Ca: Can I ask what this is about? I feel like your echoes are guarding the exit a bit too much, and you send Seishan and Effie away, which would either mean that this is a very important and secretive conversation or an interrogation. So, will you tell me what this is about, Sunny?
S: Why, of course, I just have 1 question for you, Cassia.
Ca: sure.
Do you know more about my aspect than you are letting others know?
Ca: No, I can only see what your affinity is, I can't see your aspect. Nor anything else.
Sunny sighed and looked at the door being closed and guarded by the Guardian and Saint.
Luna jumped on the table as well and faced Cassia.
S: Are you sure, Cass?
Ca: Yes, I am sure.
Ca: Do you not trust me?
S: You are making me not trust you. That's why I am asking you. Can I trust you?
Ca: Yes, you can.
S: Kai?
Cassia looked in Kai's direction.
K: She is lieing. From the start. It was pretty much the opposite.
Ca: Then let me ask you a counterquestion, Sunny.
S: denied.
Ca: you can't just deny it…..
S: CASSIA. I though you how to see without eyes and your only excuse for lieing to me is that I am denying your damn question?
Cassia's mouth trembled slightly, and she hung her head down.
Ca: That's not fair.
S: Exactly. It isn't so, why would you lie to me?
Ca: I am sorry. Still, can I ask you a question now?
Sunny heard her pretend to miss her first sentence and sight.
Ca: Do you have a true name?
S: I do.
Ca: w-why, would you hide it then?
S: You never asked me. Anyway.
S: Do you know my true name, Cas?
Ca: No, I don't.
Sunny laughed.
S: Do you know my flaw?
Ca: no.
K: Only the last answer was true.
Ca: So you trust Kai more than me?
S: Of course.
Ca: Do you think you can be trusted, Sunny?
S: Why, of course, I am the most honest person in the world, 2 worlds actually.
K: True.
N: I, too, agree.
Ca: Neph? Really?
N: Why are you lying, Cass?
Ca: I am not lieing? How would you know if I am lieing anyway?
K: Well, actually, my flaw tells me if someone is lieing.
Ca: ha, how is that a flaw? You know what doesn't answer. So you knew I was lieing. But it's too late now.
S: It's never too late, Cassia. I don't mind forgiving you, but you will have to apologise for lieing to me.
Ca: Who told you?
N: I did.
Ca: Why? I did it to protect you, Neph. You can't fight fate. If my vision comes true, then.
S: Then let's just change the fate. How hard can it be?
Ca: How hard can it be? Have you ever broken fate, Sunny?!
S: As a matter of fact, yes, I did.
Kai hesitated with his answer and said slowly.
K: he is not lieing.
Ca: how?
S: I would tell you if you hadn't broken our trust, Cassia. You know what to do to rebuild it. I am not gonna ask you again. You will have to make your own decisions, but once you make them, don't regret them.
Cassia hung her head low, tears seeping through her blindfold.
Ca: I am sorry, but I know words are useless, so I will prove to you that I can be trusted again.
K: she is not lieing.
S: Don't worry about it.
S: This feels strangely nice.
Sunny didn't even realise how much one sorry can do.
It was a strange feeling since in the past she had never apologised.
Ca: Can I ask how long you've known? Was it Nephis who told you?
S: No, it was Luna.
Everyone was shocked.
N: Sunny, just how strong is your cat?
S: I have no idea. But I am pretty sure she is way stronger than she is letting on. Also, I think if she really wanted to, she would just force you to tell the truth anyway.
Cassia didn't need to hear why that is.
Ca: When we are at the telling true and lies. Why did Nephis tell you that I told her?
N: Because I wanted to.
Ca: So I ask again. Sunny, is there something between you and Nephis?
S: Yes, this table.
Cassia looked pissed for some reason but asked again now not hiding her blushing cheeks asking while her blush was getting stronger.
Ca: Are you 2 a couple?
N: You mean as a couple of humans? Yes. There are 2 couples here in case, right?
Cassia was now shaking in frustration
Kai raised his voice and asked.
K: eee. You are kidding, right?
N&S: Yes.
S: We are a couple, to be honest, I thought you already knew. What did you think it was, just a one-time thing? That we were just pretending?
Ca: What? No! I don't know.
S: That reminds me, Kai, buddy, do you want to join my clan?
K: I thought you were from the outskirts.
S: I am. So?
K: Are you trying to make one?
S: Yes, would you join?
K: Why are you asking me? I am not that strong. Is it because I am popular?
S: In archery?
K: No, in singing.
S: Oh, you mean Nothing gain.
Ca/N/K: Nightingail!
S: Yeah, that thing.
K: Have you not listened to music ever?
S: only to my mom, when she used to sing us her songs. I don't know much about music, but her voice was magical. Also, I didn't have any internet, let alone anything to watch it on.
K: Used to?
S: Yeah, both of them are already dead. The only relative I have is a sister, but she was too little, so I doubt she remembers me.
K: Sorry.
S: Why are you apologising, Kai? There is nothing you could do about it anyway.
Sunny now looked at him and asked again.
S: So, will you?
K: Again, why do you want me?
S: Well, you are smart and could resolve situations without needing us to fight unnecessarily, which would be very helpful.
K: I don't need to give you an answer right away, do I?
S: No, take your time.
K: Give me some time to think about it. What are the benefits anyway?
S: Although I am planning on teaching you archery, I would teach something way more interesting and don't ask me what it is, cause I really don't want to answer.
K: Okay.
S: What about you, Cass?
Ca: me? I basically betrayed you.
S: You apologised.
Ca: What of it? How can you trust someone just like that, and why would you want a blind oracle?
S: You pretty much answered your own question, because you are an Oracle. Besides, I told you that blind Oracles are incredibly powerful, didn't I? As for a more in-depth explanation, similarly to Kai, only if you join my clan.
Ca: fine. What do I need to do?
S: Just sit still and let it happen.
He stood up and walked up to her.
S: Give me your hand.
She complied, and as he grabbed it, Sunny's serpent made a small copy of itself and slithered around Cassia's hand.
Spell announced to Cassia.
Sp: You possess a mark of the Heir of Shadow God. If you betray his trust, your soul core will be destroyed.
Ca: Di…
Her mouth was covered by his hand.
S: Really?
He let go of her.
Ca: Sorry.
Kai sighed and said.
K: Whatever, I join as well. After all, I don't have to worry about you lying to me.
Sunny laughed and shook Kai's hand, doing the same as he did with Cassia.
K: My soul core will be destroyed if I betray you?
S: I didn't know about that condition. I knew only that you were more connected to shadow dance or had a higher chance of comprehending it.
K: I see.
Nephis stood up, stretched and walked up to where Sunny sat and put her hands around him.
N: Nice work, my Lost From Light.
Cassia's eyes opened wide behind her blindfold.
Ca: Wait, she just casually tells your true name?
S: Yes, I told her to use it when we met.
Cassia started to laugh and shook her head.
Ca: So I played myself.
S: Pretty much.
Ca: Tell me, how much of all this went according to your plan?
S: Most of it. I still need to teach Kai and Seishan the very special thing.
K: Oh, so that's why she was so happy when she left the cathedral.
Cassia smiled as she looked at Sunny and Nephis and asked.
Ca: So did you…. She wasn't able to finish her question because Neph's blade whistled past her head, wiping her hair back, slamming and getting stuck into a pillar behind her.
N: You were gonna ask something, Cass?
Nephis asked politely, hiding ruthless killing intent, making Luna meow nicely and climbing on her shoulder for the first time.
Ca: n-n-no, I wasn't going to ask anything.
Kai did not need to know why she did not tell the truth this time.
Ca: I have one more question. How would Luna make me tell the...
Cassia stopped breathing in horror. She was pressing her own blade against her throat.
Nephis stood up happily and picked up her blade, and said to Sunny.
N: Could you come outside for a moment, please?
Sunny shrugged and followed her.
I was already getting dark again. They were inside way longer than they thought.
When Sunny exited the cathedral, Nephis waited for him to come to the middle of his training ground and said with no hint of hesitation.
N: fight us.
S: You are all here to fight again?
E&Ca&K&Sh: We want a rematch.
N: But this time. Fight us for real.
Nephis was smiling, but Sunny's expression froze.
S: I think I heard you wrong, Nephis. Please tell me I heard you wrong.
N: No, please fight us for real.
Sunny's body trembled in sorrow and sadness.
S: No.
N: Why?
S: Because I said so.
The other 4 started to back away from Sunny, instinct was screaming at them to get away if this continued.
K: Lady Nephis. I think we should.
N: No. I am strong now, I can fight. FIGHT ME!
S: No. I said no. Multiple times. You….
Seishan, Effie, Cassia and Kai shivered. They have never seen Sunny so sad yet angry.
Sh: h-his presence is changing?
When she looked at him, she was surprisingly at peace, but she knew she was in dire danger. Maybe she felt peace because she was part of his clan, and when she glanced at Effie, her suspicions were true. Effie was frozen and in terror, holding her spear as a last bit of her will to fight, and did not want to get subdued.
Sunny trailed off, tears forming in his eyes, and when he faced them, he said coldly.
S: You want me to fight you? Sure. Don't regret your decision, Nephis of the Immortal Flame clan. No, Nephis of the Ruined clan.
Tears were falling from his face now. It was far too late for them to back out of this.
Instead of Sunny summoning his regular blade, he outstretched his hand, a his serpent formed a beautiful blade made from pitch black material. It wasn't shadows, yet it was.
N: Come at me. Sunny of the Shadow clan.
Shadows around him exploded and covered everything within a radius of 50 meters around him in darkness. It was created as if a huge dome, creating barely visible surfaces in front of Sunny. His presence was slowly fading away at that moment, 3 corporeal shadows all with the same armour but different weapons and slightly different faces. Stepped in front of Sunny, touching his shoulders and chest calmly.
Happy Shadow: Master. Focus on your own fight, we will play with others.
Happy shadow said. His voice resembled a human language, but also didn't; it's as if he was trying hard to learn human language in a short amount of time.
He had similar features to Sunny, with a major difference that he was always smiling and had an even darker tattoo of a serpent covering his left eye. He held a string in his hand which was connected to 2 sharp hand hand-sized scythes at the end.
Happy faced his other 2 brothers and said.
H: I will take care of Kai and Seishan, you do you?
Gloomy sight, and said.
G: I will handle Effie. Eeeeeee
Gloomy had a sort of bored expression on his face with the same features as Sunny, only his serpent tattoo was on his arm, with the serpent's head on his right wrist.
With a gloomy expression, he put his staff made from 3 parts around his neck and headed towards Effie.
Creepy stared at Sunny and smiled sinister look on his face, which was covered by his messy hair.
Creepy had his tattoo around his neck finished with a serpent's head on his cheek. Other than that, he looked similar to Sunny. He wielded sharp gauntlets, and when both passed by Nephis, they bumped into her shoulder with words.
G: Move. You will lose again.
He pushed her left shoulder and headed towards Effie.
Neph's right shoulder was caught by Creepy Shadow, who caught it and said while not even sparing her a glance.
Creepy: You broke your promise, Nephis, and you dragged Sunny's friends into this as well now. Are you happy now?