It only took Sunny a split second to understand what had happened. One of the scientists locked in the shelter had fallen asleep… in their sleep, that person had been pulled into the First Nightmare.
And died.
Perhaps the trial of the Spell was especially harsh, or perhaps the scientist was especially weak. Perhaps luck was simply not on their side. In the end, it did not matter.
What mattered was that the Seed of Nightmare in their soul bloomed, and a deadly abomination was unleashed into the waking world.
Crimson blood on the white lab coat. A grotesque figure that resembled a ghastly amalgamation of a human and a monstrous mannequin made of flesh. Screams of fear, eyes full of shock. Even though the Nightmare Creature had just been born, it already unleashed its murderous madness on the defenseless civilians in the shelter.
Everyone was late to react — the automated defense systems, the sentries posted in the bunker… even Sunny himself.
Although he was already diving into the shadows, he knew that the short moment it would take him to travel the vast distance between the bloodsoaked battlefield and the shelter could mean the difference between life and death for Professor Obel.
Summoning Saint was a fast affair, but it, too, took a second or two to complete.
So, he went for a measure that would be immediate… using Shadow Manifestation, he commanded the shadow that had been observing the old scientist to assume a tangible form and resist the frenzied Nightmare Creature.
Almost instantly, a sharp pain pierced his very being. The shadow sustained damage, which meant that his soul did, too.
…No matter how many times Sunny had endured soul attacks, the sheer agony of them was still a shock.
A single heartbeat later, he rolled out of the shadows nestling in the corners of the underground shelter and looked around, trying to evaluate the situation through the pain.
It had been only several seconds since the unfortunate scientist turned into a grotesque abomination. Still, several people that had been close to the transformed monstrosity were already dead. Their severed limbs littered the floor, which was slick with blood.
The creature itself was lunging at a group of terrified civilians, among whom were the dazed Professor and Beth. The young woman was trying to shield the old man with her body, which was useless, considering that the creature would not be slowed down at all by her fragile mundane flesh. Screams of horror filled the air…
However, the abomination seemed to be stuck in place.
That was because an arrogant shadow was standing between the monstrosity and the scientist, pushing it back with a hand. Its other hand was wrapped around a bone scythe that had pierced the shadow's side, preventing it from cutting deeper.
Unlike Sunny himself, the shadow did not show any sign of being in pain… well, of course! The haughty bastard was utterly above breaking decorum because of a small and inconsequential thing like being skewered by a Nightmare Creature's blade. More than that, it would never stoop so low as to show weakness or discomfort in front of its lessers.
…Which was everyone. Everyone in two worlds was, naturally, its lesser.
'That guy…'
Right then, the haughty shadow raised one leg and kicked the abomination in the abdomen, sending it stumbling back. Then, it disappeared, turning back into a black silhouette on the floor. Its job was already done.
Jumping over a body of one of the killed scientist, Sunny flashed through the underground shelter and attacked the Nightmare Creature before it could regain its balance. The Sin of Solace passed through the abomination without meeting almost any resistance, and then, the grisly mutant silently fell to the ground.
It was only then that the sentries managed to raise their rifles, and the turrets mounted on the ceiling came to life, swinging in the direction of the dismantled abomination.
Sunny had been faster than all of them.
[You have slain an Awakened monster, Bone Slayer.]
But still… still…
Standing above the dead creature, Sunny scowled, a dark expression appearing on his face.
He had missed it. He had been distracted, and lost awareness of what was happening around him.
That was not like Sunny.
'How did this happen?'
He had been keeping an eye on the Professor even while fighting the Myriad Eater, but then, at some point… his attention was drawn elsewhere.
Was it because of the Call? Was it because of the Sin of Solace? Or simply because of the accumulated exhaustion of having to fight intense battles one after another? A combination of all these reasons?
In any case, Sunny was not happy with himself. The pain lingering in his wounded soul served as a reminder of his failure. He had killed a Corrupted Demon and won the battle, but almost failed his mission. Countless people had almost died.
With a grim sigh, Sunny dismissed the jade sword and the helmet of the Undying Chain, revealing his pale face and hair, which was damp with sweat. Then, he looked around one more time, counting the dead and observing the fearful expressions of those who survived.
'Six victims, in just a few seconds. It could have been much, much worse.'
Despite this conclusion, he couldn't help but be appalled by the gruesome sight of the severed corpses laying on the floor. It was rotten luck, for an Awakened Monster to appear as a result of a failed First Nightmare.
"M—master Sunless! You're here!"
One of the soldiers called out to him, still aiming at the unmoving abomination.
Sunny exhaled slowly, then looked at Professor Obel, making sure that he was okay. Beth was still shielding him, slow to realize that the threat had been dealt with.
"...Yeah. You can lower your rifles. It's dead."
He lingered for a moment, and then addressed the terrified crowd of civilians:
"Someone failed their First Nightmare, so… but it is over now. The battle upstairs is over, too. We won. You should all be safe now."
'...For now.'
Of course, he did not say that last part aloud. Instead, Sunny stared at the bodies once again and gritted his teeth. This was the first time when a victory felt so bitter. In fact, despite having killed one of his most powerful foes yet, Sunny did not feel like he had won anything at all.
Things were getting worse and worse with each day.
A week… two weeks…
How many more people would die before the Ariadne arrived to take them all away?
Standing in a puddle of blood with hundreds of frightened civilians looking at him with gratitude and relief, Sunny had no answer.