She smiled.
"But what to do? My taste in men is that extravagant.”
Nephis glanced at him and asked quietly:
“Will trusting you help us defeat the Dreamspawn?"
Sunny nodded slowly.
"I believe that it will."
She smiled.
“Then there's no reason to hesitate."
Nephis paused for a moment, and then added:
"All this time, we've been watching the Human Domain crumble slowly while fruitlessly searching for a way to defeat the Dreamspawn without devastating half of humanity. Now, Cassie delivered us the solution we had so desperately sought. It doesn't matter if we have to fight a Cursed Terror or not. It doesn't matter how many Death Zones we must subjugate. As long as there is a chance of saving the Human Domain from the jaws of the Dreamspawn, I am willing to try."
Sunny remained silent for a while.
In the end, he said evenly:
“Then it is decided. However... this will be a challenge unlike any other we've ever faced."
He glanced at Nephis somberly.
"We won't be able to overcome it with halfhearted measures. Do you understand what I mean?"
Nephis met his gaze and nodded.
“It means that both of us will have to commit to this expedition completely."
Indeed.
At the moment, the Human Domain was slowly being consumed by the plague of Asterion. More and more people became his thralls, and soon enough, he would gain control of all of humanity.
Before that happened, though, those who had already been swallowed by the Hunger Domain would most likely endeavor to capture or eliminate those who did not. There was already tumult and unrest among the people, and the situation would only continue to worsen as time went by.
Neph's presence was especially important right now. She had to keep herself visible to her people more than ever, serving as a symbol of strength and resolve... of hope. If she suddenly disappeared, not only would she be unable to solve any emerging calamities, but she would also undermine the Human Domain with her absence, hastening the spread of the plague.
The same logic applied to Sunny, even if he was hidden from the public eye.
The task in front of him was far too difficult, far too harrowing. It was more perilous by far than getting lost in Ariel's Game, entering the Great Mirror, and laying siege to the Eternal City... so, he would not be able to complete it by only sending a few of his incarnations and holding much of his power back.
If he were to have a hope of defeating the Vile Thieving Bird, he would have to send all of his incarnations into battle, as well as all of the Shadow Legion. That meant leaving the people he cherished unprotected while a mad Sovereign was prowling nearby.
But it was also his best chance of ultimately saving them from the Dreamspawn.
Sunny sighed.
“We'll have to prepare thoroughly... but also swiftly."
Nephis finished her tea and rose to her feet.
“Then there is no time to waste."