No Return (Shadow Slave Fan-Fic)

They blinked, staring at the blind girl with surprise and a bit of apprehension. Her sudden statement really threw them off. Why would she keep something like this secret? And why tell them now?

Confused, Sunny asked carefully:

"More ... visions? Why haven't you told us?"

A fleeting, tired smile appeared on Cassie's face. She lowered her head and remained silent for a while. Then, closing her eyes, she said:

"You probably don't know. How could you know? But knowledge ... knowledge can be really heavy. It can be as heavy as the heaviest thing in the world."

Then, a sad smile appeared on her face.

"I am afraid that by telling you, I will actually cause the things I saw to come true."

Realizing that this was a conversation that was most likely directed at Sunny , he got up and walked to the girls who were making dinner.

Seeing that he walked to them , Shashi looked at him and tilted her head.

"You are a bit early if you are-"

Levi shook his head.

"I was only giving them privacy. They seemed to be having a personal conversation."

"Oh? How well behaved you are." Shashi scoffed in an amused way.

Levi just stared at her without an expression , then he rolled his eyes. Nephis who was listening too gave a small smile at Levi's eye roll.

***

In the evening, Sunny continued to practice with the sword under Neph's watchful eye. With his new insight, every movement felt different from before. After the thousand strikes were finished, he sat down to rest and studied the Azure Blade.

All 5 of them were sat in a circle. There was a comfortable silence in the air.

After a while, Sunny asked:

"Do you think I'm well-suited to use a sword? Should I consider switching weapons in the future?"

Nephis shrugged.

"That depends on your goals. However, the sword is considered to be the king of weapons for a reason."

Sunny smiled.

"And why is that?"

She tilted her head and deliberated for a few seconds. Then, she asked:

"Do you know how natural selection works?"

He raised an eyebrow.

"Survival of the fittest? The strongest species survives?"

Changing Star glanced at him.

"Somewhat correct. But actually, it's not the strongest species that survive, it's the most adaptable. Otherwise, lions and tigers and bears would have been the ones ruling the world instead of humans. "The same logic can be applied to combat. A sword is not the most effective tool in every situation. A spear is more useful against enemies with long reach. A war hammer is much better against armor. A mace is easier to maintain. However, swords are the most versatile."

She cast a gaze at the Azure Blade.

"A sword can pierce, it can cut, it can bash. It can be used effectively at a variety of ranges. It is swift and maneuverable. Every part of the sword, from tip to pommel, can be used to attack. While wielding a sword, you won't be the best at everything. But you'll be the most adaptable."

Nephis turned to him.

"Do you understand?"

Sunny thought for a bit before answering.

"I think I do."

She gave him a nod and looked away.

"But in the end, you must remember one thing. It doesn't matter that much what's in your hands. A sword, a spear, a club ... that's just tools. You are the weapon."

She looked at Levi.

"Levi is a good example of that since he is literally 'the weapon' "

Levi stared at Changing Star... Was this an attempt at making a joke..? If so it was horrible..

"Uh.. thanks I guess..?"

Sunny and Shashi chuckled quietly.

Together, they watched the sun set in comfortable silence. As the night approached, the sea was coming back, flooding the crimson labyrinth like a rush of darkness. Far below them, scavengers were scurrying to find a hiding place. A few of them were climbing the cliffs, hoping to spend the night on the small island.

"We're going to have guests soon," Sunny said, disheartened at the thought that their short respite was about to end.

Nephis sighed.

"That's alright. With the higher ground advantage, dealing with them won't be too hard. Shashi can fight longer distance.. so it wont be hard..."

Staring into the distance, Sunny hesitated and asked:

"Do you think we'll be able to reach that castle?"

She glanced at him with no particular expression on her face.

"Yes."

He turned to her and forced a smile.

"Why are you so sure?"

In the blood-red blaze of the sunset, Changing Star's calm eyes seemed to burn with heavenly fire. Looking west, she summoned her sword and answered:

"If that is our will, who dares to stop us? Additionally.. this group is nothing short of.. powerful."

***

Dealing with the climbing Scavengers had indeed turned out to be very easy. Shashi had taken care of most of them by throwing throwing them blood projectiles that threw them back into the sea. And the ones who managed to climb was ambushed and pushed back by Nephis , Sunny and Levi.

They spent another day on the cliffs, resting and training. Sunny practiced with the sword while his shadow explored the nearby paths of the labyrinth. With the Echo still recovering, their group was not in its optimal condition. That's why there was no point in hastily abandoning their current camp.

Shashi and Nephis were sparring for training , both of their moves were graceful and elegant. Shashi herself was using a whip-like weapon that had sharp edges , it could extend and also shrink into a normal sized katana. It was made from her blood , hardened.

Levi wondered what rank her aspect was , because it was incredibly versatile. She could harden her blood into weapons , heal herself or others and she could also use the weapons she solidifies into projectiles.. and from what he could tell her blood was acidic.. 

As for her skills.. She was incredibly skilled with the 'whip' and also skilled with the blood-red katana. He could not really tell who had the upper-hand in their duels because the situation changed continuously , both were skilled fighters..

'Damn..'

As for Levi.. he had spent the most of the day exercising out of boredom or laying on the ground next to Cassie and staring into the sky.

He was feeling very bored.. He didn't really want to spar with the others.. Because of his aspects destructive nature. He could either end up accidentally corroding their memories or even them.. 

***

Soon, the night was upon them again. This time, no scavenger tried to climb the cliffs, so the group could rest easy. However, they still slept in turns, keeping watch over the camp in case something unexpected happens.

Luckily this time around Levi was able to sleep.

In the morning, they ate the last of the centurion's meat and prepared to climb down into the labyrinth.

It was time to continue their journey.