My body... It hurt. I hadn't felt pain in so long...
Every inch of me ached.
Which could only mean...
The realization hit me as sharply as that earlier wave of magic.
I've lost Ravenswood.
Oh no.
After everything... After all my struggles...
I just wanted to be with him. Even if it meant only watching from a distance.
What... What was this liquid?
It wouldn't stop. Why?
Why? Why? Why? Why?
I tried to hold it in with my hands, but it kept spilling out—tears.
I never thought I'd see the day when I would weep.
Love... It had truly weakened me beyond belief.
Before I knew it, I was sobbing. Despite my best efforts to muffle it, my voice slipped, and I cried aloud.
...But at least, for a moment, I had interacted with him.
"Serpent!" Alicia's voice cut through the haze of my misery. "Stop whimpering like a child. Come here."
She already wielded authority, as if she'd won not just the battle but my very existence.
"Who... exactly are you?" I asked, my gaze falling to where she stood several feet away.
The sea waters were creeping back, cool and indifferent, slowly covering me.
"What do you mean?" She furrowed her brows, her short blonde hair fluttering in the coastal breeze. "I told you, didn't I? I won't repeat myself."
"No, WHAT are you?" I whispered. "Are you... a heavenly being?"
That had to be it.
Where else could she have gotten such an overwhelming magnitude of power—
"Human." Her voice was firm, as if stating an irrefutable truth. "I'm half human, half fairy. But Father told me I lean more toward the human side. I'm practically human."
...Just human?
Impossible.
"Now, come! It's time for you to grant my wish."
Her words were like spears through my heart.
Fear wrapped around me, tight and merciless.
I already knew what would come next.
'Please... Please,' I prayed to any power that might listen. 'Don't let her tell me to return to the seas. Don't let her forbid me from ever seeing Ravenswood.'
I didn't know what I'd do if she gave that sort of order.
Honestly... I had no idea.
The world… would likely bear the brunt of my sorrow.
But I couldn't defy her. She was far stronger than me—strong enough to defeat me without even batting an eye, something even the all-powerful Ravenswood couldn't do.
"Hey! What are you still doing there?!" She yelled, a blue vein bulging on her forehead. "Get here fast!"
"Uh... Uhm... I can't." I remained where I lay, the water rising around me, the tide a cold embrace.
"What do you mean you can't?!" Her voice rose, miffed and skeptical.
"I'm in pain. I can't move a muscle."
Shame washed over me, mingling with the salty water. But it was the truth.
She rubbed her temples, then strode over to me, her steps indifferent against the water's gentle ripples.
"Very well, weakling." She stood over me, her shadow cool against my skin as I stayed, half buried in the water. "How do I fix you?"
Huh?
Fix?
Did she intend to heal me?
I was a cosmic-level Principality; the energy required to heal me could very well restore an entire town of the severely wounded.
"Be quick. I want to return to Ruby's side already."
Already?! You just left, though!
"...Alright." I murmured, sheepishly agreeing.
I taught her a simple yet effective healing spell. It was designed to use minimal energy while still being efficient—essentially a novice-level spell.
Spells were like codes or keys to unlock wondrous powers, and magic was the compensation for such access.
The longer one spent crafting a spell, the greater the resulting power—Satanas is rumored to have been crafting one spell for over four thousand years now.
But if you truly understood the keys, you could rearrange them to achieve more with less.
My defeat had been so absolute that my intrinsic healing ability had halted entirely. I was reduced to relying on my enemy—a disgrace beyond words.
"All done."
What?!
She... She was right?!
"How...?" I asked, shock stealing my breath.
"How?" She arched a brow, as if the answer were obvious. "I used the spell you gave me."
As if that made any sense!
"No, no, no!"
Now fully healed, I sat up on my knees, facing her. Even with her standing, I still towered over her, but my height felt hollow.
"I hadn't given you the complete spell!" I exclaimed.
"You hadn't?" She tilted her head, a small, yet infuriating gesture. "Well, I don't really understand how these spells work. Ruby only started teaching me few hours ago."
What?!
I had assumed she was a mage type! I thought she simply lacked effective healing spells—certainly nothing powerful enough to heal a being like me.
"So... So, you've never used healing magic before?"
My voice quivered, my pride hanging by a thread.
She rested a hand on her cheek, considering. "Hm? This is the first time I'm using magic at all."
"…"
Heh.
I, Leviathan, had been defeated by a human girl who had never used magic before.
This information will not reach anyone's ears. I'll consume whoever hears about it.
"You're fine now, I presume." Alicia gripped my arm, pulling me. "It's time to fulfill your end of the agreement."
Such... Such strength in that small frame!
A human? Then I'm a shellfish!
Ah, I forgot! The agreement...
Bracing myself for the worst, I asked, as she guided me to where Ravenswood lay, "What is it you want, then?"
Suspense. Suspense. Suspense.
She remained silent until we reached my beloved's resting place.
Alicia gently cradled his head against her chest, her emerald eyes never leaving mine. She gestured for me to sit in front of her.
What... Was she planning?
I obeyed, and then she spoke the most shocking words I had heard in my age-old life.
"I want you… to make a Master-Servant pact with Ruby. That's my wish."
"...Eh?" I blinked, unable to believe my ears. "I... Why? But I lost? I... I..."
Argh. This water is leaking from my eyes again. Was it because I had taken on a more mortal form?
"Hey, stop." Her tone remained serious, but a warm glint softened her gaze. "Don't try to hold it in. If you must weep, I'll allow it... For two minutes."
Oh...
As if waiting for those words, I broke down, sobbing like a newborn.
Goodness... I have truly fallen, haven't I?
"Two minutes are up." She clapped her hands, the sharp sound snapping me back to reality. "Let's begin."
It wasn't really two minutes already, but let's leave it at that.
"You didn't answer me." I held up a hand, halting her. Her brows twitched with annoyance. "Why do you want me to enter a pact with him?"