"Who are you, really?" I shouted, but the girl only giggled, her laughter chilling and cold. I couldn't help but feel a shiver run down my spine—the sound seemed to come from the depths of a frozen cavern, utterly devoid of emotion.
"I am you."
As she spoke, I stared in shock at the darkness—a mass of blackness oozed out. I immediately gripped my Phoenix Blade, and the flames around me surged violently.
Gradually, I was stunned as the black mass began to take on a human shape, slowly transforming—until it became me, completely.
But there was one difference—its eyes were pitch black, empty, and the other me also held a Phoenix Blade, flames burning on its body, only they were black.
In an instant, I raised my Phoenix Blade and slashed at the other me. With a thunderous crash, two flames collided fiercely, and a powerful blast of air pushed me backward.
The blackfire broke through the crimson flames and rushed toward me. I hurriedly wrapped myself in my wings.
I screamed, falling slowly to the ground. As soon as I landed, I cried out in pain, seeing my wings had turned completely black—hard and stiff, as if frozen.
A wave of chilling cold swept over me, and my forehead throbbed with pain. In the air, the other me—eyes hollow—was wrapped entirely in blackfire, wearing the Vermilion Mantle, only it was black.
"What the hell is going on?"
With a resounding crash, the red and black Phoenix Blades clashed. Cracks began to spread across the black Phoenix Blade. I let out a furious roar as flames erupted from my entire body. The shadow doppelganger before me split open, then shattered bit by bit, dissolving into dust.
In that instant, I snapped back to reality—what I’d just witnessed felt like a hallucination. Rustling noises continued to rise from the ground. When I looked down, I gasped deeply. The Desire Fiends had devoured a huge patch of earth. I exhaled sharply, unleashing a torrent of crimson fire that instantly incinerated the monsters below.
Panting, I stared at the Desire Fiends, now completely exterminated. Then I glanced into the darkness—no movement, no sound. I shouted into the void.
"Who are you, really? What do you want from us?"
A long silence followed. No response at all.
"Something’s happened—everyone, be careful. Tammy Blade has been taken out."
Oddball Moe’s voice came from behind me. I turned, stunned, and saw him looking utterly exhausted, his eyes filled with melancholy.
"What exactly happened?" I asked, still unable to believe that Tammy Blade could be defeated.
"You’ll understand when you come back later," he replied.
My mind was in chaos, desperate for morning to arrive. I remembered what Vincent Swallow once told me about a girl whose heart was pure darkness—after merging with a Desire Fiend, she was personally finished off by Tammy Blade. Now, thinking about it, I couldn’t find any other explanation for why Tammy would fall.
Finally, dawn came. I spread my wings and flew swiftly back to camp. The first thing I saw was a massive, ice-like block tinged with black, encasing Tammy Blade completely. Vincent Swallow stood before the Black Ice Prison.
As I drew closer, I noticed Tammy Blade’s sorrowful expression. Her tears had frozen, suspended in the ice—each crystalline drop trapped in place.
"What happened?" Everyone looked grim. Oddball Moe sighed.
"It’s confirmed now—it was that girl. I never expected... Sigh."
I approached the block of black ice and tried to ignite a flame against it, but it had no effect. When I touched the ice, I felt the same darkness as the forest’s edge.
"It’s shrunk a lot," Old Eccentric remarked.
Only then did I realize that everyone had faced their own hollow-eyed shadow doppelganger. Though we all managed to overcome them, in that moment of awakening, much of the world had already been devoured by Desire Fiends.
"Are you alright?" I asked Vincent Swallow, who covered his mouth, looking miserable. His face was as pale as paper, and the others didn’t look much better.
"Remember this—hold fast to your heart. Even the slightest wavering, and you’ll end up like Tammy Blade."
Vincent Swallow pressed his mouth shut, but then Blood Beads began to seep out. I saw him stick out his tongue, licking the blood greedily, his face momentarily satisfied. He sucked at the beads a few more times before Mr. Blackmask clamped a hand over his mouth.
"If you keep this up, you’ll run out of blood," Mr. Blackmask warned.
At last, I understood—Vincent Swallow was feeding on his own blood. After days of drinking, his blood had become almost like liquor. Only by consuming it could he stave off his craving for alcohol.
Not only was Vincent Swallow pale, but I could tell he’d grown thinner as well.
"Don’t lose to yourself," I said, stepping closer and looking Vincent Swallow in the eye. He burst out laughing.
"Don’t worry about me. Six more days—just six more, and I can drink my fill." Vincent Swallow wiped his mouth and licked his cracked lips.
By the sixth night, we were down another member, and the burden on us grew even heavier.
I stared quietly into the darkness. As night fell, mocking laughter echoed out, just like the night before.
A chill ran down my spine. Suddenly, a mass of inky blackness surged forth. Instinctively, I raised the Phoenix Blade, unfurled my wings, and flew toward it.
"Lily Wu..." My eyes widened in shock. It was her, smiling sweetly, arms wide open as she looked at me.
I screamed.
"Damn it."
Flames erupted—instantly, Lily Wu turned to ash before my eyes.
"You really are heartless," a voice came from behind me. Suddenly, laughter rang out from all directions. Dozens of Lily Wus appeared, each smiling and opening their arms to me.
I shut my eyes, my flames surging higher. Folding my wings, I swept them forcefully in every direction. In an instant, all the Lily Wus vanished.
I snapped back to myself, landing hard on the ground. Brandishing the Phoenix Blade, I slashed in every direction, wiping out Desire Fiends as they tried to consume everything around me.
By morning, I returned to camp—only to be stunned by what I saw. Vincent Swallow, who’d been laughing just yesterday, was now sealed inside a block of black ice.
Streaks of crimson—Vincent’s face twisted in anger, blood spattering from his mouth as he raised a hand. Several black prayer beads floated around him, sealed inside the ice as well.
"I told you, didn’t I? Sigh. One loved food, the other loved drink..." Old Eccentric said helplessly. Mr. Blackmask walked over to Vincent Swallow and punched the black ice in frustration, but it didn’t budge or make a sound.
"Those two were already at their limits. They had to endure even more than us. Listen up—tonight, I don’t want to lose anyone else."
Everyone’s face was drawn and heavy. I felt it too—I was almost at my breaking point. Night after night, the enemy tormented our minds, waiting for us to slip into hallucinations so the Desire Fiends could devour the world.
The darkness was closing in, already swallowing the edge of the woods. Everywhere I looked, there was nothing but endless night. The stars had vanished, leaving only the moon hanging above us.
On the fifth night, I hesitated not at all—after dispatching the hallucinated Rachel Lan, I quickly wiped out the Desire Fiends below. Oddly, there were only six or seven tonight. I breathed a sigh of relief.
By morning, I returned to camp. The atmosphere was deathly still—everyone hung their heads, exhausted.
In disbelief, I stared at Mr. Blackmask, now sealed in black ice. He stood motionless, as if frozen in place by the darkness.
"Looks like this is really the end, huh?" Old Eccentric muttered. Old Ray came over.
"Four more days. Just four more, and we’ll be free. As long as we hold out, there’s hope. Vincent Swallow once told me: Lord Shenyan, even in death, keeps his promises. He’s a Ghost Sovereign who values his word. We’ll be alright."