A Toast to Number 9
Raon swallowed dryly. He'd wanted to hold it back, afraid even the bob of his Adam's apple might give him away—but the tension was so extreme his throat moved on its own.
Not yet… He still hasn't found me.
If Derus Robert had already figured out who he was, he would have moved by now and appeared right in front of him. The fact that the man was still hovering in the sky made it clear he hadn't noticed yet.
"That's right."
Wrath looked up, narrowing his eyes.
"That bastard has just arrived, and he's staring at nothing but the collapsed canyon. He hasn't found you yet. Of course, if you move even a little clumsily, he'll notice immediately."
Yeah.
Raon's lips trembled as he nodded.
I know.
Because he had swum out horizontally from the dungeon's lowest floor, he was now in the deep sea. He was a long way from land as well, so even Derus would have a hard time pinpointing him at a glance.
This scent… it's been a while.
The smell of death that had brushed his nose in his previous life, in the instant Derus took his head, tickled his nostrils once more. Unlike then, though, when there had been no way out, a path of life now ran between the paths of death.
Raon lifted his head with aching slowness, his neck stiff. High in the distant sky, something like a speck was visible.
Derus Robert.
If he focused aura into his eyes he could see properly—but the moment he did, he'd be caught and taken alive.
I must not panic. Absolutely not.
When Merlin had kidnapped him, if he'd used his head just a little more and forced those two to fight to the bitter end, the situation might have turned out differently. He had to stay cold and think of a way out of here.
Raon clenched a fist that had gone ice-cold.
Assess the situation first.
He hadn't drawn a sword, but this was no different from fighting a Life-and-Death Duel. He needed to figure out what was in his favor and what wasn't.
What's in my favor is that I'm somewhere he won't easily notice.
He was sitting just above the abyssal depths—sunk in a place that, by both depth and distance, would be hard to find.
And I prepared in advance.
Before Derus arrived, he had re-dyed his hair and eyes, resonated the Ring of Fire to shrink his presence to the absolute limit, and operated Glacia to craft a presence indistinguishable from water. Unless you were looking for him, you'd take him for a fish or a scrap of seaweed on the seafloor.
Derus, on the other hand, was broadcasting his rage without the slightest restraint. That was the only reason Raon had been able to detect him first.
He'd expected Derus to take a dimensional gate, but the man had arrived far sooner than anticipated. Derus had grown stronger than before, yes—but it also meant he hadn't held anything back.
In other words, he's angry enough to lose his reason.
Even now, Derus was staring only at the area around the shattered, sunken canyon. Rage had narrowed his vision to a slit.
Raon forced strength into his trembling arms.
Of course, the problems are enormous too…
If Derus didn't move, neither could he. Senses like that would catch an awkward motion even through a fog of fury. He had to stay as still as a stone on the ocean floor.
And then there's…
The greatest problem was the man's sensory field. Derus Robert was a Transcendent who had surpassed Grandmaster—one of the Continental Ten Heavens, with power on par with Glenn. If he spread his senses not just downward but across this entire stretch of sea and land, Raon would be found no matter how well he hid.
I have to hold out until that arrives…
He'd predicted he might run into Derus, and he'd set a contingency in place before destroying the dungeon. He had to endure somehow until it showed.
Not much time left…
"I don't know what you've prepared, but it looks like you're in trouble."
Wrath snorted and pointed a round little hand at Derus's feet. A faint energy began to stretch outward, tracing the shape of a sphere.
Damn it!
Raon bit down hard on the inside of his cheek.
He opened his senses in every direction!
Speak of the devil, and the devil comes. The worst-case scenario he'd only hypothesized had come to pass. Derus wasn't searching the area around the collapsed canyon—he was spreading a sensory field that blanketed the entire sea and the entire land.
That psycho bastard!
In a situation this urgent, instead of thoroughly searching the place the dungeon had been, he was trying to grasp every last inch of everything. As expected, the man was a long way from being a normal human being. If rage hadn't narrowed his vision, Raon might have been found the instant Derus arrived.
And it's fast.
Befitting a Transcendent, the sensory field spread at an abnormal speed. It was probing the land, the sea, and even the sky, and it wasn't slowing down at all.
You monster…
Raon clutched his chest as his heart hammered hard enough to burst out of it.
At this rate I won't make the timing.
Even if the thing he'd prepared appeared right now, Derus would notice it first. Being caught was only a matter of time.
Shit…
Derus's sensory field had already crossed the place the canyon had been and come right up to his nose. The thick killing intent rolling off that blue aura made his shoulders tremble. The closer the aura came, the more it felt like a cold blade seeping into his heart. He was underwater, and still it seemed like cold sweat was pouring down his entire body.
"Shall This King hide you?"
Wrath sneered, stretching out a round little hand.
Hide me?
"Indeed. At that level, This King's trait can keep you alive."
Keep me alive, he says.
No. To live, he had to trust his own judgment, not Wrath's. That said, he was genuinely short on time. He needed the little glutton's help.
It won't be free, will it?
"Quick with the numbers, as expected. Accept 10 Wrath every 10 seconds, and This King shall take you beyond that sensory field."
Wrath wiggled his fingers as if telling him to decide already.
10 Wrath every 10 seconds…
Not escape—hide. Which meant, in the end, he still couldn't leave this spot. If Derus stayed up there, Raon would have no choice but to take in a monstrous amount of Wrath.
Feeling Derus's aura right in front of his nose, Raon clenched his teeth.
It'll come up in a minute. Just until then…
Hooo…
He closed his eyes and took Wrath's hand.
"A fine choice!"
The instant Wrath's amused voice rang out, body and soul melted into the sea. It felt as if he himself had become one with the ocean.
Whooooosh!
Not even a tenth of a second after he took Wrath's hand, Derus's sensory field swept past. A chill like a knife driven into his spine. But Derus seemed to feel nothing at all, merely expanding the range of his senses.
He didn't catch me…
Wrath's confidence had been the real thing. His ability had the power to slip Derus's sensory field.
"It's an ability called Sensory Veil of Frost Flowers. If that bastard had examined more carefully it would have been dangerous, but he put the emphasis on speed and range, so there were a few holes."
Wrath looked up at Derus and smirked.
"This is the power of the Monarch of Wrath, King of the Demon Realm—Lord Wrath. From now on, you too shall follow This King."
Wrath giggled and did a little shoulder dance.
Wrath has increased by 10.
The moment he let out a breath of relief, a message floated up before his eyes. Handing over the Wrath the instant ten seconds passed—when it came to this sort of thing, the little creature was sharp as a blade.
"At this rate, This King might just devour your body, hmm?"
That's not happening.
Raon turned Wrath's delighted chin aside, looked back, and frowned.
He isn't stopping.
Derus's sensory field stretched out as if it had no end. It was as though he intended to confirm every last thing in this sea.
Wrath has increased by 10.
Another ten seconds passed.
Derus's sensory field finally stopped. That, however, was not good news.
Huh…
Raon clapped a hand over his mouth as he watched a deep blue light spreading from beneath Derus's feet.
That lunatic!
The man had thrown out a fast sensory net to lock down any possible movement, then unfolded a second, slower field that could examine everything in far greater detail—and he was using it to check every last thing in this sea.
"Hmm…"
Wrath smacked his lips at the sight.
"Ah. You're probably going to get caught."
What?
"This King is in a spiritual body right now, so it's hard to bring out This King's full power…"
He shook his head as if to say this was the limit.
You're a Demon King! Put some back into it!
"You suck This King's abilities dry every single day—where would This King have any strength left?!"
Damn it…
The fact that Wrath wasn't sending any Wrath even as time passed meant the little king was flustered too.
Raon stared not at Wrath, but at the place where the collapsed canyon lay. Fine dust began to rise with the bubbles. Strength gathered in his hands. The arrangement he'd been waiting for had finally arrived.
"If you don't want to die, leave your body to This King! You don't even have any allies here!"
No.
"The moment you're detected, you'll be in that bastard's hands!"
Raon shook his head, a faint smile on his lips.
I'll be fine.
"What are you—"
It's here.
Right before Derus's second sensory field touched his skin, an enormous cloud of silt erupted from the place the canyon had sunk.
KRAAAAAAASH!
Like a volcano blowing its top, the silt surged upward, and the emerald sea turned to muddy water in an instant, going dark.
"What in the world is that…"
Wrath's mouth fell open at the sight.
Canyon Stomp.
"What?"
When you go to a valley stream and stomp your feet, the muddy water rises and the water clouds over. I just maximized that.
Move around in a valley stream and the silt settled on the bottom comes up, turning the water turbid. Using Flame Sea Flawless, he had mercilessly carved and smashed the enormous canyon and dropped it, so every last grain of silt that had been lying on the floor had risen at once and filled the sea above.
Whooooom!
As the silt thickened, Derus's sensory field shrank sharply and concentrated toward the abyssal depths where the canyon had gone down.
"Damn it!"
Derus, who had been floating in empty air, screamed and dove into the water. That face, usually so full of composure and ease, was hideously twisted. Seeing an expression packed with a rage Raon had never witnessed in his previous life or this one, a laugh rose in his throat even in a situation where he could die at any moment.
"H-huh? What is this?!"
I told you. It's fine.
Raon let go of the flustered Wrath's hand and slowly drew a deep breath.
I must not move in a hurry.
If he relaxed even a little, Derus, who had gone down, might chase him back up. Just as Wrath had done a moment ago, he melted himself into the water and moved his hands and feet. He'd been so tense that his limbs were stiff as wood. He loosened them starting from the fingers and swam with a smooth, quiet stroke.
Feels like he's still stuck to my back.
The sensation of Derus's gaze or his senses clinging to him made Raon's spine crawl. He crushed the urge to look behind him and moved as silently as he could.
"Th-this is insane…"
Wrath's mouth hung open.
"D-don't tell This King you predicted even this?"
Not predicted. Prepared.
Raon nodded.
I didn't want to get caught again.
It was a contingency he'd set for the possibility of meeting Derus. Of course, without Wrath's help he would have died.
"So that's why you smashed it so finely—to kick up the silt settled on the bottom."
That's right.
Because Merlin had gotten him once, he'd prepared just in case. If Wrath hadn't bought him the time, he would have died in the end anyway.
"Where are you going now?"
Somewhere that bastard will absolutely never go.
Raon smirked and pointed east. The one place Derus would not go right now. The direction of House Robert.
"Using the silt cloud, and even thinking ahead to where you'd flee…"
Wrath squinted as if this were simply too much.
"This King wants to tear off your head and study it."
Same here…
He wanted to see what was inside Wrath's skull that the creature only ever talked about food. There might be ice cream in there instead of a brain.
"Ah, and…"
Hm?
"Th-This King was a bit flustered and failed to give you the extra 30 Wrath. Even now…"
Come on. That's not how it works.
Raon waved him off.
A carriage that's already gone doesn't stop.
"What nonsense is that! If you raise your hand and stop it—"
It'd just run over your hand. End of story.
He smirked and waved again.
Thirty Wrath doesn't matter.
He'd grown a great deal recently, so receiving 30 Wrath meant nothing. If anything, it would make the Demonic Eye of Wrath easier to use, so it would be a considerable help.
I can breathe a little now.
Trading stupid conversation with Wrath, the relief of having slipped Derus's grasp settled over him. As he rapidly worked the Dolin Breathing Method to expand his shrunken lungs, a message rose before his eyes.
Sensory Veil of Frost Flowers. The very ability Wrath had used a moment ago to hide him from Derus.
"Wh-what?!"
The instant he saw the message, Wrath's mouth dropped open.
"Why would it give you that?! Why is it suddenly giving you Sensory Veil of Frost Flowers?!"
He flailed his hands and shrieked.
Ah.
Raon snapped his fingers.
When I came this far just now, I used the feeling from when I held your hand. That's probably why it gave it to me.
"……"
Wrath didn't answer. He stood there dazed, eyes wide, then threw up his hands.
"Hey! Raon's over here! Raon Zieghart is right here! Come catch him already!"
He made such a racket the sea itself should have churned—but of course there was no one who could hear it.
This is nice. I'll put it to good use.
Raon hummed under his breath and let himself drift with a school of fish.
Raon swam the whole way submerged, all the way to the resort in Robert Territory. He'd already changed clothes underwater, and there were so many tourists that no one paid him any attention.
"Haaaaah…"
Floating on the surface, he let out a long, deep sigh. Having clawed his way out of an extreme crisis, every bone in his body ached, and his skin felt shriveled.
I almost died.
Without Wrath's help and the contingency of pulverizing the entire dungeon, he might have left his bones down there. No—he might have been captured by Derus and made a slave all over again. The relief of being alive brought a wave of exhaustion crashing down on him.
"Lucky bastard…"
Wrath ground his teeth.
"This King should have demanded your body from the start!"
Having seen Raon's dream, he'd gone soft for a moment. His hands trembled with the regret that he should have taken the body from the very beginning.
"At least take the 30 Wrath!"
Nope. Don't want it.
Raon waved him off. It was already over. Thirty he could handle well enough, but sixty might be too much. And now he had Sensory Veil of Frost Flowers besides—there was no need to take it.
So comfortable.
Maybe because everything was finished. A drowsy warmth settled over him, enough that he could have fallen asleep. He was just about to let his eyes drift shut when—
KWOOOOOOSH!
An enormous wave surged up from the eastern coast where the dungeon had been. It wasn't natural. The aftershock of Derus throwing a tantrum in the deep sea had erupted outward.
"Hahahaha!"
Raon swept his wet hair back and burst out laughing.
I want to see that face again.
Remembering Derus's crumpled expression as he dove into the depths, a deep smile formed on its own.
He won't have found a thing.
Except for the assassins who'd died when the ceiling came down, he had erased every other corpse. All Derus would find rummaging through the deep sea were bodies crushed under rubble.
"You wicked little—you won't die a peaceful death either—"
Want to eat?
"Yes!"
Wrath, who had been pouring out curses, immediately nodded.
Raon smirked, left the beach, and sat down at an outdoor table of the restaurant Wrath had wanted to eat at before.
"Welcome!"
A young waiter brought a menu with a bright smile.
"Here at House of the Sea, we're skilled not only with seafood but with meat dishes as well…"
The moment the menu opened, the waiter's speech began.
"They say the meat dishes are good too, but there's no way you'd order everything, so start with the lobster pizza, then the grilled shrimp…"
Wrath picked the pizza at the very top of the menu, smacking his lips.
"I'll take everything on here."
Raon swept his finger down every dish on the menu and smiled.
"Ohhh?"
"E-everything? You're not alone, are you?"
"I can eat it all. And a beer as well."
After placing the order, he tipped the waiter a silver coin.
"Yes, sir!"
The waiter beamed and ran into the restaurant.
"Wh-what's gotten into you? Is the sun going to rise in the west tomorrow? Ordering every last one of those dishes!"
Wrath's eyes went wide as if this made no sense at all.
I said I'd buy you everything you wanted to eat.
Wrath's words in the dungeon still sat in his chest. As Sylvia so often said, if you received gratitude, you ought to repay it in kind.
"I'll bring the beer first. The dishes will come out one by one if you wait just a little!"
The waiter set a beer mug on the table, bowed, and went back inside.
"Alcohol? You're drinking in the middle of the day?"
I feel like drinking today.
From far away, amid the violently exploding waves, it seemed Derus's rage-filled roar was echoing back across the water. Raon raised the beer mug toward the raging tsunami.
Raon offered a prayer for No. 9 and drained the beer.