Sunny walked, his body stiff from the cold.
It had been nearly a year since he last met Raphael.
Feeling depressed, as his last hope for someone to remember him faded, he continued his journey toward the Burned Forest.
Fortunately, he was able to circle around it, reaching the other side.
By then, the sun did not rise at night anymore.
The sky wasn't entirely black, though. It was illuminated by countless stars, and although the moon did not show itself, he could sometimes see a ghostly radiance, as if it were hidden just out of sight.
The ground was slowly devoured by ice. Sunny continued to move north, and at some point, he could no longer see the ground at the bottom of the deep cracks in the ice—instead, there was only water.
Suddenly, something appeared in the distance. A shape that was different from all the rest, too orderly and smooth to be anything but artificial.
Barely containing his fascination, Sunny walked in that direction.
He moved closer and closer until the strange structure finally revealed itself.
Sunny stumbled.
His weathered face suddenly froze. All traces of excitement were erased from it, replaced by a deep, powerful emotion that wasn't quite horror and wasn't quite shock, but very close to both.
He swayed slightly.
"Aaaah...."
A slow exhale escaped from his lips.
Sunny sank to his knees.
Tears rolled from his eyes, turning into drops of ice.
"Here... it's here."
It was.
A bitter smile split his pale face.
Out there in front of him, hidden in the ice... stood a small settlement. It was surrounded by a thick wall, now broken and covered in snow.
There was a large dome-like structure towering above the settlement, painted white against the backdrop of the starlit sky. It resembled a giant, perfectly smooth egg.
It was an observatory... a lunar observatory.
It was LO49.
Sunny's eyes filled with despair and sadness. He had believed they had time, but he was wrong.
Time wasn't on their side.
Suddenly, from behind, Sunny heard footsteps. He turned quickly, summoning a shadow katana.
Behind him was a man with golden hair and a beard, wearing a simple white cloak.
Sunny knew him. He looked at Adam in confusion.
Adam glanced at LO49 and spoke:
"I still remember the time when we stayed there..."
Sunny's eyes widened, his breath caught in his throat.
Adam looked at Sunny and smiled, "It's good to see you again, Sunny."
***
In the Underworld, where the grand throne room was located, a portal emerged into existence.
From it stepped a man with black hair streaked with gold. His golden eyes brimmed with confidence. His face was godlike—beautiful yet undeniably handsome.
Raphael looked around at thousands of creatures, all wounded.
He chuckled. In the end, he was the one who had orchestrated the attack on the Underworld during their weakest moment.
Raphael walked toward the throne. In front of it stood Mohg, looking at him with hatred.
He reached the throne, but Mohg stood in front of him, blocking his path.
Raphael looked into his eyes and spoke solemnly, "Move."
Mohg gritted his teeth and moved aside, just as Raphael ordered.
Raphael looked at the throne and sat on it, gazing at the crowd below him.
He closed his eyes and opened them again. This time, he saw two different points of view.
One of himself in the Underworld, and the other looking at Sunny.
***
Sunny trembled, his mind racing with thoughts.
'No... no way!'
"How...?"
"What do you mean, how, Sunny?" Raphael replied.
Sunny gritted his teeth and yelled, "How do you remember me?!"
Raphael chuckled and spoke, "I've always remembered you, Sunny. From the time we met at the police station to the end of the Third Nightmare..."
Sunny remained silent for a moment, then asked, stuttering, "Why... why now? Why tell me now?!"
Raphael didn't reply and remained silent.
Looking at Sunny, Raphael sighed.
"Do you think you are the only one who suffered, Sunny?"
Sunny looked up at Raphael, his face filled with confusion.
'W... what?'
"Do you know how much of my sanity I lost while living for thousands of years, watching you become corrupted every time?"
"I've asked, prayed, and yelled for someone to end my torture and let me rest. But no one responded..."
Raphael looked at the night sky, brimming with stars.
"What about Cassie? Do you know how much she was hurt when she realized it wasn't her who would achieve the goal she dreamt of and escape with her friends? That another would do it while she would only be a stepping stone?"
He looked at Sunny again and spoke:
"What about Nephis? Who watched the one she loved stab her in the heart and corrupt her friends."
"We've all been hurt by you, Sunny... but no one hated you. No one resented you, because in the end, we all have dreams. And what is the difference between you and us?"
Sunny remained silent, lacking the courage to speak back.
"Sunny, my friend... no, my little brother. I've lost. Nether will take my body and kill everyone... that's why I need you. I need your help."
Sunny's eyes widened in disbelief.
"What? No, what do you mean Nether will take your body?"
"Sunny, you knew it was a matter of time. It's a miracle it didn't happen until now."
Sunny gritted his teeth and asked, "Why me?! Why is it always me who has to do everything...?"
Raphael smiled and spoke, "Because you are fated. Fated to fight for the good of humanity... As for why I need your help..."
His smile changed to one of sadness.
"Because you are the Heir of Death, and the only man who can kill me."
Sunny stood up and yelled, "Why? Why would I need to kill you from the start? Shouldn't killing Nether be enough?"
"And why do you think I can kill a Daemon?!"
Raphael shook his head and spoke:
"That isn't possible. Nether and I have merged to the point where I am Nether, and he is me. Unless I die, Nether will always live. As for why I think you can kill Nether... it's because I believe you can."
"Hahaha... you think I can kill a Daemon because you believe I can?" Sunny laughed.
Raphael remained silent. He took a deep breath and asked, "Do you know what my True Name is?"
"The Black Emperor..." Sunny replied.
Raphael nodded and spoke:
"In the runic language, 'black' could mean many things: Darkness, Death, Void, Chaos, Evil, and... Sacrifice. I always thought my True Name translated to 'The Emperor of Darkness'... but now I know what it actually is... 'The Sacrificial Emperor.' That is my True Name."
Sunny gritted his teeth and yelled, "Why? Why do you accept such a fate?!"
"What do you want me to do?! Defy fate and let everyone die? I can't... I can't do such things. That's why I accepted my fate, unlike you."
Sunny stumbled down and spoke, stuttering, "You... you are a fool."
Raphael smiled—an exaggerated smile, a ridiculous smile. Nonetheless, it was a smile.
"Yes, I'm a fool... A fool who loves the world."
Sunny looked at Raphael. Suddenly, he felt something on his cheeks. He tried to wipe it away, but more came.
'Ah...'
He finally understood what it was—tears surging from his eyes.
After everything he had gone through, after finally finding someone who remembered him, only to discover that the only one who remembered him was fated to die.
Sunny couldn't take it anymore. Tears streamed from his eyes. He cursed the world, the gods, and everything that came to mind.
And Raphael listened. Wasn't it his duty as an older brother to listen to his younger brother?
Raphael felt sleepy, like the time when he was first infected with the Nightmare Spell.
And he didn't fight against it. He closed his eyes, entering a slumber from which he didn't know if he would ever wake again.
After some time, Sunny looked at Raphael and asked, "Raphael...?"
"I'm sorry, Lord Sunless, but my father is gone..." It was Adam who responded.
Sunny looked down at the ground. He remained silent for a moment, then stood up.
"Let's go."
Adam nodded and followed him.
***
In the Underworld, Mohg looked at Raphael. It had been more than an hour since he closed his eyes.
Suddenly, a terrifying pressure descended on him. Without even thinking, he kneeled, pressing his head to the floor.
How could he not? He felt the presence of his lord again.
On the throne, Raphael opened his eyes. Once golden, they were now black as the void, devoid of any emotion.
Mohg looked up and spoke, "My lord, we have been waiting for you."
Nether looked around, seeing thousands of people kneeling before him.
He glanced at Mohg and asked, "Who are you?"
"It's me, your Majesty, Mohg, your right-hand man. You assigned me to protect your lineage."
Nether looked at Mohg. In his eyes, there was a hint of disgust—nearly imperceptible, but it was there.
"A mere mortal created by the gods dares to say he's my right-hand man?"
The pressure grew stronger, suffocating. Mohg felt a claw on his heart.
Suddenly, the pressure vanished. Nether looked at Mohg and spoke, "I don't know where you got my lineage from, but you did a good job. That is why I shall reward you."
Mohg smiled. Never in his life had he thought his lord would praise him.
"You shall die by my hands, mortal. Be honored."
Mohg's eyes widened as a dark tentacle pierced his back.
From behind, he saw tens of thousands being devoured by the darkness.
He looked up at Nether, only to see him crossing his legs, leaning his head on his hand, watching the people of the Underworld being slaughtered without a hint of emotion.
Mohg felt horror. Nether would truly kill them.
Breaking free from the dark tentacle, he used all of his will and authority.
Mohg was sure he would win. After all, Nether was only in a Supreme body. But how wrong he was.
In a mere second, his will was utterly crushed. Hundreds of dark tentacles pierced his body.
How dare a mere Sacred defy a Daemon's will?
Mohg didn't understand why his lord would do this. He still remembered how Nether...
'Huh...?'
Before the end of the Doom War, Nether had returned to the Underworld and given him his lineage—or so it should have happened.
So why... why did he remember a figure wearing a mask of black lacquered wood, carved into the likeness of a demon with seven twisted horns?
'Weaver...'
Those were the last words of Mohg, the Lord of Blood, as he died by the hand of his own Emperor.
Nether looked at Mohg's lifeless body, being devoured by the darkness.
Even though he had devoured a Sacred, he was still a Supreme.
The reason was simple: the mortal body he inhabited was missing a piece of its soul.
Looking at where the crowd had been, he found nothing. All of them had been devoured by his darkness.
The souls of those devoured traveled to him.
In a single night, the Underworld fell at the hands of its own Emperor.
Thus, the birth of the Daemon of Destiny and Choice was declared.
The First to Shed the Blood of the Gods.
And the Last Child of the Dream God.
***
In an unknown place filled with golden and silver strings, a man in his forties with black hair just beginning to gray and dull brown eyes devoid of emotion stood, gazing at the golden strings.
He raised his hand to his face, removing it like a mask.
Then another face appeared, but he didn't stop. He removed this face as well.
Another appeared, and he did the same.
Ten, thousands, millions of masks lay on the ground.
Weaver continued removing the masks until there was nothing... no, not nothing.
For a second, the face was as bright as the sun, but in the next, it was as dark as the void. It was beautiful yet ugly.
The face was ever-changing, never stopping.
Weaver's eyes were like voids filled with "Corruption and Madness".
In his other hand was a mask of black lacquered wood, carved into the likeness of a ferocious demon with four protruding fangs and seven twisted horns rising like a crown.
He put the mask on and looked away from the golden strings, vanishing into the unknown.
***
[Volume 5: Fool]-End.
[Volume 6: Redemption] Opening Quote: "He shall Defy Fate, Defy the Heavens, Defy God!"
***
Everything is set, the finally is near. A war will began that will sweep the world, and only the strong can survive.
I hope you liked this volume, it took a lot time to decide the plot. I know there isn't many action as there was no important plot after V7 of SS. This volume main theme was to show Raphael development to what he is now.
I know you a lot of questions, but don't worry as it will be answered in the next volume.
If you have any questions, you can find me in the official Shadow Slave discord. just go to the Fanfiction room, and search for mine, it's named after the FF name.
Leave a review on this fanfic, chapter and some power stones, so more people can read it.
See you again next time👋