Shadow Slave

Raising his hand, Sunny gave Aiko and Stev a signal to remain quiet. Then, with a frown, he commanded the shadow to abandon its hiding spot and find the Guards.

'They can't be near us… I would have heard them.'

Then where did the bastards go?

Soon, he had his answer.

The three Guards were in the corridor a hundred or so steps from Sunny's current position, just behind a corner. In a place where they shouldn't have been, since it was way off their previous route.

They were also dead.

Two had their skulls smashed in. Sunny did not know what weapon, tool, or limb was used to kill them, because their Memory armors had already disappeared. It had to have been something capable of piercing through steel, though, because the Guards had been wearing helmets the last time he saw them.

The third was even worse. His throat was torn, seemingly with terribly sharp fangs… to such degree that the young man's head was almost separated from his body. One would expect a sea of blood to come out of such a terrible wound, but in fact, there was surprisingly little of it on the floor.

However, the corpse of the Guard was unnaturally pale, as if devoid of blood completely.

'Curses…'

Sunny felt a cold shiver run through his body.

The shadow cautiously looked around, but didn't notice anyone else present on the scene of the gruesome slaughter.

Aiko and Stev were staring at Sunny with alarmed expressions. After waiting for several minutes, he finally relaxed a little and motioned for them to follow.

"What happened?"

He hesitated for a few seconds, then said in an even tone:

"The Blood Lord has just been here."

Their eyes widened.

"That fiend?! Then why aren't we running?!"

Sunny glanced at them with a calm expression.

worry, it's already

he was anything but

something he would be scared of. One that managed to get past his shadow and slaughter them just a hundred steps away without

of an

killed to reach their destionation. Soon, the smell of blood hit their nostrils, making Aiko

more gruesome in person. Sunny frowned slightly, while Aiko

"Gods… poor bastards…"

something that his shadow had missed to give him a clue of

there were no signs that anyone except for the three Guards had been in this corridor in a long

to be really scared. Just

a

suddenly noticed something glint in the pool of blood. The shadow had not noticed it earlier because there was nothing

the bloodied piece of metal, then brought it close

a flower blossom. It wasn't a charm

is that

he lingered for a few moments

get out

***

to the barricades creating the border of Changing Star's territory. The Sleepers standing watch were surprised to see

Aiko raised an eyebrow.

going to inspect us? What if we're

glanced at each other, and then one

would. But it's

young woman

Is he in very high regard

look, then coughed with a bit of

just that starting a conversation with him is, uh… well, you know. A

stared at him with

supposed

watchman hurriedly shook his

I need to inspect

that, he made a hasty

scam him out of his boots

and led the two newcomers deeper into the stronghold,