Shadow Slave

When the appalling darkness of the Nightmare Gate split reality apart, sunlight dimmed and turned strangely bleak, making the world look desaturated. A gust of cold wind rushed across the snowy park, as if the sky itself was being sucked into the black fissure. A moment later, an eerie shockwave rolled over the soldiers, making them stagger.

Neph's white cape fluttered in the wind, but none of the four Saints moved.

For a moment, the only being moving in the impact zone was Saint. She walked steadily toward the Gate, her graceful figure emanating the feeling of a cold, indifferent inevitability.

Kai stared at her back for a second, then cleared his throat.

«Your Echo seems really impressive, Lord Shadow. Stylish, too… such a chic and understated armor design… monochromatic in theme, yet rich and expressive instead of being dull. What a beautiful use of form and texture variation to counterbalance the lack of a dynamic palette… splendid, really! Wait… where was I?»

He paused for a moment, and then added with an embarrassed smile:

«Right. What I meant to say was… your Echo can stall the abominations and break their momentum. We will follow behind and engage the Nightmare Creatures when they get past her.»

Sunny glanced at him and tilted his head a little.

«…Get past her?»

Kai hesitated a little, unsure of what to say.

«Yes… there is a high enough possibility that this Gate will reach Category Three, after all. Even if she is a Transcendent Echo… it might be a bit tough.»

Sunny smiled behind the mask.

«Just watch.»

He turned away and stared at Saint. Kai, Nephis, and Morgan had no choice but to follow his example.

In fact, Sunny felt a bit awkward, just standing there and doing nothing while Saint did all the work…

He would have summoned the Shadow Chair and sat down, but sadly, that chair usually stood behind the reception desk of the Brilliant Emporium. Anyone who had visited the dining hall could recognize it at a glance.

«Standing awkwardly it is, I guess.»

Out there in front of them, the first of the Nightmare Creatures appeared from the dark fissure of the Nightmare Gate, It was a hulking beast with a bulging body, terrifying muscles moving smoothly under its tough grey hide. The abomination's hind legs seemed underdeveloped, but its front limbs were grotesquely large, resembling craggy tree trunks.

Two vicious tusks curved upward from its jaw, as long as pikes.

The beast let out a deafening bellow and charged forward, the ground shaking from its heavy footsteps.

Saint did not slow down. She simply lowered her shield, meeting the abomination's charge head-on, midstride.

In the next moment…

hit the onyx shield and shattered. Next was the creature's head. Its skull burst like a rotten pumpkin, splattering across the snow in a crimson wave. The massive abomination collided with the shield and was crushed into pulp against its surface, only to

was as though it had used Saint to commit

Sunny's side, Kai

was too shrewd to show a

Sunny smiled.

of the Gate, more Nightmare Creatures were born from the appalling darkness. A tide of them, each seemingly powerful enough to rip an

finally seemed to pay

forward and turned into a dark blur. A cloud of snow, ice, and torn ground exploded into the air from where her

registered that,

hurricane of darkness descended upon the tide of Nightmare Creatures, tearing flesh from bones and swiftly turning crimson from the haze of blood. A cacophony of howls filled the air, and severed bodies

course, the four Transcendents could follow the

it looked quite

her sword with chilling grace, reaping a harvest of lives with each movement. Her swordsmanship was solid and precise, each step measured, each slash

and breaking their bodies. The sword was like the ruthless blade of a guillotine, while the shield was like

was so tyrannical that even when surrounded by monsters and demons, she seemed like the true hellspawn. Despite the gruesome massacre she was perpetrating, her dark armor

was like an elegant dance, allowing her to weave between

to a shuddering halt, dissolving into a haze of blood right in

took a deep

Echo of

Kai nodded slowly.

must cherish her a

short glance, then turned

second weakest

Class. Of course, Sunny

sure that he would survive something like that,

wide eyes, prompting Sunny

«The… second weakest?»

He nodded.

the original as a Sleeper, after all. It was a

The beautiful archer paled.

that… as

silent for a

Come to think of it, among the Nightmare Creatures I killed as a Sleeper,

the Forgotten Shore… including a Great Devil. So, if one only took pure strength into account, Saint had indeed been in the lower

mouth, then closed

to say, he turned away

Sunny chuckled Internally.

I missed teasing

Gate, Saint had mercilessly obliterated the first wave of