The clash of their steel rang out through the still burning forest. Lumber and sparks fell like hellish snow, ash choked the air and yet they both fought to the very limit of their ability.

Kenji moved with stiff, regulated strikes while the Assassin flowed like water, if exhausted.

His superior talent was astounding, and If not for being on the cusp of death the shade would have put Kenji in the ground from the second blow. Instead, he had the slightest hint of a chance, as his blade diverted stab and slash with swift strikes. With a moment of inspiration Kenji forgot his defense and shattered one of the Assassin's ashen limbs, the Assassin now forced to shift to a one armed stance.

"Your good...whatever you are," the Assassin hissed without tongue or cheek. A burning skeleton with a pulsing black heart, the shade cackled as it lunged to attack again. Using [Fast strike] Kenji was swiftly skewers through the shoulder, the Assassin dancing out of range.

"Your death is inevitable. I will kill you, your friends and anyone else I want for a hundred years!" Dashing forward the Assassin attacked a tad slower, the power behind the strike coming weaker too.

"I wouldn't make plans too far ahead, I don't think you'll be surviving a hundred seconds."

The clash of steel on steel continued, Kenji starting to lose his stamina faster and faster until he was heaving burning air and ash while his limbs screamed they could continue for only a short while longer.

While the shade was doing little better, his stamina wasn't fading nearly as fast as the mere human in front of him. Kenji was cut across the lip, the hand, the leg and stabbed through the ribs.

But not for a moment did he consider running, not for an instance did he allow defeat to take root on his heart.

In his mind the nature of this situation crashed and roared louder and louder. The church Arthur had served was wielding necromancers, butchering innocents and had unleashed this evil upon the land.

Only Arthur stood in the way, and while he had denounced his god with his mind, only now did he open his heart to the possibility of another power.

Strength flowed, his stance altered and completely ignoring his own defence Arthur twisted and thrust in a flash, [Full offensive strike] was activated and while Arthur was stabbed through the eye, his blade drove right through the shade's black heart in turn.

"Oh..." the shade gasped, peering down at his shattered heart with suprise.

"Say hi to Dana for me," Kenji whispered as he pulled his sword free and darkness exploded from the Shades chest. A burst of red and green shot out of the shade's chest and streaked like comets into the sky.

When the darkness faded, and the last of the shade's body turned to Ash a silver elf boy appeared. He peered around uncertain at the world, and took his first tentative step.

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"Go on little one. Your free now, go and live as you wish," Kenji whispered, falling to one knee as he spluttered blood and clutched his ruined eye.

The boy ran over concerned, and tried to pull Kenji up. With far greater strength that Kenji expected, the little spirit quickly hoisted Kenji to his feet.

"Eh, thank you,"Kenji said as the spirit waved his hands and the fire was put out by a burst of wind and the flora began to rapidly heal, then flourish. Soon what had been a charred and blighted field became a colourful glade.

After that, the spirit peered at Kenji as if unsure as what to do next.

"Are you lost, little one?" Kenji asked.

The spirit nodded it's little head along with the sounds of tinkling bells. The spirit pointed at the sun, it's silver cheeks filling with golden light.

"You lived in the sun?"

The spirit filled again.

"You want to go home?"

The spirit smiled with a mouth filled with sunshine as it tinkled again.

"Then you can come with me if you want. I know a Sun elf 'goddess' if that helps. Purple skinned, summons crystals and is a bit snooty if that rings a bell."

The spirit rolled it's eyes then sharpened it's little nose to a point and stuck it up high in the air. Laughing despite his intense pain, Kenji thought it was a good impression.

"So you do know her then. That's good."

Wearily Kenji contorted back to his base form, allowing the corpse of the boy knight to start it's repairs in his storage.

Turning, the silver spirit ran on over to where the shade had died and picked up it's shattered black heart. With a flash of light, silver crystal glued it back together, before the whole thing was compressed into a thumb sized gem. Obsidian Black and covered in a web of silver cracks, Kenji marvelled at the gem that was placed at his hand.

Turning translucent and looking very tired, the spirit rubbed it's sleepy eyes and yawned with the sound of rushing wind. In the next moment the spirit turned to liquid Silver and flowed into the gem, the obsidian now glowing with an inner silver light.

"I'll take you too her, don't worry little one," Kenji said, then kissed the gem goodnight. "Sweet dreams, your days of hardship have come to an end."

As the forest started to fall back into its slumber, Kenji admired the floral glade a little longer while golden rays of sunshine pierced through the crown of emerald leaves above.

Kenji spent all the time he could spare making a little makeshift memorial of stone in the glade, and then whispered words of thanks to Ash. Neither her body nor that of the Shade could be recovered, and so Kenji brought away only his deepest thanks.

And for the Sun Elf that had been so integral to Kenji's survival, he swore to the wind and the earth that he would continue to honour her one wish.

He would keep Violet safe.