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

The red glow it emanated disappeared, returning the world

Saint fell into the shadows

I didn't dismiss her. What the hell

him with

happened? What did

didn't have to twist the truth and deceive

"I have no idea."

been destroyed, Sunny moved it

no shards left.

for

Finally, she said:

is

***

fight and tending to their wounds, Sunny walked to a secluded corner

familiar silence. Glancing at the rows of motionless shadows standing at the

Sunny had slain, just as empty as the rest of them. There was no trace of the

Sunny grinned.

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

deep, dark satisfaction grasped his heart. Staring at the motionless form of his sworn enemy, Sunny had to stop himself from kicking the Black Knight with

Kicking him would have been like kicking the air. Plus, Sunny wasn't vindictive to that degree.

won't deny it, you got me good. But I'm still breathing while you're dead. At the end of

world — no, both this world and the real one were full of creatures that were bigger, stronger, and more powerful than Sunny. Many of them had either threatened his existence or felt compelled to treat him

was still here despite all of them, neither destroyed nor subjugated. He was free, alive, and growing stronger

in front of him or be destroyed by him.

beneath the black sun of his shadow core. Then, he summoned

…But nothing happened.

to the same effect. Suddenly worried, he willed the runes to appear in

not come true. The Stone Saint

what is going on