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

he is indeed terrifying, but not

and approached the beautifully engraved wooden door. A pair of Sailor Dolls were standing guard outside, their indifferent faces staring at them with hollow stillness. Noticing

entered and

"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

at Kai. Finally, he landed on the floor and yawned, causing all the amphoras to fall down and shatter, sending drops of wine flying

did I say that out loud? No, surely not… I am too wise and courteous to make a rude remark like that,

to disappear without a trace. Then, Noctis walked over to a small table, picked up a

you owe the

it supposed to

with an inexorable expression on his

you remember the friends I told you about? Well, this is one

Kai, blinked a couple of times, then took a bite out of the

so this is one of the friends that you 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 my Sanctuary?

Sunny smiled.

my dear friend. A man with a voice of an angel, and a

glance, then bowed slightly and forced out

to meet you, Lord

and looked right and left, then

ever mention those creatures again, even in jest. Angels are

symbol of the moon on his forehead

one of your friends. Have the two of you

for a bit, then answered

we have not. We still need to find two more

distant by the day. But he needed the sorcerer's help and his knowledge to find and retrieve Effie from the mysterious