After a week, Kai and Seishan came back, and after a moment of waiting for Seishan to change, they started their battle training. Kai was wearing his hunting gear as instructed. Which was a short shirt which now exposed his Serpent tattoo coiled around his arm. And dark brown pants. As for Seishan, she had something like a short shirt exposing her arms as well as part of her Serpent mark. Her chest and stomach were covered by scale-like armour that finished in the middle of her stomach. As for her lower part, she was wearing just shorts covering her from the waist to half of her thigh.
S: Come out, Cass.
Cassia slowly came into the half circle.
S: We were waiting for you, Cassia.
She was wearing a cloak from nephis like before, but adjusted it to end at her elbows and as for her legs, she wore boots with her skirt ending right above her knees.
Sunny looked at them and said. While talking his shirt off.
K: Sunny, why are you always training so exposed?
Sh: I am not complaining.
Ca: and I can't see.
Seishan laughed and said.
Sh: sucks for you.
Cassia just sighed with disappointment.
S: Shadows dance is connected to nature and your surroundings very much. You need your body to be connected with it as much as possible.
K: I see. Should I do it too?
S: That's up to you. I won't stop you, but I also won't ask you for it.
K: I will go like this today, and next time I will try like you are and see if I feel a difference.
S: Well, that's beside the point. Take your shoes, take them off. They will get in the way.
Sh: Alright.
And so the training began, he was instructing them slowly and adjusting their stature by touching and rotating parts of the muscles so it would fit his requirements, everything was done with enthusiasm written on his face and pure concentration. Seishan and Cassia were blushing most of the time at first because they were not expecting this type of training.
Kai was just asking questions calmly while nodding and learning way quicker than the girls did.
The training was brutal, but incredibly, after only a few tries, they felt a massive improvement in their reaction speed and acceleration.
Sunny, after that, trained them daily, which obviously caused suspicion for Seishan's position, but Sunny gave her a bunch of shards to prove she was hunting something, as for Kai, most thought he was snatched by some nightmare creature since Sunny did not kill his captors, yet.
Weeks passed, and their process was both rising, and Sunny was no longer required to adjust their positions and more focused on Kai's hiding ability. The first few days were terrible because Kai was mentally exhausted and physically drained from constantly consuming essence and learning how to breathe properly, but slowly, there were signs of progress. He started to become one with his surroundings. Sunny was still able to spot him easily, but Seishan had a very hard time spotting him these days.
Sh: When will you teach us your shadow dance?
K: Yeah, I was also wondering about that.
Cassia just nodded as well.
Sunny said.
S: Well, I had to prepare you because your moves were too stiff. Now that you at least understand what you need to do, I can start. So now I will show you how to do steps 1 to 3.
They all concentrated as Sunny created distance between them and suddenly appeared in front of them.
S: The lesson is over.
With that, he turned around and was about to leave.
Sh: eeee c-could you do it again?
Since he was already a few steps away from them, he shrugged and looked at them and appeared in front of them again.
S: There. Happy?
With that, he turned around and walked away, leaving 3 bewildered members of his clan standing there, not knowing how to react.
Ca: his explanation was weak?
Sh: weak? It was non-existent.
K: You think so? I think there is a reason for it.
Sh: Did you see how he did it, knight?
K: No.
Sh: Yeah, let's just do it all over again, I guess.
Creepy appeared by the restaurant, sitting behind the window looking out of it at the 3, and Happy was sitting on the edge of the roof watching them while kicking his feet while moving from side to side as if being in a good mood.
Sh: You want to help?
Ha: No, what about you, Creepy?
Cr: Nah, I am good. I think the explanation was actually pretty good. What do you think?
Ha: yeah. I mean, even an idiot would understand how to do it by now.
3 of them looked at him.
Happy laughed and fell on his back.
He kicked himself on the roof and landed on the ground as if tripping, while laughing.
Ha: man, this is so funny. You should see your faces. I can't believe that is so funny. Well, all I can say is: get better.
With that, he disappeared together with Creepy, who was just shaking his head in disappointment.
Ca: Let's not get distracted by them.
Sh: Yeah.
Both girls scoffed while Kia was deep in thought about something.
And so they trained, but could not comprehend how Sunny did it. Even after hours, days of trying.
On one of such days, Kai, Seishan and Cassia were walking with Sunny through the Dark City to hunt something and asked.
K: How do you do it? That step, I mean?
S: I showed you multiple times….I guess you don't get it. Let me ask you a question in return.
S: How do you draw your bow? How do you put in the arrow, and how do you let of of the string? Seishan, how do you put on your bra? How do you bend your arms while doing that motion? How do you know what you see is a vision, Cassia? How do you know it's not just another dream? How do you move your hand while brushing your hair or doing your hairstyle?
K&Sh&Ca: I just do it...oh.
S: Exactly. I just do it. How do you want me to explain something to you that I am doing instinctively? I just do it.
K: You should stop talking so openly about girls' underwear, Sunny.
S: I had to give you an example of something I don't know how to do. Or know less how to do, because I know how to use a bow, I don't know how girls do their....girl things. That's why it is easier to pick something up from what they do instead of you. You know? Still, I guess you are looking at it wrong. Stop trying to understand how I do each move. Just pay attention. It will come to you eventually. After all, you can go up to step 5.
Ca: What about you?
S: 7
Sh: And what are you on now?
S: 5th well, I think it is 5th, it is sort of 5th but also isn't. It is not mastered...at all.
K: Really? I was under the impression you were at the max.
S: Oh, no, I am not. I can't move further than 5, well, until I become Titan, that is. So until that happens, I would be proud if you would catch up to me. After all, it will take me a couple of years to get Titan. To be honest, I have to be a saint at least if I want to become a Titan.
Ca: I have a question.
S: Go on.
Ca: On the nightmare scale, what would you be if you were a nightmare creature?
S: Well, every human is a beast from the lowest aspect to the sacred aspect. Divine are the only ones who can become Titans.
So, currently, you would be dormant, maybe awakened beasts.
Sh: When you hear it like that, it sounds super underwhelming.
K: What about you? Well, you are at least a Demon.
S: awakened Demon, to be exact.
6 months later, it was winter rain was falling again, and Sunny was on the top of his cathedral doing a handstand, his legs leaning dangerously over the edge, but there was no fear, no shake, just a calm stance. 4 shadows were standing on the 4 sides of the cathedral. It took him months to get to this level. The plan of their escape was getting closer.
Kai spoke calmly while standing on the top of the cathedral.
K: Sunny. Are you not scared?
S: Of what?
K: that you might fall.
S: Not really. I would just dive into the shadows if that were to happen. On that note. How are they progressing?
Kai looked to the side and said.
K: Nephis is preparing her cohort; close to her are Caster and Cassia. They will get to us in a matter of hours.
Sunny stood back up and equipped his gear. Luna appeared on his shoulder and he just rubbed her ear.
S: It's starting.
Sp:
name - Sunny
True name - Lost from Light
Rank - ascended
Class - devil
Aspect - marble shell
Aspect legacy of shadow dance 5/7
Aspect legacy of sword ?/7
Aspect legacy of bow ?/7
Aspect legacy of spear ?/7
Aspect legacy of sorsory ?/7
Memories
Shadows:
Saint: Ascended Demon
Guardian: Fallen Devil
Gloomy: Ascended Devil
Happy: Ascended Devil
Creepy: Ascended Devil
Haughty: Ascended Devil
Haughty was a huge paradox. He was acting like an arrogant prick, looking at others as if they were beneath him and wielding a massive double-handed sword. Which was super large and super heavy. His tattoo was around his dominant arm, with its head on top of his shoulder as if looking at him.
The only person he showed respect to, for now, was Sunny, and that was also only when he was doing something like fighting or being with Nephis. Which wasn't many times.
Clan: Clan of Shadows
Members: 4/?
Names: Sunny - Ruler
Name---- Title------ mening
Seishan - The Feng - hidden blade
- rank - awakened
Kai - The Vail - All-seeing eye
- rank - awakened
Cassia - The Oracle - Fate ???
- rank - awakened
S: man, bunch of fancy names, who was Weve even learning from, it sounds cool tho.
As he looked lower gentle smile appeared on his lips.
Sp:
Partner:
Name - Nephis
True name - Changing star
Rank - ascended
Class - demon
K: Hiding your ascention is hard now.
S: I know.
He looks at his hand long black scarf appearing in his hand.
K: Will you use it?
S: Maybe. I was working on another mask as well. But this one has great benefits.
K: But it consumes your memory?
S: Yeah. It boosts my abilities beyond reason, but the drawback is also very brutal.
This time, there was this scarf right over the Wever mask. The required rank to use it freely was High Supreme rank, and if used before reaching this rank heavy penalty will be placed on the user.
But the strange thing was a description of the Wever mask, which is very strange, it said.
Sp: This mask is for the Treacherous Lost from Ligh..... I meant lovely. I said Lovely! HELP ME!
S: so weird.
K: Have you used it?
S: scarf?
K: Yeah.
S: Once.
K: Do you have a choice about what you lose?
S: To a degree. I don't want to use it. I will probably use it only in a very dire situation.
K: I hope that never happens.
Kai reached behind his back and tossed him a mask made from wood. There were no holes in it, not even for eyes, it didn't even really look like a mask, more like a shaped wood into a face.
S: What is this?
K: Cassia told me this should be good to hide your face.
S: Alright.
As he put it on, something weird happened. He could see normally as if he didn't wear a mask at all.
S: Very nice.
K: You are meeting with Nephis, aren't you?
S: Yeah, do others know about me?
K: I am not sure. I am mostly here and delivering shards and supplies to the Slums from here to the Slums. Seishan says that in Bright Castle, they are calling you.
K: Well you said you live in the cathedra,l so people mostly call you Lord of Shadows
Sunny laughed.
S: Seriously? That's so funny. Still, what should I wear? I don't really want to stand out, you know.
K: Well, just use that mask of yours today, and for other times, I will style you up.
S:…
K: You are not allowed to refuse.
S: Fine.
Sunny turned to Kai and asked.
S: How is your shadow step?
K: Getting better.
S: Alright, let's head out then.
Sunny touched Kai's shoulder, and with that, both of them sank into the shadows.