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?'

her mouth, bit into the eerie

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

after that, the Stone Saint fell

her.

at him

What did she

to twist the truth and

"I have no idea."

devil had been destroyed, Sunny moved it around with his foot for a

no shards left.

Star remained silent for a few moments, then

Finally, she said:

is very

***

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

Glancing at the rows of motionless shadows standing at the edge of

empty as the rest of them. There was no trace of the menacing and deadly Fallen Devil left. Now, he was

Sunny grinned.

at home. You're not going anywhere else

motionless form of his sworn

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

deny it, you got me good. But I'm still breathing while you're dead. At the end of the day, that's all

real one were full of creatures that were bigger, stronger, and more powerful than Sunny.

nor subjugated. He was free, alive, and growing stronger

they would be the ones cowering in front of him or be

turned away and walked to stand beneath the black sun of his shadow core.

…But nothing happened.

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

come true. The Stone Saint was still listed as

is going