Shadow Slave

There were lookouts hiding in the shadows of the five towers. Of course, Sunny had no trouble noticing them - all of them were Masters, and in a very rough shape. Just like Sunny, they had gone from participating in a bloody battle to entering the Nightmare Desert and being forced to fight for their lives without a real opportunity to rest.

Masters of the great clan Valor, great clan Song, and the government were working together without a second thought. Even though some of the wounds they bore had been delivered by the other humans in the group, no one thought about continuing the feud. All conflict had been forgotten in the face of the ruthless desert.

'How sweet.'

Indeed, the Spell had a way of bringing people together.

...It also had a way of bringing Nightmare Creatures and people together.

As soon as their party of five entered one of the steel fingers through a narrow crack, Sunny's expression darkened.

There were about twenty humans sheltered in the cool darkness of the hollow tower. Some looked like they had just returned from exploring the dunes, while others were busy with various tasks - preparing food, refining the carcasses of dead abominations into valuable materials, drawing maps of the surrounding area...

Even though Wake of Ruin had abandoned the group, the Ascended did not seem willing to give up on their survival.

Perhaps it was because of a certain person who had taken charge and driven them forward.

'So she survived, too...'

Morgan had lost her intricate plate armor, and wore a black tunic. The scarlet cloak was wrapped around her shoulders, falling to the ground like a waterfall of blood.

The Princess of War seemed tired and reserved. There were no wounds on her body, but the usual sharpness of her vermilion eyes was strangely dulled. She was standing in the center of the hollow tower, listening to the reports of the scouts.

As the five of them entered, Morgan looked up from a crude leather map and glanced in their direction with a distant expression. Then, her eyes shimmered.

"My sister is alive."

Her voice was hoarse and emotionless.

The scouts were confused for a moment, then turned around. Their faces grew excited.

"Lady Changing Star!"

"It's..."

However, the words were drowned out by a happy shout:

"Doofus! Princess!"

figure that seemed to have been cast of lustrous steel walked over to them with ginger steps and subjected Sunny to an earth-shaking

"You guys made it!"

Effie grinned, and suddenly grabbed startled

Effie,

let go of Neph and looked at the two of them with sparks dancing

of you pale apparitions would be

Sunny would have reacted in a more friendly manner, but right now, he did not pay Effie a

studying the other Ascended gathered in the finger of

His expression was neutral.

His mind, however...

'Damnation.'

of

all

vile, virulent darkness... they were infected by the cancerous growth of

twenty Masters here,

that had worn the

all going

for a few moments,

are alright, but what about you? To be honest, I'm a little surprised... that you haven't eaten all these people yet. I

to stall for

blinked a couple of times and smiled softly... which would have made

I'll eat you

they walked toward Morgan. As they did, the atmosphere in the hollow tower suddenly grew

"Song Seishan."

Morgan's voice was even.

survived a decade of hell on the

"Morgan."

stared at each other

to another. Sunny hesitated, then sent him

you tell us

looked at him and

wasn't here in the morning... there won't

crashed into the hollow tower, and