Everyone sat with wide-open eyes, each trying to comprehend what had just happened—to catch at least some movement—but all attempts were in vain.
Sunny ran his fingers over the black bracelet on his left wrist and let out a slow breath. The bracelet was a Memory he had created some time ago... a crude imitation of a Spell, replacing some of its simpler functions. One of them was a kill notification.
He shifted slightly in place.
"That… went better than expected."
He had just killed a Great Demon.
Well, technically, it had been one of his other "selves." His avatars weren't bound by the maximum range of Shadow Control, so there was an enormous distance between them.
"So that's how it is... he has avatars. A very intriguing Aspect ability. But even so, that still doesn't explain how he managed to kill a Great Demon as a Master. Tell me, is any one of you capable of that?"
After Daeron's question, Effie cried out:
"Of course not! What kind of lunatic fights a Great Demon while still a Master? That's impossible!"
Everyone in the hall nodded in agreement.
"I see... the next generation is terrifying..."
At that moment, Rain's mind was racing with questions. "A Great Demon… didn't even move a finger?" She began recalling all the ridiculous jokes her teacher had told her. "A War Hero? Long-lost brother? Older than me, but only four years old? Demon blood in his veins?"
What if all of it was true?
And most importantly, turning her eyes toward Lady Nephis, she couldn't help but recall:
The boy of the Changing Star?
Catching Rain's gaze, Nephis turned her head.
"Did you want to ask something?"
"N-no, I mean… nothing…" No way. That stingy guy, and Lady Nephis? Impossible...
Perplexed, Nephis returned her attention to the screen—the broadcast wasn't over yet.
At that moment, Sunny was in three different places at once. His original body remained here, in the Bastion, enjoying a peaceful life in the company of his gloomy shadow—he kept that one around so people wouldn't ask why he walked without a shadow at all.
His second "self" was manifested through the cheerful shadow, watching over Rain.
The final avatar was far away, in one of the most dangerous regions of the Dream Realm, manifested through the arrogant shadow.
Arrogant, mischievous, eerie, and mad shadows—together. Accompanying them were the Saint, the Beast, the Serpent, and the Nightmare. Unlike the first two, this third Sunny knew no rest. He was the most powerful among the three and spent his days in eternal darkness, often battling horrifying abominations.
Of course, in truth, all three were still one person. So Sunny, at that very moment, was enjoying a quiet morning in the Bastion, watching over Rain, and fighting a Great Demon—all at the same time.
Over the years, he had learned how to split his thoughts, which at least allowed him to pretend he was living three separate lives.
"So, that beast is finally dead."
It had taken nearly a month of meticulous preparation to finally strike the abomination in its lair. Sunny had expected to suffer severe injuries, but the battle ended in success. With the Demon dead, there was no one left in the temple's vicinity who could challenge him.
He paused for a moment and summoned his runes. A familiar field of symbols appeared before him… the runes themselves might've been the same, but they looked slightly different now. After all, he had designed the interface himself, linking its enchantments to his memory, perception, and black bracelet. That gave him the freedom to modify their appearance however he liked.
The runes read:
Name: Sunless
True Name: —
Rank: Transcendent
Class: Horror
Shadow Cores: [6/7]
Shadow Fragments: [1591/6000]
It was as if blow after blow of information rained down on the spectators. If they were in shock before, now a suffocating silence hung in the air. No one dared to speak a word. The screen went dark, signaling the end of the broadcast.
"Hahahahahaha! So he's one of us!" — the silence was shattered by none other than Mordret.
"Explain yourself, bastard."
"Now, now… no need for insults, dear sister. As for the explanation, as you saw, he's one of us—possessor of a Divine Aspect, just like Lady Changing Star."
Mordret earned fierce glares from the cohort, but all he did was shrug and casually whistle a tune.
Everyone was stunned. A Divine Aspect? Shadow Cores? Three wielders of Divine Aspects…? Anything with the title "Divine" had only existed in myths and legends. Not even Sacred was something commonly encountered, and now here they had three Divine wielders at once.
While everyone tried to process this revelation, Professor Julius was foaming at the mouth."Divine... divine... DIVINE…"
Meanwhile, the various clan representatives began plotting—how to destroy him, how to recruit him, what pressure points they might exploit.
Each side in the war had one Divine Aspect holder. Acquiring a second would massively improve their chances of victory.
As minds whirled with schemes, Daeron asked the question everyone was dying to hear:
"Lady Priestess… according to your words, this man is connected to the Demon of Fate, wields its sorcery, and also possesses a Divine Aspect?"
"Yes, my lord," Ananke replied firmly. "I am certain of it."
"Mr. Mordret, could you explain what these Shadow Cores and Shadow Fragments are? And what does 'Horror' mean—is he some kind of Nightmare creature?"
The question came from the humble professor, who had finally recovered from the information bomb.
"Oh, I understand your curiosity," Mordret smiled. "But I'll leave that honor to Lady Nephis."
A heavy sigh escaped Nephis's lips—there was no escaping now. Throwing Mordret a scathing look, she began her explanation:
"Every possessor of a Divine Aspect can have up to seven Soul Cores without walking the path of the Nightmare Creatures. That gives them a massive advantage against opponents of the same rank, and sometimes even higher."
"And what about the Shadow Cores and Fragments?" Saint Jest interrupted, eager to better understand a possible enemy.
"That… I don't know," Nephis admitted hesitantly. "It could be an alternate path of advancement."
"Well of course it's murder—how else do you get Shadow Fragments if not by killing shadows?" Noctis remarked excitedly, earning a look of pure disdain from the War Priestess. At the same time, his comment sparked fresh interest in the professor.
"What do you mean, killing shadows? How is that even possible?"
"Oh, perhaps you didn't know, but a shadow is tightly connected to the soul. I suspect these Fragments can only be obtained by slaying shadows. Horrific… and yet beautiful. On this boy's path, only death awaits."
At that moment, the screen flickered, displaying a new message:
[Dear viewers, you have completed your first viewing.]
[You are granted three questions—who asks and when is your choice.]
[Alternatively…]
[You may invite someone you know.]
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Thank you for reading this chapter!I wanted to make it longer, but I got stuck choosing what episode should come next.It's up to you:
[1 – Nightmare]
[2 – Nightmare Colosseum: Escape from Solveig & Meeting Noctis and the Nightmare]
[3 – The End of the Forgotten Shore]
Vote for the one you like, or suggest your own ideas.Thank you for reading this story — feel free to leave reviews, comments, power stones… ahem, if you wish.