The Sixth Eye focused on the world, causing everyone to freeze in their place.
The size of the power was such that most here would have died on the spot had it not been further sealed.
I moved Sre while covering the eyes of Leo and Yena, who were blankly staring up.
“Let’s go.”
“We!”
Sre, however, casually took off into the sky.
Having already contained the immense power of the harsh cold, any ordinary mental attack wouldn’t work on it.
[?]
[????]
[What’s with everyone freezing?]
[What’s going on?]
[Why is everyone frozen?]
[Huh?]
“First, let’s get out and think.”
Ideally, I’d like to gather everything one by one like before, but right now, just keeping my own body safe is tough.
‘I have to take the loss.’
After all, users are immortals.
They die, lose a bit of experience, and then resurrect, with their minds being healed automatically by the system after revival.
“Ugh…”
“Ugh…”
“Haah!!”
Below, the owners of the bracelets were barely holding onto their spirits as they staggered.
As items meant to confront the Kraken, even the gaze of the Sixth Eye could block a part of their power.
‘But it’s only a matter of time.’
Even if the seal persists, it’s ultimately an imperfect seal.
In an imperfect state, we cannot face them.
‘I gained some time, so I’ll search for more bracelets during the remaining time. After that, the eye must be removed.’
Once I find just one, gathering all six will create a perfect seal.
The problem is the Sword Saint… but if he doesn’t show up even then, I’ll need to ‘persuade’ him to come back.
Just around the time Sre was about to completely escape the Kraken’s domain…
“?!”
Chaaarrr!!
The dark sky grotesquely split, and a spray of water covered the heavens.
As Sre was about to break through, he was bounced back with a bang! and glared with his nose reddened.
A black something was striking the unfreezable water barrier.
A woman with dark blue hair was glaring at us with wide-open eyes.
Before long, the water barrier completely covered the sky of the sea.
[?]
[Who?]
[???]
[Is it a spirit?]
[Isn’t that the Spirit King?]
[Oh?]
“No, it’s not. The Spirit King doesn’t look like that.”
Arrowna doesn’t look like that, as far as I know.
Even if there has been erosion due to the Kraken, her appearance is completely different, and I can’t even feel the Spirit King’s unique aura.
However, it is somewhat questionable if someone with that kind of power isn’t the Spirit King.
The purity of the cold from Sre, the size of the technique capable of covering an entire sea.
‘…Then could it really be true?’
The possibility mentioned by Nord.
“Did you really pass on the qualifications of the king…?”
“That can’t be!”
Chaaaaarrr!!
The Naiad rushed through the barrier and landed on Leo’s head, who was still sitting dazed.
“Is it really the Spirit King? So hurry and subdue it…!”
“Kwaah!”
Kwaaaang!!!
It couldn’t break through Sre’s Water Blade shield and bounced back.
Sre, still not freezing, scattered cold air and blocked the additional incoming attack.
Whoosh!
“Ugh! Move aside!”
“…!”
Kwaaajik!
Sre’s front paw pierced through the Water Barrier, targeting the Corrupted Spirit.
The fragments of extreme cold embedded in the paw smashed through everything, striking the spirit.
The corrupted spirit scattered as if it was disintegrating.
As the spirit disappeared in an instant, Sre tilted its head and examined its front paw.
“What happened?”
“It turned into water and dispersed. We can consider it returned to its natural form.”
“I’ll check.”
The Naiad closed her eyes.
Particles of water swirled around her, surveying the energies spread in all directions.
The aura of the Corrupted Spirit was widespread across the sea, but there was a region where its energy was most concentrated.
The Naiad soared upwards, creating a water spray at that spot.
“…!”
As the spray vanished, the Corrupted Spirit returned to its original form and reached out.
Swoosh!!!
As the dark sea split open, something enormous in the same color as the spirit appeared.
“…A dragon?”
“It’s a Water Dragon. A real dragon…”
It’s not merely a technique made of water; it’s a genuine Water Dragon.
With its long body and whiskers, it resembles the ‘dragons’ of the East rather than typical ‘dragons’.
[Oh]
[It’s a dragon!]
[Dragon vs. Dragon]
[Eastern dragon, huh?]
[Will we get scenery if we catch that?]
[Really want to collect it, lol]
“Loach!”
“Crreee…”
Sre evaluated the Water Dragon sharply.
Regardless of its appearance, it’s still the same dragon race, and calling it a loach is a bit much.
Though Sre, called a lizard, shouldn’t be the one to talk, this was not meant as criticism or dismissal.
On the contrary, Sre’s eyes sparkled with growing anticipation.
Swoosh—
Uncontrolled chill flowed from Sre’s mouth.
Sre looked up at me.
“Can I use it?”
“Of course.”
“Wooah!”
As Sre’s mouth filled with cold air, the dark blue Water Dragon prepared to unleashing its breath.
It seems like it originally had a personality, but it might have lost its self-awareness due to corrosion, much like the Corrupted Spirit.
The energy gathering from both continued, and finally, the two breaths collided spectacularly.
“Fwaah!”
“Krrooo!”
With a flash!
Light flickered as the two massive forces collided and exploded.
Sre struggled to maintain its body and almost flew away, but as the Naiad reached out, the Water Barrier wrapped around Sre’s back like a gentle embrace.
The Water Barrier wraps around Sre like a serpent, entwining its back.
Barely standing, Sre shakes off the water and the Water Dragon collapses, frozen, onto the sea.
It’s a victory for Sre.
“I won!”
“Good job.”
“Uuu!”
As I pet Sre, he puffs out his chest proudly.
His body might be huge, but he’s still a baby.
[Sre wins!]
[Lolololololol]
[Sre is so cute]
[Dragon vs. Dragon, it’s a Dragon victory]
[Breath battle, so cool ;;]
[Sre! Sre! Sre! Sre!]
“Let’s catch the Spirit King now.”
“How strong is Sre, anyway?”
[Did the scenery come?]
[Water and Ice, Ice wins haha]
“Now all that’s left is…”
“……”
The Corrupted Spirit glances at the Water Dragon and immediately erects a Water Shield.
“Spirit King!”
“…!”
As the Naiad’s watery chains shoot down from above her head, the shield shatters too easily, binding her arms and legs.
Swish! Swish!
The watery blades sever the chains.
The broken chains rebind the Corrupted Spirit.
The Spirit tries to escape by turning into water, but this time, I’m quicker.
A multicolored bird swoops in.
[Yeah, Seal]
Clang!
“…!”
“You won’t last long. Hurry up and take care of it.”
“Okay!”
How long has it been since we gathered our powers to seal the strength of a Spirit King again?
The recovery time will be longer now.
Gwaaaaah… The Corrupted Spirit struggles and soon stops moving.
There’s no way to escape now.
“…It won’t come off.”
“Please don’t run away! Don’t you remember me, the Naiad?”
“…Naiad?”
“That’s right! I’m the loyal Naiad of the Spirit King!”
The Naiad approaches the bound Spirit and bows her head.
But the Corrupted Spirit merely stares at her with vacant eyes.
“Who’s that…?”
“…Spirit King?”
“I’m just his…”
“That can’t be! Please, regain your senses!”
The Naiad grips the Corrupted Spirit’s arms.
The Naiad’s power seeps into the Spirit, but what’s currently deeply involved with her is the Kraken.
Such feeble power can’t even awaken her mind.
“Let go… I want to die. Kill everything. I hate the Celestial Race.”
“Spirit King…”
“Tear their wings apart, shred their bodies, cover the world with their blood. That is my duty.”
“Please…”
“Duty to…”
A fleeting glance.
Her gaze returns to me.
“It must be fulfilled.”
Crackle!!
“Spirit King!”
The seal is broken.
Part of the main body of the Kraken rises behind her and shoots toward me like a bullet.
Although the seal was meant for the Kraken, it seems the Corrupted Spirit before me is unaffected as it crosses the boundaries of the seal.
The corrupted spirit in front of me seemed unaffected, perhaps because it had ventured beyond the realm of the Kraken’s seal.
Moreover, all the owners capable of re-sealing were currently struggling due to the focused attack.
[Huh?]
[?????]
[What’s up with that?]
In other words, the part of the corrupted spirit’s main body right now is the ‘real’ deal without a seal.
And if I get hit in this state, Sre, Yena, Leo, and even I won’t be able to withstand it.
“…! Lady Lily!”
The Naiad, dazed, rushed towards me.
■
I have to block it.
The Naiad, gritting her teeth, thought as she moved her body as quickly as possible.
Currently, the light source is half-sealed, but the Spirit King is out of its range.
The moment the Spirit King’s light touches them, their deaths will be inevitable.
Of course, Lady Lily and that dragon are quite strong, but they’re already in a near-death state to fend off an attack.
The dragon, and Lady Lily, are practically corpses, it’s a miracle they’re still alive.
‘I must! Must block it!’
But…
‘…I’m too slow.’
No matter how fast I move, it doesn’t seem possible to catch up with the Spirit King.
Even if I do catch up, how would I block that power?
Can I really stop it?
Even if I do block it, won’t I just be swept away and die too?
How could a subordinate spirit face the Spirit King…?
That’s impossible.
“GRAAAAH!”
‘…Ah.’
The light is already piercing the dragon’s left arm.
The white blood oozing from the dragon shows its pain.
Is this the end?
If I can’t stop the Spirit King, I’ll just have to watch as I fail to protect my savior…
‘Maybe I could pass on my power.’
“……”
There’s no way.
As the Water Spirit Naiad, there’s no method to stop a corrupted spirit of the Spirit King’s caliber.
But…
‘…If it connects, what happens to me?’
I focus my mind, having given up on moving forward.
I’ve never done this before, but somehow it feels familiar.
Finally, the light is about to pierce through Lady Lily and the Outsiders.
“…Stop.”
“?!”
The attack came to a halt.
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