Effie was in a whirlwind of self-recrimination, her mind racing with thoughts of how she had let Cassie down. Now, she was determined to ensure that Kai wouldn't follow suit.
'He's holding his ground for now, but these pesky Echos are relentless.'
Just as she prepared to move, a shadowy figure lunged from the depths of darkness that now swirled around her knees. It was Sunny, transformed into a fearsome Sea Serpent.
'Gotcha!'
Effie lunged to seize the serpent by the neck, but Sunny was quicker. He slithered around her arm, coiling tightly around her throat, squeezing with a grip that felt like iron. No matter how she struggled, his hold was unyielding.
'If something doesn't change soon, I'm going to black out.'
Meanwhile, Jet, unaware of Effie's plight, had a plan brewing. She switched her Scythe into a spear, using it to vanquish a Nightmare creature that glowed with a blinding light—an ability that, in this moment, was exactly what she needed. She activated it, and the veil of shadows lifted, flinging Sunny from the darkness and into the light. Temporarily blinded, he was vulnerable, and Jet seized the opportunity.
"Come here!" she shouted, but Sunny, defying logic, deflected her strike and countered, sending her crashing back into the mist.
'How did he do that? He can't even see! Is he relying on instinct?'
Sunny had to rely on his shadow sense now; even in the brightness, Jet's shadow lingered beneath her feet, guiding him to her location as she attacked.
"Nephis wasn't exaggerating when she said you were full of surprises."
"Thanks, but we're just getting started."
Across the battlefield, Kai was still grappling with the shadows, determined to keep the Archer grounded. Just as he dodged another boulder, he was blindsided from above. A bat-like creature, a transformation of serpent, swooped down, and Kai found himself ensnared.
'Damn it! I can't break free!'
As he plummeted to the ground, he tried to shake the bat off, but it was futile. His voice was stifled, sound waves swallowed by the creature's disruptive powers.
The bat, under Sunny's command, was quick and agile, and as Kai hit the ground, he was met with the wrath of two other shadows. Saint's fist came crashing down on the base of Kai's neck, and with a yelp, he succumbed to darkness.
An Avatar materialized beside Kai's unconscious form, whisking him away to Neph for healing.
Meanwhile, Effie was still locked in a struggle with Sunny in his serpent form, but nothing she did seemed to work. In a desperate move, she transformed back to her human self, gasping for breath, but Sunny wasn't about to give her a moment's respite. He released his serpent form and lunged at her, his weight crashing down on her shoulders.
With no choice left, Effie braced for impact. He brought her down to her knees, summoning a sword and leveling it at her face.
"Yield, Saint Athena. I don't want to hurt you more than I already have."
Effie panted heavily, her vision blurring.
"Fine. I know when I've lost."
"Good choice."
He extended a hand, and Effie took it, but with a sudden surge of strength, she yanked him over her head and slammed him into the ground.
Sunny was taken aback, but a flicker of pride ignited within him.
"I see, so that's how you want to play."
Effie heard his voice, but it didn't come from the body she had just thrown; it emanated from another Sunny lurking behind her.
"Multiple bodies, huh?"
"Exactly. Now, let's begin our little dance."
He closed the distance, deflecting her punch and retaliating with a swift kick to her stomach. As she staggered, the other Sunny, having recovered from her earlier throw, struck her from behind.
"Ow, that hurt!"
Just as she attempted to regain her footing, a massive ogre lunged at her. Fiend wrapped his arms around her in a bear hug, his newfound strength rendering her helpless.
Sunny began counting down.
"10...9...8...7...6...5...4...3...2...1."
At his command, Fiend released her, and Sunny seized her shoulder, pulling her into the shadows, back to where Kai lay unconscious.
Nephis was already at Kai's side, healing him as Effie groaned heavily.
"How could this happen?"
"Calm down, Effie. Let me see your wounds," Nephis said soothingly.
"Fine, I'm too worn out anyway. How's Jet faring?"
"She's locked in battle with Shadow, but it's not looking good for her either."
"Seems we really underestimated him. I didn't expect him to have multiple bodies."
"You fought well. That throw was impressive—quick thinking."
The Lord of Shadows spoke with a tone of admiration.
"Thanks, you weren't too shabby yourself," Effie chuckled, closing her eyes to rest.
Now, only Jet remained, and Sunny had a plan to deal with her mist form.
"Let's wrap this up," he sighed, summoning the shadows and transforming into the Pteranodon he had used before to pick them up, flapping his wings.
The mist began to dissipate, and Jet was expelled from her transformation, returning to her tangible form.
"Agh, what the hell?"
Disoriented, she looked around to find herself surrounded by three Lords of Shadows: Fiend, Saint, and Serpent, now back in her colossal Onyx Snake form.
"I guess this is the part where I surrender, right?"
"I would strongly advise it."
"Fine."
This time, Sunny didn't extend a hand. Instead, he shadow-stepped behind her with one of his Avatars, seizing her waist and pulling her into the shadows, returning her to the others.
Sunny dismissed his other Avatars, leaving only the one with the "Definitely Not Me" mask, and sent Saint, Fiend, and Serpent away. He sank onto the steps of the nameless temple, exhaling heavily.
"It's finally over. Man, that was exhausting. Fighting without killing is tougher than I thought."
Kai stirred, awakening from his slumber, looking around in confusion.
"Is it over? Did we win?"
Nephis chuckled, patting Kai on the shoulder. "I'm sorry to tell you, Kai, but unfortunately, you lost."
Kai's shoulders slumped, and he let out a heavy sigh, nodding in acceptance.
"That was quite the experience. I haven't had this much fun in years," Jet said, relief washing over her.
"You all fought valiantly. I'm sorry I left you so early," Cassie added, a hint of sorrow in her voice.
Effie opened her eyes, standing to face Cassie.
"It wasn't your fault. If I hadn't left you, I could have helped when you needed it most."
"It's alright. No one could have predicted that Shadow would summon a Chain Worm to swallow me whole. It was inevitable."
"Yeah, I guess you're right."
Effie turned to the Lord of Shadows, extending her hand.
"I'm not falling for the same trick twice, you know?"
With a chuckle, she said, "I promise I won't throw you again."
He took her hand, using it to pull himself up, looking at her intently.
"You all fought well. I didn't expect this battle to last so long, but you truly gave me a run for my money. Good job."
"Does that mean you'll finally show us your face?"
The Lord of Shadows nodded, dismissing his mask.
Effie's eyes widened, and she froze, glancing between Sunny and the Lord of Shadows, repeating the motion until she collapsed, unconscious.
"Well, I anticipated a strong reaction, but that was unexpected," Sunny remarked.
Kai and Jet stared at each other, mouths agape.
"I think Shadow hit me too hard because I'm seeing Sunny's face when I look at him."
"No, your eyes aren't deceiving you. I see it too."
They turned to Cassie and Neph, who wore apologetic expressions.
"Don't tell me you both already knew?" Jet asked, incredulous.
"If you'd prefer us to lie, we could do that, I suppose."
"I can't believe this is happening. Sunny is the Lord of Shadows?"
Sunny chuckled, dismissing the Avatar and rising to his feet.
"Yes, that's correct. Cassie was the first to discover it, and Nephis has known for about ten days now."
"I see, so your transformation ability allows for multiple bodies."
"Bingo! A hundred points for Kai. But before I explain everything, let's wait for Effie to wake up. Otherwise, I'll have to repeat myself. Let's head inside."
They entered, placing Effie in her bed, waiting for her to regain consciousness.
"This is going to be a long day of explanations," Sunny said, a hint of relief in his voice.
"Yeah, but Cassie and I will help, so it should be easier this time," Nephis sighed, wrapping her arms around Sunny from behind.
"Fingers crossed they embrace it with open arms!"
"I have faith that Effie will bounce back from this."
"Absolutely, that's what I'm wishing for as well!"