"Where does it end?"
"When you and I become the same, won't it end then?"
"What do you mean by becoming the same?"
"It means neither chasing after you nor getting ahead of you. I want to walk side by side with you."
Zion seemed to ponder for a moment before understanding what Hanette meant. She probably felt like she was falling behind him, always having to follow his lead and playing second fiddle.
"You mean I'm being selfish?"
"I can't keep up with you. It would be nice if you told me what you were planning, but you always keep it a secret. You keep getting stronger, and I feel stuck here. What should I do?"
Hanette looked at Zion with a bitter expression. Despite always doing her best and contributing to defeating the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities, she felt like she was just circling around Zion, drifting further away as time passed.
“…Sister, I think about a lot of things. I don’t know if I can do well."
"What are you worried about?"
"Demon God and dragons might revive."
Zion finally mentioned them. Since she was willing to go with him to the end, he couldn’t keep it a secret any longer. Even if it didn't change anything, she needed to be by his side.
"Does Cardinal Serenine know too?"
"You've already figured it out?"
"There aren't many people who stick with you besides me. It would be strange if I didn’t know."
"I tried not to show it."
"You can't hide it. I can see you trying to keep me away."
"……."
Zion hesitated briefly before avoiding Hanette’s gaze. Hanette, looking upset, pulled him closer.
"I trust you, but don’t you trust me?"
"It's not about trust. Cardinal Serenine already knew."
"How did you know?"
"…I did a lot of research before obtaining Exceed Rain. I made judgments based on that information."
Zion spoke the truth as he glanced at Hanette. Although not all the information was accurate, it was still helpful. Without it, they would have been at the mercy of the Three Demon Kings and Four Calamities.
"Haa… No wonder you didn’t seem happy……."
"You mean when we defeated the beasts? I was happy. I just didn’t show it."
"Don’t lie. You were always worried. I wondered what you were thinking about so much……."
Hanette held back her rising irritation as she glared at Zion. It didn’t seem like he was certain about anything, but he appeared to be making plans. It was annoying because he did it all without telling her.
"Is it that hard to talk to me?"
"I can handle the hardships alone. You don’t need to suffer too."
"……."
Hanette bit her lip and tightly grasped Zion’s hand. She understood what he meant. She had to understand and not be stubborn. But she felt he didn’t realize how close he had come to death because of that mindset.
"Keeping secrets from me? That’s fine. Who doesn’t have secrets? Meeting others secretly? You must have your reasons. Worrying alone? I can’t think for you. But… I won’t forgive you for shouldering everything alone. I can handle it too. I can be like you!"
Hanette shouted with her head bowed. Zion swallowed his silence, just watching her.
"Did you say you could marry me? Doing everything your way?"
"Sister……."
"I know why you did it… but I can’t accept it……."
Hanette softly muttered as she leaned her forehead against Zion’s chest. Zion closed his eyes slowly, feeling an emptiness in his heart.
"Why are you doing this to me? Is it because you’re afraid I’ll get hurt?"
"…I would regret it if you got hurt. For my whole life."
"Are you happy if I stay locked up here?"
"Then you wouldn’t get hurt. But……."
Zion gently opened his eyes and stroked Hanette’s hair. Her soft, neat hair was growing long again. He wished she would always keep it long, but she kept cutting it.
"I can’t ignore your thoughts. I might not win without you."
"Do you really need me? Am I not a burden?"
"If you were a burden, would I be saying this?"
"Tell me clearly here. What do you want me to do?"
"Just stay alive without a scratch. That’s enough."
Zion slowly released his hand from Hanette, expressing his simple wish. He didn't need her to stay by his side or marry him; he just hoped she wouldn’t get hurt or die, no matter what she did or where she was.
"I can’t do it alone. You have to be with me."
"Then… as you said, we’ll see it through together. Can you really do that?"
"I will stay with you no matter what. Even if you push me away, I’ll hold on. So never… never do this again."
Though disheartened, Hanette wasn’t bound by it. Zion’s thoughts were as important as her own, and she had to respect them. It wasn’t a deceit but a small mistake and consideration.
"I won’t do it again. I promise."
"I’m not asking you to reveal all your secrets. Just… tell me things like this."
Hanette nestled into Zion’s embrace with her eyes closed. If she could fall asleep like this, perhaps she would feel at ease. But knowing Zion’s worries, her mind remained sharp.
‘How much are you seeing?’
She couldn’t know what Zion had encountered. Enrite must have gone through a similar process before facing Zion. What were their thoughts as they fought their enemies?
‘I must be helpful…….’
The continent of Karonbelaz, the fortress of the Ocean King.
Ocean King Mu Pendals had made significant efforts to hide his fortress, unlike the Abyssal King. He couldn’t command as many troops as the Abyssal King and needed ships to fight.
But since the ships were damaged, they needed repair, and acquiring materials wasn’t easy. However, it didn’t mean they couldn’t fight at all, so they could still dominate the surrounding area.
"Deck officer, how is the ship?"
"Repairs are almost done! We can set sail in a few days."
"Hmm… Quartermaster! Do we have enough materials?"
"We barely scraped by."
"Navigator! How long until we reach the destination?"
"It’ll take two days at the shortest, four at the longest."
"Good! We’ll finish in two days and arrive in one!"
"Whoa!"
The captain accelerated the schedule, and the crew cheered, moving busily. They had to comply with the captain’s wishes, fighting until their bodies were torn apart if necessary.
They had no choice but to obey the captain's orders, and escaping from the ship was impossible. They had made a pact to defy death, and their souls and bodies were completely bound.
"The Abyssal King failed because he relied on numbers. I’m not as foolish as him."
Ocean King Mu Pendals downed a bottle of liquor as he watched the ship take shape. He had named it Fendalzous after his fortress. While alive, he had sailed the seas with it, spreading his notoriety.
No human could stop him, and if a beast appeared, he would destroy it on the spot.
"…Captain, the Abyssal King wasn’t weak. The humans just got stronger."
"Of course they did! Humans grow stronger through generations. We have to break that lineage to win."
The Ocean King drank but felt no taste. He had lost his senses as an undead, not even perceiving the liquid. He drank to recall distant memories and indulge in the mood.
"First mate, do you still hold the same opinion?"
"I do. It’s reckless."
"Are you afraid of humans?"
"I think we’re weaker than humans. They’ve grown stronger while we’ve been fixing the ship. We need strength to close that gap."
The Ocean King agreed but couldn’t fully accept it. He and Fendalzous, along with the crew, couldn’t leave the continent of Karonbelaz. It was the price and curse of becoming undead, his greed, and his unfulfilled desire.
Only by annihilating humans could he gain freedom as an undead.
"But we can’t give up. Dying is better than being stuck here, isn’t it?"
"Not that I don’t understand……."
The first mate instinctively drew his sword and swung it behind him. The Ocean King quickly threw a dagger, but the presence had already vanished.
At the same time, a similar presence lingered behind him.
"Want to try again?"
"You…."
"It’s been a while."
The Ocean King belatedly recognized the magic and retrieved his dagger. The figure emerged from the crimson mist with a sinister laugh.
"Am I the only one who recognizes you?"
"It’s been a long time, so I recognized you late. How have you been?"
"Not well. My plans have gone awry."
"Oh… You had failures?"
"I’m relieved. You haven’t changed."
The Demon God unleashed crimson magic and threw something. The Ocean King looked down at the sword on the ground, feeling a strange sensation.
"A peculiar object, isn’t it?"
"It’s the Magic Sword Duran Calgonis, made from dragon bones."
"…Dragon?"
Even the Ocean King knew little about dragons. He only knew they existed alongside the Demon God and were wiped out by humans. Dragons had ruled an era with the Demon God, so they must have immense power.
"Plant this in the ship. It will gain the power of a dragon."
"Are you helping me?"
"I don’t see why not. Didn’t we make a pact?"
The Demon God had made a pact with the Ocean King before leaving only his spirit. The Abyssal King and Immortal King had become Three Demon Kings through similar processes. The pact was originally prepared to counter dragons, not anticipating human interference.
"You could have given this to the Abyssal King."
"…The Abyssal King couldn’t use it."
"What about the Immortal King?"
"I wouldn’t give it to trash."
To use the dragon’s Magic Sword more effectively, it had to be given to the Slime Dragon. The Slime Dragon aimed to devour the Bone Dragon after consuming the Chimera Dragon.
But he couldn’t grant too much power to the dragons, so he intended to use it differently.
"Whether you use it or not is up to you. But… can you defeat humans without it? Hahaha…."
The Demon God vanished with a strange laugh. He had only one Magic Sword left. Now, he had to use this Magic Sword to negotiate with the Slime Dragon.
‘Even if it consumes the Bone Dragon, it can’t return to its former state. If it uses the Magic Sword of immortality…….’