Shadow Slave

1028 The Fall of Falcon Scott (46)

Some time later, the members of his cohort approached the Rhino. Belle, Dorn, Samara, Kimmy, Luster... walking inside, they froze for a moment, studying the upturned interior of the APC and the cracks in its armored windows with stunned expressions.

After a while, Luster cleared his throat.

"Uh, sir... what happened?"

Sunny gave him a deadpan look.

"I had a lady over. She Transcended."

The young man laughed nervously.

"Ah... good one, sir..."

After that, he practically ran to the pilot's cabin to check on the internal systems of the Rhino. As Luster went through the diagnostics, he kept mumbling under his nose:

"Gods... did he crash it into a titan? This damage... oh, my poor baby..."

Sunny shook his head and addressed the rest of his soldiers, speaking loudly enough for Luster to hear, as well:

"Prepare yourselves. Army Command is certain that Goliath will reach the city either today or tomorrow. In any case, we won't be leaving the wall until he does. This... is going to be the big one, guys."

His soldiers grew somber, their eyes full of calm determination. Sunny nodded.

"Don't worry about the titan himself. Colonel Jet and I will take care of the big bastard. However, Goliath is not going to show up alone... and, judging by how Erebus Field fell, there is a big chance that the wall will be breached. I don't need to tell you how important it is to prevent the Nightmare Creatures from getting inside. However, if the situation becomes hopeless, be ready to retreat to the secondary line of defense within the city."

He paused for a moment, looking at them with a serious expression.

you alive... to fight tomorrow, and the day after tomorrow, and the day after that. Dying might as

of his cohort grinned, then

"Yes, sir!"

"Wouldn't think of it!"

of you way more than I'm scared

times at that

Let's go,

with some effort. They drove across Falcon Scott, where a lot of streets were now empty, and a lot were unlit. Snow piled high in some areas, and in others, crowds of refugees were anxiously

only the well-illuminated roads, for some reason, which made the progress

they reached the secondary defense ring, however, Sunny suddenly ordered him to

hesitated for a few

for me here. I won't

the Rhino and walked toward a familiar dormitory tower,

one was cleaning the snow in front of its entrance, this time. Sunny stood there for

destroyed, this damned dormitory must remain standing. I'll make sure

he turned around and started

he almost stumbled into someone approaching

you're going, idi... huh?

and Professor Obel. They must have been returning from their own shifts — Beth at the volunteer center, the old

staring at him with surprise. Before Sunny could

"Aren't you cold?"

mouth, then looked down, at the thin silk tunic covering his body. Indeed, it did not look exactly like something

Sunny cleared his throat.

actually. Uh... elemental resistance,

Beth scoffed.

still a human, are you not? Put something warm on, for Spell's sake... I imagine fighting on

looked at her silently for a

I am still a human, that's true. Thanks. I'll try to remember