Shadow Slave: A Supreme Bond (Sunphis Wedding One-Shot)

As the first Nightmare Creature emerged from the Gate, a suffocating pressure settled over the battlefield.

First came a massive foot—jagged nails slicing through ancient trees like paper, its sole grinding the earth beneath it into dust. A grotesque hand followed, thick as a fortress wall, its gnarled fingers curling like the claws of a predator. Then, with a sickening lurch, the rest of its body forced its way through the rupture in reality—a towering abomination of twisted sinew and rotting flesh, its very existence a violation of nature itself.

Its bulbous eyes rolled wildly before locking onto the figures standing below, filled with ravenous hunger.

A Great Devil.

GGRRRRR!

The sound wasn't a roar. It was a force—an ear-splitting shockwave that sent a violent gust tearing through the air, almost forming a storm.

And yet, this was only the first. More would come.

The Saints tensed, ready to charge—

But Sunny raised a hand.

They hesitated, watching him.

He wasn't certain if his theory would hold, but this was the perfect opportunity to test it. His gaze met Nephis's, and in that single glance, understanding passed between them.

She had reached the same conclusion.

The abomination let out another ground-shaking roar and raised its monstrous hand, preparing to crush them all beneath its weight.

A few Saints held their breath.

Then—

A blinding light flashed.

In an instant, a streak of searing radiance carved through the abomination's flesh, cleaving its grotesque body in two. Flames ignited along the clean cut, devouring it to dust before it could even collapse.

Beneath the falling embers, Nephis stood motionless, her blade still resting against her shoulder.

Gone was the elegant wedding dress she had worn just minutes ago. In its place, a magnificent crimson armor adorned her frame, its radiant glow still flickering from the recent strike.

She glanced down at the tattered remains of her dress and frowned as if she had been forced to swallow something bitter.

Sunny chuckled.

It seemed the loss of the wedding dress hurt her more than she'd expected.

For a moment, he waited, ears straining for the sound he had been hoping to hear. Just as he was about to give up, it came.

[Your Shadow grows stronger.]

His smile widened.

'Just as I thought.'

It made perfect sense.

The description of [Supreme Bond] linked Nephis and his soul into a singular whole.

Ordinary Awakened couldn't absorb Shadow Fragments. But he was no ordinary Awakened—and now, neither was she. Even if Nephis couldn't absorb the shadow fragments directly, Sunny could claim them. Her kills wouldn't go to waste.

It was an incredible development.

A second roar thundered through the battlefield. More abominations began pouring from the Gate, each more monstrous than the last.

Sunny turned toward the gathered Saints.

"Remember," he said, lowering his hand, "you can only make two mistakes."

The moment his hand dropped, the Saints exploded into motion.

...

"Two mistakes..."

Morgan murmured the words, her gaze fixed on the writhing mass of grotesque limbs before her. The abomination towered over the battlefield, its presence warping the air like a wound in reality.

She inhaled deeply, then turned sharply toward the assembled Valor Knights.

"Now that the Shadow Clan has been revealed, the balance of power among the Great Clans is going to change completely." Her cold red eyes flicked over them, one by one, sharp as a blade. "Our contribution to this battle will decide Valor's standing in the new world order."

The knights stiffened under her scrutiny.

"Sovereign Sunless has granted us two mistakes," she continued, her voice like steel. "But I will only allow you one. If you make another after that..."

A dangerous pause.

The knights tensed, then dropped to one knee and struck the ground with their weapons in perfect unison. The sound echoed across the battlefield like the drumbeat of war.

"Glory to Clan Valor! We won't make mistakes!"

From the side, the government Saints looked on with expressions of mild confusion and annoyance, but none dared interrupt what they saw as some sort of 'ritual.'

Morgan smiled and turned her back on them, facing the approaching monstrosity with a gleam in her eyes.

"Good." She unsheathed her sword. "Now go. And don't let those Song bastards outdo us."

...

Elsewhere on the battlefield, a similar scene played out.

Revel stood before her assembled forces, her gaze flicking to the masked figures in the distance. A knowing smile played on her lips.

"This battle will define our standing," she announced.

She tilted her head, eyes narrowing in amusement. "It's wise to assume Sovereign Sunless isn't directly supporting the Shadow Clan. If he were, it would already be the single monolith at the top. Instead, it's solely managed by his sister."

She clenched her fist and raised it high.

"If we prove our worth here, nothing will stop us from claiming our place at the pinnacle of the new world order."

Her voice dropped slightly, turning sharp.

"So don't let them outdo us."

She turned toward the incoming abominations, her smirk widening.

"Especially those Valor maggots."

...

In another corner of the battlefield, Saint Cor stood in silence, his face carved from stone.

Beside him, Effie and Jet exchanged glances, waiting. Behind them, the government's Saints stood in rigid lines, their bodies tense with anticipation.

Finally, Cor spoke.

"If not for the generosity of the Sovereigns, the government would have collapsed before the war even ended." His voice was low but carried across the ranks like the first rumble of an earthquake. "And if we fall behind in this battle, the government will become nothing more than a joke—a pitiful relic, surviving only by the mercy of those in true power."

His gaze swept over the assembled soldiers, weighing them.

"If anyone deserves to shape the new world, it should be the ones who have bled and toiled for the ordinary citizens. Not those who hoard power for their own selfish gain."

He raised his hand, fingers curling into a fist.

"This is our moment to reclaim our place. Show them what the real heroes of humanity are made of!"

A roar erupted from the ranks, shaking the very ground beneath them.

...

At the heart of the battlefield, Kai turned towards the Saints gathered under his command, his expression unreadable.

"This war will change everything." His voice was calm, yet it carried through the battlefield like a whisper through a storm.

"In the pursuit of power and prestige, many will overreach. Many will bite off more than they can chew."

His gaze flicked toward the three factions positioned on the battlefield's edges. Valor, Song, the government. Each preparing to make their stand, each with their own ambitions.

Kai exhaled slowly.

"And we are here to make sure humanity doesn't lose any of its warriors to the jaws of these abominations today."

As his body shifted, scales rippling across his skin, his form expanded. Wings burst from his back, horns crowned his head, and a deep, guttural growl rumbled from his throat.

A majestic dragon loomed where Kai had stood just moments before.

His voice was no longer human. It was heavy, resonant, the voice of something ancient and indomitable.

"Give it your all." His golden eyes gleamed. "Don't make a single mistake."

...

In a distant corner of the battlefield, perched atop a jagged cliff, a fifth group of masked figures stood motionless, watching the nightmare unfold below.

At their front stood Rain, her eyes unblinking as they swept across the war-torn field, analyzing every movement, every shifting tide of battle.

A masked man with striking blue hair took a step forward.

"Leader, should we—"

"No," Rain interrupted, her voice steady. "Save your strength. Unless Lady Cassie calls on us to intervene elsewhere, we will conserve our power and focus on the Cursed Beasts."

She shifted her gaze toward the far end of the battlefield, where battle had already erupted into chaos.

"Or if any of them burn through their two mistakes," she added, "we'll assist. Though... Saint Nightingale won't let it come to that."

A sudden, rhythmic chewing sound broke through the distant clamor of war.

The masked warriors turned in unison, eyes narrowing at the figure lounging casually behind them. A beautiful man, draped in loose robes, held a half-eaten piece of roasted meat in his hand.

With a satisfied sigh, he swallowed.

"Effie wasn't lying... this really is the best meat in this world." He chuckled, taking another bite.

Silence stretched between the masked warriors, their collective exasperation almost palpable.

The blue-haired man finally broke the tension with a sharp sigh. "Would someone please explain why we're saddled with him?" He jabbed a finger toward Noctis without bothering to mask his irritation. "This battle will be brutal. Avoiding mistakes will be difficult enough without having to babysit someone who treats this like a picnic."

His eyes flickered to the crumpled mask stuffed haphazardly into Noctis' pocket. "Not to mention he doesn't even respect the sacred mask of our clan."

Noctis, still chewing, merely grinned.

"Oh, you don't have to worry about looking after me." He swallowed leisurely, brushing stray crumbs from his sleeve. "No matter how many mistakes I make, I won't die."

Then, his expression turned almost apologetic as he pulled the mask slightly from his pocket.

"As for the mask... Well, I can't de-summon it like you brats, so I have to carry it around. Can't exactly wear it while eating, can I?"

A vein nearly popped in the blue-haired man's temple.

"Did you just call me—"

"Enough," Rain cut in sharply.

Her tone silenced the brewing argument at once. She turned her gaze to the warriors behind her.

"Noctis is an important friend of my brother," she stated. "Unless you want to earn his wrath, I suggest you show due respect."

A ripple of hesitation passed through the group. Seeing that order had been restored, Rain exhaled.

"His position within the clan will be decided after this battle. Until then, treat him as an official member."

A low rumble rolled through the battlefield, drawing their attention back to the Gate.

The blue-haired warrior shot Noctis one last glance before turning away.

Then—

The ground trembled violently.

A grotesque, misshapen limb, too thick and bloated compared to the other Great nightmare creatures, slithered through the Gate's shimmering rupture. A second followed. Then a third.

A massive, bulbous form pressed through the opening—its spherical body fused together from a writhing mass of limbs, each appendage twitching and grasping hungrily at the air.

The moment it emerged, the battlefield was swallowed by an eerie, purple miasma.

Rain stiffened.

"A Great Titan..." she whispered, her throat tightening."But we didn't see it in the projection—"

A new voice joined them.

"This... wasn't part of my vision."

Cassie.

She stood among them now, as if she had always been there, her blind eyes eerily calm.

The entire group turned toward her.

"The cracks must have done more than disrupt my foresight," she murmured, her fingers tightening at her sides.

Rain hesitated, then asked, "Should we act now?"

Cassie sighed.

"I will."

She placed a gentle hand on Rain's shoulder, grounding her.

"Stay here."

Rain frowned, but Cassie's grip tightened.

"It may not just be the Great Ones," Cassie warned. "More Cursed Creatures—higher-class ones—could appear as well. We need your strength even more than before."

Her blind gaze swept across the gathered warriors, lingering for a moment on Noctis... then on a certain masked woman with long, glistening ebony hair.

"After all..." her voice dropped, carrying an undeniable weight. "You are the only group of Saints who stand a chance against a Cursed One."

And with that, she vanished—gone as suddenly as she had appeared, leaving only silence in her wake.

The weight of her words settled over the group like a shroud.

The blue-haired warrior clenched his fist, then lowered his head in a deep bow.

"Lady Cassie acknowledged our strength." His voice carried a rare note of reverence. "There is no doubt—we will triumph."

The others straightened, nodding in agreement.

Rain sighed. "Don't let it go to your head." She turned her gaze back to the monstrous form looming in the distance. "It might cost you a valuable mistake."