"Is it over..." Pip said from somewhere on the ship.

The words hung in the air for a moment before being drowned out by the sound of the storm.

Roseus looked up. The clouds that loomed in the sky could not be controlled by him.

"No," he said solemnly. "He’s not dead yet."

Then, he looked down into the sea where Susanoo was currently sinking.

He’s certainly not dead.

...

As if on cue, the waters became troubled once again. However, what came with it this time was a foreboding sense of pure dread.

It wasn’t just Priest Roseus that could feel it. Everyone in the area was hit with a wave of despair that couldn’t be shaken off. Only Blodwen and Lionheart seemed to be able to somewhat fight against it.

Armageddon began to shake with the waves, forcing everyone to find something to hold onto. The clouds became violent, shooting down bolts of lightning with no care for aim, striking at anything they could.

Then, something emerged from the water. Something large. As large as a brigantine.

It emerged from the water in the same place that Susanoo had sunk, which was a hundred meters away from Armageddon and the Lionheart ship.

At first, all that could be seen was a strange purple light attached to the end of a hook-like object. After a while, it was revealed that this hook-like object was the antenna of a head.

The skin of the head looked like the skin of an octopus. It was rough, slimy, and a deep dark purple. This figure rose from the water, further revealing its body. It had four arms protruding from its sides, and four more protruding from its back. Except they only behaved like arms. In truth, they better resembled the tentacles of an octopus.

Riddled across the creature’s body were scars burned deep into the flesh, constantly bleeding with purple glowing light that seeped into the ocean.

The creature never lifted itself halfway out of the ocean. It only revealed its body up to the belly button, like it was standing on a platform that existed underwater.

’W-what in the Eight Oceans...’

The creature’s purple light glowed as it let out a roar that sounded like it was drowning in water. Purple lightning streaked from the clouds at even faster rates, attacking nothing, yet everything. There was no target, and it seemed to simply be a result of the creature’s rage.

Captain Roseus didn’t know how to react.

At that moment, it felt like he had completely been stripped of his ability to control the storms. When he tried to push against it, it felt like he was an ant trying to push into a mountain.

Even as a priest of storms, there was nothing he could do against this being.

"His true form." A voice came from amidst the thunder. It was Lavender.

Roseus looked over at the purple-haired pious woman. She didn’t seem frightened, but rather fascinated.

"Zaliah says that the sea gods can exist in many forms. It’s like what we saw with Nammon in both the Mother’s Sea and the Golden Sea; a true form. It is the state in which they are most powerful. Take it down, and they may not be able to find another vessel, forcing them to remain in their spirit bodies for the rest of existence... In other words, this, is Susanoo at his strongest."

A shiver ran down Roseus’s spine, and the spines of anyone else who heard what Lavender had explained. Such a concept struck them with deep fear.

Those who remained from the battle of the Mother’s Sea felt this most, and even those who were not a part of this battle had heard news of it in numerous papers.

To make matters worse, Susanoo managed to gather control of his powers. Purple lightning stopped shooting from the sky, and now, the tentacled sea god could focus.

It lifted one of its giant tentacles, and suddenly, a great bolt struck from the sky. One that was greater than all the others. It was as though ten bolts had been condensed into one.

The bolt struck the creature’s hand and took form. It became a one-edged sword that was at least ten meters long, and made from pure purple lightning. Simply holding it sent stray sparks of lightning striking from the blade.

Susanoo examined his weapon, pleased. Then, he lifted it above his head, and Roseus’s body tensed again.

Somehow, he knew if this next attack came towards them, only a few would be able to survive it.

He looked around at the two strongest figures he knew: Blodwen and Lionheart.

Blodwen was currently in a defenceless state, whilst Lionheart was on his ship, preparing defences. Yet from his face, he didn’t seem too confident. Nobody was.

What do I do... What do I do...

I’m a priest of storms... This should be my forte. Think, and the answer should come to me.

How can I defend against a lightning strike from a sea god who is ten times more powerful than me in this domain?

The more he thought about it, the more helpless the situation became.

Then, it turned out that he didn’t need to think.

Before the strike came, Roseus felt a strange feeling enter his body. It wasn’t new strength, but rather the absence of it.

His powers had felt hopeless before, but at that moment, they felt even more hopeless.

Why... Why do I suddenly feel so utterly weak?

Then, a bolt struck from the sky. One that didn’t carry a purple tint, but rather a golden one. It struck right next to him, but didn’t affect him.

Following this, Roseus felt a hand on his shoulder that sent harmless shocks running through his entire body.

He looked over his shoulder, and so did everyone else. There, he saw a figure standing there.

It was a tall, naked man with a chiselled physique, and long yellow hair that flowed like a woman’s. His face seemed handsome, but most of its features were covered by constant golden sparks.

Simply standing next to this man made Roseus feel like he was unable to move.

The man opened his mouth, and powerful words came.

"I’ll take it from here."