Kill… the Goddess… did this cursed darkness-dweller just…?!

Hearing what his enemy had boldly proclaimed, the priest felt the blood veins in his forehead suddenly bulge and convulse.

Not following the Eversun Goddess was one thing, not embracing her light and love was one thing…

However, to utter such an outrageous statement…

"Blasphemy! How dare you?! Who do you think you are?!"

"..."

Despite the intense pressure he was feeling, Zoran stood his ground and faced the beast beneath the shadow eruptions coming at him.

"On the behalf of the Eversun Goddess, I shall deliver her will and judgment upon you, miscreant! You will be punished-"

THUD!

"?!"

In a split second, Zoran was cut off by his enemy's sudden charge.

"Enough of your empty threats." Lawkey asserted, his tone low, but firm.

The purple-ish black shadows were continuously erupting around the swordsman as the emerald emblem hovered in front of his forehead.

The rain was pouring down at him, but he continued unbothered.

He was carrying both Eclipsed Dawn, and the replica of it which Sana had left him.

His very presence seemed to exude a neverending pressure threatening to flatten everything in his surroundings.

Lawkey had loosened the inner chains on the inner chaos he had spent his entire life tightening.

Even now, he couldn't allow himself to let them all go and lose himself to the abyss.

He didn't need to. After all, a little taste was all that was needed for the one in front of him.

"!!"

The very sight of this beast charging at him made the priest of the Eversun Goddess instinctively clatter his teeth and shake his knees.

He panicked. Who wouldn't in his situation?

Sun's Blessing, Light's Bestowment!

Sacred Supernovae!

In an instant, Zoran's entire figure exploded in a blast of light that was too blinding for Tartarus, the continent where the sun doesn't reach.

However…

Two Shadow Sword Style - First- No, to hell with that.

I don't care.

During this fight, the swordsman had been trying to figure out a way to use both his swords to implement the Shadow Sword Style Stances. His mentor had taught him to rely on the sword techniques when swinging a sword instead of wielding the blade on instinct alone like a beast.

Now, in the face of despair and pain, Lawkey reverted back.

Riana was dead. Sana was dead.

He couldn't save them.

Nor could he hold back his growing rage.

"?!"

Despite the blinding lights he was emitting, Zoran took a quick step back after seeing his enemy continue his charge towards him as if he was challenging the sun itself.

With bloodshot eyes and gritted teeth, Lawkey swung both his swords diagonally parallel to each other. Following their trajectory, the shadows naturally followed from behind.

Sun's Blessing, Light's Bestowment!

Sacred Shield! Sacred Shield! Sacred Shield!

Without thinking, the priest summoned his light shield three times to protect himself, making even the amber emblem in front of his forehead flicker slightly.

Even though he had been confident in just one previously, he watched as all three of them shattered like glass against the swinging blades going through them.

"?!"

WHOOSHH!!

Despite him taking a quick step back, Zoran felt the two blades connect and slash him diagonally across the chest. Thankfully, his action managed to save his life, albeit by the skin of his teeth.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

However, the enemy in front of him could not be considered a normal opponent anymore.

"Shit! Damn you!"

The priest shouted as he continued to jump back, trying his best to flee from the raging beast on his heel.

"..."

Lawkey, on the other hand, kept pursuing his prey as if nothing else in existence mattered at this moment.

His sole purpose now was to exact punishment, to deliver what he was entrusted by Riana to do at the end.

That is why his shadows were still erupting at full throttle, destroying everything that stood in their way.

But then…

"Ah!"

Running into the destroyed cathedral, Zoran quickly noticed the remaining glass shards scattered around him. They somehow survived being consumed by the emerald bubble.

To top it off, the biggest stained glass mural that stood tall behind the altar previously, had somehow survived as well. Although the bottom of it was consumed by the bubble, the rest of it lay unbroken just between the last cathedral wall and the edge of the cliff.

It wasn't standing upright anymore, but Zoran was ready to use whatever he could in this situation.

"..."

In that split second, Lawkey watched as Zoran shot beams of lights around him, aiming for the ground.

"I got you now!" The priest jeered as the new impacts around him caused all the stained glass shards to take to the air against the pouring rain.

The swordsman wasn't about to wait for whatever his opponent was planning, so he kicked off the ground and charged at the priest once more.

WHOOSSHH!!

Although everything around him seemed to be getting too bright for any human eye to see, Lawkey swung both of his engulfed blades at his opponent's glowing figure and cut it in half diagonally at the torso.

"..."

However, he quickly noticed it. His swords hadn't cut through anything tangible after all.

It was only a figure of light making out the priest's features, a mirage left behind to gain a moment of advantage. Lawkey was familiar with such a trick, it was too similar to the Fourth Stance of the Shadow Sword Style, except with light instead of shadows.

Looking around him, Lawkey noticed the now falling broken glass shards, still reflecting the lights from around them. He figured that was what made that trick possible, and why the priest attacked the ground to raise those broken shards in the air to surround them.

Sun's Blessing, Light's Bestowment!

Sacred Spirit Form!

"Hahaha! Look up and witness the Eversun Goddess' true power!" Zoran, having stepped away under the gaze of the blinding lights, stood just in front of the last unbroken stained glass mural and shot all the lights he could upwards.

"!"

Glancing above him, Lawkey noticed the growing sphere of light that was lighting the surroundings by reflecting on every glass shard it could reach.

Suddenly, beams of light shot back and forth from the last stained glass mural and the glowing sphere of light. They quickly expanded and connected to all the glass shards around.

"?!"

In that instance, Lawkey noticed the multiple figures of light appear around him as if they were perfect clones of Zoran, except made of light.

It was safe to say the priest felt extremely proud of himself.

Sun's Blessing, Light's Bestowment!

Holy Saint Army!

Without a moment of delay, Lawkey charged forward and began to slice whatever stood in his way.

Whenever he cut one or two light clones, four would appear around him again, shooting pillars of light at him from all sides.

The ones he could redirect with his sword, he did, and the others he simply allowed to hit him as he swung both his swords and shadows around him like a mad wolf fighting for its life against a pack of hyenas.

The only thing that fueled his body was the last memory of Riana and Sana, and the rage that came with that.

"Hah… Hah… Damn you!"

"..."

Lawkey silently let out a long breath in an attempt to take control of his nerves, but his beating heart was threatening to break through his rib cage.

He had lost track of time and the number of figures he had cut down, but it seemed he had come out victorious after Zoran stopped sending more. Although the burning wounds Lawkey's body sustained were screaming otherwise.

Either way, the job wasn't done just yet.

He watched as the ember emblem on his opponent flickered uncontrollably as it was being exhausted to charge one last attempt.

Lawkey realized he would need to meet whatever was coming in kind, and he knew exactly what to use. It would however conflict with his current state of mind too much to be possible.

In a moment of despair, I let go of my teachings… I let the rage consume me and take control of my instincts for a bit.

This isn't what the old man taught me… what Jun spent so many nights helping me learn… what the Phantom Rogues saved me from…

Riana, Sana… I'm sorry. I'll take care of things here, but to do that, I need to clear my mind of the rage… Just for a bit longer…

I have to gain back control.

After a moment of silence, Lawkey opened his eyes with a renewed shine. He could feel the emerald emblem struggling to keep its form, but he was hoping for one last stretch too.

For now, he tightened the grip on the chains once more.

"You freaking monster… No wonder Hykings are sought and killed before they can grow to fight…" The priest said through painted breath as the last of his power was seeping out of him. "And you especially, with that power… need to be eradicated right here and now… before you become a threat to her… to the Eversun Goddess…"

"..."

Lawkey simply took a step forward, then another. Shadows began to erupt from under him once more, engulfing both him and his swords.

He had nothing to say, the time for talking was over.

With the makeshift giant sun glowing above them, the two fighters exchanged one last look.

And then they both gritted their teeth and called upon the last remnants of their Signs.

Zoran with his arms held high, quickly brought them down, causing the very sun he had made to follow his lead and descend down on his opponent like a meteor.

Sun's Blessing, Light's Bestowment!

Sacred Sun's Descent!

On the other hand, the erupting shadows on the charging Lawkey came together to form two enormous dragon heads above him with their maws open and ready to consume everything in their path.

Two Shadow Sword Style - Ninth Stance!

Inner Yearning Echo, Unleashed! Twofold!

"?!"

Although he had been confident in his prayers and bestowed power, Zoran could not bring himself to utter any words when faced with the sight in front of him.

The two shadowy dragon heads ravaged and consumed the giant glowing sun that descended, allowing the true beast charging beneath them to quickly close the distance.

Goddess… forgive me… He thought, I could not deliver your judgment upon this sinner… It is a beast with no hope of salvation…

That was all Zoran could leave behind for his Goddess before Lawkey, consumed by shadows, brought down his blades and finished the task he was entrusted with.

"... Suffer in darkness." Words of respect could not be uttered here, nor did the swordsman feel compelled to offer such words for the one who made others suffer.

As the body fell behind him along with the rain and shadows that consumed all the light around, Lawkey found himself standing atop the last stained glass mural with the cliff in front of him.

Although he looked towards the sea where the emerald bubble had exploded, he found no words to utter now.

He didn't know what to say. Should he thank them? Apologize to them? Neither would bring them back or do any good.

To make matters worse…

CRACK!

The replica of Eclipsed Dawn that Sana had left him shattered beneath his grip, just like the many blades he had used before.

He felt the tightness in his chest as he let go of the destroyed handle, the last tangible evidence he had of the two.

Dammit!

As soon as he thought that, he fell to one knee. He finally realized the state his body was really in now. He must have been hit by more light beams than he thought he had.

However, the task was not quite all done just yet.

Lawkey realized he still needed to rid the Golden Garden Guild from the island entirely.

And so, he forced his body up once more. He could barely hold his sword, and his Sign wasn't going to listen to his call any time soon.

Nevertheless, he needed to take a step forward, one at a time.

"..."

Looking down, he saw his feet standing on the very sun the Goddess within the mural was holding out to the world.

He didn't allow himself anytime to scoff at the absurdity of that consequence. He simply turned around with his back to the cliff, and took a first step that shattered the last stained glass mural.

"So, you did it, after all."

"?!"

However, upon turning around, he saw a cloaked figure slowly rise from a broken wall's shadow.

Although it had been over five years now, Lawkey knew who it was immediately.

He could never forget those features, nor the presence of that shadow.

"Kojiro!"

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