Shadow Slave

The divergence from the norm continued after the fighting was over, as well. Usually, the human forces would be hastily retreating from the site of the battle to escape the converging abominations that had been attracted by the noise and the smell of blood...

However, the joint army defiantly stayed in place. A field camp was established, surrounded by hastily constructed fortifications. Teams of salvagers prowled the vast battlefield, retrieving soul shards and dismantling the bodies of the most powerful Nightmare Creatures for precious materials.

It was as if the leaders of the expedition force were not at all concerned by the threat of the migrating hordes. On the contrary, they seemed to welcome the danger.

The joint army had been assembled to destroy the titans and reduce the accumulation of Nightmare Creatures in the area before the siege capitals could be compromised. Both of these objectives had been achieved, but the Saints decided to cull more abominations while they had a chance - no one knew when Valor, Song, and the government would join forces again.

The fighting on the fringes of the camp would most likely continue through the rest of the day and the entire night, with several smaller hordes being ground against the bulwark of the seven Saints and their soldiers.

None of that concerned Sunny, though. For now, he could just rest.

The Fire Keepers, the Wolves, and the Nightsingers had ended the battle together, so they were assigned the same spot inside the camp. Despite how fierce the fighting had been, casualties were few - none among the survivors of the Forgotten Shore, and a mere handful in the two companies led by Effie and Kai.

That was mostly thanks to the five Masters who had shielded the Awakened soldiers from the worst of what the titanic horde had to offer.

So, the mood inside their section of the camp was more festive than grave.

As Sunny walked through the rows of tents toward a supply vehicle where food was being prepared, he received many reactions.

"Look! It's him!""Gods almighty... when Master Sunless lured that Tyrant to the river, I knew that he was good. But I thought that he was just an extremely competent scout, you know? Who knew that we had such a monster with us this whole time...""A monster? More like a Devil! Damn, now I know where that nickname comes from. He has to be one of the scariest Ascended in the Quadrant, right? No - in the whole world.""Why are you guys so surprised? Master Sunless is from Changing Star's cohort, like our Wolfie. Of course he's just as crazy as her...""I think I'm going to have a dream about him today. I just don't know if it'll be a nightmare or, you know... a different kind of dream...""Are you so smitten that you've lost what little brain you used to have, fool? You're an Awakened! You don't dream.""Ah, yes... what a pity... relief, I mean relief!"

Sunny was slightly amused by that last one, but he did not let it show. It seemed that his little performance had worked... at least on these ordinary soldiers. What effect it had on the intended targets - Morgan, Seishan, and by extension the forces of the great clans on the continent - remained to be seen.

He got a generous portion of army stew and made his way to the tent where the other four Masters were gathered.

under control, and the Saints appeared confident in their ability to protect the camp, one could never know what would happen when the Spell

towel, Nephis was sitting tiredly on a cot, Jet was stretched on another one with

saw him, however, she forced herself to pause for a moment. The huntress stared at Sunny with wide

that?! You just... boom! And went berserk! It was actually

and then added with

you turn into that shadow fiend?! Have you Transcended? Are you secretly a Saint now? No, that can't be right...

endured the deluge

the

a few moments, then shook

are scary.

she added with

that shadow fiend bigger, next time. Looking at it made me

appeared on Jet's face, the huntress started giggling and stuffed a

shook his

overgrown delinquent... was sent into the body of a small child. So I let her ride on my

smiled at him

don't really have

at Neph and rolled

I still want to,

Soul Reaper chuckled.

any case... good job today. As for what

Kai, Effie, and Nephis with

knew how fierce of a fighter he is.

lingered for a bit,