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.

through the runes. I could 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 your battle skill.

shifted, and

exactly happened to give you a sudden influx of 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.

at him, lingered for a

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 easier for me to keep

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

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

smiled, and did

bit, and then forced

a lot of time staring at your runes,

at the

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. A large part of those things I gained… was because of you. I guess you, too, kept me

glanced at Nephis with a

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

few moments,

am still ahead, I suspect that you have fought, and slain, much more Nightmare Creatures than I have. In fact, I know you

Sunny smiled.

is either strong, or they are weak.

looked down, then slowly shook her

how you got there doesn't. Every victory you achieve teaches you a

Sunny grimaced.

ask you a question. Can you say that