Morning sun painted golden colors on the western sea.

The sea gently washed the shore before pulling itself back with a whisper. Leaving behind miles and miles of smooth white sand.

For many peaceful days Jennie, Snow and Roxy traveled along the great coastal road which united western kingdoms. The air around was completely different after leaving mountains behind.

It smelled of salt.

It carried cries of seagulls.

And the constant rhythm of the sea.

Roxy ran ahead with sparkling eyes.

"I can see it!"

"The ocean!"

She hurried towards the top of the green hill nearly tripping on the loose stone just in time.

Jennie chuckled.

"You’re greeting the ground again."

"I was only checking the stability of it."

Snow sighed.

"The ground still wins."

Roxy pouted.

"But I will beat it someday."

Jennie smiled and accompanied them up the hill.

However...

She suddenly stopped.

In front of them laid an enormous city.

Azurewind port.

For some moments Jennie was silent looking at it.

"...It’s beautiful."

Snow nodded quietly.

"It is one of the greatest ports on the western coast."

Beneath them lay the city embraced by the sea like a jewel.

Buildings made of white stone glistened with sun rays.

Blue roofs reflected the colors of the ocean.

Five huge harbors reached deep into the sea with ships coming from all corners of the continent.

Merchant banners of every color proudly waved above the warehouses and markets.

Beyond the harbor...

Endless sea met the horizon and sky and water blended together.

Jennie took a deep breath.

"It feels..."

"Like it’s alive."

When they entered the city through eastern gates, sounds of Azurewind met them.

Merchants were advertising their fresh catch.

Blacksmiths were hammering glowing metal.

Musicians were playing cheerful melodies in the streets.

Children were laughing running among colorful market stalls.

Everything Jennie saw...

Was alive.

The main street finally led to the famous shoreline of the city.

Once again Jennie’s eyes widened.

Beaches were something she didn’t see before.

Miles and miles of fine white sand glimmered under the sunlight like powder of crystal.

Families were walking along the shore.

Children were building magnificent castles of sand decorated with colorful seashells.

Some other children were chasing tiny creatures which glimmered when they ran across the wet sand and quickly disappeared into little holes.

Roxy immediately pointed at the beach.

"I want to try that!"

Jennie smiled.

"You will most likely end up chasing the crabs."

"They’re surprisingly fast."

"I accept the challenge."

Snow looked at the little creatures.

"I think the crabs accepted yours."

At the edge of the harbor stood proudly the city’s greatest attraction.

Two-hundred meters high lighthouse reached to the sky.

But not like the usual one, it didn’t have a fire on the top.

Instead...

Huge ancient rune crystal was floating there.

Symbols were glowing in golden colors spinning around the crystal creating a brilliant beam of light which reached far away across the sea.

Jennie looked with admiration.

"It isn’t burning anything."

Snow followed her glance.

"It doesn’t need to."

"That lighthouse was built nearly twelve hundred years ago."

"The rune crystal absorbs mana from the wind and ocean."

"It never stops glowing."

Roxy quickly opened one of her notebooks.

"A self-sustained magical lighthouse..."

"It’s incredible!"

She began to write frantically.

Jennie smiled.

"I don’t think you looked away from your notebook yet."

"I don’t want to forget anything."

Further into the harbor, dozens of floating platforms calmly rested on the calm water.

They weren’t anchored but small rune stones were gently moving them along with the tides.

Fishermen threw glowing threads made of enchanted nets.

Each time schools of mana fish came near the nets were shining with soft blue glow.

Close by the groups of pearl divers got ready for another dive.

They were wearing the armor which was engraved with the breathing enchantments.

One by one they disappeared beneath the waves.

After some moments they resurfaced with shimmering pearls with slight magical glow.

Roxy looked with admiration.

"I heard about mana pearls but I haven’t seen them yet."

"They’re really exist."

Jennie smiled.

"World is only getting bigger."

Snow nodded.

"And we’ve seen only little bit of it."

Not far from the docks stood an impressive stone building decorated with carvings of sea serpents and giant whales.

Silver emblem hung above its entrance.

Crossed harpoons.

Sword.

And the wave.

Jennie looked at it curiously.

"Sea Hunter Guild?"

Snow explained.

"Most of the Hunter Guilds focus on the land monsters."

"There is the Sea Hunter Guild because ocean creatures require special skills."

As if to prove the point, few hunters appeared in front of the building.

Some were carrying long harpoons encircled by water mana.

Other hunters had chain-spears used for restraining sea monsters.

Even an old hunter was using trident made of blue crystal.

Jennie looked at them with interest.

"So hunters adapt to the place they’re in."

"Exactly."

On the western side of the harbor the sounds of heavy construction could be heard.

Shipyards stretching along the shoreline.

Hundreds of craftsmen were working beneath the enormous wooden constructions.

Jennie watched as the workers were assembling huge ships she hasn’t seen before.

Besides the sails...

Each ship had glowing rune engines inside.

Mana crystals were inside special chambers.

Engineers were adjusting the arrays and artificers were engraving new runes on the polished steel.

One ship slowly raised several meters above the water and then gently returned to its place.

Roxy gasped.

"It floated!"

Snow smiled.

"Mana warships."

"They use wind and rune propulsion."

"They’re too expensive for every city to make them."

Jennie quietly admired the craftsmanship.

"No wonder merchants from every kingdom come here."

---

Ocean market of the city was overflowing with colors.

Row after row stalls with treasures from the sea.

Fresh fishes were laying on beds of ice.

Enormous crimson lobsters were filling wooden tanks.

Seaweeds of every possible color were hanging drying in the sun.

Merchants were selling glowing corals.

Pearl necklaces.

Shells giving gentle music when wind passes through them.

Children were gathering around tiny aquarium with miniature rainbow sea dragons swimming happily in glowing water.

Roxy pressed her hands on the glass.

"They’re adorable!"

Jennie laughed.

"They’re looking right at you."

Tiny sea dragon raised its head the same way as Roxy.

Snow quietly said.

"I think it likes you."

Roxy smiled brightly.

When afternoon approached...

The city was getting even more lively.

Ribbons of every color were stretched across the streets.

Musicians gathered in the plazas.

Balconies and bridges were decorated with fresh flowers.

Jennie saw people with blue lanterns shaped like seashells.

She curiously looked at the nearby merchant.

"Some event takes place today?"

The old merchant smiled warmly.

"You’ve come on the perfect day."

"It’s our annual Festival of the Sea."

"We’re thanking the ocean for another year of safe voyages."

Children rushed past them holding colorful paper boats.

That night, they would set them adrift on the waves to signify the upcoming year’s promise.

Jennie’s expression softened.

"What a lovely custom."

The three friends finally came to the quiet end of the shore.

Jennie took off her shoes and planted her feet on the soft white sand.

The gentle waves lapped against her feet.

She closed her eyes.

The wind played in her silver hair.

For some time...

She stood there.

Listening.

No wars.

No demon.

No anxiety.

Only the endless music of the ocean.

"It’s so nice."

Snow smiled softly.

"You deserve things like that."

Jennie was gazing at the horizon.

"I think..."

"...I am starting to realize why people set up their homes by the ocean."

Nearby, Roxy was having no success in capturing the tiny shining crabs.

"They are too quick!"

"Not so," Snow responded.

Jennie chuckled.

Suddenly... Snow’s ears moved.

His expression changed.

The smile on his face gradually disappeared.

He looked at the sky above the ocean.

Thousands of white seagulls flew up in the sky.

Not toward the ocean...

But backwards.

In the opposite direction from the ocean.

Snow observed them closely.

He narrowed his blue eyes.

Jennie noticed immediately.

"What is the matter?"

Snow remained silent for some seconds before answering.

His voice was unusually serious.

"...It is animals who feel danger before the others."

The festival was still going on around them.

Children were playing on the beach.

Merchants were smiling. Music still filled the streets.

The Festival of the Sea went on past the setting of the sun.

When night fell upon Azurewind Port, thousands of blue lanterns lit the streets.

The sound of music filled every square.

Families assembled by the seaside, laughing as their children set their tiny paper boats upon the calm waters of the ocean.

And the boats started to drift away.

Each boat contained a small candle.

Each boat represented a wish.

Wishes for safe voyages, wishes for good harvests, and most of all...

Wishes for safe returns.

Jennie quietly watched the endless floating candles from the seaside.

"It looks like the stars have fallen into the ocean."

Roxy grinned.

"I’ve never seen anything this beautiful."

Snow sat peacefully by them.

Even Leviathan was silent.

For the first time since leaving the Sunken Temple...

The Divine Sword didn’t say a word.

Jennie carefully touched the sword hidden under her cloak.

Do you also enjoy the festival?

There was no reply.

She frowned.

Leviathan?

Silence.

However...

This time it was Excalibur who spoke.

The usual cheery voice of the God King was unusually calm.

"...He’s listening."

"Listening?"

"To the ocean."

Jennie carefully glanced at the endless sea.

The endless waves of the ocean kept rising and falling.

There was nothing unusual about it.

Yet...

There was some strange feeling growing inside her heart.

The following morning...

Azurewind awakened before the sunrise.

Fishing boats always set sail before the sun rose.

The harbor was already bustling with people.

Jennie and her party had their breakfast at a small tavern which overlooked the port.

Warm bread.

Smoked fish.

Hot soup.

Roxy was grinning.

"I think I could live here forever."

Snow was answering calmly.

"You’ve already said that in the last four cities."

"They were all nice."

Jennie smiled.

"I can’t argue with that."

Suddenly...

A loud yell was heard from the harbor.

"Captain!"

"C’mere!"

A couple of fishermen quickly ran toward the shore.

Then more voices joined them.

Then even more.

Within moments...

Half the population of the harbor assembled near the beach.

Jennie immediately got up.

"Something happened."

The trio started moving toward the crowd.

As they neared the shore...

Jennie slowed down.

Her face turned pale.

The sea...

Had changed.

The previous day the waters of the western ocean were crystal-blue.

Today...

It was black.

Not dark-blue.

Not murky.

Black.

Just like an endless pool of liquid ink, extending to the horizon.

Even the sunrays failed to reflect off the surface of the water.

The eerie silence had fallen across the harbor.

An old fisherman slowly got on his knees before the water.

His shaky hands trembled.

"I’ve sailed these waters for sixty years..."

"I’ve never seen this."

Jennie quietly stepped toward him.

She got on her knees, touching the water.

Too cold.

Definitely unnatural.

She raised her finger.

Thick black mana was clinging to it for a second.

And then vanished.

Excalibur spoke.

"...Corruption."

Jennie narrowed her eyes.

"This isn’t any normal mana."

"No."

"This one is older."

"And more dangerous."

Another scared yell sounded from farther along the shore.

People started to point at the shore.

Jennie turned around.

Thousands...

Or perhaps tens of thousands...

Of dead fish had been washed ashore during the night.

Big fish.

Small fish.

Magic sea animals.

There were no traces of wounds on them.

There was no sign of any predator.

They just...

Were dead.

The children who had been laughing a couple of hours ago hid behind their parents.

Merchants were staring in horror.

The smell of salt air was gradually replaced by something unpleasant.

Rotten smell.

Snow was quietly examining one of the fishes.

"No wounds."

"No poison."

He was looking at the black sea.

"They tried to escape."

"And the thing they were trying to escape..."

"They couldn’t catch it."

Roxy swallowed.

"...Can the fish be afraid?"

Snow was answering quietly.

"Everything living knows the fear."

The situation in the harbor was becoming more and more chaotic.

All fishing captains were cancelling their voyages.

Sailors weren’t leaving the port.

Sea Hunters were hurrying through the streets, carrying weapons instead of fishing nets.

And then...

Something even stranger had happened.

In the waters of the harbor a large number of tiny blue lights were shining.

Sea Spirits.

Ordinary people couldn’t see them usually.

Little children greeted those friendly spirits with smiles every morning.

Those gentle spirits were protecting sailors from the storms and guiding the ships.

Today...

They were leaving.

One by one...

They were running away, heading toward the distant eastern rivers.

Not a single one stayed behind.

Jennie silently observed.

"They are running away."

Snow nodded.

"They abandoned the sea."

Roxy whispered.

"I didn’t even know that the spirits were able to be afraid."

"They can."

"And when they run away..."

"This means that something horrible is coming."

Jennie instinctively reached toward Leviathan.

Leviathan.

Yet...

Nothing.

The Sword of Oceans had become totally silent.

Its usual calming presence had left her.

Jennie was still feeling the sword.

But it refused to speak.

Finally...

Excalibur interrupted the silence.

"...He’s afraid."

Jennie blinked.

"Leviathan?"

"Yes."

"I knew him since the day we were born."

"I’ve never felt him this silent."

Jennie’s heart was getting heavier and heavier.

"What could make a Divine Sword be afraid?"

Excalibur was silent.

Then...

His voice became unusually serious.

"...Something preying from before the Great Demon War."

A thundering horn sound echoed across Azurewind.

BOOOOOOM!

The alarm signal.

Sea Hunters instantly started rushing to the western walls.

Guards were shouting orders.

"Everybody move away from the shore!"

"Inland!"

"Now!"

People started running.

The festive mood was gone in an instant.

Horror was spreading through the city faster than wild fire.

Jennie quickly moved toward the stone pier overlooking the sea.

She was looking at the horizon.

At first...

She saw nothing.

Then...

A dark stripe appeared.

It was growing bigger.

Closer.

Higher.

Snow’s eyes widened.

"...Jennie."

She was silent.

Because she already had seen it.

The sea was rising.

Not any wave.

A wall of black water of almost fifty meters high was approaching Azurewind.

Its surface was agitated fiercely.

There was a lightning inside the wall of water.

The sky was darkening, as if the evening came too soon.

The enormous wave swallowed fishing boats.

Ships which had survived many storms disappeared under the black water without leaving a trace.

People were screaming.

"Run!"

"It’s a tidal wave!"

"No..."

Snow whispered.

His voice was ominous.

"...It’s bringing something."

The enormous wave reached the outer harbor.

Then...

It exploded.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

The black water struck the docks with unbelievable force.

Stone crumbled.

Wood splintered.

The harbor was flooded under the raging water.

And from the collapsing wall of water...

Various shapes started to appear.

Dozens.

Hundreds.

Red eyes.

Twisted bodies.

Crabs with black, sharp shells.

Snakes covered in poisonous corals.

Walking sharks with clawed fins.

Monsters of humanoid form, covered in rotting seaweed.

Everything emitted thick black mana.

They were climbing onto the docks one by one.

The closest monster opened its mouth, giving an inhuman yell.

And the sound echoed over the panicked city.

Jennie slowly took out her sword Excalibur.

The golden light fought back with the darkness.

Beside her...

Snow was exposing his fangs.

Roxy tightened her grip on the staff.

The peaceful Festival of the Sea was over.

The time of celebrations was over.

The Black Tide...

Had come.