Shadow Slave

Did Nephis distrust Caster for some reason?

Sunny surely did, and to be entirely honest, he didn't even need any reason to do so. His intuition and general paranoia were enough.

But Changing Star was different. He had learned a bitter lesson and now knew that everything she ever did had a firm logic behind it. Even if that logic was entirely different from that of a normal person.

So if Nephis was hiding her true battle style from Caster, there was a reason for it.

But it didn't make any sense. From everything else that she had done, he was her most trusted lieutenant. Changing Star entrusted more to Caster than she ever had to anyone else. Caster himself also had never acted against Neph's interests.

In fact, he was even a bit too loyal. The bastard was always near Nephis, as though glued to her side. He also didn't seem to like it when others got too close to her.

In that regard, he was almost like that flying rapier of Cassie's. During their entire day on the marble arch, the unfriendly Echo somehow always managed to remain between the blind girl and any men who tried to approach her for whatever reason. The message it was sending was quite clear.

I'm watching you!

It was honestly rather comical.

Sunny shook his head. The dynamic of Changing Star's relationship with Caster was really weird. But once again, he didn't have enough information to make any conclusions. All he could do was keep his eyes open and try to sleep with one of them open when the handsome Legacy was on watch duty.

Maybe it was some strange Legacy thing? Like guarding the secrets of the clan against the prying eyes of other clans.

Who knew?

Glancing at the fighting swordsmen, Sunny suddenly got an idea.

After considering it for a bit, he looked at them again. This time, his eyes were burning.

'That… that actually might work!'

The problem with his technique at the moment was that it lacked true individuality. Sunny knew that there was a secret hiding inside his shadow that could become the foundation of his own unique battle style.

He just couldn't understand what that secret was.

His progress at deciphering it had stalled. While training, Sunny had trouble keeping his eyes both on the Stone Saint and on the shadow. Whenever he tried, the taciturn knight would inevitably send him into a sea of pain. But even if he managed it somehow, there was an invisible wall standing between him and anything even remotely resembling understanding.

He was in a dire need of a breakthrough.

So what if… his shadows tried to imitate someone else instead of him? And not just someone, but a real sword expert in the middle of a fight?

Not only would Sunny be able to observe every tiny detail of its movements, but there would also be something to compare them against.

The shadow was a part of him, after all. It was hard to tell where Sunny ended and the shadow began. That's why the difference in how it moved and how he moved was almost imperceptible.

But if it followed someone else, he would be able to separate the cadence and pattern of that person's movements from the shadow's by contrasting it against his own.

This had to work!

Burning with anticipation, Sunny waited for Nephis and Caster to take a short break, and then send the shadow over to the handsome Legacy.

Leisurely strolling over the white marble, the shadow approached Caster and brazenly glued itself to his feet. Then, it crossed its arms and glared at the Legacy with almost palpable disdain.

Caster stared at the shadow for a couple of seconds and then raised his head to look at Sunny. There was a very strange expression on his face.

"What… what are you doing?"

His voice did not sound happy at all.

Sunny shrugged with a carefree smile.

"Oh, don't mind him. This cretin just lost me an ascended soul shard. As a form of punishment, I've decided to make him your shadow for a bit. So, you know. Just do your thing and don't worry about it."

The shadow turned its head and pierced him with a menacing look.

Sunny could practically hear its thoughts…

...Who are you calling a cretin, you cretin?

'That had to be it. Did I guess right, huh? Oh, sorry. I forgot you cannot answer.'

Not paying the offended shadow any more attention, he just smiled wider.

Caster frowned, hesitated for a few moments, and then said through gritted teeth:

"I would prefer if you wouldn't."

Sunny sighed.

"Ugh, alright. Whatever."

With that, he gave the shadow the command to leave the proud Legacy alone.

It separated itself from Caster, pretended to wipe its legs in disgust… and sauntered over to Nephis, only to get attached to her feet with visible delight. It even bowed gallantly to her own shadow and made sure to not get in its way.

'What… what is this moron doing?'

Of course, Sunny had ordered the shadow to approach Neph himself. But he didn't expect it to be so visibly pleased by it.

It was as if the shadow was simply beyond itself to finally follow someone competent.

'You traitor!'

Nephis looked down on the shadow, smiled, and didn't say anything.

'Well... good. Now, fight!'

The two Legacies did not make him wait long. A few moments later, they were once again locked in a furious battle. Only this time, two shadows were following Nephis.

Both of them loyally imitated her movements, however, one of them was slightly… almost imperceptibly… different.

Sunny looked at it with an intensity that threatened to burn two holes in the white marble.

Soon, his eyes widened.

'I… I see it! I think I see it!'

There, in the tiniest difference between the way Changing Star's own shadow moved and the way his shadow moved, he finally saw it.

He had found his breakthrough.