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.

right about something, though. Some humans were worse than

idea of fighting against one of the great clans. Perhaps the fact that Clan Song was currently laying a trap to attack their convoy

in anticipation of the battle, mentally preparing herself for the strain of

want

of Song Awakened were laying in

the hundreds of tamed Nightmare Creatures hid was also nearby, separated from the ravine

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

plan, Lady Changing

hesitated for a few

"Slaughter them all."

top of it forged out of silvery metal. Turning around

the stream of blue fire

leave the

slender rapier slipped out of her hand, hovered in the air for a moment, and then

torch, it continued to burn with the same intensity. The

heat was growing

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

eventually, to

trembling violently, as if struggling to contain the furious power contained within it, and Neph's face grew pale. Then, she suddenly made a fist, compressing the

that moment, it was hard not to notice the pale

some movement in the ravine, but it

took a step forward and whipped her arm

trail of scorched earth in its wake. It disappeared into the ravine a second later, and then, the ground shook. There was a

the three cohorts of Awakened

a