Sunny watched as Solvane followed the four Chain Lords into the city.
'Noctis…'
It was good to see him again. Although he was a damn bastard, Sunny had missed him greatly.
He sighed.
'How the hell am I gonna do this?'
Even with a Transcendent Titan and Supreme Devil, those were five Saints, all of them with centuries of experience. Although he most certainly had to watch out for all of them, he needed to pay attention to Noctis and Sevras in particular, as they were likely the strongest of all the Chain Lords. He didn't know much about Lady Aidre's or the Sun Prince's Aspects, but he'd keep a close eye on them too.
'I should've brought Solvane…'
For now though…
'How the hell am I gonna sneak into the Ivory Tower? And… how do I even open the gate to the Ebony Tower?'
If he wanted to use the [Celestial Fragment], he'd need to figure something out.
'Would the gate there even use divine flames?'
Sunny wasn't sure just yet. His first course of action would be to get onto the Ivory Island, as if he couldn't get there without Sevras noticing, then there wouldn't really be a point in any of this. With the naughty shadow silently following Solvane, Sunny had the exact locations of all the Chain Lords currently.
'Now's my chance…'
Hope's Shackles were busy with their newest guest, so it was the perfect time to enter the Ivory Tower. All Chain Lords were accounted for, and none of them seemed to notice his shadow.
Sunny sunk into the shadows, carefully crossing the streets of the beautiful city.
'Stay alert, naughty…'
It was currently the afternoon, and the sun had just begun to set on Hope's Kingdom, casting long shadows upon the world. Up on the watchtower at the city gates, a man who was meant to be on the lookout was watching Sevras and the Sun Prince with great reverence, not even noticing the swift shadow enter his city.
The Ivory City was a bit smaller than Sunny remembered, but the place seemed… nice. The day was ending, people were returning to their homes, and the streets were bustling with activity. Somewhere, a mother greeted her children who had just returned home after a long day, and in another place, a man waved at a woman leaning on a window sill with a wide smile on his face. The Ivory City was peaceful and warm.
Beneath it all within the shadows, Sunny moved.
'No wonder Sevras wanted to protect this place. At this time… they probably don't even do the sacrifice thing, right? It must've been hard to abandon a place that used to be so great.'
In a sense, Sunny pitied Sevras. He was someone who was so loyal to his own people that he had suffered for several centuries just to protect them. Someone who even on their dying breath, only thought about the oath they made, and the place they swore to protect. Even if Sevras was somebody Sunny would absolutely hate to be, the man still had his respect.
Gliding through the shadows, Sunny had long passed the slowly walking Chain Lords. The four Lords that had already been here were all deep in thought as they slowly led Solvane into the city, while Solvane herself was looking around in disappointment, as if she were disgusted by the peace.
'Maniac…'
Only a follower of War would prefer to live in a bloody colosseum over a nice city like this.
Continuing his journey across the city, nothing in particular happened. Sunny only made sure to avoid the sunlight at all costs, he didn't know much about the lords of the city, but surely at least one of their aspects had something to do with light, so it didn't hurt to be careful.
After some time, Sunny arrived at the center of the city, where a long bridge led towards the Ivory Tower.
'I'm really here again…'
Gliding along the underside of the bridge, Sunny sent his shadows ahead to scout the island.
For the most part, it seemed to be empty aside from some maintenance workers taking care of the small settlements located outside the Pagoda.
'Huh… works better for me, I guess.'
The settlements that seemed to be housing for priests of some sort were all barren, and the tower itself didn't seem to have anyone around it either.
'Probably from the sudden outburst of Hope's Poison?'
Noctis had once told him that it had taken the Chain Lords years to realise the existence of Hope's Poison, so Sunny wasn't sure if they knew currently. But if they didn't, then the lords of the city were quite smart — They didn't know what Hope could do with two missing Chains, and so their best bet was to evacuate and monitor the island.
The maintenance workers taking care of the settlements didn't seem to be humans either, with them resembling Noctis' Sailor Dolls somewhat. Sunny guessed that they were probably created by Lady Aidre at the request of Sevras, not wanting to risk the lives of any humans.
'How noble…'
Sunny truly hoped there wouldn't be any need for unnecessary violence. Sevras seemed like a decent man, and he'd hate to kill him.
'But… he did torture his brother for like… a couple decades? So maybe not.'
…There was also the fact that he was much, much stronger than him too. Even with the help of his Shadows it would be a rough fight, especially with the fact that Shrike didn't fare well against extreme heat. There was also the fact that Sevras had a high likelihood of being resistant to lightning. Sunny wasn't certain the ivory in Ivory Dragon was literal, but if it was, electricity wouldn't be able to do much against him.
'Huh, but then again…'
Shrike seemed to fare much better against other flyers, with it being almost a natural predator towards the Cursed Heralds back on the Forgotten Shore. Perhaps Sevras wouldn't be able to do much against it besides forgoing the use of his transformation altogether.
Hopefully, Sunny wouldn't need to find out.
Looking up at the beautiful pagoda before him, Sunny was a little nervous.
'...I'll check the arch first.'
The sun had now fully set, so he could glide around freely.
Arriving before the portal that led to the Ebony Tower, Sunny emerged from the shadows. Still wearing Weaver's Mask, he carefully studied the arch, looking for any signs of how it could be opened.
'Mordret probably opened it, so I probably can too…'
Then again, Mordret could use his reflections or some other nefarious means of pouring divine flames into the arch. And yet strangely, there were no runes surrounding the arch at all, and nothing to suggest how its portal could be opened.
'How does this thing open?'
Raising his hand, Sunny knocked on the side of it.
'Nothing.'
He tried sending his essence into it.
'Still nothing.'
He shifted his vision.
'Nothing?'
Sunny scratched his head.
'Damnation…'
Sunny looked around.
There was nothing. Nobody he could ask, no hints he could look for.
He sighed.
'I guess there's still that.'
The one option that had always been present since he had entered the Nightmare…
Despite the fact he had cleared this Nightmare — or a version of it — once already, he didn't know everything about it. He didn't know all of the Chain Lords aspects, he didn't know much about places like the Heart Grove and Night Temple, he didn't know much about how Hope's Kingdom was before her imprisonment…
But even if he didn't know, there was still somebody he could ask.
Sunny turned towards the magnificent pagoda.
He could ask Hope.
'Trying to get answers from a mighty daemon… I guess I've had worse ideas?'
If it were any other daemon, he'd have to be out of his mind to even think about it, but Hope… Hope was the only daemon that had been benevolent towards humans. She taught them writing, gave them shelter, and even cared for them… How bad could she be? Maybe her opinion had changed now that seven humans kept her locked up for several centuries, but at the same time it had been Sun God who trapped her, not humans.
Sunny decided that it was worth risking.
'I'll look around for a bit more though…'
He was quite nervous, after all. Meeting a daemon in person like this… it was bound to be a unique experience. They had met before, but it had only been a short few seconds before the Nightmare ended, Sunny only had enough time to ask her a single question before she left. Now that he had time though…
'What do I even ask?'
There were many, many things he wanted to know, but unfortunately, this version of Hope wouldn't know as much yet.
'I guess I can ask what the Age of Gods was like…'
Sunny grinned at the thought.
'Will she even answer, I wonder…'
He hoped she would. But… he was also wearing the face of one of the jailers who had kept her shackled for so long, so she might not be very receptive to his presence.
'She is a great and mighty daemon, surely she would understand…'
Sunny sighed, shaking his head. Looking around the island, he looked for anything that might open the gate to the Ebony Tower. Sadly, if it were that easy, then Sevras would've already found it too.
'...'
Sunny paused.
'Sevras would've already found it..?'
Of course! Sevras had likely found the method of opening it by now!
It made sense, Mordret had spent much of the Nightmare beside Sevras, so he likely would've found the way to open the gate from him, and the only reason Sevras hadn't already pilfered all the things from the Ebony Tower in the future was because he couldn't pass the harrowing rot located on the second level. Everything located above it was practically useless to him too, aside from the runes located on the fifth level. But as a descendent of a literal god, Sevras was bound to already be knowledgeable on the hidden secrets of the world, and would have no need for it.
'I wonder if he ever visited it when Nether himself was there…'
Probably not. Sunny did not know much about him, but someone who would cut out their own eyes and heart over being ignored had to have been a complete lunatic. Coming face to face with that guy… not the greatest idea.
Returning to the embrace of shadows, Sunny smoothly glided off the island, leaving the gloomy shadow on the Ivory Island. Locating the naughty shadow, Sunny's eyes landed on a particular building with a large glass dome on top of it.
'So they're in there… wonder what they're doing? Chastising that maniac, I imagine…'
Sunny made sure to not take control of the naughty shadow, leaving it as inconspicuous as possible. It was already a large risk to have a shadow so close to four Transcendents like that, and Sunny was not going to needlessly risk compromising its safety by looking through it. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that naughty was currently merged with Solvane's shadow, it might've been noticed immediately.
Making sure he steered clear of the building the Saints were meeting in, Sunny looked for Sevras' residence. The key to the Ebony Tower was a massive security risk, so he had no doubt someone like Sevras would keep it close.
Finding the Saint's residence was simple enough, as Sunny had simply looked for the tallest building near the center of the city. Sevras seemed like the type who would watch over their city from atop a tower or something, so Sunny found it quickly. And after searching through the building a bit, he was proven right.
'Come to think of it… this is the third time I've broken into a Chain Lord's house now. Four if I count the Night Temple. What the hell am I even doing?'
Sunny sighed in the shadows.
For the home of a Saint, the security was terribly lax.
Searching the place, Sunny found barely any signs of sorcery and traps. Even the security systems he did find were pitifully easy to bypass, and even if they were tripped, it didn't look like it would do anything major, like explode or cut his legs off.
'I guess that's what happens when you're immortal?'
Within Hope's Kingdom… The Chain Lords were practically invincible. Not only was the region pretty safe compared to many other places, they were also unkillable without the knives. It made sense that they'd eventually let their guards down on such things.
Sunny continued to search his way through the large tower, his shadows splitting from him as they searched every single corner of the building.
Eventually, Sunny found something.
On a wall next to a comfortable bed covered in white sheets, there were lines of essence, with several converging nodes focusing into what looked like a magical lock. The sorcery was unfamiliar to Sunny, but he suspected what he was looking for was behind the wall.
'There's probably a safe or something, right?'
Sunny reached out curiously, only to retract his arm a moment later.
'It probably won't be as simple as sending essence into it…'
Stepping back, he began summoning a memory.
After a few seconds, a large work bench with several masterfully crafted tools appeared beside him. Sunny rummaged through it for a while, searching for a tool that would fit the task at hand.
'Hm… Doesn't look like there's anything that can spoof the lock, so I'll just use this.'
Picking up a sharp saw, Sunny got to work, manifesting a larger hand with seven fingers around his own to better grip the tool.
It took some effort, as well as a steady hand, but Sunny slowly began cutting through the stone wall, carefully avoiding the trails of essence surrounding the formation.
Checking on the naughty shadow every few minutes, he slowly carved around the formation, dislodging a large part of the wall. Sunny was sweating slightly from the exertion and nervousness. Thankfully, the formation didn't move much, and he managed to not mess anything up.
The wall wasn't especially thick, as it was on the top floor of the building, so Sunny simply cut through its entire thickness. Sending thin tendrils of shadow through the cuts he had made, Sunny yanked the entire section of the wall free.
He silently tossed the wall into the Covetous Coffer, checking on his shadow to make sure Sevras hadn't noticed anything.
'Nope… still sitting there.'
They must've been scolding Solvane a lot, for them to still be talking after several hours…
Sunny searched the building and surrounding area some more, just in case he was missing anything. After not finding anything of note, he left.
Leaping off into the Sky Below, Sunny left the city in a hurry, vanishing into the darkness on the back of a steel raven.
Sunny looked up at the distant sky, gazing at the full moon. It had nearly completed its journey across the darkness, and the sun would rise soon.
'Pretty…'
There was not a cloud in sight, and an endless sea of stars blanketed the night sky.
After settling on a deserted island, Sunny summoned the Covetous Coffer. The island was a decent bit higher compared to the surrounding ones, and cold winds brushed against him, displacing his hair.
'Now… what to do…'
Sunny wanted to break it open with brute force, but considering the fact he had left a massive hole in the wall of a Chain Lord's home, he'd need the section of wall he'd stolen intact to return it to its place once he was done. Saints did not need to sleep very much, so Sunny did not think Sevras would be returning to his bedroom anytime soon. He still had time.
'I wonder if they need to sleep at all… They are immortal, so maybe not?'
Sunny pondered silently as he ran his hand along the slab of stone.
Even after studying it closely, he still could not see anything in particular.
Sunny stood up, backing away from the stone slab as he made a ring with fingers to focus his vision.
After backing away for a while, he froze.
'Eureka!'
As it turned out, the sorcery was familiar to him after all.
From up close, it looked like random lines with no particular purpose, but when he stood far away enough for the slab to look small… It ended up looking something like the Diamond Weave he had once seen sealing the Ebony Tower.
'So it really was that simple!'
Sunny gingerly approached the slab, reaching a hand out towards it.
'Wait.'
Sunny took a quick step back.
'Just in case…'
The ashen-haired man vanished, and in his place a four-armed demon appeared. Wrapping himself in the Mantle and his four shadows, Sunny carefully placed a hand on the stone… Only to be interrupted by a voice, carried by the winds.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you."
Sunny jolted.
'Who?!'
The voice… It was awfully familiar.
Sunny slowly turned around.
He spotted a figure on the heavenly chain connecting to the island he was on, walking towards him at a comfortable pace. With long black hair and red silk robes fluttering in the winds, Noctis approached Sunny with a smile, the symbol of the moon on his forehead gleaming silver.
'H-How?'
Sunny checked on his shadow.
Noctis… was definitely right there! Sitting next to Aidre with a goblet of wine in his hands!
'Wait… I've seen this before.'
He could remember Noctis creating a dummy that looked and felt exactly like him. Was that something he learned from Aidre? Was Aidre covering for him as he looked for him?
'If she is… when did they make the swap? Had Noctis ever been there to begin with?'
He had wanted to check, but then that ran the risk of his shadow getting noticed.
Sunny remained as calm as he could, moving the Covetous Coffer and stone slab behind him as he took a step forward. Noctis was still quite far, and Sunny couldn't feel any killing intent from him.
'I still need to be careful.'
Noctis… was not someone he wanted to make an enemy.
Clearing his throat, Sunny asked:
"And why do you say that?"
Within his shell, Sunny shifted slightly, grabbing the obsidian knife.
'Do I run?'
Noctis was at his strongest during the night, and Sunny wasn't exactly in top form.
A shadow had already separated from him, gliding towards the underside of the island. He was prepared to flee at any moment. The one before him… was the grandson of the God of Hunters, Sunny could not afford to be careless.
He wasn't a half-bad hunter himself, but compared to someone like Noctis…
'Better not to risk it.'
Sunny ensured the knife was hidden before taking a step towards Noctis' direction.
The Transcendent smiled at the sight.
"Without The Fire… it won't open. Not for you."
'The Fire…'
Of course, Noctis was talking about Sun God's lineage. Sevras and him had been the only ones among the Chain Lords to inherit the blood of the Gods.
"I don't presume you have a way to open it then?"
Despite his leisurely pace, Noctis was moving far faster than Sunny would've liked. With a casual leap, he instantly closed the gap between himself and the island, his red robes resembling the wings of a butterfly as he soared through the air. With a thud, he landed not too far from Sunny, kicking up a small cloud of dirt. With a wave of his hand, the cloud vanished, and the winds around them stilled.
"Of course I do! It's simple, you just need The Fire."
Sunny blinked.
'I… obviously? What the hell does he mean!'
Sunny took in a silent breath, thinking for a moment.
'Ah. He must mean I need a drop of his blood.'
Noctis continued his stride forward, and Sunny stepped to the side, making way. Noctis seemed to be quite interested in the slab Sunny had stolen, and he wasn't about to start a fight for no reason. The teeth of the Covetous Coffer clattered in fear as it jumped to hide behind Sunny.
He seemed to be interested in the slab, and Sunny wasn't looking for a fight. With his Shadows, he probably could've won, but who knew what Noctis had up his sleeve? The fact that four Chain Lords were close by didn't help either.
'I can't really count on Solvane to help me… Having no allies is just… this sucks. And… how did he even find me?'
Sunny remained on guard as he sunk into his thoughts, taking another step back as Noctis knelt by the slab.
"Normally… just his blood wouldn't work. The Fire is infused into the soul, after all."
Sunny blinked.
'Right. Of course.'
"Luckily for you… I know a thing or two about souls."
Sunny grunted slightly in acknowledgement as he watched closely.
'I still don't know why he's here. I can't be careless.'
Producing a small glass vial filled with divinity-infused blood, Noctis shattered it, turning into white streams of essence that sunk into the stone. Placing his hand on it, a white line appeared on the slab before bursting open, revealing the things inside.
Just before Sunny could start looking for what he was here for, Noctis raised his hand. A blast of ghostly light shot out of it, obliterating everything hidden within the slab.
'Wha…'
…And within the Ivory City, Sevras sharply turned his head, looking towards a certain island floating far outside the city.
Noctis turned to him, a mad glint in his eye.
"Now that that's done… prepare to die."
Within his shell, Sunny sighed.
'Fuck my life…'
He just knew something like this was going to happen.
"Might I ask why?"
He also already knew why, but it couldn't hurt to ask.
"You killed my friend."
Noctis took a step towards him, two sickles forged from diamond appearing in his hands.
"Would you believe me if I told you that was a misunderstanding?"
Noctis took another step, and the sickles began glowing slightly.
"I don't care."
Sunny shifted nervously as he heard the beating of wings in the distance.
'Gods… How am I getting out of this one?'
He could just run… Fly away on Shrike and never return… But if he did, clearing the Nightmare would become exponentially harder. All the Chain Lords were gathered and united against him — besides maybe Solvane — and he had no idea how he kept getting tracked down.
'First Solvane found me… Now it's Noctis? Am I getting careless?'
Sunny's thoughts raced as the world around him seemed to slow.
Something had to change soon, or he would be hunted down eventually. And with the Chain Lords gathered, he wouldn't be able to kill them one by one like he had with Aranea.
'This… definitely could've gone better.'
Only a complete idiot would lock themself into a mortal conflict with five immortal Transcendents, and Sunny just happened to be that idiot. Now… he was going to have to find a way out.
Noctis took another step, bloodlust emanating from him like a tide.
But Sunny paid him no attention. Instead, he was looking at something inside the slab behind him.
Everything inside had been turned to dust and glass, besides one thing…
A small cone-shaped apparatus forged from ivory sat in the back of the container inside the stone.
'That has to be it!'
The key to the Ebony Tower… it had to have been made by either Hope or Nether. Something forged by a daemon wouldn't be destroyed that easily. Noctis had unintentionally made his search much, much easier.
And just as Noctis was getting much too close for comfort, Sunny shot forward.
With a laugh, Noctis blocked his four mighty arms with a swing of an arm, before using the other one to slice his shell wide open with a sickle.
In a shower of dark blood, the shell collapsed and broke apart, the half formed blade in its hand clattering to the ground. Noctis frowned slightly, realising there was nobody within.
With a growl of frustration, he whirled around, only to see a hand clutching something sink into the shadows.
"You little rat…"
A second later, Noctis ducked, narrowly avoiding the stab of five razor sharp fingernails, courtesy of Serpent. With a vicious spin, he swung his sickle at Serpent, only to hit nothing, the Shadow vanishing into the ground as it was dismissed.
Noctis stood still for a moment, his shoulders shaking slightly.
"Do you think you can run?"
He laughed madly.
"Do you think you can hide?"
The soft light from the full moon above intensified, and Noctis exploded into a thousand ghostly sparks, pursuing the fleeing shadow.