Shadow Slave Cinema (reaction fanfic)

All around, everyone watched the slaughter breathlessly.

The air vibrated with electricity as hands clenched armrests and sweat trickled down necks. Even the shadows around them seemed to stir, cheering and worshipping the daemonic deity on the battlefield.

Their Deity.

Their Heir.

Rarely, even Nephis and Daeron betrayed expressions of shock and admiration towards the massacre. The eyes of both rulers, twinkling with child-like awe, their hearts hammering slightly quicker against their ribs as adrenaline flowed.

"Strong…so…..powerful" Nephis mumbled in awe.

Not even Effie had the clear mindset to try and respond or shift the nature of the topic. All she could do was stare in awe as Sunny shook the battlefield—her heart and pride torn by the display of power and the contrasting betrayal in his supposed nature.

Her eyes twitched, as she let out a sigh, her tone hurt.

"Gods….of course one battle crazy could only find love with another"

Beside her, Ling tugged softly on her shirt, wide eyes locked on the screen.

"Uncle Sunny is so strong…?"

Effie flinched. Memories struck like flashes—Ling tackling him, while he served him bowls of ice-cream with a smile. How could the man who hid from the slightest compliment and advance, control death on this battlefield?

Her thoughts spiralled.

"This... this is how a Divine fights?" Beastmaster whispered, her breaths heavy.

Noctis leaned back, lips curled in eerie delight, "A Divine Shadow,"

Saint Helie murmured, "It's hard to believe he's one of us… just a Saint."

"Haha… ahhh. I dare not imagine what kind of horror he would become as a Supreme. The new generation is truly terrifying" Saint Cor chuckled darkly.

Gilead silenced him with a glare as sharp as drawn steel.

"He is not a Supreme."

But the ripple had already spread.

From the second row, a figure rose like a coming storm—Daeron. Arms crossed, he gazed at the screen with a father's pride and a Sovereign's knowing smile.

"But he can be… and he will be."

One by one, the Saints stiffened, shoulders tensed.

A Supreme had spoken.

And he had spoken admiration.

If this monster was only a Saint...

Then what darkness would be unleashed on reality when he stepped into Supremacy?

The thought alone made stomachs churn and hearts skip. Curiosity—so often the lifeblood of humanity—was now replaced by dread.

For they had glimpsed the answer.

And the answer terrified them.

Towering above the battlefield as the giant version of the Shadowspawn Shell, Sunny smiled darkly in the embrace of shadows. His human body was still the most natural, and therefore the most effective form he could summon — in most battles, at least.

But when he was outnumbered, the special traits of the Shadowspawn Shell truly shone. Sunny had been pressed to contend against the seven Saints of Song, but now, his task was easier. He could keep his enemies at bay better with his four hands, sharp claws, and long tail. His only regret was that Weaver's Mask prevented him from using his sharp fangs, too.

'Let us continue, then…'

The Saints of Song renewed their assault, and Sunny lunged forward to face them. The world became consumed by an unending cannonade of roaring thunderclaps, blinding flashes, and violent quakes. Clouds of dust and debris rose into the air, and gargantuan figures moved within them, clashing with terrifying and furious force.

Their calamitous confrontation seemed unimaginably ferocious and primal, devoid of all reason except for bloodlust and murderous frenzy… in fact, that was how most of the Awakened witnessing the battle probably saw it.

After all, in their minds, beings of such size and power were akin to dreadful Nightmare Creatures, and Nightmare Creatures were not known for their technique and meticulousness.

However, in truth, the furious battle was nothing but technical and meticulous. Yes, it was awesome and fierce. But behind the veil of frenzied determination and bestial might, every Saint fighting the Lord of Shadows was using their keen intellect, cold regard, and sophisticated battle art to fight and keep surviving the deadly cadence of the titanic clash.

Nothing less could suffice in this terrible battle, while power and refined control were only antithetical to each other in the hands of amateurs. When true masters fought, fury and calculation served to augment each other, fusing to create a devastating and flawlessly precise storm of destruction.

…Needless to say, Sunny himself was no different. It was just that his insight, skill, and finesse were even more sublime and daunting.

Slowed down and weakened, constantly confused between what was real and unreal, Sunny stubbornly persisted in his fight against the seven Saints of Song. He managed to push them back from time to time, even.

Still...It was such a draining and unpleasant battle. Appalling, really.

He would much rather fight Revel again... or someone like King Daeron, even.

Gritting his teeth behind Weaver's Mask, Sunny briefly threw a glance in the direction where Beastmaster was standing, spinning her sling once again. She was just as bewitching and breathtaking as ever.…

He really wanted to kill someone today.

At the final note, both Revel and Daeron slightly shook. Torn between anxiety and pride, unsure what to feel at his declaration of preferring to fight them.

Silent Stalker stirred, "So he's not as invincible as it seems"

"And yet he's still whooping your asses!" Effie laughed

Morgan nodded subtly, "All while holding back from killing"

"Not to mention those scandalous shadows of his somewhere else on the battlefield" Noctis chuckled.

Song stirred at the comments. Things only seemed to move in further opposition to their favor. The battle…..was awful. While they were gaining great information, it only repeated the inevitability of the fight they would have—as all this time he had yet to try and actually kill them.

Not to mention, his echo—no, shadows...were also somewhere else and handling multiple Saints alone.

To put it simply.

It was an absolute crushing defeat, a full house sweep of all their cards. Seishan's gaze only grew darker and more conflicted by the second as the other sisters looked at her worrily, while shooting glares back at the goons of Valor who sneered.

"Quite astonishing that he hasn't drawn blood yet…." Julius murmured.

Jet nodded, "Exactly, I would be itching to get back and deal some damage if I were in the situation"

The cohort slightly glanced at Nephis as she held an unreadable look, still focused.

'He's holding back….all for the sake of the future?'

She only grew more conflicted. What was pushing him to press forward and commit without question, all while enduring the onslaught of attacks with the intention to kill?

"But he can't go on forever" Daeron murmured, shifting in his seat, "The nature of his essence and Soul are unique, but it is clearly not limitless"

Indeed….something would happen or change soon.

The question was, who would be the first one to snap?

As the battle continued, Sunny felt the pressure mounting. His towering Shell moved like a hurricane, endlessly besieged by the seven Saints. Lonesome Howl, Saint Ceres, and the Jackal led the harrowing onslaught, never faltering or slowing down. The beautiful harpy, Siord, and the Saint of Sorrow alternated between circling above him and diving down to deliver devastating blows. Their presence was especially oppressive, because it added an entire new plane to the battle.

Even when the winged Saints were not plummeting from the blinding radiance of the sky to attack Sunny, the mere fact that they were somewhere above stifled his movements. There were Silent Stalker and Beastmaster, as well. The former was a deadly threat due to how relentless and penetrating her arrows were. She was eerily accurate and elusive, too, never allowing him to get close.

The latter was the source of great hardship. Not only was she controlling countless Nightmare Creatures to tip the balance of the Transcendent battle in favor of the Song Domain, but she was also subjecting Sunny to two different types of mental manipulation at the same time. There was her sling and its explosive shots to deal with, as well.

Sunny's power was slowly dwindling.

He could not allow himself to use the Shadow Lantern — not even because he was wary of the deadly arrows flying out of its stone gate, but because he was wary of the mysterious archer escaping the Shadow Realm. Who knew what that creature was, and what havoc it would cause once unleashed upon humanity? Skinwalker was already bad enough, and Sunny did not wish to be responsible for letting another ancient fiend loose in human settlements. Without the Shadow Lantern, though, his source element was feeble and scarce in this radiant land. He had already used most of the shadows around him to construct the Shadow Shell. Now, with every blow it received, the Shell was consuming itself to repair the damage. It wasn't going to last much longer… unless he managed to diminish the number of his enemies soon.

But Sunny was still hesitating, unsure if he was willing to kill Saints. In the end, however... the choice was made for him. It was shortly after he leaped over the three-headed canine and crouched, using her massive body as a shield against Silent Stalker's arrows. His tail shot back, piercing her thigh, two of his hands swatted the harpy and the gargoyle away, while a third picked up the corpse of a lumbering Nightmare Creature — one of Bestmaster's thralls who had been slain in the battle between the great armies — and tossed it forward like a cannonball. The corpse exploded into a geyser of crimson liquid as it hit the Jackal a split second later, cracking a few of his ribs and sending the obsidian giant reeling.

The plan was to follow the toss with another leap, fall upon the staggered Saint, and maim him before Lonesome Howl could slam into Sunny from the side to aid her comrade.

However, just before that…Sunny sensed a trickle of power flow into his soul.

'A... shadow fragment?'

Eyes of Valor lit up as Song became quiet.

The change had happened, and it was clear on what direction it was going to go. Like a drop of blood before piranhas, once it started—it would be impossible to start.

Nephis closed her eyes, silently exhaling.

'Your best was more than enough'

There was no excuses, and she herself would give or allow none. Murder was the essence of combat, and once one realised so….the outcome was resolute. She leaned back, only hoping that she herself was doing her best to hold back against the Saints.

"It's all for the real enemy…."

"H-He killed a Saint without realising it?" Rain whispered.

Ananke solemnly nodded, "Likely the doing of one of his mercenaries, how terrifying"

"I wonder which one drew first blood" Mordret hummed

Conspiring murmurs ran out as the war zealots chatted in glee, while the third row became quieter and darker. The air became thick with disgusting mirth, as those who were supposed to be growing and learning in hopes of the future of humanity, now chastised and insulted the loss of another.

Nephis silently listened.

Her flaw was one pain, but this was an inexplicably deeper one.

Knuckles whitened as she sat in silence. She wanted to turn around and berate them for their deplorable antics, to point and reprimand them of the true enemy. The one that caused them so much pain, the one that robbed them of a life they could have chosen.

Not some terrible Nightmare Creature or corrupt Sovereign.

The bastardly Nightmare Spell, the parasite that masqueraded as salvation.

By her side, Cassie fingers briefly touched her as she held a small warm smile, that caused her to loosen.

Their faces were grave and silent, as on the screen Sunny moved. His actions silenced their malicious murmurs as they could only watch with wide eyes.

Sunny used one of his three remaining hands to push himself off the ground, and went for the enemy's throat instead. His onyx claws slashed across it like four enormous blades, leaving thin cuts behind.

A moment later, four tremendous torrents of blood exploded out of the cuts, falling down like a crimson tide. The towering obsidian jackal staggered, then swayed…

And toppled silently to the ground, making it quake with the heavy impact of his fall. His throat had been cut, and his spine had been severed.

He was dead.

They blinked.

....

"D-Did he just one-shot a Saint?" Luster's voice trembled

Nobody could respond or voice their shock. The slaughter had just begun, as Sunny continued to move.

The battle continued… it was supposed to slow down now that all of them were suffering from wounds and fatigue, having expended oceans of essence, but instead, it only grew more fierce. Sunny had abandoned all reservations, while the Saints of Song were set aflame by the death of their comrade. They were skilled, they were valiant, and they were fierce. And yet, the six of them were still unable to bring the single enemy down…

Because their enemy was the Lord of Shadows. The barrage of attacks continued, and Sunny continued to dodge, deflect, and block them. Now that his Shell was smaller and carried less mass, it was becoming more difficult for him to withstand the dire power of Lonesome Howl and the primal ferocity of Saint Ceres. At the same time, he was harder to pin down or target with ranged attacks… most importantly, though, there was one less enemy for him to contend against. The Jackal had been the most massive of the seven Saints, and had wielded a long polearm to boot. His absence on the battlefield was a real boon, making it much easier for Sunny to move.

…Of course, the body of the slain Saint was already rising from the ground, turning its hollow eyes in Sunny's direction. But both his gigantic form and his crescent blade were gone… now, he was merely a Transcendent puppet of the Raven Queen.

Powerful, but not nearly as dangerous as the man himself had been. Sunny destroyed the puppet easily, letting it drown in the storm of devastation summoned by the clash of Saints. And just after that, his patience paid off. He received an opportunity to take out another enemy. However, this one was an enemy Sunny felt most reluctant to kill. The Saint of Sorrow…The stone gargoyle had misjudged his increased speed, missing the attack by a few meters. In and of itself, it was not that lethal of a mistake… however, both Lonesome Howl and Ceres were recovering their balance after performing devastating lunges, while Silent Stalker and Beastmaster were moving to get a better shot at the lightning-fast onyx demon.

Even Siord, the gargoyle's partner, was a step behind and too far to do anything instantly. Which gave Sunny a perfect opportunity to catch the Saint of Sorrow in his fist… he had four of those, after all. And once the gargoyle was caught, his stone body could be destroyed in a hundred different ways.

But the Saint of Sorrow… was Tamar's father.

Could Sunny really kill the father of his sister's closest friend? He had already decided to be merciless, after all...However, he also spent quite some time with Rain's cohort… he had even saved their lives after the winter solstice. These kids weren't strangers to him, either — not by a long shot. He was quite fond of them.

And although Sunny did not really know the Saint of Sorrow, the man enjoyed some of that fondness simply for having raised Tamar into who she was — an upright, loyal, and frustratingly serious young woman who had once jumped into a dark abyss to save the life of a simple porter.

Most importantly of all, hurting Tamar would hurt Rain. And that weighed on Sunny heavier than the need to preserve the lives of the Saints for the benefit of humanity.

Gazes became confused as Valor and Song looked between the Saint of Sorrow and Rain who sat at the front, their confusion only growing.

A low murmur sounded from Seishan, "You are connected?"

Tamar's father could only lower his head, hiding his face and unkept expression, his voice low and careful.

"No. I have never seen or heard of the girl until now."

Beastmaster shifted, something unusual in her eyes, "Then why is your daughter connected to her?"

The Saint of Sorrow could only blankly stare at them, briefly looking at Rain who hid herself, before turning back—his face only more confused, a good portion due to personal reasons.

"I-I haven't the slightest clue…"

At the front, Rain continued to sink in her seat from the unwanted attention, her shadow staring at her as the gazes of everyone breathed down her neck. Her eyes fidgeted, teeth slightly grinding as a noise escaped.

"Who the hell is this Tamar!"

Effie poked her shoulder, "A friend?"

Rain could only violently shake her head in protest, "Friend? Hell no! Why would I be friends with an uptight legacy?! Train—no, Tamar? What kind of a name is that? It sounds like an off brand cough syrup!"

Her tone carried all the way to the back, causing the Saint of Sorrow to shudder, his face only growing ever so confused.

Rain's stature wobbled as she met his gaze, a weak-willed grin on her face.

"Which is why it's such an…..honourable name!"

In the middle, Windflower and Telle slumped back, slightly saddened at the knowledge of how they could have had another girl join the room. Turning to each-other as they began to whisper, a few words escaping.

"Shame, she could have joined us"

"We could then be like a group"

The comments only stirred Rain more, as she continued to speak up instead of backing down.

"I don't know her at all! I don't even know how I supposedly became her friend, she drinks wine from a cup with grapes while I faceplant in snow after failed hunts!"

"In the future" Cassie murmured lightly

Rain only grew more agitated.

She turned to Ananke, slightly hoping she would help and defend her like before. Her eyes became lighter as she moved to speak….

"What is snow?"

.....

Rain could only stare at her as the room waited in silence, both Noctis and Mordret covering their mouths to stifle honest laughter.

"So….this means that your brother allowed you to move under Song?" Morgan echoed in a low tone.

Suddenly, Rain didn't aspire to live up to the legacy her brother was creating for himself, as she weakly squeaked.

"I-I guess?"

Valor silently glared at her, their intensity only broken as a loud voice resounded from the back, Beastmaster standing up as the other Bloodsisters tried to pull her down.

"Good for you! We welcome you with open arms sister!" she exclaimed

Rain could only stare with wide eyes, her mouth agape, similar to Effie who held an equally stunned look, glancing back and forth between Nephis and Song. But Nephis was only focused on the battle.

In the second row, the air slightly hummed as Daeron's voice carried around:

"It's near…"

His Shell was in rough shape, and he had stopped mending the damage dealt to it not long before – if he had continued, Lonesome Howl and Ceres would actually gain an advantage over him in terms of mass.

He had successfully pushed the three-headed canine back and sacrificed a piece of flesh to deliver the monstrous she-wolf another shallow cut. By now, her fur was just as much red as it was black, but the feral princess did not seem to have lost any of her dire power... the opposite, in fact. Sunny failed to disengage fast enough, which left him open for a split second too long. And in that split second, Silent Stalker's arrow hit him straight in the chest.

The internal frame of the Shadowspawn Shell had already been severely damaged, and this last blow seemed like the last drop. The entire torso of the onyx demon exploded, turning into a wave of shadows. The shadows fell to the ground like black smoke, dissolving into nothingness. Behind the river of dissipating darkness, what remained of the fearsome creature crumbled, as well. Leaving only a battered human figure laying on the ground.

Sunny grimaced, then rolled, dodging another arrow, and jumped to his feet. The illusory pain that had been searing his mind was suddenly more unbearable. The tranquil presence blooming in his heart was suddenly more breathtaking, making it harder to resist its tender call.

'Argh... dammit…'

His armour was cracked and broken, and his stance was hunched.

Nevertheless, he... the Lord of Shadows... did not look any less fearsome in his battered state. If anything, he looked more dangerous than ever, like a beast who had been backed into a corner. The enemies surrounded him, ready to attack. Now that Sunny was back to human form, he had to crane his neck to look at the giant figures of Lonesome Howl and Ceres... from this point of view, the two towering beasts looked quite terrifying.

The harpy, Siord, was ready to join the melee in her human form, too. Somewhere behind him, Silent Stalker was drawing her bow. And somewhere in front of him, behind the wall of three deadly Saints, Beastmaster was spinning her sling in the distance. Things... did not look good for Sunny.

He grinned behind Weaver's Mask. And spoke with a hint of cold contempt in his elusive voice:

"Gods. This... was not part of the plan."

The faces of everyone began to crease slightly, frowning in confusion and slight anxiety. Sunny….was going to lose? Was the screen sadistic enough to show his final moments on the battlefield?

"His essence, it's gone? Is it actually over?" Kai shakily muttered

Noctis lightly shrugged, "Maybe it's a necessity. The Shadow Realm would only welcome a Divine shadow, even one that has died"

Rain whirled around, eyes wide.

"But it can't end here! T-This isn't even so far into the future apparently….are we supposed to just accept that he'll die at this time?!?"

The others could only stare at her, some heads turning slightly in shame, while others eyes became solemn. Even Morgan clicked her tongue, a tone of disappointment. Song on the other hand, was confusingly joyous. Well….

Most of them were.

Beastmaster slumped back, biting her fingernails. A dreadful sinking feeling of anxiety, both at how he was about to die, while his killer…..was also her?

Her face contorted, a genuine frown.

....

'Am I supposed to be elated or distraught over this?'

The murmurs of disappointment continued to ring out, as other slumped back in their seats, Noctis pushing it to the limit—a look of genuine sadness on his face; slumped at the loss of someone he wished he could call his friend.

At the front, Effie glanced at Nephis with worried eyes, even more concerned at the fact that a slight smile was tugging at her lips.

'Damn battle junky'

She reached over, preparing to reprimand and break the reality to Nephis. But it wasn't needed, as her voice spoke out.

"Now he'll get serious"

The words echoed in the air, as people looked in shock. Even more so as Daeron slowly nodded, a smile on his face—a knowing smile.

Escaping from the Shadow Shell, a blurry darkness blinked behind Beastmaster. From her shadow, an identical figure rose….another Lord of Shadows

His arm flashed, a short knife knocking the back of her head as she stumbled and fell.

All around, the Saints of Song briefly paused, shock on their faces.

From the feet of the Lord of Shadows, more figures began to rise. Each of them identical, as they pulled weapons from the shadows, turning to the Saints of Song.

And then, a cold voice resounded from all of them:

"I really can't believe... that I finally managed to do something like a proper assassin, for once in my goddamn life…"

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Writer's block is real :(

Got caught up with applications for higher education, thus why I took longer for the chap

No way i'm skimming deadlines cus of a fanfic.

And, drumroll.... O_0

I wrote a new fanfic!

I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I

vvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvvv

A Supreme Start (Shadow slave ff)

I honestly really like it, and think it's better than Cinema

My word not yours (ᵕ—ᴗ—)

I'll be chill and update it in between my breaks with Cinema chaps ٩>ᴗ<)و

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