Shadow Slave Fanfic: The Song of The Shadow Beast

It was a strange feeling, knowing that your supposed enemies, actually, two of them, would come to see you in less than 24 hours. And yet, you would be unable to defend yourself, even if you wanted to.

There was no hope in sight.

Not for escape.

Not for having a choice.

All they could do was wait. Some had already accepted that fact. But others, like Seishan and Silent, were less willing to surrender.

They would resist, even if it meant dying, because, for them, bowing to someone other than their Mother was worse than death.

And yet, to their surprise, none of that was being asked of them. They were simply expected to live their lives, undisturbed by what was happening in the outside world. Still, they couldn't shake the feeling that it couldn't be that simple.

Revel was the only one who knew the end goal. The fact that Sunny had willingly told her was baffling. But she understood, it was an attempt to build trust. Sunny had learned to live with his Flaw, something many had never managed to do.

Hell, he had even told her what his Flaw is.

Granted, it wasn't like he had handed her the key to escape or anything. But revealing one's Flaw was strictly prohibited, even among allies. An unspoken rule known to all Awakened.

Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to it. Maybe she was being too cautious, not that such a thing truly existed in this world.

All in all, it could have been worse. She could have been strapped to a chair, her skin slowly being peeled off while acid dripped onto her raw flesh.

Compared to that, this was a fairy tale. Too good to be true.

And yet, it was happening.

She was sitting at a table with her sisters, eating a delicious meal, laughing and chatting about mundane things. For once, she felt no desire to be anywhere else.

"So… are we done now? I believe there isn't much to do while we wait for Changing Star and the other guest to arrive."

Hel asked carefully, not wanting to sound disrespectful.

Sunny calmly stacked the plates within his reach as he answered.

"I don't care. You can do whatever you want."

He gestured toward a cabinet in the corner. "I have some cards over there." He stood up and carried a pile of plates toward the kitchen.

"You can play, or you can take a walk. I know it's dark in here, but it's bright enough that you won't fall down another set of stairs, I promise." He added with a wink.

At his last comment, Revel and Seishan exchanged a glance, both recalling their previous mishap with deep shame.

It didn't take long for someone to fetch the deck of cards. Most of them left the dining room, probably searching for a cozy corner to ward off boredom. Sunny, however, feared he would soon have to punish some of them for breaking the first rule.

After all, the deck of cards was Uno.

The only ones who remained seated were Seishan, Revel, and Silent. None of them were eager to engage in a fierce battle of Uno against their sisters.

When Sunny returned from the kitchen, he moved around the table, collecting the remaining empty plates and leftovers.

To his surprise, Silent stood up, a sly smile on her lips.

"I'll help you with the rest. I need to do something, or I might die of boredom."

She gathered her plate and utensils. Sunny blinked at her for a moment.

"I, uh… okay. Thanks, I guess." A small, gracious smile played on his lips as he turned to bring the last load of dishes to the kitchen.

Silent followed closely behind.

In the next instant, Revel and Seishan winced.

They knew.

Her fate was sealed.

Sunny stopped in his tracks, eyes wide.

Not a single word escaped his lips as he stood there, plates still firmly in his hands, a knife lodged deep in his neck.

Silent's hand was still gripping the hilt, but she struggled to move it. Somehow, it was stuck. In theory, she should have sliced straight through his throat.

But reality was different.

Cold sweat rolled down her neck as realization dawned on her.

She had failed.

And now, all she could do was wait for the consequences.

Slowly, Sunny set the plates aside.

In an instant, Silent jumped back, bracing herself for whatever was to come.

"That's not really the kind of help I expected."

His voice was eerily calm.

Gripping the knife's hilt, he pulled it from his neck. As deep as it was, it should have killed him by painting the floor In a crimson red.

"I appreciate the gesture, really. But if you were trying to hand me the knife, I believe you missed the sink by about ten meters."

Without another glance at her, he walked into the kitchen and casually let the knife drop into the sink. He returned moments later, a towel in hand, wiping away the little blood that had stained the blade.

Again, his voice betrayed no hostility as he turned to face her.

"What was the first rule again?"

Revel and Seishan were too stunned to speak.

Silent was the same, her heart pounding wildly.

'What kind of monster is he? Why is he acting so calmly? Am I… going to die?'

"Do I need to repeat the question? Or have you suddenly become mute? What is it, Silent? I'm waiting for an answer."

Silent trembled, her mind conjuring the worst possible tortures. At last, she managed to stammer:

"N… No violence? If I remember correctly."

Sunny closed his eyes, inhaling deeply.

He nodded, then turned to Seishan.

"Can you tell me what rule she just broke?"

Seishan swallowed dryly. "The first one. She… she broke the first rule."

Sunny gave a nod of acknowledgment.

"Right. Unless?" He turned to Revel, his expression unreadable.

Revel's instincts took over, and she answered swiftly, fearing for her life.

"Unless both parties consent to battle."

Instantly, Sunny's lips curled into a proud smile, like a teacher pleased with his students.

"Good. So, now there's one last question that needs answering." He turned back to Silent, his face empty once more.

"Did I consent to battle, Silent?"

Silent couldn't speak, she just shook her head.

Sunny raised an eyebrow and took a step forward.

"Right. I haven't told you what the punishment is for breaking the rules."

Another step.

"Are you that curious about the answer?"

Silent shook her head again, fear paralyzing her.

"No, but you did. You know…" Another step.

"Where I come from…" Step.

"We call what you did…" Step.

"Fuck around and find out."

Step.

"And you just fucked around."

Silent's legs gave out. She collapsed, unable to bear the overwhelming stress.

Sunny crouched down to meet her gaze, his voice turning sinister.

"And now… you're going to find out."

He straightened, towering over her.

"So, I give you a choice. Either you fight me… or you fight Fiend. Who is it going to be?"

Silent's heart pounded as she weighed her options.

She chose the devil she knew.

"You… I want to fight you!"

Barely able to form the words.

Sunny chuckled.

In the next moment, the shadows in the room deepened.

Cold dread gripped her heart as she watched the Master in front of her transform.

Onyx armor clad his once-slim frame. A three-horned demon's mask bore into her soul. His hair turned from raven black to a radiant white.

A black odachi materialized in his grasp, the blade resting against her throat.

His voice rumbled darkly.

"Is that your final answer?"

Before she could respond, her world faded to black.

Silent had fallen unconscious.

Sunny watched her for a moment, barely able to believe it himself.

Had he truly scared her so much that she lost consciousness?

He let out a slow sigh before dismissing the Onyx Shell and the [Definitely Not Me] mask. Turning back to the table, he walked toward the plates and began stacking them once more. Without another word, he carried them into the kitchen.

Revel and Seishan exchanged glances, neither daring to break the silence.

Not until Sunny returned.

When he did, that pleasant, inviting smile was back on his face.

"So… I hope that was enough of a lesson."

He sat down across from them, resting one hand on the table. With a slow, deliberate rhythm, he tapped his fingers against the wood, simply waiting.

Waiting for them to say something. Anything.

Did I overdo it?

Are they that afraid?

He waited. And waited. And waited.

As the silence stretched on, it became clear that neither of them would find their voice anytime soon. So, with an exaggerated sigh, he took it upon himself to break the unbearable tension.

"I suppose I overdid it. If even the Blood Sister and the Lightslayer have lost their ability to speak."

He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.

And it worked.

Both of them exhaled shakily, releasing a breath they hadn't realized they'd been holding.

Revel was the first to recover. She glanced toward her unconscious sister and let out a long sigh before sinking back into her chair.

"I thought you were going to kill her." She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.

Seishan seemed to snap out of her stupor as well, rubbing at her temples.

Sunny, meanwhile, manifested a set of shadowy hands, lifting Silent's limp form with practiced ease.

Instantly, Seishan tensed.

"What are you doing with her?" she demanded, her voice sharp, almost panicked.

Sunny didn't even glance her way.

"Calm down. I'm taking her to bed. It's not good for her back to sleep on the floor."

Seishan blinked.

Surely, she had misheard him.

But no, the evidence was right in front of her. The shadows cradled Silent's unconscious form with a surprising gentleness, guiding her toward the staircase.

Her mortal enemy.

And yet…

"You are unbearable," Revel muttered, shaking her head with a nervous chuckle.

"One moment, you terrify her so badly that she passes out, and the next, you're treating her like she's your own sister."

Sunny met her gaze, his expression unreadable. Then, after a beat, he smiled knowingly.

"I am your caretaker, after all. What else do you expect me to do?"

"KILL HER!"

Seishan's voice was sharp, desperate, though thankfully, no one else could hear her.

She dragged a hand down her face, mumbling under her breath.

"That would have been easier to understand than… whatever that was."

Sunny's expression didn't change.

"I didn't spare her, bring her here, and provide food and shelter just to kill her. What kind of logic would that be?" He tilted his head slightly. "Besides, isn't it a bit cruel of you to demand I kill your own sister?"

Seishan froze.

Her expression shifted, confusion, realization, and embarrassment blending into something unreadable.

"That… that's not what I meant." She looked away, struggling to process the last few minutes.

Eventually, she exhaled. "Thanks for not killing her. I just… expected you to, after she stabbed you."

Sunny leaned back in his chair.

That incident had solidified one thing, even for Seishan.

He was in control.

Not through violence.

But simply through presence alone.

And that was enough.

"Well, as you might've guessed, I don't bleed easily."

He tilted his head slightly, giving them both a clear view of his neck. The wound was already closing, though Seishan could still see the blood moving beneath his skin. It was as if his body didn't even care that it had been pierced.

"Not to mention, my bones are nearly unbreakable," he added. "She would've needed something far sharper than a simple knife. Even though it was forged from a Corrupted Devil."

Revel scoffed.

"Sure it was. What's next? You're actually a Daemon pretending to be a Saint?"

Sunny smirked, letting her imagination run wild for a moment before his Flaw forced him to respond.

"You'd be surprised how close you are to the truth with that ridiculous idea." He chuckled softly, then relented.

"No, I'm not a Daemon. While I do have divine lineage from one, I'm not one myself."

Both of them exhaled, clearly relieved.

Then, Sunny added, almost offhandedly…

"At least not yet."