Shadow Slave

Just like that, a week had passed. Miraculously, Sunny had survived.

Even more miraculously, he had somehow managed not to kill Effie... which was a big accomplishment in and of itself. In fact, by the end of it, their forced cohabitation had turned rather pleasant.

They were both solitary hunters, after all. There was an instinctive understanding between the two of them.

His overall combat skill and particularly comprehension of both his own battle style and that of the Stone Saint had improved by leaps and bounds. He felt faster, stronger, and better prepared to face the horrors of the Dream Realm.

Although he had yet to reach the same level of physical power that he had possessed before sacrificing a hundred shadow fragments to create the Shadow Saint, Sunny felt that the current him was far deadlier of an opponent.

Which was good, considering how fast the grim future was approaching.

...Currently, Sunny and Effie were sitting on the support beam of the main hall of the cathedral, looking down from the head-spinning height. Far below and away from them, the Black Knight walked through the patches of light and darkness, continuing his neverending patrol.

Effie scowled, then whispered:

"So this is the bastard?"

Sunny gave her a gloomy nod.

"Yeah. In the flesh… or whatever he has instead of it."

The unruly huntress gave him a long look.

"How the hell did you manage to live through a fight with that fiend?"

He grimaced.

"Barely. Also, calling it a fight is giving me too much credit. I just got myself gutted and crawled outside. He never leaves the cathedral, so I got away."

She shivered.

"Are you sure that he won't hear us?"

Sunny pointed down.

"As long as he doesn't walk past that column, and as long as we're not too loud and keep our voice down, we're safe. Trust me. I've been studying that bastard for two whole months."

Effie suddenly grinned.

"So… how loud are we talking about? Because I can promise to…"

Sunny rolled his eyes.

"Can you stop? We're in a temple, for gods' sake."

He didn't need to hear the end of the phrase to know that it was going to be highly suggestive and very inappropriate.

She quietly giggled.

"Fine, fine."

Sunny looked down and saw that the pale light of

final decision regarding Neph's request. Depending on his choice, he and Effie would, perhaps, never

Sunny quietly sighed.

the huntress,

Effie. Can I ask

at him with a silent question in her eyes

"Sure. Go ahead, doofus."

the somber mood of the situation. Then, looking away, he

your head a lot when

hands against her mouth to suppress a laugh. In

want me to laugh out loud and get us both killed? What's

at her with a

are you so damn cheerful all the time? It's not normal. You're like a crazy person… and I know a thing

The huntress smiled.

"Ah. That."

Then, she shrugged.

"It's simple, really."

unfamiliar air of melancholy around the vigorous young woman. Her usual

that this place is as bad as all of you seemed to believe. Everyone in this dark city is convinced that this

She hesitated.

me, it's a

at her

"How so?"

Effie sighed.

wouldn't understand. But for some of us, the real world was more of a hell than the Dream

the outskirts. The reason he was able to adapt so well to the

kind of a paradise

appeared on

only kind we

at Sunny

the outskirts, right? So you didn't

He shook his head.

She chuckled.

camps, anyway. They teach kids some useful stuff, but also turn them unable to ask questions

Sunny raised an eyebrow.

"The truth?"

gave him a

truth that our world is dying. Well, not the world, really. Just the part of the ecosystem that we need

born, a whole continent was

quickly

I'm talking about what we, humans, have done to our planet without anyone's help. There were more than ten billion people on Earth a couple of hundred years ago, did you know?

in the underground factory where his mother had worked. The towering barriers protecting the city from the deadly winds of the wasteland outside. He

about it that much. To him, this was

Effie shrugged.

me… I think that one day in the future, more people will believe that this Realm is a paradise. Just

ominous note, she stood up and stretched