Ranobes » Shadow Slave » Chapter 2090: Fragments of War (27)
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Chapter 2090: Fragments of War (27)
Shadow Slave

There was no mistaking it…

Sunny had made it one of his life's great pursuits to learn how to see logic in the seemingly irrational, mind-boggling complexity of spellweaves. Therefore, his mind was trained to see purposeful patterns where seemingly only chaos existed.

That was why he was able to recognize the subtle intent in the swirling currents of the storm of swords.

The flying swords were slowly forming a vast array above the battlefield, hanging above Condemnation like a net.

But what, exactly, was that array meant to achieve, and how?

Sunny studied it for a moment.

'It's… sorcery.'

His eyes widened.

He had been wondering why Anvil was only using his Dormant Ability. Now, the answer seemed obvious… it was because he was intending to use sorcery to deliver the fatal blow, not the power of his Aspect.

The patterns created by the flying swords — each serving as a conduit of the Sovereign's essence — were not random. Once Sunny understood the nature of the array, he was able to shift his perspective and recognize them for what they were.

They were the half-assembled frames of enormous runes.

These runes were not written with ink on paper, carved into the stone, and woven out of ethereal light. Instead, they were formed by countless rustling swords, written in the glowing red darkness by sharp steel.

More than that, the runic array was not formed on a flat plain, but instead constructed in a three-dimensional space. That, naturally, was very different from how humans usually wrote, and were therefore accustomed to reading. However, Sunny was a weaver, and he had already experienced the frustrating headache of teaching his mind to perceive intricate three-dimensional constructs.

After all, the tapestries of essence strings he usually dealt with were never flat, either.

'Runic sorcery.'

Sunny was not proficient enough in that type of sorcery to understand the purpose of the array, but he could discern its existence, at least.

[Cassie… do you see it?]

Now that he was paying attention to the storm of swords, Cassie would have noticed where his focus was aimed at, as well. And she was far more knowledgeable about runic sorcery than he was.

There were a few moments of silence as both of them fought against the Asuras desperately.

Then, her mental response resounded in his mind, sounding out-of-breath:

[By the dead gods, what the hell is…]

It was a bit funny, really. She was speaking telepathically, and her mind did not possess lungs. Why was she out of breath?

Cassie paused for a moment, and then added:

[I see it. I've never seen anything like it. It's… some kind of magical prism. A prismatic confluence? A fulcrum? I'm not sure.]

That explanation did not tell Sunny much. He gathered that the runic array was meant to channel and focus something — much like a prism would focus light. But what was it that the King of Swords was intending to channel? Sunny did not know.

He was going to find out soon, though, because the runic array seemed to be almost finished.

As Condemnation stepped into a lake of lava, making it spill out of its shores, Anvil soared into the air in a whirlwind of scarlet sparks. More swords manifested themselves behind him, fanned like a steel halo. One, two, three… six of them, all emanating a sense of dire power.

Added with the terrifying sword he was holding in his hand, that was seven of them.

The six swords shot in different directions, while the seventh remained in his grasp.

The Cursed Tyrant's titanic hand once again surged forward, and the torrents of swords once again tried to stall its obliterating blow… only to be effortlessly shattered and pierced.

The cursed god was moving much faster than a creature of its immeasurable size was supposed to move. Not because its speed was so great, but simply because space itself twisted around it, shrinking and extending to allow the dark deity to pass.

There was another blinding flash, and another wave of incinerating heat.Another shockwave slammed into the dome of the Hollows, sending jagged shards of bone plummeting from a great height.

Anvil was once again struck down.

He fell into the lake of lava, this time taking a little longer to stand up.

His fearsome defenses finally seemed to reach their limit. The vermilion cloak that hung on his shoulders was scorched, and his black armor was dented. Most shockingly of all, two thin streams of blood were flowing out of his nostrils, crimson drops falling down and evaporating in the scorching heat.

Nevertheless, the Sovereign just smiled coldly.

Because just at that moment, the runic array was finally complete.

The flying swords that formed the steel storm all happened to be just in the right place for a short, carefully chosen moment, outlining countless immense runes in the air around Condemnation.

The Cursed Tyrant finally seemed to sense the trap, but it was already too late — since the array only assembled itself a split second prior, there was no time to react.

The cursed god silently turned its head and looked up, a hint of a strange emotion appearing in its inhuman eyes.

Then, the flying swords ignited with a cold radiance, and far below them, Anvil grasped his sword with both hands to deliver an upward slash.

That slash was both swift and deliberate, beautifully lethal… but it was futile and insignificant at the same time, having cut nothing but air.

And yet…

The runic array seemed to exist for that one slash only.

Sunny did not know what Anvil had channeled with the help of sorcery — if it was merely his soul essence, the authority of his Domain, or even his sheer will. All he knew was that the runic array was brought to life by something, somehow infusing the slash of the King's sword with truly harrowing power.

It was as if an endless invisible blade slashed the world following the path of his steel sword, cutting the world apart.

The lake of lava was cut in half,and the invisible blade continued to travel upward, toward Condemnation's titanic body.

However…

Condemnation was a Cursed Tyrant, after all. Submitting to its will, space twisted once again and started to move the malevolent deity out of the path of Anvil's inconceivable cut…

Until space itself was cut, as well.

The Tyrant did not manage to avoid the invisible blade completely, but it did manage to avoid being wounded by it too severely.

All Anvil managed to cut was Condemnation's wrist. This time, the Cursed Tyrant did not escape unscathed — its arm was cut deeply, almost severing one of its hands.

Sunny froze.

The vast runic array dimmed, having exhausted all its power.

And the cursed god was still alive.

It was wounded, but not at all seriously.

'Is that… all?'

He turned his attention to Anvil, wanting to see if the King of Swords was dismayed and rattled by his failure.

But he was not.

The Sovereign was simply standing in the lava, looking up with a darkly satisfied expression.

And his invisible blade…

Did not dissipate after missing the titanic body of Condemnation, continuing to travel upward.

Shadow Slave
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Comments 26

  1. Offline
    kollosus_na
    kollosus_na
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    I wonder if sunny will be the ant to kill the elephant
    Read more
  2. Offline
    Valkstraxs
    Valkstraxs
    + 2 ⋅ 0 -
    I hope sunny will deal the last hit
    Read more
  3. Offline
    Evinie
    Evinie
    + 1 ⋅ 0 -
    Do you guys think Sunny will also be able to do something like Weaving with shadows in the air and do some kind of sorcery?
    Read more
    1. Offline
      Alfametadol
      Alfametadol
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      он уже занимается колдовством плетения и вряд-ли будет детально изучать новое
      Read more
  4. Offline
    Мы_Русские
    Мы_Русские
    + 5 ⋅ 0 -
    2091 Fragments of War (28)


    The battle between the King of Swords and Condemnation was like a cataclysm. The abominable jungle covering the ruins of the ancient city had been incinerated; the ruins themselves had melted into rivers of lava, turning the entire area into a burning hellscape.

    However, the destruction did not stop there. The ground itself was annihilated, revealing the surface of the white bone below — the bone, in turn, was now covered by a web of jagged cracks.

    Similarly, the dome of the Hollows far above was damaged, as well.

    And the invisible blade created by Anvil — the obliterating manifestation of his authority and slaying will — reached the dome moments after cutting the lake of lava in half and delivering a wound to the Cursed Tyrant.

    Sunny froze for a split second, staring into the distance with wide eyes.

    In the next second, the invisible blade struck the cracked dome of the Hollows with absolute, unyielding force.

    A subtle tremor spread through the ground beneath their feet.

    There was an indescribable sound that washed over them like a wave, and colossal shards of bone, some of them the size of stadiums, rained down from the dark heights.

    A portion of the dome shuddered and collapsed, a jagged fissure cut through it by the invisible blade.

    A soft light poured into the fissure, illuminating the titanic figure of Condemnation. Out there in the distance, the angry red darkness dissolved into the gentle radiance, chased away by light… and bathed in it, the Cursed Tyrant was revealed in all its profane glory.

    But Anvil's blow had not exhausted itself, yet.

    It was more than a physical cut — or even a sorcerous attack infused with the furious power of Supreme soul essence. The invisible blade was like a law created in an instant, and only meant to exist for an instant.

    But in that instant, the law of the blade had the power to sever the world.

    And it did.

    After breaking through the damaged dome of the Hollows, the invisible blade cut the very sky above Godgrave, leaving a narrow wound on it.

    The sky would not be destroyed by a mere cut, of course.

    However… the veil of clouds protecting Godgrave from its incandescent purity was. A breach spanning a dozen kilometers appeared on it, allowing the annihilating sunlight to shine through.

    To shine upon the surface of the Breastbone Reach… and through the newly torn fissure on its surface, spilling into the Hollows.

    Just a heartbeat after the dome was broken, the light falling through the breach in the ancient bone changed. There was no gentle softness in it anymore. Instead, a pillar of blinding, harsh, incandescent radiance fell down…

    Illuminating the heart of the molten wasteland, and the gargantuan figure of Condemnation standing right below the fissure.

    Sunny gasped.

    'T—this…'

    A Cursed Tyrant was a god, and mortals could not contend against gods.

    However…

    Even cursed gods had to bow before the might of the heavens. At least of the harrowing white heaven of Godgrave.

    As the blinding sunlight fell on the colossal creature, the first thing that burst into flames was its wounded arm. Towering plumes of fire shot from the cut left by Anvil's blade on its wrist, and the flesh around it — the soil, the fragments of ruins, and the uprooted trees — started to blacken.

    Condemnation let out an eerie sound that rolled across the burning wasteland and enveloped the Saints, making them stagger. Sunny withstood the voice of the cursed deity well enough, but others seemed dazed. Helie grabbed her head and let out a cry, while Roan and Rivalen collapsed to the ground. Cassie paled, but remained standing.

    Far away, the Cursed Tyrant was melting in the pillar of incandescent sunlight. Burning and being reduced to ash, it collapsed time and space in on themselves, trying to escape the blinding radiance.

    But there was no escape.

    It was not only the soil, the stone, and the trees that were burning. Everything that comprised the immense body of Condemnation was being annihilated and reduced to ash. The twilight and shadows were vanquished, and the orange glow of the frozen flames was snuffed out. Even the lava that the cursed deity had absorbed into its body was being reduced to ash.

    Before Condemnation could move, one of its legs crumbled, sending it toppling down.

    The world quaked when the cursed god fell to its knees.

    Kneeling as it was and trapped in the sunlight, the Cursed Tyrant resembled a mountain of flames, slowly dissolving into the blinding radiance.

    Its wail penetrated Sunny's ears, making his mind reel.

    The world seemed to shatter.

    He understood vaguely that it was his consciousness that had shattered, and not the world. And yet, at the moment, Sunny did not know the difference.

    Reality had turned into a fragmented, feverish nightmare.

    He seemed to perceive the grotesque figure of Condemnation dissolving into radiant sunlight. Its colossal mass was like melting candle wax, growing smaller and smaller.

    At the same time, he saw the storm of swords explode into a hurricane of scarlet sparks… only for some of those sparks to catch fire and burn in the pillar of light.

    He also saw the Asuras watching as their god struggled on the threshold of death in reverent silence.

    And many things that he had no words how to describe, and no capacity to understand.

    'Aargh…'

    Sunny shook his head, trying to gain control over his mind.

    It felt like he had managed to recover from the death wail of a god fast enough… but when he finally came to his senses, the world was subtly different from how it used to be.

    The desolate wasteland around them was not burning anymore. The rivers of lava had lost much of their glow, having cooled off.

    The blinding pillar of sunlight had disappeared, replaced by the soft shining pouring from the jagged fissure in the dome of the Hollows.

    Ash was raining from above, falling onto the unmoving figures of the Asuras.

    The abominable golems were standing motionlessly like statues, devoid of life.

    And out there, in the distance…

    Condemnation was gone.

    The titanic body which seemed like a mountain was nowhere to be seen… all that remained was ash, absence, and giant shards of blackened bone.

    Anvil was standing near the hill of ash, looking at it somberly.

    His armor was dented and broken, and his face was covered in soot. The storm of swords he had summoned disappeared, and the seven terrifying blades did, as well.

    However…

    The Sovereign was holding a new sword in his hand, this one emanating an even more chilling aura. It was a greatsword with a beautiful flowing pattern permeating its steel, indescribably fearsome... and strangely familiar.

    Looking down, Anvil studied the greatsword for a few moments, then dismissed it with a hint of dark melancholy in his cold, grey eyes.

    Turning his back to the ashes of a god, the King of Swords took a step away and headed toward his Saints.

    The battle was over.

    2092 Fragments of War (29)

    "Crazy, crazy… that bastard killed a god… this is crazy…"

    Walking through the northern siege camp of the Sword Army, Sunny — in his persona of Master Sunless — couldn't help but mumble under his nose.

    The experience in the ruins of Condemnation had left a deep impression on him. More importantly than that, it was the first time he had seen a Sovereign truly exert themselves in a fight.

    And what he had seen was sobering.

    Witnessing how fearsome the King of Swords was… was humbling. But even more ominous than that was witnessing how helpless Anvil had been in the battle against a creature of the Cursed Rank.

    In the end, the Sovereign had won by doing what humans did best — using his intelligence and the accumulated knowledge of humanity to use every resource available to him in order to slay the enemy. In that particular case, the resource he had used was the sky of Godgrave, which destroyed Condemnation in his stead.

    But before that, Anvil had struggled to even damage the Cursed One, let alone slay it. His ultimate attack only managed to deal an inconsequential wound to the enemy.

    Because Condemnation possessed a more overwhelming will, and because its authority was more tyrannical than that of the King of Swords.

    In short, the disparity in power between the two was quite similar to the disparity Sunny and Nephis would face if they challenged the Sovereigns as Saints.

    Utter helplessness.

    'Damnation.'

    No, why was he even considering that scenario? Nephis had been clear when she said that attaining Supremacy was not simply their best option, but also the only acceptable option.

    Because there were hundreds of millions of people being held hostage in the two Domains. If the Sovereigns were to die before she usurped the throne of war, all those people would succumb to the Nightmare Spell. There was no telling how many of them would survive to become Awakened, but the death toll would be staggering.

    So there was no point in considering how to deal with Supremes as Saints, to begin with.

    Sunny grimaced.

    …It was just that he did not know if they would have a choice.

    The war was rushing towards the grand finale. Both of them had made some progress in figuring out how to attain Supremacy, but not nearly enough to feel confident in their chances.

    Granted, Sunny had felt a hint of an epiphany while watching Anvil fight Condemnation. Sadly, it had been vague and unclear, slipping out of his grasp before he could digest it.

    Every Aspect was unique, so every Domain — an extension of an Aspect — was unique as well. Therefore, each Transcendent pursuing Supremacy had to find their own way of manifesting a Domain.

    However, after observing Anvil, Sunny could not help but feel a chilling premonition.

    It almost seemed seemed as if…

    That the key to attaining Supremacy was literally willing it into existence.

    'That sounds too immature. It sounds like a joke, really. The great secret of becoming a Supreme… is wishful thinking? What a joke...'

    But he had sensed the tyrannical will of the King of Swords. It was apparent in his every move and action, after all, especially so during the battle against a Cursed being.

    There were many subtle qualities to Anvil's will, but if Sunny was to pinpoint the most fundamental one… it was how domineering it was.

    Cold, sharp, uncompromising. And most importantly of all, absolutely confident both of its rightfulness… and of its very existence.

    But that was how a will great enough to reshape the world had to be, wasn't it? Sunny was not sure if intent powerful enough to force itself upon reality could be hesitant of its ability to do so.

    Doubt and indecisiveness were the antithesis of will, after all.

    So… was Supreme will a self-fulfilling prophecy? A concept that could only be realized if one believed in it, and grew more powerful the more absolute that belief became?

    Willing their own will to exist.

    'Isn't that a paradox?'

    But then again, the very existence of Sovereigns was paradoxical in nature.

    Sunny let out a heavy sigh.

    He was not sure. His brush against an epiphany had been brief and shallow, after all.

    However, he did feel like he had found another component of attaining Supremacy. He just needed to figure out how to apply it to all the other components he had found, as well as those that he was yet to find — and fit it all to his own Aspect.

    His expression darkened.

    Regardless of these complicated matters, one thing had become painfully clear to him after witnessing the battle between Anvil and Condemnation.

    It was that he had to become stronger… as strong as he could possibly be, at the moment.

    Of course, that had always been a priority — how could it not be, in the world of the Nightmare Spell? Sunny had always pursued personal power, first to survive, then for a few misguided reasons, and finally — hopefully — for a more enlightened goal.

    But there had also been balance to that pursuit. Sunny had to weigh potential gains against inevitable risks when making decisions on what to do, and how to go about it.

    And now, after watching the King of Swords slay a god… he knew that there could be no balance anymore. In other words, he had to do things that he had not been willing to risk before, no matter how perilous they could end up being.

    'Damn it.'

    Sadly, power was not something one could just randomly find laying on the floor. At his current level, Sunny's options were more than a little bit limited.

    Frowning deeply, he passed by a row of tents and approached a large wooden building.

    One of the ways he could exploit to gain power was weaving a shadowbound Memory of his own, and for that, he needed materials.

    The building he was approaching could help him with just that — it was the hangar where the Sword Army stored various resources harvested from the corpses of the Nightmare Creatures slain by the soldiers.

    He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind of unnecessary worries.

    'Let's see what we can find…'

    2092 Fragments of War (29)

    "Crazy, crazy… that bastard killed a god… this is crazy…"

    Walking through the northern siege camp of the Sword Army, Sunny — in his persona of Master Sunless — couldn't help but mumble under his nose.

    The experience in the ruins of Condemnation had left a deep impression on him. More importantly than that, it was the first time he had seen a Sovereign truly exert themselves in a fight.

    And what he had seen was sobering.

    Witnessing how fearsome the King of Swords was… was humbling. But even more ominous than that was witnessing how helpless Anvil had been in the battle against a creature of the Cursed Rank.

    In the end, the Sovereign had won by doing what humans did best — using his intelligence and the accumulated knowledge of humanity to use every resource available to him in order to slay the enemy. In that particular case, the resource he had used was the sky of Godgrave, which destroyed Condemnation in his stead.

    But before that, Anvil had struggled to even damage the Cursed One, let alone slay it. His ultimate attack only managed to deal an inconsequential wound to the enemy.

    Because Condemnation possessed a more overwhelming will, and because its authority was more tyrannical than that of the King of Swords.

    In short, the disparity in power between the two was quite similar to the disparity Sunny and Nephis would face if they challenged the Sovereigns as Saints.

    Utter helplessness.

    'Damnation.'

    No, why was he even considering that scenario? Nephis had been clear when she said that attaining Supremacy was not simply their best option, but also the only acceptable option.

    Because there were hundreds of millions of people being held hostage in the two Domains. If the Sovereigns were to die before she usurped the throne of war, all those people would succumb to the Nightmare Spell. There was no telling how many of them would survive to become Awakened, but the death toll would be staggering.

    So there was no point in considering how to deal with Supremes as Saints, to begin with.

    Sunny grimaced.

    …It was just that he did not know if they would have a choice.

    The war was rushing towards the grand finale. Both of them had made some progress in figuring out how to attain Supremacy, but not nearly enough to feel confident in their chances.

    Granted, Sunny had felt a hint of an epiphany while watching Anvil fight Condemnation. Sadly, it had been vague and unclear, slipping out of his grasp before he could digest it.

    Every Aspect was unique, so every Domain — an extension of an Aspect — was unique as well. Therefore, each Transcendent pursuing Supremacy had to find their own way of manifesting a Domain.

    However, after observing Anvil, Sunny could not help but feel a chilling premonition.

    It almost seemed seemed as if…

    That the key to attaining Supremacy was literally willing it into existence.

    'That sounds too immature. It sounds like a joke, really. The great secret of becoming a Supreme… is wishful thinking? What a joke...'

    But he had sensed the tyrannical will of the King of Swords. It was apparent in his every move and action, after all, especially so during the battle against a Cursed being.

    There were many subtle qualities to Anvil's will, but if Sunny was to pinpoint the most fundamental one… it was how domineering it was.

    Cold, sharp, uncompromising. And most importantly of all, absolutely confident both of its rightfulness… and of its very existence.

    But that was how a will great enough to reshape the world had to be, wasn't it? Sunny was not sure if intent powerful enough to force itself upon reality could be hesitant of its ability to do so.

    Doubt and indecisiveness were the antithesis of will, after all.

    So… was Supreme will a self-fulfilling prophecy? A concept that could only be realized if one believed in it, and grew more powerful the more absolute that belief became?

    Willing their own will to exist.

    'Isn't that a paradox?'

    But then again, the very existence of Sovereigns was paradoxical in nature.

    Sunny let out a heavy sigh.

    He was not sure. His brush against an epiphany had been brief and shallow, after all.

    However, he did feel like he had found another component of attaining Supremacy. He just needed to figure out how to apply it to all the other components he had found, as well as those that he was yet to find — and fit it all to his own Aspect.

    His expression darkened.

    Regardless of these complicated matters, one thing had become painfully clear to him after witnessing the battle between Anvil and Condemnation.

    It was that he had to become stronger… as strong as he could possibly be, at the moment.

    Of course, that had always been a priority — how could it not be, in the world of the Nightmare Spell? Sunny had always pursued personal power, first to survive, then for a few misguided reasons, and finally — hopefully — for a more enlightened goal.

    But there had also been balance to that pursuit. Sunny had to weigh potential gains against inevitable risks when making decisions on what to do, and how to go about it.

    And now, after watching the King of Swords slay a god… he knew that there could be no balance anymore. In other words, he had to do things that he had not been willing to risk before, no matter how perilous they could end up being.

    'Damn it.'

    Sadly, power was not something one could just randomly find laying on the floor. At his current level, Sunny's options were more than a little bit limited.

    Frowning deeply, he passed by a row of tents and approached a large wooden building.

    One of the ways he could exploit to gain power was weaving a shadowbound Memory of his own, and for that, he needed materials.

    The building he was approaching could help him with just that — it was the hangar where the Sword Army stored various resources harvested from the corpses of the Nightmare Creatures slain by the soldiers.

    He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind of unnecessary worries.

    'Let's see what we can find…'

    [quote=Мы_Русские]2091 Fragments of War (28)


    The battle between the King of Swords and Condemnation was like a cataclysm. The abominable jungle covering the ruins of the ancient city had been incinerated; the ruins themselves had melted into rivers of lava, turning the entire area into a burning hellscape.

    However, the destruction did not stop there. The ground itself was annihilated, revealing the surface of the white bone below — the bone, in turn, was now covered by a web of jagged cracks.

    Similarly, the dome of the Hollows far above was damaged, as well.

    And the invisible blade created by Anvil — the obliterating manifestation of his authority and slaying will — reached the dome moments after cutting the lake of lava in half and delivering a wound to the Cursed Tyrant.

    Sunny froze for a split second, staring into the distance with wide eyes.

    In the next second, the invisible blade struck the cracked dome of the Hollows with absolute, unyielding force.

    A subtle tremor spread through the ground beneath their feet.

    There was an indescribable sound that washed over them like a wave, and colossal shards of bone, some of them the size of stadiums, rained down from the dark heights.

    A portion of the dome shuddered and collapsed, a jagged fissure cut through it by the invisible blade.

    A soft light poured into the fissure, illuminating the titanic figure of Condemnation. Out there in the distance, the angry red darkness dissolved into the gentle radiance, chased away by light… and bathed in it, the Cursed Tyrant was revealed in all its profane glory.

    But Anvil's blow had not exhausted itself, yet.

    It was more than a physical cut — or even a sorcerous attack infused with the furious power of Supreme soul essence. The invisible blade was like a law created in an instant, and only meant to exist for an instant.

    But in that instant, the law of the blade had the power to sever the world.

    And it did.

    After breaking through the damaged dome of the Hollows, the invisible blade cut the very sky above Godgrave, leaving a narrow wound on it.

    The sky would not be destroyed by a mere cut, of course.

    However… the veil of clouds protecting Godgrave from its incandescent purity was. A breach spanning a dozen kilometers appeared on it, allowing the annihilating sunlight to shine through.

    To shine upon the surface of the Breastbone Reach… and through the newly torn fissure on its surface, spilling into the Hollows.

    Just a heartbeat after the dome was broken, the light falling through the breach in the ancient bone changed. There was no gentle softness in it anymore. Instead, a pillar of blinding, harsh, incandescent radiance fell down…

    Illuminating the heart of the molten wasteland, and the gargantuan figure of Condemnation standing right below the fissure.

    Sunny gasped.

    'T—this…'

    A Cursed Tyrant was a god, and mortals could not contend against gods.

    However…

    Even cursed gods had to bow before the might of the heavens. At least of the harrowing white heaven of Godgrave.

    As the blinding sunlight fell on the colossal creature, the first thing that burst into flames was its wounded arm. Towering plumes of fire shot from the cut left by Anvil's blade on its wrist, and the flesh around it — the soil, the fragments of ruins, and the uprooted trees — started to blacken.

    Condemnation let out an eerie sound that rolled across the burning wasteland and enveloped the Saints, making them stagger. Sunny withstood the voice of the cursed deity well enough, but others seemed dazed. Helie grabbed her head and let out a cry, while Roan and Rivalen collapsed to the ground. Cassie paled, but remained standing.

    Far away, the Cursed Tyrant was melting in the pillar of incandescent sunlight. Burning and being reduced to ash, it collapsed time and space in on themselves, trying to escape the blinding radiance.

    But there was no escape.

    It was not only the soil, the stone, and the trees that were burning. Everything that comprised the immense body of Condemnation was being annihilated and reduced to ash. The twilight and shadows were vanquished, and the orange glow of the frozen flames was snuffed out. Even the lava that the cursed deity had absorbed into its body was being reduced to ash.

    Before Condemnation could move, one of its legs crumbled, sending it toppling down.

    The world quaked when the cursed god fell to its knees.

    Kneeling as it was and trapped in the sunlight, the Cursed Tyrant resembled a mountain of flames, slowly dissolving into the blinding radiance.

    Its wail penetrated Sunny's ears, making his mind reel.

    The world seemed to shatter.

    He understood vaguely that it was his consciousness that had shattered, and not the world. And yet, at the moment, Sunny did not know the difference.

    Reality had turned into a fragmented, feverish nightmare.

    He seemed to perceive the grotesque figure of Condemnation dissolving into radiant sunlight. Its colossal mass was like melting candle wax, growing smaller and smaller.

    At the same time, he saw the storm of swords explode into a hurricane of scarlet sparks… only for some of those sparks to catch fire and burn in the pillar of light.

    He also saw the Asuras watching as their god struggled on the threshold of death in reverent silence.

    And many things that he had no words how to describe, and no capacity to understand.

    'Aargh…'

    Sunny shook his head, trying to gain control over his mind.

    It felt like he had managed to recover from the death wail of a god fast enough… but when he finally came to his senses, the world was subtly different from how it used to be.

    The desolate wasteland around them was not burning anymore. The rivers of lava had lost much of their glow, having cooled off.

    The blinding pillar of sunlight had disappeared, replaced by the soft shining pouring from the jagged fissure in the dome of the Hollows.

    Ash was raining from above, falling onto the unmoving figures of the Asuras.

    The abominable golems were standing motionlessly like statues, devoid of life.

    And out there, in the distance…

    Condemnation was gone.

    The titanic body which seemed like a mountain was nowhere to be seen… all that remained was ash, absence, and giant shards of blackened bone.

    Anvil was standing near the hill of ash, looking at it somberly.

    His armor was dented and broken, and his face was covered in soot. The storm of swords he had summoned disappeared, and the seven terrifying blades did, as well.

    However…

    The Sovereign was holding a new sword in his hand, this one emanating an even more chilling aura. It was a greatsword with a beautiful flowing pattern permeating its steel, indescribably fearsome... and strangely familiar.

    Looking down, Anvil studied the greatsword for a few moments, then dismissed it with a hint of dark melancholy in his cold, grey eyes.

    Turning his back to the ashes of a god, the King of Swords took a step away and headed toward his Saints.

    The battle was over.

    2092 Fragments of War (29)

    "Crazy, crazy… that bastard killed a god… this is crazy…"

    Walking through the northern siege camp of the Sword Army, Sunny — in his persona of Master Sunless — couldn't help but mumble under his nose.

    The experience in the ruins of Condemnation had left a deep impression on him. More importantly than that, it was the first time he had seen a Sovereign truly exert themselves in a fight.

    And what he had seen was sobering.

    Witnessing how fearsome the King of Swords was… was humbling. But even more ominous than that was witnessing how helpless Anvil had been in the battle against a creature of the Cursed Rank.

    In the end, the Sovereign had won by doing what humans did best — using his intelligence and the accumulated knowledge of humanity to use every resource available to him in order to slay the enemy. In that particular case, the resource he had used was the sky of Godgrave, which destroyed Condemnation in his stead.

    But before that, Anvil had struggled to even damage the Cursed One, let alone slay it. His ultimate attack only managed to deal an inconsequential wound to the enemy.

    Because Condemnation possessed a more overwhelming will, and because its authority was more tyrannical than that of the King of Swords.

    In short, the disparity in power between the two was quite similar to the disparity Sunny and Nephis would face if they challenged the Sovereigns as Saints.

    Utter helplessness.

    'Damnation.'

    No, why was he even considering that scenario? Nephis had been clear when she said that attaining Supremacy was not simply their best option, but also the only acceptable option.

    Because there were hundreds of millions of people being held hostage in the two Domains. If the Sovereigns were to die before she usurped the throne of war, all those people would succumb to the Nightmare Spell. There was no telling how many of them would survive to become Awakened, but the death toll would be staggering.

    So there was no point in considering how to deal with Supremes as Saints, to begin with.

    Sunny grimaced.

    …It was just that he did not know if they would have a choice.

    The war was rushing towards the grand finale. Both of them had made some progress in figuring out how to attain Supremacy, but not nearly enough to feel confident in their chances.

    Granted, Sunny had felt a hint of an epiphany while watching Anvil fight Condemnation. Sadly, it had been vague and unclear, slipping out of his grasp before he could digest it.

    Every Aspect was unique, so every Domain — an extension of an Aspect — was unique as well. Therefore, each Transcendent pursuing Supremacy had to find their own way of manifesting a Domain.

    However, after observing Anvil, Sunny could not help but feel a chilling premonition.

    It almost seemed seemed as if…

    That the key to attaining Supremacy was literally willing it into existence.

    'That sounds too immature. It sounds like a joke, really. The great secret of becoming a Supreme… is wishful thinking? What a joke...'

    But he had sensed the tyrannical will of the King of Swords. It was apparent in his every move and action, after all, especially so during the battle against a Cursed being.

    There were many subtle qualities to Anvil's will, but if Sunny was to pinpoint the most fundamental one… it was how domineering it was.

    Cold, sharp, uncompromising. And most importantly of all, absolutely confident both of its rightfulness… and of its very existence.

    But that was how a will great enough to reshape the world had to be, wasn't it? Sunny was not sure if intent powerful enough to force itself upon reality could be hesitant of its ability to do so.

    Doubt and indecisiveness were the antithesis of will, after all.

    So… was Supreme will a self-fulfilling prophecy? A concept that could only be realized if one believed in it, and grew more powerful the more absolute that belief became?

    Willing their own will to exist.

    'Isn't that a paradox?'

    But then again, the very existence of Sovereigns was paradoxical in nature.

    Sunny let out a heavy sigh.

    He was not sure. His brush against an epiphany had been brief and shallow, after all.

    However, he did feel like he had found another component of attaining Supremacy. He just needed to figure out how to apply it to all the other components he had found, as well as those that he was yet to find — and fit it all to his own Aspect.

    His expression darkened.

    Regardless of these complicated matters, one thing had become painfully clear to him after witnessing the battle between Anvil and Condemnation.

    It was that he had to become stronger… as strong as he could possibly be, at the moment.

    Of course, that had always been a priority — how could it not be, in the world of the Nightmare Spell? Sunny had always pursued personal power, first to survive, then for a few misguided reasons, and finally — hopefully — for a more enlightened goal.

    But there had also been balance to that pursuit. Sunny had to weigh potential gains against inevitable risks when making decisions on what to do, and how to go about it.

    And now, after watching the King of Swords slay a god… he knew that there could be no balance anymore. In other words, he had to do things that he had not been willing to risk before, no matter how perilous they could end up being.

    'Damn it.'

    Sadly, power was not something one could just randomly find laying on the floor. At his current level, Sunny's options were more than a little bit limited.

    Frowning deeply, he passed by a row of tents and approached a large wooden building.

    One of the ways he could exploit to gain power was weaving a shadowbound Memory of his own, and for that, he needed materials.

    The building he was approaching could help him with just that — it was the hangar where the Sword Army stored various resources harvested from the corpses of the Nightmare Creatures slain by the soldiers.

    He took a deep breath and tried to clear his mind of unnecessary worries.

    'Let's see what we can find…'
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  5. Offline
    Sdwer
    Sdwer
    + 2 ⋅ 0 -
    cloud breaks and all dies^
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  6. Offline
    MARCELdeSILENT
    MARCELdeSILENT
    + 1 ⋅ 0 -
    The cursed god silently turned its head and looked up, a hint of a strange emotion appearing in its inhuman eyes.

    Uhh... How exactly does a mountain made out of dirt,rumble,trees and bones have any expression at all tiho
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    1. Offline
      alex silent
      alex silent
      + 4 ⋅ 0 -
      You forgot vacuum. According to G3, Condemnation is partially composed of vacuum. So, as we all know, vacuum is the best "material" to show emotions.
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    2. Offline
      6pain
      6pain
      + 0 ⋅ 0 -
      Because it been building it self slowly
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    3. Offline
      Great Love
      Great Love
      + 1 ⋅ 0 -
      Bro you are also made of dirt , rubble, trees and bones if you really think about it
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      1. Offline
        The Priest of Negari
        The Priest of Negari
        + 2 ⋅ 0 -
        Bro, everything you know is 99.99% empty.
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  7. Offline
    Kubik
    Kubik
    + 5 ⋅ 0 -
    Obviously the prism means that Anvil wants to concentrate the lights of Death Rays into Tyrant. This Slash will destroy the roof and then anvils magic will redirect light.

    It is good news because I thought that g3 wants to break power scale one more time.

    (If you dont know what i am referring to than here is the explanation:
    Sunny mentioned many chapters ago that he is not fighting Great Devils, because it is too dangerous.
    But he could fight 13 Saints with limited abilities.
    And 7 Saints could fight Great Terror.
    So if Sunny could fight 13 saints it means he could fight at least TWO Great Terrors. And yet he has problem with Great Devils. And he had problem with Winter Beast (yeah many people justify this by saying that Sunny just got his saint abilities. But remember that in 2 years timeskip he had no significant power up, so this argument is not really valid, because he didn't become much stronger.)
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    1. Offline
      alex silent
      alex silent
      + 1 ⋅ 0 -
      Condemnation has to know that light deals no damage to those who stand still, he lives in Godgrave.
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      1. Offline
        DeathGun AS
        DeathGun AS
        + 0 ⋅ 0 -
        but maybe the rays of light will all be concentrated on Condemnation, so whoever is in the surroundings can move and continue attacking him...
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  8. Offline
    IceMan6468
    IceMan6468
    + 0 ⋅ 9 -
    Okay but can we get back to the possible ship of Rain and Tamara? That and SOMEONE fully remembering Sunny are all I want in life.
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    1. Offline
      JR3
      JR3
      + 9 ⋅ 0 -
      It took sunny over 1900 damded chapters for a kiss. I'm sure Rain can wait for what G3 has planned for her.
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  9. Offline
    Га Ноцри
    Га Ноцри
    + 0 ⋅ 0 -
    Ждём ещё 50 глав убийства одного Проклятого Тирана...
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  10. Offline
    ArMiks
    ArMiks
    + 9 ⋅ 1 -
    guys i haven't read the past three chapters, just did a quick scan on each. that's my definition of stacking chapters, sue me. my point is, old man jest has disappeared for the last few chapters. i have a creeping suspicion that he maybe snuck into shadow temple to maybe try and backstab him and steal away its ownership since he is a citadel-less saint at the moment. this not only weakens shadow, who is not under sword's banner, but also strengthen anvil's reach and domain since it is only around 200km away from condi's place, giving anvil a boost for their tug-of-war.
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    1. Offline
      AshenOne
      AshenOne
      + 5 ⋅ 0 -
      Consider yourself sued I'll see you in court ( But seriously that's a pretty interesting theory but I don't want jest to die)
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      1. Offline
        MARCELdeSILENT
        MARCELdeSILENT
        + 2 ⋅ 0 -
        I'm pretty sure there's a dirty joke in there somewhere wiseacre
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    2. Offline
      SrgtLock
      SrgtLock
      + 3 ⋅ 0 -
      The temple is protected by an invisible death boundary, only passable by those deemed aloud to. If Jest tries, well… nasty surprise. That and saint is chilling there.
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      1. Offline
        ArMiks
        ArMiks
        + 3 ⋅ 1 -
        i know about the inviz death guard, but we don't really know how powerful that guy is, and jest doesn't seem to be someone to be underestimated, if the hints are to be assumed true. also, jest is kind of an interesting character so i don't want anything lethal to happen to him if possible. and i am just dying to know if my theory holds water or not.
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      2. Offline
        Darrell Amp
        Darrell Amp
        + 1 ⋅ 0 -
        it is possible but the king has a more clever plan than that. it is likely a city of like this has its own citadel. I feel that no one knows the true extent of Sunny’s citadel is as special as it is. Plus as powerful as Sunny is he is an asset.
        I so to sum it up Jest is rather on a secret mission to capture a local citadel . or is some way augmenting the king. But only G3 knows
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