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

worry, though… he is indeed terrifying,

the garden of the Sanctuary 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 Sunny,

two of them entered and

"What the hell…"

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

someone enter, Noctis lazily opened one eye and stared at Sunny, then at Kai. Finally, he landed on the floor and yawned, causing all the amphoras to fall

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 like that, of course… nice

of the amphoras to disappear without a trace.

you owe the

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

sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned, disfigured face. Finally, he cleared

told

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

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

Sunny smiled.

is Nightingale, my dear friend. A man with a voice

sidelong glance, then bowed slightly

nice to meet you, Lord

sorcerer shuddered and looked right and left, then shook his

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

of the moon on his forehead and

you have found one of your friends. Have

hesitated for a bit, then

to find two more friends for

sighed, knowing that the luxury of having a choice was looking more and more distant by the day. But he needed the sorcerer's help and his knowledge to find and retrieve Effie from the mysterious Temple of the Chalice… in that