Chapter 535: No Hard Feelings
A triumphant sound of trumpets resounded above the ancient forest.
"Only three challengers remain!"
"These brave heroes are: Mongrel, one hundred and eleven kills; Fireshing, eighty-seven kills; Kim Saitoh, fifty-nine kills!"
"Dream of Glory awaits, heroes!"
Sunny dragged his tired body out of the forest, feeling the ground under his feet shift and tremble. At this point, the titan was almost fully awake, and no part of the arena was safe…
With the exception of the narrow strip of sand between the dark woods and the lake that he had just reached, of course.
Sunny walked into the shallow water and stopped, using the Soul Serpent to support himself. His breath was ragged and hoarse, and there were several dents on the onyx surface of the Mantle of the Underworld.
Almost at the same time, two more figures emerged from the darkness of the hungry forest.
One was an attractive young woman with broad shoulders and an athletic build, her long auburn hair gathered in a ponytail. She was wearing a modest red tunic, her torso protected by a leather cuirass, and wielded a light spear. Her blue eyes were tired, but clear, full of intensity and focus.
The other was a man in heavy armor, carrying a greatsword with its blade inscribed by a complicated weave of runes. His face was hidden behind the visor of a helmet, with only calm, cold eyes visible in the narrow slit. His steps were confident, but a little unsteady, betraying a dire level of exhaustion.
'This must be Fireshing and Saitoh.'
The mighty archer had not made it. Sunny could only guess what had happened to him, but the most likely scenario was pretty obvious. The powerful Legacy must have run into an ambush similar to those Sunny himself had encountered, only with a much less happy result.
Well, that was life. Dar of the Maharana clan had paid the price for daring to stand out too much without having enough power to answer for such audacity. On one hand, it was not very fair, as far as tournaments went. On the other hand, when was anything ever fair?
Sunny much preferred to stay in the shadows, even if this damned persona of his had somewhat failed to help him in that regard.
Coincidentally, none of those who had conspired to form a group had made it this far, as well. And with a good reason — the type of person who would resort to such methods did not have what it took to win this battle, to begin with.
So Sunny was not going to underestimate his last two opponents. They had already proven how formidable they were.
…The three Awakened stood apart, looking at each other warily. The clear water of the tranquil lake splashed against their shins. The magnificent castle loomed in the distance, its ancient walls bathed in the bright sunlight. The vista was beautiful and peaceful, but the air was practically crackling with tension.
After a while, the man in a suit of heavy plate armor turned to the fiery young woman and said hoarsely:
"Let's deal with that demon together. We can decide who wins between the two of us after that thing is eliminated."
Sunny rolled his eyes.
'Wow. How unexpected.'
He gripped the hilt of the Soul Serpent, preparing himself for a tough fight.
To his surprise, though, the young woman shook her head a said simply, a clear expression of disdain appearing on her freckled face:
"No."
He raised his eyebrows.
'Huh. Such nobility… gods, what an idiot! What a fool!'
The man called Saitoh laughed, and then glanced at Mongrel:
"How about it, Mongrel? Same offer. Let's take care of the girl first, and then have a proper duel, you and I. Or is it beneath you?"
Sunny gritted his teeth, but had no choice but to say:
"It is."
'Argh, curse it!'
Saitoh shook his head.
"Young people these days… so naive. Have the Dream Realm taught you nothing?"
Sunny raised the odachi and grinned.
"...It taught me everything."
With that, he shifted his weight and prepared to dash forward.
The time for words was over.
The other two also understood that, and in the next moment, the calmness of the clear lake was instantly no more.
***
'What the!'
As soon as Sunny moved, a powerful explosion thundered, and he was thrown into the air by the devastating shockwave. Landing in a roll, he hurriedly slotted the Memory of Fire into the Mantle and rose just in time to see a massive fireball dissipate into the air.
His body felt even more damaged than it had been a moment ago.
Kim Saitoh, however, took the brunt of the explosion. His heavy armor was mangled and torn, patches of burned skin visible through the tears. Just as Fireshing lunged at him, tongues of flame appearing on the blade of her spear, he suddenly moved with unexpected agility, thrusting his sword forward.
He wasn't aiming at the girl, though.
'...Bad!'
Sunny noticed the rows of runes ignite with a menacing purple light, and then hastily threw his body sideways. In the next moment, a phantom figure of an armored giant appeared in the air and slashed downward, cutting the air where he had just stood with the identical copy of the same greatsword.
'What a powerful Memory!'
Since both of his enemies seemed to possess deadly means of range attack, he had no choice but to close the distance. Luckily, Saitoh was already entangled with Fireshing, who rained a barrage of lightning-fast, but precise and deadly strikes on him. It was as if the young woman was dancing, her auburn hair and red tunic flying through the air like tongues of wild flame.
'Interesting style… I should leave her for last...'
The man, meanwhile, didn't try to evade the burning spear and instead turned his body swiftly, making sure that it struck the undamaged parts of his armor. Despite being mangled by the explosion, the heavy armor held, betraying the fact that it, too, was a Memory of considerable power.
It didn't matter, though.
A moment later, Sunny was upon them and joined the fight, the dark odachi united with the flaming spear and a runic greatsword to sing the song of steel.
***
A few minutes later, the voice of the Dreamscape spoke again:
"Challenger Kim Saitoh was eliminated."
"Challenger Fireshing was eliminated."
"Challenger Mongrel is victorious! Glory to the victor!"
As blood turned into a flood of sparks and the waters of the tranquil lake became clear once more, triumphant music thundered from all sides.
Hidden behind the black mask, Sunny grimaced and suppressed the desire to plug his ears.
'What's with this terrible noise... argh! That was way too hard…'
Unbeknownst to him, the network was already exploding with countless articles, all titled more or less the same…
"No hard feelings: Lord Mongrel easily defeats a thousand Awakened!"
Chapter 536: lcon of Chivalry
'What a chore…'
Sunny dragged himself out of the Dreamscape pod and sighed.
Even though the battle royale happened inside an illusion and his body wasn't tired or bruised, the mental exhaustion was real. The qualifier round had turned out to be much more demanding than Sunny had thought.
Of course, he could have used the three shadows to augment himself and devastate the entire arena, but that would have defeated the purpose. Sunny had managed fine with just his own strength. This way, he was also polishing his technique and enriching his comprehension of Shadow Dance, which was not a small matter.
Putting on some clothes, he returned upstairs, sprawled on the sofa, and then looked at his communicator.
Currently, hundreds of similar illusory battles were being broadcasted for people to see. Some were already close to a conclusion, some were in the thick of bloodshed, and some were only just starting.
However, not every broadcast received the same amount of attention — those arenas where renowned duelists or especially powerful newcomers were fighting pulled the most of it. Sadly, due to Mongrel's infamy, the one Sunny had just finished was among the more popular broadcasts. It was also one of the earliest to end, so clips of the most exciting moments were already circulating on the network.
Sunny groaned.
'Perfect… just perfect... another damned viral clip…'
His final fight against Fireshing and Saitoh received a lot of views, but nowhere near as many as the clip of his brutal confrontation with the twelve ambushers.
The comments were exploding.
"Hell yeah! Our Lord taught these thugs a lesson!"
"Only twelve? These guys are idiots, they should have gathered at least a hundred…"
"No hard feelings? None whatsoever… gods, how can anyone be so cool?!"
"Did you see his odachi shapeshift? I was not hallucinating, right?"
"...Is it just me, or does Mongrel's hair look extra gorgeous today?"
He grimaced, then look at the comments under the other video:
"That Saitoh guy… why did he even ask? Doesn't he know that Mongrel is an icon of chivalry?"
"Of course it is beneath Lord Mongrel! He is so noble!"
"What are you fools talking about? Mongrel is not noble! He is a wild beast! He only said that teaming up is beneath him because a beast like him doesn't need anyone's help to kill everyone! "
"Gee, so many edgelords in the comments today. Eh, I miss the early days when only true experts knew about Mongrel. His technique was way better back then, too…"
Sunny stared at the screen for a while, then shook his head.
'What's wrong with these people? Since when was I an icon of chivalry? Wait, what does chivalry even mean?'
He shook his head again, then switched to the official feed and looked up the results of his match.
Sunny, of course, qualified for the tournament the moment he had won the battle royale. However, other participants also had a chance to move on to the next stage. That depended on their performance and individual score, so there was no set number of people who would be allowed to continue.
As it turned out, out of the thousand Awakened who had fought in his battle royale, two more qualified to participate in the tournament — one of them was Fireshing, the young woman whom he had faced last, and Dar of the Maharana clan, the archer who had almost skewered Sunny with his giant arrows.
'Huh. The bastard squeezed through, after all.'
Losing interest, Sunny turned off the communicator and yawned.
Tomorrow, the real tournament was going to begin. Around a thousand fighters — those who proved their mettle in the qualifying rounds — were going to face each other in proper duels, and after several days of intense competition, one victor was going to emerge to reap the best reward.
'I better rest well.'
He went back into the underground dojo, climbed into the sleeping pod, and closed his eyes. Soon, the familiar sight of the Sanctuary appeared in from of him.
Without wasting any time, Sunny left the Altar Island, went to his room, crashed on the narrow cot, and almost instantly fell asleep.
...Who said that there was no rest for the wicked?
***
The next morning, Rain appeared at his doorstep for the training session, punctual as ever. Luckily, the tournament was not going to start until noon, so Sunny didn't have to find an excuse to cancel their lesson.
Not that he would. This was much more important than some stupid tournament. He could get powerful Memories elsewhere, but every day that passed was one less day for him to increase his sister's chances of survival. So, tutoring Rain took precedence.
The girl repeated the movements and katas he had shown her the last time. Her form was as horrible as he had expected, but Rain was nothing if not diligent. She was improving with every set, slowly correcting the mistakes he pointed to her and absorbing the technique into her bones. For a complete novice, she was doing rather great.
'Runs in the blood, I guess.'
Making sure that she couldn't see, Sunny faced away and grinned. At that exact moment, his communicator received a message. After looking at it, his mood improved even further.
The message was from Aiko, informing him that the soul shards he had retrieved from the Wormvine were finally sold. Transcendent shards were infinitely more rare and precious than those of lesser Ranks — not only because they stored more essence, but also because there were Aspect Abilities and spelltech applications that depended on the quality of the raw materials used.
So, Sunny just became considerably richer.
He had not dared to sell Solvane's soul shard, though. There were certainly Awakened out there who could determine the nature and source of a shard. If anyone learned that he was in possession of one coming from a human Saint, Sunny would have to answer too many uncomfortable questions. So, he had just given it to Kai instead.
Strengthening the members of his cohort was, in a sense, the same as strengthening himself, so Sunny didn't feel that aggrieved because of the loss of potential profit.
…It was still incredibly sad, though!
After the training session was over, he made a tasty breakfast for himself and Rain. The girl was hungry as a wolf, so she destroyed the contents of her plate in record time.
When she was almost done, Sunny glanced at her with an incredulous expression and asked neutrally:
"Has that tournament of yours started?"
Rain swallowed the last bite and smiled.
"The Dream Tournament? Yes, the qualifying rounds were yesterday."
He took a sip of tea, acting indifferent.
"Oh really? Right, I think I saw some clips on the network. Uh… did you?"
She nodded.
"Yeah…"
Sunny lingered for a bit, then mentioned as if he just happened to think about it:
"I, uh... hear that that Mongrel guy is quite good."
Rain scoffed.
"...Sure, I guess. But I don't like him."
Sunny almost choked on his tea.
"What? Why?"
It took a lot of effort to keep his voice calm and conversational.
'Why don't you like Mongrel?! Mongrel is awesome! He defeated twelve Awakened solo, you know!'
The girl simply shrugged.
"I don't know. He just seems pompous. And who does he think he is, going around teaching people how to live? Plus, what's up with that mask? A good person wouldn't have to hide behind a mask, that's what I think."
Sunny glared at her with a bit of resentment, then forced out a smile.
"Well, I don't know. The mask is a powerful Memory, for sure. And he probably doesn't even want to teach people anything… at least that is my impression…"
Rain frowned.
"Plus, he caused so many problems for Night! If he had the tiniest bit of conscience, he would have come forward and refuted those ridiculous rumors… but I bet that he doesn't!"
Sunny's eye twitched.
'Aha! So this is the root of all this! Just you wait, Kai… I'll repay you for this one day!'
He slowly took another sip of tea and asked, hiding his outrage.
"You seem to know a lot about that tournament, huh? I thought you weren't very interested in that kind of stuff."
Rain sighed.
"I am not. I just thought that maybe I'll see that Awakened again… the woman who saved me. But she's not participating."
Sunny wanted to say something, but before she could, the girl added:
"...Well, of course. A true Awakened like her would never waste time on something frivolous like this. She is probably busy doing something important… exploring the Dream Realm to help humanity, protecting people from the Nightmare Creatures. Stuff like that, you know."
Sunny smiled.
"That is certainly a possibility… wait, what do you mean? A true Awakened wouldn't waste… didn't you suggest that I participate in that tournament?"
Rain looked at him as though he was stupid.
"That's you! And that's her… what kind of question is that? By the way, what time it is… oh, goodness! I have to run…"
With that, she hurriedly waved Sunny goodbye and dashed to the door, leaving him completely stunned.
'....What the hell is that supposed to mean? That's me, and that's her?'
He remained motionless for a while, then slowly closed his mouth and looked at the time.
As it turned out, he had to hurry, too. The tournament duels were about to begin.
…Walking toward the elevator, Sunny was seething with anger.
'That's me… well, of course, that's me! I'll show her… hell, I'll show all of them! I mean, Mongrel will... ah, curses!'
Chapter 537: Learning Curve
The opening ceremony of the tournament was supposed to be a spectacular event, with thousands of challengers — each of them a talented Awakened fighter — gathered in the magnificent central courtyard of the illusory Bastion. Slightly more than a thousand of them were those participating in the individual competition, and the rest were members of competing cohorts.
The representative of the great clan Valor welcomed them and gave a short speech, after which an androgynous person of undetermined age in exquisite silk garments — the eccentric Saint responsible for creating the Dreamscape — followed suit. This Transcendent had a hypnotically beautiful face that was, for some reason, plastered with an unreasonable amount of makeup, and a genteel, almost effeminate bearing.
If Sunny was there, he would recognize their pleasant voice as the one that read all the announcements in the Dreamscape.
But he wasn't.
Why would he waste time on these theatrics? He skipped the speeches, the performances, the incredible montage of the most exciting moments from the battles of the previous day, and even the event that everyone had been waiting for with bated breath — the formation of the tournament bracket that would determine who would face whom and in what order.
Sunny didn't care who was going to fight him, he just wanted to kill somebody as soon as possible.
With each round of duels, half of the participants were going to be eliminated. That meant that he had to win ten consecutive fights to receive the best reward. Of course, it wasn't an easy task… by now, there were no amateurs remaining in the tournament. Every single one of the thousand challengers was a formidable warrior, and by the end of it, only true talents would remain.
It was also a perfect chance for him to try and learn their polished battle styles.
Sunny waited until the bracket was almost complete and finally dove into the Dreamscape. The menacing black figure of Mongrel appeared among the crowd of challengers, causing a bit of a stir. Immediately, those closest to him began to whisper.
"Hey! It's him!"
"Man. The bastard is even scarier in real life. That scene from the montage... gods, I'm so glad we chose to enter the tournament as a cohort!"
"Ptui! What's the big deal? I hope I draw him as an opponent… crushing this wannabe should be fun…"
Ignoring the whispers, Sunny looked around with curiosity. He wasn't interested in the people gathered around him, but in the courtyard itself. This was his first time inside Bastion… well, an illusory version of it. Still, he couldn't help but feel a bit of awe. This was a legendary place… one of the earliest Citadels conquered by humans, their greatest foothold in the Dream Realm. The seat of a Great Clan's power.
...And the former stronghold of one of the daemons.
It was like he was part of history.
Sunny's curiosity didn't last long, however, quickly drowned by anger and annoyance.
'That girl! What does she even know!'
His hands were itching to slaughter someone.
Finally, the bracket was complete. Sunny didn't bother to study it and just prepared himself for the battle.
A few seconds later, his vision darkened for a moment, and then he found himself in the courtyard again — only this time, the crowd of challengers was gone, leaving only him and his opponent standing opposite each other.
There were flags streaming in the air, and thousands of excited spectators looking down from the stands. They were chanting, screaming, and waving their hands.
His opponent was a young man in a striking bloodred armor, wielding a long espadon. His looked vaguely familiar.
As soon as the young man saw the black mask, his face paled.
"I knew this would happen! Crap, not agai…"
Sunny growled and dashed forward, raising the Soul Serpent.
A few moments later, a human head flew into the air, the audience exploded with cheers, and the pleasant voice announced:
"Challenger Paradise in Red was eliminated!"
***
Syclus was in the middle of a lighthearted discussion with Dimi when the producer of the broadcast addressed him through the earpiece, forcing the young man to blink a couple of times and mask his surprise with a smile.
"Ah, sorry to interrupt you, Dimi, but it seems we already have a win! Wow, that was fast!"
The feed changed to a replay of a swift and brutal duel that ended before the voice of the Dreamscape could even introduce the fighters. That was a first in his memory...
"Ah, ha-ha! Of course, it was Mongrel. Who else?"
His colleague laughed.
"Such bad luck for his opponent! I hope that he is not disheartened. There is no shame in losing to such a fearsome enemy… everyone who made it through the qualifying rounds already deserves our respect. Back in my day, getting into the tournament was much easier…"
Syclus agreed, glanced at the figure in black armor standing motionlessly above the corpse of his opponent, and couldn't help but shiver.
Was it just him, or did Mongrel look especially ferocious today?
'Maybe he really is a Nightmare Creature…'
After that first unexpected win, several other heated duels were shown. Syclus and Dimi switched from commentating on them to commercial breaks, to sometimes joining the other commentators to spectate the most exciting cohort battles. After a while, it was Mongrel's turn to fight again.
This time, the producers switched the feed to his duel beforehand, expecting another fast and brutal kill. However, they were left disappointed. In that duel — and during a couple of next ones as well — the enigmatic swordsman seemed to lose all his edge, and engaged in protracted, slow, exhausting battles with his opponents, only managing to dispatch them after long and arduous fights.
Syclus, who was somewhat of a Mongrel fan, but not a diehard follower, was a bit confused by the sudden change.
Luckily, he had an expert partner.
"Hey, Dimi… why does it seem that Mongrel is struggling all of a sudden? After his performance yesterday, I was sure that we will see pure carnage again!"
The older man chuckled.
"Ah, I see that you did not do your homework! That is what Mongrel does, and what makes him so dangerous. Yes, it might seem as though he is struggling, but in fact, he is not. He is… learning."
Syclus glanced at the chat, then laughed.
"No, I am sure that Dimi didn't mean "learning to suck". But, uh… what exactly did you mean, Dimi?"
The resident expert smiled.
"Mongrel is known as a genius fighter not because he is strong and skilled — there's plenty of such people among the duelists — but because he has an uncanny ability to absorb and mirror his opponent's battle style. So what you see is not him losing, it's him trying to comprehend the enemy's technique through being on the receiving end of it. It is truly remarkable! And a bit terrifying..."
Syclus stared at the feed and finally noticed that, indeed, Mongrel's style seemed to change with every duel, closely resembling that of his opponents. His strange weapon also shifted and changed to mirror theirs.
'...So cool!'
He turned to the camera with a wide, delighted smile.
"Well, there you have it, folks! So don't dismiss Mongrel yet… who knows, maybe he will shock us all yet!"
***
Soon, it was time for Sunny's last duel of the day. Once again, he appeared in the courtyard and glanced at his opponent, excited to learn what style they were going to use.
When he saw the enemy, though, a dark smile appeared on his face.
'What a nice surprise… so we meet again! Or rather, for the first time. Yesterday, we didn't have a chance to get properly acquainted, you bastard…'
Opposite him stood a tall young man with broad shoulders and an incredibly muscular physique. He looked mighty and confident, like a statue of an ancient deity come to life.
...It was the damned archer who had almost sniped him from across the arena during the battle royale.
'Dar of the Maharana clan, was it? Well, well. Let me introduce myself…'
Chapter 538: Devouring Styles
This was the fifth and final duel that Sunny had to fight today.
His previous three opponents all practiced unique and interesting styles, so he had taken his sweet time trying to learn from them. He succeeded twice and failed once.
The first opponent was called Straw Hat and used a curved sword, his technique relying on extreme speed and flexibility. Even Sunny, who had himself trained to make his body as malleable as possible, struggled to keep up with this unpredictable opponent.
The alias of the second one — The Other Fool — was a bit familiar, but the style he used was not. Sunny spent a lot of time trying to understand the strange pattern of essence expenditure the fighter used, all the while dodging unpredictable attacks of his exquisite halberd. In the end, he learned a lot from this fight.
However, it was the third opponent that had really tested him. This Awakened, whose alias was Blue Vash, wielded a slender rapier and practiced a deceptively simple battle style. What separated him from the rest was that each of his movements was utterly perfect, and every one of Sunny's mistakes had been instantly punished.
It was as though the man had a supernatural ability to see even the tiniest flaw in his enemy's technique, and was able to immediately exploit it. No matter how hard Sunny had tried to comprehend the essence of the style Blue Vash was using, he couldn't grasp it. In the end, he was forced to overwhelm and kill the astute fencer just to survive. However, despite that failure, he learned from this fight even more.
Regardless, after several duels against such talented fighters, Sunny felt that his mastery of Shadow Dance, which had stayed stagnant for a while, was finally progressing again. He was slowly approaching a precipice.
That was why he was so glad to see Dar of the Maharana clan.
To some, facing a Legacy might have seemed like a tough break. But for Sunny… for Sunny, Legacies were like gift boxes! They hid all kinds of goodies, his for the taking.
The problem was that, just like the Covetous Coffer, this box in particular could potentially bite off his greedy hand.
…The young Legacy fighter wasn't using a bow anymore, of course. Which wasn't a surprise. Legacies were trained to be proficient with a multitude of weapons, and a duel was not a place for arrows. Instead, he was holding a menacing great mace, its round head brimming with sharp spikes.
What made this guy so dangerous was not his bow, in any case. It was his strange ability to zero in on the enemy and somehow perceive their every move… or whatever it was that had allowed him to barrage Sunny with arrows from afar with frighteningly high precision.
While Sunny was staring at the mighty Dar, he was looking back at Mongrel. The scion's gaze traveled across the Mantle of the Underworld, making Sunny shiver for some reason, and then reached Weaver's Mask.
Suddenly, the muscular young man frowned.
"...Strange. An Ascended armor, and an… Echo?... for a weapon. Even if it is just Dormant, you've done well for yourself. But that mask… where did you get it?"
The corner of Sunny's mouth twitched.
Chatty enemies… they were the worst. Especially ones with such a kin vision.
"Took it off a random corpse."
He paused, and then added with calm indifference:
"Shall we start? Or do you need time to run to the other side of the arena, hide, and summon your bow?"
Sunny was trying to antagonize the young on purpose, hoping that he would forget this line of questioning. Luckily, his strategy worked.
Dar of the Maharana clan grinned.
"No… no need. Who knows... maybe I'll take it off your corpse one day, too…"
With that, he raised his heavy weapon, and suddenly lunged forward with a speed that no one his size was supposed to possess. The spiked mace whistled through the air, and in the next moment, the sound of clashing steel rang across the arena.
***
'Strong…'
Sunny was thrown back by the force of the impact. His block held, and the Soul Serpent held, too. However, he failed to adjust the weight of the Mantle of the Underworld enough, so his body was pushed back.
'How the hell is he so strong? I have three soul cores, dammit!'
Dar didn't care. He was much taller, had much more muscle mass, a much longer reach… not to mention that as a Legacy, he could have had many charms and Memory enchantments feeding him strength, agility, and resilience. This fight wasn't going to be easy.
Before Sunny could even properly land, the mace was flying at his head again. He pivoted on one leg, dodged the spikes, and dashed forward, hoping to close distance and get up close to the opponent, where his small stature and the shorter weapon would give him an advantage.
The Soul Serpent lashed out, aimed at the enemy's heart. Dar was wearing a light leather cuirass that left his shoulders and arms exposed, so Sunny hoped to pierce it with one blow. However, to his surprise, the tip of the odachi slid off the light leather armor as if it was forged from adamantine steel instead.
'Damn Legacies...'
The Legacy in question spun his mace, forcing Sunny to retreat, then glanced down at the spot where a tiny scratch was left on his cuirass. When he looked up again, his eyes were full of dark amusement.
"...Not bad."
Sunny gritted his teeth.
'Still running his mouth! Let's see if you have any breath to waste in a couple of minutes!'
The two of them clashed again, exchanging dozens of blows. Both were strong, fast, and skilled. Neither could easily overwhelm the opponent.
This was the second time Sunny had to fight a Legacy… third, if he counted Nephis. The difference was incredibly obvious.
His previous opponents were talented and experienced, but none of them could compare to Dar. This young man was a deadly battle machine crafted to reign on any battlefield, trained from the moment he had taken his first step to wield weapons of war and destroy his enemies.
He was no match for Caster, however... but Caster had never gotten the chance to become an Awakened. Once a Legacy learned to control the flow of soul essence, their power grew exponentially. Which was what Sunny was currently experiencing — raw power shaped into a deadly weapon by long years of relentless practice, and superb skill.
…And yet, he wasn't worried.
Dar was powerful, skilled, and experienced… but he lacked something that people like Sunny had — the memory of fear and bitter defeats, knowledge of death, and a vicious will to persevere.
Sunny didn't doubt that the Legacy had spent a lot of time in the Dream Realm, battling Nightmare Creatures… but he did doubt that Dar had ever found himself in absolute despair, having to claw his way back to life. His experience was that of fighting down, and not fighting up.
As Master Jet would say... he wasn't a killer.
But Sunny was, and so, the Legacy had already lost this fight, even if he didn't know it yet. He was only alive because his enemy was interested in learning sophisticated battle styles.
And there was a lot of sophistication in Dar's aggressive and domineering battle style. Legacies were truly in a league of their own… this was not something that Sunny could learn in a heartbeat. He needed time.
And so, their violent duel had turned into a slow, but terrifyingly intense battle of attrition. A minute passed, then another, then another... the two fighters were still entangled in a ferocious melee. The spectators were at the edge of their seats, holding their breaths as they watch the incredible spectacle. The direct feed of the duel was gathering more and more viewers.
'Bastard… how are doing this? How?!'
Sunny was trying to peer into the core of Dar's style, but failed to understand its essence over and over again.
…Until he didn't.
'I see! So this is how! It was so obvious…'
By that point, both of them were exhausted and wounded, their reserves of essence running dry. Sunny had much more left, of course — even though continuously enhancing his physical prowess and using the [Feather of Truth] enchantment of the Mantle was hungrily eating through shadow essence, he had three times the capacity. He also had much better control of it, it seemed.
All the time Sunny had spent meditating in the Sky Below was not for nothing, after all.
Feeling the foundation of Shadow Dance grow stronger, Sunny grinned behind the mask, and suddenly changed his entire attitude. His movements turned sharper and more aggressive, his demeanor bold and overbearing. The Soul Serpent turned into liquid darkness, and then shaped itself into a spiked mace.
Dar was thrown off by the sudden change, but only for a moment.
...However, that moment was all Sunny needed.
Dodging the enemy's attack before it could even fully manifest, as if reading the Legacy's thoughts, he dove under the strike and delivered a crushing blow of his own.
His enemy's leather armor still held, but the bones beneath it did not. Dar's ribcage caved, and he spat a stream of blood. In the next second, another hit connected with his jaw, turning the young man's face into a bloody mess.
He fell to his knees and raised a hand, desperately trying to block the finishing blow.
The demon in black armor knew no mercy, though. Calmly raising the mace, he brutally brought it down.
The crowd let out a collective scream.
In the silence that followed, a pleasant voice announced:
"Dar of the Maharana clan was eliminated."
Chapter 539: Out of Reach
Sunny climbed out of the pod and stretched, lamenting the fact that Dreamscape capsules weren't as sophisticated as the sleeping pods used to enter the actual Dream Realm. Due to his luxurious metal sarcophagus, he had almost forgotten the rusty feeling of spending too much time inside one of these things.
Despite the fact that the duels themselves had not lasted too long, an entire day already passed. Sunny was somewhat tired, but instead of resting, he commanded the Soul Serpent to shape itself into a weapon and walked to the middle of the dojo. He was impatient to cement the knowledge of the battle styles he had absorbed today.
Sunny started to perform various katas, executing each one slowly at first, and then quicker, and quicker, and quicker still. Soon, he moved with incredible speed, his lithe and flexible body almost leaving afterimages behind. Lean muscles were rolling under his pale skin, which soon glistened with sweat.
Sunny fluidly shifted from one style to another, his movements simultaneously firm and flowing, sharp and gentle, clear and unpredictable. The Soul Serpent flowed from one form to another, too, as insidious and shapeless as the person who wielded it. It was as though Sunny was performing a strange, graceful, viciously complicated dance.
…His three shadows danced with him, moving swiftly on the ceramic plates of the armored floor.
If Sunny could look at himself right now, he would be surprised to see that his movements were eerily similar to the dance that the young slave girl had once performed in his dream. But while her movements were beautiful and smooth, his were deadly and sharp. Hers were flawless, while his were slightly crude… as if he had not mastered his art yet.
'I can feel it… the second step. I can feel it, but why can't I reach it? Something is missing…'
After a long time, Sunny tiredly fell on the cold ceramic floor and remained motionless for several minutes, his chest moving heavily. There was a tired, but determined expression on his face.
'More, I need more. More and better…'
***
In the morning, Sunny had some free time before he had to enter the Dreamscape again. Making himself a cup of tea, he relaxed in a comfortable chair and took out his communicator.
After yesterday, the number of duelists remaining in the tournament had drastically reduced. Now, there were only thirty-two of them left. Each one was a formidable opponent, so Sunny decided to study their previous fights a bit. Luckily, all the recordings were readily available on the network.
…His were, too.
"Now I am even more sure that Mongrel is a Legacy. Or an actual demon! Who else could have defeated that monster, Dar?"
"Aww... Mongrel knew that this guy was an archer, so he even offered to give him time to get away. He's so cordial! So noble! What an inspiration!"
"You mean an actual DEMONESS, right?"
Sunny shivered and, not even trying to look at the comments, hurriedly scrolled past these videos to start doing his research.
'Maybe one of these guys will help me advance to the next level of Shadow Dance…'
Out of curiosity, he also glanced at the cohort competition leaderboard. The team that was currently in the first place was called "Librarians" and, weirdly, consisted of only two people. Their aliases were Unorganized Laundry and Iza, which didn't tell him anything. But considering that these two were currently dominating much larger cohorts, they must have been a truly fearsome duo.
Initially, Sunny had only joined the Dream Tournament to reap the alluring rewards, so he had not thought much of it. But now, he was starting to suspect that it was going to be a humbling experience.
He had already faced several troublesome opponents that earned his reluctant acknowledgment, and things would only get exponentially harder from here. Due to his recent progress, Sunny had allowed himself to become a little vain. He was stronger and more experienced than most of the Awakened he met, so he had almost forgotten to always expect the worst.
Seeing these powerful Awakened helped him remember how dangerous it was to underestimate the enemy.
And these weren't even the true elites. Real powerhouses of the Awakened world would never reveal their might in a public tournament.
…Sunny was one of these hidden tigers himself, after all, so he would know.
With a dark expression, he shook his head and concentrated on the screen of the communicator.
***
Very soon, he was back in the arena. Sunny had skipped all the theatrics again and only entered the Dreamscape at the last minute, hoping to avoid any situation that could lead to him being asked questions.
Sadly, he couldn't avoid his opponents, and if they wanted to talk, he had to answer.
Currently, he was facing a man wearing a peculiar armor made out of rusted metal, their face grim and full of dark apprehension. He was in his early thirties, and looked like someone who had led a rough life.
"Challenger Mongrel has joined the fight!"
"Challenger What? No, wait! Has joined the fight!"
Hidden behind the mask, Sunny raised his eyebrows.
'What's up with that alias? Wait... why does it sound familiar?'
While he was trying to remember where he had heard this bizarre name, the man summoned a shield and an arming sword, glanced at him darkly, and asked:
"You're the new guy everyone is talking about?"
Sunny sighed, knowing what would follow.
"No."
His opponent frowned.
"Why are you lying?"
Sunny rolled his eyes, exasperated by all the talk. However, he didn't want to attack the older man recklessly. His opponent had to be quite powerful to get this far.
"I am not lying."
The man sneered.
"That's exactly what a liar would say! Do you think I'm an idiot?"
'Gods! Can you just attack already!'
He took a step forward and said:
"Yes."
The older man stared at him for a few moments, his face full of anger and confusion. After a while, he hissed:
"Brat, you must be courting death..."
Chapter 540: Blood Feud
The peculiar man had an excellent technique, but it seemed as though anger was clouding his judgment. Sunny spent several minutes dodging and blocking his attacks, carefully observing both the enemy and the enemy's shadow. It wasn't long before he was able to grasp the essence of the enemy's style.
'There… I understand now…'
After more than nine hundred duels in the Dreamscape, his ability to comprehend different battle styles had considerably improved. And this guy wasn't using anything he had never seen before — his technique was polished, but unoriginal. Not that there was anything wrong with that, except that it was also too straightforward and inflexible.
'How did he even get so far?'
Since there was nothing else for Sunny to learn, he switched from defense to attack and delivered a swift strike, leaving a shallow wound on the opponent's shoulder. A few drops of blood landed on the Mantle of the Underworld… and in the next moment, Sunny learned just how the man was able to climb so high on the tournament ladder.
Suddenly, the blood shone with menacing crimson light and exploded, throwing Sunny back and tearing the Soul Serpent from his hand. At the same time, his enemy's wound ignited with dim red radiance, and in the next second, his movements became much faster, his blow carrying much more weight.
'...What the hell?'
Sunny barely dodged a devastating downward slash, rolled away, and grabbed the hilt of the odachi — just in time to block another strike and be thrown back a few steps again.
'How is he suddenly so strong?!'
He struggled desperately to keep up with the man in rusted armor, who had somehow instantly become utterly overbearing. In the process, another drop of blood landed on him.
'Crap…'
The Mantle withstood another explosion. Its surface did not crack, but Sunny could tell that the armor was weakened. Jumping back to his feet, he gritted his teeth and continued to fight.
Pretty soon, his suspicion was confirmed. The enemy seemed to possess an Aspect related to blood. His first Ability allowed him to ignite it, and the second increased his strength and speed the more he bled. So every time Sunny managed to perform a successful attack, the man grew much more formidable, while Sunny himself had to either dodge the drops of blood or somehow survive another explosion.
…But he wasn't worried.
By now, Sunny had realized that there were four types of challengers who tended to do well in this tournament. The first type relied on skill, the second type relied on a powerful Aspect, and the third type relied on excellent Memories.
While the latter two were tricky to deal with, only the first type was really dangerous.
The fourth type, of course, was the most deadly — these were fighters who had both formidable skill and powerful Aspects, as well as an arsenal of fearsome Memories at their disposal. Luckily, there weren't many such people around.
This guy was obviously an opponent of the second type, and relied too much on his bizarre Aspect. To defeat him, Sunny just had to think of a counter, and in this case, the counter was pretty obvious.
Since every wound made his enemy stronger, he just had to finish the bastard off in one strike.
And since the warrior in rusted armor neglected to truly develop his technique, that was not that hard to do.
After another explosion, Sunny increased the weight of the Mantle of the Underworld and withstood the shockwave, then made it as light a feather and dashed forward. He understood the essence of the enemy's style already, so it wasn't hard to predict his next move.
In fact, Sunny had manipulated the man into doing exactly what he wanted.
Once his opponent raised his sword to block a vicious slash, Sunny shifted his weight and suddenly changed the direction of the attack, sidestepping as he pushed his sword forward. The Soul Serpent scraped against the enemy's sword and slid effortlessly into the visor slit of the rusted helmet.
Immediately, Sunny dismissed the Shadow and jumped as far back as he could.
He was just in time.
The body of the man in rusted armor shuddered… and then violently exploded, causing the whole courtyard to tremble. If Sunny was just a tiny bit slower, he would have been pulverized by the explosion, too, and his enemy would have avenged himself from beyond the grave.
Well... from beyond being eliminated from the tournament, in this case.
'What kind of an Aspect is that?! Phew... I guess this is why Awakened are so dangerous. You just never know what kind of weird crap they are capable of…'
As the crowd exploded with applause, the voice of the Dreamscape announced:
"Challenger What? No, Wait! was eliminated."
Sunny, however, didn't pay it any attention.
Because almost at the same time, the Spell whispered into his ear:
[You have received a Memory.]
***
A few moments later, Sunny was back in the black void, staring at the fake pattern of radiant strings with a perplexed expression.
'Huh… that's crazy!'
He knew, of course, that it was possible to exchange Memories in the Dreamscape. This illusion was a mystical space created by a Saint's Aspect Ability, after all, and not an artificial VR simulation.
What he had not known, however, was that one could just receive a Memory out of nowhere, without the usual requirement of being in physical contact — even if that contact was illusory — with its master. However, if the Saint in question was responsible for delivering the rewards, then it sort of made sense.
More importantly, though… he had received a Memory!
His eyes gleamed.
Sunny was already eligible for several smaller prizes, most of them in the form of credits or soul shards. He wasn't going to bother receiving them, though — even if there was a way to do so without leaving a paper trail, Sunny didn't know of one.
The Memories, however… that was an entirely different situation!
Summoning the runes, he quickly read:
Memory: [Memory of Ice].
'Wait... that sounds familiar. Don't I have a [Memory of Fire] charm already?
Indeed, the Memory he received was eerily similar. It was another protective charm!
Memory Rank: Ascended.
Memory Tier: I.
Memory Type: Charm.
Memory Description: [...Even when the sun returned, they shivered and remembered the neverending winter.]
Memory Enchantments: [Bitter Cold.]
Enchantment Description: [This charm provides the wearer with moderate resistance to cold.]
A wide smile appeared on his face, hidden behind the black mask.
'Now that… that is what I am talking about!'
Chapter 541: Battle of Two Demons
"An incredible win by Lord… uh, by Mongrel!"
Looking at the cloud of blood rising above the arena, Syclus couldn't contain his enthusiasm.
Today, there were no simultaneous duels, as there were only thirty-two contenders left. Each battle was intense and exciting, and received the full attention of the commentators.
Looking at the cheering audience, Dimi laughed.
"Indeed, indeed… Mongrel did very well against No Wait. That Aspect of his is a real menace, believe me. I've been on the receiving end of those explosions way too many times!"
Dimi had been one of the first renowned duelists of the Dreamscape, back when it had been just growing popular ten or so years ago, so he was talking from experience.
Syclus glanced at the chat, knowing that it was a good time to involve the viewers in the discussion. Coincidentally, he noticed a comment concerning something that he himself was curious about.
"Yeah, very devious! But, Dimi… don't you feel like Mongrel behaved a bit out of character today? I mean, he practically called a respected Dreamscape veteran an idiot. With how noble, dignified, and chivalrous Mongrel usually is…"
Dimi thought for a bit, then shook his head.
"You see, Syclus… I respected Mongrel before, but now I truly admire him. It takes a very talented fighter to quickly recognize a battle style, true. Mongrel is talented... but he is also wise."
He smiled.
"Because it takes a very wise man to quickly recoginze an idiot. And make no mistake, this guy is a complete buffoon! Believe me, I have the misfortune of knowing him pretty well. I mean… only an idiot would end up with an alias like "What? No, Wait!"... right?"
Instantly, a deluge of comments flooded the chat:
"True! Mongrel is so wise!"
"Wise, deadly, and handsome!"
"How do you know that he's handsome, fool? He never takes off that creepy mask!"
"You mean SHE is handsome? Wait, that doesn't sound right…"
"...Can someone ban that troll already?!"
"Dimi is right! Only a complete idiot would end up with that alias. Why would an idiot like that even try to fight someone as wise as Lord Mongrel? Ptui..."
***
'Oh! I remember where I've seen that weird alias!'
Sunny was preparing for his next duel when he suddenly remembered how he had entered the Dreamscape for the first time. Back then, he had almost ended up with that exact name after accidentally saying the words out loud. Luckily, it had already been taken. Otherwise, Sunny could have been called "What? No, wait!" himself.
'So that's the guy! Poor fellow…'
…Not that being called Mongrel was much better.
Slightly amused, he sat down and circulated his essence through the coils of the Soul Serpent, aiming to replenish it completely before the next fight.
He had a feeling that it wasn't going to be easy…
***
He was right. None of his next three duels were easy, although for very different reasons.
The second opponent he faced today was called Lowph. It was a young man with shoulder-length hair who wore a light armor, wielding a round shield and a spear. His technique was impeccable, but the most dangerous thing about him was his speed.
Lowph was fast. Very fast. So fast, in fact, that Sunny could barely see some of his movements. The worst part was that this speed did not come from an Aspect Ability, but simply from skill, training, and incredibly precise essence control.
Unlike Caster, who could move with insane speed constantly, the young man seemed deceptively slow until he chose to attack, at which point his weapons almost teleported from one place to another. Sunny only managed to resist because his enemy skillfully masked the movements of his body, but didn't think to mask the movements of his shadow.
The smart thing to do was to kill the deadly opponent as fast as possible, but Sunny was utterly fascinated by the way Lowph used his soul essence, so he lingered, trying to infer details of this technique from how the young man fought.
That was why Lowph ended up being the first human to make Mongrel bleed.
At some point, his spear slid between the breastplate of the Mantle and one of the spaulders, sinking deep into Sunny's armpit. The pain was blinding.
Twisting the blade and then retreating to save himself from a retaliatory strike, Lowph glanced at the vibrant crimson liquid on his spear and smiled.
"...So you're human, after all."
Sunny suppressed the pain and tilted his head slightly:
"Am I?"
Then, he dashed forward and went all out, aiming to end the fight as soon as possible — not because he was done learning Lowph's style, but because even with Blood Weave, he wasn't sure that he would last long, considering how serious his wound was.
Thanks to his brutal battle with Caster, Sunny already knew how to deal with fast enemies. So, in the end, neither speed nor incredible mastery of essence managed to save the young man from his blade.
The deep wound disappeared as soon as Sunny returned to the black void.
'Interesting. Very interesting! I have ways to go as far as controlling essence goes, it seems.'
The next duel could have been really, really tough, but ended up being only slightly torturous. His enemy this time was named Everain and possessed a powerful sorcerous Aspect centered around gravity manipulation.
As soon as the fight started, it felt as though a mountain fell on his shoulders. Sunny was barely able to move, while his enemy masterfully weaved the effects of Aspect Abilities into an already swift and lethal combat technique, making for a truly deadly combination.
…Luckily, Sunny had [Feather of Truth], which diminished the burden a little. More importantly, he had a rich experience dealing with the Crushing. Even though Everain was able to make him sweat by manipulating gravity with admirable ingenuity, he was victorious in the end.
The third duel, however… made him rethink a lot of things.
This time, his enemy was a friendly-looking guy with a funny alias, Dynisor. Weirdly, he wore simple garments instead of an armor and wielded no weapons. At first, Sunny fought that this was another sorcerer… however, he couldn't have been more wrong.
As soon as the voice of the Dreamscape announced the start of the duel, his opponent… changed. His muscles suddenly ballooned and shifted, ripping through the simple clothes. His skin glistened, becoming covered by metallic scales. His nails grew into terrifying talons, and his teeth turned into long, sharp fangs.
In just a few moments, what faced Sunny was not a human, but a frightening hybrid creature that resembled a predatory humanoid lizard. A split second later, the creature was already upon him in a furious whirlwind of claws and teeth.
However, while it looked like a Nightmare Creature and was as strong and fearsome as one, the hybrid fought with a measured technique of an experienced, cunning, battle-hardened brawler. The effect was nothing short of terrifying.
The Ability humans received after conquering the Third Nightmare and becoming Transcendent was called a Transformation Ability, but not all transformation-type Abilities were meant only for Saint. While extremely rare, some Aspects manifested similar powers at earlier stages. Song Seishan possessed an Aspect like that, as well.
However, while Sunny knew that such Awakened existed, this was his first time facing one in battle. And what a battle it was!
It was really worthy of being the penultimate spectacle of the whole tournament.
It was also the first fight where Sunny felt that he really might lose. The enemy was just too strong, ferocious, and overbearing… while also being skilled, intelligent, and subtle. Fighting him was like fighting a devil, or a demon at least.
In fact, while Sunny had no idea, this was what their duel was being called on the network — the battle of two demons!
And one of these demons was bound to fall.
Under the stunned gazes of numerous spectators — both those in the Dreamscape and those watching the broadcast on the screens of their communicators — Mongrel was pushed back by the rampaging monster, his dark odachi sliding off the steel scales without leaving even a scratch on them. Nothing he did seemed to have an effect.
But then, something changed. At some point, the demonic swordsman dismissed his great blade and lunged into a violent, terrifyingly brutal hand-to-hand combat with the towering creature, using his fists, legs, and even the horns of his mask to attack the enemy. His style changed, turning savage and vicious, insidiously deadly, and utterly ruthless.
Those who followed Mongrel for a while and knew a fair share about combat were stunned to recognize that style… it was the same primal, devastating way of fighting the Barrow Wraiths had used during the recent Gate disaster!
So Mongrel was able to learn from Nightwear Creatures, as well...
What a terrifying thought!
The uncompromisingly cruel brawl lasted for a dreadfully long time. In the end, both fighters were bloodied and broken, their bodies battered, but their murderous wills as sharp and unshaken as ever.
Mongrel's onyx armor had cracked in several places under the unrelenting assault of adamantine talons, but the hybrid's scales were also shattered and torn, his movements slowing down more and more.
And then, unexpectedly, it was all over.
Mongrel had caught his enemy into an armlock, and then bent, straining with all his might. A loud crack could be heard in the deathly silence that had settled over the arena a while back, and the creature's neck suddenly twisted at an unnatural angle.
At first, people couldn't believe their eyes.
Only when the massive body of the hybrid reptile shuddered, and then turned into a flood of white sparks did they open their eyes wide and started screaming with shock, joy, and admiration.
Swaying lightly, Sunny looked at the disappearing torrent sparks and grinned.
'...One more left. Gee, I wonder what I'll get this time!'
Chapter 542: Polite, Reasonable OnlineDiscussion
Sunny had received generous rewards for these three duels… well, for two of them, at least.
One was an Ascended Memory of the second tier, which was an arrow. The second was an Ascended shield of the second tier. Both had pretty great enchantments, but he had no time to study them in detail. All he had determined was that the Memories were good enough to not be fed to Saint.
The third reward, though… was a bitter disappointment. It would have been rather amazing, actually, for anyone else — a hundred soul shards, no less! In the waking world, this was a precious resource. Even lesser Legacy clans would not scoff at that amount.
But since Sunny couldn't claim it, he was left with nothing.
'Curses…'
His disappointment didn't last long, however. In the end, it didn't really matter. The real boon was the prizes those in second and first place would receive — and Sunny had already cemented his position in the final duel.
The winner and the runner-up were going to receive Memories from clan Valor's personal armory. And this was something every Awakened desired, because the Great Clan was renowned not only for its knights.
It was also famous for its forgers.
Members of the Valor family often received Aspects tied to forging and creation. Some of them could even create Memories, tailor-made for destroying Nightmare Creatures and conquering the dangerous expanses of the Dream Realm. Sunny doubted that they would put something really unique as a prize for a public tournament, but anything from their vault was going to be precious.
What's more, he had already enriched his mastery of Shadow Dance a lot. The last three duels especially had pushed him even closer to grasping its second step. Now, he felt as though it was almost within his reach.
So, participating in the tournament was a pretty good idea, after all.
'I should really thank Rain… no, wait… she doesn't know that I am participating. Also, I am not participating in the tournament… Mongrel is! Damn, why is everything so convoluted… I should really rest for a bit.'
After the battle with Dynisor, he wasn't in the best shape. That fight was nothing short of brutal… even Sunny, who usually thrived in brutality, was a bit stunned by how violent it ended up being. His wounds had disappeared as soon as the duel ended, but mental exhaustion remained. His essence was also really spent, since that was how the Dreamscape functioned.
Luckily, the organizers of the tournament were smart enough to not schedule the final fight anytime soon. First, there would be the duel for the third and fourth place, as well as some entertainment. He had hours to rest and recuperate.
With a tired sigh, Sunny left the Dreamscape, climbed out of the pod, and went to make himself a tasty dinner.
***
While eating, Sunny studied his opponent.
This year, the final duel was going to be a bit unusual, because both challengers were not powerful newcomers who entered the Dreamscape to win the tournament rewards, but habitual duelists — well, if Mongrel could be considered one.
He had heard about the woman he was going to face, too, but not much.
Her alias was Queen Bee, and she was almost as enigmatic as Sunny himself. Unlike other popular duelists, she didn't broadcast or promote her fights, preferring instead to remain anonymous and under the radar. It seemed as though she was only interested in dueling itself, and nothing else. From what he knew, Queen Bee had never lost a duel. She was an undefeated champion of the arenas.
Why would someone that powerful hang out in an illusory game? He had no idea. But Sunny wasn't one to judge, since he was also wasting his time there despite having better things to do. He had his reasons, so maybe she did, too.
Or maybe it was just a fun hobby.
In any case, the network was full of theories about who Queen Bee might be. There was even a rumor that she was not human at all, but instead an artificial construct created to keep the players from reaching the top spot and to remind them to always strive for greater mastery. Which was complete idiocy, of course, considering that Dreamscape was not capable of emulating actual intelligence.
If it was, Awakened wouldn't waste time fighting each other and train against simulated Nightmare Creatures instead.
But people believed what they wanted to believe…
And people were also insane!
'What the hell…'
Sunny stared at the communicator with a weird expression.
To no surprise whatsoever, Queen Bee had her own army of unreasonable fans — even though she didn't want any. And currently, that army was engaged in an all-out war with Mongrel's own unwanted horde of followers. The network was bursting with venom and vitriol produced by both sides.
"Lord Mongrel? That loser? Ptui! Come back when he's King Mongrel, you tasteless dimwits!"
"You fool! Mongrel never claimed to be a lord, and he would not want to be a king! Mongrel is one of us, common people! Wanna follow a tyrannical monarch, do it privately, you sheep!"
"Who are you calling sheep, you sheep?! That shady Mongrel guy has literal horns, so think before you bleat!"
"Guys, can we all calm down? Why are we arguing? Isn't it obvious that Mongrel IS Queen Bee? They're the same person! The won't be a duel!"
"That guy is insane! Mongrel can't compare to our noble Queen's left pinky!"
"That guy is whack! That pathetic wannabe princess can't compare to honorable Lord Mongrel! Ridiculous!"
"...Well, at least we can agree that the previous commenter is an idiot."
"You're an idiot!"
"...I guess not."
Sunny stared at the screen, his eye twitching.
After a while, turned away.
'Humanity is a mistake. Maybe it's time to give someone else a chance… I hear mushrooms are a pretty neat species…'
Turning off the communicator, Sunny concentrated on devouring his food… even though all that nonsense had almost killed his appetite.
Sunny's appetite, however, was as resilient as he himself was. Maybe even more. It was more or less impossible to kill.
***
A few hours later, Sunny returned to the arena.
It was time to end this spectacle and reap his rewards.
However… first, he had to defeat the strongest opponent yet.
'It's gonna be fine… I'll get a sweet Memory either way…'
But winning would be much better.
...As soon as he appeared, the crowd cheered.
Chapter 543: Finale
Hearing the thunderous cheer, Sunny almost flinched.
The last duel of the tournament was different from all the rest. The courtyard had changed slightly, somehow becoming even more magnificent. The grandstands were extended, with dozens of thousands of spectators crowding the stone seats. Their cheers blended into a deafening, excited roar that rose and fell rhythmically, like the sound of a turbulent sea.
Rose petals were raining from above, covering the arena in a beautiful carpet.
…No matter how cynical Sunny wanted to be about the whole thing, it was hard not to feel his blood boil at this scene.
He turned his head slightly, taking in the sight of the chanting crowd. Then, his sight lingered for a few moments on a tall tribune that loomed above the arena, decorated with the vibrant vermilion banners of the Great Clan Valor. Since this was the final duel, very special people were going to spectate it in person.
Sunny easily recognized the creator of the Dreamscape, who was dressed in ridiculously colorful silken robes and looked like a parrot that had taken a bath in a tub of face powder. He still couldn't believe that this gaudy clown was an actual Saint…
The person near him had to be the representative of Valor, then. Sunny couldn't see much, and just noted that it was a young woman with dark wavy hair and alabaster skin. She wore an intricate suit of lusterless, black armor and a red cape, which was the same color as the banner of her clan. Her sharp and austere appearance was in stark contrast with the Saint of Dreamscape.
The tribune was too far away to see any details, but Sunny wasn't inclined to stare at a Legacy from a Great Clan, anyway. He was already uncomfortable knowing that she would be observing him fight.
On the other hand…
'I better put up a good show. Who knows, maybe if that girl likes it, I'll receive an extra good Memory!'
Throwing these thoughts out of his mind, Sunny finally lowered his gaze and studied his opponent.
Since Sunny knew some of the best fighters of his generation, he had entertained the idea that he might have met the formidable Queen Bee outside of the Dreamscape already. But no, she didn't seem familiar.
The famous duelist was seemingly in her thirties, and even though the lower half of her face was hidden behind an elegant half-mask, he was sure that he had never seen her before. She stood calmly in the center of the arena, as if not affected by the cheering crowd and the esteemed guests in the audience at all.
From just one glance, Sunny knew that he was looking at a combat master. Everything about the regal woman spoke of skill, grace, and resolve. She wore a light metal armor and wielded a slender estoc, its blade long and sharp. There was a strange serenity about her that somehow seemed simultaneously alien and familiar…
'...Clarity? This is the same vibe Neph sometimes gave off…'
Indeed, it was the same type of clarity that Nephis, and Sunny himself, possessed. But while Changing Star was sharp and inevitable like a striking sword, Queen Bee was not. On the contrary, she seemed deceptively placid.
'What a weird contradiction.'
The woman studied him, too, allowing Sunny to look her in the eyes. They weren't blue, grey, green, or even purple, and instead seemed to shift from one color to another, as if reflecting her mood. The strangest thing about them, though, was that… those weren't the eyes of a killer.
Sunny knew how to recognize one, because he was a killer himself.
He suppressed the desire to scratch the back of his head.
'Huh… combat master, but not a killer? Don't tell me that this is really just her hobby…'
What kind of a hobby was that?!
In any case, this was going to make things a little easier for him. Sure, Queen Bee might have been a prodigal duelist — she wouldn't have gotten to the finale of the tournament otherwise — but without the killing instinct, defeating someone like Sunny would be nearly impossible.
For him, combat was not something interesting or engaging. It was not something he did for fun, or even his profession. It was simply his life.
God of War was not called the God of Life for nothing. Life was a constant, brutal struggle, and Sunny knew it better than most. That was why he was such a vicious and cruel fighter, never missing out on the tinies chance to destroy his enemy.
…That was not to say that the duel was going to be easy. Killer or not, Queen Bee was still a fearsome opponent.
With a sigh, he summoned the black odachi, put its blade on his shoulder, and walked forward.
***
The trumpets sang and the voice of the Dreamscape announced the names of the fighters, lunging into a solemn speech afterward. Sunny didn't listen to it and simply approached the middle of the arena, then hesitated and performed a small, awkward bow toward the graceful woman.
He wasn't a courteous person, but in this situation, bowing seemed somehow appropriate.
Queen Been looked at him calmly, and nodded lightly. Then, she raised her estoc into position.
'This is going to be tricky…'
He sighed, gripped the hilt of the Soul Serpent… and lunged into a lightning-fast attack.
What was the point of wasting time?
Sunny was trying to overwhelm his opponent in one fell swoop, but of course, he failed. The long blade of the slender estoc flew with incredible speed, preventing him from approaching Queen Bee to deliver even a single strike. For a few seconds, nothing but the ringing of steel could be heard above the arena.
Even the audience grew quiet, looking at the incredible fight with bated breath.
Unlike the previous duels, there was nothing flashy or particularly spectacular about this one. It wasn't as brutal as the battle between Mongrel and fearsome shapeshifter Dynisor, nor was as strange and exciting as his fight against the gravity sorcerer Everain. There were no fascinating Aspect Abilities flying around, and instead, it was all about skill, steel, and technique.
However, people who knew even a little bit about combat couldn't take their eyes off the intense confrontation. Every strike, every block, every step the fighters took was full of flawless precision, insight, and clear resolve. This was a battle of two masters, and thus it was much more thrilling and breathtaking than anything else they had seen in this tournament.
…Sunny, however, was having much less fun than the audience.
In fact, he wasn't having any.
'What the hell?! What is going on?!'
Chapter 544: Glory to the Victor
Something was very, very wrong with this duel. He had noticed it almost instantly, but couldn't do anything to prevent the whole fight from going sideways. In fact, although it seemed as though he was holding his own and even advancing on the regal Queen, Sunny was actually scrambling to save his life every second.
This woman was just too weird!
There was something wrong with her shadow… not the harrowing, unnatural kind of wrong that he had felt before in the Dream Realm, but a very mundane kind of wrong which, nevertheless, threw him for a lop.
It was as though there was a slight disconnect between how the shadow moved and how the woman casting it moved. More than that, although Sunny watched Queen Bee's movements and footwork carefully to predict her next attacks and react to them, each time, he was ending up being slightly mistaken.
Even if he misplaced his sword by a centimeter, it was already enough to mess up the whole cadence of the fight and allow his enemy to bypass his defenses.
'How is she doing this?!'
He had to find the answer very soon, because every second that passed could potentially lead to his loss.
Sunny tried to deflect an incoming thrust, but missed by a few millimeters once again. As the result, the swift estoc slid past the blade of the Soul Serpent and stung him in the chest, sending a tremor running through his entire body. The Mantle of the Underworld protected him, but Sunny wasn't deceived.
Queen Bee was just measuring him, learning his patterns just like he was learning hers. When she achieved a sufficient level of understanding, the next attack would pierce his neck instead of ricocheting off his armor.
'Like hell…'
Gritting his teeth, he suddenly changed his style, summoning the domineering technique of Dar of the Maharana clan and applying it to the odachi. He was already losing to the slender estoc in speed, so turning the Soul Serpent into a heavy great mace was not the best choice. So, Sunny just made adjustments to the battle style on the fly.
But just as he shifted to another style… Queen Bee did the same, suddenly transforming her technique into a completely new one!
'Damn!'
They continued to fight, moving swiftly across the arena as their swords clashed against each other. Sunny was still at a disadvantage, which was only growing larger and larger as the seconds passed. Both fighters were proficient in various styles and could switch from one to another almost instantly, which made the duel especially thrilling.
The audience was going crazy.
...Sunny was going crazy, too, but for an entirely different reason.
'Think, think…'
Facing an enemy like this was a golden opportunity to enhance his comprehension of the Shadow Dance. But to do that, he first had to understand what exactly Queen Bee was doing!
Why was her shadow behaving so strangely? Why was he always mistaken when judging the precise placement of her attacks?
At some point, Sunny almost slid on the damn rose petals that littered the arena and only barely managed to keep his balance, dodging the tip of the estoc at the last second.
'Curses! Damned things! Whose bright idea was it to fill the damned arena with trash?!'
In fact, it was a miracle that neither of the two duelists had suffered from this treacherous footing already!
'A miracle… wait... a miracle?'
Dodging another lethal strike, he shifted from balanced technique to defense and glanced at Queen Bee's feet again.
From start to finish, she had not been bothered by the rose petals once.
And now that he paid attention to it…
His eyes widened.
'...Am I seeing things?'
No, he wasn't.
Not only did his graceful opponent avoid losing her footing on the slippery petals, but… none of them were also crushed under her armored boots.
It was almost as if she was always hovering a few millimeters above the ground without actually touching it.
No, not almost… that was exactly what was happening!
Such a small difference was very hard to notice, but it explained why the angle of how Queen Bee's shadow hit the ground was ever so slightly wrong, and why Sunny was always misjudging her attacks a tiny bit.
A few millimeters was a very minuscule amount, but in a battle as precise and calculated as theirs, it made for a huge difference.
'Hell…'
Was he right?
There was only one way to find out…
Sunny continued to fight for a few seconds, thinking carefully. He didn't correct his mistake, knowing that giving away his new understanding of Queen Bee's Aspect Ability… if it was an Ability… would be a wrong move.
Instead, he had to construct a trap and end the fight with it.
…But trapping someone as skilled and talented as his current opponent was not easy. In fact, deceiving someone who had clarity was a very tall task.
Luckily, Sunny was a skilled fighter himself. But better yet, he was an even more talented deceiver. So, he continued to pretend and prepare his ambush, all the while greedily absorbing his enemy's technique. Now that he knew the secret, he could see it much more clearly.
At some point in the duel, Mongrel seemed to finally make a mistake. He once again misjudged Queen Bee's intention and threw his blade too low, allowing the estoc to slide above it and flash toward his throat.
However, it never hit its mark. Instead of piercing Mongrel's neck, the slender blade simply left a deep cut on his skin… because at the last moment, the demonic swordsman moved ever so slightly to his left, and then almost instantly dashed forward.
The dark odachi hissed as it cut the air, and the figure in black armor moved past the graceful woman in light armor, stopping a couple of steps behind her.
Feeling a stinging pain radiating from the shallow wound on his neck, Sunny sighed and lowered the Soul Serpent.
Behind him, Queen Bee swayed lightly, and then fell into a torrent of white sparks.
For a couple of seconds, the magnificent courtyard was silent.
And then, it became filled with deafening cheers from the crowd.
Sunny looked at the celebrating spectators, breathing heavily.
'Did I… did I really do it? Did I win?'
As if to answer his thought, the voice of the Dreascape announced:
"Challenger Queen Bee was eliminated. Glory to the victor! The champion of the annual Dream Tournament is…"
However, the pleasant voice was drowned by the chanting of the crowd:
"...Mongrel! Mongrel! Mongrel!"