As sunny began to move in he noticed that the scavengers m. Both the beast and the monsters seemed to have injuries light as they may be. Setting his eyes on the closest scavenger who also was the most injured sunny summoned some of the darkness from his soul. Unlike last time when he had to limit the amount of the corrupted darkness he could use because of having to make multiple spears. This time the entire spear was made from the corrupted darkness. Moving in and standing on one of the mounds of stone where the statue head had been unevenly removed sunny jumped.
Launching himself into the air he positioned the spear for an overhead stab directly at the weak spot on the neck of the scavenger and with one precise soundless move the scavenger was dead
Unfortunately, the sound off the lifeless corpse of the scavenger falling onto the floor seemed to eliminate the standoff that the creatures were having and they began to battle. The scavengers had their maws open gnashing and biting at each other as well as their pincers grabbing at the air attempting to maim the enemy. Sunny had been dodging all of that while shifting between a shadow and a person. After all he couldn't make out the best striking position while moving about as a shadow. But even dodging the maws and pincers of the beasts could be considered a breeze when put next to the scythes the monsters had for hands. Each swipe severing the flesh of their fellow kind.
Sunny's ability to see in the darkness allowed him to see the monster inserting it's 2 scythes into a beast and throw it into the air. Taking the opportunity sunny stabbed his spear into the ground directly in the line of where the scavenger beast was falling. Impaling it. the beast convulsed while on the spear and went limp. Sunny knew it was dead when he heard the spell
[you have slain an awakened beast: Carapace scavenger]
[your soul regains a fragment of your lost power]
Killing 2 of the beasts himself sunny looked around to determine his next target. Looking at the direction of chaos he saw 2 of the scavenger beasts laying on the floor lifeless. Unfortunately both monsters were up and kicking and even seemed to be working together as if they decided to team up till the beasts were dead then attack each other.
Sunny saw one of the beasts on the verge of death and was about to move In and finish it of. But then it came
Illuminating the black sky with a flash of magnificent flash of blue
Then the first strike of lightning came illuminating not only the sky above but the entirety of the platform for a mere second. But that was enough. One of the beasts had seen them and began to move in for the attack. Cassie and Neph were in danger.
It was a blessing that sunny had informed Shelly to guard the girls. As the scavenger beast charged towards the girls. One standing in front with a blade and the other behind her. The echo had moved away from them both. Once the beast was close Shelly charged. Ramming into the already injured beast missing one of its legs. Using the beasts already high momentum Shelly pushed it off balance and changed its direction. Forcing it to fall off the edge into the dark expanse of the sea below
'it's fine. They're fine. There are 5 beasts left and 2 monsters how the hell do I deal with these monsters "
It was quite funny as if he was giving in a status report but before the he could think Any more he was moving again
Sunny continued his sneak attacked for a bit missing a few and almost getting cut in half. But he was alive still. He had killed the 5 remaining beasts well rather he had simply got the last hit on them all and now standing we're 2 monsters.
His previous guess was correct. Now that all the beasts were dead the monsters looked at each other. Their grotesque mouths opening and releasing a blood curling screech. And then they charged at each other.
As if in a sumo match they used their pincers to push each other back. The only difference was the massive scythes that had began to raise.. Moving back from each other they struck and began to do so in a fury of clashes
Sunny observed waiting for an opportunity but found none. The scythes moving in random directions as they too couldn't see. Moving in now would be foolishly threatening to end his life
He had assumed he could just wait it out.. After all one of them was bound to kill the other.. He could just move in last and kill the last one standing as it would already be exhausted and weak. But as if bad timing revolved around a person
The another strike of lighting had come. Followed by another. And another.
The entire sea seemed to be illuminated. And then as if deciding the humans were worth more than each other . They attacked. One moving towards Cassie. Nephis and the echo
"NEPHIS TAKE CASSIE AND MOVE NOW!"
Sunny yelled fear flooding him. To his delight however Nephis had managed to get them out of the way momentarily as the monster charged. But just as they moved Nephis hoping Cassie's arm and practically dragging he the monster saw them. Twisting its body and raising its scythe it struck down
Shelly moved in, he began to defend
Ramming into the monster Shelly had managed to barely disrupt the course of the scythe causing it to miss.
However echo or not Shelly was a mere beast. What was a beast to a monster? once the monster had decerned Shelly as an enemy and began to attack Shelly was being decimated almost instantly.
Nephis had moved in after securing Cassie in place she moved in to help shelly kill the monster while sunny battled the second alone.
The battle continued for a long time. Sunny had managed to stab his spear into the chest of the monster, unfortunately that didn't seem to be the side where the heart was
'damnation. Stupid nightmare creatures and their stupid anatomy'
Nephis and Shelly were also neither having any better luck though they managed to remove one of the pincers with Nephis flames.
The battle had continued to progress. Both Nephis and sunny healing and causing damage simultaneously while Shelly was acting as a tank and a dealer. Nephis, Shelly and sunny all eventually moving towards the center of the platform with the monsters moving in on the left and the other on the right
Sunny's mind had gone blank a while ago. Ignoring all outer sounds and sensations focusing solely on killing the monsters and saving Nephis and Cassie whom he knew was terrified right now
The mix of dodging and striking continues constantly. Sunny easily deflecting and managing to maim the monster. Nephis was to but unfortunately right now sunny had a lot more experience than her in combat and had a multitude of styles at his disposal. One of the monsters had managed to use the opening that became available after it used one of its pincers to jab at Nephis to slash her
Sunny naturally pushed her out of the was and willed the spear in his hands to become a shield to cover himself. But the damage never came. Hiding behind the mass of the shield to brace for damage sunny lowered it and saw
'Shelly...'
The echo had sacrificed one of its arms to stop the blow. Sliding several meters back and away from the arm that now laying on the ground
Sunny had contemplated bringing out the screech, but it was still too weak and right now he had no doubt that a monster or 2 will kill it. Right now, sunny and Nephis only had themselves and the echo.
Not bothering to check on Shelly as yet as he glimpsed him waking up from the ground sunny continued slashing. Perhaps it was coincidence, but Shelly's soulless echo eyes seemed to develop a spark towards the monster
A spark of hatred
Running back it dug one of its pincers into the back of 1 of the monsters and tried to open it causing a huge wound to open up in the monster. Getting back into position back to back. Sunny saw they were just going to tire themselves out. Summoning the darkness around them he erected a dome of darkness from the awakened beasts he had slain. Reinforcing it multiple times over it held as the monsters attacked it over and over trying to break through but failed. They had a moment of respite
The monsters where in terrible condition too on the verge of death. But it seemed killing the humans came first. Constantly as if in a frenzy it seemed that no injuries would stop their slaughter of the humans
And then
Illuminated by a strike of lightning on top of a particularly large piece of broken stone. A fearsome black serpent slithered wrapped around the makeshift pillar. And atop her back rode a fearsome black knight. Eyes cold and blue shining in the dark like 2 burning stars.
Both creatures' bodies lacerated. Their body's laced with cuts and scratches, yet their indomitable aura stood. Covered in blood. Red blood so it was clearly not theirs.
Perhaps it was by fluke but the angle at which one of the monsters struck the dome caused it to slash through and the darkness dissipated and returned to Sunny's soul. As it did sunny and Nephis had rested enough and we're ready to kill them both. Sunny reinforcing Nephis Armor with darkness as well as his own puppeteer's shroud and [blade of blood]
And then just when the monsters saw the dome disappear it moved in and slashed at Nephis. She effortlessly moved out of the way. the rain dancing on her skin. Just as she and Sunny prepared for a joint attack to kill the damn beast... Well monster
Serpent lunged. From her rest atop the pillar her maw gripped onto one of the monsters abnormally muscular carrapace coated arm. And she bit down. Black liquid seemed to move from her fangs and spread throughout the monsters body starting from the bite. It began to convulse and shake. Shaking as blood began to pour from its facial openings. It's eyes and mouth leaking a mixture of serpents venom and it's own blood.
Not letting it have the leisure of being able to live any longer serpent starting from where her mouth was latched onto wrapped around the monster and began to tighten her body around it. The thick carrapace of the monster groaned and cracked. After a few moments a sickening crunch could be heard. Blood. Bone. And brain matter decorating the floor and her body as if a macabre trophy
To sunny who watched everything with his ability to see in the darkness after Nephis had put off her flames to his word when he said serpent was back. It seemed like an entire film. Yet in truth. It took mere moments no more than a minute at best
The second monster had felt serpents domineering pressure. The very essence of death itself it had attempted to escape. Deciding that maybe the expanse of the dark sea was a better chance of survival than the statue with a fallen monster. After all the gap between a awakened and a fallen was as great as night and day.
Turning to run in the opposite direction it felt the presence of another. Slowly and inevitable as if dealing with the beast was a mere inconvenience. Knighty walked towards the fleeing monster dragging the tip of his blade of shadows slowly on the ground. Once the monster had gotten close to its escape Knighty struck.
Starting as a slow and calm walk. It turned into a sprint within moments. Jumping into the air his morphed his oversized great sword into a spear with his tactful manipulation of shadows and launched it. It struck with frightening precision right into the monster's head.
Paired with the moving monster's momentum the spear caused it to rocket over the edge of the platform which was what it wanted
The only difference was. Now it was dead. No chance of survival. Spear in the skull.
Once the battle was over sunny and Nephis fell over right in the center of the platform. Sunny was out of it. But he barely decided to make a request - "Knighty can you please bring Cassie here"
After a few moments of Cassie yelling and screaming then coming to the realization that it was Knighty and decided to just let him take her. Bringing her to the center he laid her down and went to stand beside serpent. Cassie was clumsily wiping her tears. As sunny who was laying down exhausted managed to put his hand on her head. And patted it. Barely.
Exhausted sunny was far to confused to do anything. He managed to push himself up and saw Shelly lying on the ground clearly dying. But then
As if the spell decided that it was important it prompted a message
[Enough fragments available. Do you wish to turn Scavenger beast echo into a shadow.]
Words sunny clearly didn't think he'd hear. Even after killing all this so far and with the remaining shards from last night he should have only accumulated 76 fragments. Tilting his head to look at serpents and Knighty's battered bodies and realized
'They battled more than the few I dispatched them to kill... Even in the sea. I'm glad serpent found knight or he would've drowned... Can shadows drown?'
Exhausted and confused sunny managed to release a small - "yes"
Visible to no one but sunny and his shadows. Shelly had begun to change. His body shifting and chitin becoming black as night. His eyes glowing a dark yet flaming brown as the stump, which was once his hand, grew anew.
Shelly had become a shadow.
...
Sunny and Nephis now panting heavily exhausted after the run to get here and the battle that Ensued. Struggled to stay conscious
Sunny quickly summoned serpent, Shelly and Knighty back to his soul sea. Him and Nephis laid on the ground with Cassie between them
"Ah that was a freaking terrible experience huh. Let's do it again soon" came Sunny's exhausted but extremely sarcastic voice
And a moment after came Nephis who sounded as if she had a smile
"let's not"
"Cass. I don't think anything will be coming for us soon so I'm going to take a nap. We'll talk in the morning, so I suggest you do too. "
"Yeah, Rest right now is important, and Sunny's shadow will warn us"
"yeah" - he yawned back
Cassie responded shocked as she was. She did in a happy voice. Whilst the tears fell
"yeah.. Good.... Good plan."
As the rain was falling sunny summoned the darkness and recreated the dome above them to protect them from the rain rather than defend them from the death attacks of a awakened monster.
And soon. The 3 sleepers were well, sleeping with the new carrapace shadow standing outside a dome of darkness.