Shadow Slave

It was hard not to get swept up in Master's Jet cool presence. However, Sunny was not so easy to sway. He held her gaze for a few moments, then turned away.

His expression grew somber.

"...You just spent a lot of time convincing me that losing Antarctica would not cause irreparable damage to humanity, and that most of those who go there would end up dead. And now, you suddenly want me to go as well? Why would I?"

Sure, fighting a noble and glorious war against the Nightmare Creatures sounded exciting. But Sunny was not an inexperienced kid anymore. He knew the price of glory all to well. To him, war casualties were not an abstract concept, but instead a very familiar and grim reality.

He was not arrogant and ignorant enough to consider himself immune to death.

Master Jet leaned back.

"Don't you want to defend your fellow humans?"

Sunny shrugged.

"Don't get me wrong… I really want all those people in Antarctica to survive. However, none of them helped me when I was starving to death in the outskirts. None of them were there when I was drowning in my own blood on the Forgotten Shore. The government didn't do crap to uplift me, either."

He frowned, and then added:

"In fact, one might argue that the government not only abandoned me entirely, but even did everything in its power to make sure that I die swiftly after being used up to bring it a tiny bit of benefit. Like my parents did. But, despite all that, I survived and managed to build a decent life for myself. And now that I finally have something good going for me… you want me to throw it all away and go risk my life to maybe save a bunch a strangers?"

Master Jet sighed.

it. Trust me, I

Sunny raised his eyebrows:

that you get it. You are from the outskirts yourself, after all. Maybe your life there was not as bad as mine, but it wouldn't have been too different. So why are

few moments, then looked

to explain. Honor, duty, sacrifice… you're right, those words don't mean much to me. Working for the government is a

Reaper studied the visitors of the cafeteria with her icy blue

have a lot of affection for humanity, but maintaining the fragile balance that allows it to exist is something that I chose to make my responsibility. My domain. So, watching Antarctica go up in flames from the sidelines

for a while, thinking about what she said. He felt that, in a sense, Master Jet was very much like him. Too stubborn to give up, unwilling to let the world have its way… however, there was a big difference between them. While Sunny aimed all that spite and resentment at surviving and elevating only himself, she had chosen something much grander

alone, Soul Reaper had decided to tie herself down

for sure, but felt that it wasn't. People like him and her deserved to be selfish. The world had never treated them well, and so, they had no obligation to return the favor. Dying for someone you did not care about

her

in the

Master Jet smiled.

I wasn't finished. My work ethic is only part of the reason why I am

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"The future?"

She nodded.

is changing, Sunny. What happens in Antarctica might not end humanity or even change it too much. But it will change the Awakened. Think about it… with so many of us going, either as part of the

forward,

a breakthrough in their combat skill? How many will Ascend? There are less than a thousand Masters alive in the world right now. How many will there be after the battle for Antarctica? I'd wager much more than that. How

face for a few moments and shrugged. Then, he

you hoping to become a Saint in all the chaos, while all the