Off the coast of Crescent Moon's End, floating atop the harsh sea waves were two vessels that glowed with colorful hues.
The larger of the pair was decorated with flaming magenta sails that distorted the air around them, a thick drowsiness befalling any spectators.
Around three hundred men stood aboard the ship, bowing respectfully towards the similar vessel that bobbed up and down in the sea waves nearby.
Golden skulls adorned the guardrails of the second boat, the aura of death radiating from its very presence.
Like the magenta ship, the sails glowed with fire; this one, however, a sickly green that flowed as if spirits were trapped inside the cloth.
Only three men stood aboard the other deck, yet, not for a moment was their presence insignificant compared to the three hundred atop the first ship.
With a steady throw, one of the men at the magenta ship, Irvin Webley, placed a gangway between the two, connecting them with thick boards.
Stepping back hurriedly, he bowed to the burly man who walked across the divide, making his way towards the magenta Ghostship.
His eyes never left the purple-haired man ahead of him, who greeted him warmly with a firm handshake.
"What happened here, Vaelmyr?"
Lepaie Quinn's voice was quiet yet powerful, his crew tensing in wait for the King of Souls' response.
The sea itself lapped against the hull, creating thunderous explosions of water that nearly surged onto the deck.
"Prepare me a telegram to Twynam and dismiss your crew. We have to discuss this privately."
Lord Droskyn's words echoed throughout the vessel, meeting the ears of all who watched the Kings speak.
Nodding solemnly, Lepaie ordered his men to disperse while telling his first mate to fetch the telegraph.
Walking together towards the cabin, the two began their discussion, a heavy weight to their words, basking the mood in gloom.
"The Labyrinth of Delphin has been breached, the second seal destroyed, and…"
He paused, the words clinging to his tongue as he remembered his failure to stop the devil's plan.
"The man who murdered Orion escaped with his subordinates."
Lepaie's expression faded as he heard the news, the reminder of his closest friend's death still lingering in his mind.
Both men had darkness hanging in their hearts following the events at Deity's Descent all those months ago.
Orion Cosmoti had been an integral force within the Association, but more than that, he was their closest friend.
Reaching the captain's chamber, they entered slowly, the weighty silence between the two finally fading as Irvin left the room.
Lepaie spoke first as he sat down in his soft chair that he had custom-made from the hides of high-level terrors.
"Do we have any knowledge of where the remaining two seals are?"
The King of Souls simply shook his head, a frown tugging at the corners of his lips.
"The last records of the Ten Great Ones were lost during the burning of the Library of Nautilus. Perhaps Cauron would know more; however, whether he will share or not is unknown."
Taking a seat of his own, he turned towards his fellow king, whose face was worn from age and whose hair was speckled with white streaks.
Speaking with annoyance, Lepaie responded to the man.
"Thorn has no more knowledge than us when it comes to this. Do we know if anything is stored within the Vault of Nautilus that could be of help?"
Picking up a cup of tea from the table beside him, he gently sipped on the hot liquid while waiting for Vaelmyr's answer.
"The Vault is sealed until December, and it has limited access. Unless we persuade the Guild to grant us their tokens, not even we could break through."
Displeasure at the constant intervention of Alex Lispentine, the head of the Hunters' Guild, irked many of the Association's finest; however, with the political power the Association held, not even they could interfere without severe consequences.
Furthermore, the Vault of Nautilus, a tomb designed as the final fail-safe of the ancient Architects, was protected with powerful magic.
To prevent thieves from plundering their treasures, they had cast defensive mana to ensnare the entrance, only allowing five visitors per year to enter.
Every other year, the Hunters' Guild was allowed to offer these spots to their most powerful rookies, an opportunity obtained by placing in the top five of the Hunters' Exam.
No person is able to enter twice, a sacred rule chosen by the government, enforced by the Knights of Crimson who guard the entrance.
This system continuously protected the storeroom from threats while also enacting one final protocol to safeguard their most valuable treasures.
Only one item could be taken per visitor, forcing an individual to choose between thousands of rare and exotic rewards.
Both Vaelmyr and Lepaie had entered the vault after being ordained as Kings, limiting their options greatly.
Each had taken items of extreme value that were tied with their contractor, a tool that would enhance their own strengths while doubling the power of their Ghostships.
The Lord of Souls had taken an hourglass that could siphon his power among his subordinates, allowing him to protect various regions at once.
The Lord of Dreams, who had chosen years before him, had taken an item that had caused a stir among the other Kings.
A single, feather-filled pillow that had fallen to the Dimension of Waves after a skirmish between the God of Dreams and the God of Warfare.
When slept on, it would grant the wielder the ability to enter others' dreams, controlling their visions and communicating in the astral plane.
So, as the two men debated about how to gain entry into the sealed chamber that contained items of immense value, a certain idea emerged.
"What if we have one of this year's challengers select a weapon to combat the Great Ones? It must exist, so why shouldn't we take it?"
Lepaie's words were stiff and resolute as he addressed the King of Souls, awaiting his answer that came soon after.
With a slight furrowing of his brow, Vaelmyr remembered something he had read in the newspaper the previous day.
"I saw that the rankings of the first mission were released. The top three would be our best option to coax into joining our cause."
Stretching his legs out, he watched as Quinn contemplated the idea before shouting to the man waiting outside the door.
"Irvin! Lord Droskyn requires the newspaper."
Shaking his head lightly with a smile across his face, the King of Souls looked at Lepaie and spoke quietly.
"Why must you speak to your subordinates that way, Lepaie? Maybe they'd be happy to join me if I told them what I could offer them…"
Reaching into his cloak and revealing the crimson hourglass, he saw Quinn's face stiffen as he added another word to Irvin.
"Please…"
…
After moving to the dining table, both Kings read the formal rankings as listed by the Hunters' Guild early that week.
"Javier's descendant is listed at fifth place…"
Frowning, Lepaie remembered the curse that plagued the Flock bloodline, a sad memory shared among those who wielded the Ghostship of Dreams.
His own patron, the one he had contracted, did not hold the same moral guidelines as humans.
He was a god, a being that reigned in a realm higher than the puny world of humans that was filled with terrors.
Vaelmyr paused for a moment as he contemplated the thought, finally speaking aloud after a momentary break.
"No. He is ranked fifth, a spot easily lost. Furthermore, he would have no enthusiasm about working with the King of Dreams after what your god did to him."
Wrinkling his nose at the purple-haired man, he looked back at the paper, reading a familiar name that ranked second.
"Akari Ayaka. That girl was here only a few days ago… She would be a perfect candidate if we were to convince her."
Looking up at the suited man, Vaelmyr watched as his lips began to move, a response already coming out.
"She was trained by Xeon. It would reflect poorly upon us to work with someone so closely tied to that disgrace."
Turning his own gaze downward towards the paper, he glossed over the two Steinfeste brothers who already had enough wealth and power, finally landing his eyes on the first-place spot.
"Aaron Grimstall…"
Vaelmyr spoke first, saying the words that Lepaie was thinking and leaving a heavy silence to befall the room before he spoke again.
"That Akari girl mentioned to me that they were close friends. She also mentioned he was trained personally by Camilla."
Quinn's eyes widened as he heard those words, his thoughts a mix of confusion and fear for what that woman had created in that boy.
"Would he be convinced by our offer?"
Lepaie spoke quietly to the white-haired man in front of him, watching his face contort in thought.
"I have never met him myself, however, according to your first mate, you should've seen him before."
His words left the purple-haired man further confused, his furrowed brow only deepening as he prodded the King of Souls for what he meant.
"He was the child who had been hunting the Oblivacis. The very same Apex that you slew after arriving at the scene."
Realization struck Lepaie at once; however, the memory of only sensing the Steinfeste boy remained inside his head.
"I have never met that boy? Are you certain he was at the scene of that attack?"
Thinking back to Irvin's strange words that day, he froze, a slow sinking feeling filling his chest.
"No… How would a mere child evade my senses… Does he have an artifact? No… That wouldn't—"
As he dived into pointless rambles, Vaelmyr interrupted him with curiosity in his voice.
"Perhaps we should go meet this Aaron Grimstall to determine if he would be the right fit for this job. If he were able to deceive your Dreamscape, then he might already have a tool at the level of a King."
Nodding gently while falling backwards in his chair, the purple-haired Sea King thought back to that odd day, the voice of his god vanishing as he appeared on that scene.
His whispers in his dreams had been absent that night, an unusual phenomenon for the King of Dreams who conversed with this being.
Thinking of Cosmoti, who had always been lucky in his life before even becoming the King of Curses, he wondered about this boy.
A child who had a mysterious history, a powerful trainer, and the ability to deceive a king's vision.
Could this boy be the one who will replace him as King?