The skeleton and the ground below it… was the Death Zone. It was called Godgrave because Awakened, shocked and frightened by the terrifying size of the ancient remains, had speculated that it was the corpse of a god.
If there were those who didn't want to watch or were skeptical of the situation until now, they went quiet and looked at the screen with interest and curiosity.
Even those who hadn't spoken until now sat down calmly.
"Godgrave?" Ananke repeated.
"A-A Death Zone?!" Rain squeaked to herself as Ananke blinked and smiled at her softly.
"Interesting." A jovial voice came as heads turned to look at the one named Noctis.
The man in red looked amused, with a light smile on his face. "That place, truly ugly, not a strand of beauty there, yet interesting nonetheless," he commented.
"Hmm, to think I'd see that place again..." Wind Flower murmured.
"Indeed," Daeron added.
Those of Song and Valor looked up in interest at the scene.
Of course, Nephis did not think the same way.
As soon as the Immortal Flame came up on the screen, some, like those from the Nightmare Spell, turned their heads to take a second glance at the Saint, while those who knew her straightened up in interest.
Especially her friends and cohort.
Of course—
'L-Lady Changing Star!?' Rain fangirled.
"Does that mean this lady is the Epigone?" Wind Flower asked.
Nephis blinked as Cassie raised her chin in thought.
Morgan and the Song sisters scrunched their faces in different emotions.
"Someone titled an Epigone to something by the Nightmare Spell, who is also the heir of the Immortal Flame Clan, is not a good sign for us," Hel whispered.
"Naturally," Beastmaster scoffed.
'What should we do then?' Moonveil asked.
"Let's watch. We don't even know if she actually is the Epigone," Seishan said.
Morgan, on the other hand, clenched the armrest of her seat as she suppressed her emotions.
'Her again? What does she not get?' she thought with mild bitterness, which she suppressed to focus on her duties.
In any case, the right hand of the skeleton lay in the Song Domain, while the left hand lay in the Sword Domain. By climbing the skeletal arms, one could travel along the bones of the titanic corpse.
"Seems like you were sent on a mission," Cassie said.
Nephis remained calm. She didn't need to answer with words.
Morgan's eyes narrowed.
'What could she have been sent to do?' she wondered.
The Song sisters were, in a similar fashion, calculating what the adopted princess of Valor could be doing on the future battlefield of the coming Domain War.
Of course, those of the past did not care about that.
"So these realms were consumed as well?" Daeron muttered as his eyes narrowed.
"I wonder how long it has been since we entered the Tomb of Ariel for them," Wind Flower followed.
The others, like Solvane and Noctis, remained quiet.
Solvane because she was introverted.
Noctis because he was more interested in the future.
If they could survive the journey, of course, which very few could.
The seemingly endless white plain where Nephis stood was actually the skeleton's breastbone. She had led the Fire Keepers here, climbing up the shattered left arm of the ancient corpse, fighting her way across its vast collar bone, and making progress south over the past two weeks.
The progress was slow because they could not fly the Chain Breaker here. It was too dangerous.
There were three ways of traversing Godgrave, ranging from deadly to absolutely lethal.
The most suicidal one was to move across the ground, which was shrouded in twilight and covered by a carpet of ash. The Death Zones were regions of the Dream Realm where Great, Cursed, and Unholy Nightmare Creatures dwelled… and in this Death Zone, the deadliest things were hiding beneath the ash. Anyone who stepped on it was doomed to be consumed.
The second way was not much better. It was to travel in the great hollows of the titanic bones, hidden from the sky. The hollows were the safest place in Godgrave… and for that reason, they were home to an entire ecosystem of harrowing Nightmare Creatures and tainted flora, all hungering for the taste of human souls.
Fighting through that monstrous jungle that thrived within the inconceivable skeleton was just as suicidal.
The last way was to traverse the surface of the ancient bones. Here, there were fewer dreadful abominations, and those who did prowl the surface were a bit less powerful. But that was for a reason, as well.
"Why exactly are we having to review what we all already know?" Beastmaster said in slight annoyance.
Kai smiled. "Maybe it's for those here who might not know the details?" he said, referring to the ancient people and mundanes like Rain.
The ancients didn't bother with the scuffle, while Rain squeaked once again under the attention.
Rain flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder, only to see a girl with short hair smiling at her.
"It's a bit overwhelming, but you'll be fine," she said.
Rain blinked. "A-Ahh, yeah, t-thank you," she mumbled as the girl righted herself and looked forward after introducing herself.
"I'm Aiko," she said.
Rain nodded and looked forward, fidgeting.
'S-She doesn't look like a Saint. She's so brave,' she thought.
Aiko, on the other hand, smiled at the screen while—
'Ahh! What the hell is happening?!' Aiko cried in her head. 'I'm supposed to be working! Why the hell did the damn Spell bring me here?!' she nearly cried.
Wind Flower glanced at them.
'How fun.'
Ananke just smiled, reading both their body language.
However—
The Saints of the current time couldn't help but steal a few glances at one man.
Daeron.
They had not confirmed it, but some could tell this man was above a Saint.
And since he was supposedly from the past, believing that he was a Supreme was not beyond the realm of possibility. Everyone here seemed to have lost their Aspect abilities and essence control, but they could still feel the base strength of their Ranks.
As well as the pressure they all possessed.
And the ancient king dwarfed all of their own.
Yet whether Daeron was aware of all their interest did not matter to him, as he stared at the scene before him with calm eyes.
And the fact was, the next set of words got all their attention.
The reason was that Godgrave had a peculiar nature. There were no nights here, and the sky was constantly shrouded by a veil of clouds. If the veil was broken, though, revealing the radiant white sky…
Anything that moved under the open sky was immediately erased from existence, turning into scattering ash. There was no exception to the rule, and no salvation from the gaze of heaven.
So, that was why Nephis and the Fire Keepers had spent three days without daring to move a muscle. They had been waiting for the torn clouds to hide the sky once again.
And now that the grey veil was mended by the wind, they could continue on their mission…
To find the mysterious Saint who was rumored to have made his home at the very edge of the titanic breastbone, right before the abyssal chasm leading to the skeleton's spine.
The man known as the Lord of Shadows.
'Lord of Shadows'
The title echoed through all minds.
Everyone paused.
Those of the current time did so with interest and caution, while those of the past watched with interest and curiosity.
A mesmerizing laugh rang out as Solvane's mood soured a little.
"What?" she asked.
Noctis didn't look at her.
"Now this is interesting. Very interesting. A Transcendent calling Godgrave their home? I understand why Weaver's Spell wants us to see this." His smile was amused.
Too amused.
Solvane sighed as if a disappointed parent.
'Why me...'
"How interesting," Wind Flower muttered.
She glanced at her father, only to see an unusually interested expression, and was taken aback for a moment.
'Perhaps more intriguing than I understand yet...' she thought.
...
"Lord of Shadows, huh?" Kai repeated with interest and curiosity.
"You know that guy?" Effie asked.
"You are a Saint. How do you not know about him?" Jet answered instead, genuinely amazed at Effie's lack of knowledge, yet knowing only Effie could pull that off.
Ling looked up at his mother from her lap. "Mommy, is Lord of Sadows our friend?" he asked, messing up the words a little.
Effie smiled as she patted his head. "Not sure yet. Maybe that's what we are going to see?" she said.
Cassie looked at Nephis, able to see through her blindfold ever since she came here. "You think the 'Epigone' is Lord of Shadows?" she shared her thoughts in a light voice.
Nephis didn't answer for a moment. "Perhaps. Let's see what happens. This Saint is quite mysterious."
The Song sisters looked at the screen.
"Lord of Shadows? Aren't we sending someone to recruit him first? Did Valor send theirs first?" Moonveil pondered.
"Maybe? Or maybe they sent theirs after us? In which case, he better refuse them," Beastmaster said.
"Who were we sending again?" Seishan asked.
The sisters paused, then looked in one direction.
The guy who was sitting in the Song area smiled at them in his creepy way and sighed.
"Well, maybe Lord of Shadows's body was taken over?" Revel suggested.
"No," the diviner Hel spoke as her sisters looked at her.
The woman was unusually serious as she spoke. "Lord of Shadows... he's not that simple. At least, that's what my intuition says," she said.
Her sisters blinked and turned to the screen with all seriousness.
"Lord of Shadows. We know almost nothing about him, except that he's a Saint who lives in Godgrave," Saint Cormac said.
"It seems the King sent Lady Changing Star to recruit Lord of Shadows," Saint Roan noted.
Morgan stared at the screen.
'She was sent to recruit a high-profile Saint...' She didn't miss the fact that she wasn't entrusted with the same task.
...
There were no Great abominations on the surface of the ancient skeleton, at least not that soon after the white sky had wiped the slate clean. So, it was well within their ability to handle the onslaught of newborn monstrosities.
Granted, the Fire Keepers were far more able than most Masters.
It was to the point that Nephis had time to think without having to concentrate entirely on the battle.
After a while, she thought silently:
[Cassie.]
A few moments later, Cassie's voice resounded in her head, as if the blind seer was there, by her side, whispering into her ear:
[Yes?]
Cassie's powers had changed and grown after Transcendence, as well. Her Dormant Ability now allowed the blind girl to learn more about the people and creatures she perceived. Her Awakened Ability allowed her to sense longer into the future. Her Ascended Ability not only allowed her to perceive the world through other people's senses, but also to communicate with those she had marked.
So, Cassie was like a spider waiting at the heart of a vast web. Even Nephis did not know how many people throughout the two worlds were serving as her eyes and ears… just that there were many, scattered around both the waking world and the Dream Realm. Some of the spies in the blind seer's network were willing agents, while others did not even know that they had been marked.
The latter consumed more of Cassie's soul essence, sadly.
Regardless, her ability to gather information was an incredible boon to them. It was just that…
Some blinked.
"Mental communication? How useful," Wind Flower said.
"And she's a Divine as well? What a great ability. However, it must have been hard in the beginning, being blind, considering the nature of Aspect progression," Ananke followed as the others nodded.
"However, abilities like those are extremely useful considering information warfare. Not only does she have spies, there are those who don't know of such a 'mark' on them. Considering there can be those in enemy ranks, she can gain confidential information and change the tide of several conflicts and battles, if not the entire war." Daeron, being a king, immediately prioritized the current possibilities in a war.
"It's interesting," Noctis said as the others looked at him, "but I'm more interested in this Lord of Shadows."
Solvane wouldn't admit it; however, she too was more interested in the Lord of Shadows.
'A man calling the Sun God's realm their home and citadel, with the sunlight and wretched Corrupted creatures lurking in there...'
She paused. A light smile came to her face, an ominous one.
'Surely this person will be a glorious warrior. How must they fight?' she thought to herself.
To her, Lord of Shadows was much more interesting than a seer.
However—
"Saint Song of the Fallen," came the stern voice of Saint Gilead as he looked at Cassie, while she and her friend looked back.
Cassie and Nephis let out mental sighs of acceptance, as they knew their secret was out.
Saint Cormac leaned forward. "Can we know why we weren't informed of such a spy network?" he asked sharply, but kept his voice down.
Nephis didn't have to step in as Cassie spoke.
"Saint Cormac, I believe we all have our own secrets as Saints, don't we? I hope you don't expect me to reveal all my secrets?" She paused.
"If you do, I hope you're willing to part with some of your own, right?" she asked.
Saint Cormac stared at her for a moment, then looked away.
"But still—"
"Calm down," Saint Tyris spoke as the Valor man looked at her.
"There are princesses of the Song Domain here. We don't want to part with our Domain's secrets now," she said.
People hesitated but submitted.
Some looked at Morgan, who had been looking at Cassie calmly until now. In her eyes, there were many unasked questions. She almost scoffed before looking away, seemingly thinking along the same lines as Saint Tyris.
Meanwhile, the princesses of the Song Domain, who had looked worried upon hearing about the spy network, had gone stiff for a moment. But after noting the words exchanged between Cassie and the Valor Saints, they decided it was enough to know that the seer wasn't a direct threat to the Song Domain from Valor.
It was something they had surmised until now, considering Nephis was believed to be hunting the Sovereigns in vengeance, even if they didn't know the details of the past from their mother.
Nephis stared at Cassie for a moment, seeing if she needed support, but a smile from Cassie let them return their attention to the screen.
Nephis frowned slightly.
The nature of her friend's power had changed subtly after the Third Nightmare. From what Cassie had shared, it seemed like her ability to receive visions of the future was compromised, somehow, making them strange and chaotic. Cassie herself had begun to act strangely, sometimes, as well.
Nephis was concerned.
Turning her steel steed slightly to avoid a large crack in the white bone, she thought:
[Tell me about this Lord of Shadows again.]
Some people leaned in to hear carefully.
The man she had been sent to negotiate with was more than a little mysterious. There were many more Saints in the world now, true… however, it was still strange for an independent Transcendent to exist out there, especially one whose origin and background were entirely unknown.
"It really is; who in their right mind would live in Godgrave voluntarily?" a firekeeper said.
Not to mention one powerful enough to not only survive in the Godgrave, but also make it his home.
"See? That's what I mean-" he was cut off.
"Shut up, we're trying to watch!"
"S-sorry!"
"E-even Lady Changing Star thinks of Lord of Shadow like that..." Rain muttered to herself in a mix of shock and bewilderment.
Cassie remained silent for a few moments. Then, her voice resounded once again, whispering into Neph's ear:
[Not much is known about him, really. What we do know comes from a dozen Sleepers who were unfortunate enough to be sent to Godgrave last year. They were all rescued by a mysterious Saint and brought to a Citadel under his control. The Saint did not speak with them much, and was rather aloof. In fact, some of them even describe him as sinister and frightening.]
Nephis had already heard all of this, of course. However, there was no harm in going over what they knew once more, just in case there was some hint she had missed.
After a momentary pause, Cassie continued:
[He has to be strong, considering where his Citadel is located. The Sleepers also confirmed that his Aspect has to do with shadows, and that he commands several powerful Echoes. Apart from that, there's very little information about him.
Instead of allowing the Sleepers to place their anchors in his Citadel, the Lord of Shadows escorted them out of Godgrave and sent them on the path to one of Song's strongholds.]
"Yes, that's how we learned about his existence." A Song princess said.
Some people of Valor frowned.
Did that mean he was with the Song domain?
Some wondered.
some peopel lookeda the song sisters.
"you think that's an advantage? seshan asked.
beastmaster shook he rhead, "no he only helped those sleepes, it only gave us some insight into where and what he is nothing more."
"man can you belive the luck of those sleepers? to land in godsgrave." someone said.
"but they got saved by lord of shadows right? can't be that bad." another added.
"they had to be at the mercy foi an unknow saint who lives along in a regious with great aboimations, what to repeat that?"
"buit-"
"can you just watch?' jet said over her shoulder as the fire keepers stiffend and apolized with nervious chcukles.
Nephis frowned.
[So he might be friendly with Clan Song?]
Some Song sisters sighed.
'If only it was that easy...'
Cassie lingered for a bit.
[Both Valor and Song have their eyes on Godgrave. Considering that it is most likely to become the main battlefield of their war, how can they not? So, understandably, both Domains are very interested in a powerful Saint dwelling in the depths of this deadly region. Actually, Valor is not the first clan to try recruiting the Lord of Shadows.]
Rain and Aiko blinked, then their eyes wuided alonfg side soem others.
'A-A war?!'
'What does that mean?! ' They're going to be at war?'
They both looked at some others in the audience who didn't know of such details, as some saints glanced at them and those who reacted to the information outwardly.
Neph's gaze darkened.
[Is it true? That they sent…]
Cassie's answer came swiftly:
[Indeed, they sent Mordret… well, one of his bodies, at least. However, he failed to persuade the Lord of Shadows to swear allegiance to the Queen of Worms.]
At that, some stiffened while those who didn't know of the man looked to see his face.
But the man himself narrowed his eyes at the observation
It was something like the likes of Cassie Nephis, Jet, and most saints had also picked up on it alongside those of the past. But before anyone else answered, the screen spoke it out loud,
If the Prince of Nothing had succeeded, Nephis would not have been sent to find the reclusive Saint. But how had he failed?
[It is strange, though, isn't it? I doubt that Mordret would have simply accepted a refusal. He would have definitely tried to consume that Saint if persuading him was impossible.]
Cassie's voice changed slightly:
[That is the most interesting part. It is not confirmed, of course… but, from what we managed to learn… Mordret was actually defeated. His vessel was destroyed.]
Nephis took a deep breath.
'Is there really someone else capable of defeating that monster?'
She had once fought against Soul Stealer, after all. So, Nephis knew better than anyone what Saint Mordret was really capable of… in fact, that man was no less of a plague than Skinwalker, whom most of humanity lived in constant terror of.
The theater fell silent.
For the first time, the mysterious Lord of Shadows felt less like an eccentric recluse and more like something dangerous.
Mordret's smile thinned.
A subtle pressure seemed to rise around him as his eyes remained fixed on the screen.
'Defeated...'
How interesting.
"So he defeated someone even Lady Changing Star and Lady Cassie are wary of?" Rain muttered, bewildered, nearly gaping. "Who the hell is this Lord of Shadows?"
While no one from the past realized the weight of the words coming from the women of the current time, they had realized that this Lord of Shadows was more than they had believed, even now, instinctively, from the atmosphere in the room.
If Lord of Shadows was really capable of fighting against the Prince of Nothing…
Neph's calm grey eyes gleamed coldly as she contemplated the future.
"You and me both," Effie said, staring at the screen with considerably more interest.
Kai's expression had grown serious as well, while Jet simply narrowed her eyes.
Across the theater, the Song sisters exchanged glances.
"So our offer was rejected," Seishan murmured.
"And rather violently, apparently," Beastmaster added, her smile fading slightly.
On Valor's side, the mood was entirely different.
Cormac leaned forward while Gilead remained stern. Morgan, however, looked genuinely surprised.
Someone had not only rejected Song—
they had defeated her brother.
"Interesting..." Wind Flower murmured.
"Very," Noctis added, his smile widening with excitement. "Our mysterious Saint continues to improve."
Even Solvane's eyes had sharpened.
Daeron remained calm, although there was now unmistakable anticipation in his gaze.
"An unknown Transcendent who established himself within a Death Zone, rejected a kingdom during a time close to war, and possessed the strength to enforce that refusal."
He paused.
"Worth watching."
Mordret's smile slowly returned.
"Indeed."
And with that, everyone's attention returned to the screen.
The Lord of Shadows' stock had risen considerably.
They crossed most of the remaining distance to the edge of the breastbone plain that day. Night never graced Godgrave with its presence, but anywhere else, the sun would have already been rolling toward the horizon.
It was never dark in this strange and terrible place. The grey sky shone with diffused light, and white bone was colored here and there by fields of vibrant vermilion grass…
Or rather, it was never supposed to be dark.
Nephis slowed her steed as she peered into the distance, a complicated expression appearing on her face.
'What is that?'
Until now, everyone had been getting bored with the time travel. However, when the speed returned to normal and a question was raised, everyone snapped back to attention.
Out there, far away, it was as though someone had dropped a can of black paint on the world. The darkness, which was not supposed to exist in Godgrave, swallowed the plain, and the scattered light of the stormy sky was powerless against it. The deep shadows persisted, unperturbed by the bright daylight around them.
'How is this possible?'
"What?" someone said in bewilderment.
"What's that?" Kai muttered.
"Darkness?" Effie wondered.
Due to the distraction, no one noticed the sole Supreme.
'That shadow...' Daeron thought, his pupils wide and cautious.
Soon, they drew closer to the wall of darkness. Strangely enough, there were much fewer abominations in this area of the titanic skeleton, and even the scarlet flora seemed scarcer.
It was as though even the Nightmare Creatures were wary of the land of shadows.
Nephis frowned slightly, not showing her hesitation to the Fire Keepers.
"Advance slowly."
"How intriguing," Nephis muttered.
"Indeed, it is..." Cassie repeated, both watching seriously.
As they proceeded further, the light slowly dimmed, and the growths of red grass became smaller and smaller, until they disappeared entirely. Soon, they were surrounded by nothing but impenetrable darkness, with only Neph's eyes shining in it like small stars.
"Stop."
She remained silent for a moment, listening to the silence, then said evenly:
"Dismount."
The Fire Keepers jumped down from their Echoes, dismissing them into a rain of sparks. Their surroundings were illuminated for a few moments, and by the time the sparks dissipated into nothingness, they had already summoned enchanted lanterns.
A flood of stark white light flooded the dark land. However, it seemed weak and faltering, barely able to force the deep, dark shadows to recede a little.
Nevertheless, Nephis did see something now that the luminous Memories pushed the darkness back.
A few meters away from them, a massive carcass was laying on the ground, its grotesque bones towering above the plain. The creature must have been enormous once, but now it was broken and dead.
Those who knew what rank lived in that area of Godsgrave narrowed their eyes in all seriousness.
What killed it?
Nephis walked over to the carcass and studied it for a few moments, spending a bit more time looking at the clean cut where the monster's head had been severed.
"Lady Nephis… what do you think?"
She lingered for a while, then shook her head.
"The head was severed by a sword, but something had gnawed on the bones. There are teeth marks everywhere, and by the look of it, the creature's flesh was devoured by something large. Most importantly…"
Her expression grew a little somber.
"Considering where we are, this carcass must belong to a Great Nightmare Creature."
Had it been killed by the Lord of Shadows? If so, the rumors of his power might not be exaggerated. Many Saints were capable of slaying Great Beasts, but very few could finish such a powerful abomination with one strike.
Now everyone was serious at the statement, and this was perhaps the last time they'd need to realize that they had to stay serious when it came to the mysterious Lord of Shadows.
To not only kill a Great Nightmare Creature, but do it with one clean strike?
Some of the most powerful Saints were in this seating, but most could not claim to do that.
Of course, there were two who disagreed.
'W-What was I brought here for?!' Aiko and Rain were on the verge of full-on panicking.
Nephis's eyes narrowed.
'That strike... so clean, so elegant. Lord of Shadows must be a great swordsman if they did that themselves.' She paused. 'And extremely powerful.'
Cassie's eyes remained on the screen as she calculated the weight of the situation and Nephis's chances of recruiting the hermit Saint.
"Well," Effie began, "this is one strong bast—OUCH!"
She was cut off as Jet elbowed her in the side.
Annoyed, she looked at Jet when the woman nudged her gaze downward.
Effie blinked and looked down to see an adorable Ling looking up at her with his big, confused eyes. Effie froze, realizing her mistake, and looked at Jet sheepishly.
The Soul Reaper only shook her head as Effie's husband did the same.
"If only Master Sunless was here," he muttered as he pulled Ling onto his lap.
Jet's eyes sharpened at the screen.
'But still...'
'Someone capable of killing a Nightmare Creature of the Great Rank that cleanly...' Morgan narrowed her eyes. 'We must get him on our side, or at least make sure he doesn't go to the Song Domain.'
'We need to talk to Mother and send another team to recruit him if...' Beastmaster exchanged glances with her sisters.
'If not to recruit him, then to kill him,' they thought.
"Hahaa! My instincts were right! This Lord of Shadows fellow will be worth the time spent here," Noctis cheered.
Solvane would have stared him down with a deathly glare if she herself wasn't so interested in the powers of this Saint.
Ananke chuckled lightly as she turned to help Rain and Aiko calm down.
Wind Flower would have turned to join the girls; however, she was busy looking at her father, then back at the screen.
Something had clearly gotten Daeron's full attention on the screen.
'Why are the shadows so dark? How peculiar these shadows are...' Wind Flower thought.
'Could it really be...' Daeron thought as his suspicions began to clear.
Nephis was about to say something else, but at that moment, a terrifying roar tore apart the silence. Something was rushing toward them from the darkness.
Eveyone snapped back to attention as they looked at the screen.
The Fire Keepers instantly assumed a battle formation. Shim and Sid moved forward, raising their shields, Gantry and Gorn took positions a step behind and to the side of them, while Shakti and Erlas hid behind the melee fighters while summoning their arrows. Lastly, Kaor moved to the rear of the cohort, ready to defend his comrades in case of an unexpected attack.
Nephis remained where she stood, calmly looking into the darkness. Her lance had changed form once again, turning back into a longsword.
"Be ready."
They heard the sound of massive claws scraping against bone as the Nightmare Creature approached at high speed. Judging by that speed, the abomination was powerful.
It was going to reach the Fire Keepers in a matter of seconds.
…Before it did, however, something rustled in the air, and they heard the familiar, gruesome sound of flesh being severed by sharp steel. Something crashed heavily onto the ground, and a moment later, a monstrous head rolled into the light, a river of blood spilling from its cut neck.
'One strike.'
"Wow!"
"What the hell was that?!"
"It got one-shotted?!"
"By what?!"
"What the hell just jumped down?!"
Nephis's eyes narrowed.
'That's a sword strike... a clean one...' she thought.
Solvane leaned forward in anticipation.
Noctis, too, was practically vibrating like a child ready to get candy.
Nephis looked at the abomination's severed head for a split second, then turned to face the darkness.
There, two crimson flames ignited, staring down at her.
Then, something walked out of the darkness and stopped at the edge of light, making the Fire Keepers tremble.
'What in the world…'
The graceful creature looked like a beautiful onyx statue that had come to life. Her fearsome black armor seemed to be carved from polished stone, and forged according to an intricate, elegant design. The dark sword she was holding was smeared in blood, radiating a sense of chilling, inescapable lethality.
The demonic statue towered above Nephis and the Fire Keepers, much higher than even Effie was, observing them with cold indifference. There was no hostility in her gaze, but also no benevolence.
She was clearly not human.
However, the living statue did not seem like a Nightmare Creature, either. She was more like… a Transcendent Echo? A Saint?
However, Nephis had never met an Echo... or a Saint, really... who exerted so much pressure on her. The graceful knight's onyx body radiated a sense of vast, dreadful power, and the menacing crimson flames dancing in her ruby eyes were full of strange, inhuman will.
She was strong.
In fact, if Nephis was not here and the strange creature decided to attack the Fire Keepers, they would most likely all perish under her blade.
The question was… would the living statue attack them, or not?
As Nephis looked at the demonic knight calmly, ready for both outcomes…
The beautiful onyx statue lowered her sword and turned away, then beckoned for them to follow her with indifferent grace.
Nephis's pupils narrowed.
'That... an Echo? It's strong and skilled, and a Transcendent at that...'
"It's guiding them? How interesting," Saint Roan said.
"This must be this Lord of Shadows's Echo," Saint Tyris added.
The beautiful onyx devil led them deeper and deeper into the darkness. Considering how difficult it must have been to chase away the deadly sunlight of Godgrave, Nephis had not expected for this shadowy region to be expansive. But to her surprise, the land of shadows stretched for many kilometers in all directions, without a hint of ending.
'Odd.'
Daeron sighed, and some people finally noticed his odd seriousness.
"Do you know something?" Noctis asked, but when Daeron saw his smile, he believed Noctis, too, had some suspicions.
"What do you think of the shadows there?" he asked.
Some frowned in confusion.
"Shadows? But that's darkness," Effie said in confusion.
Jet's eyes narrowed as her mind worked a few steps ahead. "But wait, if that's shadows, and we're in Lord of Shadows's domain, then that means..."
Her words hung in the air as people focused more intently on the screen.
The further they went, the more eerie their surroundings became. Because sunlight never reached here, there was nothing to incinerate the bones of slain Nightmare Creatures. Therefore, remains of powerful abominations appeared in sight from time to time, all devoid of flesh.
At first, there were few of them, but the deeper into the land of shadows the Fire Keepers ventured, the more and more skeletal remains they saw.
Some of the abominations had been slain by sharp steel, some shattered and broken by brute force, some killed by strange means that she couldn't even guess.
"Yikes!"
"Those wounds are so gross."
"How do you even kill like that?"
Eventually, it was as if they were walking across a terrible battlefield. The magnitude of slaughter that had transpired in this ominous place was nothing short of chilling. Even if all these powerful Nightmare Creatures had not been slain at the same time… what kind of person was capable of eviscerating this many dreadful abominations in the depths of a Death Zone?
It seemed that there was a seed of truth in the ominous rumors about the dire power of the Lord of Shadows.
The growing bloodshed on the screen brought about a feeling of unease among the audience.
Just how capable was the Lord of Shadows?
"T-That's so many abominations."
"In Godgrave, no less."
"We need that Saint on our side," Saint Jest said in a rare moment of seriousness.
"Or make sure he doesn't join the other side later." Morgan narrowed her eyes.
'Just who is this Lord of Shadows?' Nephis thought.
In the end, it had taken almost half a day for the onyx devil to lead them to their destination. The signs of fierce battles that had transpired under the cover of darkness only grew more apparent.
'...Almost fifty kilometers to reach the heart of his territory.'
"I don't get it. If those are shadows, how are they so deep and dark in Godgrave?"
Out there, in front of Nephis, the breastbone plain abruptly ended, turning into a vast chasm. If she could pierce the darkness with her gaze, she would have seen the spine of the titanic skeleton far below. To her left and to her right, in the distance, its ribs must be rising like mountains.
Right ahead, though…
Illuminated by the light of their lanterns, a magnificent temple stood at the very edge of the abyss. 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 the palace of a dark god.
"What the hell?! That's a Citadel?!" Effie let out in awe.
Saint Cor blinked. "There was a Citadel this grand in Godgrave, and no one noticed until now?"
Saint Tyris's eyes narrowed. "It seems so."
Noctis was having the time of his life.
In front of the palace, the ground was littered with countless bones.
Most of the ancient edifice was hidden by darkness, but Nephis felt oppressed by its solemn majesty nevertheless. She frowned slightly, feeling a shapeless presence gaze at her from behind the marble columns, and instinctively gripped the hilt of her sword.
A few people noticed the subtle movement.
Morgan's eyes narrowed.
'Even she's cautious.'
Saint Tyris remained silent, but her gaze sharpened as she studied the temple.
Noctis, on the other hand, looked almost delighted.
"How ominous!"
Solvane glanced at him.
"You say that like it's a compliment."
"It is."
"Is this… a Citadel?"
One of the Fire Keepers voiced her question in a tired and bewildered tone. Another answered warily:
"It must be. Who could have built a temple in this place?"
"What the hell, that's a Citadel?!" Effie blurted out.
Saint Cor blinked slowly.
"There was a Citadel this grand in Godgrave and no one discovered it until now?"
"It would seem so," Saint Tyris answered, her eyes narrowing.
The Song sisters exchanged glances.
A Citadel hidden this deep inside Godgrave was already valuable.
One controlled by a powerful independent Saint was something else entirely.
Morgan's expression became more serious.
'A Citadel in the future battlefield...'
That alone made Lord of Shadows strategically important.
Nephis remained silent, observing the dark temple somberly.
She was not afraid of the Lord of Shadows, his onyx devil, and other secrets the mysterious Saint could have been hiding. However, should the negotiations go badly… fighting a powerful enemy within the walls of their Citadel was bound to be troublesome.
Some of the Saints nodded faintly.
Cormac crossed his arms.
"She's right. Fighting someone inside their own Citadel is never ideal."
"Especially someone strong enough to establish one here," Roan added.
Beastmaster's smile became faintly dangerous.
"If negotiations failed badly enough, destroying the Citadel might still be worth it."
Morgan glanced at her.
"And lose one of the most strategically valuable positions in Godgrave?"
Beastmaster shrugged.
"Depends on who ends up controlling it."
It would be a shame for the Citadel to be destroyed in the process, at least.
Effie blinked.
Then slowly smiled.
"Of course that's what she's worried about."
Nephis didn't react.
Glancing at their beautiful demonic guide, Nephis smiled slightly and nodded.
"Lead the way."
"This truly is a peculiar Echo," Deathstinger said.
Nephis's eyes remained on the screen.
'No, not just peculiar.'
The living statue lingered for a moment, then started climbing the steps of the temple. Nephis and the Fire Keepers followed.
Soon, they passed between the towering black columns and reached a grandiose hall.
Its dark expanse was drowning in impenetrable shadows.
Rain swallowed.
"Why does everything about this place look terrifying?"
Aiko silently agreed with every fiber of her being.
Noctis leaned forward.
"I rather like it. Though why did it have to be black?"
"Of course that's what you say," Solvane muttered.
The interior of the dark temple was drowning in deep shadows, and the enchanted lanterns of the Fire Keepers seemed even weaker in their cold embrace. The light emanating from the luminous Memories flickered, barely able to illuminate a narrow circle around them.
Wind Flower's gaze sharpened.
"Even enchanted light is struggling?"
Daeron said nothing.
That silence caught her attention more than an answer would have.
His gaze had been fixed on those shadows for quite some time.
In fact, it was not even the shadows themselves… Neph's eyes narrowed when she felt the subtle presence of the being who was hiding in the depths of the hall wash over her like a tidal wave. Suddenly, the darkness around them seemed infinitely more dark, in turn making the light starker.
'...Strong.'
Several Saints straightened.
Nephis herself calling someone strong carried weight.
Morgan's eyes narrowed.
"She hasn't even seen him yet."
"And yet she can already feel his presence," Gilead replied.
Noctis smiled.
"Wonderful."
Mordret tilted his head, his interest growing.
While Nephis was peering into the darkness, their silent guide walked to the side and turned around, resting the tip of her sword on the stone floor of the temple. It was as though the onyx devil assumed the position of an entrance guard.
Jet stared at Saint.
"So that's it?"
Effie looked at her.
"What?"
"She's the door guard."
There was silence.
Then Effie blinked.
"...Oh."
The implications settled.
That creature capable of killing a Great abomination with one strike—
was standing by the entrance like a guard.
…There was another strange sculpture on the other side of them. This one was at least five meters tall and resembled a four-armed fiend that had escaped from the depths of a fiery hell, his mighty body forged from polished black silver. The infernal troll had long, sharp spikes protruding from his steel carapace, as if he was made from countless shattered swords.
Effie's eyebrows rose.
"Another one?"
Kai stared.
"Apparently."
Rain looked increasingly distressed.
"How many does he have?!"
No, not a sculpture.
As the towering fiend moved slightly, the infernal flames burning in his eyes ignited with hungry malice.
The theater quieted.
Even the Fire Keepers watching themselves on the screen looked uncomfortable.
The Fire Keepers grew tense under the gaze of the menacing giant.
Nephis remained unperturbed.
Effie grinned.
"That's Neph."
Nephis ignored them.
A moment later, Cassie whispered into her ear:
[It is… it is a Supreme Devil. His body is incredibly durable and almost immune to fire.]
Silence.
Then—
"What?"
Rain nearly squeaked the word.
Aiko's eyes widened.
Effie stopped smiling.
Even some Saints stiffened.
Morgan leaned forward.
"A Supreme Devil?"
Cormac's expression hardened.
"A Saint commands something of Supreme Rank?"
"That should not be easy," Tyris said slowly.
Even among Saints, possessing an Echo stronger in Rank than oneself was absurd.
And this was not merely Supreme.
It was a Devil.
Mordret's smile thinned.
"So that's what was waiting in the temple."
Beastmaster glanced toward him.
"Feeling more sympathetic toward your future vessel yet?"
"No."
He paused.
"Perhaps slightly."
'...Bothersome.'
Killing a Supreme Devil was not impossible, but this one seemed especially tough. Melting him down would be a chore…
Several people stared at her.
Morgan almost looked offended.
"A Supreme Devil is a chore?"
Nephis finally spoke.
"If something can be killed, then the relevant question is how."
Effie sighed.
"Of course."
Solvane's lips curved slightly.
She approved.
Of course, there were ways to deal with such turtle-like enemies. It was just that fighting the towering fiend and the onyx devil at the same time would not be convenient. In fact, Nether's daughter felt more dangerous despite being of a lower Rank.
Now more eyes turned toward Saint.
Daeron's expression sharpened.
"A lower-ranked creature that feels more dangerous than a Supreme Devil."
Noctis smiled wider.
"Now that is interesting."
Morgan frowned.
"Skill."
Nephis glanced toward her.
Morgan continued.
"Rank is not everything."
Nephis gave a small nod.
For once, they agreed.
In any case, neither of them showed signs of wanting to attack the guests. They just stood motionlessly, as if inviting them to walk deeper into the temple.
Rain stared.
"They're inviting them deeper?"
Jet crossed her arms.
"Which means there's probably something worse deeper inside."
Rain's face fell.
"Why would you say that?"
"Because it's obvious."
Nephis passed between the two powerful monsters and did just that. The Fire Keepers followed, looking oppressed by the inhospitable darkness.
The Fire Keepers currently sitting in the theater looked distinctly less enthusiastic about their future selves.
One muttered:
"Why are we following her?"
Another looked at him.
"Because she's Lady Changing star!"
"...Fair."
When they reached the middle of the great hall, she stopped. In front of them… the shadows grew even deeper, and the light of the lanterns simply drowned in them, disappearing without any effect.
It seemed that the Lord of Shadows did not wish to be seen.
Mordret leaned forward.
"So mysterious."
Morgan glanced at him.
"You sound amused."
"I am."
He smiled.
"Someone defeated me and then decided sitting dramatically in darkness was necessary."
Effie snorted.
"Maybe he's ugly."
Mordret's smile widened.
"That would be disappointing."
Nephis gave Effie a look.
Effie shrugged.
"What?"
Nephis sighed and looked up.
She could feel something enormous moving in the darkness beyond, staring at her from incredible height. At the same time, a chilling sound resounded in the silence of the ancient temple, surrounding her and her warriors from all sides. Like the rustle of countless scales as they scratched against the ancient marble.
The theater went quiet again.
Rain looked upward instinctively.
"What now?"
Aiko didn't want to know.
It was as though a colossal serpent was slithering in the darkness, uncoiling its gargantuan body to raise its long neck and gaze upon them from the darkness.
Effie raised three fingers.
"Onyx murder lady is one." she raised another finger as Ling Ling giggled.
"Supreme metal troll."
Two.
"Giant nightmare snake."
Three.
She slowly lowered her hand.
"And we haven't even seen the actual guy yet."
That sobered the room.
Not being able to see the giant creature was a little uncomfortable.
"Little?" Rain whispered.
Luckily, Cassie was there to help Nephis know what she faced:
[A… a Transcendent Terror.]
Another silence.
This one lasted longer.
Saint Tyris's gaze became heavy.
"A Terror."
Gilead frowned.
"So he possesses a Transcendent Devil, a Supreme Devil, and a Transcendent Terror."
"And apparently more," Morgan added.
Her eyes remained fixed on the screen.
Because the corpses outside had not all been killed the same way.
Steel.
Brute force.
Other methods.
There might be more servants still.
Seishan's expression had become serious.
"This independent Saint has more military power concentrated inside one Citadel than some established factions."
Beastmaster nodded reluctantly.
"And all of it answers to him."
Noctis laughed softly.
"This fellow just keeps becoming more entertaining."
Nephis frowned.
'How many powerful servants does the master of this temple have?'
"Good question," Effie muttered.
She was… amused. Was the Lord of Shadows really independent? How come he had more powerful summons than she had, then? Wasn't it a bit ridiculous?
Effie's lips twitched.
"Even Princess thinks it's bullshit."
Nephis ignored her.
Jet didn't.
"Language!" She covered Ling Ling's ears
Granted, the Great Clan Valor did not treat its adopted daughter with nearly as much sincerity as it did Morgan. But still…
Morgan's expression hardened slightly.
She said nothing.
Neither did Nephis.
That particular subject was better left alone.
Did not stop some stares.
It was not the quantity of these monsters that mattered. It was just that Nephis could sense that each of them was far more ferocious and dangerous than any Echo she had seen.
Daeron nodded faintly.
"Not merely powerful."
Everyone nearby looked toward him.
"Exceptional for what they are."
Noctis glanced at Saint on the screen.
"Especially that one."
Solvane's gaze lingered on the onyx knight.
For once, she agreed with him.
Suddenly, she felt something very unexpected...
Several people leaned closer.
A hint of sympathy for the Prince of Nothing.
Silence.
Then Effie burst out laughing.
Mordret's smile disappeared.
Kai covered his mouth.
Even Jet's lips twitched.
Beastmaster grinned.
"Oh, that's painful."
Morgan looked toward her brother.
"Changing Star feels sorry for you."
Mordret stared ahead.
"I noticed."
Noctis laughed openly.
"Wonderful!"
Mordret closed his eyes.
"I am beginning to dislike this Lord of Shadows."
Effie snorted.
"Because he beat you?" She pasued with a grin,
"Or because he's making people pity me."
That got another laugh.
Then—
the screen continued.
[What about the Lord of Shadows himself?]
The laughter died immediately.
Cassie straightened slightly.
Everyone became attentive.
Finally.
The man himself.
Cassie remained silent for a few moments.
Present Cassie's expression changed.
A pause from her future self was rarely meaningless.
Nephis narrowed her eyes.
Morgan leaned forward.
Mordret's smile slowly returned.
[I don't sense anyone else. There is nobody there…]
The theater froze.
Rain blinked.
"What?"
Aiko looked equally confused.
Effie frowned.
"But shouldn't he be there!?"
"No," Cassie said quietly.
Several people looked toward her.
She was staring at the screen with a troubled expression.
"My future self doesn't say she can't identify him."
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"She says there's nobody there."
Morgan's eyes narrowed.
"Meaning your perception doesn't detect him at all."
Cassie nodded slowly.
"Apparently."
The Saints grew considerably more serious.
Cassie had just identified the Rank and Class of his servants through Nephis's senses.
A Transcendent Devil.
A Supreme Devil.
A Transcendent Terror.
Yet their master—
nothing.
Not Rank.
Not Class.
Not even existence.
Well, obviously a saint, but still.
Rain whispered:
"Then where is he?"
No one answered.
Daeron's gaze became sharp.
Noctis had stopped laughing.
Even Mordret's expression had turned genuinely curious.
And then—
But just as she said that, a cold voice suddenly resounded from the darkness, enveloping the Fire Keepers like a death knell:
Everyone stiffened.
"Nephis of Valor… welcome. I did not expect to be visited by someone as exalted as the last daughter of the Immortal Flame."
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The mysterious Saint was there.
Cassie simply could not perceive him.
Mordret's smile slowly returned.
Morgan's expression darkened.
The Song sisters exchanged wary glances.
Noctis leaned forward again, eyes gleaming.
Daeron stared into the impenetrable darkness.
And Nephis—
Nephis's eyes narrowed as she listened to the voice of the man she had crossed Godgrave to find.
Rain swallowed.
Then whispered the question that had slowly begun to settle over the entire theater.
"...What the hell is this guy?"
No one had an answer.
The screen remained dark.
And for the first time since the mysterious name had appeared—
Lord of Shadows no longer sounded like a dramatic title.
It sounded like a warning.
...
This fic was suppoeted react to cannon to the first chapter is almost a copy paste of the cannon chapters but since my jwart fic got adopted (their permission) I transitioned this into a another fic i was drafting, so fanfic elements will come going forward.