I Guard The Book That Slays Gods

"Breaking free from an absolute domain probably requires channeling the full force of another domain into a single focal point inside the original domain's territory."

"At least that's the idea Freya came up with."

Speed said, standing alongside Raiden at the water's edge as they surveyed the land before them. The entire island was covered in white leaves like the ones from Raiden's tree, and something about the place stirred a sense of recognition in him.

"Wait, Freya had an absolute domain? When did that happen?" Raiden asked with a puzzled frown.

Speed shrugged. "Your guess is as good as mine." He began walking to their left, where everyone else had gathered.

Raiden didn't pursue the Freya question further, finding himself more fascinated by the island and puzzling over how they'd all appeared from thin air.

He brushed his hand against his chin, lost in thought. He needed all the information about absolute domains he could get his hands on. He couldn't afford to let that tragedy repeat itself.

"Could this be what they meant by the Curtain Effect?" he muttered to himself. "Without a doubt, this is the Dark Dream island manifested in the real world."

He glanced skyward once more. "If we escaped from above… could it mean the two lands reflect each other somehow?"

Raiden shook his head. While his theory felt right somehow, he couldn't completely wrap his head around it. He needed clearer answers, or maybe confirmation from someone more knowledgeable about absolute domains.

He quickly turned toward the others, looking for Chrono, but his face darkened as soon as he found him.

Levi's yellow aura pulsed with rage, the intensity so strong Raiden could feel it from where he stood. Levi faced Chrono and Odard with his hands in his pockets, eyes narrowed in a piercing stare. The two acted as if he weren't even there.

The sight alone made Raiden forget all about his confusion and search for answers.

He'd never witnessed Levi that enraged before. Come to think of it, he'd never seen him angry, period. So what was going on?

Before he could move toward them, Levi abruptly left the scene and headed straight for him. Though Levi's face looked calm and his gaze stayed fixed on the sandy ground, his aura still pulsed with that same intensity. Three buttons of his shirt hung open, exposing a red necklace that swayed with each step.

Once he was close enough, Levi looked up at Raiden. "Can I be the one to kill Chrono?"

Confusion crossed Raiden's face. "Why do you want to do that?"

Levi locked eyes with Raiden, his stare so intense it seemed to pierce right through him, as if he could see into his very soul.

"We're nothing but disposable pawns to them," his voice turned dark. "If they had actually fought with us, Freya might still be here."

Raiden's face softened with understanding. He'd experienced that same frustration seeing them sit back so casually, but there was nothing he could have done without the right moment. He'd accepted that reality from the start—their alliance depended on staying united.

"You can have him, but only when our alliance breaks." Raiden's gaze sharpened, and his voice became quietly menacing. "He may not seem like much, but he's incredibly powerful."

Levi sneered, shoving his hands further into his pockets. "Vice Captain of the Arsenal Armada. He can manipulate distance the same way Seth Jasper does."

The moment Raiden heard about Chrono's ability, his eyes widened and a chill shot through him, forcing a nostalgic smile to his lips. Seth Jasper had been the only opponent who fought with the same intensity as his father. But his smile didn't last long—nostalgia brought back memories of the white-haired man whose eyes mirrored his brother's.

His hands trembled as he made a fist, but after a moment, he smacked himself in the head, jolting back to reality. He'd sworn to remove those cursed eyes, and nothing would stop him. He just needed to keep his composure.

Raiden smiled again, turning to Levi. "Surprised you know all that. You've been paying attention."

Levi positioned himself beside Raiden, looking toward the others. "Apparently, he held his own against Ling, the Deathsight."

"Hold on, what?" Raiden's eyes widened in disbelief. "Snow's master, the Vice Captain of the Chaos Armada?"

Levi gave a decisive nod. "I have no idea who Snow is, but yes. Oh, and Deathsight also has one of those unique dragons, same as you."

He fixed his gaze on Raiden. "You can imagine how powerful he is… but he's never heard of me." His voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "I will end him."

Raiden narrowed his eyes, thinking back to Snow's stories about his captain. If his memory was correct, they shared the same type of dragon transformation, which would explain the similar dragons.

"She said Ling was after something as well… what was it, the twenty-eight pages?" Raiden muttered, his eyes widening as the pieces clicked. Was it possible that the white-haired man he wanted dead was Ling, the Deathsight?

Raiden spun toward Levi, his eyes going wide. "Did you just say a similar unique dragon?"

Levi looked at him with bored indifference, not bothering to answer. "I don't care what it is…

"I'll kill him first. Then I'll kill you."

Raiden's heart dropped, the pure hatred in Levi's gaze hitting him like a physical blow. "What are you talking about?"

"You heard me clearly," each syllable was more chilling than the one before. "I've been working on this plan for a while…

His voice, once so strong, started to break. "The only thing stopping me was Freya. But now she's dead."

He raised his head up into the sky. "Now I've got even more reason to kill you. She's gone… and there's nothing left to hold me back."

As his head dropped, he started walking away. "I'm the Shadow of Noor. I don't belong to anyone."

Raiden gulped as Levi disappeared from view. He'd always sensed Levi was playing his own game, but he never thought it would end with him as a target.

He brushed his hand through his hair anxiously. Had his strategy of winning their loyalty through deeds backfired? His gaze shifted to the others, wondering if they harbored similar intentions.

He was caught in his daze briefly, then took a deep breath and turned his gaze skyward to that same spot.

Right after the shocking realization that his target—the white-haired man—was actually his captain, he couldn't catch his breath before another threat materialized, this one from someone he'd believed was on his side.

"What a life," he said with a strained smile, though none of these revelations could break his resolve. "I'll just have to kill them both then."