Shadow Slave

Nephis changed from her torn clothes and was now wearing a white tunic with its hems embroidered in intricate red patterns. The tunic was somewhat similar to Sunny's Shroud of Dusk, but also different - it seemed like a single sheet of light fabric that had been elaborately tied at the shoulders, and thus had no sleeves. Loosely fastened at the waist and with high slits, it seemed like something that could afford one a high degree of freedom of movement.

Still, Sunny was slightly surprised to see what Neph had chosen to summon. She gave him a strange look.

"What?"

He shrugged.

"I just imagined that you would select a suit of steel armor, or at least something that offers more protection. There has to be a Memory like that among those that Summer Knight gave you, right?"

Nephis shook her head.

"There is. But what does it matter here? No matter how powerful of an armor Memory I use, it will still break after brushing against a great abomination once. So, I might as well go for something light and offering good utility. This tunic might not protect me well, but it enhances my senses. For now, that is more important. Best of all..."

She slightly pursed her lips and added with a hint of frustration in her voice:

"...It won't burn."

Sunny suppressed a chuckle.

"Alright. Suit yourself."

It was not like he had anything to complain about. That tunic of hers was rather beautiful... plus, he wasn't one to talk, considering what he himself was wearing.

Sunny pulled his gaze away from Neph's slender figure and stared at the Memories that were laying on the ground between them. These were all the ones in their possession that mentioned Ariel, his Tomb, the Great River, or an estuary of any kind.

There was no real need to summon them, since both Sunny and Nephis could see each other's runes. However, having something to look at was more convenient.

They were:

A beautifully engraved chalice of white stone full of black liquid.

A hand mirror of dark silver that gave off an ominous feeling.

A graceful jian with a long and slender blade of pristine white jade.

A necklace of engraved black metal that resembled a collar.

hammerhead made of perfectly black

made of cloudy steel with a

Sin of Solace, the Stifled Scream, the

while all the other ones came from Sunny - he had spent more time in Antarctica,

like undressing...

'Nevermind.'

studied the Memories for a while, sometimes glancing at the shimmering runes in front of him. Eventually,

let's go over what we already know

Nephis nodded.

took a deep

of all... there was a daemon called Ariel, the Demon of Dread. The Tomb of Ariel stands somewhere in the Nightmare Desert - however, it is not a tomb where Ariel

silent for

of Nightmare that seemed to have originated from the Tomb of Ariel. However, instead of being

tried to reach its seemingly

He frowned.

of time and flow endlessly from the future into the past... whatever that means. The Great River is connected to

Sunny lingered a bit, and then

want

Nephis nodded.

The vision of the reversed time was

strange sky of the Great River, where dawn coexisted with dusk and day, and

like a colossal

Sunny's eyes glistened.

was what I

dagger forged out of cloudy steel - the

its complicated weave, and then turned to the

Memory: [Falling Ash].Memory Rank...

tentatively picked up the Mirror of Truth. She glanced at her reflection, shivered, then turned the mirror around and studied the beautiful engravings on

reading the runes that described

a few moments, a contemplative expression appeared on

and purpose of

Truth aside and reached out for the

connected to the Sin of Solace and the Falling Ash,

the