Shadow Slave

Fifteen Transcendent Echoes, most of them Devils...

Sunny simply stared, mentally recalculating the threat level of the Valor force... and of the great clans in general.

'I knew, of course, that the hidden power of the Sovereigns is vast. But it seems that I've been concentrating on their personal might too much... mostly because it is both mysterious and phenomenal. However, there is the mundane power of accumulation as well. I've been a fool to neglect it.'

To everyone else, a Corrupted abomination was a dreadful nightmare... even to Saints. Transcendents fought against the Corrupted and were more than capable of slaying them, but every such fight was a risk, especially against the creatures of higher Classes.

The Supremes, however, were equal to the Great Nightmare Creatures. Sunny had been under the impression that the Sovereigns mostly stayed within the confines of their Domains, but maybe he was not entirely right. Someone like Anvil or Ki Song could slaughter Corrupted abominations with the same ease he could butcher Awakened creatures.

It only made sense that they had accumulated a legion of powerful Echoes over the decades, including scores of Transcendent ones.

Sunny suddenly broke out in a cold sweat.

'...Hell. Who says that Transcendent Echoes are the limit?'

Since the Sovereigns could fight on equal footing with Great Nightmare Creatures... then didn't it mean that they could possess Supreme Echoes, as well?

To this day, Sunny had only seen two Great abominations. One was the unborn spawn of the Vile Thieving Bird, and the other - most likely - was the dark sea of the Forgotten Shore. What would it look like if a creature like that was turned into an Echo?

Was Morgan in possession of a Supreme Echo?

Did she have an Echo of a Titan slumbering in her Soul Sea?

He lingered for a moment, then glanced at Nephis, who stood in front of the army of monsters with an impassive expression on her calm, beautiful face.

'You want to destroy... this?'

closed his eyes for a

lunatic. She must have infected me with her madness! Because...

to

at Wake of Ruin, who was staring at Morgan with an unreadable expression. Eventually, the old man said

things away. They'll

'What...'

a little and silently dismissed the Echoes. Saint Cor

as ever. These Echoes will be of great

Sunny was thinking feverishly.

Morgan... Nephis... and one more Saint, who is escorting the main force across the ocean. With these fifteen Transcendent abominations,

clan in East Antarctica - a vassal, just like Sky Tide. Two more were coming, both direct members of the clan, as well as several hundred Awakened and several powerful Masters. Who would these people be? What hidden aces would

'Is that guy coming?'

avenge himself on Valor, in the first place. He wouldn't miss

alone was more

Sunny almost groaned.

are going to destroy the entire

meant to be merely a prologue to the war of the Great Clans, that prologue was already promising to be

of the approaching collision... however, no one seemed rattled by it. Wake of Ruin and Jet seemed a bit somber, but calm, too jaded to be shaken by the promise of appalling bloodshed. Saint Tyris was reserved and stoic. Madoc and Morgan... they hid it well, but Sunny could see bloodlust

She might have fooled everyone else, but he knew what kind of hatred dwelled in her

the grim prospects of the nearest future,

a hint

from the great clan

Wake of Ruin nodded.

we need to discuss regarding the current situation on the continent and your future role in keeping it in human hands. But what am I supposed to do? Repeat myself all over again when the Song

his

most of the gathered powerhouses were actually planning to kill each other, and with the few bystanders only wondering about how to make them