In the wet dimly lit cave, the words her shadow had just spoken echoed around the room— echoing against the coral walls—each moment only empowering the eerie chilling effect they had on the surroundings. Nephis stared with wide eyes at her stretched shadow as it returned her gaze….now, smiling.
The introduction however, of course sparked the opposite of intended.
Instinctively Nephis moved. Years of training and experience from her tumultuous upbringing caused her body to react on its own. In one swift motion she pulled the sword embedded in the coral, leaping sideways through the crackling white flames, skidding across the coral as she turned, her muscles tensed—raising her sword in a poised position—her breath sharpening into quick pants as she lowered into a defensive stance.
Across the pit of fire her shadow remained, unattached.
It pleasantly watched her in silence, the corners of its mouth tugging into a ridiculous grin. The sight sent a brief shiver down Nephis's spine. Yet nothing could compare to the fear she felt in the next moment.
Slowly…her shadow rose from the ground.
It continued to pull itself off the ground. Nephis watched as her shadowy figure continued to smile at her, bit by bit morphing into something that felt more like a Nightmare creature. Its body continued to stretch past her height, its limbs convulsing—elongating—an extra finger growing on each palm as two more inhumane arms blossomed from its back. Sickeningly, her face contorted. She watched as her mouth split into a jagged chasm, curling fangs twisting out from underneath her lips into a grimacing snarl that resembled a demon.
Finally, three terrible horns poked out from its head, the transformation now complete.
What stood before her could only be described as something a human shouldn't lay eyes on.
An entity cloaked in shadows, its face thankfully hidden from the world by an ominous mask that made Nephis's soul flicker in primal fear.
"Changing Star. We finally can talk."
The voice that came from behind the nebulous mask caused Nephis's body to involuntarily shiver for a brief moment, as prey instinctively recognised a predator. Reality itself also reacted so as the flames between the two waned, an icy chill creeping into the solidary space. All noise disappeared as the shadowy figure looked down at Nephis.
"Perhaps you could put your blade down. It is quite rude to–"
Sunny didn't get the chance to finish as Nephis surprisingly launched forward, her figure bursting through the writhing flames, closing the gap in an instant. Her ashen eyes were stalwart and devoid of the fear her body had expressed a moment ago, now filled with unrelenting determination as her blade flew forward.
As the silver steel cut through the air, Sunny remained still on the spot, unphased. He watched silently as it moved towards him in what felt like slow-motion. Looking at the ever approaching blade and back at Nephis's stead-fast face, Sunny couldn't help but smile behind his mask.
'Wow. When the hell did I get so scarily strong?' he mused, somehow both impressed and vaguely guilty.
The blade reached him, but did not deliver. As it made contact with his form, a violent clang sounded, throwing it back from the impact—a tremor traveling along the weapon—as if it had just struck an impenetrable mountain.
Nephis was unphased by the reaction. Twisting her body she pulled the blade back—allowing the momentum from the recoil to continue—directing the flow of energy into another swing.
Only for another crash to sound as it once again bounced off Sunny's body.
Sunny continued to watch in silence. His eyes swept across her, analyzing every aspect. The rhythm of her breath, the utilization of muscles, the contortion of her body into her next move…..all of it. In the time it took for her to transition between moves Sunny had already predicted the next thousand possible combinations.
And yet….he didn't have to do anything.
Because of the sheer difference in their rank, and the structure of Sunny's body made it impossible for her to do any damage. Not even the Jade Mantle's was needed.
It was honestly…..disheartening.
He felt like a bully watching as the younger version of Nephis who he had regarded at the time as the pinnacle of Dreamers, continued to slash at him in a whirlwind of sparks and silver fury. Yet all he did was remain motionless, not even giving her a reaction.
'I should stop before she hurts her pride. Wait—no! Why am I concerned about her in this situation? I'm the innocent who's being violently attacked!'
He paused, craning his head around the space as Nephis continued to slash at him, his greetings replaying in his mind.
'Ah. Actually, it's pretty easy for her to have gotten the wrong impression.'
Letting out a sigh, Sunny finally moved, tilting his head down to look at her. The sight caused Nephis to momentarily halt her barrage as she stared with wide eyes up at him.
"Now that you've gotten all that out, can we pl–"
SHINK.
He once again abruptly cut off as she thrust her blade forward, the tip sliding through the socket of Weaver's mask. Sunny simply closed his left eye, causing the point of the blade to bounce off harmlessly.
"-please talk?"
Without sparing a word to Sunny, Nephis tactfully retreated with a graceful leap backwards through the flames, skidding across the coral as a few pants escaped her mouth. Across the pit of fire she looked up with hardened eyes, bloodlust oozing from her body like a river.
Sunny simply returned the gaze, hiding a jovial grin behind his mask as the shadows lifted the Dream Blade from the floor up to his hands. He shifted it in his palms, lightly nodding in approval at the qualitative aspects of it.
The sight caused Nephis to pause for a brief second.
Then….her body began to glow in the next. Sunny's eyes widened a little at the sight.
'Surely not, right?'
"Hey, hey, hey! Not in here? It's a very nice cave!"
Nephis only responded with a pained hiss as the ethereal white glow from her body continued to grow. The surrounding walls of the cave slightly shuddered as a few shards of coral fell from the ceiling onto the vibrating ground. In the next second she raised both her hands. Her palms ignited as a white inferno surged forward, lighting up the cave as it consumed everything before her. Sunny watched as the raging flames engulfed him and everything around him.
Outside at the entrance, white light spilled outside, filling the world briefly with light before slowly dimming out.
Nephis slumped forward slightly, heavy pants escaping as her chest heaved. Despite her exhaustion from draining nearly all her essence, she willed her body to stand as her muscles' screams slowly grew.
The entire section of the cave before her crackled, now consumed by a hungry white inferno. She watched with scathing intensity. However, her stomach dropped as low, chilling laughter sounded from somewhere inside, mixing with the crackles of the flames.
Deep within the white blaze, a silhouette of a demonic mask took shape. An unnatural swept inside the cave, causing the unrelenting flames to subside and slowly die out. In the remaining pillar of the bonfire, the demonic figure stepped out….completely unscathed.
As a Supreme Titan in contrast to a Dormant Monster, Nephis's flames were not able to do any damage to Sunny. Even if they were similar to the volatile flames of the Sun God, Nephis currently possessed no Will, and thus her abilities carried and delivered none either.
And without a Will, one was unable to harm someone who possessed one unless directly damaging their soul..
Sunny had learned this the hard way during the beginning of his clash with Anvil, and how he had been toyed with.
Hence, they washed over him like lukewarm water. With a little infusion of his Will, Sunny could influence the world, willing them to be colder and less harmful to him; And with a little more pressure of his Will, he could snuff them out entirely.
'That was actually kind of refreshing'
Dusting the ash on his shoulders, Sunny checked the Dream Blade for any damage before tossing it across the burnt firepit to Nephis. She did not catch it—letting it land on the ground—her eyes narrowing in suspicion as she looked between the blade and him.
The sight caused Sunny to scoff.
"You'd think that after I made sure it wasn't destroyed by your flames, I'd tamper with it? Sure it could use some adjustments and improvements. But that's only possible if you stop trying to kill me! I've died too many times already, and no offense, I don't think you will add a new number to the count soon."
Nephis continued to glare at him, her gaze unbroken as she smoothly retrieved her blade and returned to a defensive stance. Sunnys chest lightened as she finally spoke her first words.
"You are not the first to come for my life, and you will not be the last. Do you think this is anything new to me, you Sovereign dog? I may not be able to kill you…."
Sparks in her eyes reignited, her cracked lips twisting into a grimace as a hostile snarl sounded between her clenched teeth.
"...But I will take a limb or two before my body gives."
Sunny listened. A small spark briefed his being in reaction to her hostility towards the Sovereigns. But then it was quickly replaced with confusion, a pang of annoyance, causing him to grumble.
His patience now thinning.
Using his spare arm, he reached across to his right shoulder. To Nephis's confusion and horror….she watched as the demonic being effortlessly ripped off two of his hanging arms, before tossing them across the pit to land at her feet.
For once Nephis was stumped.
Aimlessly, she looked at the motionless shadow limbs before her, and the now asymmetrical figure, who crossed his remaining two identical arms, letting out a sigh of annoyance.
"There! You now have your two promised limbs. How prude! You attack me upon introduction without hesitation, try to incinerate me and now demand a souvenir? Sure my greeting may have been a bit abrupt….but if I was able to conceal myself so well, wouldn't you think i'd have used the opportunity to take you out without announcing myself?"
Nephis remained silent across from him, still unwilling to lower her blade.
"You seek a worthy battle?"
At the mention of the words Sunny's eyes twitched violently behind his mask.
'This damn airhead…'
Completely fed up, Sunny moved through the shadows, appearing right before Nephis. The speed was so much greater than instantaneous teleportation that Nephis only realized he'd appeared before her as one of his cold seven fingered arms grabbed the arm which held her blade. Eyes widened in alarm she prepared to drive the blade forward….but was shocked as Sunny pulled her hand for her and drove the blade into his own body.
Only for it to harmlessly pass through his form like butter.
Nephis was completely at a loss as she felt the sword move through his body effortlessly, like water. And yet no harm or damage was done as the towering figure let out an exhausted sigh before taking a step back, the blade leaving his body as it fell to the floor with a clang in Nephis's limp grasp.
Sunny's body was tougher than a monolith, only threatened to be chipped by a Will. But without a Will, it was an impenetrable obstacle. And with a simple thought, he could turn his body into a shadow, allowing anything without a Will to simply pass through him without harm.
"Now do you see the vanity in your brutality?"
It was finally after this demonstration that Nephis realized the uselessness of her attacks towards him. She was completely and utterly powerless. Nothing but an insect at his mercy.
Despite her unwavering determination to see through her goals, her conviction waned for once. Her muscles relaxed as her arms fell to her side, the Dream Blade slipping from her calloused hands—falling to the floor.
The sight stirred Sunny, and pained him even more as she spoke:
"Y-You are a Saint….? N-No….no Saint is this strong…"
Taking a shaky breath, her face adorned a look of disbelief as she looked at the towering mask, her voice now a whisper.
"....A Supreme?"
Rising from behind, Sunny leaned back as an enlarged structure of shadows similar to the shadow chair greeted his body. Reaching into the sleeve of his mantle he pulled out a bottle of wine. He paused, pushing it back as he instead retrieved a pot, a bag of coffee, and the endless spring. Filling the pot with coffee and water—a shadow hand rose from his side and placed it on the remaining flames in the pit—Sunny lightly nodded.
"Of sorts"
Nephis's pupils shook as her chest heaved. Now looking at him in a completely new perspective, she raised an accusative yet cautious finger towards him.
"You are a Supreme and yet you work under them?"
With those words, Sunny finally snapped.
At her feet, she watched as something emerged from the shadows. An inhumanely elongated seven fingered limb that stretched towards her face. Straining her muscles, she desperately pulled her forearms up to block the presumed blow. Only for the hand to effortlessly slip through her defence and flick her forehead with enough force to cause her head to bob back slightly.
Blankly, she rubbed the slightly red spot as a snarl spilled out from behind the mask, spite and annoyance unrestrained.
"I tried to talk! I've been trying to tell you that the whole time! The first words I spoke were me asking if we could talk. Instead you take that as a que to turn me into a training dummy and then try and grill me. Do you do this to everyone who tries to talk to you?"
Nephis blinked, unsure of how now perceive the threatening figure.
"Most people that try to talk to me are spies sent to kill me. I don't think it's an exception from a being who hid in my shadow."
…..
'Fair point.'
Pulling out a delicate porcelain cup from the hems of his mantle, Sunny raised his cup as a shadow poured a filling amount. Turning to Nephis he sent the cup through the shadows, appearing right before her on the ground.
"Drink. And no, it's just coffee."
Looking at the cup before her and the seated figure, Nephis reluctantly obliged, raising the cup to her lips as she took a small sip. It was indeed refreshing. But she would never tell him that.
More importantly….
Lowering the edge from her mouth, her eyes narrowed as she now asked the burning question:
"If you don't follow the Sovereigns and you seek me out. Then what is your goal?"
Sunny smiled. Finally they were starting to get somewhere. A low chuckle slipped from behind his mask, causing Nephis's shoulders to tense.
"Why, isn't it obvious? I want to eradicate them."
The crackling from the dancing flames behind his figure quieted as the surrounding air seemed to hold his breath at his words. Nephis was the same. Her breathing stopped, brows creasing into a furrow of suspicion yet her eyes ignited with a hopeful spark of desire.
She couldn't help but curl her lips.
"Eradicate them?"
Sunny nodded.
"Song and Valor, they're so terribly…..uncouth. They ascend with that measly Spell and take it as a means that they own the world. Toying with the lives of those without power. Such people don't deserve to stand above humanity—no, they aren't worthy of it."
He paused, his tone lightening, raising a hand as he pointed at Nephis.
"But you are."
Nephis sat silently as the words echoed around the room, passing through her body—igniting something invisible inside—her eyes widening in awe and an honest hint of hope.
"I can kill them all on my own. With a thought I could even send one of my servants to harbour chaos in their empires. But I am a shadow, not one for the light. So when I do kill them, someone else will need to take their place and guide their people. After all…I am not absolute in this reality."
Rising from his shadow chair, he took a step forward. On the ground before her the shadow of the Dream Blade stirred, becoming animate as it lifted the sword up to Nephis.
"That is where you tie everything together, taking their places."
Looking at the outstretched sword, Nephis retrieved it, pulling it to her sides. But not dismissing it. Looking at the towering shadow she spoke in a reserved tone.
"You would use me as a pawn to fulfill your desire?"
"Pawn? I said no such thing!"
…..
"....I was thinking of taking you in as a disciple actually."
Striding forward carefree, he passed by Nephis who continued to watch his movement. Stopping infront of the entrance he turned around.
"I'm quite generous you know? There's not a better teacher in all of two worlds! I can make memories, hone your battle art, teach you ancient sorcery and secrets….hell I could even have a former Sacred be your instructor."
Nephis's mouth dropped.
"....Y-You have a Sacred at your disposal?"
Sunny could only chuckle, greatly enjoying her rare flustered expression.
"Former. And there's two actually. There's also another two very stubborn Gods I killed who could maybe be of help in the future. Unfortunately they don't really do much these days apart from sleep."
At the mention of those claims something in Nephis finally snapped, as her mouth opened and closed, trying to say something. Sunny briefly turned, looking at the darkened sky from the entrance before facing Nephis again.
"The last student I had was quite the overachiever like me. They were the first to naturally awaken after thousands of years. And what did they do as soon their Aspect was unsealed? Had the gall to briefly command a fragment of a Divine realm for a moment! Unbelievable!"
…..
"Ah but don't worry, I think you'll catch up quick enough."
Sunny watched himself as he caught sight of Nephis visibly swaying for a brief moment. His hidden grin only widened.
'This might be better than messing with Kai…'
Nephis propped herself up, straightening her back. Looking at the ominous mask, she pointed the Dream Blade towards him. Her voice now cold in contrast to her blazing eyes.
"Say all this is true…. Why me? There are plenty of people who wish for revenge against those vile people. And more importantly, what if I reject your offer?"
Sunny listened intently, eventually shrugging.
"Lots of reasons actually. First Nightmare True Name, "Changing Star". Holder of the Sun God Lineage. Nephilim. Divine Aspect. Spark of Divinity….."
Each piece of information visibility struck Nephis. Her steeled mask cracked, eyes widening in shock at the overwhelming knowledge of secrets she had not yet revealed to anyone—involuntarily taking a step back—but Sunny continued:
"As for rejecting my offer….it can't be helped. I'll simply have to go and kill them, leaving their citadels unclaimed and the inhabitants vulnerable to the seeds of corruption. Fortunately you won't reject my offer."
Nephis looked at him with suspicion.
"And why is that?"
"Because you know far better than anyone else that nobody survives in the Dream Realm alone. And this is an opportunity too great to pass up."
Nephis was left speechless. Sunny nodded curtly before turning and walking towards the entrance. Looking back at the motionless dazed Nephis below, his voice calmly trailed behind as he made his way out of the cave.
"If you wish to be my disciple, follow me outside of the cave. If not, then remain alone inside while I deal with everything else."
Stopping at the foot of the unsubmerged hill, he looked off into the distance.
'She'll take the offer right? Any sane person would.'
But then doubt began to set in.
'B-But what if she doesn't act like the Nephis I know? This is a different reality after all. And things are going differently, and fate is all murky—"
His troubled thoughts came to a halt as he felt her figure move through the shadows towards the entrance, causing him to breathe a sigh of relief. Nonchalantly leaving his back towards the entrance, he continued to look off into the distance as if having some deep purposeful thoughts.
His persona was shattered however, as he watched the Dream Blade harmlessly pass through his chest.
"What was that for?"
Pulling the blade out, she walked up next to him, shrugging.
"Just thought I was in a Nightmare or Mind hex of sorts."
Now both looking off into the bleak distance across the nebulous churning sea, the two remained quiet for a while, only the wind silently howled; brushing Sunny's long silky black hair and Nephis silver bob-cut.
Eventually, she broke the silence.
"I don't trust you."
"I'd be disappointed if you did so easily."
"And I'm sorry about your—uhhh, arms."
Tilting his head to the right Sunny looked at the stumps where his shadows arms had been. Dismissing the two in the cave, Nephis watched in amazement as two new shadow arms sprouted. Commanding the manifested shadows, he imitated flexing his palm as if to test the connection before curtly nodding in approval.
Nephis also slightly nodded.
"I could have healed them for you."
A tsk sounded in response from behind the mask.
"Your flames wouldn't have worked. Also, I wouldn't want you to be in pain."
Nephis's eyes widened at the remark, quietly speaking in response.
"How do you know so much?"
"What is a good master if not shrouded in mystery, while occasionally demonstrating unfathomable feats and insightful knowledge you can't find anywhere else?"
Nephis listened, giving a small, somewhat accepting nod in response. Sunny noticed this as he lightly laughed, amused by her unusual respectful and docile demeanor.
"I'll tell you more once the others get here."
Nephis raised a questioning eyebrow.
"Others?"
In that moment something in the darkness ahead of them shifted. Nephis watched in confusion as a bridge of shadows stretched out from yonder, materializing before them. Her confusion turned to shock as she watched…..another figure of her now master walk on the bridge towards them.
Holding the hand of a small blonde girl cloaked in nebulous robs beside him.