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.

and

Memory looked like, how you defeated it. Things… things like that. Oh… and

looked at him, lingered for a moment, and then

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

he looked away in

mean, that doesn't sound like you.

smiled, and did

bit, and then forced himself to

time staring at your

at the

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

silent, and then glanced at Nephis with a

managed to catch up to you. Every time, I

few moments,

know that. Even though I am still ahead, I suspect that you

Sunny smiled.

person is either strong, or they are weak. The stronger ones will

then

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 more. I guess it all depends on what

Sunny grimaced.

me ask you a question. Can you say that I am stronger