293 The Challenge

An echoing silence fell on the great hall of the ancient castle. The fateful words had been spoken, and now there was no turning back.

For better or for worse.

Gunlaug tilted his head and stayed quiet for a few moments. Then, the sound of his laughter rolled over the crowd.

"The right of challenge? Oh, that old thing. You are awfully fond of that tradition, it seems. Not even a full year since you have arrived under my roof, and I had the pleasure of hearing you say those words twice. Insolent girl…"

He paused for a few moments and then leaned forward. His voice suddenly turned cold, full of dark undertones.

"To be honest, I am very tired of your insolence, Changing Star."

Before Nephis could answer, the Bright Lord suddenly rose from his throne, towering above the crowd like a statue cast from pure gold. Then, he took a leisurely step forward and began descending the stairs of the dais. With each step, the sound of his serpentine voice resounded, growing lower and lower, until it turned into a fiendish, wrathful growl.

"Your little games were fun at first, but the more I observed your clumsy attempts at playing the hero, the more disgusted I became. I couldn't believe how naive, self-righteous, and stupid you turned out to be. It made me sick. It made me want to do things that I promised myself to never do again. Ah, I expected better from the daughter of the Immortal Flame! To disappoint me so thoroughly…"

His growl reverberated through the great hall and then abruptly disappeared. A moment later, Gunlaug suddenly threw his head back and laughed brightly.

"Oh, but then it hit me! I was such a fool. You fooled me so beautifully! Brilliantly done, Changing Star. Please, do accept my compliment! After I saw the real you, ah, it was such a joy to watch your performances."

He left the stairs and stepped on the marble floor of the throne room. The crowd of the Castle inhabitants parted in front of him, people hurrying to get as far away from the oppressive aura of the golden armor as they could.

The Bright Lord sighed.

"It's such a shame that all of this will has to stop now. You see… while I can't help but applaud your effort, in the end, you still turned out to be just another fool."

He glanced at Effie and asked, his voice full of mockery:

"A challenge? I don't think it's your place to demand such a thing. You are not the one accused of the crime, after all. If someone has to invoke the right of challenge, it should be Effie herself. Don't you think?"

Nephis gritted her teeth, struggling to remain poised under the assault of the psychic pressure. Refusing to turn away from the polished mirror of the Bright Lord's face, she said:

"...It's just like one of your minions said. I am responsible for the actions of my people. Any crime they commit… is my crime."

Gunlaug watched her, his expression hidden. Neph's pale face was reflected in his mask, staring back at her with merciless grey eyes. After a while, he spoke:

"Sound logic. Who are you going to challenge, then?"

She hesitated for a few moments, then said steadily:

"Whoever it was that passed the guilty verdict."

The Bright Lord chuckled.

"Oh? But by the same logic... that would be me."

She smiled darkly and glared at him, white flames dancing in her eyes.

"Then you are the one I challenge!"

Her words resounded in the great hall, sending hundreds of people gathered there into a state of stunned shock.

***

'So, this is it.'

Sunny looked at the crowd of stunned people, mentally separating them into two groups. Those who were going to be a threat and those who were not.

Regardless of how the fight between Nephis and Gunlaug ended, the small enclave of humans living in the Dark City was going to descend into utter chaos. If Changing Star was killed, her followers would make her into a martyr and go insane. The Host would not just let them off, either. If the Bright Lord fell…

No matter how much of a bastard Gunlaug was, he was also the glue that held this whole place together. Without a tyrant enforcing some semblance of order, no matter how ghoulish, things would get really ugly really fast. Who was going to stop the Nightmare Creatures from wiping the humans out then?

In any case, there was going to be a bloodbath.

But he was done worrying about these matters. In the upcoming mayhem, Sunny's goals were very simple.

Remain alive. Protect Nephis. Make sure that she becomes the new tyrant of the Dark City.

...So that she could carve the way back to reality for a few lucky survivors. If she doesn't die right here and now, of course.

In the silence that enveloped the great hall, the Bright Lord laughed and tilted his head, staring at Changing Star from behind his golden mask. Then, he said:

"How audacious! I wonder what gives you the confidence to dare challenge me. Various people have tried to kill me, you know. I have a little hobby, actually — collecting their skulls. Come to think of it, your pretty head would look really well in my collection."

Suddenly, he raised a hand and gestured to his forehead:

"Don't tell me… don't tell me that it's all because of that little toy that you took off the First Lord's corpse? Oh, no! That would be terrible. You didn't really think that one powerful Memory would be enough to defeat me?"

Nephis lingered for a while, glaring at Gunlaug. Then, she said evenly:

"My bare hands would be enough to defeat a worm like you. The Memory is just to make it quicker."

Gunlaug stared at her for a moment, and then chuckled.

"Great! This is great! Such spirit! I will really enjoy breaking you, Changing Star. When this done."

He flexed his shoulders and said, his voice sending shivers into the hearts of hundreds of people gathered in the hall:

"Alright. I accept your challenge."