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.

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

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

looked at him, lingered for a moment, and then

you. You helped me a lot, Sunny. You made it easier for me to

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

have not received counseling already? I mean, that

smiled, and did

silent for a bit, and

I spent a lot of time staring at

at

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. A large part of those things I gained… was because of

silent, and then glanced at Nephis with

to catch up to you. Every time, I fell short. It

few

much easier for me to 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 know

Sunny smiled.

not a competition where you get rewarded for the effort. Only the result matters. In the end, a person is either strong, or they are weak. The stronger ones will always trample those who are weaker. Isn't that how the

then

achieve teaches you a lesson. Every defeat you suffer teaches

Sunny grimaced.

Can you say that I am stronger than