Shadow Slave Fanfic: The Song of The Shadow Beast

(3500 words...damn)

After answering a lot more questions of different natures, he had found out two things.

First, the Song sisters were far more clueless than he thought, and second, some of them were no different from Effie. Especially Beastmaster had trouble keeping her weird excitement at bay.

Sunny didn't mind, though; sure, it annoyed him to get asked so many questions, but it was something he was used to.

At one point, he thought about implementing another rule: to not make them ask too many questions, but he thought better of it. That way, he could at least find out a thing or two while he was keeping them captive.

"At least they know where they stand now. I don't have to worry about constant rebellion. Let's see what the first night brings."

Hours later, after they had been captured, it was finally time to show them their new home for the next couple of months. He had thought about it a lot. In the end, he decided to use the Brilliant Imperium. After all, Mimic has the ability to change into any structure he wants to. So expanding a bit in the number of bedrooms and bathrooms was not the hardest thing to do.

What would be hard is having five pissed-off Saints under one roof without them jumping at each other's throats.

Or his.

Worse still, they are sisters. Only the dead gods knew how that would go. But right now, he had other things to worry about.

Together, they walked towards the exit of the Nameless Temple. At one point, they even had the idea to just make a run for it and see where they ended up. Traversing a Death Zone without any armor or weapons would be a challenge, no doubt. But they would just need to reach a camp of Song.

Then they would be safe. So the plan of just running away was set in motion the second Sunny opened the Temple's gates. Revel and Silent led the charge while the rest of them followed suit. Bin was actually a little disappointed to leave Master Sunless so soon, but she was positive that she could snatch him at a later date.

When they exited the Temple, though, all that they could see was boundless darkness. Only the six Black Suns spread across the sky like the eyes of a dark deity. In the distance, they could see the faded outlines of creatures and humans.

Thousands of them, all in different shapes and sizes. From that far away, it was hard for them to really grasp the sheer number and size of those abominations. But furthermore, they could not see what lay beyond that.

At first, they didn't realize where they were. Only one thing tipped them off: the shallow water they stood in.

"Is this…a Soul Sea?" Howl asked while trying to swallow her fear. In an instant, all hope of escape had been crushed. They could not possibly escape a place like this.

"I believe so. It must be the Soul Sea of the Lord of Shadows," Revel answered her sister reluctantly. She couldn't fully believe it herself. But the evidence spoke for itself.

"So that's why he said the Lord of Shadows is always here. We are basically inside of him. How is this possible?"

They did not know, but luckily for them, there was a Charming Master who conveniently held all the answers. They turned to him, slowly approaching him. The cocky smile on his lips, worn from the amusement of their futile attempt to escape, filled them with rage.

He had known from the very start that they could not escape. So he let them run with the knowledge in mind that there was nothing they could do.

"So I see you have finally learned the truth. It took you a couple of steps. Goodness gracious, you ran quite far before realizing there is no hope. Good for you, I guess. It's nice to see that there is still some will left inside of you. Everything else wouldn't be fun."

Revel didn't know what to do. She had hoped and planned meticulously for their escape. But every single one of those plans was bound to the condition that they were still in a place connected to the realms. Not in her wildest dreams would she have thought that the Lord of Shadows would use his own Soul Sea for a prison.

"As for how it's possible, I believe that it's irrelevant for you to know. The Lord of Shadows has brought us here for the time of the war. You will be kept here with me as your warden, and there is nothing you can do about it. So I hope you behave yourself and just make peace with reality. In the end, you will be released without any troubles. If I were you, I would just kick back and enjoy the vacation."

A heavy feeling settled upon them. But also a deep understanding. They could not deny his claim, after all. They had no way of escaping such a place, no matter if they had their aspects or not.

Even if the Lord of Shadows was here and they managed to kill him somehow, what would happen to them? Would they just vanish along with his soul? Would they be thrown out of it and finally be free? Revel didn't know the answer, but she was not inclined to risk her and her sisters' lives to find out.

"So this is it? The Lord of Shadows just does the impossible, and we are supposed to accept it? What a joke! This guy is beyond any reason. Who is mad enough to bring his enemies so close to his own soul?"

Sunny just chuckled at Revel's small outburst.

"You have no idea," he mumbled under his breath. Sure, the idea of bringing an enemy into his own Soul Sea sounded insane to most people. But for Sunny, it was the most secure prison in every realm.

'Well, maybe that God-forsaken pyramid comes close, but not even I'm crazy enough to go there… for now.'

With a sigh, Sunny stepped closer to them. It was time to show them their new place to stay. The Nameless Temple, or at least the copy that stands in his Soul Sea, was not fit to house people. But Mimic was. And so the loyal shadow rose from the shallow water seconds later.

They looked at it with awe as their new home came into view. It was not as glorious as Ravenheart, of course, but it felt warm and cozy. Exactly what they needed to calm down.

Not that Sunny cared much about their feelings. But happy prisoners are good prisoners. He didn't want to stress about them being grumpy all the time. He had better things to do.

"So… be welcomed into your new home. Furthermore, I would like to inform you of some more rules. Those are more guidelines than anything else, though. You can walk around here as much as you like, whether it's the home itself or the entire Soul Sea. You are free to do whatever you want. But… I would like to remind you of the second rule we discussed earlier.

You are not allowed to enter the basement. I hope you can at least follow that simple rule. So… how does it feel to be a prisoner with so much freedom?"

With the last question, he turned to face Revel. It was essential to get her on board with the idea to just sit down and let time flow until they would be released. She was essentially their leader right now.

She looked at him without any emotion on her beautiful face. Without saying a single word, she just walked towards the entrance of the Mimic. When she reached the door, she just turned around and said evenly, "I suppose it's not that bad. But let me tell you, Master Sunless. When this is over, I will kill you."

A moment later, she vanished behind the door. Feeling exhausted, she took it upon herself to find out more about their new residence and probably take a nap.

The rest of the sisters turned towards him, expecting him to react appalled, scared even. A threat from the Lightslayer is something one should not take lightly. But instead, Sunny just stood there, shaking his head with a sly smile on his lips.

"How rebellious! Ahhh… she will learn it one day."

Howl looked at him, confused. She had expected many reactions, but this?

"You know she is serious, right? When this is all over, you will have to stay by Changing Star's side for the rest of your life. You will need protection at all times."

Sunny just smiled and bowed slightly. He could not imagine the rage that was forming in Revel's heart. But he was here to find out.

"I know that she is serious. If you excuse me now, I will be in the kitchen. You can come eat later if you want."

Without waiting for them, he just walked over to the entrance and stepped inside. The rest of the Song Sisters were left outside to bathe in their own inner turmoil.

"You guys think there is a way for me to talk Revel out of the idea to kill him? It would be quite the waste to do so."

Moonveil thought about Bin's proposal, but she had no idea how to talk her out of it. In the end, they knew best what it meant when Revel made a promise.

"Unfortunately not. It's weird, though, isn't it? He is our warden, and still, we are inclined to preserve his life. I think there is a psychological term for it."

Of course, Moonveil and Beastmaster never had a reason to learn about such simple terms. They had not expected to ever end up in such a situation. But Stockholm syndrome was indeed a thing. The fact that Sunny was so effortlessly charming didn't help one bit.

After a simple exchange of small talk, they decided to explore the area. How many times would one get the chance to explore the Soul Sea of a legendary Saint like the Lord of Shadows?

Hours later, it was deep at night. Well, at least on the outside. In Sunny's Soul Sea, it continued to be the same dim lighting from the six cores, like it always was.

The Song Sisters had decided to spend their time in their rooms. There was not much to do, so in the end, they decided to talk. Sunny, on the other hand, had no one to talk to. At least not that incarnation of his. The original body continued to stay in the Ivory Tower. It wouldn't be long until Nephis came back from her duties so he could break the news to her.

Meanwhile, in his Soul Sea, he had decided to sit down on a chair in front of Mimic. He liked the view his Soul Sea provided. He alone could see perfectly fine in here, after all, so he spent his time counting and admiring his life's work.

Minutes later, though, the door beside him opened. He was surprised to see Revel step out.

"What do you want, Revel?" he asked evenly, with a cup of coffee in his hands, which earned him a scoff from her. She rolled her eyes and leaned against the door beside him. She hesitated for a second before speaking her mind.

"I want to talk to the Lord of Shadows," she said evenly. Sunny didn't spare her a glance, just taking a sip from his coffee before he replied.

"Go on. Like I said, he is here at all times."

Revel shook her head and, to his surprise, even chuckled.

"Oh, I know; he's sitting right in front of me now, drinking coffee like a mundane person."

Sunny scoffed and said, amused, "Took you long enough."

Revel just stared at him, a million thoughts running through her head. But most of them were still aimed at one question.

"Why?"

Sunny chuckled and summoned a chair opposite him for her to sit down. She looked at it for a while before finally complying and sitting down. She was not nervous, nor was she angry. Just confusion pained her mind, and she knew she would not get a single second of rest until she had answers.

"Why what?" Sunny asked with a slight smile. He could already think of what she was so confused about, but making her struggle a little was the least he could do to stall his boredom.

"Why did you personally capture us? You could have made us prisoners of the King."

He leaned back into his chair. It was weird, really, being so relaxed in the face of an enemy he once wished to kill. But the absurdity of the situation was also quite amusing.

"Because, despite what you might think, I'm not the heartless monster that I so carefully crafted to act in this war. I know how Valor treats prisoners, and I would not wish such a fate on my biggest enemy. Not even you… Lightslayer."

Revel considered his words carefully. She, too, had problems grasping the full extent of the situation she found herself in. But now that she was stuck, there was nothing else to do but learn something.

She sighed deeply before rubbing her face with her hands. The frustration was killing her.

"So the Lord of Shadows is just a facade. You aren't the cunning and ruthless warrior the world deems you to be?"

He sighed and took a long sip from his hot beverage before answering.

"It's not that simple, Revel. The persona of the Lord of Shadows is just another piece of myself. I'm ruthless if I want to be. I'm cunning if I want to be. I can kill without remorse if the situation demands it. But I'm also a simple guy who likes to enjoy life with a coffee and good company."

He sighed again and leaned further back into his chair.

"You know… when I fought you at Vanishing Lake, I was ready to kill you. But I still held myself back. I tried desperately to win without having to remove a powerful warrior from humanity's ranks. Some might say I'm a hypocrite for saying that. But I'm not strong to destroy lives. I'm strong to save them."

She could only laugh at the absurdity of the situation. Here she was, listening to the one man she could not kill no matter how hard she tried, talking to her like he was some open book.

"So you are not a Nightmare Creature. It's actually surprising to see who's behind the mask. I did not expect that."

He summoned Weaver's mask for a second before saying, "Oh, you mean this mask?" before dismissing it again. Revel looked at him, stunned, before taking a deep breath.

"Yeah… that one. Do me a favor and don't summon it again. I have had enough of nightmares in my life. I don't need any more."

She looked into the distance and observed faint outlines of the creatures that glittered under the dim light of his Soul Cores.

"What are those? Creatures you have killed?"

"Yes, and humans. Although I'm not very proud of most of those. They just stood in my way, and therefore they had to vanish. The shadow of every being I ever killed ends up in my Soul Sea. You are quite the curious person, Revel. You did not strike me as such when I first met you."

She chuckled before leaning back into her chair. Sunny considered dismissing it and letting her fall into the shallow water, but having some company in the lonely expanses of his own Soul Sea was not that bad.

"You mean at Vanishing Lake? Ahh… how could I forget? The mighty Lord of Shadows desperately fighting for his life, only to find out that you held back the entire time. I can't understand you at all, you know?"

Sunny looked at her with a smile before turning his head back to the row of shadows.

"Yes, the Vanishing Lake. It was exciting to fight my natural enemy. I learned a lot from this fight. Facing true darkness is rare, even for someone who gets around as much as I do."

"And still, there was nothing I could do. You are just like Changing Star and Mordret, right? A Divine Aspect bearer, I mean."

Before Sunny could answer, Revel let loose a deep breath. This was all a bit much for her.

"You are a strange man, you know? Having all the power a saint could wish for, and still, you have no ambition to rule over anybody. I'm actually a little disappointed that you don't intend to torture us. At least that would put my mind at ease. That way, I could at least expect something."

Sunny considered her words for a moment. Why are they so focused on torturing people? Is that really how they have been raised by their mother? Or are they just… freaky?

"Yes, I have a Divine Aspect. But it comes with a lot of problems. And to be honest, I'm a strange guy. I mean… really. There is not a stranger person out there. Well… Beastmaster comes pretty close. Her comments are… outrageous, to say the least."

Revel scoffed.

"Tell me about it. Growing up, I could never figure her out. I bet she would die on the spot if she knew who you are. She is deeply terrified of the Lord of Shadows. Howl and Silent are no better. I have never seen them so afraid before. What did you do to them?"

Now Sunny was a little troubled. He knew perfectly well that he must have caused them immense psychological damage. But he had no other choice. It was either that or Death. His smile dimmed a little as he went over the fight in his head.

"No matter what you might believe, facing 13 Saints was not an easy task for me. Until that point, I managed to keep my hands clean. But when one of my Shadows claimed its first victim, I could no longer hold back. I tried to defeat them without killing them. But in the end, I knew that ultimately I would lose the fight if I held back too much. Trust me… it took all my strength to not kill Beastmaster while she continued to invade my mind with her wicked illusions. She was the one I wanted to kill the most while still realizing her life was the most valuable."

Revel was momentarily stunned. She had heard of their fight from her sisters. But that they had faced them with 13 of their own, including 3 of her sisters, was new information even for her.

"You are crazy, you know that? If I faced 13 other Transcendents, I wouldn't waste a single second trying to beat them without killing them. But…"

She looked at him and considered if her next words were really alright for her to say. After all, she was a princess of the Song Domain. But right now, she was just an older sister who was grateful that her younger siblings were still alive. So she took a deep breath and smiled—a genuine smile, full of gratitude.

"Thank you for not killing them. I owe you for that. You had every right to do so. They were after your life and even went out of their way to outnumber you. And still, you went out of your way to preserve their lives. As a sister, I'm grateful beyond reason."

Sunny coughed awkwardly, feeling a little weird. Ultimately, he felt like it was only right for her to say so. But still… having the infamous Lightslayer breaking out of her shell was still a bit much for him.

"Ahem… to be honest, my life was never truly in danger. What they faced was just 4 out of my 6 Incantations. In truth, my original body was in my café doing other things."

At that moment, something in Revel cracked. She knew he was immensely powerful. But to think that they had not even faced the full scope of his power was beyond her comprehension.

"You… you… are you… are you even a Saint?" she blurted out, trying to form a sentence. Sunny chuckled and sipped on his coffee.

"Yes, although a special one."