Shadow Slave

Sunny looked at the terrified young girl, and then… laughed.

...His laughter sounded more than a little bit unhinged.

His lady shuddered:

"Sir, you… you…"

Sunny waved a hand in the air.

"No, no. No need… I understand. I sound crazy."

The night sky above them was covered in an impregnable veil of clouds, and the one below them was empty and dark. The ancient stones they stood upon were slick with rainwater, and it was too dim to see anything except for vague silhouettes.

The silhouette of the Awakened hunter was towering, menacing, and embodied the very concept of terror.

But Sunny didn't care that much.

Massaging his chest, he smiled crookedly and said, his voice hoarse and raspy:

"...But then again, this whole world is insane. Someone told me once… ah, I don't quite remember who… that we can only reflect what is in front of us. Is it my fault that there is nothing in front of me except for madness?"

He looked down, his smile turning into a wicked grin.

"And someone else once told me that they wanted to destroy the world. Back then, I thought them insane… I think… but now, I wonder…"

his monstrous

so weak… his

Sunny laughed again.

I wasn't supposed to be able to last that

glanced at his sword, then at the approaching

cruel they were… did hit

with a concerned expression,

almost as if after you have already been gutted once, nothing else can impress you that much. Or if you have already watched your mother die once, the second time won't

away from him, her face painted with fear. The Awakened killer tilted his head a little,

"What?"

Sunny shrugged.

least not to the point where I'll be unable

raised his sword and pointed it at the approaching

in a nightmare or in the real life. So, that demands a

step forward, a

will try to do something on their own, and sometimes fragments of feelings, ideas, and judgments that I have to cause to possess will just appear on their own. Easy

assumed a defensive position,

of light I seem to be able to see inside the souls of living beings… or vile orbs of darkness in those of the Corrupted. It took me a few nightmares to

ready to meet his death… once

nightmares, I met all kinds of creatures. Awakened warriors, Corrupted monsters… even

at the mighty black steed standing motionless

does this damned horse always

where the hunter's sword flashed, abandoning the young girl

and jumped to his

directed at the menacing killer… instead,