Shadow Slave: Not a very laid back life.

FLASHBACK (Sunny's perspective)

Sunny raised his eyebrow:

"How can a cockroach like me help the great and mighty Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan?"

Effie gave him and Nephis a strange look, then cleared her throat.

"Don't take it to heart, princess, but I sort of agree with Sunny. What can this little imp… uh, no offense, Sunny… do that we can't? I mean, he is a decent scout, but…"

"Hey! Offense taken!"

Changing Star smiled, then looked at Sunny.

"Don't be misled by his act, Effie. Sunny might behave like a cowardly weakling, but in fact, he's the last person in the Dark City I would want to face in combat. He is far more dangerous than anyone thinks he is. Isn't it right, Sunny?"

The smile froze on his face. A few moments passed in silence, with everyone staring at him. Finally, Sunny sighed.

"Oh well. I guess the secret is out of the box. Surprise, everybody! I am actually not a weakling. Who could have thought?"

Then, he glared at Effie and added in a mocking tone:

"Oh. My mistake. Actually, everyone except for you already knew. It seems that you are…"

However, Neph interrupted him:

"That's why he was able to survive three months in the ruins, just like he had survived two in the Labyrinth. Sunny is an extremely formidable fighter."

'Wow. Is she trying to flatter me?'

"...He's just a bit of a devious asshole. But that's exactly what makes him so dangerous."

'...I guess not.'

Then, Sunny raised a brow. "Wait Neph, won't you also call that bastard?"

Nephis looked confused as she asked, "Who?"

Sunny frowned a bit, "Who else? Asher of course."

The room went dead silent.

Cassie began shivering, catching her shoulders. She was mature enough now not to cry but this... This revelation shook her.

Nephis had a frozen expression. "Y-You met him?"

Sunny seemed weirded out from the strange expressions as he glanced at Kai before he turned back to Nephis. "Me and Kai met him like 2 hours ago in the memory market."

Caster looked at Sunny with a stunned expression as he glanced at Nephis. Effie looked confused, tilting her head. "Asher? You mean your buddy who died while trying to come here?"

Of course, Nephis told about Asher to her cohort but Effie had never seen him.

'No.' Effie had, in fact, Nephis was positive now that the person she was describing that day was Asher. 

She came closer to Sunny.

And the questioning session began

***

Sunny explained what happen with grief. He felt assaulted that day with the amount of question Nephis asked.

"She's been searching for you since yesterday," he said, glancing toward the towering gates. "Stay here. She'll be out of Bright Castle soon."

Asher nodded, swallowing hard.

They leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, the silence between them growing more awkward by the second.

"Hey," Sunny eventually said, breaking the quiet. Asher glanced at him.

"I didn't say this earlier… back in the memory market—too many people around—but..."

Sunny took a deep breath, hesitating.

"That day... when the Spire messenger took you..." His eyes met Asher's. "I'm sorry."

Asher exhaled and waved it off. "Don't blame yourself."

His eyes narrowed slightly. For some reason, a memory from the final volume he had read surfaced in his mind.

He sighed again.

That was just who Sunny was. A character who always put himself first—before anything or anyone else. And that was exactly why...

"It was perfectly reasonable," Asher said quietly.

He liked Sunny as a character. He was everything Asher wasn't.

Sunny blinked, mildly surprised. "...I see," he said in a flat tone.

Just then, the sound of footsteps echoed from the castle's entrance.

A woman emerged— clad in the familiar gleaming plates of the Starlight Legion. Nephis. Her face was composed, but her fatigue showed in subtle ways.

Strangely, no one else seemed to notice her. Then again, most refugees stayed away from the castle's threshold.

"Neph!" Sunny called from near the walls, just adjacent to the lodge. Nephis turned toward him.

She approached, giving Sunny a brief nod before her eyes landed on the masked figure standing beside him.

"You must be Zerei."

Even within the Bright Castle, the name had spread. The mask was so iconic that merchants outside were already selling cheap replicas—3 or 4 soul shards apiece. But none could replicate the armor worn by the Saint himself.

Zerei said nothing. He stared at her, expression unreadable beneath the mask. Nephis stepped forward and extended a hand, smiling faintly.

"It's an honor to finally meet you."

Zerei simply looked at the hand, then back at her.

.

.

.

Sunny looked at Zerei with a weird expression while

. Nephis, for her part, showed only the faintest twitch of her smile as she slowly retracted her hand.

She turned to Sunny, tone dry. "First Night, and now him. I didn't realize you had such… high-profile acquaintances."

Sunny scratched the back of his head. "Actually..." he said, glancing awkwardly at Zerei. He gave a strained chuckle. "That's Asher."

Nephis paused. Then slowly, with a mechanical stiffness, turned her head toward the masked man.

Her expression remained unreadable.

Asher glanced around, making sure no one else was near. Then, wordlessly, he removed his mask. His armor faded along with it.

He looked at Nephis, wearing an expression that could only be described as sheepish.

"U-uh... Hi."

Nephis stared at him in silence. Her eyes drifted to his neck.

That neck… It looked very chokeable right now.

Her breathing grew a little heavier.

"...Can I slap you?"