The Perfect Timing
Unintentionally, the right environment and conditions were set. Fendalzous was neutralized, a knight capable of facing the Ocean King was present, and the Demon God had no choice but to appear. If not now, when else could they eliminate the Demon God?
“Zion, did you feel it?”
“It seems to have found its owner.”
“You know who it is, right?”
“Of course, you noticed it too?”
“It’s hard not to.”
Hanette sensed the aura of Guerganvo as soon as she saw the light brown energy. The condensed magical energy indicated a powerful swordsman, and it was sharper than Zion's, confirming her thoughts about the sword’s new owner.
“What should we do now…”
The ground shook as earthen walls began to rise from all around. Hanette tried to regain her balance, but Zion held her tightly, feeling the energy of Guerganvo from the walls, waiting for the vibrations to stop.
“We need to handle this first… and then explain things properly.”
They had kept information about the Magic Swords strictly secret until now. Only Magic Sword users were aware, but now the King was involved. They would need to explain why they kept it a secret in a way that the King could accept.
“Will an explanation be enough?”
“It has to be. Too many people are involved.”
Two Setinos Quasar, two noble daughters, and direct royal family members—all held Magic Swords. While they could be punished if investigated, it would be complicated and burdensome. Moreover, they were among the few strong defenders, so they couldn't just be discarded.
‘First, we need to find the Demon God…’
Predicting where and how the Demon God would appear was impossible. Thus, they needed to go to the Ocean King’s location and wait for the Demon God.
‘Even if we only weaken him, we can seize the next opportunity.’
The Demon God vanished just before being destroyed, attempting to revive through the Three Demon Kings. There might be other ways he could survive. Thus, eliminating the Demon God was the top priority, while also considering other possibilities.
The Demon God, attempting to use the Ocean King, found himself in a precarious situation. Numerous knights and soldiers surrounded the Ocean King, including Setinos Quasar and Magic Sword users. To reach the Ocean King, the Demon God would face all these adversaries, making it hard to endure if all their attacks targeted him at once.
‘He was too greedy.’
Zion smirked, trying to sense the Demon God. Losing the artificial Magic Sword and Abyssal King should have made him more cautious. However, the Demon God gave the artificial Magic Sword to the Ocean King to cover his losses. If the plan had succeeded, he would have gained much, but its failure meant a significant setback.
‘If he loses power, he’ll rely on the Four Calamities.’
The Four Calamities might cooperate with the Demon God. Slime Dragon wanted to become a complete dragon, and Bone Dragon needed to survive Slime Dragon. The Demon God would benefit regardless of which side he allied with.
‘If they merge, it’s over.’
It didn’t matter who devoured whom between Slime Dragon and Bone Dragon. The result would be the same: merging their powers to return to their original form. The strategy Alain Kingdom needed would vary depending on who emerged victorious.
‘First, deal with the Demon God, then think about the rest.’
On Fendalzous, the Deck
Up in the sky, the battle was heavily in their favor, making it impossible to lose. They had already damaged part of the palace, demonstrating the futility of a counterattack. The plan was to gradually pressure the enemy, draw them into a prolonged battle, and then kill the human queen after demoralizing them.
But when the second bombardment was intercepted by a sword aura, the Ocean King was a bit shaken.
‘…They can’t reach us.’
The Ocean King peered down, feeling inexplicably uneasy. To extend the range of a sword aura, one must sacrifice power and speed. Despite that, the aura had reached near Fendalzous and neutralized their attack.
‘If we go higher, they can’t attack.’
This altitude was close to the maximum range for bombardment. In a prolonged battle, increasing the distance would nullify the fight. It might be better to move around to confuse the enemy's tracking.
‘There’s no reason to fear.’
The Ocean King remembered the past defeat during an invasion of Alain Kingdom. Despite many deaths, humans had ultimately repelled Fendalzous without giving up. Why did this memory overlap with the present?
‘I have the advantage. They can’t reach here.’
Sword auras, magic, holy spells—none could touch this height. The earlier sword aura had reached them but only neutralized the bombardment. Even the strongest humans couldn’t overcome this distance.
‘This time, I’ll win…’
In a split second, a light brown light flashed from the ground. Instantly turning golden, it shot toward Fendalzous. The Ocean King tried to evade, but the golden sword aura had already struck the bow.
“This can’t be…”
The golden sword aura sliced through Fendalzous rapidly. The crew on deck turned to ashes, and those who survived were thrown off the ship. Fendalzous tilted and began plummeting toward the ground.
“My ship! My ship!”
Clutching the helm, the Ocean King wailed in despair. The ship that had always been with him was disintegrating. Despite the arduous repairs, it was being destroyed so easily.
“Once isn’t enough?”
The Ocean King held onto the helm till the end. Having ruled both land and sea, he believed he could conquer the sky. These mere humans, who only lived on land, had just been lucky in shooting down Fendalzous.
“Do you think I’ll die here?”
The Ocean King released his power, preparing for the impact. Numerous humans would swarm to kill him. Among them might be the one who destroyed Fendalzous.
“I’ll kill… I’ll kill you all!”
Fendalzous’ debris crashed into the earthen walls, producing thunderous roars. The crew members were torn apart upon hitting the walls. Skilled individuals like the first mate and the boatswain managed to avoid the walls but were crushed upon hitting the ground.
“I’ll flay your skin and rub salt in the wounds!”
Using magic to cushion the fall, the Ocean King stood up. Earthen walls surrounded him. The crew was scattered, and Fendalzous could no longer fly. Though isolated, he hadn’t encountered any humans yet.
‘…Did they trap themselves with me?’
The Ocean King glanced around, then moved quickly. Breaking through the earthen walls would attract attention. It might be better to gather his crew while pretending to fall for the enemy’s strategy.
‘They won’t find me.’
Fendalzous’ debris hung on the earthen walls. Seeing the pieces of his crew fueled his vengeance. How could humans have grown so strong in such a short time? One human shot down Fendalzous, purely with sword aura, not some trick.
‘Fighting such a foe…’
The Ocean King’s feet felt stuck, and he looked down. The ground’s dirt rose, binding his legs. He released magic to shake off the dirt.
“Are you the Ocean King?”
A section of the earthen wall sank, revealing an armored human. Hundreds of knights and soldiers appeared behind her. The Ocean King instinctively recognized this human and gathered his power.
“Did you destroy my ship?”
“That nuisance was getting in the way, so I destroyed it. Now it’s your turn.”
Brandish raised Guerganvo, glaring at the Ocean King. There was no escape. Any attempt to break the walls would make them stronger, and moving away would get him caught by the dirt. If he attacked, she would cut him down swiftly.
“I’ll kill you!”
The Ocean King threw three daggers at Brandish. Two were poisoned, and the third carried his magic, the real attack. All three were imbued with magic, making it hard to discern the true threat.
“…Is that all?”
Brandish saw through the trick but didn’t dodge. She simply raised Guerganvo and struck down lightly. The sword emitted golden energy.
“Gah…!”
The daggers vanished in the brilliant light. The Ocean King’s left arm was severed, the golden sword aura piercing the earthen wall. The broken wall reformed, and the golden aura faded.
“Ha… It’s useless.”
The Ocean King, regaining control of his stiff body, released magic. His severed left arm floated back and reattached seamlessly.
“You’re mimicking the Abyssal King?”
Brandish, with calm eyes, poured magic into Guerganvo. She had already used much of her power but couldn’t back down now. If she couldn’t kill him, she would find a way to imprison and destroy him.
“You’re worthless.”
Suddenly, a dark red shroud appeared around the Ocean King. Brandish infused Guerganvo with magic, preparing to strike. But before she could, a dark blue sword aura sliced through the shroud.
“My power…!”
The Ocean King, in shock, examined himself. Part of his magic had vanished upon being cut. What had just happened? A knight in dark blue armor approached. Brandish quickly recognized him, and the Ocean King glared furiously.
The knight, with light purple glowing eyes, sharpened his sword with magic.
“Your darkness is no different from the Abyssal King’s.”