Returning to the cohort, they began their slow ascent toward the Bright Castle.
The streets of the Dark city were empty, as though all the nightmare creatures within were hiding from a coming storm
Sunny and Nephis walked at the front, their steps echoing faintly against the stone, a comfortable silence settling between them.
Breaking the silence, Nephis asked a question.
"Sunny, do you remember your First Nightmare well?"
Her voice sounded relaxed and idle.
He cast a sideways glance at her. Then, he answered in an even tone:
"Like it was yesterday."
A small smile tugged at the corner of her lips.
"Was it hard?"
A wry smile appeared on his face.
"Hard? No, not hard. Impossible. It was a ghastly, despicable, and torturous ordeal. Truly the stuff of nightmares. And yet… it feels nostalgic, as though it happened decades ago instead of less than two years."
He chuckled inwardly.
'I really am crazy to look back at that hellscape fondly.'
With a dismissive shrug, he pushed the memory of the black mountain back into the recesses of his mind and asked.
"...What about yours?"
Nephis looked away, her eyes drifting toward the distant spires of the Bright Castle. For a moment, she seemed far away. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft.
"Mine wasn't that bad, actually."
She told him about the lighthouse—how peaceful it had been, how it had felt like stepping into a childhood dream made real. She spoke of the warmth, the quiet, the illusion of safety. Then she described how she had drenched herself in oil and set her own body ablaze, how she slew the Terror that held her captive.
She glanced at him and smiled. However, there was no warmth in that smile.
"...That was how I conquered my First Nightmare."
Sunny looked her in the eyes for a long time, silent. Then he reached out and gently patted her shoulder.
"...Just as I said, the stuff of nightmares. I guess we call them that for a reason."
Nehpis laughed softly.
"I guess. But really, fighting that Terror wasn't the hardest part. Waking up trapped in a repulsive cocoon wasn't the hardest part. Even... even burning alive wasn't the hardest part."
She grew silent for a few moments and then said, looking at the white road beneath their feet.
"The hardest part was walking up the steps to the top of the lighthouse. Not because of what waited for me in the future, but because of what I was leaving behind."
***
Walking some distance behind Nephis and Sunny, Effie squinted at the pair her expression sharpening with suspicion. She leaned over to whisper at Cassie.
"Hey, Cassie, what do you think happened during their talk? Princess seems to be in an awfully good mood."
"Oh, she's just glad to have Sunny back, she was so sad when he left. I'm glad they've made up now."
Cassie replied with a smile.
Effie returned the smile with a mischievous grin, one Cassie, of course, couldn't see.
"Made up, huh? You sure they weren't just making o–"
"Lady Nephis has returned!"
A sentry's shout cut her off, and Effie clicked her tongue in annoyance as they stepped into the outer settlement.
***
Sunny immediately noticed the changes.
A barricade now encircled the settlement, manned by sentries armed with memory weapons and wearing surprisingly sturdy armor. The watchtower atop Nephis's lodge was occupied by archers scanning the approach. Everywhere he looked, residents moved with purpose, their eyes bright with something he hadn't seen here before, hope.
Many wore strips of white cloth tied around their arms, no doubt to show their loyalty to Nephis.
He also noticed graffiti of a shining star and a bronze spear, turning to the huntress he raised an eyebrow.
She scratched the back of her head, sheepish.
"I've become a bit of a folk hero, apparently."
Sunny shook his head and didn't press the issue.
Once they were noticed the settlement became a hive of jubilation and a crowed soon surrounded them.
'And now the theatrics.'
Sunny thought to himself as Nephis addressed the crowd with calm authority, recounting their recent expedition and unveiling the Crown of Dawn along with a sack full of spire messenger talons.
Truthfully, Sunny didn't pay much attention to the proceedings, an odd sense of déjà vu occupying his mind.
It wasn't until the end of the strategy meeting in the lodge, when Nephis emptied a bag of soul shards on the table, that Sunny snapped out of it.
'Damn, that's a lot, I think? Strange how it doesn't feel like it is.'
Sunny watched as Nephis gave her subordinates the soul shards, their eyes filling with something almost like worship.
Not long after the last shard had been absorbed, one of the watchers ran into the room, breathing heavily.
"Coming! They are coming!"
Fear trembled in her voice.
Sunny rolled his shoulders and stretched lazily.
'The show is about to start.'
The tension in the room rose as the hunters started glancing at each other, Only Nephis and Sunny remained calm, their eyes finding each other for a brief moment.
Sunny dramatically rolled his eyes, smirking. The corner of Neph's mouth twitched upwards in return.
"Stay calm, everyone."
Her voice steadied the room, though it also emboldened the hunters to speak up, loudly refusing to hand Effie over to Gunlaug.
Sunny quietly scoffed.
'As if Neph would ever do that'
He was proven right moments later.
"...Don't worry. Nothing is going to happen to Effie. You have my word."
Sunny sensed them before he heard them, a group approaching the lodge with heavy, purposeful steps.
"Incoming."
A crash sounded from the entrance, followed by a short scream and a dull thud. The door burst open, splintering against the wall.
A giant of a man stepped inside, his dark eyes cold and cruel. Behind him, a squad of fully armed guards fanned out.
'Big bastard.'
Sunny thought to himself, quickly determining the best ways to kill the large man.
The giant scanned the room, pausing briefly on Effie before locking onto Nephis
"Changing Star. So you're alive after all."
Nephis met his gaze without flinching.
"You must be Tessai. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
***
After a brief confrontation, Tessai leading Effie by the shoulder, a flimsy rope bound her wrists, more symbolic than practical, everyone present knew Effie could snap it in an instant if she truly wanted to.
Nephis walked close beside her, posture straight, expression unreadable. Sunny followed half a step behind, deliberately keeping himself out of her spotlight, and he had no intention of stealing it.
The Guards and Changing Star's faction were right behind them, their glares clashed with every step, sparks of hostility practically visible in the air.
Soon, more and more people joined the crowd full of anger and indignation, Nephis, with only a few carefully chosen words, had stoked their emotions into a simmering frenzy. And she had done it so subtly that no blame could ever be laid at her feet.
Through his shadow's Sunny watched as the people grew more and more frenzied.
'Feels like a horde of Nightmare Creatures.'
And at some point, Caster appeared and took position some steps behind Nephis. He looked disheveled, but he must have finished the task given to him by Changing Star, however, he was glaring at Sunny for some reason.
'What're you looking at, bastard? Angry I took back my spot?'
Sunny didn't bother hiding his smirk.
A few moments later, they entered the Bright Castle.
The crowd poured into the castle, their faces contorted with anger and resentment. However, as soon as the slum dwellers passed beneath the swaying skulls that hung above the gates, their fury turned cold.
Many people had challenged Gunlaug in the past, the good, the bad, and everyone between. All that remained of them now was their skulls.
Fear and doubt started to show on the faces of those following Nephis, their faces turning din and listless.
Nephis didn't react to the change, looking straight ahead, her stride still calm and expression indifferent.
They entered the throne room, its walls lined with what looked like the entirety of the Bright Castle's population.
Some looked frightened, others excited for the show. Sunny took note of those who looked excited.
The most concerning thing were the several echos of nightmare creatures standing among the humans.
'...Why are they out of their owners' Soul Seas?'
On the far end of the hall the four lieutenants stood, Gemma, Kido, Seishan, and Harus.
Sunny observed Harus, pondering the best way to kill him, and as if feeling his gaze, Harus turned to look back at Sunny.
They stared at each other for a few moments before Harus smiled with amusement and turned his attention elsewhere.
Tessai led Effie to the center of the hall and forced her to her knees before joining the other lieutenants.
Nephis stood next to Effie in the center as the two factions stared each other down.
Sunny felt the Bright Lord arrive before he saw him, an invisible wave of pressure forcing the crowd to groan, their legs trembling and almost buckling as fear filled their eyes.
Gunlaug emerged from the shadows.
Gunlaug looked just as he did before, is imposing figure covered in an armor of gold that was both solid and liquid at the same time.
Covering his face was a smooth expanse of gold, the hall and all the people gathered within it reflected on its mirrorlike surface.
The moment Sunny saw the mask, he felt the oppressive aura that radiated from the Bright Lord. However, with four shadows reinforcing the Puppeteer's Shroud, the wave of fear passed by him uselessly, unable to sink its hooks into his mind.
Gunlaug sat leisurely on his throne. Despite the laid back attitude he presented, almost everyone in the great hall swayed a little under the pressure he exerted.
"Ah, what a sight. All my precious wards gathered here, united in the desire to see justice prevail. This dedi–"
'cation, this fervor for the rule of law… oh, it just makes my blood boil with appreciation. Don't you think it's wonderful? Yeah, yeah, I've heard all this before… have I?'
Sunny matched Gunlaug's words in his head, finishing the sentence before the Bright Lord did. Then an odd thought struck him, sending his mind racing.
He watched Gunlaug. Watched Nephis. Watched the crowd.
And as they talked a shiver ran up Sunny's spine, every word, every action, not just from Nephis and Gunlaug but from the people in the hall, he knew, he knew before they opened their mouths, what they would say, when they would say it and who would say it.
'This, this is… weird.'
...Was he a seer now? Had touching Weaver's mask done something to him? He didn't know. And he didn't have time to figure it out.
Because Nephis and Gunlaug moved.
In an instant, a black sword and a golden axe collided. Sparks flew. Nearly every strike was deflected, dodged, or blocked with inhuman precision.
The hall held its breath
Then they disengaged.
Nephis staggered slightly, several cuts marring her body. Her armor was useless against Gunlaug's transcendent echo. The Bright Lord, however, stared at his armor in shock as deep gouges slowly filled themselves in.
A heartbeat later, they clashed again.
Gunlaug's axe melted into his armor, replaced by two gleaming blades extending from his forearms. Nephis abandoned nearly all defense, focusing everything on offense. It was a gamble, and it paid off.
She caught one of his blades between her sword and her own body, twisted, and forced him off balance. Then she stepped in and brought her flame‑wreathed blade down on his right shoulder.
The black sword bit deep. Armor cracked. Flesh burned. Gunlaug roared, the sound raw and animalistic.
Jumping back before the Bright Lord could retaliate, Nephis let a satisfied smile reveal itself on her face as she sent a brief look to Sunny.
Turning back to Gunlaug she grabbed her sword by the blade, intending to use its pommel as a mace, the radiant flames of the blade spreading to encompass the weapon in its entirety.
Sunny grinned wickedly.
The flames surged, spreading from the sword to Nephis herself. Her entire body ignited, transforming her into a living beacon of pure, radiant fire
She charged forward, faster and stronger than before, battering away one of his blades and landing a crushing blow to the golden mask causing a spiderweb of cracks to appear on its golden surface.
They clashed again, but with Gunlaug's right arm nearly useless, the fight was no longer close to even.
Nephis pressed the advantage relentlessly.
After a few exchanges, the Bright Lord's defense faltered and Nephis landed another blow to his head, shattering the golden mask.
With his face now visible, Sunny could see the fear in his eyes as Nephis looked down at him coldly, seeming to consider something before she shrugged and brought down her fiery pommel onto his face once more, killing him instantly in an explosion of flesh and flame, his golden armor disappearing in a storm of white sparks.
Silence enveloped the room.
The residents of the Dark City stared in shock, some horrified, some enraged, some trembling with awe.
Quietly at first, and then loudly, those people loyal to Nephis chanted two words.
"Immortal Flame!"
"Immortal Flame!"
Sunny, moved closer to Caster silently, ready for whatever the proud Legacy might attempt.
'And now the fun begins.'
Tessai, who had been staring at his dead lord with his usual morose expression, turned around and looked at the crowd of slum dwellers, then at the members of the Host.
He lingered for a moment.
Then his deep, rumbling voice echoed through the hall.
"...What are you waiting for? Kill them all!"
***
A/N: Hi all, I'm back, how were your holidays? Mine was good, until I got sick. I had intended to include the battle between the Host and the outer settlement residents in this chapter but I didn't want to delay releasing the chapter any further.
Anyway let me know how I did on this one, feedback is welcome, next chapter should hopefully be out in 3-4 days.