Shadow Slave

The counselor assigned to Neph by the government had suggested that she should not isolate herself from mundane humans and, instead, seek out opportunities to participate in collective activities people usually enjoyed. So, she asked Sunny to help her figure out what it was that people did with their free time.

Sunny was glad to help.

The problem was... he had no idea himself. His life experience was richer than hers, but the knowledge of how people lived their lives in the outskirts did not exactly apply to their situation. After becoming a citizen and moving to a better part of the city, Sunny had spent all his time doing more productive things than… relaxing.

Who had time to relax? There were so many things he needed to achieve!

As the result, they had to turn to other members of the cohort for advice. When they did, Effie enthusiastically volunteered to arrange an outing. Although Sunny had a bad premonition about her proposal, he found no polite reason to refuse the giddy huntress.

So, a few days later, he found himself doing something that he had never thought he would ever do…

Sunny was getting ready to go to a dance club.

\'What am I even doing? This… this is so stupid…\'

Standing in front of the mirror, he somberly looked at the pale young man that stared back at him. The young man was dressed in stylishly understated clothes that mixed black with different shades of dark grey. He was… undeniably attractive, although not exactly masculine in appearance. The attractive young man, of course, was him.

Or his reflection, rather.

Sunny studied it and frowned.

\'Whatever… it\'s just a nightclub. I have fought Saints and survived. I have conquered the Red Colosseum. I have faced a daemon! How scary can a bunch of drunk mundanes be?\'

Shaking his head, he let out a heavy sigh and went down to the living room.

As he sat and waited with a dark expression on his face, an expensive PTV arrived and parked near the house. At that moment, Effie and Neph emerged from one of the smaller bedrooms on the second floor and started descending the stairs.

"Finally! What took you so…"

He turned and froze, unable to finish his thought.

Standing on the polished steps, Neph looked… different.

Although she was famous across the world, most people only knew her by name. Very few had actually seen the renowned Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan — mostly because she had yet to appear in public after her return from the Dream Realm. However, it was still prudent to mask some of her more recognizable features to avoid being mobbed by an excited crowd.

For that reason, Sunny had lent her the Autumn Leaf. Using the cosmetic Memory, Nephis changed the color of her distinct silver hair.

Now, her hair was black and lustrous, falling to the middle of her back like a waterfall of finest silk. Contrasted against it, her calm grey eyes seemed even more striking. Her ivory skin seemed to glow despite the fact that she was not channeling the radiant white flames.

What was more… Effie had been the one who chose and bought the clothes for the two of them to wear today. As the result, Nephis was wearing a vibrant red dress that barely reached the middle of her thigh, and left her shoulders bare.

She looked… stunning.

Sunny gulped, then forced himself to look away. A few moments later, he finally was able to say something:

"That… uh… never thought I\'d see you in a dress... one day."

Nephis glanced at herself, then shrugged with indifference.

"I like it. The style does not diminish my range of motion. I can move freely if something happens."

Sunny hesitated and then glanced at Effie — who was wearing less flashy clothes — with suspicion.

"...How come you get to wear pants?"

Effie grinned.

"Why else? That\'s because I\'m not a princess, doofus!"

She giggled, and then did a spin.

"What, you don\'t you think that my ensemble is flattering?"

It… was. Maybe even too much so!

Not knowing where to put his eyes, Sunny gritted his teeth and forced himself to stare at the wall.

\'This is going to be… a long night…\'

He cleared his throat, and then said:

"Yeah... you look nice, too. Anyway, we should go. Our ride is already here."

Effie giggled again, patted him on the shoulder, and headed for the door. Sunny and Nephis followed.

Soon, they entered the PTV and greeted the others. After seeing Kai, Sunny\'s mood improved a bit. At least the former idol seemed to be in his element…

Cassie, on the other hand, seemed uneasy. Well, no wonder. A club filled with thundering music was not the best environment for a beautiful, blind girl to be in. Of course, anyone who got the wrong idea was bound to learn that they made a giant mistake by approaching her with ill intent.

Kai smiled at him from the driver\'s seat.

"Sunny, you look great!"

Then, he turned to Nephis and Effie and smiled even wider, almost blinding them with his dazzling grin.

"...But not as great as the ladies do, of course!"

Sunny rolled his eyes.

"Just drive, alright? Let\'s get this finished with as soon as possible."

Kai winked at him, then looked at the road and sent the PTV forward.

"Relax, Sunny. It\'s just a dance club. What\'s the worst that could happen?"

Sunny and the gloomy shadow simultaneously shuddered.

"Are you kidding me?! Did you have to say that out loud?!"