The shadow hid on the slope of a tall cliff, observing the wide highway that stretched north between the momuntaind and the ocean. The world was obscured by a white wall of snow, but it could feel slight tremors running through the ground.

Something was approaching.

A few moments later, two bright dots appeared inside the blizzard, slowly growing larger as their source drew closer. Then, powerful beams of light cut through the snowstorm, making the shadow shift its position.

...Several kilometers away, Sunny frowned with a troubled expression.

'People.'

What approached from the north was not a swarm of Nightmare Creatures or a lumbering monstrosity, but a small procession of civilian transports, accompanied by a handful of military vehicles. They cut through the blizzard, rolling down the highway at a slow speed. Several of them appeared battered and barely functioning. Soldiers could be seen manning the turrets, shivering in the vicious cold.

His scowl deepened.

"What are they doing here?"

"...Luster. Bring the Rhino to the edge of the coastal highway"

Leaving the carcass of the dead demon behind, Sunny walked forward. A few minutes later, he was standing on the snow-covered surface of the highway, with the Rhino positioned behind him. His silhouette was drawn against the backdrop of the blizzard by the beams of two powerful spotlights.

The convoy was already close, but they did not notice him yet.

Striking the butt of the Cruel Sight into the ground, Sunny hesitated for a moment, and then activated the [Light Eater] enchantment.

Immediately, the silver blade of the spear shone with brilliant light. It was as though a small sun bloomed in his hand. Somewhere behind, Belle and Dorn emerged from the APC, carrying their weapons with guarded expressions. Samara had climbed to the roof of the vehicle and was now laying on it, resting her chin on the stock of her rifle.

The other three Irregulars remained inside, protecting Professor Obel and Beth.

The radiance of the Cruel Sight was too intense to not be noticed. Finally, the soldiers protecting the small convoy reacted, turning the turrets in the direction of the unknown threat.

Their faces were tense and frightened. The lead vehicle slowed down.

'I hope those fools don't start shooting blindly...'

Using the Extraordinary Rock and its [Sonorous] enchantment, Sunny augmented the volume of his voice. Calm and oppressive, it rolled across the highway, easily breaching through the howling of the wind.

"This is Captain Sunless of the First Irregular Company. Think twice before you shoot."

Luckily, the soldiers seemed to have preserved at least some of their composure. No bullet flew in his direction... not that a mundane bullet would be able to do him serious harm, let alone scratch the surface of the Undying Chain.

A few minutes later, the lead vehicle of the strange convoy came to a screeching halt not too far away from the Rhino, forcing the transports to follow suit. A figure in a military uniform emerged from it, hesitated for a bit, and then headed toward Sunny. Judging by the lack of an armor-type Memory and the way the man was holding to the collar of his coat, shivering in the cold, his was a mundane human.

While the soldier walked, Sunny's shadows got closer to the convoy and studied it. The transports were full of frightened civilians, and their military chaperones were few and far between. Everyone seemed to be in a rough shape, tired, and numb. There were women, children, and elderly among the refugees, all scared and exhausted, but not a lot of men.

And there was not a single Awakened among them.

Sunny's mood turned darker and darker.

Finally, the soldier walked close enough to see him. Raising a hand to shield his eyes from the Rhino's lights, he mumbled in a startled voice:

"It really is the Devil..."

Sunny looked at him with a frown.

"I can hear you, you know."

The soldier flinched, and then lowered his hand, trying to stand at attention.

"Oh... sir! Sorry, sir!"

His voice, despite the effort to sound professional, sounded haunted.

Sunny sighed and shook his head.

"At ease."

Then, he looked past the man's shoulder at the battered convoy, wondering what it was doing here.

"Please explain who you are, and why you are in this area. I thought that the First Army abandoned the southern reach of the Antarctic Center."

The soldier remained silent for a while. Eventually, he said:

"Sir, you must know that our division suffered heavy losses when... when the siege capital we were building was destroyed. A sufficient number of us had time to evacuate, taking the civilians with us. However, the aftermath was... chaotic."

Sunny did not know the details of how the city had been obliterated, except for that it had been done by a titan. Nevertheless, he could imagine the panic and mayhem that had ensued in the aftermath. He nodded.

The man let out a heavy sigh.

"Most of those who escaped retreated north, but for many of us, that direction was cut off. We gathered as many people as we could and eventually headed south..."

Something about that story did not sit right with Sunny. He interrupted the tired soldier:

"...You made it all the way here driving on the highway?"

Staying so close to the ocean was too dangerous. Even Sunny did not dare choose that convenient, but dire path. How did a bunch of mundane soldiers survive it?

The man's face grew bleak. He lingered for a while, and then said grimly:

"There were a lot more transports in the convoy at the start of it, Captain. This... this is just the ones that remain. I have three hundred and forty free civilians in my care, and forty soldiers."

Sunny sighed.

"Ah."

Now, things were making much more sense.

Put in a somber mood, he asked:

"There were no Awakened assisting you?"

The soldier shook his head.

"There were. They stayed back to buy us time. That... that was a week ago, sir."

Sunny thought that he understood the full picture... except for one, most important, thing.

"Why come so far south?"

He stared at the man for a bit, and then asked directly:

"But why would you head here, of all places? Why not circle back and head north, to one of the remaining siege capitals?"

The answer soon came, making the corner of his eye twitch. © 2024.

"Evacuation, sir. After the initial chaos died down, the Awakened escorts... they were still alive, back then... received orders through the Dream Realm. We were to proceed to a facility called LO49, rendezvous with the battleship Ariadne that is supposed to be waiting for us there, and escape. Although... we are a little late. Just, just by a day or two."

Sunny stared, lost for words. The soldier suddenly seemed excited:

"Captain Sunless, sir! Have you come from that facility? Were you sent to escort us the rest of the way?"

Exposed to that hopeful gaze, Sunny felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

He lingered with the answer, but his Flaw only allowed him to remain silent for so long.

...Eventually, he opened his mouth and said simply:

"No. The Ariadne was destroyed, and LO49 is lost. I am sorry to say this, soldier... but you and your men have made it all the way here for nothing."