Although still far from the coast, Rygar and Esterópes's battlefield was much closer to the Kingdom of Gaia than to the center of the Ringus Sea.
This meant the tidal waves and tsunamis generated by the clash would be felt much more strongly on the shores of the Hobbit Territory.
Fortunately, the Kingdom of Gaia was not undefended.
Among its members, there were more than a few who mastered Chantless Magic.
And among the most powerful, each had their own method for dealing with a Tsunami.
Rufus could use his Earth Magic to manipulate tectonic plates and easily disperse the tidal waves.
Aisha had several methods, from manipulating the water directly to simply creating a huge Water Barrier to stop the Tsunami's advance.
But the one who could deal with everything most easily would, without a doubt, be Lisena Adoldia.
Since the last war, her title had gradually changed to Ice Queen.
Still very young, only eighteen years old — one year younger than Rygar — she had already reached the level of Water King, Wind King and Earth King.
And since she had mastered Chantless Magic from the moment she began learning magic, manipulating those elements was like moving her hands and feet.
For Lisena, tsunamis and tidal waves were not even dangerous, just small obstacles.
By comparison, her path as a swordswoman had fallen behind.
She had simply learned North God Style to the Intermediate level, and was practicing the Beast God Style, but was still at the Elementary level.
Her focus had been entirely on increasing casting speed, the power of each spell and control of Magic.
Which still made her very dangerous.
Lisena was already at the age when she should look for a partner.
However, her posture toward strangers was freezing.
Only with those who had been close since childhood did she show warmth. And almost everyone knew the reason behind that behavior.
Her heart already had an owner.
It was no secret that Lisena harbored feelings for Rygar.
That, by itself, drove away most suitors.
After all, who would dare court the Ice Queen, knowing the competition was with the one who led the entire Kingdom of Gaia? The comparison would be crushing.
The few who risked it were fools.
Rygar, for his part, knew of her feelings. He could feel people's hearts, literally.
And, although he cared for Lisena, it was not the kind of affection one gives to a lover.
Even if she was cute and strong, he did not have that feeling.
The fact that he was polygamous — having Verdia, Eris and Ghislaine as wives — already seemed to him a form of injustice.
After all, the three women were monogamous and loved him even while sharing space in his heart.
Rygar would not allow himself to trivialize his relationships by getting involved with anyone who pleased his eyes.
All three of his wives were unique to him and had something he wished to carry for his whole life.
None of them was replaceable.
If he accepted Lisena only out of pity or a desire to reciprocate unreturned feelings, that would be a road with no end.
Because Lisena certainly was not the only one in the Kingdom of Gaia to feel something for him.
That reality created tension for Lisena. An invisible barrier between her and the man she admired.
Perhaps that was why she avoided social interaction more and more.
At that moment, Lisena stood atop a vast expanse of frozen sea that she herself had created.
Before her, the ocean seemed calm.
Her eyes watched the horizon without blinking, alert to changes in the sea.
A sigh escaped her lips.
It was an exhausting task for the mind, but paradoxically, it was there that she felt most comfortable.
She could dive into her thoughts. She could contemplate how unjust life was.
If she had been born a few years earlier, perhaps she would never have approached Rygar.
He would not have noticed her talent in magic because of his age, and she would have lived a more ordinary life.
If she had been born a few years later, she also would not have been part of the small gang of children he gathered.
But she had been born at the exact point that put her near him — close enough to nourish feelings, but not enough for them to blossom.
For Lisena, that was unfair.
Her eyes closed for a moment as she felt the vibration of a new tsunami approaching.
Lisena raised her hand and used her magic; the water began to spin into a huge Whirlpool. The emerging Tsunami dissipated under the violent currents of the Whirlpool.
At that moment, a familiar voice sounded behind her:
"Yo, Lisena!"
She recognized the voice.
"They told me to take over for you if you wanted to rest, nyah."
It was Linia Dedoldia, her friend and one of the few people who still dared speak to her without caring about the coldness.
Not long ago the entire sky had been lit by a bright blue explosion.
Everyone had witnessed it from afar, and, after some consideration, thought it must have been the work of one of their leader's Magics, the Beast God.
The very climate of the world began to change in response to that explosion of lightning. But that meant the Beast God's fight was coming to an end.
Lisena replied:
"Don't worry, I'm still fine."
Linia approached without ceremony and slapped her friend hard on the shoulder.
"Aaah, cut it out! You need to talk to people more! If you don't want to go out, then I'll stay here!"
A vein popped on Lisena's forehead.
However, she did not react hostilely.
The two began to talk, first about the battle against the Sea Race, then about everyday life.
Linia, despite her sixteen years, was already strong. A skilled swordswoman in both Sword God Style and Beast God Style, proficient in Attack Magics and very skilled with Howling Magic.
Although she had not yet reached the Saint level as a swordswoman, everyone knew it was a matter of effort.
And effort was something that held back both the Dedoldia and Adoldia heirs. Both Linia and Pursena had an ingrained laziness in their being.
They had no discipline if there wasn't someone always pushing them.
The idea of letting them rule someday seemed more unfeasible by the day.
In romantic matters, Pursena already seemed to have been involved with Kilian from a young age, and they were now in something that could only be described as dating.
As for Linia, although she had never said it out loud, it was suspected that she too had feelings for Rygar.
As they talked, both noticed another tsunami forming.
But, suddenly, as if by magic, the sea calmed completely.
Before they could react properly, a figure appeared in the air, floating a few meters above them.
Silver hair tied in a ponytail and golden eyes.
The cloak was torn in some places, but his body remained unscathed. And on top of that, he smiled gently.
"Linia, Lisena, could you bring the transport team here? We've got a big one to carry."
Before he had even finished, the ocean trembled.
Something colossal rose from the depths. Under the influence of Rygar's Gravity Magic, an immense body began to be lifted, displacing tons of water.
It was the carcass of an ancient being. The One-Eyed Giant.
Its body was covered with multiple lacerations that ran through muscles and bones, burns spread about, and huge holes that looked as if they had been dug by lightning spears.
Much of its body had been pulverized, reduced to dust or ashes.
What remained was already grotesque.
But still an invaluable trophy for the researchers of the Kingdom of Gaia.
Lisena was the first to react, eyes wide.
"A-ah! Right, Leader, I'll bring them quickly!"
Without waiting for anything else, she mobilized the wind around her and shot across the frozen surface.
Linia, on the other hand, was paralyzed by excitement.
"UOOOH! Boss, how did you kill this?! It's huge!"
Rygar dissipated his Flight Magic and landed on the ice. He watched his pupil's excitement and smiled.
In fact he really wanted to tell about the battle, he was very excited.
Since she asked, he wouldn't be rude.
And while telling, he thought it was really good not to be seen by Hitogami.
He thought for a moment:
'He really didn't try anything against me in this fight? Did he give up? It's probably just another plan to make me let my guard down… right, it won't happen.'
Meanwhile, on another continent, far away, an Adventurer with a monkey face received another scolding for having failed to observe the battle he was supposed to report.
But Rygar did not know that.
He simply continued to narrate the fight, describing it vividly, while Linia reacted exaggeratedly, vibrating and letting out exclamations as if she were watching it live.
---
Soon, the transport teams arrived. Since its founding, the Kingdom of Gaia had greatly improved in advanced transport techniques, with the efficiency of Chantless Magic.
Transporting colossal creatures was no longer new for them.
After all, following the battles against the Blue Dragons defeated by Rygar, they had always been there, gaining experience.
With Esterópes, the strategy was not much different. After Rygar cut the corpse into manageable parts, it became much simpler.
When finally all logistical issues were resolved, the scene changed completely.
On the beach, all the warriors, mages and allies of the Kingdom of Gaia gathered, cheering and celebrating the victory.
The news had already spread among them. Rygar had defeated another deity of the Sea Race.
For the longer-lived races, the mere notion was absurd.
A marine deity, feared since time immemorial, fallen before a warrior who had not yet reached thirty years of age.
And against the Sea Races, the Gaia Twelve Kings had proven their overwhelming strength.
Among them, rising stars began to shine.
Jino Britz and Baron stood out in particular, with the former stealing the spotlight and praise.
During the fight against the Pistol Shrimp, Jino had some kind of breakthrough.
He not only won, but managed to capture the Pistol Shrimp alive.
And, after a few swigs of drink on that beach, not hiding his proud smile, Jino already announced to everyone:
"As soon as we get back to the Combat Temple, I'll challenge Taes for second place among the Twelve Kings!"
The boldness surprised no one. On the contrary, it drew laughter and cries of encouragement; even Taes seemed eager for the fight.
In any case, after this battle, there was no longer any doubt that the forces of the Kingdom of Gaia were not mere supporting actors of Rygar.
Among them, there were no fewer than six Emperor-level combatants — Ghislaine, Taes, Ornthorn, Jino, Eris and Clint.
A group that, by itself, could rival the elite of any other great kingdom in the world.
And that's not to mention their mages.
Even the small disciple of the Beast God had shown her terror on the battlefield.
Aisha Greyrat received her first warrior title. She was called Thousand Mile Sentinel.
And speaking of titles, there was another who also received a new title.
Rygar Adoldia.
A survivor from the Sea Race who learned of Esterópes's death called Rygar God Slayer. The killer of gods.
The name caught on easily among the Iron Legion.
That night, it was time to celebrate.
Obviously, for Rygar, this victory was only the first step.
Esterópes was the easiest on the list he currently had; although powerful, it was simple, one just had to fight until victory.
The Future Guide to All Things had warned him of much more.
What came next would be much more complicated.
-----
Hello! If you want to support my writing, check out my subscription P@treon
By subscribing, you will get access to up to 20 advanced chapters of the Webnovel and polls to decide various things about the story.
Your support will encourage me to continue writing more chapters! Check it out here: pa treon.com/DaoistJunkYard