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…"

hunter took a step forward, his monstrous voice

his

Sunny laughed again.

enough, I guess? Somehow, I have a feeling that I wasn't supposed to be able to last that long. Who would be able to endure that much pain, that much horror, and

sword, then

yet, I did. Actually, while some of those nightmares… gods, how cruel they were… did hit a nerve, overall… I am surprised to admit

the Awakened hunter with a concerned expression, then scratch the

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 be as… well… maybe it would? I don't know… I am a bit confused about what is real, and what is not. Maybe I am myself not real. There's one thing

from him, her face painted with fear.

"What?"

Sunny shrugged.

hard to break. As it turns out. At least not to the point

raised his sword and pointed it at

in the real life. So, that demands a question… if the heartache

step forward, a confused expression on his

and judgments that I have to

a defensive position, waiting for the terrifying Awakened hunter to

Corrupted. It took me a few nightmares to realize that those were soul cores. Strangely, once again, this ability pursued me from the nightmares into reality, making the two seem so much alike. So… with all that said…

smiled, ready to meet his

kinds of creatures. Awakened warriors, Corrupted monsters… even Transcendent immortals.

past his enemy, at the

question is… why does this damned horse always

where the hunter's sword flashed, abandoning the young girl he was sworn to protect without a second

under the flying blade and jumped to his feet, putting all of his

directed at the menacing killer… instead, it was directed at the