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.

are you smiling?

shook

reminded of

gave her a

What is that

bit, as if

the doll lied, his nose would grow bigger. And there was a cricket who followed the wooden boy around, trying to explain what is right and what is wrong to

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

He frowned.

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

thought for a

the doll learns how to be a good boy and returns home with the cricket? That is

little better about himself after hearing that. Curious,

to the doll in

sat down and shrugged with

cricket with a hammer, then gets

Sunny's eyes twitched.

'What the hell?'

the ground,

a tree? Ridiculous... not to mention that a talking

realized how ridiculous that conversation was. Sunny cleared his throat,

but am not certain yet. So, that peculiar enchantment has become more annoying, too. I guess what I am

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

the fairy tale... now that we established that the doll wouldn't have died from hanging, I

raised an eyebrow. Neph, meanwhile, frowned slightly and

you keep looking to the side when talking about

Sunny froze.

there's an illusory figure following me, too. In fact, it looks exactly like me, and uses my own voice to berate

before asking in an

two Sunnys here

with

a sense. One is just a

stared at him for a while with a funny

tilted her

at him

suddenly felt a bit

looking at me like

depths

took a deep breath, and then

you are not crazy. That Memory should be the Sin of Solace, right? It is tied to Ariel - and, therefore, to the Tomb of Ariel. Even though

Sunny slowly exhaled.

"Right."

his Memories, so she

But that reminded him...

serious, Sunny said in a