Shadow Slave

The Chain Breaker was steadily advancing down the Great River. The gale Nephis could summon by uttering its name was not powerful enough to push the ship as fast as it had pushed the ketch, but to their luck, the winds were blowing in the same direction.

Carried both by their power and the current of time, the graceful vessel rushed forward at great speed.

All around them, there was nothing but sunlight and sparkling water. The vast expanse of the Great River was beautiful and exhilarating... of course, great horrors were hiding behind the deceptive facade of its beauty.

But nothing had attacked them yet.

...Life went on.

Sitting in the shade of the sacred tree, Sunny felt strangely indignant about that fact.

He had been constantly busy during the week they spent patching up the battered ship, which was a mercy. Now that there was really nothing for him to do, Sunny found himself feeling numb and hollow. His lightless soul seemed even darker than usual these days.

With a sigh, he closed his eyes and concentrated on the calming sound of the rustling leaves.

'Just... how much can a person endure?'

He was tired of loss.

He was also tired of losing.

'Sometimes it feels like I was better off not caring about anyone except myself. Those were the days, weren't they?'

As he smiled crookedly, a familiar voice suddenly resounded from above:

"Do you mean the days of being a frightened, pathetic, miserable little wretch that not a single person in the world cared about, in turn? Well... I suppose it's indeed the best you deserve. That's how you'll end up anyway, eventually."

Opening his eyes, Sunny looked up with a dark expression.

looked like he always had... exactly like Sunny. The bastard was even wearing a perfect copy of Ananke's mantle. His face was full

Sunny scoffed.

you chose to crawl back into whatever pit that had spawned you and never come

The apparition smirked.

like me have a limit, you know?

while, silent. His eyes were cold and

shook his head and said

so much, you sure are too helpful. Why save me from the Mad Prince if

of Solace

call someone mad after spouting such nonsense... I owe you

then said with a derisive

I just saved myself from having to endure more misery. Being stuck with a hateful worm like you is already bad enough, but being stuck

his head,

Mad Prince wanted to tell me was truly dangerous enough

an independent being, and in a sense, it was... but the source of that being was still Sunny himself, Therefore, the bastard could not know anything that he himself

was a part of his mind, after

...Wasn't he?

Sunny frowned.

no idea what that thing

how to deal with the apparition. But once they entered the Tomb of Ariel... that nature seemed to have

it changed? And

been built by the Demon of Dread, after all, from whose whisper the curse

the Sin

are you, really? How did you know that the Mad Prince in my dream was

The apparition grinned.

a while, then looked down

one. Then, we'll be able to add an apparel section to the Brilliant Emporium. Ah! Shame you