Shadow Slave

Sunny helped the pilot climb out of the ravaged MWP, then looked around somberly. The ruin of the city was covered by the signs of a fierce battle... sadly, he had been too late to arrive. Most of the soldiers were already dead.

'Damn it...

He. had noticed the commotion in the ruins by chance, while making his way through the wilderness to accomplish a different mission. If not for the habit of sending his shadows in a wide circle around him, Sunny would have never even known that a squad of human soldiers had been trapped here. He used Shadow Step to arrive as swiftly as he could, but ended up saving only one.

With a sigh, Sunny helped the young woman climb down from the wreck of the MWP, summoned the Endless Spring, and handed it to her.

"Here. Drink some water."

The pilot kept staring at him strangely, but he was long used to such stares. He gave her some time, then took the glass bottle back and asked, making sure to keep his voice neutral:

"I am sorry about your comrades... but how did you guys end up in this sector? Did you not receive the message that it was designated as a black zone by Army Command?"

The young woman grimaced.

"We... did, sir. But by then, it was already too late. We were on a routine patrol along the Seventeenth Evacuation Corridor when we came under attack from a swarm of Nightmare Creatures. We beat them back and pursued... sadly, a few minutes later, a Gate opened right behind us. We were quickly surrounded, and had to run for our lives. We ran all the way to this city, and..."

She sighed.

Sunny awkwardly patted the pilot on the shoulder.

"I see. I know a thing or two about bad luck, lieutenant... it can get anyone. You did your best."

was shaking

just attracts trouble,

was of vital importance to the evacuation effort, but recently, it had become harder and harder to keep the

on a mission to scout out

choose any assignment he wanted-out of those suitable for an Ascended, of course.

capitals, keeping tabs on their movements, and even

exclusively of powerful Masters, and each of them either had an Aspect uniquely suitable for such work or was an

him a lot of freedom in his movements and actions, partially because he was reluctant to be put in charge

been something Sunny enjoyed. The previous time was

too

the MWP pilot and

am

There was no news of the gallant healer, so he was most likely

- Sunny knew of it because Kim remained in

Center, she had been transferred to the Strategic Intelligence Department of Army Command. Now, her Aspect was being used to determine the vulnerabilities

stationed at army headquarters, but Kim was doing especially well

a while back, too. Sunny and she kept in touch, sending each other messages once in a while. However, he had a feeling that the young woman wanted to forget what had happened in the Southern Quadrant, at least for now. Talking to him was perhaps a

most of Sunny's communications were with Rain. His sister was doing well in the safety of NQSC. She was training diligently, and not showing any symptoms of being infected by the Spell.

As for himself...

imp first, then hunted down numerous abominations in hopes of forming the fifth Shadow Core. Now, he was mere days away from catching up to Neph. As for the third goal... Sunny had made good

communication device suddenly came