Shadow Slave

Instantly, all three of them - Sunny, Jet, and Seishan - were on guard. Jet readied her glaive, while Sunny gripped the hilt of the Sin of Solace tighter. Seishan, meanwhile, lowered her hands slightly, as if preparing to defend herself with bare fists.

The cursed sword whispered into Sunny's ear: "Use them as a shield... take a step back, and let whatever comes feast on their flesh first..."

Sunny struggled to ignore it. Before, he had not dared to send his shadows outside to keep an eye on the desert - with how dreadful the creatures populating it at night were, many of them were bound to possess means of destroying intangible things. Sunny did not want to risk one of his shadows being obliterated.

But now, he regretted that decision. As his expression hardened, streams of sand fell from above, and then, someone jumped softly on the stone plates of the chamber's floor.

Sunny felt immense relief. It was a human... Jet remained on guard, but Seishan seemed to relax. She straightened slightly and let out a soft sight, her exquisitely beautiful face illuminated by a pale smile.

"Ascended Xu... you have survived, as well."

They were safe. The newcomer was not a terrifying Nightmare Creature - it was a survivor like the three of them. One of the Masters of Clan Song.

The man groaned slightly, then shielded his eyes from the bright light of the luminous Memory. His hand trembled slightly.

"Lady... Lady Song?"

Looking at him, Sunny suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.

A sense of fear like he had never experienced before wrapped its fingers around his heart.

He almost staggered back but forced himself to remain in place, wearing the same expression as before.

'W-what... the hell...'

Sunny stared at the newcomer. The man was tall and muscular. His black hair was cut short, revealing a strong, handsome face. His eyes were like two pools of darkness, and there was a strained smile on his cracked lips.

Ascended Xu wielded no weapons and wore no armor. He was dressed in a dark-red bodysuit, which was torn, revealing ugly lacerations and bruises covering his body.

...It was, without a doubt, the dead man whose eyes Sunny had closed just a few hours ago.

Sunny shivered, and even the blurry figure of the Sin of Solace who stood beside him suddenly seemed wary.

took a deep

gods... have you seen any

man looked around, then said

lady. I... have not

regenerative Aspect? No, wait... is

stared at the newcomer, studying his every move. Then, he shifted his perception and

the Sin of Solace trembled

Xu, where a radiant soul core should have been... instead, there was nothing but vile, impenetrable darkness. A darkness so vast

her glaive. Looking at the... creature... she frowned

being outside during the

creature wearing the corpse of Ascended Xu

lady. Just

Then, the creature smiled.

more

question was directed at Jet, so Sunny could remain

It even knew Seishan's name. It can even perfectly imitate human behavior. If not for Weaver's lineage, I would not have known at all. It... it is... it is

enough to walk the Nightmare Desert at

a small

Sunny felt terror.

of Dusk and sent Jet a mental message, trying to sound

thing is not

then shook her

anyone else. The four of us will have to

time,

know. Its soul... is much more vast than a Master's soul should be. Or a Saint's soul, even. It is...

a message to

is not Ascended Xu. Think of an answer, and I will hear

did not show any sign of surprise as her answer resounded in

talking about? I know this man. He and I grew up together... wait. Did the son of Anvil

like that... but I wish it really