Standing on a tall ruined building, night stared down on the city, it wasn't the tallest he could find, but the easiest he could get to at the moment.
Night stared down at his hands, since he left the abyss, he couldn't bare to pick up a sword. It was like his body instinctively rejected it, night felt confused why he was like that, but he didn't want to find out why.
Silver and the rest of the group, were all in various parts of the middle ruins.
Night knew how the ruined city was described thanks to min.
The city's danger was divided into three main parts.
Outer ruins, which covered all places closer to the walls, according to what he said, most spawns there were all of twilight rank, with most devils and a tyrant.
The buildings there were mostly towering, and few small houses, but all were infested with spawns.
And also an unknown foe which was likely to be gloom ranked.
The next part, was the middle, with mostly veiled ranked spawns, and at the outer border, there were twilight spawns.
The ruins were smaller with four towering buildings, all tall enough to get clear sight of the outer region. There were many seekers living here, but, just like how they were hiding. Their were also people who involved in trade, the use of soul cores in trade was very prominent.
Then, the center region. With a towering bell in its center it was basically a death trap for seeker, they're were twilight spawns of only devil tier and above and some gloom marks.
According to what he'd heard, the figure who was the strongest in the entire city, basically lived there, in the centre. Still, he was far strong enough to survive without issue, most power housing factions lived their control the flow of spawns, still, there were rumors that there might be a gate way there.
Hearing that, night wanted to check it out, but he was far too scared to. He just recovered and he was too weak.
Night stared down, his face emotionless like always, he walked back into the building.
There were many corpses, all covered in shallow cuts, the ground in an abnormal form.
It was clear who had done it, but he just walked away paying basically no interest in anything other than the cores for now.
As night exited the building, he suddenly felt something something lunge down from the sky, he instinctively dodged barely, escaping its attack.
It was an abomination like always, thick fur like feathers, it was a blind bat , but with an eagle's beak and talons. Its wing were large also covered in fur, they had edges which looked sharper than normal. It was abnormally large, and somehow able to see past the enchantment.
That was when he remembered, the enchantment wasn't active.
In an instant, it lunged into the air, night thought about escaping, but he didn't have the energy for it, besides, it would some how track him. It came clashing down again.
[Shadowless]
Every shadow vanished, seeping towards him like liquid mist. Then, a strange material dissolved into liquid dripping down from beneath his clothes, slowly taking the form of two daggers. Night lunged forward, he was fast.
Still, the spawns wast fast as well, night tried to attack its blind spots, but it was far too fast. And when he even got to attack, its hide was far too thick.
It felt as if the blade would break each time. Night jumped back, he needed a new plan fast.
It lunged up, the shock wake, pushing him back, still he fought through it, as it came down, night activated
[Shadow Manipulation]
Shadowy mist shot into the ground, night focused clearly on the aen in the air. Thinking about what he read, he focused carefully on how it flowed. Tapping into it, the ground shot up, like a living being it skewered the spawns wings. At first , it hand no effect, but then it solidified.
The spawn let out a ear piercing shriek, then sacrificed its self, twisting, as all the stone broke, then it soared down.
With no other choice, the dagger took the form of a sword. Before he could grip it properly, night vomited blood.
Just feeling it, made him, hurt far worse than any wound. It itself was the wound no weapon could make.
The spawn landed , sending him flying a bit, the sword broke back into his daggers as he regained balance. He felt a slight sting on his face, but then it vanished.
[The trait [Vitality] is still in effect]
Night was still pondering on what to do, when he the spawn lunged into the air, night did not know what he was doing, but his senses screamed it was dangerous. It flew far higher than before, trying its best to avoid any similar attacks like before.
He thought, he would have no other choice than to use a sword even if it hurt. But, even in that moment, he couldn't help but remember Sylvia's final moment.
Without control black flame shot out of his body, unlike when he used it before, he didn't feel his memory fade, instead, his sorrow did.
The spawn finally lunged down. Night raised his hand up, the flame swirled over and over in his hand, until, night poured pain into it. Then compressed it, as the spawn drew closer, he whispered;
[Sorrow's Art - Blazing tear]
It shot up, breaking apart a wing. His aim was off yet, the damage was immense. The spawn fell a few meters away from him, bleeding immensely, still it looked at him with insatiable hunger. Night was about to finish it off, but that's when he realized, the daggers had long broken. He could make another, but it was too weak to cut through its hide. Night had only one weapon in mid, but it had be broken and unusable for a while. Still he summoned it.
[Forgotten King's Blade]
An orb of light appeared in an instant , as a broken long sword came into view. Night grabbed the hilt immediately, and tried to use the [Morph steel] enchantment, but it didn't work. The hex's voice echoed,
[Enchantment is currently unusable]
When he heard that, the spawn had already recovered, and lunged at him.
Damn it, he flew into a broken building as it lunged into him, he recovered thanks to the vitality trait, but there were only a few minutes before its effects wared off.
Night had only one idea in mind, he poured aen into the blade and with hope he activated the enchantment.
And just like he hoped, the blade's form slowly shifted, and in the middle, he poured black flames into it, the broken part was slowly completed by the flame, as he stood up. The spawn was already getting ready to finish him off, right now, he didn't want it to just cut its flesh but to finish it off.
The flames looked calm, and as the spawns lunged.
A memory formed in his mind, as night said
Ignite.
He swung the blade down, and as they clashed. The hex echoed.
[Effects of the elixir have worn off]
[You have slain Twilight Devil, Viletorn]
[Your flame becomes better defined]
[Your shadow grows stronger]
[You have obtained a title]
[Flame that cuts the soul]
[You have obtained the trait ignite]
[Trait as been slightly changed].
Blood washed over him, night couldn't help break down, as tears dripped down his face. He said in a low tone.
"I...am sorry, asuna"