Shadow Slave

"I would not. But you can call me Shadow."

The voice of the man who called himself Shadow resounded in the lightless temple, making it seem as though the darkness itself had answered her question. That strangely elusive voice was cold and aloof, devoid of any emotion.

And yet, there was a hint of arrogance to it. Nephis frowned subtly.

Now that the introductions were out of the way, it was time to announce the purpose of her visit. However, she was at a disadvantage. The master of the dark temple seemed to know everything about her, and yet, she knew close to nothing about him.

Even Cassie, whose gaze could pierce countless mysteries, seemed to be entirely blind to the existence of the Lord of Shadows.

"To what do I owe the honor of being in the presence of Lady Changing Star? What do you want with me?"

Nephis hesitated for a moment, thinking.

She had been sent to persuade a powerful Saint to join the banner of the King of Swords. However, having reached his Citadel, Nephis had to reevaluate her opinion of the Lord of Shadows.

He was not merely powerful... no, he was one of those few like herself who were beyond the ordinary definitions of power.

Now that Nephis had seen the vast expanse of inexplicable darkness, the bones of dreadful abominations hidden in its tenebrous embrace, the solemn edifice of the dark temple, and the creatures that guarded it, she knew that the Lord of Shadows had not survived in Godgrave by luck, or by having an Aspect that was uniquely suited for living in this harrowing environment.

Rather, he had survived here through strength.

...Which only made him more desirable.

Of course, there were still many unknowns about the enigmatic Saint. Nephis could not be sure of what his powers truly were. The fierce creatures that served him were neither Echoes nor Nightmare Creatures... so, they could have been manifested by his Aspect, like the hideous Reflections of the Prince of Nothing were, or subjugated like those abominations that Beastmaster ruled.

or if his Aspect had any application in direct combat. It was also unknown where he had come from, and how he managed to become a Saint without leaving any traces of himself

Nephis had a

were exceedingly rare, let alone those who were truly powerful.

God, Valor were the inheritors of War God, Song were the inheritors of Beast God, Night were the inheritors of Storm God, and finally, Asterion was the sole inheritor of

last lineage

find and inherit

this man, a Saint of immense power that had come out of nowhere, wielding authority over shadows. Was

so... why now? What did it

wrong. In this dark temple, her power and exalted status didn't mean much, because the man she wanted to persuade possessed the same power,

to treat the Lord of Shadows... as an equal.

you asked me

then added in her

could hear the Fire Keepers shift behind her. One of them even seemed to choke, coughing loudly in the dead silence of the dark temple. His coughing

Shadow did not

He must be carefully considering the benefits and disadvantages of pledging his allegiance to the Sword Domain. I wouldn't expect anything

stretched for longer than she had

see. He must be contemplating

patiently,

Lord of Shadows spoke again, his elusive

was slightly taken aback, but masterfully hid her confusion. Had she not been

banner of the King of Swords, protecting and expanding the domain of humanity in the Dream Realm as one of his

a

later, anyway. Resources, assistance, powerful Memories and Echoes, soul shards... nothing is out of the question. You won't be

were a few moments of silence, and then the cold voice resounded