Then, mere centimeters away, it exploded with cold, malevolent authority:
"OPEN YOUR EYES!"
But he didn't.
A second passed, then another, then one more. Each of them felt like an eternity. Sunny trembled, practically feeling his body aging. Finally, the voice returned. But this time, it felt as though it was further away, withdrawing.
"No matter… no matter…"
Soon, he was able to hear the rustling of leaves and the sound of waves again. He could also hear Cassie and Neph breathing ruggedly beside him. It seemed that they were also assaulted by the terrifying mimic.
And also…
Somewhere beneath them, the Carapace Demon roared and hit his scythes against each other. The loud clamor of steel resounded beneath the great tree, sending an almost palpable wave in all directions. This wave seemed to expel the unnatural fog, creating an enormous sphere of clean air.
Sunny still kept his eyes shut.
In the next moment, the whole island trembled as the demon clashed with the unknown horror that had been hiding in the fog. Something shattered with a deafening thunder, and the ground shook again, causing the branches of the great tree to sway.
With his hands trembling, Sunny outstretched them and grabbed onto his companions, drawing them close. Holding each other, they listened to the sounds of the furious battle and waited.
***
An eternity later, the fight between the Carapace Demon and the guest from the depths was over. Silence had returned to the Ashen Barrow once again.
Sunny had long ago lost the track of time and grew desensitized to the tremors running through the great tree each time the two monsters clashed. Sudden stillness gave him a start. With a slight shudder, he turned his head and listened, trying to discern what was happening.
In the quiet aftermath of the terrible battle, Nephis hesitated and then said in a raspy voice:
"We can open our eyes now."
Sunny lingered before following her advice. He opened his eyes and blinked a couple of times, his vision slowly returning.
The pale light of dawn was creeping from the east, enveloping the island in the dim twilight. Beneath them, the surface of the island was torn apart and upturned, almost unrecognizable. It was as though the Ashen Barrow was pummeled by several rounds of heavy artillery fire.
And on that surface…
'Damn it!'
The Carapace Demon was slowly limping back from the edges of the island, leaving a trail of azure blood behind. He was heavily wounded and in a terrible shape, with several limbs missing and a spiderweb of cracks covering his once pristine carapace.
Two of his arms were gone, leaving him with a single scythe and a single pincer. Most of his rear legs were either broken or severed, forcing the behemoth to walk in a strange, unsteady gait.
However, he was still alive. More than that, none of the armor plates covering his vital organs were seriously damaged, his metal shell still strong and impenetrable.
Sunny clenched his fists and glanced at Neph, a dark expression on his face.
"What… what do we do?"
Changing Star looked down. There was a cold glint in her calm, grey eyes.
Stretching her arm to the side, she summoned her sword and said:
"Finish him off."