Twelve awakened devils and an awakened tyrant found themselves in front the battered and exhausted army of the War fanatics. what better time to attack than now?
Seeing this, The War champion ordered to his army to close in on defense as he advanced to engage alone the enemy.
A bold smirk appeared on the ascendant's face, this was too tempting a meal for a glory-hungry man like him, even though he was now deprived of an hand and full of wounds, especially from those poisoned wounds inflicted on him by that cowardly insect.
When this is over, he vows to hunt down that coward even if it means paving over the entire mountain.
Six awakened devils attacked the War champion, the other six reaching the army behind him.
One attacked him in the head, two in the torso. The ascendant parried the first but suffered the other two, spitting blood on impact but remaining standing.
Undefeated, he cut the first in two with a powerful slash, but before he could raise his sword, a huge limb struck his bandaged1 arm, breaking it definitely and knocking him to the ground ten meters behind.
Rising immediately, the War champion saw himself surrounded by five awakened devils and the mountain king who had arrived to support his generals.
"Glory!" shouted the War champion, throwing himself back into the melee with one arm dangling.
The battle lasted for a full hour, with the devils falling one after another as the battle narrowed between the exhausted ascendant and the mountain king.
The two fought valiantly. They fought with honor. Until...
Suddenly, the War champion fell to one knee. Before him remained only the mountain king, who was also on the verge of death.
The War champion, covered in blood, tried to move his only functioning arm, to use his abilities, everything, but nothing seemed to work.
Apparently, the poison of the damned mongrel was finally taking effect.
The War champion looked at tyrant in front of him, waiting for the enemy to deliver the final blow, but it never came.
Instead, the mountain king fell dead to a few steps before the ascendant.
In disbelief at the tyrant's death, the War champion tried to raise his head with the little strength he had left.
A shadow appeared over the mountain king's corpse.
[You have slain an awakened tyrant: mountain King]
[You have received a Memory: puppeteer's Shroud]
The spell whispered to Sunny, but he doesn't care less, his gaze was fixed on the man before him.
Sunless's eyes blazed with hatred. The man in front of him was the one who killed Thene, his Thene.
The woman who had been like a mother to him during this never-ending month spent inside the nightmare.
Even if this was all an illusion, it feels even too real.
Unconsciously summoning the puppeteer's shroud, Sunny approached the man kneeling before him.
The ascendant looked at Sunny in disbelief. His body wouldn't move, by now he had exhausted all his strength.
Before he could speak, Sunny used the fanatic's dagger and slit the War champion's throat.
"This is for Thene, bastard!"
The War champion looked at him in disbelief, unable to understand how a little kid had just killed him, an ascendant of War, however, a satisfied smile appear on his lips.
To die for revenge of such a treacherous shadow. This was an End worth of him.
Sunny, with anger still on his face, come closer to his ear whispering:
"Find peace within me, this is the mercy of Shadow!"
'Hell! I gotta hard just for saying it!!!'
[You have slain an ascendant human: champion of War]
[You have received a Memory: cloath of War]
Hearing the Spell, he opened his runes to look at his new Memory.
***
Memory: [cloath of War]
Memory Rank: ascendant.
Memory Tier: I.
Memory Type: Garment.
Memory Description: [A valiant champion of War, battled his enemies not for duty but for his thirst for glory. Until he was killed and dishonored by the hands of a treacherous shadow.]
Memory Enchantments: [unseen], [lion heart], [blind glory].
.
.
[Unseen] enchantment description: 'your enemies can't perceive your presence until you choose otherwise."
[Lion heart] enchantment description: "boost the user strengh the more he fight."
[Blind glory] enchantment description: "the more you fight, the more you don't want to stop."
***
'Seems like i killed a very powerhouse.' Though Sunless after reading his runes.
Immediately, he summons the cloath above his alredy equipped puppeteer's shroud. A spark of light appears around his shoulders and down his back.
A red silk mantel with golden ornaments appears. Sunny touched it with his right hand, it felt soft and downy, also protected a little from the cold.
Turning his attention back to his surroundings, Sunny saw the result of his plan with satisfaction.
However, his work wasn't finished yet. One more man stood before his path.
The nightmare was coming to his end.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Auro was scared to death. No, death is just an euphemism.
He was horrified. Beyond him, there were only bodies.
Soldiers. Slaves. Monsters. All were dead. Excect for him.
But he knew this was no coincidence. During the whole battle there was someone moving in the shadows. A ghost, elusive and deadly.
Even though Auro couldn't sense his presence, he knew his face.
That creepy little who knew his name, as if the gods himself had sent him to stop his mission.
But he couldn't afford to stop now, his mission was too important.
Coming back to his senses, Auro looked ahead.
Among the snow and the corpses of soldiers and monsters, a boy stood alone.
He had black hair and dark eyes. He wear an armor made out of soft fabric, it was a dark-grey garment, clad in grey fabric and lusterless leather that covered his body and with a pair of high, soft-soled leather boots.
On his back a red mantel with golden ornaments, a dagger in his left hand and a sword in his right.
Even though there was little drops of blood on him, he smelled like death the most here.
Auro saw the boy slowly approaching him. A few steps away from him, Auro, cold-blooded and with his hands trembling on the hilt of his sword, asked him:"I-It's you, isn't it? You steal my knife and kill my comrades, didn't you?
You brought those monsters here, isn't true? You killed everyone! YOU!!! YOU MONSTER!!!!!"
Sunless looked at him for a long time before answering with a sigh:"To answer your questions, Auro of the Nine. Yes, I stole your dagger. Yes, I caused all these deaths. No, I didn't call all these monsters. That was just fate."
"Bu-but why!? Who are you? And how d-did you find out who I am!? HOW DID YOU KNOW ABOUT US?"
To his terror, Sunless laughed. After a while he finally answered:"Aww!! Auro. Don't you get it? You lose. All of you Nine have lose! by now the others will have killed all your friends."
"No. No. No. NO!!! What the hell are you talking about!? We are Fated, how can we lose?" Auro shouted, his legs shook even more.
"Do you wish me to make some names? Auro. Aletheia. Omer. Orphne. Did they sound familiar to you?"
'Please, believe me! I'm running out of bullsh**.'
"..."
Auro breathed heavily, and with a cry of rage, he lunged at the boy with his weapon raised.
Before his sword reached him, Sunny threw his dagger at Auro. Auro deflected the dagger with his sword, taking advantage of this, Sunny used the sword in his other hand and cut off Auro's left leg.
Auro fell to the ground amidst blood and snow.
How could a little child hurt an awakened like him? Auro had been fighting all night, while Sunny hid and moved only to attack whenever he could, this make the second take the upper hand.
In fact, he just killed an ascendant with this advantage.
Furthermore, Sunless had the [Shadowspawn] and [the Heart] attributes who give him enough stamina and durability.
Before Auro could get up, Sunny kicked him in the chin, knocking him back to the ground.
Having lost his sword in the fall, Auro tried to run away, but now tired and with one leg gone, he used his hands to drag himself away.
"No. NO! I CAN'T DIE YET. I-i hav... have a mission... to c-co-complete."
Auro tried to move faster than he can, but his blood loss in the path did not improve his condition.
Sunny approached him again. Seeing him, Auro threw everything he could get his hands on: rocks, snow, even the bodies of the fallen.
But the snow was harmless.
Sunny used his cloath to shield himself from the rocks.
And with the little strength Auro still had, the bodies didn't fly very high.
Sunny stopled Auro useless escape with one foot on his back.
"Aagh!" Auro shouted with pain.
With his sword, Sunny stabbed Auro right on his heart.
[You have slain an awakened human: Auro of the Nine.]
[You have received a Memory: pendant of the Nine.]
Sunny sighed and looked ahead at the mountain.
"Finally! It's about to end."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the highest point of the mountain, a vast expanse of flat rock was covered with snow. In the center of it, illuminated by moonlight, stood a magnificent temple. Its colossal columns and walls were cut from black marble, with exquisite reliefs decorating the stygian pediment and broad frieze. Beautiful and awesome, it looked like a palace of a dark god.
At least it did once. Now, the temple was in ruins: fractures and cracks marred the black stones, parts of the roof had collapsed, letting in ice and snow. Its tall gates were broken, as if smashed into pieces by a hand of a giant.
"Found you," Sunny said in a satisfied voice.
Finally, Sunny reached the steps of the black temple. As he was climbing the steps, one of the shapeless guardians approached him. It was ready to snuff out his life, but then stopped, sensing the spark of divinity coming from his soul. Sorrowful and lonesome, the guardian moved aside, letting Sunny pass.
He entered the temple.
Sunny found himself in a grandiose hall. Cascades of moonlight were falling through the holes in the partially collapsed roof. Deep shadows were surrounding these circles of silver light, not daring to touch them. The floor was covered in snow and ice.
At the far end of the hall, a large altar was cut from a single piece of black marble. It was the only thing inside the temple untouched by snow. Sunny headed for the altar.
Summoning the fanatic's dagger, Sunny cuts his hand and spills a drop of blood on the sacred altar.
[You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.]
[The gods are dead, and can not hear you.]
[Your soul bear the spark of divinity.]
[You bear a sacred Chalice.]
[Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.]
[He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.]
[Heart God stirs in his eternal slumber.]
[He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.]
[Shadowspawn, receive your blessings!]
[Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is over.]
[Prepare for appraisal...]