Cold raindrops continued to pour down relentlessly onto the earth, washing away the remnants of the horrific battle.
Umi turned around, lifting each heavy foot to limp away. Suddenly, a stream of bright red blood trickled from his nose, dripping down to mingle with the rainwater on the ground. Startled, Umi wiped it away with his finger and silently watched the bloodstain fade under the pressure of the torrential rain. He gasped for air, his chest heaving in pain.
-"Ancient magic... it truly ravages the body..."
He let out a soft cry, clutching his head in his hands. A wave of dizziness washed over him.
-"What is this... it hurts so much... My Essence must be completely drained for my body to react so violently."
Umi tried to take a step forward, but his legs were staggering as if they no longer belonged to him.
-"Wait... hold on... What is your name?"
A faint, broken call echoed from behind. Umi froze and turned around. Waffle was slumped on the ground, struggling to lift his dull eyes to call out to him. Umi stood still for a moment to catch his breath, then let out a tired, faint laugh.
-"Umi... Umi Tsukigami."
Upon hearing that name, Waffle fell silent for a moment, his lips trembling:
-"Tsukigami, I see... He revealed your rank and power to me... but I only now know your name."
Umi frowned, confusion clear on his face:
-"Revealed? Who revealed my information to you? Was it someone from Heavenfield?"
Waffle did not answer immediately. He took a deep breath, his voice filled with a warning tone:
-"Tsukigami... I am not allowed to reveal who it was. If I speak... you yourself will be in danger."
He bowed his head, his breathing becoming labored and more fragmented.
-"20 minutes, you say... Perhaps your 20 minutes won't even be necessary; this curse is already about to finish me off, Tsukigami."
He whispered gently:
-"I don't want... to be a demon anymore. I want... to be human again..."
He fell silent for a while, then suddenly lifted his face, his eyes filled with desperate urgency as he looked directly at Umi:
-"Protect Van Ouderwets... so that Nautilus can return... and seal the Demon King once more!"
Umi struggled to drag his heavy steps toward Waffle, his voice becoming urgent:
-"Who is Van Ouderwets? Why is that person related to Nautilus?"
The rain pattered incessantly; the pure shards of ice on Umi and Waffle were gradually melting and sliding away.
-"Envy himself told me about Van Ouderwets... then he carved a curse upon my heart. If I reveal anything at all about the demon race... the mark will activate and kill me instantly."
Waffle reached out with his trembling, half-severed arm to touch his chest:
-"I have... accidentally said too much to you, so the curse has begun to take effect."
Around them, the magnificent spectacle of ancient magic was collapsing. The giant ice stag heads cracked and shattered onto the ground with dry, hollow thuds.
-"Van Ouderwets already has a Host... Kronos will seek out the place where he was sealed 520 years ago to reclaim the power of both himself and the Nautilus left behind."
Suddenly, a mouthful of murky black liquid erupted from Waffle's mouth. He shook violently, covering his mouth in agonizing pain, yet he still struggled to pull himself up to speak his final words:
-"Tsukigami, protect Van Ouderwets... Let Nautilus return! Defeat Kronos!"
Umi, shocked, reached his hand toward Waffle to help, but it was too late. A sharp stone pillar suddenly tore through Waffle's abdomen, jutting outward. He let out a piercing scream of agony. Immediately after, a second stone pillar impaled him from the throat out through the mouth, cutting off the scream in a barbaric fashion. The black shell around his mouth shattered, his jaw forced wide open in a horrific pose.
Umi recoiled in shock, his eyes wide:
-"The curse... the curse you mentioned?"
Waffle could no longer answer. A layer of grey stone, emitting a sinister green light, began to spread from his chest across his entire body. Two more stone pillars tore out from his forearms, pushing his hands high into the air in a posture resembling prayer. A blinding flash of light erupted, forcing Umi to shield his eyes.
When the light faded, Umi hurried to look back. Before him now stood not a demon, but a soulless, cold stone statue. Waffle had completely petrified, his hands raised to the sky like a final plea sent to humanity.
Umi stood motionless in the rain, his mind reeling with a barrage of unanswered questions. He raised a hand to his head:
-"What is this... who is the traitor at Heavenfield? Who exactly is Van Ouderwets? And the place where Kronos is sealed... where on earth is it?"
Those questions were like boulders weighing down on Umi's mind. Gasping for air, he turned his back on the stone statue and took one weary step after another into the pouring rain, heading toward the city of Rhodes.