Chapter Twenty: The Sea of Death

If I think carefully, this remains a good opportunity.

Would I stand by and watch the Duchess acquire that so-called ultimate weapon? No, I cannot. I am never at ease with her intentions. Rather than letting it fall into her hands, I’d prefer to seize it myself. In these chaotic times, strength reigns above all. I am convinced I am better suited than the Duchess to unravel the secrets beneath the sea.

I have witnessed Orchide’s failure; I will not repeat her mistakes. I will judge the situation more quickly and accurately, without a moment’s hesitation.

Yet, we are few in number. Salvador and Betty are little more than burdens, and Lamia refuses to assist me. I cannot estimate the Duchess’s true power; I can’t even defeat Myrce.

Worse still, the Duchess overheard what I said. She now knows I possess the Water of Invisibility.

As we walked, it felt as though we’d stepped from a silent film into a surround-sound theater—the metaphor inspired by magazines a century ago. The immense roar of the waves was deafening, and the cold sea wind drove black, towering waves toward the shore. During my years scavenging, I once reached the Golden Gate Bridge and saw the ocean, but it was nothing like the ferocity of this sea—here, every crest seemed to reach the clouds.

The Duchess said, “Synchronized with the wormhole, we are now wholly in the other world.”

I had no idea what she meant. All I saw were red and white demons surrounding us, as if we’d wandered into their carnival. There were forty or fifty—I couldn’t count them all, for perhaps some hid behind the rocks.

Lamia shouted, “Sammy! Betty! Get behind me! Use the Holy Sword projectiles! Don’t miss!”

The Wolf-Armored Count yelled, “Fight for humanity!” and drew his longsword.

Myrce cried, “Fight for glory!” and with one stroke felled a white demon.

The demons seemed completely stunned by us. For the first few seconds, they didn’t attack, giving us a brief chance to catch our breath. I fired my gun, feeling my aim was much improved, especially since the demons stood motionless as targets. My shots never missed, but soon my ammunition ran out.

Then the demons grew furious. Several red demons, suddenly animated like boulders come to life, charged at us, shaking the beach beneath my feet. Lamia, Salvador, and Betty spent all their Holy Sword projectiles, and three red demons fell. Yet the ferocious demons pressed forward, trampling their fallen kin.

Lamia threw her gun at a demon—though it was as strong as a yak, she sent it tumbling. She switched to fighting with her sword. To be honest, her swordsmanship was not as refined as mine or Myrce’s; she’d only had basic training, no tricks or flourishes, yet she moved with speed, strength, and a clear head, adapting swiftly—these four traits ensured her victory over most enemies.

I had no time to watch her, for a giant red demon had locked onto me, pursuing me relentlessly as if I’d slain its family. I smeared viper’s blood on my dagger, and in an instant its claw enveloped me. Like a fish, I slipped into the Sword and Shield Society’s bronze barricade. The red demon smashed through the shield wall with a single punch, sending its members sprawling. Myrce stepped forward, using “Stone Fir,” and his blade split the demon’s head.

But the red demon did not die. Instead, its rage boiled over. It smashed the ground, hefted iron-like stones, and hurled them at Myrce. Myrce countered with “Iron Lotus,” expertly deflecting the boulders as if they were baseballs. The demon was undeterred, finding ever larger stones and hurling them with greater force. Myrce stood his ground, unyielding. His companions cheered his swordsmanship and strength.

I was certain that, in terms of swordsmanship, none among them could match Myrce—not even the Wolf-Armored Count.

Whether the Duchess could, I did not know, for legend said the Nine Hermits were masters of ancient sword arts, yet she didn’t seem the fighting type.

Staring at the enraged monster, I suddenly felt perhaps we were in the wrong—it was we who opened the wormhole to another world, entered its homeland, and slaughtered its kin indiscriminately. A hundred years ago, perhaps it was humans who summoned them to Earth as slaves, prompting their revenge. They had every reason to be angry, for humanity is reckless and foolish.

Lamenting fate’s injustice, I drove my dagger into its skull from behind. The venom immediately destroyed its brain, and the rampaging giant collapsed.

The demons scattered and fled; the beach was safe.

The Wolf-Armored Count said, “Report casualties.”

A tall female baroness (that title was quite a mouthful) replied, “No deaths. Baron Gist, Baron Ramanov, and Baron Eddie are wounded, but nothing serious.”

I found Lamia. She said, “Everyone’s fine. You?”

I thanked her for her concern and boasted about my feats.

Lamia replied, “With no more Holy Sword projectiles, we must never let ourselves be surrounded again.” This was directed at the Duchess.

The Duchess said, “Don’t worry. These children can handle it.”

Hearing her pretend to be wise, calling others “children,” truly irked me.

The Duchess continued, “And where we’re headed, we won’t encounter these demons.”

She held her left palm up. I saw a small round disk float, about the size of a hand, resembling an ancient Chinese jade plate, but flawless. The Duchess said, “Activate Station 76, password CAIN-123075BC. Please switch voiceprint.”

I suspected this was no artifact, merely a portable computer capable of accessing the Sword and Shield Society’s ancient legacy, or even opening sealed wormholes. The Society now mythologizes the Nine Hermits. Orchide and Myrce believe in such things; I remain skeptical.

But why shouldn’t technology become myth? For most of humanity, cut off and barely surviving today, these are miracles beyond understanding. What is the difference between the omniscient Vagha and the all-knowing gods of legend?

A white cube surfaced amid the waves. Despite the raging surf, it held steady, about six meters per side. When the Duchess approached, it opened. With nowhere else to go, we entered. The cube submerged, descending through a transparent conduit.

Every six meters, fluorescent lights illuminated the pipe, faintly revealing the seabed below—lifeless, not a fish or plant in sight, and impossibly deep.

A female voice inside the cube said, “Upon review, you are Vasilisa Genova, Grade Seven officer, authorized to view this identity. Please observe inspection protocols. Given the uncertain status of this sealed facility, strictly follow safety regulations.”

I asked, “How does this cube recognize the Duchess? No one’s been here in a century at least.”

The Duchess replied, “Did you really think I was only fourteen, Longinus?”

A sudden chill seized me—I involuntarily stepped back, pressing against the elevator wall. The other Society warriors seemed to know this secret already; none appeared surprised.

I thought of Vagha.

Lamia asked, “You aren’t human? Are you a cyborg?”

The Duchess laughed, “Cyborg? Why would I be a cyborg? I merely slept for a very long time. When I awoke, the world had changed beyond recognition. So, don’t ask me how the cataclysm happened—I can’t answer.”

I said, “Do you know what’s below?”

The Duchess replied, “I don’t. Before I slept, I managed to alter the ancient Society’s systems, granting myself top clearance. Yet these secrets remained sealed, and no one can help me solve them now—I must do it myself.”

The elevator suddenly stopped. The female voice spoke again: “As you see, the Dead Sea containment facility lies three kilometers underwater. Four gates in total. You have reached the first—please confirm whether to open.”

A massive steel door blocked the elevator. The Duchess used Ivan’s Mirror for authorization. The first gate opened, and the elevator continued its descent.

What weapon could demand storage three kilometers below the sea? Why would thick metal gates block the way every few hundred meters? This seemed less a prison for felons and more a cage for some monstrous beast.

At the second gate, the female voice spoke again: “The sea here contains unique elements, swiftly causing oxygen deprivation. But don’t worry—the elevator pipe is lined with two meters of transparent metal, able to withstand torpedo blasts. If the sealed entity shows signs of escape, the officer must authorize flooding the pipe with seawater immediately. This will cause suffocation and unconsciousness, while personnel in protective suits will be unharmed.”

I felt as if I were being delivered to the belly of a fish. Terror made me forget even how to breathe. I struggled for air, wanting to move closer to the Duchess, but the warriors blocked me. The Duchess remained unmoved, full of confidence.

Pointing upward, I shouted, “Let us out!”

The Duchess asked, “Why?”

I said, “Didn’t you hear the warning? What you seek to release is not a weapon, but a disaster that must be prevented!”

The Duchess said, “I am the disaster.”

I doubted my ears. “What?”

She said, “I am the disaster. I am the monster. I am the demon. I am the divine punishment. No matter how powerful the entity below may be, it will obey me; it must submit.”

At the third gate, the female voice said, “Remember, we do not know the sealed entity’s current condition. He has escaped several times and been recaptured, but remains alive—neither suffocation nor brain damage could prevent his rebirth. Visiting officers will receive authorization: if escape becomes inevitable, you may use voice command to activate the nuclear warheads buried beneath the sea. Within ten seconds, the sea within a hundred-kilometer radius will be obliterated.”

I shouted, “Absurd! Stop this now! There’s still time!”

Lamia said, “Fishbone is right.”

We were opening Pandora’s box, unleashing unknown dangers.

I couldn’t see the warriors’ faces, but their tense stance told me they could no longer judge the situation.

The Duchess opened the third gate, and I watched as the fourth gate drew nearer.

The female voice said, “Welcome to Containment Facility 76. You may use the camera on the fourth gate to view the interior. Threat level: Supreme. Target codename: Cain.”