I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

"So you lost your sight fighting some guy named Zion, and Ash… somehow became human?" Leo mused, his finger tapping against his chin as his gaze wandered across the tent walls.

"And once again, you find yourself entangled with organizations you know little about."

"Exactly." Raiden sank onto the narrow bed to his left while Levi leaned against the entrance wall, Speed beside him, arms crossed over his chest.

"I'm tired," he murmured, collapsing onto the bed. Every muscle in his legs surrendered as he exhaled deeply, relief washing over his face in a grateful smile.

But his expression darkened soon after, a sneer twisting his features. "I really want to sleep, but I know my mind won't let me," he muttered.

He knew his body intimately, and despite the overwhelming fatigue that made his muscles ache for rest, the sun's relentless heat and his restless mind conspired to pull him back to his feet.

Taking a deep breath, he turned to them. "How did things go for you guys?"

They all observed him with careful expressions as he relaxed, until Levi spoke up, and Leo turned his seat toward Raiden.

"Oh my," he smirked. "First time you've actually talked to us about your life."

His smile deepened as his eyes darted to the ceiling. "Is it because you're becoming a softie for the new girl, Master?"

Raiden blinked slowly at him, his expression unreadable. "That would've been better, wouldn't it?" His look turned lazy. "You would've finally gotten your chance to be the acting leader."

Levi shrugged. "I already am a leader, my friend."

Speed sighed and shook his head. "Our journey wasn't nearly as complicated as yours, but we still had our problems."

He walked forward, grabbed a chair, and sat down near Leo, touching his mask. "My mask and Soul's enchanted stickers made this a bit troublesome."

He began massaging his head, golden eyes shifting to Raiden. "Children ran the moment they spotted us, and adults were terrified just by our presence."

He turned to Levi and sneered. "And this good-for-nothing here only made it worse, threatening people with our presence."

He shrugged while Raiden narrowed his eyes at him, and Speed's expression softened. "Well, we had our share of fun."

"Levi took us to the Sea of Snakes, where we fought these massive worm-looking creatures with sharp teeth covering their skin and lining their mouths." Speed's description struck Raiden as familiar, catching him off guard.

"They swam through the sand like fish in the sea whenever they detected water." He shrugged. "We met some powerful people there who helped us learn how to fight the snakes."

Raiden smirked, finally understanding. "Wait—those sand worms? They're snakes?"

Speed raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, they look like worms, but everyone said they were snakes."

"I don't know much about Drake's Shell," Levi added, "but I think they use some of those snakes to eliminate the weak ones."

He raised his hands, shaking his head with a soft smile. "Great men like me didn't need to break a sweat. Those snakes couldn't see or sense me to begin with."

Raiden shared his smile. He now understood that Levi could erase his presence entirely, making it seem as though he'd never been there—no footprints, no scent, nothing. Invisible, he moved like the wind.

This was a milestone not just for Levi, but for Raiden as well. With Levi's ability evolving to this level, retrieving the pages might prove easier than anticipated.

Yet thinking about his development only saddened him. He looked at their necks, at their crests and the numbers there, and let out a disappointed sigh.

Both Leo and Levi were at number five now, while he remained at the same level as Speed. What stung his pride most: before they'd arrived, Speed had been at number eight, and now they were equals.

Leo's eyes darted across their faces, then his head dropped. "You guys got to visit interesting places." His voice carried a sad, almost sobbing quality.

"Anyway, why do they call the desert a sea?" Leo turned to Levi. "The place MK and I visited was called the Smiling Sanctum, and they kept referring to the desert as a sea too."

Levi folded his arms across his chest. "That area isn't far from the Sea of Snakes at all." He smirked. "It's the same desert."

But his smile quickly faded. "Why didn't you guys ask the people there?"

They all stared at him, waiting for an explanation to Leo's question. He took a deep breath, ran his hand through his hair, and adjusted his ponytail.

"Everyone knows the Kingdom of Noor has the largest territory of all the kingdoms, but the fewest people."

He raised his hands. "Well, there you have it."

"We have vast lands we can't even use." His face darkened. "But it started with one person, centuries ago, who first called the desert a sea to sail."

"Many know him as the king of the sea, but according to legend, he vanished centuries ago. Before that, he'd conquered the middle of the kingdom, claimed nearly half our land, and named it the Endless Sea."

Raiden rose from the bed, stretching as he yawned. His eyes were already burning with fatigue; he needed to sleep.

"He succeeded, and now everyone wants to follow his example by conquering territory."

"Does the Endless Sea still exist?" Speed asked.

Levi shook his head. "There are still people who believe it exists, though the kingdom took the land back when he vanished."

Leo rose to his feet. "The Smiling Sanctum was hell, frankly." He began cracking his knuckles. "We fought corrupt crest bearers who'd gone insane, but the worst part? We couldn't complain because everyone there had to maintain this fake happiness and keep smiling."

He turned to Raiden. "You know what? I went through all that hell so I could finally take you up on your challenge and face you, bookkeeper."

Raiden managed an awkward smile as he scratched his head. Sure, he'd challenged Leo to get strong enough to defeat him, but he hadn't expected him to take it literally.

"This'll be the perfect way to pass time until Freya and Aeris get back," Levi said, his smile turning twisted. He was clearly eager to see how much stronger Raiden had become.

"I'll referee," he said, moving toward the tent opening. "Give me thirty minutes to set things up."

Raiden glanced at Leo. The familiar determined expression on his face carried something new this time: confidence. That alone filled him with pride.

This was his doing, and he had to meet Leo's challenge with everything he had. Plus, it would be the perfect way to exhaust himself enough to get some sleep.