Shadow Slave

A ravaged underground hall. Split concrete, old machines turned into piles of scrap, broken walls. Deep darkness chased away by the bright light of electric floodlights.

The stench of blood permeating the air.

And bodies, of course, scattered on the cracked floor. Dozens of them, all bearing terrible wounds. Bodies of the Awakened of Valor, the Awakened of Song... and one more, a ghastly hill of grey flesh that had been a Nightmare Creature before.

Morgan studied the scene of slaughter with a neutral expression as she walked among the corpses. She would linger for a few moments near one of the corpses, then indifferently move on to the next. Her vermilion eyes were cold.

Saint Gilead, the Summer Knight, was more expressive. He was kneeling in front of one of the bodies with a mournful expression on his gallant, handsome face. A heavy sigh escaped from his lips.

"Amiran..."

Morgan turned around and looked at the Transcendent.

"Oh. I am sorry, Sir Gilead. I have forgotten that the two of you were once members of the same cohort. Please accept my condolences."

Her voice did not seem too regretful, though.

Summer Knight looked down.

"Sometimes, I forget..."

She raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

The Saint lingered for a few moments, then offered her a calm gaze.

"How much I loathe you and your family."

Morgan smiled slightly and looked away.

"Well. What can I say? We are a loathsome bunch."

With that, she used her armored boot to turn one of the bodies over andasked:

"Does this make sense to you?"

Summer Knight stood up with a sigh and walked over.

"The result is outside expectations, but the sequence of events seems clear. We severely underestimated the opposition. By all accounts, Amiran should have been able to achieve a clean victory... but the presence of a Corrupted Tyrant changed things. Our estimation of Beastmaster's power needs to be adjusted. Still... he slayed the beast, even if the price was his life."

Morgan shook her head.

"Seems clear, huh?"

on the fatal sword wound that had killed the Awakened in front

for

"...What a beautiful cut."

called out to one of the specialists that had been casing the scene. The man walked over and bowed, then delivered a preliminary report. His conclusions were in line with what Saint Gilead

at

diviners

investigator looked away

"...Nothing, my lady."

slight frown appeared on her

cohorts of Valor's best, armed and armored with forged Memories, lost to four cohorts of Song infiltrators? And that Knight Amiran slayed

man lowered his

what the evidence tells, my lady."

then turned and addressed a

you, Cassia?

shifted slightly and

"...I see nothing."

Morgan tilted her head.

me that you don't see

Knight frowned, thinking that the princess was mocking theblind girl. The young woman, meanwhile, simply

Morgan grinned.

"Ha!"

turned to the Saint and

Sir Gilead. At least someone is

Then, her expression darkened.

at her feet once again

moments

the House of Night?

cut... just who

a step back and bent over, breathing heavily. By his side, Cassie swayed, struggling to

face the two of them at

so flawlessly that it almost seemed as if they shared one mind. But, in the

unnecessary to downplay

was little need to

that was a good

nicked all over and utterly ruined, then threw it aside

You did well,

a couple of seconds, he slowly straightened and glanced at her with

something? Your technique seemed a bit

at him for a few moments, her face turning