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?"

glanced at him, then

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

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, one

of them entered and froze,

"What the hell…"

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

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

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 to

without a trace. Then, Noctis walked

you owe

owe… wait, wasn't it supposed to be the

the immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his

good news. Do you remember the friends I told you

Kai, blinked a couple of times, then

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

Sunny smiled.

dear friend. A man with a voice

glance, then bowed slightly and forced out a grating,

nice to

looked right

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

symbol of the moon

you have found one of your friends.

for a bit, then

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

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