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.

see that you were still out there, alive, and doing incredible things. 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

and

fragments, 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

him, lingered for

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

counseling already? I mean, that doesn't sound like you. Very… uh… enlightened. Anyway… you're welcome, I

smiled, and did not

silent for a bit,

time staring at

looked at the

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 you gained a soul fragment, it urged me to try and get two. The stronger you grew, the more I wanted to become stronger, as well.

glanced at Nephis with a slightly

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

for a few moments, and

though I am still ahead, I suspect that you have fought,

Sunny smiled.

It's not a competition where you get rewarded for the effort. Only the result matters. In the end, a person is

then slowly

Results matter, yes… but it's not like how you got there doesn't. Every victory you achieve teaches you a lesson. Every defeat you suffer teaches you even

Sunny grimaced.

you a question. Can you say that I am stronger