Shadow Slave: Eternal Madness

"Is there really a need for a mask... Father?"

Weaver didn't respond.

After a few minutes of silence, Weaver sighed and removed his mask.

In front of Raphael stood a man in his forties, with black hair just starting to gray and dull brown eyes devoid of emotion. His features were unremarkable.

The man before him was none other than his father, Alex!

Raphael chuckled and asked, "Is that even your real face?... Never mind, that was a stupid question."

Weaver looked at him and said, "Should I feel proud? I didn't think you'd figure it out so soon..."

Raphael replied with a smile, devoid of any emotion.

Weaver met his gaze and asked, "How did you figure it out?"

Raphael shrugged and said, "Living for thousands of years, I had all the time to think about everything that happened to me... and something about time travel struck me as odd."

He glanced at the golden threads around him and continued, "When I finished creating my domain, I sensed the laws of the universe. At that moment, I realized one thing... no mortal can transcend those laws, not even with the help of the gods. Their soul and body would be destroyed."

Raphael chuckled bitterly. "But here I am, defying that... or so I thought at first."

He sighed, his gaze shifting to his soul.

"When I took on Nether's bloodline, I thought I survived because of my immortality. But I was wrong—or half-wrong. My immortality played a role, yes, but it wasn't the real reason.

"When I created my domain, I glimpsed what makes a god a True God. It's their symbolism. The Shadow God represents peace, death, solace, and mysteries. The Goddess of War embodies war, life, progress, technology, craft, and intellect. The same applies to the others."

Raphael smirked at Weaver.

"Nether didn't accept me as his vessel because I was immortal. It was because I achieved his symbolism—as the son of the Forgotten God!"

He looked at Weaver in the eye and spoke, "But I'm not even his son... Yes, you are part of him, but you're not Him... or at least that's the lie you told the world. In the end you are the Master of Lies. Your whole existence is a lie. Isn't that right, Weaver—or should I call you the Forgotten God?"

Weaver smiled at Raphael.

"As expected of my son... You're correct. I am the Forgotten God—or, more accurately, the divine side of him."

He began pacing around Raphael, speaking calmly.

"When my siblings and I fought against the Void, we ultimately lost. So we devised a plan to seal the Void using the laws we created. But at the last moment, I fell into their trap. My siblings had no choice but to seal me along with the Void."

Raphael frowned. "So, what then? Do you want revenge because they abandoned you?"

Weaver chuckled. "Revenge? Why would I seek that? We all knew the risks of our plan."

He paused, then continued. "At the last second, I split myself into seven parts, escaping the seal. But when my consciousness awakened in this fragment, I found the others too late. They had already been corrupted by the taint of my imprisoned self.

"Under that influence, my fragmented selves—the Daemons—started a war against my siblings, igniting the Doom War."

Raphael remained silent, processing Weaver's words.

Finally, he looked at Weaver and asked, "What's your goal?"

Weaver raised an eyebrow. "My goal?" He chuckled. "What else, but to save the world we created?"

"I see..." Raphael said. "And where do I fit into this goal?"

Weaver smiled faintly. "As I told you, Nether was influenced by me. I don't know why he left his bloodline, but I suspect it was on my corrupted self's orders. That bloodline is a variable in my plan, and it must be dealt with. The only way to do that is by destroying it."

Raphael didn't need Weaver to explain further—he already knew what that meant.

Weaver approached Raphael, looking down at him.

"Will you accept your fate, my son?"

Raphael sighed... his fate will only bring misery to him, but at least he can protect them right?

What was his purpose? It is to protect and guide humanity...

What was he born for? To kill Nether and save the mortals from his tyranny...

Raphael stood up and replied, "...I do, Father."

Weaver smiled.

Behind Raphael, golden and silver threads swirled, lifting him into the sky at Weaver's command.

Raphael closed his eyes, entering his Soul Sea.

Weaver gazed at him and spoke with a voice like thunder, resonating with divine authority.

"Rise, oh son of mine, and be born a new as the Son of God!"

---------------------------

[The Fourth Seal is broken.]

[Awakening dormant powers…]

Raphael felt something awakening within him, but he paid it no mind.

With divinity now acquired, the fragile balance between Nether and Corruption had been shattered.

Now, either Nether would seize control of his body, or the corruption would consume his soul even faster.

[Awakening Aspect Ability.]

[Aspect Ability acquired.]

[Aspect Ability Name: The Primordial.]

The two forces clashed, fighting for dominance over Raphael's body.

With his divinity awakened, the corruption was clearly on the losing side.

Suddenly, from his beast core, a light of infinite colors and possibilities surged outward.

The once-dark Soul Sea became radiant, a split realm of light and darkness.

On one side, under the sea of darkness, stood a demon with ashen-black skin, jagged horns piercing its forehead, and black, crow-like wings emerging from its back.

On the other side, under the sea of colors, stood… himself.

No, not quite—it was a version of him from before he took on Nether's lineage. The difference was its golden hair and divine glow.

This being was Raphael's own divinity, born as the son of the Forgotten God. Beneath his Soul Sea, the two entities fought fiercely.

[Your Aspect Ability has evolved.]

The Spell paused briefly before continuing:

[Your Transcendence is complete.]

Raphael grinned. With his transcendence now complete, his domain was finally finished.

[The Fifth Seal is broken.

[Awakening dormant powers…]

[Awakening Aspect Ability.]

[Aspect Ability acquired.]

[Aspect Ability Name: The Visionary Law.]

Aspect Ability Description: [The Law enables you to envision fiction and make it reality, or turn reality into fiction.]

Raphael had achieved Supremacy!

He looked up at the sky of his Soul Sea. With Nether locked in battle against his divine self, the corruption remained unchecked.

Without hesitation, Raphael activated his ability.

A domain is a representation of a Law, thus making the essence of a domain is the Law.

When the Gods created the Laws of the universe, they also created their domain!

The Shadow God created the Law of Death making his own domain the Domain of Death.

When Raphael understood this, he also understood something else.

It may be possible to create more than one Law and and merging them together in one domain.

The final step of creating a domain, is to make the universe accept your Law as part of it's Laws.

And since a one Soul Sea is a one domain, no one dared to fight against a Sovereign in their own domain!

Turning his attention to the corruption within his Soul Sea, Raphael saw black veins erupt in white fire.

Using his [Visionary Law], Raphael envisioned Nephis's Aspect Ability: [Longing]!

The veins of corruption burned in the white flames until nothing remained.

With Nether preoccupied fighting his divine self, it couldn't take over Raphael's body.

Although this victory was temporary, it would buy him a few more years.

Behind him, a throne of black and gold materialized. At its peak rested a black cross painted in golden ichor.

Raphael seated himself on the throne and summoned his runes.

Name: Raphael.

True Name: The Black Emperor.

Rank: Supreme.

Class: Titan.

Soul Cores: [7/7].

Soul Fragments: [7000/???].

Attributes: [Fated], [Time Traveler], [Absoulate Regeneration], [Flame of Divinty].

Aspect: [The Fool].

Aspect Rank: [Divine].

Aspect Description: [You are the one who Fooled not only death, but the world including yourself.]

Innate Ability: [Immortality].

Ability Description: [You are immortal in Blood, Bone, Flesh, Soul, Spirit, Mind, and Shadow. In essence, you cannot die.]

Aspect Abilities: [Self Sovereignty], [Seer], [Weaver], [The Primordial], [The Visionary Law].

Aspect Ability, [Self Sovereignty] Description: [You can control your Body, Soul, Spirit, and Mind to your desire.]

Aspect Ability, [Seer] Description: [You can see the Destiny of all things.]

Aspect Ability, [Weaver] Description: [You can weave fate and destiny to your desire.]

Aspect Ability, [The Primordial ] Description: [As the direct descendent of the-Unknown- you became something akin to him.]

Aspect Ability, [The Visionary Law] Description: [he Law enables you to envision fiction and make it reality, or turn reality into fiction.]

Flaw: [Masochist].

Flaw Description: [You will feel pain three times more intensely than a normal person.]

Raphael looked at his runes and sighed. His wish had finally been fulfilled.

He was no longer tethered to the Underworld in any way.

Closing his eyes as though waiting for something, it wasn't long before the voice of the Nightmare Spell returned.

[...Wake up, Raphael.]

[Your nightmare is over.]

-----------------------------

In Antarctica Sunny looked at Nephis, He opened his mouth, trying to say something… 

But Nephis beat him to it. 

Looking at him coldly, she frowned slightly and asked:

"Who are you?"

There was no hint of recognition in her voice.

"...Identify yourself."

Sunny tried to calm down, but at the same time, he knew that he was deceiving himself. Nephis was not the kind of person to lash out by treating him as a stranger… she just genuinely did not recognize him. 'H—how can it be?'

Well... to be fair... he was indeed covered in dust and dirt from head to bottom. It was easy to mistake him for someone else. No, was it? It might have been for someone else, but not for Nephis. She knew him far too well for that, not to mention that he was wearing a rather unique suit of armor. There was no mistaking the Onyx Mantle. Sunny hesitated, not knowing what to say. But he had to say something, because the pressure of the Flaw was building, forcing him to answer. "It's me… Sunny."

His voice sounded strangely lost.

Neph's frown deepened slightly.

"Your affiliation?"

Petrified and feeling his hair stand on end, Sunny answered stiffly:

"...Evacuation Army, I guess. Army Command, special envoy."

What was going on?

What was happening? As Sunny was balancing on the edge of mental collapse, desperately trying to keep the emotions from showing on his face, Nephis nodded. It seemed that he accepted his explanation easily.

She looked around, then opened her mouth to say something... possibly to ask what was going on, what date it was, and what state the Southern Quadrant was in. But then her expression changed, and she turned slightly, as if listening to a distant sound. "Cassie!"

Before Nephis could dash toward Cassie, she felt something wet against her legs.

The same sensation startled Sunny. He glanced around, only to witness something out of fiction—the entirety of Antarctica was submerged in water.

The sea surrounding them shimmered with all colors and possibilities. Mountains began to vanish as if they had never existed, and strange things started appearing out of nowhere.

From the middle of the sea, a figure emerged.

Anvil, locked in battle with the monstrous creature, paused and turned his gaze toward it.

From the Dream Gate leading to Ravenheart, Ki Song sat on her throne, her attention fixed on the figure.

On the moon, a gaunt man in a tattered spacesuit, the visor of his cracked helmet reflecting the void, looked down at Earth—specifically at West Antarctica.

The heavens quaked, and the earth trembled in dread.

From the swirling sea of colors, a colossal figure rose—towering higher than the mountains. The Titan stood, a force of unimaginable power, with three heads looming above all of Antarcitca.

Upon its left shoulder rested the head of a demon, skin ashen-black with jagged horns piercing from its forehead. Its eyes remained shut, as if bound in eternal slumber. On the right shoulder lay the head of an angel, crowned with golden hair and skin pale as moonlight, its eyes also closed in serene stillness. Between them, the central head bore black hair streaked with threads of gold. Pale skin framed piercing golden eyes that burned through the darkness, illuminating the night with their radiance.

The Titan's six arms stretched wide—two emerging from its back, lifting an illusionary Sun high into the heavens. In its right hand, it grasped a flowing banner, the symbol of emperors and sovereigns. Its left hand held threads of gold and silver creating a complicated form. The final two arms, extending from beneath its shoulders, remained empty, as if awaiting purpose or command.

The titan gazed down at the world and began to speak:

"I am One, and also Infinity.

The Beginning, and the End."

He raised his last two arms and spoke declaring his authority on the world:

"Let there be light!"

Blinding light erupted from the illusionary Sun, engulfing all of Antarctica.

For the first time in months, the light of day illuminated the sky…

The monstrous creature Anvil was fighting burned under its radiance until nothing remained but ash.

From the line of people entering the Dream Realm, some began to burn—skinwalkers, revealed by the divine light, disintegrated into nothingness.

Every where in Antarctica monsters, beasts and any corrupted being disintegrated into nothingness by the divine light.

Even the Nightmare gates closed back under the radiance of his light.

All eyes turned to the titan. Without understanding why, people began to kneel. It was as if they stood before a god.

No, it was a god.

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[Volume 4: The Hanged Man]-End.

[Volume 5: Fool] Opening Quote: "Yes I'm a fool... a fool that loves the world."

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...I don't know man, I really didn't like this chapter at all. I fell like there is something wrong, but I don't know what it is! I really want to delete this chapter and write it again. 

Anyway the next volume will take sometime for it to be uploaded, I planned somethings, but the whole thing is not done yet.

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👋