And there were no better candidates than the people gathered on the forlorn battlefield today.
But, of course...
Sunny did not feel at ease, knowing that he was sending his friends into a peril far more deadly than anything he had experienced before. There was a complicated storm of emotions raging in his chest... and yet all those emotions were meaningless in the face of necessity.
"Well, no point in wasting time. Let's go."
Effie was the first one to move. She walked across the melting snow toward the nearest Nightmare Gate, stretching her shoulders as she went. It was as if she were preparing for a light jog instead of the horrors of the Fourth Nightmare.
Kai followed, and soon, all of them were approaching the Gate, the persistent Call growing louder and louder in their ears. Sunny and Nephis stayed back a little, and the six Saints were now arrayed in front of them, facing the Nightmare Gate. At that moment, they seemed to have forgotten about the two Supremes behind them, their attention drawn solely to the appalling darkness rippling in front of them.
From here, they would travel to the Dream Realm and allow the Call to drag them toward the Seed of Nightmare connected to the Gate.
And then, they were going to challenge it. Nobody knew how long conquering the Nightmare would take them, but it was most likely going to be a long while — months at best, probably years.
Sunny and Nephis would just have to hold the world together while they were gone. In the end, the six Saints turned around to throw one last look at them.
Kai sighed.
"Don't worry. We will return victorious."
Sunny lingered for a few moments, then scoffed.
"Who is worried? Just... be careful. I prepared you for the Nightmare myself. So if you have any conscience, you will come back alive... otherwise, it will be very embarrassing for me."
Effie shook his head.
"Well, we are worried. Not about ourselves, mind you... we're mainly worried about what you'll do to the world in our absence."
Jet simply shrugged.
"If you think about it, we survived the Chain of Nightmares. So what's one more Nightmare, really?"
She smiled and then gave Sunny a nod.
"You be careful, too. Don't do anything too crazy."
Sunny coughed.
"No promises..."
At that moment, Morgan looked down, at a puddle of melted snow beneath her feet.
A subtle smile twisted her lips.
"You've come, after all.”
There, an unexpected figure reflected in the water, standing next to her.
It was Mordret. However, if he said something to Morgan, their conversation remained private.
Nightwalker, meanwhile, looked at Seishan and sighed.
"It seems no one has come to see us off. How about it, young lady? Should we have a poignant emotional moment between each other, not to feel left out?"
Seishan spared him a glance and shook her head politely.
“I think I'll refuse."
Nightwalker laughed quietly.
"Fair enough..."
And then, there was nothing more to say. Sunny and Nephis stood side by side, watching as the six figures in front of them vanished.
Vanished to challenge the Fourth Nightmare.
They were left alone under the cold sky.