The sea surface swelled as if a volcano were erupting.
The sight looked like an enormous droplet of water bursting upward.
It was the natural result of a colossal being revealing its true form, a being that dwelled in the depths, only ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) occasionally rising to the surface to glide across the waves and scatter sea mist.
A massive whale—
No, a being resembling a whale—rose into view.
Just its appearance alone, its size measured in kilometers, caused the sea level to rise and a tidal wave to form.
Its body was so immense that even coastal cliffs seemed as though they could be swallowed whole.
At this rate, everything along the shoreline would be utterly annihilated.
Ludger was debating whether he should stop it with magic when—
The tsunami that had risen as though to engulf the coast wholly froze in place, as if time itself had stopped.
Moments later the towering wave began to lower, its surface flattening until not even a ripple remained.
“The entrance is flashy, but it seems you’re not planning to smash everything just because you can.”
What made this possible was simple: that whale-like being was none other than the Elemental Lord of Water.
It was the pinnacle of nature, ruler of water. It could raise a tsunami or still it completely effortlessly.
‘It likely dislikes causing unnecessary disturbances.’
Naturally, the Elemental Lord of Earth was also present in this region.
For the Elemental Lord of Water to raise a tsunami would be to intrude upon the Earth Lord’s domain.
‘Yet it didn’t bother appearing quietly. The reason must be... because of my fight with Phantos.’
Buuoooo...
The massive blue eyes of the whale being turned toward Ludger and Phantos.
That gaze lingered especially long on Ludger.
The Elemental Lord of Water was wary.
‘Because of my magic.’
With the strengthened Sefirot’s Tree hovering above him, its power must have provoked the creature’s mood.
The fact that the Water Lord came to the coast—when it would normally ignore chaos happening in the middle of the sea—said enough.
“Seems like an unwanted spectator is joining us.”
Even at Ludger’s words, Phantos didn’t respond.
He had been staring fixedly at the Elemental Lord of Water for some time.
“It is best to end our warm-up here.”
Balancing on floating wood, Phantos tightened his grip on the harpoon and glared at the Elemental Lord.
“The prey I’ve been searching for since long ago... has finally shown itself again.”
“Hah.”
Ludger already knew Phantos hunted whales with his harpoon in the harsh northern seas.
But Phantos had never been satisfied with that.
The flames of desire burning inside him would never die down from such ordinary prey.
Judging by Phantos’s reaction, it was clear he had stayed near this area precisely to meet the Elemental Lord of Water.
The moment the fight with Ludger ended, he immediately shifted targets—
Ludger needed no more confirmation.
“You sure about this?”
Phantos growled back:
“Do not interfere. That one is mine.”
“If you struggle, I could lend a hand.”
“Don’t you dare. This is my fight.”
Ludger shrugged and stepped back.
As he landed on the broken cliffside, the shattered earth wriggled and restored itself to its original shape.
“Let’s sit back and watch.”
Canceling Sefirot’s Tree, Ludger’s eyes returned to their usual blue as he glanced beside him.
Upon the cliff appeared a small turtle, positioning itself at Ludger’s side.
Its entire body was made of ancient stone—the Elemental Lord of Earth.
Its true body was so massive that appearing fully would cause problems, so it deliberately manifested in this tiny form.
Compared to its original size, it looked like a hatchling.
Its face—normally composed of bizarre jutting rocks—had been simplified into a smooth baby-turtle head.
Naturally, it settled beside Ludger.
Ludger lowered himself onto its rocky shell like a seat.
“Hmm. This height should be enough for a good view.”
No sooner had he spoken than the cliff rose another ten meters.
“Perfect. Let’s watch.”
He had unexpectedly secured a VIP seat to witness a fight between a beastkin and an Elemental Lord.
For an Elemental Lord to appear and watch together was remarkable in itself.
They were the apex of nature—creatures indifferent to nearly everything.
To beings who could cause natural disasters at will, the existence of a human individual on the continent was laughably small.
‘But occasionally, a truly exceptional individual emerges.’
It might sound like bragging, but Ludger believed he belonged to that category.
After all, he had fully opened the celestial pathways, handled divine power, and even expelled the Elemental Lord of Fire.
Unless all fire in the world disappeared, that Fire Lord could never truly die, but that one strike must have left an enormous impression.
The Elemental Lord of Wind had also been heavily damaged when fighting Salesin.
Salesin was not an ordinary human, of course, but exceptions mattered.
That was why the Earth Lord was taking interest.
Phantos was one of the most extreme “mutant” beings alive on the continent.
Even if the result was obvious, watching him challenge the Elemental Lord of Water was worth witnessing.
The Water Lord stared at Phantos.
Even though Phantos was a massive, muscle-bound beastkin who stood out anywhere compared to the Water Lord, he was the size of an insect.
Yet the Water Lord was not disregarding something smaller than its own eyeball.
Ludger sensed instantly that this was not their first encounter.
“It’s been a while. You remember our last fight?”
Phantos addressed the Water Lord.
Of course, it did not answer.
But a being that ignored even giant warships was now showing interest in Phantos.
“Oh?”
Ludger let out a curious sound.
Phantos had clearly challenged the Water Lord before and the Water Lord recognized him.
“So it wasn’t just my magic drawing you here.”
Phantos flexed his muscles.
A translucent spirit aura flickered around him like heat haze.
His already violent muscles rippled, thickening further.
Then Phantos vanished from his position.
Moments later, the wooden buoy he had been standing on shattered, sending a column of water skyward.
The Water Lord’s eyes lifted.
Through the clouds, Phantos appeared, descending like a falling meteor, harpoon aimed straight at the creature’s brow.
But the Elemental Lord of Water was, unsurprisingly, the pinnacle of the natural world.
ShaaAAAAH!
It casually waved a single front fin—
a motion equivalent to a human lightly waving a hand.
The result, however, was far from light.
Kuwaaaaaa—!
In an instant—
a massive wall of water rose, filling the entire field of view.
Even with thick gray clouds obscuring the sun, the wave towered well over a hundred meters.
The wall the Water Lord summoned blasted through the clouds, rising beyond sight.
It was a tsunami aimed at the sky itself.
Phantos was forced backward, unable to advance.
His feet hovered above the water, held aloft by a fierce updraft beneath him.
‘Phantos... how do you plan to break through that? Even a knight would die if caught in it.’
The wall was lethal inside, violent currents raged.
Even a strong knight would be crushed and shredded without leaving a trace.
But Phantos was different.
He chose to charge straight in.
BOOM!
His harpoon pierced the watery barrier, and Phantos himself shot into the torrent.
Even within the massive currents, he did not lose his way.
Like a terrifying fish, he swam forward with explosive speed, emerging from the opposite side.
“He made the entire flow his own.”
Every fluid had a natural flow.
Phantos had mastered the path of force within those flows through countless battles.
What was a maze others could wander in for a lifetime was a morning stroll for him.
Paaang!
Bursting through the wall, Phantos gripped empty air and slashed mightily.
It was the same long-range spirit-infused strike he had used against Ludger—
but this time nearly full power.
An invisible blade tore across the sea toward the Water Lord’s snout.
ShaaAAA!
A pillar of water shot up before the Water Lord and swallowed the spirit slash whole.
The two forces collided, twisting against each other.
Phantos’s strike was instantaneous—
but the Water Lord commanded an ocean near-infinitely vast.
Pure power would naturally favor the Lord.
‘But he won’t stop.’
As expected, Phantos did not give up.
Even with his attack blocked, he dashed forward.
His feet struck the calm surface, wavelets rippling outward, and he leapt higher.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Not figuratively Phantos was literally running on water.
With a booming leap he closed the distance rapidly.
In response, the Water Lord launched pillars of water from the sea.
They were not simple pillars, they resembled writhing octopus tentacles, enormous limbs reaching to seize him.
‘Just one of those could obliterate an entire coastal city.’
The sight of those massive water tentacles filling the horizon was overwhelming, the awe-inspiring force of nature manifested.
But Phantos grinned and hurled his harpoon.
Paaaaang!
Space twisted as massive tunnels punched through the tentacles.
Phantos sprinted straight through the open gaps, a perfect breakthrough.
Shrrrkt–!
Of course, water tentacles did not fall so easily.
More tentacles than before slithered behind him, reaching.
Phantos swung his harpoon, slicing every one of them apart.
Each swing cut hundreds of meters of watery limbs.
The scene was almost unreal.
“Oh? Not bad. So it won’t end easily.”
Even the Earth Lord nodded in agreement.
“Of course, your fellow Elemental Lord is also holding back a bit because it finds Phantos interesting.”
Phantos was pushing beyond what the Water Lord expected, but the Water Lord was also far from using full power.
It was intrigued.
A man born among the race farthest from the sea now stood before the apex of water.
And this was no childish challenge.
Despite countless failures in the past, Phantos had never given up.
To the Water Lord, Phantos was a singular being, no one like him had existed before, and none would appear again.
From ancient times to now, humanity had always trembled or revered simply by seeing the Water Lord.
None ever dared challenge it.
Some even deified it as a god of the sea.
That would not change in the future.
But this man was different.
Where others would fall to their knees in awe, Phantos’s resolve only blazed hotter.
A being that should not even care about humans was now curious about Phantos’s mind.
For the first time, it recognized a being beyond its fellow Elemental Lords as a possible anomaly.
“You—!”
Breaking through countless tentacles and pillars, Phantos shouted as he closed the final distance.
“I’m going to hunt you!”
His appearance was ragged, even if most force slid off him, the accumulated damage was not small.
Muscles screamed, bones creaked, water drenched him pitifully.
But the ferocity in his eyes was very much alive as he glared at the Elemental Lord.
Spirit overflowed across his body and gathered at his harpoon.
Soon the harpoon swelled with blinding radiance, a brilliant light covering it entirely.
His technique, a strike to hunt the biggest and strongest prey in the world.
The spirit infused within was so powerful that space distorted; the naked eye could hardly track it.
Seeing the full-force attack, the Elemental Lord of Water opened its massive mouth wide.
“Ah. That will be loud.”
Ater Nocturnus casually covered Ludger’s ears with both hands.
The Earth Lord withdrew its head into its shell.
───────!!!!
A thunderous roar exploded from the colossal whale.