Eastern Nightmare Lands – Shadow Sect.
The territory of the Shadow Sect had now become a refuge for the defeated forces of the Empire who had lost their way.
Frey Starlight had saved them, sparing them from death... yet morale was at its absolute lowest.
Only a few thousand soldiers survived, and most of them were utterly broken, consumed by despair after what they had witnessed.
That much was clear from the way many of them collapsed against the cold walls of the sect, silent and hollow.
They had lost countless comrades, and they had been forced to stand in the presence of a Rank Four High Demon.
Wesker’s appearance alone had shattered something inside the hearts of men and redefined their understanding of power.
His power was overwhelming beyond comprehension... and just seeing him was enough to strip them of the will to fight.
After all, they now understood that they could never accomplish anything against him. Their existence was meaningless before him.
Against Wesker, even SS+ powerhouses were nothing but insects.
Knowing this, they lost the will to stand and fight.
Some fell into despair, while others desperately tried to escape the sect, wanting to return to the Empire to save their families...
but black statues blocked every exit.
They were imprisoned inside the Shadow Sect, whether they liked it or not.
Among them, Snow Lionheart walked the streets of the sect with heavy steps, observing everything.
The White Knight of the Earth... the Pure Vessel... had fought Wesker alongside Frey Starlight, and though his body had suffered greatly in that bitter battle, he was still standing, proving just how far he had come.
He had truly become worthy of the title Pure Vessel.
For now, Snow was effectively the leader of humanity, their representative, in Frey’s absence while the latter remained unconscious.
After checking on the broken imperial soldiers, Snow made his way to the borders of the sect where the statues stood.
A laughing statue.
A weeping one.
And a familiar third.
The angry statue .. Angry.
That statue stood at the front, blocking the way out.
When Snow approached, the statues turned toward him in unison, as if ready for combat .. Angry leading them.
Snow stopped walking, and they faced each other.
His eyes glowed with pure, radiant light as he examined Angry’s condition .. and in doing so, he perceived the full extent of Angry’s power.
A true SSS-rank aura radiated from him.
"...So you were holding back back then."
Snow murmured, recognizing how foolish he had been the first time he fought Angry in Londor.
Back then, Snow couldn’t even comprehend Angry’s true strength .. he had simply thrown himself at him in blind anger, imagining he could win.
But now... the situation was completely different.
Snow stood calm and unshaken before the statues .. both he and they knew what would happen if he unleashed his power.
If he fought seriously, they would not be able to hold him.
In other words .. the seal imposed by the statues applied to everyone... but not to Snow.
And yet, he didn’t try to fight .. for two reasons:
1. He wanted to wait until Frey woke up, and
2. He understood that these statues were Frey’s allies, not enemies.
What Adyr had done was proof enough of that.
Adyr was among them now, still alive only because Frey had saved him in the final moment .. though his condition was horrific. Anyone who saw him would wonder how he was still breathing at all.
The Shadow Sect was incomprehensible. Even Snow knew very little about it, even in his memories as the Pure Vessel .. for the sect had risen after his time.
So he remained tense, walking cautiously through its dark halls.
"I don’t know what your purpose is, nor the reason you fight. But I ask you .. protect the humans inside this sect. At least until we recover and can fight again."
Snow spoke sincerely, showing no hostility.
Angry could not speak .. but the statue nodded.
A silent acknowledgment.
"...Thank you."
Snow bowed faintly and turned away ..heading to the temple at the center of the Shadow Sect, the place Adyr had instructed them to lay Frey.
Inside, familiar faces waited .. the elite class, and only Phoenix among the higher-ranking officers.
Others, like Iris Sunlight and the remaining members of House Valerion, had not been allowed to enter.
It seemed only those with a certain bond to Frey were permitted to be near him.
The temple was massive .. and even with everyone present, they barely filled a fraction of it.
Frey lay upon a stone altar at the far end of the hall, recovering by Adyr’s order.
Adyr himself was there, and it appeared he had been speaking with Ghost just moments ago.
But when Snow arrived, Adyr turned to him.
Once, Adyr had been too broken to speak. Now, though his body was ruined beyond reason, he could at least sit upright .. fuelled by something sheer and unbreakable.
"Warrior of the Shadow Sect... I hope you are ready to talk." Snow said, having finally lost patience.
Adyr said nothing at first .. but he nodded.
He had not expected to survive. And since Frey had saved his life .. and since no orders had come from Gehrman .. Adyr assumed the Engineer did not object to him assisting humanity.
So he would help them, however he could.
"I know you have many questions," Adyr said quietly.
"But it will be better to wait for Frey Starlight to awaken. He also deserves to hear everything."
"No."
Snow cut him off without hesitation.
"You will speak. Now."
Silence fell.
The elite class stiffened .. nervous.
Adyr was terrifying.
But Snow did not waver.
Adyr exhaled slowly.
He could not refuse. His body was almost destroyed, only one arm and half a face remaining.
"...Very well."
Adyr had managed to repair himself to some extent, but he would never return to his peak unless his master returned and restored him personally...
meaning Nameless himself.
"What is it you wish to know?" Adyr asked.
Snow answered immediately:
"Who are you? What is your connection to Frey? And finally .. what is this place exactly?"
These were the questions weighing most heavily on Snow’s mind.
Adyr responded without hesitation.
"We are the warriors of the Shadow Sect. We have only one King .. only one Master. He has no name, and no one knows his true face. The ancients called him Nameless. And Frey Starlight, lying there... is his vessel and incarnation."
"In other words, we stand on Frey Starlight’s side. Which means, indirectly, we stand on your side as well... so you have no reason to worry, Lightbearer."
Adyr said this as he slowly rose to his feet.
He was extremely tall, forcing Snow to raise his head just to maintain eye contact.
"My Lord Nameless was the only one who could stand against the Demon King in the past... and he is humanity’s only hope against the demons. The power Frey Starlight has revealed so far is merely a faint glimpse of my King’s true power. When he reaches his zenith... he will once again be able to stand against the Demon King."
Adyr walked closer to Frey’s resting place.
"In the past, we formed an alliance with the human heroes to unite our strength and wage war against the demons at the appointed time... the time when Frey Starlight would appear, and preparations for the King’s return would be complete. And that time... is now."
"As we speak, the Great Houses and the strongest warriors of the old era are fighting within the Empire’s walls to protect humanity. The war is ongoing, and we have a real chance."
His last words shocked nearly everyone who heard them.
Who would have imagined that the heads of the Starlight, Moonlight, and Sunlight families were still out there .. fighting for them?
But Snow was not surprised. He had already known.