I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

They appeared before the vast blue ocean, their boats sinking into the beach sand as they confronted its overwhelming immensity. The wind swept the sea waves in all directions, harmonizing with the quiet that filled the distance.

Raiden and his comrades exchanged confused glances. This wasn't the destination they had expected; nothing in their sight indicated a path forward or hinted at the presence of a leviathan.

"Where are we, Chrono?" Raiden asked, his confusion apparent as he turned toward the other man.

Chrono gestured toward Odard, pulled a note from his pocket, and handed it over to Raiden. Raiden accepted it, confusion still etched on his face as he read.

"You'll need to recite the incantation to call forth a leviathan," Chrono said, shrugging. "Like I said, the leviathan path is a mana pathway."

Raiden took a closer look at the incantation scrawled across the sheet and shook his head in disbelief. "We would need mana to actually summon it, wouldn't we?"

Chrono smiled and moved toward the water. "I don't know much about leviathans, to be honest, but they don't negotiate. They only appear if they think you're worthy."

He crouched down and rested one palm in the water. "This is how it works: you recite the words and channel your mana into the ocean." Rising to his feet, he started snapping his fingers impatiently.

"Come on, chop chop. I don't have all day."

Raiden studied the sheet again and saw that everything was written in Noorian. Since not many couldn't read it, he looked between his companions, searching for someone who could.

Before he could consider his options, Aeris moved forward. "Let me call it."

Raiden's eyes narrowed as he met her dark stare. "This is written in Noorian, Aeris."

She smiled and nodded firmly. "I can speak Noorian now," she said, the words flowing easily in the foreign tongue. "I picked it up on my journey."

Raiden watched as red emotions flickered through her white aura, the colors mixing tellingly. She was lying. But he simply shrugged his shoulders.

"Sure, go ahead." He offered a hollow smile, and as soon as Aeris took it and looked toward the sea, his face went dark.

If she was lying, he knew exactly what she was up to. She wanted to ensure her existence wouldn't be rendered meaningless in the long run. As long as this was her only move for now, Raiden had no problem with it since it benefited him. But he still couldn't shake the question of why she would betray them again.

While his thoughts drifted, Aeris crouched down and dipped her hand into the sea.

"Leviathan of the deep, hear me. I offer my strength and carry me across these waters.

Cut through the waves, guide me to the Solace Isle.

I trust the ocean, and I trust you. Come."

She recited as she poured her white mana into the sea. The mana drifted like white flames across the water, spreading in a three-foot radius around her.

They all waited patiently to see if the leviathan would deem Aeris worthy enough to serve her. Seconds turned into minutes with nothing but silence. Raiden watched irritation creep across Aeris's face as she clenched her fist, her hand trembling. Her desperation was showing, and it made him uneasy.

But before he could say anything, a massive wave loomed overhead, racing toward them.

Aeris pulled her hand from the water and stepped back. "It's coming," she said, her voice bright with excitement. "The leviathan is coming."

Raiden's feet moved backward of their own accord. His body trembled and his heart pounded as he pressed a hand to his chest, confused by his own terror.

But when he looked at the others, he realized he wasn't alone in his fear. Even Chrono had his guard up; the leviathan's presence was that overwhelming.

But the instant he faced the ocean again, he forced down his fear. His body went rigid, trembling, even as euphoria pulled his mouth into a disturbing smile.

A massive, serpentine creature burst from the water with surprising agility. It spanned the beach from tide to dunes, a wall of muscle and scale.

Layered dark blue and black scales gleamed wet in the sun, each plate like an armored tile fitted for war. Cyan patterns pulsed softly along its sides, betraying the bioluminescence it used to navigate the ocean's depths.

Massive spines crowned with fin-like appendages lined its back and tail, the latter thrashing against the water's surface. These pale, translucent additions gave the beast an ethereal aquatic majesty.

Armored with jagged, scale-like plating, its head bristled with sharp, horn-like protrusion. Bioluminescent whiskers trailed in glowing blue streams, creating an almost mystical aura as the leviathan swayed its head, sending water cascading down on the group below.

Chrono let out a shaky laugh. "I've never felt this kind of pressure before," he said, his voice trembling along with his body.

"I am the Eastern Leviathan, and I have answered your summons." The creature's voice was cold and deep, resonating directly in their minds.

Raiden kept his eyes fixed on the creature, his body still frozen in place. How were they supposed to ride this thing? They'd die just from being near it.

"How much are we supposed to pay?" Aeris called out, standing fearlessly beneath the towering leviathan.

The leviathan's eyes narrowed. "Are you the one who summoned me?" It lowered its massive head toward Aeris, who began to tremble as sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Yes, I am."

The leviathan looked away from her. "No, you aren't why I came." Its massive head swiveled toward Speed, who had positioned himself protectively in front of Soul. "Her," it said, indicating the pair. "She was the reason I came."

A faint smirk tugged at Raiden's lip—vindication was a quiet, satisfying burn in his chest.

"Why her?" he asked the leviathan.

The leviathan's focus snapped to Raiden, its colossal head angling toward him as confusion flickered in its narrowed eyes. "What are you?"

The leviathan pressed closer, its breath alone powerful enough to send Raiden staggering. While he fought desperately to keep his footing, Ash simply walked over and took his hand with casual ease.

The creature seemed even more confused. It backed away for a moment and shook its head, before leaning toward them again. "Oh, I see."

Its entire body then dropped to the floor, rumbling the ground. "What's it doing?" Raiden muttered.

[Bowing,] Ash responded casually.

"Huh?"

However, the leviathan didn't remain on the ground for long. It raised its body in an instant, and turned to Soul and Speed.

"Everything has a price, and it doesn't matter who or what you are," it said as it extended one of the two protrusions right below its chin toward the ground.

"Our journey begins after I've received my payment." Soul glanced at Raiden, who was confused about what had happened, but still managed to give her the go-ahead nod.

Soul held the protrusion by the tip, which was too massive for her fingers to wrap around. She closed her eyes and began pouring mana into the horn-like protrusions.

While Soul did her job, Raiden bent slightly toward Ash. "Do you know it?"

Ash shook her head in disapproval. [But I do know that it is entirely made of mana and multiple magical creatures, and it needs the mana payment to survive.]

Raiden stood upright and turned to the leviathan. He began to wonder why the creature had bowed. Was it also somehow related to Ash, the moon dragon?

As his mind wandered, Soul turned to him and gave him a smile and a thumbs-up.

"Our journey begins now," it said as it rested its massive head on the floor. "How fast we move will be determined by how much mana you pour in as I move."

Raiden let out a sigh. "So what Soul did was like renting it, and now we must buy fuel for the journey too," he muttered, shaking his head as his hand rested on his face.

The leviathan's mouth gaped open, its reddish tongue extending like a bridge into the sand.

"Enter," the creature intoned.

They all exchanged glances, fear giving way to revulsion at the slummy mouth bristling with sharp teeth. Deep in its throat, horn-like ridges jutted like those outside, and past them stretched absolute darkness.

Raiden's body began to itch as he turned to Chrono. "You didn't mention this part."

He shrugged with a smile, gesturing for his men to take the lead. "The path to an absolute domain isn't something our eyes are meant to handle, so I guess it makes sense."

Raiden sneered at him and glanced at the others. They had all entered, leaving only him, Chrono, and Ash, while MK and Noelle lingered behind.

Without a moment's hesitation, Chrono took the lead. Raiden followed with Ash by his side, and MK and Noelle brought up the rear.

The moment they all entered, the creature's mouth snapped shut. Instantly, everything inside began to glow white—the tissue, the teeth, even the fluid—illuminating their surroundings and banishing the darkness that had stretched behind them.

Freya held one of the protrusions and turned to Raiden. "I will take care of the mana this time." Raiden gave her a gentle nod and she began pouring out mana.

"You've been… useful," Chrono said with a cocky smile.

But Raiden met him with a lazy expression and turned toward MK and Noelle, who stood behind him. He let out a sigh.

"Finally, the journey begins."