Mellusine's thoughts began to drift again in a strange direction. Even her core (heart) started to heat up oddly…
Gururu...
Beside her, Shirou gave Mellusine a puzzled look. Why was she releasing mana just to boil the water? Thankfully, he had her outer layer on, so the heat wasn't too bad.
The white foam caused by the steam was quickly crushed by the surrounding water pressure. The massive heat dispersed, and in the vast ocean, calmness gradually returned...
————
But the deepest part of the ocean was far from calm.
Rents and tears split the abyssal trench. The space-tearing phenomena originated here, creating chaotic fragmented pockets of water.
Leviathan rested in the center of a vast circular plaza, his long, spiked tail thrashing and stirring the turbulent currents. At the same time, he chanted from his massive maw in a continuous flood of dragon script. The apocalyptic kotodama, "Gui Xu" (Return to the Void), surged through the tail and into the water.
Using it as a conduit, the water element of all Nibelungen was thrown into utter chaos.
Not far off, Odin's "spatial expansion" control array, powered by a replica Gungnir, now lay crooked and powerless without the Water King's control. Its intended function was no longer relevant.
A quick glance revealed the unstable, erratic flows of the alchemic array. What was meant to stabilize spatial connections now accelerated their collapse.
'Those two red-haired humans… Norton… Jormungandr… and that newly arrived First Generation enemy...'
From the chain of events, Leviathan sensed some unseen hand was sabotaging his original plan step by step. Perhaps it was paranoia. Or perhaps Odin had miscalculated the true player behind the game…
Either way, Leviathan had no intention of surrendering.
Unlike Odin, who had grown sly and soft like a human after his long slumber, this ancient Dragon King still worshipped absolute violence, rigid authority, and deep-seated pride engraved in his bones.
Since all his enemies had appeared here to ruin his plans, then he would repay them with raging currents, ice torrents, and fangs and claws. Victory would not be begged for — it would be seized in a bloody, lethal clash!
The blood of mortal kings must end by the sword!
Leviathan suddenly lifted his massive head high. His tail swept, and above him, a torrent of seawater froze instantly under an invisible command, forming a kilometer-long glacier peak. Then, with a lift of his claw, the massive glacier shot upward with staggering buoyant force and explosive momentum.
Through the water, he sensed someone diving rapidly toward his location.
Very well — here's your greeting gift!
The next second, a sharp, ear-splitting slicing sound spread through the sea. Laser — or rather, a laser-like mana jet — erupted endlessly from a sword blade, cleaving the glacier in two from top to bottom!
Leviathan looked up and saw a black-armored figure and… Mellusine!?
He was sure he wasn't mistaken. That was the experimental sample under the medical association's control. Norton had taken her and disappeared — so she was brought here?
Strange. Mellusine's state seemed like she was acting independently. But that shouldn't be possible…
Leviathan quickly discarded thoughts of Norton's modifications.
Because he no longer had the luxury to ponder them.
Once Shirou and Mellusine arrived and scanned the area, they instantly recognized the array hidden among the ruins as the culprit disrupting space. So, without hesitation, they split up to dismantle the place.
This was something Leviathan could not tolerate.
Wong——
The massive dragon leaped high. His tail slammed into the ancient copper bell atop the plaza's tallest pillar. Instantly, the hidden "residents" of the draconic city came to life.
Countless corpse sentinels burst from doorways, windows, and water channels. Soaked for ages in water, their flesh had decayed into a green-blue rot, but their alchemy-treated skeletons gleamed like hard iron.
Some looked humanoid. Others had serpentine tails, and a few were massive draconic corpse sentinels.
Standing atop the concentric city's highest point, Leviathan could see all intruders clearly.
He saw Mellusine dual-wielding her extra-long blade like a water blender, shredding all incoming sentinels without discrimination.
This level of power far surpassed what the medical association had designed for her. It was as if a mature dragon's full strength and speed had been compressed into a humanoid child. Norton's modifications defied all alchemical common sense.
In contrast, Leviathan's own crafting of corpse sentinels now seemed as crude as a child's toy.
Damn Norton!
As for that oddly armored black figure, his speed and strength weren't as monstrous as Mellusine's, but his combat instincts and reflexes were sharp. His tactics were diverse — including firing high-powered explosives from thin air.
Why did this scene look so familiar…?
He froze. Then remembered — the fight at the aquarium. It was him!
That red-haired one again!
Enemies meet — rage ignites. Enraged, Leviathan's enormous form writhed, his tail lashing violently. The churning waters condensed into a storm of ice spears, raining down in a deadly barrage!
————
Wearing the black scale armor, Shirou had finally adapted to underwater combat. Mellusine really was useful in every sense.
Her outer shell let him adjust speed and direction underwater with minimal movement. His Mind's Eye functioned at near-superhuman levels, and the strength boost was impressive. It allowed him to use brute-force tactics like—
—this:
He casually lifted and hurled a projected ancient sword with a massively long blade. The water parted around it instantly, and propelled by dragonkind strength, it shot an incredible distance.
In this underwater world where arrows were useless, throwing worked far better.
'Still, using that kind of force constantly would drain too much mana. Best used in quick bursts.'
The orderly currents were torn apart by the explosion's expanding heat and light. The water rapidly boiled, forming massive steam bubbles that enveloped enemies. The residual heat and shockwaves grilled and blasted a horde of sentinels.
But the incoming ice spear barrage pierced those bubbles and shattered them with condensation.
'Huh? Who's that coming from…?'
Shirou looked up. From the top of the old city flew a colossal dragon. Atop the plaza platform was a slanted, twisted spear—
Gungnir!
Shirou now recognized it. So that dragon had to be…
Zzzzzzz!
Condensed ice rapidly expanded. Around the dragon, the currents conformed like loyal soldiers, forming a sprawling glacier.
Woc. Ice? It really is you!
Shirou immediately drew Duan Longtai. The blade let out an unfamiliar, powerful cry. When he projected the sword in its complete form, the ancient bronze blade reacted intensely — as if excited at the sight of the massive water dragon.
But it wasn't bloodlust — it was a thrill, like meeting a worthy rival, a destined clash!
Spiritual light shimmered and quivered, unable to stay contained under the deep-sea pressure.
'What is this…? Like the projection filling from when I faced Odin?'
If Shirou hadn't gripped the sword tightly, Duan Longtai might've flown out of his hand, eager to cut down the dragon on its own.
Rumble——
Leviathan's glacier formed a mountainous mass, descending fast despite its apparent slowness. It looked ready to flatten half the draconic city in a single blow.
Shirou swung Duan Longtai, releasing a surge of scorching blue flames. The intensity was far greater than usual — even he was surprised.
The searing flames spread across the glacier's base, swelling rapidly like a living fire dragon. The overwhelming heat melted the ice into white froth.
In the reflection of the foam, distant glimmers flickered. Shirou thought he saw a vision.
Great Yu controlled floods, and could also slay dragons.
That familiar figure — the fleeting shadow of Yu from the Odin battle — emerged again amid the snow-like foam.
In a trance, Shirou saw Yu cleanly decapitate a wicked dragon with his bronze sword. The wide back blocked the dragon's corpse. Beside him appeared a woman named Yaoji, and the two discussed forging divine weapons. Yu made a vow:
"If in future ages more evil dragons cause floods, let them be severed by Duan Longtai."
The vision blurred under the surging waters, the voice fading with the current…
Shirou blinked again. The illusion vanished. The foamy mist drifted apart—
Revealing a half-melted glacier.
Leviathan's massive glacier, once a towering mountain, had been cleaved in half by Shirou without him even realizing it. The remaining ice continued to melt under the residual heat.
So… another successful projection filling? Was that Yu's power flowing into me?
Shirou looked down. Duan Longtai, once again, had reverted to a broken blade.
Noble Phantasm projection… projection filling… he felt like he was finally beginning to grasp something.
(End of Chapter)
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