The Island of Waves

It was dizzying. This very moment was utterly dizzying. Lucius truly wondered what kind of mind could conceive such a strategy.

Uba ran toward the flying ship with a bright, carefree expression. He was carrying Lucius in one hand. To any onlooker, it must have been an incredibly unsightly view. However, Lucius wasn't embarrassed for himself. Rather, he felt deeply embarrassed for the great warrior, Uba Kaliarun.

He was far too foolish and simple-minded to bear the title of "Great." That very simplicity had backfired, turning into a toxic hazard. Who in their right mind would charge blindly into enemy lines all by themselves?

"This is driving me absolutely insane..."

"Hmm? Boy, does your head hurt?"

"It's nothing. More importantly, please put me ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠down."

"Have you finally found your fighting spirit! Excellent. Mio's magic won't last much longer. From this moment on, throw every single demon inside that flying ship right out the window!"

"...Ha."

Lucius couldn't tell who the real demon was here. Voicing this thought aloud would undoubtedly be blasphemy against Kaliarun. But so what? He felt a burning desire to be honest with his feelings, even if it meant speaking sacrilege. Was it because they were in Pandemonium? No! It was simply because his companion was Uba!

If dumbfounding people is a talent, he's certainly a genius at it.

Suddenly, Lucius began to miss everyone back in Snowfall. At that moment, the frozen time began to flow once more.

The demons who had been swinging their Demonic Blades froze in confusion. It was only natural to be startled when the massive lump of muscle right in front of them suddenly vanished. Sensing a presence, they turned their heads. In the distance, they saw him charging toward the flying ship, kicking up dust.

Demons were cunning and wicked. They loved nothing more than corrupting humans, taking pleasure in turning them into thralls to torment. That was the very essence of a demon, their sole reason for being. The high-ranking demons naturally licked their lips in anticipation.

"Rosmerta."

But a pure white sword qi, flying from an unexpected direction, severed their necks. Like meat sliced clean, the perfectly cut cross-sections entered their fading vision. Black blood erupted. The demons' slitted pupils dilated. Using Uba's back as a stepping stone, Lucius leaped high into the air.

Whoosh! Drawing a parabolic arc in the air, he swung Rosmerta downward. A crescent of golden holy power shot forward, tracing a circular trajectory.

"I am not a stepping stone, boy."

"Then don't stand in front of me."

"Are you mocking me?"

Lucius ignored him and dashed straight ahead. The die was cast. He had no choice but to go along with Uba's plan. The ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠situation was unfolding in a complete stream of consciousness.

Lucius glanced at the boisterously laughing Uba and sighed. How on earth was a man like this a great warrior? He wasn't weak; his combat prowess was an undeniable fact. However, because he hailed from Kaliarun—a land renowned for producing highly intellectual scholars—the cognitive dissonance he projected was immense.

Having noticed their approach, the flying ship's engines began to roar. Surrendering to the atmospheric pressure of the sky, its mechanical fins shifted. A burst of crimson magi erupted.

"...What are you idiots doing?!"

"Mio, you complain too much. At times like this, you should just help us in silence."

"Honestly, things only got complicated because of you! We could have hidden our presence and hitched a ride in secret! You ruined everything!"

"...Ah."

'Ah,' my foot. Mio was truly dumbfounded. How could she not be? In Uba's muscle-bound brain, the only plan was to charge into the enemy camp, overpower them, and hijack the flying ship by force. He hadn't even considered a safer strategy before blindly leaping in.

It wasn't that she wasn't used to it. After spending over a thousand years together, she was beyond used to it—she was sick of it. But a thousand years ago, there was at least someone who wouldn't blindly agree with Uba's foolish ideas. When Uba acted like an idiot, Lian would at least try to stop him. Granted, Lian would also charge in like a madman the moment he spotted a demon... but back then, Uba would at least listen to Lian's advice.

"What's done is done. Just grab that flying ship."

"You don't have to tell me. Lucius has already jumped on."

No way.

"...By himself?"

"Yes."

Are you insane? That kid Lucius... does he even know how to pilot that thing?

"Look me in the eye. Did Lucius really jump on by himself?"

"...."

"Why are you avoiding my gaze?"

"...I'm sorry. I threw him."

"Aaargh! You absolute idiot!"

Lucius clung to the wing feathers of the flying ship as it began to soar into the sky. The sudden turn of events had left him with no time to activate his Dragonification.

"...This is driving me mad! To think that I, the Emperor, have to endure such treatment here..."

A wave of resentment and frustration washed over him. But what could he do? In front of legendary heroes, he found himself speaking formally without even realizing it.

"Tsk."

There was no helping it. He had to do this. Sensing their presences, he estimated that there weren't many demons inside the flying ship. However, there were several high-ranking demons among them. While they didn't pose a massive threat to the current Lucius, fighting a crowd in a confined space could prove disadvantageous.

Above all, they were high in the air. He didn't want to waste this opportunity that Uba had created by charging in to seize the vessel. In truth, both Lucius and Mio were capable of flight. Uba was the only one who couldn't fly. Did Uba use magic like Mio? No. Could he activate a Dragon Heart to undergo Dragonification like Lucius? Not that either.

If there was a way for Uba to "fly," it would be a crude, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠violent method of using his lower-body muscles to leap high into the air in a single bound. However, that was incredibly foolish and impractical. If that were feasible, Uba wouldn't have needed to hijack a flying ship in the first place.

Although Uba was a muscle-brained idiot who acted without thinking, he was still a man capable of basic reasoning. If he couldn't even manage that, he would be a mere beast rather than a human. Why did Lucius feel a slight sense of relief at this realization? He began to feel a bit sorry for Uba.

Lucius quietly unfurled his wings. He concealed his human presence, replacing it with the aura of a dragon. The demons would perceive him not as a human, but as a dragon. Believing they would naturally recognize him as an apex predator at the top of the food chain, Lucius landed lightly on top of the flying ship.

"...Ha."

He hadn't expected a horde of demons to be waiting for him in formation.

"So we have a little rat..."

"Kee-hee. Let's kill him."

"Shut up, snake-head. You're too stupid to notice, but... that guy is a dragon."

"A dragon? Weren't they all sealed away?"

"Are you blind? There's a dragon standing right in front of you. He looks like he only recently outgrew being a hatchling, but he's definitely a dragon."

They were whispering among themselves, but Lucius paid them no mind as he quietly drew Rosmerta. He felt the wind pressure. A gentle breeze brushed past his cheeks and eyes.

Crimson demons. One had the head of a snake, while the others possessed human forms. The only difference was their pitch-black pupils and irises, devoid of any white. Their bodies were covered in snake-like skin the color of fresh blood. Touching it would undoubtedly feel rough and unpleasant.

"Let's end this quickly."

As Lucius began to take a step forward, the one who appeared to be their leader waved his hands frantically to stop him.

"W-Wait! Young dragon!"

"I refuse."

The teachings of Kaliarun dictated that listening to the whispers of demons would lead to corruption. Above all, high-ranking demons would harbor a strong desire to corrupt superior species. It was the same now. Though they pretended to be flustered, their lips curled into a twisted smile—a manifestation of the most wicked and hideous desires.

With a subtle twitch of his brow, Lucius drew his sword. The moment Rosmerta left its scabbard, fragments of sword qi scattered. Splatters of black blood sprayed, carried away by the wind. The severed heads of the demons tumbled to the deck. Instantly, the rest of them lunged at him simultaneously.

It was a blessing in disguise. Had they fought inside the flying ship, it would have been a different story. But this was the deck. At least he wouldn't damage the engine by fighting inside.

Dragon scales spread along both of his arms. As if eroding his flesh, the human skin and dragon scales merged in a strange equilibrium. His imperial golden eyes slit vertically, transforming into the eyes of a dragon.

Dragonification. It was a state where one harnessed the power of a dragon while maintaining a humanoid form.

Lucius didn't want to waste any time. Even at this very moment, Cain would be growing stronger, fueled by the power of corruption. He couldn't afford to play around. He felt as though he was cleaning up the mess left behind by Uba's reckless actions. It wasn't a terrible feeling.

Like hell it wasn't. He was experiencing the absolute peak of frustration in his life. It was sorrowful enough that he was beaten, battered, and used as a punching bag every single day under the guise of "training to grow stronger." To make matters worse, his mentor possessed zero sense of responsibility.

How on earth did Arahan endure this?!

He felt a newfound respect for Arahan. Shedding a tiny tear of sheer exasperation, he glared at the demons. Through the gaps of his fingers as he wiped his tear, he analyzed their movements.

The holy sword Rosmerta was a weapon that amplified its speed in proportion to the wielder's power. In his Dragonification state, Lucius's movements completely bypassed their agility.

Bzzt—

As if the world had suddenly been filled with static noise, the demons writhed in agony within a rift of time. It was proof that Lucius's movements had transcended the axis of time itself.

Naturally, he couldn't sustain this for long. If he wasn't careful, even Lucius, the caster, could get lost in the flow of time. Knowing this, he regulated his output to a level his body could withstand.

A single strike from Rosmerta, infused with holy power, clashed with the demons' magi. When opposing energies collided, an explosion was inevitable. However, causing an explosion on the flying ship would be highly problematic.

Lucius's speed was supersonic. By the time he took ten steps, only 0.1 seconds had passed in the real world. The demons' heads had already been severed, yet they remained unaware. By the time the temporal static cleared, their souls would already be obliterated.

He infused Yin-Yang into the volatile mixture of magi and holy power on the verge of exploding. The harmony of negative and positive energies. A black-and-white Taiji symbol flashed in Lucius's palm, shrinking the destructive forces.

And then.

Slash! Bzzt!

The flow of time resumed.

"...Huh?"

"Even at this speed, I still can't catch up to Uba. I have a long way to go."

Lucius walked silently through the crowd of demons, who still had no idea what had just transpired. He was merely disappointed in his own inadequacy, unable to match his mentor. In Lucius's eyes, the demons no longer existed. All that remained around him were the fading shrieks of high-ranking demons turning to ash.

Begone, hell. With the mantra carrying that very meaning, he once again accelerated to supersonic speed.

"Bwahahaha! Not bad at all, boy!"

"...I didn't expect you to actually throw me."

Seeing Lucius return after slicing the demons in half in the blink of an eye, Uba grinned from ear to ear. Like a young boy who had just witnessed something incredibly cool, his bright smile beamed with praise. Although Lucius had been furious with Uba just moments ago, he couldn't help but offer a sheepish smile at the simple compliment. Having lost his parents at a young age, even the smallest bit of recognition held great meaning for him.

Mio watched this display in utter disbelief. She didn't even know what to say. The boy who looked ready to murder someone just a moment ago was gone, replaced by an innocent child.

...No. He must not become like Uba! She was absolutely certain that if they added one more idiot to the group, the road ahead would be a living hell.

"Lucius, get away from him!"

"...Huh?"

"Don't stand too close to Uba. His stupidity is contagious."

"Mio, are you calling me stupid?"

At Uba's indignant question, Mio pushed back with even greater exasperation.

"...Hey. Are you seriously asking something so obvious?"

"I am not stupid. Nor am I a dumbass or a half-wit, as you so frequently call me. I bear the honorable name of Uba Kaliarun!"

"I used those terms interchangeably, you blockhead."

"You'll be struck by divine punishment for this!"

"Look who's talking!"

It was childish. Well, it wasn't that Lucius didn't understand Mio's feelings. However, having observed the two of them for the past week, Lucius found their bickering incredibly immature. Birds of a feather, as they say. She claimed that stupidity was contagious, but had she ever considered that she was the one who had spent the most time by his side?

"...Sigh."

Another wrinkle added to his face today. Leaving Lucius's sigh behind, they steered the hijacked flying ship toward the Island of Waves. The island where the soul of the Frost King, Leviathan, resided. The sky of Pandemonium, a realm composed of floating islands, was as crimson as ever.

Two hours passed.

"Bwahahaha! How refreshing!"

"What are these things?! Their faces... their faces are so weird!"

"They look like a fusion of a fish and a human..."

They set foot on the Island of Waves.