Shadow Slave

The Eternal City was truly vast, not losing in sheer size to sprawling human cities like NQSC, Bastion, or Ravenheart. It was like a region in and of itself, spanning myriad kilometers on the glassy black bottom of the Stormsea.

Yet, there was no corner of the sunken city that the Crushing did not reach — except for the Palace Lake, which was spared its fury by its master’s design. And since the Ivory Island was flying closer to the ground than usual, the force exerted by the Crushing was truly devastating.

In an instant, every building in the Eternal City was flattened, and every living being on its streets was turned into bloody pulp. Only the Lighthouse seemed unaffected by the distressing pressure, standing as tall and proud as it used to.

Somewhere in the distance, the Clocktower collapsed once again. On the other side of the city, the Wharf groaned, cracks slowly snaking up its towering walls.

Innumerable immortal abominations were thrown to the ground and crushed. It was as if they all simultaneously exploded into repulsive puddles of blood and viscera, painting the cracking stone red... their blood flowed slowly, pressed down by the same force that destroyed their bodies.

An entire city full Great Nightmare Creatures was obliterated in a heartbeat. Ironically enough, it was as if the unfathomable weight of the endless sea that had been held at bay by the invisible aegis protecting the sunken city caught up with it, after all.

The Nightwalker, Naeve, Bloodwave, and Aether paled, watching the scene of unimaginable devastation in awed silence. Jet remained nonchalant, while Sunny continued looking at the distant Chain Breaker with a smile.

‘That’s my girl!’

“W—what the hell?”

Nightwalker’s voice sounded a little hoarse. He remained silent for a moment, and then added slowly:

“I guess... you weren’t kidding when you said that you’ll destroy the Eternal City...”

Sunny sighed.

‘If only it were that easy.’

The Ivory Island continued to exert its tyrannical pressure upon the Eternal City. But the Eternal City was not going to just take it lying down...

A few seconds after the Crushing decimated it, the vast ruins stirred. The buildings had been crushed into stone dust, and now, that dust was trembling and slowly rising into the air. Small pebbles fused into slabs of stone, and slabs of stone assembled. into ornate walls.

The harrowing mass of crushed flesh came alive, as well. Muscles and bones were formed from its ghastly depths, slowly coalescing into human shapes. Still half-complete, the bleeding bodies strained to rise from the ground, pressing against it with raw hands.

But then, it was as if another pulse of the Crushing descended upon the city, breaking their bones and throwing them down again. A few seconds later, the abominable immortals were turned into a sea of bleeding flesh once more, and the half-restored buildings were turned into rubble.

Only to be repaired again.

The Crushing and the Eternal City clashed in a harrowing cycle of destruction and restoration, with neither managing to gain the upper hand. It was as if this sunken hell that had denied death for eons got stuck in an endless loop of dying, unable to escape the dreadful agony of its cruel embrace.

That was the sorcery of the Hope, the Demon of Desire, clashing against the sorcery of the Demon of Repose.

By now, even Sunny could not help but feel a sense of awe.

After all, it was not every day that one saw the powers of two daemons collide. Standing at the bow of the Chain Breaker, Nephis raised a hand. In the next moment, a hurricane of flame descended upon the ruins surrounding the Palace Lake, burning the raging mist away.

Shaking off his trance, Sunny glanced at what had been the battle between the dreadful immortals and the wraith army of the Dutchman less than a minute ago.

The immortals were a repugnant mess of undulating flesh — not destroyed, but incapable of becoming whole again either. The wraiths, meanwhile...

Myriad ethereal figures were standing amidst the ruins, looking back at him in eerie silence.

The spectral soldiers of the Dutchman seemed affected by the Crushing, as well... but their ghostly bodies were not affected by it as much as the abominations were.

A moment later, they moved, struggling against the crushing force to slowly, arduously march forward.

”Damnation.”

Nightwalker tore his gaze away from the distressing visage of the crushed city and glanced at him with a distant expression. ”...Now what?”

Sunny remained silent for a moment, then said darkly:

“Now we take the Palace Island and defend it as if our lives depend on it, while somebody enters the Palace and searches for a way to truly unmake this cursed place. Then, we kill all the immortals, slay the Dutchman, and pat ourselves on the back for doing a good job. Oh, but before that...” He looked at Jet.

She considered something for a bit, then turned her gaze to the Saints of Night. ”Bloodwave, you have the bridge. Take the Night Garden and Aether into the Dream Gate — you should land safely in the River of Tears. Naeve...”

He shook his head and looked briefly at Nightwalker.

”I’m staying”

Jet studied him for a moment, then nodded. “Summon a Memory that can slay wraiths, then.”

Sunny threw one last look at the marching army of ghosts and turned away.

“Everyone who is staying should come with me, then. Bloodwave, Aether... it has been a pleasure. Come find me if you’re ever in Ravenheat... or Bastion, or north of the Hollow Mountains. Or if you want to purchase a luxury bicycle. We’ll share a drink.”

He flashed them a smile. Aether smiled weakly, while Bloodwave looked at him with a scowl and grunted non-commitally before entering the runic circle.

At the same time, Nightwalker stepped out of it.

”How are we getting to the Palace Island without a ship, though?”

Sunny grabbed him by the shoulder and grinned.

“With style”

He used his other hand to grab Naeve, and pulled Jet closer with a tentacle made of shadows.

Then, he pulled them all into a Shadow Step.

A moment later, they appeared on the walls of the Dark Castle. Below them, the sea of shades was vanishing without a trace, leaving the deck of the Night Garden empty.

Sunny looked up, at the distant silhouette of the Chain Breaker, and took a deep breath. And then, he pulled the entirety of the Dark Castle, with all its immense size and weight, into the shadows as well.

‘Argh... how... heavy...’

A moment later, a magnificent black castle suddenly appeared on the shores of the Palace Island. Despite its towering walls, it was easily dwarfed by the huge Palace, looking like a guardpost in front of its gates.

In front of them, the Night Garden rushed across the cold waters of the vast lake amidst the harrowing devastation, approaching the radiant abyss of the Dream Gate.