Shadow Slave

There had been a time when Sunny studied Changing Star's runes like a man obsessed. His whole life had been built around the desire to overtake her on the path to power.

He might have even done a few careless things in that pursuit.

At some point, however, Sunny had lost the desire to compare himself to Nephis, at least in this way. The first change had happened because of her return from the Dream Realm. The second... sometime in the Antarctic Center, he had lost the habit of summoning her runes every day.

Shadow fragments, soul fragments - those were not a true measure of strength, anyway. Sunny had seen countless mundane soldiers stand and fight against the Nightmare Creatures, never surrendering despite the dire disparity of power between them. If those people were weak, then he did not know whom to call strong.

And so, at some point, he had stopped paying constant attention to Neph's runes without even noticing it.

Now, however, Sunny had the Mirror of Truth. So, he decided that it was worth taking another look.

The familiar symbols shimmered, forming into strings:

Name: Nephis.True Name: Changing Star.Rank: Ascended.Class: Tyrant.Soul Cores: [5/7].

He stared at that number for a few moments.

After years of lagging behind, Sunny had finally caught up to her... wasn't it so very funny that he had only been able to do so after stopping caring about the race?

A light smile appeared on his face.

'Whatever... she still has more fragments than I do. She'll be a Terror sooner than me.'

But did it really matter? In the end, they would both be Titans. That day was not as far away as it had once seemed, now.

Sunny continued to read:

Soul Fragments: [2719/5000].

shards from the treasury of clan Valor after being adopted by them. However, she could not reveal the fact that she possessed a Divine Aspect and multiple soul cores - requesting more than a thousand would have

day in the Antarctic Center, either, so

had received in the recent

Blade], [Starlight Legion Armor],

Memories. Some of them she had received while wandering the Dream Realm and challenging the Second Nightmare... in fact, Sunny

he held himself back. Perhaps it was stupid, but... he did not

for him to extend his own trust toward Effie and Kai. Before

provided to Neph. They were incredible Memories, indeed,

to study their weaves. He just did not know

your armor? I need it for a couple of weeks... no, no

thinking about it made him

Sunny continued to study the

Divinity], [The Fire].[Dreamspawn] Attribute Description: "You are born of two worlds, belonging to both, but welcomed in neither. Your soul exists on the

divine and

of Divinity] Attribute Description: "Your soul is aflame with the light

Fire] Attribute Description: "You have inherited the lineage

but Nephis had not. Neither had she

Saints, with an even smaller

it was Sunny who was

wistfully, thinking of Serpent, and turned back

Bringer].Aspect Rank: Divine.Aspect Description: [You are a creature of light that was banished and doomed to exist in the darkness. You bring radiance and warmth to wherever you go, but with it

can directly absorb a portion of the soul essence of any Nightmare Creature destroyed by your flames,

"Your soul burns with the purest of flames. That flame

perfectly familiar with the first of Neph's three Aspect Abilities - it had grown slightly more versatile since the Forgotten Shore, now augmenting the soul, as well, but otherwise

other two Abilities - her Awakened and Ascended ones, respectively - were new. The Awakened Ability was

Manipulation] Ability Description: "You can bend all fire to

weapon. That fire did not have to be her own - although she could produce flames if

the other hand...