Shadow Slave

A tense silence settled in the opulent residence of the mad sorcerer… who, meanwhile, was staring at Sunny with an indescribable expression on his pale, beautiful face. Noctis didn't seem happy at all despite finally learning the secret that he had been searching for all this time.

In that silence, Kai's hoarse voice suddenly resounded, full of polite curiosity:

"I am very sorry… but that glass knife you are talking about… why exactly do we need it?"

Both Sunny and Noctis turned to him. After an awkward pause, the immortal scratched the back of his head and answered:

"Ah… that thing, you see, is the only thing that can kill Sevras, the blessed of the Sun. And I really, really want to kill him."

Noticing a slight confusion on the archer's face, he thought for a moment, and then added:

"Right, these days people call him Sevirax, the Ivory Lord. You have heard of him, yes?"

Kai lingered for a bit, then looked down at his bandaged hands and said evenly:

"...Yes. You might say that I have."

He closed his eyes for a moment, and then smiled.

"In that case, we must retrieve the Glass Knife. And our friend. Lord Noctis… surely, there is something that we can do? You know a lot about that sect of theirs. Is there a way for you to enter the Temple of the Chalice, find both the knife and our friend, and bring them back to the Sanctuary?"

Noctis stared at him for a while, then shook his head.

"No, there is no way for me to invade the Temple. At least not without destroying it completely, which would doom that friend of yours along with the rest of the sect… sadly, that is also one of the places I can't infiltrate in disguise… uh, infiltrate it again, I mean…"

Sunny and Kai glanced at each other, and then, the archer cautiously asked:

"If that is the case… what if we infiltrate it, instead?"

at them with

a strange pair you are! Do you not know fear? I

shrugged. Kai shook his head

of us are actually very cowardly. But, Lord Noctis… you

them a dubious look, and

no, it doesn't matter! Even if you are willing, you can't get into the Temple of the Chalice. Only women are allowed inside, and not any women at that. They will only give passage to female warriors of utmost skill, those who are veiled in dread and the smell of numerous bloody battlefields… maybe with a couple of lowly servants, at best. You are both men, so it is useless

few moments, then sighed deeply

that won't be

and looked at

"Uh… how so? Sunless…"

strange look,

something I don't know about

scowled, and

meant. I just have a female warrior of dreadful skill...

wreathed in darkness. Her graceful figure appeared in the middle of the sorcerer's residence, and then the Shadow turned her head slightly,

his eyes widening. His

"That… that…"

forward, his expression frozen, and then

Oh, gods…

the immortal Transcendent with

actually, I am not sure. Prince of the Underworld, I think. Wait, haven't you seen me wearing a similar

him with confusion, then waved a

you must have not done it justice. This beauty, however… so it was Hope's little brother, huh? Who knew

gaze up, staring right into Saint's ruby eyes. His smile widened, but then grew

this is one of your Shadows, yes? How come she is more powerful than you? Oh, did you inherit this sublime creature from the Shadow Lord? That rogue… he had been hiding such a treasure from me all that

In fact, he suddenly felt a very strong impulse to wipe the lecherous smile off the immortal's face… which would not have been very wise, considering who

He gritted his teeth.