CLANG.
[You have lost a Shadow.]
Sunny stood there, the hilt of his long, dark odachi locked in a death grip.
A drop of blood stained the earth—but it wasn't the enemy's blood. It was his own. Such was the ferocious, crushing force with which he gripped his odachi.
Before him lay the shattered body of a stone warrior, her beautiful, blazing ruby eyes extinguished forever. And yet, even reduced to this state, fallen and broken, she was still breathtaking.
Saint.
His Saint.
The very first Shadow he had ever created.
The sword that had stayed by his side in the dark when no one else would. The shield that had supported him with an unmatched, unconditional devotion. The one who had always been there with her reassuring, albeit taciturn, presence.
Never asking for anything in return. Never questioning his sanity. Never telling him to go to hell, no matter how much he deserved it.
Saint had always been there with him.
And now... she was gone.
She hadn't fallen while fighting a formidable foe, nor had she been destroyed at the hands of some corrupted abomination. She had died simply because of the jealousy of a Star who had decided she must be the only light in his life.
Sunny looked up at the dead sky, where a cold, cloudless rain was falling.
A spark ignited in his chest, instantly blooming into a roaring flame—a feeling that burned and licked at his soul, threatening to consume everything with monstrous ferocity.
And yet, he couldn't hate her.
Slowly, two arms wrapped around his neck from behind, holding him in a possessive, suffocatingly affectionate embrace.
The flame within him turned into a raging inferno. Yet, he was forbidden from fighting back.
"See, my Sunny," his master whispered softly into his ear, her candid voice dripping with a twisted, sickening affection. "You don't need her. You don't need anyone else... other than me."
Sunny gripped the hilt of his odachi until his wrist nearly snapped. He ground his teeth together until his canines cracked. The fire within him was now a relentless, all-consuming blaze.
And yet... he had been ordered not to hate her.
***
Sunny shook his head slightly, trying to chase away the memory and the agonizing pain that accompanied it.
He looked at his runes.
---
Shadow Fragments: [128/2000].
---
He sighed. He had already formed his Monster Core.
Yet, even with his current experience, and having consumed almost every shade within his Soul Sea, the time it took to form even a single core was simply too long.
"I'm still too weak."
He clenched his fists at his sides, standing in the familiar gloom of the Priestess's secret chambers.
Then, dismissing the runes, he entered his Soul Sea.
Two luminous black suns, their rays bathing an abyssal body of water, welcomed him.
All around, aside from a certain lingering shade of a very vile spawn and the shadows left behind by the seven stone warriors, only silence remained.
Sunny didn't waste time. He summoned the Echo of the Stone Saint over the still waters.
[Transform Echo into a Shadow?]
Sunny gazed at the empty shell of the stone warrior before him, gently stroking the chest of her armor with his hand.
"Soon, we'll be together again, Saint."
A painful vice gripped his heart, like a phantom hand phasing through his flesh and squeezing tight. Yet, amidst all that lingering grief, there was also a profound sweetness.
Sunny looked up to where those magnificent ruby eyes had once shone so brightly.
"Yes."
Instantly, the Echo began to change.
From the second sun—the Monster Core—descended a beam of pure black light. There, at the edges of his Soul Sea, the shade of one of the Stone Saints, the smallest and weakest, dissolved into a tide of dark sparks. She was drawn to the pillar of darkness like light to a black hole.
[You have created a Shadow Monster: Stone Saint.]
From the depths of his Soul Sea emerged a warrior forged in darkness and molded by shadows. A tireless fighter, the rightful daughter of the Lord of the Underworld. Clad in black stone armor that concealed her beauty—the failed mirror of the Storm God.
Two eyes like crimson flames burned fiercely behind her helm. The lips carved onto her stone face were as delicate as a pristine white lotus.
In her right hand, she held her longsword. In her left, her impenetrable shield.
Sunny watched Saint stand tall upon the dark sea of his soul. Despite the intimidating aura she emitted, a tender smile touched his lips, while his pitch-black eyes filled with countless unspoken emotions.
"Hello, Saint," was all he said.
For there were no words that could really describe what he felt in that moment.
Saint lowered her head, looking at the young boy with black hair and dark eyes before her.
She neither understood nor perceived the heavy burden hidden behind his gaze, nor did she share his complex emotions, for she was not the same shadow he had known.
At least, not yet.
However, Saint recognized the peerless warrior concealed within him. She recognized her lord.
Saint brought her right hand to her chest, banging her fist against her stone armor in a crisp salute to her master.
Seeing this, Sunny sighed, staring out at the still, black waters of his soul.
"Well... I suppose I expected that."
Opening his eyes, Sunny rose from the bed and immediately summoned Saint into the real world. His loyal shadow emerged seamlessly from his own.
The proud stone warrior looked around, studying her surroundings with the same intense scrutiny a veteran would use to analyze a battlefield.
Sunny approached her without ever taking his eyes off her beautiful crimson gaze.
Saint looked down at him, tilting her head slightly.
'Cute,' he thought, seeing her do that.
Saint was a Shadow Creature. Yet, she was not complete.
For years, he had wondered what she and his other shadows lacked to be whole. But when, in his previous timeline, he had obtained the final fragment of his lineage and completed [The Weave], the answer had finally become as clear as crystal.
Without uttering a single word, Sunny brought a hand to his own chest. Gritting his teeth to brace for the agony, he plunged his hand in—reaching past the flesh, past his bones, past matter itself.
When he ripped it out, enduring an immense, soul-crushing pain, sitting in his palm was a dark core. It pulsed like a luminous black sun.
It was the very core that bound him to Saint.
She observed the scene with mild curiosity, maintaining her stoic and silent presence.
Resisting the excruciating agony, Sunny raised the hand holding his Monster Core in mid-air, pointing it directly at her.
And then, he shoved it straight into her chest.
[You have lost a Shadow.]
The Nightmare Spell did not delay, but it wasn't finished yet.
[Your Shadow is... complete.]
"Eh?"
Sunny blinked, completely clueless.
Then, to his absolute astonishment, Saint did something he had never, ever seen her do.
She spoke.
"Sunny."
***
Darkness.
Scattered, isolated, and confused fragments drifted through the void—pieces that once made up a whole life. Images, sensations, and words assembled and disassembled until a single, crystal-clear frame of a past-future took shape.
"Kill her, Sunny."
'No.'
Pain. That was all she felt.
"I'm sorry, Saint. I'm so sorry..." A broken voice whispered through tears—a man's voice.
Love. The last thing she felt looking at him—it hadn't been his fault.
Pain, once more.
Then darkness surrounded her again, embracing her into nothingness.
'Why?'
A second memory emerged.
"Hit me."
The same man, but younger, brighter, naive.
'Cute.'
She saw herself striking him as requested, sending him flying across the room to shatter a table.
Crash.
"No! My table!"
She laughed—a genuine, brilliant laugh that warmed her heart.
Love.
Then another memory. This one was sharper, vivid, and breathtakingly clear.
Rubble. The young man—Sunny—sitting atop what had once been a towering crimson spire that seemed to pierce the sky. Sunny looked up at her. He was hurting, newly betrayed, yet when his gaze met hers, he smiled.
Love.
Scene after scene followed in an unbroken stream—sequences binding together to form an identity, a complete soul. Her.
Impossible battles against terrifying foes that felt like a twisted joke of fate. Arduous journeys across lethal lands and treacherous peaks, yet landscapes of inimitable beauty. Tender stories shared around the campfire, spoken in words and beyond words.
Saint felt the burning thrill of battle, the quiet joy of those endless paths, and the wondrous warmth blooming in her chest during those fleeting moments of quiet peace shared with Sunny. Her lord.
She was grateful. She didn't fully understand why, but her heart swelled with gratitude.
Finally, light—or rather, shadows—chased the darkness away, drawing her out from that abyssal sleep as if waking from an endless, dreamless slumber.
The first sight to grace her eyes was neither a clear summer sky, nor vast emerald plains, nor snow-capped mountains. Instead, it was a young man with pitch-black hair and eyes like twin pools of dark ink, clad only in a dark grey leather and black boots.
Before Saint could process it, her sculpted lips parted, performing the impossible.
"Sunny," she spoke.
"Saint..." Sunny's eyes widened in sheer disbelief.
Without breaking eye contact, he took two steps forward until their bodies were close enough to touch.
Slowly, Sunny reached out, resting his hand against her right cheek, caressing her with tenderness. To his touch, her stone skin was astonishingly soft, yielding under his fingers like warm clay.
Saint cupped his hand with her own gauntleted fingers, holding it close. She closed her eyes, leaning into the warmth of his palm, and before either of them could realize it, their lips met.
Saint opened her eyes to find Sunny's face tantalizingly close to hers. A sweet, electric pulse of warmth and a soft, damp press characterized her mouth.
Saint stepped back, straightening her spine and breaking the kiss. A strange, burning sensation throbbed in her chest beneath her armor—though she was certain no blade had struck her there. Sunny watched a deep flush spread across her face beneath her helm, her sword and shield slipping from her hands to clatter onto the stone floor.
"Forgive me," she murmured, her voice barely a breath.
Sunny smiled. In his mind, he had always imagined Saint's voice to be grand and imposing. Instead, it was sweet and delicate, like a summer breeze brushing across morning dew.
'Cute.'
As she took a hesitant step back, he carefully closed the distance between them once more.
Sunny rested his hand on Saint's cheek, guiding her gaze back to his. Their eyes locked again.
Do you remember?
He wanted to ask, but there was no need. Their bond—even though he had extracted her Shadow Core—remained unbroken. Sunny could feel it. Saint remembered everything.
So he simply whispered, "Don't be. If anything, I'm the one who should apologize."
Saint found the courage to look deep into his eyes once more. In them, she saw regret, grief, and guilt, but above all, a boundless, unconditional affection.
Without another word, she pressed her marble lips against his once more.
They exchanged hungry, passionate kisses, lost amidst the shadows. Sunny wound his arms around Saint's neck, tilting his chin up to reach her perfectly sculpted lips. Saint responded with delicate care, wrapping her arms around his back to pull him close.
There were a thousand words waiting to be spoken, but time was a fleeting thief, and their bodies spoke a language far sweeter than speech.
When they finally separated with a soft, slick sound echoing in the quiet room, their eyes remained locked.
A deep, consuming heat welled up from their bellies—a burning need that demanded to be satisfied. Their armor had become nothing more than an unbearable nuisance.
"My Lord..." Saint murmured, her tone laden with shy embarrassment.
She cast her blushing gaze downward, taking a step back as her hand reached for the latch of her armor.
"Wait," he gently interrupted, catching her hand in his warm palm. "You don't have to do this if you don't want to. Don't force yourself."
Saint looked up into Sunny's eyes. His touch was warm—a warmth her very soul craved—while a strange, intoxicating electricity surged through her stone body.
"But I want to," she declared softly, nodding with the unwavering resolve of a veteran warrior.
And this battle, above all others, was one she had no intention of backing away from.
Unclasping her armor, the heavy breastplate fell to the floor with a dull thud, joining her sword and shield resting on the ground. The gauntlets, pauldrons, greaves, and remaining pieces followed, forming a heap at her feet.
Sunny was left breathless. This was the first time he had ever seen Saint without her armor. Deep down, he had always known she was breathtaking beautiful—after all, Nether had created the Stone Saints in the image of Storm God.
Saint's bare body was slender, voluptuous, and flawless. Her alabaster skin was smooth and silky to the touch. Her breasts were full and heavy; as she instinctively crossed her arms in bashful modesty, her hands struggled to cover them, leaving a firm grey nipple peeking out from beneath the curve of her arm. Her legs were long and smooth, her shapely thighs trembling slightly with excitement and embarrassment as they hugged tight, shielding her immaculate, bare vagina. A vibrant flush painted her cheeks, shoulders, and knees.
"Beautiful..." Sunny breathed, mesmerized by the sight of the divine figure before him.
"Y-you should take yours off, too," Saint stammered softly, tightening her arms around her chest, which only served to accent her generous curves.
Sunny didn't need to be told twice. Feeling stifled by his own garments, he willed his armor to dissipate into a cloud of white sparks. As the cool air hit his bare skin, his blood rushed downward, instantly hardening his penis while a flush of heat warmed his face.
Saint stole a quick glance before averting her ruby-flame eyes, her cheeks burning even hotter than before.
Sunny stepped toward her—slowly, deliberately—watching as the formidable warrior tightened her stance with every inch he closed.
Finally, the distance between them vanished. The air crackled with raw, intense electricity, their breaths heavy with longing.
In the quiet sanctuary of the room, Sunny placed a hand against Saint's warm cheek, drawing her into a tender embrace. He felt the firm tips of her breasts press against his chest. Her soft abdomen brushed against his, while his erect shaft rested just below her navel, pulsing with desperate need.
Saint shuddered as their bare skin met, a pleasant ache blooming beneath her navel and a thrilling tingling sensation spreading between her thighs.
"My Lord," she whispered, placing her hands on his shoulders before cradling his pale cheeks. Her full breasts were fully exposed now, pressed intimately against his chest. "Please... be gentle."
Sunny cupped her cheeks, her skin warm and soft despite its marble origin, as his erection slipped slowly between Saint's thick, supple thighs. She gasped softly at the sensation of his heat rubbing against her slick vulva, sending electric shocks through her core with every slide.
Their heavy breaths filled the quiet room.
"I promise," Sunny murmured.
Then, the dams broke.
Saint parted her lips with a soft, breathless moan. "Mmh..."
Their lips met again in a fierce, passionate clash. Tongues intertwined in an intoxicating dance. Below, Sunny began to rhythmically glide his rigid shaft back and forth between her thighs, pressing against her sensitive folds. Saint squeezed her legs together, drowning in pure bliss each time his length slid against her slick vulva.
Their bodies moved in a fluid, undulating rhythm, the quiet chamber filled with the soft, wet sounds of their kisses. Sunny's hands slid from her cheeks down her shoulders, spanning across her lush breasts. Saint wrapped her bare arms around his back, pulling him tighter against her hips to encourage a deeper, faster friction.
"Mmh... ah... mmh..."
Neither wanted to break the kiss. Sunny breathed through the gaps between their lips, while Saint needed no air at all.
His fingers sank into her soft, marble flesh, expanding to hold the weight of her generous breasts as he gently squeezed them, eliciting sharp gasps from her lips.
Overwhelmed by pleasure, Sunny abandoned himself to the rhythm. He drank in the sweetness of her mouth, the entangling of their tongues, the supple yield of her breasts, and the frantic friction of his cock sliding between her wet thighs and vulva.
Nearing the edge, Sunny pulled back from her lips. A thin, glistening thread of saliva connected their mouths before breaking in the air.
"Ah..."
Saint let out a soft murmur of protest at the sudden loss, but before she could speak, Sunny leaned down and gently captured her right nipple between his lips.
"Aaah...!"
A sharp jolt of pleasure shot straight through her, causing her to tighten her thighs around his cock as her wetness pooled freely. Free from his lips, her voice filled the secret chamber with sweet, melodious moans.
Sunny suckled tenderly at her crest, pulling the soft marble flesh into his mouth without slowing the rhythmic thrust of his hips or the gentle massage of his hands on her breasts.
"Aah! My Lord... ah!"
Saint covered her mouth with a delicate fist to muffle her rising cries. Her ruby eyes glowed in the darkness, half-lidded with ecstasy. To Sunny's ears, her breathless moans were a sweet melody.
They surrendered to the heat, moving together in seamless harmony. Sunny's hands caressed every inch of her smooth, alabaster skin, trailing over her curves, while his mouth devoured her lips and breasts. Saint met his passion with equal fervor, her mind clouding into a haze of sensation as her thighs clamped around his pulsing member.
The room echoed with their shared gasps and the rhythmic slap of skin against stone.
As the crest of ecstasy approached, their knees grew weak.
"Saint... I'm close," Sunny rasped, his pulse hammering against his ribs.
"Me too, my Lord," she gasped through heavy moans. "Don't hold back... please..."
Saint pulled Sunny tight against her chest. He obeyed, burying his face in her cleavage as he increased the tempo, thrusting wildly between her slick thighs while his shaft rubbed against her swollen entrance.
Slick. Friction. Heat.
The sound of their bodies clashing grew louder, melding with their breathless cries.
"Sunny!" she cried out, shedding all formality. "Sunny! Kiss me! Please kiss me...!"
Sunny captured her mouth once more, drowning her cries in a deep, desperate kiss as their tongues tangled.
"Saint..."
"Sunny...!"
In a blinding flash of bliss, both of their defenses shattered.
Bound by their unspoken connection and the flawless harmony built over countless battles, they reached the climax together.
Their final moans were muffled against each other's lips.
Sunny shuddered as his hot release spilled across her soft inner thighs and floor, while Saint's body trembled as her own slick, warm moisture erupted from her core, coating his shaft and mixing with his seed down her legs.
Slowly, their lips parted as they rode out the lingering waves of pleasure. Sunny's still erect and trembling shaft slipped from between her thighs, leaving a trail of glistening white across her entrance and skin.
"Hah... hah..."
Overcome with exhaustion and bliss, Sunny collapsed back onto the edge of the bed, leaning back on his hands as he stared up at the ceiling, chest heaving. A mixture of profound tenderness, joy, and relief filled his heart.
"Ah... aah..."
Saint remained standing on the cold stone floor, dazed by the intense euphoria lingering in her body. Her arms hung limply at her sides, her fingers twitching with residual pleasure while her legs trembled softly.
After a few minutes of catching his breath, Sunny exhaled deeply. So many emotions surged through him—warmth, affection, passion. But as he turned to look at her, the words died in his throat.
Saint, overcome by lingering ecstasy and a sudden, primal curiosity, dipped a slender finger into the glistening mix of warm seed and fluid slicking her vulva. Slowly, she brought it to her lips and tasted it. Her chest rose and fell in heavy breaths, her breasts still bearing the faint pink marks of his touch.
"Mmh..."
Her ruby eyes rolled back slightly in pleasure, as if she had just sampled the sweetest nectar.
Then, she turned her gaze back to Sunny, her eyes dark with unslaked desire. She wanted to feel that sweet ecstasy again, held tight in his arms.
Sunny tried to speak, but no sound came out.
His body betrayed him—his erection rapidly swelling once more, fully rigid like a drawn blade.
Saint had tasted the sweet poison of desire for the first time, and found it intoxicating.
And so, their private, secret battle resumed on a new battlefield—sweeter, wilder, and far more passionate than before.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be continued...