Fate's Slave - Shadow Slave X Honkai Star Rail

Sunny landed on the very edge of the island and froze there, looking forward with a dark expression on his bestial face. The others remained silent, too, feeling his unease and tension.

The land in front of them seemed tranquil... beautiful, even. There was an expanse of vibrant green grass, and some distance away, it made way for the calm waters of a vast lake. Its surface was perfectly still and reflective, making it seem as though a piece of the blue sky above had somehow gotten embedded into the ground.

A gentle wind caressed their faces, and nothing broke the peaceful silence except for the rustle of grass and the distant rattling of chains.

...And yet, Sunny couldn’t help but feel a sense of imminent danger.

He sighed, and then glanced at his allies with uncertainty.

”...Should we summon our armor and weapons?”

Dan Heng hesitated for a moment, then said:

”Wouldn’t that be seen as a sign of distrust and hostility? Pure heart, pure thoughts... whatever that means... does not seem to fit with being armed and ready for a fight.”

Sunny grimaced.

”Yeah... however, what if we do have to fight?”

March shrugged.

”I think we could run away, at least. How bad could it be?”

Sunny mumbled.

”Pretty bad...”

Together, they crossed the stretch of land between the edge of the island and the shore of the lake, stopping just a few steps away from the calm water. Because of how still and reflective it was, no one could peer beneath the surface... however, Sunny could feel something deep beneath the water. A vast and sprawling shadow... ancient, deep... unfathomable...

He shivered.

Sunny lingered for a bit, then cleared his throat and, feeling extremely stupid, addressed the lake:

”Uh... I am here to retrieve the Ruby Knife. Please... give it to me?”

There was a gust of wind... and nothing happened.

’...You know what? Fuck you!’

A few moments later, March laughed.

”Oh... I guess you are not pure, Sunny... who would have thought!”

He gritted his teeth, then growled at her angrily.

”Go and try yourself, then!”

The little girl wore a smug look.

”Well, some have called me the purest maiden in all the lands...”

Sunny wasn’t very convinced.

She approached the water, and stretched out a hand.

”Can I please have the knife, lake lady?”

Once again, nothing happened. March remained there for a few moments.

Sunny shook his head.

”No purity in there, huh? Figured. Miss Dan Heng?”

The woman sent him a brief look.

”...You do know I’m still a man, right?”

Sunny shrugged.

”Too late. My monologue has been referring to you as a ’her’ for a while now.”

Dan Heng made sure to keep a few steps of distance from Sunny as she approached the lake. A few moments later, nothing happened.

His eyes squinted as he turned towards Veliona. Were they really going to ask her of all people to try to get the knife? That wasn’t going to work.

Did Noctis seriously not account for the fact that nobody here was a saint?

’...A saint?’

That... would have been too extreme, now that Sunny thought of it. Who could say they had no selfishness within them? Noctis, as strange and annoying as he was, couldn’t have been stupid enough to assume that four random Awakened had such an innocent person among them.

So, the exact prerequisites of being pure of heart had to be different. Something that would keep the other Chain Lords from getting their hands on the Ruby Knife, but also not allowing Noctis himself.

’...Madness?’

Sunny himself, maybe. But as he looked at March and Dan Heng, he started to doubt it. They looked just as sane as anyone else.

After a few moments of thinking, Sunny summoned Saint. The others flinched as the knight suddenly appeared among them, her ruby eyes glowing as she turned to the lake. She took a few steps forward, stretching out her hand.

There was a ripple on the surface of the lake... and although the vast shadow hidden within it did not move, something suddenly appeared from beneath the water.

...A pale, white hand that held a long knife, which seemed to be made of solidified blood.

The hand rose from the water and offered it to Saint, who looked down indifferently. At the shore, she knelt forward, taking the Ruby Knife from the deathly white hand.

The hand let go easily and disappeared into the water, and soon, nothing but a slowly dissipating ripple remained to remind them of its existence.

Sunny observed all of this in shock.

’It didn’t move... the shadow didn’t even move...’

He was about to say something, but then, the water rippled again, and another hand emerged — this one black as coal and holding nothing. It slowly moved toward Saint, then rose, and softly caressed her cheek — or at least, where her cheek would be, under her onyx armor. Unbothered, she didn’t retreat nor swat the hand away.

A few seconds later, the black hand retreated back into the lake as well.

Saint turned around, revealing that her armor had torn open in the place where the black hand touched her. She seemed... somewhat annoyed as she tossed the Ruby Knife to Sunny, disappearing into his Soul Sea.

”...Let’s get out of here.”

To tell the truth, Sunny couldn’t wait to get away from the lake himself.

As they were walking away, he briefly turned and looked at the tranquil water one last time.

Was it an illusion, or did the reflection of the sky on its surface seemed... darker?