Shadow Slave

The three of them entered the Sanctuary, crossed the beautiful garden, and entered the sorcerer's residence through a familiar wooden door, Effie still sitting on Sunny's shoulders with a curious expression on her childish face.

The rooms within, however, had changed since the last time Sunny had seen them.

The luxurious furniture was gone, as well as beautiful decorations covering the walls. Instead, all that met them was barren stone, with a few broken Sailor Dolls laying on it, their limbs disassembled and laid out around the bodies like macabre pieces of art.

The floor of the whole central chamber was covered by a circle made out of a myriad of runes, powerful currents of soul essence flowing through it and dissipating into the ancient stones. Noctis was sitting in the center of the circle, his eyes closed. Without the familiar carefree smile, his beautiful face seemed ominous and strangely terrifying.

Hearing their footsteps, the sorcerer slowly exhaled. The crushing flood of essence slowly thinned, and then dissipated, retreating back into his body. He turned his head slightly and opened his eyes, which shone in the darkness for a moment, as though full of pale moonlight.

Then, they slowly turned human again, and Noctis smiled, returning to his usual laidback persona so suddenly that it seemed almost disturbing.

"Ah, Sunless, my friend! You are back! Sit down, have a drink… welcome!"

He stood up and outstretched a hand, as if trying to gesture at a set of comfortable seats. Then, a surprised expression appeared on the Transcendent's face, and he looked around the empty hall with a bit of confusion.

"Oh, right… I've been remodelling…"

Noctis sighed, then clapped his hands together.

"Well, no matter. Dolls! Bring my guests something to drink! They must be parched after their journey!"

His voice echoed around the residence… however, nothing happened.

He hesitated, then glanced at the broken mannequins lying on the floor and awkwardly shifted his feet.

"Ah. How unfortunate."

The sorcerer shook his head, then shrugged and looked at the three of them with a smile:

"Anyway... welcome!"

He tilted his head and stared at Effie, then blinked a couple of times.

"Ah, you have brought a ch—child with you. How curious. It doesn't bite, does it?"

Suny frowned, but before he could speak, Effie blurted with feigned outrage:

"I am not a child! I am twelve! Uh, almost."

at her with

"...It speaks. How bizarre."

inhaled, then said

Effie. She is the friend I have told you

sorcerer's polite smile remained glued to his face. He stared at

you randomly stumbled upon in my Sanctuary, and

Sunny nodded grimly.

chin,

utterly sure that you did not just invent having friends? To make me value our own beautiful friendship more, perhaps? If so, let me assure you! I value it a great deal already! There's no need for you to feel insecure just because you are not

his teeth and then

not invent them! Are you sure that you really

with a sincere look

"Well, of course…"

at him for a few moments, and

that case. My friends and I are not actually a demon, a cripple, and a small child. We are humans from a distant future whose souls were sent here by a nearly all-mighty entity known as the Nightmare Spell, after the gods had died and this whole world had been destroyed. Oh,

looked at him with wide eyes. Then, he sighed, shook his head,

mock me. If you don't want to tell me, you don't

his lips

are in the company of a new friend, you must have successfully

cleared his throat and remained silent for a couple of seconds. Finally, he said in an even

We did retrieve Effie and the knife,

at him with

"But what?"

Sunny coughed.

of… destroyed the chalice and killed

stared at him

"...You did what?!"

sighed, and then strained his vocal cords

the right to take the Glass Knife away, but they would have never let Effie go. That was a tenet of their sect.

with wide eyes, his face turning deathly pale. He swayed a little, and

what do you mean, you killed all the Maidens?! How did you manage to kill them?!

three of them looked at each other with confusion. Then, Effie cautiously spoke

the last Transcendent of the Red Sect, died like two hundred years ago. There were no other Transcendents among

sorcerer blinked a couple

really? Huh. So she just went and died? How…

that real people had a habit of dying from

was no fool, he just enjoyed playing one. There was no chance that the immortal would not have known whether or not there were Transcendents living in his territory. Which could only

step forward and