Nephis sat down next to Yuki, all eyes in the cafeteria turned on them. Many murderous glances fell on Sunny just because he was sitting at the table with three beautiful girls, two of whom were practically the twin queens of the academy.
The most murderous was Caster, who seems to want to execute him on the spot. How dare such a Mongrel sit at the same table as his fiancée?
But since Nephis was the first to approach them, he chose to let him go this time.
'How long until the next solstice? I don't mind if we jump in now.'
Sunny was now in a very awkward situation. To get over it, he simply ate and let the moment pass.
After finishing eating, Nephis turned to Yuki.
"Do you want to spar with me?"
"Why me?" Asked Yuki.
"Because you are strong." Answered Nephis to her.
Yuki raised her head toward Sunny and said, "He is stronger."
A vein in Sunny's temple pulsed.
"YUKI!!! What the hell!?" This time Sunny didn't think it but said it out loud.
'The hell!? Is it because yesterday I said that I could beat an ascendant? Technically I have what it takes, but how did she believe me?'
Each of them reacted differently to Sunny's outburst.
Cassie laughed.
Yuki, finally letting her doll-like face show some emotion, smiled smugly.
'Why are you laughing!? Weren't you supposed to be an expressionless type?'
Nephis turned to him, curious.
"Do you want to spar with me, Sunless?" Asked him, Nephis.
'NOT YOU TOO!!! What's the matter with you!? Can you at least say hi first?'
Sunny looked at Nephis; one of his eyes twitched.
So far, Sunny has handled his flaw without any problems. After all, given the story he'd read, he already knew how he should have behaved.
That's why he hadn't felt the pain of his flaw pressing on the edges of his head until now.
But hearing Nephis ask him to duel with her without even introducing herself made him really pissed off.
Yes, The two of them have already shown up at the entrance of the academy. But that's not the point!
'Goddamn fu**! Why it hurts so much?'
He was so pissed off that he wanted to leave without answering but his flaw was forcing him.
"Argh... No!" He said, rubbing his head with his hand to ease the pain.
"I'm sorry, but I have no intention of fighting you. I only have a few weeks to prepare for the Winter Solstice, and I have a lot of things I need to take care of."
"I see," said Nephis, disappointed.
"Ahahahah!!! Wait! You two already know each other? Let me guess! Did he use on you too the card 'My mother had the soul of a poet'?" Asked Cassie, still giggling at his reaction.
"What? Why should I? I don't have any card, and what is with this teasing tone?" Said Sunny in his defense.
Cassie put her elbow on the table and rested her head on her hand before speaking to him.
"Oh my! Sorry, Sunny, but I thought this was your way to hit on... 'badass ladies'." Her laughter at this point was only to make him more embarrassed.
Sunny didn't give her the satisfaction of an answer, instead turning to his plate with an expression somewhere between a grunt and a grimace.
But his silence only made Cassie's teasing more effective.
'No, but when did my cute, shy Cassie become such a teasing devil? Did I change this too?'
Sunny sighed; however, he was relieved. At least Cassie could laugh this time, even if through her shadow he could feel her worrying for the Solstice still there.
Nephis watched their interaction with quiet curiosity, looking first to Sunny and then to Cassie.
Yuki, instead, watched Nephis as if she were some outsider who was learning the local language.
But then, without the burden of his flaw, Sunny thought about it for a moment. He glanced at Cassie next to him.
Suddenly... a light bulb went on in his head.
Sunny turned toward Nephis: "Listen! I just said that I don't want to fight you right now. And that I need to take care of some things too. So! If you help me to lessen my burden, as for payment, I will spar with you. What do you think?"
"What do you want me to do?" Asked Nephis.
"Did you see this beautiful girl next to me?" Said Sunny, pointing to Cassie.
Cassie blushed and turned toward him with an agitated, questioning look.
"Yes," said Nephis.
"Don't you think she is pretty?" Said Sunny.
At this point his shamelessness was making Cassie want to bury her head for the embarrassment.
It seems he was getting his revenge for her teasing.
"I... think so." Said Nephis, not understanding where the boy was going with this.
Cassie's fingers twitched in her skirt. What was this scoundrel doing to her?
"Eh eh eh! She is not only pretty but also strong. Many would say otherwise, but I know more than most that she is more than meets the eye. Probably the most invaluable helper we could ever have in the Dream realm."
The Gloomy shadow, hearing this, felt deeply offended.
At this point Sunny had the full attention of all the girls on this table.
"So," continued Sunny. "If you want me to spar with you. You have to teach her how to use a sword, and when we are sent to the Dream realm, you will have to prioritize her protection above all else. We have a deal?"
"Sunny! What are you..." said Cassie.
"Let me cook, Cas!" Sunny interrupted her.
Sunless thought over and over whether if he should train Cassie to fight, but without the [Mark of Shadow] of Serpent, it was practically impossible for him. Not because of her lack of sight, but because, in general, he never taught anyone anything.
So his only solution was to evolve Serpent to power up [Shadow Guide], so he could awaken naturally and try to advance with his Aspect Legacy until he unlocked [Mark of Shadow].
Only after that can he begin training Cassie.
Last night, however, he realized how unfeasible this plan was.
First: without his Ascendant ability, there was no guarantee he'd get past the third step.
Second: as effective as [Shadow Guide] with [Essence of Divinity] was, he had little time left.
He certainly could have trained her with Thene's shadow, but that wouldn't have allowed him to keep a low profile.
As he pondered, time passed.
Remembering what Jet told him just yesterday: "No one can survive in the Dream realm alone."
In fact, that's what he needs right now to move forward.
Fortunately, as if to answer his prayers, Nephis arrived at the right time.
She was certainly a better fighter and teacher than him, but never as good as Thene.
If Nephis could teach Cassie, he could simultaneously gain the trust of the former and allay the fears of the latter. Kill two Vile Thieving Birds with one Memory.
Nephis looked at Sunless, blinked, then turned to the girl next to him. Looking better, only now she realized that she is blind; basically a burden.
Why did he have so much trust in her?
It didn't make sense.
But it wasn't in Nephis's nature to pry into the secrets of the others.
She was more curious about the boy who Yuki has so much respect for.
From Nephis's point of view, Yuki was basically the strongest sleeper here.
If Yuki said that there is someone stronger than her, then, she had to fight him!
"Ok," Nephis said with resolute conviction.
Hearing her answer, Sunny smiled.
"Good."
The two shook hands to seal the deal.
Sunless added, "But I'll only face you after today's class. I know we still have three hours left, but like I said before, I have a lot to do in preparation for the solstice."
"That's fine by me." Said Nephis.
He turned to Yuki.
"Yuki. Can I ask you to accompany Cas to the gym so Nephis can start training her?"
Yuki nodded.
Having said this, Sunny got up from the table and left before Cassie could ask him for further explanations.
Yuki led Cassie, holding her hand, to the training room, or the gym, as this is how the students prefer to call it. Nephis followed them.
While passing, many sleepers were giving them many glances filled with lust. The three of them together were really a sight to die for.
Once inside the gym, Yuki left Cassie inside the ring and handed her a training sword.
Nephis picked up hers and stood opposite in the ring to the blind girl.
Nephis was seriously asking herself what Sunless had seen so special about this blind wretch.
She didn't have time for this!
She only wanted to fight that boy to see if he is worthy to be her ally.
For her dream, Nephis needs the best of the best.
Yuki until now was the only one worthy; she just needs to find a way to convince her.
And if that Sunless is even stronger... then she has just hit the jackpot.
The girl in front of her, Cassie, however...
Is too weak.
No matter how many times she sees her. She is weak and, with that flaw, even a burden.
Why did Sunless want to waste her time like this?
It doesn't matter! For her dream, something as simple as this was nothing.
If this was her will... who dares stop her?
Turning to Cassie to begin, she saw that the girl was gripping her sword in both hands, her head bowed to hide her embarrassment.
"Before we begin." Cassie said in a trembling voice. "I'd like to apologize for Sunny. I don't know what he is thinking on, but I wouldn't want to force you to train me."
Cassie hunched her back apologetically, a slight blush appearing on her doll-like face.
"He's not doing it in bad faith. I don't know if it's because the idea of someone placing so much trust in me is affecting my judgment, but still..."
"You're not a burden!" Yuki, who was standing parallel to them, interrupted her.
Both Cassie and Nephis turned to her.
Nephis raised an eyebrow.
"And why did you say this?"
"Because Sunny said so." Yuki replied.
"And how can you be so sure he wasn't lying just to get something from her?"
After all, it was not unheard of for sleepers to try to gain something from their peers such as Memories or otherwise through such methods.
"I have my ways."
Nephis then said to Cassie, "Listen, Cassie! You maybe are a burden."
Cassie, hearing this, almost burst into tears.
Then Nephis continued, "But that doesn't mean you will always be."
Cassie raised her head toward her, her eyes wide and a little moist with tears.
"It doesn't matter if you're blind, crippled, or demented. If you want something, you must have the will to do it!"
Nephis knows the meaning of these words better than anyone.
After all, if it weren't for her will, she would never have completed her first nightmare and subsequently achieved a Divine Aspect.
Something nobody has ever heard of.
"You're no bother to me. Everyone here has the same chance of dying in the Dream realm as you. The difference is that you know you're weak. That alone makes you better than every other sleeper here."
Nephis comes closer to her, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"I do this because I want to. So don't think about it too much, ok?"
Cassie rubbed her eyes and nodded.
The two began their training.
Yuki, happy for her friend, smiled as she looked at a corner of the room.
Here, a shadow was hiding.
The shadow, even if a shadow can't do this, smiled back to her.