A strike of blinding speed and crushing force—C-TAS—I drive it straight into his heart.
"ARGH—" He vomits blood. Loki feels pain.
What—has the adrenaline vanished? How tragic must his past be for it to end like this?
Ribs—C-TUST—my blow lands clean. His face twists as pain takes hold.
The final technique—the one Jiza once used before ending his battle with Paragon.
My right fist clenches. I aim for his face, now directly beneath me—SLASH—I smash him into the ground. The earth cracks as his head strikes it, the ground around us collapsing as we plunge into the rubble.
I rise. He does not.
I stand over him.
The downfall of a warrior. That is the right word for him, in my view.
Loki has fallen—by my hand.
The fight is over—by me. With this absolute power, who could possibly defeat me now?
"Hiro?!" Rose's voice calls out.
I turn. I open my eyes—and my heart nearly stops. My body jolts in shock, and I collapse at once.
"HIRO?!" she cries, distant and echoing, as my vision fades into darkness.
---
The rumble of the sea reaches me, mingled with a gentle hum—a soft song carried by a familiar voice. Rose.
I sit up. My body is wrapped in bandages and her cloak, covered in cuts. How is this possible?
But that man—
"That man?!" I ask.
"E-Eh?" Rose startles. "HIRO?!" She stares at me for a moment, then rushes over and hugs me tightly. "Ugh."
"You're finally awake," she says into the embrace.
"That man?" I ask again.
She lets go. "You were unconscious for two days. It's been a long journey, Hiro," Rose says.
"Hm?" I murmur.
Rose exhales softly. "Someone came for him—he was covered in bandages. I couldn't do anything, because you were unconscious in my arms."
I shift and lean against the ship's wooden wall, gazing up at the star-filled night sky and the moonlight.
"I see."
"What is it?" Rose asks. She steps closer and leans against the wooden wall beside me.
"Our journey was being watched by the first Vanguard who ever came to me—his name is Jiza," I say.
"E-Eh? Really?" she asks.
"It seems so. I understand now why he let me go that day," I add.
"Why?!" she asks, again and again.
I lower my head and stare at her for a long moment, blank. My stomach growls.
"Ukh."
"Why?" she asks—again, again, and again.
I remain silent, meeting her gaze.
"Seriously? Now?"
"All right, all right—sorry. ANSWER ME LATER, OKAY?"
---
She hands me a can of food and a can of drink, holding one in each hand.
"So, you haven't had dinner yet?" I ask.
Rose shakes her head. "Not really—not until you woke up, Hiro," she replies.
"And the last two days, Rose?" I ask again.
She exhales softly. "Hard, but fair. It's only right that I carry the burden after placing one on your shoulders—and on everyone else—before, Hiro."
"I'm sorry for troubling you, Rose. I didn't realize this journey would suddenly bring us back to the sea. Where are we headed?" I ask, again and again.
Rose looks up at the star-filled night sky. "Notchollow. After passing through the land that refuses the light… I don't expect much from what Notchollow will be like anymore," she says, a faint, eager smile forming at the end.
"We'll see soon enough—but finish your dinner before it gets cold," I reply.
"It's been cold from the start, Hiro," she answers flatly.
Then she smiles. "Still, I'm relieved you finally woke up, Hiro," she says sincerely.
I do not answer. Her gaze feels dangerous.
"HEY, LOOK AT ME. ANSWER MY EARLIER QUESTION!" she says firmly.
I slow my eating and drinking.
"Ugh, hurry up!"
HMMMMMMM— a sound thunders from deep within the sea, its vibrations rippling through the ship's planks. Every passenger tenses, and so does Rose.
I close my eyes… a blue whale.
I open them. "Get up. Let's go to the ship's railing. Look over there, Rose. Do not turn away," I say, waiting for what I already see forming in my vision.
"What is it?" she asks, yet follows my words, her gaze shifting to where I point.
The blue whale spins in the air. Not merely a leap—its massive body twists before crashing back into the sea.
"WOOO—!" "Look at that!" "It's flying!" Cheers erupt across the deck, swallowing the roar of the ocean.
The passengers shout in awe. I remain frozen. I have never seen anything like it.
"Whoaa… it's beautiful," she says, her eyes sparkling.
Hm? For some reason, that sense of wonder instantly turns into a bad feeling.
I touch my shoulder. The lightness turns heavy with the whale's next display and the renewed cheers. I do not join them.
"Isn't it amazing?" she asks eagerly, turning toward me.
"Hiro?!" she says, more seriously.
I give a slight nod, my eyes still on the sea. The weight on my shoulder grows stronger as the whale spins again and the cheers erupt, again and again.
"What's wrong?"
I shake my head slowly. "Nothing. Look back at the sea—watch that."
The dolphins around the whale rise and leap again and again, fast and dazzling, drawing more cheers and amazement—but not from me.
What is this… another bad feeling? What is coming next?
---
Morning turns to noon, noon to evening, and evening to night. No clear sign appears, and my vigilance begins to wane.
Yet I do not dismiss my premonition.
Dinner is served. "Are you feeling better, Hiro?" she asks, handing me a can of food and a bottle of milk.
I accept them and exhale softly. "You could say that. Still, I will keep watch tonight. I cannot simply let this pass."
Rose smiles gently.
"True, but this is the sea. If someone strong comes for you, you will surely defeat them. You are strong, after all," she says, trying to ease my caution.
I eat and take a slow drink of the milk.
"Perhaps. But my concern is not a person—it is a creature, Rose."