Shadow Slave

The contingent of Valor soldiers camped for a few hours of rest, while several vehicles containing the Fire Keepers secretly continued forward. They advanced at moderate speed for a few hours, then hid the vehicles between the rusty ruins of massive machines left behind by the Dark Times and continued toward the place of the ambush on foot.

Sunny walked with them, scouting the path ahead with his shadows. As he did, he heard the Fire Keepers talk.

One of them - a tall young man who possessed the Ability to summon two more arms and fought by wielding two greatswords - was speaking in a contemplative tone:

"...It's been a while since I killed a human. Honestly, I sort of assumed that I would never have to do it again after leaving the Forgotten Shore. Should have known better, really."

He sighed, then glanced at the leader of his cohort:

"What about you, Shim?"

Shim, the healer who usually fought where the battle was direst, wielding a shield and a spear, shrugged.

"I don't think I've ever killed a human."

The others looked at him with surprise.

"What are you talking about, you maniac? I personally saw you gut at least half a dozen Guards in the throne room of the Bright Castle. And that was just day one of that mess."

The healer glanced at them evenly.

"Those weren't humans. They didn't qualify."

Even Sunny was given pause by that cold logic.

was right about something, though. Some humans were worse

fact that Clan Song was currently laying a trap to attack their convoy played a part in their nonchalance, but they would

she had grown quiet in anticipation of the battle, mentally preparing herself for the strain of using her

want

of Song Awakened were laying in ambush. Cassie confirmed that

separated from the ravine by a few hundred meters of dirt and a

came into view of the ravine, bending low to the ground to remain unnoticed, Nephis stopped and looked at her soldiers. One of them

the plan,

few moments, then said

"Slaughter them all."

of polished black wood, with the cage at the top of it forged out of silvery metal. Turning around to shield it from view with her body, she activated the enchantment

hand, drawing the stream of blue

the

slipped out of her hand, hovered in the air for a moment, and then flew toward the calm lake. It stayed close to the ground,

slowly coalescing into a sphere. No matter how much fire she drew from the silver torch, it continued to burn with the same intensity. The rippling blue sphere began to collapse onto itself and compress as more and more flame was added to

was

of the sphere increased, wisps of white flame rose from her skin and mixed into it. Slowly, the color of the blue flames began to lighten, growing from deep blue to

eventually, to

within it, and Neph's face grew pale. Then, she suddenly made a fist, compressing the sphere

it was hard not to notice the pale radiance emanating

movement in the ravine,

took a step forward and

the air, leaving a trail of scorched earth in its wake. It disappeared into the ravine a second later, and then, the ground shook. There was a blinding flash, and a deafening boom. A fountain of

that, the three cohorts of Awakened elites were

a