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…

tusks 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 be tossed aside by a flick of the

it had used Saint to commit

by Sunny's side,

seemed unsurprised. Morgan was too shrewd to show

Sunny smiled.

darkness. A tide of them, each seemingly powerful enough to rip an

to pay

into a dark blur. A cloud of snow, ice, and torn ground exploded into the air

the time the soldiers had registered that,

and swiftly turning crimson from the haze of blood. A cacophony of howls filled the air, and severed bodies rained down on the snow, which

Transcendents could

it looked

saw Saint wielding her sword with chilling grace, reaping a harvest of lives with each

sword rose and fell, severing abominations in half. The onyx shield swung crushing their skulls and breaking their bodies. The sword was like the ruthless blade of a

and demons, she seemed like the true hellspawn. Despite the gruesome massacre she was perpetrating, her

her to weave between

tide of abominations collided with her and came to a shuddering halt, dissolving into a haze of blood right

took a deep

this Echo of

Kai nodded slowly.

must cherish her

glance, then turned back

is the second weakest

and Class. Of

survive something like that, if

wide eyes, prompting Sunny to smile

«The… second weakest?»

He nodded.

Sleeper, after all. It was a

The beautiful archer paled.

You killed that…

silent for a moment,

Nightmare Creatures I killed as a Sleeper, she was one

then, and Sunny had killed plenty of abominations of higher Rank and Class on the Forgotten Shore… including a Great Devil. So, if one only took pure strength into account, Saint had indeed been in the lower tier

mouth, then closed it, then opened it

not knowing what to say, he

Sunny chuckled Internally.

missed teasing

Nightmare Gate, Saint had mercilessly