Savior in Shadow Slave

Murphy turned his gaze westward, where the dying light faded beyond the broken skyline of the Forgotten Shore. He had meant to speak—to lay out the next steps, to begin planning their journey deeper into the Labyrinth.

But then his eyes drifted to Lucas.

Slumped against the stone, the firelight casting long shadows across his gaunt face. The spark in his eyes hadn't returned yet—only exhaustion, confusion, and something deeper… something hollow.

Beside him, the woman slept fitfully, her breathing shallow but even. Her body still bore the scars of the nest—not just physical ones.

Murphy exhaled softly and let the conversation die in his throat.

Not tonight.

He stood, stretching his shoulders with a quiet roll, and turned to Akame, who was keeping a silent vigil beside the wounded woman.

"Akame."

She looked up. "Yes, speak."

"First thing in the morning," Murphy said, voice low, "I want you to head out. Get some food for them—water too, if you can. And… see if you can gather soul cores for her. She needs something to anchor her. We need her to be able to walk on her own eventually."

Akame studied him for a second. Her expression unreadable in the dim light.

"You really do care for everyone," she murmured.

Murphy didn't answer immediately.

His eyes lingered on the two figures wrapped in tattered cloaks, alive but barely, suspended between recovery and ruin.

Then, softly, he replied:

"…Someone has to."

***

Akame moved like a shadow through the jagged coral terrain, each footfall silent despite the armored plates she wore. Her crimson eyes glowed faintly in the gloom, reflecting the warped landscape like twin blades.

She was hunting.

Hunting which is dangerous for normal Dormant Humans.

But not to her.

The first monster emerged from behind a jagged ridge, alerted by her scent or her presence.

A Carapace Centurion.

It didn't matter.

It lunged, spear-limb plunging forward with terrifying speed.

Akame didn't dodge.

The attack landed squarely on her abdomen, the impact ringing through the labyrinth like a war drum. Her body reeled back a step, blood at the edge of her lips.

And then—

Boom.

A red shockwave burst outward from her skin.

The Centurion's entire arm exploded, sent flying backward with twice the force it had struck her with. The recoil slammed the monster into a coral wall, half-burying it in shattered bone and shell.

She ran towards it at full speed and brought her greatsword onto it, cutting it into half.

[You have slain an Awakened Monster, Carapace Centurion.]

Akame exhaled, eyes glowing brighter.

The second and third Centurions came together, flanking her.

One struck from the left—fast.

Akame stepped into it.

The blade-like limb sliced across her shoulder, sending a spray of blood into the air.

A moment later, that same limb snapped with a thunderous crack, rebounding back the monster and then, she swung her sword and pierced through its thorax with the momentum. It shrieked in agony and fell silent.

[You have slain an Awakened Monster, Carapace Centurion.]

The third tried to be clever—stabbing from above. It was the biggest of the three, its mandibles twitching with anticipation.

Akame raised her eyes and smiled.

The pincer descended—

—and she diverted it with her sword.

For a heartbeat, there was silence.

Then the rebound triggered.

A pulse of energy surged through her arm and into the pincer, traveling back along the Centurion's attack vector like lightning in reverse. The force doubled.

The entire Centurion was launched upward and ended up five steps back. Giving Akame a chance to split it into two.

[You have slain an Awakened Monster, Carapace Centurion.]

Silence fell.

Akame stood alone among the ruins of three monsters, her breathing calm, the blood on her lips already beginning to dry.

Three Awakened-ranked monsters.

Slain in less than five minutes.

She flexed her hand once, then bent down and began harvesting their Soul Cores with practiced efficiency.

Before leaving, she glanced at the distant statue rising over the horizon—the one she called camp now.

A quiet sigh escaped her lips.

'Since, when did I become such a monster?'

Then she turned and vanished into the coral haze, leaving behind only carnage and dust.

***

By the time Akame returned to the top of the Headless Knight, the sun had fully breached the jagged horizon, casting golden light over the ancient ruins. Lucas and the woman were already awake, both leaning against the statue's cool stone for support.

When they saw Akame approaching—cloak fluttering behind her, arms loaded with six large Soul Shards—their eyes widened in disbelief.

Lucas's mind raced.

'Those shards… they're too large for Dormant-class and I don't think they even exist in this place. So, Judging by the size and density—Awakened beasts. And six of them? In just half an hour?'

He glanced toward the coral path leading up to the statue.

'It takes fifteen minutes just to climb up and down. That means… her entire hunt took only fifteen minutes?'

He turned to Murphy, utterly flabbergasted.

"You found quite a fearsome mentor, Murphy."

Murphy, lounging nearby with his back against the knight's cracked torso, grinned lazily. "Isn't she?"

Lucas watched as Akame dropped the Soul Shards beside the fire, dusting off her palms like she'd just returned from a walk, not a massacre.

"She does all the fighting," Murphy continued, "while I act as her transport, brain and healer."

Lucas blinked. "Transport?"

Murphy paused, then waved it off with a mischievous smirk. "Ah, never mind that."

Akame looked at the woman beside him and gently placed six soul shards at her side, giving her a nod that held both steel and softness.

"Eat up," she said casually. "You'll need strength if you want to keep up."

Lucas watched all this in silence.

And for the first time since waking up in this forsaken place… he felt a flicker of hope.

From the sidelines, Murphy watched the scene unfold—and damn near choked trying not to laugh.

Honestly? Fighting Kaenaria in his First Nightmare had been easier than keeping his shit together right now.

Murphy's ribs ached from suppressed laughter. Gods, he wished he could roast him now.

But no. He'd be professional.

Murphy gently stirred the embers of the fire with a twig, letting silence linger a little longer.

Then, without looking up, he spoke softly.

"Now… before we talk about future plans, we'd like to know a bit more about you, Miss. If that's alright."

Elizabeth flinched slightly at being addressed. Her fingers tightened around the tattered cloth wrapped around her. Her lips parted, but no sound came out—her throat seemed to close under the weight of attention.

Lucas frowned, starting to say something, but stopped as he noticed Murphy glance at the woman.

Murphy gave her a small, warm smile. There was nothing dramatic about it—no pressure, no weight. Just kindness. A presence. Safety.

…And just beneath the surface, the delicate pulse of [Nirvana]—his Aspect—gently soothing the turbulence in her heart. Calming the memories. Not erasing. Just softening.

Elizabeth drew a quiet breath.

Then another.

"I… I'm Elizabeth," she said, her voice fragile but clear. "I was pulled into a Nightmare about a month and a half ago. Maybe more—I lost track of the days."

Murphy and Akame listened silently. Lucas's jaw tensed slightly.

"I survived for the first few days. Hid. Ran. Drank seawater when I could find it." Her voice cracked. "Then a Scavenger found me."

Her gaze dropped. Fingers clenched harder.

"It kept me alive… for a purpose. I was used as an incubator for its spawns. I… I don't know how long. It was a blur of pain and waking nightmares."

She didn't cry. Her voice just fell away into silence.

No one spoke. No one needed to.

Akame reached over without a word and gently took Elizabeth's hand in hers.

Murphy lowered his head slightly, murmuring just loud enough for her to hear, "You're safe now."

And though the fire crackled quietly between them, the warmth in that moment didn't come from the flames.

Murphy stirred the fire absently with a stick, then looked up at Elizabeth with a neutral expression.

"So… can I ask what you can do? Your Aspect, Attributes—that sort of thing?"

Elizabeth instinctively flinched. Her posture tightened. She glanced toward Murphy warily, unsure of his intentions.

He raised both hands in a calming gesture.

"I know. It's personal. But if we're going to survive in the Forgotten Shore together, we need to know what we're working with. Trust goes both ways."

He gestured toward Akame beside him.

"I'll share mine. So will Akame. Then you can go. No pressure—but no secrets either. Deal?"

There was a long pause before Elizabeth slowly nodded.

"...Fine."

She looked down, voice quiet. Flat. Like she'd explained this before—to someone who didn't survive long after.

"My Aspect is called [Archdemon]. It's Transcendent—though I can't really use it properly."

Murphy's eyebrows raised slightly at the rarity, but he said nothing.

"It lets me summon a snake. A white one. Two meters long. It can fly and protect me… and its strength scales just a little above mine. Since I'm still Dormant, the snake would be roughly as strong as a Dormant Devil. Useful in bursts. But not a frontline fighter. Also my Aspect provides passive mental attack resistance."

Murphy gave her space to continue, and after a shaky breath, she did.

"My Attribute is called [Beast-Loved]. It makes me... desirable to most living creatures, especially those with lower intelligence. But it comes with a price."

She hesitated, eyes flicking toward Akame, then back down.

"Because of that Attribute… if I were to act as an incubator for a creature, the offspring would be unusually strong. Potentially even born as a Fallen or Transcendent-class if the parent's luck is high."

Lucas's expression darkened.

"I also have another Attribute. [Hated]. As long as I hold hatred for something—or someone—I recover from injuries faster. It kept me alive in that nest."

"And... I have a minor affinity toward Divinity and strong affinity towards True Darkness" she added, voice barely above a whisper.

The fire crackled. For a moment, no one spoke.

Truth.

[Kalpata]'s ability gave a positive response. Then Murphy leaned forward, elbows on his knees.

"So, to summarize," he said calmly, "you can summon a moderately strong protective familiar, naturally attract any creature—especially creatures—and heal faster if you're filled with hate."

Elizabeth nodded slowly, a strange chill creeping up her spine from his even tone.

"And that makes you..." Murphy continued, tapping his chin thoughtfully, "...the perfect aggro."

"What?" she blinked.

He turned to the group, voice gaining energy.

"Think about it. She lures the monsters by simply existing. Akame takes the brunt of the initial assault, counters with twice the force. I stay back to heal both of them—and Lucas?"

Murphy looked at him with a small smirk.

"You mop up the survivors."

Lucas blinked. "Wait, why do I have to clean up?"

"Because you're still technically the second-best fighter here, right?" Murphy grinned.

Akame raised an eyebrow. "Is that how you assign roles, Murphy? Based on who survives the longest?"

"No," he said, stretching casually. "Based on who complains the loudest."

Elizabeth, despite everything, let out the smallest, ghost of a laugh.

For the first time, she felt something faint stir in her chest—something distant and fragile.

Hope.