Vile Thieving Bird/History

In Chapter 2938, it was mentioned that the vile creature was indeed in the Tomb of Ariel, having encountered Ananke and not leaving after escaping the Nightmare, instead choosing to remain and make a nest, a nest to nurture its fledgling spawn. It is referred to as a Cursed Terror, a loathsome, odious, thieving being, and is associated with the act of stealing, having taken various items such as a gorgeous vanity made from gold and ivory with a polished bronze mirror, fine cutlery, and even a fishing net that was a Memory kept in the soul, leaving Ananke crestfallen and indignant. It is also connected to the thief of Sunny's fate, as well as the Vile Spawn, which is now in the Tomb of Ariel and described as having been nurtured until it was ready to spread its wings.

In Chapter 2974, the Vile Thieving Bird stole Sunny's desire to kill it, causing his dreadful fury and bloodlust to disappear and leaving him with indifference, and then stole his reason as well, so that he could no longer remember why he needed to kill it and found the act woefully irrational and unprovoked, after which those stolen feelings and logic transferred to the bird itself, making it suddenly want to die and become convinced that it had to be killed.

Even after being subjected to the three curses, the combined assault of two Supreme holders of Divine Aspects, the Death Will channeled through the Slaying Blade, the cleansing cruelty of Neph's flame, the Vile Thieving Bird was still refusing to die, as its vitality was simply too inexhaustible, and its determination to exist was too deep. Even stealing Sunny's desire to kill it and his rationale for doing so — and therefore compromising its own desire to live and rationale for wanting to stay alive — did not topple its profane Will, and it remained wounded, hurt, and on the threshold of facing death, yet unable to be pushed beyond it. It continued to struggle as Sunny and it barreled through the eerie chaos of the time storm, where it had already failed to heal its damaged wing and could not control its flight, instead falling through the storm.^[4]

Later, as Sunny set the Thieving Bird free and pushed it down toward the vast expanse of still, glass-like water, the bird plummeted with a startled shriek, only to strike the surface of the Great River and be drawn into a reflection where a pale figure moved with calamitous killing intent, a manifestation of Nether, the Demon of Choice. As the Thieving Bird fell into this reflection, the echo of Nether's killing intent enveloped it like an annihilating crucible, adding to the fatal burden of its wounds from Sunny and Nephis, until finally, the endless vitality of the Vile Thieving Bird had reached its limit.^[4]

The Vile Thieving Bird was killed after its Will was broken by cumulative damage. It had been weakened by the curses of three Supreme carriers of the Nightmare Spell, burned by the soul flame of Changing Star of the Immortal Flame clan, poisoned by the Death Will of the Lord of Shadows, and finally overwhelmed by Nether's killing intent, which became the last drop. Its fierce desire to live had also been compromised after stealing Sunny's murderous determination to kill it, leaving it vulnerable to death.^[5]

During the battle, Sunny pursued the bird into the Great River in the form of the Onyx Serpent, where he coiled around its battered body, constricted it, strangled it, and dragged it into the crushing depths. He also bit into its torn neck, straining to break it, while willing its death into existence. Although this left the creature critically weakened, it survived with only a feeble profane flame of life remaining.^[5]

The final killing blow was delivered after they landed on the heart of the Stone Titan — the outer shell of the Estuary. Using the [Where is my eye?] enchantment of Weaver's Mask, Sunny perceived the Strings of Fate converging within the Thieving Bird's being. He reached into its soul and grasped the nexus of those countless Strings of Fate, then drove his slaying blade into its burning, demented eye, killing it.^[5]

After killing the Vile Thieving Bird, Sunny lost multiple things as the Nightmare Spell immediately informed him that he had lost a Memory repeatedly, along with lost a shade and even lost a Citadel. As the Spell's voice continued, Sunny realized that the Vile Thieving Bird had already absconded from his Soul Sea, taking whatever it pleased with it, leaving no trace of it or its ill-gotten gains behind. The loss was further emphasized when the Nightmare Spell finally stated that he had gained a Shadow, marking what remained after everything that had been taken.^[6]

The Sacred Shade of the Vile Thieving Bird was a deranged Sacred Terror that used Sunny in order to cleanse itself of Corruption. After accomplishing its goal, it vanished into the night and took a significant portion of Sunny's possessions. After being killed by Sunny, its shade entered his Soul Sea, where it somehow transformed itself into a Shadow Creature and escaped. This was unusual, as Sunny's other Sacred shades had never disobeyed him in such a way.^[6]

The Vile Thieving Bird had broken out of a Nightmare, brought itself back to life, escaped Corruption through death, and then escaped death itself. Sunny regarded it as an unparalleled escape artist. After escaping, it became loose somewhere in the Dream Realm, and Sunny believed it would eventually leave the Tomb of Ariel and cause trouble for powerful beings in the future.^[6]

After becoming a Shadow Creature, the Vile Thieving Bird appeared to develop a preference for Sunny's dark and dim possessions. It selectively stole shades from Sunny's Soul Sea, taking thousands or possibly tens of thousands that Sunny had collected over years of battle, including the Rat King and the Defiled Seeker of Truth. It also appeared to have destroyed and consumed Abundance.^[6]

The Vile Thieving Bird also stole several of Sunny's Memories, including [Handy Bracelet], [Quintessence Pearl], [Definitely Not Me], and Nightmare's saddle. It also took Sunny's [Shadow Chair], which had originally belonged to Noctis. In addition, it stole the Citadel Sunny had conquered in the Burned Forest. Its removal was so complete that Sunny could no longer remember its appearance or location, as if the conflict through which he had claimed it had never happened. Sunny suspected the Citadel was being converted into one of the bird's nests.^[6]

The theft also ruined Sunny's moment of reclaiming his fate. After regaining the right to call himself Lost from Light again, his experience was overshadowed by the realization that the Vile Thieving Bird had burglarized his soul. As a result, every memory of that moment became tied to the bird's theft.^[6]