Chapter 49

Suddenly, Sunny felt an inexplicable feeling within his heart, as he stood frozen in place. If one were to see the Fate Strings attached to him, they would see a fight between blood-red threads and radiant white threads as they fought for dominance over the Shadow.

Nephis's eyes widened in surprise as she looked behind Sunny and saw a figure emerging from the darkness. Sunny was still frozen in place, unable to comprehend the situation. The key to his gravest secret, his fear, his everything was known by two of his friends, and was pronounced by both of them at the same time.

But he didn't feel any absolute command over himself, he didn't feel any authority over him.

Looking at Nephis with wide eyes, he turned around and saw golden, emotionless eyes. He had seen these eyes before, but they had never seemed as cold, as filled with darkness as they did now.

Step...

Another step...

Soon, Kiyotaka was right beside Sunny and Nephis.

No one spoke, no one said anything.

Kiyotaka looked at Sunny, who was still shocked to the core. He knew Sunny felt betrayed; he knew Sunny was on the brink of furious outrage, but he didn't do anything.

As Sunny grew more furious with time, he finally snapped and spoke to both of them.

"What is the meaning of this? Why are you taking away my freedom? Why are you making me your slave!?"

His outburst echoed in the expanse of the tower, and as he screamed, a few pillars crumbled and fell to the ground with a loud thud.

Meanwhile, in Sunny's soul, two different threads of fate continued their never-ending battle, reaching a seemingly balanced status quo.

There was a heavy silence after Sunny's words. Nephis couldn't bring herself to say much, neither did Kiyotaka.

Looking at Sunny from the corner of his eye, Kiyotaka finally spoke.

"I promise not to die."

Sunny was confused; he was still tired from his fight with Nephis, and the current situation didn't make it better. As he was about to ask what Kiyotaka meant, Kiyotaka dashed at him at full speed, even faster than Caster, and sent him flying.

Sunny was taken aback, but he instinctively tried to balance himself as he landed. Suddenly, he felt something stir within himself. Looking at the ground, he was astonished to see that he was standing right in the center of the Gateway.

Before he could do anything, he felt the familiar voice of a spell whisper to him as he disappeared from the Forgotten Shore.

---

Nephis was still bewildered by these turn of events. She had tried so hard so there wouldn't be a need to resort to drastic methods, such as saying Sunny's True Name, but it turned out even stranger.

As she looked at the disappearing figure of Sunny, a mixture of emotions swelled in her heart. Turning her gaze to Kiyotaka, she finally spoke.

"Did... Cassie?"

Kiyotaka nodded.

"It doesn't matter now. What matters is you understand our current situation. By saying Sunny's True Name at the same time, we have reached a certain status quo in our fight over authority over him. I would have preferred if Sunny just left, but alas, that was not the case. As it seems, he is not under influence as of now."

Nephis shuddered at Kiyotaka's cold and emotionless tone.

"What... you're implying is... he is free... for now?"

Kiyotaka nodded.

"He is free for now, as our 'fight' maintains balance over his soul, preventing us from taking control over him. But that might change; there are many different prospects to this. For example, what if you spend much more time closer to Sunny? What if you return to the Waking World, closer to him? Would our battle be won by you? There are too many unknown details about this that it is hard to understand. But what I can guarantee you is once one of us dies, the other will become his Master."

Nephis fell silent at his words; there was just pure apathy in his voice, not a shred of emotion. As she was about to reply, Kiyotaka suddenly lifted her up.

Taken aback, Nephis squealed as she tried to slip away, but Kiyotaka's grip remained firm. He carried her towards the Gateway and placed her there, as he himself stepped back.

Nephis was feeling lost as she felt herself being transported out of the Dream Realm... glancing at Kiyotaka for one last time, she saw the same monolithic face. But deep within, she seemed to see something inexplicable.

"Don't die..."

With these words, she returned to the Waking World.

---

Looking at the now empty and destroyed Gateway, Kiyotaka couldn't help but feel strange.

Sunny is not enslaved, Nephis hasn't been left behind in the Forgotten Shore, Cassie didn't lose two of her precious friends. He could have made it simpler, yes, he could have just volunteered and all this mess with Sunny's True Name wouldn't have been necessary. But he didn't. Why? Because even now, in the depths of his heart, he didn't want to remain lonely. He could feel a faint connection between him and Sunny.

As for the Soul Conduit? After Nephis left, an influx of soul essence from all over the Forgotten Shore assaulted him.

He collapsed on the ground as he screamed in agony.

His soul was being reshaped yet again. The flow of fragments made him convulse as he desperately clung to consciousness. Another core was being formed and it was as much painfull as it was when he formed his second one. After an unknown period of time, everything stopped.

Kiyotaka summoned his runes as he watched them with mixed feelings.

Name: Kiyotaka

True Name: Angel of War

Rank: Dreamer

Class: Demon

War Fragments: [2881/3000]

There was also this reason behind his decision. He became a Demon, almost a Devil.

He achieved his goals.

He sacrificed what he needed.

In the end.

That's all that matters.

Kiyotaka, now standing alone, felt an overwhelming sense of loneliness wash over him. The once vibrant Forgotten Shore was now desolate, stripped of life and color. The silence was deafening, a stark contrast to the fierce battle that had just taken place. As he looked around, the ruins of the Spire and the desolate landscape painted a picture of isolation. Every corner seemed to echo with the absence of his companions, amplifying his solitude.

Loneliness is a haunting void, a chasm that consumes the heart and soul. It is the absence of connection, the silent whisper of isolation that gnaws at the edges of sanity. In this moment, Kiyotaka was not just alone; he was adrift in a sea of emptiness, the weight of his choices and the consequences of his actions pressing down on him like an anchor. The silence, once a comfort, now felt like a prison, each second stretching into an eternity.

In the depths of his heart, he knew that the bonds he had forged were now strained, perhaps broken beyond repair. The trust, the camaraderie, the unspoken understanding—they were all but shadows of a past that seemed distant and unreachable. The weight of this realization settled heavily on his shoulders, a reminder of the cost of power and the fragility of the bonds that tethered him to others.

Kiyotaka stood as a solitary figure amidst the ruins, the embodiment of a warrior who had fought valiantly but now faced the ultimate battle against the crushing weight of loneliness. His heart ached with a longing for the presence of his friends, for the warmth of their companionship. But in the vast expanse of the Forgotten Shore, there was only silence and the haunting reminder of what he had lost.

It wont stop him.

Nothing will.

Not even himself.

He will stand to the End.

Because he is the Warrior.

A Warrior of End.

[ End of Volume 2 : Forgotten Shore ]