More and more mermaids emerge from the dark sea. Dozens of them surface, ready to fight.
Time to put these bastards down.
One of them dashes toward me. I surge forward, raising my blade and slicing her clean in half. Two flank me from both sides—I tighten my grip and sweep through them in a single arc.
The claymore feels sharper than before. They must have refined it while it was confiscated.
More rush forward. I lunge, severing one's arm. I duck under a wild swing and slice through its leg. Five more appear. I grab one by the throat, charging forward, cutting down two others as I raise the captured mermaid to block the remaining pair's assault. I push through and make another long, sweeping cut, bisecting all three.
I glance around. They're already dead. I turn to see Rela standing over the remaining dozen mermaids, her upper arms flexing while her lower ones rest on her hips.
The black rocky shore is drenched in blood. Bodies litter the coast. A few crawl back toward the sea.
"This security job is boring." She yawns.
Aurelia calls from the distance. "Good job, you two!"
We walk back and sit down. At least I haven't gotten rusty. I look up and notice the red light drifting again—but it ignores us. It moves elsewhere. Like it only strikes things that move.
I turn to Aurelia. "How much do you know about the archipelago?"
"Not much. Back in Zendorium, I heard stories, but nothing detailed. They say the archipelago holds monsters that shouldn't exist. Creatures beyond comprehension."
"Like the red lightning?"
"No. The lightning isn't exclusive to here—it's just rare elsewhere. The clouds carry high Lumin concentrations, so they discharge at anything with enough Lumin that moves."
So it targets moving objects with high Lumin.
Rela lies down. "In the east, they're somewhat common. It's like a storm, but with red lightning instead of regular bolts."
"How do people survive?"
"I don't know much about the east. But I've heard the people are strong and adaptive. They must have found a way."
Easterners sound like formidable people. Imagine dealing with this chaos like ordinary rain.
Hours pass. Alexandria and the others haven't returned. Worry creeps in.
I look at Aurelia. "They've been gone too long. Should I go look for them?"
Rela cuts in. "I don't think we should move yet." She points toward the coast. Rings of fire descend from the sky.
I rise, drawing my sword, falling into a stance. Aurelia stands beside me, wand raised. Rela follows suit, all four arms poised for combat.
The flames dissipate, revealing a familiar middle-aged man in a robe, staff in hand. Five others stand with him—a blue-skinned, shirtless man with white tattoos and a bow, a hulking figure in green spiked armor wielding a smooth mace, and three more rookies.
"Eighty members. That elderly-looking bastard is Kregg. Rowan's loyalist."
Kregg steps forward, posture relaxed. "I've come in peace."
"That's rare for an Eighty member," Rela says, her Lumin skin flickering to life.
"What do you want, Kregg?" Aurelia's wand is trained on him, a sphere of water forming at its tip.
"Rowan is dead." His voice is final.
Silence.
Rowan? Dead? That can't be. He was strong enough to take on Aurelia, Dominio, and Rela at once—while injured. How could he be dead?
"How did he die?"
"Members of the Eighty conspired to betray him. He was caught off guard."
Aurelia and I exchange glances. My posture loosens slightly.
"If Rowan is dead, what do you want here?"
"It's simple. We need to retrieve a crystal."
A horn booms in the distance. We all turn to see the ship already moving past our island.
"So even with your leader dead, you'll still kill us for the crystal?" Aurelia's voice is sharp.
Kregg begins spinning his staff, fire swirling around it, forming a ring of flame. "Unfortunately, yes. So I'll give you a choice: surrender and leave, or fight and die. Choose."
Aurelia looks at me, then Rela. Her voice drops to a whisper. "We're outnumbered."
"Are we surrendering?" Rela asks.
"If we do, we abandon the others on this island." Aurelia mutters.
She continues talking, but her voice fades as my thoughts spiral. How is Rowan dead? He was strong—strong enough to handle five traitors. And Kregg... there's no grief in his eyes. No shock. It's like he expected it. But he was Rowan's loyalist, wasn't he? If Rowan is dead, what about the promise I made? The fight that was supposed to settle everything between us?
No. It can't be.
Aurelia's voice cuts through until a sharp slap hits my face. "Zain!"
I snap back. Her face is urgent.
"Focus. I know Rowan's death is big news, but we have a problem right now. We can mourn later."
I glance at Kregg and his group. They haven't moved.
"What if he's lying?" I mutter.
Aurelia follows my gaze. "What do you mean?"
"Rowan is strong. You know that. How could he die in just three hours?"
"I know." Her voice is low. "But right now, we need to deal with this. The question is—can we even beat them?"
"We can!" Rela shouts, drawing the attention of the six.
"Rela, quiet," Aurelia hisses.
"I can take half of them myself. Zain can handle the blue one. You can deal with the mage," Rela insists.
"But we don't know their abilities. What if one of them has a powerful unique skill?" Aurelia counters, her voice hurried.
Rela's plan is solid, but after Ren, I know better. One strong unique skill can flip the tide.
A massive fireball rises above Kregg's group, burning like a miniature sun, casting harsh light across the shore.
"You're taking too long. You're outnumbered—three against six. I'll say it one last time: surrender and live, or fight and die."
Aurelia's eyes lock onto Kregg. Her pupils glow brighter blue. Her wand trembles in her grip. Her posture stiffens.
"You're really giving us a choice?" Her voice rises. "You're giving us a choice?!"
She steps forward. I block her with my arm.
Kregg's face remains unreadable. "Then you've chosen dea—"
A massive roar splits the air.
We all turn. Dominio, Alexandria, and Edward sprint toward us, a blue crystal clutched in Alexandria's hand.
"Aurelia—bubble! Now!" Alexandria shouts.
Aurelia reacts instantly, summoning the water bubble. They dive inside.
I turn back to Kregg—but the massive fireball is already hurtling toward us.
I dash forward, claymore blazing with Lumin. I swing.
"Air Slash!"
The crescent of wind splits the fireball in half. I lunge forward—but Kregg and his team are gone.
"Zain, come on!" Rela extends her arm from the bubble.
I sprint toward them—but something moves from the rocks. A massive lizard with golden, metallic scales, its mouth glowing orange.
It closes the distance in seconds, slamming into me and throwing me away from the bubble.
"Zain!" Dominio shouts.
Aurelia grabs his wrist. "We can't—"
Alexandria leaps from the bubble, axe in hand. "Go! It's almost sunset!"
The bubble ascends. I scramble to my feet as the Drake lunges. I roll, dodging its snapping jaws. Alexandria charges, slashing its tail—but her axe barely scratches the metal-like scales. The Drake whips around, slamming her into a boulder with its tail.
It roars and turns toward her. I sprint forward, grabbing its tail and pulling.
A tug-of-war. The Drake fights to reach her. I grit my teeth, pulling with everything I have.
Come on. Come on.
My vision shifts.
The world turns black. A purple silhouette of Alexandria stands ahead. The Drake glows red.
My body feels different. Stronger. Faster. Familiar.
I recognize this feeling. I've felt it before—in the Black Forest. In the cathedral. Against Ren.
I'm back in my berserker state.
The jaguar surges through me. My muscles burn with power. My senses sharpen to an unbearable edge.
I roar and hurl the Drake across the shore. It crashes into the rocks, disoriented, shaking its head.
"What is that?" I ask, breathless.
"A dragon. A Drake, specifically. Their scales are tough, but their flames are weak."
"So we can take it?"
"Yeah—if we're careful. The thing is the size of a bus."
I freeze. Bus.
That's an Earth word.
I don't have time to process it. The Drake recovers, roaring, smoke curling from its mouth.
Alexandria leaps from the boulder, axe crackling with red lightning. "Be ready, Zain. I can't afford to let you die after trying to act like a hero."
I smirk. "I won't die. Just don't slow me down."
She laughs. Soft. "I won't."
I drop into my stance. The Drake's heartbeat thunders in my ears. Its breathing. Its movements.
Familiar.
I've been here before. In this state. This power is old. This is who I was. Who I'm becoming again.
"Let's end this."