Jando Skolevok, captain of the Forty-Fifth Company of the Night Lords, arrived before the crater with his face charred black.
The Executioner Karen Dewa approached the Shadow of Order bound to the pillar and swung the flaying knife of his brother, Karen Kil.
Slightly cool blood splashed across his face.
Again and again.
Blood dyed Karen Dewa's pale face red.
"Have you seen their fate?" A hissing voice sounded from within Librarian Belenon.
His head twisted toward the nine o'clock direction, his red eyes gleaming with gold.
A Night Lord lifted a mortal. The flaying knife fell, and an entire piece of fresh human skin hung from his midnight-blue armor.
His pink tongue licked across his teeth as strings of saliva dripped down.
In an instant, his gray-white teeth became thin, sharp, and translucent, scraping across the Shadow of Order's lustrous skin.
"Tell me your secrets."
His fingers rose, nails thrusting out as blood dripped down.
Golden light erupted from the Shadow of Order's spine, and its red eyes narrowed slightly.
"Tell me."
Skolevok stroked the combat knife at his waist. It was like a hazy veil, half real and half illusory.
Drip, drip—
Blood gathered together, flowing into a river.
A buzzing sound rang out as he pressed a finger to his communicator.
The voice of Helantex, captain of the Brown-Robed Prince, cut into the channel. "Lord Tattooed Count, a large fleet has translated into realspace."
"The Auspex has identified the keel rune as belonging to the Gloriana-class Battleship Death Wither."
How could they be this fast? Skolevok immediately gave the order.
"Retreat!"
His objective had already been achieved. So long as news of the Shadow of Order's defeat spread, those Night Lords who had been scattered and left without a powerful commander would gather beneath his banner.
Before