For a moment they couldn't tell which was which.
Did Sunny say that out of actual threat from the Hero?
Or did he say that due to his own distrustful nature?
Perhaps it was both.
[ "Yes. I thought that if I do it when you sleep, you won't have to suffer." ]
The confession came from the Hero soon enough.
In the Alter Room, Diverged Nephis gritted her teeth, absolutely livid.
She hated it. She hated seeing someone talking about causing suffering to Sunny and acting like there was a good reason, like they were in the right, like there was no other choice but to do that.
Like she had initially done.
"There is no choice but to use his True Name."
"I'm doing it for his own good."
"He will be fine, he is Sunny, after all. I'm sure he will go through."
Those were the thoughts that permeated her mind for the first month after she came back from the Forgotten Shore, after enslaving the most important person in her world and being pushed away by him.
Public opinion believed it to be due to trauma and her sob story that had appeared in the movie about how she was saved by her lover. That movie made her sick.
[ "I don't expect you to forgive me. This sin, too, will be mine to bear. But, please, if you can… find it in your heart to understand. If things were different, I would have gladly faced that monster to let you escape. But my life… does not belong to me alone. There is an unencompassable duty I am sworn to fulfill. Until it's done, I cannot allow myself to die." ]
As several Cassies raised their eyebrows in interest, various discussions flared in the rooms.
"What the hell?! This Guy! How the hell can he justify himself with that?!"
Effie raised her voice, startling her husband and child.
"Honey, calm down..."
"I can't. This is fucking bullshit! What is the use of protecting him and being all supportive if he is just going to abandon him for his own goals?!"
"Isn't it more than that, Saint Athena?"
Morgan's voice sounded nearby.
"What is the most valuable life in our society, that of a mundane rat of the outskirts or an awakened that can save several mundane people by the end of the week? We all have a great duty as Saints, we cannot let our morals deter us from those duties."
"But killing a kid is fine?!"
"It is not, but if you are so blind as to not see more than right or wrong, then maybe you are in the wrong career."
"You-"
"Silence!"
Nephis' voice sounded in the room, quieting the two women.
"Keep. Watching."
[ "You people… Look at you! Planning to kill me and still insisting on having a good excuse. How very convenient! I really hate hypocrites like you the most. Why don't you be honest for once? Don't give me that crap... just say it! I'm going to kill you because it's easy. I'm going to kill you because I want to survive." ]
A smile crossed Solvane's face.
"That is how it should be. Death isn't something to be decorated in grand ideals, you fight, you struggle, and then you either die or survive, there is nothing more."
[ "I'm sorry. I knew you wouldn't be able to understand." ]
[ "What's there to understand?" ]
[ "Tell me. Why do I have to die?" ]
[ "That man was a villain… but he was also right. The scent of blood is too heavy on you. It will attract the beast." ]
[ "You can just let me go, you know. We'll part ways. After that, whether the monster finds me won't be your problem." ]
[ "Dying in that creature's maw… is too cruel a fate. It's better if I do it myself. You are my responsibility, after all." ]
[ "How noble of you." ]
In the Alter room, every single Sunny scoffed, staring at the screen with disgust directed at Hero's actions.
Even Mundane Sunny and the Devil Detective were sharing that emotion. It was simply deplorable.
[ "You know… when I just came here, I was ready to die. After all, in this whole world—two worlds, actually—there's not a single soul who cares whether I live or die. When I'm gone, no one will be sad. No one will even remember that I existed." ]
Those words hit Nephis and others in ways they could hardly understand.
Either because the person they had begun to hold close to their hearts was confessing that he was ready to die right there, or because of the irony behind those words.
"No one will even remember that I existed."
The fact that the one that would one day become Fateless and therefore forgotten by everyone would say that was gut-twisting.
Nephis felt her heart bleed.
Cassie felt her insides twist themselves in guilt and shame that she did not know if she had ever felt. Or maybe she had, but had forgotten?
Effie and Kai looked away with a pained expression.
Jet stared silently at the screen, connecting with that type of life. No one would remember if a stone by the roadside was suddenly missing, that's just how it is.
Rain felt frustration, threatening to explode into countless emotions, inside her.
Mordret looked with an empty face, his face betraying no emotion.
And in the alter room, every single Sunny stared silently at the screen, ignoring the concerned gazes, the curious gazes, and the caring gazes directed at them.
[ "But then I changed my mind. Somewhere along the way, I decided to survive. I must survive, no matter what." ]
[ "To live a life worth remembering?" ]
[ "No. To spite you all." ]
A grin split the faces of the several Sunnys in the Alter Room. Even after several years and experiences, that was still a constant in their life.
Spite for the world that sought to end him.
Spite for the poverty that plagued his family.
Spite for the truth that maddened his mind.
Spite for the injustice of this world.
Spite for the currents of time that separated him from his life.
Spite for the one who had enslaved him.
Spite against people, animals, circumstances, the world, and mostly...
Fate.
He had found some more people he cared about, loved, and trusted. But that only increased his spite.
Spite for those that stole the childhood of the one he loved.
Spite for the future that burdened someone he held dear.
Spite for his own selfishness that separated him from his companions.
Spite for the future and encroaching demise of this world.
That was who Sunless was.
That was Lost from Light.
[ "Don't worry. I'll make it quick." ]
[ "Aren't you overly confident? What makes you think you'll be able to kill me? Maybe I'll kill you instead." ]
[ "I doubt that." ]
[ … But in the next second, he staggered and fell on one knee. The young man's face turned deathly pale, and with a pained groan, he suddenly vomited blood. ]
[ A satisfied smile appeared on Sunny's face. ]
[ "Finally." ]
Seeing Hero stagger and fall to his knee was a great surprise. But judging by Sunny's reaction, it was easier to deduce that it was part of Sunny's plan.
"What did he do?"
Diverged Rain, who was still being comforted by Mundane Sunny, asked.
Sunny, sporting a similar grin to the one on screen, answered.
"He was the one responsible for the water."
Those words were clarifying enough.
[ "What… what magic is this?" ]
[ "Was… was that thief right? Did you put the curse of the Shadow God on us?" ]
[ "I wish that I had the ability to throw divine curses around, but no. To tell you the truth, I don't have any abilities at all." ]
[ "Then... how?" ]
[ "That's why I poisoned you all." ]
As the words settled in the Longing Room, Professor Julius cut the silence.
"Bloodbane. I wondered why the viewing had focused on such a useless detail, but to think that he would use it to poison them all."
Sunny never trusted anyone to begin with.
He was the reason why the other two were getting weaker than he was as they climbed.
[ "What?" ]
[ "After the tyrant first attacked, you sent me to search for water. While gathering flagons from the dead soldiers, I squeezed Bloodbane juice into each one—except my own, of course. Not enough to taste it, but enough to slowly kill anyone who would drink from them." ]
"To instinctively dose out a poison that he had just learned about so perfectly. What kind of talent does this kid have?"
Noctis couldn't help but feel his eyebrows twitch.
[ "So that's why… the other two were in such bad shape." ]
[ "Shifty drank the most, so his condition worsened the fastest. Scholar was also not long for this world, but you finished him off before the poison could. Yourself, however… it was as though Bloodbane had no effect on you at all. I was really starting to get worried." ]
[ "I see… I understand." ]
[ "But… but back then you didn't know… that we would turn on you." ]
Some scoffs sounded.
[ Sunny just laughed. ]
[ "Oh, please. It was obvious. Shifty was the kind of man who would kill for a pair of boots. Scholar was like a wolf in sheep's clothing. People are selfish and cruel in the best of situations—was I supposed to believe that those two weren't going to do something terrible to me when faced with certain death?" ]
[ "Then… what about me?" ]
[ "You? You are the worst of them." ]
[ "Why?" ]
[ "I might not have learned much in my short life, but I do know one thing," ]
[ Now there was only cold, callous contempt. Sunny's face hardened as he spat: ]
[ "There is nothing more pathetic than a slave who begins to trust his slaver." ]
The words hit like a hammer.
Sunnys went silent.
The Nephises who were aware looked away as if in shame, and those that were unaware, like the one in the Longing Room, felt their stomach twist as if trying to force her to vomit.
But the ones that were the hardest were the Cassies. It was like their body was stabbed by a burning blade, igniting the air in their lungs and melting their organs. The guilt was overwhelming.
[ "I see." ]
[ "You… you are a wicked little shit, aren't you?" ]
[ "There's no need to be rude." ]
[ "Good. This is good. My conscience will be clearer." ]
[ "What are you mumbling about? Just die already." ]
[ Hero chuckled and suddenly pierced him with a stare. Somehow, he didn't look so sick anymore. ]
[ "You see, that plan would have worked if I were a normal human. But, alas, my Soul Core has Awakened long ago. I've slain countless enemies and absorbed their power. Bloodbane poison, unpleasant as it might be, can never kill me." ]
[ 'Crap!' ]
"An Awakened?!"
Warning bells rang in their heads as Sunny was now once again in mortal danger.
[ Sunny turned around and tried to run away, but it was already too late. Something hit him in the back, sending his body crashing into the rock wall. With a scream, he felt a sharp pain piercing his left side. Rolling out of the cave, Sunny clutched his chest, scrambled back onto his feet, and ran, trying to escape the narrow crevice. ]
[ He managed to reach the old path, finally being able to see the stars and the pale moon shining brightly in the night sky. But it was as far as he was able to get. ]
[ "Stop." ]
[ "Turn around." ]
[ "Was it worth it? No matter. Despite it all, I will be true to my promise. I'll make it quick." ]
As the tension rose, their heartbeats accelerated as well. They knew Sunny would survive, but how?
[ "Do you have any last words?" ]
[ However, a small silver bell suddenly appeared in his hand. ]
[ "Where were you hiding that thing?" ]
[ Sunny shook the bell. A beautiful, clear ringing sound flowed over the mountain, filling the night with an enchanting melody. ]
[ "What are you doing?! Stop!" ]
[ "What was…" ]
[ "Tell me! What did you just do?" ]
"Why isn't he speaking?" Kai asked, confused. This was just riling Hero up.
By his side, Morgan spoke.
"The Tyrant is blind. So whoever makes the most sound is the one that it will 'see'."
[ "Tell me right now or you will regret it." ]
[ "Why are you not saying anything?" ]
[ The shivering boy just stared at him, completely silent. ]
[ No… he was staring into the darkness behind him. ]
The figure of the Awakened Tyrant appeared behind the Hero, it had been attracted by the sound of the bell, and it was now after the loud prey.
[ Sunny had no choice but to resort to one last, desperate gamble. ]
[ Now he had only one advantage left: the fact that he knew that the tyrant was blind, and Hero did not. Acting on that knowledge, however, was easier said than done. ]
[ That's why he tried to stay as quiet as possible and rang the silver bell. If the description did not lie, its ringing could be heard from miles away. Surely, the tyrant was going to hear it, too. ]
[ His voice was quite threatening, but still, the young slave did not answer. He just shivered in the cold and tried not to moan despite the pulsing pain in his chest. ]
[ But Sunny did not dare to answer. He held his breath and watched, horrified, as the familiar colossal figure appeared behind Hero. His lungs were on fire, and his heart was beating like crazy. It was beating so loud that he was even afraid that the blind tyrant would hear it. ]
[ At the last second, a hint of understanding appeared in the young soldier's eyes. He began to turn around, his sword rising with lightning speed. ]
[ But it was too late. ]
[ A massive hand appeared from the darkness and caught him in an iron grip. The bone claws scraped against the armor, pulling it apart. Mountain King dragged Hero back, paying little attention to the sword biting into its wrist. Viscous saliva was streaming from its open maw. ]
[ Petrified by fear, Sunny slowly turned his back to them and took a couple of steps up the old, winding path. Then he darted away, running as fast as he could. ]
[ Behind him, a desperate scream tore apart the silent night. Then a hungry roar followed. It seemed that Hero wasn't going down without a fight, even though his fate was already sealed. ]
[ "I'm sorry, Hero," ]
[ "I did say that I would watch you die… but, as you know, I am a liar. So go and die on your own…" ]
Sunny's gamble had worked perfectly, he was able to make his biggest threats face off against each other and was able to successfully escape.
Nephis let out a sigh of relief.
Her heart had been unable to calm down for a while, even if she knew he would survive, it didn't make it easier to watch.
[ A young man with pale skin and black hair reached the peak of the mountain. However, his looks didn't match the magnificence of the scene: wounded and staggering, he looked pathetic and weak. ]
[ The young man looked like a walking corpse. ]
[ He was hunched over, cradling the left side of his chest. Each step caused him to moan, ragged breath barely escaping through gritted teeth. ]
[ Sunny was hurting all over. But most of all, he was cold. ]
[ He just wanted to lie down in the snow and fall asleep. ]
[ But instead, he continued walking because he believed that the Nightmare would be over once he reached the peak. ]
Everyone watched with great attention to each step. Hoping that the next step wouldn't be the one that made him stumble and fall.
Rain watched with the utmost attention, she could not, would not look away.
[ Finally, he had made it. ]
[ At the highest point of the mountain, a vast expanse of flat rock was covered with snow. In the center of it, illuminated by moonlight, stood a magnificent temple. Its colossal columns and walls were cut from black marble, with exquisite reliefs decorating the stygian pediment and broad frieze. Beautiful and awesome, it looked like a palace of a dark god. ]
Eyes widened in surprise both in the Longing Room and in the Shadow Room.
The Nameless Temple, the citadel of the Lord of Shadows, was standing there waiting for the young slave.
"How? How is his citadel in his First Nightmare?" Rain asked confused.
Beside her, Aiko responded even if she was just as surprised.
"All Nightmares, including the first one, take place in a place of the Dream Realm. Boss probably found it while exploring and made it his citadel out of some poetic meaning."
In the Longing Room, Nephis stared at the temple where she had first met Sunny. She was perplexed, the Nameless Temple was a citadel that was an undeniable superior to other citadels.
Its capability to move around was already a great boon, but its invisible guardian was also a great advantage.
And there it stood, in his First Nightmare.
[ "Found you," ]
[ 'See this, Hero?' ]
[ 'I've made it. You were strong and ruthless, and I was weak and timid. Yet now you are a corpse, and I am still alive. Isn't it funny?' ]
The only ones who found it funny were the Mordrets, both Supreme and Mundane.
[ 'Actually, it's not. What do any of you even know about being ruthless? Poor fools. In the world where I come from, people had thousands of years to turn cruelty into an art. And as someone on the receiving end of all that cruelty… don't you think I would know more about being vicious than you ever could?' ]
'If Eurys were here, he would say something like, "As expected of the War Realm!" or something like that.' Nephis thought.
[ 'Truth be told, you never stood a chance… wait. What was I thinking about?' ]
Muscles tensed, the climax of the Nightmare was coming, they could feel it.
[ 'Don't fall for it. It's just hypothermia. If you fall asleep, you'll die.' ]
[ Finally, Sunny reached the steps of the black temple. He started to climb them, not noticing thousands of bones that were scattered around. These bones once belonged to humans and monsters both. All of them were killed by the invisible guardians still lingering around the temple. ]
[ As Sunny was climbing the steps, one of the shapeless guardians approached him. It was ready to snuff out the spark of life that was burning weakly in the defiler's chest but then stopped, sensing a faint, strangely familiar scent coming from his soul. The scent of divinity. Sorrowful and lonesome, the guardian moved aside, letting Sunny pass. ]
"The Mark of Divinity." Doctor Saint remarked.
"Seems like it," her Detective Patient agreed.
[ At the far end of the hall, a large altar was cut from a single piece of black marble. It was the only thing inside the temple untouched by snow. Forgetting why he came here, Sunny headed for the altar. ]
[ He just wanted to sleep. ]
"Come on Sunny, stay awake." Rain tried to speak to him, as if her voice could pierce time and reach him.
[ The altar was dry, clean, and as wide as a bed. Sunny climbed on it and lay down. ]
[ It seemed like he was going to die. ]
[ He was okay with it. ]
Mundane Sunny heard the narrator as Divergent Rain clung tighter to him.
He was right, without Rain, Mother, Father, or Saint. There was no more reason other than his spite. Dying was not that upsetting. If there was an afterlife, maybe he would meet with them?
[ Sunny tried to close his eyes but was stopped by a sudden noise coming from the direction of the temple's entrance. He turned his head to look, not even a little bit curious. What he saw would have sent chills running down his spine if he weren't so cold, tired, and indifferent. ]
[ Mountain King was standing there, looking at him with its five blind eyes. He was still massive, terrifying, and revolting. Worm-like shapes were still moving frantically under its skin. It was sniffing the air, salivating. ]
"Oh, come on!" Saint Roan couldn't help but shout, his frustration finally bubbling over the edge.
[ 'What an ugly bastard,' ]
[ Bloody foam flew from his mouth and fell on the altar. However, the black marble soon absorbed it. ]
[ A second later, it was as pristine as it was before. ]
[ The tyrant was just about to reach Sunny. It was already stretching its hands to grab him. ]
"Move, brother, please." Rain pleaded.
[ 'I guess this is the end,' ]
"Damnation! Just MOVE, Sunny!"
[ But at the last second, suddenly, the voice of the Spell resounded in the dark temple. ]
"Huh?" A collective confused sound escaped the mouths of the audience.
[ [You have offered yourself as a sacrifice to the gods.] ]
[ [The gods are dead and cannot hear you.] ]
[ [You soul bears the mark of divinity.] ]
[ [You are a temple slave.] ]
[ [Shadow God stirs in his eternal slumber.] ]
[ [He sends a blessing from beyond the grave.] ]
[ [Child of Shadows, receive your blessing!] ]
As the Spell's voice faded, jaws dropped.
Sunny had sacrificed his blood on the altar and caught the interest of the gods. However, they were dead and could not answer, except the one that had created and commanded Death.
Shadow had reached Sunny from beyond death to give him his blessing.
[ Under Sunny's astonished eyes, the shadows crowding the great hall suddenly moved, as though coming alive. Tentacles of darkness surged forward, entangling Mountain King's arms and legs. The mighty tyrant struggled, trying to get free. ]
Some recognized such an ability as the same that the Lord of Shadows used. Shadow Manifestation had been showed off to Sunny that far back.
[ But how could it resist the power of a god? ]
[ The shadows dragged Mountain King back, pulling in different directions. The tyrant opened its maw, and a furious howl escaped it. ]
[ The next second, its body ruptured, torn apart into pieces. ]
[ Sunny blinked. ]
The audience blinked with him, perplexed by the overkill of the situation. A god had stepped in to help in a situation involving an Awakened Tyrant.
[ [You have slain an awakened tyrant, Mountain King.] ]
[ [Wake up, Sunless! Your nightmare is over.] ]
[ [Prepare for appraisal…] ]
************
A/N : End of Chapter! Next chapter is the appraisal and the viewing will be over, after that will be a aftermath chapter followed by another viewing that should last for two chapters (One for meeting Jet and another for meeting Neph and Cas). We are almost finishing the first theme! What did you guys think?
Check Out my other Fanfics:
Cursed Shadow (JJK/JJK Modulo x Shadow Slave)
Trailblazing Shadow (HSR x Shadow Slave)