Chapter 52 – Arr Me Hearties… Watch the Sky

I land on the Stroud.

Deck scorched. Splintered wood. Smoke still drifting.

Elowen crosses her arms the moment she sees me.

😒 “So? Did you manage to get it? The book?”

Luna answers before I can.

“He did.”

Her eyes search my face.

“…What happened here?”

Elowen exhales.

“Long story short? Silverfang decided to test their luck again.”

Nu Wa slams her staff lightly against the deck.

“Blast their hides! Those backstabbin’ sea hags! Never reckoned they’d go this far!”

Seraphina stands near what remains of Xylara’s belongings.

Burned armor fragments.

Broken insignia.

And in her hand—

A medallion.

Her fingers tremble.

“Arr, what ails ye, matey?” Eira asks.

“Ye look like ye’ve seen a ghost.”

Seraphina whispers—

“…Impossible…”

I notice it.

But I don’t ask.

Because my attention is elsewhere.

The tracker.

Still blinking.

Still active.

I pass the book to Nu Wa.

“Uh… nothing really,” I mutter.

She narrows her eyes.

“Arr, ye seem in quite the hurry…”

I don’t answer.

I head straight for the Nautilus.

Inside the Nautilus – Skybreaker Mode

The hatch seals.

The world becomes quiet.

Console lights glow.

Tracking signal confirmed.

Valkor is moving.

Fast.

I expand the world map projection.

Western Continent.

Distance traveled—

“2500 miles…”

Estimate trajectory.

Return vector.

Capital direction.

I inhale slowly.

“…Maybe it could work.”

But only one warhead.

I open comm channel.

“Golem. Check ammunition inventory. Large canister—warhead 885.”

A mechanical pause.

“Checking… Confirmed. One unit available. Where would you like to set target coordinates?”

My eyes don’t blink.

“Latitude 99.9. Longitude 100. Bearing 2524. Heading 45000.”

A pause.

“Set to cluster configuration.”

“Timer to 2.”

“Yield ratio 4.5 to 5.5.”

“Confirmed.”

“Launch countdown: 15 seconds.”

Outside—

The Nautilus begins diving.

On the Stroud

Luna watches the submarine sink beneath the waves.

“Randy…?”

Elowen squints.

“What is he doing now?”

Tikka’s dragon eyes narrow.

“I sense something…”

Her voice drops.

“…Something powerful.”

Luna and Elowen freeze.

“…Don’t tell me.”

Inside – Countdown

I close my eyes briefly.

I remember my talk with Kline.

About nuclear blasts.

About radiation.

About poison.

So I built something different.

No fallout.

No lingering death.

Just—

Heat.

Pure thermal annihilation.

Vaporization.

Skybreaker sensors activate.

My eyes in the sky.

Valkor’s signal steady.

Lu Bu detected at Western Front.

Demon army massed.

Capital heat signatures identified.

I whisper quietly—

“Preemptive strike.”

Launch.

Surface

The ocean erupts.

Water explodes upward as the missile pierces the sky.

A silver streak cutting through clouds.

“WHOA—!!” Harmonia screams.

Seraphina stares upward.

“…By the Gods…”

Western Front

The warriors of Light are collapsing.

Temple Knights bleeding.

Bolg barely standing.

Lu Bu laughing wildly.

“HAHAHAHA!! Your size means nothing to me!”

Bolg roars—

“He’s too strong—!”

“Hold the line!” the knights shout.

“This is the last stance!”

Then—

A soldier points upward.

“Look!!!”

Valkor arrives mid-air.

“Well then… I have returned.”

He turns—

A faint streak approaches from the horizon.

“…What—?”

From beneath the sea—

I smile faintly.

“Valkor…”

“You’re not pulling strings anymore.”

Impact

KABOOOOOOOOOOM.

The sky turns white.

Not fire.

Not explosion.

White.

Heat compresses air.

Valkor is gone.

Not burned.

Not torn apart.

Gone.

Vaporized in less than a heartbeat.

But it doesn’t stop.

Cluster separation activates.

Multiple secondary projectiles split mid-air.

They rain like divine judgment.

Each impact—

A miniature sun.

Shockwaves flatten demon battalions.

Armor melts.

Weapons dissolve.

The Western Front collapses.

And one cluster—

Redirects.

Capital trajectory locked.

Western Demon Capital

Inul looks up from his war chamber.

“…What is that?”

The sky glows.

Too bright.

Too fast.

A pillar of white light crashes into the capital district.

Silence—

Then half the city evaporates.

Obsidian towers melt.

Walls liquefy.

Shockwave ripples for miles.

Inul barely shields himself.

Eyes wide.

“…This… was not calculated…”

Battlefield Aftermath

Lu Bu turns slowly.

“…What is that?”

Bolg, barely conscious, sees the light.

He laughs.

“It’s revelation from God!!”

He kicks Lu Bu square in the chest.

“WARRIORS!! TO ME!!”

Temple Knights roar.

Morale surges.

The demons falter.

Inul’s voice enters Lu Bu’s mind.

“Fall back!”

“We lost this exchange.”

“This enemy is beyond current prediction.”

“Return!”

Lu Bu grits his teeth.

“…Tch.”

He withdraws.

The demon army scatters.

Retreat.

Total retreat.

Caelestis – Palace Balcony

Pope Thalorien watches from afar.

Smoke in the distance.

A sky scarred by white heat.

“…So…”

He coughs.

“…That is the Child of Prophecy…”

His hand trembles.

“…Such power…”

“…ugh…”

He grips the railing tightly.

And for the first time—

He looks afraid.

Beneath the Sea

Inside the Nautilus—

I sit in silence.

Sensors confirm.

Target neutralized.

Demon front crippled.

Capital damaged.

Victory.

But—

My hands tremble slightly.

Preemptive strike.

Necessary.

The word echoes in my head like a verdict.

Necessary.

The ocean above the Nautilus is calm now.

Too calm.

Like the world hasn’t caught up to what I’ve just done.

I lean back in the captain’s chair.

“…How the hell am I supposed to explain this to them?”

The console lights dim.

Target eliminated.

Enemy forces crippled.

Strategic victory confirmed.

Victory.

I stare at my reflection in the darkened monitor.

Who the hell is that guy?

Cautious.

Overthinking.

Paranoid.

Always calculating worst-case scenarios.

Because if anything—

Anything—

Happens to Luna…

To Harmonia.

To Elowen.

To any of them—

I would never forgive myself.

Never.

My fingers tighten against the armrest.

The image on the monitor blurs.

I realize—

I’m crying.

“…Tch.”

Of course I am.

I know that pain.

The weight of taking lives.

Even if they were enemies.

Even if it was war.

Even if it was necessary.

It still burns.

My chest feels tight.

My breathing uneven.

Of course I’m scared.

Of course I’m afraid.

But fear doesn’t stop the consequences.

And I refuse—

Refuse—

To let hesitation cost someone I love their life.

“I don’t care…” I whisper.

“If I have to be feared…”

“If I have to be the villain…”

“I’m going home.”

Even if they look at me differently.

Even if they—

“That is poppycock!!!”

I flinch.

“…What?”

Luna’s voice.

Inside my head.

“When I get my hands on you, I’m going to have a long chat with that Conrad. He influenced you, didn’t he?!”

“…Luna?”

The air behind me distorts.

A flash of silver light.

And suddenly—

She’s here.

She teleports straight into the cockpit.

And lands—

Directly on my lap.

“Dumb,” she mutters.

I blink.

“…You can’t just—”

She grabs my collar.

Pulls me forward.

Her forehead presses against mine.

Her eyes are sharp.

Angry.

Worried.

Red around the edges.

“You think I don’t know what you’re thinking?”

I look away.

She doesn’t let me.

Her hands grab my face.

Force me to look at her.

“This is not yours to bear alone, dumbass.”

Her voice cracks slightly.

“You think we didn’t choose this too?”

Silence fills the cockpit.

I swallow.

“I killed thousands.”

“Yes,” she says immediately.

No hesitation.

“Yes, you did.”

That hurts more than denial would have.

“But you didn’t do it for pride.”

“You didn’t do it for power.”

“You did it because you were afraid of losing us.”

Her grip softens.

She leans forward.

Her forehead rests against my chest now.

Her voice quieter.

“Don’t decide by yourself that we would see you as a villain.”

“…But what if you do?”

She looks up at me.

Eyes blazing.

“Then I’ll punch you first before anyone else does.”

I almost laugh.

Almost.

Her arms wrap around me suddenly.

Tight.

Warm.

Real.

“This burden?” she whispers.

“It’s ours.”

“You don’t get to carry it alone.”

My hands hover for a second.

Then I give in.

I wrap my arms around her.

Pull her close.

Her heartbeat.

Fast.

Alive.

She’s alive.

Because I acted.

Because I crossed that line.

My chest tightens again.

“I was scared…” I admit quietly.

“I know.”

“I still am.”

“I know.”

She tilts her head slightly.

“And if you ever try to go nuclear again without telling me…”

“…You’ll what?”

She narrows her eyes.

“You know what I mean…nya..”

“…not funny”

She punches my shoulder lightly.

“dummy”

Despite everything—

A weak laugh escapes me.

The tension breaks just a little.

She buries her face into my chest again.

Softly now.

“…You’re not alone.”

Outside—

The sea remains calm.

But the world above is already changing.

Kings will talk.

Generals will panic.

Prophecy will whisper louder.

But inside the Nautilus—

For just a moment—

It’s quiet.

Just us.

Two idiots.

Trying to survive a world that keeps escalating.

I close my eyes.

Hold her tighter.

“…Shut up.”

She smiles faintly against me.

“Make me.”

And for the first time since the white flash—

The weight doesn’t feel crushing.

Just heavy.

And shared.

Western Frontlines

The battlefield is silent.

Not quiet.

Silent.

Bolg stands at the edge of what used to be a war zone.

Where thousands clashed—

Now there is only scorched earth.

And glass.

The ground itself has melted.

Sand fused into jagged crystal sheets reflecting the sky like broken mirrors.

Wind blows.

Ash drifts.

“Commander Bolg!!!”

A templar knight runs toward him, helmet under his arm.

Bolg does not turn.

“Any remains?”

The knight hesitates.

“…No, sir.”

He swallows.

“Nothing intact. Just sand… and ash.”

He gestures shakily.

“The explosion… it turned sections of the ground into glass.”

Bolg kneels.

Touches the fused earth.

Still warm.

Still humming faintly with residual heat.

“This power…”

His voice lowers.

“…It was not Lord Thalorien.”

The knight stiffens.

“Sir?”

Bolg rises slowly.

“This is not divine blessing.”

“It is something else.”

He looks toward the western horizon—where the light came from.

“I must seek his counsel.”

He turns sharply.

“We return to the capital.”

“Others remain. Bolster defenses. Increase patrol radius by triple.”

“What about the Demon Kingdom?” another knight asks.

Bolg’s jaw tightens.

“…Leave them.”

His eyes narrow.

“I have a feeling they were struck as well.”

And for the first time—

The Temple Knights march not in fear—

But in awe.

Caelestis – Holy Chamber

High above marble halls and stained glass windows—

Pope Thalorien stands before a massive crystal orb.

The orb flickers faintly.

Reflecting distant ocean waters.

His hand trembles as he grips his staff.

“…I must speak to him.”

He coughs violently.

A handkerchief presses to his lips.

A faint stain of red.

“The Child…”

“…I must confirm…”

The crystal pulses.

Connection established.

The Nautilus – Submerged

The submarine hums quietly beneath the sea.

Randy sleeps in the captain’s chair.

Head tilted slightly.

Breathing steady but heavy.

Luna sits beside him.

One hand gently running through his hair.

“You look exhausted…”

Her voice is soft.

“…Me too.”

The weight of what happened still lingers.

Suddenly—

The console flickers.

A soft chime.

Incoming transmission.

Luna’s eyes sharpen instantly.

Her posture changes.

The princess returns.

A face forms within the console projection.

An elderly man.

Golden robes.

Sharp but tired eyes.

“Is that you… child?”

Luna narrows her gaze.

Randy doesn’t wake.

“…Who are you?”

The man leans slightly closer.

“The boy… is he with you?”

Luna’s hand immediately moves toward her blade.

“Identify yourself.”

Her tone is cold now.

“Speak carefully.”

“This will be the last time we entertain unknown voices.”

The man bows his head slightly.

“I am Lord Thalorien.”

“Supreme Pontiff of the Caelestis Kingdom.”

Luna’s eyes flicker.

But she does not relax.

“And how,” she asks evenly,

“Did you contact us?”

Thalorien closes his eyes briefly.

“…The blast.”

“The light.”

“The mana disturbance.”

“It tore through the heavens.”

“I followed its echo.”

Luna’s voice hardens.

“That does not answer my question.”

Thalorien studies her carefully.

“You protect him fiercely.”

“Yes.”

Without hesitation.

A faint smile touches the Pope’s lips.

“Good.”

Luna’s grip tightens.

“How do we know you are who you claim to be?”

A pause.

Thalorien raises his hand.

The crystal projection shifts—

Behind him, the great seal of Caelestis illuminates.

Holy sigils pulse.

Recognizable.

Authentic.

Even Luna recognizes it from royal archives.

Still—

“Seals can be forged,” she replies.

The Pope chuckles weakly.

“…You are cautious.”

“I approve.”

He coughs again.

This time longer.

Randy stirs slightly in his sleep.

Luna immediately softens—

Then sharpens again.

“What do you want?”

Thalorien’s eyes shift to Randy.

“…I need to speak with him.”

“Why?”

“Because what he did today…”

The crystal flickers.

“…Has shifted prophecy.”

Silence.

Luna’s heartbeat quickens slightly.

“Explain.”

Thalorien exhales slowly.

“The Western Demon capital was struck.”

“Half of it gone.”

Luna freezes.

“…Half?”

“Yes.”

“And that power…”

His voice lowers.

“…Does not belong to gods.”

“It belongs to something new.”

The ocean outside hums faintly.

The Nautilus lights dim slightly.

Luna’s voice becomes ice.

“If this is an attempt to control him—”

“It is not.”

Thalorien interrupts gently.

“It is an attempt to prevent catastrophe.”

A beat.

“Others will not see him as savior.”

“They will see him as threat.”

Luna already knows that.

She glances at Randy.

Sleeping.

Human.

Tired.

“…Then let them,” she whispers.

Thalorien’s eyes sharpen.

“You misunderstand.”

“The prophecy did not say the Child would save the world.”

“It said he would change it.”

The crystal flickers ominously.

“And change…”

“…is feared.”

The submarine grows quiet again.

Luna stares at the Pope.

“And what side are you on, Lord Thalorien?”

He smiles faintly.

“That… is precisely why I must speak to him.”

Transmission signal weakens.

“I will contact you again.”

The image fades.

The console goes dark.

Silence fills the cockpit once more.

Luna exhales slowly.

“…Great.”

She looks at Randy.

“…You just had to vaporize half a capital, didn’t you?”

He mumbles half-asleep.

“…Preemptive…”

She sighs.

“…Idiot.”

But her fingers continue running gently through his hair.

Outside—

The ocean is calm.

Too calm.

As if it did not witness a sun fall from the heavens.

But across continents—

Kings whisper.

Demons regroup.

Prophecy accelerates.

And somewhere in the deep—

The Nautilus hums quietly.

Inside the Nautilus

Luna sits in the captain’s chair now.

Randy is asleep beside her, head resting against the console.

Exhausted.

Not the sleep of peace.

The sleep of someone who forced himself past his limits.

She brushes his hair gently away from his eyes.

“Randy…”

Her voice is soft.

“You’re not alone in this.”

Her hand tightens slightly.

“I won’t let you carry it by yourself.”

He stirs faintly.

“…Mm… fine…”

She almost smiles.

“Idiot.”

Outside the viewport—

The ocean stretches endlessly.

But her thoughts are anything but calm.

Thalorien.

Prophecy.

Half a capital erased.

The world will react.

And they will come looking.

Above – The Stroud

The crew stands on deck under the afternoon sky.

The air smells of salt and burned mana.

Elowen folds her arms.

“Well… Luna and Randy are inside that ship.”

She snorts lightly.

“Typical.”

Seraphina doesn’t laugh.

She’s staring at something in her palm.

“Elowen…”

Her voice is low.

“…Look at this.”

Elowen steps closer.

A medallion.

Silver.

Cracked.

The royal crest engraved at its center.

Elowen’s expression shifts.

“…Wait.”

She takes it gently.

Her eyes widen.

“This is… your kingdom’s insignia.”

Seraphina nods slowly.

“Yes.”

Her jaw tightens.

“This shouldn’t be here.”

Silence settles around them.

“What happened… to my home?”

For a moment—

The fierce spear-wielding warrior looks like a lost girl.

Harmonia immediately wraps her arms around her.

“Fina!! Don’t look so glum!”

She squeezes her dramatically.

“Hey, look at me! Smile! We’re alive!”

Seraphina exhales softly.

“…You’re crushing my ribs.”

“Good! Then you can’t frown!”

A faint smile breaks through.

Just barely.

“I need to confirm this,” Seraphina says quietly.

“I need to know what happened.”

Elowen nods.

“…We’ll ask Randy.”

A beat.

“Though he has a lot of explaining to do.”

Nu Wa tilts her head.

“Arr, what be the scuttlebutt? What transpired beneath those waves?”

Elowen rubs her temple.

“One crisis at a time…”

Eira bursts into laughter.

“Bwahahaha! That old crone got what was comin’ to her!”

She twirls her blade.

“Now the Sea Serpent clan, eh?”

The Elder Black Wolf steps forward proudly.

“‘Pirate King’ has a nice ring to it, don’t it?”

He grins.

“The Sea Wolves shall follow in our wake to the Brethren Court.”

“…Lockbolt!!”

“Aye!?”

“Gather the fleet!”

“Aye!!!”

Lockbolt runs off, shouting orders.

The deck fills with renewed energy.

Momentum.

Reputation.

Fear.

But Elowen remains focused.

“We wait for Randy and Luna.”

The Nautilus Emerges

The sea trembles.

Water parts.

The massive black hull of the Nautilus rises from beneath the waves.

Steam hisses from its sides.

The hatch opens.

Only Luna steps out.

No Randy.

Elowen immediately steps forward.

“What happened?”

“He’s asleep.”

Luna’s tone is calm but firm.

“He needs rest.”

Harmonia immediately attempts to dash past her.

“Let me see him—!”

Luna blocks her with one arm.

“No.”

“But—!”

“He. Needs. Rest.”

Harmonia puffs her cheeks.

“…Fine!”

She sulks dramatically.

Elowen studies Luna carefully.

“You look serious.”

Luna nods once.

“Someone contacted us.”

The deck quiets instantly.

Elowen sighs.

“…Of course.”

“And who might that be?”

“Lord Thalorien.”

Elowen freezes.

“…Great.”

She rubs her face.

“Another problem.”

“What does he want?” Nu Wa asks.

“To speak with Randy.”

“Did he?”

“No.”

Luna’s eyes sharpen.

“I spoke to him.”

Elowen exhales in relief.

“Good.”

A faint smirk touches her lips.

“Wouldn’t bode well if Randy started discussing prophecy right now.”

Luna crosses her arms.

“What do you know about him?”

Elowen thinks for a moment.

“My father met him once.”

Slight pause.

“Said he was a fine gentleman.”

Another pause.

“…But.”

Luna waits.

“Shrewd.”

“Cunning.”

“The kind who smiles while calculating ten steps ahead.”

Luna nods slowly.

“…I figured.”

She looks toward the horizon.

“The blast changed things.”

“Yes,” Elowen replies quietly.

“Now everyone knows.”

Silence hangs between them.

The world will not treat Randy the same anymore.

He is no longer rumor.

He is no longer anomaly.

He is deterrence.

Beneath the Surface

Inside the Nautilus—

Randy shifts in his sleep.

Dreaming.

Not of explosions.

Not of battle.

But of home.

Of a place far away.

Of a promise.

And for now—

He sleeps.

Unaware that above deck—

Allies are gathering.

Fleets are mobilizing.

And politics are tightening around his name.

The ocean is calm.

But the era of small wars is over.

Now—

It is no longer about battles.

It is about kingdoms.

And kingdoms… remember.

The ocean is calm.

Too calm.

The wreckage of war drifts like broken memories across the water — charred splinters, shattered armor, faint steam rising where heat once devoured the sea.

On the deck of the Stroud, the wind carries salt… and silence.

Luna walks toward the bow where Nu Wa and Tikka stand side by side, both staring at the horizon.

Neither of them are smiling.

That alone is unsettling.

“I apologize… for what happened,” Luna says quietly, fingers tightening against her sleeve.

Tikka exhales through her nose, smoke faintly escaping her lips in her human form.

“Don’t apologize,” she replies firmly. “If it weren’t for Randy… none of us would have survived that ordeal.”

Her golden eyes flicker — not in fear.

But in respect.

Nu Wa lets out a rough, amused chuckle.

"Arr, a dark horse, ye say? A pup that can make an old sea dog like Silverfang show his belly? Hah! I like the cut of his jib."

She rests a boot on the railing, grinning.

"There’s more to that lad than meets the eye. A storm’s brewin’ behind that quiet gaze, I’d wager. This voyage just got a whole lot more interestin’."

Luna forces a small smile.

“Thank you… I think.”

But inside—

She knows.

They saw it.

They all saw it.

The sky splitting open.

The world trembling.

The power Randy unleashed was not something this world understands.

Not yet.

Tikka crosses her arms, gaze shifting toward the distant horizon.

“Well then. We sail to the Serpent Clan. They are expecting us. Elder Black Wolf sent word of our arrival.”

Elowen sighs, leaning against a mast.

“Well that’s a start.”

Seraphina stands quietly, her fingers wrapped tightly around the medallion at her chest.

Its surface feels colder than usual.

“I really feel we need to settle this soon…” Luna murmurs.

“I agree…” Seraphina says softly. “Because… I have this uneasy feeling right now.”

Elowen nods.

“Yeah. Same. Like something shifted.”

The wind changes direction.

Somewhere far beyond the horizon—

Kings whisper.

Demons regroup.

Priests pray.

And something ancient begins to stir.

Inside the Nautilus

The metal walls hum softly.

Dim blue light glows across the console panels.

Randy sleeps.

But it isn’t peaceful.

Dream

Darkness.

Then—

A flicker.

Footsteps echo across nothingness.

Randy stands alone in a vast white space.

“…Randy.”

The voice is familiar.

Too familiar.

He turns.

A man stands there.

He look young yet

Calm.

Sharp eyes.

Wearing clothes that don’t belong in this world, but he does look familiar…

“…Uncle?”

To be continued