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.

them looked at each other, and

'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,

and Nephis

shoulder, and he felt the nurturing warmth of her flames pour into his soul and body.

was still not

toward him from behind. The shadows he had sent to scout were still moments away from reaching him... he knew that he had to use some of his remaining essence and dodge the attack through Shadow

fingers together in a perfect triangle. Then, a drop of dark crimson liquid suddenly materialized in the air

felt a hint of unknown awe brush against

the whole world was suddenly painted in shades of

'What... what is this?'

of the Queen of Worms was doing, but he felt as if something vast and

There were screams.

slowed down and veered off,

didn't dare

formed into scores of beautifully forged swords. The swords trembled

wrapping themselves around

there, standing on a white dune as she

and the sand shifted. Several dunes collapsed, with a white cloud rising into the

They ran.

***a

"Hurry up!"

"Damn it all..."

"Stop! Look there..."

as he threw himself to the ground, hitting

into something much more dire and primal. Sunny had not even known that an Ascended body could be that drained

of the burning shadows nor the tenacious nature of

had to stop for a dreadful reason, he still welcomed the short moment

split second later, though, Sunny had to push his battered body into a roll and jump back

'Curses...'

taken corpses. The last one still pursued them, never letting the group - now reduced