Chapter 699: Reverse Scale
The journey back was, sadly, uneventful. Sunny had hoped that they would stumble upon a few Nightmare Creatures, but this close to the Sanctuary, there weren't many — except for those too powerful for the cohort to attack without a serious reason and thorough preparations.
Come to think, these powerful abominations were probably the reason why the weaker ones kept away. Perhaps that was why Noctis had not eradicated them.
Well… that, or he was simply too lazy.
They returned to the sorcerer's stronghold at dawn, and went to find him without wasting any time. However, Noctis was not at his residence, and the wooden door remained shut. Eventually, they located him at the far side of the island, where the immortal was… making a statue.
There were several giant slabs of marble laying on the ground, and a dozen or so chisels hacking at them without anyone's help. The sorcerer stood some distance away, his luscious black hair powdered by marble dust, and watched it all with a satisfied expression on his face while sipping from a glass of wine.
The first of the statues seemed to be close to completion, and resembled… something. It might have been a human, or a horse. Sunny found it hard to tell.
Noticing them, Noctis grinned.
"Oh, you're back!"
Then, he looked at the hideous stone abomination and raised his chin proudly.
"What do you think? Majestic, right?"
Sunny hesitated for a few moments, and then said cautiously:
"Uh… that is one word to describe it, without a doubt. But… what is it?"
The sorcerer frowned with confusion.
"What do you mean? It's me! A monument to me, that is. I have decided to grace the generations to come with a vision of my matchless beauty. They deserve the privilege of witnessing it, as well! Who am I to devoid people of such blessing?"
He glanced at the terrifying marble monster, scratched the back of his head, and added:
"Of course, I, uh… might have failed to grasp a couple of nuances of the sculpting art, just yet. This one is really not too bad, but it is just the first attempt. Luckily, I have plenty of these slabs to practice. Hmm… seven should be enough to reach perfection. Well... maybe fourteen… or twenty..."
Sunny stared at the hideous statue for a bit, quite sure that it looked more like a monstrous gargoyle than Noctis. Then, he shook his head and said:
"Good for you. Meanwhile, we have retrieved the Ruby Knife. So… what comes next?"
The sorcerer remained silent for a while, then sighed despondently.
"I guess it's time to take a break. Come, let's have something to eat… and drink, of course… and discuss the future. Now that the knives are in our possession, the future will surely be upon us soon enough…"
***
Some time later, they were enjoying a light breakfast in the shade of the ancient tree that grew in the heart of the Sanctuary. Noctis poured himself some wine, then offered them a polite smile.
"You must be curious about what happens next."
The four of them glanced at each other, then nodded. The sorcerer shrugged.
"Well, to be honest… nothing much. By now, the other Chain Lords already know that I am collecting the knives. The death of the One in the North would have distracted them for a bit, but at the same time, it would have made my actions look much more suspicious. So, they will hold a council and decide how to act."
He took a sip of wine and smiled.
"However, getting Solvane and Sevras into one room is not an easy task. It will take them some time to come together. After that, predictably, they will send a herald to give me some sort of an ultimatum. And only then, after their polite request is denied, will they act, joining forces to invade my lands, capture me, and make me bitterly regret the fact I am immortal."
Noctis shook his head, then laughed.
Sunny, on the other hand, shivered and asked, his voice full of tension:
"Is this really something to laugh about? How are we going to repel an attack of three Transcendents?"
The sorcerer grew silent, then shook his head.
"Ah, well. Simple, really. We won't."
He took another sip of wine and looked up, at the flying ship that hovered above them.
"...Instead, we will attack them first. We will lay siege to the Ivory City."
Noticing their stunned gazes, Noctis laughed again.
"Ah, children… you are so fun to talk to! These expressions are priceless. However, even younglings like you should have learned by now that having more power doesn't always mean achieving victory. The three Lords that oppose us are very powerful, indeed… but they are not without weaknesses."
He paused, and then looked at them, his eyes glinting with a hint of moonlight:
"To tell you the truth, neither Solvane nor the Sun Prince concern me that much. The only one worth being scared of… the only one who can defeat me… is Sevras, the Ivory Lord. That dreadful dragon. Because between all seven of the Chain Lords, only he and I belong to divine bloodlines. Only the two of us trace our lineage to gods."
Sunny frowned.
"Wait… aren't Sevras and the Sun Prince brothers? How come he is the only one with a divine lineage?"
Noctis shrugged.
"All kinds of strange things happen when it comes to gods. Who knows? In any case… he is the only brother who inherited the Fire. And he is formidable for it, beyond words. So we won't be able to defeat Sevras, unless we strike at his Flaw."
Sunny froze.
"...You know his Flaw?"
The sorcerer smiled gingerly, then chuckled.
"Of course! We immortals spent more than a thousand years bound together. I know all of their Flaws, and they know mine. But Sevras… that guy is rather special. In a sense, he actually has three."
Noctis grew silent for a few moments, taking a sip from his glass. Then, he sighed and said with a hint of sadness:
"One is his actual Flaw. The other... is his brother. And the last one, the direst of them all, is his city."
He looked at the beautiful garden of the Sanctuary, his face turning cold and ruthless:
"By using all three, we will destroy him."
Chapter 700: Blood of the Moon
No one dared to speak for a few moments, unnerved by the sudden change in the sorcerer's mood. After a while, though, Effie tugged on his sleeve and asked:
"Uh, care to elaborate... Grandpa Noctis?"
Noctis looked at her absentmindedly, then flinched and jerked his sleeve away, wiping the spot where the little girl touched it with a repulsed look.
"G—grandpa? Who are you calling a grandpa, you critter?!"
He moved his chair away from Effie and stared at her menacingly for a moment, then threw a hurt look at Sunny.
Sunny shrugged.
"...You are a thousand years older than her."
The sorcerer opened his mouth with a deeply offended expression, then puffed and looked away.
After a long and poignant pause, he continued:
"Anyway… as I was saying, Sevras has three weaknesses. The first one is his Flaw — he is incredibly powerful during the day, but nearly powerless during the night. The second one is his brother… surprising, I know, considering what he did to the poor guy. But the Ivory Lord still genuinely cares about his younger sibling. In fact, that is probably the only thing he cares about anymore, apart from his duty and principles."
Noctis grew quiet for a moment, and then added in a somber tone:
"And the third one is his city. That… Sevras loves his people. But he also hates them. They are a burden that weighs heavily on his soul, one that he cannot escape. Their relationship had long been perverted by Hope, and by his own stubborn unwillingness to give up. Noble, righteous Sevras… he might seem like the sanest among us, but in reality, he is the closest to utter madness. All it will take to send him over the edge is one push."
The immortal Transcendent sighed, then shook his head reproachfully.
"That guy… ah, truly, he has always been too serious. You can't survive in this place without a sense of humor… even if you are immortal."
The sorcerer giggled at his own joke, and then looked at them with a relaxed smile.
"...So, we will attack at night, when the Ivory Dragon Sevirax is at his weakest. And we will kill his younger brother before dawn. That will be the push that sends him into the abyss, and dooms him."
Sunny shivered, looked at the immortal Transcendent, and asked cautiously:
"...Is it wise, to drive a dragon insane?"
Hearing this, Noctis simply laughed.
"Of course! Sevras the Ivory Lord is fearsome and dreadful, but Sevirax the Dragon is just a mindless beast. Killing a beast is not too difficult, for a cunning hunter. And while I might not be as righteous and as noble as Sevras…"
His smile disappeared, and his eyes suddenly shone with pale light.
"...I am blood of the Moon, Beast God... the God of Hunters."
With that, the sorcerer leaned back and took a sip of his wine, slowly returning to his usual carefree self.
"Granted, I have not hunted for a while… the wilderness is just so ghastly, you know? The dirt, the insects… the fashion. Oh, the horror!"
He sighed heavily, and then smiled again.
Sunny hesitated for a bit. There was a question that he really wanted to ask, but was not sure that he should.
Finally, he said:
"What is your Flaw, then? I know that it is not the kind of question people ask, or answer… but our lives will be depending on your fight with the dragon. I think we have the right to know."
Noctis waved his hand dismissively.
"Oh, it's nothing much. More or less the exact opposite of his. I am at my strongest under the moonlight, but grow weak in the sunlight. No reason to hide it from friends."
He thought for a bit, and then added:
"Solvane's Flaw is perhaps the most cruel… she is cursed with beguiling beauty. Being with her slowly drives people mad with longing and lust, like an insidious drug. The more someone spends time with her, the more they want to possess her, eventually giving in to irresistible desire. A terrible fate, no doubt, but… not exactly something we can use. Unless, of course, one of you… no, let's not think about that!"
Noctis grinned, then shook his head.
"The Sun Prince's Flaw… well, it doesn't matter anymore. Now that he is encased in that steel monstrosity and almost mindless, we won't be able to make use of it, anyway. We will just have to kill him in a straightforward manner. So… do you guys have questions?"
The four of them looked at each other, and after a long pause, Kai asked hoarsely:
"Yes, Lord Noctis… just one. When we attack the Ivory City at night, and you are fighting the Sun Prince and Solvane… what, exactly, are we four supposed to do?"
The sorcerer stared at them in confusion, then raised an eyebrow.
"Why, is it not clear? While I am preoccupied with the Chain Lords... you will simply have to destroy the Sun Legion and the army of the Red Colosseum."
He thought for a bit, and then added:
"Well, if you somehow fail to destroy them, at least keep them away from me for a while. Solvane and the Sun Prince… yeah, shouldn't take me too long… I think you will manage…"
***
At the precipice of night, Sunny came to the edge of the island alone and stood there for a while, shrouded in shadows.
Now that things were nearing the final stage, there was a lot he had to think about. There was the seemingly insane plan of attacking the Ivory City… the battle the cohort was going to wage against two armies while Saints fought in the skies above them…
And then there was Mordret, who remained an unknown variable in this whole mess.
What concerned him the most, however, was his unformed fourth core. Going into the dire battle as a Devil would have been far better… what's more, he couldn't allow himself to undergo the debilitating process of forming a new core in the midst of the furious clash.
With the culmination of the Nightmare swiftly approaching, he had no more time left to slowly seek out and kill Nightmare Creatures, and so, Sunny was forced to do something that he had always been reluctant to do.
With a sign, he summoned his Shadows.
The taciturn knight, the stygian steed, and the tenebrous serpent appeared in front of him, their figures drowning in the darkness. Two of his shadows slid forward and wrapped themselves around Nightmare and the Soul Serpent, with only the gloomy one remaining at his feet.
Sunny lingered for a bit, and then said:
"Go. Travel far and wide, seek out Nightmare Creatures… and kill them. I need you to hunt for me, instead of with me, for a while."
He paused, and then added somberly:
"Be careful, however. This world… is a dangerous place. No matter how strong you are, how powerful you are, there is always someone — or something — far stronger. Especially when you are alone. So, don't let yourself get destroyed. Alright?"
Saint stared at him for a few moments, then outstretched a hand. After he placed the hilt of the scarlet odachi in it, she silently turned around and jumped down, landing on the links of the heavenly chain far below.
Nightmare and the Soul Serpent dashed in opposite directions, soon disappearing from view.
Just like that, Sunny was left alone.
He remained motionless for a few moments, then sighed and looked down, at the gloomy shadow.
"I guess it's just you and me again. Like good old times, huh?"
The shadow stared at him darkly for a second, and then raised a hand, clearly unsure what good times he was talking about, exactly.
Sunny smiled.
"Yeah. Love you too, buddy…"
Chapter 701: Four Hunters
Soon after the Shadows left, the connection Sunny shared with them grew faint. He could still feel their existence, but not much beyond that. The same happened with the happy and creepy shadows — when Nightmare and the Soul Serpent left the range of Shadow Control, which had grown to about four kilometers, he lost the ability to perceive them, and the world through them.
Sunny felt that they were out there, somewhere, but that was it. The sudden loss of being able to see and hear through two out of his three shadows was abrupt and jarring, as though he had suddenly lost an eye and a limb. It made Sunny feel very uncomfortable.
Not only was his power severely diminished in the absence of his loyal companions, making him extremely vulnerable, but he also worried about them. There had been many opportunities to send Saint away to hunt on her own in the past, but Sunny never did. The risk was just too high… both for the Shadow and for himself. They were stronger together...
Shadows were not meant to be apart from their master.
But there was no other choice now. He did not know when the three Chain Lords were going to act, exactly, but there was not much time left before. Before the final confrontation began, Sunny had to become a Devil.
…Neph was already a Tyrant, after all. It would not do to let her remain so far ahead.
With a sigh, he turned around and walked back to his room. The gloomy shadow followed, trying to not show that it, too, missed its siblings.
The Shadows were gone, but there was still a lot Sunny had to do. He had to prepare himself for the battle, both mentally and physically.
The next few days passed without too much happening. Sunny trained archery with Kai, practiced swordsmanship with Cassie, and sharpened his mastery of the spear with Effie's help. The other three were busy with their own preparations, as well.
From time to time, all four left the Sanctuary to hunt and put their teamwork to the test. Sunny received a few fragments from those small expeditions, as well.
In the night, he continued to experiment with weaving. However, he was also careful to get enough sleep. It would not do to go into the final battle exhausted…
After several days of this, while Sunny was laying in bed, the Spell suddenly whispered into his ear:
[You have slain a Fallen Monster, Veiled Slayer.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
Sunny sat up and stared into the darkness, tense. So, one of them had found a prey… he did not know which one it was — Saint, Serpent, or Nightmare — or even if they were wounded in the fight. All he knew was that one of his Shadows had emerged victorious, and was not destroyed.
After that first kill, the shadow fragments started to pour into his soul frequently, making the goal of forming a new core before the fateful clash seem less hopeless.
In the meantime, all Sunny could do was carry on.
Two weeks of practicing weaving later, he could proudly say… that he had successfully managed to destroy thirty-eight out of the thirty-nine Memories received in the Red Colosseum. The only one remaining was the emerald bone flute. However, that saved him from damaging his actual Memories, at least.
After the initial success of transplanting enchantments, Sunny found out that it was not as easy as he had thought… well, it had never really been easy, but now, he realized that there were more things he had to consider than simply the pattern of the weave itself.
Each Memory had a certain capacity when it came to accommodating enchantments. The more powerful an enchantment was, the more burden it put on the weave. To withstand it, weaves needed to be moored to anchors, each serving as a nexus for the strings of essence.
Sunny created those anchors from soul shards — the more he used, the higher the Tier of the Memory was, and the higher its capacity. However, the Rank of the shards also played a role, albeit in a slightly different manner. Apart from capacity, weaves also had a threshold of intensity they could withstand.
More powerful enchantments put too much strain on the strings and the anchors, and so, both the strings and the anchors had to be of a high enough Rank to endure it. Additionally, only the weakest of enchantments could be activated passively, relying on the Memory's own ambient soul energy — everything else would only function when saturated by the flow of essence from the wielder's soul.
…But that was not all.
Sunny had found out the hard way that not all Memories could accommodate all enchantments, regardless of whether they had enough capacity and tolerance. Some were simply not meant for each other. He suspected that the name of the Memory, and therefore its nature, played a role in that.
He had transferred the [Sonorous] enchantments to the Silver Bell and the Ordinary Rock, and also made the Ordinary Rock, which had been able to repeat the sounds it heard, repeat the words Sunny thought of as well. Both of these changes improved upon the original qualities of the Memories, instead of introducing something entirely new. They were not in conflict with their natures.
However, when he tried to do something more radical, the results were disastrous. He could not add an enchantment meant to destroy to a Memory that was meant to protect, unless he wanted the whole weave to break apart.
It was not easy to understand the true nature of Memories, however… the Patient Avenger, for example, was a shield, and its purpose was to protect its master. And yet, that shield possessed enchantments capable of sowing utter devastation on the battlefield. So, it took Sunny a lot of time — and a lot of wasted Memories — to get an initial grasp on the nuances of what enchantments he could transfer, and where.
The hint was under his nose the whole time… the name of the Memory hid the secret of its nature. He was still unable to fully grasp it, but after destroying dozens of Memories, Sunny managed to develop an intuitive sense that allowed him to gleam the general direction of things, at least.
It was not much... but it was something.
***
At the start of their fifth month in the Nightmare, Sunny found himself on a somewhat familiar island. Some distance away from him, a forest of tall trees stood, darkness nesting between their trunks.
The forest looked different from how it had been in the future. There, the trees were twisted and bent, their bark turned dark and rough. But here, they had no need to change and adapt to the devastating burden of the Crushing yet. And so, the forest stood tall.
…The wolves, however, were more or less the same.
The Nightmare Creature lunging at him was the size of a small truck, with fur as tough as steel wire and a long, terrifying muzzle. Its jaws were wide enough to bite a human in half, and strong enough to crush both bones and armor into dust.
As the giant beast jumped at him, Sunny dodged left and allowed Effie to barrel into the creature, her fist sending it flying to the ground with a whimper. A second later, an arrow landed from above, piercing one of the wolf's paws and nailing it to the ground. A slender rapier flashed through the air, doing the same with another.
Effie appeared near the wolf, pressing it down with all her inhuman strength, and shouted:
"Come on! The bastard is strong! R—really strong!"
Sunny did not make them wait. Jumping forward, he brandished the Cruel Sight and buried it between the abomination's six glowing eyes. Almost instantly, the flame of madness burning in them dimmed, and then was extinguished.
Sunny sighed as the Spell whispered:
[You have slain a Fallen Monster, Dread Wolf.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
He did not need the help of the cohort to slay a Dread Wolf, of course. These vile beasts were easy prey for someone like him.
...He did, however, require their assistance for what was about to happen next.
Summoning the runes, Sunny found the familiar string of them.
The runes read:
Shadow Fragments: [3000/3000].
He prepared himself, and a moment later, the voice of the Spell resounded once again:
[Your shadow is overflowing with power...]
It was time for him to become a Devil.
Chapter 702: The Devil You Know
Sunny sighed, then dismissed the runes, feeling the familiar heat igniting deep within his soul, growing stronger and stronger with each breath.
Effie and Kai looked at him, curiosity and concern mixing in their eyes. Cassie silently retrieved the Quiet Dancer and turned away, listening to the dark forest that surrounded them.
A few moments later, the little girl asked:
"So, uh… what exactly happens now?"
Sunny gave her a grim look.
"...Now I will scream and thrash for a while. Forming a new core is probably the third worst pain I have ever experienced… and that was just the Demon core. Damnation."
Effie blinked a couple of times:
"What are the second and the absolute worst, then?"
He hesitated for a bit, and then said hoarsely:
"Attaining a daemon's lineage was pretty bad. But the most terrible thing, by far… was catching a glimpse of fate. That one I only survived by accident."
The gloomy shadow shivered, remembering their past. Sunny, meanwhile, scoffed.
'Being gutted by the Black Knight did not even make the list, huh… maybe I need to rethink my life choices.'
At that moment, the heat burning within his soul reached a critical point, and the Spell whispered into his ear:
[Your shadow is taking shape…]
A blinding pain exploded in his chest, sending Sunny to his knees. He gritted his teeth and remained silent, refusing to let out a shriek, a wail, or even a growl. This was not his first time experiencing that pain… even though, this time, it was far more intense.
A human soul was not meant to contain many cores…
That was the conclusion Sunny had come to a while back, thinking about how the process of Awakening was pleasant and euphoric, but gaining new cores and a daemon's lineage was harrowing and torturous. Humans were meant to walk the path of Ascension, but becoming a different type of creature was against their nature.
And Weaver's lineage was simply against all nature… it was aberrant and forbidden, something that was never meant to exist at all.
'Argh!'
The pain grew stronger, and stronger, and then stronger still. Just like before, he felt as though his soul was being torn apart, something rising from its depths and cutting his very being with its sharp edges. However, Sunny was used to this torment. He accepted it, allowed himself to dissipate into it, and endured.
However, then, something entirely unexpected happened.
As his soul was going through a transformation, his body followed suit, as well, catching him by surprise. This time, Sunny failed to suppress a scream, and fell to the ground in convulsions. Effie and Kai stared at him with worry
'Curse it! What… the hell?!'
It felt as though his bones were breaking, his muscles were tearing, and his skin was on fire. Sunny clawed at the ground, then raised his head and let out a deafening, furious roar.
…As it rolled across the forest, the roar changed, growing lower and more frightening.
Finally, an eternity later, the heat consuming his soul grew cold, and his tortured body was released from the cage of suffering. Sunny exhaled hoarsely, then relaxed and remained laying on the grass, motionless.
The voice of the Spell resounded from the darkness, echoing between the ancient trees:
[...Your shadow is complete.]
And a few moments later, he heard another voice, this one soft and childish:
"Goddamn. He is even bigger now!"
***
Sunny slowly stood up, intending to take a look at his runes. However, even before that, he noticed that something was different.
The ground… was considerably further down than it had been before.
'Huh?'
Effie and Kai were staring at him, forgetting their task of watching out for a potential attack. Luckily, Cassie was still vigilant… Sunny frowned, then glanced down to take a look at his own body, as well.
It seemed that because he was in a body of a creature, the transformation into a Devil changed it, too. The shadow demon… devil… grew even taller, now standing at almost three meters of height. His skin had turned into a darker shade of grey, and his claws seemed as if they were cut out of glossy morion.
Through the eyes of his shadow, Sunny could see that his horns had grown longer and sharper, as well. More than that, there were now four of them… well, three and a half, considering that one had been broken in the ferocious fight with the Ascended War Maiden Hilde.
And his eyes, which had been entirely black previously, now seemed like two pools of eerie darkness.
The shadowspawn had been fearsome before, but now, he was simply terrifying. Even Sunny himself would not have been happy to meet this towering fiend on a moonless night.
Effie shook his head, then looked away.
"...My neck hurts from staring at you. Is this how everyone feels when they're talking to me?"
Kai hesitated, the smiled slightly.
"Ah… well… that is presuming that they are looking at your face…"
The little girl snorted.
"Wow! Good one! You've been hanging out with Sunny way too much, it seems! Or... uh... with me?"
Ignoring her jabs, Sunny curiously looked at the ground.
He had gained a new shadow, after all… what would its personality be?
Two identical shadows of a four-armed devil were there, staring at each other. Nevertheless, to Sunny, they seemed very different.
One was gloomy and glowering, full of bad mood and disdain. The other… was also full of disdain, but of another kind.
The new guy somehow managed to seem noble and gallant despite being the exact copy of the other shadow, looking at it with arrogant contempt. They were of the exact same height, and yet, the haughty shadow somehow made it seem as if it was looking down at the gloomy one… and everyone else, for that matter.
Back when the creepy shadow appeared, it lost the staring contest to the gloomy shadow. The haughty shadow, however, did not seem impressed even a little bit. It was as though the very thought of looking away was beneath it.
So, the two of them just continued to drill holes into each other with disdainful stares, unperturbed.
Sunny groaned, then covered his face with a hand.
'Oh, gods… there's two of them now!'
***
Observing the staring contest, Sunny sighed. He was beginning to miss the happy shadow, that hopeless fool — something that had never thought he would ever feel.
Shaking his head, Sunny looked away from the shadows and summoned the runes.
The familiar symbols shimmered in the air in front of him:
Name: Sunless.
True Name: Lost from Light.
Rank: Awakened.
Class: Devil.
Shadow Cores: [4/7].
Shadow Fragments: [0/4000].
A tired, but satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
With a fourth core, his power would increase significantly… his essence reserves had grown, the range of Shadow Control had expanded, and most importantly, he now had an additional shadow to augment either himself, his Memories, or his Shadows. He could increase his physical prowess fivefold, or send one each to Saint, Serpent, and Nightmare while leaving one for himself.
And that was not all.
The Soul Serpent evolved its Class when Sunny did, so it should have become a Devil, as well. That would make it the most powerful — at least in terms of pure status — Shadow of his.
Not wasting any time, Sunny summoned the Serpent's runes. Somewhat tense, he read:
Shadow: [Soul Serpent].
Shadow Rank: Ascended.
Shadow Class: Devil.
Shadow Attributes: [Shadow Guide], [Soul Weapon], [Soul Beast].
Sunny was both glad and worried. Glad because his Shadow had attained a new Class, but worried because he did not see any new Attributes. The transformation to a Devil was supposed to gift creatures terrible and unnatural powers… however, the Serpent was a bit strange in that regard. It had received a new Ability out of order when rising to a new Rank… so would it receive anything now?
Luckily, he was wrong to fear. Looking lower, Sunny saw a few new runes among the Serpent's abilities.
Shadow Abilities: [Serpentine Steel], [Soul Reaver], [Grace of Shadows], [Formless].
The [Formless] one was new.
Sunny concentrated on it and studied the description curiously.
...A moment later, a strange sound escaped from his lips.
The runes read:
[Formless] Ability Description: "When in the Soul Beast form, the Serpent can assume the shape of any shadow contained within its master's soul, inheriting all powers and abilities. The shadow must be of the same or lower Rank and Class than the Soul Serpent for the transformation to take place, and won't be consumed in the process."
Chapter 703: Way Back
Soon after settling into his new and improved body, Sunny dismissed his Shadows. He expected them to instantly return to his cores, but this time, there was a delay. It seemed that he had to wait for some time before Saint, Nightmare, and the Soul Serpent returned.
And then there were the happy and the creepy shadows… poor guys were going to have to come back the usual way, by gliding across the Kingdom of Hope one island at a time. They were swift and sneaky, so Sunny was not too worried about them… he also knew that the shadows always sensed in which direction to go to return to their master.
Sunny had gained this bit of knowledge a while back, when his experiments with Shadow Step left the gloomy guy outside of the range of Shadow Control. The shadow had swiftly returned, acting even more petulant and moody than usual.
Its mood had only grown worse when Sunny decided to try and repeat the accident a few more times, just to make sure. But as the result, he learned that once separated from him, the shadows would always try to find their way back to their master, somehow sensing where he was.
And speaking of shadows…
The haughty newcomer was still acting cavalier, radiating a disdainful certainty that it was, without a doubt, better and more distinguished than everyone, and every thing, in every way imaginable. Sunny shook his head and silently commanded the haughty shadow to wrap itself around his body, which it did… but not before giving him a look that clearly expressed how utterly beneath itself the arrogant guy considered such a trivial task to be.
The members of the cohort had already collected the soul shards from the slain abominations, so there was nothing holding them on the island anymore. They started the journey back to the Sanctuary, and returned to it at dusk.
On the way, Sunny was trying to get used to his new physique. Sure, the shadowspawn had grown taller and more powerful… but as a side effect of that, he had to relearn how to move in this towering body all over again. The shock was not as dire as when he had first appeared in the Nightmare, but it would still require some time for Sunny to be able to adjust his mindset and battle technique for this new circumstance.
Tired after the day of hunting Nightmare Creatures and traversing the heavenly chains, the four of them separated to go to their rooms. Reaching his own, Sunny fell on the bed… which was not a bit too short for him… and stared at the ceiling for some time, feeling restless and grim.
Today, he had accomplished something that he never thought would be possible in such a short span of time… he had formed the fourth Shadow Core and become a Devil. He was now more powerful than he had ever been, with three mighty Shadows by his side, an arsenal of powerful Memories at his disposal, and even possessing a nascent knowledge of sorcery and weaving.
In fact, Sunny suspected that there had never been an Awakened as powerful as him… except, of course, for Mordret. At least until Nephis returned from being lost in the Dream Realm and Awakened herself.
And yet, he couldn't help but wonder… would that be enough for what was about to come?
And if he survives the Nightmare, would it still be possible for him to hide his strength and avoid the gaze of Sovereigns?
Tormented by these questions, Sunny remained awake for a long time, and then finally fell into the embrace of shallow sleep.
…When the morning came, he opened his eyes and instantly sensed a difference. His heart felt… at ease, somehow. Complete.
His Shadows had returned while he slept.
***
Luckily, all three had survived their task. However, they were not unscathed… both Nightmare and the Soul Serpent bore many wounds, and nestled in the nurturing black flames of his cores, slumbering as their bodies restored themselves. Saint was banged up, too, but to a much lesser extent.
Even though she had not had the company of a shadow, the taciturn knight faired much better than the other two. Well, that was not a surprise… she possessed Attributes that specifically made her tremendously stalwart and durable, after all.
Plus… Saint was Saint. In any case, she was going to heal and recover much faster.
The happy and creepy shadows had returned, as well, and were now staring at their new sibling — the former with delighted excitement, the latter with dark and disturbing fascination. The haughty shadow ignored their stares and pretended that the others did not exist, looking past them with flawlessly disdainful indifference.
'What a character…'
Sunny smiled, then commanded the three shadows to wrap themselves around his body, leaving only the gloomy one on the ground.
Finally feeling like himself, he climbed out of bed, freshened up, and went to find Noctis.
There was a lot they had to discuss…
When he saw the sorcerer, however, the words died on his tongue.
Noctis was not onboard his flying ship, and neither was he on the edge of the island, sculpting his terrible statues. Instead, the immortal Transcendent had returned to his residence, for once. The wooden door stood open, and the Sailor Dolls let Sunny through without sparing him a single glace.
The interior of the sorcerer's quarters… had changed once again.
The floor stood cracked and broken, mounds of stone shards arching upward, as if displaced by something rising from below. The circle of runes was broken, as well, devoid of any essence and utterly empty.
That, however, was not what scared Sunny.
What made him stumble, instead, was that Noctis was not holding a glass of wine, as had been his habit. Instead, the sorcerer was whistling a carefree tune… and brewing himself tea.
Sunny froze.
'Oh, crap…'
What had it been that the sorcerer told him soon after they met?
...Gather the knives, start a war against both the Ivory City and the Red Colosseum, kill all of the Chain Lords, defy the Lord of Light, break the will of gods, release the Demon of Desire out of her prison... and have a cup of tea.
But then Noctis corrected himself… and said… that he should probably have tea first.
Sunny gulped.
'It's starting…'
Chapter 704: A Cup of Tea
As Sunny was standing still, petrified by what he saw, Noctis finished brewing the tea and poured the amber liquid into a beautiful porcelain cup. Then, the sorcerer raised it to his face, inhaled the fragrant steam, and let out a satisfied sigh.
Then, noticing an unexpected guest, he glanced at Sunny and smiled:
"Sunless! What a nice surprise. Wait… did something about you change?"
The sorcerer tilted his head with a confused expression, studied the towering figure of the shadow devil for a few moments, and then suddenly brightened up.
"Oh! It's your horn! When did you break it?"
'Really? That is what he noticed?!'
Sunny stared at the cup in the immortal's hands, then grasped the Extraordinary Rock. He didn't really have to hold the Memory to make use of it, but at the moment, Sunny was experiencing a desperate need to hold on to something… anything.
Taking a careful breath, he gripped the Roack and said hoarsely:
"...Back in the Temple of the Chalice. You… you are drinking tea?"
Noctis lingered for a bit, glanced at his cup, and then smiled.
"What a prudent observation. Come… let's not let this nice tea get cold."
With that, the sorcerer turned around and headed deeper into his residence, gesturing for Sunny to follow. The teapot flew into the air and hovered above the immortal's shoulder, as well.
As soon as Sunny made a step forward, however, Noctis suddenly turned, looked at him with a strange expression, and said:
"That, uh… try not to step on anything that seems to be… actually, just don't move at all! We don't want for anything to happen, right?"
At that moment, the chamber trembled again, and more cracks appeared on its stone floor. Sunny stared down with a somber expression, then sighed and used Shadow Step to appear near the sorcerer.
"Why? What's under there?"
Noctis smiled.
"Oh, nothing. Just a, uh… a memento from an old friend. Don't worry about it!"
Sunny, however, did worry. He was not a complete fool… the vast circle of runes, the torrential flood of soul essence that the sorcerer saturated it with, the pool of blood that the ancient stones had absorbed — all of it pointed to something dreadful being imprisoned, or maybe created, there in the darkness of the earth.
However, he thought better of asking any questions and simply followed Noctis to the stone stairs situated on the other side of the chamber.
Using them, they ascended to the top of the ring of giant menhirs and sat down at an elegant wooden table. The sorcerer leaned back in his chair, gazed upon the breathtaking vista of the Kingdom of Hope, and took a sip of tea with an expression of deep satisfaction on his face.
Sunny lingered for a few moments, giving Noctis time to enjoy himself, and then asked:
"It has begun, hasn't it? The other Chain Lords, they are ready to make their move?"
The sorcerer took another sip, sighed, and then said in a relaxed tone:
"Oh, indeed. I suspect that their herald will arrive in a few days. So… you might want to relax for a bit. Enjoy the tea. This will probably be the last moment of peace you will have for a while, Sunless. Or maybe even the very last."
Sunny remained silent for a long time, a myriad of important questions pressing on his mind. But then, he simply shook his head, chased them away, and poured some tea into a delicate cup that stood on the table, as if waiting for him.
Neither of them spoke for a while, enjoying the fragrant drink and the beautiful sight of the flying islands in peace.
…Despite the approaching doom, the world felt tranquil and warm here, on the parapet of the Sanctuary.
After a while, Noctis sighed and said in a wistful tone:
"I am going to miss this, I think."
Then, he glanced at Sunny and asked with a hint of curiosity in his voice:
"Tell me, Sunless… why are you here? It is no surprise that someone like me would want to free Hope. But what would compel a shadow like you to attempt it, as well? You must know the risk."
Sunny remained silent for a few moments, then sighed.
"To tell you the truth… I don't really know. I used to know, or at least think that I knew. I had lofty desires. To grow stronger than others, to break free from the chains of fate. And maybe… maybe I harbor those desires still. But after coming to this cursed land and being ground into dust by it… now, everything is so unclear. And my ardent desires suddenly seem so… lacking."
He paused, looked down, and then added evenly:
"Or maybe it's just me who is lacking. And lost."
Noctis glanced at him, took a sip of tea, and asked with a curious smile:
"What is it that you think you are lacking? And from what are you lost?"
Sunny did not speak immediately, letting the pressure of the Flaw build inside his soul for a few moments. Then, he said with a grin:
"...How should I know? If I had an answer for that, I wouldn't be feeling this way, would I?"
He chuckled, and then asked:
"Have you heard the legend of a hero named Odysseus?"
Noctis blinked a couple of times, then shook his head.
"Never heard of that guy. A legend, really? Huh. Strange that some third-rate hero I don't even know got to have a whole legend to himself…"
Sunny smiled, and then said:
"A good friend told me that legend. Odysseus spent ten years away from home, fighting a war in a distant land. And then, he spent ten more years trying to find his way back home. He lost all his friends and endured countless hardships, facing terrible monsters and dangerous beings of all sorts. But he never gave up, and eventually returned home. To Ithaca."
His smile disappeared, replaced by a distant expression. After a few moments of silence, Sunny sighed.
"...I feel like Odysseus, too, sometimes. Lost in a distant land. Only, unlike him, I don't have a home to want to return to. I have nothing to strive for, apart from saving my skin, keeping my friends alive, and maybe living a little bit better than a wild beast. Can someone really be lost, if they don't belong anywhere?"
Noctis took a sip of his tea, solemnly pondered on it for a bit, and then said thoughtfully:
"I see. I understand... so what you lack is a house? That is why you are trying to free Hope? To get a house? Wait… Sunless, are you trying to say that you want to repossess the Ivory Tower?!"
Sunny choked on his tea, then glared at the sorcerer with outrage:
"What even… no, that is not what I am saying! Home is just a metaphor, you immortal fool!"
Noctis blinked a couple of times, then asked with a deadpan expression:
"...What's a metaphor?"
Sunny stared at him for a few moments, then snorted and opened his mouth, intending to answer…
Before he did however, a loud rattling of chains resounded in the air, and the whole Sanctuary shuddered slightly beneath them.
No… it was the island itself. The whole island trembled.
Sunny froze, and then asked, his voice tense and grim:
"What… the hell… was that?"
Noctis calmly finished his tea, closed his eyes in delight for a moment, and then looked west.
"It's their herald, I guess. He seems to have arrived sooner than I expected… ah, what a bother. We didn't even get to drink the whole pot…"
Chapter 705: Herald of the Sun
Noctis sighed, then placed his empty cup on the table and stood up. He straightened the folds of his silk garment, then shook his head with a slight smile and headed across the stone plain of the menhirs.
Sunny scrambled to catch up to him, full of apprehension. The first thing he said to the sorcerer, however, had nothing to do with the messenger of the Chain Lords.
"A metaphor is a figure of speech… uh... sort of like an analogy?"
Noctis glanced at him with surprise.
"I must say, your composure is commendable, Sunless. However… do you really think that this is very important right now? Come now, we need to meet our visitor before he reaches the Sanctuary."
The sorcerer gestured at the silhouette of the flying ship that hovered some distance away, almost at the same height as them. Sunny summoned the Dark Wing, and then said:
"Uh... no. I don't. Why can't we meet the herald here, though? No, wait… if he did not even reach the Sanctuary yet, why is the island shaking?"
Noctis shrugged and gracefully rose into the air, flying toward the ship. What means he was using to do so, Sunny did not know. All he could do was jump as high as he could, and then glide forward.
The sorcerer glanced at him, and then said somberly:
"If we were to meet the herald here, my beautiful sanctuary might… well... get damaged. That would not do. As to why the island is shaking, I guess we'll see…"
Soon, they landed on the deck. The Sailor Dolls had already raised the sails and were hurrying around, preparing the ship for departure. Cassie, Kai, and Effie were also there, although they seemed to have arrived only moments before Sunny and Noctis.
As Sunny looked at them with a silent question, Effie simply nodded toward Cassie. The mystery of their swift reaction was easily revealed.
The sorcerer went to the stern of the flying ship without wasting any time, and took his position as the kybernetes — the guide who steered the ship as it flew through the air. The ancient vessel had no steering wheel, of course, and instead relied on two steering oars, which were situated at the very rear of it.
There was a runic circle inscribed between the oars. Noctis stepped inside, turned, leaned comfortably on the bending inner surface of the tall aplustre, and placed his hands on the oars with a relaxed expression on his face. A moment later, the circle shimmered with ethereal light.
The flying ship had to be controlled both physically and with soul essence. There were invisible energy pathways spanning the whole length of it, all leading to the roots of the beautiful tree growing around the main mast.
Luckily, it was the tree that produced the tremendous flow of essence required to propel the vessel through the air, and not the kybernetes. Otherwise, Cassie would have never been able to fly it in the future. However, the pilot still needed to control that flow and serve as its nexus, and so, only an Awakened could do it.
…Or a Transcendent.
Noctis sent his own essence into the runic circle, connecting his soul to the ship, and the ancient vessel slowly started to move, gaining speed as the wind filled its sails. Holding the oars with a carefree smile, the sorcerer then glanced at Cassie and said:
"Song of the Fallen, my lady… you wished to observe how I control this beauty? Here is your chance to see a master at work! Truly, there is no helmsman more skilled and distinguished than me in the whole of the Kingdom of Hope. Granted, this flight won't be too long…"
He suddenly grew silent, glanced at the blind girl with a guilty expression on his face, and then awkwardly cleared his throat.
"Well, uh… I guess "see" was the wrong word to use… hmm…"
Cassie remained silent for a few moments, then said neutrally:
"...I am used to it. Do not worry."
Knowing that the young woman had been interested in the flying ship and its mysteries, Sunny left the two of them alone and walked to the side, staring into the distance with a tense look on his face.
Noctis had failed to explain why the approach of the herald caused the Sanctuary to tremble, but Sunny had an idea. The islands were all connected to each other by the heavenly chains, and so, any strong tremor was bound to spread outward like a wave. The question was… what could have caused a quake strong enough for them to feel from several islands away?
…Perhaps a giant steel colossus could.
He gritted his teeth.
'A messenger of the Chain Lords… was that a joke? Noctis conveniently failed to mention that this herald was going to be one of those Lords himself…'
And what the hell had the sorcerer meant, saying that they had to meet the herald elsewhere, to avoid damaging the Sanctuary? Weren't they simply going to speak? That was what messengers were for, weren't they, to deliver words?
As several islands flowed past beneath the speeding ship, he suddenly caught sight of an especially familiar one. Of course, in this era, it looked different.
The Iron Hand island was still rather large and covered by soft grass, but the ancient stone columns that had been broken in the future still stood tall, forming three concentric circles. From above, they seem like a giant sundial… or moondial, perhaps.
And, of course, there was no colossal iron hand laying in the center of the island, to give it the peculiar name.
…At least not yet.
Sunny suddenly felt cold shivers run down his spine.
He didn't have time to think about it more, however, because, at that moment, something else attracted his attention.
Some distance away, shrouded in the haze of dawn, he could see the neighboring island. Currently, it was in a higher position than them. The island suddenly swayed, and a small human figure jumped from its edge.
Or rather, it just seemed small because of the distance.
Sunny felt Kai grow still and tense by his side.
As the sun shined on its steel surface, the figure flew through the air, covering an unimaginable distance with its leap. It seemed to be moving slowly, but Sunny knew that this was just a mirage caused by the scale of things.
And indeed, the radiant figure grew larger and larger with each moment, turning into a brilliant steel giant as it drew closer.
Easily breaching several kilometers with his jump, the giant landed on the surface of the Iron Hand island, causing the whole of it to lurch sideways and sway. The heavenly chains rattled widely, and a cloud of debris was raised into the air.
Not paying the chaos he had caused any attention, the colossus then slowly straightened, grew motionless, and then slightly turned his head.
…He was looking directly at the flying ship, no expression written on his beautiful steel face, two suns reflecting in the polished surface of his steel eyes.
The Sun Prince had come to deliver a message to Noctis.
Chapter 706: Ultimatum
Looking at the colossus, Sunny understood why Kai had called him terrifying. Sun Prince stood at nearly ninety meters tall, towering above the island like a mountain of steel. He was cast in the shape of a noble warrior wearing light armor. The surface of the armor was polished and shone blindingly in the sun, while the rest of the giant was dull and grey.
The colossal statues of the seven heroes of the Forgotten Shore, including the walking one Sunny and the cohort had ridden once, were more than twice as tall, but it was hard not to get shocked by the sheer mass and crushing presence of the Transcendent Chain Lord… or rather, of the steel shell he was entombed within.
A sickening feeling of fear grasped Sunny's heart, which he then strangled and banished, looking at the towering Lord with a grim expression.
He had a reason to feel fear, however.
A half-forgotten image of a nightmarish scene flashed before his eyes — a fragment of a nightmare where he stood petrified on a blood-soaked battlefield, watching in horror as a giant steel sole descended from above to turn him, and his fellow soldiers, into puddles of crushed bones and bloody sludge.
And another, a memory of endless, harrowing torture that he had endured at the hands of his brother, of a human-shaped cage and a pit filled with molten metal.
And finally, the last one — the vision of a giant steel corpse swinging forlornly in torn chains, upside down, its chest shattered by some devastating strike.
…So, this was Sun Prince.
Sunny had never met him, and yet, it felt as though they were old acquaintances. For better or worse...
As the giant stared at the flying ship with a motionless face of a statue, Sunny turned to Noctis and scowled.
"...Now what?"
The sorcerer sighed, then moved one of the oars, sending the vessel into a descent. His carefree smile was starting to look a little forced.
"Now, well… we go and talk to him, I guess? Have a civilized discussion..."
Sunny turned back and looked at Sun Prince for a bit, then said somberly:
"Do you think he knows that it was you who erased his memory of hiding the Ivory Knife, causing him to experience a hundred years of torture, and then end up in this state? And that you actually stole it instead?"
Noctis suddenly choked, causing the ship to careen sideways, and hissed:
"Say it louder, will you!"
Sunny froze.
"Oh… sorry…"
The sorcerer righter the vessel, then said with outrage:
"First of all, I did not cause anything! I just granted a… a colleague's request. Back then, we did not even know that Hope was driving us all mad, so how was I supposed to know what will happen? Secondly… I did not steal the Ivory Knife… I just happened to find it where he had left it, alright? By pure coinscidence. And lastly…"
He paused, and then added in a darker tone:
"I am not sure that he really knows anything, anymore. He is still alive, somewhere inside, but I don't think he is fully… sentient. At least… at least I hope that he is not…"
The ship approached the ground in somber silence, stopping just outside the first ring of pillars, and hovered in place. Noctis lingered for a few moments, and then let go of the oars. However, he did not command the Sailor Dolls to lower the sails.
The sorcerer straightened his garments, and then inhaled deeply.
"Let's go and see what he has to say, shall we?"
Sunny glanced at his friends, then shook his head and followed Noctis. There was a high chance that they were going to witness a brawl between Saints… he was sure that everyone understood what danger they were all in.
The last time he witnessed two Saints fighting, a whole island had been destroyed and crumbled into the Sky Below. Sunny and Cassie had only survived that terrifying clash by promptly running away, and even then just barely.
What was going to happen today? And was Noctis strong enough to ward off the colossus?
Somehow, it was hard to imagine anything, let alone the flimsy sorcerer, stopping that mountain of steel. But Noctis was no fool… surely, he had a plan. His madness was of an insidious kind, after all. He would not have risked his safety, and his desire to free Hope, without having a way out.
Together, the five of them disembarked the flying ship, landed on the soil of the Iron Hand Island, and walked between the tall pillars. They approached the very center of the giant moondial and stopped there, waiting.
When they did, Sun Prince finally moved, walking toward them with a measured gait. With each of his steps, the island trembled, causing the heavenly chains to rattle, and their hearts to tremble.
Sunny was staring at the approaching colossus, feeling worse and worse about the situation. All his Shadows were yet to recover, and so, he was left with nothing but his own strength to react should something happen.
…Well, his own strength, and that of his cohort.
But what could they do against this monstrosity, even together?
Finally, the giant reached the pillars and stopped outside the outward circle, looking at them from high above. Drowned in his cold shadow, Sunny couldn't help but feel like a tiny insect.
Looking up with a grave expression, he gritted his teeth and said:
"...I feel like an ant."
Effie, who was also craning her neck to stare at the colossus, glanced at him, hesitated for a moment, and then smiled.
"You are not an ant, Sunny. You are a cockroach. Remember?"
He blinked a couple of times, then slowly grinned.
…Somehow, that made him feel better.
And then, a thundering voice suddenly resounded from all around them, making their bones rattle.
The giant… spoke.
He said:
"...NOCTIS… YOU HAVE… THE KNIVES."
The voice of Sun Prince did not sound human, but neither did it sound robotic. It was just… strange, and empty. As if it was not a person speaking, but the world itself.
A desolate world full of ruins.
Hearing it, the sorcerer grimaced, then covered his ears.
"Huh… he still remembers how to speak…"
The thundering voice of the colossus resounded once more, making them shiver:
"...SURRENDER… THE KNIVES."
Sunny turned his head slightly and glanced at Noctis, wondering what his reaction would be.
The sorcerer, meanwhile, blinked a few times… and took a big step back, distancing himself from Sunny.
Then, he raised a hand, pointed a finger at him, and said with sincere confusion:
"What are you talking about? I don't have any knives! It's this guy over here, he has them. So… if you want them, come and take them from him! Leave this poor sorcerer out of this, by the Moon…"
Chapter 707: Treachery
Sunny froze in place, dumbfounded, and just stood still for a moment. Surrounded by stunned silence, all he could hear was the wild beating of his hearts and the hum of blood rushing in his ears.
His eye twitched.
'No way… no way the bastard just did this to me…'
As all four of his shadows wrapped themselves around his body, Sunny turned his head slightly and stared at the sorcerer's finger, which was, without a shadow of a doubt, pointing straight at his broad back. His mouth turned dry.
'He did!'
What the hell was Noctis thinking?!
No, no... the sorcerer would not have sold him out. Yes, shifting the blame on Sunny had to be a con of some sort... but what would Noctis achieve by doing this? Nothing!
Unless, of course...
Unless this had been his plan all along.
A cold, sickening feeling suddenly grasped Sunny's heart.
High above him, the gaze of the dreadful colossus slowly shifted from the elegant figure of the sorcerer to the four-armed devil standing by his side. The weight of that gaze pressed down on Sunny, making him bare his teeth in a snarl. It felt as if he was being pierced by it, his very soul laid bare.
And somewhere within his soul, locked inside the Covetous Coffer, were the three knives — one made of obsidian, one made of glass, one made of bloodred ruby.
Something changed about the terrifying presence of Sun Prince, and his deafening voice resounded once again, now suffused by a distant, pale echo of a vague emotion.
"...SHADOW."
Sunny paled. He had forgotten that the master of the original shadowspawn was to blame for what happened to the prince of the Ivory City, as well. In fact, one could even say that Shadow Lord was the main culprit of the hundred years of harrowing torture that Sun Prince endured… he had stolen the ember knife, after all.
So, if the steel colossus had a reason to really hate someone…
'Curses.'
Feeling his hearts turn cold, Sunny silently watched as the colossus shifted his weight, then bent slightly, preparing to reach down with his giant steel hand. He was desperately trying to calculate his chances of escaping this situation alive…
At that moment, Noctis suddenly cleared his throat, and then addressed Sun Prince in a friendly tone:
"Oh, but do be careful! You know how tricky shadows are, my friend. This one in particular is full of treachery, vileness, and unspeakable malice… the beast even slaughtered a temple full of innocent maidens! He also tried to poison me... oh, the villainy! So, be careful when you grab him! Or you just might lose your hand..."
A low growl escaped from Sunny's mouth. He could feel the other members of the cohort grow tense and ready to fight. Cassie's hand fell on the hilt of the Quiet Dancer, and Kai outstretched his own, ready to summon his bow. Effie was staring up with a somber expression on her childish face, her body drawn like a spring.
But what were they supposed to do?
Even if Sunny knew which of the three knives was meant for Sun Prince, how could he thrust it into the Transcendent's flesh? The actual body of the Chain Lord was buried somewhere inside the walking mountain of steel. More than that, using the knife would only make him mortal… after that, he would still have to be killed, somehow…
Killing a Saint was no easy task.
As the colossus leaned down and moved his hand to reach inside the moondial, Sunny was thinking feverishly. He saw only one option — to run, run, run away as fast as he could. Using Shadow Step, he would be able to dodge, at least.
But for how long would he be able to outrun the giant? Sunny had seen him breach the gap between two islands with one jump. Now that the range of Shadow Control had grown, Sunny could possibly do the same…
The difference was that a single jump like that was going to drain all his essence, while Sun Prince would be able to pursue him indefinitely, tireless and inescapable like death itself.
'Damn, damn, damn…'
The world suddenly grew darker, the sun obstructed by a giant palm. It was open, descending from above like a vast plain of grey steel. It was as though the sky itself was falling on his head.
Effie took a step back and hissed:
"Sunny! What do we do?!"
Frozen in place, he hesitated for a moment.
And then said:
"Nothing. Don't do anything… don't move…"
There was no point in trying to fight Sun Prince, or even running away.
Because…
As the steel colossus leaned over the outer ring of the ancient moondial, the tall pillars shone with ethereal light, suddenly flooded with a mind-boggling amount of soul essence. A myriad of runes revealed themselves, carved in a vast circle that encompassed the whole structure.
And then, everything around them turned to light… cold, pale light of the moon.
Blinded by it, Sunny didn't see what happened next, and just felt something vast and chilling, and yet intangible, move past him with stunning speed. Then, he heard the thunder of a deafening impact, and the groan of steel that was being torn apart. The whole island shook, the quake throwing him to the ground. Sunny hit the cold stones, and sensed the shadow of Sun Prince… changing.
As the pale moonlight dimmed and was extinguished, he saw a shocking sight.
The moondial lay broken, the pillars shattered and toppled over. Not too far away from him, a giant steel hand rested on the ground.
However, it was not attached to the body of the colossus anymore.
The giant was staggering back, his right arm torn at the shoulder. A river of molten metal was flowing from the terrible wound, falling down like blood. The grass was turning to ash where it fell.
…And amidst all of this, unperturbed, stood Noctis. The sorcerer's expression was calm and slightly amused.
Staring at all the chaos, he flicked a speck of dust off his silk garments, shook his head, and said:
"Tsk, have I not warned him to be careful? I did, didn't I? By the Moon, why does no one listen to me... I am the wisest man in all of Kingdom of Hope, after all…"
Chapter 708: Crimson Beast of Twilight
The colossus staggered back, swayed, and then moved his foot to balance himself. The island quaked once more, and the giant grew still, bent slightly and grasping the gaping wound with his one remaining hand. His head turned, staring at Noctis with the same empty, unmoving expression.
However, his polished steel eyes, which had been burning with the blinding reflections of the sun, became submerged in deep shadow.
For a moment, there was silence.
Sunny gritted his teeth, then slowly exhaled and raised a hand to wipe the sweat off his brow.
…After the initial panic of being sold out by Noctis, he had forced himself to calm down and think. It was then that Sunny had realized that they were not in real danger, and told his friends to stand down.
The immortal sorcerer was many things, including a liar and a cheat. Sunny did not doubt that Noctis had lied to him on many occasions, and about many things — sometimes for a specific purpose, and sometimes simply for the fun of it. However, one thing that Noctis was not… was a fool.
Sunny could imagine many situations in which the immortal would betray and damn him to death, but not without a good reason. And surrendering the cohort to Sun Prince was the opposite of what Noctis wanted to achieve — at best, it would have bought him some time, at the expense of losing the three knives to the other Chain Lords.
One thing that Sunny did not doubt was the sincerity of the sorcerer's desire to free Hope. And so, he had understood that the immortal's sudden betrayal was just another deception.
It had not been hard to guess what the purpose of the deception was, as well. After all, Sunny had already guessed the fateful meeting between rebellious Noctis and the herald of the Chain Lords was going to end, and how the Iron Hand island would get its name.
Sun Prince had walked right into the sorcerer's trap, and Sunny… Sunny had been used as bait.
Not for the first time, and probably not for the last...
So, he wasn't very shocked by the sight of the giant's missing arm and of the streams of molten steel that flowed out of it, slowly cooling on the broken stones… or at least he wasn't supposed to be.
In reality, the scene in front of him was so striking, so tremendous that it was simply impossible to remain untouched by the vast and poignant scale of it.
Still…
He turned to Noctis, remained silent for a moment, and then let out a low growl:
"...You could have warned me, you know?"
The sorcerer looked at him with sincere confusion. Then, he smiled and said:
"But... but what if I changed my mind at the last moment? Then, warning you would have made me a liar! I have a reputation to uphold, don't I?"
With that Noctis winked at him, then turned to face the motionless colossus.
As Sunny stared at him darkly, the smile slowly disappeared from the sorcerer's face, making way for something cold and frightening. His grey eyes shone with distant moonlight. And in that moonlight, there was…
Madness.
Taking a step forward, Noctis suddenly appeared to be taller than he had been, his previously contained presence spreading over the world like a flood. Sunny shivered, feeling… feeling like prey being stalked by a hungry predator.
The air suddenly seemed to smell of blood, the light of the sun appeared slightly dimmer, and in the echoing silence, they could almost hear the howls of countless beasts.
Even though Sunny knew and somewhat trusted Noctis, he suddenly felt scared.
…And he wasn't even the focus of the immortal's furious gaze. Instead, it was aimed at the hunched colossus.
The sorcerer grinned, revealing his canines, and spoke, his clear voice flowing across the island like a river of blood:
"Surrender the knives? Ah, I don't think so, my old friend… if I do, how will I kill you and your vile brother?"
He laughed, and then took another step forward, raising his hand. A toppled pillar than blocked his path exploded into a rain of shards and stone dust, obliterated in a split second.
"...And that is what I intend to do. You, Sevras, Solvane… I'll kill you all, break the chains that bind the Demon of Desire, and set her free."
Noctis took another step and then stopped, staring at Sun Prince with ruthless determination.
"So, if you want to take the knives, you'll have to take them off my cold corpse. Oh, wait… you can't. I am immortal."
He threw his head back and laughed again. This time, the sorcerer's laughter did not seem carefree and infectious… instead, it was chilling and full of madness.
The steel colossus looked at him from above, unmoving. His face was motionless and unexpressive, like that of a statue. However… it seemed as though the shadows veiling his eyes grew even deeper.
Noctis shook his head, and then said with disdain:
"Oh, but you can try, of course. Go back… go back and return with the Sun Legion, with the Dragon Sevirax, with the Warriors of the Red Colosseum, with Solvane. You know where to find me… and I'll be waiting to welcome you."
The giant continued to stare at him for a while, the molten steel flowing between his fingers. Sunny held his breath, not knowing what was going to happen next.
…Then, Sun Prince straightened, turned around, and walked away, making the island shake with each step.
He reached the edge of it, stepped down on the heavenly chain, and continued walking, somehow keeping perfect balance. The chain was colossal in its own right, and yet, the giant made it seem like a thin rope being traversed by a rope-walker.
Soon, he reached the neighboring island, climbed on it, and disappeared from sight. Only the rattling of chains and the tremors running through the ground from time to time reminded them of his visit.
…Well, that, and the giant hand laying not too far away from them.
Sunny studied it for a while, then walked over to Noctis and asked, his voice low and cautious:
"Not to complain… but why let him go? Wouldn't it be easier to kill him right here and now? We won't get another chance to catch him alone, most likely. And judging by how easily you took his arm off…"
Noctis did not respond immediately. Instead, he slowly turned his head, looked at Sunny coldly… and then gracelessly fell on his butt, his face pale, his chest rising and falling wildly, and his breath hoarse and labored.
The sorcerer cursed, looking as if he was about to vomit.
"...Easily? Are you insane? I am at my weakest during the day, remember! And that strike… gods… I spent several centuries infusing this shrine with moonlight. Do you think there's another one just laying around nearby?! Just… just be happy he believed my bluff. Otherwise… things might have turned really ugly really fast for us…"
Sunny stared at the sorcerer with wide eyes for several long moments, then shook his head and sighed.
"Lunatic... you damned lunatic… by the Moon, I take it back! You are a fool..."
Chapter 709: Nature of the Beast
It was only later, when they returned to the flying ship and looked down upon the devastation that the short and furious clash between Noctis and Sun Prince had created, did the understanding of what had happened finally settled in their minds. There was no going back now.
…The war of immortals had finally started.
Soon, the whole of the Kingdom of Hope was going to be turned into a battlefield and drowned in blood by its frenzy. And then, the repercussions of that madness were going to spread outward like a tidal wave, changing the world forever.
Looking down, Sunny couldn't help but shiver. The broken pillars, the severed hand of a giant, the ash swirling in the air… this place, this event, this moment in time…
Was that the spark that would eventually ignite another, much more terrifying war? A war between gods and daemons, one that would destroy them all and bring about the end of the world… the war to end all wars. He still suspected that it was the unchaining of the Demon of Desire that had set it in motion.
Looking down, Sunny silently whispered:
'But then came desire, and with it came direction…'
Turning his head slightly, he looked at Noctis — the person who had started it all. The sorcerer seemed calm and without a worry in the world. His beautiful face was pale with exhaustion, but other than that, he did not look too different from his usual self… not at all like a person who had potentially ushered in the obliterating apocalypse.
Did he not understand the consequences of his actions?
…Or did he understand them far better than Sunny ever could?
With a sigh, Sunny threw one last glance at the Iron Hand island — not truly and once again deserving of its name — and walked to sit beneath the branches of the sacred tree. Despite the fact that he had not done much, he felt exhausted, too. And there was a lot he had to think about…
***
On the way back, Sunny remembered the future. He had been to the Iron Hand island many times, had seen the toppled pillars and the severed arm of a giant, and had even sketched and described them in detail for an exploration report.
And now, he had witnessed how the island came to be in that state.
Another event from the distant past had repeated itself inside the Nightmare almost to a tee. Sunny had already formed a theory that fate was like a current, always pulling things toward an inescapable conclusion, after the destruction of the Temple of the Chalice. The details could be changed, but the result seemed to always be the same.
The events that had transpired on the Iron Hand island only cemented that theory.
By all accounts, the appearance of the cohort… and Mordret… should have drastically changed the flow of history in the Kingdom of Hope. They had accelerated the start of the war, and even slain one of the Chain Lords. If not for them, Noctis would have most likely spent several years searching for a way to make a deal with Weaver, and only then rebelled against the other immortals.
Those several years were, perhaps, the countdown to the blossoming of the Nightmare Seed. If no Awakened appeared to challenge the Nightmare by then… the Seed would have bloomed? Was that the logic? Seeds blossomed when the conflict inside them resolved itself and fate repeated unchanged?
Before, Sunny had thought that the task of the challenger was to resolve a conflict that would have otherwise remained unresolved. But now, knowing what he knew about the Chained Islands and the Kingdom of Hope, he realized that he had been wrong. With or without his help, Noctis was always going to start a war, the Ivory Tower was always going to break free from its chains…
The Temple of the Chalice was always going to be destroyed, and Sun Prince was always going to lose his hand to the enchanted moondial.
Come to think of it, his First Nightmare would have resolved itself without his intervention, too... one way or another. The nameless temple slave would have probably died, and Auro of the Nine would have survived… or would they? In any case, there would have been an ending.
'That… doesn't really make sense.'
So what was the role of the challengers? If the conflict could resolve itself, why were they here? What did the Spell want from them? Prove that they were equal to the heroes of the past? Do it better than them? Simply survive?
The Spell did not care what one did inside the Nightmare and how they went about solving the conflict. The reward was going to be the same, either way — the challenger would ascend to a new Rank. They could receive a True Name, or even, in extremely rare cases, an evolution of their Aspect, but those things could be done outside a Nightmare, as well.
The only thing the Spell cared about was that the challenger survived until the end.
…But that was not entirely true. The Spell would not give additional rewards, or deny the survivor their ascension. However, it did care a little… at least enough to appraise the challenger's performance. The appraisal did not really matter outside of the First Nightmare, where it was tied to the boon, but the Spell still gave them out each time.
Good, Exceptional, Remarkable... Glorious... and so on.
Was there a hint in there, somewhere, about what it wanted?
If so… Sunny had apparently pleased the Spell very much in his first trial.
Sitting in the shade of the sacred tree, he sighed and looked into the distance with a solemn expression.
'I hope it will be pleased with us again, this time. I hope we survive…'
***
Soon, the flying ship returned to the Sanctuary and descended to its usual position above the Altar Island. As they returned to the ground, Sunny could see hundreds of faces turned to them, fear and uncertainty written in their lines.
The inhabitants of the Sanctuary had not seen the clash between Noctis and Sun Prince, but they all knew that something was wrong. By now, the island had stopped trembling, but their hearts did not.
Without paying them any attention, the sorcerer tiredly landed on the grass, then turned to Sunny and frowned slightly.
"I am going to rest for a couple of days. That… most of the Sun Legion, as well as the army of the Red Colosseum, are arrayed along the border between Solvane's territory and that of the Ivory City. It is going to take them at least two weeks to assemble together and march east… so, we will give them enough time to break the current formation, but not enough to build a new one. We attack in seven days."
He hesitated for a few moments, and then suddenly smiled:
"Warmongers and the Sun Legion forgetting their hatred and fighting side by side… truly, no one but me could have made it happen! Am I not the most talented diplomat in all of the Kingdom of Hope?"
With that, Noctis laughed, turned around, and walked away.
Sunny stared at his back for a few moments, then sighed and said quietly:
"You are definitely not. But then again… maybe you are…"