I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

Perhaps some intriguing encounter on their way back would have justified the effort, but alas, there was nothing novel to witness, no new mysteries to ponder within the Leviathan.

However, after about three hours, they detected a subtle change in the creature's behavior, forcing them to take cover, and in that moment a sudden realization struck Raiden.

Raiden observed the creature's mouth opening slowly, forest air flowing over their skin as they took in the sunset stretching before them.

The sense of peace and stillness that had enveloped him since Solace Isle was finally dissipating. At last, he was free.

But Raiden scarcely noticed any of this, his thoughts consumed by how the people of Coast might respond upon seeing such a magnificent creature rising from their waters.

"We have arrived." The Leviathan's frigid, resonant tone reverberated through their thoughts while it unfurled its enormous tongue, letting it fall against the shore and soak into the ocean-soaked sand.

Raiden observed, bewildered, as the others appeared entirely nonchalant and untroubled by their circumstances.

Why are they so calm?—he thought to himself, his gaze darting frantically around them.

Should the kingdom discover this creature, King Hannes would undoubtedly send knights to protect Raiden and secure the Book of Ashes. Such intervention would certainly reduce their prospects of continuing their quest.

Yet as Raiden's gaze swept frantically about, he spotted two fishermen far to his left in a wooden vessel, utterly unperturbed by the Leviathan's presence.

They merely threw their nets into the water, relaxing with easy laughter. It was as though the creature were invisible to them.

The enormous swells generated by its movement, its writhing tail, and, most perplexing, its immense presence looming on the water's surface like a drifting metropolis—all of it remained unseen by the fishermen.

A smile crossed Raiden's face as he exhaled in relief, then jumped down from the Leviathan's tongue to the sand beneath.

"Not everyone can see it, then," he muttered to himself.

"Yes, only those who can sense mana and aura can see it," Freya replied while collecting her belongings from Leo.

"What a relief."

"Call when you need me," the Leviathan's deep tone reverberated one final time as it gradually pivoted toward the ocean and disappeared into its depths.

Once the creature vanished, Aeris stepped toward Raiden. Her hands trembled nervously as she attempted to speak, appearing almost frightened as she failed to hold his eyes.

Yet Raiden understood her game perfectly—she was reverting to her old manipulative ways now that they'd left the place that had forced honesty upon them.

"Chrono wondered if I might show them around. Can I?" She kept her eyes fixed on the ground, unable to hold Raiden's steady stare.

For a moment, Raiden said nothing, searching for any hint of dishonesty, but her emotions remained steady and unreadable. Even so, he was convinced they were conspiring against him, though he couldn't justify accusations based on intuition alone.

"Very well, go ahead."

As soon as Raiden gave his consent, Chrono and Odard drew closer.

"How gracious of you, boy, to let me take your comrade for a while," he remarked, his posture tilting backward in a show of dominance, golden mana rippling gently around his form.

But Raiden showed no reaction, only fixing him with a steady stare, dismissing his theatrical superiority.

Chrono grasped Aeris's hand and began leading her away. "We each have four days," he said, tossing a wave in Raiden's direction without turning around. "Same time, same place."

His companions headed into the woodland that stretched ahead. But all Raiden could think about was his desperate need for mental clarity.

He pulled an aether cigarette from his pocket and motioned for Freya to remain with him. As he positioned it between his lips, Freya gracefully accommodated him, conjuring small flames from her fingers to provide the light.

The conflict hadn't even started, yet they found themselves already disadvantaged. With Aeris accompanying Chrono, Raiden was left with little recourse but to acquiesce to his terms.

He needed both Chrono's knowledge of their destination and Aeris's ability to call upon the Leviathan.

"What did you need?" Freya asked, and Raiden turned toward her.

He gestured for her to join him as he began to follow the others through the forest. "Did you see anything suspicious about Aeris during your journey?"

Freya ran her hands through her long, dark hair and flicked it back over her shoulders. "Nothing at all."

She began brushing her fingers against her chin. "She was mostly collected and spoke less." She smiled darkly. "I hated her for betraying us earlier because she played a role in my familiar's death."

"But she turned out to be a very caring person. She always hurried to heal me whenever I was wounded in battle." She shrugged. "She's still at number seven even though she's three years older than us, but her healing ability is quite impressive."

Raiden glanced at her for a moment. That was the same side of Aeris he'd been seeing for a while now, but after Speed's warning about his suspicions, she had appeared quite different with her unnecessary lies and suspicious behavior.

"Are you sure that's all?"

Freya began tapping her chin repeatedly with her finger. "She drank and had a lot of fun at the inns we stayed at." She nodded. "That was all."

She was the oldest among them. Partying and drinking were normal at their age, but Raiden still couldn't get his head around it. What was with the sudden change? Was she not betraying them after all?

"What's going on?" Freya asked, her expression dropping. "Do you think she's up to something?"

Raiden glanced at her and contemplated whether it was worth telling her before nodding his head in confirmation.

"I don't think so," she said, her smile returning. "Once a traitor, always a traitor, right?"

"You can let me kill her if you want."

Raiden tilted his head upward, gazing at the night sky through the canopy of branches. "Not yet."

Raiden's thoughts weren't helping, but he was certain Aeris couldn't be killed yet. He couldn't stay trapped in his mind much longer before Freya brought up something random, stealing his thoughts and putting a smile on his face.

Before long, they arrived at the mansion. The sight of the five-story Gothic structure, with a newly built fountain in front of it, sent a sense of home through him, and familiarity coursed down his spine.

But something caught his attention completely. Before the entrance stood two girls in white pajamas, one with long white hair and the other with cascading dark hair.

"Hard to believe June and Alora were standing guard for us," Freya said as they watched Alora wave at them.

"I know." His eyes began darting around. "Where are the clones anyway?"

"I wonder."