Shadow Slave

As the caravan approached the spilling horde of Nightmare Creatures, Sunny readied himself for battle and feverishly tried to come up with a way - any way - to save the lives of as many people as he could.

However, no matter how much he thought about it, there was just no solution. Many souls were going to be lost today, and the best he could accomplish was to make sure that those who were dying were the soldiers, and not the refugees.

He knew that the caravan would be able to break through the horde of abominations eventually, but he also knew that at least several vehicles, as well as scores of his soldiers, would perish in the process. Hundreds, if not thousands of humans were going to die today.

His gamble did not pay off.

Sunny felt a bit resentful about that.

With a sigh, he summoned the helmet of the Mantle of the Underworld and raised Morgan's Warbow...

It was at that moment that eerie crimson lights flashed through the haze of the blizzard, followed by a scattering of small sparks. He froze and looked to his left, at the dark expanse of the ocean that was obscured by the veil of snow.

Out there, something inconceivably gargantuan was hiding, its enormous shape only revealed by the hazy flashes of crimson light.

'What...'

In the next moment, a deafening roar assaulted his ears, and then, something that he had never expected happened.

Ahead of the convoy, the mass of Nightmare Creatures were suddenly torn apart by a series of earth-shattering explosions. Bits of concrete, flesh, and bone flew into the air, creating a cloud of red fog. A moment later, flowers of angry red flame bloomed on the slope of the mountain, obliterating even more abominations.

The whole world trembled.

Sunny's eyes widened as he swiftly looked back at the ocean. The wall of the blizzard had been unmade, as well. And although the breach in the snowstorm was already closing, he still managed to catch a glimpse of the source of all that carnage.

gargantuan shape drifting on the waves... was

even recognized the lines of its

hull was marred by terrible scars and breached in many places, with some of the holes being large enough for the Rhino to drive through - and was just what remained above the surface.

was a mystery how the vessel remained

it was still capable of firing its armaments. The crimson lights Sunny had seen were the batteries of starboard cannons unleashing hell, and the scattering of sparks was the salvo of missiles being launched

explosive rounds at the

He blinked.

...I'll be damned.

they really

where the wrecked vessel had come from, but he was not going

the first salvo somewhat cleared the highway, and the second one overshot it by a

off those who still remained on the road from the rest of the

That was his chance!

his bow and sent the Strike of Thunder flying forward. A moment later, it hit the mountain of

"All forward units, attack!"

simultaneously

guns were involved. Streams of heavy rounds whipped across the surviving Nightmare Creatures, ripping many

vehicles soon following. The front of the caravan had once again formed into a wedge

this time, there were many more vehicles, Awakened, and war platforms

thinned front rows of the mass of Nightmare Creatures covering the highway were all but erased from existence by their onslaught. A moment later, the Rhino plowed into the remaining stragglers,

the Cruel Sight instead. As soon as he saw the APC clear the stretch of the

being destroyed by the continuous barrage from the mangled battleship, many were still getting through. The cacophony of bestial howls, thunderous explosions, and roaring artillery strikes was shaking the world,

just starting - they had to hold back the