The Abyssal Beast rose slowly from the violent ocean crater.
The thin slash Caelum had delivered between its scales was already knitting shut, dark blue slime sealing the wound.
Justus stared in disbelief, his breathing ragged, his arms burning from holding off the energy beam moments prior.
“You’ve got to be kidding me…” Justus gritted his teeth, raising Gryphon with trembling hands.
The beast unhinged its jaws again.
Deep blue, destructive energy began gathering in its throat.
Justus tightened his grip on his hilt.
“So we’re doing this again?”
The monster fired!
Justus leapt sideways, the energy blast tearing through the sea beside him!
The explosion sent a towering wall of water and splintered deck debris flying, throwing Justus across the wooden wreckage.
He rolled hard, slamming against the shattered mast before forcing himself back onto his feet.
“Dammit!”
The Abyssal Beast lunged forward, jaws open wide to swallow the remaining hull whole.
Justus took a firm step forward, dragging Gryphon up.
“Come on!
No way I’m letting them get all the glory.”
BOOOOOOM!
A blinding, dark shockwave hit the monster square in the side!
The impact was so massive that the entire multi-ton beast was thrown violently sideways, crashing into the ocean with a deafening splash!
Justus froze.
A figure landed lightly on the splintered deck right in front of him.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Calm.
A towering, undeniably familiar presence.
Justus’s crimson eyes widened.
“…Kraven?”
The young man turned his head slightly, a lazy, confident smirk crossing his face.
“Still getting yourself into trouble, little brother?”
Justus’s expression shifted instantly from shock to pure annoyance.
“You?!”
Before Justus could utter another word, a second figure dropped silently from the sky, landing atop the thrashing monster’s head.
A dark, avian-styled mask concealed his face, his black cloak fluttering against the gale.
He raised a single hand, the air around his palm twisting violently—Dragon’s legendary Left Hand.
Kraven—Dragon’s eldest son and Right Hand—stepped forward, unsheathing a heavy, twin-edged blade, while Corvus moved at the exact same instant.
Their combined aura exploded, turning the sky dark as their strikes slammed into the beast simultaneously!
BOOOOOOOOOOM!!!
The shockwave split the ocean wide open, exposing the dark sea floor for a fraction of a second!
When the mist and spray finally settled, the Abyssal Beast lay floating motionless on the water’s surface.
Dead.
Completely erased.
Justus stared at the massive corpse, then looked at Kraven and Corvus.
His face darkened into a scowl.
“You bastards!”
Kraven and Corvus turned to look at him, glanced at each other, and instantly burst out laughing.
“What’s so funny?!” Justus stormed toward them, splashing through the shallow deck water.
“I almost had it before you guys came and ruined everything!”
Kraven wiped a tear of laughter from his eye.
“You almost had it?”
“YES!”
Corvus tilted his head slightly behind his mask, his voice dry and echoing.
“That’s what you call ‘almost’?”
Justus pointed aggressively at the dead beast.
“I had it weakened!
I wore it down!”
Kraven laughed again, slinging his heavy blade over his shoulder.
“Sure you did, kid.”
“I DID!”
“Then why were you getting tossed across the deck like a sack of grain?”
“I was positioning myself!” Justus snapped, his face reddening.
“I wasn’t running!”
Corvus raised his hands, subtly imitating Justus’s stance.
“Come on!
Die already!”
Kraven nearly doubled over, slapping his knee.
“Stop, Corvus, you’re killing me!”
Justus clenched his fists, his eye twitching.
Kraven walked over, grinning as he roughly ruffled Justus’s dark hair.
“And you’re still a fool.”
Justus slapped his hand away.
“I am not a fool!”
“Really?” Kraven pointed toward the splintered, sinking remains of Justus’s small vessel behind him.
“Your ship is literally at the bottom of the ocean, can’t wait to tell father about this.”
Justus went dead quiet.
“…”
Corvus looked down at the floating wreckage, then back at Justus.
“Did you actually take the Abyssal Route to reach Blackridge?”
“…Yeah,” Justus muttered, looking away.
“What about it?”
The two exchanged a look, and then exploded into another fit of laughter.
“What is so funny now?!” Justus growled.
Kraven placed a heavy hand on Justus’s shoulder, still chuckling.
“Little brother…
there’s a safe trade channel two miles west of here.”
Justus blinked, his jaw dropping slightly.
“…There is?”
Corvus nodded calmly.
“A very well-paved, completely safe route.”
“Then why didn’t anyone mark it on the map?!” Justus demanded.
“Because normal people buy navigation charts at the previous port,” Corvus said dryly.
“Wait there’s a port?
But how come I didn’t see it after Eldermere?
Kraven smiled, patting Justus’s cheek mockingly.
“This is why you need a crew, fool.
Or at least someone who can read a sea chart so you don’t keep jumping into monster dens.”
“I can navigate perfectly fine!” Justus yelled, pointing at the sea.
Kraven pointed back at the sinking wood.
“The fish disagree.”
Justus folded his arms tightly, gritting his teeth.
“…Shut up and what are you even doing here?.”
“We were going to take down this kid named Ragnar, he was causing problems in our territories.” Kraven answered smilingly.
“But on reaching there we found that he was already defeated by you.” Corvus added
After a moment, Kraven let out a soft, genuine sigh, his expression relaxing as he looked down at his younger brother.
“Come on.”
“Where?”
“We’re escorting you to Blackridge on our ship.”
Justus looked past them toward the massive, dark iron vessel—The Black Tide—looming in the fog with its crowned skull flag fluttering high.
“You’re taking me?” Justus asked quietly.
“Obviously,” Kraven smirked.
“We’re not leaving my little brother stranded in the middle of the Northern sea on a piece of floating driftwood.”
Corvus nodded once.
“Though it would make a funny story to tell Lord Dragon.”
Justus hesitated, then allowed a faint, subtle smile to touch his face.
“Thanks.”
Kraven’s grin widened instantly.
“Aww, don’t get sentimental on us now!”
“I’m not!”
“Good.
Move it, fool.”
“WHO ARE YOU CALLING A FOOL?!” Justus snapped as they began walking toward the Black Tide’s drop ladder.
A few meters away, the entire scene was met with total, stunned silence.
Daemon stood near the railing of Caelum’s warship, his jaw practically on the deck, his rifle resting loosely in his grip.
The remaining Guardian soldiers looked as if they had just seen ghosts.
“Tempest…” one Guardian whispered, his hands trembling against his spear.
“That’s…
Kraven Tempest.”
“And the masked one…” another swallowed hard.
“Corvus.
The Silent Death.
The Left Hand of Dragon one of the four Lords of the Lower world.”
Daemon slowly looked at Justus, then at Kraven, then back to Justus as the dots finally connected in his head.
His eyes widened.
“Wait a minute…” Daemon muttered, his eye twitching.
“You’re telling me…
you’re Kraven’s little brother?!”
Justus glanced back at Daemon casually.
“Yeah.
Daemon stared at him, letting out a dry, disbelieving laugh.
The insane physical strength…
the complete lack of fear…
the reckless combat style…
Everything suddenly made terrifying sense.
He wasn’t just some talented rogue kid wandering the world.
He was Dragon Tempest’s youngest son.
Captain Caelum Voss stepped forward, signaling his men to hold their ground.
He looked directly at Justus, his expression calm, calculated, and sharp.
“I came here intending to place you under arrest, Tempest,” Caelum spoke clearly over the water.
Justus raised an eyebrow.
“Still planning on it?”
Caelum glanced toward Kraven, whose hand rested casually on his massive blade, and then at Corvus, who was silently observing the fleet.
A faint, respectful smirk touched Caelum’s jaw.
“I know when I’m hopelessly outmatched,” Caelum said plainly.
Kraven chuckled.
“Smart Captain.”
Caelum ignored Kraven entirely, his dark eyes remaining locked onto Justus.
“Today, you are protected by power far beyond my authority.
But do not mistake this for a free pass.”
Justus’s tone became serious.
“I don’t.”
Caelum pointed two fingers toward him.
“One day, when you don’t have your family standing behind you, we will meet again, Justus Xavier.”
The cold Northern wind swept between the ships.
Caelum placed his hand firmly on the hilt of his black saber.
“And on that day, I will arrest you myself.”
Justus smirked, his crimson eyes flashing with excitement.
“I’d like to see you try.”
Caelum allowed a brief nod.
“I look forward to it.” He turned sharply on his heel toward his soldiers.
“All units, secure the fleet!
We’re withdrawing!”
As the Guardians began retreating, a young lieutenant whispered frantically, “Captain…
are you actually planning to track down a Tempest?!”
Caelum didn’t look back.
“I said I would arrest Justus when he’s alone.
I’m not suicidal enough to challenge Dragon’s Right and Left Hands.”
Behind them, Kraven’s booming laughter echoed across the water.
“HAHAHAHA!
I like this guy!”
Corvus shook his head under his mask.
“He’s rational.
A rare quality in a Guardian.”
Justus crossed his arms, glaring up at Kraven.
“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing, little brother,” Kraven grinned, throwing an arm around Justus’s shoulder as they boarded the Black Tide.
“Just wondering how many more warships you’re going to wreck before that Captain finally catches up to you.”
“He’ll never catch me,” Justus muttered.
Corvus stepped onto the deck beside them, his dark cloak shifting in the wind.
“That’s what every fool says right before they end up in a cell.”
“HEY!”
Kraven laughed again, shouting toward the helm, “Set sail for Blackridge!
Let me introduce our little brother to a real ship before he sinks another one!”
“I told you, I know how to navigate!” Justus yelled over their laughter.
Kraven pointed down at the sunken wood fading into the misty sea behind them.
“Sure you do, kid.
Sure you do.”
Their banter carried over the waves as the colossal iron warship cut through the dark water, heading straight toward the icy gates of the North.
CHARACTERS
* Kraven Tempest(Black Dragon of the West): Eldest son of Dragon Tempest, Right Hand of Dragon.
Wields a massive dual-edged blade, cheerful, extremely dominant in battle, loves picking on Justus.
* Corvus (“The Silent Death”): Left Hand of Dragon Tempest.
Master tactician/assassin, wears a fullfaced mask, dry comedic delivery.
* The Black Tide: Command warship operated by Kraven and Corvus.
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