The Sea King's Prison
“…This doesn’t seem to be the place either.”
Hilde spoke with a note of fatigue as he faced the wall blocking the end of the cave. This was already the sixth cave they had searched since the one where they first encountered the giant crabs, yet there was still no sign of what—or whom—Clone was looking for. Even after passing clusters of massive crabs and sluggish, enormous sea cucumbers, all they found were sealed walls or stagnant seawater.
“I see. Then let’s move to the next cave.”
With those words, Clone immediately launched himself out of the cave. Hilde followed silently behind him. By the sixth attempt, the routine had become familiar.
“Right, next one’s over there.”
Unlike their descent, their ascent was over in the blink of an eye. They hadn’t even used full speed; they had only slowed down to scan the interior on the way down. A little acceleration was nothing to them.
The two entered the seventh cave without any particular expectation in their eyes. Plenty of caves remained in the area, and this was merely reducing the number they had to check. Neither seemed to believe they would find anything this time.
Yet as they descended about halfway, they sensed a strange presence seeping into the air—different from before. Even the foul stench that had constantly irritated Hilde had grown noticeably fainter.
Though he said nothing, Clone’s aura began to shift as well. His speed gradually increased, and black mist-like shadows started spilling from between his bandages.
“Yes. This is it. I can feel it clearly now. It’s his presence.”
His?
Clone offered no reply to Hilde’s question. He simply pressed onward, as if entranced, accelerating further downward.
“Yes. So he was here. Now I understand why I felt we had to come to this place.”
He slid straight down the steep slope and leapt into a perfectly vertical shaft. The deeper they went, the more the faint light from moss clinging to the walls pushed back the darkness, and the strange stench gradually vanished.
Yet even as the stench faded, Hilde felt his steps grow heavier under the oppressive pressure emanating from below. Strangely, this pressure felt different from what he had sensed from Raiven or other high-ranking demon lords. If he had to compare it, it was closer to what he had felt from Granbipra.
…Will you not tell me the identity of the being down here?
By the time they reached the very bottom, the presence had grown far stronger. Hilde felt as though every hair on his body was standing on end. The heavy aura blanketing the floor and the overwhelming sense of existence filling the air made it feel as though he were standing before Granbipra once more.
“Even if I told you, you wouldn’t know him. He was already sealed here when the last great war broke out.”
I, too, have lived a long time as an administrator. Moreover, this presence…
“Ah, right. It might feel somewhat familiar to you. He’s probably similar to that snake fellow in the forest.”
The snake—Lord Granbipra?
“Yes. Though this one was far more obedient than him.”
Clone’s bandages glowed, summoning several runes into the air. Thanks to the luminous moss, the surroundings were relatively bright, and even without it, neither of them would have had trouble perceiving their environment. What Clone sought now, however, was not something visible to the eye.
As if responding to the red and blue runes floating above the bandages, runes also appeared on one section of the cave wall. Carved in elegant, artistic forms, they bore a resemblance to the spell system contained within Clone’s bandages.
“……”
Clone’s expression hardened, as though the effort was draining him, and shadows like mist began spilling from between his bandages once more. The runes on the bandages and those etched into the wall resonated with each other, producing a faint vibration. With each pulse, the oppressive presence and aura filling the cave grew stronger.
Finally, the runes on the bandages transformed into light and seeped into the runes on the wall. Gradually, the wall’s runes began to fade.
“…Haa.”
The moment Clone exhaled the breath he had been holding, the section of wall bearing the runes collapsed, revealing a passage.
Just who is beyond this?
“Sea King Hemunt. He was once a tyrant who ruled half the sea, but after being defeated by Death King Georges, he became nothing more than a prisoner.”
Hilde had never heard the name before. Yet if this being had once ruled half the ocean, and considering the aura now piercing his entire body, Clone’s earlier comparison to Granbipra did not seem entirely wrong.
But will such a being truly offer us aid?
Hilde voiced his doubt. If Hemunt had been imprisoned after losing to Death King Georges, he would hardly lend his power willingly to Raiven’s clone—even if the clone claimed otherwise. Moreover, if the being possessed that level of strength, forcibly extracting his power as they had with Satal would be impossible. Yet Clone’s face showed not the slightest trace of anxiety—only confidence.
“He’ll have no choice but to help. Not if he wants to escape this prison.”
Clone’s bandages glowed once more, summoning countless unknown runes. This time, however, that was all. Even with runes covering the entire surface of the bandages, Raiven’s clone paid them no mind and simply continued walking.
But Hilde understood what it meant. He could sense that a powerful, destructive spell had been cast throughout the entire passage. He did not know how it was possible, but the mana contained within those bandages was allowing them to traverse the corridor safely.
It was neither dispelling nor interference. Just like at the entrance earlier, every spell and barrier in this cave was reacting to the mana within the bandages and opening the way—as though the bandages themselves were the key.
This place. This being called the Sea King. Did your other siblings not know of him?
Hilde asked the question naturally, masking both the fragments of understanding he had begun to grasp and the strange sense of dissonance he now felt, making it seem like nothing more than idle curiosity.
“A few of them probably knew. Some may even remember it more clearly than I do. But they wouldn’t have considered it particularly important. For them, the decisive battle with the Hero was everything.”
Could they have entered this place as easily as we did?
Clone gave no answer. They pressed deeper, and the growing pressure and presence told them their destination was near.
“…Indeed. Remarkable.”
Unlike Hilde, what Clone sensed was not Hemunt’s aura or presence, but the barriers and spells binding him. The closer they drew, the more pressure he felt throughout his body, even with the power in his bandages fully activated.
“It seems the original’s prediction—that he was stronger than the Demon King and perhaps more deeply versed in magic than Denatel—was not mistaken.”
He deliberately spoke the words aloud, as though trying to expel his own emotions by voicing them.
Stronger than the Demon King? What do you mean?
“…Who do you think created the barriers and spells sealing Hemunt?”
Hilde immediately thought of Denatel. As the greatest archmage and highest-ranking lich, the Demon King’s right hand, he had been the most powerful sorcerer in the Demon King’s army. Yet recalling what Clone had said moments earlier, Hilde knew it could not have been Denatel. The answer had already been given in Clone’s earlier words.
Was it Death King Georges?
Clone had just stated that Hemunt had become a prisoner after being defeated by the Death King. Given everything else that had been said, there was no other possibility.
“Yes. Death King Georges. He is the one who created this spell system. Not only does it imprison a being of Hemunt’s caliber, it also prevents even Demon Commander-level high-ranking demon lords from entering easily.”
Hilde wanted to ask how they themselves had been able to enter, but they had already arrived at their destination.
That is—!
Hilde was at a loss for words at the sight before him. At the end of the passage lay a vast chamber. Within it floated an enormous white shark, large enough to swallow even Elde Togas or the five-headed dragon that had been Raiven’s clone’s final form in a single bite. It was trapped inside a transparent membrane, suspended in midair.
“Sea King Hemunt. I didn’t expect him to be this large.”
Even Clone felt a sense of awe at the sheer scale. When Demon King Thanatos had ordered Georges to deal with Hemunt, the original had been present and thus knew of the being’s existence. A tyrant who ruled half the sea. Yet he had never imagined the creature would be this massive, or look like this.
Is he… asleep?
Hilde realized his claws had extended without his noticing. The overwhelming difference in size and power was undeniable, yet it felt different from facing the clones or Granbipra. Despite the crushing force, what rose in his heart was fighting spirit.
“Calm yourself. Do not let his hostility consume you.”
The magic stones embedded in Hilde’s back glowed, and as a fragment of Clone’s consciousness flowed into him, the hostility that had been rising within his heart vanished like a lie. Just as Clone had said, he had been unconsciously influenced by the hostility constantly radiating from Hemunt.
“We are guests who have come after a long time, Hemunt. How long do you intend to feign ignorance? Even if you are imprisoned, you must have sensed our presence the moment we set foot on this floor.”
Clone called out to the colossal Hemunt with a somewhat arrogant tone. At that moment, Hemunt’s massive body thrashed violently within the transparent membrane, and a fierce, heavy voice echoed throughout the entire cave.
I was wondering who had come, so I stayed quiet for a while—only for you to show such insolence before me. It seems you wish to be torn apart and killed right now!
The voice was filled with rage, hatred, and hostility. There was none of the minimal dignity expected of one who stood above others—only the voice of a beast that knew nothing but taking and killing.
“You’re quite bold for someone who’s imprisoned. Or do you simply lack the wits to grasp the situation?”
How dare you…! A mere unfinished imitation dares to insult me, the ruler of the seas!
A dense gray aura erupted around Hemunt’s body and slammed furiously against the transparent membrane, but the barrier remained completely intact, without so much as a single crack.
“How foolish. If something like that could have worked, you wouldn’t have been trapped here all this time.”
I’ll kill you! I’ll slaughter you all!
Hemunt’s fury spread throughout the entire space, yet Raiven’s clone never lost the composure on his face. Enormous though he was, the thrashing Hemunt looked no different from a fish trapped inside a small fishbowl.
“Are you truly that stupid? Or have you grown fond of this place? Do you not understand that I am the only one who can free you right now?”
……!
Hemunt’s thrashing ceased instantly, and the rage that had filled the space began to subside. Watching this, both Clone and Hilde’s faces were crossed by sneers and contempt.
…Did you really not think of that at all?
“Not entirely, no. But it seems sharks are rather hot-blooded. Getting worked up over a few words and forgetting everything while thrashing about like that.”
Killing intent filled every one of Hemunt’s eyes, yet he neither released his aura nor expressed his rage. Seeing this, the mockery in Hilde’s and Clone’s hearts only deepened.
…Do not misunderstand. When I first sensed your presence, I did think you might be of use and waited. But I simply realized that judgment was mistaken. There is no way beings like you could break this seal. Yes. That is all.
It was a clumsy excuse that anyone could tell was a lie. If that were truly the case, why had he suddenly stopped raging the moment he heard those words? And why did he sound so flustered and awkward?
Hilde was certain that, regardless of the Sea King’s power, his personality and intellect were no different from those of Elde Togas.
“You would do well to reconsider that point.”
At Clone’s gesture, runes appeared in the air above the brightly glowing bandages. At the same time, massive runes and figures manifested on the cave walls.
……!
Expectation flickered in Hemunt’s eyes. Clone lowered his hand once more, and the runes on the walls vanished.
“Well then. Do you still have any objections to the fact that I possess the ability to release you?”
…What is it you want from me?
At the sudden change in Hemunt’s obedient demeanor, Clone suppressed the laughter that threatened to burst forth and finally stated his true purpose.
“Cturiet. Tell me the location of the Temple of the Sleeping Sea King.”