Shadow Slave

Sunny was at a loss for words.

Had he even heard it right?

"You are going to… repair… the ancient, broken, monster-infected ship?"

Well… it made a lot of sense, actually.

Cassie nodded.

"Yes. We are going to cleanse, repair, and make it fly again."

Oh, so it was a flying ship, too!

'Perfect!'

Honestly, Sunny shouldn't have been surprised. All the clues had been there for a long time.

He had already known that the ship depicted on the miraculous coins was, most likely, the very same that lay broken on the Shipwreck Island. The connection was pretty easy to make, considering that they looked alike, and that the coins had come from its treasury in the first place.

Sunny had also asked himself the question of what a sailing ship was doing in the middle of Chained Isles, which had no sea and no rivers for it to sail on. The thought that it had actually been designed to fly through the skies had crossed his mind, among other things.

And finally, on the coins, the ancient ship was shown as having a beautiful tree wrapped around its mast. It had also belonged to the enigmatic person called Noctis. Wasn't it too much of a coincidence, then, that Cassie had come to the Sanctuary of Noctis and ventured on a long expedition to a Desecrated Grove?

The word "desecrated" implied that the burned grove had been sacred once. After all, only sacred things could be desecrated. And a sacred tree sounded exactly like something capable of making a massive ship fly.

…Right?

Sunny stared at the large wooden box with a ponderous expression. After a while, he asked:

"So what's in the box?"

Cassie walked over and gently put a hand on its lid.

months searching for a living root in that ghastly place. And finally, deep underground, we found the only one that remained. The wondrous tree

turned to the

was Kido's apprentice. Kaor is an Awakened carpenter. We have more

silent for a

wreck for a long time. From before he had come to invite her to challenge the Second Nightmare with him… was it a coincidence? They

did she

Cassie turned to him.

be able to cross the Hollow Mountains. At

Keepers grew quiet. After a while, the familiar girl — Shakti —

try, no matter what. Going there on foot is suicide.

really, really resolute in

what about Sunny

Well… things were complicated.

He sighed.

using fire? No

Fire Keepers looked at each other again. Finally, their mood

hesitated for a few moments,

the old-fashioned way. Use someone as bait, and strike

Sunny rubbed his face.

I am the

blind girl smiled, then

are the blade that will pierce the creature's heart

sounded solemn and sort of grand, but she immediately ruined the moment

heart. If it doesn't, then… well, you know. Kill

exactly the icon of eloquence,

Sunny frowned.

the bait. Actually, this plan sort of made sense. He already knew that he could survive in the poisonous miasma inside the ship, and

itself, but that didn't mean that he couldn't deliver once surgical, immolating strike to the main body of the monster. The bastard was weak to fire, so the result would probably be nothing short

Fire Keepers be able to keep the monster preoccupied long enough

at them

you all so sure that I can

of the Fire