Ferryman

"Five!"

A thunderous boom rang out from the sky, so clear that it was the first time Shade had heard such a sound in the Interstice. Then dozens of pitch-black beams, like a rain of light, fell straight down from the high fog-shrouded sky.

Ignoring his injuries, Shade immediately dodged, but the black rain of light actually began moving along with him.

"Four!"

His nose twitched. Shade caught the floral scent from that bedroom; he was about to leave. The black scythe swept in from ahead again, and with the rain of light pursuing him from behind, Shade had no way to dodge. But if he stopped to defend himself, those beams would likely keep attacking until he could no longer resist.

"No choice."

The power of the last of the Red Butterflies was completely absorbed into his body. Shade's steps stalled for a moment, then his whole body burst apart, transforming into a swarm of Red Butterflies that flew toward the sky.

"Three!"

But the Red Butterflies did not get far. The master of the Mystic Lock suppressed high-altitude flight, forcefully pressing Shade back to the ground and restoring him to human form. Shade was actually glad Barton had done so. For one brief moment, he had nearly believed that he truly was the collective consciousness of the swarm of Red Butterflies.

"I really can't rely too much on the power of relics."

The black rain of light followed close behind, while Joey Barton slowly floated over. He held a black sphere in his palm, and it was expanding. Shade had a premonition that once that black sphere exploded, even the Soul Ring's shield combined with False Immortality would probably not be enough to save him.

"Two!"

Someone was shaking Shade's shoulders. In his half-dreaming, half-waking state, Shade's consciousness