Shadow Slave

The giant Great Beast was growing smaller and smaller as Sunny rose higher into the sky. The winds were howling, and he was slowly starting to feel apprehensive about how long it would take him to fall back down. The view was simply breathtaking... but even from such a high vantage point, Sunny could not see a single piece of land.

There were no islands, no continents, and no ships. There was not even another piece of flotsam.

He sighed.

’What a predicament.’

”Enjoying the view?”

Sunny flinched and craned his neck, looking at the Sin of Solace.

His identical copy was calmly standing on thin air, looking down at him. The wind was playing with the apparition’s long black hair.

Sunny frowned.

’I... really need to get a haircut.’

”You’re ignoring me now? Ungrateful.”

He glared at the apparition silently, then asked:

”How are you doing that? Why aren’t you falling?”

A wicked smile appeared on the face of the cursed spirit.

”It’s because, unlike you, I’m not weighed down by sin.”

Sunny scoffed.

”Bastard... it’s literally in your name...”

The two were silent for a few moments, giving him ample time to enjoy the fact of just how insane he had become. After a while, the Sin of Solace pointed down.

”Why bother resisting? Here’s an idea... just go jump into this beast’s maw. Haven’t you heard the stories about people traveling inside a sea creature’s belly? With your luck, it will definitely bring you to somewhere pleasant.”

Sunny stared at the porcelain face of the apparition.

”If I die, you die too, you know?”

The Sin of Solace grinned.

”Maybe I would rather die than spend more time in your company. Have you ever thought about that?”

Sunny gritted his teeth, then looked away.

’He’s not real... he’s just a part of me... since when am I this irritating?’

Sighing, he summoned the Dark Wing. Soon, a translucent cloak appeared on his back and turned into a blur. The shadows moved, flowing from the Heavenly Burden to cover it in darkness.

Illuminated by the light of seven suns, Sunny followed the current of the Great River as he glided forward. To his right, the world was painted in hues of lilac by the light of dawn. To his left, the water was like a sea of burning blood because of the crimson dusk. All around him, the blue sky was suffused with the bright radiance of the day.

The Sin of Solace calmly walked across that sky, following him. His hands were clasped behind his back.

’There has to be something - anything - in this Nightmare. It can’t just all be water.’

Sunny was pretty sure that there would be some place where he could land. Otherwise, the trial was too unreasonable... anyone without Memories like the Essence Pearl and the Nimble Catch would be doomed. The Spell was not an executioner.

Of course, with his luck, he might have been sent thousands of kilometers away from the nearest piece of land. That would not be the first time Sunny found himself on the receiving end of truly terrible fortune.

There was only one way to find out.

...Well, actually, there were a couple. He could try surviving the [Where is my eye?] enchantment for the third time. And he would, if there was no other way.

The giant sea monster below followed Sunny with its cloudy eyes, and then dove back into the water. However, its vast shadow remained, moving slowly just below the surface. It was keeping pace with the flying human.

Sunny’s expression grew bleak.

’Not willing to let go, huh?’

Did he offend the serpent’s ancestors in his past life?

Time went by. The sea serpent continued to follow Sunny, raising its head above the water from time to time to throw a chilling look in his direction. At some point, Sunny removed the black needle from his forearm and allowed himself to glide down for a while.

There was a Great Beast waiting for him in the river... and if there was one below, there could easily be one above. Being attacked by a flying abomination was the last thing Sunny wanted to happen - but if it did happen, he wanted to at least have the opportunity to dive back into the water and try his luck in the depths. Maybe the two abominations would fight with each other instead.

This was why he dared neither rise too high above the water nor get too low.

Sunny felt tense, somber... and a bit exasperated.

’No, really. What kind of messed-up situation is this?’

He had turned into a blimp!

After gliding down for a while, he winced and pushed the black needle back into his forearm.

And so it continued.

The Great Beast stubbornly followed, always staying precisely below Sunny. The hours slowly went by. Sometimes, he would rise, and sometimes, he would descend. The Heavenly Burden continued to poke small holes in his skin, which then immediately healed thanks to the [Living Stone] trait of the Shell.

Sunny grew angry.

Then, he grew depressed.

Then, he grew bored.

Eventually, he started to enjoy the feeling of flying through this beautiful world of radiant sunlight and shining water. A small smile appeared on his face.

There was a great abomination waiting to gobble Sunny up, and yet, he felt strangely peaceful. How many people out there dreamed of being able to fly?

’...Maybe I did lose my mind.’

He was happy that the Sin of Solace, at least, was keeping his mouth shut.

The seven suns slowly moved across the sky. Eventually, the dawn to his right dissipated, giving way to night. The seventh sun rose above the water and crawled west across the firmament, followed by a spreading darkness. The sun to his left drowned in the crimson water and disappeared, soon followed by another.

One by one, all seven suns disappeared beyond the western horizon, and the sky became completely black.

There was no moon, and no stars.

However, soon after absolute darkness consumed the world, the waters of the Great River themselves began to emanate a soft, shimmering radiance. Sunny held his breath, stunned by the sublime beauty of this dark, luminous world. The whole boundless expanse of the Great River was now suffused with faint, but beautiful light.

It was as though...

As though the seven suns were now somewhere far below, the soft echo of their light barely reaching the world through the unfathomable mass of water.

’How pretty...’

Sunny stared at the softly shining expanse of water for a while. Then, his expression turned dull.

If there was one flaw to this ethereally beautiful scene, it was the dark shape beneath the surface of the flowing water, and the two giant eyes staring at him with hunger and madness.

The day was over, and the night had come...

But the damned Great Beast was still patiently waiting for him below.

Looking at the head of the ancient sea serpent, Sunny sighed.

’I wonder how many days I can survive...’