The snow fell in a slow, almost indifferent drift, its softness clashing violently with the devastation that surrounded them.
Each flake seemed out of place, a quiet remnant of a world that no longer existed, yet it continued to fall all the same, blanketing ruin with fragile calm. Beneath that pale descent, Sunny stood unmoving, the crimson string of Morgan's Warbow drawn taut as a black arrow formed between his fingers, its shape solidifying from condensed Essence and intent.
Across from him, Cocolia advanced.
Her movements were not rushed, nor were they hesitant. Each step was deliberate, the twin spears in her hands steady despite the golden chains that still bound her neck. Those chains pulled subtly with every motion, disrupting her balance in small but constant ways, yet she adapted to them with unnatural precision. The ice that composed her form shifted and compensated, reinforcing itself with every adjustment as the cracks of Destruction across her body pulsed faintly with golden light.
Sunny's spare hand tightened.
The chains responded instantly, slithering outward before coiling around Morgan's Warbow. Golden light surged along their length, wrapping the weapon in a layer of pure Destruction. That energy did not remain contained. It extended outward, flowing into the arrow itself, altering its nature into something far more dangerous than a simple projection of his soul.
The bow thrummed.
Sunny drew the string further back, the strain not just physical but conceptual, as though he were forcing reality to acknowledge the existence of the shot before it was even released. At the same time, he activated the [Death Dealer] enchantment, and the cost was immediate. Shadow Essence drained sharply, the reservoir within him shrinking in a way that was impossible to ignore.
He did not hesitate.
The arrow flew.
It cut through the air with a sound that barely registered, its speed surpassing conventional perception as it tore toward Cocolia. She reacted instantly, her body twisting unnaturally as she stepped aside at the last possible moment. The arrow passed her by, embedding itself into the mountain behind her.
The impact was catastrophic.
The entire structure shuddered as the arrow detonated with condensed force, carving a massive crater into the rock. Stone fractured outward, cracks spreading rapidly across the mountain's surface as debris collapsed in heavy waves.
Sunny was already drawing another arrow.
The second shot followed immediately, then the third, then another. Each arrow struck with devastating precision, tearing into the mountain from different angles. Cocolia evaded them all, her movements sharp and controlled despite the interference of the chains. The battlefield behind her was steadily being dismantled, piece by piece, each shot altering the mountain's structure in ways that were not immediately obvious.
Sunny's lips curved slightly as he continued firing.
"Earlier, I said something about dying together, right?"
Another arrow formed.
This one was different.
When he released it, its trajectory was subtly altered, its aim deliberately off. Cocolia shifted to evade as she had before, but the arrow was never meant to hit her body. Instead, it struck her shadow.
The reaction was immediate.
The black arrow embedded itself within that intangible form, and for a brief moment, nothing seemed to happen.
Cocolia froze.
Her body halted mid-motion, her limbs locking in place as though the connection between intention and action had been severed. The chains around her neck tightened further, pulling her slightly forward as her inability to resist left her momentarily vulnerable.
Sunny's grin widened.
Without pause, he activated another enchantment.
[Burden of Peace].
The cost was immense.
Shadow Essence drained at an alarming rate, the expenditure so severe that it bordered on reckless. Every arrow embedded within the mountain responded instantly, their presence shifting as an unnatural weight descended upon them. Each one became impossibly heavy, their mass increasing beyond reason, beyond logic, until the structure they were lodged in could no longer sustain itself.
The mountain trembled.
Then, it shook.
The ground beneath them followed, ripples of force spreading outward as the already fractured terrain began to destabilize further. Cracks widened, entire sections of stone shifting out of place as the balance of the mountain collapsed under the sudden and overwhelming pressure.
It swayed.
For a brief moment, the massive structure held, resisting the inevitable.
Then it fell.
The entire mountain began to topple, its descent slow at first, then accelerating as gravity claimed it fully. The sheer scale of it eclipsed everything below, casting a massive shadow over both Sunny and Cocolia as it descended with unstoppable force.
Cocolia looked up.
Then she moved.
With the binding on her shadow released, despite the chains at her neck, she forced herself forward, her body reacting with raw instinct as she lunged toward Sunny. Her spears came with her, the weapons reappearing as her Will overcame the immobilization just enough to act.
Sunny did not retreat.
He dismissed Morgan's Warbow in an instant, the weapon dissolving as his chains recoiled. With a sharp pull, he dragged Cocolia toward him, accelerating her movement rather than avoiding it. Their bodies met in a violent clash, knuckledusters striking against spears as golden chains lashed outward, colliding with her reinforced armor in rapid succession.
Above them, the mountain descended.
The pressure of it warped the air, the sheer force of its fall distorting the space around it as it threatened to crush everything beneath it into nothing.
Sunny raised his hand.
The chains shot upward.
They pierced into the falling mass, embedding themselves deep within its surface before spreading rapidly. Golden cracks erupted across the mountain's structure, branching outward in every direction as Destruction took hold.
Sunny's expression twisted into something unrestrained.
"Sorry, but it looks like you'll be going alone. Have fun~"
In the next moment, he dissolved.
His body collapsed into shadow, his form flattening against the pristine snow as his presence vanished from direct existence. The silhouette that remained lingered for a fraction of a second, a dark imprint that seemed to stare upward at Cocolia before it too disappeared.
The mountain fell.
It crashed down with unimaginable force, the impact shattering it instantly as the Destruction infused within it took effect. The entire structure disintegrated upon contact, breaking apart into countless fragments that cascaded downward in a violent storm of debris.
From a distance, Sunny reappeared.
His form solidified once more as he watched the collapse unfold, his gaze cold and unyielding. The mountain continued to break apart even after impact, the golden cracks spreading until nothing remained intact.
The Nightmare Spell remained silent.
There was no confirmation.
No declaration of victory.
Sunny exhaled slowly.
He lowered his gaze slightly.
'I still have a few more tricks up my sleeve.'
There was a brief pause.
Then he spoke.
"Tingyun, I'm going to use everything."
The response came without delay.
[There's no need to ask, Benefactor. Just follow your heart.]
Around him, the environment began to shift.
The snow melted.
It started slowly, the flakes that touched the ground dissolving into water before they could accumulate. Then it spread, the frozen surface beneath his feet softening as heat began to radiate outward from his body. Even the snowfall itself seemed to thin as it approached him, vanishing into nothing before it could settle.
He activated the Silent Mist.
Black haze enveloped him instantly, forming a dense barrier that absorbed the rising heat. Flames ignited in his hands, bright and intense, their presence immediate and overwhelming.
The cost was staggering.
Essence drained drastically as he shaped the flames, his control forcing them into form despite their chaotic nature. His hands moved in a steady, rhythmic pattern, guiding the fire as though it were a physical substance. The flames stretched, coiled, and condensed under his command, their intensity growing with each passing moment.
Across the battlefield, movement stirred.
Cocolia emerged.
She pulled herself from the rubble, her body reforming piece by piece as ice reconstructed her shattered form. The process was grotesque in its precision, each fragment aligning perfectly as her demonic shape took form once more.
Her eyes burned.
Golden light pulsed within them, madness fully realized as her gaze locked onto the distant glow of Sunny's flames.
She moved.
The debris beneath her shattered as she advanced, her claws dragging through the ground before she broke into motion.
Sunny did not move to meet her.
Instead, shadows gathered around him, pooling at his feet before rising to form a distinct extension of his presence. Within that pool, his four silhouettes appeared again, hypnotically mirroring his stance as he held a newly formed arrow of fire.
Golden chains wrapped around it.
The Destruction infused within them seeped into the flames, altering their nature just as it had before. The arrow condensed further, its heat intensifying as it was bound by both fire and ruin.
Sunny raised his hand.
Two fingers held the arrow's tip.
His other hand drew back as though pulling a bowstring, though no physical weapon existed this time. The motion alone defined the structure, the act of drawing shaping the force he was about to release.
His hands began to burn.
Smoke curled from his lips as his gaze locked onto Cocolia's, even across the distance that separated them.
Within his mind, the mechanics of his power aligned.
Shadow Extension functioned under strict conditions. The first condition remained absolute. He could only use the Abilities of his Shadow Creatures while they resided within his Soul Sea. Their Attributes remained inaccessible, meaning that the full synergy of those powers was always incomplete. He couldn't use Nightmare's [Dreadlord] despite being able to use [Mantle of Fear], which meant that he could inflict fear and horror on others but will not benefit from it through a surge in strength.
A similar example was with Serpent. While he could technically use its [Serpentine Steel] Ability, it was completely useless as he would need the [Soul Weapon] Attribute. How could he change the weapon he was taking the shape of if he wasn't a weapon at all?
The second condition had much less obstacles.
The number of Abilities he could use corresponded directly to his Rank. As an Ascended Devil, he was limited to three. No more, no less.
At that moment, he had chosen two.
Tingyun's Innate Ability, [Backup Dancer]; which increases the intensity of his flames when surrounded by shadows.
Tingyun's Dormant Ability, [Fiery Caress]; which was what creates the flames in the first place. Her flames were powered by emotion, and simultaneously stoked the hearts of those who witness them.
The flames responded accordingly.
They intensified within the surrounding shadows, growing stronger as they fed on the darkness pooled around him. At the same time, their nature shifted, resonating with emotion as they spread outward, influencing the space between him and his target.
Cocolia's madness deepened.
Her movements became sharper, more aggressive, her intent narrowing as the stimulation took hold.
Sunny's emotions surged in response.
The weight of loss pressed against him, fueling the flames that now coursed through his body. They spread from his heart outward, moving through him like veins of fire as they condensed further into the arrow he held.
'Sorry, ladies.'
The thought passed through him without hesitation.
'By tomorrow, it'll be like nothing happened. But right now... I'm so damned pissed!'
The arrow stabilized.
Its form was complete.
Without another moment of delay, Sunny released it.
The shot tore forward, carrying everything he had poured into it as it crossed the battlefield in an instant.