Shadow Slave

Giving him a nod, Nephis went about asking Cassie to use the Guiding Light to locate Effie. Sunny, meanwhile, remained motionless. He was somewhat lost in thought.

'First of all... stay calm.'

His behavior up until now had been nothing short of embarrassing. Of course, there were extenuating circumstances. During his first... round?... Sunny had been barely conscious of the fact that time was repeating itself. During the second try, he was still reeling and in shock from dying gruesomely at the hands of Undying Slaughter.

But this was his third attempt - this time, he had to maintain his composure and not lose control.

'...No, not quite right.'

Who was to say that this attempt was his third? It was only the third attempt since he had become aware of the fact that everything was repeating itself. There was no telling how many times he had died before that.

Still deep in thought, Sunny glanced at Nephis and Cassie. He remained motionless for a few moments, then silently walked over to Nightmare and adjusted the stirrups of the Overpriced Saddle to make it easier for the blind girl to mount.

Soon, they abandoned the ship and stepped on the white sand of the misty beach. Sunny walked in the back, looking down with a somber expression on his face. He did not react in any way when the Sin of Solace suddenly appeared from the fog.

The sword wraith stared at him mockingly.

"Calling the Shadows? Shame the only thing you achieved was getting them killed... like you get everyone else who follows you killed. Hey, here's an idea! How about you ask Nephis and Cassia for help next?"

Sunny spared him a grim look, causing the Sin of Solace to cover his mouth with a hand theatrically.

"Ah. I've said a bit too much, haven't I?"

Sunny looked away.

'It is as I thought.'

It seemed that the sword wraith had become aware of the fact that time was repeating itself long before Sunny. What was it that the Sin of Solace had said the last time?

starting to enjoy this.

the wraith was behaving differently from the past, unlike everyone else. But now, it was clear that the apparition had already known about the twisted nature of time

think of

stared at Sunny silently, and he turned to ask

time... is

into

few moments later, he sighed

'...I'm such a fool.'

River was a river of time. Wind Flower was surrounded by a mystical whirlpool... and what did whirlpools do? They spun. The water caught in them revolved

time here must have revolved in a circle,

was an outlandish theory, but not

look weathered at all, for example. How Effie and Jet could have survived an entire year

'...Wait.'

time here on Wind Flower... then was Undying Slaughter caught in it, too? She had not shown any signs of knowing what Sunny would do in advance. Which meant that she did not

of the dreaded Six Plagues ended

importantly, why was Sunny the only one who seemed to be aware

frowned. After a few moments, his eyes

It's... it's the Sin of

sword wraith seemed to have been aware of the loop from the very beginning. He was somehow immune to forgetting the events of every previous revolution... was it because the cursed sword was innately tied to truth and revelations,

his mind... a splintered and twisted one, but a part nevertheless. Was it possible that he had slowly become contaminated by the knowledge the sword wraith possessed, somehow? Or that the awareness of the loop was

not know the exact reason, but he was certain that it was because of the Sin of Solace

His thoughts turned somber.

and "why" are

was far more fearsome than Sunny had expected. He

was not to say that he could

Nephis, Nightmare, Cassie, and

lose and watch everyone die. For the first few times,