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 is indeed

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 moved aside

two of them entered and froze, unsure how to

"What the hell…"

in the middle of a deep meditation, if not for dozens of empty amphoras of

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 down and shatter, sending

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 like that, of course…

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

do you owe the

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

immortal sorcerer with an inexorable

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

sorcerer stared at Kai, blinked a couple 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

Sunny smiled.

man with a voice of an angel, and a face to go

him a sidelong glance, then bowed slightly and forced out a

nice to meet

sorcerer shuddered and looked right and left, then

Sunless… do not ever mention those creatures again, even in jest. Angels

symbol of the moon

of your friends.

a

have not. We still need to find two more

more distant by the day. But he needed the sorcerer's help and his knowledge to find and