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

that Noctis. Don't worry, though… he

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

them entered and froze, unsure how

"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 Lord, Blessed of the Moon, the

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

with you? What a hideous creature… wait, did I say that out loud? No, surely not… I am too wise

them a radiant smile, then waved a hand, causing the whole residence 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

you owe the

wait, wasn't it supposed to be the other

staring at the immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned, disfigured face. Finally, he

remember the friends I told you about? Well, this is one of them. And… yes, you

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

a voice of an angel, and a

glance, then bowed slightly and

to meet you, Lord

shuddered and looked right and left,

ever mention those creatures again, even in jest. Angels are not

symbol of the moon

have found one of your friends. Have

a bit,

we have not. We still need to find two more

But he needed the sorcerer's help and his knowledge to find and retrieve Effie from the mysterious Temple of the Chalice… in that particular matter, he was willing to