However, Kie was firm in her stance against the introduction of magic tech. She understood the benefits and acknowledged the success stories I shared about Kokoro Heart Federation and Yuki no Mura Capital City. Yet, she feared the consequences of adopting what was forbidden by the Katsuragi Victory Empire. The risk of drawing unwanted attention and endangering her people was a price she was unwilling to pay.

  I respected her decision, recognizing her desire to protect her land and people. Despite my efforts to persuade her, Kie remained resolute. She agreed to accept our protection but insisted on exempting magic tech from her territory. Instead, she chose to rely on traditional methods, confident that her community could progress naturally with our support.

  Before our discussion concluded, Kie asked about Okinawa’s stance on the proposal. I admitted that I hadn’t yet presented the idea to Yuka Issei, the Island Queen of Okinawa. Our intervention in Okinawa had been swift, driven by the urgency to prevent the crisis from escalating. I assured Kie that once matters were settled on Sado Island, I would return to Okinawa and discuss the federation’s proposal with Yuka.

  Kie acknowledged my intentions with a respectful nod. “I trust you to honor our agreement and respect our ways. Should Okinawa choose a different path, Sado Island will stand firm in its decision. But our alliance remains, and our warriors will fight alongside yours when needed.”

  After agreeing on the terms, we turned our attention back to the island. Sado Island had suffered severe damage from the battle and was on the verge of sinking. The ground trembled beneath our feet, and the sea level was gradually rising. Just then, one of my female warriors approached me with a magic tech device designed to stabilize the island. It was our only hope of preventing its collapse.

  Before we could activate the device, a resounding shockwave erupted from the sea, shaking the island to its core and accelerating the sinking process. The Islanders, skilled in geomancy, were already using their powers to sustain the island, but the shockwave weakened their hold. Cracks formed along the coastline, and the earth began to give way.

  Suddenly, a mighty wave surged toward us, towering high above the shoreline. One of the Okinawan warriors quickly stepped forward, her sea-based magic calming the wave just before it struck. But the relief was brief. A second wave, even more violent than the first, loomed on the horizon. This time, warriors from Kokoro Heart Federation, Yuki no Mura Capital City, Okinawa Island, and Sado Island stood united. Channeling their combined magic, they averted the second wave, but the effort drained their strength.

  It became clear that the source of these monstrous waves was no ordinary storm. Our suspicions were confirmed when a deafening roar echoed across the sea. All eyes turned toward the horizon, and what we saw sent chills down our spines. A colossal serpentine creature circled the island, its massive form coiling beneath the water. It was so vast that its beginning and end were impossible to discern. The sea swirled violently as the creature rotated beneath the surface, threatening to consume the island whole.

  Then, with a force that shook the very air, the creature surfaced. Its monstrous body broke through the waves, casting a shadow that engulfed the entire island. Its form was so massive that it blotted out the sun, plunging Sado Island into darkness. Its roar shattered mountains, uprooted trees, and split the ground beneath us.

  “It’s Leviathan,” Lady Kie said, her voice barely above a whisper, her eyes wide with fear and determination. “A shape-shifting sea monster. Its aura changes with its form. In its true state, it is said to be a Z-rank monster... its power spans universal.”

  The warriors did not hesitate. Attacks were launched from all sides—fire, water, lightning, earth—but nothing pierced Leviathan’s scales. The creature responded with another earth-shattering roar, sending shockwaves that toppled cliffs and crumbled defenses. Our attacks were not only ineffective but seemed to enrage the monster further.

  I glanced at Kie. Her emerald eyes met mine, filled with resolve. We didn’t need words. In an instant, I boosted her into the sky, and together we charged at the massive beast. Kie’s blade flashed with magical energy as she struck Leviathan’s scales, while I delivered a blow powerful enough to stun the monster momentarily.

  For a brief moment, the Leviathan reeled backward, its enormous body thrashing through the sea. But the victory was short-lived. It retaliated with a roar so powerful that the shockwave sent us crashing back to the ground. Sand and debris flew around us as we tumbled across the battlefield.

  I sprang to my feet, my body aching from the impact. Kie did the same, her armor dented but her spirit unbroken. Around us, the warriors struggled to maintain their defenses, their magic barely holding the island together. Leviathan loomed above, its eyes glowing with fury as it prepared to strike again.

  We had only one chance to defeat this monster and save Sado Island. We couldn’t afford to fail.

  The battle with Leviathan was fierce and unrelenting. Its thousands of heads roared in unison, each voice echoing like thunder across the island. Its massive serpentine body coiled around Sado Island, constricting it as if to crush the land beneath the sea. Waves crashed violently against the shores, and the ground trembled under its sheer weight. Warriors from Kokoro Heart Federation, Yuki no Mura Capital City, Okinawa Island, and Sado Island fought valiantly, their combined magic barely holding the beast at bay.

  Kie and I moved as one, striking with precision and power. Her emerald eyes burned with determination as she launched herself into the air, her blade gleaming with magical energy. She sliced through one of Leviathan’s heads, only for two more to grow in its place. The beast roared in anger, lashing out with its colossal tail. We narrowly dodged the attack, the force of the tail shattering the ground where we once stood.

  “Keep striking! Don’t let up!” Kie shouted, her voice firm and unwavering. We continued our assault, weaving between its heads, dodging its snapping jaws, and striking with everything we had. The sky darkened as the storm grew more violent, lightning flashing as rain began to pour.

  But Leviathan was relentless. Its thousands of heads snapped at us, fangs glistening with venom. It moved with terrifying speed despite its massive size, surrounding us in a wall of scales and teeth. Kie’s blade flashed again, severing another head. Blood sprayed through the air as the creature recoiled in pain.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Then it happened.

  In one swift, brutal motion, Leviathan lunged at Kie, its massive jaws wide open. I saw it happen as if in slow motion, my heart freezing in my chest. Kie’s eyes widened, her body mid-air with no way to dodge. Before I could reach her, Leviathan’s teeth closed around her waist.

  “KIE!” I screamed, my voice echoing across the battlefield.

  Time seemed to stop as the monstrous jaws snapped shut, ripping Kie in half. The upper half of her body disappeared into Leviathan’s mouth, swallowed whole. The lower half, from her waist down, fell lifelessly to the ground, landing with a sickening thud. Blood poured from the severed torso, staining the earth beneath her.

  Silence fell over the battlefield. Warriors who had been fighting with all their might stopped, their faces pale with shock. Even Leviathan seemed to pause, its many heads turning toward me, watching for my reaction.

  I stood motionless, my eyes fixed on the lifeless remains lying in the blood-soaked sand. Her legs were twisted unnaturally, her once-strong stance reduced to motionless limbs. Her clothes were torn and stained with blood, fluttering weakly in the wind.

  My chest tightened, and my vision blurred. I felt a hollowness inside me, a gaping void where my heart should be. She was gone. Kie, the Lady of the Isles, the warrior who fought valiantly to protect her people, was gone. And it was my fault.

  I clenched my fists, my nails digging into my palms until blood dripped from my hands. If only I hadn’t held back. If only I had used my full power from the start. Kie had died because of my hesitation.

  The storm above grew more violent, the winds howling with fury. Lightning flashed across the sky, illuminating the battlefield. Rain poured down, mixing with the blood-soaked earth. Leviathan shifted, its massive body coiling around the island as its heads turned toward me, sensing the change in the atmosphere.

  My blue hair began to flicker, shifting between colors as an uncontrollable rage surged through me. The three vertical seals on my forehead, which had been broken in half during my fight with Leviathan, flickered and faded, becoming unstable. My eyes violently changed colors, swirling between hues of blue, green, and yellow before finally settling on a deep, blood-red. My fangs grew longer and sharper, my body trembling with raw, unbridled power.

  The ground beneath me cracked as my aura erupted, sending shockwaves across the island. The rain intensified, the storm swirling around me, fueled by my anger and grief. Leviathan struggled to maintain its stance, its colossal body swaying under the weight of the tempest.

  It launched itself into the air, its thousands of heads descending upon the island, fangs bared and eyes glowing with malice. The shadow of its massive form covered the island, threatening to consume everything beneath it.

  I moved without thought, my body reacting on pure instinct. I launched myself from the ground with such force that the earth shattered beneath my feet. In an instant, I closed the distance between myself and the monstrous creature. My fist was already drawn back, power surging through my body as my hair and eyes blazed red.

  With a roar that shook the heavens, I slammed my fist into the forehead of one of Leviathan’s heads. The impact was cataclysmic. A shockwave rippled from the point of contact, spreading across the creature’s entire body and through the sea below. The ocean parted under the force, waves crashing violently against each other.

  Every bone in Leviathan’s body shattered simultaneously, the sickening sound echoing across the sea. Its thousands of heads wailed in agony, eyes bursting as its massive form began to convulse. Then, with an explosive force, Leviathan’s body burst apart.

  Gore and entrails erupted from the creature, raining down into the sea. Its blood spilled into the water, turning half of the ocean red. Chunks of flesh and shattered bones scattered across the waves, the remnants of the once-mighty sea monster sinking beneath the surface.

  The storm cleared instantly, the dark clouds dissipating as sunlight broke through, illuminating the blood-soaked sea. Rain continued to fall, washing the gore from the island. I hovered in midair, my eyes still glowing red as my rage slowly subsided.

  I looked down at the ruins of Sado Island, at the blood-stained sand where Kie’s body lay motionless. My fists trembled, my heart heavy with grief and guilt. The warriors below stared at me in shock, their faces pale as they looked at the carnage that surrounded them.

  I descended slowly, my feet touching the ground as the red faded from my eyes. The storm had passed, but the emptiness within me remained. Kie was gone, and nothing I did could change that. I had defeated Leviathan, but the victory was hollow.

  I stood there in the rain, surrounded by death and destruction, my heart shattered by the loss of a warrior who had fought bravely by my side.

  The aftermath of the battle was a haunting reminder of the cost of victory. The blood-stained ocean surrounding Sado Island stretched far and wide, half of it permanently tainted by the remains of Leviathan. The warriors from Kokoro Heart Federation, Yuki no Mura Capital City, and Okinawa Island joined forces, using their combined magic and the advanced magic tech to prevent the corrupted blood ocean from mixing with the unpolluted waters.

  But despite their best efforts, neither magic nor technology could fully restore the ocean to its former purity. The island itself had been on the brink of sinking after the battle, its foundations shattered by the immense power unleashed during my clash with Leviathan. Without hesitation, I had dived into the ocean's depths, my body pushing against the crumbling earth beneath the island. With the aid of magic tech, I stabilized Sado Island, lifting it back above the surface before it could fully sink into the sea.

  Though the island was saved, the cost was devastating. Countless warriors had perished, their bodies scattered across the battlefield or lost to the ocean. Those who survived bore deep wounds, not only on their bodies but in their hearts as well. The islanders of Sado, many of whom had been exiled here for magical transgressions, stood in mourning, their faces pale and their eyes hollow. They looked to me and my teams, but there was no joy in their gaze, no gratitude. Only grief and loss.

  The air was heavy with sorrow. Sado Island, despite being a place of exile for both humans and demi-humans, was still their home. Its lands were scarred, its people broken, and its leader—their beloved Lady Kie Satoshi—was dead. I could see the devastation in their eyes, the hopelessness that came from losing not just loved ones but also the one who had protected them.

  And then it dawned on me. Who would lead these people now? Who would protect them from the threats lurking beyond the horizon? I knew a demon lord had its eyes set on Sado Island and Okinawa. The war was far from over, and these people were vulnerable. Lady Kie’s responsibilities had now fallen on me.

  I stood before the gathered crowd, feeling the weight of their sorrow and expectations. They needed hope, someone to guide them through this darkness. Taking a deep breath, I spoke with a voice that was both sympathetic and firm, recounting Lady Kie’s bravery and sacrifice. I spoke of her final stand against Leviathan, of how she fought fiercely to protect her people until her last breath. I saw tears in their eyes, some of them having witnessed her brutal death.

  I spoke of the future, of rebuilding Sado Island and honoring the fallen by ensuring their sacrifices weren’t in vain. But no matter how moving my words were, I knew they could never bring back the dead. As I spoke, my eyes wandered to the spot where Kie’s body had fallen, the bloodstain still visible on the ground.

  When my speech ended, I made a decision that weighed heavily on my heart. I told them I would take up Lady Kie’s mantle, that I would become their new Lord of the Isles, their Island King. The crowd murmured among themselves, their faces reflecting a mixture of grief and reluctant acceptance. There was no joy in their voices, no cheers or applause. They knew I could never replace Lady Kie, that no one could.

  But they also knew they needed a leader to guide them through this crisis, to defend them against the demon lord who threatened their existence. One by one, they nodded in agreement, murmuring their approval. It was a solemn acceptance, born out of necessity rather than celebration.