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.

drifting on the waves...

even recognized the lines of its

in many places, with some of the holes being large enough for the

how the vessel

was still capable of firing its armaments. The crimson lights Sunny had seen were the batteries of

rounds at the horde of Nightmare Creatures, this time aiming entirely at

He blinked.

...I'll be damned.

really

vessel had come from, but he was not

unknown captain was clear - the first salvo somewhat cleared the highway, and the second one overshot it by

still remained on the road from the rest of the horde, for now, while

That was his chance!

of Thunder flying forward. A moment later, it hit

"All forward units, attack!"

simultaneously raised

accuracy while on the move was not too great, but that was not important when massive Gatling guns were involved. Streams of heavy rounds whipped across the surviving Nightmare Creatures, ripping many to shreds. A moment later, two swarms of missiles shot from the shoulders of the lumbering machines, adding to the

soon following. The front of the caravan had

many more vehicles,

from existence by their onslaught. A moment later, the Rhino plowed into

then dismissed his bow, summoning the Cruel Sight instead. As soon as he saw the APC clear the stretch of the road obstructed by the horde, he stepped through the shadows

many were still getting through. The cacophony of bestial howls, thunderous explosions, and roaring artillery

that the head of the caravan had broken through the blockade, the battle was not over. On the contrary, it was just starting - they had to hold back the tide of monsters to let the whole column drive through the