Shadow Slave

Sunny had been relying on Army Command to keep him alive for about half a year now, but weirdly enough, he had never been to the actual headquarters of the Evacuation Army.

To be fair, Army Command had no definite location. It was spread across many siege capitals, strongholds, and even continents, all of them connected into a seamless network both by technology and Aspect Abilities of the Awakened officers. Most of the staff was here in Antarctica - like the members of the department where Kim was currently working - but not all of them.

That said, the underground fortress below the building where the reception hall was located seemed like the closest thing to the heart of Army Command. It was a hive of activity, with countless people - both mundane and Awakened - hurrying feverishly to accomplish a myriad of tasks in a timely manner.

Their work might not have seemed as dire as what the soldiers on the frontlines were going through, but it was nevertheless just as vital. Without efficient and timely support and management, the evacuation campaign would be doomed to end in a bloody disaster. From updating the status of various areas in relation to the strength of the Call in them to compiling data about countless Nightmare Creatures and guiding troop movements, Army Command was the brain of the army. Without the brain, the body would be utterly useless.

...Somewhere in here, there was also an office where the allocation of contribution points was decided. In any other circumstances, Sunny would have felt his heart start to beat faster, but right now, he was fully concentrating on something else.

His eyes were glued to the bleak man, who was walking behind Beastmaster and Seishan while acting perfectly unassuming. Or at least as unassuming as a Master could be.

Army Command was, indeed, absolutely vital to the war effort. It was also a treasure trove of access and information.

It would certainly be a shame if a particular psychopath got loose in its very heart.

'But what can I do?'

Sunny might have known who Mordret was and what he was capable of, but as far as stopping the Prince of Nothing went... there was little to be done.

Which was both unnerving and incredibly frustrating.

Luckily, Sunny was not alone in his frustration. Morgan and Madoc also threw somber glances at the unassuming Master from time to time, their eyes cold and sharp. Sky Tide had a complicated expression on her usually stoic face, as well.

Only Nephis seemed unconcerned... and why would she be? Of the five of them, she was the only one who had never met the Prince of Nothing.

She would learn to be wary of him soon, though.

'...Probably.'

no telling what Changing Star

the Prince of Nothing was not necessarily his enemy. It was just that Sunny knew how inhumanly ruthless and blood-chillingly cruel Mordret could be, if it suited his

how cunning he

remain calm at the prospect of

Mordret care how many innocent people burned

Most definitely not.

can

that would not end in him being killed at the spot by Wake or Ruin or Beastmaster. He could prematurely start a direct clash between Song and Valor right here in the

even know if that is really Mordret. The guy might really be a random Master the emissaries of Song chose to bring

cores of humans and Nightmare Creatures, but that ability was useless against the Prince of Nothing. When Mordret possessed a body, he

conclusions. Wait for now, observe,

real time. Sunny looked curiously at a large projected map of

Nightmare Gates. He paled slightly, suddenly

entire map like pustules, as if the continent was being slowly devoured from the inside by a lethal disease. There were a staggering amount of them in the wilderness, but the concentration grew exponentially

aimless at first, but if one looked at the bigger picture, it was painfully clear that all of

like an inescapable avalanche of death and despair. A nightmarish chain of doom and destruction that was tied around Antarctica's neck, its

was what the Evacuation Army was

moments, and then glanced at the people walking in front of

'...Unforgivable.'

would have turned into fists if he had not

however, was dark

'Unforgivable.'

to make it all worse. Sunny thought back to what Wake of Ruin had said about the comparative benevolence of the Great

how hard he tried, he

No one cared if you lived or died in the outskirts, and the people who had the power to help you all

Chain of Nightmares had happened in the Southern Quadrant, but the next time, it might happen somewhere else. Then, too,