The Brazilian coast emerged on the horizon like a smear of green and gray, broken by coastal structures and cliffs that seemed drawn by ancient hands. The ocean churned around Leviathan's serpentine body, yet did not touch him. He swam between wind and water as if he were part of the world itself.
The landing was silent. A secluded beach, no tourists, no voices. Saravia gave a discreet nod of thanks. Leviathan dove and vanished, dissolving into the sea without leaving a trace—like a forgotten thought. Daytona stepped forward, scanning the surroundings. Ghost was already analyzing the geography, marking points on the cracked tablet he had carried since Europe.
Martin was exhausted, though he tried to hide it. The journey inside Leviathan had been faster than expected—but the ocean's pressure and the absolute silence had weighed on everyone's bones.
— "Is this Bahia?" — Martin asked, frowning.
— "No," Ghost replied firmly. "We're farther south. Near Rio Grande do Sul. Leviathan brought us straight onto the portal's route. If he's right, we'll have to cross part of Argentina before reaching Chile."
Daytona folded her arms. — "And why not fly?"
— "Because the skies aren't safe anymore," Ghost said, looking upward as if expecting something to fall from the clear blue.
Saravia slowly stepped away. Heat was rising. And thirst. Beads of sweat slid down her temples like needles. — "I'll find water," she said. — "Be back in a few minutes."
Daytona nodded. Ghost said nothing. Martin simply watched, a strange tightness in his chest.
⸻
Saravia walked among the trees. The green here was different. Denser, wetter, more… primal. Something in the soil made her senses pulse with a deep, slow vibration. As if the world itself was waiting for something to happen.
She crouched beside a small spring. She cupped her hands, feeling the water slip through her fingers. She was about to drink when she felt it.
The presence.
The air grew lighter and denser at once. The sound of leaves ceased. And a white, piercing glow descended like an invisible spear onto the earth.
Saravia stood.
She knew what it was.
And so did Leviathan.
— Saravia. — he whispered in her mind.
— I know.
The silence broke.
The sky split, and an Angel fell.
He stood among the brush, one of his wings—his left—broken in half. He saw Saravia and said:
— "Well, well… Look at what we have here…"
Saravia's gaze was cold yet sharp, her voice edged with anger as she scanned the Angel's body. — "What are you doing here?"
— "Curiosity brought me," the Angel replied, though his tone was threatening. — "But you… you must be eliminated." His name was Ziam.
Ziam vs Saravia
Ziam struck first, cutting through the brush all at once at nearly 700 km/h, but Saravia leapt backward, dodging.
— "So, you're fast!" — Ziam said with a proud smile, eyes fixed on her.
Saravia didn't answer. She charged at him at Supersonic speed, aiming a precise blow to his face. Ziam flinched, barely dodging, feeling only the rush of wind graze his skin.
— Saravia, it's time… Leviathan spoke inside her mind.
Saravia reached behind her back, pulling her anchor as if it weighed nothing, though it was nearly half a ton. Her eyes glowed blue—faint for now, but glowing.
Ziam felt his chest tighten, as though death itself pressed against him. Yet he smirked, stubborn. — Leviathan… if I defeat her, I might rise to the Thrones. Maybe even Archangel.
Saravia dashed forward at blinding speed, swinging her anchor as chains burst forth—endless, it seemed. The impact carved a crater into the ground. Ziam barely dodged and countered with a punch toward her face—only for Saravia to vanish, reappearing atop a tree he had cut.
Martin, Daytona, and Ghost heard the sounds of battle. Martin ran ahead first, Daytona and Ghost following.
— "Saravia!" — Martin shouted, stepping forward—only for Daytona to raise her arm in front of him.
— "Leave her." — her tone calm. — "I want to see what she can do." They pulled back, hiding near Ghost as he observed coldly.
— "Still going to run?" Ziam taunted, charging at her again.
Saravia steadied her grip on the anchor, her voice low. — "Little angel… today you return to heaven."
Shinkai Jakusari, Fourth Element… Water Jet.
Saravia unleashed her ability before Ziam could react. She hurled the anchor—Shinkai Jakusari—with Ultrasonic force, faster than sight. The blow landed squarely, cleaving Ziam in half. His body disintegrated into golden-yellow ash.
The silence returned as the ash dissolved into the wind like solar dust scattered among leaves. The forest breathed again—though the birds still hesitated to sing.
Saravia stood with her anchor embedded in the earth, her blue eyes fading back to dark brown. Her fingers trembled faintly, but her expression remained composed. Leviathan's voice murmured with satisfaction:
— You've felt the weight of your power. He knew it before he fell.
Saravia wiped sweat from her brow and turned. Daytona was already there, watching intently, eyes narrowed. Martin looked uneasy. Ghost analyzed the battlefield with scientific precision.
— "You killed him… with a named ability," Daytona said quietly. — "That really was Leviathan, wasn't it?"
— "A fragment," Saravia replied, hoisting the anchor onto her back again. — "But enough."
Ghost stepped forward, eyes fixed on the last flickers of energy. — "That angel wasn't here by chance. He was assigned. If the theory holds, the heavens know we're coming. This—" he gestured to the golden ash — "was just bait. A provocation. Not an Archangel. But a warning."
— "Then let's answer it," Daytona said, voice low but firm.
Martin exhaled nervously. — "This is only going to get worse, isn't it?"
— "It already has," Ghost replied.
⸻
The group returned to the coast, emerging from the dense brush. The sun had dipped lower, painting the horizon in crepuscular orange.
As they set up a makeshift camp from tarps and rusted scrap scattered nearby, Saravia drifted apart. She sat on a stone near the sea, staring at the waves with her anchor at her side like a silent sentinel.
— "Leviathan…" she murmured. — "Did you know who he was?"
— I did. the entity answered in her mind. But he wasn't worthy of more than making you thirsty. There are others. Stronger. Older. More… painful.
Saravia closed her eyes. The thirst had gone. But in its place, a strange burning: restrained rage.
Meanwhile, Daytona leafed again through the Book of Archangels beside Ghost and Martin, lit by a hanging lantern.
— "The next step is Setealem, right?" Martin asked.
Ghost nodded. — "Chile. The portal lies hidden in a rift of reality in the mountains. But only Belzebub can activate it."
— "Then we'll need him," Daytona said. — "And when it opens… we'll find Paimon."
Ghost only nodded. Night fell quickly. The group slept, each weighed by their own burdens.
And above, the stars shifted subtly—like ancient eyes watching the birth of a new war.