Shadow Slave

It only took Sunny a split second to understand what had happened. One of the scientists locked in the shelter had fallen asleep... in their sleep, that person had been pulled into the First Nightmare.

And died.

Perhaps the trial of the Spell was especially harsh, or perhaps the scientist was especially weak. Perhaps luck was simply not on their side. In the end, it did not matter.

What mattered was that the Seed of Nightmare in their soul bloomed, and a deadly abomination was unleashed into the waking world.

Crimson blood on the white lab coat. A grotesque figure that resembled a ghastly amalgamation of a human and a monstrous mannequin made of flesh. Screams of fear, eyes full of shock. Even though the Nightmare Creature had just been born, it already unleashed its murderous madness on the defenseless civilians in the shelter.

Everyone was late to react - the automated defense systems, the sentries posted in the bunker... even Sunny himself.

Although he was already diving into the shadows, he knew that the short moment it would take him to travel the vast distance between the bloodsoaked battlefield and the shelter could mean the difference between life and death for Professor Obel.

Summoning Saint was a fast affair, but it, too, took a second or two to complete.

So, he went for a measure that would be immediate... using Shadow Manifestation, he commanded the shadow that had been observing the old scientist to assume a tangible form and resist the frenzied Nightmare Creature.

Almost instantly, a sharp pain pierced his very being. The shadow sustained damage, which meant that his soul did, too.

... No matter how many times Sunny had endured soul attacks, the sheer agony of them was still a shock.

A single heartbeat later, he rolled out of the shadows nestling in the corners of the underground shelter and looked around, trying to evaluate the situation through the pain.

grotesque abomination. Still, several people that had been close to the transformed monstrosity were already dead. Their severed limbs littered the floor, which was

young woman was trying to shield the old man with her body, which was useless, considering

seemed to

monstrosity and the scientist, pushing it back with a hand. Its

the shadow did not show any sign of being in pain... well, of course! The haughty bastard was utterly above breaking decorum because of a small and inconsequential thing like being skewered by a Nightmare Creature's blade. More than

was everyone. Everyone in two worlds was, naturally,

'That guy...'

in the abdomen, sending it stumbling back. Then, it disappeared, turning back into a

and attacked the Nightmare Creature before it could regain its balance.

managed to raise their rifles, and the turrets mounted on the ceiling came to life, swinging in the

faster

an Awakened monster,

But still... still...

above the dead creature, Sunny scowled, a

He had been distracted, and

not

'How did this happen?'

eye on the Professor even while fighting the Myriad Eater, but then, at some point... his attention was drawn

Call? Was it because of the Sin of Solace? Or simply because of the accumulated exhaustion of having

Sunny was not happy with himself. The pain lingering in his wounded soul served as a reminder of his failure. He

mission. Countless

and the helmet of the Undying Chain, revealing his pale face and hair, which was damp with sweat. Then, he looked around one more time, counting the dead and observing the fearful expressions of those

just a few seconds. It could have