Sacred Gear Shadow Light

Shadow Light

Chapter 50

The Sacred Union

Underworld

Lucifuge Manor

The Lucifuge residence, with all its grandeur and cold regality, stood bathed in moonlight, its vast, arched windows allowing silvery beams to stretch across polished marble floors. The halls were hushed, the only sound the steady ticking of an ancient grandfather clock, its chime whispering through the corridors like a heartbeat in the quiet.

Within her chambers, Grayfia lay awake, untouched by the embrace of sleep despite the late hour. The silken sheets, woven from the finest Underworld fabrics, lay draped over her form, smooth and cool against her skin, yet offering no comfort. The gentle flicker of enchanted lamps bathed the room in soft, golden light, their glow casting faint shadows over the grand canopy of her bed. But none of it soothed her restless heart.

She stared at the ceiling, the intricate carvings she had seen a thousand times before feeling distant now, unimportant. The weight pressing on her chest was not one of worry, nor fear—it was something far more exhilarating, far more consuming. Her silver hair, usually gathered in a meticulous bun that spoke of duty and discipline, cascaded freely over the pillows, pooling around her like molten moonlight. The looseness felt foreign yet fitting, as if she was shedding something of her past self, embracing the change that awaited her.

Her breath hitched slightly as her thoughts drifted to him.

Tomorrow.

Tomorrow, she would leave this place and stand by his side.

A shiver ran down her spine, her heart pounding with an unfamiliar intensity. Naruto. His name alone sent warmth curling through her, a sensation both thrilling and overwhelming. It filled every inch of her being, wrapping around her like the softest embrace, and yet, it set her skin alight like a blazing inferno.

Would he be thinking of her as she thought of him now?

She clutched the sheets over her chest, the fabric twisting between her slender fingers as she let herself drown in the memory of his smile—the way it reached his cerulean eyes, lighting them from within. His presence had always been undeniable, a force of nature that defied expectations and shattered barriers. But to her, he was something more. He was her anchor, her solace, her reason to step beyond the cage of duty and allow herself want.

Her lips parted as a slow exhale left her, her mind conjuring the sound of his voice, the way it carried both strength and warmth, how it could command the battlefield just as easily as it could make her breathless with a simple whisper.

To be his—not as an ally, not as a political figure bound by duty, but as his Queen. His partner in every sense of the word.

A faint flush crept up her cheeks at the thought. Grayfia Lucifuge, the untouchable Ice Queen, the embodiment of poise and discipline, lay wide-eyed and restless, undone by the simple thought of him.

'Is this what it means to love?'

She closed her eyes, trying to will sleep to take her, but it was useless. The anticipation was too great, the longing too deep. Her body knew what her mind did not want to admit. 'She had already given herself to him, long before she ever voiced it aloud.'

And then—a scream shattered the silence.

Grayfia sat bolt upright, her silver eyes narrowing with alarm. Then another cry echoed, followed by another. It was a chorus of torment, spreading like wildfire through the Underworld, growing louder, more frantic.

Amidst the chaos, a new sound cut through the night.

A chime. Soft, distant—yet it carried with it an authority that made her blood run cold.

Her instincts screamed at her to move, to investigate, to protect. But she couldn't.

Her body refused to respond.

She tried to rise from the bed, but an invisible force bound her in place, stronger than any physical restraint. Panic surged within her, but before she could react, a blinding light engulfed her chamber.

It was unlike any light she had ever seen. Pure, radiant, divine. Holy. It seared her skin for the briefest of moments, a sharp, burning sensation that vanished just as swiftly. The sheer purity of it should have been unbearable, but instead, it left her feeling… lighter. As if the very weight of her existence had been lifted for an instant.

And then—He appeared.

From within the golden glow, a figure stepped forth, so resplendent, so overwhelming, that Grayfia's breath caught in her throat. Her heart pounded, and an involuntary recognition struck her like lightning.

Golden hair, cascading in soft waves that shimmered with an ethereal brilliance, framed His face—a face that exuded infinite kindness and unimaginable authority. Seven golden wings, vast and awe-inspiring, spread behind Him, each feather pulsating with celestial power. His emerald eyes, impossibly deep, bore into her very soul with a tenderness that left her trembling. And above His head, a halo brighter than the sun, a ring of pure divinity, radiated with such intensity that it illuminated every corner of her being.

Her lips trembled, and before she could even think, the words fell from them in a reverent whisper.

"God…"

She didn't feel any pain as she said His name. The silence that followed felt fragile and sacred, as if the very air around her had been stripped of all imperfections, leaving behind only purity, only truth.

Her lips tingled from the weight of the word, as though simply uttering his name had unraveled something within her, something ancient and long-forgotten. Yet there was no burning, no suffering—only warmth.

The presence before her was not harsh nor punishing. It did not seek to judge her, nor did it demand her submission. It simply was—a force of nature beyond comprehension, beyond measure, beyond all things that mortals or immortals alike could grasp.

And yet, He stood before her, looking at her with the eyes of someone who already knew.

His expression did not shift, did not waver, but it was kind. A smile, soft and understanding, touched His lips, carrying with it the weight of eternity and the gentleness of a world untouched by war or sin.

Grayfia felt her breath steady, though her chest was still tight with something indescribable. Awe. Reverence. Certainty.

She did not bow.

She did not kneel.

There was no need.

When He spoke, it was not with words known to this world, but in the ancient and sacred tongue of the divine. Each syllable bore the weight of creation itself, resonating deep within Grayfia's soul, stirring something beyond mortal comprehension.

"Dost thou truly love him, Grayfia Lucifuge? Is thine heart bound to my successor—Naruto Uzumaki, the bearer of balance, the keeper of mine light?"

The voice resonated not just through the air but through existence itself, vast and uncontainable, seeping into the very essence of her being. It was neither warm nor cold, neither stern nor kind. It was simply absolute. The weight of it pressed upon Grayfia's soul, as though the question itself had the power to unmake her should she answer untruthfully.

Then, a pause—silent, yet filled with something deeper than words.

"Thou art the daughter of mine daughter, the blood of mine own. From the lineage of my beloved Seraph, whose devotion shone brighter than the firmament itself."

The bell's chime echoed once more, its divine resonance cutting through her turbulent thoughts.

"Speak, child of my child. Do thine heart belong to mine chosen?"

For Grayfia, all thought ceased save for one—how much she loved him. There was no hesitation, no uncertainty, no concern for what others might think or the chains of her devil heritage. None of that had ever mattered to her, not when it came to him.

Her love for Naruto was not something that had erupted like a wildfire, sudden and consuming, but something that had been tended, nurtured, and cherished, like the most delicate bloom cared for by the gentlest hands in the world. A love that had been softly, patiently built over time—layer by layer, day by day—by the way Naruto had looked at her, with eyes that held no expectation, only acceptance. By the way he had spoken to her, with words that sought not to take, but to understand.

Through every interaction, he had shown her what it meant to love and to be loved—not as an obligation, not as a responsibility, but as a gift freely given.

She thought she understood strength. She thought she knew devotion. But Naruto had shown her something far greater—the beauty of surrendering one's heart to another, without fear, without restraint.

Her lips parted, and without a second thought, she whispered the only truth that had ever mattered.

"Yes... I love him. More than anything."

Her voice carried unwavering certainty, as if the very cosmos could not change her heart's course. There was no doubt, no hesitation, no fear—only the sheer, absolute truth that she loved Naruto with everything she was, with all she had ever been, and with all she would ever become.

God gazed upon her, His emerald eyes brimming with infinite understanding, and for a long moment, He said nothing. The weight of His presence did not crush her; it embraced her, filling the vast emptiness within her heart with warmth so profound it felt as if it had always been there, waiting for her to accept it.

Then, with a gentle motion of His hand, a golden radiance surrounded her. It was warm, gentle beyond measure, like a mother brushing away a child's tears. She felt it seep into every corner of her being, soothing aches she had long forgotten, mending wounds she hadn't realized were still there.

The weight of sin, the burden of the past, was lifted from her soul.

There was no pain, no forcefulness—only kindness, patience, and love in the way He stripped her of every doubt, every lingering remnant of darkness that did not belong to her anymore.

Tears welled in Grayfia's eyes—not from sorrow, but from the sheer, overwhelming relief of feeling light. She hadn't realized how much she had been carrying until it was gone.

God's hand hovered over her heart, and she felt it—the link. A thread of divine gold stretched out, binding her to Naruto in a way that defied all explanation. Through it, she could feel him—not just his presence, but his emotions, his clarity, his unshakable resolve.

Her breath hitched. Naruto...

And then, the room around her dissolved into golden light. The Lucifuge estate, her chamber, the silk sheets, the moonlit window, the painful screams—all of it melted away into brilliance. For a fleeting moment, she floated within the embrace of divinity, surrounded by warmth and endless love.

She felt as though she was being pulled. It wasn't painful, nor was it forceful. It was smooth, like a gentle tide carrying her forward. Yet, there was no ground beneath her feet, no air in her lungs. Only movement.

She turned instinctively, looking over her shoulder—and saw the iridescent colors of the Dimensional Gap.

Normally, the moment any entity—even devils, angels, or lesser dragons—entered this space without adequate protection, their forms would begin to break apart, their essence unraveling under the sheer force of oblivion itself. The corrosive energies here did not merely injure—they erased.

And yet… she felt nothing. It was as if something was shielding her.

She kept her eyes closed as she turned due to the very bright light in front of her and when the light finally dimmed and she opened her eyes...

And Cut!

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