Mist overwhelmed the Dark Knight, all of its enemies suddenly disappeared, leaving it started and dazed, as much as a nightmare creature could be.
Caster had once again used his aspect to leave, Lan and Merlin did their job, and retreated into the mist. Wraith had been dismissed.
The Devil squinted its red corrupted eyes. It couldn't see through the mist, but something interesting caught its attention.
It could wield the Darkness freely.
Before, two insects lit up the cathedral and disrupted the Black Knight's power, but now, there was nothing stopping it.
The Devil stood up, it already manifested the Darkness onto its body, healing the cracks on the armor and the damage on the precious great sword.
A second later, it decided to bring the Darkness back, to dominate the area and exterminate the insects that infiltrated its cathedral.
However, as soon as the Darkness came, it was dispelled once again.
By a light coming from a red flaming sword that dispelled the mist around it. A black armored human wielded it, and walked closer and closer, it was like the Devil wasn't even there for the human.
But the Dark Knight could care less for the human's attitude, it simply raised his sword sideways to swing horizontally, aiming to split the pitiful insect in two.
A whispering sound tore through the mist, twisting and changing the cloud. Suddenly, a cut appeared on the helmet of the Dark Knight barely cleaving the Fallen Devil.
But that small cut was enough. The sudden attack interrupted the wind up of its swing, causing it to stumble.
And the stumble let the Knight wide open for the assault of the Heir of Death and his most trusted subordinates. Sunny and Motza pierced through the mist from behind the fiend, [BloodRaven] and [Assassin's Implement] in each respectful hand. Kira put a strong foot on the ground and began a mad dash while his sword burned an intense shade of red.
Motza pierced the Dark Knight's tendon, even if it wasn't made of flesh, it still had similar anatomy to a human, making its center of gravity similar enough that a sudden wound in the leg mid stumble would cause it to fall.
And so it did. After piercing, Motza slashed through the ankle of the Fallen abomination, even though it met resistance, the Ascended blade managed to fulfil its owners objective.
The Dark Knight fell forward, losing balance and letting off a silent scream, its arm wielding the sword was instinctively moved to pierce the floor and support the automaton.
Sunless wouldn't let that chance go, as soon as the sword pierced the ground, he would strike it together with Kira. The combination of the Ascended weapon with two shadows augmenting it and the flaming weapon should have been enough to at least severely damage the Dark sword.
However, they would never really know, because the sword never pierced the ground.
The Dark Knight was able to gain balance by putting his other giant foot forward. Kneeling on the ground and moving its weapon up, out of reach of the Sleepers.
Sunless slid on the ground as he suddenly stopped in surprise. He looked at the Devil, meeting two ruby eyes burning with corrupted rage.
But that rage… Was directed to someone else…
"Kira!"
Time seemed to slow down as his loyal subordinate was slashed, it broke his sword into pieces, white ethereal sparks flew as his black armor cracked and was mangled under the Devil's fearsome sword.
He was thrown inside the mist, going out of Sunny's view. And without him, the Dark Knight had no more obstacles to wield his power. The main flaw of Sunny's plan, Nephis wasn't used to fighting in the mist, and she was doing something else right now, she couldn't take Kira's place…
Motza froze when Kira was thrown back, he was so surprised he barely reacted when the hand of the Dark Knight came down on him. Luckily, he was able to dodge. Leaving a small crater in the attack's wake.
Dust raised as the dark arm launched the debris left from the attack at Motza.
Normally, it wouldn't affect the assassin, but the one launching them was a Fallen Devil. So it was like he was being shot by multiple bullets from a machine gun.
He was able to dodge some, but the debris that pierced through him made a severe amount of pain reach his nerves.
"Motza! Clear the mist!"
The assassin did as his master ordered, but it took time, and time was the last time thing Motza had.
The leg of the Dark Knight had already healed, letting it use it to advance against the mist user.
At that time, three Shadow Watchers appeared after hearing Sunless scream Kira's name. The brothers Kin and Lan together with Merlin appeared out of the mist.
But it was already too late, because the Dark Knight changed targets.
Sunless was about to assault the Fallen Devil, Wraith was about to emerge out of his shadow…
But the Knight suddenly snapped its head toward him, two burning ruby eyes loomed over him, and Darkness was unleashed.
The next moment, Sunless mind returned to that week…
That moment of his life when he felt nothing, when he felt most powerless, when he almost starved to death…
He couldn't feel his breath, he couldn't hear, see… He couldn't even feel his own armor…
He froze completely, he didn't even feel when [BloodRaven] fell out of his hand.
That second… Felt like an eternity…
But the pain of the slash he received only felt like a second.
Blood flashed as a vertical cut appeared on his body. From his eye all across his chest, for the first time, the [Mantle of the Underworld] was torn.
He kneeled, losing the strength in his legs, blood flowed through his mouth, Sunless couldn't move anymore, he didn't even feel pain.
It was then that he noticed, the slash was infused with True Darkness, he became numb, Wraith couldn't be summoned anymore and he lost control of his shadows.
He looked up to see the fist of the Dark Knight colliding with him.
—
Sunless was violently launched out of the mist, traveling meters in the air until he crashed beneath the statue of the Goddess that was in the cathedral.
He was numb, the True Darkness had robbed him of most of his senses, he could only barely see with his right eye.
His vision was blurred, but he could tell what was happening.
His sense of time must have been lost, because by the time he looked at the battlefield, the Fallen Devil had already defeated all of his subordinates.
The mist was already cleared, Motza was on the ground, a pool of blood around him. Kin and Lan were crouched on the ground, clearly out of commission. Merlin was not much better, her unconscious body leaning on the wall.
Effie and Kai must have tried to do something judging by the huntress being enveloped by the Knight's hand, struggling in vain, and the various arrows in the armor of the fiend.
Caster was also on the ground, his leg had mangled completely.
Lycon must have been healing Kira, they were not visible.
Nephis… Sunny hoped she would follow the plan.
The Dark Knight threw Effie to the side and turned to Sunless, the maddening fury its eyes displayed focused entirely on the Heir of Shadows.
It walked closer and closer.
The few shadows remaining on the cathedral creeped towards their future God, imploring for his life.
Sunless then realized, this was Hel's vision, the great tragedy that his sister warned him about…
The Knight walked closer and closer, Darkness emitting from it like they wanted to humiliate Sunless…
He couldn't help but chuckle… He didn't need to be here, he didn't need to kill the Knight, or risk the lives of his companions, of Kai, Effie… Of Nephis… Of his subordinates…
His humorless chuckled finished, and was replaced with a broken expression.
'And yet… They all came, they all stayed… To complete my selfish desire…'
They didn't leave him…
'Kira… Did you know? I hate being wrong…'
The Knight had finally reached him, it slowly raised his sword.
'Motza… Will you still be my blade?'
'Nix, will you forgive me even after what I forced you to do?'
'Kira, will you be by my side, regardless of my choices?'
'Merlin, will you keep learning things from me?'
'Lycon, I don't even know why you follow me… But will you continue?'
'Kin, Lan, will you destroy my obstacles?'
'Lauma, will you guide me until the end?'
The Dark Knight infused the blade with True Darkness.
'And Mei… Will you still trust me?'
The Knight brought its sword down.
"If you will… Do it NOW!"
A purple flash disrupted the darkness, bringing color to the dark. Distracting the Devil.
Then suddenly, a pillar of the cathedral fell down on top of it, the unexpected weight made it stagger, kneeling and embedding the sword onto the ground.
A purple haired woman then started running along the fallen pillar, wielding her violet katana. As soon as she reached the end of the destroyed structure, she jumped into a backflip into the arm of the Dark Knight.
With an agile movement, she slashed the arm of the automaton that leaned on the embedded sword, using her aspect to cut it out of the rest of the body.
Mei's aspect made her katana slash cut the space itself, disintegrating everything that her blade came in contact with. But it required a lot of concentration, as such, she needed time to execute it.
But it was strong enough to rip the arm of a Fallen Devil with enough time.
The black armored arm fell numbly on the ground, letting the sword wide open.
Sunless' plan had worked.
The Dark Knight tried to use its power to get rid of the pillar currently weighing on it, but all its power was snatched away as a white flame appeared onto view.
Changing Star had finally reentered the battle. Moving directly onto the sword.
The Devil noticed this, and fought with all its strength to lift the pillar off of it. But a hand suddenly touched its leg.
Kira had reached it, wounded and tired, breathing heavily, but he reached it, meeting the ruby eyes of the Devil with his hidden ones.
"Burn."
Kira heated up the Devil, he infused all his remaining strength into it. Enough to start a fire so hot it turned blue.
The Dark Knight let out a silent scream, and all his power disappeared.
Sunless then used all his will to get up and summoned the [Moonlight Shard], dashing to the sword embedded on the ground with Mei and Nephis.
The three Sleepers reached the sword at the same time, and swung their weapons empowered by their aspects all at the same time.
It was enough to completely shatter the Dark sword on contact.
A shockwave resounded through the whole cathedral. With enough strength to rid the pillar off of the burning Fallen Devil and push Kira away, stopping his aspect.
Silence settled onto the building, with the great Dark Knight stumbling and kneeling.
All Sleepers stared at the Knight, it was motionless, dazed and confused. It looked at the statue of the Goddess…
And something changed in it. The rage, the maddness... It was all replaced with... A calm, tranquil demeanor.
The armor started to corrode, rot, as it was being destroyed by time.
And yet, even with that, it showed no pain, no resistance, as if conceding the fight. It looked at Sunless, and pointed its remaining hand at its chest.
Something started to happen inside it, the Darkness started to fight, as if the own Knight was fighting the will of the being within, of the True Darkness within it.
The Heir of Shadows had no idea why that was happening… But something told him…
To end the suffering of the once noble Knight.
He approached the Knight, ignoring the pleas of Nephis, who was stopped by Mei.
He was wounded, exhausted, numb. But so was the Knight.
"I don't know what happened to you, and I cannot save you… But you can rest now. Your Nightmare is over…"
Before he struck the Dark Knight, his Shadow, Saint, appeared through the shadows. Her armor was mangled, destroyed, her beautiful, inhumanly perfect face showed. Approaching the great Knight, all her disdain was seemingly gone, replaced with respect.
She passed her master, who was confused by her appearance and reached it- no, reached him, and pierced his chest with her remaining arm.
The once corrupted eyes of the Knight were now thankful, he was finally free from corruption, from the being inside him…
The Darkness was tamed, not before squirming in maddening despair, but it was all silenced after Saint ripped out something from the now crumbling armor.
[You have slain a Fallen Devil, Forsaken Knight.]
[Your shadow grows stronger…]
[You have received a Memory.]
'Thank you, for making me face my fear…'
The armor completely crumbled, rotting away in dust.
The only thing remaining was an orb made of Darkness and a liquid red substance in Saint's hand.
'Hm? What is–'
Saint then ate the orb in one gulp.
"Wait! Don't!"
His shadow then dismissed itself onto his soul.
Sunless would have cursed… But he suddenly faltered, his vision got blurry. He lost too much blood.
He fell down, but before he hit the ground, someone caught him. A sudden warmth came onto him, and the numbing feeling slowly faded away…
He looked up to see Nephis, healing him with her flames.
She looked like an angel, despite the worried expression on her…
But he couldn't admire her, he fell unconscious.