Shadow Slave alternate paths: The sun of song

Sunny knew the legacy well enough; he could be almost considered the most popular sleeper at the academy.

Almost, because the most popular was the Changing Star; Nephis herself.

Sunny and Caster stared at each other quietly.

The corridor felt a little too still.

Caster didn't speak right away. His eyes scanned Sunny as if evaluating something. Not in a threatening way, but not exactly friendly either.

"What is your relationship with Changing Star?" he finally asked, voice calm, measured.

Sunny was surprised; it was not the question he was expecting. 

"I'm not sure what you have heard, but we are nothing more than sparring partners," Sunny answered carefully.

Caster's expression remained neutral, though his eyes sharpened slightly, like he was trying to read between the lines.

"What domain do you belong to?" Caster asked next, his voice hushed and low, some hostility evident.

Sunny blinked.

His flaw didn't force him to answer.

The reason was simple.

He had no idea what a 'Domain' was.

Clearly, Caster thinks he's some kind of threat or some kind of variable.

So, what was the solution?

Make himself look like a clueless idiot.

Sunny tilted his head slightly, furrowing his brow in just the right amount of confused innocence.

"…Domain?" he echoed, letting genuine confusion bleed into his tone. "Is that some kind of… academy club or something?"

Caster's eyes narrowed a fraction, though his expression remained mostly composed. The silence between them stretched for a moment, taut and uncertain.

"Are you joking?" Caster asked incredulously.

"Quite the opposite, I'm as serious as the time I killed an Awakened swordsman with a wiggle of my fingers," Sunny puffed his chest. "Should've heard the panic in his voice."

Caster scowled, clearly not amused. "You think this is a game?"

Sunny gave him a mocking smile. "No. If it were, I'd at least be winning something."

The tension in the corridor deepened, like the air had grown heavier around them. A few students in the distance took notice of the two standing across from each other, but no one dared to come close.

Caster exhaled slowly through his nose, clearly trying to rein in his temper.

"You're hiding something," he said, giving him a disdainful look.

"I have many things to hide," Sunny countered.

With that, he stepped past Caster, brushing by with deliberate casualness. The legacy didn't stop him—just watched as Sunny walked away.

Later that night, after concluding his lesson with Professor Julius, he was once again in the dojo training with his wooden Odachi.

Nephis was also there, her graceful figure also practicing her unique sword style.

But she wasn't practicing her usual style that he saw. Instead, she was using the weird one that he had seen before.

The one she was using in their first couple of meetings.

Wondering if it was because of his confrontation with Caster, Sunny couldn't help but wonder about the relationship of the two.

 Lovers?

Enemies?

Classmates?

It didn't fail to slip his notice that Caster attended nearly every class Nephis did.

Sunny frowned, adjusting his grip on the Odachi. The wooden blade hummed through the air as he moved, flowing through a slow series of strikes and guards. His body acted out of habit now, but his mind was somewhere else — still tangled in the strange web of unspoken tension between the legacies.

Nephis suddenly paused, sword held in a high guard. Without turning, she spoke — voice calm, yet carrying an undertone of curiosity:

"You spoke with Caster."

Sunny froze for half a breath, then resumed his form. "He spoke to me."

"I see." She resumed her own training, movements seamless. "Did he say anything of interest?"

Sunny gave a dry laugh, stepping through another strike. "He asked if I was some part of a club... I think."

"…A club?"

"Something about 'Domains.'" He eyed her. "Sound familiar?"

Nephis paused and looked towards him with an eerie serious stare.

"Don't say that aloud again," she paused for a moment, "And don't concern yourself with that."

Sunny frowned. Was it some kind of upper-echelon legacy secret club or something?

"So..." she continued, "You aren't related to Caster in any way?"

"I barely know the guy," Sunny answered honestly. Well, it's not like he had the choice to answer in any way but with honesty.

Nephis nodded hesitantly.

There it is… that shift. That sudden, quiet transition back to her usual sword style. It happened the moment their conversation ended.

The style that she was using greatly favored adaptability. Sunny couldn't help but think that it would make a great base for his own style.

The other one she was using looked more... for show?

Sunny, being a master at deceiving people himself, couldn't help but realize the reason.

She was faking her style in front of other people.

Does that mean she trusted him?

Unlikely.

It's more likely that she doesn't perceive him as a threat.

Sighing, Sunny stood up and stretched.

He stepped to the center of the dojo and reset his stance.

"Let's spar," he said lightly, masking his tension with a lazy smile.

Nephis turned her head toward him, pausing for a moment. Her pale eyes met his. "Are you sure?"

"No, not really," he admitted.

Nodding slightly, Nephis walked towards the center and stood opposite him.

The two faced each other, wooden swords in hand. The air between them grew taut.

Not hostile.

Not friendly.

Just two swordsmen hoping to improve.

They moved.

Sunny's style was still clumsy compared to hers. He had no formal training. But his instincts were sharp.

…but instincts only went so far.

Sunny barely kept up.

He had most definitely improved since he first came.

But even then, he stood no chance against the white-haired girl.

His wooden Odachi met her blade again and again, each clash jarring through his arms. He pivoted when she slashed low, blocked when she twisted high. But every time he thought he'd gained a rhythm, she broke it.

She ducked under a swing and tried to sweep his leg. He barely jumped back in time.

He tried to regain his footing in time, but it was too late. She was already upon him like a hurricane.

Not long after, he was met by the familiar sight of the ceiling.

'Damn legacies... do they not know the meaning of casual sparring?'

Every time he sparred with a legacy, he seems to be bruised and battered.

He groaned as he got up. Nephis was already getting ready to leave, only giving him a once-over and a slight nod before she left.

Her version of a 'See you later'.

Or at least Sunny thought.

It was hard to tell with her.

Maybe one day he would fully understand that emotionless face of hers.