Shadow Slave

The giant Great Beast was growing smaller and smaller as Sunny rose higher into the sky. The winds were howling, and he was slowly starting to feel apprehensive about how long it would take him to fall back down. The view was simply breathtaking... but even from such a high vantage point, Sunny could not see a single piece of land.

There were no islands, no continents, and no ships. There was not even another piece of flotsam.

He sighed.

'What a predicament.'

"Enjoying the view?"

Sunny flinched and craned his neck, looking at the Sin of Solace.

His identical copy was calmly standing on thin air, looking down at him. The wind was playing with the apparition's long black hair.

Sunny frowned.

'I... really need to get a haircut.'

"You're ignoring me now? Ungrateful."

He glared at the apparition silently, then asked:

"How are you doing that? Why aren't you falling?"

A wicked smile appeared on the face of the cursed spirit.

"It's because, unlike you, I'm not weighed down by sin."

Sunny scoffed.

"Bastard... it's literally in your name..."

The two were silent for a few moments, giving him ample time to enjoy the fact of just how insane he had become. After a while, the Sin of Solace pointed down.

stories about people

stared at the porcelain

I die, you die too, you

of Solace

spend more time in

gritted his teeth,

he's just a part of me...

back and turned into a blur. The shadows moved, flowing from

as he glided forward. To his right, the world was painted in hues of lilac by the light of dawn. To his left, the

that sky, following him. His hands

anything - in this

would be some place where he could land. Otherwise, the trial was too unreasonable... anyone without Memories like the Essence Pearl and the Nimble Catch would be doomed. The Spell was

thousands of kilometers away from the nearest piece of land. That would not be the first time Sunny found himself on the receiving end of truly terrible

one

my eye?] enchantment for the third time.

below followed Sunny with its cloudy eyes, and then dove back into the water. However, its vast shadow remained, moving

Sunny's expression grew bleak.

willing to let go,

he offend the serpent's ancestors in his

The sea serpent continued to follow Sunny, raising its head above the water from time to time to throw a chilling look in his direction. At some point, Sunny removed the black needle from his forearm and

Great Beast waiting for him in the river... and if there was one below, there could easily be one above. Being attacked by a flying abomination was the last thing Sunny wanted to happen - but if it

rise too

somber... and a

really. What kind of messed-up situation

turned

he winced and pushed the black needle

And so it continued.

Sunny. The hours slowly went by. Sometimes, he would rise, and sometimes, he would descend. The Heavenly Burden continued to poke small holes in

Sunny grew angry.

Then, he grew depressed.