Sunny cursed under his breath. He could feel the influx of essence from the Crown's enchantment constantly providing him with energy—an irregular torrent that kept his body standing but couldn't repair the accumulated damage.
His soul was in bad shape, as was his body, from the fight against the Lord of Terror. Open wounds, fractured bones, torn muscles... everything hurt with an intensity bordering on unbearable. Added to the fact that the influence of Sin of Solace had become more present within his mind, driving him to the brink of madness. The cursed sword whispered constantly in his ear, offering him power in exchange for his sanity.
Sunny looked at his friend, or what little remained of him. No. That wasn't the Uriel everyone knew. He was now a distorted version, a Nightmare Creature whose only thought was to kill them all and escape to the waking world to cause more damage.
"Haaa... it feels so good to be free from those chains," he said with a wide smile, stretching his arm as if savoring his new freedom.
"It took all of them to seal me. It's a pity that mad bastard is no longer around. I wanted to kill him with my own hands, but I suppose you can't have everything in life, right...?" Uriel disappeared from Sunny's vision, appearing beside him with impossible speed.
"Lost One."
Sunny's eyes widened, but before he could react, he received a powerful blow that sent him flying. Even with his bones reinforced by the lineage of Weaver's Bones, the impact was devastating. He felt several ribs fracture and the air leave his lungs.
Landing on the ground with a dull thud, he lifted his face and saw Uriel approaching in his direction. His steps were slow, deliberate, like a predator savoring its prey's fear.
"Well, I expected more from you, Sunless. I thought by this point you'd be a Titan, but you're just an Ascended Terror. Meanwhile, I'm a Corrupted Terror. The difference between us is abyssal—you can't win. You'll watch me kill everyone. Your beloved Nephis, your friend Kai, that liar Mordret, that manipulator Cassie, Jet, Effie and her newborn child. And when everyone dies before your eyes, I'll kill you—only to start a new cycle all over again."
"You're insane," Sunny spat, forcing himself to stand.
"Yes, I'm insane! I'm unhinged!" Uriel shouted with an expression full of joy. "I'm cursed and corrupted. I consumed my other self, tore him limb from limb, devoured his soul. I killed my darkness creatures!" His laughter echoed in the air, shrill and cruel. "Seeing their motionless bodies, their expressions of pure terror upon knowing they couldn't beat me... ha... it was so wonderful, splendid, exciting..."
Uriel began to laugh before abruptly calming down. "I'll do it again, and then again, and then once more, until I get bored. And when I do, I'll escape this tomb. I'll travel throughout the Dream Realm and consume everything. And when I consume it... when I do... oh, you'll be welcome to the world I'll make—a true hell."
"You talk too much."
Uriel immediately turned, blocking a sword wrapped in white flames. His single red eye fixed on Changing Star's silver eyes. The pressure of their attacks kicked up a gust of wind that scattered the nearby ashes.
"Ah, Changing Star," said Uriel, his smile widening. "I can feel your conflicting emotions. Oh, and wow, it seems you feel guilty. I suppose for possessing such a good slave. If only he knew what awaits you in a few years—it'll be fun to see his expression."
Nephis said nothing. Instead of words, she released a sea of white flames that spread in all directions. But Uriel had already moved, disappearing into the darkness and emerging from a higher place, like a mocking specter.
He watched as Nephis healed Sunny's wounds, white flames enveloping his body and repairing damaged tissues. Sunny nodded in thanks, though his gaze remained fixed on the enemy. He also watched as Mordret emerged from a broken mirror with a calm smile on his face, as if the situation were a game and he held all the cards.
The three holders of Divine Aspects gathered to face him. Uriel didn't know whether to feel flattered or underestimated.
"I must say, Lord of Darkness, although it's the first time we meet, your feats are impressive," Mordret commented in a tone bordering on irony.
"You flatter me, Prince of Nowhere. For that compliment, I'll kill Anvil once I escape this tomb."
Mordret didn't react visibly, though his eyes gleamed with a flash of interest. "You think you can kill a Supreme?"
"I've killed great creatures. A mere Supreme won't be so different."
"You overestimate yourself quite a bit."
Uriel gave a closed-eye smile—an expression that at another time would have been warm, but now was simply sinister. "I certainly do. Well, now you holders of Divine Aspects, let's see if you can give me a good dance."
Darkness emerged from Uriel's body like an endless black tide that covered the ground around him. Shadows writhed and rose like hungry serpents, reaching toward the three warriors with terrifying speed.
The battle began.
Nephis was the first to react. Her white flames exploded in all directions, illuminating the darkness and burning the approaching shadows. Divine light and corrupted darkness clashed at the center of the battlefield, creating an explosion of energy that shook the ground.
"Sunny, Mordret—now!" Nephis shouted.
Sunny moved with the speed granted by his lineage, his shadows spreading around him as he approached Uriel. The Sword of Sin of Solace sang in his hand—a song of death and despair that tried to undermine his will.
"Is that your weapon?" Uriel asked with disdain, blocking the sword with his black blade. "A cursed sword that whispers in your ear. Don't you realize you're falling into the same trap as me? Corruption seeps into the weak."
"I'm not weak," Sunny replied, forcing his sword downward. "And you're not my friend."
Steel clashed in a burst of sparks. Uriel's black blade moved with supernatural speed and precision, each strike sending shockwaves that distorted the air.
Mordret attacked from a blind angle, his distorted form emerging from a reflection on the ground. His spear, wrapped in the energy of nothingness, aimed directly at Uriel's heart. But the Corrupted Terror seemed to anticipate the attack, turning at the last moment to deflect the blow with a flick of his wrist.
"You're cunning, Prince of Nowhere," Uriel commented, his red eye gleaming. "But cunning is no match for true darkness."
The darkness around Uriel exploded, sending Sunny and Mordret flying backward. Nephis took the moment to advance, her white flames clearing a path through the shadows. Her sword rose, cutting the air with blinding light.
"Nephis, wait!" Sunny shouted.
But it was too late. Nephis was already before Uriel, her sword descending in a deadly arc.
Uriel laughed. "You think your flames can burn me? You think your light can purify me? I am more than darkness—I am the absence of hope, the denial of light."
His black blade met Nephis's sword, and the impact was devastating. The white flames scattered, and Nephis was thrown backward, her feet carving deep grooves in the ground as she tried to stop her momentum.
"Nephis!" Sunny ran toward her, but Uriel was already between them.
"Worried about your beloved?" Uriel asked, his voice a cruel whisper. "You shouldn't be. Soon you'll be together—in death."
The battle continued—a brutal dance of light and darkness. Uriel moved like a shadow, appearing and disappearing, attacking from impossible angles. His black blade cut the air with whistles of death, each blow bringing them closer to defeat.
Nephis counterattacked with her white flames, creating barriers of light that slowed the darkness. Sunny used his shadows to protect himself and counterattack, while Mordret lurked from reflections, seeking a moment of vulnerability.
But Uriel was too fast, too strong, too clever. Despite the corruption consuming him, his mind remained sharp—a keen blade that found his opponents' weaknesses.
"Why won't you surrender?" Uriel asked as he dodged an attack from Mordret. "Why do you insist on fighting when defeat is inevitable? What drives you?"
"Hope," Nephis replied, her white flames enveloping her. "The same hope you've lost."
Uriel laughed. "Hope is an illusion, a lie you tell yourself to avoid facing reality. I've seen beyond that lie. I've seen the truth."
His darkness intensified, enveloping the battlefield in a shroud of blackness. Nephis responded with an explosion of light that partially dispersed the shadows—but not enough.
It was then that it happened.
Mordret, who had retreated to a reflection to heal his wounds, made a mistake. His exit was predictable, and Uriel was waiting for him.
"Prince of Nowhere," said Uriel, appearing behind him. "You've been an interesting opponent. But your time is up."
The black blade pierced Mordret's chest, emerging from the other side. Blood gushed—black and thick—mixing with the darkness surrounding Uriel.
Mordret's eyes widened in surprise. "You... are..." he whispered, before his body collapsed.
Uriel pushed him toward a nearby reflection. "Go. Take your wounds somewhere far away. Remember this, Prince: you don't always win."
Mordret vanished into the reflection, his form shattering as he retreated from the battle. Only Sunny and Nephis remained.