Shadow Slave

On a vast plain peppered with twisting streams and shallow lakes, a cataclysmic battle was taking place. Legions of Nightmare Creatures were flowing across it like a dark tide, with several titanic figures marching among them. The ground shook with each of their steps, and the skies above were obscured by a whirlwind of hungry crows.

Humans fought against the abominations in the shadow of their wings. Today, the forces of humanity gathered from all across Antarctica to stop the march of the titanic horde.

Seven Saints led them into battle.

There was Wake of Ruin, the Carrion Crow - a legendary figure who had been protecting the waking world since the times of the First Generation. Whispering Blade, the first blade of the great clan Valor, who had led countless Awakened warriors in the conquest of the Dream Realm.

There was Beastmaster, the fearsome and enchanting daughter of the great clan Song, and her sister, Silent Stalker, who was a huntress and a slayer of things. There was also Sky Tide of the White Feather clan and Dire Fang, a bestial warrior of incomparable savagery and strength.

There were close to a hundred Masters on the battlefield, as well, serving as champions and officers of the human army.

Sunny was one of these Masters.

As he watched the inconceivable scene of the clash between two mighty forces, awed by its scale and ferocity, there was only one thought in his mind:

'Holy hell.'

He had seen a lot of incredible things in his life, but all - with the exception of the visage of Hope - paled in comparison to this calamitous confrontation. It was, without a doubt, the largest battle that had happened since the start of the Antarctica campaign... and maybe even in the history of this world.

Sunny was currently high above the battlefield, in what served as the command center for the joined army of the government and the great clans.

The command center was situated in a stone fort... which stood on top of the carapace of a giant, monstrous tortoise. Which was one of Morgan's Echoes. Luckily, the Princess of Valor - the Princess of War - had not summoned it on the day of her arrival. Otherwise, the giant beast would have flattened the entire government building.

It was like a moving fortress.

Morgan herself was nearby, commanding the army. The Saints were busy fighting the Titans that led the horde, so they had no time to play the role of a detached strategist. The Princess of War, on the other hand, was a genius tactician - by now, no one put that fact in doubt despite her young age.

...Of course, Seishan was also here, keeping an eye out so that Morgan did not get any funny ideas.

So was Jet, Nephis, and Cassie.

Changing Star and the Fire Keepers were held in reserve for now, and would be sent out to close the gaps in the spot of the battlefield where the situation was the most dire. As for Song of the Fallen, she had proven to be an invaluable resource in such situations.

With her Ascended Ability allowing her to see through the eyes of soldiers throughout the battlefield, she could relay all necessary information to the commander in mere moments. With her help, Morgan's grasp of the situation was much more fluid and immediate.

Just at that moment, Cassie shifted a little, a subtle frown appearing on her delicate face.

"...A Corrupted Devil is getting close to the Seventh Company of the Ursus Brigade. Its abilities are: mental manipulation, inducing fear, and augmenting itself through consumption. The Third Company of the Lyra Brigade is sustaining heavy casualties because of the change in terrain, caused by the burrower minions of the Fallen Tyrant, designation the Worm. The Wolves have just reached the location of the Worm."

Morgan lingered for a moment, then glanced at the blind young woman. Her vermilion eyes had been glinting vibrantly since the start of the battle..

"You know Raised by Wolves personally, right? What is your estimation on how long it would take her to get rid of that Tyrant?"

Nephis answered instead, looking at a particular spot of the battlefield with a somber expression:

"...Around three minutes, give or take."

Morgan smiled.

"Fast! But... not fast enough. I will send one of the Echoes to speed things along."

She was ready to give the order, but stopped when Cassie suddenly spoke:

"Don't. Send it to reinforce Three Lyra instead."

Morgan glanced at her curiously.

"Why?"

The blind girl remained silent for a moment.

"The Ascended in charge of the Third Lyra Company is the only one whose Aspect directly counters the abilities of the Corrupted Demon, designation Frost Furnace. We must make sure that he preserves as much essence as possible, for now. There is also a lake between the nearest Echo and the position of the Wolves. Traversing it will waste time."

The Princess of Valor smiled slightly.

"Correct. Good thinking."

With that, she continued to give orders, controlling the large army like the conductor of a giant, cacophonous orchestra. Cassie continued to provide firsthand accounts of what was happening on the battlefield and, from time to time, poignant pieces of advice.

Nephis remained silent... which was a bit strange, considering that she was no less knowledgeable about how to wage war on Nightmare Creatures. Nevertheless, Changing Star simply watched the havoc of the furious battle, her eyes heavy.

Sunny was willing to bet that he knew what she was thinking about.

...Because he was thinking the same thing.

Today was their first time seeing all the Saints of Antarctica go all out. And that... that was a priceless source of information - not the least because these mighty demigods would one day be Neph's own opponents.

The powers they showcased today would be turned against her in the future.

...And maybe against Sunny, too.

'Damn it. How scary.'

Looking at the battlefield, he could feel a cold chill running down his spine. It was a rare privilege to get the chance to see exalted figures like Whispering Blade and Beastmaster fight... and yet, Sunny did not feel consoled by their awesome powers.

Instead, he felt resigned.

Nevertheless, he couldn't look away.