhile, one of the Guards frowned. "Stop joking around, little girl. Shut your mouth and get lost if you want to live."
Nephis didn't move. Instead, she said, "I'm not joking."
The other Guard stared at her, then shook his head. "Those slum rats have really all gone crazy, huh? I thought that this recent show would teach them a lesson, but it seems as though it did not." He sneered. "Listen, lass. The Right of Challenge is not a laughing matter. It's a fight to the death. No one is going to go easy on you just because you have a pretty face. Do you understand?"
Changing Star simply nodded.
The Guard waited for a while, looking at her tall figure and the crude tunic that she wore. Then, he grimaced. "I guess we'll have some entertainment today! Ugh, such a shame. With your looks, you could have lived in the castle without ever even needing to pay the tribute."
Kane, who was overseeing the conversation, thought, 'Why is she challenging? Is she trying to prove that she doesn't fear Gunlaug, so the proof to Effie?'
Shaking his head, he turned around and gestured for the three of them to follow. The other Guard stayed behind, a bewildered and darkly excited expression on his face.
With the sound of the rusty chains swinging in the wind invading their ears, Kane, Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie passed beneath the hanging skulls and entered the castle.
Inside, everything was exactly the same. Even Harper, the guy Sunny mentioned who received him while inside, was still sitting behind his opulent desk, writing something on a piece of parchment. Hearing the sound of footsteps, he raised his head and threw a furtive glance in their direction. An expression of confused surprise appeared in his eyes. "Uh... Sunless and Cassia? What are you guys doing back here?"
Not knowing about the thoughts raging in Sunny's head, Harper smiled: "Oh! Did you guys get lucky and come into some shards? Back already to pay the tribute?"
Sunny gritted his teeth and forced out a weak smile. "Uh, no. Not exactly…"
By the time the four of them were led to the grand hall of the castle, the news that there was going to be another challenge had yet to spread through the entire fortress. Because of that, there was no crowd there, just a few dozen people who had happened to walk past and heard the commotion. However, their number was growing with each minute.
Standing before the entrance to the hall, Nephis was calmly looking forward, her thoughts a mystery. Kane was looking at her, 'How is she going to reason?'
Glancing around to make sure that no one could eavesdrop on their conversation, Sunny leaned to her and whispered, "You're not really going to fight one of Gunlaug's lieutenants, are you?"
Kane looked at both of them, waiting for a reply and mentally recalling the lieutenants. Nephis didn't turn her head and simply said, "...The walls have ears."
Sunny gritted his teeth and was about to retort, but at that moment, the Guard that had led them inside appeared from the grand hall, threw a dark look at them, and spat, "Come on in, fools."
Changing Star simply walked forward, leaving Kane, Sunny, and Cassie no choice but to follow.
Inside the hall, a small crowd of people was staring at the entrance. When they saw Nephis, a wave of confused whispers ran through their ranks.
"Who is that?"
"Never seen her before."
"There's something strange about that girl…"
Kane thought, 'She clearly wants attention.'
The whole situation was much less ostentatious and theatrical than on the day of Jubei's death. Most of the lieutenants weren't even here, not to mention the Bright Lord himself. Only the leader of Hunters, Gemma, was sitting on the steps leading up to the empty white throne. On his face, there was a slightly sullen expression.
When the Guard led the four of them inside, Gemma raised his head and glanced in their direction with a frown. "Did I hear it correctly? One of you four wants to invoke the Right of Challenge?"
Nephis took a step forward, looked him right in the eyes, and answered in her usual indifferent voice, "I do."
Her calmness was in direct contradiction with the heavy meaning behind those words. It was the polar opposite of the impassioned, scornful, furious speech of condemnation that Jubei had given in this hall three days ago. The confused frown on Gemma's face deepened. "You do know what that means, right, little girl?"
She continued to stare at him without showing any sign of fear, then repeated, "I do."
The tall Hunter sighed. "Listen... it is indeed true that anyone has the right to invoke the Right of Challenge. But throwing your life away is a really stupid thing to do. I'm sure that you had to suffer a lot to make it this far. Everyone here did, pretty much. So how about you think about it some more and reconsider?"
His voice wasn't unfriendly. In fact, it seemed sincere, as though Gunlaug's lieutenant really did not want to see her die for no reason. However, his words fell on deaf ears. Before Nephis could speak, Kane spoke, "Thanks for the consideration, but she insists. However much you speak, trust me, it is useless." Nephis looked at him and nodded, with no answer coming from her.
Gemma sighed again, then shook his head. "Fine, have it your way then. Who are you here to accuse?"
Kane had an idea who it was. Nephis spoke, "I am here to accuse the Pathfinder known as Andel."
Andel was the person whose crime had led to Jubei's challenge, and then death. As another wave of whispers rose from the crowd, Gemma blinked. With an unhappy scowl on his face, he said, "As I've told the last time, I am the leader of both Hunters and Pathfinders. Any crime they commit while performing their duties is my crime, so I will be the one to answer for it. Are you sure you want to challenge me, kid?"
Kane looked at Gemma, sizing him up and imagining how the fight would go between Nephis and Gemma.
Nephis continued, "I'm not here to accuse him of murdering the young man from the outer settlement. I'm here to accuse him of theft. Andel has lost a considerable amount of soul shards while gambling, but refused to pay. That is stealing. Since it was done on his private time and not while performing any official duties, you have nothing to do with it."
Gemma stared at her, a bewildered look written clearly on his face. Kane and Sunny were doing the same. Kane's mind raced, 'Well, that was… unexpected. Kind of ingenious, actually. Who knew Neph could be so crafty?'
By shifting the accusation from a crime committed during a hunt to a misdemeanor that had nothing to do with Andel's role as a Pathfinder, she effectively prevented any of the lieutenants from fighting on his behalf. At least, if they remained true to their claim of being just. But was a seasoned Pathfinder any less of a threat than one of Gunlaug's proxies? And would Gemma even allow a challenge like that to proceed?
As though responding to his questions, the tall Hunter raised his eyebrows and said in disbelief, "What? A… a gambling debt? You want to... did Aiko send you?"
Nephis shook her head again. "No. I've never even met her."
Everyone in the grand hall looked at her as though she was insane. The charismatic lieutenant was no exception. With some exasperation finding its way into his voice, he asked, "If you don't even know the person Andel owes the shards, why are you here challenging him on her behalf?!"
Nephis simply shrugged. "Do I need to personally know the victim of the crime to punish the criminal?"
Gemma stared, clearly finding the whole situation ridiculous. "...It's just a gambling debt. I can pay the shards myself, and we all can..."
However, Changing Star interrupted him. Her voice was still inexplicably calm and even. "It's not about shards. It's about justice… and law. After all, the law is our only guiding star in this dark world. Without its light, there's only darkness."
Kane thought, 'Since when did she care about justice? She's clearly using the rules, but isn't this too far to prove strength to Effie?'
Her words echoed in the grand hall and put a grim expression on Gemma's face. By repeating what Gunlaug had said here a few days prior, she left him with little choice but to satisfy the request for a challenge. After all, going against it would be tantamount to going against the Bright Lord's will.
The Hunter looked away with regret, remained silent for some time, and then said to one of the Guards in a dark tone: "Go and bring Andel here. Tell that bastard that after he kills this stupid girl, he and I will have a long conversation about his… life choices."
Then, he glanced at Nephis and said, "And you… say your goodbyes and prepare for battle. Oh, right. What is your name? Tell us. That way, you will at least be remembered."
Looking him right in the eyes, Nephis stayed quiet for a bit, and then answered. Her clear voice resonated loudly in the grand hall: "I am Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan."
Kane thought, 'There she goes, flaunting that clan. Seriously, should I just sit this one out?'
Everyone grew quiet. Even Gemma seemed to be slightly stunned by that proclamation. The only person to not react to it at all was Caster, who had entered the grand hall a bit earlier and was now standing by one of the walls, watching Nephis with a complex expression.
Her full name was shocking to hear for two entirely different, but equally earth-shattering reasons.
Firstly, she had called herself not by a human name, but by a True one. In the entire history of human civilization, only a handful of Awakened had managed to earn a True Name in their First Nightmare. Needless to say, none of them was among the thousand Sleepers currently trapped on the Forgotten Shore. Even Gunlaug himself did not have one. But Nephis did.
...And Kane too, and Sunny might have one, of course, but no one had to know that.
Secondly, she had announced herself to be a Legacy, and not just any Legacy at that, but one from the legendary Immortal Flame clan. A clan that had been responsible for propelling the entire human species forward not once, but twice—first by helping conquer the Second Nightmare, then the Third.
A combination of these facts was enough to set off a metaphorical explosion in the middle of the Dark City. If this was true, then she could be considered to be an almost messianic existence here on the Forgotten Shore. Suddenly, the calmness with which she dared to challenge a fearsome Pathfinder to a battle to the death did not seem that strange.
The dazed looks in the eyes of all the Sleepers gathered in the grand hall had slowly begun to give place to a subtle, tentative, weak glow. It was as though a tiny seed of hope was suddenly planted in the dead soil of their lightless, forlorn souls.
Either by accident or on purpose, Nephis chose that exact moment to summon her armor. Numerous sparks of light surrounded her in a whirlpool of soft radiance, and when they were gone, a striking black and white armor had appeared on her graceful body. Everyone's eyes were immediately glued to the symbol on its breastplate. On it, seven shining stars were intricately engraved into the strange white metal.
"Th—that symbol!"
"It's Starlight Crest!"
"The crest of the Seven!"
Just like Sunny and Kane, many of the inhabitants of the Bright Castle were familiar with the symbol of the seven stars. Not only was it carved into the robe of the giant statue standing in front of the impregnable city wall, it was also often depicted in numerous stone carvings decorating the walls of the ancient fortress. It seemed to represent the seven heroes that had once vowed to vanquish the darkness consuming this cursed land… and lead its people back into the light.
Kane looked at the atmosphere and understood the reaction. He contemplated their thoughts: the fame of the Immortal Flame clan, the crest of Seven armor, a True Name. But Kane, who had suffered from the infamous Legacy clan, knew that Nephis was just using this. He understood that people chased fame more than actual truth and intentions. Kane immediately burst into laughter. His whole laughing sound reached all corners of the grand hall. Everybody looked at him, including Sunny, Nephis, and Cassie. Nephis looked at him and spoke, "Nothing. Just had a funny thought about these guys." Others looked at him with a harsh face. Everybody seemed to dislike that.
Meanwhile, Gemma had finally managed to compose himself and threw an evaluating look at Changing Star. If there had been nothing but neglect and disregard in his eyes before, now there was a hint of dark wariness in them.
Slowly, the leader of Hunters smiled. "Ah. In that case, nice to meet you. I must say, it's a very impressive name you have there. Makes one wonder where it came from."
The implication behind these words was easy to understand. Gemma was insinuating that Nephis was lying. It seemed as though this insinuation had removed a veil from everyone's eyes. Most people quickly lost their wistful expressions, once again looking at her either somberly or with dark anticipation. Only now, there were also hints of mocking disdain on some of their faces.
…And yet, several of them were still staring at her with expressions full of hesitant, timid faith.
Changing Star did not react to any of that in any way. She simply remained calm and indifferent. As though she existed slightly apart from the dirt and despair of this world.
Soon, Andel the Pathfinder was led into the grand hall.
The Pathfinder was of average height and solid build, with menacing blue eyes and a sharp jaw. His head was shaved on the sides, with the remaining hair woven into a short braid. He appeared to be slightly older than the rest of the Sleepers gathered in the grand hall, with the exception of Gemma himself. Andel was probably around twenty-four years old.
He looked like a skilled, seasoned, and ruthless fighter. Every Pathfinder was nothing less than an elite among elites, and he was no exception. Even those who hated Andel stared at him with fear and respect, even veneration.
Entering the hall, Andel threw a dark look at Nephis and walked forward to the base of the steps leading to the white throne. There, he stopped and bowed, showing his respect to the leader of Hunters. "I'm here."
Gemma stared at him with an irritated, contemptuous expression, and then sighed. "You know why I've summoned you?"
The Pathfinder smirked. "Some wench wants to challenge me? Good. I was very sad to let Harus have all the fun last time."
Several angry whispers sounded from the crowd, but no one dared to reveal their hatred toward the arrogant murderer openly.
The corner of Gemma's mouth turned downward. He remained silent for some time, and then said in a dangerous tone: "Fun? Did you say fun? Well, Andel, if you lacked excitement in your life, you should have just told me. How about this? After you kill that girl, I will show you what real fun is."
With that, he gestured to the Guards that the fight could begin. Andel frowned a little, but then turned around with a dark smile on his lips.
Kane, Sunny, and Cassie were led to the side, where they joined the crowd of spectating Sleepers. By that point, there was a considerable amount of them gathered in the grand hall.
Everyone looked at the fearsome Pathfinder and Nephis with a mix of tension and anticipation. Some were here just to see a macabre show, waiting with excitement for blood to flow. To them, it didn't matter who lived and who died, although none believed that the girl from the outer settlement had any chance of surviving in a duel against the experienced Pathfinder.
Others wanted to see Andel punished for his crimes. But even these people seemed to believe that Nephis was doomed to die. They just hoped that she would manage to make the bastard bleed a little before she did.
Perhaps only Kane, Sunny, Cassie, and Caster knew that the result of this fight was not as predictable as everyone seemed to think. Kane thought, 'Let's see how long the battle seems to last.'
Not wasting any time, Andel summoned his weapon and walked toward Changing Star. In his hand, a vicious, crudely forged falchion suddenly gleamed with a polished luster, its edge turning sharper than that of a razor. With a shudder, Sunny realized that not even the Starlight Legion Armor would stop such a blade.
The Pathfinder's movements were soft and deceptive, betraying years of experience in bloody battles against both Nightmare Creatures and humans. The dark smile had never left his lips, and there was bloodlust burning in his eyes. After years spent hunting monsters, he looked like a monster himself.
However, Nephis just stood there calmly and watched him approach, not even trying to summon her sword.
When the distance between them shortened to that of only several steps, everyone held their breaths. Suddenly, Andel flourished his cleaver and lunged forward with astonishing, almost inhuman speed. His push was so powerful that dust flew into the air from under the soles of his boots.
Just a fraction of a second before the magically enhanced blade cleaved her apart, Nephis suddenly sidestepped the strike and threw her arms into the air, simultaneously summoning her longsword. The ethereal sparks of light passed through the blade of Andel's falchion, forming into silvery steel only on the other side of it.
The Pathfinder's eyes widened. Forever.
Without anything separating it from the enemy's flesh, the longsword that had just formed from the thin air behind the falchion bit into his neck, cleanly severing Andel's head from his shoulders. As blood shot into the air from the Pathfinder's neck, his head rolled on the floor like a macabre ball and stopped near the steps that led to Gunlaug's white throne.
It seemed as though all oxygen was suddenly sucked out of the great hall. In the deathly silence, Andel's body heavily fell on the white marble.
Everyone was staring at Nephis in utter disbelief—the Sleepers, the Guards, even Gemma. But Kane's reaction was different. To his list of murmurings, he received Andel's voice now, which was ravaging his head. Kane stumbled for a moment and looked at Nephis.
Dismissing her sword with a cold expression on her face, Nephis walked over to the marble steps, picked up the severed head by the hair, and looked up at the leader of the Hunters. Then, with a well-practiced polite smile, she said, "...Oh. It was nice to meet you too."
Kane looked at her. 'Yup, I should have sat this one out.'