Shadow Slave

Sunny hesitated for a few moments, then looked at Kai and said with determination.

"Let's go."

Kai nodded and followed the four-armed demon, pushing forward his bandaged body with visible effort. Seeing his friend's suffering, Sunny gritted his teeth.

The archer, meanwhile, glanced at him with a grim expression, and then said in his new, unfamiliar and ugly voice:

"Sunny… I have one question. Can you answer it?"

Sunny slowed down and turned to him, a deep scowl contorting the bestial lines of his face.

"Of course. What is it?"

Kai remained silent for a bit, then asked cautiously:

"Uh… where, exactly, are we going?"

Sunny blinked a couple of times, then tilted his head a little.

"Oh, right. Where else? We are going to talk to Noctis!"

With that, he turned around and continued walking toward the immortal sorcerer's residence.

The archer hurried to catch up, then said in a stifled tone:

"Ah… that Noctis? The immortal Transcendent? Blessed of the Moon, Crimson Beast of Twilight, Chain Lord of the Kingdom of Hope, and all that?"

at

Don't worry, though… he is indeed terrifying, but

their indifferent faces staring at them with hollow stillness. Noticing Sunny,

them entered and froze, unsure

"What the hell…"

was levitating above the floor, his legs crossed and his eyes closed. He might have seemed like a wise sage in the middle of a deep meditation, if not for dozens of empty amphoras of wine that floated all around him. The terrifying Chain Lord, Blessed of the Moon, the Crimson Beast of Twilight… was dead

at Sunny, then at Kai. Finally, he landed on the floor and yawned,

surprise, to see you so soon. And… uh… you brought someone with you? What a hideous creature… wait, did I say that out loud? No, surely not… I am too wise and courteous to make a rude remark

to shudder and the shards of the amphoras to disappear without a trace. Then, Noctis walked over to a small table, picked up a fresh apple, and glanced at his guests with a curious

what do you

do we owe… wait, wasn't it supposed to be

immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned,

to deliver some good news. Do you remember the friends I told you about? Well, this is one of them. And… yes, you did say it out

of times,

were supposed to find after visiting an island that doesn't exist, despite not knowing how they look, where they are, and what they are called? He just happened to be here, in

Sunny smiled.

a voice of an angel, and a

glance, then bowed slightly and forced out a

is… nice to meet

shuddered and looked right and left, then shook his

mention those creatures again, even in jest. Angels are not something to be called upon, whether

symbol of the moon on

have found one of

hesitated for a bit,

have not. We still need to find two more friends for that.

But he needed the sorcerer's help and his knowledge to find and retrieve Effie from the