Shadow Slave

Sunny grimaced.

What Nephis had said made sense… as much as the word "sense" could be applied to her.

Changing Star wanted to destroy the Nightmare Spell, and the Sovereigns were in her way. Just like Gunlaug, the ruthless tyrant of the Bright Castle, they had seemingly given up on pursuing liberation from the Spell, and instead settled for the great power that it had already bestowed upon them.

What was worse, they were holding others back from rising high enough to threaten their position… at least that was how it looked from below. Perhaps the Sovereigns had other reasons for their despotism and inaction, but Sunny had no way of knowing if they did.

Not that it mattered to Nephis. To her, they were simply an obstacle that had to be destroyed. Her personal desire to avenge the Immortal Flame clan and bring retribution to those who had betrayed her father only made the task sweeter.

However, her enemies were much too strong. She would only be able to challenge them if she became Supreme herself, but the path to Supremacy was guarded by the very people she needed to destroy. Faced with this dead end, she had decided to use the Sovereigns' own power to vanquish them.

She also wanted to infiltrate the ranks of her enemy and put herself in the position to attack one of the great clans from within, when the time came.

Sunny let out a heavy sigh.

"So, let me get this straight. You are going to join Clan Valor, fight for them until Clan Song is destroyed to earn Anvil's trust, then turn your blade against him?"

Nephis lingered for a few moments, then shrugged.

"More or less. Why?"

He rubbed his face.

"This is a terrible plan! There are more holes in this plan than in Swiss cheese… whoever Swi is. Who says that Valor will win this war? Who says that Anvil will ever treat you as anything but a latent threat? Do you think that he is a fool? Surely, he knows how much you have to hate his guts!"

Changing Star looked at him calmly.

"I do. I say who wins. I say whether he trusts me or not. It all depends on me, does it not? If I want the great Song clan to fall, I have to make sure that it falls. If I want to win Anvil's favor, I have to make sure that he favors me. I am not a passive observer in this, Sunny. I have agency to shape the future into what I want it to be… or at least try to. Sure, the chances of success are poor. But when were the odds ever on our side?"

Sunny scoffed, then shook his head.

there is a difference between being thrown into overwhelming danger against your will and deciding to put yourself at risk of your own volition. Unlike before, we don't have to be underdogs. You

her head, as

where you are wrong, Sunny. Do you really think that I have any choice? Do you think that I can turn back now? That the Sovereigns will ever let me be? No… it is too late for that.

at her for a few moments, then

"Aren't you forgetting something?"

at him,

"What?"

a

have a

a while. Eventually,

to do anything. You don't have to follow me to Valor

smile appeared on

But is this really true? There is a certain bond between us, after all. I am only free to do as I wish until

at him for a few long seconds. Then, she sighed and crossed her

this is what

gritted his teeth,

are talking about it, let's talk. This conversation was a long time coming. So, Nephis, tell me… what are you going

Neph looked at him coldly for a moment, and

I will never order you to do something for me,

finished speaking, but then froze. He stood still

of us would have died. That is not

sparks ignited in Changing Star's eyes. She leaned forward slightly and said, her

you know

feeling a sense of unease, Sunny

can't say that

in front of him, almost as close as they had been

will. I don't need a magical collar to make people serve me. I don't need slaves. That is not enough for me, Sunny. Why should I settle for submission when I can have loyalty? People who will follow me, serve me, and obey me will do so because that is their

her for a few moments, startled by the sudden intensity of her words. Then, a stubborn expression

yourself? Who do you think you are, to decide