The laughter from Joe continued.
It wasn't maniacal.
It wasn't hollow.
It was joyous.
Like a man who had waited lifetimes for a purpose and finally found it.
Kai stood frozen, one hand still outstretched from the moment he had embedded Ralts' chaos sigil into Joe's soul. The echo of Joe's laugh lingered, rattling against the stone of the chamber like an old hymn sung in a forgotten church.
Joe lifted his skull. Tattered flesh clung to fragments of jawbone, and dried sinew cracked with the motion. Still, despite the corpse-like appearance, his voice carried a reverence Kai hadn't expected.
"M-master."
Kai blinked. "Joe... you were already partly sentient. How?"
Joe tilted his skull, the movement more human than most undead should be capable of. Kai had only seen it from Ralts.
"I think… because I am strong."
Kai frowned. "Most of my undead are strong. What do you mean?"
Joe's glowing blue eyes dimmed, as if looking inward.
"Not strength of body. Strength of will."
