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 terrifying, but

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 moved aside

two of them entered and

"What the hell…"

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

on the floor and yawned, causing all the amphoras to fall

What a nice surprise, to see you so soon. 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… nice to meet you, whoever you are! Welcome… ah, to

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

do you owe the

it supposed to be the

was staring at the immortal sorcerer with an inexorable expression on his burned, disfigured face. Finally, he cleared his throat and turned

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

Kai, blinked a couple of times, then took

not knowing how they look, where they are, and what they are called? He

Sunny smiled.

Nightingale, my dear friend. A man with a voice of an angel, and a

him a sidelong glance, then bowed

is… nice to meet you, Lord

and looked right and left, then shook his

even in jest. Angels are not something to

briefly touched the symbol of the moon on

of your friends. Have

for a

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

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