Argent

Are there any cool places/creatures/magic systems you've thought of that you haven't had a chance to share with us in the books, but can talk about here?

Will Wight

Yes there are cool places/creatures/magic systems.

In Cradle, one on the things that I was originally intending, was I wanted ziel to have another sacred beast contract. Just like Lindon does, because we don't see a lot of that, mainly because I don't want to introduce two characters, so it's not something you see anybody but lindon do very much. There are other sacred artists out there that work with sacred beasts. What I really wanted to do was show off somebody else that did that.

Now what his original design called for, instead of a giant hammer and a script based path, he had a void key and he kept creatures in it, and he was kinda like a Pokemon trainer if I'm being honest. So he had a core that allowed him to share and connect with madra from a bunch of different creatures, but he formed a contract in a different way. What he would do, is he would then release these less advanced Sacred Beasts that he had a bond with, and use them according to the situation.

To be honest it was too complex of a power set, it's more suited to a protagonists than a secondary character. Mainly because you have to introduce every single little creature he's fighting with, and you have to describe it, and you have to name it, and because they're sacred beasts they're mostly intelligent, so you have to give them a personality, so instead of creating one character you're creating half a dozen characters.

So I had a mantis that used sword madra, but he didn't grow any bigger, so was literally like the size of a mantis, so he would like go and attack....there was some cool stuff that I did with him, that was neat. Then I could have him really understand Sacred Beasts and talk about the difference between sacred beasts and humans, and how they viewed the world, and there's just a lot of things I wanted to do with that, and that was a cool thing that never made it into the books…….

Mercy vs Ziel

“We’re still friends, right?”

Ziel blinked at Mercy.

The Akura heir tightened her ponytail, giving him a bubbly smile. Her purple Archlord lenses hung over one of her purple glowing eyes, which told a different story. They were tight with tension.

Her mother’s life was now in danger if the gold dragons won. She had to win to protect her mother, or the gold dragons would win Penance and take over her continent.

But Ziel wasn’t an enemy. She hoped there would be no hard feelings after the fight. All friends were precious.

Ziel cycled madra from the Path of the Dawn Oath, executing his Stone Anchor technique. It Enforced his body and bound him to the ground, making him as sturdy as a boulder. It gave him the strength to lift the hammer off the ground and rest it on his shoulder.

The pill Emriss Silentborn had given him had brought back his full power as an Underlord. He was still nowhere near his level when he had been an Archlord, but it was the first step.

To get his full powers back, he would need to win the Uncrowned King tournament.

Northstrider stepped onto the arena, preparing to start the fight between the two Underlords.

The arena was a large square of white tiles, big enough for a city. White walls surrounded them, with puppet constructs outlining the edges of the arena to block any techniques from crossing into the stands.

As Mercy readied her staff, Suu’s dragon head glared at Ziel.

Northstrider waited for the Ninecloud Soul to finish introductions before he vanished in blue light.

“Begin.”

Before Northstrider had finished speaking, Ziel Forged a green script behind him.

The Path of the Dawn Oath had two techniques: Stone Anchor and the Oathsign technique. It was the second technique that was the most versatile.

The Oathsign spun behind him, Forged runes of madra floating as a midair ring.

It fired a burst of force madra, and it shot Ziel forward.

Ziel’s hammer descended onto Mercy, who summoned her amethyst armor. It covered her from head to toe, looking like knight armor.

When Ziel’s hammer touched her, a green script appeared between them. The blow shot sparks in the air as Mercy flew backwards, only to be stopped in her tracks by another Oathsign Ziel had Forged behind her.

The force madra held her in place as Ziel came in with his hammer, about to hit her again.

He was going to see how much punishment her armor could withstand.

Strings of Shadows burst from her staff, connecting to the white tile underneath. Mercy jerked the tile upwards, and it raised like a wall in front of her. Mercy kicked off from the tile before Ziel smashed it to pieces, flipping in the air as Suu changed to a bow.

Ziel kicked the debris at her, scripts of green forming wherever he kicked the tile shards. They shot forward like bullets at Mercy.

Mercy forged a line of shadow madra to the floor, and it pulled her onto the ground as the debris sailed over her head. She landed with a crouch, her helmet shining in the sunlight as she Forged an arrow.

Then everything went wrong for Ziel.

Mercy fired an arrow in the sky, and it burst like fireworks, bursting apart. The arrows had long strings of shadow trailing behind them like ropes as the arrows sank into the walls, forming a web of shadows overhead. They flailed in the air.

Nine out of ten times Ziel tried to raise his hammer, she would pull his hands away with webs of shadow. If he tried to Forge a script, her arrows would force him to cancel it. If he tried to get close to her, she would be whisked away by the String of Shadows that floated overhead.

She would wear this fight out until his madra ran out, and then she would destroy him.

After a minute of this had passed by, she once again slipped away for the thirtieth time. Ziel was left swinging at empty air. He stopped, angling his hammer down as he sighed.

He extended out his arm, focusing on his soulspace.

Ziel summoned his Archlord weapon.

A five-foot long sword appeared, the blade a mirror-bright steel that felt unbreakable.

According to its note, it had been left by a mysterious traveling man who called himself The Wanderer. He claimed to come from another world and had been forced to leave. In his escape, he had dropped this blade. It was said to have strange powers from another world.

Ziel pointed the blade outwards with a sigh and slowly drew it down. What looked like a portal opened, revealing a strange view.

Mercy stopped and exclaimed from under her armor, clapping her hands.

“Oh! So cute!”

White bunnies scuttled out of the portal, running away.

Ziel blinked and rubbed his hand over his face.

Then the rest of the creatures poured out.

Some were made of metal, some of ice, others looked like fiery insects, and many other kinds came out.

Mercy laughed awkwardly.

“Oh….cute also I guess.”

AH! What! Where am I? I thought I was dead there for a moment!

The voice spoke in Ziel’s head. He looked down with disinterest under his gray cloak at his pocket.

There was a wooden doll with dark hair and in a red flower-print dress. It was waving its arms in surprise, its painted expression moving.

She stopped moving as she looked around.

Is this another Territory? Oh, hey you! Horned man! Can. You. Understand. Me.

The creatures began to surround Mercy, who was trying to pet a pile of snow that shivered with bloodlust.

Ooooh, where did you get that sword? Simon is going to have a headache when he finds one of the Dragon Fang’s is in another dimension!

Ziel held her to his face. “Please be quiet.”

Amazingly, the doll’s face blushed. ….Your eyes are so pretty, did you know?

Ziel put her back into his pocket.

“Oh.”

The doll looked over at Mercy, and she grew more serious.

She looks powerful.

Mercy had let her armor drop was trying to pet a white polar bear, but it bit her hand. She stepped back, holding her hand with tears of hurt. “How are you so adorable, yet so mean?” Mercy said as her voice trembled. “I just don’t see how?”

The doll was silent for a moment. Um…I think you are going to need stronger allies. Do you by chance have an Incarnation handy?”

“What?”

Out of the portal, a man walked out.

He had black chain tattoos covering his arms, spiraling around his shoulder, torso, and legs. It covered his face and bald head. He wore a black cloak, wearing a hood. His eyes had no whites, only pure black. His irises were a metallic silver like the steel of Ziel’s Archlord sword.

Valin, said the doll.

Valin was smiling, holding a sword that was only a few inches shorter than seven feet. The blade was slightly curved along its entire length and was sharp on the outside edge. The hilt was wrapped in gold, and a finger-thin line of pure gold ran up the center of the blade, from base to point.

Oh hello Mithra, the doll said to the sword.

Valin ignored Ziel, eyeing Mercy. She looked over curiously.

“Wait a minute. Those aren’t the Goldsign for the Path of the Chainkeeper?” Mercy inquired aloud.

The portal closed, and Ziel’s Archlord weapon—a Dragon Fang— returned to his soulspace.

I should tell you my name.

Ziel shrugged. “Okay.”

My name is Otoku.

“Ziel.”

The creatures had swollen in ranks, surrounding Mercy who was chuckling nervously and raising her black-tar hands up.

“Aw come on guys. Please, let’s be friends?”

Ziel hefted his hammer and set to work.

The mass of creatures jumped onto Mercy as she Forged Strings of Shadows, connecting her to the webs of Shadow overhead. Ziel jumped from above, swinging his hammer down as Mercy shot up from the creatures with black strings pulling her.

She twisted in the air to dodge the hammer, bringing her bow up to smack Ziel under the chin. Ziel crossed his arms in front of him in an X, pushing her bow down with one hand while the other one smashed into her stomach.

Or tried to.

His fist hit empty air as she was pulled away.

Mercy jumped on a metallic armored Tartarus knight, wrapping her legs around his neck and shoulders. She twisted the knights head off, revealing empty air. Valin slammed his blade into her, smashing her into the ground, shards of tile flying upwards.

Mercy caught the blade with her feet. Her legs twisted in the air as she kicked the sword out of Valin’s hands and kicked off from his body.

Ziel ran behind her in midair, Forged green symbols appearing under his feet.

Mercy was frowning as she summoned her armor, and that was all Ziel saw before she was pulled away again, his hammer missing her by centimeters.

She fired Strings of Shadows that curved, following Ziel’s trajectory as he dodged, only for them to drift back around and strike at his back. He Forged a green symbol that blocked them.

From the army of creatures, a winged white bat flew up to bite onto Mercy’s boot; a burning wasp climbed on her back, bigger than her entire body.

Underneath Mercy, Valin summoned a tall silver bow, strung with steel wire. The bow was as tall as him, and a pure white arrow was sketched, humming with energy.

The arrow flew, its power scorching the air.

The Book of Eternal Night appeared behind Mercy, the signature of her Path of Seven Pages. It turned to the second page.

Black blades erupted from Mercy’s body, slicing the two creatures in half as the Shadow’s Edge slashed outwards, looking like a black Endless Sword. Mercy took more sword aura from her book, using that madra aspect to fuel her Shadow’s Edge.

Mercy turned in midair and Forged an arrow, layering String of Shadows with the Shadow’s Edge. It shot through the white arrow in the middle, splitting it in half.

Her arrow struck Valin, who stood still as spectrally green ghost armor appeared around him momentarily, blocking the arrow. It was like Eithan’s suit of pure madra.

He readied another arrow, but Mercy wrapped his hands with Strings of Shadow as she landed beside him, turning to the third page, and letting Nightworm Venom conduct through the web of shadows and rush into his body.

His ghost armor prevented any from touching his skin, and Valin snapped away from her hold with increased strength. He spun the bow like a staff, his movements blurring. He knocked Mercy’s bow aside, then reversed his bow and cracked the other end across her helmet.

It sent her off her feet and flying sideways to Ziel, his hammer changed her trajectory as it hit her from under her ribcage.

An Elysian bird dove at Mercy from overhead.

As Mercy flew upwards, her hands blurred as an arrow took the bird out of the sky.

Ziel ran after her on Forged Oathsigns, climbing up to her in seconds.

He swung his hammer as Strings of Shadow reached for Mercy, but Ziel expected that. He Forged an Oathsign under Mercy, and it exploded with force madra that sent the black madra snapping away from her.

Ziel continued the swing as he spun around, the shaft of his hammer about to strike Mercy in the face.

Mercy’s bow turned back to a staff, and she held on to it as it flew out of Ziel’s reach. Flying on her staff, she was like a violet blur that reflected the sunlight.

Valin jumped in Mercy’s way, grasping her staff.

The dragon head turned to Valin’s face and roared, spikes of purple crystal pouring from its mouth. Valin’s ghost armor protected him as he smashed his sword into her side.

Mercy rolled with the hit, grasping the staff tightly as she went upside-down. She locked her legs around Valin’s throat. Black shadow covered Valin’s body, and he dropped to the floor.

Mercy righted herself, only for a Forged script above her to pulse with force madra.

It sent her into the ground, and she had to flick the Shadow’s Edge around her like a whip to behead the monsters coming at her.

Ziel blocked the Shadow’s Edge with a green script, pouring soulfire into it to withstand the attack. He used it as a shield to bash her across the head, smashing her into the tile. His hammer followed up, pounding into her chest.

Black shadow sprang up from behind her back, pushing her up to her feet faster than his hammer as she suddenly stood next to Ziel, tile shards flying past her from the speed.

Ziel turned and swung his hammer upwards.

She twirled her staff to block Ziel’s hammer. The staff groaned with the hit and the force sent her spinning into the air.

Behind Mercy, Valin had recovered and was rushing at her with his sword.

Webs of shadow erupted from Mercy’s hands as they stuck to the white tiled floor. Mercy righted herself in the air and heaved with her body, the webs of shadow straining. They lifted the tiles off the floor.

She swung them in the air and onto Ziel, smashing down with a crash that sent created a cloud of dust.

When the dust cleared, it revealed Ziel had blocked it with his Oathsigns, frowning in concentration behind the glowing script. He Forged new ones that sent the debris shooting right back at Mercy.

A net of shadow madra erupted from Mercy’s fingers, enveloping the debris in a net. Using Ziel’s force to aid her, Mercy swung the net of rocks onto Valin behind her, who was pounded into the floor.

She released, falling to the ground.

She hit the ground staff-first, her body balancing on the staff for a moment. She angled the staff sideways as she pushed herself to the side to avoid a spinning razorblade one of the Tartarus knights had thrown.

The staff in her hands turned back to her bow, and she sniped Ziel from the side.

Ziel turned, eyes flashing as he caught the arrow with one hand.

A Forged script appeared and blew the madra away as it began to envelop his hand.

Strings of Shadow from Mercy’s bow tied Ziel’s hands as he tried to Forge another script, and Mercy pulling herself to him. She landed behind him, still holding onto the shadowy ropes. She pulled Ziel’s arms back as if she were about to break them off.

Ziel used his strength to pull Mercy towards him, his hammer rushing towards her.

Mercy dug her armored fingers into the tile, slowing the pull enough as she left claw marks into the tile. It gave her time to Forge a String of Shadow around her waist that pulled her over Ziel.

A Tartarus Knight threw another giant razorblade at Mercy, slicing through the String of Shadow.

With the grace of her Puppeteer Iron Body, Mercy flipped in the air and over Ziel.

As she did, she flipped to the second, third and fourth page of her book as she layered her arrow, filled with Shadow’s Edge, Nightworm Venom, and Dream of Darkness.

She fired her arrow point blank.

Ziel Forged an Oathsign, adding soulfire to take account for her Shadow’s Edge.

The Forged arrow was as thick as her forearm, and it fired through Ziel’s defense like glass.

It hit him in the forehead, and Ziel stepped back, venom pouring into him.

He had no defense against poison, and his vision began to water. He had only minutes left now before the venom had effect.

When Mercy landed next to Ziel, his hammer was already inches from her face.

She Forged Strings of Shadow from the ground to her face, its elasticity pulling her down quick enough to dodge the hammer, passing harmless over her.

Mercy casually reached up, grasping Ziel’s wrist.

He was immediately enveloped in a cocoon of shadow, his hammer falling to the ground with a crack. Mercy poured Shadow’s Edge and Nightworm Venom into the cocoon.

Ziel’s blood soaked through the shadow madra as black swords stabbed into him, dripping with venom.

A green Forged script appeared over Ziel, and Mercy pulled herself away on String of Shadows as it blasted her madra away with force madra.

Ziel was revealed, bleeding from multiple wounds that oozed with venom. His eyes were lidded, and his hair was steaming. He ripped Mercy’s arrow from his forehead, looking dazed.

As Mercy swung through the air on her Strings of Shadow, a flock of Avernus birds rushed at her.

They screeched, their sounds drilling into her brain, but Mercy plugged her ears with Shadow madra. The birds rushed past, biting her Strings.

Mercy was left to fall to the floor as her Strings were cut.

Mercy fired an arrow behind her back, hitting a hairy blue yeti in the face as she landed.

She had barely touched the ground when a Forged Oathsign lit up under her feet.

The force madra expanded as chunks of tile blasted out.

Mercy followed the force of the explosion, landing on the floor on her armored hands and flipping onto her feet.

Following her momentum, she continued to flip backwards performing double and triple backflips as Valin rained down more arrows onto her. Every time she was in the air, she riddled the creatures around her with black arrows, continuing to flip on her feet and then on her hands repeatedly.

Valin banished his bow and ran after her in a black blur, Mithra in his hands.

Ziel, having recovered, smashed his hammer down onto the ground.

The tile in front of him exploded outwards as if an invisible giant sword had slashed the floor.

The tiles under Mercy shattered apart just as she was touching down with her hands.

She pushed off from the explosion and landed on Valin’s swinging blade.

She connected two Ornhneim stone golems together with strings of shadow in a thick rope. She tugged on the rope and pulled them together as if they were suddenly magnets coming together. She smashed their heads, flipping over them to land on their collapsing shoulders.

She raised one gauntlet to block Valin’s blade in a clash of sparks.

She brought up a second gauntlet to block Ziel’s hammer strike, which hit her so hard her it sent chips of amethyst armor flicking into the air.

It blasted Mercy backwards as Ziel ran after her through the air, Oathsigns appearing under his feet.

Mercy’s control over the Akura bloodline was incredible. Mercy still had the energy to hold the armor even after all the massive hits.

Ziel knew he could not win until Mercy’s armor ran out.

And Ziel only had three minutes left, feeling his muscles starting to ache.

The Nightworm Venom was ravaging his insides, his organs slowly liquefying. Soon, he would start bleeding from his eyes and mouth as his muscles failed him.

If he wanted to win, he would have to get her out of that armor. He would do it with his bare hands if he had to.

The doll in his pocket sighed. So barbaric… Okay. I’ll help you win. I can hear the voice of the wind. But if I do this, promise me you’ll explain where we are afterwards.

Ziel gave a grunt, and Otoku began to give him advice, predicting Mercy’s movements.

Under Otoku’s advice, Ziel was always there to block her escape.

Wherever Mercy went next, Ziel would Forge Oathsigns that would shoot her back to Ziel’s hammer. It was a relentless assault, blowing away any Strings of Shadows that came to Mercy’s aid.

Valin added his arrows, and Endross lizards joined in, shooting lightning out of their bodies that blasted into Mercy; it sent Suu flying from her hands as it clattered across the arena floor.

Ziel Forged an Oathsign below Mercy, and this one fired a et of force madra that shot Mercy into the air.

Ziel Forged another Oathsign that blew away the Strings of Shadow about to whisk Mercy away. It gave him a clear shot as he smashed into her with his hammer.

Mercy gasped as she hit the ground, and Ziel landed on her armored stomach, his hammer descending on her helmet.

She was beginning to raise her arm, but his hammer strike pounded her arm back into the tile.

He hit her in a flurry of sparks, blood, and flying crystals; with each strike, her armor shot out with crystal shards, beginning to show her bleeding skin underneath.

Ziel protected himself from the flying armor shards with an Oathsign.

With a final smash, her armor blasted off her body in a violent burst of light.

The last of Mercy’s armor crumbled off, her glowing purple eyes were revealed. They seemed to be made of the same amethyst stone, looking like purple gemstones, before turning to her normal purple eyes. Mercy wiped blood from her nose. Her Archlord lenses were cracked.

Her body was covered in bruises, and her left arm was broken.

She was fighting that whole time with a broken arm? Exclaimed Otoku.

“You….want a piece….of me? Don’t….be mistaken….I have you both where I want you…” Mercy’s giggle ended shortly, grasping her ribs.

Otoku laughed at her joke but stopped when she noticed Ziel hadn’t.

You only have minutes left, Otoku reminded him.

Ziel ignored the pounding headache the venom was causing him as he raised his hammer for the final time.

The Book of Eternal Night appeared and turned to the fourth page.

Dream of Darkness.

Step to your left! Cried Otoku.

Mercy touched Ziel’s shadow, and it sprang up.

A black replica of Ziel appeared crouching over Mercy, swinging his shadow hammer from the left and about to hit Ziel.

At the same time a Forged shadow blade sprang up from where he was standing.

Every instinct told Ziel to dodge to the right, or to jump backwards, or to move to the left but jump over the low hammer, but he followed Otoku’s instincts and stepped to the left.

Where he had been about to dodge to the right were Forged black shadow blades, stabbing into the air from the ground, dripping with Nightworm venom. Behind him more swords had been Forged, and overhead a blade of Shadow’s Edge flickered where his head would have been if he had jumped over the hammer.

The black hammer passed harmlessly through him, and the shadow vanished.

An illusion of shadow and dream madra

Mercy kicked off from the ground, and Strings of Shadow flowed around her broken arm.

The webs attached to her arm, snapping the bone back into place, wrapping it around in a splint. Mercy bit off the end and tightened it as she landed.

She raised her hand, and a tendril of shadow connected to Suu. She pulled it back into her hand, pointing her bow up into the sky.

Her ponytail was mangled, blood dripped from her bruises, and she was sweating. But she had the craziest grin on her face as she layered her arrow with all four pages.

As the Forged black arrow grew stronger, it grew. In a seconds, it was as thick as a Monarch tower and higher than the arena walls, blocking out the sun.

Mercy released the arrow as it burst into thousands of arrows.

Some were normal Strings of Shadows, others carried the power of the Shadow’s Edge, while others blazed with Nightworm Venom. Flickering arrows carried the Dream of Shadow, seeming to disappear and appear sticking into the head of its targets.

All around Ziel the army of summoned creatures were decimated as the rain of death washed over the arena.

A volley of arrows began to curve to Ziel, following his trajectory as he dodged them with Otoku’s help.

Duck and roll to the side. NO! Forget that, jump upwards!

Ziel jumped up to take a volley of arrows in his back that curved around his Oathsign, but he avoided the Nightworm venom arrows that struck the ground below him, its venom melting the tiles.

Mercy sniped Ziel from where she stood. Ziel brought up his hammer to block, still in the air. The String of Shadows expanded into a rope that tied his neck and hammer together.

While Ziel ripped it apart, Valin was calmly blocking the arrows with his ghost armor as he ran to Mercy.

She ignored him, her eyes only on Ziel.

Ziel’s spirit shuddered as Mercy connected to the shadow aura around her, beginning her Ruler technique.

This was Mercy’s application of Dream of Shadows, changing Akura Charity’s technique to make it her own.

Mercy called it World of Night.

The arena turned pitch black.

Ziel looked around, seeing only endless darkness as if all matter had been erased. The hammer’s weight became too great and he rested it on the floor. His madra channels were more sluggish now.

The shadow and dream aura were so strong it was difficult to use his techniques, blocking even his Jade senses.

Mercy had cast them into her book, which floated above her head in a glow of purple

Or rather, said Otoku, she has cast her book onto us.

Valin opened at Gate with Mithra, and the portal opened to reveal a cozy looking home filled with black-cloaked individuals wearing chains.

The Nye, Otoku told Ziel.

They rushed out of the Gate, wielding chains in their hands.

Behind Mercy, a dark spot appeared, so black it stood out even in the darkness. She began to Forge a swirling arrow behind her. With the energy coming off from it, Ziel knew this was the strongest arrow in her arsenal. It floated behind her, swirling with power, and outlined in purple light.

If it hit him, he would die.

Ziel sighed, sinking his madra into the floor. He would have to use his final card. But it would take a while to set up his Ruler technique, and the poison was making his muscles start to twitch. If this failed, he was done for.

As Mercy’s arrow continued to grow in power, becoming blacker than the night, she vanished into the shadows, until only her glowing purple eyes were visible.

The Akura’s heir slowly closed her eyes, and she was undetectable in the sea of night.

A nightmare of chaos ensued, lights flickering from Ziel’s green scripts and Valin’s white arrows. The flashing lights revealed Mercy’s unrelenting stream of arrows shooting from her bow. The light reflected from the chains the Nye were throwing, matching Mercy’s speed with their Nye essence.

Following Otoku’s instruction, Ziel was able to move confidently through the darkness, powering through the influence of the shadow and dream aura to use his techniques.

He waited until the right moment, waiting until Mercy appeared in front of him.

She shot out of the dark with Strings of Shadow pulling her back, flipping over chains that missed her by inches, as Valin emerged from the darkness right after her.

Every time he swung his sword, Mercy would counter it with an arrow, throwing sparks as she pushed his attacks back.

Ziel Forged a box of Scripts around her, timing it perfectly as he trapped her inside.

They exploded with force madra, about to crush her from all directions.

At the same time Ziel swung his hammer at her unprotected back.

Mercy’s black arms reflected the green glow of the Oathsigns as her movements blurred. Her arrow hit through the Oathsign in front of her, piercing through and wrapping around Valin in a net.

Other arrows pierced through each wall of script, destabilizing the force madra before it hit her.

Meanwhile, she continued to Forge the purple-outline arrow floating above her head, so dark that it felt like staring at a blackhole.

Valin cut away the net of shadow, but another arrow grabbed his foot, wrapping it in webs.

And throwing Valin behind Mercy, right into Ziel’s hammer blasting at her back.

Ziel’s hammer slammed into Valin, his body blocking Mercy.

Ziel was forced to lessen the blow lest he crush his ally, and Mercy used that hesitation.

She appeared behind him from the shadows, no longer having the Forged purple arrow.

But Otoku had already warned him, and as soon as she appeared, her body was surrounded in another box of scripts. This time the box shrunk, crushing her body.

Mercy’s body vanished, purple smoke.

Dream aura.

Otoku gasped. What! I was so sure! Urgh! This creepy place is messing me up!

Ziel turned from the illusion, noting that if he saw Mercy without her Forged purple-outlined arrow it would be an illusion. He felt the Nye’s presence diminishing as Mercy made quick work of them.

Ziel continued feeding madra into his Ruler technique, leaking Mercy’s madra aspects along with his own.

As one, the Nye began to redouble their efforts, surrounding Mercy.

Finally, they had her cornered.

As the mass of Nye covered every escape, Mercy ran forward to the only exit, only for a Nye wearing old tattered robes to block her way, its chains rushing forward.

The Eldest Nye.

Mercy jumped into the air as chains slashed at her feet behind her, her jump causing her to turn upside-down in the air. Her view was filled with the Eldest Nye’s hood as its chains wrapped around her. His hood was upside-down from her perspective.

In less than a second, Mercy acted.

She closed one eye, the other looking through her Archlord lens. She bit her lip in concentration as she took aim through the hood.

The Forged purple-lined arrow behind her fitted into Suu. As it fit into the mouth, the shaft of the arrows leaked shadow madra, tendrils of it flailing in the air. It began to hum with energy, glowing violet and bright.

The same purple energy lined Mercy’s entire body. Her hair became undone, flooding outwards as it caught the purple light, reflecting it like a black sun.

Ziel Forged a box of scripts around him, three layers thick, as he prepared to dodge with Otoku’s instructions.

Mercy pointed her arrow at her intended target.

When Mercy released the arrow, the tendrils of shadow wrapped around her black arm, extending into a rope that connected to the end of the arrow.

The arrow pierced through the Eldest Nye’s hood, through another Nye, skidded off Valin’s sword at the right angle, and bounced towards her intended target: Ziel.

The arrow pierced through all three script layers, shattering like glass, as it stabbed through his chest.

Ziel opened his mouth silently the arrow tore through his stomach, the wind knocked out of him as he was lifted off his feet, his hammer falling to the ground.

As Ziel hit the ground, the skin around his stomach began to wither away, purple veins appearing all over his body. Purple dream aura burst from his eyes, and blades of the Shadow’s Edge pierced out of his body.

The end of the arrow stretched in a rope that was still wrapped around Mercy’s arm, and it pulled her out of danger as she flew towards Ziel.

Valin was already there, cutting her string.

He turned as Mercy Forged an arrow into her hand, stabbing him in the eye.

As he fell back, she fired twenty more into his chest. They rushed with venom and flooded his insides, expanding until they popped out of his mouth.

Valin froze, unable to move as the shadow madra covered his body.

Mercy ignored him as he was swallowed up in darkness, landing lightly on the floor.

She walked up to Ziel, readying her arrow as she pointed it at his heart.

Her eyes were wet with tears, saddened to see him in this much pain.

“I’m sorry. But I can’t let the gold dragons win.”

Ziel lay on the ground, groaning in pain. Looking at her with his one good eye, he managed a small smile.

As Mercy shot her arrow, Ziel activated the Ruler technique he had been building up in the ground.

As if it had been there all along, a green giant Oathsign appeared on the floor beneath them. It was five feet across and spun with dancing script.

Mercy’s arrow stopped in place, inches from Ziel’s heart.

The aura around it was sucked into the Oathsign, losing its power, and the arrow vanished into nothingness.

It was sucking vital aura.

All around, the World of Night technique began to be absorbed in a whirlpool, the black darkness pulled inside the script.

Sunlight began to filter through.

Ziel slowly stood up, Mercy’s influence over his body draining away. Even the venom was clearing away, but his body was still withering away, the hole on his stomach continuing to grow.

She tried to Forge another arrow, but Ziel’s fist lit up in a green script as he punched her in the stomach. His other hand grabbed the half-Forged arrow and stabbed her in the throat.

Mercy fell to her knees, bones cracking as blood spilled from her lips.

Her body further weakened as she felt her Book of Eternal Night drained.

Ziel had made this Ruler technique as an Archlord. Unlike his other scripts which controlled force madra, this one worked on any aspect. It would absorb whatever aura he scripted it to, requiring enough aura samples of that aspect to work. Ziel had gathered plenty in his body from Mercy’s attacks. It currently was absorbing shadow, sword, venom, and dream aura.

Normally his opponents would see what he was doing, but in Mercy’s World of Night, the shadow aura made things harder to detect. He had used Mercy’s own technique against her, having blocked the presence of his developing Ruler technique.

Valin chuckled at the sight and turned to Ziel.

“You fight like a dragon. What do you say about joining my Dragon Army?”

Ziel was in too much pain to talk, looking up as the sun shone through.

Around them the World of Night was sucked away, and Ziel and Valin reappeared back into the arena.

The roar of the crowd surrounded them again as the Ninecloud Soul was talking excitedly.

All the remaining shadow aura was surrounded in a small dome that covered Mercy’s body. She lay in the center of the Oathsign, powerless as her energy was drained away.

She could no longer see Ziel through the wall of darkness surrounding her. Her cracked Archlord lens fell off and hit the ground.

Mercy tried to get up, reaching for Suu, who cooed at her.

Behind her, the Lord of the Dawnwing Sect walked out of the shadows, his green horns lighting up the dark room in a green glow. They were a luminous light green at the base and became a darker green at the top, curving upwards.

Ziel raised his hammer, his hair covering his eyes. Mercy focused on the doll in his pocket, and she smiled lightly.

Mercy closed her eyes.

“Don’t let Sophara win.”

Ziel smashed her head in.

***

Back in the waiting room, Mercy reappeared. She wiped the tears from her eyes, looking over at Ziel through the window.

She expected him to have already left.

Instead, he was staring right back at her.

Ziel’s eyes were warm and sympathetic, and reassured her immediately.

Don’t worry, they said.

I’m gonna win.