Shadow Slave

Soon, two bowls of delicious steaming ramen were on the table in front of them. Sunny had never invited anyone to taste his ramen, but he was quite pleased with the result.

His past of only eating synthpaste seemed so distant that he did not even want to remember it.

Both dug in and finished their portions in record time. Sunny drank the last of the fragrant broth and let out a delighted sigh. Nephis acted more reserved, but he could feel that she was very satisfied, too.

Putting the bowl away, Changing Star smiled slightly and looked at him. A hesitant expression appeared on her face.

A few moments later, she suddenly said:

"Be that as it may… while I was lost and wandering the Dream Realm, slowly forgetting what it felt like to be human… there was one thing I clung to that reminded me that all my prior life had not been just a dream. Do you know what it was?"

Sunny thought for a bit, then shrugged.

"I don't know. A Memory? Your sword, Dreamblade?"

She lingered for a few moments, then slowly shook her head.

"No. It was… you."

Sunny froze and stared at her with surprise.

"Huh?"

Nephis smiled slightly.

The new Memories you received told me a little about what kind of enemies you fought. The speed at which your Aspect Legacy progressed told me how hard you were working to sharpen your battle skill. As long as I saw the runes, I knew that I had not imagined the past... and did not feel as

shifted, and then

what the Nightmare Creature that gifted you a Memory looked like, how you defeated it. Things… things like that. Oh… and I was bored often. While my journey was often full of hardship

looked at him, lingered for

it was not really something that you did consciously. Still. I wanted to say… thank you. You helped me a lot, Sunny. You made it

at her, suddenly uncomfortable. Then, he looked away in embarrassment and cleared his

are you sure that you have not received counseling already? I mean,

and did

bit, and

a lot of time staring

at

was not exactly going crazy from isolation like you. Well… except for a short stretch of falling into a bottomless abyss all alone, I guess. But, the point is… to be honest, I was... I am... unsatisfied with the fact that you are so far ahead of me. Every time

at Nephis with

course, no matter how hard I tried, I had never managed to catch up to you. Every time, I fell short. It did not feel nice at all. But it also forced me to

face for a few moments,

gain soul fragments. You know that. Even though I am still ahead, I suspect that you have fought, and slain, much more Nightmare Creatures than I have. In fact, I

Sunny smiled.

end, a person is either

down, then slowly shook her

like how you got there doesn't. Every victory you achieve teaches you a lesson. Every defeat you suffer teaches you even more.

Sunny grimaced.

me ask you a question. Can you