A few days passed in tense anticipation. Sunny spent them doing the same things he had been doing before: training and preparing mentally for what was about to come.
He had a lot of things to do.
First came his technique, which was based on the flowing battle style that Nephis had taught him, with elements of Shadow Saint's grounded style added to its adaptive foundation. His skill was growing sharper and sharper, slowly being elevated and solidified at the level that his current understanding of combat allowed.
Sunny was not a novice anymore. He survived hundreds of deadly battles, and each left him stronger and more experienced than he had been before.
But perfecting his technique was still not easy, because he had to make himself indomitable first, and then turn that firmness into flexibility.
Now that Sunny finally had free time, he also used it to adapt his style to the new reality of his improved physical limits. Many things that had not been possible for him before the journey to the Hollow Mountains became possible now. The way he approached combat had to change, too.
All of it took effort and a lot of thought to achieve.
Second came the Shadow Dance. Sunny was still at the stage where he was slowly forming a practical set of moves to train in that elusive style. He felt as if he was now only one final step away from turning his vision of the Shadow Dance into reality. However, he seemed to be lacking some crucial ingredient. He needed one last push, one moment of inspiration to make that final step.
Still, his exercises weren't useless. Until that moment of inspiration came, they helped condition his body and mind, make them adaptable and malleable like shadows. When the last revelation appeared, they would be able to receive it.
After each intense training session, every muscle in his body ached, and a wave of mental fatigue washed over him.
Third came the most important task. He had to turn his mind and soul into a fortress that would withstand the shock of the future.
He had to achieve the type of clarity that would allow him to emerge victorious on the other end of it all, and for now, this task was turning out to be the most unattainable.
It was hard to shape one's body and mind into a perfect tool, but it was so much harder to do the same with one's soul. However, this was exactly the barrier he had to overcome.
Just like that, six days passed.
…On the seventh day after his departure, Kai finally returned. The charming young man seemed tired and ragged, his armor and clothes covered in dirt, dust, and dried blood. The quiver of arrows he had taken with him was now empty, and there were shallow cuts on the fabric of his jacket.
Sunny's shadow had kept watching the skies above the Bright Castle all this time, so he was one of the first to know.
By the time Sunny arrived at the small room that served as Neph's council chamber, Kai was already there, sitting by the fire and greedily drinking water from a crude clay cup. Effie was by his side, pushing a plate of food into his hands.
Noticing him, Kai smiled weakly.
"Hey, Sunny."
Sunny hesitated for a bit, then approached the beautiful young man and patted him on the shoulder.
"Hey, Kai. Welcome back."
Neither he nor Effie spoke after than, giving their friend an opportunity to catch his breath and waiting for the rest to come.
One after another, Cassie, Caster, and Seishan appeared in the room and greeted Kai. Nephis was the last to enter.
She glanced at everyone and then sat down near Kai. After hesitating for a few moments, she looked him in the eyes and asked:
"How many?"
Kai remained silent for a while, a solemn expression slowly appearing in his eyes. Finally, he turned away and sighed. One word escaped his lips:
"...None."
His voice echoed in the small room, making the faces of people gathered there darken.
"I scoured the Labyrinth, looking for any sign that a Sleeper passed there recently. But there were none. There was no one alive and no bodies, not even a single fresh bone that I could find. The Spell… it did not send anyone to this hell, not this year."
'And it won't the next one, too. Just as I thought.'
Sunny sighed. Sometimes, it was nice to be mistaken.
Fifteen years ago, the Spell had sent seven people to the Forgotten Shore. The next year, it had been twice as much, and then more and more. Eventually, hundreds of Sleepers had been arriving in the Dark City after each winter solstice… up until last year, when only four of them — Sunny, Nephis, Cassie, and Caster — had come.
Three more had perished in the Labyrinth without ever reaching the cursed ruins.
Because of that, inhabitants of the Bright Castle came up with a theory that the number of people sent to this region of the Dream Realm by the Spell followed a certain cycle. If they had been right, then at least fourteen Sleepers would have appeared somewhere in the Labyrinth a week ago.
But Sunny never believed in that theory.
In his mind, the four of them had never been meant to start a new cycle. He had always thought that, instead, they were meant to be the last.
The last chance the Spell had given to the people of the Forgotten Shore.
And now, he knew that he had been right.
With a sigh, Nephis slowly nodded and stared at the fire burning in the hearth for a bit. Everyone stood silently, waiting for her to make a decision.
Finally, she said without looking at them:
"...Tell everyone to gather in the throne room. I will speak to them."
Without wasting any time, Caster bowed slightly and left the room. Effie gave her a short look, and then followed him. So did the rest.
Sunny was the last one to leave, his heart beating like a drum.
'It is beginning!'
Chapter 312: lnvisible Chains
Five hundred people stood silently in the magnificent great hall of the ancient castle. Beams of sunlight were falling through the tall windows, making the air appear bright and effervescent.
There was no sign left of the terrible bloodshed that had happened in this hall just a few weeks ago. The bodies were dragged away, the blood washed off the marble floors.
But the memory of it remained.
On the steps leading to a beautiful throne of white marble sat a young woman with silver hair. Her ivory face was distant, and her clear grey eyes were calm and heavy. Hundreds of people were looking at her, waiting quietly for their lady to speak.
Finally, Changing Star sighed. A moment later, her voice resounded in the throne room, reaching far and wide:
"Dreamers of the Forgotten Shore. A week ago, I sent several scouts into the Labyrinth to look for those young men and women who, like us, were sent to this cursed place. Among them was Nightingale, whom you all know. He spent seven days searching for them. But he didn't find anyone. Not even a single sign of their passing. This year… no one has come."
A wave of stunned whispers ran through the crowd. Sunny glanced at the faces of people gathered in the great hall, noticing different expressions on them. Confusion, fear, shock. However, it wasn't as bad as he had expected. No one seemed to become consumed by utter despair.
Instead, all of them turned to Nephis, hope burning in their eyes.
She was their hope. Until Changing Star was with them, they weren't going to give in to despair.
Indifferent to hundreds of eyes observing her every move, Neph continued:
"Many of you understand what that means. To those who don't, I will explain."
She lingered for a moment, throwing a glance at the walls of the ancient citadel. When she spoke, her voice seemed solemn:
"For many years, this castle served as a fortress for the humans sent to the Forgotten Shore. Some of you enjoyed the safety it offered, while others survived in the shadow of its walls. But none of us would have been here if not for the Bright Castle. It offered us protection against the dreadful beasts of the Dark City. It offered us shelter. However, this shelter was never free."
A dark expression appeared on her face.
"Some people lost their souls to preserve it. And many more lost their lives. Every year, hundreds of human lives were sacrificed to allow the Bright Castle to exist. And every year, hundreds more came to be thrown into its maw."
Sunny silently scoffed. She was making it sound as though the Castle was some creature that fed on human lives… not unlike the Soul Devourer, really. The meaning was subtle enough to not be obvious, but still affect the people gathered in the throne room. Observing them, he saw many Sleepers shiver and frown.
'...Insidious.'
Meanwhile, Nephis continued:
"But no more. There won't be anyone coming to the Dark City this year, just like no one will come after that. Without new people, the losses we suffer will slowly accumulate, until there is no one to man the walls, no one to fight off the Nightmare Creatures, no one to keep these halls safe. Until there is no more shelter. This end…"
She made a pause, and then said calmly and with frightening finality:
"...is inevitable."
Her words crashed into the crowd of Sleepers, causing a storm of emotions. Their eyes widened and their faces paled. The shock and fear they had felt grew tenfold.
As if to hammer the last nail into the coffin of their worldview, Changing Star said:
"Which means only one thing. We cannot remain in the Bright Castle anymore."
Screams rose from the crowd, full of disbelief and terror. There were many things people were trying to say, but they all boiled down to three:
"What do we do?!"
"How do we save ourselves?!"
…And:
"Save us, Changing Star!"
Sunny smiled.
Nephis remained silent for a while, letting the chorus of screams wash over her. And then, white flames ignited in her eyes, making everyone fall silent. Her voice resounded once more between the walls of the great hall, penetrating through the crowd like a sharp blade:
"But this not the end of us. A long time ago, I made you a promise. And I intend to keep it."
She suddenly rose, towering over the crowd like a shining, ruinous angel.
"Come with me! Follow me. Only I know how to save you."
The radiance of her flames reflected in the eyes of hundreds of people, making it seem as though their faces shone with an inner light. Her words had submerged them into utter darkness, and then gave them a beacon to find a way out of it.
That beacon burned with the most seductive of lights.
The light of hope.
And that hope was synonymous with her.
Changing Star slowly descended from the steps, her words echoing from the marble walls of the throne room:
"Follow me, and I will lead you out of this hell. Follow me, and I will show you the path back to your homes. But make no mistake…"
She stopped and remained silent for a few long moments. When she spoke again, her voice sounded calmer, colder…
Heavier.
"The road ahead will be long and arduous. Not everyone will make it. The weak will die. The strong will die, too. And those who remain won't be the same. But there is one thing I can promise you…"
Nephis entered the crowd and looked at the people surrounding her with absolute resolve burning in her beautiful eyes.
"Follow me… and you will never be slaves."
Sunny shivered, feeling as though she was speaking to him alone. Everyone in the great hall felt the same way, perhaps.
Staring directly into their souls, Changing Star spoke:
"...Slaves to your fear, slaves to your fate, slaves to the Nightmare Spell. Come with me, and whether you live or die, you will do so humans. Not cowering beasts."
She closed her eyes and exhaled, then looked down. Finally, she said, the passion disappearing from her voice:
"But… I will not force anyone to follow me. Ever. Whether you come with me or stay, it is your choice. There is no shame in staying. Those who do not wish to go may leave this hall right now."
Sunny looked at the Sleepers, trying to guess what their reaction would be. People were staring at each other, doubt and fear written on their faces.
Not everyone was enthralled by Changing Star. Not everyone was brave and strong. Not everyone was ready to die fighting.
…But in the end, not a single one of them left.
Nephis sighed and slowly turned her head west, as though trying to pierce the stone of the castle walls with her gaze. After a while, she said:
"Good. I am glad. Then it's decided."
She turned to face them, furious white flames illuminating her pale face:
"Then the day after tomorrow… we will leave the Bright Castle. The day after tomorrow, we march on the Crimson Spire!"
Chapter 313: Starlight Shard
On the last day they would spend in the Dark City, Nephis led a small group of her most powerful warriors on one last hunt.
The members of her cohort were all following behind her. Sunny, who stubbornly refused to accept his status as one of them, walked apart from the group, idly looking around and observing the ruins.
Gemma and Seishan were also with them, as well as ten or so of the most experienced hunters — some of them formerly from the Host, some formerly from the outer settlement. There was no difference between the two anymore.
All of them were simply Changing Star's people now.
As they were walking, Gemma approached Sunny and glanced at him with curiosity.
After Tessai had fallen to Neph's blade, the tall man seemed to have found some measure of peace. Somewhere deep in his eyes, however, there always was a hint of sorrow.
Sunny stared at him and raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
The hunter smiled slightly and asked in a friendly tone:
"You're Sunless, right?"
Sunny shrugged.
"Yeah, that's me."
Gemma silently measured him and then asked with interest:
"I've heard that you lived for months alone in the city. Is that true?"
'Ah, makes sense.'
The tall man was perhaps the most experienced hunter on the Forgotten Shore. He had survived countless battles on the streets of the cursed city. It was natural for him to be curious about this matter…
Sunny gave him a nod.
"Sure. A little over three months, I guess."
Gemma rubbed his chin, then asked bluntly:
"How did you survive?"
Sunny grinned.
How had he managed that, indeed?
"...Lots of hiding, lots of killing. A modicum of madness, and a little bit of luck."
Gemma stared at him for a bit, then chuckled.
"Sound about right, I guess."
After a while, he glanced forward at Changing Star and asked in a curious tone:
"Do you know what we are going to hunt today?"
Sunny looked at him with surprise:
"She didn't tell you?"
The tall man hesitated, then shook his head.
"She did. I'm just not sure that I believe it."
Sunny smiled and looked away.
"Ah, let me guess. Your first thought was that she had lost her mind. What can I say… get used to that feeling."
After a few moments of silence, Gemma sighed.
"But how can we kill it?"
'Poor guy…'
Sunny glanced at him, lingered for a bit, and then said:
"If my guess is correct, you know more about it than I do."
And just like that, their conversation ended.
By the middle of the day, they reached the eastern edges of the city and climbed the imposing monolith of the great wall. Standing on top of it, they saw the colossal crater and the headless statue that stood not too far away, its one remaining hand thrust toward the skies.
Their prey was hiding in a vast underground chamber beneath that statue.
Today, they were going to hunt the Lord of the Dead.
***
At the base of the statue, the second arm of the Priestess lay in the mud. Thousands of years ago, it had broken off and fell, crashing through the dome of the underground chamber. Now, there was a chasm in the ground that led into the lair of the Lord of the Dead.
Many months ago, Sunny and the rest had used that breach to escape from the catacombs. Now, they were going to use it to descend into that darkness, instead.
The ghastly master of the catacombs waited for them below. Sunny wasn't really surprised that Nephis had chosen to return to this place. After all, the mountainous abomination was most likely guarding the last of the seven Shard Memories.
However, he was really curious about how exactly she was planning to kill it.
Once everyone gathered around the hole in the mud, Changing Star glanced at him and said:
"Sunny, can your shadow take a look at the burial chamber?"
With a shrug, he sent the shadow into the breach. It slid on the mud and entered the dark hole, then hid in the palm of the giant stone hand and cautiously looked down.
The mountain of human bones was still there, in the middle of the vast circular chamber.
However, it looked very different from how it had been before.
Countless green vines were growing from the mass of bones, some of them comparatively thin, others as thick as a human body. They weren't growing just between the ancient remains: the vines were bursting through the bones, too. Almost as if feeding on them.
The Lord of the Dead seemed… weaker. More brittle. As though it was sick, sapped of its strength and infected by a terrible parasite.
Sunny commanded his shadow to look closer, and finally noticed the thing that he had expected to see.
A small wooden box lay on the floor of the underground chamber, open and empty. The exact same box Nephis had mysteriously entrusted to Caster as soon as they were back in the Dark City.
From the words the outer settlement hunter, that box had appeared on his pillow with a small note. That note had been written by Changing Star's spy — Seishan. And the contents of the box had been created for her by Kido, who was now dead.
Kido had been the leader of the Artisans. Her Aspect Ability allowed her to control and alter plants.
This bone-eating vine, as it turned out, was her last creation and final masterpiece.
Turning to Nephis, Sunny hesitated for a moment and then spoke, his words causing a subtle reaction in Gemma:
"The tyrant is heavily infected by Kido's vine. It seems to be considerably weakened."
Changing Star nodded and remained silent for a few moments. Then, she said:
"Once we enter the chamber, the Lord of the Dead will attack us. Now that its power is reduced, and with the help of the Dawn Shard, we should be able to survive the onslaught. We should also be able to wound, and eventually kill it."
Looking at the faces of everyone gathered in the shadow of the headless statue, she nodded and headed toward the breach.
"Let's go."
***
Soon, Sunny was trying to survive the fury of the Lord of the Dead once again. But this time, it was not as hard as it had been before.
He had become stronger, and the horrible creature had become weaker. His Memories were augmented by the Crown of Dawn, and Saint was now a demon.
There were also more humans resisting the tyrant today.
…That was not to say that the battle wasn't harrowing and perilous. In fact, it was utterly lethal.
The humans fighting the monumental Nightmare Creature were surrounding it, dodging the long limbs of the tyrant and trying to attack it when an opportunity presented itself. Kai was zipping in the air, providing support and bringing the wounded away from the fight.
They were only alive because the attacks of the Lord of the Dead were now slower and less devastating than before. With some preparation, both Effie and Saint could withstand one or two with the help of their shields. Caster was able to deliver several cuts to it with its ghostly blade, while Seishan had broken one limb completely with her graceful war hammer.
Each strike of the Sunlight Shard seemed to bring immense pain to the Lord of the Dead.
But nothing hurt it more, of course, than the incandescent blade of Changing Star.
Together, they dealt more and more damage to the terrible creature, despite the fact that many of them were now either severely wounded or dead. The tyrant was being consumed from within by the green vines, and broken from the outside by their weapons.
And then, after a long and arduous battle, a huge lair of bones fell from the body of the Lord of the Dead, revealing its inner core.
That core, which was made of human skulls and coagulated blood, was absolutely terrifying, malignant, and abhorrent. In its death, a shape of a fat white maggot could be seen, curled into a ball.
At that moment, Effie suddenly stepped forward, twisted her body… and threw the Dusk Shard as a discus with a deafening cry.
The shield that was said to contain the weight of the heavens streaked through the air with terrible speed and hit the inner core of the tyrant, crushing through it like a wrecking ball. It cut the maggot in half and exited the body of the Lord of the Dead from the other side in a torrent of broken bones. Then it fell to the ground, shattering the stone floor of the chamber and sending a net of cracks running through it from the point of impact.
The mountain of bones froze, the shuddered.
And then, it crumbled.
Everyone stared at Effie, shocked, hope burning in their eyes.
On her face, there was a dark, mournful expression. Belatedly, Sunny remembered that the members of the original cohort that the boisterous huntress had belonged to all perished here, killed either by the undead army or the Lord of the Dead itself.
A few moments later, Effie sighed and turned her face away, hiding it from everyone. Then, she raised a hand and made it into a fist.
That was her letting them know that she had received a Memory from the kill.
A Shard Memory.
The last one there was.
Chapter 314: Leaving the Dark City
After everything was done and Nephis used her flames to heal those who survived, they returned to the city through the catacombs.
Perhaps she wished to eviscerate the army of undead monsters that were now left without the tyrant to bring them back to life. But in the end, they were met with nothing but silence.
The horde of ferocious skeletons that had once almost cost Sunny and the rest of the cohort their lives was no more. The dark tunnels stretching beneath the ruins were littered with piles of bones, which were slowly turning into dust. It seemed as though the moment the Lord of the Dead had been destroyed, its servants had perished, too.
After a while, the group of humans emerged from the collapsed tower of the lighthouse and continued on its way back to the Bright Castle.
They were going to spend their last night there before leaving the Dark City behind.
***
In a small room in the depths of the ancient citadel, seven people gathered around a table.
They were Sunny, Nephis, Cassie, Caster, Effie, Kai, and Seishan.
Beyond the walls of the castle, the absolute darkness of the night had devoured the world. Nightmare Creatures were prowling the cursed ruins, and somewhere far away, black waves were crashing against the indomitable granite surface of the city wall.
Inside, the cold light of a Memory lantern illuminated their faces.
Strangely, everyone was silent, as though not sure what to say. Finally, Sunny broke the silence by yawning loudly.
"Shall we get on with this? Tomorrow is going to be a long day, and some of us need their beauty sleep."
He threw a sideways glance at Kai, thought for a bit, and then added:
"Actually, every day after today is going to be a long one. So let's just do it."
Nephis stared at him for a few moments, then echoed his words:
"...Do it."
With that, they summoned their Memories.
An austere tachi and a ghostly stiletto appeared in Sunny's hands.
A graceful war hammer with a narrow beak appeared in Seishan's.
Effie summoned her beautiful bronze spear and a heavy round shield.
Finally, a simple band of metal decorated with a single gem weaved itself from light and rested gently on Changing Star's head.
They were the Shard Memories.
Dawn, Zenith, Dusk, Midnight, Sunlight, Moonlight…
…And Starlight.
The last Memory was a short, flowing white cloak that draped itself around Effie's shoulders. This was the Shard she had received after slaying the Lord of the Dead.
For a few moments, no one moved. Then, Effie said:
"So, uh… what now?"
Nephis titled her head a little, then frowned. Finally, after some time passed, she said:
"Come closer."
When they did, something unexpected happened. Sunny felt the hilts of his weapons suddenly growing hotter, and soon, both Midnight and Moonlight Shard began emanating a ghostly, ethereal light. The same was happening to the other shards.
Seven beams of light shot toward the center of the room and collided. Then, they fused with each other, and soon, seven objects weaved themselves from that light and hovered in the air.
They were keys forged out of lustrous metal, with seven shining stars engraved on their surface.
It was the manifestation of the terrible oath that the seven heroes had given all those thousands of years ago. The keys that were used to seal the curse of the all-consuming darkness underground.
Suddenly, the seven keys turned into streams of light and shot toward each of the seven people gathered in the room.
One beam hit Sunny in the chest and disappeared, absorbed into his core.
The voice of the Spell resounded in his ears:
[...You have received an Oath Key.]
Sunny shivered. He didn't want anything to do with that morbid oath.
…But in the end, he had no other choice.
Glancing at the rest of the people gathered in the room, Changing Star lingered for a moment, and then said:
"We're ready."
***
In the dim light of dawn, the gates of the castle opened for the last time. A long procession of humans walked through them, leaving the ancient citadel that had sheltered them for so long.
They walked under the swinging skulls, not paying them any attention. In the aftermath of all the strife, no one had bothered to remove the ghastly things from their chains.
It was not like anyone could have forgotten the hundreds of lives lost in the struggle, and thousands of deaths before that, even if the skulls were removed.
Five hundred people descended the hill and entered the Dark City. A few Nightmare Creatures tried to attack them, and were eviscerated before managing to do any harm.
These five hundred humans were not a defenseless crowd. They were a battle-hardened army, one comprised of exceptionally powerful Sleepers… the most powerful Sleepers to ever be born from the human race, perhaps.
They moved the ruins, cutting down anything that dared to block their path. Soon, the Sleepers approached the western boundary of the Dark City and scaled the ancient wall.
There, they stopped and turned, staring at the silhouette of the Bright Castle in solemn silence.
…By then, pillars of black smoke were billowing from each of its windows. Soon, the whole castle was enveloped by furious flames, which slowly devoured the white stone of its walls. The magnificent marble cracked and melted, destroyed by the terrible heat. The smaller towers swayed and moved, and then fell into the terrible crucible.
The fire was slowly destroying the Bright Castle, turning it into a molten ruin.
In a sense, this was fitting. After all, everything else in the Dark City had been ruined a long, long time ago.
Surprisingly, this act of destruction was not Changing Star's idea. She wasn't the one who ordered to burn the Bright Castle behind them, like a final gesture to hammer it into everyone's souls that there was no way back anymore. Sunny would have expected something like that from Nephis.
But no, it was the decision of the people themselves.
They wanted to destroy the ancient citadel, because they hated it. They hated these ancient, bloodsoaked stones only a little bit less than they needed them to survive.
And now that they were leaving, they wanted to erase the Bright Castle from existence. Perhaps if it was gone, the memories of all the darkness that they had witnessed there, and were the perpetrators of, would disappear with it.
After a while, the misshapen, twisted silhouette of the dying fortress was completely hidden by the fire and smoke. Slowly, the silent Sleepers turned away from that sight and looked far away into the distance.
They were looking west.
That was where they were going.
To lay siege to the Crimson Spire.
One after another, the Sleepers descended from the wall and left the Dark City behind.
Chapter 315: Siege of the Crimson Spire (1)
In the cold light of dawn, a gargantuan crimson tower was rising from the Labyrinth. From this distance, it looked like a bloodied sword that some primordial titan had thrust into the heavens.
The crimson coral streamed from its walls like the blood of gods, spreading out from the base of the Spire to devour all of the Forgotten Shore. The tower itself seemed to stand on an island, which was surrounded from all sides by black water. Even though the sun was already climbing up, this part of the cursed sea did not disappear.
Instead, it lingered and moved endlessly, forming a giant whirlpool. Unclear shapes could be seen moving under the surface of the black water, drowning the hearts of humans who dared to approach the Spire with dread.
Sunny looked up, at the endless expanse of the crimson tower, and paled. Upclose, it looked even more ominous, oppressive, and terrifying. He struggled to believe that this cyclopean structure had been built by human hands, let alone that it had been their salvation once, a long time ago.
Now, the Crimson Spire looked nothing but twisted, eerie, and utterly evil. It emanated a sense of harrowing power that no human could ever hope to challenge.
And yet, this was exactly what they were going to do.
Turning away, he glanced at the camp of the Dreamer Army.
For the past week, the five hundred of them had traversed the Labyrinth to reach this place. Some had perished along the way, but not as many as he had expected. For that short journey, luck had been on their side.
In these days, they had slaughtered countless Nightmare Creatures and somehow managed to avoid attracting the wrath of the dwellers of the deep. They had seen the headless statue of the Lord that stood halfway between the Dark City and the Crimson Spire, and many other wondrous and terrible things.
And now, they had almost reached their goal.
People were busy preparing for the battle. The dread they had felt at dawn, after looking at the Crimson Spire, which was now so close, turned into grim determination and resolve. Everyone was making final preparations. Some were checking their armor and weapons for the last time. Some were hurriedly building makeshift fortifications.
Some were praying, begging the dead gods to save their lives.
Truth be told, Sunny was the only person who appeared to be idle.
Well, what did they expect? Nephis still had not told him what exactly his role in the battle was going to be. Not that he was obligated to listen, of course…
With a sigh, he turned to the other members of the cohort, who were gathered around a fire, discussing the plan of the battle for the hundredth time. Everyone seemed uncharacteristically somber today.
One after another, they left to join in the preparations. Soon, Changing Star was the only one left.
With a bit of reluctance, Sunny approached her and sat down, staring at the fire. After a while, he said:
"This is very strange, don't you think?"
She glanced at him and raised an eyebrow.
Nephis had changed a lot since the first time they met, but also remained exactly the same. She was still calm and confident, with ivory skin and beautiful silver hair. She was still strong and full of conviction.
It's just that her eyes seemed a bit hollow these days.
"What is?"
Sunny shrugged.
"Just… all of it. If someone described this scene to me a year ago, I would have been really perplexed. And yet, here we are."
He lingered for a bit, and then added:
"We've come very far. The three of us."
Both of them glanced at Cassie, who was busy explaining something to the Artisan representatives. Her delicate hand rested on the hilt of the Quiet Dancer.
After a while, Nephis nodded.
"Yes. And now, we just need to make one last step."
Both of them remained silent for a bit, thinking about how this final step was going to be the hardest yet. Incomparably so…
Then, Sunny sighed:
"So, what do you want me to do? From how you kept avoiding the subject for these past days, I'm guessing that it's not something trivial."
Changing Star smiled, then looked at him with white sparks dancing in her eyes.
"A really small thing, really."
Then, she turned to face the Crimson Spire, hesitated for a while, and then suddenly said:
"...Give me your hand."
When Sunny did, something traveled through her cool skin into his Shadow Core. He summoned the runes and looked at them, already knowing what he was going to see. And there it was, listed among his Memories:
Oath Key: [7].
Somehow, she had gathered the remaining six keys from the rest. And now, she was entrusting them to Sunny.
Still looking at the cyclopean tower, Nephis said:
"...I want you to destroy the dark sea. Or banish it, at least."
Sunny grinned.
"A really small thing, indeed."
***
Very soon, the sun rose higher, and the dark whirlpool surrounding the Crimson Spire became a little smaller. Several bridges of red coral rose from its depths, connecting the island to the rest of the Forgotten Shore.
And out there on the island, countless silhouettes suddenly began to move, crawling out of the crimson mounds. They were the Nightmare Creatures guarding the cursed tower.
All kinds of horrors were among them. There were members of the carapace legion: scavengers, centurions, and demons. There were colonies of carnivorous worms, giant centipedes that secreted corrosive oil, and eerie vines that crawled on the ground like snakes.
There were creatures that looked like black masses of rotten bones, and creatures that looked like humanoids made of rock, with terrible maws full of jagged fangs. There were swarms of translucent insects that devoured everything in their path and massive spiders clad in iron armor.
There were beasts that could shoot deadly bone spears from their bodies and beasts that could turn their prey to stone with their gaze.
There were corpses with red flowers growing from the holes in their flesh and giant abominations that resembled praying mantises, if those were made of glass and bloodred clay.
And many more that Sunny had never seen, fought, or could describe.
All of them moved together in strange harmony, devoid of the usual territorial aggression that forced the Nightmare Creatures of different tribes to fight each other. They were subjugated by the Crimson Terror and now served to guard the Spire.
Like a terrible wave, the horde of monsters rolled over the bridges of crimson coral and flowed toward the human army.
From his position at the back of it, Sunny could clearly see the bodies of those standing in the front line tremble and take an involuntary step back. Someone even dropped their weapon. A moment later, Effie's loud voice rolled over the rows of Sleepers:
"Stand your ground, wretches! If anyone runs, I'll kill you myself!"
Strangely, her irritated shout calmed down the fear in their hearts.
A moment later, however, it was drowned in the cacophony of the approaching horde.
...The battle for the Crimson Spire had begun.
Chapter 316: Siege of the Crimson Spire (2)
On the outskirts of the Crimson Spire, there were no more passages and tunnels in the coral. It was just a solid red mass, an unbroken surface of the strange living substance that had devoured the Forgotten Shore thousands of years ago.
Currently, Effie was standing on that surface.
Several hundred people were standing beside her, staring at the approaching wave of Nightmare Creatures with horror and shock. All of them knew what was going to happen once they reached the Spire, but even then, the sight of it was terrifying.
She was at the center of the front row of these frightened people, supposedly in command of them. With her tall stature and lean, powerful figure, Effie stood out among the rest of the Sleepers. Her archaic armor glistened in the light of the rising sun, and on her shouldered, there was a flowing white cloak weaved from starlight.
She held Zenith in one hand and Dusk in the other.
Effie seemed like a bastion of strength and resolve in the sea of fear. A mythical hero that had stepped into the mortal realm from an ancient legend.
…But really, she was scared shitless.
Looking at the rolling horde of abominable horrors with a grim expression, the huntress lowered her head a little and summoned the helm of her armor, which was crowned with a tall crest of blue horsehair, and thought:
'Fuck me sideways… fuck, fuck, fuck!'
All around her, people were trembling. Some fool dropped his weapon and took a few steps back, as if considering running away. Even though she was currently seriously thinking of doing the same, Effie snarled and bellowed:
"Stand your ground, wretches! If anyone runs, I'll kill you myself!"
…What was the point of running, anyway? There was nowhere to run.
If they were going to die, they might as well die like humans.
Just like Princess had said. She was somewhat full of shit, but also never wrong.
"Get ready, bastards!"
Gripping her spear, Effie cast a sideways glance at the two men standing beside her. One of them was Caster, and the other one was Gemma. Who would have thought that one day she and the leader of Gunlaug's Hunters were going to fight side by side?
Weirdly, the presence of her past enemy was now extremely reassuring. However, even on his face, there were hints of fear.
The only person who could have stayed nonchalant in this situation was probably Doofus. That pale miscreant was either too crazy or too stupid… or both… to be scared of anything. But he was currently nowhere to be seen. Effie sort of missed the tiny menace.
But Sunny was probably either hiding someplace dark or doing something too insane to be entrusted to anyone else. In any case, she wished him luck.
She wished herself luck, too.
Looking at the approaching horde of monsters, Effie waited for a few seconds, and then screamed:
"First mark!"
Her shout was repeated by Seishan, who commanded the second line, and reached Night somewhere in the third.
The plan of the battle was really simple. The first line had to hold off the monsters, changing places with the second once they grew tired. Meanwhile, the third was in charge of eviscerating as many creatures as they could.
But first, they had to withstand the initial charge. Nothing was more important than breaking the momentum of the attacking horde.
Somewhere behind her, the enchanting voice of their resident idol gave the command to fire the siege engines. These monstrous machines were constructed by the Artisans and were supposed to be able to pierce the armor of the most heavily protected Nightmare Creatures. As long as they were not Fallen, of course…
A strange and melodic sound reached her ears, and a fraction of a second later, six heavy metal spears, each at least two meters long, flew above their heads with incredible speed. They streaked through the air and collided with the front of the horde, sending bits of chitin and streams of blood to the ground.
She saw one of them behead a giant crab-like creature, the other pierce right through a bloodred mantis and skewer several monsters behind it. But the wave of horrors did not slow down one bit. There was just so many of them…
Feeling a shiver run through her body, Effie gritted her teeth, then shouted:
"Second mark!"
Almost immediately, a rain of arrows fell on the monsters, wounding many and killing a few. There were many other projectiles mixed in with the arrows. Some Sleepers used slings, crossbows, or more exotic projectile weapons. Some used their Aspect Abilities, which allowed them to create all sorts of sorcerous attacks, like flying blades made of wind, fire, and ice. Some could even create bombs filled with soul essence, which detonated in the midst of advancing horrors and ripped many apart.
But still, no reaction. The monsters only seemed to become more frenzied, the fury, madness, and bloodlust in their eyes flashing even brighter.
The second rain of arrows fell, and shortly after, six more spear shot from makeshift ballistae crashed into the horde. By then, the Nightmare Creatures were already too close to the front line of humans to change anything.
Making a step forward, Effie strained her muscles and threw the Zenith Shard into the approaching mass of abominations. The beautiful bronze spear shattered the steel carapace of an especially tall creature and pierced its heart.
How could it not kill, empowered by the miraculous enchantment of the Crown of Dawn? All of their weapons, and all of their armors, were currently being fed raw power by Changing Star.
All around the steel demon, numerous abominations fell, killed in a similar fashion by the Memories thrown by the other Sleepers.
Summoning the spear back, Effie watched as the first row of Nightmare Creatures fell into a deep ditch that the Artisans created just an hour earlier. Those moving behind them simply stepped on the bodies of their fellow abominations and continued moving forward.
But finally, the speed of the horde was diminished, if only by a little.
'Damn thi…'
"Brace!"
That's all she had time to yell before the wave of monsters crashed into the line of humans.
Then, the world was consumed by nothing but madness, havoc, and death.
Chapter 317: Siege of the Crimson Spire (3)
Putting her weight behind the Dusk Shard, Effie leaned into the shield and gritted her teeth. A moment later, a monstrous blow landed on it, strong enough to crush stone into dust.
But unlike Sunny's marvelous Echo, she was not made out of stone.
Instead, Effie was made out of something far more resilient.
"Argh!"
Pushing with all he strength, she felt the shockwave of the impact run through her entire body and then dissipate into the ground. Her bones groaned, but held together. Despite the terrible pressure, she held, too.
A moment later, Effie growled and pushed even harder, throwing the carapace centurion that had crashed into her a couple of centimeters back. Simultaneously, her spear shot from behind the shield and pierced the black chitin, sinking deep into the flesh of the monster. She twisted it and severed the creature's spine, then slammed her shoulder into the Dusk Shard, sending the massive corpse flying off the bronze blade.
Just in time. A second later, and the tall bastard would have skewered her with one of its scythes from above.
But as soon as the centurion fell to the ground, another abomination was already taking its place, with a terrible salivating maw and furious eyes that burned with madness.
'Curse it all…'
All around Effie, the bodies of humans and Nightmare Creatures were entangled into an undulating, bleeding, roaring mess. Claws and steel weapons rose and fell, sending streams of blood, splinters of bone, and chunks of flesh to the ground. Screams of fear, pain, and fury mixed with the indescribable howling of the nightmare horde into a cacophonous litany of death.
In this split second, she noticed one of her fellow hunters throwing the body of an iron spider that had jumped onto him back with a thunderous strike of his shield; a stone golem biting into someone's head with its terrible jagged fangs; a giant centipede wrapping its long segmented body around a screaming human and sinking its hundred legs into his melting armor.
Then, she had no more time to stare.
"Hold! Hold, you misbegotten waifs!"
Taking a step forward, she dodged a harrowing slash of a three-meter tall mantis-like creature's scythe and brought the edge of her shield on the leg of the abominable thing. The thin limb practically exploded, sending the monster crashing down — right on the blade of her spear, which flew upward and turned the head of the mantis into a red smudge.
Before the creature even fell to the ground, Effie had already spun, receiving a rain of blows on her heavy shield. Her spear lashed out from behind it, piercing the body of the attacker through the heart.
'Blood Flower…'
Effie held her breath and kicked the rotting primate in the chest, sending it flying back before too much of the damned pollen escaped the wound. The body of the Blood Flower host collided with another monster and exploded into bloody chunks from the force of the impact.
[You have slain…]
Noticing a shadow move to her right, Effie turned and thrust her spear forward. But at the last moment, she pulled it back. The point of the bronze blade stopped just a few centimeters away from another human's face.
For a fraction of the second, they stared at each other — Effie with confusion, the vaguely familiar young man with belated fear. Then, a massive shadow moved behind him, and the youth's head suddenly separated from his shoulders in a stream of blood, cut off cleanly with one slash of a metal demon's blade.
'...D—damn!'
Effie looked up at the terrible creature. But before she had time to react, something crashed into her from the side, sending a wave of pain through her body. With a grunt, she slid on the bloodied coral and twisted her torso to put Dusk Shard between herself and the attacker.
A quick glance let Effie know that her armor was still intact, even if just barely. The point of impact was covered with seething acid, which was biting into the metal, trying to burn through it. Thanks to the enhancement of the Dawn Shard, however, the breastplate remained unscathed.
She shifted her weight, preparing to deflect the next attack of the giant centipede. Before Effie could, though, something heavy landed on her back, trying to sink its teeth into her neck. She felt drops of blood streaming to her chest.
A furious growl escaped from her mouth.
Throwing the Zenith Shard into the maw of the charging centipede and practically severing the body of the creature down its length, she stretched her freed hand back, caught the monster that was trying to bite her head off, and through it to the ground.
The body of the abomination hit with enough force to make the coral crack. Just to make sure that the bastard was dead, she stomped on it with her foot, shattering the head of the damn thing into tiny pieces.
But as soon as she did, four more were already around her, their sharp claws and fangs lusting to taste her blood.
Bringing the Dusk Shard down on one of them, Effie grinned, then twisted and summoned her spear back.
With blood streaming from her wounded neck, she dodged a powerful claw and laughed:
"Bastards! Are you… trying to eat… me?! Ha-ha-ha… let's see who's gonna eat who, fools!"
All around her, the first line of the Dreamer Army was slowly buckling under the pressure of the nightmare horde. So many of them were already dead, and more were dying every second. Their bodies were torn to pieces and devoured, disappearing into the mass of monsters like morning dew. That sight was so harrowing and chilling that the mind simply refused to process it.
And yet, the Sleepers of the first line — those who possessed the most powerful combat Aspects and the best Memories — had achieved their goal. They stopped the devastating wave of abominations in its tracks and tied it down with their blades and their lives.
The horde failed to roll over the human army, obliterating it completely without even slowing down.
More than that, the massacre was not one-sided. For every human killed, several Nightmare Creatures were wounded, crushed, and cut to pieces. Arduously and at a great price, the first line was reforming itself, the survivors of the initial charge rallying around three champions.
They were Effie, Gemma, and Caster.
With each of them turning into a bastion in the sea of monsters and gathering fighters around them, the advance of the horde stalled. Whatever creatures managed to get past were met and eviscerated by the Sleepers of the second line, led by Seishan.
…And throughout all of that, the archers and the siege engines of the third line never stopped firing.
Chapter 318: Siege of the Crimson Spire (4)
"Stand your ground, wretches! If anyone runs, I'll kill you myself!"
Hearing Effie's voice, Kai flinched and forced himself to look away from the terrible visage of the horde of nightmarish abominations. Glancing down, he saw that his hand was shaking and clenched it into a fist. He had to calm himself, somehow, or his aim was going to suffer.
That wouldn't do.
…But honestly, how was a person supposed to not be terrified when a literal sea of Nightmare Creatures, each stronger and deadlier than anything anyone should ever be forced to face, was approaching them so fast?
Kai prided himself on overcoming things like stage fright and social anxiety, as well as getting through many unpalatable situations with grace and elegance, not to mention managing to survive in the Dark City for three long years without losing his humanity.
But this was just too much…
'...What would Sunny say?'
Thinking of his prickly, but adorable friend, Kai couldn't help but smile a little.
'Probably something like… oh, a horde of Nightmare Creatures? Yeah I've met one a few days ago. They all died when I sneezed, though.'
The strangest part was that he would be telling the truth. If Kai decided to dig deeper, he would discover something in the line of Sunny's sneeze causing a massive avalanche that wiped all the monsters out.
…Or, more likely, that his sneeze had awakened some ancient, much more terrifying creature, which then proceeded to devour all the monsters before turning its gaze on Sunny himself.
That was just how Sunny was.
...Unpredictable.
Strangely, these thoughts succeeded in calming Kai down. He only regretted that the cute scoundrel wasn't close by to reassure him in person.
Gazing at the approaching horde, he sighed and gripped his bow tighter.
The coral was sloping down in the place where Changing Star had chosen to face the guardians of the Spire. Because of that, the position of the third line was higher than the other two, which would allow them to continue firing long after Effie and the rest had engaged the Nightmare Creatures in melee.
In theory.
All around him, those Sleepers that had suitable Memories or Aspect Abilities were preparing to shoot, waiting for his command. The surviving Artisans and their assistants were busy loading the six powerful ballistae they had transported all the way from the Dark City and put together the last night. The sight of the mighty siege engines made Kai sigh wistfully.
…Maybe they were going to survive this battle, after all.
"First mark!"
As soon as Effie's shout reached his ears, he turned to the Artisans and waved a hand, giving them the signal to fire.
A second later, six heavy spears flashed through the air and crashed into the wall of monsters. Many of them were eviscerated, but these losses were like a drop of water in the sea of darkness.
Kai gritted his teeth.
"Second mark!"
"Now!"
As his melodic voice rolled over the third line of the Dreamer Army, he drew his bow and took aim.
Back in the real world, archery was Kai's favorite hobby. Not the practical skill of shooting a bow which was taught to many in school, but the ancient practice known as kyudo, which was more of a meditative ritual than a real battle art. Its orderly nature, tranquil philosophy, and repetitive motions appealed to something deep inside him.
The more stressed Kai was, the more he practiced.
Who knew that one day he would be relying on his marksmanship to survive?
Not that aiming at a literal horde of monsters was hard. He didn't have to worry about missing a shot with the Blood Arrow, at least.
Letting go of the string, Kai watched as the black arrow streaked through the air and bit deep into the body of a tall carapace demon. Its bone tip pierced the metal armor of the terrible creature with ease. Not only was it of the Ascended Rank itself, it was also enhanced by Lady Nephis.
Very few creatures could resist his attacks.
"Keep firing! Kill as many as you can!"
The demon swayed, then fell to the ground. Kai felt the weakness that overtook him every time he summoned the morbid Memory dissipate, and called upon the Blood Arrow again.
However, he didn't get to take his second shot before the wave of abominations crashed into the line of Sleepers.
For a second, Kai was stunned by the harrowing sight. The scale of the massacre that was happening below him was just too vast to comprehend. His heart was instantly constricted, full of worry for Effie…
And all the other people he knew.
With a desperate grimace contorting his face, Kai aimed and shot again.
And then he did so again, and again, and again.
Everyone around him was doing everything in their power to kill as many Nightmare Creatures as they could. Arrows, magical projectiles, and heavy lances launched by the ballistae rained on the ghastly horde, reaping countless lives.
But it was not enough, not nearly enough…
Seeing so many people be torn to pieces and devoured while trying to protect him and the other archers, Kai couldn't help but wish that he could do more.
'If only I could fly up and get a better shot… if only I could get closer!'
…But he couldn't.
While others lost themselves in the battle completely, Kai had to keep a cool head. After all, he was responsible for the third line of the Dreamer Army. The lives of all these young men and women depended on him.
That was why he kept his eyes on the merciless grey sky.
Just a few meters above them, almost invisible in the bright light of dawn, a vast net made out of sharp iron wire was drawn above the battlefield.
The wire for this net was collected in the Labyrinth, from those areas where iron spiders were known to nest, and fashioned into the aerial barrier by the Artisans.
It was meant to protect them from the terrifying creatures that could fall at any moment from the skies.
After all, the Crimson Spire did not only have a Terror and a horde of guardians.
It also had its Messengers…
Chapter 319: Siege of the Crimson Spire (5)
"Draw your bows! Take aim! Endure!"
Kai's words were meant to keep the morale of his troops more than they were meant to serve as actual instructions. To tell the truth, he did not have to do much, at least not yet. There were no such things as coordinated volleys when it came to archers — everyone just had to send one arrow after another into the seething mass of Nightmare Creatures, as fast as they could.
He had to do the same, too.
On the ground near him, several quivers full of arrows waited for their turn. Kai was shooting without a respite, alternating between using the Blood Arrow and these mundane ones. It took time for the ghastly Memory to return to his hands, so he had to use something else in-between.
A good archer had to be able to fire twelve times in a minute. An excellent one — twice that.
Gritting his teeth, Kai drew his bow, took aim, held his breath, and fired. Every movement had to be efficient, quick, and precise. As soon as one shot was done, another one immediately started. Draw, aim, release. Draw, aim, release. Repeat, and repeat, and repeat...
In these moments, he had become less of a human and more of a methodical battle machine that ran on all cylinders without stopping even for a moment.
He put an arrow in the eye of a terrible abomination that looked like a giant snake made of seaweed and rotting flesh. Another pierced the chest of a massive bestial primate and impaled him on the carapace of a mantis-like creature. The third bit into the neck of the mantis and greedily drank its tainted blood, causing the monster to stumble and fall.
Kai felt like he was drowning.
Back in the waking world, archers were always portrayed as nimble, graceful warriors, someone who excelled in agility and speed as opposed to brute strength and physical might. They were beautiful maidens, elegant youths, and cunning rogues. Maybe that was why he had been attracted to bowmanship, to begin with.
The reality, however… couldn't be further from the truth.
It took a lot of strength to pull the string of a combat bow. The draw weight of a good bow was as much as fifty kilograms, on average. Twenty times the weight of a sword…
And Memory bows like his were much more monstrous. They were never meant for mundane humans, so pulling that string every few seconds burned through his stamina in mere minutes. Very soon, Kai's muscles screamed in pain, and his lungs seemed to be on fire.
But he couldn't stop… he had to keep shooting, no matter what.
"Keep at it! Draw, aim! Endure!"
How could he allow this insignificant pain, this unearned exhaustion to slow him down when out there, below, so many humans were dying in agony to keep the enemy away from the line of archers?
Letting loose another arrow, Kai drew in a hoarse breath and glanced up, almost out of habit.
However, this time, his gaze lingered on the indifferent grey skies. Then, his eyes widened.
At some point, five black dots appeared high above the battlefield, flying in an eerily perfect circle above it. A cold chill ran down Kai's back.
"Messengers…"
Five Fallen Monsters were observing the massacre that was happening below them with vile indifference. Even though he could not see their harrowing shapes too well, Kai could somehow feel their gaze.
'...Why aren't they attacking?'
As if to answer his question, a smaller dot appeared from the clouds and fell down through the circle created by the Messengers. And then, another. And another…
Just a second later, countless Nightmare Creatures poured from the grey skies and dove down, swiftly approaching the ground. There were so many of them that their mass resembles a swirling black column of a colossal tornado.
Kai trembled. His face paled.
…However, he did not allow fear to prevent him from fulfilling his duty.
"Skyward squads! Aim high!"
At this point, about half of the Sleepers in the third line were supposed to switch their attention and repel the aerial threat. However, engrossed in the battle that was happening below, most of them didn't hear or understand his words.
Kai grimaced.
And then, his clear, enchanting voice rolled over the entire battlefield once again, this time easily piercing through the clangor and havoc of the terrible strife:
"Skyward! Squads! Aim high!"
This was the voice he had used to sing the most difficult notes in front of hundreds of thousands of people. Only the dead could not hear it.
Brought back to reality by his voice, the archers quickly aimed at the sky.
…Just in time.
Kai let the Blood Arrow loose, then saw it fly upward and hit one of the winged abominations in the chest. The monster convulsed and dropped vertically down, hitting the sharp wires of the iron net with a sickening sound.
A tremor ran through the entire net, and drops of black blood fell to the ground.
Stretching his hand to grab a mundane arrow, Kai had a moment to take in the sight of the descending swarm. For a moment, his heart was squeezed by despair.
There were so many of the flying Nightmare Creatures that it was impossible to count them all. Among the swarm of horrors, there were the giant locusts he had fought before, massive abominations with hungry maws and bat-like wings, repulsive birds with fleshy tentacles growing from beneath their pale feathers, and many more. Horrors he had never seen and could have never imagined.
…And above them, five black dots continued to circle in the sky.
Putting the arrow on the string of his bow, Kai banished fear and doubt from his heart and drew it. Then, he aimed at the closest of the abominations and willed it to die.
A moment later, his arrow hit the creature right in the eye.
Most of the archers around him had already switched their targets. Only the siege engine crews and those with Abilities and Memories unsuitable for firing upward continued to pelt the nightmare horde with deadly projectiles.
The quickest of the descending monsters were eviscerated, and soon, a rain of corpses fell on the iron net.
…But a few lucky ones had avoided the arrows and dove down to devour the humans who stood on the ground.
Kai held his breath when the first of them hit the iron wires at full speed.
What if the net broke?
But it did not… at least for now. The Artisans had done their job well.
Instead, the creature was instantly sliced apart, its body disintegrating into a rain of blood and strangely symmetrical chunks of flesh. The sight of it was morbidly fascinating.
'...Thank gods.'
Reaching for another arrow, Kai found nothing but emptiness. Looking down in confusion, he saw that his quivers were empty.
'Have I… used so many?'
Before he had time to process that thought, however, someone had already thrown two fresh quivers on the ground in front of him.
Picking up an arrow with aching fingers, Kai inhaled through his teeth and raised his bow.
"Draw! Aim! Endure!"
Chapter 320: Siege of the Crimson Spire (6)
"Draw! Aim! Endure!"
Just as Night shouted these words, Aiko tripped and fell. The bundle of arrows she was carrying in her arms scattered on the ground.
"Ouch…"
Picking herself up from the coral, she hurriedly gathered the arrows and dashed to the nearest archer, then placed them near his feet.
In this battle, the role of people like her — those who were too weak to fight and did not possess a useful Aspect — was simultaneously the most simple and the most chaotic. They were charged with supplying the Sleepers participating in the battle with everything they needed, be it arrows, crossbow bolts, stones for their slings, or anything else.
There were several teams of runners doing different things. Initially, she was supposed to help carry the wounded from the first and second lines to the makeshift hospital at the back of the formation. There, a few people with Aspect Abilities having to do with healing waited, ready to help. Her friend Stev was one of them.
…But as it turned out, there wasn't a lot of wounded in this battle. Most simply died on the spot. So she was left with nothing to do and ended up here, helping to supply the archers.
She had just brought two quivers to Night, and was on her way…
…Wait, how crazy was that?
Trying to catch her breath, Aiko glanced around and shivered.
'Crazy, this is crazy…'
The scene in front of her was just too bizarre to be true. Several hundred Sleepers were besieged by a horde of Nightmare Creatures on the ground, with another falling on them from above. All that in front of an ugly, endless tower of crimson coral. Surely, she was dreaming…
'Of course you are! This is the Dream Realm, you dimwit!'
And yet, the weirdest thing of all... was that she was stuck in all this craziness with none other than Night from Nightingale, the breathtakingly beautiful idol whose posters hung on the walls of most girls her age back home. Despite the fact that the two of them had known each other for more than a year and were even… uh… on friendly terms, this fact was the one that pushed the surrealism of the situation over the edge.
This was exactly the kind of weird dream a teenage girl like her would have.
Just as she thought about that, someone fell to the ground a few meters away from her. Turning her head to the sound of a muffled curse, Aiko saw Stev and another Sleeper carrying a crude stretcher. On it was a young woman, covered in blood and pale as a ghost, her leather armor torn apart and on the verge of dissipating.
A moment before, Stev's partner had tumbled down. It appeared as though he was wounded himself, albeit not too seriously. Running up to them, Aiko took over and helped the ample giant keep the stretcher even.
Carrying that weight with her tiny body was not easy, but she gritted her teeth and persevered.
Together, they hurried to the back of the formation.
On the way, they had to run past the desperate archers and the exhausted crews of the siege engines, who were slowly but surely running out of the massive lances to hurl at the rampaging horde.
From the look of it, things weren't going well for the Dreamer Army.
Down below, the first line was in the process of being completely eviscerated. Three islands of resistance still persisted in the sea of monsters, but Aiko didn't know how much longer those poor people would be able to hold. The second line was now entangled with the Nightmare Creatures, too. The initial plan had been for these two forces to switch positions to give the exhausted warriors time to rest, but now, it was never going to happen.
Up above, more and more corpses were falling on the invisible iron net. Despite that, the number of the flying abominations did not seem to diminish at all. The metal wires were groaning, having to carry more and more weight.
'Are we all going to die?'
Feeling cold dread spread through her body, Aiko trembled and involuntarily turned her head to the tallest point in the Dreamer Army camp. There, on a protruding mound of crimson coral, she saw three figures.
One was Saint Nephis herself. The other was her blind oracle. And the third…
'Wait… what is that guy doing there?!'
The third person was none other than Sunny, the strange young man who had gotten her into this mess to begin with.
After joining the Changing Star's faction, Aiko had quickly learned who the important people were and what positions they held in the Bright Lady's cohort. Everyone's role was clear and easy to understand.
…Except for Sunny.
What role that pale youth played was entirely unclear. People seemed to consider him a member of Lady Nephis's cohort, but Sunny himself always insisted that he was not. He was thought to be a competent fighter, but actually, no one had really seen him fight.
Most people just knew him for his tendency to keep to himself, ridiculous bragging, and carefree attitude. They simultaneously respected him for being Changing Star's scout and considered him mostly harmless.
However, Aiko did not think that Sunny was harmless. She had seen him appear from the shadows and kill the Guard who had been strangling her with one relaxed move, as though getting rid of an insect.
In her mind, Sunny was very mysterious. He was a wild card.
Seeing him with Lady Nephis now, she suddenly felt a tiny bit of hope.
Maybe Changing Star had a plan.
Maybe they were going to survive, after all…
"Aiko! Move your short legs faster, will you!"
Frowning at Stev's remark, she looked at the ground and concentrated on not slowing her giant friend down.
Soon, they reached the hospital and placed the stretcher on the makeshift table. Stev dashed to retrieve his tools…
But it was too late. The young girl on the stretcher was already dead.
Aiko remained motionless for a bit, staring at the ground. After a while, Stev cautiously touched her on the shoulder.
"Hey… are you okay, shorty?"
She wiped her face, then nodded.
"Yeah. I'm fine. Gotta run, though. Those… those arrows aren't going to carry themselves."
Stev lingered for a bit, then tried to smile.
"Alright. Uh... stay safe."
She smiled and nodded again.
"Yeah. You stay safe, too."
With that, Aiko turned around and ran out of the tent.
Outside, the battle was only growing more ferocious.