Shadow Slave novel Chapter 2039

The tranquil silence of the Ivory Tower was disturbed by the clangor of steel.

The chilling litany of clashing blades echoed from the pristine white walls, and powerful gusts of wind battered them like siege rams. However, there was no battle raging under the roof of the great pagoda.

Instead, three figures moved across its floor in a graceful dance, wielding blades made of shadow against each other.

They were Nephis and Sunny — two incarnations of him, to be precise.

Changing Star had been sent away from the main force of the Sword Army, but the Fire Keepers were not. That, too, was part of her punishment… and although Sunny could see that she was concerned about her people, he was selfishly glad that they practically had the entire Ivory Island to themselves.

No one was here to disturb them, so they could spend time together however they wished.

And they had.

It felt strange, to enjoy warm days of contentment and bliss in the middle of a calamitous war, but he was not complaining… far from it. If anything, the dire threat of the looming war made every moment they spent together feel much more vivid and precious.

Especially because it also felt as if these were the last tranquil days they would get to enjoy before the inevitable storm.

There were all kinds of leisurely activities they had been up to since Nephis returned to the main camp... but today, they were subjecting themselves to a different kind of physical strain.

The battle was subdued, but their Transcendent Battle Arts had enough room to express themselves fully.

Sunny was enjoying the feeling of completion, freedom, and endless possibility his Art gave him. It was graceful, infinitely adaptable, fearsome, and — most of all — absolutely deadly. He had already tested its daunting potential during the Battle of Godheart, but some of his powers had been restricted then.

Of course, that was not really a detriment to his Art — on the contrary,it was an undeniable confirmation of its dire lethality and insidious design. His formless Art was flexible enough to serve him well even when placed under the harshest of restrictions, after all — just as he had intended it to be. That was one of its most dangerous aspects.

Now, however, there were no restrictions placed upon Sunny, which gave him a chance to experience the full repertoire of his Art.

Of course, Nephis herself was an astounding swordsman. No matter how deadly his Art was, Sunny was having trouble dealing with a nearly immortal opponent.

He was curious to know how the battle would have ended if both of them were serious about it, and were not restrained in the magnitude of power they released. What would happen if seven of his incarnations were here instead of only two? If Nephis fully unleashed her flames? If they didn't care about hurting each other or leaving their surroundings intact?

He was honestly not sure. The only thing he knew was that the main camp of the Sword Army would probably be erased from existence.

Sunny was enjoying himself, and he had a feeling that Nephis was enjoying herself too — even more than him, most likely. But of course, this spar was not simply for their enjoyment. It had a practical reason, as well.

In these few weeks before Nephis was once again recalled to the frontline… Sunny had to finish forging her sword.

He had been preparing for this moment for many months now, and a large part of his preparations had to do with studying how she fought. From spending time in the rented martial halls in Bastion to observing Nephis in actual battle, Sunny had learned a lot.

Today's duel was the final lesson, and he was absorbing it with all his being.

Finally, utterly exhausted, they stopped. Neither had won… not that achieving victory was a point.

Nephis smiled in contentment, wiped the sweat off her brow, and inhaled deeply. Her chest was heaving, proving how strenuous the spar had been.

And making Sunny's eyes wander.

"Your swordsmanship have changed."

There was curiosity in her voice, as well as a hint of approval.

A part of Sunny was surprised that she noticed.

…Most of him, however, was too preoccupied by being stirred by the sight of beads of sweat glistening on her ivory skin, her slightly flushed face, and the tantalizing contours of her body contoured by the light training clothes. �

'Ah… I'm in trouble.'

There was too much for him to do today, and he could not allow himself to get distracted.

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