Racing the Shadow
The immediate crisis was over, but the clock was ticking. The intelligence retrieved from Henudra confirmed that the Hidden Clan Leader was now hunting for the three Sorrow Stones—ancient, spiritually toxic artifacts—to finally shatter the Seal. Their first target was the submerged ruins of Aethelgard, the first capital, lost to the sea centuries ago.
Hayate and Neshuda wasted no time. They returned to Pheurika Island and Queen Leona's fleet, knowing the swift pirate ships were their only advantage on the open ocean.
Queen Leona, having witnessed the absolute dedication of the Life Anchor and the power of the King's word, assigned her fastest, most discreet frigate to their mission. She also insisted that her sister, Winter, accompany them.
"Winter knows the deepest currents and the best defenses against the Clan Leader's scouting ships," Leona stated. "And she will ensure that the Consort does not get reckless again."
The trio—Hayate, Neshuda, and Winter—set sail north immediately. The dynamic on the small, fast ship was intense.
Hayate spent his time reviewing ancient charts, trying to pinpoint the location of the old capital. He felt the constant, cool focus of Neshuda, who was navigating the complex currents alongside Winter.
Hayate was initially worried about the two strong-willed warriors. He felt the lingering, sharp envy from Winter toward Neshuda's certainty, mixed with growing professional respect. He also felt Neshuda's quiet annoyance at Winter's constant criticism of his seamanship, quickly tempered by his honest admiration for her knowledge.
One afternoon, Neshuda and Winter were arguing fiercely over a navigation choice near a treacherous whirlpool. Hayate felt Neshuda's intense frustration turn to a sudden, reflected headache in his own temples.
Hayate walked onto the deck, placing a hand on the small of Neshuda's back.
"Winter, the Consort is right," Hayate said calmly, pointing to a small, almost invisible marker on the chart. "The current in this area shifts faster than your chart indicates. We follow his lead for now."
Hayate then pressed his fingers gently against Neshuda's neck, massaging the tension. He sent a wave of calm reassurance through the bond.
Neshuda immediately relaxed, the subtle headache fading from Hayate's temples. He looked at Hayate with deep, sweet gratitude.
"Thank you, my King," Neshuda murmured. He turned back to Winter, his voice calm. "We take the longer, safer route, Outrider. Recklessness is the Clan Leader's weapon, not ours."
Winter simply nodded, watching the quiet, perfect communication between the two men. She was seeing firsthand how the King managed the warrior, and how the warrior accepted the King's guidance.
The Veil of the Deep
After a week of intense travel, they reached the coordinates of the lost city. The sea here was calm, but strangely dark, reflecting the terrible spiritual history of the submerged capital.
The city of Aethelgard lay hundreds of feet below the surface, protected by a magical pressure barrier that had preserved its ruins but made entry perilous.
"The first capital was lost in the great flood after the first spiritual war," Hayate explained, reviewing ancient texts. "The Sorrow Stone was interred in the Royal Treasury. We have to breach the barrier, navigate the ruins, and retrieve the stone before the Clan Leader's scouts find the main entry point."
Neshuda and Winter, both expert divers, prepared for the descent. Hayate was restricted to the ship. His Angelic aura was powerful, but underwater, it would dissipate quickly, leaving him vulnerable and unable to use his primary spiritual defenses.
"I won't leave you alone, Hayate," Neshuda insisted, adjusting his diving gear. He felt the intense anxiety radiating from the King.
"You must, my love," Hayate insisted, holding Neshuda's gauntlet-covered hand. "I will maintain the spiritual ward around the ship. And the bond will be our lifeline. I will feel your every struggle, Neshuda. I will know if you are in danger."
Neshuda looked at Winter, who was readying her underwater gear. "We go in two-person teams. Winter, you take the lead on navigation. I will watch the rear for spiritual enemies."
Winter nodded, her expression serious. "The Clan Leader will have set up an underwater ward. Be careful, Anchor. The spiritual pressure will be immense."
Neshuda turned back to Hayate, pulling the King into a final, fierce embrace. He kissed Hayate deeply, channeling a wave of pure, absolute loyalty and calm through the bond.
"I will return with the stone, my King," Neshuda promised. "Wait for me."
The Underwater Labyrinth
Hayate stood on the deck, watching the bubbles rise as Neshuda and Winter plunged into the dark depths. The ship was silent, isolated.
The bond became Hayate's only sense of the outside world. He felt the immediate, crushing pressure of the depths reflected in his own chest, quickly countered by Neshuda's focused, relentless resolve.
They successfully breached the magical pressure barrier. Hayate suddenly felt the heavy oppression of the ancient ruins—a spiritual weight of centuries of death and loss that permeated the submerged city. It was the residue of the original Sorrow Stone.
Neshuda and Winter moved through the silent, water-filled streets of Aethelgard. Hayate could feel the sharp, precise focus of Winter's navigation, followed by Neshuda's steady, watchful determination.
The first real danger came as they entered the grand Royal Library. Hayate felt a sudden, freezing chill and a painful spike of spiritual disorientation from Neshuda.
Ghouls! Hayate realized, gripping the railing.
He focused his mind, channeling his Angelic aura not to the location, but directly into the bond—a focused beam of pure, mental clarity and strength.
Neshuda felt the sudden, warm jolt of the King's presence, cutting through the disorientation. He saw Winter struggling against two ghoul scouts, their bodies bloated by the water pressure but still lethal.
Neshuda moved, using the water's resistance to his advantage. He used the close-combat skills he had learned from Winter, his movements fluid and efficient. He dispatched the ghouls swiftly, feeling the satisfying pop of the spiritual energy dissipating.
We are safe, Hayate. Two neutralized. Neshuda projected the simple fact through the bond.
Be careful, my love. The spiritual sickness here is deep. You can't rely on your sword alone.
The Royal Treasury
The journey through the submerged city was a terrifying race against the pervasive spiritual rot. The oppressive atmosphere of the ancient city tried to breed panic, fear, and hopelessness—the perfect environment for the Hidden Clan Leader.
Hayate felt the persistent aches and fatigue of the deep dive, but also the beautiful, synchronistic movement of Neshuda and Winter—a perfect, silent team. Neshuda was using his strength to hold formation, while Winter's fluid speed was scouting the shadows.
Finally, Neshuda's mind projected a surge of intense urgency and discovery. They had found the Royal Treasury.
The treasury was a massive, sealed chamber. Inside, floating in the center of the room, was the Sorrow Stone. It was small, obsidian black, and radiated a silent, crushing wave of spiritual darkness that even through the bond, made Hayate feel physically sick.
But the Clan Leader's scouts were there first. Three Shadow Sect cultists were already working to break the ancient wards protecting the stone.
Neshuda and Winter had to move immediately. They breached the door, their speed shocking the cultists.
The underwater fight was brutal. Neshuda engaged two cultists, his movements precise and deadly. Winter took the third, her curved knife a flash of silver in the murky water.
Hayate felt the sudden chaos—the jarring impacts, the flash of pain, and the overwhelming, terrifying proximity to the raw despair of the Sorrow Stone.
Winter's enemy was a fanatic. She was pinned by the cultist, her air supply threatened.
Neshuda, fighting his own cultist, felt the spike of mortal danger from Winter. He reacted not out of personal feeling, but out of tactical necessity—he needed his partner alive. He finished his own fight with a brutal precision strike and rushed to Winter's aid, dispatching her attacker.
They were both exhausted. They turned to the stone.
The Anchor's Choice
Neshuda reached out, moving to grasp the Sorrow Stone. The instant his gauntlet touched the relic, Hayate felt a sickening, catastrophic wave of reflected spiritual agony—a pain worse than the old curse, as the raw essence of the stone's despair flooded Neshuda's soul.
Hayate! It's too strong! Neshuda's mind screamed through the bond—a pure, unfiltered cry of agony.
Hayate fell to his knees on the ship deck, clutching his head, fighting the reflected pain and the overwhelming spiritual darkness trying to invade his own pure soul.
Don't let go, my love! Hayate mentally screamed back, channeling every ounce of his Angelic strength into the bond, sending a lifeline of pure-hearted love directly into Neshuda's tormented soul.
Neshuda, driven by Hayate's strength, gripped the stone harder. He knew he could not release it; the Clan Leader would retrieve it instantly. He had to absorb the pain, stabilize the stone, and contain the spiritual damage.
He wrestled the stone into a specially enchanted lockbox, sealing the spiritual power inside. The agony immediately receded, replaced by profound, bone-deep exhaustion.
Neshuda, spent, signaled Winter. They had the stone.
Hayate watched the bubbles rise, his body trembling, his own forearm bruised from clutching it too hard. He knew Neshuda was safe, but the cost had been immense.
When Neshuda and Winter breached the surface, Hayate was waiting. He rushed to his Consort, helping Neshuda out of his heavy gear, ignoring Winter and the successful mission.
Neshuda was pale, sweating, and trembling, the spiritual residue of the stone clinging to him.
Hayate pulled Neshuda into a tight embrace, holding him tightly. "You were reckless again, Anchor! You almost broke yourself!"
"I had to hold it, Hayate," Neshuda murmured, his voice hoarse, clinging to the King's strength. "The pain was… immense. But I felt your love. It was the only thing that kept me from letting go."
Hayate kissed him, deep and tenderly, pouring his healing aura not into a wound, but into Neshuda's soul, sweeping away the last of the spiritual trauma.
They had the first Sorrow Stone. But two more remained. And the Clan Leader now knew they were hunting.