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 him,

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

pair of Sailor Dolls were standing guard outside, their indifferent faces staring at them with hollow stillness.

two of them entered and froze, unsure how to

"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 Lord, Blessed of the Moon, the

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

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

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 glanced at his guests with a

what do you

owe… wait, wasn't it

with an inexorable expression on his

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

blinked a couple of

that doesn't exist, despite not knowing

Sunny smiled.

a voice

him a sidelong glance, then bowed

nice to

shuddered and looked right and left, then shook his

creatures again, even in jest. Angels

briefly touched the symbol of the moon on his forehead and

am glad that you have found one of your friends.

a

we 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