Shadow Slave

The problem was, he just didn't know enough to make a good decision. And even then… was he even qualified to make it?

Sunny had a lot of experience dealing with various situations, possessed a quick wit, and was street smart, as well as having a real talent for killing things and remaining alive.

Without wasting time on false modesty, he could admit that he excelled at many things.

But were the things he excelled at even applicable to training a young girl for the Nightmare Spell? After all, what he wanted to give her were not combat skills or survival tactics… those she was being taught already, in an elite school that someone like him would have never been able to attend.

What he wanted to give her was a mindset that would allow her to survive in the unforgiving hell of the Dream Realm. And mind… mind was a delicate thing.

If he went about it in the wrong way, he could bring more harm than good.

Not to mention that everyone was different, and what worked for him was not guaranteed to work for someone else. Take his own friends, for example… all of them had wildly diverging mindsets, but each had been able to thrive even in a place as dire and harrowing as the Forgotten Shore.

'So… what the hell do I do?!'

Sunny massaged his temples, then sighed.

First… he had to observe more and understand more. Whatever he wanted to decide, it was stupid to try and base that decision on observing Rain for a single day as she went about her classes.

'Maybe I'll get inspired. Or my intuition will give me a hint…'

With that thought, he frowned, finished his tea, and went inside.

***

The next morning, Sunny left his house early and used the transit system to reach the district where Rain's school was located.

Now that he knew the place, he didn't need to follow his sister around. Instead, he went ahead, returned to the cafe he had hidden in the last time, and sent one of his shadows to keep watch on the entrance of the school as it waited for the young girl to appear.

Half an hour later, he noticed her figure and silently ordered the shadow to follow Rain inside.

'I am going to have to keep studying her demeanor for a while… a few weeks, at least. By then, it is going to be clear if my initial impression was right, or if I need to reconsider my evaluation. I'll also understand her strengths and weaknesses much better.'

Sunny had to stop himself from groaning.

A few weeks… that was going to really eat into his time. Both the hunt for shadow fragments and his training with Effie and Saint were going to suffer. Which was such a shame. Recently, he was starting to feel a hint of confidence when handling the Cruel Sight in its spear form.

Previously, Sunny had mistakenly considered the spear to be a rather static weapon, one mostly capable of only straightforward thrusting attacks. And on the surface, it was… more than that, this was actually one of its best features.

Anyone could use a spear with a decent level of effectiveness. That was why it ruled the battlefield for thousands of years — unlike the sword, a person didn't need endless hours of practice to become a proficient amateur with it.

But in the hands of a master… in the hands of a master, the spear was a completely different beast. It was swift, deadly, and unpredictable, capable of a vast variety of attacks at a wide array of ranges. It was a truly versatile weapon capable of dealing devastating damage to anyone who would dare to approach its wielder. What Sunny liked the most, though, was how deceiving a spear could be.

Cruel Sight, in particular, was especially flexible due to its long blade, which could both piece and slash. Not to mention the fact that the length of its shaft could be changed at will.

…Sunny was still much more comfortable with swords, though. Especially familiar ones, like the Midnight Shard of the great odachi form of the Soul Serpent. He was growing rather fond of the ability to keep his enemies further away from his body that the Cruel Sight gave him, nevertheless.

So it was a real shame that he was going to have to reduce the amount of time he trained by a lot. That was not even the main reason why he felt malcontent about the prospect of spending weeks observing Rain at school, though.

The main reason was… teenagers.

Sunny clearly remembered the mental trauma he had experienced after being forced to watch the young elites attending the prestigious school making life difficult for both themselves and the teachers. Even after having to fall into an endless abyss while eating the rotten meat of a devil and burning in the ocean of divine flames, he would rather repeat the whole thing than experience school life again…

Well, almost.

Not really…

With a sigh, Sunny concentrated on the pastry in front of him and prepared for a long and arduous day. That pastry alone made his mood better, simply because of the fact that it didn't come from a Mimic.

The young elites were the same — venomous, incredibly misguided, and infuriating. Luckily, Rain was also the same — she studied quietly and avoided all the drama, which basically made her a pariah.

'Good girl, Rain… that's right, disregard all the nonsense and learn as much as you can. Knowledge is a privilege… these classmates of yours are too stupid to value it, but you're not…'

Well, it wasn't as though they were some delinquents, either. Academic achievement was the cornerstone of the social hierarchy in this elite school, so the competition among the students was fierce. It was just that most saw learning as a tool to earn status, as opposed to the goal.

Not that their priorities were any of Sunny's business.

Hour went after hour, and at some point, he decided to leave the cafe and take a walk to chase away the boredom.

But before he could, however, something happened.

His communicator suddenly let out a grating, echoing ringing sound. A second later, the sound repeated.

…And it wasn't only just him. Every person in the cafe, from the clients to the members of the staff, was receiving the same notification.

Sunny's chest grew cold.

He knew that sound, of course. Everyone in the world knew and dreaded it.

Looking down, he saw the familiar text appear on the screen of his communicator.

'No...'

The notification read:

EMERGENCY ALERT

EMERGENCY ALERT

GATE ACTIVITY DETECTED IN YOUR PROXIMITY

ETA: 201 SECONDS

EVACUATE IMMEDIATELY!