Chapter 1004: The Fall of Falcon Scott (22)
As he walked through the empty streets, Sunny breathed in the cold winter air and tried to calm his wildly beating heart. He should not have been that fatigued, but he was. The strange ailment tormenting him had become less severe in the last couple of days, however, it was not gone yet.
'All, curse it...'
Sunny grimaced, then noticed a group of soldiers ahead and forced himself to put on the mask of a confident commander. Mundane humans looked up to Masters, and if they saw one walking around with hollow eyes and a troubled expression, their morale would suffer.
He had never thought that being preoccupied with concerns about people's morale would become something he bothered with, yet here he was.
As Sunny walked closer, he heard bits and pieces of their conversation.
"I saw Mongrel fight yesterday. Gods, he truly is a fiend. My whole unit would have been dead if not for him. I wish I could thank the man... but he is definitely not from the First Army. Maybe he's a Legacy from a local Antarctica clan?"
"No, no... haven't you heard the rumors? Mongrel is that Master from the First Irregular Company. The Devil."
"You lost your damn mind, fool. Mongrel is like two meters tall, while Master Sunless is on the shorter side. Believe me, I saw them side by side, the day the wall was first breached. Also, Mongrel is definitely a woman."
"Yeah, I saw it too. She even caressed his cheek... well, uh, more like poked it. Wait... guys, do you think there's something going on between them?"
"You are all idiots. Mongrel is obviously several people..."
Usually, hearing such conversations amused Sunny, but this time he remained detached and indifferent. The soldiers grew silent when he approached, straightened, and then bowed respectfully. He nodded at them in passing and continued on his way, uncaring.
'Alt. But that reminds me...'
Sunny summoned the runes and glanced at the description of Saint:
Shadow Fragments: [185/200].
'So close.'
With the two Memories he received today - one from an Awakened Monster, the other from a Fallen Beast - the counter would increase by two fragments, bringing it to one hundred and eighty-seven. From here, he only needed thirteen more for Saint to Transcend.
He was somewhat pressed for time, but also had a few of his personal Memories that could be sacrificed to accelerate the process. Things were still going according to plan.
'It's the weaving that is the problem... I feel like I am almost there, but the Midnight Shard is still giving me trouble. Too risky.'
Sunny pondered the intricacies of the spellweave, grimacing when the thundering clamor of the distant battle grew especially loud and made it harder to think.
Gradually, the noise became quieter, although it never went away entirely. Sunny passed through the barricades, left the secondary defense ring, and entered the crowded streets of Falcon Scott.
Despite the fact that numerous civilians had to be relocated deeper into the city, the signs of overpopulation were not as dire as one could have expected. The naval convoy had been busy ferrying the refugees across the strait, after all. By now, somewhere around eighty million people had already been transported to the relative - extremely so - safety of Eastern Antarctica.
It almost looked as though Army Command's plan was working.
Seeing actual proof that all his efforts were not in vain made Sunny feel a little better.
Up ahead, a crowd of refugees was waiting in line to receive rations. He studied it for a moment, noticing a familiar figure handing out packs of synthpaste at the front.
Sunny smiled a little, then headed in that direction. As he walked closer, the person growled without looking up:
"You better not be cutting the line, ba..."
Then, Beth looked up and blinked a couple of times.
"Oh, Sunny? What are you doing here?"
He shrugged.
"On my way back from the wall."
She called one of the other volunteers to switch with her, then led him aside, to a humming heat projector. Beth stopped in front of it, shivering and rubbing her hands together.
"How was your day?"
Sunny remained silent for a bit, not knowing how to answer. "Hectic."
The young woman peeked at him and scoffed.
"A man of few words, are you now?"
Sunny dismissed again.
"How is the old man? Did you guys receive placement in the queue yet?"
Beth sighed.
"...No. People say that another ship went down in the strait, so many placements were postponed again. As for Professor, he is doing fine. The Army got him consulting on how to upgrade the communication array, so he has something to do, at least."
She looked at him questioningly.
"Are you coming over today?"
Sunny hesitated, then slowly shook his head.
"No. There's a lot I have to do. Also... my gut tells me that tomorrow will be a tough day. Your dormitory is away from the wall, but still. Be careful. Well, you know the drill."
The young woman turned back to the heat projector.
"Yeah, yeah..."
Then, she suddenly opened the bag hanging over her shoulder, scrounged in it, and took out a tube of toothpaste.
"Here. You forgot this last time."
Sunny blinked a couple of times.
"I did not forget it. I left it for you, because I know that the supply chain is in shambles."
Beth tilted her head and looked at him fiercely.
"You think I can't get us some toothpaste?!"
Sunny laughed.
"I mean... if you are so principled, then why are you not returning two cans of coffee I left in your dormitory, as well?"
The young woman looked down, her cheeks turning slightly red.
"That... what cans of coffee? I haven't seen anything of the sort!"
Sunny nodded a couple of times and gently pushed the toothpaste away.
"Okay, okay. Anyway, I'll try to drop by soon. If you do find that coffee, please enjoy it."
He farewelled Beth an awkward farewell and strolled away, feeling slightly refreshed.
Here in the city proper, public transportation was still functioning. There were military vehicles rolling down the streets, as well. It did not take him long to reach the barracks.
Entering the Rhino, Sunny gazed around, his gaze pausing on one of the closed sleeping pods. Then, he strolled to the back of the APC, hauled the devil's needle from its place on the floor of the armory, and sighed.
'Fifteen hours left... but I probably should sleep for at least a couple...'
Shaking his head, he got to work.
Chapter 1005: The Fall of Falcon Scott (23)
Sunny did not recall falling asleep, but he was woken up by someone banging on the hatch of the Rhino. Sitting up, he looked around and realized that he must have passed out while studying the weave of the Midnight Shard. The austere tachi was still laying on the holographic table, glinting as if to mock him.
He had almost solved the problem. That elusive element of the weave was almost isolated, but to...
As someone banged on the hatch once again, making the massive APC shake a little, Sunny flinched, rubbed his face, and went to the hatch.
"Coming! Who the hell…"
He opened the hatch and froze, swallowing the rest of his irritated shout.
"Oh, ah… Master Jet. Good… morning?"
She glanced at him with amusement.
"Technically, it's evening. Go wipe the drool off your face and come out, Sunny. We've been summoned to attend a meeting."
He frowned, then threw an angry look at the gloomy shadow, which was hiding in the darkness not too far away. The bastard was supposed to warn him if anything approached, protecting Sunny from a sudden attack… or from embarrassing himself, in theory.
The shadow shrugged innocently and looked away.
Shaking his head, Sunny returned inside and quickly washed his face. A couple of minutes later, he left the APC and closed the hatch behind him. Since Soul Reaper mentioned that he had to come out, they were most likely heading for the complex that the local branch of the First Army Command used as headquarters. It was only a short distance from the barracks.
Indeed, Jet walked in that direction, with Sunny following as he looked around with sleepy eyes. A few moments later, he asked:
"...What is the meeting about?"
She shrugged.
"We'll find out. All I know is that White Feather wants to see us."
'White Feather, huh…'
The two of them made their way to the army headquarters, but then walked past it, approaching a heavily fortified compound instead. Winter and Dale were already waiting for them near the gates, looking as ragged and fatigued as Sunny.
He greeted them.
"I heard you retook Breach C yesterday? Must have been a tough fight."
Dale simply shrugged.
"Not really. We still hold both sections of the wall above the breach, so all I had to do was persuade the abominations to stay put until the garrison forces shredded them with ranged weapons."
He remained silent for moment, and then added:
"Things would have been much worse if they were better climbers, though."
Sunny nodded somberly.
Together, they entered the compound and were led to a spacious room on one of the underground levels. There, two people were waiting for them.
Master Roan was standing in front of a false window, studying the projected image of the night sky. His face was painted ghostly green by the ethereal tapestry of the swirling aurora. Saint Tyris was motionless, sitting in an imposing chair with her back held straight.
Sunny had not seen Sky Tide in a while — at least in her human form. She looked… battered.
Her elegant armor was bent and broken, white steel marred by dried blood. Her hair, which had once fallen down like a cascade of pale gold, now looked lifeless and bleak. Her dazzlingly beautiful face was pale, blackened by ugly bruises.
It seemed that holding the Winter Beast back was taking a toll on the Transcendent of the White Feather clan.
…Her expression was still aloof and stern, however, and her amber eyes burned with the same fierce, cold resolve.
Master Roan turned at the sound of the steps.
"Ah. Ascended Jet, Ascended Winter, Ascended Dale, Sunless… welcome. Sorry for the sudden invitation."
Sunny noticed black circles under the handsome man's eyes. Roan was acting uncharacteristically subdued, his usual charisma gone. That did not bode well.
Master Jet waved a hand.
"War waits for no one. What did you want to discuss?"
Roan smiled slightly.
"Straight to business… well, it is for the best. There is not much time to prepare."
He walked away from the false window and stopped beside Sky Tide, then gestured at the holographic projection in front of them. On it, the map of the surrounding area disappeared, replaced by the blurry image of a grotesque creature.
Leathery wings, lean body with six segmented legs, a tail that ended with a long, jagged stinger… and three long necks, each ending in a harrowing circular maw. The abominations looked like a mix between a wyvern, a worm, and a scorpion. It was large, formidable, and utterly hideous.
"Our scouts have confirmed that the Devouring Cloud has produced a new Tyrant. A Fallen one, but still a dire threat to the survival of the city. The creature mostly hides within the swarm, controlling it from behind."
Winter cursed.
"Yeah. We figured as much, after the last time."
Master Roan slowly nodded.
"It is our priority to eliminate the Tyrant. The Devouring Cloud will descend on Falcon Scott today. You will be the blade to strike its puppeteer down."
The Irregulars glanced at each other. After a short pause, Jet asked:
"How do you know that the swarm will come?"
Roan scowled slightly, but before he could answer, Saint Tyris suddenly spoke:
"Because our clan will lure it here."
The four Ascended grew silent, looking at her incredulously. Sky Tide met their gazes with a calm expression, her face as motionless as ever. Somewhat stunned by that confession, Sunny asked:
"Why the hell would you do that?"
Sky Tide inhaled deeply, then turned away.
"Goliath draws near. We have to eradicate other threats before he comes. If they attack together… you can imagine the devastation. The window of opportunity grows narrower with each day, so we can't passively wait for the Devouring Cloud to return anymore. So, Roan and other Awakened warriors of my clan will lure it here. Today."
She glanced at the Irregulars, studied them for a few moments, and added:
"Ascended Winter will contain the swarm. Roan will bring the Tyrant down. The three of you will make sure that the creature never takes flight again. That is the battle plan."
Sunny smiled darkly.
"What if Winter fails to hold back the swarm? What if Roan fails to isolate the Tyrant? What if the three of us fail to kill it in time?"
Saint Tyris gazed at him for a while, her amber eyes both beautiful and cold. Then, she uttered simply:
"Don't fail."
Master Jet laughed. Shaking her head, she patted Sunny on the shoulder and walked toward the projection of the Fallen Tyrant.
"Alright. I like that plan. Let's discuss the details…"
***
The discussion did not take long. Soon, the Irregulars uttered their goodbyes to Sky Tide and headed to the exit, each in a hurry to prepare for the coming battle. Sunny, however, stayed back after a bit of hesitation.
When there were only three of them left in the room — Sky Tide, Roan, and him — Sunny peeked at the battered Transcendent with a complicated expression.
After a few moments, he said:
"You must have heard that another of Valor's Saints was killed."
Saint Tyris gaped at him silently, not saying anything.
Sunny tilted his head a little.
"You and I have helped that monster escape from the Night Temple. If it weren't for you, I would have been dead, and Mordret would have still been contained. Do you regret saving me now that he is out there, slaughtering people?"
Sky Tide remained motionless for a bit, then trembled her head.
"No."
A pale smile appeared on Sunny's face.
"Why?"
She sighed.
"Years ago, when the young Prince of War came to the Chained Isles, I offered him my hospitality. Like any other Awakened, he was under my protection… roaming the Dream Realm in search of something, much like you did. When Valor plotted to ambush and eliminate him, I followed orders and did nothing to prevent it. I have carried the shame of that wrongdoing ever since."
He pondered her words for a few moments.
"They had a very good reason to get rid of him, though. That guy is like a Nightmare Creature. There's not much human left in him."
Saint Tyris gazed him in the eye, her beautiful face expressionless.
"Is it worth it, to do the wrong thing for the right reason? No. Life is unpredictable, and the future is unclear. All we can strive for is to act according to our principles, and do what we consider right. The rest doesn't matter."
Sunny gazed around, his gaze lingering on the traces of dried blood on Sky Tide's armor. His eyes turned dark.
"Doing the right thing is what got you and your clan banished to this hellhole."
She gazed at the false window, where the image of the night sky was projected. A full moon was shining on its velvet expanse, surrounded by the lights of the ghostly aurora.
A hint of some deep, hidden emotion appeared on Sky Tide's beautiful face. After a while, she said:
"The sky is suffocating here. But other than that… this is precisely where I wanted to be."
Sunny lingered for a few moments, then bowed slightly to Master Roan, and silently strode away.
He had to prepare for battle.
Chapter 1006: The Fall of Falcon Scott (24)
Standing on the battlement and peering into the cold darkness beyond, Sunny had a contemplative expression on his face. The wind smelled of snow as it played with his black hair, which had grown a bit too long by now. Pale moonlight permeated the air, failing to reach the ravaged land.
Winter and Dale were sitting nearby, leaning on alloy parapet of the wall and sharing a flask. The two captains seemed calm — one in her usual relaxed manner, the other solemn and staid. As the contents of the flask ran out, Winter sighed and looked at Sunny.
"You seem terribly serious today."
He lingered for a moment, then shrugged.
"Just thinking about stuff."
She did not press, content to rest with her eyes hidden behind the cracked sunglasses.
Sunny felt strangely thoughtful after his conversation with Saint Tyris.
He was not sure that he agreed with her uncompromising views, but there was one thing Sky Tide had said that was unquestionably true.
Life was, indeed, unpredictable.
Take his own relationship with the steely Saint… Sunny did not know Saint Tyris very well, or share any of her principles, but he found himself respecting the stern Transcendent a great deal. He liked Master Roan, too. The three of them even shared some history.
Several years ago, Sunny had held nothing but contempt toward Legacies. He had regarded them as arrogant, dangerous, and hateful people, someone who did not deserve the unfair privileges bestowed upon them by nothing except for birthright. Who would have thought that he would come to value and admire some of them, one day?
Take Cassie, too…
When she surrendered his secret to Nephis on the Forgotten Shore, Sunny had thought that it was the darkest moment of his life. And yet, if she had not made that choice, he would have stayed behind a Sleeper. Sunny had no way of knowing if he would have survived the same journey Changing Star had.
What he did know, though, was that Rain would have been dead if not for his return. If Sunny had not been there to hold back the tide of Nightmare Creature advancing on her school, his sister would have been ripped apart by the rampaging abominations.
There were too many instances like that to count.
...Life was unpredictable, and no one could predict the twists and turns of fate… except for Weaver, perhaps. Even oracles like Cassie could only see glimpses of it, blind to the context and powerless to change the outcome.
So where did it leave him?
'The same place where I started, I guess.'
An ignorant fool struggling against something he could not even comprehend.
Antarctica, at least, was terribly straightforward…
With a sigh, Sunny moved strands of hair away from his eyes and sat down near Winter and Dale. His hands were aching for a simple fight.
"How much more do we have to wait, dammit?"
Dale peeked at him with a smile so faint that it was almost nonexistent.
"Rest while you can. You'll be regretting that this calm did not last longer, very soon."
Sunny grimaced and looked away, staring at a squad of soldiers that marched by. The soldiers were acting a bit strange, sticking painstakingly to the better illuminated parts of the battlement and hastening their steps in the darker areas. Their faces were glum and nervous.
He frowned.
"What's up with them?"
Winter turned her head slightly, studying the soldiers.
"Huh? Haven't you heard the rumors?"
Sunny thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"What rumors?"
The Ascended archer chuckled.
"You should really come out of your APC more often, you know? Well, anyway… there are a lot of scary stories spreading among the refugees these days, one more nonsensical than the other. The latest story is that there is a shadow wraith stalking the city, hiding somewhere in the darkness. Apparently, it lures people away from light, never to be seen again."
She took a deep breath and then added in a more somber tone:
"...Although, maybe there's some truth to that one. Soldiers are not usually easily spooked, but as you can see, they are on edge. Too many disappearances lately."
Sunny frowned. In a city of two hundred million, there were bound to be some disappearances… especially with the Nightmare Spell infecting people left and right. However, he felt concerned. A shadow wraith… that was right up his alley, no?
There could also be a different explanation for the increased number of disappearances. The Terror of LO49 was known to start its meals in just that manner.
In any case, he sensed some unease.
"A shadow creature… I don't know. They're extremely rare. I only ever met one in the wild, and even that was inside a Nigthmare. I'm not sure if any survive to this day."
Well, there was that one little bastard who got a chunk of his flesh. Did Scavengers need to devour a corpse to inherit new abilities, or would any piece of flesh suffice? What were the chances of the vile gremlin developing an affinity to shadows?
Dale simply shrugged.
"If there is something strange going on, Army Command should already be investigating. Since we weren't officially informed, either the rumors are baseless, or the incidents are not serious enough to inform the Irregulars. Regardless, we should concentrate on the task at hand."
As if on cue, there was the sound of light steps, and Master Jet approached from further along the wall. The members of her cohort — now fewer than before — followed.
She looked around briefly, then said:
"I've just received the word. Roan and his people are approaching. The Devouring Cloud is in a frenzy… do not know what they did, but it worked. Prepare yourself."
The rest of the defending force seemed to have got the same news. All along the southern stretch of the wall, a flurry of activity commenced. Soldiers were checking their weapons for the last time, Awakened were summoning their Memories, rail gun crews were hurriedly finishing maintenance procedures and hauling crates of tungsten rounds closer to the feeding mechanisms.
Thousands of turrets came alive, turning their twin barrels toward the sky.
Sunny rose and stretched, breathing in the cold winter air.
Looking at the members of his cohort, he grinned.
"Same arrangement as the last time. Hopefully, no Ga… actually, never mind. I'm not saying it aloud. Just do well, and do not die."
Chapter 1007: The Fall of Falcon Scott (25)
Pretty soon, the distant horizon turned hazy with a myriad of flying horrors. The scene was eerily familiar — the only difference from their last attempt to destroy the Devouring Cloud was that, today, the landscape was illuminated by pale moonlight.
And that there were a few less Irregulars standing watch on the wall.
Sunny silently observed Winter, who was preparing to unleash hell. Once again, she was surrounded by several mysterious Memories, and once again, a cohort of Awakened used their Aspects to augment her powers.
He stood several distance away in the company of Master Jet and Dale. None of the three were going to participate in the ranged barrage, conserving their potency for the sortie to hunt down and kill the Tyrant. The atmosphere was tense, but not as oppressive as the first battle against the harrowing swarm.
On the alloy battlement in front of them, a man in leather armor was sitting with his eyes closed, meditating. The falling snowflakes swirled in strange ways around him, as if following invisible paths.
He was one of Dale's Awakened, and someone of whom Sunny knew — the man possessed the Ability to open stable spatial rifts, and had been one of the candidates he had considered when assembling the cohort. Since no one knew where the Tyrant was going to fall after having its wings cut by Roan, the strike team would need to get around the perimeter of the wall fast.
…If Roan succeeded.
"Gods…"
Hearing Dale's quiet whisper, Sunny observed south and saw arcs of thunderbolt dancing deep within the distant swarm. His face paled a little.
"They're... inside it?"
It seemed that Roan and the Awakened of the White Feather clan were leading the Devouring Cloud to the city with the smell of their own blood.
Suddenly, the task of slaying the Tyrant of the swarm seemed even heavier than before.
'So what? Nothing changed…'
Sunny had some contingencies, at least. Saint and Nightmare were currently guarding one of the breaches in the wall. Should the three Masters prove inadequate, his Shadows would help them reach and kill the broodmother of the swarm… or was it a father?
'Who cares?'
Sunny clenched his fists and watched as the horde of flying horrors swiftly drew closer to Falcon Scott. Soon, the city defense systems opened fire once again, and so did Winter.
The mass of brood beasts obscured the sky, drowning out the light of the moon. In front of the swarm, a horde of Nightmare Creatures moved, seemingly as desperate to escape from it as humans would be. Caught between the Devouring Cloud and the wall of Falcon Scott, they launched themselves at the alloy barrier, dying in scores under the barrage of bullets and arrows.
Somehow, today's battle felt more frenzied, more dire. Shrieks and howls of abominations fused with human shouts, all disappearing into the rustle of countless leathery wings.
A dark expression appeared on Soul Reaper's face. Gripping her glaive, she said:
"Hold. Wait for the signal."
At the moment, everything depended on Roan and his Awakened. They had to lure the Tyrant forward and bring it to the ground, so that the three elite Ascended of the Irregular Company could sortie out, find it, and finish the creature off once and for all before it escaped.
Seconds passed, then minutes, but the promised indication was not coming.
Sunny felt his nerves reaching a breaking point when a swift shadow suddenly fell from the sky. It was not a brood beast, however — instead, it was a young Awakened woman wearing the white colors of her clan, her armor decorated with beautiful etchings of hawk feathers… and marred with blood.
Sunny remembered seeing her several times in the Sanctuary, back when Sky Tide had still ruled over the Chained Isles.
The young woman landed gracelessly on the battlement and staggered, barely keeping her balance. Then, she observed around, took a step toward Master Jet, and stumbled. Dale caught and supported her, his face grim.
Soul Reaper frowned.
"What happened to sending us a signal? Where's the Tyrant?"
The young woman gritted her teeth, and then said hoarsely, her voice full of ire:
"Two. There's two of them…"
It took a few seconds for her words to register. Sunny cursed and observed at the dark mass of the swarm that obscured the sky.
'Two Tyrants? How does it make any sense?!'
Jet's face twitched. She stared at the young woman for a moment, then asked evenly:
"So where are they?"
The Legacy leaned on Dale and turned slightly to face the Devouring Cloud.
"The… signal…"
As if answering her words, two radiant spheres of light suddenly appeared in the distance, tearing through the darkness. One deep within the swarm, across the killing field. The other, unexpectedly, was even further away, but in a different direction — to the west of the city, near the ocean. The Devouring Cloud had barely reached there.
Her job done, the young woman from the White Feather let out a sign and slumped, losing consciousness. Dale barked something, and one of his men — most likely the healer — took her off his hands.
The three Masters briefly glanced at each other.
Master Jet uttered a swear that would have made Sunny blush if the situation was slightly less dire, and then smiled darkly.
"I guess we are going to have to split up."
She observed between the distant spheres of light, then sighed and moved her shoulders, as if to loosen the muscles.
"I'll take the southern one. Sunny, Knight… you two go west and deal with the second Tyrant. Get it done."
Sunny blinked a couple of times, then took a step forward.
"But…"
She raised a hand, stopping him.
"That's an order. No time to waste."
With that, Jet began summoning a Memory. Before the whirlwind of white sparks even manifested into reality, Soul Reaper was already moving, leaping over the parapet of the battlement to disappear into the haze of falling snow below.
Sunny gritted his teeth.
When he turned around, there was a shimmering portal in the air in front of him, leading to the point on the western wall not too distant from where the sphere of light still burned in the air. Dale was already heading toward it, his helmet weaving itself from light.
Sunny followed.
Before stepping into the spatial rift, however, he sent a mental command to Saint.
Not a few seconds after Soul Reaper landed on the ravaged ground beyond of the killing field, a dark rider leaped through the breach in the wall, and followed.
Chapter 1008: The Fall of Falcon Scott (26)
Stepping through the spatial rift experienced no different from taking a mundane step. It was only a little bit disorienting — the sudden change of the landscape, the direction of the wind, the subtle shift in the tone of the firing armaments. For Sunny, it was especially so, because he could also feel that the shadows around him were entirely different.
However, there was no time to waste on being confused.
Forcing himself to focus, he followed Dale to the edge of the wall and peered down.
Far below, there was a stretch of land flooded by attacking abominations, with brood beasts swarming above them… and behind those, the edge of a tall cliff that descended toward the shore. The dark expanse of the ocean stretched for as far as the eye could see, moonlight dancing on its restless, black surface.
The sphere of light was slowly growing dimmer as it burned somewhere above and beyond the cliff.
Dale spoke, his voice sounding slightly muffled by the helmet:
"We will have to fight our way through."
Sunny nodded.
"I'll clear the way, you follow."
The Sin of Solace was already manifesting itself into his hand, and shadows were wrapped around his body, filling him with resilience and strength. The Marble Shell was augmented, as well.
Sunny lingered for a moment.
"What about when we reach the Tyrant? We can't allow it to escape, and with Master Jet gone…"
The stalwart Master shook his head.
"I'll trap it and us within the barrier. Then, either the Tyrant dies, or we do. No one will escape."
Sunny had already seen one of Dale's barriers — the one that allowed things to pass from within, but blocked everything coming from the outside. Today, he would see the second one, which functioned in reverse.
More than that, he was going to be trapped inside that barrier with a damned Fallen Tyrant. If they wanted to be sure of the result, there was no better way.
"Great. I'll be going, then. Come down in a few seconds."
Instead of summoning the Dark Wing, Sunny simply turned into a shadow, slid over the edge of the battlement, and swiftly glided down the surface of the wall. In a moment, he was already on the ground, emerging from the darkness with the jade jian whittling through the air.
By the time Dale landed behind him, using some sort of rope Memory, half a dozen abominations were already bleeding on the ground.
The defenders on that section of the wall had already received orders to support their sortie, as well, shifting their fire to help the Ascended create a corridor through the mass of Nightmare Creature. Granted, they were spread too thin between the Devouring Cloud and the abominations attacking the wall in a desperate attempt to escape from the swarm, so the results were modest.
At least Sunny did not have to worry about catching a tungsten round with his back.
'Goddamn… great…'
Sunny and Dale rushed forward, fighting their way through the tide of frenzied Nightmare Creatures. The stalwart Master used his heater shield and heavy flanged mace to crush and break the abominations, flinging their bodies out of the way. Sunny simply cut through them, rendering the hideous body with the jade blade of the Sin of Solace.
However, there were just too many enemies to kill. Even if Dale's plate armor easily shrugged off blow after blow, and Sunny could simply ignore most of the attacks that got through his defenses, the weight of the horde threatened to push them back. More than that, they were constantly accosted by the brood beasts from above, making it much harder to remain alive.
For now, they had not met a creature powerful enough to be a lethal threat — which was a testament to how incredibly durable both Masters were... but it was only a matter of time.
Sunny growled, and then called upon the shadows.
Instantly, dark hands rose from the ground, grabbing the abominations and either throwing them aside, or outright tearing their bodies to pieces. Black chains whipped in the air, obliterating lunging brood beasts.
"If you have a good Memory or two, use them now!"
Dale bashed a leaping abomination with his shield, turning its body into bloody paste, and tore something off his belt.
In the next moment, there was a blinding flash, and then a sound akin to the roar of an angry dragon shook the world. Sunny smelled the carnage before he witnessed it. In front of them, a morbid path of charred corpses cut through the horde.
Dale pushed Sunny forward and lunged into the momentary rift in the mass of Nightmare Creatures.
"That one has to accumulate charges for a long time! We won't be able to use it against the Tyrant…"
Sunny snarled as he ran.
"We need to find the damned bastard first! Don't hold back!"
A few minutes of frenzied slaughter later, battered but alive, they reached the edge of the cliff and plunged down. Sunny had turned into a shadow once again, while Dale utilized an enchanted rope with a vicious hook tied to its end. The hook had been ruthlessly thrust into the flesh of an especially massive Nightmare Creature just a second before.
…Down on the stone beach, there were much fewer abominations. Some of them had already been cleaned to the bone by the brood beasts, while others were alive and full of murderous fury. Some distance away, Sunny could see the tall walls of the port fortress and the shapes of gargantuan ships resting on the waves.
As he looked around in search of their prey, something flew from the darkness, forcing him to jump aside. It turned out to be a massive chunk of bleeding flesh that had been the torso of a Nightmare Creature seemingly only moments ago.
Looking at where the chunk of flesh came from, Sunny witnessed a chilling sight.
Out there ahead of them, halfway to the dark water, a towering being being besieged by a mob of abominations. Six segmented legs, a tail with a long stinger, torn and broken leathery wings… and three terrifying circular maws swaying on the ends of long necks.
As he watched, one of the monstrosity's maws shot down, biting into the body of a powerful Nightmare Creature. With a violent twist, the creature came undone, rivers of blood and viscera spilling onto the cold stones. At the same time, the other two maws shredded a couple more abominations, swallowing large chunks of them whole. The tail stinger shot forward with blinding speed, piercing another and pumping poison into its convulsing body.
Sunny gazed at the macabre scene with dark resentment.
'...Be careful of what you wish for, I guess.'
They had discovered the Tyrant of the Devouring Cloud.
Chapter 1009: The Fall of Falcon Scott (27)
As Sunny watched, the Tyrant tore apart several more abominations, devouring their flesh with its three enormous maws. This creature… it was on par with the Lord of the Dead that Sunny had faced in the catacombs below the Dark City.
Back then, he was merely a Sleeper. Now, he was an Ascended himself, and an abnormally powerful one at that. His loyal Shadows were indisposed, but he was accompanied by Dale instead.
There was no reason for this fight to be too hard…
However, they had a big problem.
The more Nightmare Creatures the Tyrant killed and devoured, the more invigorated it seemed. The ghastly injuries on its wings were already healing, and very soon, the monstrosity would be able to take flight again.
Sunny could not allow that to happen.
Glancing at Dale with a grave expression, he said:
"It's now or never."
Above them, a swarm of brood beasts separated from the dark mass of the Devouring Cloud, rushing down to protect their ruler.
Dale nodded and silently lunged forward, closing in on the Tyrant to trap the monstrosity — and the two of them with it — inside a barrier of shimmering energy. Sunny followed, cutting down several abominations that had tried to bar their passage.
However, the towering monstrosity seemed to have sensed the advancing threat, or maybe grew tired of the relentless attacks by the other Nightmare Creatures. It suddenly jumped, soaring high into the air, its broken wings raising a powerful gale.
The Tyrant had not managed to stay in the air for long, at least not yet, but it succeeded in creating some distance between itself and the pursuers. Then, moving with stunning speed, it turned in the direction of the port fortress… and ran.
Sunny's eyes narrowed.
'Damnation!'
It only took him a split second to make a decision and shout:
"I'll slow it down! Catch up as fast as you can and set up the barrier!"
With that, he left Dale behind and turned into a swift shadow. Flying with terrible speed across the stone beach, Sunny pursued the Tyrant. The monstrosity barreled forward like a speeding train, its six legs turning countless stones into rubble and dust. Its wings were healing more and more…
Close enough from the port fortress to be seen from its walls, Sunny finally overtook the monstrosity and jumped out of the shadow right in front of it. The Sin of Solace flashed, cutting one of the creature's limbs, and it toppled heavily to the ground. He barely managed to dodge the massive body, but in the next moment, the Tyrant's stinger was already shooting through the air, aimed at his heart.
'Ah…'
Sunny blocked the terrifying spiky spike with the flat of the jade jian, at the same time turning his body as heavy as he could. The impact pushed him back, his feet leaving two grooves in the stones. The monstrosity struggled to stand up, but a dozen jet-black hands rose from the ground, grabbing and pressing it down.
Three long necks of the Tyrant twisted like snakes. Two maws bit into the shadow hands, tearing them apart, while the third flew toward Sunny. Staring at the repulsive fleshy circle full of razor-sharp fangs, he shuddered and realized that the thing could swallow him whole.
Sunny shifted his weight and dashed aside, narrowly dodging the maw, then lashed out with the Sin of Solace. As a bloody wound appeared on the abomination's neck, a ear-splitting wail slammed into him like a hammer.
The shadows he had manifested were all but gone, and the Tyrant was nowhere near being immobilized. Sunny could waste more essence creating shadow implements… maybe even encase the monstrosity and himself in a large dome… but what he really needed to do was damage its wings.
Sadly, the monstrosity was fiercely determined to protect them. As shortly as Sunny tried to get closer to the abomination's wings, its stinger, three maws, and five remaining legs all came after him. He scrambled to dodge the hurricane of attacks, dancing between them like a demented acrobat. Shards of stone and wet sand rose like a cloud into the air.
'Curse you…'
The Tyrant's movements were growing more frenzied and chaotic. Its mind was being assaulted by the [Sinister Whisper] of the cursed sword — the effect of the charm was going to persist, too, driving the monstrosity utterly mad.
…Funnily enough, the same erratic behavior seemed to be repeating in the skies above them, where a large portion of the Devouring Swarm seemed to have lost a lot of its unnatural cohesion.
They would only cease to be a threat to the city once both Tyrants were dead, though.
The massive abomination understood that there was something strange going on with its mind, as well. It tried to disengage and lowered itself to the ground, as if preparing to jump again… only this time its wings might have been healed enough to allow the Tyrant to fly.
'No!'
Before it could escape, however, a dome of shimmering energy suddenly appeared around them. The Tyrant jumped, slammed into the roof of the dome, and plummeted back down.
Heavily armored figure of Dale slammed into its body, a flanged mace falling down to crush another of the creature's legs.
The three of them were now locked inside the barrier. The Tyrant would not be able to escape anymore…
However, the dome of energy was not particularly large. It barely encompassed the enormous body of the winged monstrosity and a few meters of the stone shore around it, leaving Sunny and Dale no room to maneuver.
It was like being locked in a tiny cage with a very angry, starving tiger.
If the tiger was the size of a small building, had three heads, and possessed the tail of a scorpion.
And had also been driven into rabid insanity by a whispering jade sword.
'Crap…'
The Tyrant wailed again, its screeching voice full of madness and fury.
Then, it rose from the ground, and all hell broke loose.