Shadow Slave

1040 The Fall of Falcon Scott (58)

'Right… now, we just have to get to the secondary defense line. Once we're within the city instead of on a plain, evading the abominations should be much easier, so the last stretch of the way won't be as hard.'

Sunny glanced at his companions, evaluating their state. Everyone was exhausted, dirty, and covered in blood — both their own and that of Nightmare Creatures — but alive.

The only problem now was to somehow extricate themselves, and the two hundred surviving Awakened, from the attacking horde.

At that moment, as if to answer his thoughts, Bloodwave turned to look at the mass of abominations. Then, the enigmatic Saint glanced at Master Jet.

"Take your soldiers and go, Soul Reaper. I will hold the beasts back for a bit… tell your commanders to activate the explosives as soon as you're past the defense line."

Sunny stared at him in shock, feeling that these words sounded a bit like... a farewell.

"You… you…"

Bloodwave gave him a strange look.

"Ah… I think you might have misunderstood, Sunless. I am not trying to sacrifice myself. It's just that an explosion like that won't harm a Transcendent too much. The Awakened, however, or even someone like you… better not risk it."

Sunny slowly nodded. Indeed… Corrupted Nightmare Creatures could survive a nuclear explosion without too much trouble, some Fallen as well. Rampart Protocol was not going to kill a Transcendent like Bloodwave, or even seriously inconvenience him.

Master Jet nodded.

"We'll be going, then."

started summoning several Memories. Sunny did not know what exactly the Memories were, but judging by the fact that Bloodwave had promised to hold back the

at him,

I'll stay back a little, to make sure that everyone who is still alive gets safely out

out a

terribly loud, isn't

that, he spared her one last glance and turned to

"Come on! Go!"

breach in the wall, Master Jet's

"...Retreat!"

one last attack, they used their remaining strength to momentarily push

call it a retreat was a bit of a stretch. There was no order or strategy to it, just a desperate wish to survive. The defense line instantly

was Bloodwave, who somehow managed to fulfill his promise

the roar of a rushing tide of water, but

the abandoned staging area and escaped into the

complicated labyrinth of snow and broken concrete. Others still stood, but were charred black by the flames. Some streets were strangely untouched and eerily empty, and of course, there were functioning roads that the First

lack of illumination was not a problem. Their running

to

they had started their shift. Sadly, the battle had taken them far away from the main gate of the city, so there was

whole place blew up, the Rhino would undoubtedly

'Damn it! Damn it!'

to run. He had to lead

each soldier was making their own path to the secondary defense line. Sunny suspected that most would try to reach the maintained roads, but on this one, there was no one but the battered

and collapsed buildings flew past them one after another. They ran through the darkness, moving as fast as they could, their stamina long spent and their lungs burning. The dark, empty