Chapter 221: War

A short while later, Jake and Aria were aboard the ship together with the rest of the crew.

However, almost everyone’s attention was focused on the enormous figure standing among them.

It was... Samu’dra.

The crew stared at her in awe, unable to hide their curiosity as they looked at the massive Naga.

And having spent her entire life in the dark depths of the ocean, Samu’dra was equally fascinated by the sight of so many humans gathered around her.

Her eyes constantly wandered from one person to another, studying their faces and movements with open curiosity.

She occasionally glanced around the ship as well, seemingly trying to understand the strange world she had suddenly found herself in.

Fortunately, the ship was a massive battleship with a huge deck and plenty of room for its crew, so even with Samu’dra’s enormous body, she could move around without any trouble.

She slowly walked across the deck, stopping every now and then to examine something that caught her attention.

The crew could only watch in silence as the gigantic Naga curiously explored their ship.

For Samu’dra, almost everything around her was new.

The ship, the humans, the sunlight, and even the vast blue sky above her were things she had never experienced before.

_

_

_

Meanwhile,

Grace was still clinging tightly to Jake’s abdomen like a koala, her arms wrapped around him while her feet remained completely off the ground.

Her face remained pressed against Jake’s chest, and she seemed to be quietly inhaling his scent as if reassuring herself that he was really there.

Aria stood beside Jake, staring intently at Grace.

Her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched Grace occupy what had previously been her favorite spot.

For some reason, seeing another woman hugging Jake so tightly while practically burying her face against his chest left Aria feeling strangely dissatisfied.

With her cheek still pressed against Jake’s chest, Grace slowly turned her head and looked toward Aria.

The moment their eyes met, Grace narrowed her eyes slightly.

Aria’s expression remained calm, but she could clearly see the subtle challenge in Grace’s gaze.

"..."

"..."

For a few seconds, neither of them said anything as they simply stared at each other.

Jake, who was standing between them, immediately noticed the strange atmosphere and awkwardly scratched his cheek.

Just as the awkward silence continued, Vivian walked over and stopped in front of them.

She glanced at Grace, who was still clinging tightly to Jake, before looking at Aria, whose narrowed eyes made the strange atmosphere between the two women quite obvious.

Vivian blinked a few times before looking at Jake.

"Did I interrupt something?"

Jake immediately shook his head.

"No, nothing at all."

His answer came a little too quickly.

Vivian stared at him for a moment before letting out a small sigh.

"Right..." she said, deciding not to involve herself in whatever was happening between them.

Instead, she turned toward Samu’dra, who was still curiously exploring the ship, and smiled.

"And it seems you’ve made quite a friend."

If Jake hadn’t already guaranteed that this fierce Naga was his friend, Vivian would probably have been much more cautious about approaching this naga.

After all, Samu’dra’s enormous figure and intimidating appearance were enough to make even the bravest crew member hesitate.

Yet seeing her curiously wandering around the ship like a child experiencing everything for the first time made it difficult to feel threatened by her.

Jake couldn’t help but smile as he turned to look at Samu’dra, who had just opened one of the doors and crouched down to peek inside, her eyes filled with curiosity as she examined whatever was behind it.

"Yeah. And her name is Samu’dra."

Hearing that, Vivian let out a small "Oh?" as she looked at Samu’dra, a slightly surprised expression appearing on her face.

Nagas were not exactly uncommon in this world, and Vivian had encountered a few of them before.

However, having been born and raised in this area, she rarely had the chance to actually meet one in person.

And none of the Nagas she had encountered before had been quite as... fierce-looking as this one.

She glanced at Samu’dra again, who was still crouched beside the open door and curiously peering inside.

"...She’s certainly an unusual one."

Jake smiled wryly as he glanced toward Samu’dra.

"Forgive her curiosity. She’s probably lived under the ocean her entire life, so almost everything here is new to her."

However, Jake suddenly hesitated, as if there was something else he wanted to ask.

""So...""

They both stopped and looked at each other in surprise before Vivian smiled and gestured for him to go ahead.

"You go first."

Jake smiled and nodded, then glanced toward the countless ships surrounding them.

"So... what’s going on with all these ships? Are you guys going to war or something?" he asked casually, clearly intending it as a joke.

But to his surprise, Vivian’s expression immediately became serious as she nodded.

"Yes. We are."

At those words, Jake’s smile slowly disappeared as he stared at her in disbelief.

"...Wait, seriously? War with who?"

Vivian was just about to answer Jake’s question when a deep, resounding horn suddenly echoed across the ocean.

BOOOOOOOOONNNG!

The sound came from one of the massive flying ships above them, and its deep tone seemed to shake the air itself as it resonated everywhere.

Jake immediately looked up.

The relaxed atmosphere on the ship changed in an instant as the crew members turned their attention toward the sky.

Vivian’s expression became serious as she stared at the flying ship.

"It seems you’ll have your answer."

At that moment, Jake’s eyes narrowed slightly as he looked toward the distant horizon above the surface of the water.

Even Grace, Aria, and Samu’dra turned in the same direction, all of them sensing something approaching.

The atmosphere around them seemed to change as an invisible pressure slowly spread across the ocean.

The crew members on the deck also fell silent, their expressions becoming tense as they stared toward the horizon.

Meanwhile, Jake’s expression suddenly changed as a thought crossed his mind.

He looked toward the distant horizon, then back at Vivian as the realization slowly sank in.

"Wait... could it be that the one you’re going to war with is... the Leviathan?"

He still hadn’t forgotten how narrowly he had escaped from that ancient ruler of the seas.

Just thinking about the enormous creature he had encountered beneath the ocean was enough to make his expression turn serious.

As if answering Jake’s question, the entire ocean suddenly went unnaturally still.

Then—

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMM!!!

The sea exploded.

An enormous column of water was blasted into the sky as something colossal tore through the surface, sending massive waves crashing across the fleet.

The surrounding warships were thrown violently from side to side, while several smaller vessels nearly disappeared beneath the towering waves.

Szzzz—

Szzzz—

Szzzz—

From within the chaos, a colossal serpentine body slowly became visible, its sheer size making the massive warships around it look insignificant.

Then two enormous eyes opened under the colossal wave that it stirred.

BOOM!

A terrifying pressure instantly swept across the entire fleet.

The countless soldiers on the decks froze, their bodies instinctively trembling as they stared at the ancient creature before them.

But then,

The Leviathan slowly raised its colossal head toward the sky.

Then it roared.

[ROOOOOOOOOAAAAARRR!!!]

The instant its roar echoed across the heavens, the entire sky suddenly turned crimson.

The clouds, the horizon, even the vast heavens above seemed to be dyed in blood-red light.

The ocean beneath the Leviathan reflected the same crimson hue, making it appear as though the entire world had been plunged into a sea of blood.

The roar continued to reverberate through the heavens, shaking the clouds apart and causing the ocean to churn violently beneath the ancient beast.

Jake’s pupils shrank as his body trembled slightly from dread.

That presence.

That overwhelming aura.

There was no way he could mistake it.

This was the same ancient ruler of the seas that had nearly swallowed him, Aria, and Samu’dra.

The monster he had barely escaped from had appeared once again.

Only this time, it wasn’t hunting them.

...It had come to face the entire fleet.

Jake stared at the colossal beast, his expression slowly turning grim.

"...Leviathan."