Nephis watched the two luminous eyes emerge from the darkness, lowering her sword slightly.
Her expression turned grim.
"Hello, Neph. Hello, Cas," Ariandel's pleasant voice resonated, as if speaking directly to the soul, while those unsettling eyes drew closer.
There was something more intimidating in them than anything that might be hidden nearby.
Nephis shifted, her heart racing.
"What's the situation?" she asked, keeping her voice low.
Sunless—whose presence she had not noticed beside Artisan of Fantasy—answered:
"There are eight scavengers around us. But they're all dead. The killer is one of those large monsters we saw, the one with the crimson pattern on its shell and scythes instead of claws. It's hiding from the storm beneath a rocky crest not far from here."
A bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the area. For a brief moment, two white sparks seemed to ignite in Nephis's eyes. When the flash faded, her gaze returned to its inscrutable gray.
Tilting her head, she murmured, as if to herself, "An Awakened Monster."
Ariandel's low, almost casual laugh sounded. Then he asked, as though he already knew the answer, "Yes. So—what shall we do about it?"
Nephis stared at those half-smiling eyes, leaning on her sword. After a moment of silence, she asked, "What's your plan?"
The shapes in Artisan of Fantasy's eyes shifted, reflecting a mixture of satisfaction and resolve.
"First," he began, shifting his weight from one leg to the other, "we recover the resources at our disposal… and by that I mean admitting something: we haven't been completely honest about the capabilities of our Aspects."
Nephis, impassive, felt another twinge of discomfort in her gut. Sunless tensed beside Ariandel, who simply continued in his relaxed tone:
"And, given the urgency of our situation and the challenges ahead, I propose we skip some formalities."
A bright smile spread across his handsome features.
"I possess a Divine Aspect, just as you and Sunny do."
Nephis tightened her grip on her sword, while Sunless stepped slightly away from Ariandel. He, however, merely closed his eyes, still calm.
"Thanks to that Aspect, I can also project a fully capable, autonomous copy of myself."
It was then she noticed a second Artisan of Fantasy nearby, watching them indifferently, sword raised.
That Ariandel sneered and went on:
"You still haven't revealed your Aspect Ability, Star of Change, and I recommend you learn to use it soon."
"Facing an Awakened Monster isn't something any Sleeper should have to do," said the original Ariandel, moving beside Sunless. The other Ariandel summoned a bow in his hands.
"But none of the four of us is 'anyone'," the second Ariandel added, bow at the ready.
Then, in unison, both spoke calmly and with determination:
"We're going to kill it."
...
Some time later, Sunless stood in the darkness, staring at the terrifying creature before him. His expression was grim and serious. Firmly holding the Azure Blade, he inhaled slowly.
He was even beginning to like Ariandel, but now he had plenty of reasons to resent the fellow.
'I don't like this.'
With that thought, he exhaled, raised his hand, and summoned the silver bell. He shook it lightly, its melodic chime echoing through the storm.
Immediately, the monster below shifted, swinging its massive torso toward the sudden sound. Upon spotting Sunless, a crimson flame of fury ignited in its eyes.
Sunless, however, saw none of this, for he was already with his back to it. As soon as the bell rang, he turned and leapt from the crest without hesitation.
The crest wasn't very high, but the drop to the ground was significant. Sunless landed hard, rolling to disperse the impact. As soon as he rose, he sprinted, putting as much distance as he could.
Moments later, the crest exploded behind him. The monster barreled through the rocks with its bulky body, smashing them like paper. Simultaneously, lightning lit the sky, followed by thunder that drowned out the crash of debris.
The creature charged in pursuit, trying to impale Sunless with one of its scythes. Fragments of stone rained down from its spiny shell like a torrent.
Fortunately, Sunless was already far enough away. Without slowing, he crouched low and ran a few more meters before turning to face it.
The sight of the creature—over three meters tall, charging like an out-of-control freight train—would have made anyone hesitate.
But Sunless stood his ground, raising the Azure Blade above his head. After all, he was the bait.
A few meters ahead, the monster finally hit the trap.
Almost invisible in the darkness and torrential rain, the golden rope was stretched between two massive boulders at the height of the creature's leg joints. Sunless had slipped beneath it before.
Had it been an ordinary rope, it would have snapped instantly. But the golden rope was a Memory—astonishingly strong thanks to its enchantments.
The rocks to which it was anchored, however, were ordinary. They crumbled almost at once.
But the damage was done.
With its front legs suddenly yanked backward—and two arrows lodged in its eyes—the monster lost its balance and smashed face-first into the ground. It slid across the wet stone, leaving a shallow groove in its wake. Sunless leapt aside, avoiding the rubble.
The monster roared in fury. Its bone scythes gouged into the stone, halting its massive body abruptly. Agile and quick for its size, it began to rise.
'If it gets up, we're doomed.'
Sunless felt his heart pound.
Fortunately, Echo was faster.
Concealed among the dead scavengers, Echo sprang to his feet the instant the monster fell. Moving swiftly, he leapt onto the foe's shell, sinking his pincers into the creature's arms just below the scythes.
The shell's spines tore at Echo, but he managed to immobilize the monster for a fleeting second.
And one second was enough.
As if appearing from nowhere, Nephis arrived. Darting between the lethal scythes, she delivered a devastating blow with her longsword, driving all her weight behind the strike.
They weren't certain the Awakened Monster shared the same weak spot on its back as the smaller scavengers, but it made sense that there would be a gap between its shell and torso armor.
'Anything that needs to flex can't be completely rigid.'
Star of Change's sword point found that gap and plunged deep, the hilt nearly scraping the chitin.
'That's it!' thought Sunless, triumphant.
But the next instant, his face fell.
The creature didn't even seem to notice the wound. Twisting violently, it flung Echo aside and rose to its feet. Its bone scythes scraped the stone as it prepared to strike.
Nephis stood directly before it, unarmed, her sword still embedded in the monster's body.
'Oh no!'
Sunless was too far away to intervene. Echo lay on the ground, struggling to rise after the impact.
Then, like a mirage, Artisan of Fantasy appeared, yanking the sword from the creature's torso with a swift motion—along with Nephis.
Without hesitation, they moved in perfect sync: Nephis dove to take cover beneath the armored belly, while Artisan of Fantasy rolled away from the blind scythes that slashed the air. In the process, his long braid was sheared in two by the strikes.
As Echo grappled the monster again, Artisan of Fantasy hurled the sword across its back. The next instant, Ariandel emerged atop the creature, catching the blade in midair.
With all his weight, he drove the sword directly into the gap.
The blade sank deep.
The monster stiffened. Echo held it fast, while Artisan of Fantasy and Star of Change hurriedly retreated.
Ariandel pressed down on the lodged sword, forcing it further in.
The creature trembled, as though resisting the inevitable, but… at last, it ceased to move.