The screen slowly went dark and then lit up right after.
It revealed the same scenery of the last viewing, the hill where Cassie and Nephis had been staying.
The scene on the screen was still the same as the one they had last seen, with Cassie happily pointing in the direction of the Dark Castle, that is, West.
[ In the ensuing silence, the smile slowly disappeared from Cassie's face, replaced by confusion. Feeling the sudden tension, she asked: ]
[ "Uh… what's wrong?" ]
[ "No, nothing is wrong. It's just that that direction is the one we wanted to avoid." ]
"In this world is rare for things to go as we planned." Nightwalker commented.
Several people in the room nodded in agreement.
[ "That's where I came from yesterday. There's a lot of scavengers down there." ]
[ "Oh." ]
[ Nephis, who was quietly listening to them, gave him an indecipherable look and finally spoke: ]
[ "Tell us more about the castle." ]
"I wonder how much Saint Cassia actually saw." Seishan expressed her curiosity.
As the sister of one of humanity's greatest seers, she was naturally curious of the seer that was generally recognized as the greatest one.
Just how much had her visions revealed?
[ A shadow of the previous excitement returned to Cassie's eyes. With a serious nod, she began describing her vision. ]
[ "I dreamt of a vast, ruined city built of weathered stone. It was surrounded by tall, impregnable walls. Various monsters were wandering its narrow streets. In the center of the city, there was a hill, and on that hill stood a magnificent castle." ]
[ "But there were no monsters in the castle! Instead, it was full of people. I think… no, I'm sure that they were Awakened. Some were guarding the walls, some were going about their lives without a care in the world. There was food, safety, and laughter!" ]
"What an oddly nice way to see it..." Effie commented.
Not her, Kai, Seishan, or Aiko, who had lived in that castle for longer than Cassie or Nephis, could even think of that place in such a way.
Although Effie was a believer at the time, she thought the Dream Realm was a blessing, considering her own condition. But she was never able to see that castle as a home of any sort.
Everyone that spent a single night there and wasn't as dense as a star would be able to tell that all the food, safety, and laughter were masks of a fragile stability that could crumble in mere moments.
[ 'Well, that sounds great.' ]
[ If this castle really existed, then all of their problems would be solved. ]
[ "Did you see anything else?" ]
They straightened themselves, ready to hear more about it.
Maybe she had seen Gunlaug? Or perhaps a clue to the several shards scattered around the Forgotten Shore?
[ "Yes! I saw Sunny leading me through the gates of the castle! That means we will make it!" ]
[ A brilliant smile appeared on her doll-like face, beaming with so much joy that Sunny couldn't help but curl his lips. ]
"Ah~. Look at him, he is so happy that you are happy." Effie teased, once again not receiving a response from Cassie, who remained with a calm expression.
"I have to say. If it's true that the way you discovered his birthday was through a vision. Why does he appear so many times in your visions?" Morgan asked, genuinely curious.
Cassie remained silent, interested herself.
Considering the number of memories missing in her head, she was sure that she hadn't just forgotten many things of her life where she was with him, thinking of him, or in a situation with relation to him. It was clear that many of her dreams were incomplete, as if an important character of those prophecies was missing.
Just how many of her visions had Sunny in it?
She wasn't sure.
"Most likely, my affinity with fate and his [Fated] attribute meant that my visions had him as a centerpiece." She responded thoughtfully.
That was the most likely explanation for it.
[ "Okay. Then we will go west." ]
"Not like they have much choice"
After that discussion, the trio of Sleeper ate breakfast and began to plan their journey to the west.
They also saw some small talk between the three as the trio began to know each other better.
Most important of all, they had to sit through an enormous chain of Sunny's thoughts that surged as he made a revelation that would leave... absolutely know one surprised.
Nephis is socially awkward.
[ "... What?" ]
[ "Uh, nothing. I was just going to ask when we are setting off." ]
[ "Soon." ]
[ 'You... you really can't manage more than one word, can you?' ]
That interaction alone had earned a howl of laughter from Effie and a boiling glare from Nephis.
[ "Halt!" Sunny whispered, observing the group of scavengers through his shadow. ]
[ As soon as the word left his lips, Nephis immediately summoned her sword. After studying the surroundings for a second, she turned her head and glanced at him with a question in her eyes. ]
[ Cassia, meanwhile, froze in place and hesitantly raised her staff. ]
[ Sunny counted the monsters: one, two, three… five… ]
[ 'Curses!' ]
[ "There are scavengers on the path ahead, six of them. They're slowly moving in our direction." ]
"Once again, his value as a scout is deeply valueable." Morgan noted.
Beside her, Kai nodded.
"I can't imagine what would happen if they were to fight six scavengers by themselves."
[ "They're done with the carcass?" ]
[ "No, I don't think so. But maybe there's not enough meat for everyone anymore, so some stragglers had no choice but to leave with an empty stomach." ]
[ Nephis nodded and gestured to a nearby branching path. ]
[ "We'll circle around them." ]
"Maybe that is for the best." Luster commented.
"Maybe not. If they keep evading, they will eventually find themselves in the middle of the labyrinth as the water rises." Morgan countered.
[ In the next hour, they had to turn in a random direction again and again, avoiding other scavengers. The distance between them and the giant statue was not shortening at all. ]
"You were right, Morgan." Kai said with a smile, prompting Morgan to sport a smug smile of her own.
[ "We can't go on like that. At this rate, we'll never make it to safety before sunset." ]
[ "Maybe… maybe we should turn back?" ]
[ That was a reasonable suggestion. However, Sunny felt reluctant to agree. ]
[ Nephis shared his thoughts. With a blank expression, she said: ]
[ "It will only get harder tomorrow." ]
[ "Then what should we do?" ]
[ "Fight." ]
"There are not many other options, are there, fool?" Detective Sunless commented.
A few seats away, Seishan from the regressed timeline leaned towards Jet, who was sitting beside her.
"What's with Sunny's variants and calling each other fools?"
"Who knows? He might just be an M, if you know what I mean."
Seishan thought of the time she had interrogated him to try and find his type of woman.
"That might be it..."
[ Fight? Fight against dozens of those monstrosities? Was she crazy? ]
Naeve suddenly missed his daughter for some reason. Why was that?
[ "I know that you are skilled with the sword, but have you forgotten that each of those things is a whole rank above us? We won't survive in a fight against many." ]
[ "We avoid large groups. Cut down smaller ones." ]
[ After a moment, she added: ]
[ "If there's one or two of them, there's a chance." ]
"I mean, there is, but it's still a risky endeavor, Lady Nephis." Luster said apprehensively.
Not looking in his direction, she answered dryly.
"If we couldn't deal with that, we would've never escaped."
Well, she was not wrong there, was she?
[ Nephis stared at him for a while. Then, she suddenly asked: ]
[ "Have you studied the corpse of the scavenger you had killed?" ]
[ "No." ]
[ He was too busy being in pain and trying to make it to safety before the sea returned. And why would he study a corpse? ]
"Ah... The disappointment. What have I been teaching you, boy!" Professor Julius reprimanded from his seat, prompting a chuckle from his young student beside him.
[ 'Wait. I think Teacher Julius mentioned something…' ]
[ "Scavengers have three weak points on their bodies. The first one is obvious: it's their joints. Anything that has to be flexible can't be too rigid. So, there's gaps in the armor above the joints. By targeting the joints, you can diminish their mobility and attack capacity." ]
[ "The second one is the same. It's where their torso connects to the carapace. If you manage to accurately hit that spot, you can heavily injure a scavenger and deal serious damage to its body. However, unless you succeed in severing its spine, the wound won't be fatal. It'll still be able to fight for a while." ]
[ Sunny couldn't help but notice that Changing Star's awkwardness seemed to disappear whenever she talked about things that she felt confident about, like ancient heroes. Or killing things. ]
[ 'Curious.' ]
Nephis was beginning to feel irritated by his comment about her awkwardness.
'He is not sleeping in the bed once I'm back...' She thought, but promptly dismissed the thought.
After days without him and discovering what she had discovered, she would rather make him her body pillow for an entire week, maybe do way more than that.
'Perhaps we should go for it this time?' She quickly shook her head, the world was far too dangerous for that.
[ "The last weak point is on their back, approximately at the level where the eyes are. There's a slightly concave, discolored cavity in their armor. It is where several armor plates connect. The chitin there is comparatively thin. If you can pierce through it, you can destroy the brain directly. That will be a killing blow." ]
[ 'That is good to know. However, that weak point was too high to be hit by a human—after all, scavengers were more than two meters tall!' ]
"Are you sure it's not you who is short?" Effie teased, saying the most tall person thing imaginable.
[ "That weak point is very hard to target. Circling around a scavenger is almost impossible due to their size, speed, and the attack range of their pincers." ]
[ "If we stumble on a single scavenger, I'll be the bait. My task will be to make it turn around and then restrain it, exposing the third weak point. Your task will be to kill it." ]
"That is the most reasonable strategy." Jet agreed.
"Indeed, any damage should be tanked by the most physically fit and skilled combatant. Besides, her healing capabilities will repair any damage she might suffer." Morgan said her own part.
[ "What if there's two of them?" ]
[ "Don't die." ]
"Fair." Some Sunnys said.
The screen soon showed an image that was only a few moments later.
It revealed a long stretch of the labyrinth with no branching paths, a small clearing at the end of it.
Not far into that passage, a massive scavenger was moving slowly in their direction.
[ Sunny quickly described the situation and waited for Changing Star's feedback. Without much delay, she gave him a nod. ]
[ "We fight in the clearing." ]
[ After that, Nephis gently guided Cassie to the wall of the labyrinth and helped her find a place to sit. ]
[ "Wait here. We'll be back." ]
[ "Soon." ]
[ As Nephis moved to walk away, Cassie grabbed her hand. Her face was pale and tense. ]
[ "Neph, you… be careful, okay?" ]
[ "Uh. Sure." ]
Mundane Nephis smiled slightly and looked towards the girl at her side.
The blond girl was calmer now, which was good.
Seeing Nephis smiling at her, Cassie reciprocated, happy that they were as close in that world as they were in theirs.
[ With that, she and Sunny hastily headed for the clearing. ]
[ By the time they got there, the scavenger was seconds from appearing. Sunny's shadow flew out of the passage and reattached itself to his feet. Without having to discuss things with Nephis, he quickly hid in the shadows and waited there, hoping for a chance to attack. ]
[ Nephis, on the other hand, strolled to the center of the clearing and calmly stood there, her shoulders relaxed and her back straight. An elegant longsword appeared in her hands, carelessly pointed to the ground. ]
[ Not knowing what else to do, Sunny silently repeated her words: ]
[ 'Don't die.' ]
"Not going to lie, my friends. That is good advice." Noctis claimed.
"Is it?" Elyas doubted.
"It is." Weirdly, Solvane agreed.
[ A second later, the scavenger walked into the clearing. When his tiny eyes spotted Nephis, an evil light ignited in them. Without wasting even a second, the massive monster screeched and rushed forward to attack. ]
[ Its huge pincer shot forward with terrifying speed, tearing the air in its path. ]
[ Nephis swiftly sidestepped, dodging the pincer, then leaped backward, removing herself from the path of the rushing monster. Simultaneously, her sword flashed in the air, cutting deep into the joint of one of the scavenger's front legs. ]
[ Azure blood spattered on the ground. ]
"Good slash. I have to say, even if it doesn't compare to your skill nowadays, it is truly impressive." Morgan commented, a small smile of enjoyment on her face.
[ With surprising agility, it twisted and delivered a crushing sideways swipe. Nephis, who just barely landed on her feet, had no choice but to deflect the blow with her sword. She managed to disperse most of the impact by holding the blade at the right angle, but the remaining force was still enough to throw her off balance. ]
[ At that moment, the second pincer came down. Instead of trying to regain her equilibrium, Changing Star went with the fall and somersaulted over one hand, ending up distancing herself from the monster a bit. Her sword lashed out again. ]
"I have to say, I was never a fan of acrobats during battle, but that was well performed." Jet added.
"And most importantly, she was able to lure it to face the opposite of Sunless." Morgan complemented.
[ The follow-up attack followed almost immediately. ]
[ However, Sunny did not care about the details anymore. The only thing he cared about was that, through this risky series of dodges and leaps, Nephis had managed to circle to the opposite side of the clearing, forcing the scavenger to turn its back to the shadow in which he hid. ]
[ 'It's now or never!' ]
[ Gritting his teeth, Sunny lunged forward. ]
[ Before Changing Star finished her last dodge… ]
[ Before the scavenger's pincer crashed on her from above… ]
[ Before Sunny had time to become scared… ]
[ He closed the distance between himself and the monster and jumped with all his might, landing on top of its carapace. Then, he used all of his weight to thrust a hand forward. ]
[ Azure Blade shimmered into existence in his grip and was immediately swallowed by the shadow. A breath later, the dark blade hit precisely into the concave, discolored cavity in the scavenger's armor. With a crack, the chitin broke, allowing the tip of the sword to sink deep into the scavenger's body. ]
"Nice and swift, like a true assassin." Sunless said, he then looked to his variants. "If I had to guess, do you operate as assassins as well?"
The other Sunnys and Mad Prince looked away.
"""Meh... sometimes."""
[ The monster shuddered and then heavily fell to the ground. ]
[ Sunny was thrown from its carapace, landing in the mud with a roll. ]
[ 'That… that easy?' ]
[ It was already over? ]
"Don't jinx it, doofus!" Effie asked for it.
[ [You have slain an awakened beast, Carapace Scavenger.] ]
[ [... Your shadow grows stronger.] ]
A collective feeling of success washed their beings. It was always good to see a plan working out perfectly.
They saw as he let himself stay sprawled in the mud, without much care for it. A surprised face was apparent in his expression.
Then they saw him checking his rune to view his progress with his shadow fragments.
[ It was actually true. The mighty awakened beast perished just like that. And, although Nephis did most of the work, he was the one to deal the killing blow. ]
[ 'Why can't it always be so easy?' ]
"Right?" Some resonated with that feeling.
[ Sunny got back on his feet and dismissed the Azure Blade. Then, he remembered the words Master Jet had once told him: "No one can survive in the Dream Realm alone." ]
[ Back then, he noted her advice but didn't really believe it. After all, he had always strived to be self-sufficient, not allowing himself to depend on anyone. In Sunny's mind, this was the true meaning of strength. ]
[ However, now he was beginning to suspect that this logic was flawed. Indeed, having someone to share your burdens meant the difference between heaven and hell here in the Dream Realm. If he was alone, fighting against a single scavenger might have been the end of him. ]
[ Similarly, even though Nephis was far more skilled than Sunny, it would have been extremely hard for her to defeat the armored monster alone, being that its weakest point was out of her reach. ]
Jet smugly smiled, prompting the young Nephis sitting beside her to cover her mouth to prevent a giggle from escaping.
It was fun to see another version of her big sis being so smug. Even if she was almost twenty years older than the one she knew.
[ Lone wolves would always be at a disadvantage. That was another lesson to learn. ]
[ 'It's not like I had much of a choice.' ]
[ He walked over to Nephis and checked if she was okay. Apart from slight damage to her makeshift seaweed clothes, everything seemed to be alright. She glanced at Sunny. ]
[ "Memory?" ]
[ He shook his head. ]
[ Nephis sighed. It seemed that she was a bit impatient to get herself a suit of armor of her own. If Sunny were a gentleman, he would have suggested loaning her the Puppeteer's Shroud for a while… but alas, he wasn't. That armor was extremely valuable and had cost him a lot. ]
[ Plus, unlike Changing Star, the picture of Sunny wearing nothing but a seaweed loincloth would have been more disturbing than aesthetically pleasing. So, he said nothing. ]
"If that's what you want to tell yourself, doofus." Effie smirked. "I know you just want to enjoy the show a little longer~"
Nephis rolled her eyes. Who was she even teasing? Sunny was not even here.
[ "Bring Cassie." ]
[ With a sigh, Sunny turned around and left the clearing. ]
[ "S—Sunny?" ]
[ 'How did she recognize me? Ah... must be the way I walk.' ]
[ "Yeah, it's me. Everything is over. Come on, I'll bring you to Nephis." ]
"You can tell them apart by their steps?" Young Nephis asked curiously.
Cassie was surprised to be addressed by her but quickly recovered and answered.
"At this point in time, Nephis' steps are more regular and cautious, since she is trained and is walking on her bare feet. Sunny has armor and a little less careful way of walking. That is most likely it." She answered with a small smile.
Young Nephis nodded satisfied by the answer, leaving Cassie slightly warmer inside.
[ "Are… are you guys alright?" ]
[ Sunny smiled. ]
[ "Of course! We dispatched that critter in no time. Didn't even get a scratch." ]
[ Cassie smiled with visible relief. ]
[ "Good, that's good. Oh, right, the rope…" ]
[ Sunny took the rope and guided the blind girl back to the clearing. On the way, he felt a bit weird. With the delicate girl walking behind him, he couldn't help but think of his little sister. As a toddler, she used to follow him around too, as though they were glued together. ]
[ As the familiar pain stabbed him in the heart, Sunny gritted his teeth and tried to think about something else. It was all in the past anyway. ]
Rain heard the narrator attentively. It was... hard to be remembered simply as a painful memory by her brother. That aside...
'Was I really that clingy?'
She had heard the opposite from her parents, saying how she refused to be coddled since they adopted her. Had she been clingy to him especifically?
That might've been it. It's a shame that when they met again, she was too old to remain clingy, probably.
'Should I hug him when I'm back?'
Just the thought left her embarrassed. How was she even supposed to explain that? And he would tease her a ton because of it, no way was she going to provide ammunition to him to shoot at her!
[ Back in the clearing, Nephis was done breaking apart the scavenger's carapace. The shimmering soul shard was already in her hand. Without saying anything, she tossed it to Sunny. ]
[ "Why are you giving it to me?" ]
[ "I don't have pockets." ]
[ "Oh." ]
[ 'But why wouldn't she just absorb it?' ]
As if sensing that the mood was going up and people were joyful, the screen felt the need to remind them how much the two didn't trust each other.
[ "We'll divide the spoils later." ]
[ "Ah. Alright." ]
[ Nephis, meanwhile, turned to Cassie and said after some deliberation: ]
[ "I was careful." ]
"... You really are awk-"
"Don't Effie. I'm growing tired of that joke."
"Hey! It was your boyfriend who started it! And besides, isn't it obvious that you are in good shape?"
"Effie... I'm blind." Cassie reminded her, as if it was needed.
"Ah"
[
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
[Your shadow grows stronger.]
]
They quickly saw as the viewing began to speed up, as several scenes passed by of fights they hadn't seen. They mostly went the same way. With Nephis expertly blocking and evading the attacks and Sunny swiftly dealing with them from the shadows.
It was like a cool montage from a movie. Without the music, unfortunately.
[ [Shadow Fragments: 22/1000] ]
[ 'Eight fragments today. Pretty excellent.' ]
"I don't know what to say, if it is easier for him to saturate their core than others or harder." Kai commented.
While it meant that he had no reason to waste a soul shard, meaning that he could save them for money or other trades. It also meant that he couldn't simply buy a soul shard and use it to saturate his core.
"At the very least on the forgotten shore, he won't have a lack of prey, will he?" Eunbin reasoned.
They saw as both Sunny and Nephis helped Cassie scale the statue until the top of its severed neck, visibly slowing the process, which Sunny had obviously commented on.
"Am I really that much of a Tsundere? Complaining all the time and then being all soft, sweet, and caring?" Sunless asked, his variants visibly denied it.
"What the hell is a Tsundere?"
"I don't know, but I'm sure not that! I was forged by the harshness of the outskirts, I'm not soft!"
"Yeah! I've seen horrors beyond human comprehension. How am I sweet and caring?"
The people hearing them in the Alter Room shook their heads in exasperation.
[ They managed to get to safety before the dark waters washed them away. ]
[ As the night began to descend, the three Sleepers sat in the center of the circular stone platform and rested. As they did not bring any materials to make a fire and it was already too late, there was no way to cook food. They ended up chewing on the strips of dried meat, passing the bottle of limitless water around. ]
[ After some time, Nephis gave Sunny a sign to take out the spoils of today's journey. He took out the four shimmering soul shards and put them on the ground. ]
[ Without any discussion, Changing Star moved two crystals in his direction and took two for herself. Then, she gave one of hers to Cassia. ]
"You are acting in the idea that he won't give them to her, huh? After that conversation, you must feel like she can only rely on you." Jet says while watching the scene.
Nephis looks at her and for a moment doesn't say anything.
"I don't feel any sort of resentment for Sunny in this situation. Just like saving and taking care of her, it's a decision of mine to empower her. I cannot force him to follow that, can I?"
'I can't force him of anything ever... I refuse.'
[ Sunny watched it in silence. By the time Nephis and Cassie had absorbed their soul shards, he still didn't make a move to take his. After a while, he took another crystal out of the rucksack and moved all three to Nephis. ]
[ The silver-haired girl looked at him with surprise. ]
[ "Don't you want... to grow stronger?" ]
[ Sunny grinned. ]
[ "Of course, I do. But these won't do me much good right now. It's no secret that you are the main fighting force of our group." ]
"He is hiding the fact he can't use them by masking it with genuine reasons, huh? He is getting better at this." Daeron said.
"This mask won't last long. They will soon notice his performance go up while refusing the shards." Solvane pointed out.
"Indeed. How will that go? Will they confront him? Or will he trust them? How interesting." Noctis said.
[ "The stronger you are, the better our chances of survival will get. Plus, it's not a gift. It's a trade." ]
[ "A… trade? What do you want?" ]
[ "It's rather simple. I will give you these soul shards, and all other soul shards I earn on the way to that castle…" ]
[ "In return, you will teach me how to fight." ]
"Oh? That is a good trade, isn't it?" Morgan said.
Meanwhile, Nephis' mind went to her first meeting with the Lord of Shadows.
"Who taught you that style?"
"Nobody."
That mask could reverse his flaw, prompting him to lie. So, what he meant to say was...
'Myself.' She realized.
[ Nephis looked at him and contemplated. This time, she remained silent longer than usual. ]
[ After some time, she took the soul shards and nodded. ]
[ "Okay." ]
"It seems this topic will not be touched for a while." Effie wondered.
"Might be for the best. It would be better if Sunny opens up about it himself." Kai said.
[ Sunny smiled, congratulating himself on a successful deal. Not only did he receive a lot while not losing much, but he had also managed to create a bit of a favorable impression of himself in the eyes of Nephis and Cassie. As far as performances went, this was a great one. ]
[ "So when do we start?" ]
[ "Now." ]
[ Now? ]
[ Sunny glanced at the sun, which was already almost gone. Were they going to train in complete darkness? It wasn't really an obstacle for him. Changing Star, however… ]
[ "We will start with some words. That will be enough for today." ]
"A theory lesson, then. That's just how it usually goes."
[ After hesitating a little, she added: ]
[ "Cassie, you listen too." ]
[ Sunny and Cassia turned to Nephis, listening to her like two obedient students. Despite the fact that their age was more or less similar, both knew that, in terms of martial prowess, their companion had authority that was as beyond theirs as a dragon's might was beyond that of a worm. ]
Hearing the narrator's comparison of Nephis' and her two companions' martial skills, Kai couldn't help but feel that it was an... inaccurate analogy.
The image of the gigantic worm that Sunny had named Abundance flashed in his memories...
Comparing that with his own dragon form. He couldn't help but feel that the worm's might be above the dragon's. Then again, he and Sunny never got to witness the strength of the Cursed Dragon in the Death Game.
[ "Mastery of combat can be divided into two aspects. One is body, and the other one is mind. Training the body is not easy, but it is rather simple. All you need is repetition and experience. In a fight, things happen too fast to consider every detail in the moment. That's why your technique must exist in your muscles and bones, so much so that it almost becomes an instinct." ]
[ "You can achieve initial results through repetition. Then, it must be cemented through experience. The more battle experience you have, the deeper a technique will be assimilated into your body. There is no other way. A thousand hours of training won't be as impactful as one real fight. Only those who survive countless battles can be truly in command of the body." ]
[ That simultaneously made a lot of sense and no sense at all. On the one hand, the principle of improving through practice was quite logical. On the other hand, Changing Star's statement made it seem like all those lofty Legacies with their years of training were nothing but harmless children. After all, no matter how good their tutors were, they had no real battle experience. ]
They all listened to Nephis' lesson. Regardless if they agreed or not, if her vision of combat was still a bit too immature or not, they couldn't help but agree that there was truth in it.
After all, the forgotten shore survivors were the perfect example of that. Every single one of them was a beast when compared to other awakened.
It was to the point that the survivors of the forgotten shore barely dwindled in number after escaping that hellhole, even when a lot of them challenged the nightmares to grow stronger.
[ But then again, she did wipe the floor with every one of them—excluding Caster—with no apparent difficulty. So maybe her statement was true. That, however, posed a question of its own… just what kind of life had Nephis led to possess rich battle experience at the tender age of eighteen? ]
[ 'Should I stop calling her "princess"?' ]
"Yeah! That's my thing to say!" Effie agreed.
"Honey... You really are possessive of your nicknames, huh?" Her husband asked with a smile.
"Naturally."
[ "Training the mind, however, is not simple at all. That is because, once you reach a certain level of skill, the mind is where the true combat takes place. The outcome is often decided before your body begins to move. And to master the mind, the first step is to understand the essence of combat. However, very few people truly do." ]
[ "What do you think that essence is?" ]
Being faced with that question, several people began to wonder and reach their own answer.
Honor.
Failure.
Victory.
Control.
Glory.
Presentation. (A/N: Guess who said this one)
Combat itself.
[ Sunny hesitated. The… essence of combat? What might it be? ]
[ If it was some other Legacy, he would have been tempted to say something stupid like "honor", "valor" or "duty". But he already knew that Nephis did not fit into the image of a noble aristocrat he had in his mind. She wasn't someone who followed empty words. ]
[ After a minute or so, Cassie finally answered: ]
[ "Victory." ]
Hearing her answer, Cassie felt that it was still true.
Victory was the essence of combat. Not just the essence of physical combat, but metaphysical. That's why she was doing what she was doing.
To reach victory.
And what was victory? To live in a world where there was a future for the people she cared about, a world where she won't be left alone to remember them.
And she would reach it, one day. No matter what. No matter how much it hurt her.
Victory would be hers.
[ And almost at the same time, Sunny said: ]
[ "Survival." ]
Hearing Sunny's answer, no one was really that surprised. Someone like him, who had struggled so much to live another day, would see combat as merely another struggle.
He would do anything in combat for the whole sake of reaching the next hour.
[ Changing Star shook her head. ]
[ "No." ]
[ Then she rubbed her neck and pierced it with a cold, fierce gaze. ]
[ "The essence of combat is murder." ]
In the Alter Room, Smile of Heaven giggled softly.
Beside her, Broken Sword, her husband, looked at her curiously.
"What is it?" He asked.
"It just sounds like something that you and our awkward daughter would say."
[ "At the core of it, there is only this: you are trying to kill your opponent, and they are trying to kill you. In the end, one of you will be killed, and the other one will be the killer. Everything else is just noise." ]
[ Her words sank deep into Sunny's heart and reverberated there, causing something inside of him to resonate and awaken. ]
[ "Style doesn't matter. Weapons don't matter. Reason and intent do not matter. The only thing that matters is to be the last one standing. In this way, anything you do in combat must be viewed as only serving one of two purposes: either to kill your enemy or to prevent the enemy from killing you." ]
[ "If you can understand that, you will have enough clarity to master the mind." ]
Daeron stroked his chin in thought.
"There is a merit to that train of thought. It just feels simply too narrow of an answer. We don't simply fight to kill, the mechanics might fit that description, but I want to fight for more than just killing. To protect, to guide, and to create—that is why I fight."
Elyas looked at the valiant king with deep admiration.
Meanwhile, his daughter merely looked with proud smugness.
Noctis, meanwhile, just clapped as if enjoying a great performance.
[ After that, Sunny couldn't fall asleep for a long while. He lay on the cold stone, looking into the darkness and thinking about what Nephis had taught them. ]
[ 'Repetition, experience, clarity.' ]
[ These were the three keys to becoming a fearsome warrior. All three were important, but the last one was the most vexing. ]
[ Was it really how Changing Star had said? Was there nothing at the core of being a warrior other than a cold will to kill? Intuitively, he felt that it was indeed so. This ruthless truth was, in a sense, an amalgamation of all his life experiences. ]
"What can be said? He is the Sovereign of Death, after all." Luster commented.
"It is hard to believe with how he sometimes acts." Kim agreed.
[ After all, for someone like him, life was nothing but a constant battle for survival. Someone always won, and someone always lost. The former got to live for a few more days, the latter… no one cared what happened to them. ]
That's just how it was. The loser was always at the end point of the spear, whether they became hated or were forgotten is merely a coin flip with no other outcome.
Before the war, the common populace worshiped the Sovereigns and saw them as saviors of humanity, only Nephis could surpass them in popularity.
When they lost and died in Changing Star's "judgement" and their crimes were laid bare, humanity was fast to abandon their belief for them and turn to the new Queen.
That's just how it was.
[ After coming to the Academy, Sunny allowed himself to think that he had escaped the fate of always having to struggle at the edge of survival. But now, it seemed like he had just exchanged one battle for another. ]
[ This was an uncomfortable thought. ]
Considering the things that they had seen him participate in, as far as they could remember, it seemed that the life of constant battle was not close to reaching its end.
[ However, if he looked at it from a different perspective… did it actually mean that he always had a crucial advantage? Most of those chosen by the Spell were forced to somehow adjust to this merciless way of life. But he had always lived like this. ]
[ Was he actually one of the few perfectly suited to be an Awakened? ]
"With how far he has gotten? It wouldn't be that surprising if we learned he was metaphysically engineered to be the perfect awakened." Effie said jokingly.
But some were left in actual thought.
[ With this thought, Sunny fell asleep. ]
[ … In the early morning, he was awakened by a piercing scream. ]
The scream had interrupted a simple fade-in to black on screen, making everyone that was relaxed in their seat almost jump.
[ Sunny was on his feet even before fully waking up. Somehow, Azure Blade was already in his hand. His shadow was hovering beside him, ready to either wrap itself around the sword in case he needed to attack or around his body, in case it was already too late for that. ]
[ He tried to understand what was going on. Nephis was nearby, her longsword raised in a defensive stance. Cassie… ]
[ 'Where's Cassie?' ]
They saw his head whipped from one side to another with great worry, looking for the blind girl.
[ Finally, he saw Cassie. ]
[ The blind girl was stumbling at the edge of the platform with a horrified expression on her face. With her blond hair in a mess, she was stretching her hands out, clearly lost in space. Of course, there were no walls for her to find. The platform was opened to the elements, and the only thing waiting for Cassie was a plunge into the dark, tumultuous waters… ]
"Woah, woah! What are you doing?!" Effie asked, worry crossing her face.
Some other people frowned.
The most logical conclusion was that she had a vision, but she hadn't reacted in such a way the previous time, so perhaps it was something else.
"Is she being attracted by some kind of mind hex?" Eunbin proposed.
"No."
It was Nephis who answered, she could vividly remember the day when Cassie had delivered her prophecy of the various disasters that would happen in the following year.
[ Before Sunny knew what he was doing, he was already running. That wasn't a very smart thing to do—after all, he did not know what had caused Cassia to scream and if there was some hidden danger nearby. Plus, it was still too dark for Nephis to see. His sudden lunge could have caused her to lash out with the sword before asking questions… ]
[ All of these were good reasons to wait and observe first, but in an uncharacteristic and completely irrational manner, Sunny acted before thinking. ]
Cassie watched as Sunny ran to her with reckless abandon, worry in his face that even he himself was not aware of.
For a single moment, she let herself ask...
'How much did he care for me? And how did he come to do so in such a short time?'
Was it because he saw her as a substitute for his sister? Or had Sunny begun to trust them in a small but deeply valuable way?
Regardless... How could one feel warmth from someone else's care, knowing what they would do in the future?
'I really need to hold myself together, my composure has been cracking way too often since we got here.'
She couldn't believe she was about to spiral into self-guilt once again.
[ He caught Cassie moments before she took a step off the platform and, holding her tightly in his arms, dragged the blind girl back. ]
[ "I got her!" Sunny yelled, letting Changing Star know that there was no need to stab him with a sword. ]
"At least he didn't completely lose his reason in his worries." Morgan commented.
[ "I got you. It's alright. Everything is fine. Calm down…" ]
While trying to regain calm and prevent herself from falling into another wave of self-hatred, his voice coming from the screen calmed her down, allowing herself to remain calm.
'Look at me. I thought I was no longer that useless girl, and yet I still need you to comfort me...'
She felt a hand on her shoulder, reassuringly gripping her with enough strength to feel real but not enough to hurt. She didn't need to look to know who it was. Who could it be but Nephis?
'From both of you...'
[ He felt the girl's body trembling and looked around again, trying to understand what had scared her so much. But there was nothing. ]
[ Nephis was listening to the sea for the same reason. After a few seconds, she asked: ]
[ "Do you see anything?" ]
[ "No." ]
"Is it another vision?" Elyas wondered.
"She didn't react like this before." Daeron reasoned.
"Indeed. But reactions to different visions tend to differ, in this case, it seems that she saw something quite harrowing, huh?" Noctis said, thinking of his own blind prophet friend.
[ He helped Cassie sit down in the center of the platform. While Nephis stood guard above them, he looked the blind girl over to make sure that there were no wounds on her body. Everything seemed to be fine. ]
[ "She's not hurt anywhere." ]
[ Changing Star looked down. Although her face remained indifferent, he could tell that she was a bit flustered. After a second or two, she asked in something that might have been her version of a calming tone. It sounded pretty much exactly the same as usual: ]
[ "Cassie? What happened?" ]
[ Magically, that did seem to calm the blind girl down a little. At least enough for her to speak in a quivering voice. ]
"Sometimes, we just need a reassuring voice. I highly doubt that Sunny's overly-worried voice served much on that front." Eunbin said.
"You are calling him 'Sunny' now?" Seishan teased.
"I don't think there is any need to remain formal, at the end of all this, we are going to know him better than we did before he became fateless." Eunbin reasoned, her lip twitching slightly.
[ "Th—the head… I saw… oh gods!" ]
[ "Did she see a vision? The past?" ]
[ The tall girl was silent for a moment. ]
[ "I don't know. It never happened before." ]
[ Both of them turned to Cassie, not sure what to do. ]
"Yeah... last time she was so calm, what happened?" Sunless asked, worry painfully clear in his voice.
The other Sunnys looked at him, aware of the betrayal that would come out of this very vision. Pushing aside their complicated feeling for the blind girl, they tried to explain.
"Different visions provide different amounts of information. Sometimes, when what she sees in those visions are too many scenes, and unpleasant ones at that, it tends to leave the seer quite... shaken." It was Lost Sunny who explained.
Having heard from the girl herself the meaning of her True Name, her visions were never... pleasant. Perhaps because the time he used to live there was not the best.
[ Since there was no apparent danger around, they took turns trying to calm the horrified girl down. However, after that one sentence, she fell quiet and refused to speak again. Nothing seemed to help. ]
[ "Let's… leave her be, for now. Maybe she needs time." ]
[ Sunny was about to retort, but, truth be told, he didn't have any ideas either. In the end, he just nodded. ]
[ "Okay. I'll keep an eye on her." ]
Everyone was able to hear how, powerless, Sunny was feeling. His worry was apparent, Nephis was worried too, but like always, her emotions were not as easy to see. It was obvious that Sunny wanted to do something to help her but had no way to do it.
And they all knew as well how he felt about being powerless.
Rain lowered her gaze.
[ As the sun was rising and the surging sea was receding, Nephis chose to give Cassie some space and led Sunny to the edge of the platform. However, she made sure to always have the blind girl in the periphery of her vision. ]
[ Cassia sat hugging her knees. Her eyes were closed, but small tremors that periodically ran through her body betrayed that she was awake. ]
[ Sunny's eye twitched. ]
[ "Are you sure it's okay to leave her like this?" ]
[ Nephis gave him a complicated look. ]
[ "Yes." ]
[ "Cassie is strong." ]
Hearing those words from Nephis on screen, Lost Sunny patted Sunless' shoulder.
"She is right. If you look deep enough, you will see someone as stubborn as both us and Nephis, willing to do anything. It's just that she has different fights to deal with than us. While we bleed and get crushed, she is burdened with knowledge that would crush anyone else, even if I wish she would share that burden with me and Neph."
"Yeah... She was always a bit stubborn behind that cutesy and delicate vibe of hers, huh?"
"I feel that cutesy was unnecessary to say, but yes."
[ Sunny wasn't sure how to answer. If Changing Star considered someone to be strong, then they most likely were. However, "strong" was the last word that came to his mind when he thought about the delicate, beautiful, blind girl. Wasn't she someone who constantly needed their help? ]
[ But then again, there were different kinds of strength. Cassia was still alive and sane despite her debilitating Flaw. How many people could have done the same? ]
Cassie felt weird hearing such contradicting thoughts, but somehow, that made her feel seen. To know that someone knew that she fought battles different from everyone else's, but just as important.
It probably helped that the first half of those thoughts fed into her self-deprecating personality.
[ "If you say so." ]
After that conversation, the topic shifted once again to training.
Nephis and Sunny both summoned their weapons.
[ Putting the two swords side by side, Nephis spoke: ]
[ "Your sword can be used with one hand, but its true potential can only be revealed when held in both. It is created primarily for cutting and severing, hence the higher center of gravity. However, it can thrust as well." ]
[ "My sword is a bit more versatile. It is created for both cutting and thrusting, and it has a double edge. However, the principle of wielding these two swords is effectively is the same." ]
[ She took the sword in both hands, placing one near the guard and another near the pommel. Then, she performed a downward slash. ]
[ "They are both leverage-based weapons. When held with two hands, one hand pushes," she pushed the sword down with the hand near the guard. "While the other hand pulls." ]
After that, they saw her demonstrating several exercises that mostly consisted of how to properly hold a sword and how to structure yourself to use it.
[ He wasn't a novice to fighting: instinctively, he already knew how to deliver a proper punch… even if, before, there wasn't a lot of strength in his body. The principles of striking with a sword were largely the same, so Sunny quickly understood the overall concept. ]
[ He performed the simple downward slash a few more times. After each time, Nephis gave him pointers and corrected his mistakes. Some time later, she was finally satisfied with his form. ]
[ "Good." ]
"I have to say, he is quite talented." Morgan said, genuine interest in her eyes.
Something like what Nephis had taught was nothing that complicated, but the speed at which Sunny was able to comprehend her explanations and how he was able to correct himself in aspects that Nephis hadn't even pointed out.
It was either a great talent for the sword, martial arts in general, or simply an incredible mind.
[ Sunny smiled, proud of his achievements. ]
[ "Now, do it a thousand more times." ]
[ "Uh… sorry. How many times?" ]
"A thousand times?!" Kai was flabbergasted.
"Indeed, since they already lost some time with the seer, it is better to keep it short." Morgan answered.
"Huh?"
[ "Well… we don't have much time today. So, yes. Only a thousand." ]
[ 'Ha. Ha-ha. "Only" a thousand, eh?' ]
[ "I see. Alright." ]
"Damn, princess. You got him whipped, huh?" Effie joked.
However...
Nephis and Cassie flinched at the wording, the image of Nephis with a whip and Sunny being whipped was... disturbing, considering what they were able to figure out.
[ As Nephis walked back to sit with Cassie, he turned to the sea and raised his sword. ]
[ 'One'. ]
[ 'Repetition, experience, clarity. Repetition…' ]
[ By the time he was done performing a thousand strikes, Cassie was finally ready to speak. ]
They saw each of the thousand swings being performed in great speed, the subtle differences in position of the trio being a clue to how the time was passing as the Azure Blade went up and down.
Until he reached the thousandth swing.
[ With pretty much every muscle in his body sore, Sunny walked over to the girls and fell on the ground. After catching his breath, he looked at Cassia. ]
[ "Cassie? Do you feel better?" ]
[ Several seconds later, the blind girl slowly nodded. ]
[ 'That's a relief.' ]
"That answer doesn't sound that convincing." Kai said.
[ He shifted and hesitated for a bit. Cassia didn't look too well. Her face was still very pale, with a distant, dazed expression on it. Her body at least was no longer trembling. Sunny wasn't very good at talking to people, let alone placating them. He wasn't sure what to say. ]
[ He cast a gaze at Nephis and sighed inwardly. Who knew that one day he would turn out to be the most sociable person for as far as the eye could see? What a joke… ]
Although Nephis had already said how tired she was of that joke, she had to admit this time that they were ill-equipped to comfort their friend.
[ "Can I have some water?" ]
[ Cassie turned to him and scowled, as though confused by the question. Then, she suddenly gasped and opened her eyes wide. ]
[ "Oh! Oh, sorry. Yes, of course…" ]
"Oh. That was actually pretty good." Effie said, eye wide.
"Yeah. It distracts her from the topic that is bothering her and regains a sense of normalcy, all while being slightly rude as to maintain his brute persona." Kai agreed.
"Right? He is like a burnt marshmallow, crispy on the outside but unbearily soft in the inside." Effie teased.
"Did your analogy have to be about food, dear?"
"What were you expecting?"
[ She summoned the limitless water bottle and offered it to Sunny. He took it with a grateful smile and greedily drank a few gulps before giving the bottle to Nephis. Eventually, it returned to Cassie. ]
[ "You drink some too." ]
[ After she did, he awkwardly patted the blind girl on the shoulder. ]
"He looks so awkward. Oh, I'm going to have a field day teasing him once we are back." Effie joked.
[ "Everything seems to be fine now. Uh… did you dream of another vision? You can tell us. If you want." ]
[ "I… don't know. Maybe it was just a nightmare." ]
[ Sunny and Nephis exchanged glances. They both doubted that what Cassie saw was a simple nightmare. After all, people usually did not dream in the Dream Realm. The blind girl, meanwhile, continued: ]
[ "I don't really remember. It's all in fragments." ]
[ Sunny carefully considered his words, not wanting to pressure Cassie too much. ]
[ "You can just tell us what you remember. Maybe we'll be able to make sense of it together." ]
[ Cassia sighed and tentatively nodded. After a long pause, she finally found the courage to speak: ]
[ "At first, I saw a… a boundless darkness locked behind seven seals. Something vast was churning in the darkness. I felt like if I directly saw it, I would lose my mind. As I watched, terrified, the seals broke one after another, until only one remained. And then that seal broke, too." ]
The ones that had survived the Forgotten Shore were quick to pick up on what was being described.
"Is... she talking about the seal of the Dark Sea?" Seishan asked.
"What else could she be talking about?" Aiko said.
[ She trembled a little. ]
[ "After that… I don't know. It was as though my mind shattered into a thousand shards, each shard reflecting its own image. Most of them were dark and scary. Some I have already forgotten. The other…" ]
[ "I saw the human castle again. Only this time, it was at night. There was a lonely star burning in the black skies, and under its light, the castle was suddenly consumed by fire, with rivers of blood flowing down its halls. I saw a corpse in a golden armor sitting on a throne; a woman with a bronze spear drowning in a tide of monsters; an archer trying to pierce the falling sky with his arrows." ]
"Fire and rivers of blood... the civil war?" Aiko wondered.
"Gunlaug..." Seishan recognized the description.
"Bronze Spear and tide of monsters... Wait, that's me! Yeah, something like that did happen." Effie said.
"Falling sky? I don't remember that happening, and I don't think I ever did something even similar." Kai affirmed.
[ Finally, she looked up, her face full of horror. ]
[ "In the end, I saw a colossal, terrifying crimson spire. At its base, seven severed heads were guarding seven locks. And at the top, a… a dying angel was being consumed by hungry shadows. When I saw the angel bleed, I suddenly felt as though… as though something so precious that it can't be described with words was taken from me." ]
"A dying angel?"
"Hungry shadows?"
"That can only be..."
Nephis and Sunny.
They had seen Nephis' Saint Transformation, the form of a radiant angel of flames, there was no way that was anyone but her. And Hungry Shadows could only be... well, the Lord of Shadows.
But the shadows consuming the angel? That didn't seem right, how could Sunny kill Nephis, not only considering their relationship but also the fact that she was here, alive.
Except...
"Was Sunless behind Nephis remaining in the Dream Realm?"
It was Morgan who voiced the theory that had crossed their minds.
Nephis thought back to her stay.
She was made the conduit of the gateway, meaning that if she tried to cross, she would fail as no one would serve as a conduit for her passage.
Being the only one remaining in the Spire, she had to stay behind.
But, if Sunny was there with her.
'Did we fight for the right to leave? Was that how I enslaved him?'
But then, why did she remain in the Dream Realm.
'Did Sunny find a way to leave before I use his enslavement? Or was the enslavement something that happened later?'
None of those felt right...
Meanwhile, Cassie was thinking of her own phrasing.
"something so precious that it can't be described with words was taken from me" Was what she had said.
And it was what she had thought when she finally learned of Sunny's involvement in their life before he became fateless. It was what she had thought on that fateful day when he had shown her that memory.
It was those words she had used to describe the emptiness he had left behind in herself.
So, was she referring to him once again?
[ "Then, I felt so much sorrow, pain and rage that what little remained of my sanity seemed to disappear. That was when I woke up… I think." ]
[ Nephis and Sunny remained silent for a while, trying to make sense of what Cassie had told them. Even if Nephis had an idea, she didn't show it. Sunny, however, was totally lost. He couldn't even begin to decipher the hidden meaning behind the vision… if it even was one. ]
"Yeah, we have the advantage, considering we already lived through those experiences—well... except the dying angel and hungry shadows part. I have no clue what that is about." Effie said, refusing to accept that the two supreme lovebirds could actually go against each other
[ Previously, Cassia's vision about the castle was pretty much straightforward. It showed her a human fortress and even the direction in which it was situated. This time, however, her dream was disjointed, full of weird symbolism and vague, uncertain images, much more like a charlatan's prophecy than a vision gained through an Aspect Ability. ]
[ "Maybe it actually was just a nightmare. Your previous visions weren't like this, right?" ]
"While it is doubtful if it is actually a nightmare, especially if those scenes did happen, why was this vision composed of mainly symbolic scenes rather than an accurate depiction of the future like the previous one?" Eunbin asked.
"Well, from what she said, that was not the only thing she saw, her mind was probably incapable of processing all that information, leading her into forgetting something and depicting others through symbolism. It happened to me once." Hel explained.
[ Cassie silently shook her head. ]
[ Sunny scratched the back of his head. ]
[ "Well… people don't usually dream in the Dream Realm, but you do. Perhaps seeing a random nightmare once in a while is a side effect of your ability." ]
"Am I the only one that finds it cute how much he is trying?" Hel asked.
Heads turned away, not only to escape the wrathful gaze of their Queen but also to prevent themselves from agreeing, although there were some who did not have such fear.
"I have to agree, this is quite an endearing side of his, isn't it?" Kai said, startling the room.
[ The blind girl turned to him, a faint relief written on her face. ]
[ "You really think so?" ]
[ "Why not? It's a possibility." ]
[ Inwardly, however, he felt uneasy. ]
[ 'A dying angel being consumed by shadows… why does it sound so ominous? I should try and stay away from angels in the future. Gee, what has become of my life? A sentence like that doesn't even sound insane anymore…' ]
Nephis felt her eyebrow twitch. Who did he think he was to stay away from her? Wait a minute, she was a nephilim, not an angel, and angels were dangerous void beings, it was indeed better for him to stay away.
'All good then.'
* ** ******** * ** ******** * ** ********
A/N: Another Chapter! Hope you liked it, leave your feedback in the comments.
First of all, I want to apologize for the delay in the updates. I was supposed to start writing on Saturday, but due to procrastination and familiar matter, I was only able to start writing on Monday. Also, the size of this chapter is insane, and I tried to cut things! So, yesterday, which was the day I wanted to publish the chapter, it was not finished yet! So Sorry about that, the blame is on me.
Second of all, I already made clear that from now on challenges will appear once per Volume, but I wanted to ask, should I make another challenge at the end of Vol1 or should the next challenge be at the end of Vol2?
Check Out my Other Fanfics:
Cursed Shadow (JJK/JJK Modulo x Shadow Slave Fic)
Trailblazing Shadow (HSR x Shadow Slave Fic)