Furina was burning with anxiety and shouted, "Quickly, bring the boat closer!"
About one nautical mile from the whirlpool zone, the speedboat accelerated suddenly, its engine roaring as it raced toward the edge of the most dangerous area.
Getting closer, the scene became even more shocking. The air was thick with dense Hydro Element power, but it was chaotic, carrying sadness, anger, and a... sticky feeling, as if it were contaminated.
"Didn't we already have the Equitable Judgment disperse the crowd?"
"Why are there still people here?!"
Clorinde's roar pierced through the dull boom of the waves.
Everyone followed the sound and saw a small, clearly civilian fishing boat spinning helplessly in the relatively calm waters between several large whirlpools.
The hull was already tilting, and several blurred figures on the deck were frantically waving clothes for help.
Not far from the fishing boat, a golden figure was using the Anemo Element to tread on the torrents, flexibly weaving through the waves in an attempt to get closer.
It was Lumine.
He condensed the power of the Anemo Element in his hands, repeatedly trying to stabilize the fishing boat with Wind Fields or blow away the approaching waves.
Paimon, like a startled little bird, flew anxiously around his head, pointing out dangers: "Waaah! Lumine! Watch out on the left! Another big wave is coming from the left!"
"How could they be there?"
Furina gasped, covering his mouth, his eyes full of worry.
Clorinde frowned and immediately ordered, "Lower the lifeboats! Prepare lifebuoys and grappling hooks! Be careful to avoid the center of the whirlpools! Equitable Judgment, provide cover!"
The well-trained Equitable Judgment immediately sprang into action.
Two small lifeboats were lowered into the sea and rowed vigorously toward the fishing boat.
But the situation was worse than expected.
As if sensing the arrival of more "intruders," the rotation speed of the whirlpools on the sea surface suddenly accelerated!
Those distorted masses of water floating in the center of the whirlpools, emitting a faint blue glow—
It was now clear that they were actually blurred, struggling Damselettes; they let out silent shrieks and stirred up even larger waves!
"Wooo—Aaaah!!!"
A low sea roar like a giant beast's sigh erupted as a massive wave hundreds of meters high rose without warning behind the fishing boat. Like a collapsing city wall, it crashed down toward the already precarious small boat and Lumine and Paimon, who were working hard to rescue them!
"Lumine! Paimon!!"
Furina cried out, instinctively grabbing King's arm, his fingers icy cold.
Clorinde drew the rapier at his waist, purple lightning dancing on the blade, but he knew that at this distance and with a wave of this scale... he could do nothing at all.
Lynette's cat ears stood straight, his pale purple pupils contracting tightly, his face filled with reluctance and sadness.
At the very moment that devastating wall of water was about to swallow everything—
King took a deep breath.
There was no time to hesitate.
Bang!
A massive stomping sound rang out.
Then, the hull of the boat suddenly sank a significant amount!
King's figure vanished.
The next moment, he appeared outside the speedboat, above the sea.
Boom—!!!
The emperor engine roared thunderously at this moment!
It was no longer the awe-inspiring war drum from the Tribunal or the banquet hall, but a roar as heavy as the pulsation of the Earth's core, contending against the entire angry sea!
Due to his fierce step, the sea surface under King's feet suddenly caved in, forming a clear, giant footprint-shaped ripple, which then violently rebounded into a soaring pillar of water!
Using this heaven-defying reaction force, King's figure turned into a bolt of blue lightning tearing through the haze, shooting toward the giant wave and the fishing boat!
His blue trench coat trailed behind him in a straight line, fluttering loudly.
The sea breeze ruffled his black hair, revealing eyes that were exceptionally angry at this moment.
"Am I dreaming? Lord Su Ze... he's running on the sea?!"
An Iudexs Court Member rubbed their eyes in disbelief.
Yes, not flying, not gliding, just the purest, most savage running!
With every step, the terrifying power brought by the Superalloy Blacklight Body was poured unreservedly into the sea surface.
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang—!!!
Every step was like a depth charge being detonated!
Wherever King passed, waves surged and mist filled the air like a rainstorm. The scene didn't look like a person running, but more like an invisible deep-sea beast breaking through the surface and charging toward its prey!
The sea surface wailed and exploded under his feet, rising into straight walls of water several meters, or even over ten meters high. These walls pushed to both sides, overbearingly suppressing the powerful suction of nearby whirlpools and carving out a violent passage.
Like a path of destruction laid out for him leading to the battlefield!
On the speedboat, everyone was stunned, even forgetting to breathe.
Lynette silently gripped the strap of his medical kit, his cat ears twitching, suppressing all his shock deep in his heart.
Furina gripped the gunwale until his knuckles turned white, his heterochromatic eyes fixed on the figure cutting through the waves, his heart thumping violently with every roar of the emperor engine.
Fear?
Perhaps a little.
But more than that, it was an excitement that almost burst through his chest—if Mr. King was there, anything could be accomplished!
"Too fast..."
This was the first thought that flashed through Clorinde's mind.
As Fontaine's strongest Champion Duelist, his dynamic vision was sufficient to capture the trajectory of crossbow bolts and judge the ballistics the moment a bullet left the barrel.
But in that instant just now, he had seen nothing.
The Thunder Sword in Clorinde's hand flickered with light. Watching that inhuman way of running and feeling the tremors that shook his soul with every step... he suddenly felt his throat go dry. All the scenes from these past few days flashed through his mind: King blocking Tartaglia's full-power attack with two fingers, King making a criminal break down and confess with just a look at the banquet, King's always calm and indifferent expression... It turned out that King had never been serious.
It turned out those were just "play."
Just as humans are not serious with the ants under their feet, King had never truly been "serious" when facing them.
"Is this a truly powerful person?"
Clorinde murmured softly, his voice trembling in a way he didn't even notice.
His fingers loosened their grip on the hilt, tightened again, and then loosened once more.
The rapier that had accompanied him through countless duels and tasted the blood of countless enemies felt as light as a straw at this moment.
The justice he pursued, the oath he took to protect Fontaine, in the face of absolute power... "No."
Clorinde suddenly looked up, the fire reigniting in his pale purple eyes.
It was the fire of "awakening."
King's strength did not become a reason for him to give up; instead, it allowed him to see the scenery at the end of the road.
Clorinde also wanted to possess such power!
Not for selfish desires, not for fame.
But to truly protect Lady Furina, to protect Fontaine, and to protect those who cry helplessly in the face of disaster!
Perhaps he would never reach King's height, but at least—
He knew the direction.
"I will catch up."
Looking at the figure on the sea, Clorinde made a vow in his heart: "Even if I can only see your back, even if I can never touch you... I will keep chasing."
One day,
I will make you acknowledge me.
I also want to... protect Fontaine's smiles together with you!
...