Shadow Slave

Changing Star's words brought the room to dead silence. On both sides of it, people were slowly preparing themselves, dark resentment burning in their eyes. It felt as though the tension reached critical mass and was about to explode into a storm of violence.

Only three people remained calm and unaffected by the direness of the situation: Nephis herself, Sunny… and Tessai.

The giant bared his canines in a grin. His eyes, however, remained cold as ice.

"What a… revelation. And here I was, thinking that you are a great defender of justice. Were you not, Changing Star? Or is your sense of justice reserved only for the crimes of those who don't serve you?"

He sighed and added, his voice full of disappointment:

"That huntress of yours is accused of murder. Why are you trying to prevent me from bringing her to justice? I thought that you, of all people, would not get in the way of fairness."

Nephis frowned.

"Accused does not mean convicted. Why do you claim that she is guilty?"

Tessai stared at her and said, his low voice sending tremors through the stone hall:

"There is plenty of evidence. There are plenty of witnesses. So many people came forward to give a testimony! Her guilt is undeniable. How will you answer that, Changing Star?"

Sunny smiled slightly.

'How peculiar. So many people apparently saw Effie slaughter those fools. Did I imagine killing them or what? I was a bit crazy at the time, to be fair. Ha.'

Before Nephis could answer, Kai suddenly took a step forward and shouted:

"That is impossible! I…"

hesitated, then gritted his teeth and

turned to the imposing

for so long, and wasn't

at her with an amused expression. Sunny did not take

from her

that evidence and hear those witnesses. And, most

expression of dissatisfaction appeared on Tessai's face. With a deep frown, he looked down on Neph from his oppressive height and said in

that you can

was silent for a few moments, calmly looking at him. Then, her eyes suddenly shone

to stop

seemed

though. A masterful performance to hide

Triumph and jubilation.

here with the excuse of bringing Effie to justice, but his true goal had always been Nephis. She

was that Changing Star was as

a demon in sheep's

something that resembled pity. Meanwhile, Tessai slowly shook his head and said, his voice full of

you want. Bring your rats with

***

the shoulder. Her hands were tied behind her back with a flimsy rope — more of a symbolic gesture than a real

Sunny had hidden himself in the crowd, not wishing to

toward the Castle, more and more slum

"They got Effie!"

"Bastards! Let her go!"