Shadow Slave

Rain looked at him with a serious expression, thinking.

Inwardly, Sunny sighed.

He still didn't know how to change her mentality and make her vicious enough to survive the Dream Realm. He didn't even know if he wanted to, and if that was the right thing to do.

At least she seemed to understand a little bit more about the truth of the world after surviving the Gate opening. For now, that was going to have to be enough.

And this conversation was his attempt to make the lesson stick.

After a while, Rain said with uncertainty:

"Survival?"

Sunny raised an eyebrow, looking at her with surprise.

What were the chances that, despite their different life experiences, his sister would answer the question the same way he had, all that time ago, in the desolate hell of the Forgotten Shore?

He remained silent for a while, remembering those terrible, wonderful days. Then, he shook his head.

"No. The essence of combat is murder."

Rain shivered slightly.

"M—murder?"

Sunny nodded.

"Of course. What else would it be? You have to kill your enemy, or die. Either way, someone ends up murdered, and someone ends up as the murderer. So, the purpose of combat training is to make sure that you're the murderer. It is really that simple."

He paused, and then added:

"Survival is important, of course… but that can't be your primary goal. Such a goal is a terrible one to have. Even in life, it is not enough. You have to survive to continue living, but if you only live to survive, then what is even the point? More than that, if you don't strive for something bigger, something better, then you will only ever do what is required and nothing else. Which will make you weaker than those who want and dare to do more, and that weakness will cost you your life…"

off, and Sunny suddenly fell silent. Rain looked

"Uh… Sunny?"

a couple

"Yeah. Sorry. So…"

do you know? I guess it's true what they say, the best way to

to grow stronger. Everything Sunny had told Rain could be

to Neph's passionate, immolating obsession? Would he really be able to surpass her while being driven by such a mundane

gave Sunny a lot

glanced at Rain, and then

but your mind… is much more tricky. If you can understand the true essence of combat, however — truly grasp it with your very core — then you will have enough clarity to master the

***

the extent that he himself understood them — to Rain. In the end, he wasn't sure that

the First Nightmare and several days of fighting for his life on the Forgotten Shore. Even then, it had taken being nearly killed by a carapace

were no carapace centurions around, and Sunny certainly

for now, this was going

and katas of Saint's style, and watch her struggle to replicate them. The progress

okay. One couldn't expect a teenage girl to be as strong as an Awakened. Her body could be trained… of course, Rain was never going to be as strong and resilient as a

or Master Roan in terms of physical might.

of force one needed to apply to deliver a lethal blow. Unless one planned to beat their enemy to

style could make that inherent

seemed to be sufficiently exhausted, and pushing further would not do her any good. He gestured for her to stop and placed the practice weapons back on the stand, then summoned

pale face glistening with sweat. Noticing

that a

tilted his head

are

the Endless Spring and studied it from all sides, then cautiously took a few

I've never seen a real Memory up close before. It…

stared at her

What are you talking

the water greedily, and then handed the Endless Spring

get it after defeating some terrible monster? Or bought

frowned, hesitated for a