Mongrel

After returning from the Forgotten Shore, Sunny decided to create a separate persona to investigate the Sovereigns, as well as do all the things that he didn't want to be associated with his name. For that, he had decided to never use any of the equipment that Mongrel wielded if there was even the smallest chance of someone connecting him to the mysterious masked man.^[4]

Mongrel wears a beautiful onyx armor, Mantle of the Underworld, that radiates a sense of solemn, dark menace. His face is hidden behind a fearsome black mask, with three twisting horns rising from it like a jagged crown. His hair is stark white, and there are two pools of impenetrable darkness in the place where his eyes are supposed to be. His weapon of choice is a long, curved odachi forged of lusterless black steel. It rested on his shoulder, seemingly devouring the bright light of the illusory sun.^[5]

In order to hide his identity, Sunny changed the way he held himself, and the way his hands moved all became slightly different. The manner in which he spoke also changed. Sunny changed every little bit of behavioral traits that could be traced back to him. He had spent a lot of time training for this moment, using the physical malleability of a Shadow Dance practitioner to make himself unrecognizable.^[2]

Mongrel prefers not to talk and when he does talk, his words are considered to be profound, with great meaning.^[6][7]

List of memories and shadows Sunny uses for Mongrel:

• Weaver's Mask^[2]
• Mantle of the Underworld - armor^[2]
• Autumn Leaf - charm memory used to dye his hair white^[2]

• Soul Serpent - weapon form (odachi)^[8]

Sunny entered the Dreamscape with the intention to learn various styles to sharpen his battle art and make Soul Serpent stronger. In a sense, he needed to create a library of mirrored styles to enrich his own. He hoped to kill two birds with one stone in the Dreamscape — to both elevate his technique and satiate the requirements of the Mantle of the Underworld with a constant stream of victories.^[9][8]

• Learned the Roaring Lion Strike: A practical, but rather simplistic art that relied on straightforward, efficient movements and attacks that were optimal in terms of lethality and energy expenditure, but for the same reason very predictable. In the hands of a master, the style could have been a real menace, but with these talented amateurs, it was useless against anyone with a tiny bit of clarity.^[8]
• Defeated Leo Striker, Fool, and Daoist Saifer, each of them considered to be prominent fighters in Dreamscape.^[10]
• He won seventy consecutive duels in Colosseum within 60 mins.^[6][7]
• He held off the entire advancing horde of Nightmare Creatures by himself and refused to give ground until the government forces arrived.^[11]
• He slaughtered twelve Awakened by himself during battle royale of Fifth Annual Dream Tournament.^[12]
• He won in the qualifying round of the Fifth Annual Dream Tournament.^[13]

After his first visit to Dreamscape went viral, many speculations and theories formed as to who Mongrel is and what his purpose:^[14]

• His victory against Leo Striker was neither lucky nor accidental. He was indeed a much better fighter.^[14]
• The man who called himself Mongrel has never entered Dreamscape before.^[14]
• Many thought Mongrel is a Master but was debunked when the recordings of his twenty-seven duels were unearthed because he was actually struggling against weaker opponents.^[14]
• Mongrel only used the styles of his opponents against them.^[14]
• When he said, "I was born in the Coliseum", it was believed that he was born in battle, like ancient gladiators.^[8][15]
• Due to Mongrel's claim to never be a human, it was believed that he turned himself into a sword demon and that no one will treat you as a human unless you behave like one.^[8][15]
• Due to Mongrel's claim that he does not know how to use a sword, it was believed that he has more to learn knowing the Nightmare Creatures that exist out there.^[5][15]
• When Mongrel declined to learn from Leo, it was believed that he means to say that he does not want to learn to fight humans, for the Spell and Nightmare Creatures are his true enemy. It was also believed that he wants to achieve the strength to not have to bare any weapons at all.^[5][15]
• When he said, "I am here to unlearn.", the quote had become a topic of heated discussion across the network. Among the duelist, it caused a whole philosophical storm. Countless Awakened were passionately debating its meaning. No one knew what exactly Mongrel meant, but everyone had at least a theory. The only thing everyone agreed on, except for Effie, was that his short statement hid profound, fundamental wisdom about the nature of combat and ways to become a master of it.^[10][15]
• He was speculated to be a saint's bastard son.^[7]
• It was believed that Mongrel's true identity is Kai of Nightingale.^[7] But was debunked when his representative agency published an official statement.^[16]
• Some were convinced that Mongrel was a woman due to the verbal description of Saint when she protected the children in the school, and how similar the Mantle of the Underworld was to her armor.^[11]
• According to Dimi's Theory, Mongrel is not one of the survivors of Forgotten Shore but the son of the secret child of the legendary Nightwalker — founder of the House of Night.^[17]
• In the First Army, Mongrel was speculated as follows:^[18]
  • Mongrel is Sunless from the First Irregular Company but someone refuted that Mongrel is like two meters tall, while Sunless is on the shorter side.^[18]
  • Mongrel is definitely a woman and Lady Mongrel and Sunny have something going on.^[18]
  • Mongrel is obviously several people.^[18]
• In Chapter 1747, four years after humanity's exodus to Dream Realm and the impending war between current domains, Mongrel was rumored to be a Song Spy.
• The elders of Valor discussed Mongrel who appears to be in a relationship with Nephis. The elders disapproved, arguing that a princess of Valor cannot be tied to someone without a background, affecting their clan's prestige. Morgan then suggested knighting the man and making him a Knight of Valor.^[19]

Mongrel's legend remains unknown. No one knew who he was and where he had come from, and after Falcon Scott, many believed he fell heroically while protecting the last siege capital. There was to be an epic propaganda film about his life and tragic sacrifice being prepared in the NQSC.^[20]

There was that famous movie "The Devil of Antarctica", inspired by his actions during the Southern Campaign. Since he became fateless, even though it was based on real person they are incapable of thinking deeply about who that person was. People just assumed it represented the collective heroism of countless soldiers who had perished in Antarctica.^[21]

• In Chapter 392, Sunny chose the alias "Mongrel" out of frustration after all his preferred names were taken, blurting it out impulsively. Ironically, it was accepted — making it the last thing he wanted to be known as, yet perfect for his disguise.
  • It was also the same name Caster called Sunny on his way to kill Changing Star in Chapter 338.
• Even with a month of absence, the people infatuated with Mongrel had brought the fiasco to a truly ridiculous level. The faceless phantom he created ended up being much more famous and recognizable than its creator.^[22]
• Sunny revealed he is Mongrel to Cassie, Effie and Kai on Chapter 688. He revealed this to Morgan and other before the start of Great Clan war on Chapter 1186.
• Devil of Antarctica was shown as a play in Bastion on Chapter 1771.