Shadow Slave

There were thirteen humans desperately trying to escape the pursuit of the Great abomination.

Or rather, there had been.

Without anyone noticing the reason, one of the Masters stumbled and fell. No one had attacked her, and the pursuing corpses were still out of sight. The woman grabbed her neck and screamed.

A moment later, she rose with a strange smile on her lips.

Where a radiant soul core had been, there was now nothing but spreading darkness.

'Curse it all...'

Sunny commanded the sole shadow that had remained with him to wrap itself around his body, and ran.

Someone's hoarse shout reached his ears:

"S-split up!"

'No! You fools...'

The logic of that desperate call was simple and not without reason. There were seven vessels of the Gate Guardian - eight, now - and twelve surviving humans. If they escaped in different directions, some of them would have a chance to survive.

But it was pointless to apply logic to Great abominations. These beings existed outside any kind of human rationale, outside reason. Only by staying together and helping each other would the survivors have a chance to preserve their lives, no matter how small.

It was already too late to try and explain that to the frightened Masters, though.

While Morgan, Seishan, and the members of Neph's cohort chose to stay close to each other, the other five Ascended turned and ran in different directions.

Not a second later, a dark blur intercepted one of them, and a fountain of blood shot into the air.

Up ahead, Morgan looked back from the saddle of her steel mount and cursed. Then, she hesitated for a moment and jumped off its tall back. The Echo then galloped in the direction of the approaching corpses, lowering its horned head.

As a whirlwind of scarlet sparks rose around her, Seishan stopped and turned around. Her exquisitely beautiful face was cold and somber.

two of them looked at each other, and then, Seishan slowly raised her

'What are they doing?'

so she was far ahead of the rest of them. Effie was maybe the fastest runner among the group of survivors, so she was ahead of the pursuers, as

and Nephis were

ran, Neph's eyes shone with white radiance. She briefly touched Sunny's shoulder, and he felt the nurturing warmth of her flames pour into his soul and body. Instantly, their

still not enough,

still moments away from reaching him... he knew that he had to use some of his remaining essence

hands, bringing her thumbs and index fingers together in a perfect triangle.

felt a hint of unknown awe

blood swirled, and then, the whole world was suddenly painted in shades

'What... what is this?'

Queen of Worms was doing, but he felt as if something vast and terrifying silently moved past him, and then enveloped the white sands

There were screams.

lunging at him suddenly slowed down and veered off,

dare turn

around Morgan formed into scores of beautifully forged swords. The swords trembled slightly, hovering in the air, and then suddenly shot forward like

arrived, wrapping themselves around

was also there, standing on a white

a cacophony of noise exploded, and the sand shifted. Several dunes collapsed, with a

They ran.

***a

"Hurry up!"

"Damn it all..."

"Stop! Look there..."

cursed as he threw himself to the ground, hitting the

exhaustion had long transformed into something much more dire and primal. Sunny had not

the tenacious nature of Blood Weave were enough to overcome that terrible

for a dreadful reason, he still welcomed the short moment of falling onto the

push his battered body

'Curses...'

to escape all but one of the taken corpses. The last one still pursued them, never letting the group - now reduced to only seven