Shadow Slave

Climbing out of the fissure, the two of them - and the ominous figure of the Sin of Solace - studied the calm surface of the Great River. By now, it seemed like a sea of blood. The patch of red water surrounding the dead behemoth was growing larger as it was slowly washed away.

Just then, an ominous shadow moved through the blood, and a giant, cloudy eye rose from the red liquid to stare at them with hatred and burning malice. Sunny shivered and felt the desire to take a step back.

Nephis remained unmoved.

After a while, she spoke in a somber tone:

"...Strong."

He sighed.

"It is a Great Beast. Of course, it's strong."

At that moment, the Sin of Solace smiled.

As they escaped the suffocating gaze of the azure serpent by jumping back into the fissure, the sword wraith spoke:

"But... isn't it just a Great Beast? Where is your fighting spirit, Sunny? Go! Kill it! Like you always do..."

Sunny threw an irritated glance at him and thought:

'Shut the hell up.'

The apparition laughed.

"Why? Can't I make a joke? Of course, a pathetic waste of a Divine Aspect like you has no hope of surviving a fight with this creature."

It grinned and added:

"That is why it's funny."

Sunny frowned and glared at the Sin of Solace, then started to think of a response. However, at that moment, Neph's voice distracted him from the conversation:

"Sunny? Who are you talking to?"

Startled, he flinched slightly and turned to her. His face grew slightly more pale than usual.

"You... you heard that? I spoke it aloud?"

She lingered for a moment, then nodded.

Sunny let out a small laugh and scratched his head, feigning embarrassment. In truth, he was a little frightened - it seems that the effect of the Sin of Solace on his mind was not as tame as he had thought.

'Damn it.'

"That... my primary weapon Memory has a peculiar enchantment. Basically, it's a voice that doesn't miss a chance to explain how wrong everything I do is. Right... something like that."

Nephis stared at him for a while, and then a hint of a smile appeared on her face.

"Oh."

Sunny frowned.

why are you smiling?

simply shook her

I was... just suddenly reminded of an old fairy

gave her a

is that fairy

for a bit, as if trying to recall, then said with

lied, his nose would grow bigger. And there was a cricket who followed the wooden boy around,

perplexed. What kind of weird story was that? And why would a

He frowned.

you would remember it, though, not that I have any problems with the length of my nose. So... how does

for a

good boy and returns home

a little better about himself after hearing that.

to the doll in the

and shrugged with

hammer, then gets hanged

Sunny's eyes twitched.

'What the hell?'

to the

would he die after being hanged from a tree? Ridiculous... not to mention that a talking wooden doll would have

that conversation was. Sunny cleared his

couple of ideas why, but am not certain yet. So, that peculiar enchantment has become more annoying, too. I guess what I am trying to say is...

glance at the Sin of Solace and add with a bit of venom in

I must admit - I wouldn't mind smashing that annoying cricket with a hammer and watching it

raised an eyebrow. Neph, meanwhile, frowned slightly

do you keep looking to the side when talking

Sunny froze.

first, there was only a voice. But now there's an illusory figure following me, too. In fact, it looks exactly like me, and uses my own voice

asking

are two

then nodded with a

a sense. One is just a

stared at him for a while with a funny

she tilted her head

at him

a bit weird under

Why are you looking at me like that? I'm

it hidden in the depths of her calm grey eyes? Was it...

suddenly took a deep breath, and

the Sin of Solace, right? It is tied to Ariel - and, therefore, to the Tomb of Ariel. Even though the pyramid doesn't seem to exist in

Sunny slowly exhaled.

"Right."

Memories, so she would know about the Sin

But that reminded him...

serious, Sunny said in a somber