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?'

mouth, bit into

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

that, the Stone Saint fell into

I didn't dismiss her.

looked at him with a

just happened? What did

the truth and deceive anyone. Opening his

"I have no idea."

of rusty steel that remained after the devil had been destroyed, Sunny moved it around with his foot

no shards left.

silent for a few

Finally, she said:

Echo is

***

their wounds, Sunny walked to a secluded corner and dove into

rows of motionless shadows standing at

the other creatures Sunny had slain, just as empty as the rest of them. There

Sunny grinned.

home. You're

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

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

I'm

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

destroyed nor subjugated. He was free, alive, and growing stronger with each

day, they would be the ones cowering in front of him or be destroyed by him. Just

and walked to stand beneath the black sun of his shadow core. Then, he summoned the Stone

…But nothing happened.

— to the same effect. Suddenly worried, he willed the runes

true. The Stone Saint was still

is going on with