Shadow Slave

Chapter 1909 Feel Alive Nephis walked over to the edge of the water, looked at it for a few moments, and then sat on the ground.

Her voice sounded a little raspy, but mostly just as it always did:

"He has regained consciousness and is binding the Gateway now. Revel's imprint is strong, so it will take some time... ten minutes, at least. Maybe half an hour."

She sighed.

"Some of us will have to return to the waking world after that, to bring back the initial reinforcements. You know what happens next."

Sunny did know.

Once the Gateway was bound by a Saint of the Sword Army, Anvil's Domain would manifest in the Hollows. The King of Swords would probably arrive at the ruined Citadel himself, and the war would finally spill beneath the surface of the ancient bones.

The subjugation of the Hollows was bound to be an affair both spectacular and harrowing. Considering how powerful the predators of the ancient jungle were, the king would have to lead the conquest personally... at least for a while.

By the time the immediate area around the lake was conquered by the Sword Army, both sides would have prominently established themselves in Godgrave. The first stage of the war would be complete, and the two armies would start clashing in large—scale battles, clamoring for control.

Control over the surface, control over the Hollows, control over the paths to the remaining two Citadels.

Everything that had happened before was merely a prelude, and the true bloodshed would begin now.

Well... there were ten more minutes before that happened, at least.

Nephis sighed and looked down at her blackened, shredded armor. Then, she dismissed it and summoned a soft white tunic instead.

Her voice sounded a little gloomy:

"You know... I think I am going to give up on wearing armor altogether. What is the point, if it only ends up being destroyed? Or worse, a burden. Especially these suits of full plate that Knights ofValor prefer — in the last battle, the left elbow joint was bent almost immediately. I had to struggle every time I needed to bend my arm."

A faint smile appeared on her face.

"I think it will be great... less burden, more mobility, wider field of view. Not to mention the heat — everyone still cooking inside a steel armor will be green with envy, looking at my well—ventilated self."

her a long stare, not at all happy at the thought of people staring at

for another

armor, it would have been your arm being cut instead

Nephis shrugged nonchalantly.

my arm. I can't

He frowned.

this time, you

her gaze. After a while, Sunny sighed. The facade of arrogant coldness the Lord of Shadows usually wore slipped a little, and

enemy without your powers. I had my Shadows with me, at least. You

lingered for a few moments,

"...Actually, it was nice."

Her gaze grew distant.

sword without the promise of pain. I loved swordsmanship once, you know? That is because... I don't have many memories of my father, and in those that I do, he is teaching me how to hold a sword. So, even after he was gone, training made me feel a connection to him." She looked at

don't love it anymore. Wielding a sword has become simply something that I do, because it is one of the tools at my disposal... the sharpest of them, perhaps. In fact, I don't know if there's anything left that

remained silent, but his face fell

'Ouch.‘

than his feelings for her were — after all, from her perspective, they had only known each other for a few months. But it still wasn't very pleasant, to hear his supposed girlfriend say

to his bitterness,

would have thought if she saw me now. Would she have been proud? Or

at her through the dark

voice sounded a

know... she would have been happy that you are alive. She would say — good job staying alive, my dear. Well, or something like that. In any case, you are your own person. Your grandmother could not know the burden you carry and the scars that remain on your heart. She could not understand the choices you make, or why you make them. No one is better qualified to know these things than you

a lot of insight into the life of a Saint, let alone one as exceptional as Sunny was. Their mundane lives had been far away

and Rain were alive and healthy. That they were forging their own path in life, despite how hard and unforgiving the world was. That they had not

for a few moments, and

a crack in

Sunny blinked.

'Right.’

enchantments still functioned, but with Anvil potentially arriving in a matter of minutes, it was better