Deep Sea (2)
The Red Dragon. The sole primordial dragon, called the dragon among dragons. His breath is calamity itself, and even as a mortal, his mere existence was said to rival the gods.
The Sea King... the leader of the blue dragons couldn't possibly not know that name.
'Why in the world...?'
Yet there he was, above the sea. Waiting above the sea for permission to enter this place.
Hearing this, the Sea King could scarcely keep his wits about him.
Of course, he was well aware that his daughter had fallen under the Red Dragon's wing. In fact, "aware" was an understatement—he knew the details all too well.
Ever since the Red Dragon had ended his long slumber and begun his activities, Leviathan had been by his side every step of the way, hadn't she? There was that famous tale of her nearly getting kidnapped while helping him in a nearby village. And the massive retaliation that followed became known as the "Aidon Incident."
From that point on, word spread far and wide that the wandering dragon, Leviathan, was under the Red Dragon's "protection." Anyone with ears to hear knew she belonged to him.
But that's precisely why the Sea King couldn't comprehend it. Why had he come here? Why was he trying to set foot in Tunus?
No hypothesis made sense. The only thing that came to mind was a strategic grab for this key stronghold, pursuing national gain.
'He's attained divinity now. If he tries to dominate this place, the God of the Sea will surely intervene.'
Something utterly impossible for him in his current state. His head throbbed inescapably.
Above all else...
'He mustn't come here. He absolutely mustn't! After all I've done to protect this place...!'
He was a living god of chaos, a walking calamity. Even if he had no intentions, even if he planned nothing at all, the moment a god of chaos set foot here, something would happen.
[I... I have to see for myself. I can't believe it, I just can't...!]
—Crackle, crackle—!
With that, praying the messenger's report was false, he cast his Thousand-Mile Eyes spell toward the sea surface.
—Hmm, is that you down there?
As if sensing the Sea King's gaze, the Red Dragon stared straight at the invisible magical eye.
—I have come. So open the gates.
The Red Dragon spoke those words to the Sea King beyond the magical eye.
It was a declaration of sorts. A proclamation that he would enter no matter what.
Even if the Sea King sealed the gates tight. Even if he layered countless barriers to protect this underwater nation.
He would endure the trouble of smashing them all and step inside.
[...Ah, aah.]
Realizing this, the Sea King felt his sanity crumbling.
How could this be? Why would he do such a thing?
But what burned at him most was that his daughter stood guard by the Red Dragon's side.
That reckless girl who had run off to protect her "fellow kin" instead of defending Tunus.
She was gazing at him, following the Red Dragon's line of sight.
[...Open the gates.]
And so, he made his decision.
"Y-Yes! Understood."
The Red Dragon couldn't be stopped. No matter how invincible Tunus was, his opponent was the Red Dragon.
How could they block the one who had crushed mighty Aidon, just because they were under the sea?
'...I hope time passes without incident.'
Thus, he chose to hunker down.
Calamities, natural disasters—they couldn't be avoided. One could only pray to pass through unscathed, losing as little as possible.
'Gods above, please... hear my plea.'
With that, he welcomed the Red Dragon inside.
*
'Certainly intriguing.'
The underwater nation of Tunus was truly fascinating.
For starters, its location and structure were unique. There were no walls to speak of. The entire defense relied on magical barriers and wards.
But thanks to the deep-sea environment, that alone provided ample protection.
Yet the sight beyond those wards was breathtakingly beautiful. Glowing coral reefs served as streetlamps. Moss-covered rocks and aquatic shells formed buildings.
And the structures, arranged in a precise grid for efficiency, made it instantly clear how much effort had gone into building this nation, this city.
Leviathan said that as I pondered.
Her words stirred a faint nostalgia in me.
The primordial blue dragon...
A figure from "my" memories. The most adept at magic among dragons, the first to sire offspring. He sought to lead in every way, yet met death first as a result.
Hearing that made me feel his traces everywhere in the city.
<...He loved splendor. Just like this place.>
<As if. Dragons have no need for flashiness. As beings who reign supreme, the lesser ones bring it to us.>
<...Those aren't flashy. They're valuable.>
We swam above the city of Tunus, gazing down.
Even in the deep sea's thick darkness, the city never lost its glow. Figures moved between the lights, their eyes fixed on Leviathan and me.
Eyes filled with wonder, fear, and everything in between.
Yet these were the people of a nation undefeated until now—their fear was milder than that of surface humans.
I didn't mind their stares.
Soon enough, after swimming for a while...
We reached the city's heart.
A circular palace. But its massive scale made it clear it wasn't built for humans. Blue dragon motifs adorned it everywhere, intricate magic circles etched across its surfaces.
I set foot there slowly.
<You think I'd get hurt by something like that?>
<...>
[...]
...Anyway, as the palace drew near, I briefly suppressed my consciousness. I restrained my divinity, curbed my myriad impulses, and sought out my welcoming host.
When my feet touched the ground, a slender blue dragon similar to Leviathan came into view.
[...It's an honor to meet you, Red Dragon.]
His voice was politely formal as he greeted me, but I knew at once.
He was the Sea King. Leviathan's father.
<You don't seem all that pleased.>
[...As if I would be.]
*
Meanwhile, as the Red Dragon faced the Sea King...
"Wha—what the hell is he doing here...!"
The sons of gods and the god-chosen champion could only panic.
"Why has the Red Dragon suddenly shown up in Tunus of all places?"
"We paid so much to get here...! Why now, of all times...!"
It was only natural for them to react this way.
Their goal had been to seize the Sea King's power—his mana and heart—and plunder Tunus's treasury.
They'd bought scrolls for underwater breathing in bulk, poured every effort into reaching the city.
All that remained was to execute the "plan."
But...
"...It's messed up. Everything's gone to hell."
Unfortunately, their "plan" was on the verge of capsizing before it even began.
Rihalt already felt a throbbing headache.
"...How many underwater breathing scrolls do we have left?"
They'd even come with minimal gear to wrap things up quickly and escape smoothly.
"...Enough for a week."
"...What about teleportation scrolls?"
"The magic circles and barriers here block them."
"...".
Even that failed. Reorganizing on the surface and re-entering wouldn't be easy.
They were truly up against a wall.
Rihalt, son of the God of Murder, and Lerado, son of the God of Theft, had no idea what to do.
Charging the Red Dragon now meant certain death.
Swimming back out would waste too much opportunity cost. They needed something to show for it.
Yet instinct told them the Red Dragon would leave them with nothing.
That's what they felt.
However...
"...We can escape."
The Ox was different.
"...What?"
"We can escape. The god guaranteed it."
He had failed before. So to prepare for another failure, he'd taken out insurance.
"Don't worry. Focus on what's in front of you."
With that, he gripped his axe again.
Convinced this time would be different.
Ignoring the dimwitted demigods entirely.
He advanced quietly. Silently.