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.

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

Sunny scoffed.

you chose to crawl back into whatever pit that had spawned you and never come back. Where the hell have

The apparition smirked.

people killed all the time. Even imaginary creatures like me have a limit, you know? Ah, of course you don't. You don't know

while, silent. His eyes

shook his

someone who hates me so much, you sure are too helpful. Why save me from the Mad Prince if you feel that way? Don't you think that you

of Solace

even have the audacity to call someone mad

shook his head, then said

endure more misery. Being stuck with a hateful worm like you is already bad enough, but being stuck with you if you become Defiled?

his head,

Prince wanted to tell me was truly dangerous enough to turn

supposed to believe anything that the Sin of Solace said? The sword wraith acted like an independent being, and in a sense, it was... but the

of Solace was a part of his mind,

...Wasn't he?

Sunny frowned.

I have no idea what that

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

it changed?

of Dread, after all, from whose whisper the curse that caused the sword wraith to manifest was born. Or was there something more sinister

the Sin of Solace, Sunny

in my dream was

The apparition grinned.

a while, then looked down and touched the sleeve

way, what a wonderful mantle. You should really get more people killed and collect a piece of clothing from each one. Then, we'll be able to add an apparel section to