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?

to enjoy this. Let's go

that the wraith was behaving differently from the past, unlike everyone else. But now, it was clear that the apparition

to think of

Sunny silently, and he turned to ask if the bastard was not going to say anything. The odd feeling that eventually allowed him to realize the truth started

is

into

few moments later, he

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

surrounded by a mystical whirlpool... and what did whirlpools do? They spun. The water caught in

have revolved in a circle, too. Forming a

was an outlandish theory, but

the ancient stone steps did not look weathered at all, for example. How Effie and Jet

'...Wait.'

were caught in a loop of repeating 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 know about the loop - and therefore, had no means of escaping

had one of the dreaded Six Plagues

one who seemed to be

After a few moments, his eyes

it's the

to forgetting the events of every previous revolution... was it because the cursed sword was innately tied to truth and revelations, which it was supposed to grant its

a part of 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 one of

but he was certain that it was because of the Sin of Solace that he had become aware of the circular nature of time

His thoughts turned somber.

"how" and "why" are clear.

Sunny

was not to say

Nightmare,

For the first few times, at least... few dozen times? Few hundred