Chapter 19: Dark Knight

Third POV:

Three months later, a group of six battered humans appeared from the sea of crimson coral and approached a magnificent white arch. Moving with the precision of experienced predators, they swiftly slaughtered a few transient creatures that hid in the deep shadow cast by the ancient structure, stripped them down for meat, and swiftly climbed up.

Against all odds, the cohort had survived the journey back to the Dark City.

...If only barely.

One thing that Sunny was most satisfied about was how his relationship with his cohort had grown closer compared to the previous round. The initial plan was to keep the things as they were in the previous round, but Sunny just couldn't help himself.

His friendship with Kai and Effie had significantly progressed, as for Caster, he simply kept his distance for obvious reasons. Nephis was her aloof self, although not by much, she seemed to open up to them more.

As For Cassie....she also kept her distance. No matter how many times Sunny tried to struck a conversion with her, she would flinch and back away slowly as if Sunny's existence was alien to her.

Sunny had caught her multiple times trying to say something to him but then she would eventually hesitate and keep her mouth shut.

She looked troubled and confused.

'I will make sure to have a conversation with her when the time comes.'

Looking north from the top of the marble arch, Sunny saw the distant grey wall. His gaze lingered on it, full of exhaustion, triumph, and dark apprehension.

Finally, they had returned.

The past three months had been an endless bloody nightmare for his cohort, with countless horrors and battles leaving their marks on them. And yet, they had also been an anvil against which they were tested, tempered, and made stronger as the result.

He could tell just by looking at other members of the cohort.

Neph's white armor was now covered by numerous scratches and tears that even the restorative effect of the Soul Sea couldn't heal. Her silver hair was longer, reaching to the middle of her back. The ivory face of their leader had grown thin, with dark circles visible under her striking, burning grey eyes.

Caster changed even more. His Flaw was merciless. The neat and dignified young scion was nowhere to be seen: instead, a man with disheveled hair and a short scruffy beard stood in his place, his face dark and grim. Sometimes, Sunny thought that he could even see a grey hair or two in his luscious mane.

Kai was still beautiful and elegant, but most of his charm was hidden under layers and layers of dirt, dust, and dried blood. The stylish armor he had worn was now long gone, destroyed in one of the vicious battles they had fought, and replaced by a rather unflattering garment that seemed to be woven out of bluish seaweed.

The archer also wielded a new bow, this one long a powerful, fashioned out of two curved horns that had belonged to a creature that Sunny would rather not think about. Suffice it to say, this Memory was of the fifth tier and truly deadly.

Effie was much the same, except for the fact that she had become even leaner, her robust musculature not covered even by a gram of fat. The huntress wielded two Shard Memories, both responsible for sending dozens upon dozens of Nightmare Creatures to their deaths. Her archaic bronze armor was dented all over, but somehow still held together

Cassie was the youngest of them, so the changes that had happened to her were perhaps the most pronounced. By now, she had lost most of her childish softness —that he had nearly got used to— and had turned into a beautiful young woman who looked to be on the cusp of adulthood. She had three Echoes tied to her core now, one given to her by Nephis, the other one by Kai.

With the help of her Echoes and the Dark Wing, Cassie was now able to move and participate in battles almost as if she was not blind.

...Almost.

***

In the past three months, Sunny had participated in countless battles. His main responsibility was that of a scout, and as such, he refrained from being a part of the cohort's main strike force for their own growth.

several of the most deadly Sleepers among them were all right here, with him, setting up camp and getting ready to cook him food.

Looking at the people busying themselves with the mundane tasks of setting up the camp, Sunny inhaled deeply and smiled.

"Ah. Aren't we a sight to behold?"

They truly were.

With Nephis, Effie, and Caster leading the charge, most Nightmare Creatures populating the forest of crimson coral had little chance to survive, not with the Crown of Dawn pouring raw power into the armor and weapons of the cohort, at least. Each of the three was a deadly and versatile fighter, with their own unique approach to combat and strengths that complemented each other.

With the three slayers holding off the opponents while being supported by Kai from above, very few things could stand in their way.

Night himself had an astonishingly deadly presence on the battlefield, as well. With the Blood Arrow providing him with a conditionally endless supply of arrows, he could just stay in the air, out of reach of the abominations that had no way to attack at range — which was most of them — and pick them out with well-aimed shots.

With the addition of the formidable horn bow, the distance at which he could hit the target had increased tremendously, allowing him to eliminate some of the enemies long before they had gotten close enough to the cohort for an effective attack. His opening salvo had made a lot of battles much less problematic.

Of course, Kai couldn't fly above the Labyrinth with impunity. The grey sky was full of danger, too, and by separating himself from his companions, he risked being attacked and torn apart by the abominations that populated it. He had to maintain a fragile balance.

But the flying Nightmare Creatures was a threat to the cohort regardless of whether or not the charming archer rose into the air or not. Actually, this was the type of enemy they were equipped to fight the least. That's why Kai's ability to fly was priceless.

Especially because he was usually able to fly faster or at least maneuver better than most of the creatures that dwelled in the sky. More than once, they had survived only because the archer was able to draw the fury of the aerial abominations and dodge their attack long enough to either fall them with a perfectly aimed arrow or give his companions a chance to join the fight.

And If the abominations reached a certain range, it was Sunny's turn to attack the abominations and bring them down to the ground using the Prowling Thorn.

Sunny and Cassie usually protected the rear of the cohort to prevent anything from attacking their companions from the back. And If anything went south —and it happened more often than one would expect—Sunny would step up and take the lead.

Sunny was purposely leading the cohort toward a highly populated area where the Nightmare Creatures were of the level that the cohort could handle —even if barely-- in order to strengthen their individual and collective strength.

It was true that, with the help of the Dawn Shard, the cohort was well-equipped to handle most monsters of the Labyrinth. What they truly had to fear were the creatures that defied all logic, the perils that the human mind could not even comprehend, and the Labyrinth itself — as well as the dark waters of the cursed sea and the ancient horrors that dwelled beneath them.

Sunny mostly focused on his scouting duties while keeping an eye out for any unexpected situations. He was able to see as far as almost thirty kilometers in all directions, the value of being able to see and identify their enemies in advance was impossible to overestimate. It was just too valuable. In battle, the tiniest advantage could decide the difference between life and death, and the advantages of knowledge and the first strike were possibly the most important.

However, there were things on the Forgotten Shore that even Sunny could not see, predict, or escape from even with his knowledge.

That was where Cassie's affinity for revelations and miraculous intuition came into play. She was responsible for preventing the cohort from stumbling into anything that would destroy their very souls before anyone could even understand what was happening, or something that simply could not be defeated.

If not for Cassie, a sudden storm or a creature akin to the Soul Devourer — or something even more terrifying — would have ended their lives long before they returned back to the Dark City.

And so, just like that, they had done the unthinkable and managed to travel all the way from the edges of the Forgotten Shore back to its center — thanks to their power and resolve, their foresight, their strength, and their ability to rely on and help each other.

And now that they were about to return to the cursed haven of the Dark City, Sunny's plan was soon to reach a very critical stage.

Glancing once again at the distant grey wall, Sunny clenched his fists. A conflicting emotions rose, he was both sad and happy about the situation.

He was sad that his little picnic was coming to an end and excited that he would face the Vile knight of the cathedral.

No matter how many years have passed, Sunny still harboured hatred for that abomination.

Wasn't he a spiteful Shadow after all?

The corner of his mouth curled up in a vicious grin.

In two days, they were going to kill the Black Knight.

*****

Soon, Nephis handed him his share of the food. Her culinary skills had improved a lot during these months — even though it wasn't as good as he remembered, eating a food she made was one of the few things Sunny truly enjoyed—though there had not been a large variety of ingredients at their disposal. Still, being able to turn the most repulsive of monsters into a delicious meal was something that not everyone was capable of.

Sinking his teeth into a juicy piece of meat—which for whatever reason was larger than the rest of his cohort, Sunny forgot about his troubles for a bit and simply enjoyed this rare moment of bliss.

Then, he glanced at Nephis and asked:

"We should be able to reach the city tomorrow, yes?"

She gave him a nod.

"...If nothing happens."

Turning to her direction, Kai asked in a curious tone:

"Do you think Gunlaug knows that we are coming back?"

Nephis thought for a few moments before replying. Her voice was calm and indifferent.

"Definitely."

Sunny clarified further.

"In the Bright Castle, there is a certain Artisan that can track the general location of anyone a person has ever met. Gunlaug would most likely be aware of our arrival the moment we set foot in the Dark City."

Kai shifted a little and asked:

"Should we expect a welcoming party?"

Changing Star shook her head.

"I don't think so. There's no need for him to do anything. Gunlaug knows that we will come to him of our own free will... simply because there's nowhere else for us to go."

She fell silent for a while, and then added:

"But most of all, this has never been about killing me or my people. It was always about destroying the ideas I represent. What's the point of crushing me if no one is there to see it? Gunlaug won't do anything without an audience. He had sent Harus to stop us from escaping the stage, but now that we are back on it, there is no need for him to rush the inevitable."

Everyone listened to the conversation with dark expressions. Sunny glanced at them, he fell silent for a bit and asked:

"Are you confident that you can defeat him?"

Nephis stared at the fire. After a while, she simply said:

"Yes."

Hearing that, Sunny smiled sweetly.

"Well, that's good for you. So let's finish off our deal before you guys get entangled with that maniac. Alright?"

A corner of Neph's mouth curled upward.

"You are talking about the Fallen Devil?"

He nodded.

Meanwhile, Kai was looking at him with a complicated expression. Finally, not able to hold back, he asked:

"Sunny... are you really not going to join us? Don't... don't you see that we only have one chance to escape this place? Not to mention all the lives we can save!"

Sunny shrugged. He was planning to join them anyway since saving as much people as possible was his actual goal too, But admitting that now was still too soon.

On one hand, he had the desire of helping Nephis achieve her insane goal.

'Who said she was the only crazy person around here?'

Well, The things that she had set in motion were going to happen with or without him anyway.

His fate and hers were intertwined, so they would eventually end up crossing each other's paths.

'I have to  go on a different journey soon, one I know nothing about to, so a little delay won't hurt....hopefully.'

"Maybe I'll join you. Who knows what will happen?"

His words vague, Sunny fell silent and casted a sideways glance at Cassie.

Actually, three people here knew what would happen...

And it was the ending he wanted to avoid.

"That's not the point though, is it? The point is that you should conclude our deal first and do whatever it is you wish to do later..."

Changing Star faced the two of them and calmly ended that conversation:

"Sure. No problem. We'll go to the cathedral first. A deal is a deal, after all."

Sunny smiled with satisfaction.

*****

As everything went according to plan, The massive pillar plummeted down and fell right on the Black Knight. The devil turned slightly at the last moment, lowering his sword to the ground. His crimson eyes flashed with unassailable menace.

As a thunderous crash resounded in the dark hall of the ruined cathedral, pieces of stone and clouds of dust flew into the air.

'Got you!'

A feeling of savage joy ignited in Sunny's heart. Without slowing down, he dove into the dust.

The cohort had ventured into the Dark City two days ago and now they were battling the Dark Knight in the cathedral of the Ruined City.

Nearing the place where he had last seen the tall dark figure, Sunny witnessed an incredible sight. The pillar... was floating high above the ground, its crushing weight resting on the shoulder of the steel giant. In the place of the impact, its surface had cracked and shattered.

The Black Knight, however, had not escaped unscathed as well.

His heavy breastplate fractured, revealing nothing but a mass of impenetrable, living darkness within. The pauldron on the shoulder that had received the blow was practically destroyed, leaving that whole arm hanging listlessly, twisted at a strange angle.

The helmet of the devil was dented and covered by a net of small cracks, each seeping with ghostly crimson light.

The Black Knight did not look good, if utterly terrifying.

What was even better, though, was the fact that he was currently stuck under the pillar, unable to move.

Sunny had to make us of that situation...

But before he could, the devil raised his broken arm and placed it on the column. Then, he lowered his head, as though gathering his strength... and effortlessly threw the monumental stone pillar into the air.

Diving down, he avoided the flying wall of granite. The pillar flew above his head and crashed down onto the marble floor, then rolled several times and came to a rest in a deafening rumble of shattering stone. The length of it blocked the grand hall, cutting the way for the rest of the cohort.

And also Sunny's path of retreat.

...Not that he had any plans of retreating.

Regaining his balance, Sunny brandished the Midnight Shard and dashed toward the wounded Black Knight for a vicious attack.

Sunny was an Awakened. However, the Fallen Devil was still a force to be reckoned with. Despite the fact that his armor was cracked and his speed was somewhat diminished, there was still enough power in his body to obliterate all of them.

Holding the greatsword with one hand, he suddenly pulled it into a fearsome slash. The black blade whistled through the air, cutting a chaotic arc around the fiend.

Sunny was forced to jump back, but he bounced back In the next moment, he closed the distance to the Black Knight and delivered a terrible strike of his own, aiming at the base of his sword's blade.

Sunny caught himself from falling and dashed to the side, avoiding another strike from the terrifying giant, which was effortlessly chained after the first one. The greatsword fell down once more, shattering the marble plates of the floor in the spot he had been just a moment ago.

It was then that Nephis rejoined the fight.

The two of them attacked the Black Knight simultaneously, perfectly coordinating their assault. Changing Star threw her longsword forward, aiming to sever the broken arm of the devil entirely.

And Sunny did something crazy.

Dashing to the enormous black blade, he... stepped on its surface and ran up, using it as a ladder. He had a solid second of stability before the greatsword was pulled into another attack. Feeling it moving beneath his feet, Sunny used the momentum to jump up and grab onto the helmet of the terrifying fiend.

Mounting the devil, he hung from the Black Knight's neck and delivered a savage stab at his shoulder. His aim was just a centimeter away from the edge of the pauldron.

The needle-sharp point of the Midnight Shard broke through the impenetrable steel and sunk deep into the shoulder joint of the indestructible black armor.

Obviously, Sunny knew that this strike alone would not do a lot of damage to the fiend. So he augmented his midnight shard with Six of his Shadows.

Sending the last one toward the surface of the great Sword.

Devil or not, Fallen or not, the Black Knight still had to obey the laws of physics. In particular, having several inches of steel stuck in the joint of his armor was inevitably going to reduce the mobility of his arm.

Indeed, with both of his arms damaged, the speed with which the fiend was able to move his greatsword around considerably diminished. It was still utterly terrifying, nevertheless.

But not insurmountable anymore.

Just a moment faster than the Black Knight, Sunny used Shadow Step to reach the blade of the great sword and stepped over the black blade and pinned it to the floor using the Feather of Truth. Using all of his weight to keep it down, he threw his midnight shard aside and raised his fist.

Pouring essence into his armor's gantlet , Sunny made it as heavy as possible while also augmenting it with all of his Shadows.

Sunny swung his fist downward.

delivering a devastating blow to the weakest point of the greatsword. With A deafening ringing, the greatsword shattered as the whole cathedral shuddered.

Sunny and Nephis immediately disengaged.

Both of them knew that there nothing was more dangerous than an enemy on the brink of death. With nothing to lose, humans often relinquished any sense of self-preservation and turned berserk, taking their killer with them to the grave.

Nightmare Creatures were much the same, only more terrifying.

As the shards of the black blade rained on the floor, a shudder ran through the devil's body. The darkness hiding in the corners of the ruined cathedral suddenly boiled and lunged forward in a wave.

But none of it reached the Black Knight, annihilated by the radiance of Changing Star's intricate white armor.

'That's my girl!'

The devil froze in a twisted pose, his hands powerlessly hanging down, his back bent. The black steel of his armor was... rusting. It was swiftly turning dull brown, its luster gone, its once impregnable surface looking corroded and brittle.

Then, he slowly and laboriously raised his head and turned it slightly to the side. As if staring at the face of the nameless goddess whose statue oversaw the dark hall of the ruined cathedral for thousands of years.

As the devil looked at the goddess, the crimson light of his eyes slowly weakened and dimmed...

...And then, suddenly, exploded into furious red flames.

The rusty armor came apart, exposing the mass of darkness hiding within. The darkness stretched its limbs and rose, towering above the two, the parts of the armor that floated in it giving the creature a vaguely humanoid shape.

Revealing its true form.

A ghostly colossus made of darkness and rusting steel towered above the taciturn monster like an omen of death, two crimson fires burning furiously in the black depths. Another flame appeared just beneath them, like a twisted mouth made from the flames of hell.

And then, a terrifying roar shook the ancient temple.

Despite the uneasiness in his heart, Sunny took a step forward.

It was a gamble.

His eyes searched for Nephis and found her standing a few meters behind him. Changing Star was hesitating, looking at the dark apparition with an uncertain expression.

She caught his gaze, lingered for a moment and then nodded, understanding what Sunny wanted to convey without the need for any words. Then, Nephis cautiously backed away, not letting the devil out of her sight.

She immediately positioned herself a few steps behind Sunny and unleashed her flames.

Creating the Shadows he needed, and chasing away the darkness.

What was going to happen next was not something a human could survive. Not a Sleeper, at least. He also has to make quick for Neph's well-being.

Looking at the incarceration of Darkness in front of him, Sunny shivered slightly.

That thing was supposed to be taken down by Saint but she wasn't here so Sunny had to come up with something.

With a harrowing fury, the creature of darkness crashed down on him. Its hands tore through the air and wrapped around the small figure of Sunny's body.

...but Sunny was long gone.

The creature only catching an after image of Sunny.

Sunny ducked under the extended arm and shot forward toward the colossal omen of death.

As another roar resounded in the darkness, Sunny leaped to the side. Landing with a nimble grace, he instantly dodged the claws of the apparition, which had bent down to crush him once and for all. Then, he took a step forward.

Sunny was right beneath the leaning devil now.

He lunged forward and delivered a crushing blow to his chest. His gauntlet tore through the breastplate of the rusted armor and sank deep into the living darkness, right where a human heart would have been.

Something hard touched Sunny's fingertips.

Most likely his unique Soul Core.

A moment later, the crimson flames burning in the depths of the dark creature exploded into a wave of blinding red light.

...And disappeared.

The dark essence of the devil dissipated like fog, its remnants vanquished by Changing Star's radiance. The pieces of armor fell to the ground in a clangor of steel.

[You have slain a Fallen Devil, Forsaken Knight.]

The terrifying devil of the cathedral, the Black Knight, was dead.

Leaving behind an ominous-looking black gem.