"And thus defied the will of the Great God of Shadows, as well as the Daemon of Repose," the masked man finished.
The Seer of Paths leaned back in amusement.
"What a tale!" he said. "Truly! Such a being does not deserve to be called a Mongrel."
The Heir of Weaver looked at him with his gentle demeanor.
"Such is the nature of this world, great Seer of Paths," he said sagely.
"One often judges a being before knowing them. Kanakht spoke the name Mongrel only to learn what his wrath could be."
Then—
The Heir of Weaver smiled as if hearing something.
The others looked at him for a moment in thought as their heads turned to—
They blinked.
Then they turned to the Heir of Weaver.
"So where is the great—" the Seer of Paths was cut off as shadows swirled, and from them—
Emerged the Lord of Shadows.
As the shadows calmed themselves, the Lord of Shadows looked around, seeing the atmosphere.
He turned to the masked man.
"What have you been telling them, pretty boy?" he asked.
The masked man groaned again.
"Why must you tease me so often, Lord of Shadows?" he asked.
The Lord of Shadows turned around and walked to his throne.
"I need to amuse myself somehow. Might as well be you, pretty boy, at least until the war begins," he said as he sat down.
"What will you do after that, Lord of Shadows?" the Seer of Paths said.
"Flirt with innocent maidens on the battlefield again?" he asked.
The Lord of Shadows turned to him and stared blankly.
The Seer of Paths was more amused.
"Oh, please! That tongue of yours is untamed. While your gaze remains innocent, you surely have a habit of keeping all women on their toes with your tongue." He chuckled lightly.
The Lord of Shadows regarded him.
"Seer of Paths—"
"You cannot dismiss their words, Lord of Shadows," the masked man said.
The Lord of Shadows narrowed his eyes behind his mask.
The Seer of Paths looked at him.
"Oh, please!" he said, about to remind everyone of something.
"Did you not tell the Great God of War that you'll let her live should she bed you?"
"..."
The Lord of Shadows did not answer that as his gaze drifted upward.
"...I'm taking no part in this talk..." the Heir of Weaver said as he looked up into the endless height.
The Lord of Shadows spoke.
"I suggest you stay clear of my history on who entered my bed, Seer of Paths."
The Seer of Paths leaned forward.
"Tell me. Of all the desecrations you committed, did you ever bed a Great God or Daemon—"
He was cut off by a sharp look from the Lord of Shadows.
"I wouldn't be surprised if he had," the masked man said.
The Lord of Shadows looked at him, then smirked behind his mask.
"You speak as if you slept with any of them? Of all the tales, I've never actually heard of you bedding one of the Great Gods or Daemons."
The masked man leaned back.
"Oh, you're just jealous, Lord of Shadows," he said as he fixed the cuff of his garbs.
The Lord of Shadows tilted his head as if quirking an eyebrow.
"You are jealous!" the masked man said with a hint of mischief.
"When the Great God of War became aware of our escapades, she was willing to kill all of us whom she encountered."
He paused.
The Seer of Paths grumbled about something as the Heir of Weaver looked down, his aloof nature disappearing.
They were not happy.
Then—
All three turned their heads to the masked man.
The masked man, unaware of the attention, spoke.
"Yet when she saw my face—not only did she stop, she pardoned me," he said as he ran a hand through his hair.
The three men stared at him.
"Yes, I remember. I had to stay clear of her, while you could just walk past her," the Seer of Paths said, tapping his armrest.
"Pretty boy indeed," the Lord of Shadows chuckled darkly.
"I didn't need to show my face, for I was capable of fighting them on my own. You, on the other hand, needed to find a way to their bed, pretty boy," he said.
The masked man grumbled something before looking away as if pouting.
"Now, now, Lord of Shadows," the Heir of Weaver spoke as the others looked at him.
Except the masked man.
"Why must you tease him so often?" the Heir of Weaver said gently.
"Did you not despise the Great Gods and Daemons?"
The Lord of Shadows looked at him.
"I did."
"Then why do you tease him, who is responsible for the demise of more Great Gods and Daemons than any of us?"
The Heir of Weaver looked at the masked man.
"Isn't that right, oh great Crown of Grace? Beloved of the Divine?"
...
"Is this what you do all day?" a voice came.
All heads turned toward the voice.
There stood a man leaning against a wall with his arms crossed.
Covered in black with a sash around his waist, black clothing close underneath covered most of his body.
His long black hair was tied into a rough high ponytail.
However, what was more eye-catching was not the black, combat-oriented clothing covering him head to toe.
Or even the black demonic mask with no horns.
It was the spear resting against the shadow-like wall.
The spear was pitch black, as if swallowing light itself. A thin line appeared like a crack or a streak of light purple, beginning from the top of the spear and reaching a third of the way down.
The entire spear was a bit longer than the man himself and radiated shadowy mist.
At its top was a white fragment radiating with enough presence to make even the strongest of Ascended buckle their knees.
The tip of the weapon was unique on its own.
It had no fixed form, for this was a spear whose tip could change shape to the user's will and desire.
Yet the sheer pressure radiating off the spear was not to be feared lightly. Its presence dwarfed anything annoying.
This weapon bore both the killing intent of the Great Goddess of War and the essence of the Great God of Shadows.
A weapon of the Divine Rank.
"You retell my tale wisely but speak of my weapon as if it is some simple weapon," the man said.
"If it isn't the Mongrel," the Lord of Shadows cut through.
The man did not care as he walked forward, holding the weapon.
Walking up to the throne near the Heir of Weaver, he sat against the throne.
"When Shadow and War fought and the Lord of Shadows escaped to the Shadow Realm, War saw me at the other end and mistook me for the Lord of Shadows," he said.
The Heir of Weaver continued.
"Manifesting a Divine spear, the Great Goddess of War threw it. But the Great God of Shadows refused to let the spear make its mark, and so used his might and shattered it into countless pieces."
A pause.
"Countless pieces tore through time and space and struck many realms, wiping out life across countless mortal realms."
He looked at the man.
"One such piece struck his soul. In a reaction to survive, the will and essence residing on its core merged with his soul, thus making it Soul-Bound."
Their eyes drifted to the Divine weapon beside the man.
It was merged with the man's soul, meaning it could not be taken away.
"It was merely a fragment that struck my soul. There is nothing great," the man said in a calm and detached tone.
"Is it?" the Seer of Paths questioned.
"Each fragment was capable of wiping out places like Bastion and Ravenheart. Even a Sovereign would likely not survive such a strike from the fragment alone," the Crown of Grace said.
"The one that struck him was oozing with the essence of the Shadow God," the Lord of Shadows cut through as heads turned to him.
"The fragment itself could have torn him apart, and the essence itself would have outright destroyed the soul," he explained.
"He merged the essence and the fragment. Hence, the essence itself manifested as the Shadow God's essence, while the fragment carried War's killing intent."
He paused.
"Coming together, they formed what is a weapon capable of killing lesser gods even now."
"...Merged the essence of the Great God of Shadows and the Great God of War? How is that even possible?" the Crown of Grace asked.
"Indeed. It is known among all beings that the Great God of Shadows and the Great God of War hated each other. For their wills and essence to merge and cooperate... how?" the Seer of Paths asked.
"Ask him yourself," the Lord of Shadows said dismissively.
The two looked at the masked man.
He did not answer.
The Heir of Weaver spoke.
"It is my belief," he began.
"That the Great God of Shadows and the Great God of War—their wills did not merge with each other. Rather, the soul was used as the bridge. Each was merged precisely in the right manner and instance, making the process successful."
He slowed down.
"However, how one can do such a harrowing task on the first try and succeed in an amount of time that can only be considered instantaneous..."
He didn't finish.
He didn't have to.
"...Well," the silence was broken by the Seer of Paths, "such is to be expected from the man who killed the first mortal who became a Sovereign," he said.
A moment later, the Crown of Grace spoke.
"If we are correcting tales, let's not make it sound like I killed the most Divine beings myself," he said almost shyly as all looked at him.
"I merely trapped them for eternity. It's not as if I killed all of them with my own two hands," he said.
"And yet it would not have been possible had you not succeeded, oh great Crown of Grace," the Heir of Weaver spoke in a pleased manner.
"Do not think less of yourself," he said like the older sibling he was seen as.
The Crown of Grace nodded gratefully.
"If it is about opposing the Great Gods and Daemons, as well as their wills and might..." the masked man spoke as all looked at the throne with the spear.
The man looked at the aloof Lord of Shadows.
"One has to remember, of all mortals, the Lord of Shadows is the only one who can claim to have battled the six Great Gods and six Daemons," he said.
Silence settled as all looked at the mighty Lord of Shadows.
The greatest warrior to walk across all of time.
...
The bright morning of Bastion settled in.
It had been a few days since the confession.
Due to her duties as a Saint, Nephis couldn't come any sooner. However, she was here today.
Five days of not seeing your boyfriend right after he became your boyfriend was quite annoying.
Nephis entered the café as the bell chimed. She looked around at the patrons and turned to see that Sunless was not at the counter.
Good.
That meant he was in the back.
Where they could meet, and at most, only Orphany would be there.
She walked to the door and entered without hesitation as the voices disappeared behind the door.
Taking off her shoes, she went in deeper when she heard the sounds.
"Good... good. Hmm."
Sunless spoke softly, making Nephis blink as she reached the door and peeked in.
A smile came to her face.
Sunless sat with one leg over another, reading through a workbook, making checkmarks and humming sounds as Orphany stood with her hands behind her back, swaying her body.
Sunless was looking over her studies.
For a moment, Nephis decided to just watch them as her heart filled and the faint smile remained.
"Hmm, good job. You just graduated from alphabets and basic words and numbers up to a hundred, Birdy," he said.
Orphany gasped in delight as she nearly jumped.
"Now we will learn to make small sentences and work towards five hundred."
"H-Huh?"
Orphany's face fell.
Sunless closed the book.
"Your test is over. You are free for today," he said.
Orphany sighed and brightened up.
"Now turn around. You have a surprise," Sunless said.
Orphany blinked and turned around.
She gasped.
"Pretty Miss!"
She shouted and ran to her.
Nephis smiled as she stepped into the frame and knelt down as Orphany ran into her arms.
Nephis hugged her back as she stood up with the girl.
"You saw me?" she asked with a smile.
...
Instead of saying yes or that he felt her presence—
"How could I not?" he said with a smile.
Nephis's face warmed as she smiled at Sunless.
Sunless smiled at her as he raised his hand and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.
Orphany's face was over Nephis's shoulder, so she saw nothing.
But Nephis smiled at Sunless even more.
"It's been five days," Sunless said as he stepped back.
"I'd like my attention."
Nephis pressed her lips together.
"And I'd like mine..."
They stared at each other for a moment.
Orphany pulled back and looked at their faces.
They didn't realize.
Orphany looked at Sunless.
Then Nephis.
Then Sunless.
"What is happening?" she asked innocently.
They didn't hear it.
"Hello?"
Still nothing.
Then—
For some reason...
"...Nephis," Sunless called.
"...Sunless," Nephis said.
Then—
Both their faces warmed as they looked away.
Orphany tilted her head in confusion.
"M-My lady," Sunless said.
"Y-Yes, Master Sunless."
Ahh, they needed some time.
Adorable.
Sunless looked back.
"So, how were your days? Did you eat well?" he asked.
Nephis smiled at the man.
"I did."
Sunless looked at her for a moment.
Then—
"Okay, I don't believe that," he said as he walked to and past her toward the kitchen.
"It's about brunch time. Let's have something," he said.
Nephis wanted to say she didn't neglect her health, but she couldn't help the smile as Sunless went to cook for them.
She looked at Orphany.
"Well, you earned yourself a treat for graduating," she said.
"Really?" Orphany asked excitedly.
Orphany beamed and raised her hands.
"Yay!"
Nephis smiled faintly.
"Yay," she said, right as Orphany leaned in and kissed her cheek.
Nephis smiled.
"Come on. Let's eat with Papa," she said as they walked behind Sunless.
...
It was some time later when Sunless and Nephis were walking along the lake as Orphany played with some toys.
Sunless and Nephis were walking shoulder to shoulder, so close together that every so often their hands brushed, and smiles came to their faces.
They didn't really need many words.
Just walking together was enough.
But Sunless had something very important to ask.
"My lady?" he called, and Nephis looked at him.
She had a faint smile that was almost always present now.
It would become more neutral over time, but that didn't mean she would slip into something like Sunless's company. Rather, it would become second nature and still be filled with the same joy as now.
Probably more...
Which would be more romantic and intimate in a certain way than just smiling.
"I was wondering..." Sunless began as they stopped and looked at each other.
"Would you like to go out with me?" he asked.
Nephis blinked.
"Huh?"
Sunless smiled more as he tilted his head.
"On a date, I mean."
Nephis blinked again.
That was followed by a blush and a smile.
"Yes."
She didn't hesitate.
Sunless smiled more.
"Great, so I'll make some plans?" he asked.
Nephis nodded.
"If you don't mind."
Sunless smiled.
Then a thought came.
Nephis's expression softened.
"Master Sunless?" she called.
Sunless looked at her.
She hesitated.
"Well... you see, Master Sunless... I've never done this. Go on a date, I mean. Like, ever."
Her cheeks turned lightly red.
"So you're the first person ever I'm doing this with, as a date, and boyfriend—" she hurriedly added, "which I'm glad—very glad—that you are my first... in everything. So if I act stupid..."
She trailed off as Sunless looked at her.
It felt like she was drowning in Sunless's eyes.
"Master Sunless..." she whispered.
Sunless smiled as he raised his hand and placed it on her hand gently.
"Your first, huh? That makes me really happy," Sunless said as he smiled.
"Because you're my first in everything as well, my lady," he reassured.
"And as for the date, don't worry," he said as he brightened and tilted his head.
"I don't mind. Act however you feel like, or whatever happens. As long as you're my lady and happy, that's all I want."
Nephis's heart flipped around her rib cage as she swallowed, barely managing a nod.
Sunless smiled as they walked again.
This time, when their hands brushed—
Sunless and Nephis linked their pinkies.
Yet—
What they didn't know...
Was that far away, someone was keeping an eye on them.
Slowly setting her toys on the grass, Orphany's eyes narrowed as she leaned forward, staring at them.
"Papa and Pretty Miss..." Orphany muttered as the realization came.
Her head snapped upward as her brows furrowed.
"They are playing without me!"
She pouted.
Hard.
Very hard!
...
In the daylight of Godgrave sat a man upon his throne.
It was the Lord of Shadows.
However, today was different.
The man stood up as he disappeared into the shadows.
Soon, he reappeared at the end of his territory, standing atop a cliff as he looked down.
There were about twenty Masters and five Saints, alongside about thirty Awakened in the back.
However, the only one the Lord of Shadows found noteworthy was a woman up front.
A daughter of Ki Song.
Revel.
The Lord of Shadows looked at the woman as she met his gaze.
"It seems the child of Beast does not possess the brain of a human," he said as his odachi formed.
"Lord of Shadows," Revel ignored him.
"The Queen of Worms has sent one more proposal. Should you apologize on your knees before the Queen, you are welcome to join—"
"Spare me your words, child," the Lord of Shadows cut her off.
His eyes narrowed.
"I am far too bored," he said as he tilted his body casually.
"Come, I have a stress problem. Your force may prove to be a decent breathing exercise for me."
He dodged an attack from a Saint by a hair's breadth.
Revel's lips pressed into a thin line.
'He dodged that in the same breath he challenged us.'
An attack from a Saint was not slow either.
And they were not weak ones either.
Revel took in a sharp breath as she commanded—
"Move!"
Several projectiles were shot forward, and people got into a defensive formation.
The Lord of Shadows watched all of this with calm eyes as his body dissolved into shadows, the attacks passing harmlessly through him.
"What?!"
"Careful!"
"Where is he?!"
"Here."
The Lord of Shadows called calmly.
All heads snapped as the man stood in the center of their formation.
The people paled at his presence as the aura of Death radiated from him.
Yet they charged, and Revel jumped forward without hesitation.
His demonic mask rose slightly as he looked at them.
"Die."
And yet...
The Lord of Shadows really wasn't focused.
His mind was elsewhere as he battled these people he barely considered anything close to a warm-up, or bugs to swat away.
Back to that one battle that even he called a worthy one.
The battle of Mongrel and the cursed immortal king, Kanakht.
...
It was an age where the Great Gods still walked in the same realms as mortals.
An age where the first human to reach Supremacy had long since formed the first Domain of humanity and established his kingdom.
And had been banished from Death by the Great God of Shadows.
The Supreme had already moved forward with his plans to consume everyone—every man, woman, and child—in his Domain that he had to in order to form a Sacred Core.
Helpless, the people had gone to the person they could.
Reme.
The Daemon of Repose.
One of the Seven Daemons.
Yet Reme herself could not kill the being, for he had been banished from Death.
And so she gave the only possible offer:
To sever his existence into several pieces and seal them away.
Yet before they could—
In the ancient kingdom stood a man atop a great wall.
In front of him was the cursed immortal king.
They were incomparably far away from each other, yet they could tell by the other's presence.
A clash was inevitable.
The kingdom did not have a single one of its residents remaining, all of them already having been told to leave the kingdom for the battle to come.
The man's dark clothing fluttered in the wind as his hands held a black spear, its base resting on the ground while its tip flickered like a black flame.
The immortal king stood at the highest viewpoint of his castle as his head declined to look at the man far away.
"A Transcendent... challenges me?" he said to himself.
A light scoff came.
Essence coated his voice as he spoke, his voice echoing.
"Be gone, filthy Mongrel. You are beyond your rank."
The man did not hesitate as he looked up.
Whether his voice reached the cursed immortal king did not matter.
For his intent did.
"I never was one to care for ranks or status," his detached tone came.
The cursed king's brow creased slightly as he moved.
A great battle began as the one called Mongrel battled the cursed immortal king for days and nights on end.
...
It was the last day of their battle.
The sun was at its highest.
BOOM!
CRASH!
CRASH!
CRASH!
Mongrel was flung through the air as his body tore through many houses and buildings along the way.
The man recovered in the throw and gained his footing before disappearing in a burst of speed.
"What are you?!" the grotesque form of the immortal king roared in an inhuman form.
Its limbs had been torn, and flesh did not heal as the killing intent of the Great Goddess of War stopped it from doing so.
The Transcendent Transformation of the first Sovereign resembled nothing that it was supposed to be.
Mongrel did not wait.
As the being's limbs thrashed and took down buildings, Mongrel jumped from one building to another, using his momentum to run across them and leap forward.
DASH!
JUMP!
Mongrel leaped forward and crashed into the cursed immortal king's head.
With one foot on its head and the other on the grotesque form, the man drew the spear back and stabbed it into the cursed immortal king's eye, lodging it into its brain.
Yet the cursed immortal king did not die.
And Mongrel did not stop.
"What am I?" Mongrel repeated in a deadly calm tone despite the situation.
"Me? Did you not say it yourself?"
Essence flowed through the spear.
Its body in general let out dark black flames as they intensified with each passing moment, becoming larger as the fragment at the top glowed inside the Sovereign's body, permanently dealing damage that refused to heal.
"I'm just a Mongrel," he said as he pushed more essence in.
The spear went deeper as the man thrust.
Yet the Supreme did not die.
The curse of the Great God of Shadows did not let it.
It did not have a shadow for it to die.
Yet Mongrel did not care.
He called upon it.
Pouring his essence forward, he forced the essence of the Great God of Shadows and the Great God of War to appear.
As the killing intent of the Great Goddess of War activated, Mongrel felt crushing pressure on his soul.
The Great God of Shadows' essence moved as it had been willed to push back against the Divine killing intent.
The killing intent and the essence of the Shadow God moved from their passive state as the essence held back the intent from going toward Mongrel.
Mongrel moved the seething essence with his own will and forced both to move forward.
Yet directing Divine power was not so simple.
His existence itself took the toll.
He did not care.
It was nothing that would not heal over time.
Directing the essences toward the Supreme—
"Kanakht," he called with eerie calm.
He could feel it.
The curse of the Shadow God was fighting against the spear's might.
The Great God of Shadows' essence and the killing intent were being forced to direct themselves at the same being—
No.
A being was not enough.
He had to kill both the king and the curse at the same time.
"Shadow God's essence is not enough," he realized.
"Neither is War Goddess's killing intent," he murmured through gritted teeth as pain coursed through him.
Kanakht had been banished from Death.
It would not be so simple to kill him, for his shadow did not exist.
Something was missing.
One more piece.
Something that would force the shadow itself to return.
The very thing the Great God of Shadows had somehow stolen away from the king's existence.
Mongrel narrowed his eyes behind his mask as blood flowed from both his eyes and nose.
His calm demeanor did not change.
"Will."
He needed it.
He needed to use at least the basics of Will that all living beings could use like an ability.
Transcendents too could use it.
But compared to Supremes—
Compared to what Kanakht himself was doing right now?
It was nothing but a fraction.
Still, he had to.
And so Mongrel did.
"Die."
Mongrel said.
"You waste your breath! Filthy Mongrel!" the weak growl came.
"Die."
Something stirred.
Mongrel could feel it.
The spear was no longer just piercing Kanakht.
It was pushing back against something more.
As his brain throbbed and blood came from his ears, he forced the Great God of Shadows' essence forward more.
Something resolved into a physical or metaphysical form.
The curse was here.
It was the shadow of Kanakht.
The very one the Great God of Shadows had taken away.
'The Shadow God's essence pulled it back? Or did it emerge from—no.'
He cut himself off as his Will intensified.
"MONGREL!" Kanakht roared.
Yet try as he might, Mongrel could not wield Will like a weapon as a Supreme could.
This battle was a lost cause unless he became a Supreme himself.
And he could not.
His existence was not a normal one.
Even he, alongside those he knew—the Lord of Shadows as well as the Heir of Weaver—
They had reached the threshold long ago.
As had the others.
But they could not ascend.
Their existence was not there to ascend.
They were incapable of ascending through the ranks, naturally or unnaturally.
"AGHHHHH!" Kanakht screamed.
As the dark flames roared more, the entire ruined kingdom came under their strength.
The people who were so far away that the kingdom seemed like a small mirage could only stare as the Divine flames licked the clouds as if trying to engulf them as well.
It was harrowing.
"I-I can—" Mongrel realized.
"But I have to!" he grunted as he held the spear deeper.
His Will was great even among the Transcendent.
It was one of the stronger.
But not enough to force both Divine killing intent and a Great God's essence to move and fight against a Divine curse, all the while suppressing a power as great as Kanakht.
What he had accomplished was already enough to appear in all legends that could hear of it.
And that was still not enough.
"I refuse," Mongrel said in a whisper as he pushed harder.
"Wretched Mongrel!"
Then—
As if answering his Will...
An oppressive presence descended upon the ruined kingdom that had become a battlefield for the two beings.
Mongrel did not have to think long about why it happened.
For a vision came.
A great desert.
A great pyramid towering over anything imaginable.
And—
A shadowy figure covered in black stood atop it.
Its dark clothing fluttered in the great wind as something became visible of their existence.
A word came crashing down on Mongrel as he felt it.
Will.
Not from him
Something vast settled over his existence, and with it came understanding.
Pushing back against the Sovereign, Mongrel felt pleased at what had happened.
The Divine killing intent and the essence of a Great God became easier to tame as he did what he felt was stabilizing the curse and Kanakht's shadow itself.
The Supreme's grotesque form's other eye widened as liquid poured out.
"AGH! Wha—how?! HOW?!" he screamed.
Mongrel did not care.
For he felt it.
His existence evolve.
"Splendid."
The word he heard fell into his very soul.
"A Mongrel, you say?" he said again.
The shadow of Kanakht came from the clutches of the Great God of Shadows as the spear glowed deeper.
"Yes," he said with eerie calmness.
"I am a Mongrel."
Kanakht's form limped.
Mongrel's eyes narrowed as a burst of essence that, as a Transcendent, should have long been extinguished came from him.
"And you're dead."
BOOM!
All mortals watched as a great explosion wreaked havoc, winds traveling far and kicking dust into the skies while shockwaves traveled even further.
The dark flames covering the fallen kingdom disappeared as only dust remained.
And from the dust—
Emerged a man.
The mortal who defied the curse of a Great God and did what a Daemon could not do.
The Transcendent who was granted Supremacy in the heat of combat.
From the dust of the ruined kingdom emerged—
A Mongrel.
...
Somewhere far away, in another realm—
The Lord of Shadows stood atop a creature he had slain.
His being elevated to that of a Sovereign as well as he turned over the Cursed Beast he had been battling as a Transcendent.
Yet not just any abomination he had overcome.
But a Cursed abomination of the Primordial Void.
A feat not far behind that of Mongrel.
Yet it would not have been possible if he, too, had not been granted Supremacy while in battle.
The Lord of Shadows stood atop the carcass as he looked up into the torn sky the creature had crawled out of, watching as the fabric of space healed.
...
In a land uncharted walked a man, surrounded by nothing but dry land as golden strings floated around him, holding something like a boulder in the air as he walked.
This Keeper of Fate carried the bait for a Cursed Terror as he walked as a Supreme.
For a moment, he stopped and looked up into the sky.
...
In a world shrouded in darkness, where light did not reach, a man moved his hands in the air as runes glowed.
The Crown of Grace had walked into Supremacy, making a breakthrough that would make his future trap easier.
...
Finishing an escapade, a man ran from the Underworld as a Supreme before the youngest of the Daemons could return to his stronghold.
The Seer of Paths tore through his enemies with ease as a Supreme.
...
That day, in the same moment, across the realms—
Rose seven Sovereigns.
They all knew one thing.
The reason their souls had become Supreme.
Pleased by their efforts, the Greatest of Abominations had stepped back into the flow of time—
Granting them Supremacy.
...
It had been a few days since Sunless asked Nephis on a proper date, and today was finally here.
Sunless had insisted on this specific day for whatever he had planned.
It was strange, since the place they met up at was not somewhere with one special day of the month fixed, but she didn't mind.
The date was going well and not at the same time.
Well...
It was going well.
Their plans had slightly derailed at the start.
Since the Dream Realm did not support technology, when he took her to a theater, they were watching an act.
Which was not bad.
Except—
They weren't watching the act...
They were busy taking glances at each other while their pinkies linked and unlinked and linked again as they did something between shying away and playing with each other's attention.
Eventually, Sunless decided that if they weren't enjoying the play, they might as well get to the next step of the date.
Sunless's own clothing was still black, but he was wearing something with a darker, flowery pattern.
Or rather, tree-like?
Either way, it looked great on him.
She was glad he was wearing his usual style of clothing. Sunless looked good in his own style, and the fact that he was comfortable sticking to his pattern felt nice too.
The last thing she wanted was for him to be uncomfortable in his clothing on their first date.
Speaking of clothing, she was wearing a simple dress, one similar to what she wore when she met Sunless for the first time in Sunless's café.
Since she didn't tell Cassie, on her side she couldn't actually ask her what to wear, and so chose what she liked and what she thought Sunless would like.
Unfortunately, neither had gotten to the point where they had complimented each other's appearance.
Which was a little disheartening.
Either she had been too much of her usual self to the point that Sunless didn't even notice the clothing, or he didn't have the courage to say how she looked to her.
Or he simply didn't find it attractive.
That one was more likely, since she genuinely wasn't good at dressing up.
Well...
Right now, they were walking next to each other, looking around.
And she was glad for that.
Because while Sunless's state of mind remained unknown for now—
Nephis's wasn't.
She was trying not to look at Sunless too much.
For in that clothing, he looked like a nobleman.
And not the kind that walked through town with a convoy following them.
No.
Sunless had the presence of a very powerful and calm nobleman who had long retired and was resting in a villa far from the bustle of the city to live out his old age.
Except Sunless wasn't old.
He was young.
A very young and handsome man.
Very handsome.
Emphasis on handsome.
And very pleasing to look at.
So yes.
Sunless was a very young and handsome man.
Emphasis on young and handsome.
Especially handsome.
So looking around was a saving grace.
Until she noticed the looks other women were giving Sunless.
Nephis's brows furrowed as she stepped a bit closer to Sunless, letting their shoulders brush every few steps.
Blinking, she looked at him worriedly.
However, strangely, Sunless looked at her and smiled gently, not pulling away.
Her ears reddened as she looked forward and smiled.
They each were touching the other now, not just brushing, and their pinkies stayed linked.
"So where are we going?" she asked.
Sunless smiled.
"Ahh, actually, I was planning on walking through the market district," he said.
Nephis blinked, tilting her head.
"My lady doesn't come here often, but once a month, the place has a carnival of sorts. Some game stations and food carts will be present here," he said as he looked at her.
"I wanted to take you here so we can try and have a little fun. The games might be boring, but some street snacks can be promising, since I don't make some simple things," he said.
Suddenly, the realization of why Sunless had insisted on this special day came.
He wanted to take her to this special carnival so she could enjoy herself.
And, as per his usual pattern, he wanted her to enjoy this normalcy of life.
A date.
A theater.
A carnival.
Some games, some stalls, some snacks, and Sunless and Nephis.
Just Sunless and Nephis.
A smile came to her lips as she looked away.
"Please lead the way, Master Sunless," she said with warm cheeks.
Sunless smiled as well as he stepped forward slightly.
"Let's go."
...
Sunless and Nephis had just walked away from their seventh game stall as Nephis held a plushie that Sunless had won for her.
She was both smiling and blushing, for he had won it and given it to her without her asking.
It was both silly and adorable.
And most of all—
Date-like.
Which was what was to be cherished.
"Here, give me a second," he said as he took the cuddly black star and weaved his fingers around it.
Since no one could see it, and it took less than five seconds, Sunless handed it back as Nephis poured essence into it.
It became a Memory.
Sunless smiled at her as they walked again.
And Nephis just realized—
Her very first date in her entire life, with her first boyfriend, and said boyfriend—Sunless—had made her first memento into a Memory that she could keep forever.
She smiled more as the star disappeared in sparks, and they moved forward.
...
"Here you go," he said as she took a hot corn from him as he sat next to her.
"Be careful, it's hot," he said as he blew some air on it before turning to his own.
Nephis smiled as she looked at the corn.
"I've never had one before," she said a little hesitantly, and Sunless looked at her.
"Really?" he asked, then smiled. "Well, I guess this is another one of your first times I gave you, huh?" he said.
...
Sunless blinked.
Then his face drained of color for a moment as he looked horrified.
"W-Wait—that—not what I meant—" he stuttered.
"It's fine," Nephis's voice came.
Sunless stopped as he looked at her.
Some tension left him.
Nephis's face was red, but she wasn't angry.
Quite the opposite.
She was flushing.
"I know you didn't mean anything rude," she said.
She looked forward.
"And in that sense, you gave me my first chocolate dome dessert too, right?" she said as her face calmed.
Sunless looked at her for a moment.
Then his expression softened.
"Yeah..."
He looked forward too as a moment of peace settled in.
then nephis looekd awawaya nd culless looked
"Ehh!" he let out in emotion as Nephis's shoulders shook.
"Yes, yes, go ahead. Make fun of me, will you?" he said with hidden humor as he smiled too.
Then Nephis looked at her corn and took a bite.
"You like it?" he asked.
Nephis looked at him and nodded.
Sunless set his aside as he reached over.
"Here, let me try something," he said.
Confused, Nephis let Sunless take the corn as she looked at him curiously.
Sunless picked out some lemon and black pepper the stall owner had given them.
Carefully rubbing it onto the corn with its torn leaf and squeezing some lemon, Sunless carefully adjusted the ratio.
What he was basing the measurements on, she didn't know.
"Here you go," he said as she took it.
"Try it."
Nephis took a bite.
When she did, her eyes widened faintly as she looked at the corn.
"Like it?" he asked.
"I do," she said with a little more enthusiasm than the first time.
She looked at him and asked, "What happened?"
Sunless smiled as he took a bite of his own corn.
"Well, I know your taste. You like some lime cakes and other things, and I know your liking in spice levels too, so I adjusted them to the corn's sweetness," he said as he took another bite.
Nephis froze.
Her heart skipped a beat as her smile grew and she looked forward.
"I see..." she said as she took a bite, blushing.
Of course he noticed the most minor details over the weeks and made plans accordingly.
For a few moments, they just chatted about the games they had played as they enjoyed the corn.
Eventually, Sunless pointed out a few more things they could try.
"You know, there's a barbecue stall there too, and there's a haunted house, but I doubt we'll enjoy that. And there's this place with some game where you catch fish too. If you want, we can take some. I can put them in the café or arrange a Memory for you to take, and Birdy will be fascinated too," he said.
After a little bit of discussion, they made a small plan.
Nephis took a moment to look at Sunless as he enthusiastically pointed at things they could do.
Nephis looked for a napkin when Sunless simply handed her one.
Instinctively.
That made her smile again.
"Would you like a drink?" he asked, and Nephis nodded.
He stood up and looked at her.
"Anything specific?"
But Nephis shook her head.
"Just bring me what you get," she said.
Sunless smiled and nodded.
Nephis looked at his back fondly before setting aside the corn.
She looked around the carnival at the families and people enjoying themselves.
She would have never thought one day she'd walk among them with a smile herself.
Especially with a boyfriend as handsome as Sunless.
She smiled more as she summoned the black star.
"He still didn't compliment me..." she said as she rested a cheek against the star, hugging it.
With a sigh, she shook her head and looked at the star, smiling.
Since there wasn't much to do but wait, she brought out its runes just to see.
And blinked.
[Memory Name: A Little Star.]
She smiled.
[Memory Rank: Unique.]
[Memory Class: One of Its Own.]
She smiled more in amusement.
It was a modified Rank name outside of the Spell that Sunless had made.
Her face warmed at Unique and One of Its Own.
Sunless valued the star as much as she did.
Then her smile widened as she read more, her ears turning red.
[Memory Type: Precious.]
Nephis shook her head and read further with a smile.
However, her eyes widened at the description.
Her face turned warm as her head jumped.
[Memory Description:
A humble artisan once brought a little black star into existence.
The star looked upon its dark form with pride and asked:
"Oh, my creator, is there a star more beautiful beneath the heavens?"
The artisan did not answer.
Instead, he placed the little star into the hands of a maiden whose hair shone like silver.
Her attire was modest, yet carried an elegance that made finery worthless.
Her presence was quiet, her bearing graceful, and her hair fell like shimmering silver.
Yet it was her smile that left the little star most mesmerized.
For the first time, the black star grew silent.
Only then did its creator smile.
"Only the changing one."
And so the little star saw a sight few witnessed in existence.]
...
Sunless and Nephis were walking along a trail as the sun began to set.
After hours of food, snacks, stalls, and games, they were finally on a quiet, secluded walk.
It was when they were looking over the lake that Nephis took off her Memory disguise and turned to Sunless.
Only for Sunless to freeze.
Nephis blinked as, a moment later, her face warmed.
Sunless's emotions remained—
Gratitude, delight, fluster, care, fondness, and many more.
Then he looked away.
"How is this fair?" he said as his face warmed.
Nephis tilted her head to look at his face while ignoring her own warming face.
Sunless glanced at her with a smile.
"I was already having a hard time keeping my composure with you in black hair," he paused. "Now you are in your silver ones. D-Do you have any idea how hard it is to stay composed when you look so beautiful?" he said.
...
Nephis's heartbeat thundered as her face warmed.
Sunless was in a similar state.
Both looked away as Sunless covered his face with one hand and smiled while Nephis blushed the other way.
"I-Is that so?" she said.
They glanced at each other once more.
"You look very handsome yourself, Master Sunless. So much so that I can't stop looking at you."
She decided to let Sunless have some footing as her face warmed even more.
Sunless's did as well as both looked away once again.
Stopping close together, they reached for each other's hands as they turned to hold eye contact.
There was emotion.
And more joy than anything as they tentatively intertwined their fingers before moving to hold hands properly.
With their hands intertwined, both Sunless and Nephis blushed as they walked close to the lake.
At least the compliments were said out loud.
Sunless soon found a spot for them to sit, and they sat under a tree, shoulder to shoulder.
Some stars shimmered in the sky as the horizon tinged orange.
They had arranged for some Fire Keepers to look after Orphany, so she was fine.
Sunless and Nephis sat next to each other, hand in hand, as they talked a bit more.
However, the atmosphere shifted when they turned their heads at a special moment.
Their voices stopped as their hearts quickened.
Black met silver, the tips of their hair mixing a little.
Then—
Sunless leaned in.
Nephis reached for Sunless.
A soft brush as Sunless's lips brushed Nephis's cheek.
They pulled back.
Then, with small smiles and warm faces, they leaned in again.
Nephis brushed her lips against Sunless's forehead.
He returned it by kissing her cheek again.
Nephis met Sunless's cheek next.
He moved to her temple now.
Arms came up as Sunless and Nephis held each other somewhat, their bodies close in something similar to a sideways hug as they held each other, kissing and pecking anywhere but the lips.
It was gentle and tender, even playful, as Sunless and Nephis played with each other's reactions.
Eventually, Sunless gently pulled Nephis down as her head rested in his lap.
Nephis rested with her head in Sunless's lap as his fingers moved slowly through her silver hair.
For a while, neither of them said much.
Sunless looked down at her, his expression softening.
"My lady?"
Nephis looked up at him.
"Hm?"
"There is something I want to talk about."
Her expression became a little more attentive.
Sunless continued running his fingers through her hair.
"About Birdy."
Nephis blinked.
Sunless smiled faintly.
"Just because you're with me now doesn't mean you owe her anything."
Nephis remained quiet.
"You don't have to become her mother because you're my girlfriend. You don't have to let her call you anything different. You don't have to change the way you treat her because of me."
His thumb brushed lightly against her hair.
"If you want to stay Pretty Miss forever, then you can."
Nephis stared at him.
Sunless looked toward the lake for a moment.
"I love Birdy more than anything."
Then his gaze returned to her.
"And I love you."
His expression softened further.
"But neither of those things means either of you owes something to the other because of me."
Nephis's eyes softened.
"If Birdy ever gets upset about it, I'll comfort her. If you ever feel uncomfortable, I'll listen to you."
Sunless gave her a small smile.
"I won't push either of you toward something just because it would make me happy."
Nephis continued looking at him for several seconds.
Then she raised one hand.
Sunless blinked as her finger gently pressed against his lips.
"Is that so?"
He stared down at her.
Nephis's cheeks slowly turned red as she shifted closer, settling more comfortably against his lap.
"Well, then..."
She looked away.
"I suppose we are not going to have much of a problem, will we?"
Sunless was silent.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
Nephis's ears reddened.
Sunless understood.
A warm smile slowly appeared on his face.
He did not tease her.
He simply resumed stroking her hair.
"Take as much time as you want, my lady."
Nephis closed her eyes.
"I know."
And after a moment, she moved a little closer to him.
...
The halls of the palace in Ravenheart were under the constant pressure of a Supreme as Ki Song tapped her fingers against the throne.
Her eyes were steel-cold, as if looking to tear something apart.
"How long?" she asked sharply.
The Herald flinched, falling to one knee under the pressure.
"A-A few days—at least six, Your Majesty," he said.
Revel had returned from the battle.
No.
She had been left at the edge of Ravenheart territory.
Alive.
Barely.
And barely meant very barely.
So much so that some of the younger sisters were still outside her room, sitting on the floor.
It took a lot for any of the Song sisters to be left so shaken up.
And it took even more for Ki Song to want to go down and kill the Lord of Shadows herself.
But the mysterious Saint was smart.
Smart enough to know the people he could kill without incurring such wrath.
With Anvil and Ki Song ready to fight each other, she couldn't make a careless move, and the Lord of Shadows had anticipated as much and left Revel alive.
The same could not be said for the rest.
They had fifty Awakened and Ascended, as well as four Saints.
And they had no clue how much of the battle had been in whose favor.
Either way, few things remained.
Ki Song looked at her eldest daughter.
"Beastmaster will go next," she said as her grip around her armrest tightened. "Take more of your sisters and as many Saints and forces as you need."
"If five Saints are not enough, we'll send twenty," she said.
"Isn't that allocating too many of our resources that way, my lady?" a Saint hesitantly raised a point.
Ki Song looked at him coldly, making the man fall silent.
"It is not if we can kill the Saint without losing many of our own," she said. "Make it an overwhelming force that he can't keep up with."
A pause.
"Maybe not twenty, but a force chosen and led by Beastmaster should be more than enough to kill the Lord of Shadows," she said as she looked at the woman.
Beastmaster nodded and stepped forward with a rare but furious and serious expression of her own.
She wanted blood for Revel, and she would have it.
"The Lord of Shadows will die, Your Majesty," the Saint said seriously as she bowed lightly.
Ki Song nodded as the hall emptied.
Only once it was empty did her eyes narrow.
A chilling presence came upon the hall as her hand clenched, shattering the armrest.
"There is no hope for an alliance now," she said.
"Face your demise, Lord of Shadows."
The Sovereign declared.
...
The halls of the dark palace were quiet when, in a burst of black flames, Mongrel walked out calmly.
His gaze turned to face the only man in the hall.
"Crown of Grace," he said.
The humble man smiled back.
"Greetings. How are you today?" he asked.
Mongrel looked at his throne as he walked up there.
"...Thinking," he said, but didn't elaborate.
The Crown of Grace tilted his head.
"Are you thinking of the Lord of Shadows?" he asked.
Mongrel looked at him.
"..."
The Crown of Grace did not mind the silence as he smiled behind his mask.
"I've always believed you two have a strange relationship," he said.
Mongrel looked at him.
The Crown of Grace continued.
"You two have a strange sense of kinship. You both respect each other," he said.
"I've never seen the great Lord of Shadows respect anyone but you."
He paused.
"And, of course, the great Keeper of Fate."
Mongrel looked aside.
"All of us respect the great Keeper of Fate. There is nothing strange," he paused.
"There is not a kinder soul among us than the great Keeper of Fate, he who bore a gentler soul," he said as he looked back.
"It pains me to know the burden he once carried and still does."
His eyes wandered to the Heir of Weaver's throne.
"Of all of us, there is no one who can be respected more."
His eyes wandered to the throne of the Lord of Shadows.
"The great Lord of Shadows is the only one who comes close," he said.
The Crown of Grace looked at the two thrones as well.
The two masked beings did not speak for a long time.
Then—
"But—" the Crown of Grace leaned back.
"Did the great Lord of Shadows not call you his equal in battle?" he asked.
Mongrel looked back.
"...?"
The Crown of Grace smiled gently.
"After all, who could be acknowledged by the great Lord of Shadows, other than you?"
"Oh great Harbinger of Ruin, the Bane of War."