Shadow Slave

The crow hopped on Sunny's shoulder, and they headed toward where Nightmare was hiding. Cronos, annoyingly, followed them with an excited smile. That said, Sunny couldn't remain annoyed for long because of the worshipful gaze the old man was giving him.

"Lord Sunless... if I may ask..."

He rolled his eyes and sighed.

"What?"

Cronos hesitated for a moment.

"...What is a horse?"

That almost caused Sunny to stumble.

'What the hell... why does it sound like something I would say?'

He shrugged.

"It's a large animal that runs really well. People used to ride them to get around. Of course, my horse is no ordinary horse... he's a real menace, that beast."

The old man frowned in contemplation.

"But why wouldn't they just use a boat?"

Sunny suppressed the desire to grind his teeth and answered in an even tone:

"The world outside the Tomb is not all water, remember? Most people live on land. Horses are land animals."

Cronos looked into the distance, confusion written all over his face.

"Ah... I see, I see. Are there no land boats? That seems strange!"

The barrage of questions continued.

By the time they reached the deep shadows where Nightmare was hiding, Sunny felt a bit tired.

is just a fire-breathing mountain. And a mountain is basically a big sharp rock, tall enough to reach the clouds. There's ice and snow on top, but not enough air to breathe... well, rather there's plenty of air, but

man's eyes grew

to

at him

you mean, terrifying?! You live on an endless river that falls into a bottomless abyss, plagued by

head, then said in a

"Nightmare, come out."

darkness, and the shadows surged, forming into the shape of a dreadful black

Cronos yelped.

"Ah! A... a horse!"

face grew pale, and he

that horses are

about it. The kid was very old, after all... what if seeing Nightmare

hesitated for a moment, then patted Cronos on the

usual horse. He is an ancient shadow creature that

Sunny threw an excited glance at the black steed and summoned the nacre ornament, the old man

beast even eat? You... you don't seem to have any meat

Nightmare's Ascension, Sunny smiled

need

gave the old man a strange look and offered the ornament to

Sorry it took me so

throwing the Memory to the ground. Then, he crushed it with one strike of

streams, each flowing into one of the dark embers burning within the

'Here we go... finally!'

little. It was not without a reason, of course. Nightmare's main purpose

been a

absorbed into the darkness hiding inside Nightmare, his silhouette suddenly grew vague. Then,

Soul Sea. Appearing in the lightless silence, he saw his Shadow standing on

'Yes!'

six dim embers was growing more and more intense. The water suddenly surged, as if assaulted by an invisible wind. Wisps of black flame rose from Nightmare's sable coat,

transformation would not take long - unlike evolving to a new

He waited patiently.

was happening somewhere near, but away from their eyes, both Crow Crow and Cronos remained