Shadow Slave

Grasped in the Shadow's fist was a strange, beautiful, and ominous gem. It was utterly black, as though suffused with impenetrable darkness. The glossy black surface seemed to devour light, turning the vast hall of the ruined cathedral even darker than it had been before.

Deep within that black void, crimson flames burned with a menacing red glow. It was pulsating in a slow and bizarre rhythm, drowning everything around in dim red light. Painted by it, the Stone Saint seemed to be drenched in blood. The gem she held looked like a bloody, still-beating heart that she had torn out of someone's chest.

Gazing at it, Sunny felt a strange sense of foreboding.

'What the hell is this thing?'

The gem looked sort of like a soul shard, but… different. He had never seen a black shard, to begin with, or one radiating such an intense glow. It also didn't seem like a piece of a broken core. On the contrary, it appeared… whole?

'Is that what a soul core of a Nightmare Creature looks like?'

No, not a soul core.

A soul?

Stunned, Sunny counted the crimson flames burning in the depths of the black gem. One, two, three… four.

Four flames for the four cores of Fallen Devil.

The thing that his Shadow held in her hand was the Black Knight's soul… or some sort of his essence, at least. By how had it turned into a material form?

Did the Stone Saint do it? If so, how… no, why?

'What is she doing with it?!'

As Sunny and Nephis looked in stunned silence, the Shadow finally moved. Bringing the black gem close to her face, she lingered for a moment. A hint of a dark, macabre emotion appeared in her eyes.

And then, the Stone Saint… swallowed it.

Sunny blinked.

'...What?'

Shadow opened her mouth, bit into the eerie crystal, and swallowed

of the Black Knight was devoured. The red glow it emanated disappeared, returning the world

Stone Saint fell

I didn't dismiss her. What the hell is

at him with a

What did she

the truth

"I have no idea."

after the devil had been destroyed, Sunny moved it around with

no shards left. It's

Star remained silent for a few

Finally, she said:

is very

***

recovering from the fight and tending to their wounds, Sunny

met him with familiar silence. Glancing at the rows of motionless shadows standing at the edge of it, Sunny noticed

among all the other creatures Sunny had slain, just as empty as the rest of them. There was no trace of the menacing and

Sunny grinned.

Make yourself at home. You're not going anywhere else ever,

his heart. Staring at the motionless form of his sworn enemy, Sunny

kicking the air. Plus, Sunny wasn't vindictive to that degree. Killing the

now, huh? I won't deny it, you got me good. But I'm still breathing

that were bigger, stronger, and more powerful than Sunny. Many of them

despite all of them, neither destroyed nor subjugated. He

of him or be destroyed by him. Just like the

Sunny turned away and walked to stand beneath the black sun of his shadow core. Then, he

…But nothing happened.

— to the same effect. Suddenly worried, he

not come true. The Stone Saint was still listed

what is going