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."

Saint nodded, then took a deep breath and 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 horde… the whole horde… all by himself, the abominations

looked at him,

I'll stay back a little, to make sure that everyone who is still alive gets safely out of the blast zone before Army Command begins the party. Expect to enjoy fireworks as soon as we see each

forced out a

be terribly loud, isn't it?

he spared her one last glance and turned to his

"Come on! Go!"

breach in the wall, Master Jet's voice boomed once again, spreading across

"...Retreat!"

twice. Delivering one last attack, they used their remaining strength to momentarily push the

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 collapsed, and the soldiers dove into the

saving grace of the whole thing was Bloodwave, who somehow managed to fulfill his promise and stall the enormous horde of Nightmare

Sunny did not know. He thought that he heard the roar of a rushing tide of water, but at that point, there was no time

through the abandoned staging area and escaped into the empty streets

were charred black by the flames. Some streets were strangely untouched and eerily empty, and of course, there were functioning roads that the First Army had maintained to deliver people

them could see in the dark thanks to Kim, so the lack of illumination was

to lose the

where they had started their shift. Sadly, the battle had taken them far away from the main

the Rhino would

'Damn it! Damn it!'

his teeth, Sunny continued to run. He had to lead his people to safety… that took priority over everything

section was very long, so no one else was in view. Right now, all that mattered was speed, and each soldier was making their own path to the secondary defense line. Sunny suspected

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