Shadow Slave

Nephis, Cassie, and Jet stared at him incredulously. Pierced by three intense gazes, each belonging to a beautiful woman, Sunny shifted uncomfortably and pulled on the collar of the Shroud of Dusk.

"I, uh... I think I really need to start socializing with guys more... why am I always surrounded by lethal beauties?"

Eventually, Nephis repeated his words evenly: "Moves in a circle?"

Sunny nodded.

"Yes. I only became aware of it a few hours ago... or a few revolutions ago, to be precise. Think about it - the waters of the Great River represent time, and we are surrounded by an enormous whirlpool. So..."

He pointed to Jet.

"You only remember being on Wind Flower for a couple of hours, but in fact, you've been here for almost a year. The time you spent in the Nightmare is the same as Cassie."

Looking at their tense expressions, Sunny sighed.

"Well, in fact, what I said earlier is not entirely accurate. It seems that Nephis and I entered the Nightmare four months ago, while you and Cassie entered it more than a year ago. But there is no telling how many times the time repeated itself before I became aware of the loop, so... although I don't think that it's the case, we might very well have been stuck on this island for a hundred years. There's no way to tell unless we leave."

Everyone remained silent for a while. When the pause grew too long, Cassie finally asked in a hesitant tone:

"These previous... revolutions... do you mean that we have already explored the island several times, but you are the only one who remembers it?"

Sunny's face grew dark. He looked away, grimaced, and then said somberly:

"Explored the island? Not really. We barely left the beach when Undying Slaughter attacked Jet in the forest... each time, I went ahead to try and stop her, and each time, I died miserably. Jet, too."

Soul Reaper threw a sharp glance at him and paled a little. It was not a pleasant thing to hear that you had been killed. The corners of her mouth twisted into a dark smile.

"...How regrettable."

He sighed.

"This is the first time I managed to live past an hour. So, I don't really know much about the loop yet. I'm sure it doesn't terminate each time I die, which means that Nephis and Cassie must have lived longer. You might have even survived long enough to reach the termination point - but since your memories are erased between revolutions, it's impossible to tell."

Nephis raised an eyebrow.

are you the only

- the sword, not

cursed sword of mine. Its... spirit... was

explanation after thinking about it

to pour herself more tea. Cassie gripped the Guiding Light tighter, lost in

passed in silence, Nephis looked at Sunny and

Undying Slaughter

Struggling to suppress an involuntary shiver, Sunny lingered for a

"...She's a horror."

much detail as he could. As he did, the faces of his companions grew more and more somber. Eventually, Nephis briefly glanced at Jet, and then looked

what do you think our chances

shook his

us, most likely. Especially with how

She sighed.

we avoid

He blinked.

"For now?"

him and shrugged

Plagues eventually. Now, however, is

a little

how absolutely terrifying

she had not suggested attacking Undying Slaughter right away, saying something like "it's just a Defiled version

personal growth

shook

Slaughter, but I don't think we can avoid

at

"What do you mean?"

blind girl hesitated for

feels so dangerous. Think about it... previously, we only knew that no one returns from Wind Flower. Human ships, the Defiled, Nightmare Creatures - very few things that enter the whirlpool can ever escape. I assumed that all these

face paled

that have been caught, but managed to reach the island instead of being swallowed by the vortex. How many of them must have accumulated

Cassie shook her head.

then Wind Flower... it's like a

uneasy silence settled in the cargo bay. Everyone's expressions