Shadow Slave

Sunny remained silent for a few moments, then stood up.

"Please, follow me. I want to show you something."

Cassie rose, and they walked together through the impenetrable darkness. As they did, he spoke in a tone of indifference:

"You know a lot about what I've been up to after becoming a Saint. For a while... I did not even have plans of ever returning. So, my preparations are not as extensive as yours. Still, I've been working on bringing down the Sovereigns earnestly, in my own way."

She nodded.

"Your involvement is both welcome and appreciated. You might want to be modest, Sunny... but there is really no need to. There are very few Saints more powerful than you. Maybe even none. So, your presence alone is significant enough to change the balance of power entirely."

Sunny smiled.

"Who says that I want to be modest? Yes, I am powerful. Not only am I powerful, but each of my Shadows is also a walking calamity. There are only six people in the world that I am inclined to be wary of the three Sovereigns, Mordret, Nephis... and you.

His smile widened.

"And look at that, three of the six have decided to join hands to defeat the rest. I'd be afraid of us if 1 was someone else."

They returned to the inner sanctum of the temple and entered the stairwell to the underground level.

Sunny's smile dimmed a little.

"Returning to my preparations to kill the Supremes. Make no mistake... I am determined to achieve Supremacy without venturing into a Nightmare, as well. It's just that while Nephis is prevented from doing so by circumstances, I simply can't. Because... well, you know. Sadly, I must admit that I am half a step behind her, in that regard. Which is why my plan revolved around battling at least one of the Sovereigns as Saints."

They reached the great underground hall, which was drowning in darkness. Sunny had hidden it from Nephis the last time around. However, Cassie was witnessing the world through his eyes - so, she could see everything that he could see.

She was momentarily frozen in place.

"Don't worry. It's safe."

was like a reflection of the main hall, as if someone had flipped the entire temple and put it below ground upside-down. The great pillars of black marble descended from the tall ceiling and rested on the floor, and silence reigned in the vast expanse of solemn emptiness. There

itself looked... quite striking. It was as if the great wall of black marble had turned into liquid once, and swirled around an invisible axis before solidifying in a sudden ripple. It was

also capable of absorbing a vast amount of essence like a bottomless

was stunned by

kind of sorcery

at the great

that is much older than all the rest.

was simply a manifestation of a deity's will. lіght\nоvel\world~c`о/m. There were some tricks to it, no doubt - otherwise, there would be no need for the mystical circle to exist, or for the string of fate belonging to the

For all intents

a hint of

"What does it do?"

silent for a moment, then

fact, I found it

brow furrowed a

pushed her into rethinking a thousand

few moments later, she turned to him and slowly

put it in Godgrave... as

smiled, allowing her

you put your temple here and let your presence be known by delivering those Sleepers to the Song Domain. Then, you just

Sunny chuckled.

"You are half-right."

Cassie raised an eyebrow.

"Only half?"

He nodded.

is bait.

if trying to pierce

is inevitable, and one way or the other, it must happen here. Either they will come to besiege my Citadel, or I will move it to besiege them. Even if Nephis manages to become a Sovereign, she will still be new and inexperienced as a ruler of a Domain. So, she'll need all

for