Shadow Slave

Just a few minutes later, a majestic dragon with scales that resembled the midnight sky was flying over the endless sea of dunes, devouring distance with stunning speed.

Effie and Jet were on his back, looking south with somber expressions.

After a while, Effie sighed.

«The situation has already changed?»

Jet nodded.

«Yes. The city wall is breached. Western Quadrant defense forces are on approach, but the Call is wreaking havoc with their tech. The Awakened vanguard was attacked by one of the lesser Gate Guardians and managed to put it down, but their advance was stalled. So, we will arrive first.»

Soul Reaper maintained a neutral tone, but Effie could see that she was in a grim mood.

«It's not your fault. Don't beat yourself up too much.»

Jet glanced at her and smiled.

«My fault? Of course, it's not my fault. I am not someone who feels bothered by such things, anyway.»

But despite her tough-girl routine and carefully constructed facade of a cynical salary woman, she was bothered.

Effie had gotten to know Soul Reaper Jet a bit during the Southern Campaign, but they became really close during the Third Nightmare. And in the four years since, their friendship and comradeship had continued to blossom.

Jet… was a professional, first and foremost. She wasn't really someone with a bleeding heart — the opposite, actually — but she took her responsibilities very seriously. As such, her cynical loyalty to the mission of preserving humanity was quite ironically much greater than the noble intent of most ardent idealists.

She had already been doing her very best as a Master. But now that Jet was a Saint- one of the five Saints serving the government — the scale and scope of her responsibilities were much greater.

While Effie and Kai mostly dealt with military and diplomatic issues, simply executing the orders, Jet was much more knowledgeable and experienced. As such, she was involved in the administration and decision-making process of the government, influencing what orders all of them received.

The government was in turmoil, too. It was in flux, drifting on the currents of history. Four years ago, the higher echelons of the government had made a decision to throw vast resources into rapidly developing its presence in the Dream Realm… where the future was.

That was why Effie was almost permanently stationed in Bastion, while Kal spent most of his time in Ravenheart.

Jet, however, had been against that strategy. She had insisted on keeping the government Saints in the waking world, spread across the three remaining Quadrants, to lessen the inevitable losses as much as possible… even at the cost of the future inferiority of the government's position in the brave new world of Domains and Sovereigns.

It was not that she disagreed with the notion that the future of humanity lay in the Dream Realm… it was just that she advocated for a different allocation of resources.

Sadly, she had failed to turn her opinion into policy.

If she had, the current disaster could have been avoided, or at least lessened.

Effie sighed.

better for treating anger than a good slaughter. And we'll be drowning in abominations in

Jet chuckled.

Sure. But also… let's not use

that moment, Kai's pleasant

queasy and are going to be sick, please wait until I land, at least, Really, don't go around despoiling

Effie grinned.

your Image? Who are you trying to Impress, Queen Song's

didn't respond to her provocation. Instead, he lingered for a while, and then

[How is Aiko doing?]

Effie sighed.

pretending to be angry. Oh… but she's doing fine, by the way! Her new boss is kind, handsome, and

Kai answered nonchalantly:

long as

later, he asked

out of curiosity, how handsome are we talking? What about his style? Who makes

chose not to

like an endless scar. Far

Their banter abruptly stopped.

with towering plumes of black smoke rising into the piercing blue sky. Even from that distance, Effie could see the signs of cataclysmic devastation. The toll of human lives must have

his incredible sight, could see much more. He didn't say anything, but his

teeth

it, Kai? Was the last transmission

his wings and rushed toward

His voice was even.

Four. The Gate Guardian of the latter seems to

for a moment, then

horde of abominations is rampaging

eyes

«It's good, then.»

asked quietly, the emotions

[Good?]

She nodded.

If the abominations are rampaging, it means that there's still someone

the dragon landed on the ground, raising a cloud of dust. Jet and Effie jumped off his back and

hastily assembled army of the Western Quadrant was assembling into a formation to assault the fallen city. In front of the mundane soldiers, the battered Awakened vanguard was finishing off a

were now looking

Kai's fame preceded him.

and asked, her voice

we even handle

The battles they had won were beyond count, and the Nightmare Creatures they had killed were beyond measure…

Only the Sovereigns had.