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

of the Black Knight was devoured. The red glow it

the Stone Saint fell into the shadows

dismiss her. What the hell is

looked at him

happened? What did

twist the truth and deceive anyone. Opening

"I have no idea."

that remained after the devil had been destroyed, Sunny moved it around with his foot for a bit

no shards

for

Finally, she said:

is very

***

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

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

as the rest of them. There was no trace of

Sunny grinned.

Make yourself at home. You're not going anywhere

satisfaction grasped his heart. Staring at the motionless form of his

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

laughing now, huh? I won't deny it, you got me good. But I'm still breathing while you're dead. At

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

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

front of him or be

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

…But nothing happened.

worried, he willed

come true. The Stone

what is going