"But what do you mean, you killed all the Maidens?! How did you manage to kill them?! What about their Transcendent sect leader… did you kill her, too?!"
The three of them looked at each other with confusion. Then, Effie cautiously spoke up:
"Uh… the venerable foremother, who was the last Transcendent of the Red Sect, died like two hundred years ago. There were no other Transcendents among the Maidens since."
The sorcerer blinked a couple of times.
"Wait… really? Huh. So she just went and died? How… pedestrian."
Sunny stared at him, aghast. Did that fool... did he really forget that real people had a habit of dying from time to time, unlike his own immortal self? How insane could that charlatan really be?!
But then, he had to stop himself. No, that was not right. Noctis 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 mean one thing...
Sunny took a step forward and growled.
"Do not insult us! You knew perfectly well that there were no Transcendents in the Temple of the Chalice. And you also knew that you could have easily obliterated that whole place and taken the Glass Knife, if you wanted to. We three are formidable, as far as Awakened go, but not nearly as formidable to be able to do something that a Chain Lord would not have been able to."
He glared at the immortal and said, the emerald amulet almost cracking in his fist:
"So, Noctis, my friend… why don't you tell me the real reason for why you really sent me and Kai there instead of going yourself? And be very careful about what you say… because our beautiful friendship might depend on your answer!"
Noctis remained silent for a while, looking at him with an unreadable expression. Then, he sighed and waved a hand.
"...Alright, alright. If you want to be boring, I'll tell you the truth. No need to get angry."
He clapped his hands again, and the disassembled Sailor Dolls suddenly rose from the floor, their limbs flying up and connecting to the wooden torsos. Then, one of them disappeared for a moment and returned with a silver goblet full of fragrant wine, presenting it to the sorcerer with frightened reverence. The others backed away and froze, standing silently near the walls.
Noctis took the goblet, took a sip, and looked away with a somber expression on his exquisite face.
"Yes, it is true that I could have retrieved the knife, saved your friend, and destroyed the Temple of the Chalice myself. That would not have been too hard… with or without the Transcendent guarding it. However…"
He stared west, his eyes turning dark.
"...If I made such a move myself, the other four would have learned of it. Then, they would have understood why I made it, and what I am going to do next, as well. They will know my intentions eventually, of course… but now is not the time. Not yet. Revealing it all now would be troublesome."
Sunny scowled, then briefly glanced at Kai. The archer was looking west, too, his shoulders tense.
The Ivory City lay to the west. The Red Colosseum, too.
He hesitated, and then said in a grim tone:
"So you can't act openly out of the fear that the other Chain Lords will unite to attack you?"
Noctis turned to him and smiled.
"...Fear? No, nothing that whimsical. It is simply a matter of convenience. You see, until…"
Suddenly, the sorcerer grew silent. His face turned grave, and his eyes shined with a glint of distant moonlight.
…This time, it was not a performance. Sunny could feel that something had really gone wrong, because the whole room inexplicably changed, becoming much darker, colder, and full of dire tension.
Noctis slowly turned his head and whispered, his voice stunned and solemn:
"Something… something changed… no… no, it can't be…"
He looked toward the doors, and then added with a grim expression.
"We have another guest, I think. A messenger, from the north…"