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

The battle stretched on for what felt like an eternity. Strike after strike. Blow after blow. Each one bringing him closer— or further away—from victory.

Sunny had finally unraveled the cursed terror's weakness—but only after enduring a seemingly endless cycle of suffering, dying, and clawing his way back from the brink of death.

Now, only one thing remained. The final strike.

He glanced at the three orbs of dark radiance hovering above the Dusk Titan's head, pulsating with terrifying potential.

"Should this much be enough?"

They were both a limitless wellspring of essence and a reservoir of devastation. Sunny had personally woven them, fusing together some of the most powerful enchantments he knew. 

The Serpent King's Crown of Twilight, which supplied an endless stream of essence at dusk and dawn—modified to fit all times of day. As well as a collection of memories designed to store and unleash catastrophic energy.

They were formidable as is. Yet, it was only now—only with Nephis's domain amplifying his command over light and fire—that their true destructive potential could be realized.

Although using it would deplete all his essense storage, rending him completely powerless afterwards, the sheer devastation they could unleash was beyond reason.

There was just one problem. This attack could not hit moving targets.

"Can you stay in one place for, like, SEVEN SECONDS?"

He watched the cursed terror jump and wobble like a demented child, and let out a long, tired sigh.

'This is going to hurt like hell.'

The Dusk Titan lunged forward, its massive sword cutting through the battlefield in a streak of black flames.

The clash resumed. The suffering resumed. The pain. The agony. With each passing attempt, it got harder to bear.

But this time—this time was different. They only needed one chance. One moment to pin the terror in place.

Just seven seconds.

Long enough for the radiant spheres to unleash their full fury and end this in a single, final strike. And with that goal, he unleashed everything at his disposal one by one. 

Strike. Strike. Strike.

Attempt No. 60.

Failed.

The cursed bastard threw the Titan back before Sunny could lock it down.

Strike. Again.

Attempt No. 65.

Failed.

But... this time was close. He had grasped it for just half a second longer this time.

Not enough.

Strike. Fail. Strike. Fail. Strike. Fail.

Attempt No. 79.

Something cracked deep inside him.

Not just his body—his soul. The repeated onslaught of fatal wounds, soul damage and forced healing was finally beginning to take its toll.

But it wasn't enough to break him.

Sunny had survived worse.

As for the progress?

Failure. Again.

But this time, he had held it for three seconds. At least, he believed so. He wasn't sure anymore.

Strike. Strike. Fail. Fail. Fail.

Attempt No. 98.

The first crack appeared.

Tiny—almost unnoticeable—but it refused to heal. His soul was damaged now. Not beyond repair, not yet... but it wouldn't be mended anytime soon. And this was only the first crack.

The Dusk Titan still stood. The battle was still ongoing.

And his progress?

He was close. So close. Just one more attempt. One more chance.

Strike. Strike. Strike.

Attempt No. 134.

The Dusk Titan was crumbling. Not just cracked—collapsing. Fissures ran through its armor like spreading veins, splintering, crawling toward its core —toward him.

Sunny gritted his teeth.

The damage was maddening. His mind wavered, teetering on the edge of plunging into darkness.

If this wasn't resolved soon, if he failed again... He would have no choice but to share his burden with Nephis.

Sunny clenched his fists.

Nephis was part of the Titan, yes—but only partially. Her soul wasn't assimilated completely in the Titan. She couldn't be. Despite being part of the same whole, the Dusk Titan was fundamentally his.

That she could even merge partially, lend him her strength, was a miracle. And it was beyond just taxing for her.

He couldn't burden her with more.

And for his progress...?

He was close.

Five seconds. Just two more. Just. Two. More.

He would get it. Next attempt. Definitely.

Strike. Strike. Fail.

Attempt No. 231.

The Titan was on the verge of collapse. Its armor had all but shattered. Cracks splintered across its limbs, its body trembling under its own weight, its sword heavy and unstable in its grip.

Holding it was getting difficult. Holding on to himself was getting difficult. His mind was on the verge of shattering.

By all means, it should have already. The only thing holding it together... Was her.

Because she was sharing his burden. Because she was suffering with him.

Sunny exhaled sharply, his breath ragged.

It must have hurt her. It must have been painful.

Every failure. Every second wasted. Every moment he took too long—she suffered.

The thought ate away at him.

His own pain? He didn't care. Pain. Agony. Losing his mind to the depths of madness... He would gladly take it all alone.

But Nephis...

Letting her suffer with him— That was unacceptable.

His progress?

No. Not close. Not anymore. It was getting worse.

With every attempt, his hold on the terror weakened. The bastard countered each and every single one of his tricks. No matter what he tried, it wasn't working. 

It wasn't working.

It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't. It wasn't—

It wasn't working.

Why? Why wasn't it working? WHY?

Sunny's mind reeled. His thoughts blurred, his vision frayed.

It was bad. Bad. Very bad. Very bad.

There was only one way left. A way to distract the terror, to make it stay in one place. A way to do so without hurting Nephis.

It was dangerous, extremely so, but-

Did he have a choice?

No.

Could he still hesitate?

No.

Would she be angry?

...She would.

She would.

But he had to do it. For her.

"Nephis..."

Gathering everything he had left, he forced himself to form one last thought.

"I'm sorry."

He didn't get a reply. Because at that moment— The Dusk Titan collapsed. A monstrous hand tore through its chest. It ripped Sunny out.

Behind him, the shadows melted, the Titan dissolved— And all that remained was a colossal thumb pressing against him.

And above, that mocking, harrowing grin. Like a child who had finally caught the insect it had been chasing. Eager to crush it.

The world tilted.

The cursed terror's gaze remained locked on Sunny's battered body—dark, harrowing, almost... curious.

Its massive hands shook, flailing him like a broken toy.

Sunny's mind reeled.

He couldn't escape. Not anymore.

In such proximity, the terror's overwhelming presence dominated his will, suppressing his abilities. He couldn't shadow step away. Couldn't summon memories to fight back.

Not that he was in any condition to fight anyway. All he could do now was— Stay alive long enough.

'One... Two...'

The cursed terror grinned, pressing its thumb into his stomach—like a child prodding a bug just to watch it squirm.

Creak—

A sickening sound echoed, making the terror grin widely. Bones snapping. Spine splintering. Ribs cracking like dry twigs.

A sharp jolt of pain shot through him, blood spilling from his lips—along with things that would have made an ordinary human retch on sight.

But he didn't break. His mind fixated on a single thought.

'Three... Four...'

The terror's smile widened, pleased with its new toy. It was enjoying this. It was rare for a child-like cursed terror to get its hands on such a perfectly durable Supreme plaything.

Why crush it so soon?

Snap.

Sunny's body bent. He bit through the pain, his jaw clenched so tight that his teeth cracked.

The cursed terror twisted its face into something like a smirk, then continued.

Tearing. Twisting. Breaking. Splitting.

Like a cruel child plucking the legs off an insect, watching to see how long it would squirm.

And Sunny?

He endured. Because with every second, he was closer. Closer to the end. Closer to revenge.

'Five... Six... Now!'

The three spheres surged. Like black suns igniting, they bathed the battlefield in a brilliant darkness—solemn yet radiant, dull yet alive.

The black light spread. Surrounding the terror. Trapping it.

Then— A silent flash. A violent burst of power erupted, followed by a howling explosion. It was pure energy. Condensed. Focused.

Three converging rays, neither light nor shadow, but something in between— focused into a singular point.

The cursed terror's weak spot.

The creature recoiled. The concentrated onslaught tore into its core, like a magnifying glass burning through flesh.

The terror screeched. A raw, piercing wail—like a child throwing a tantrum, but filled with unbearable agony.

It thrashed. Its fingers opened.

Sunny was flung aside, his body already broken beyond reason. His soul hung on by a thread. But he was alive.

He had survived for seven seconds of hell. Seven seconds that should have killed him ten times over. His Authority over Death was the only reason he still existed.

Otherwise, he would have been nothing but dust.

As his ruined body fell, weightless, he expected to hit cold, hard ground. Instead, a gentle warmth caught him, soft, familiar.

A lap.

A hand ran through his hair, trembling slightly.

"You idiot..." The voice was soft, strained—on the verge of breaking. "Are you happy now?"

Sunny barely had the strength to open his eyes. But he smiled.

"Suffering all alone, right after we got married?"

A faint glow surrounded them. Revitalizing energy flowed into his shattered form, knitting flesh and bone back together.

Sunny let out a breathless chuckle.

"It's better than watching you suffer fruitlessly with me."

Nephis sighed. "It's not."

Her fingers tightened slightly in his hair.

"I could have eased your pain."

Sunny blinked up at her. Her silver eyes shimmered—bright, warm. Sad. He closed his own eyes, exhaling softly.

"My pain disappeared the moment I saw your face."

Nephis flicked his forehead gently.

"Saying that won't let you off the hook."

Before Sunny could react, she cupped his cheeks, her fingers pressing firmly against his skin. And then—she smiled. A slow, sweet, utterly terrifying smile.

Sunny felt a shiver run down his spine.

"We have some talking to do when we get out of here."

Before he could protest, the battlefield shifted. A subtle ripple pulsed through the air—faint, but undeniable—from the direction of cursed terror.

Somehow, it had managed to deflect a fraction of the devastating attack aimed at its weak point. And with time, it would deflect it fully.

Sunny's expression darkened.

"Looks like it won't be enough."

He gritted his teeth and forced himself up, steeling for another fight. But before he could rise, a firm hand pressed against his chest, pushing him back down.

"No." Nephis's voice was gentle, but unyielding. "You will stay here."

She guided him back to the ground, resting his head softly against the cold earth.

"You've done enough."

"But—"

Before he could argue, A single finger pressed against his lips.

"No buts."

Her silver eyes gleamed, reflecting the distant glow of the battlefield.

"If you move an inch from this spot..."

She leaned in closer, whispering—a promise, not a threat.

"You won't be moving ever again."

Sunny gulped. Before he could argue, a radiant brilliance erupted around her.

Wings.

Brilliant, radiant wings erupted from her back, casting an ethereal glow over the battlefield.

Nephis stood in the midst of destruction, yet looked like she belonged to the heavens.

"I will take care of the rest."

Sunny's eyes widened. Realization hit him like a blade. He knew what she was about to do.

"No, you—"

A single step. A flutter of wings. And then, she was gone.

Nephis soared toward the thrashing terror, its grotesque form writhing in agony, flailing like a child in the throes of a tantrum.

He watched helplessly as her figure disappeared behind the searing energy tearing into its core.

And then—

An explosion. A glorious detonation of light and fire, reaching into the heavens. The night turned to day. The ground shook violently, as if the world itself had cracked.

The air screamed. The battlefield warped and roared, recoiling from the sheer magnitude of destruction.

Then, as the thunderous force began to fade... A familiar whisper echoed in his mind.

[Your shadow grows stronger.]

Sunny clicked his tongue.

Of course. Nephis's explosions were devastating —more so with the sorcery of names and the terrifying power of her domain enhanced by [Supreme Bond]. It was a force capable enough of finishing the weakened Cursed Terror.

But he never wanted it to come to this. Because it was painful, excruciating. It was tormenting.

As the light dimmed, and the dust and chaos settled... A single figure fell from the sky.

Sunny moved before he even thought about it. His body—broken, exhausted, aching—still surged forward, catching her in his arms before she could hit the cold, grey earth.

She was weightless. Warm. Breathing softly.

Her eyes were closed. Her body was still.

For a moment, she looked like a sleeping angel resting in his arms—peaceful, vulnerable, untouchable.

A relieved smile tugged at his lips.

He sat down, cradling her on his lap, his fingers brushing against her soft cheeks.

Then, slowly— He sat down, cradling her, gently brushing a hand over her cheek. His fingers traced her forehead... her closed eyes... her lips...

And slowly, he leaned down—As if to kiss the spot just beneath her ear. But then, he stopped.

He flicked her forehead gently.

"You can stop pretending now." His voice was dry, amused. "I know you're awake."

For a moment, there was silence. Then, a quiet, barely audible sound escaped her lips.

Her eyes fluttered open. She pouted.

"...You didn't have to stop." Sunny chuckled, running a hand through her silver strands.

"Haha, I know."

His fingers traced through her hair one last time before he sighed.

"But we should probably get out of here first."

He extended his shadow sense, scanning the battlefield.

"Almost everyone is done with their fights. The Gate will be contained soon."