Demon King's Fragment

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

A status window popped up before his eyes.

The relief from taking down the boss leader hadn't even faded when questions flooded in.

Demonic Body?Swarm Tentacles?Berserk? And why the hell was his race glitched like that?

He didn't know Exos Chronicle inside out, but from what he'd experienced, people awakened multiple abilities at once sometimes—but never awakened new ones after their initial power-up.

Yet here was something slotted right after his Super Senses. And it even had levels, unlike his innate sense.

Judging by the name Demonic Body, it seemed tied to demon beasts somehow.

No way that black lump was a demon beast.

His guess? It was connected to that black mass he'd absorbed. He'd turned the tables and devoured the thing trying to consume him.

That must be why his race readout was borked too.

Checking his body, the difference was night and day. He felt light as a feather, and with a flex, he crumpled a steel container like tinfoil.

His senses stretched further—raindrops pattering on the distant ocean rang crystal clear.

And this...

A thick, long black tentacle emerged from his right forearm. With a thought, it obeyed perfectly—extending, contracting, hardening, softening. Like an extra finger.

Reel it in.

The tentacle coiled back into his arm, the entry point regenerating flawlessly smooth.

Just one for now, but "Swarm" implied multiples. Probably scaled with levels.

Berserk looked like a temporary stat booster. Cooldown suggested five minutes up, twenty-four hours down.

He dismissed the window. No time to dwell.

Looking around, the ship's underbelly was wrecked beyond recognition—containers toppled and tangled, girders twisted and shattered. Total chaos.

...What a mess.

Then it hit him—Nelson. The guard who'd disrupted the cyborg's aim with his pistol, taking a hit and vanishing.

His heart sank a beat late.

He bolted into motion. Power surged, launching him forward at insane speed. He tore through containers, vaulted debris, scoured every inch.

And finally.

"Senior."

Senses guided him to a half-crushed container. Nelson lay pinned beneath, lower body pulverized, bulletproof vest shredded unrecognizable. Barely breathing—just clinging.

Han grabbed the container. Muscled it up. Shoved it aside, exposing Nelson's torso.

"...Seongjin?" A faint voice.

"Yeah. It's me."

Blood-masked face looked up, lips twitching into the faintest smile.

"Look at us... haha, total wrecks."

Han dropped to one knee. Words failed.

Nelson spoke first. "...The bastard?"

"Dead."

Short and sharp.

"For good. Ripped him to shreds."

Nelson's eyes flickered. He exhaled slow, so slow.

"...Good."

"I'd be dead without you."

Nelson steadied his breath, trembling hand grasping Han's arm. Barely any strength.

"...Seongjin."

"Yeah."

"All my life... first time I feel like... I made the right call."

"......"

"Thanks."

"Thank you."

Silence fell. Only rain and creaking metal filled the void.

Nelson's gaze dimmed slow.

"...Since ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it's come to this... you have to survive."

His final words. Grip slackened completely.

Han stared motionless for a long stretch.

Eventually, he eased the body from the wreckage, laying it against a less-collapsed wall. Bowed his head before it.

No grand speech.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"...Sorry."

That was all. He turned and walked away, fist clenched tight around newfound power.

Then.

—Grooooowl

"?!"

His senses screamed in a direction he'd never felt. Beyond the sea, far on the hazy horizon—a colossal aura. Leagues beyond the cyborg captain.

"......"

Staying on this ship screamed bad news.

He headed for the deck.

—Shhhh.

Up the stairs, sky showed easing rain, clouds thinning. Storm fading.

But the sea raged on, black as ink. Horizon empty—no land, no reefs. Vast ocean.

Jumping in bare-handed? Suicide. Kraken, mega-lizards, colossal sharks. This world's seas devoured humans.

...Yet.

Somehow.

I can survive.

Near-certainty. A sensation old him never knew.

He climbed the railing, glanced back.

Shattered ship. Ruined hold. Where Nelson lay.

Short stay, but eventful.

"...Farewell."

He leaped into the sea.

—Splash!

Ice water engulfed him. Waves battered, dragging him down.

He faced forward. Stroked arms, kicked legs.

No breath struggle. Limbs light, propelling him effortlessly.

"......"

He cleaved through the depths, letting his body lead.

"Hm..."

Novapolis Navy 7th Fleet commander McKen Calvus was tense despite the clear skies. A veteran of over twenty years on battlefields, he'd faced perils aplenty—life-or-death scraps routine.

Yet this unnerved even him.

"......"

Far off, on his warship's deck—a woman in white Eastern robes, ill-suited to the scene. Hand on her sheathed sword at her waist, statue-still.

Yeonhwa. Sword Saint from the distant Lumia Federation across the sea. S-Rank hero equivalent in Novapolis terms.

"......"

McKen didn't like this. Orders to search for a missing freighter. Deploying a full fleet for recon? Odd enough. Then this foreign Sword Saint appears on the ocean, demands to board?

Superhuman, verified ID, unstoppable physically—he'd let ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠her on. But she set him on edge.

Is Lumia deploying her to check us? Someone that strong?

As McKen pondered—

"Captain."

"Y-yes?!"

She'd closed in silently. Young, half his age maybe, but her casual speech felt... natural. Even to him.

Yeonhwa adjusted her sword.

"Halt the fleet and fall back a ways. An uninvited guest approaches."

"Pardon? What do you—"

Then.

"Forward 300m—high-energy reaction detected!"

Bridge crew's urgent call. Radar pinged beyond the sea.

"Single source! Closing on fleet fast!"

"...! Battle stations, all ships! Brace for impact!"

Chaos erupted aboard.

"No need."

"!"

He whipped toward the voice—empty. She'd been on deck; now she stood ahead on the waves.

As he processed—

—Shwaa!

Something massive breached before her.

Long neck, four fins, serpentine tail—a colossal beast.

—GRRAAAAAH!

It roared.

"W-what the hell?!"

A crewman versed in monsters yelled. McKen knew it too. Navy staple.

Serpentis Rexila. Deep-sea leviathan, dozens of meters long. Took ten-plus 1st Rank hunters at full tilt.

Its eyes gleamed down at Yeonhwa. She didn't flinch.

She's insane!

Sword Saint or not, sword-only against that? Suicide. McKen's take.

"Drawn by my presence, sea dragon?"

—Grrrrr...

It growled, coiling to strike.

"I understand your hunger, but harming them is unacceptable. Nor would I allow harm to me."

Yeonhwa narrowed her eyes.

"Return whence you came. This is your warning."

—GRRAAAAH!

It ignored her, jaws gaping wide, lunging.

Instantly—

—BOOM!

Shockwave ripped air. Thunderous impact snapped its neck back.

—KIIEEEE!

Screeching, it fled into the depths.

Spray exploded everywhere—yet veered around her.

McKen gaped. Sword in her hand, drawn unseen.

She sheathed it slow, then flashed back aboard.

"Guest dispatched. Press on—we must find the ship."

"...Y-yes, ma'am."

McKen learned much today. S-Rank fights? Rare spectacles. Too deadly to spectate.

Even generals steered clear.

He was glad. Novapolis boasted five S-Ranks. Human weapons like her.

Pride swelled as he ordered full speed.

Thirty minutes later.

"Forward 1.5km—metallic glint confirmed!"

Bridge tensed.

"Magnify!"

Radar sharpened: twisted hull, half-sunk deck, collapsed superstructure.

"...That's."

McKen muttered low.

"Container ship. Signal faint... but likely the missing Horizon Ho!"

Stir on bridge.

"Engines?"

"None! Dead stop!"

"Heavy damage traces, hull critically compromised!"

"Close and inspect. Notify all ships."

"Aye!"

McKen swallowed hard at the wreck.

That mangled? Missile strike?

Impressive it hadn't sunk.

He glanced at Yeonhwa.

"Sword Saint. You sought this vessel too? Any—wait, where'd she go?"

Gone in a blink.

Yeonhwa landed alone on Horizon Ho's deck, ignoring the fleet's clamor.

—Splash, splash.

Puddles hinted at the carnage. Bullet scars, blast marks everywhere, hull torn like internal explosions.

But her goal? Unknown. She wandered aimlessly, searching.

Her friend's words echoed.

—Check the freighter Horizon Ho from Neocraft Federation. What you're hunting is there.

—Hurry, or you might miss it.

Investigation confirmed: real ship, departed days ago.

How does she know these things?

Her friend was odd, but skilled. Yeonhwa scanned ahead.

"......"

Stairs to belowdecks. Instinct screamed answers lay there.

—Step. Step.

Air thickened descending. Wreckage forest: crushed girders, mangled containers piled high.

Scanning, her eyes locked central—a corpse.

"...Heh."

Vertically bisected, halves splayed. Blood crusted black, stench of flesh and metal assaulting.

She approached, examined. Wound edges ragged, brutal. No clean sword cut, no superhuman blast. Pure physical tear.

"Hard to believe a human did this."

Godlike strength. Nearing A-Rank hero level.

Then.

"......"

She froze. Beyond the body, faint but unmistakable aura from collapsed containers.

Yeonhwa turned.

"...No."

Vaulted debris swift. A box remained.

She halted before it. Black, corner cracked. Empty, but lingering scent screamed unnatural.

She neared.

—Shing.

Sword half-drawn, invisible speed. Box split; residue dispersed.

"....!!"

Denser, more familiar demonic energy than any she'd known.

Eyes shut, she inhaled. Memories flooded—village in ruins, acrid smoke, choking blood reek, screams amid prickling malice.

Demonic energy. But impossibly concentrated.

She knew it. Unforgettable.

Childhood. The day all burned.

Bloody sister, clutched by a demon beast, final moments.

—Sister...

The voice rang again.

Yeonhwa ground her teeth.

The fiend that stole everything.

"So you were here."

It.

"Finally... found you."

Rage. Relief.

Demon-ravaged sites leave no trace. No name, no face—just that energy, faded phantom.

Ten-plus years wandering blind.

Once despaired it dead, sanity fraying.

Now she knew. It lived.

Revenge possible.

Deep calm settled.

"Hah..."

Icy light gleamed in her eyes.

It wasn't here. But the echo testified: it executed the cyborg, passed through.

Fist clenched, she renewed her vow, sworn thousands of times.

Wherever hidden—heaven above, sea below, beyond human realms.

She'd hunt it down. Slice it to thousands of shreds.