"What is the essence of combat?"
"The essence of combat... Survival?"
"The essence of combat is murder."
"What do you think, Cassie? What is the essence of combat?"
"I think it's survival as well," Cassie said.
The three of them were sitting around Morpheus, listening to his lesson. Morpheus sat on a throne similar to the one he had created when he arrived here. He could only move his arms and head.
"Your answers are somewhat correct. In a combat, you try to survive, and you kill your enemy before they kill you. These are acceptable answers, but you are overcomplicating things. Think simply. Your enemy stands before you. You need to get rid of them. What will you do?"
He looked into their eyes.
"You must cut them down. Whether to kill or to survive, you must focus only on cutting."
The others looked at him in confusion. They couldn't understand it yet, of course. Morpheus sighed inwardly when he saw their expressions. He didn't expect them to think like him, but their mindset would only slow their development.
"I suppose it's better if I show you," he said.
Raising one hand, he pointed at a nearby tree.
"Now, I will strike this tree with the intent to kill. Watch carefully."
When he swung his hand down, the tree was split in two and crashed to the ground.
Sunny and Nephis were stunned by the display of power.
"Now, I will strike with the intent to cut," he said, pointing to another tree. He swung his hand at the same speed as before. This time, the tree remained unharmed… but every single leaf was sliced in half.
"This is the essence of combat. If you don't know how to use your strength correctly, you will waste it. That is what I am trying to teach you. Before you acquire the ability to kill, you must learn how to do it effectively. Otherwise, you will only waste your potential," he said, looking at his students.
They were staring at him in shock. Except for Cassie.
"Don't be so surprised. They didn't call me the Sword Devil for nothing," Morpheus said with a proud grin. He enjoyed showing off in front of his friends.
"Nephis, you already know how to use a sword. Just keep my words in mind when applying your techniques."
Nephis nodded, took her sword, and walked away.
Morpheus then turned to Sunny.
"It will be different for you. I need to teach you how to wield a sword first. Now, draw your sword and take your stance," he said.
Sunny took his stance, waiting for Morpheus to guide him.
"Think of the Mountain King. The monster you told me about. Chasing after your sister… But you can't stop it. Think. What will you do?"
Sunny trembled at the words. The terrifying image of the Mountain King surfaced in his mind. Then he saw Rain's image.
"I will kill that bastard!!" Sunny growled in fury.
Then a stick smacked him on the head.
"And how do you plan to do that? You don't even know how to swing a sword properly. What will you do, Sunless?"
Morpheus' words only fueled his anger. But he wasn't angry at Morpheus. He was angry at himself. He was too weak. He couldn't do anything. Even in his imagination, he couldn't defeat that thing.
The more he thought about it, the more he trembled in frustration.
Morpheus continued.
"The Mountain King was just an Awakened Tyrant. Awakened ones couldn't even be my opponents before I entered the Nightmare. And you… you just ran like a coward. You are weak, Sunless. You can't protect anyone."
These were harsh words to say to a friend. Morpheus knew that.
His friend had shared his nightmare with him. The fact that Sunny had managed to survive against that creature despite his lack of combat ability was impressive. But he wouldn't tell him that now. He was trying to make him stronger. And nothing fueled strength like rage.
Sunny's eyes turned bloodshot upon hearing Morpheus' words.
He raised his sword and swung at Morpheus with pure fury.
He knew he couldn't hurt him. Morpheus was too strong.
But he wanted to hurt him.
He swung his sword downward with that thought in mind.
His intent was neither to kill nor to survive.
It was to cut.
When the strike ended, he realized what he had done and looked at Morpheus.
Morpheus was also looking at him.
Raising his finger, he showed it to Sunny.
"Don't forget this feeling. You will do it a thousand times a day," he said.
There was a small cut on his finger.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Damnation."
Sunny couldn't believe what he was seeing.
He was returning from the mission Morpheus had given them to retrieve the keys. The mission was a success.
On their way back, as they passed a church-like building in the city, they encountered a creature similar to the Echo Sunny had obtained before the mission.
The creature was over two meters tall, clad in gothic armor forged from lusterless anthracite steel. Every inch of the armor was engraved with intricate, horrifying tales that could drive one insane if they stared too long.
The helmet of the Black Knight was adorned with curved horns that might have once been wings. In the narrow fissure of its visor, two ghastly red flames burned with indescribable menace.
It was a Fallen Devil.
The group immediately tried to assume a defensive stance, but it was too late.
The creature struck Sunny, slashing his abdomen open.
And now, he was looking at his intestines spilling out of his abdomen.
Morpheus used his blood control to pull Sunny back out of the creature's reach. He focused on healing him.
The monster neither approached nor retreated.
It was as if it was telling them they couldn't pass.
Once Sunny was healed, Morpheus stood up and summoned his sword. As he raised it, an idea crossed his mind.
"I'll leave this creature to you. You need to be able to kill a Fallen Devil," he said, lowering his sword.
Sunny summoned his own sword and Echo—Stone Saint.
He commanded it to attack with them.
With the rest of the team, he charged forward.
Nephis countered the creature's darkness with her light.
Kai stayed at a distance, using his bow to disrupt its movements.
Gunlaug, Effie, Caster, and Sunny confronted it directly.
Cassie used her ability to seek out opportunities.
The Dark Knight was fast, deflecting most attacks.
But some strikes landed.
Its armor blocked them.
Eventually, Kai landed an arrow through the slit of its visor—but it did nothing. The creature had no flesh.
The Fallen Devil abandoned defense and started taking them out one by one.
Caster was sent crashing into a nearby building.
Gunlaug was thrown far away.
Effie was hurled down the street.
When it came for Sunny, it hurled him into the cathedral.
Nephis continued suppressing the darkness.
Sunny stood up again.
Seeing this, the Dark Knight advanced toward him.
At that moment, Sunny didn't know what to feel.
He had barely escaped death once already.
If Morpheus hadn't pulled him back, he would have died.
It reminded him of when he first arrived.
He had been weak then.
And after all this training, he was still weak.
Morpheus saw his friend's hopeless expression and raised a hand.
Sunny suddenly felt a surge of power within him.
He looked at Morpheus, who was grinning.
"You still need to work on that devilish smile of yours," Sunny said with a chuckle.
He understood what Morpheus was doing.
He summoned his sword and raised it.
The creature closed the gap.
"Focus. Your goal is not to kill this thing."
At five meters, Sunny swung his sword faster than the eye could see.
The blade fell—
—and the creature's torso split open, revealing a gem inside.
It radiated an intense glow, its crimson flames burning with four cores.
Sunny tried to swing again.
But he couldn't.
His muscles had been torn apart.
The Dark Knight, realizing its opponent was vulnerable, moved in for the kill.
Gunlaug blocked its strike.
Effie and Caster rejoined the battle.
With its weakness revealed, they overwhelmed it.
As it tried to retreat, a massive blade struck it from behind.
Sunny's Echo had subdued it.
The Echo reached into the wound and pulled out the gem.
[You have slain a Fallen Devil, Forsaken Knight.]
And it ate it.
"..."
"..."
"... Well done, lady. Uh, nice Echo, Sunny," Morpheus said, clapping his hands.
The entire team watched the events in stunned silence.
Except for Cassie.