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

Don't worry, though… he is

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 and knocked on the door, which then opened

and froze,

"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 of empty amphoras of wine that floated all around him. The terrifying Chain

on the floor and yawned, causing all the amphoras to fall down and shatter, sending drops of wine flying everywhere

so soon. And… uh… you brought someone with you? What a hideous creature… wait, did I say that out loud? No, surely not… I

of the amphoras to disappear without a trace. Then, Noctis walked over to

what do you

wait, wasn't it supposed to be the

frowned, then glanced at Kai, who was staring at the immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned,

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

sorcerer stared at Kai, blinked a couple of times, then

were supposed to find after visiting an island that doesn't exist, despite not knowing how they look, where they are, and what they

Sunny smiled.

friend. A man with a voice of an

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

to meet you, Lord

shuddered and looked right and

jest. Angels are not something to be called

symbol of the moon

of your friends. Have the two of you discussed

for a

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

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