Raiden’s gaze remained fixed on the leviathan’s sealed maw, its razor teeth gleaming. The beast’s otherworldly breath bathed his entire body in oppressive warmth while the others lingered behind him.
The Leviathan’s Path to Hour Island was obvious, yet he couldn’t shake the question: could the Huntress reach them in the absolute realm?
His heartbeat began drowning out everything behind them, each thunderous pulse reverberating through his body. He clenched his fist, willing himself to believe it wasn’t possible.
"Only leviathans can get in." He muttered to himself.
The moment he did, Chrono’s voice rang out behind him. "I heard you want to kill your vice captain," he said, cockiness thick in his voice as he approached.
Raiden closed his eyes, tilting his head back to stare at the leviathan’s hard palate. He knew Chrono was about to wreak havoc with his words, but he knew better than to retreat into his thoughts. He had to address this.
He turned to him, his expression deceptively calm, eyes dark. "What about it?"
Chrono let out a sigh and stepped up beside him, one hand tucked in his pocket as the other straightened the turban on his head, his silver-gray hair catching the light on his shoulders.
"You seem too calm to be a bunch of delinquents." He reached out and placed his hand on Raiden’s shoulder, eyes narrowing as he studied Raiden’s dark expression.
His lips flickered as he stumbled over his words. Soft giggles bubbled up first, then quiet laughter, before suddenly exploding into loud, hysterical laughs. He gripped his stomach as tears began forming in his eyes.
Raiden’s mouth fell open as he watched in bewilderment. He couldn’t see what was funny, and he’d never seen Chrono laugh in such a way.
He gritted his teeth as Chrono’s laughter intensified, each burst making him more irritated. The others quickly turned their way, confusion etched on their faces just like Raiden’s.
Finally, Chrono calmed, tears trailing down his cheeks as he placed his hand back on Raiden’s shoulder. Raiden’s legs betrayed him with slight tremors despite his efforts to stay composed.
"Sorry about that, buddy," Chrono said, sniffling. "Couldn’t help myself."
Through his anger, a slight smile tugged at his lips. He was proud of keeping his cool this long. He could have walked away, but he’d chosen to face this. The best he could do was endure whatever came next.
"The thought... the thought that you can hold a candle to Deathsight is insane."
The smile died on Raiden’s lips as he fixed his gaze on Chrono. Deathsight’s eyes burned in his memory, rage coursing through him like fire. His knuckles popped as his fists tightened, blue aura erupting around his form.
Chrono’s expression changed as he quickly jerked his hand away from Raiden’s shoulder as though it had burned him, raising both hands in surrender.
"Come on, buddy." He started backing away slowly. "It’s just not possible... his strength matches Drake’s."
The moment those words escaped, Noelle and Ash flanked Chrono from behind. Noelle knocked his feet out from under him, and as he dropped, Ash grabbed his neck, hand drawn back to strike.
Before she could, Raiden’s gaze drifted slowly toward them. The raw anger in his eyes sent the others stepping backward, all except Levi, who remained against the leviathan’s throat with crossed arms and downcast eyes.
"It doesn’t matter... I will kill him." His voice held no urgency, but the quiet confidence behind it made everyone turn toward him, even Levi.
In the silence that followed, Chrono broke free of Ash’s hold and stood up.
But Raiden simply closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and steadied himself. He had no problem with Ling the Deathsight. After all, he was his vice captain and also Snow’s master. Usually, he’d seek a solution without bloodshed unless absolutely necessary. This time was different.
His brother was different, unique. No one else should carry his eyes or even ones that resembled them.
"I understand... I want to kill him too," Chrono said as he massaged his neck. "...but it would be suicide."
He shrugged dismissively. "Honestly, I’d prefer killing you instead. I’m going to do it eventually anyway."
Raiden gave him a lazy look before shaking his head. He had enough experience to know not to predict an outcome before the fighting began.
"You think so?" Raiden stretched, working out the stiffness in his joints. "Let’s see what happens."
Chrono smiled and put his hands in his pockets. "I heard your friend—"
He gestured toward Noelle. "Wolf, wasn’t it?"
"She killed her vice captain and took his place. And now you want to do the same?"
At that moment, something clicked for Raiden: he was through with Chrono’s needling. They had minimal knowledge about Hour Island, and this guy could be just as deadly as their last absolute domain encounter—Dark Dream. He had to preserve his energy for the battles that counted.
"What do you know about Hour Island?" His tone was blunt and businesslike, allowing no space for idle talk.
Chrono turned partway toward him. "He used to be a bookkeeper from Noor but gave it up to become a Judge, an Elusive."
Chrono gave him a firm nod. "If rumors are true... he’s very calm," he said, beginning to walk away. "We might not be in danger after all."
The words were probably meaningless, but somehow they still gave Raiden a bit of comfort.
"He’s the Reader." Chrono said this as he passed Noelle and Ash, moving to join Odard and their counterpart.
"The Reader, huh?" Raiden muttered, gazing distantly, lost in thought.
They were two hours in. Previous journeys via the Leviathan Path had taken three to four hours—the variation, he suspected, came down to whoever was controlling the mana. With Leo at the helm now, he hoped they’d reach their destination before rival organizations could seize the pages.
He took up his former position facing the leviathan’s teeth, fingers tapping nervously against his thighs. He desperately hoped Chrono was right—because losing any more of his own people, apart from Chrono’s crew, would destroy him. That agony was beyond words.
"But even if it isn’t, I will be ready," he muttered, clenching his fist.