Chapter 512 – Roar of the Sea Dragon

Waldom’s form began to transform.

His forehead split open, revealing gem-like components. Fin-like organs protruded from his ears, wrists, and shoulders, while a tail resembling the lower half of a fish extended from his back—specifically from his waist area.

…I see. Indeed, his appearance could be said to resemble that of mermaids and fishfolk. Though different from his subordinates, and different from mermaids and fishfolk as well… it was a form that made sense when described as a type of monster dwelling in the ocean.

His original human parts remained largely unchanged. It was as if he had taken a mermaid’s lower body as a tail and simply added human legs to it. A vortex of miasma swirled in the hand he raised before him—condensing and hardening into a trident.

“I’ve heard the story from Oberk. They say that despite being human, you defeated Gardinis and the others. Truly a formidable foe, I must admit. However, do not think you can face me and return alive from these depths.”

So he’s heard about Gardinis. Yet he shows no sign of apprehension. I’m curious how much information has been relayed… but there’s no point asking here.

I raised Ouroboros and began gathering magical power. Seeing this, Waldom widened his eyes, bared his fangs, and showed a belligerent grin.

We charged almost simultaneously. I caught the trident thrust with Ouroboros, using its rotation to disrupt his stance. Waldom didn’t resist the flow of force. Moving with my technique as if riding it, he swung up the opposite end of his trident while still inverted.

I shifted forms to dodge backward. While creating distance, I deployed condensed magical power. From his perspective, I unleashed a horizontal sweep slash with a greatsword of condensed magical power deployed at an angle hidden by my body’s shadow.

Waldom responded to the nature of the attack and the change in distance. He cleanly blocked the invisible condensed magical slash with his trident. However, he couldn’t fully deflect it. When I swung through with magical power and a battle cry regardless, Waldom was knocked backward.

With him cornered against the wall, I deployed a Magic Circle.

“Solid Hammer!”

A three-pronged simultaneous attack—two rocks from left and right, and a magical mace from the front—blocked his escape routes.

The three blunt weapons closed in with ferocious momentum, smashing through the wall with a crushing sound. Without a moment’s delay, I charged into the adjacent section as if pursuing him. This was to draw him away from where my companions were fighting. Next to the mausoleum was… a large corridor.

As I emerged from the wall, the trident grazed past my cheek. Instinctively deploying a Shield while twisting my body aside, the trident was swung straight sideways. It cleanly bisected my Shield. There was no time to regain my stance. Using water flow manipulation, I flew sideways to create distance, escaping the range of the spinning trident.

When Waldom swept aside the trident he was spinning, the evil energy filling the surroundings mixed with his miasma and water, forming a ferocious vortex that came rushing at me.

I dodged. The corridor’s pillars were scraped away with a grating sound and swept up. Into this, Waldom charged with his trident at the ready.

His attacks couldn’t be blocked with half-hearted Shields. I firmly caught them with Ouroboros, and we crossed blades while running parallel through the corridor.

“Kukuku! Using condensed magical power as a weapon! Isn’t that similar to our techniques!”

The Solid Hammer and mace strike seemed to have no effect at all. Not that I expected this level of attack to cause damage anyway.

While thrusting with Ouroboros, I entangled it with the trident’s tip. Our movements were as if each was trying to entangle and knock away the other’s weapon. However, my true aim lay elsewhere.

While scattering his attention upward—I aimed low. I released a water blade in an arcing trajectory as if sweeping at his feet. Waldom responded by flipping over as if performing a somersault.

Simultaneously, something came rushing at me. I dodged sideways. What flew toward me was his tail fin. Entangling the surrounding evil energy, it transformed into a slash attack that carved fractures from floor to wall. It possessed the weight and sharpness of a guillotine blade.

Using the momentum from my dodge, I slid across the corridor floor to create distance.

To his body. To his weapon. To his limbs. The evil energy gathering from the surroundings swirled into vortices and wrapped around them.

I see. So he turns evil energy into his own power. Gardinis also seemed to gather power from his followers—but this one truly deserves to call himself the Sea King. And… he’s the one who taught techniques to his subordinates as well. However, I shouldn’t judge his technical proficiency based on those I’ve faced so far.

He charged in. Dodging the spear wrapped in vortices with a Form Shift, the wall behind me was pierced as if drilled through, leaving a gaping hole.

He didn’t stop. Retrieving his long spear, he delivered rapid successive attacks. Form Shift, Form Shift. Holes were pierced in walls, floors, ceilings—countless openings. I chose one of them to counterattack.

Feigning a failed dodge and loss of balance, he didn’t miss the opportunity and thrust in strongly.

That—I avoided by using Nemea and Capella’s limbs to kick a Shield and shift my body. An evasion that didn’t even use magic, showing no preparatory movements.

Matching his motion of retrieving the spear, I stepped inside the range of its tip and slammed Ouroboros wrapped in a counter-rotating vortex against his vortex armor. The moment we collided, I drove in a magical shockwave, forcing his body to retreat.

Distance opened between us. Waldom… wore an expression as if seeing something rare, lightly touched his struck flank, then grinned. No good—that last strike. Even though the vortices canceled each other out, the shockwave’s power had diminished.

But I understood that if I used vortices too, we could fight properly. No, rather, if I didn’t, I’d be swept away and blown back the moment we made contact. Controlling the surrounding water, I wrapped myself in vortex armor rotating opposite to Waldom’s.

At that moment, the surrounding water moved without warning. Relying on instinct alone, I dodged sideways from where I was about to step forward. Ice spears thrust upward from below.

“That was—”

“Well dodged! Magnificent reaction speed!”

Waldom laughed cheerfully. Even with my monocle, I couldn’t see the origin point of the technique until the water moved unnaturally.

It wasn’t like Luceriage deploying miasma there beforehand, nor was it some Evil Eye type. That means—he can manipulate evil energy and use techniques from it.

This castle—this space filled with evil energy, all of it is like a Magic Slave for him.

But it probably isn’t limitless. The amount he used to wrap around himself and create ice spears caused the corridor’s evil energy to thin. Though evil energy was flowing in from outside to replenish what was used.

He launched ice spears from all directions, but that probably wasn’t meant to hit me. It was to restrict my movements. Blocking my evasion space while charging in, I stopped and prepared to meet him.

And then—when I restrained Ouroboros’s movement, ice spears came crashing in from all directions. But these attacks could be safely blocked with Shields. While deflecting them, I utilized an ice spear that happened to graze my side. Entangling it in the vortex wrapped around me, I used a slingshot-like principle to accelerate and return it right toward Waldom’s face.

He couldn’t wrap vortices around his face as it would block his vision. That’s likely his most vulnerable spot. The ice spear grazing Waldom’s cheek. His compromised stance.

“Ooooh!”

With a spirited battle cry, I synchronized my body’s movement with the wrapped vortex and swung through. A heavy impact pierced through, but he wasn’t blown away. Having realized he couldn’t avoid taking this hit, he anchored himself by stabbing his tail fin into the floor. However, I was inside the range of his spear’s tip—even striking with the shaft was too close. Then what’s coming?

“Kaaah!”

His arm moved as if striking downward. He delivered a slash attack with the fin extending from his wrist like a sleeve.

While launching magic backward to shatter the ice spears blocking my retreat with a shockwave, I disengaged—but a hot sensation remained in my left shoulder.

…I’ve been slashed. Even though I was wrapped in vortex armor. He managed to deliver an attack through it. It seems to possess enough power to cut through armor woven from Chimera Coat and Arachne Thread.

But it’s not a serious wound. It doesn’t hinder my movement. Sealing the wound by applying condensed magical power, I prevented further bleeding and charged in.

Still—my power isn’t enough. More. I need more. Riding the vortex wrapped with condensed magical power, I crossed blades with Waldom. Deflecting the trident with vortices to break his stance, I drove in another strike.

Seeing that I increased my power, he also intensified the momentum of his wrapped vortices. If evil energy reinforcement isn’t enough, he apparently pours in miasma. But at least the ice spears are no longer a problem.

Mirage Body clones. Attacks coming from above and below without warning, as if pinching me between them. They didn’t work. He discerned the real body from clones and accurately blocked with his trident. It seems he’s detecting my position and reading my movements through the evil energy he touches.

A head-on contest. Staff Martial Arts versus Spearmanship. As if dancing through the water in circles, we exchanged techniques while swapping positions. Entangling, sweeping, pressing, stepping in to strike. Thrust meeting thrust, drawing circles at close range as if trying to knock away each other’s weapons. An exchange of slashes, thrusts, and strikes.

Each time Ouroboros and the trident collided, metallic sounds and shockwaves scattered radially. Sweeping aside each other’s weapons, thrusting. The vortex of evil energy grazing my cheek, and a slight pain.

Shallow. Not a problem. I delivered a Counter against Waldom who had deeply stepped in. Using Nemea and Capella to dodge left and right from the slashes by his arm and tail fins, I unleashed an underwater shockwave from fire magic along with a Palm Strike at close range.

But he defended with his left arm a moment faster. However, he didn’t escape unscathed. It seemed effective enough to force him to leap back.

With power exceeding the enemy’s expectations, I destroyed the fin on his left arm. That much was good. What should concern me is his abnormal reaction speed. He detects the onset of magic at an extraordinary speed. Is he using the evil energy filling the surroundings as a detection capability?

“What… magnificent skill. I don’t know how you did it, but I intended to cut off the arm you used to strike through my magic!”

Looking at the destroyed left arm fin, Waldom rather happily broke into a smile.

The shape of Waldom’s wrapped vortex changed. Contracting. Gathering in one place, it became a high-speed rotating water battle wheel—and his glowing scales were mixed into it. A chill ran down my spine. Following my instinct, I leaped sideways. Countless fine cuts were carved into the castle wall behind where I had been until just before.

The principle is the same as the return technique I showed earlier. Using the water battle wheel to accelerate scales, firing them as bullets. But their power and speed are considerable. The speed of the fired bullets only appeared as shimmering light.

“Go!”

The battle wheel separated from Waldom as if possessing a will. Not wrapping it around himself, but positioning the battle wheel as rearguard… is there some intention behind this?

He charged in from the front with trident ready. Matching my movements as we crossed weapons, the battle wheel fired bullets.

The battle wheel covered gaps in his thrusts, and when I dodged its Shooting, Waldom would cut in. A wave attack by a single entity.

When I deployed a Shield, it immediately detected this and the battle wheel changed positions while firing at me.

Dodging by premonition and instinct. Dodging. Utilizing water flow manipulation and kicking Shield movements, Nemea and Capella’s kicking legs to prevent the bullets from focusing on a target.

I didn’t separate from Waldom. Even if I did, it wouldn’t constitute a proper fight. Remaining at close range, I continued crossing blades. Aiming at the battle wheel, I fired an underwater shockwave explosive bullet as if exploiting an opening. Waldom protected the battle wheel with a motion like striking with a Back Fist, slapping the water to collide shockwaves and destroy my explosive bullet.

This movement… I see. So he knows the characteristics of a Battle Mage. That’s why he probably thought to create a situation favorable for close combat by using the battle wheel for support rather than in extreme close-quarters combat.

Our weapons clashed, scattering sparks. Same as before. We engaged in a technical battle, clashing Ouroboros’s prongs with the spear tip as if competing for dominance. But he used scale bullets at key points to interrupt my movements. He seemed able to reload bullets even while crossing blades with me, as scales from his tail were being sucked toward the battle wheel. I couldn’t expect him to run out of ammunition.

Choosing to receive one of his strikes, I deflected it and delivered a blow. But it was shallow. With spear, tail, fins, and scale bullet wave attacks, I couldn’t take that final step forward. In retaliation, attacks that never ceased for even a moment were unleashed.

—A song. I can hear a song. It’s a familiar one. That song that Justia and Dominique often sang. The Sirens’ song. The Purification Cursed Song.

It multiplied the effects of Queen Eldorene and the Water Guardians’ purification magic many times over, carrying them on the melody—reaching even deep into this castle.

As if sweeping away the evil energy accumulated by the subordinates—Seraphina gathered the singing voices, and Irmhild loaded them onto arrows and fired them. Such a scene was captured by Caduceus.

I could see the evil energy wrapped around the royal guards being blown away as if scattered by wind, being broken down by Sheila, Sion, Ignis and the others. What Irmhild fired, carrying the feelings of Justia and the others, spread as waves of light parting the darkness.

The evil energy in the castle was rapidly thinning. He probably realizes this too… but shows no signs of panic.

He seemed to be compensating for the loss with miasma, preventing any decrease in combat power. And during that time, I could sense the evil energy filling the surroundings gathering like living beings. From that chasm’s edge, toward this place where he and I are fighting.

My magical power has sufficiently increased as well. Internal Magic Power, and magical power wrapped externally. But there’s no opening to deliver a decisive blow. Close combat strikes are interrupted by wave attacks, and magic is detected through evil energy sensing the onset of the Spell Formula. Then, what should I do? To overturn this situation favorable to him and break through. Lure him outside the castle? Or buy time until the purification magic takes effect?

“Come—!”

The answer is—neither. Raising my hand overhead, I began an incantation as if matching the song I know—.

It spins. Above my head, the magical power filling the environment began swirling into a vortex. It’s a technique my Mother left behind. A Spell Formula to gather and utilize the magical power filling the surroundings.

Waldom probably utilizes all the evil energy filling this castle as his own power, but if that’s the case, then I too have something I can utilize.

Cursed Songs and Cursed Melodies bring synergistic effects to those sharing the same purpose. The Sirens singing, Queen Eldorene and the others using purification magic—it’s all for defeating Waldom, sweeping away the evil energy, and restoring the peaceful sea.

Yes. If they gather. If I touch the magical power, I’ll understand. While defeating Waldom is one goal, they’re praying for our safety and victory. Not just those outside the castle, but everyone fighting inside shares the same feelings. Then—there’s no reason I shouldn’t be able to draw in this magical power as an ally.

“What is—!?”

Waldom’s eyes widened at the sight, baring his hatred as he charged forward with his war rings. I could see a swirling vortex of pitch-black evil energy gathering behind him.

—I had called upon one more thing. The outcome of the battle outside had already been decided. There was no longer any reason to keep it in reserve.

I caught his trident. The moment his war rings tried to fire scale bullets, Balor descended from directly above as a light bullet, piercing through the midst of the war rings and disrupting their control. Waldom’s strike—had been a movement predicated on support from his war rings. Perhaps because the evil energy was in disarray and his perception abilities weren’t functioning properly, his dodge was delayed for an instant.

“Fly!”

A movement stepping into his guard. The vortex wrapped around my body. The magical power I had built up within. Coordinating everything, I drove a palm strike into Waldom’s chest.

—Spiral Shockwave. As I detonated the magical power at a single point like twisting it in, Waldom’s body was sent spinning backward.

“Gah, aaaaaah!”

Though gouging the wall in a spiral pattern, he forcibly stopped his spin using his tail and claws. As if responding to Waldom’s roar, the evil energy swirling on the spot coiled around Waldom’s trident. Mixing with his miasma, it transformed into a massive tornado. The castle’s construction materials crumbled into sand the moment they touched it, scattering away. Yes. Of course. He probably intended to use this as his trump card in our battle.

Taking the swirling magical power shining above me as if entangling it with Ouroboros, amplifying it through magical power circulation to mix with the magical power wrapped around my body—it danced around me almost like a living creature.

“Damnable mermaids! Perish together!”

Perhaps sensing that this power originated from the mermaids, Waldom roared.

The black tornado swirling up from the tip of his trident came collapsing toward me while scraping away and scattering the castle. He probably planned to shatter the castle entirely and mow down the queens outside as well.

Using part of the gathered mass of magical power, I deployed a shield to block it. The pale blue shield caught the black tornado, scattering numerous purple lightning bolts. From the aftermath, the castle’s floor and walls shattered to pieces. With a creaking sound, heavy pressure bore down on my arms too. Ouroboros let out a groan.

“Haaaaaah!”

“Ooooooh!”

We pushed against each other. While pouring power into the shield, I controlled the magical power dancing around me. And then—the next moment.

“Kah!”

The earlier Spiral Shockwave must have left damage inside Waldom’s body. Perhaps because he unleashed a major technique without waiting for recovery, Waldom coughed up blood and clutched his chest. The equilibrium had broken.

Now—. I flew upward, deploying a massive magic circle at the tip of my staff.

The essence of this technique was simple and clear. A directional acoustic projectile—a super-massive shockwave layered multiple times. Though classified as wind magic, the acoustic projectile functions without issue even underwater.

“Roar!”

—9th Tier Wind Magic: Dragon’s Roar.

Instantly generated immense pressure greatly distorted the seawater filling the space, causing it to collapse and generate further shockwaves. Waldom tried to evade—but couldn’t make it in time.

He crossed his arms before his face, concentrating miasma. And then he took the full force of what could only be described as anything but a mild explosive pressure from the acoustic projectile.

Instantly turning the castle floor into dust and gouging deep into the seabed, the dragon’s roar nevertheless showed no signs of stopping. A radiation of power that seemed endless. Ouroboros vibrating intensely in my hand. Amid a roar loud enough to reverberate throughout all of Grantios, it shattered everything tangible within its effective range into fine particles along with Waldom. Finally—a particularly large explosion occurred deep within the rubble and dust, and the dragon’s roar subsided.