Chapter 51 – A Thoughtful Action?

The Nautilus glides one mile beneath the surface.

Dark.

Silent.

Heavy.

Inside?

Chaos recovery.

Seraphina is sober now — terrifyingly calm.

Eira is laughing… but lucid.

Lockbolt squints like he’s trying to remember if he offended anyone.

Riven is spinning in place for no reason.

Ravenna sits pale against a wall.

“…I am never drinking with mermaids again…”

Harmonia and Luna?

Still arguing.

“You were clinging!”

“You tackled him!”

“You glowed!”

“I DO NOT GLOW!”

I sit at the console.

The Codex rests beside me.

Drake wanted something.

Not dominance.

Not chaos.

Order.

A deterrent.

A balance.

Maybe this—

Maybe this is what he meant.

Suddenly—

🚨 WEEEOOOOOO—

The siren screams.

Everyone freezes.

“What happened?!” Luna snaps.

“Beats me—wait…”

I switch to sonar.

There it is.

Shockwaves.

Cannon fire.

Hull rupture echoes.

…Screams.

“They’re fighting,” Luna breathes.

“But who?”

I zoom the display.

The patterns aren’t random.

“They’re engaged in full fleet combat.”

I feel something else.

Pressure.

Wrong.

“We’re not surfacing,” I say immediately.

“Hey!! What about the others?!” Harmonia shouts.

Eira slams her fist on a railing.

“Arr! Skulkin’ about and slinkin’ away from a fight ain’t what true pirates do, savvy?!”

I exhale slowly.

“This submarine isn’t a ship.”

I rest my hand on the launch panel.

“It’s a second strike.”

They don’t understand that.

Good.

I rotate the periscope.

Surface feed comes alive.

On screen—

The Stroud.

The Strider.

The Scourge.

Locked in desperate combat against the Silverfang fleet.

Airships overhead.

Demon-class hulls.

Infernal cannons charging.

“…45 latitude… adjust five degrees north…”

I input coordinates calmly.

“Well then,” I mutter.

“The Nautilus may not be flashy like the Skybreaker…”

I flip a hidden switch.

“…but she has her own tricks.”

Six armored hatches slowly unlock along the top hull.

Luna grabs my shoulder.

“With that laugh… I am concerned, Randy.”

“Just watch.”

Metal shifts.

Hydraulic locks release.

Deep sea water floods launch chambers.

“Launch.”

The submarine trembles.

From the abyss—

Six missiles erupt.

They punch through the ocean’s surface like spears of judgment.

Above the Surface

Elowen ducks as cannon fire explodes beside her.

They’re barely holding.

“Brace—!”

“LOOK!!” a crewman screams.

The ocean detonates upward.

Six blazing projectiles tear into the sky.

Nu Wa’s jaw drops.

“Shiver me timbers—what in the blazes be that?!”

Tikka’s eyes widen.

“…It comes from below.”

The first missile splits mid-air.

Cluster separation.

Dozens of secondary warheads scatter like metallic rain.

Impact.

Wooden hulls vaporize.

Explosions chain across the Silverfang formation.

Masts snap.

Cannons erupt.

Ships break apart like toys.

Another volley rises from the sea.

More clusters.

Airships are struck mid-flight.

Fire blossoms across the sky.

Valkor bursts through his chamber doors.

“What is that?!”

Xylara shields her face from the shockwave.

“I do not know!”

The remaining six missiles detonate—

Cluster bloom.

Airships rupture in sequence.

Infernal engines explode.

Flaming debris rains into the sea.

Silence follows.

Only crackling wood.

Burning wreckage.

Smoke.

The Silverfang crew screams—

“Fall back! Back to the ship!!”

But there are no ships left.

Inside the Nautilus

Dead quiet.

Harmonia stares at the monitor.

“…What just happened.”

Luna slowly turns toward me.

Her eyes narrow.

“…Randy.”

She grabs my collar and shakes me.

“Is this one of your contraptions again?”

“Uh—technically yes.”

“YOU DID NOT WARN US.”

“Fine, fine!”

Eira slams both hands down.

“Blast me eyes! This vessel could send a whole fleet to Davy Jones by her lonesome!”

She grins wildly.

“We’ve no need for an army!”

That word hits me.

Army.

No.

That’s not what this is.

It’s deterrence.

I glance at the console.

Warning alert.

“Wait.”

Everyone freezes.

“…There are survivors.”

Silence.

“And one remaining airship.”

Harmonia steps back.

“Don’t.”

Seraphina’s voice is sharp.

“Do not fire again.”

Luna’s grip tightens slightly.

“Enough.”

I stare at the targeting screen.

One more launch—

And it’s over.

Completely.

No witnesses.

No retaliation.

Just silence.

But—

Drake’s words echo in my mind.

Balance.

Not domination.

I slowly remove my hand from the launch trigger.

“…We surface.”

Everyone blinks.

“What?” I say.

“You want to fight? Fine.”

I stand.

“Get us up there.”

The Nautilus begins to rise.

Above—

The smoke clears.

Burning wreckage floats.

And from the last surviving airship—

Valkor stares down at the sea.

His eyes narrow.

“He’s here.”

Not fear.

Not confusion.

Recognition.

And somewhere far above the clouds—

Lord Himmel’s golden eyes open wider.

“…So.”

The storm has changed.

And the war—

Has just entered a new phase.

High above the burning sea—

Valkor watches the smoke clear.

His eyes narrow.

“…Never expected that.”

Xylara folds her arms, staring at the ocean below.

“That vessel… is a dangerous threat.”

A pause.

“If it reaches our borders…”

Valkor finishes coldly—

“It will be the death of our nation.”

Below—

Nu Wa wipes blood from her cheek and grins toward the sky.

“Arr! It be about time ye showed yer faces!”

Inside the Nautilus

Hatches open.

Water drains.

The crew rushes out onto the rising deck.

Steel groans as we break the surface.

Everyone is moving—

Except me.

I remain at the console.

The last airship is different.

Larger.

Heavier.

Runes glowing across its hull.

Not wood.

Not simple metal.

Reinforced war frame.

“…Fine.”

I mutter.

“Let’s try this one for size.”

Above—

Xylara and Valkor land upon the command deck of the airship.

“Fire everything you’ve got!” Xylara commands.

“To that ship!”

Cannons pivot downward.

Infernal cores ignite.

On the Scourge

Luna leaps onto the deck beside Nu Wa.

“Lady Nu Wa!”

Nu Wa laughs wildly.

“Yer lad still down there?”

Elowen scans the sea.

“Where is Randy?!”

Luna turns—

Just as the sky explodes.

Impact

Dozens of infernal blasts rain down on the Nautilus.

Flames swallow it whole.

Smoke consumes the hull.

“NO—RANDY!!” Luna screams.

Harmonia drops to her knees.

“…No…”

The ocean churns violently.

For a moment—

Nothing.

Then—

The smoke clears.

The Nautilus floats untouched.

Not a single scratch.

A faint shimmer fades around it.

Conrad’s forcefield.

Perfect.

Above—

Xylara’s eyes widen.

“That is impossible.”

The captain stumbles back.

Valkor’s expression hardens.

“…It is time.”

He leaps.

He dives straight toward the Nautilus—

Like a meteor.

But—

He never reaches it.

A streak of silver intercepts him.

BOOM.

The sky fractures from the collision.

“Guh—!”

Valkor is slammed upward.

We rise together through the smoke.

I grip his collar mid-air.

“Forgot about me?”

His eyes sharpen.

“…You.”

We crash through a cloud layer.

The wind roars around us.

He twists, drives a knee toward my ribs—

I block.

He’s strong.

Not reckless strong.

Disciplined strong.

His blade forms instantly in his hand—

Dark energy spiraling.

“You are the variable.”

He swings.

I twist aside.

The shockwave splits clouds.

Below—

The Scourge trembles as Xylara descends.

She lands gracefully.

Behind her—

Elite dark elves.

Orc shock troopers.

“You,” she declares calmly, eyes on Nu Wa and Luna.

“Are a major threat to our nation.”

Nu Wa cracks her neck.

“Arr. I’ve been called worse.”

Seraphina steps forward beside Luna.

Blades drawn.

Elowen grins.

“Looks like it’s our turn.”

Above – Sky Duel

Valkor slams into me mid-air.

We tumble.

I stabilize using short propulsion bursts.

He notices.

“…Technology.”

“Strategy,” I correct.

He thrusts his blade forward—

I catch it with reinforced gauntlet plating.

The force sends a shockwave downward into the ocean.

“You destroyed half my fleet,” he says coldly.

“You invaded first,” I reply.

He narrows his eyes.

“You are not a king.”

“I never said I was.”

I drive my forehead into his helmet.

CRACK.

He staggers.

Then vanishes.

I barely sense it—

He reappears behind me.

Blade inches from my neck—

CLANG.

A shimmering barrier flashes for a split second.

Conrad’s secondary shield trigger.

Valkor’s eyes widen.

“…What are you?”

I smile slightly.

“Still figuring that out.”

Below – Deck of the Scourge

Xylara advances slowly.

Dark elves fan outward.

Orcs roar and charge.

Steel clashes.

Magic detonates.

Luna steps forward—

Her aura sharpens.

Aquamarine light flickers faintly.

Xylara notices.

“…That stance.”

Her smile fades.

“…Valkyrie.”

Luna doesn’t answer.

She lunges.

Steel meets enchanted blade.

Shockwave ripples across the deck.

Harmonia blasts an orc aside with raw mana discharge.

Seraphina cuts through two dark elves in a fluid motion.

Nu Wa laughs, staff slamming down as tidal force erupts across the deck.

The war has split into layers.

Sea.

Deck.

Sky.

And somewhere above it all—

Lord Himmel watches.

“…He confronts Valkor directly.”

Klaus exhales.

“…Then the timeline has accelerated.”

Himmel’s golden eyes narrow.

“Yes.”

A pause.

“Malefexia will feel this.”

Sky – Randy vs Valkor

Valkor wipes blood from his lip.

“You cannot protect them forever.”

“I don’t need forever.” me

I tighten my grip.

“I just need now.”

We collide again—

Clouds explode outward.

Below—

The ocean burns.

The Scourge shakes.

And the war is no longer about fleets.

It is about leaders.

About symbols.

About who stands—

And who falls.

My sensors are screaming.

Warning glyphs flash across my visor.

Wind shear. Energy spikes. Valkor’s movement speed exceeding prediction models.

But my instinct says—

Don’t overcommit.

Not yet.

So I stay defensive.

Mid-air stabilization thrusters pulse softly behind me.

Gunblade in hand.

Waiting.

Valkor hovers across from me, dark cloak whipping violently in the wind.

“…Show me that blade of light of yours.”

There it is.

He wants it.

Not to admire.

To claim.

Uncle’s voice echoes in my head—

If someone fixates on something specific… it means they want it.

Like Alfian back home.

Money.

Control.

Ownership.

So then—

Valkor wants my blade.

I grin faintly.

“Thanks.”

His brow twitches.

“…Why is that?”

“For telling me what you’re after.”

I explode forward.

The sky cracks between us.

Gunblade ignites—

A streak of white arcs toward his neck—

He vanishes.

Reappears above.

I twist mid-air—

Slice upward—

He barely dodges.

Fast.

Disciplined.

Annoying.

But this isn’t a duel of pride.

So I tap my wrist console.

“Deploy.”

The air hums.

Not one.

Not two.

Dozens.

Smaller drones burst from my back housing.

Compact.

Sleeker.

Conrad’s redesign.

Less flashy.

More lethal.

They swarm.

Precision tracking.

Direct assault patterns.

Valkor’s eyes widen slightly.

“…What is this—?!”

They move like a school of metallic piranhas.

Pinpoint lasers.

Micro-rail bursts.

Distraction vectors.

He slices one.

Three replace it.

He dodges left—

Two strike from below.

He blocks—

Another detonates at his flank.

“Ugh!”

He stabilizes, cloak torn slightly.

I hover calmly now.

“You wanted melee like a hero, right?”

I lower my gunblade slightly.

“…Forget that.”

I raise my sidearm.

“Heroes are predictable.”

I fire.

High-caliber energy rounds rip through the air toward his wings.

“You think you can fly with only one wing?” I shout.

He twists mid-air, barely avoiding a direct hit.

A graze.

Black blood spills.

His eyes sharpen dangerously.

“And you?” he growls.

“If I sever yours?”

I smile.

“Let’s see.”

BANG.

This time I aim not for pride.

Not for chest.

For mobility.

For control.

For dominance of airspace.

He blocks—but the impact forces him back through a cloud bank.

Good.

On the Surface – The Scourge

Xylara dives toward Luna.

Elegant.

Deadly.

Blade drawn.

But—

She forgets.

It isn’t a duel.

Seraphina steps in.

Her spear arcs wide—

CRACK.

The blunt hilt smashes precisely into Xylara’s ribs.

The impact sends her flying across the deck.

Wood splinters.

Orcs charge.

Elowen drops one with a clean blade strike.

“Well then,” she mutters.

“That’s one.”

Nu Wa moves like flowing water.

Cutlass spinning.

Dark elves fall one after another.

Eira—

Laughing.

Almost possessed.

Cutting through enemies like she’s dancing at a festival.

The Elder Black Wolf rallies the SeaWolves.

“Push them back!”

Steel clashes.

Demons fall.

Some Silverfang pirates throw down their weapons.

“PARLEY!!”

“PARLEY!!”

The tide has shifted.

Completely.

Xylara’s Realization

Xylara rises slowly from the wreckage.

She thought—

Randy was the threat.

The anomaly.

The problem.

But she was wrong.

Luna stands before her now.

Calm.

Focused.

No magic flaring.

No theatrics.

Just stance.

Xylara lunges again—

Luna meets her.

Clang.

Clang.

Clang.

A flurry of precise strikes.

No wasted motion.

No mana discharge.

Pure discipline.

Xylara’s guard begins to crack.

“…What is this?” she breathes.

From afar—

A melody begins.

Soft.

Clear.

Harmonia.

Her voice weaves through the battlefield.

Not loud.

Not dramatic.

But steady.

Every ally’s movement sharpens.

Every strike lands cleaner.

Every breath steadier.

Enemies falter.

Their limbs feel heavier.

Their timing duller.

It’s not overwhelming magic.

It’s influence.

Control.

Morale.

Buff and debuff in perfect harmony.

Xylara realizes it too late.

This isn’t a duel.

It’s coordination.

Luna spins.

Three consecutive strikes—

Left.

Right.

Feint.

Then—

Kick.

Direct to Xylara’s temple.

She slams off the deck and into the ocean.

Water erupts.

The battlefield pauses.

She rises from the sea—

Standing atop the water itself.

Dripping.

Breathing hard.

Enraged.

“You bastard—!”

Luna steps forward without hesitation.

“You miscalculated.”

Her voice is calm.

Cold.

“This is not your battlefield.”

Around them—

Demons retreat.

Silverfang surrender.

Airships burn.

Above—

I burst from the clouds again.

Valkor follows, breathing heavier now.

His cloak shredded.

His wing armor damaged.

He sees the battlefield below.

Sees Xylara on the water.

Sees the collapse.

His jaw tightens.

“…Impossible.”

I hover above him.

Gunblade humming.

Drones circling like a crown of steel.

“Not impossible,” I reply.

“Just thoughtful.”

And for the first time—

The Western Demon Nation understands.

They didn’t meet pirates.

They didn’t meet rebels.

They met a coordinated force.

And that is far more dangerous.

Xylara fights.

Not gracefully.

Not elegantly.

Not like the commander of a Western Demon Armada.

She fights like someone who miscalculated.

Her blade clashes with Luna’s again—

But this isn’t a duel.

It’s pressure.

Seraphina intercepts her retreat angle.

Nu Wa floods the deck with controlled tidal bursts.

Harmonia’s melody continues—soft, constant, surgical.

Even the SeaWolves coordinate their strikes.

Coordinated.

Precise.

Efficient.

This is not what Xylara expected.

This was supposed to be a rabble.

A scattered rebellion.

Instead—

It’s a unit.

And there are no heroes here.

Only individuals working together.

That is far more terrifying.

Western Demon Capital – War Chamber

Far away—

Within obsidian towers and red-lit halls—

Inul watches through an orb of observation.

The battlefield reflects across its surface.

Smoke.

Flame.

Silver streaks in the sky.

“…Seems we underestimated them again.”

He clicks his tongue softly.

“That boy…”

His fingers tighten.

“Lu Bu.”

“Yes?”

A massive figure stands from meditation.

Calm.

Armored.

Unmoving until called.

“We move forward.”

Inul’s tone shifts.

“Eligos is a lost cause.”

The orb flickers with Randy’s aerial movement.

“With that strength… conquest is no longer efficient.”

He turns away from the orb.

“We redirect our focus to Caelestis.”

A pause.

“At least Xylara and Valkor will serve as distraction.”

His voice lowers.

“If they fall… it is acceptable loss.”

Lu Bu’s eyes sharpen.

“And the Pope?”

Inul smiles thinly.

“…Weak.”

“His aura trembles.”

Lu Bu nods once.

“Very well.”

Without another word—

He leaps.

Straight through the window.

Glass shatters.

Wind howls.

Inul stares at the broken frame.

“…Why not use the door like a normal being.”

He rubs his temple.

Then looks back at the orb.

The image zooms.

Randy.

Mid-air.

Surrounded by drones.

Moving without hesitation.

“…The prophecy draws near.”

His eyes narrow.

“The way that boy moves…”

He leans closer.

“…It resembles the two.”

His reflection distorts in the orb.

“…Definitively.”

Back to the Battlefield

Xylara roars in rage.

Her blade burns crimson.

She charges again—

Berserk.

But berserk doesn’t break formation.

Luna pivots aside.

Seraphina disrupts her footing.

Nu Wa knocks aside incoming reinforcements.

Harmonia’s song crescendos slightly—

Not loud.

Just enough.

And suddenly—

Xylara realizes something horrifying.

This isn’t a heroic clash.

This is coordinated suppression.

They don’t seek glory.

They seek victory.

The Sky – Randy vs Valkor

Valkor breathes heavily now.

Armor cracked.

Wing plating damaged.

My drones continue to orbit him like predatory birds.

I don’t chase him.

I herd him.

He lunges again.

“Fight me!!”

He roars.

“Show me your skill!!”

He wants a duel.

He wants validation.

He wants heroism.

I dodge sideways.

“Bleh.”

His blade carves through empty air.

I don’t meet him head-on.

I reposition.

Drones fire in sequence.

Left flank.

Right shoulder.

Wing joint.

Small hits.

Precise hits.

Accumulated damage.

“Urgh!!”

He tries to dive—

I intercept.

Force him upward.

Limit his escape vector.

He spreads his wings wide—

And suddenly—

His feathers detach.

Transforming mid-air into razor-like daggers.

They rain toward me.

Impressive.

Deadly.

But predictable.

My drones shift formation.

Swarm defense pattern.

Feathers collide with rotating micro-shields and detonate mid-air.

Smoke bursts between us.

Valkor stares through it.

And something changes.

This is not how heroes fight.

There is no speech.

No prideful clash.

No exchange of techniques.

There is calculation.

Suppression.

Zone control.

He hears his own breathing now.

Louder.

Irregular.

His heart pounds.

He tries to read my movement.

But I am not fighting him.

I am dismantling him.

Inside his chest—

Something cold creeps in.

Not anger.

Not frustration.

Fear.

For the first time—

Valkor understands.

If this boy reaches their borders—

He will not challenge their generals.

He will erase them.

I raise my gun again.

Not for a dramatic finish.

Just another calculated shot.

He hesitates.

And that hesitation—

Is everything.

Above the clouds—

Lord Himmel exhales slowly.

“…He does not fight like a champion.”

Klaus watches silently.

“No.”

Himmel’s golden eyes glow faintly.

“…He fights like inevitability.”

And somewhere deep beneath prophecy and sealed nightmares—

Something ancient stirs.

Not yet awake.

But aware.

The deck of the Scourge falls silent.

Xylara drops to her knees.

Her blade slips from her hand.

She gasps—

Desperate.

Humiliated.

“Impossible…!! Impossible!!!”

Her voice cracks.

“You were supposed to be weaker than this!!”

Seraphina casually rests her spear on her shoulder.

“Well then… maybe you should’ve brought more men.”

She tilts her head slightly.

“This is a battlefield. Not a duel.”

Xylara trembles.

“You destroyed our armies…!”

Eira wipes her blade clean and smirks.

“Arr, that be a sorry tale for ye indeed.”

Behind them—

Nu Wa finishes the last elite with one fluid strike.

The body falls.

Silence.

Then—

A massive shadow lands on deck.

Tikka.

But not in human form.

Scales shimmer emerald under the smoke-filled sky.

Golden eyes burn.

A dragon stands between Xylara and the crew.

Xylara stares.

“…This… was not what Lord Inul told me…”

Nu Wa steps forward calmly.

“Parley?”

Xylara blinks.

“Huh?”

“That means negotiation,” Nu Wa says lightly.

Tikka leans down slightly, smoke curling from her nostrils.

“…Or walk the plank.”

The SeaWolves laugh.

Xylara slowly rises.

Blood on her lips.

Pride intact.

“We… will not surrender!! Even if—”

She freezes.

Her body stiffens.

A voice echoes in her mind.

Cold.

Unemotional.

“You have served your purpose.”

Inul.

“Your use has ended. Allow me to assist.”

“Lord Inul—?”

Her eyes widen.

“Ugh—!! What is this feeling—?!”

Her veins darken.

Her spine bends unnaturally.

Bones crack.

“EARGH—!!!”

Her scream splits the battlefield.

Scales erupt from her skin.

Limbs elongate.

Her lower body tears apart into a coiling mass of muscle.

In seconds—

A colossal sea serpent towers over the Scourge.

Eyes glowing crimson.

Fangs dripping venom.

Tikka instantly spreads her wings.

Shielding the ship.

Face to face with the monster.

“Well then,” Elowen sighs, drawing her blade again.

“Looks like we’re hunting.”

Seraphina licks her lips playfully.

“Wonder what serpent tastes like.”

Ravenna spins her cutlass.

“Arr, if ye think the grub’s all gone, ye’ve another thing comin’!”

Riven shouts from the upper deck.

“Sea serpent, is it?! Cannons ready!”

The Strider Cannon fires.

BOOM.

Mana shells slam into scaled flesh.

The serpent roars.

The ocean splits around it.

The Sky

Valkor staggers mid-air.

Breathing ragged.

Armor fractured.

Then—

A voice enters his mind.

Cold.

Strategic.

“Xylara is a lost cause.”

Inul.

“Retreat.”

His eyes widen.

“Lu Bu advances on the Western front.”

“Eligos is inefficient.”

“Withdraw.”

Humiliation burns hotter than pain.

“…Very well.”

He looks at me.

“…We will meet again.”

Teleportation circle forms beneath him.

Not happening.

I surge forward—

Gunblade ignites—

I stab him straight through the abdomen.

“Guh—!!!”

But I’m not aiming to kill.

Conrad’s lectures replay in my head.

Always think two steps ahead.

As the blade pierces—

A micro-drone detaches.

Embedding.

A mana-bomb capsule locks onto his internal armor lining.

Linked to my command.

And more importantly—

Tracking beacon activated.

Valkor vanishes in a burst of dark light.

“…You bastard…!!” his voice echoes as he disappears.

Silence.

I exhale.

“…Got you.”

Now I know where their capital is.

Now the Nautilus can answer properly.

I look down.

The sea serpent thrashes against Tikka.

Luna and the others coordinate strikes.

Harmonia’s song rises stronger now—

Almost desperate.

Before I dive—

A presence appears behind me.

“Impressive.”

I spin instantly.

Gun raised.

Safety off.

He looks similar to Valkor.

Wings.

Composed.

Calm.

“I mean no harm.”

His hands remain visible.

“Please.”

I say nothing.

My aim does not waver.

“…Can’t you see I’m busy?”

“We talk later.”

“Wait,” he says quickly.

His eyes are not hostile.

They are—

Curious.

“…You fight differently.”

I don’t blink.

“Yeah.”

“Because I don’t want to die.”

Below us—

The serpent roars again.

Tikka unleashes dragonfire across its jaw.

Steam explodes from ocean impact.

Klaus watches the battlefield below.

“…You are not what prophecy described.”

That makes me narrow my eyes.

“…Prophecy?”

He looks at me carefully.

“Asking you something important.”

A beat.

“Are you aware… what you are becoming?”

I lower my gun slightly.

Just slightly.

“…Right now?”

I glance at the sea serpent.

“My problem.”

And I dive back down.

Leaving Klaus suspended in the smoke-filled sky.

Watching.

Measuring.

“…It truly resembles them,” he murmurs softly.

On Deck

The serpent crashes against the hull.

Tikka bites into its neck.

Seraphina leaps—

Driving her spear into its eye.

Elowen cuts along exposed underbelly scales.

Nu Wa binds its movement with water currents.

This isn’t rage.

It’s execution.

The serpent thrashes.

Roars.

Then—

Harmonia’s melody shifts key.

Higher.

Softer.

Almost sorrowful.

The serpent’s movements falter.

Just for a second.

In that second—

Luna steps forward.

Blade raised.

No magic.

No flourish.

One decisive strike.

Clean.

Through the serpent’s skull.

Silence falls over the sea.

The massive body collapses.

The ocean stills.

And where the serpent falls—

For just a moment—

Xylara’s original face flickers across its dissolving scales.

Tears in her eyes.

Then gone.

Consumed.

Above the clouds—

Klaus watches.

“…So this is the new era.”

And far away—

Inul closes the observation orb.

“…Interesting.”

A slow smile spreads across his face.

“Let us see how far you can go.”

To be continued