Gunlaug's smile carved through the golden veil of his mask with wicked glee.
'Oh, I should've known… should've know…'
There was always a suitable a loophole, and for the Bright Lord, that was the right of challenge. Because Changing Star — the despicable woman fueled by selfish ideas of freedom — couldn't be murdered in cold blood because of his Flaw, but if he were to challenge her to an honorable duel, it would be too easy.
She hardly deserved a one-sided execution and public announcement, let alone single combat.
With heavy steps, he carried himself through the dungeon. Cracked cobblestone marked the pathway ahead. Flickering torches followed him. Dreary and old, the corridor betrayed the endless conquest and siege the Bright Castle had endured since the millennia following its creation.
His mind turned to his subject. Specifically, to two of his lieutenants.
'Ah, Seishan. She has certainly been troublesome. Her and Nico. Somehow, the dead man managed to hide himself in the Bright Castle and convince the Handmaiden to assist in that venture, as well. Their traitorous actions will be dealt with once Changing Star is removed.'
Peering at the deep shadow where his lieutenants had usually gathered — all currently waiting in the room where he would now arrive — Gunlaug took measured steps up the stairway.
Step. Step. Another step.
Reaching the top, his imposing frame glinted in the morning sun. Golden armor reflected like a glorious, beautiful mirror.
Shuffled to make way for combat, the tables lined the walls, hundreds of Sleepers crowding their edges.
All eyes rose to him.
His poise demanded attention.
His Echo forced submission.
His authority was absolute.
But, ultimately, he said nothing, for he had no need for words. Ascending the dais with a steady gait, none barred his way. Instead, across the hall, a cuffed woman was kicked down to kneel.
Standing in front of the opulent throne, its grandeur carved from damning power, he took his seat — his seat, earned by years of torment, crafted from the sacrifices of those before to perfectly suit his sins.
For he was the golden serpent, and there was nobody he wouldn't devour.
***
Nephis looked down at her [Dream Blade]. It thrummed with power, the boosted longsword almost abuzz with sharp potential.
She had requested that Nico enhance the blade thrice in order to boosts its chances of breaking the Bright Lord's armor as much as possible. Of course, enhancing her crown would've been more efficient, but the potentiality of the Bright Lord enhancing his own Memories even further using it was too high.
Still… to see such effects so clearly… it was amazing.
Her own augmentation was threefold instead of fourfold, but even this one seemed to be attuned to the nature of Memories itself— to the soul — and because of that resonated much deeper than should be possible. Perhaps Nico… had done something himself to strengthen it further.
Nephis hardly knew, but with this she could mask her full capabilities until the end, demonstrating only a single flame augmentation on herself.
'It's time.'
Her eyes scanned the large hall.
The five lieutenants — Seishan, Gemma, Harus, Kido, and Tessai — watched from the foot of the dais. Nephis' gaze remained longest on the last; the towering man was subtle unnerved, his face and body twitching as his jaw worked silently. Something was happening to him, though she was too preoccupied to realize what. Perhaps she would've if there was time, but there wasn't
Turning her head, she saw her cohort on the sidelines. Cassie was calm and composed. Sunny hid his anxiousness behind stern indifference. Effie was kneeling on the floor with an uncharacteristically serious expression. Kai let open sorrow crease his features. Caster studied the spectacle with strict composure.
In all the mess of faces, though, she found Nico's nowhere. Whether he had hidden himself behind the crowd or simply not attended remained to seen — probably in the bloody aftermath.
Directly across the open arena, Gunlaug had just wrapped up his speech, a heavy battleaxe rested lackadaisically on his shoulder.
His voice came out deep and sarcastic across the hall:
"Any last words, Changing Star?"
Nephis pondered for a moment, summoning her helmet from a cloud of white sparks. This man — this lord — who held the fates of a thousand Sleepers completely under his control, and who refused to fight for their freedom, content to live in shackles before an overwhelming opponent in the advent of a longer, lifeless existence.
How was that acceptable?
it was the Awakened's duty to fight.
It was lord's duty to lead.
When she spoke, her voice inlaid with contemptuous wrath that bordered on hatred, a single word escaped her lips:
"…Traitor."
***
Nico observed the lethal battle between Gunlaug and Nephis carefully through his soul sense. Having once again wrapped himself in the imposing armor of the [Silver Wraith], he hid in the shadows at the bottom of the dungeon alcove.
'She's losing… but that's without her Aspect.'
Gunlaug was pressing in on her, using all his prowess and cunning. His weapons rippled with liquid grace, elongating, twisting, and bending around Changing Star's skillful parries. With the full power of a saturated core, his strength bordered on absolute, his larger frame only helping increase his abilities.
Even then, his technique was simply a masterfully crafted symphony of brutal combat. There was much Nico could gain by watching him fight.
Nephis, however, remained composed. She never wavered. She never paused. She never got caught.
Ultimately, white flames suddenly ignited her eyes, and her entire body suffused with furious light as she redoubled her attacks, sending Gunlaug on the defensive.
It was only a matter of time until her empowered sword strikes broke through Gunlaug's defenses, and when they did…
...Nico stood, turned, and ascended the stairs.
At that moment, Nephis blew blood flower poison into the Bright Lord's face. One powerful blow to the side of his neck had cracked the armor from pauldron to visor, and he was completely enshrouded by the cloud.
Nico trudged upwards.
Gunlaug reeled, wheezing and coughing as he inhaled the living disease.
Doubling over, blood splattered at his feet.
The spectators all stood in absolute silence. Disbelief etched into their every feature. Even as the golden man slowly crawled back to his throne, their eyes remained glassy. Even as he sat upon it, and Nico walked by inconspicuously, appeared from behind the white stone, and spoke into his ear — spoke a single whisper that pulled the defeated man's scattered mind back together:
"Give me the Echo."
Repeated, end on end, until it became the only thing in his head.
"Give me the Echo. Give — Give the Echo! Give Ec — Echo! Echo! GIVE ME THE ECHO!"
Sunless' face darkened.
Nico's armored gauntlet dug deep into the man's shoulder.
The Bright Lord stole a sharp breath, chunks of blood passing through his throat.
He rasped:
"Ahaha… Ah, don't you get it? You — you and everybody… everybody else — deserve it much more than I…"
He wheezed, and the sound echoed finality itself. His body slumped lazily in his seat, and his head tilted back with a metallic chime.
"Ah… I tried. In the beginning… I really did."
At the far end of the great hall, a corpse in golden armor sat atop a white throne, a beautiful red blossom appearing through the crack in his polished mask. At his side, a wraith in silver armor rose, mist weeping from the cracks, torso straightening as he assumed his full height.
[You have slain a Dreamer, Gunlaug.]
The entire hall froze.
Nico did too.
'What?'
Then, a deep, morose voice reverberated in everyone's ears:
"What are waiting for? Kill—"
"No."
For the first time, everyone seemed to realize he was there.
Nico unceremoniously grabbed the fallen lord's now shimmering corpse — his Echo disintegrating into nothingness — with one hand, and tossed it down from the dais, into the alcove at its side.
It rolled down the stairs in a heap.
Harus watched the spectacle with a somber expression, then disappeared after it.
Nobody noticed as Sunless slipped into the shadows after him.
Nico, trying desperately to keep his composure as the torrent of fragments burdened him, continued:
"There will be no slaughter, or war, or death."
His voice gained an edge as he tilted his head towards Tessai. Nephis, listening as she observed the [Dream Blade] noticeably dim in power, and the mist surrounding Nico's armor pulse with life, scowled. He had stolen her kill…
A flicker of crimson appeared in Nico's visor, and his words echoed in their ears:
"There will only be submission, and for those who would refuse, consequence."
The giant scowled wickedly, opened his mouth, then froze. His entire body prostrated itself on the ground, mind fraying as each idea was replaced with a single command — the same one the original shaman had used against Nico before dying, empowered four-fold now by his soul roots.
"Kneel."
Whatever pathetic mental resistance Tessai's Memories might've granted him was of no use. He'd already been slowly subjugated, after all.
The silver knight twisted towards the remaining lieutenants.
"Your choice?"
Seishan spoke first, her hands regally at her sides, her lips curved into a wry smile.
"Dutiful service, of course."
He shifted toward Gemma and Kido.
The former put his hand on the female lieutenant's shoulder in reassurance.
Kido grit her teeth. She had to be lord. She couldn't give it up to some fumbling idiot just because they had the power to best Gunlaug. Look where that had gotten them before! If she couldn't… if they ended up trapped or dead because of their plans…
…it would…
...It would be fine. The thought somehow burrowed its way into her mind. Everything would be fine. The Bright Castle was stronger than ever, and her new lord was not only powerful but intelligent. Backed by the remains of the old regime, what plan of theirs could fail?
What doubt could she have?