Shadow Slave

The stars shone brightly in the cold black sky. Sitting on a wide tree branch, Rain studied them silently, surrounded by darkness.

'It's strange.’

Some of the stars looked familiar, but she couldn't recognize any constellations. The alien sky of the Dream Realm was different from that of Earth, but worse than that, it was both fickle and unreliable. The stars shining upon the Song Domain were different from those illuminating the Sword Domain, and even various regions of the two kingdoms did not share the same heaven.

Some places did not even have a sun, while others were bathed in the light of many moons.

Astronomers were probably going crazy...

"Why are you still awake? Sleep. You'll need all your strength tomorrow."

Her teacher's voice resounded softly from the darkness, making Rain sigh.

He was right. She had climbed the enormous tree and tied herself to the branch in order to rest, but now that there was nothing else left to do...

"I can't sleep."

Sleep was escaping her.

Her teacher chuckled.

"Nervous?”

Rain remained silent for a while. Was she nervous? She couldn't tell.

They had spent a lot of time preparing for this hunt. From searching for suitable prey and learning all that could be learned about it to coming up with plans and contingencies, studying the terrain, and preparing all the necessary equipment. The process was only different from all the previous hunts because it had been so extensive.

She was supposed to kill an Awakened Demon this time, after all.

So, Rain did feel a little nervous... frightened, even. But at the same time, she was a little excited. Not only because successfully slaying the demon would finally allow her to grasp the key of Awakening, which she had been trying to do for many years, but also because of the challenge itself.

She always felt a pleasant rush of adrenaline when facing appaling abominations in battle. To be strong, to be able to protect herself and other people - that was what she wanted, and why she had accepted the ominous shadow's offer to be her teacher.

Rain smiled.

"What is there to be nervous about? It's just an Awakened Demon."

Her teacher laughed in the darkness.

"Fair enough."

was a bit of silence, and then Rain asked against her better

first Awakened Demon you fought

spoke in a

tall as a house, covered in a carapace of impregnable steel armor, with claws strong enough to crush diamonds and a pair of razor-sharp scythes

Was such a creature really worth feeling

did you kill

Her teacher laughed.

not much stronger than you. So I summoned a Corrupted Devil and pitted them against each other. At least I

and then added

then I acted as bait while my partner

what shocked her more the fact that her teacher had apparently been

up with that

hesitated for a moment, then

partner

silent for

he said in a carefree

she's in a beautiful

tone was carefree, but for the first time, Rain could feel a hint of a strange emotion

What did he mean?

a dark deity, then could his partner be a celestial deity? No

his partner dead? Was that what

anyone who had fought by his side before his Awakening

feeling pity for her poor teacher. Wishing to distract him from unpleasant

did you manage to summon a Terror to fight

He chuckled.

setting the demon's boss on fire. Now, enough

the demon's boss? Do demons

Rain let out a long

swaying slightly under her, which

into the embrace of sleep, a sudden thought surfaced in her

a partner... then why the hell is he making me hunt this

dreams were

***

branch and carefully climbed down. Soon enough, she reached the ground, standing on the outskirts of a vast forest

far away that the mountain chain was merely a dark line on the horizon. There was no