Eldritch Horror Theatre

"Just what are you trying to do?"

Clearly, the elderly demigod hadn't expected Valentin to be instantly reduced to ash. Shocked, she stayed her hand, remaining in a distant standoff with Wehle.

Staring at the impossibly frozen waves, she gritted her teeth and spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Truthfully, I don't know either. My part is already over!"

Wehle was still smiling, even offering a graceful greeting.

In fact, aside from that initial intervention, he hadn't made another move at all. He had practically just watched as Valentin turned to dust.

"Are you... Cassandra?"

He peered closely, trying to discern the face hidden beneath her hood.

"I never expected you to travel all this way. It seems the Night Watchers are taking this very seriously."

The demigod called Cassandra answered in an icy tone.

"You can't escape. Make them stop right now, or you're dead."

"Apologies, but I can't do that."

Wehle cast a glance down at the base of the Lighthouse.

The Clamor hadn't been affected by Valentin's death in the slightest.

An endless sea of men, women, and children all stood stiffly, screaming at the top of their lungs.

Even now, the chaotic noise within their seething voices was slowly fading, giving way to a bizarre sense of harmony.

It felt as though the Clamor itself had detached from the crowd, distilling into a distinct entity.

"What I can say for certain is that this is only the beginning."

Seeing the opposing demigod's surging killing intent, Wehle added one last remark. He turned to gaze at the sea, fixing his eyes on the seemingly frozen waves.

The moment he finished speaking, the peak of the cliff-like wave suddenly exploded in a massive spray of water, and a towering, colossal ship slowly emerged.

...

Almost the instant it appeared, the giant ship erupted with an agonizing, resonant wail.

Beneath that wail, the sky-filling Clamor seemed to find an outlet, swiftly weaving together with it.

And amid this surging, convergent rhythm, the colossal ship finally broke completely free of the water.

This thing... was his target?

Staring at the behemoth before him, even Fu Qian couldn't help but draw in a sharp breath.

It was entirely cyan-black, but not with the muddy filth of the ocean floor. Instead, its surface was completely devoid of marine life, as smooth as skin.

Or rather, it was skin.

Fu Qian could see it clearly now. That giant ship was actually a colossal cyan-black body, its limbs wrapped tightly around itself in a grotesque posture, twisting its own form into the shape of a ship.

What was this, a ship god?

And how exactly was he supposed to kill this thing?

Comparing their sizes, Fu Qian let out a heartfelt sigh.

Right then, a giant mouth facing the sky opened in the center of the colossal ship, unleashing another tragic howl.

[SAN Value -5]

Looking directly at it a moment ago hadn't done anything, but battered by that wail at such close range, Fu Qian realized he was actively losing SAN Value.

A God, but not that godly.

Without bemoaning his loss, Fu Qian rapidly analyzed this new information.

Based on his past experiences, almost all the beings he had encountered that could be considered Deities would instantly drain SAN Value upon direct close-range observation.

The fact that he was fine looking at this one from his current distance likely meant its present condition was quite poor.

However, its howl carried the full force of a true impact, proving that its core conceptual power as the God of Clamor was still intact.

This perfectly matched what Wehle had said earlier: because it had slumbered for too long, its state was unstable, perhaps even teetering on the edge of madness.

Ha~ Ma~

The next moment, amid the sky-filling chants of "Hamadus," the cyan-black ship underwent another transformation.

A jagged, twisted arm suddenly released its embrace, slamming down from the hull and splashing into the waves.

It was stretching its body.

Witnessing this, a sudden possibility crossed Fu Qian's mind.

Was it because of this Tide of Clamor?

Was it steadily solidifying its own self-awareness through the frantic roaring of its name?

Transitioning from the concept of a ship back into the realization that it was the God of Clamor?

If that were the case, this being might very soon become impossible to look at directly.

...

So when exactly was the Origin Council going to start their hunt?

Fu Qian glanced up at the Lighthouse, noting that Wehle and Cassandra were no longer in their previous standoff.

The Clamor following Hamadus's appearance was powerful enough to impact even demigods. Right now, both of them looked somewhat ragged, each struggling to hold their ground.

If he remembered correctly, Wehle had claimed his part was over. So, was it time for Classmate Ariel to make an entrance?

The moment that thought arose, a violent gale erupted before his eyes, instantly spiraling into a massive cyclone.

The previously near-stationary waves were shredded to pieces in an instant.

Caught up in the gale, the black seawater lashed violently against the colossal body.

Chelfus was truly dedicated to his work after all!

Watching the figure streak through the sky, Fu Qian easily recognized the newcomer.

It was indeed the Dunis chief he had seen earlier at the Opera House.

He must have rushed over the moment he sensed the commotion here, and his strike was refreshingly decisive.

Faced with this sudden ambush, Hamadus appeared noticeably clumsy. Not only did it fail to launch any instinctive counterattack, but its entire body swayed and tottered, flipping over several times.

Its awareness really was a mess.

As an observer, Fu Qian could see it perfectly clearly.

This entity's self-awareness seemed to be constantly wavering between being the God of Clamor and being a ship.

On one hand, it instinctively wanted to stand up. On the other, it tried to weather the storm as a ship would.

Combining these two contradictory reactions resulted in a painfully awkward display.

"What's going on?"

Seeing Hamadus temporarily pinned down, Chelfus dived straight toward the top of the Lighthouse, landing right next to Cassandra.

"I don't know. We need to determine their goal."

Despite the rapid shift in the battlefield—turning a one-on-two situation into a two-on-one advantage—Cassandra's tone didn't relax in the slightest.

"We eliminate him first, then try to break whatever is happening down below. Otherwise, if this drags on, there'll be nothing left but a mob of idiots!"

"Understood—"

Chelfus agreed without hesitation.

But the moment the word left his mouth, he sensed another anomaly occurring.

The sky... was brightening?

It was true. In that instant, a glorious Bright Light pierced through the seawater, shining like a sun submerged in the ocean.

And this sun slowly crested the surface, completing a genuine sunrise.

Finally here?

Facing that searingly brilliant light, Fu Qian stared at the silhouette at the center of the sun.

With golden hair whipping in the wind, Ariel's face looked like that of a Deity.

Yet, even amid such a breathtaking scene, Fu Qian's focus was entirely on the man's right hand.

It was a garishly colored Glove, one that looked completely out of place at a glance.

An identically designed Glove had appeared on Count Valentin's hand not long ago.

Before Fu Qian could confirm the connection between the two, Ariel raised his right hand high. Just like the others on the docks, he opened his mouth and let out a sound.

Not Hamadus?

Fu Qian frowned slightly, straining to make out what he had just heard.

That was—Rom?

(End of Chapter)

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