The power of Temporal Mandate.
That was Ray's Resonance ability.
Though he could only temporarily halt the flow of time within a limited range, even this brief stillness was enough to turn the tide between life and death for the moment.
"Go quickly. Leave this to me for now."
Ray's voice was impossibly calm, but the golden glow in his eyes and the rapidly flickering Resonance Mark on the back of his hand betrayed the burden he was bearing.
Ciaccona pressed a hand lightly to her chest, watching in disbelief as the figure stood alone, a mere mortal pitted against the force of an explosion.
A thousand words caught in her throat, finally reduced to a single plea: "You must be careful!"
She turned to help evacuate the last few stragglers.
Even the most stubborn believers, who had once clung to their suicidal faith, finally wavered after witnessing this miracle beyond reason. Stumbling, they rushed toward the gangplank.
Ray stood alone within the flowing light, golden ripples spreading outward from him, silently struggling against the force of destruction that was about to consume the entire ship.
Back on the deck of the Fool's Troupe's ship, Brant gripped a rope and shouted at the figure standing in the golden glow. "Sir Ray! What's your plan? How can we help?"
"No need." Ray's voice cut through the frozen sea breeze. "Just remember to fish me out of the water later!"
"Fish you out?!" Brant nearly choked on his own breath. "That's your plan?!"
"We'll talk later. Pull back now! Unless you want to be blown to pieces."
Brant didn't know exactly what Ray intended to do, but if he could already delay the explosion, surely surviving it wouldn't be a problem either.
Probably.
The fleet slowly retreated to safer waters. Everyone held their breath, staring at the ship wrapped in golden light and the black-clad young man standing alone at the epicenter of disaster.
Watching the ships drift away, Ray's tense nerves relaxed slightly, though not entirely.
He was still standing in the middle of an explosion.
Now, he had to figure out how to save himself.
Ray kept a tight grip on the flow of time within this area, not daring to let his focus slip.
Though he didn't know the exact power of the bomb, judging by the energy still swelling within the frozen space, even a top-tier athlete would be scattered into pieces if they tried to withstand this blast.
Slowly, cautiously, he shuffled toward the edge of the ship.
Every soft scrape of his soles against the deck was drawn out into an eternity within this slowed time.
The life-saving sea was only a dozen steps away, yet it seemed impossibly far.
Finally, Ray reached the railing. He glanced back at the deep, ink-dark water below, then turned to look at the frozen explosion, the surging flames and shockwaves suspended like a monster trapped in amber, forever caught in its most ferocious form.
He could clearly feel his Resonance ability's range shrinking. The previously frozen shockwaves at the edges were visibly beginning to break free.
No time to hesitate.
Ray took a deep breath, turned, and leaped into the sea.
The moment his body left the ship, the frozen space-time collapsed.
Boom!
The explosion, like a beast breaking free from its cage, instantly tore the pilgrimage ship into pieces. Scorching flames licked at the night sky, and the shockwave swept outward with overwhelming force.
Suspended midair, Ray's pupils glowed gold again. He froze the onrushing death at the critical moment.
The destructive energy stopped almost against the tip of his nose. He could even see the swirling wood chips within the flames.
He lightly kicked off a floating plank, using the momentum to propel himself like a swallow toward the distant safe waters.
Behind him, the momentarily frozen explosion reawakened, dyeing the night sky a tragic orange-red.
Until he plunged into the deep sea.
...
...
"I've found him. Over here."
Brant's voice cut through the mist. The ship quickly turned toward the floating figure on the water.
Several sailors hauled the unconscious Ray onto the deck. He was drenched and pale.
"Sir Ray? Can you hear me?" Brant patted his cheek, but received no response.
Ciaccona knelt beside him, her trembling fingers reaching for his breath. "Could he be... drowned?"
"We'll have to take emergency measures." Brant made a quick decision. "Miss Ciaccona, you do the mouth-to-mouth. I'll handle chest compressions."
"M-Mouth-to-mouth?!" The young woman's antlers trembled slightly, her cheeks flushing like the sunset. "You want me to do it?"
"Would you rather Roccia do it?" Brandt glanced at the little girl standing quietly nearby, then spread his hands helplessly.
"Well then, I'll do it..."
Ciaccona took a deep breath, closed her eyes as if marching into battle, and slowly leaned down....
Just as she was about to touch those pale lips, Ray suddenly let out a soft cough. His eyelashes fluttered.
Under everyone's delighted gaze, he slowly opened his eyes.
"Ah..." Ciaccona jerked upright, flustered, pointing at the awakened Ray. "Y-You're awake!"
Ray looked at the faces filled with concern, propped himself up on his arms, and managed a faint smile. "It seems I missed something important. If I'd known, I would have pretended to sleep a little longer."
"Mm—" Ciaccona turned her face away as if shocked, her red hair swaying with her movement. Her gaze nervously fell on the wooden planks, unable to meet his eyes.
"Just a joke." Seeing the tips of her ears blush, Ray softened his tone. "Given Brant's strength, if he'd actually done those compressions, he might have broken a few ribs."
"A-Are you really okay?" Ciaccona clutched the hem of her clothes, softly confirming, the worry not yet fully faded from her eyes.
Ray shook off a few drops of water as he waved his hand. "Of course. Back in school, I was a jock. The only reason I looked so bad was because I hit the water at a bad angle and gulped down a lot of seawater. Gah, my mouth feels so dry. Anyone have fresh water?"
The young woman finally breathed a sigh of relief, pressing a hand to her chest. "That's good. Otherwise, I wouldn't know how to explain this to the Second Young Miss."
"Huh, the Second Young Miss?" Ray paused, blinking at Ciaccona. "The Second Young Miss you're talking about... could it be..."
Ciaccona finally looked up, droplets of water on the ends of her hair catching the light like crystals. "Yes, who else would it be?"
"Allow me to reintroduce myself. I am Ciaccona, a friend of Miss Carlotta, and the one who can help you now."