N: How do you, no, when no, why?
S: Nephis.
N: Oh, I am sorry.
S: I took it from the hollows, like a couple of months ago, I was gone for like 2 weeks, and here I thought you missed me..... Because it would be a waste of our time.
N: Waste of our time?
S: We became Ascended. You are easily able to hide it because you are very beautiful and always have been.
N: So? You are saying you are not handsome?
S: Exactly.
N: Well, you are handsome to me, I don't care what others think about it. Still, what if something happened to you? Going alone?
S: Yeah, but it didn't, so I was just planning you give it to you, and besides, I wasn't alone.
N: What?
S: I brought Kai with me. I mean, he can fly. I just told him the direction, and we were on our way.
N: So you'd rather spend some alone time with Kai than me?
S: Nephis. He can fly. Now. You can fly when you become a saint. It was very convenient, and he is also my best friend.
N: as well as your only friend.
S: Why are you being mean to me, and it's not like you have friends to begin with.
She sighs and asks.
N: Is this how you became ascended so quickly? As well as how Kai is so strong?
S: Yes, higher rank enemies have better essence you can absorb, so I'd say Kai is somewhere between Awakened and Ascended, but that's just what I think.
N: So you had it before you gained Haughdy or after?
S: Before, more or less.
N: Do you have a cover story?
S: I thought of something.
S: Since I was keeping it in the dungeon under the cathedral, it should be believable. After all, I highly doubt they knew about it.
N: That could work, but why rush it?
S: What's the point of staying here longer? If you give me a good reason, I don't mind travelling this land longer. It still will take at least 2 weeks to get to the spire and beat it.
N: true. Also, why didn't you give Effie the option of joining your Shadow clan?
S: I don't know. I was probably thinking about her future. She is also the first one of us… survivors of Forgotten Shore to have a kid, and since I am planning on defeating Sovereigns, I didn't want her to be in lethal danger.
N: Ask her, let her decide. This future has not happened yet.
S: Alright.
With that, they took a nap because they spent most of the time talking, and the sun would be rising soon.
Once they woke up, Sunny went down to the caedra's dungeon and placed the crown on the throne and headed out.
They met with the rest of the cohort by the edge of the Dark City entrance, and Nephis said.
N: change of plans.
She looked at Sunny and said
N: He found the crown in the underground dungeon of the cathedral
C: How did you find it?
S: I was trying very hard.
Said Sunny with an innocent look on his face.
Effie laughed, and others also chuckled.
Nephis faced away from them, and they slowly entered the cathedral
C: It looks like someone lives here.
S: Wasn't that obvious dumbass?
C: What did you call me?
S: dumbass.
Caster gritted his teeth but did not attack because Nephis was right there next to him.
He led them to a broken wall and showed them the entrance.
Ca: How did you find this entrance?
S: I was fighting a fallen creature and fell through the wall, and look at that, a hidden dungeon.
Kai scratched his head and laughed, not wanting to admit that it was he who crashed through that wall when he and Sunny sparred with Saint and Guardian.
After Nephis claimed the crown, she announced that they would attack Bright Castle the next day, to which everyone nodded.
Surprisingly, when they entered the bright castle, the castle was in turmoil because someone had put Horuse's head on a throne as if to warn others. Nonetheless, most of it went as in the previous timeline, only this time Nephis walked inside the castle with Sunny next to her, wearing the wooden mask covering his case as well as any other facial features. Nephis challenged and crushed Gunlaugh without even needing to heal herself.
Kido assumed the role, but as he faced others, Sunny nodded barely noticeable, this led handmaidens to attack as well, but as Kido was just looking at Sunny, others attacked, and once the first person passed Sunny, covering him, Sunny was gone. Sunny did not join the fight; he just observed it from above, sitting on a building, watching the carnage while whistling a happy tune to himself.
K: Why are you Happy?
Ha: Well, that's because that's who I am.
K: Why you?
Ha: Hmmmm, well, to put it simply, they have other things they need to do.
Happy pointed into the carnage and said.
Ha: see over there? Master is still there
K: Yeah. Conversation with Sunny is more fun.
Ha: Well, I don't blame you. It is hard for me to act other than Happy, you know.
K: Not impossible?
Ha: yeah.
Happy looked at Kai and asked.
Ha: Still, why exactly don't you like my company, Kai?
K: I don't want to answer.
Ha: why?
Said Happy while falling on his back.
Kai narrowed his eyes to observe the fight.
Ha: why, why, why?
A spear-like object was launched at Happy and Kai from below, but Happy just casually, very energetically, stood up while kicking the object, making it hit a wall next to them, making it shake a little.
Ha: Be right back.
He said, hiding his bright smile behind his mask and walked off the wall, plummeting from the wall and using his scythes to break his fall. As he landed, he pulled on the chains with force, thrusting his weapons forward, killing some soldiers in the process. After that, he proceeded to pull on the chain individually and kick them again, but he was doing it with incredible speed and precision. One to kill and the other to either block the weapon or steal it altogether, ruthlessly slaughtering dozens of soldiers while laughing childishly.
Kai was observing this and said.
K: This is exactly the reason why I like Sunny more.
K: Even the real Sunny is not killing anyone. Why tho. It's like he is only covering Nephis. Well, I'd better do my part as well.
Kai closed his eyes for a second.
They were in the middle of Sunny's training ground.
S: Show me how you load your arrow.
Kai had his arrows in his right shoulder and was holding his bow with his left hand. He put an arrow on from the outside and aimed.
K: Like that.
S: Yeah, that won't do. That's weak and slow.
K: w-what?
S: Let me show you.
Kai gave him his bow and one arrow. He held the bow in the same hand as Kai, only he put his arrow from his left shoulder and put it in the bow from inside.
K: That is faster.
S: It will take some time for you to get used to it, but I promise it will make you stronger.
Kai nodded and opened his blinked.
He flew up and landed on a wall overlooking the right side of the glass behind which the fight was happening. And hid behind the wall as if completely disappearing. Occasionally firing arrows to kill enemies that were about to attack one of his friends inside the castle
After a couple of hours of brutal bloodshed, they were separated into 3 groups.
1 led by Kido, 2nd led by Seishan and the largest by Nephis.
During all this, Sunny sent Happy to have a little fun to distract others, but not for the reason others thought. It was because he didn't want them to disturb his other 3 shadow helpers to be disturbed. He was finally able to get to the kitchen.
As Seishan was assessing their situation in one of the parts inside the castle, Sunny appeared, still wearing his mask from Cassia and clapped.
S: Good, good. Now what are you planning on doing now Seishan?
Other handmaidens were startled by his arrival since they did not even hear a sound, and their guards on each of the sides also did not report anything. Nonetheless, they still grabbed hold of their weapons, but what happened next surprised them even more.
Sh: I am glad to receive your praise.
S: Are you being too formal because they are new?
Sh: Yes, master.
Sunny touched his forehead and shook his head.
S: Stop calling me that. That is so embarrassing.
She bowed instead and asked.
Sh: What do you want me to do now?
S: I am leaving for the cathedral. Wanna join, now officially?
Sh: I gracefully accept.
S: Are you doing this on purpose?
Sh: Who knows?
And with that, they left, mostly not questioning it because they trusted Seishan's judgement, and if she is showing such an incredible amount of respect to someone, he must be incredibly powerful, and so they had no reason to refuse his offer.
On the way out of the castle, Sunny faced the woods and said.
S: You think you could get Aiko to join me now?
K: I will try. If successful, I will get back by sunset.
S: Alright.
They slowly descended the woods, most were still scared entering such a dangerous area, but is Seishan was okay with it, they were too.
As Sunny was approaching his cathedral, another of his shadow helpers merged with Sunny, making him surprisingly tired. Finally, he understood that he had overused his powers of shadowstep beyond his current limit. Sunny shook his head and stumbled a little. He pointed at one of the buildings to his left. It was a rather big building.
Sh: Are you alright?
S: tired. Very tired. Essence is completely drained.
Sh: You need help?
S: No, go rest. We will talk once I wake up.
One of the handmaidens asked (hm1-?)
HM1: Is he okay, Lady Saishan?
Sh: he exhausted his essence for some reason. I never saw him this exhausted. He said that the building to your left is for you to rest in. We will talk once he wakes up.
Sunny tried to make it up his steps but stumbled again.
Seishan walked closer and said.
Sh: Don't stop me.
She supported his shoulder and got him to his room and left right after he fell on his bed, closing the door behind her.
Sunny was asleep for 2 days, and anytime someone tried, which was one 2 time tried to enter his room and saw him still asleep with Luna sleeping on top of him, they left him be.
Sunny woke up and stretched.
He didn't have to summon his armour because he never dismissed it to begin with, and just walked out of his room, surprised to see so many people sitting in the hall. It was close to a 100 handmaidens there and as well as them.