The next clash began in the sky.
The cry of Avian Arde split the night as it carved spiritual energy along its wings, flinging it down like a blade of wind-charged lightning. Above and behind, are its mate, Avian Garde, diving with a body cloaked in a dense martial aura, more like a living spear than a bird now, aimed straight at William's exposed flank.
But William had already moved.
His aura, grey with streaks of golden mystic light, pulsed outward like an awakening storm.
[Mystic: 10 / 11 → 9 / 11]
With his experience, he didn't channel it directly into his body anymore. Instead, he wove the mystic force into his aura, strengthening it far beyond what a standard Flesh Path user could manage.
Then, with a sharp beat of his wings, he rose into the sky in an instant.
The Arde's crescent slash missed by a breath, slicing the waves below and sending a fountain of white spray into the air. The blast nearly struck the giant octopus below, who recoiled in irritation and tried to submerge again, slipping into the depths like a ghost.
With wings folded tight and momentum doubling its speed, the Sky Lord hurled itself into William mid-flight. Its beak, encased in a thick coat of aura, slammed into the center of his guard.
Clank!
William managed to block it, but only barely.
Shielding himself from the massive beak with big body of Buster Sword and layered aura, William felt his body carried by the sheer force of impact. The Garde's momentum hurled him through the sky like a meteor flung toward the sea. Air screamed past his ears as the sea's surface rose to meet him, closer with every heartbeat.
Beneath the waves, the twin Bassal Sharks had been waiting. Molten light gathered at their jaws, radiant with infernal energy, each preparing to strike with no regard for friendly fire. As William's descent carved a trail through the wind, the sharks lifted their heads from the sea, necks thick with heat, and opened their maws wide.
Twin beams of molten aura surged upward, searing and blinding.
William sensed the breath before it reached him. His eyes flickered, pupils narrowing in focus. The Avian Garde, still locked in midair with him, suddenly halted its downward push. A survival instinct flared within the giant bird. With a powerful wingbeat, it angled sharply away, but not before shifting its weight downward, one last contemptuous shove to force William into the blast zone.
He saw it coming, and he braced.
"Boom!"
The two infernal beams slammed into him at the edge of the sea, detonating against a hastily-formed dome of aura fused with mystic energy. His barrier shuddered beneath the twin assaults, edges fracturing as raw power seared through. But the shape held, barely. When the blasts cleared, William's body, seemingly broken, plummeted limply into the waves.
He hit the surface without resistance, sinking slowly like a wood.
The giants watched in silence, then erupted into excitement. Bloodlust stirred. The Bassal Sharks thrashed the water, their hunger rising as the scent of scorched aura tickled their senses. Overhead, the Avian pair let out sharp cries and dove in pursuit, wings folding, talons primed. The octopus, once visible, had vanished again, somewhere beneath the waterline, preparing for its next ambush.
But the closest was the shark with [Molten Devourer] class.
Its massive form surged forward, carving a wave as wide as a ship. Its jaws opened without hesitation, wide enough to swallow boats whole. It reached the floating body first and bit down. No struggle or resistance. William disappeared into its mouth like a piece of driftwood, vanishing behind obsidian teeth and molten breath.
To something of its scale, William's size was little more than a single bite, a mere appetizer for a creature born of fire and deep-sea pressure. If not for his Myth status, the creature would never have bothered.
The other shark, the [Giant Slayer] circled nearby, began harassing the birds, rising like a fiery spear, it rammed into the Garde with molten force, scattering feathers and aura alike. Then it turned, hurling molten scales like shrapnel toward the Arde, forcing the pair to break formation.
Meanwhile, deep inside the Devourer's throat, things were far less peaceful.
William opened his eyes slowly, the heat gnawing at his skin. His wings burned slightly, clothed smoking. But his expression remained calm. The moment he felt the furnace-like walls press around him, William stopped pretending.
"...Quite Hot," he muttered, voice dry, gaze calmly assessing his surroundings. The heat gnawed at the edges of his wings, singing his feathers, but his tone remained even, as though he were commenting on an inconvenient room temperature.
Even now, the creature's body tried to digest him, not with acid, but with sheer oppressive heat designed to melt steel and bone.
A clever mechanism.
But ultimately useless.
He inhaled once, charging his aura with precision rather than panic. The scalding pressure licked at his mystic form, trying to melt it down, but his martial aura held firm. His hand closed around his sword, and a new hum rang through the molten chamber.
He gathered everything, his focus, his weight and his power of [End], into the tip of the blade. And then he pointed it upward.
"Kill This Beast, [End]."
His aura that still held traces of mystic, condensed and sharpened until it trembled.
The shark sensed it. A ripple of instinct surged through its nerves. This prey, this heat-immune, unmelting stone in its belly, was wrong. It tried to gag. Its throat convulsed in rejection, attempting to vomit William back out, but it was too late.
With one line release of power, William unleashed the full force of the charged blast directly into the roof of the creature's maw.
The result was instant.
"Kaboom!"
The molten interior ruptured with a flash of blinding light and crackling energy. The shark's massive body arched from the sea like a dying leviathan, its molten shell fracturing from within. Steam and blood sprayed into the sky as its upper skull exploded outward, aura-charged force tearing through bone, scale, and spirit alike.
For a heartbeat, everything went still.
The sea held its breath. The Avian pair, the other shark, even the hidden octopus, every creature paused.
Then, the corpse fell.
A lifeless husk struck the waves with a thunderous crash, sending a wall of foam and molten blood skyward, slowly floating on the sea surface. And from the ruin, wrapped in silver and gold light, wings burned but unyielding, William emerged, hovering just above the broken sea.
He wasn't wet anymore because the shark mouths are like an active volcano, a few seconds there is enough to melt anything, yet he is still calm and very much alive. Brushing a streak of soot from his cheek, he exhaled once, watching as the stunned silence stretched across the battlefield.
"Really now," he muttered, cracking his neck, seeing these beasts starting to fight against each other, "I expected something more from [Giants] monsters. But it seems… Beast is still a beast."
Shaking his head, William channeled his aura again.
"Let's begin round two," he said, voice calm as ever.
Then, "Zing!" A sharp, resonant hum echoed as his energy surged.
[Mystic: 9 / 11 → 7 / 11]
His body expanded slightly as mystic light poured around him, reinforcing every inch of his frame coated aura. The Buster Sword in his grip grew heavier, thicker, glowing with lethal force.
With one powerful beat of his wings, he vanished from sight, then reappeared in a burst of pressure right in front of the Garde.
Their weapons clashed.
The Sky Lord raised one of its talons to meet him, aura pulsing across the body, but William's blade struck through the guard. Sparks flew. A shallow cut tore across the leg, forcing the bird to retreat midair with a cry of pain. But it didn't back off alone. The Arde shot in from above, wings swirling with wind and spirit energy, aiming a cutting arc at William's back.
He twisted in the air, parried it in time, but the strike still sent him spinning briefly before he corrected his balance.
From below, molten light flared again.
The last Bassal Shark roared with rage, its body churning the sea. Enraged at its kin's death, it hurled itself into the air, aura blazing, jaws opening wide, but missed as William rose just in time. The shark plunged back into the sea, but this time… it didn't return.
William narrowed his eyes.
'Gone from my senses?'
But he had no time to search. The Avian pair pushed again, their coordinated attacks weaving between long-range slashes and midair tackles. William met them blow for blow, but the sky fight slowly forced him lower, drifting him toward the surface.
He kept track of everything. Even the octopus.
His [Hunter Mark] still clung to the Deep Dweller, allowing him to sense the slight shifts in water pressure beneath.
Suddenly, a tentacle shot from the sea, nearly invisible, but he was ready. His body spun midair, blades whirling once, and the limb flew free with a burst of black blood. A faint screech rippled through the water, and the rest of the body vanished again.
> Hunter Mark Applied.
But then…
A sudden spike of pressure erupted from below.
The missing Bassal Shark erupted from the ocean depths, its body glowing red-hot, moving like a torpedo. It had gone deep, far deeper than expected, to gather speed, and now it rammed straight into William from below and slapped him with its massive molten tail.
He barely had time to guard.
The impact flung him into the air, tossing him like a ragdoll. His smaller size saved him, the ramming momentum didn't carry enough force to do an effective damage. Still, the tail slap power shook his core. He recovered midair, but the shark had already fallen back into the sea.
At the same time, without warning, the sky darkened.
Clouds gathered unnaturally fast overhead. A pulse of power stirred the air, wind screaming, and lightning crackling in the distance.
William looked up, eyes narrowing.
"This is…"
Taking time when he was flung from the attack, the Avian Garde and Avian Arde hovered together, wings outstretched, aura and spiritual power merging into a single storm cloud. Using a joint ability, one tied to their ultimate skill as [Sky Lord] and [Storm Caller].
The storm flashes.
Lightning shot down from the clouds, fast and precise, aimed directly at William.
He moved fast, but the thunderbolt was faster. This wasn't normal lightning. But a controlled one, thick as a ship's mast, and charged with spiritual energy with intent to kill.
"Crackle! Boom!"
It struck him midair and his vision went white instantly.
Pain exploded through his body as the thunder cracked overhead. His wings jerked, and his body lost control, spinning helplessly as he fell toward the sea, hitting the water hard, bouncing once before sinking.
Below the surface.
'Cih,' William grimaced, feeling the sharp and constant pain.
He didn't come back up, as surfacing now would be stupid.
His wings were badly burned, patches of feathers gone, skin scorched and blistered. One of them hung at an odd angle. Parts of his body twitch uncontrollably. The lightning had hit deep. His nerves felt like they were still burning inside his flesh.
Most of the damage had been blocked by his aura, reinforced with mystic energy. Without it, he would've been reduced to ash on the spot.
A normal Extraordinary couldn't have survived that.
But even as a Myth, the attack left its mark. Burns covered his back and chest, some glowing faintly with heat. His muscles ached, and his arms felt heavy, slow to respond. Sparks still danced faintly along his skin before dying out.
Still, under the water, he forced his wings to move, reaching deeper into the ocean, out of the storm above range.
The sea around him was growing darker. And somehow, he felt the malice around him rising.
'New enemy?' He thought, but it was nothing like that.
Above the surface, the moon was beginning to turn red as the strange cloud wavered. The rising hostility he felt came from this.
Surrounded by the water, William didn't know the situation above, but he was calm. With his [Deep Hunter] and new [Sea Blessed Warlord] class, the sea was not a disadvantage. Just an unfamiliar homefield he has yet much delve into, yet still a homefield.
He next closed his eyes, senses reaching out, sensing the tremors of energy around him. However, he opened his eyes not long after. The octopus was nearby, despite losing one of its tentacles, it lurking closer fast to his position. While the Bassal Shark was circling him.
Almost immediately, the giant octopus moved to strike again. Injured, yet stubborn, it extended multiple limbs silently through the water, hoping its invisibility still held advantage.
Having no time studying the weird malevolence force around him, William refocused on his battle again. He sensed every movement clearly in his range, and the [Hunter Mark] pulsing gently in his perception, perfectly clear. He turned stiffly, still in pain, forcing his sword slashing in broad arcs, guided by intuition and perfect tracking.
But even then, as he slashed, ink and blood clouded the water as limb after limb was severed, each cut still delivered cleanly. The creature next retreated into the depths, its few remaining tentacles thrashing in pain.
> Hunter Mark Applied 5x.
At that moment, the last Bassal Shark surged toward him once more, molten scales dimmed by seawater but still blazing hot. Its jaws opened wide, aiming to crush William between obsidian teeth.
He didn't dodge. Instead, he twisted and thrust forward, sword extended. The shark attempted to twist aside not wanting the same fate as its twin, but wasn't fast enough; William's sword pierced deeply into its side, slicing a long, burning gash. Blood and heat spilled into the water, sending clouds of boiling steam outward.
The shark roared in agony, retreating again, though William knew it wouldn't stay away for long.
Just then, he sensed movement above. The Avian pair had recovered their strength and were now plunging into the water, defying their natural instincts. William paused for a brief moment in surprise before remembering that these creatures, through their class paths, likely had something akin to [Sea Hunter] or [Sea Diver], and could maneuver underwater far beyond normal limits.
After all, the ocean was their hunting ground, their sustenance source. It would be weird if they didn't have class relating to the sea.
Yet despite their adaptations, fighting underwater was still an unfamiliar challenge to them, as they were usually only hunting food that was close to the surface level. For William, however, it was different. His recently integrated triple-lined class, [Sea Blessed Warlord], paired flawlessly with his existing [Deep Hunter] class, making him equally effective beneath the waves as in the open skies.
Even so, being born as a human and shaped by mythical wings, the air still felt more natural to him.
Under the water, the two birds attacked fiercely, driven by increasing ferocity. Their eyes glowed with unnatural intensity, minds slipping closer to primal madness as the moon above slowly turned crimson, becoming a [Blood Moon]. Its eerie, scarlet glow seeped through the ocean's surface, staining the sea and pushing these monsters' aggression beyond their usual boundaries.
This tension made William uneasy. A part of him feared the Liberator was under attack, but the giants gave him no time to dwell on it.
The Arde, smaller and faster, lunged first. Talons sliced through the water in a precise dive. William, though still bearing the sting of lightning across his body, moved with controlled precision. His muscles had already adapted to the searing pain, and his motion flowed like instinct, smooth and deliberate.
He shifted aside with ease and the attack missed cleanly.
Then, with a flash of irritation, he countered. His grip tightened around the sword, aura surging with focused weight. The blade cut through the water in a single, decisive arc, cleanly slicing through the Arde's wing and into her side.
'Illogical creature…' he commented.
Blood burst like ink in the sea.
Its body spasmed, wings twitching once before going limp. A thick trail of dark red followed the body as it drifted upward, carried slowly by the current toward the surface. By the time the Arde broke the waterline, its eyes were already dim, dead.
The Garde shrieked with fury and grief, probably awakened by the death of its mate, retreating momentarily to the surface and circling above, gaining some semblance of clarity, but the rage in its glowing eyes made it clear the fight was far from over.
William glanced upward, feeling the intensity of the hostile force continue to grow, knowing the fight was only getting harder from here.
Deciding it was time to go up, he flapped his wings, reaching the sea surface several seconds later.
And there he sees it, The [Blood Moon]. Red and malicious, completely different from the soothing silver moon. Displaying endless hatred toward the sea.
'I see…' William thought, 'Isn't this similar?' The red world, where everything bleeds into anything else.
In the perspective of his mutated eye, [Eye Of Spirituality], the world surrounding him is completely dyed in crimson. Anger, hostilenes, malevolence… It seeped into the sea. Even into the body of a giant bird circling above him. It was as if the moon was completely engulfed in the wrath of God, cursing this world endlessly.
'So this is why the Arde is losing its mind.' he thought.
And for a moment, William's mind drifted toward the ship, and the girls that were still onboard.
He didn't want to leave them alone in this cursed light.
Suddenly, a message flickered in his vision.
[Kei: Don't worry, we are fine. And the moon doesn't have any effect on Rei anymore.]
[Seraph: That's good.]
Probably sensing his worries, Kei sent up a message in group chat, not wanting him to lose focus in his quest.
Thanks to the ritual they performed days ago, she has awakened a double lined Myth-Bound class that he named [Wisdom Angel]. The class granted her deep emotional resonance with him. With that, she could feel what he felt and through it, she became akin to his queen in this sea-bound kingdom, someone who could borrow his authority, and even guide others in his name.
Her message calmed him.
Exhaling the open air, William hastily pulled a [High-Level Health Potion] from his inventory and drank it. The bitter liquid burned on the way down, but within seconds, the sting in his nerves began to fade. His flesh healed, slowly but steadily. It wasn't full recovery, as his Mythic form made standard potions less effective, but it was enough.
'Three Giants left. This is doable,' William thought, steeling himself.
Above him, the Garde circled, eyes glowing red under the oppressive glare of the [Blood Moon]. Beneath him, William sensed the Bassal Shark's growing frenzy, its molten scales dim but glowing angrily, readying itself for one final strike. Nearby, he felt the hidden octopus stirring, regenerating its limbs quietly in the shadows, preparing something.
William drew a steady breath, gripping his sword tighter.
Then everything happened at once.
The Bassal Shark surged forward, abandoning caution entirely. Its body blazed brighter, its molten aura swelling dangerously. William's eyes widened slightly, realizing what was coming. The shark intended to explode itself, sacrificing its life to destroy him under the influence of [Blood Moon], something that it definitely won't do, if it is still sane.
Too close to evade fully, William bursts and shapes out his aura, creating a thick, layered shield infused with mystic power.
[Mystic: 7 / 11 → 5 / 11]
"BOOM!"
The shark detonated in a flash of searing heat and blinding red. Molten scales erupted like fiery blades, scattering violently in every direction. William's shield buckled under the force, his skin blistering from the intensity. Pain jolted through his nerves, muscles screaming under the explosive pressure, but he held firm.
From the shadows beneath, sensing weakness, the octopus made its move. It abandoned stealth completely, rising in full view. Its limbs, now regenerated and strengthened with an unknown power, shot toward him like thick, shadowy spears. The beast had clearly used a hidden skill, enhancing its body far beyond natural limits.
William reacted instantly. His body even in pain, spun, sword sweeping outward in a wide arc, a blazing crescent of aura slicing through the water.
Three limbs fell immediately, severed cleanly.
The octopus screeched, black ink and blood clouding the water, but desperation and hostility drove it forward. Its remaining tentacles whipped around William, squeezing and stabbing, each strike heavy with malicious force.
Above, the Avian Garde chose that moment to dive, talons outstretched, eyes burning with rage and grief. William was trapped between two threats.
Suddenly, in the midst of this chaos, William felt something strange. A tug deep within his mind, his soul. Not from Kei or Rei, not from the ship, but further away, along the distant threads of faith. He recognized it quickly: Zealot Mackerel and his followers.
Yet, mixed with their familiar devotion was something unfamiliar, something he couldn't immediately recognize. Another power. Another presence.
Before William could think clearly, the System abruptly responded.
[System Notice: Rainbow Road Connected. You Have Been Chosen As A Summoned Target.]
'What?!' William thought, distracted momentarily by confusion and surprise.
He quickly refocused, just in time to twist away as the Avian Garde struck. Talons grazed his arm, tearing deep grooves into his flesh, but William ignored the pain, retaliating swiftly. With a sharp twist, he plunged his sword deep into the octopus's core.
The beast convulsed violently, its grip loosening. William tore free, bursting upward through dark ink and water.
The Garde, alone now, roared defiantly. William met it head-on, his blade humming with accumulated aura and mystic force. They clashed fiercely, sparks of energy dancing in the bloody moonlight.
Blow after blow echoed through the night sky. Finally, William saw his chance. He surged upward, feinted left, then slashed decisively right.
The Garde's head separated cleanly, its eyes dimming instantly.
William hovered there, panting, wings battered, body torn, yet victorious. He exhaled slowly.
But then the sea below began to glow strangely.
A ripple of colors spread rapidly across the waves, red, blue, green, violet. Ever-changing, pulsing with unnatural attraction. William felt a force gripping him, tugging at the very core of his being.
"No… Wait-!"
Before he could react or resist, the world exploded into blinding white.
He was gone.
In that split second, realizing he'd been forcibly teleported away, William's voice roared in fury, echoing across the mystic void:
"Bastard! I swear, if something happens to my believers, I will kill you!"
And then, silence.
Only the [Blood Moon] remained, its crimson glow staining the empty sea.