Facing the Setting Sun

The "sun" invading the world slowly descended—it could not compare to the true sun, yet it was still as enormous as a small mountain and radiated terrifying power.

It hovered extremely close to the ground, seeming to have almost completely "landed" on the surface. Flames bursting from its edges licked at the earth, and beneath its light, sand and stone gradually melted into flowing magma. The air warped in the searing heat, heat waves rolled over the spreading rivers of lava, and rocks large and small seemed disturbed by some invisible force, floating around the Sun Offspring as scorching satellites.

This massive "Fallen Sun Wheel" watched the mortal before it, who was nearly as insignificant as a speck of dust, with countless cold eyeballs within its body, then repeated its concise command—

"Kneel."

This was a pressure wholly unlike that of ordinary supernatural beings or heretical entities. It was power spreading forth from an ancient god—the malformed fireball was a true offspring of the Black Sun. Its words alone were worth tens of thousands of spells and secret arts.

Vana felt as though her body were about to ignite. Scorching liquid fire seemed to flow through her, and even the air she exhaled had become part of the flames.

Yet she merely lowered her head and looked at the radiant little sphere in her hand.

A moment later, she carefully tucked it close against her body. Then, in silence, she turned and walked toward the enormous staff deeply embedded in the sand dune. Extending her left hand, she slowly pulled it free before hoisting it onto her shoulder.

The Giant's Staff was far too large for a mortal. Even Vana, carrying it, looked less like she was bearing a weapon and more like she was carrying a tree.

But she