The shadow raised its hand, aligning its long, stretching fingers like an arrow pointed at Artoria.
"Tell me, do you seek Eclipsera to fulfil your greed?" the shadow asked again, louder this time.
Fear overtook Artoria, her body trembling under an unseen pressure. The shadow's hand moved fast—too fast for the human eye to follow.
The shadow's hand froze, stopping just inches from Artoria's neck. Then, it backed away. Artoria collapsed to her knees, trembling.
The shadow turned to Kuro, who was barely managing to stand. Despite his pain, his lips curled into a twisted smile, blood trickling from the corners of his mouth.
SWOOSH!
The shadow vanished in a gust of wind. Kuro's eyes widened.
"Why do you keep interfering?" a voice slithered into his ears, cold and close. Darkness wrapped over his body like cold smoke. He didn't show it, but inside, fear gripped him like ice. It felt like death had placed its hand on his shoulder.
Still, Kuro forced himself upright. He turned and stared straight into the shadow's eyes.
"I won't let you harm her," he said, lips twitching into a smile.
"Then embrace what you've brought upon yourself."
The shadow raised one hand, its claw-like fingers twisting into position. But Kuro didn't step back. He stood firm, eyes locked on death itself.
"You idiot, get away!" Arthur shouted, trying to push himself up with trembling arms.
The shadow narrowed its eyes, preparing to drive its hand through Kuro's gut. But just before it could strike, a voice rang out.
"Yes!" Artoria screamed, wiping the tears from her face.
"Yes, we will use Eclipsera for our own benefit! Yes, we will use its power for our desires!" she cried, louder now. "We will use it to turn our desire for peace into reality!"
Kuro's eyes flicked to her. "Damn it," he muttered.
He lunged forward, fist clenched, and threw a punch with everything he had.
The shadow noticed—but didn't react. The punch had no effect, as if it didn't matter at all. Why would it? A mere human strike meant nothing.
But Kuro stopped mid-swing, a crooked smile playing on his lips. "You dumbass,"
For the first time, the shadow sensed something off. It quickly looked to where Arthur had been—he was gone. A feeling of unease crept in.
It turned instinctively—but it was too late. Arthur was already behind it.
WHACK!
A punch, heavy as a hundred tons of iron, slammed into its face.
SWOOSH!
Kuro followed up with a blow to its leg.
The shadow staggered, its limbs trembling—but it didn't fall.
"You rats," it hissed, grabbing Arthur by the arm, with inhuman force, it hurled him like a doll into the stone wall.
"Ugh… cough…" Arthur gasped, the pain ripping through him as he collapsed like a broken puppet.
The shadow's gaze locked on Kuro.
Kuro didn't even had time to react or even think.
CRACK!
A kick drove deep into his gut, launching him into the invisible wall around the altar.
"AHHH, fuck…" he gasped, curling up on the ground, clutching his stomach.
The shadow now walked toward Artoria. She stood frozen, fighting back her tears. Her body trembled, but she drew upon every ounce of strength and finally spoke.
"Is there any living being that does not possess greed?"
The shadow stopped.
"There exists no such being."
"Then is the sword meant to stay sealed forever?" she asked. "If no one is worthy… why was it ever forged?"
The shadow said nothing. Its gaze was still but thoughtful.
"I am greedy. We all are greedy."
Rulet finally stood, eyes glowing with otherworldly fury. His body expanded, growing to twice its size. Even the towering shadow now seemed small in comparison. He lunged, reaching out with both hands—but they passed through the shadow like smoke.
Still, their earlier attacks had proven one thing—the shadow could be touched. How, though, remained unclear.
Once more, the shadow vanished in a gust of wind, reappearing in front of Rulet. It stared deep into his eyes.
SMASH!
A punch to the chest knocked the wind out of him. He dropped to his knees, breathless.
The shadow grabbed him by the hair, lifting his barely conscious body.
"You worthless humans are no match for me. Don't try."
"I acknowledge my greed!" Artoria shouted once more. "I want to bring peace to my people!"
The shadow let go of Rulet and stood tall.
"What did you say?"
"I said I am greedy—and I acknowledge my greed!"
In a flash, it stood before Artoria again, looming over her. But this time, something was different.
"Do you truly mean what you say?" it growled, its voice heavy—but not with rage.
Artoria met its gaze, she swallowed hard. "Yes, I mean it. I won't run from my greed. I accept it."
Was it the weight of her truth? Or was it something specific the shadow had been waiting to hear? No one knew. But clearly, it was the truth it had been seeking.
The shadow slowly bent one knee, bowing its head.
Everyone froze in disbelief. The once fearsome harbinger of death now knelt before a young girl.
"I am Eclipsera's soul," it said, the words echoing through the void temple, "And I acknowledge the heir of royal blood - Queen Artoria as my new master."
Silence. Even the air itself seemed to pull back.
"What… what do you mean?" Artoria whispered.
"Every divine weapon holds a soul, a fragment of the god who forged it."
The intense Kagaki began to fade. Arthur and Kuro felt their bodies being finally released from the unbearable pressure. They could breathe again.
Kuro, who had been leaning against the invisible wall, fell backwards. The barrier was gone.
The shadow rose and turned toward the altar.
"Please accept Eclipsera. I will now return to the blade."
It stood before the sword. The cross on the guard glowed, and its form slowly dissolved, drawn into the weapon like mist in the wind.
It was a magnificent sight. The sword shone like a star in a moonless sky. Ancient inscriptions, black and white, awakened along its sleek, gleaming blade. Then, the light began to fade.
SHINK!
The blade lowered into the altar. The chains that had held Lilia in place loosened.
Her lifeless body hit the ground with a sickening thud.
Everyone stood frozen, unable to process what they had just witnessed.
Arthur was severely injured and couldn't move. Rulet lay unconscious, Artoria stared, too shocked to cry.
Kuro, stumbled over to Lilia's body, his body screaming with pain, but he kept walking.
He stood silently, staring down at her, his mind blank—except for one haunting question:
"What would happen… if I touched this corpse?"