Talk about coming full circle😭. Honestly, beautiful, bitter, and sweet.
All we need now is the ending where Sunny and Neph are left in darkness, but they still be together.
Anyway. Screw all the haters. Come this summer, if the art can stay this good, I'm a happy chappy.
>The battle... was not going to be an easy one, even with the three of them fighting the Dreamspawn at the same time.
>That was because they couldn''t kill him. Even if Cassie had succeeded in attaining natural supremacy and all but wiped out the Hunger Domain, she could not erase the idea of him from existence entirely.
>After all, if she did, then the three of them would not remember who Asterion was and would therefore have no reason to kill him. There were beings out there who carried the idea of the Dreamspawn within them that were beyond her reach, as well. Like Eurys, for example, who had learned the name of Asterion from Sunny.
>That was the reason why they had left Ananke behind aboard the Night Garden. She had no idea who Asterion was, after all, and keeping it that way was more important than having her aid in this fight.
I've been saying all throughout this arc that Cassie wasn't going to defeat shit cause she's not built like that ( still the weakest of her rank, btw. As always ).
I told you that Sunny and Neph were going to have to carry the weight in this fight ( Now Mordert it here too ).
I said that ALL THROUGH the arc, Sunny, and Neph have been talking about SEALING Aster. Not killing him.
What am it 3/3 now ?
-VTB theory confirmed.
-Cassie can't fight Aster.
-The Mad Prince will return.
Honorable mentioned:
-Neph remembering Sunny till be a top three moments in the novel.
This moment gave us everything. An insight to Nephis' mind throughout her journey. The reason she is so drawn to Sunny. Her drowning in isolation despite being surrounded by people and the one person who gave her comfort left. Them finally reuniting. Having a conflict and vowing to never leave echothers side come hell of hight water.
This was absolutely beautiful. It was everything I could have asked for, and I couldn't see this scene not being in the top three best moments in shadow slave.
All I pray for is more povs from Neph.
I hate it because it is such a somber ending. But I love it because... it is as G3 said...
>But they were going to brave it side by side... Because they were lost in the darkness together.
To stand here and say, " Nephis doesn't love Sunny. He's just a slave to her. " This was like to best friends talking. " I felt empty after this chapter. " G3 just wanted to get over with it. "
Come on. There is no neutral ground I this fandom. It's either " peak " or " trash " with you guys.
The chapter – albeit, short – was genuinely sincere, heart felt, and beautiful.
My heart was beating rapidly as I read the words
>" You left me. " You alway leave me. "
These words have more layers than you want to admit. This draws back to the night Sunny and her first slept together. Nephis had just seen the memories of her father and mother, and she talked about how lonely she felt after witnessing them. If you go back to that scene, yes, there were no tears, but I can't believe anyone who says the emotion wasn't their.
Neph has been on her own for most of her life. Yes, she has friends, but she has stated that even someone as close to her as Cassie feels more like responsibility than equal. The only person who was her equal. He was the only person who truly knew her. Loved her – ran when they gave a choice between her and himself. This is made even sadder when you remember Neph saying one of her biggest regrets was letting Sunny run from her in the dark city. Which was something she brought up her as well. Just these three words carried so much weight.
Something I can never get over – Neph always minding her words,
>She hugged him tighter and then spoke in a slow, hesitant tone:
>“Never leave... promise..."
>Nephis fell silent for a moment.
>“Can you promise to never leave me again?"
I will forever love Neph for minor and easy to miss moments such as this.
Neph burying her face in Sunny's shoulder and asking him if her truly was the Sunny she had forgotten. Sunny said who else would her be, leading her to thank him for coming back to her. Feels. This hit me in the feels.
The chapter finishing off with Sunny responding lt to Nephis plea to never leave her behind and
> "Nephis... all the gods and all the demons in the world won't be able to make me leave you again. So don't you leave me behind, either."
Declaring that nothing would separate them againg and that she should never leave him behind as well... what a beautiful chapter.
Could this have been from Nephis pov ? Yes. Could that have been better? Yes, every piece of fiction can be improved apon. Nothing is perfect. Could they have been a bit more emotion ? Yes.
But this is not a badly written chapter in the slightest. This chapter stayed true to who both characters have been written to be. There were no tears, but their words and promises carried weight. Enough to remind me and make me fall in love with Sunphis all over again.
Even after the limitations of her power being revealed. Even after Aster proves that her true plan is still in effect as a Supreme. After Aster says that even in a weakened state, she still needs someone else to finish the job. Shaking in her boots and being thrown back by the will of a corrupted transcendent, these mf believe she is stronger than Neph ? Who was blowing holes through cursed terrors ( a weakened one, but she was weakened, too ).
Don't even get me started on the Sunny x Cassie bullshit.
Him immediately checking on Nephis and Cassie answering in fear is my favorite thing about this scene, truly. It almost makes him want to hate [ Longing ] because, like, damn. The guy really friking loves Nephis.
" Because she is mine." I just know the booktok women would be soaking for this shit 🤣
Cassie gets him away from trying to have " a bit of fun " with her to wanting to kill Aster because he is screwing with what's his ? Genius. Love it.
The whole " won't you sing for me again? " I mean, what can I say. Goodbumps, goosebumps.
>"So I already know that your grandiloquence is nothing but a smoke screen. In fact, you are only talking to me to stall for time... because you know that you can not defeat me. Isn't that right?"
>“Nothing to say? That is alright... there is no need to. I have already seen everything that is hidden in your mind. I have already heard everything you had to say... and found it wanting.”
>He took a step forward.
>“Let's see... at the moment, you are trying to embrace all of humanity with your powers — to erase the idea of me from their minds and destroy my Domain. To weaken me so that someone else could defeat me. But you need time to accomplish that, don't you? Which means that you need to survive for a while longer."
>He shook her head.
>"But how can you survive me, Song of the Fallen?"
>“Your Domain is indeed a fascinating one. Your Supreme Ability is also quite something... however, nothing about it can augment your personal strength in combat. All you can do is borrow the strength of those you remember by summoning them into existence — but even that has its limits, does it not?"
>Cassie's expression turned concerned. Asterion smiled.
>"Trying to hide it? Come now, what's the use? You can't hide anything from me."
You know what makes this worst for you ? You can't say this is bad writing. Cause throughout the entire volume, Cassie has constantly said that she is a stall until Sunny and Neph come back with a way to beat Aster. Told Mordret that it was her true plan, in fact. She even told Rain that she might have to be Aster's thrall for a bit until Sunny came back to fix everything.
You brought up the point that all Sunny was truly meant to do was be the catalyst for her supremacy. But with this, you don't even have that. The " counter " ability you held so dearly to, even at a Supreme level, can not do anything but weaken him for a different adversary.
You let your delusions of grandeur cloud you mind. And you have no one to blame but youself. You really thought Cassie would be strong enough to contend with a man who had the King of Nothing gamble his life just at the chance of beating him ?
Now, it is confirmed that even Supreme Cassie's plan is still to be a stall for Sunny and Nephis.
I'm open to a conversation about Mordret dealing the last blow that fells the Dreamspawn, but you know how it goes. Always bet on black and white.
You called us crazy. Illiterate. Mad, even.
The Mad Prince is Back.
You talking me the wretched witch is getting pov before Nephis?
Cassie's going to get a whole fuckass pov about remembering Sunny while Nephis – THE FUCKING LOVE OF HIS LIFE AND SECOND MC – gets this:
>Seeing Neph's name glowing in the darkness made him feel the urgent need to find her. Somewhere out there... Nephis was probably remembering him. Remembering the past they shared, and what they had felt for each other.
>She was most likely remembering how he had abandoned her in the depths of a Nightmare, as well.
>Were the memories rushing in all at once? Or were they simply there once again, and would only surface when she thought back to those times, as memories did?
Are you joking right now ?
Are doing give me that " ☝🏼🤓 this actually makes sense bec– "
Whole heartedly... fuck off.
Get Cassie's fermented milk out of your mouth. There is no excuse for this. This isn't the time for " sense. " this is the time for emotion. And Cassie's emotional weight is worth a bag of bird seed to Nephis' dump truck. The fact that people are more occupied with Cassie becoming supreme instead of her remembering Sunny this chapter, is proof enough.
I'm one of the people who understands that when it comes to G3's writing, if something confusing or irritating happens in the story, it's best to bet that he'll clear everything up in a few chapters, that's why I'm rich on VTB stocks and most of you aren't ( still cheesing, sorry 😁). But when it comes to Neph, trust in G3 isn't even worth corrupted soil.
I only see it claiming down when we see Neph and Sunny reunite.
People were complaining about the bird being nerfed because it wasn't stealing their aspects or abilities... Are you happy now? Do you take glee in whst you have brought ? Now, Sunny has to fight the bird alone because it stole Neph's healing ability, and he had to leave her in the past to chase after it.
Sunny is screwed
Mordret really had no chance of ever making it as a spirit. Damn. But it honestly makes 100% sense. Becoming their source element and ensuring with a realm. If that realm is to its core – corrupt – you fusing with it would corrupt you in turn... genuinely, fantastic world building.
Also, for us powerscaling sons, g3 fas finally fed us something 100% concrete. Nothing vague, nothing left for interpretation or conditional. A Spirit's essence encompasses an entire realm and infuses with all its laws. They are by default, at the very least, universal in power.
Dude, Mordert ditching Cassie when Asterion showed up made me ugly laugh. When I read that part, it reminded me of those skits where a couple gets jump scared and the guy pushes the girl toward the threat and books it