Leviathan is Uba's Slave
The Island of Waves. It was a floating island in Pandemonium where the soul of Leviathan, the Deep Sea King, lay dormant. A place entirely composed of water, where one could sink or walk upon the surface at will. Perhaps that was why Uba Kaliarun was tearing apart the high-ranking demons rushing at him with all his might.
“Bwahahaha!”
“...Mio. Just ignore him.”
“For fuck's sake. I've known that bastard for hundreds of years. Is it really too much to ask to just kill him?”
Endure it. I must endure it.Lucius prayed with all his heart. After all, the reason Uba was acting like a fool was ultimately for his sake—to reverse Lucius's current inability to draw out his family's true power. Uba was throwing himself into danger just so Lucius could properly wield the bloodline of the Dragonic family.
“What are you two just sitting around for! Boy, the hunt begins now!”
“Ugh. Those fish... they have human faces...”
“Haha! Creepy, right?”
“Of course they are! Fish with human faces... I've never seen anything like this.”
Uba immediately stomped on one. *Squish.* Disgusting innards squished beneath his foot.
“Ugh...”
“Argh! What is this! Filthy! Sacrilegious!”
“You dumbass. You're the one who stepped on it.”
“...Ah.”
What do you mean, 'ah'? Leaving the idiot behind, Mio ran across the sea. To be fair, even though it was called a sea, there was a proper path to walk on. Perhaps because it was a secluded island, no other demons were in sight besides the human-faced fish. It was a blessing in disguise, but also a curse.
“There's nothing to hunt like this.”
“Indeed, to grow the boy's strength, facing opponents in human form would be ideal.”
“Hmph, since it's come to this, we charge straight ahead!”
“Don't you have a single normal plan?”
“In the end, blood must be spilled. There is no better plan than a direct assault!”
“Look! You just have to move your legs and run like this!” With those words, Uba dashed toward the castle of the sea visible in the distance. Walking on water felt bizarre. It was cold, ticklish, and dangerous. Human-faced fish leaped up from the depths. Lucius shredded them with his sharp dragon claws. He was like a dragon devouring violent prey. Spreading his wings, he gripped Rosmerta and utilized its speed enhancement. There was no need to run. He wouldn't use such an inefficient method like Uba. Of course, Uba's sheer speed was a realm achievable only because he was the great Uba Kaliarun—a realm Lucius would have to catch up to one day. Just look at those solid muscles. Having lived for a thousand years, Uba boasted a physique even more massive than in his prime. He was a literal monster! Following Uba's roaring battle cry, Mio and Lucius soared through the air toward the castle. A heavy silence descended. A quiet stillness enveloped them, much like the muffled sound of being submerged underwater.
Grrrrrr...
The demonic growl shattered the silence, yet the stillness quickly reclaimed the air. Since they could easily dispatch high-ranking demons, they needed to find something stronger. That was why they had come to the Island of Waves. Lucius didn't know the reason, but Uba did. He hadn't spent centuries in Pandemonium for nothing.
“We're almost there.”
“Huh? There's nothing here.”
“Indeed, there is nothing. For now, at least.”
The room they entered was completely empty. Even the massive throne was vacant. Was the enemy hiding somewhere? No, that wasn't it either. Even when Lucius unleashed his holy power, channeled Yin-Yang, and used his dragon instincts to sense his surroundings, he felt absolutely nothing. It was just a dark, deep sea. Even the seaweed drifting in the water received no light. Waves rolled in. A cold sensation brushed against his legs before vanishing. Like an illusion, the bizarre sensation gave Lucius a strange sense of déjà vu.
“Well then, I wish you good luck. I've trained that fellow well, so do your best.”
“What?”
*Thud!* The gates of the deep sea slammed shut. There was nothing to see. Only endless darkness. Unable to hide his panic, Lucius immediately rushed to the door. He pounded on it, but there was no response. *That bastard!* He was definitely blocking it from the outside with all his strength. Mentor? Screw that. He was a psychopath who locked up his own disciple!
Just as Lucius was venting his frustration, a freezing sensation wrapped around his entire body like a wave. It was a bone-chilling shiver. A violent cold that made his whole body tremble. At the same time, the empty throne began to emit a faint glow. A giant serpent materialized. It was an overwhelming, majestic sea serpent. Coiled around the serpent as if taming it sat a black-haired, ash-skinned man on the throne.
“...You are.”
“Come at me, young dragon.” With a faint smirk, the man beckoned with his finger. “My name is Leviathan. Known as the King of the Deep Sea, and once the sovereign of the Stormy Seas—”
“Shut up. If I kill you, I get to punch Uba in the face, right?”
*Boom!*
“—the Demon King...?”
Lucius's holy power pierced through the darkness, unleashing a brilliant radiance.
Mio fell into deep thought. Just what on earth had Uba done to 'train' the soul of a Demon King? A hero taming a Demon King... It was a tragicomedy of the highest order.
“By the way, are you really that desperate?”
“The boy must not open this door.”
“Why?”
“My instincts are screaming at me...” He had a terrifying premonition that the moment the door opened, Lucius would charge out and leave a massive lump on his head. No matter how strong Uba was, being gouged by dragon claws was bound to draw blood. Dragons were creatures that protected and destroyed nature, contracting only with powerful humans. They were willful beings that didn't even obey the commands of the gods. Thus, Uba shuddered. He had planned this from the start, but Leviathan was truly powerful. He hoped that facing death would force Lucius to awaken and grow his strength to its absolute limit.
Lucius had to become stronger. Only then could he stop Cain, who was heading toward Barbatos. Barbatos was strong yet weak. He was powerful before desire, but utterly powerless before raw strength. He was a bastard who ran his mouth more than anyone. And it was precisely those kinds of enemies who hid their true power. Uba recalled what Lian had once told him. Lian's father, the previous Hero, was the very man who had sealed Barbatos's physical body.
"Barbatos preys on human desire. The more a person yearns for something, the easier they are swayed by his whispers. If Barbatos stood before me right now, I might not even be able to fight; I'd probably be swept away by his words."
That was why they had to be on guard. Everyone had desires. Whether those desires were noble or wicked did not matter. Uba yearned for peace. Mio yearned to reclaim her disciple. Lucius yearned for Cain's return. And Lian had yearned for revenge for his dead father. Desire dwelt within everyone.
Barbatos targeted the cracks in the human heart. He peered into their deepest depths, and once he uncovered their truths, he began to spin his web of words. Uba could sense that Lucius was inherently good. He was the same kind of person as Uba himself. However, his mental fortitude was not yet strong enough. That was why Uba wanted him to grow his strength against Leviathan, who was even stronger than Barbatos, so that Lucius could obliterate the Demon King of Greed before the bastard could even open his mouth. Lucius was close to the strongest human Uba had ever met. Of course, he couldn't compare to that wretched disciple of his who had ignored all bloodline limits, cursed Uba's own head, and run away. But if Lucius could claim victory against Leviathan, their dynamic would surely shift.
“So, how did you beat Leviathan in the first place?”
“Hmm? You call that a question?”
“Of course it's a question. What is it?”
“The answer is simple. Isn't it always the same?”
Uba rolled up his sleeves, flexing his massive muscles. “My fists—”
*Thud!* The moment Uba let go of the door, it swung open.
“...Ah.”
“Haha. We meet again, Uba.”
“Hahaha...”
“How long has it been? About ten minutes, I suppose.”
Lucius smiled, and Uba smiled back. Amidst the sudden silence—
“Hold still. That was incredibly exhausting.”
“Did you... did you actually defeat him?!”
“So, get over here.”
And thus, the chase began.
Though only ten minutes had passed on the outside, to Lucius, every single second felt like hours. At speeds exceeding the speed of sound, one began to move between the axes of time. The same applied to Leviathan, who moved freely within the water. Although the Sea Dragon and the Sky Dragon possessed different specialties, Lucius and Leviathan felt a sense of kinship as fellow members of the dragon race. People believed Leviathan was a massive Sea Dragon. That was only natural, as his physical body, sealed in the human world, slept in the form of a Sea Dragon deep within the Stormy Seas.
The human and the demon, both carrying the blood of dragons, stared at each other. Leviathan, a primordial demon, was born from the wicked heart of a dead dragon. Consequently, he possessed both the nature of a dragon and the nature of the humans the dragon had devoured. That was the source of his immense power. To launch his assault, Lucius unleashed his holy power and swung Rosmerta. His opponent was a Demon King; he had to give it his absolute all. A dark, blood-red shroud of energy began to coat the pure white blade of Rosmerta.
“...You are fast.” Leviathan made a grim assessment. This was the disciple of Uba Kaliarun, the man who had barged in multiple times to beat him to a pulp. Though this boy differed greatly from the Dragonic warriors of the past, Leviathan could clearly feel the weight of his bloodline. He didn't seem highly experienced, but his innate combat instincts allowed him to counter every move. *Clang! Clang! Clang!* Within the rift of time, the two exchanged a flurry of blows, each desperately trying to land a lethal thrust. Even though Leviathan moved with absolute freedom in the water, Lucius stood his ground, calmly parrying and dodging every strike. Leviathan altered his patterns, tracing complex trajectories. Lucius's dragon eyes tracked them with overwhelming kinetic vision. The eyes of the Sky Dragon read every movement, while the instincts of the Sea Dragon dismantled them. By the time their clash of spears ended and they emerged from the rift of time, only three seconds had passed. Yet within those three seconds, they had crossed paths countless times, dancing on the edge of life and death. Ultimately, like the parting of the Red Sea, the waves split, carving the ocean in half.
“Incredible speed. You truly are that bastard's disciple.”
“Those wounds... seeing how they're etched into your very soul, you must have been beaten half to death.”
“...Arrogant brat.”
“I hold you in high regard. You are certainly an enemy, but the fact that you've been tamed by Uba means you are no longer a major threat.”
“That condescending gaze and tone... you truly carry imperial blood. Do you act this way toward Uba as well?”
With a faint smile, Lucius charged. “He is on an entirely different level.” Lucius always spoke politely to the Hero. The reason was simple: as a child, he had admired the heroes in the fairy tales his father read to him. Thus, although he was deeply disappointed by the Uba of reality, he never doubted the man's power. Uba was just incredibly muscle-brained.
“It seems he locked you in my sanctuary against your will. Don't you want revenge?”
“I have to defeat you just so I can plant my fist right between his eyes.”
“Then let us make a deal.” Leviathan halted his blade and extended his hand. It was a demon's whisper. “Join hands with me, and we will wait by the door.”
“Wait?”
“Yes. There will surely be a moment when his guard slips. When that happens, we burst out with all our might and deliver a solid blow.”
“...That is tempting.”
However, he couldn't let petty emotions ruin this crucial moment. Lucius realized that to deal with a demon who toyed with emotions, he had to understand them in turn. In that case... “I accept your proposal.”
“Heheh.” Leviathan took his hand. And then— *Thrust!*
“...Huh?”
“But first, I have to beat you.”
Don't worry, you won't die anyway. Lucius knew Leviathan wouldn't perish from this. It was merely a way to buy time, but that was perfectly fine. It was more than enough time to close the distance to Uba. Promising to finish their fight later, Lucius kicked the door open with all his might. And so, time spun back to the present.
“...You haven't grown at all.”
“I still won, even if it was a cheap trick.” In any case, Leviathan was an opponent he could fight anytime—as long as Uba was around. Yes, with Uba acting as a deterrent, Lucius could spar with Leviathan whenever he wished. “So, just let me hit you once.”
“I-I'm sorry! So can you please do something about those claws!”
“No.”
“Eeeek! You're just like Lian!”
And with that, Uba ran to escape Lucius. He ran like hell.