The hall exploded into chaos, the air shimmering as countless memories were summoned at once.
With the threat of Gunlaug's mind hex gone Sunny shifted all four of his shadows to reinforce himself.
Summoning the Prowling Thorn, he threw it in the path of Caster, who was now sprinting towards Nephis.
'Not so fast.'
With a quick tug on its string, he sent the legacy tumbling face forward to the ground.
A moment later, the sleepers collided, their faces filled with rage and resentment.
The Guards acted like rabid dogs set loose, attacking anyone around them, be they slum dwellers, artisans, or tributaries. Their faces were contorted with ferocious grimaces, and their eyes burned with rage, hatred, and tenebrous joy.
The Slum dwellers, despite their lacking equipment, at least retained the senses to not attack their own side.
Sunny looked at the Guards in disgust.
Dismissing the Prowling Thorn, he summoned the Midnight Shard and sprinted toward Nephis.
A blade flashed toward her kneeling form, Sunny intercepted it with a vicious parry, knocking the weapon aside.
Snarling, he drove his fist into the attacker's face. The sleeper's head snapped back with a sickening crunch, and the man flew several meters before collapsing bonelessly.
Exhaling sharply, forcing his temper down. He scanned the battlefield for Caster, only to find him locked in a furious duel with Gemma, the leader of the Hunters.
'...Well. That problem seems to be solved.'
Hearing footsteps, Sunny looked up and saw Harus approaching Gunlaug's body, his eyes empty as his masters were now.
Then, Harus turned slowly, his eyes now filled with a dark rage as he looked at Nephis and then to the one who stood between him and her.
Feeling Kai and Cassie's shadows behind him, Sunny jerked his chin toward Nephis.
"Protect her."
'This might be my toughest fight yet.'
Sunny hurled the Midnight Shard just as the hunchback had summoned his own weapon blocking at the last second before the force of the impact sent both weapons flying away.
Harus barely had time to register what happened before he had to block Sunny's fist with his arm, the bone breaking under the might blow.
Harus staggered, snarling, and unleashed his aspect, blinding Sunny, but Sunny had been expecting it… somehow.
'Great, another bit of weirdness.'
Relying on shadow sense, Sunny shifted his weight and followed up his punch with a kick that sent his opponent into the far wall, Sunny dismissed his weapon and started re-summoning it as he wove through the chaotic melee.
Harus had only just dislodged himself from the wall and looked up when he was greeted by Sunny's fist meeting his face, launching him back into the wall.
Pressed between the sturdy stone wall and the full might of a dormant devil's fist, Harus's head popped like a ripe fruit, his body sliding down the wall limply.
'...That was… surprisingly easy.'
Sunny thought as he pulled his fist from the wall, shards of stone and gore covering his hand.
Shaking it a bit to fling the mess off, he looked up to see looks of shock, fear, and anger directed towards him.
He was deep behind enemy lines, and all the surrounding Guards turned to face him, their weapons ready.
Not too far away, a group of Guards who had been cornering Kido and a group of artisans changed their target to the more threatening one and approached.
'One, two, three…'
Sunny started counting, in his hand the Midnight Shard had finished forming.
'Eight, nine…'
Sunny swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.
'D-damnation.'
Concern started to crawl its way into his mind.
Six in a half circle in front, and five behind them, a total of eleven Guards were making their way towards him.
'I should have brought the odachi.'
Sunny thought, he had left it at the lodge to use against Caster later. He was regretting that decision now.
Deciding to take the initiative, Sunny dashed towards his leftmost opponent.
Parrying the sword sent his way, he thrust out his free hand and summoned the Moonlight Shard, the stiletto piercing under the Guard's chin and into their brain.
Dismissing the dagger, Sunny hurriedly griped his blade with both hands and blocked a downward slash from an axe.
Pushing back and forcing the man off-balance, he kicked out and struck the man's knee hard enough that is bent backwards with a wet crack.
Sunny took the chance to glance at the positions of the other Guard's.
'Shit.'
He was surrounded.
These sleepers were not inexperienced, they were used to facing abominations more powerful than themselves.
And right now, they were treating Sunny as if he were such an abomination.
'I guess running is out of the question now.'
One of the Guards charged at him with her shield raised. Sunny meet it with a broad swing, cracking the shield and forcing her back and exposed to a follow-up strike.
However, before he could take advantage of the opening, another a Guard with dual daggers appeared from behind her and sent two quick slashes to Sunny.
Sunny twisted and blocked one slash, but the other, that he should have dodged, unnaturally changed direction mid-swing and managed to graze his leg.
Growling and turning his blade, he thrust and pieced the dagger wielder's throat.
He rolled under the shield‑bearer's desperate slash and severed her legs below the knee. She collapsed, screaming.
Rising to his feet, he dodged as a spear cut into his side leaving a stinging wound, turning with the blow, Sunny spun along the spear's shaft and decapitated its wielder in a single motion.
'Tch, poison.'
Leaving Blood Weave to handle the intrusion, he dodged a slash from a great sword, the sharp winds gathering around its blade still managing to cut his cheek.
The man crumpled as he was bashed across the side of the head with the Midnight Shards pommel,
Sensing a quickly approaching shadow, Sunny turned as a sparking arrow aimed for his heart embedded itself in his shoulder. Suddenly, lightning coursed through his body, stunning him.
"Gah! Fuck!"
He groaned through clenched teeth, barely managing to shake the stun off as he blocked a mace head with his forearm.
Grabbing and pulling the mace, he elbowed the face of the woman wielding it, her nose breaking with a crunch and a spurt of blood.
Following up by sweeping her legs, he hurled the mace at the archer, who barely managed to dodge.
Two more guards with swords were coming towards him, Sunny dashed and ducked under a swing then cut upwards, separating the man's sword arm from his body.
He shouldered the screaming guard into the woman next to him, who caught the man as they fell to the ground.
Leaping over the two, Sunny deflected an axe from the guard behind them and gut punched him.
As the guard doubled over, Sunny shoved him into the path of another arrow. The man jerked violently as lightning coursed through him.
Letting the stunned man fall to the ground twitching, he slowly walked towards the trembling archer, her hands shaking so bad they couldn't notch an arrow.
As he got closer, she dropped her bow and raised her hands, the anger in her eyes now replaced by pure terror.
Scoffing, Sunny punched her in the jaw, knocking her out cold.
Breathing heavily, he grasped the arrow and slowly pulled on it with gritted teeth.
'Of course the god's damned thing is barbed!'
He lamented internally as he yanked it out, along with some of his flesh and a yelp.
He glared at the unconscious archer.
'I should have just killed her.'
Taking a steadying breath, he looked around.
The part of the hall he was in was a scene of carnage, all eleven guards were either dead or incapacitated, apart from the woman who caught the now armless swordsman, but she looked to be too busy with stopping the man's bleeding to be a threat.
He sighed in relief, but when he did, he felt a chill envelop him and his breath came out misty.
Turning slowly, too slowly even considering his injuries, Sunny saw Tessai approach not too far away, his skin blue and snowflakes dancing around him
The giant looked at Harus's corpse and followed the trail of destruction Sunny had left until their eyes met.
His eyes were filled with cruelty and cold hatred as a bloodthirsty smile appeared on his face.
Hefting his massive mace, the captain of the guard approached Sunny with a low chuckle.
"What a surprise, I never would have guessed that Changing Star's pet rat would be so much trouble, I wonder which gutter she found you in."
Sunny stood straight, running a hand through his hair.
'Maybe I can play nice, stall him.'
Pointing the Midnight Shard to him, Sunny spoke.
"Hey, you big bastard, who are you calling a rat? I'm a cockroach, and this cockroach is going to gut you like a pig."
There was a second of silence before Tessai's smile turned into a feral grin.
"Ah, my mistake then, but it doesn't matter what kind of pest you are, you will die all the same."
And with that, Tessai charged towards Sunny with a fearsome momentum.
'Ah shit.'
Sunny thought as he wrapped a shadow around the Midnight Shard and the Puppeteers Shroud.
Tessai's charge shook the floor, each step sending vibrations up Sunny's legs.
Sunny braced, gripping his sword tightly.
The Midnight Shard met Tessai's mace with a deafening clang.
The impact pushed Sunny back on the frost covered floor, but with two shadows empowering him, he was more than a match for the giant.
"Still alive?" Tessai growled, breath misting in the cold air. "Good. I hate it when they die too quickly."
Sunny didn't answer. He lunged forward, his blade flashed toward Tessai's ribs, but the giant twisted with surprising speed, the mace sweeping in a brutal arc.
Sunny ducked under it, feeling the wind of the swing ruffle his hair.
'Great. He's fast too.'
Sunny darted in again, slashing at Tessai's thigh. The blade bit into flesh, but not as deep as he wanted, Tessai's skin was hardened by his aspect to be as tough as stone.
The giant grinned, unfazed by the wound.
"You'll need more than a toothpick for that."
He lashed out with a vicious kick. Sunny leapt back, but the cold was starting to affect him, his breath hitched, the temperature was dropping fast.
Tessai advanced, each step leaving a patch of ice.
Sunny circled, forcing his limbs to move despite the creeping numbness. He needed to stay mobile. Needed to stay unpredictable.
The giant swung again, a horizontal sweep that would have bisected a horse. Sunny slid under it and slashed upward, aiming for Tessai's armpit.
This time, the blade sank deeper.
Tessai roared, more in anger than pain, and backhanded Sunny with the mace's haft. The blow caught Sunny in the ribs and sent him tumbling across the floor. He rolled, skidding to a stop near a fallen Guard.
His chest burned. Something cracked. Maybe two somethings.
Sunny spat blood and forced himself up.
Tessai approached slowly now, savoring it.
"You're strong," the giant admitted. "Stronger than you look. But you're no warrior. You're a rat with tricks. And tricks run out."
Sunny wiped his mouth with the back of his hand.
"Funny," he rasped. "I was thinking the same thing about you. Except the part about being strong."
Tessai's eye twitched.
The giant charged again, faster this time.
Sunny didn't meet him head‑on. Instead, he rolled, narrowly avoiding the crushing blow.
The mace slammed into the floor, sending shards of ice flying.
Sunny darted behind Tessai and thrust the Moonlight Shard into the back of his knee.
The blade cut deep.
Tessai roared, staggering.
Sunny let go of the Moonlight Shard and pressed the advantage, stabbing his other knee with the Midnight Shard.
But the giant spun with terrifying speed, catching Sunny across the chest with a sweeping elbow. The impact knocked the air from his lungs and sent him sprawling.
He hit the ground hard.
His vision blurred. His ears rang.
Through the haze, he saw Tessai limping toward him, fury burning in his eyes.
"You little— I'll crush your skull. Slowly."
Sunny forced himself to his knees and slowly rose, chuckling darkly.
He exhaled, steadying himself.
Tessai raised his mace high and swung it down with all his strength.
Sunny sidestepped at the last second, ignoring the fragments of stone that were launched into him by the impact.
He pulled all his shadows back onto himself and kicked Tessai's knee with brutal force. The joint buckled, and the giant dropped with a guttural groan.
Shifting two shadows to the Midnight Shard, Sunny stabbed it deep into Tessai's gut.
"I told you I'd gut you."
He said as he pushed the blade across the giant's stomach, tearing it open.
Tessai roared, dropping his mace. He grabbed Sunny by the head and hurled him across the hall.
Sunny slammed into the wall, coughing blood as he slid to the floor.
'So this is what it feels like.'
Picking himself up unsteadily, he looked up at Tessai.
Just like he had promised, the giant's guts were spilling out the wound Sunny had just opened, but…
'God's, at this point, I'm not sure which one of us is the cockroach.'
He was still standing, and was slowly hobbling towards Sunny, one hand holding his guts, the other dragging his mace behind him.
Then Sunny saw something that Tessai didn't, and started laughing.
"What's so funny, rat, finally lost your mind?"
Tessai snarled, his face contorted in wrath.
"Oh no," Sunny wheezed. "I lost that months ago, I'm just laughing at how utterly fucked you are."
It was then that Tessai felt the heat, turning his head he saw a radiant figure wreathed in flames walking towards him with measured steps, her black blade contrasting starkly with the white fire surrounding it, her usually cold eyes were filled with incandescent fury.
Changing Star, Lady Nephis of the Immortal Flame Clan, had arrived.
Tessai could barely turn to face her before the arm holding the mace was severed and cauterized by her transcendent blade.
Before he could scream, another slash bisected him, and Nephis walked past without even sparing the falling corpse a glance.
Approaching Sunny, her gaze softened, and her flames died down.
Swaying slightly, Sunny smiled faintly.
"That's my girl."
He murmured quietly, but not quietly enough. Nephis's eyes widened slightly, a faint flush coloring her ears.
A flush that Sunny matched once he realized he had said that out loud.
Nephis stepped close, raising a hand to his cheek. Her thumb brushed the cut there tenderly.
"You're hurt."
Sunny smirked, leaning into the touch, raising his own hand to hold her wrist, thumb stroking the back of her hand.
"You should see the other guys."
The corner of her lips tugged upwards.
"I did, you did well, Sunny."
Closing her eyes and grimacing slightly, Nephis channeled her flames into Sunny, rapidly healing his wounds.
Letting out a breath, she hesitantly pulled away from Sunny, who reluctantly let go as well.
The air between them turned awkward as they glanced at each other, looking away when their eyes met.
They were interrupted by a cough.
Turning, they saw Kai looking at them fondly, with Cassie covering Effie's mouth with both hands behind him. The huntress's eyes were filled with unrestrained mischief and the promise of relentless teasing.
The flush on Sunny and Nephis's faces quickly drained as they saw the entire hall looking at them.
"I, uh, I suppose we should get this mess sorted, huh?"
Sunny muttered, scratching the back of his head.
Nephis nodded, quickly regaining her composure.
"Yes, let us do that."
***
A/N: Heya, how do ya like the new chapter? I wanted to make my first combat focused chapter a good one so let me know how I did, I'm interested to hear your opinions on how it flowed.
Anyway, next chapter will mainly focus on other character POVs, if you have any character in particular you want represented leave a comment and I'll see what I can do.