The roar of the Kraken boomed through the air, a guttural sound that tore the night asunder. Lightning flashed across dark waves to disclose the colossal form of the creature, its tentacles, thick as any ship's mast, coiling and thrashing through the storm like living shadows. The sea bucked beneath its fury, taking in whole ships with every surge.

Luther didn't move. Standing at the bow, his shirt whipped in the storm wind; wet hair clung to his temples, and rain slid down the sharp line of his jaw. His eyes, calm and cold, watched the writhing limbs ahead as though he were studying a particularly annoying insect.

At his side, the demonic sword vibrated with an eager humming, its veins crimson and pulsating like a heartbeat.

"You're not going to give it another lecture, are you?" The sword drawled lazily; its voice rippled through the downpour. "Like last time—'violence isn't the answer, you overgrown calamari.'"

Luther's mouth twitched. "That season's passed," he said in a flat voice that held an edge born of too many revelations and not enough sleep. "It didn't learn its lesson. I see no point in keeping it alive."

The sword let out a delighted hiss. "Finally. I was starting to think you'd gone soft. I was about to file for a new wielder."

"Good luck finding one with my charm," Luther said dryly as he stepped forward and the deck pitched beneath him.

Another wave burst over the railing, sending Liliana and Aithur struggling to keep their feet. The ship groaned, as if it were a dying beast.

"Get everyone below deck," Luther ordered without turning. "Aithur, check the captain's quarters—see if anyone's still breathing."

Liliana nodded at once. "Got it."

Arthur frowned. "And for what reason, pray tell, am I taking orders from a brat who looks like he hasn't slept since the gods were born?"

"Because he's still alive, and the people won't wait for you to figure that out." Liliana snapped, grabbing his collar and shoving him toward the stairs. "Move before I throw you myself."

Aithur grumbled but complied as the two disappeared toward the lower deck.

The Kraken roared again, an earth-shaking bellow that scattered seagulls from miles around. Saltwater sprayed across Luther's face, but he did not flinch.

Then, another tentacle came down.

It hit the deck like a falling mountain. Wood splintered; men screamed. Luther moved in a blur, his red-glowing sword tracing through the dark as he struck upward. The blade met flesh with a hiss, slicing clean through the limb.

The severed piece writhed once, blackened, and fell into the sea with a hiss that sent steam curling into the night air.

"Ah," said the sword, its purring a vibration through the rain. "You forgot—you're wielding me now. That thing shouldn't even think about healing."

"Good," Luther growled, dodging another blow with a sidestep. "Saves me the trouble."

The Kraken struck again and again. Luther's form blurred, slashing through tentacle after tentacle, his cloak soaked and tattered. Every swing left a trail of demonic flame that sizzled even against the sea.

But still, there were too many. The ship lurched precariously on one side.

"Damn it," he hissed, planting his boots against the wet deck. "Even if we win this, the boat won't make it to shore."

His mind strayed momentarily to Enferi Forest, the damned region he should be traveling to.

He didn't notice the tentacle rising behind him until the sword screamed.

"Behind you, idiot!"

Luther spun, too late—

A blinding white light burst before him, a glowing shield forming. The limb slammed into it and shattered the barrier into motes of light. The fragments fell like feathers in the rain.

Luther blinked. "A… barrier?

"Saint!"

The voice cut through the storm like sunlight through clouds. Luther's chest tightened before his brain caught up.

Alina was sprinting toward him across the broken deck, robes clinging to her form, hair plastered to her cheeks by rain. Her eyes—those dark brown eyes—glowed even in the darkness.

Luther's breath hitched. Not now, he thought, but that part of him that still remembered warmth clenched painfully.

Then he saw the tentacle behind her.

"Idiot," he muttered, already moving.

He grabbed her by the waist just as the tentacle crashed down. The world was a blur of salt and lightning as their bodies spun. His sword flashed crimson, slicing the limb clean through. A geyser of dark ichor splattered the deck.

When they landed, Alina's palms were pressed against his chest, her breath quick against his neck; he could smell the faint trace of jasmine even through the storm. For a second—just one—he forgot the world was ending.

Then came the reality check.

He cleared his throat awkwardly, setting her down as if she were something fragile. "Still getting in trouble, I see."

Her lips quirked into a shaky smile. "Still rescuing people you don't like, I see."

"Don't flatter yourself," Luther muttered. "You just happened to be in my way."

"Right," she said softly, brushing a wet strand from her face. "Pure coincidence."

A tentacle slammed down beside them, spraying debris. The sword snorted.

"If you two are done with your romantic staring contest, the overgrown sushi roll is still trying to kill us."

Luther rolled his eyes. "Remind me to melt you later."

The sword hummed smugly. "Promises, promises."

Alina held out her hand, and the air started to swirl around her fingers. "You handle the left, I'll take the right."

Luther nodded, charging forward. They moved like a storm—Alina's magic slicing through the limbs with razor-edged gusts, Luther's blade cutting through the rest with bursts of red lightning.

Alina raised her hand, and the air pulsed with wind magic. Several tentacles were sliced cleanly away, spraying black ichor into the rain. "It's an octopus," she said cheerfully. "Just… bigger."

The sword snorted. "Charming observation, Lady Obvious."

Luther's lips twitched. "He's not wrong.

The sword hummed irritably. "Continue talking and I'll mute you myself."

They fought side by side, her wind slicing through, his blade burning with demonic energy. But still the Kraken thrashed, beyond enraged, relentless.

They struck again, but no matter how much they struck, the Kraken's fury only grew.

"This is taking too long," Luther muttered, cleaving another tentacle. "We're just trimming its fingers."

"Then stop aiming for the fingers," the sword replied. "Go for the head. Preferably before we drown."

A faint, dangerous smile played on Luther's lips. "You're saying what I'm thinking."

"Oh no," the sword groaned. "Not that tone again. That's your bad-idea tone."

"Got a better one?"

"…Fine. But if we die, I'm haunting your soul for eternity."

"Wouldn't be the first voice in there."

He sprinted forward, boots pounding against the slick wood, to leap onto one of the massive tentacles. It writhed violently, flinging seawater and debris into the air, but he dug his boots into the flesh, balancing perfectly.

Arthur's voice came faintly from above the storm. "Captain! Anyone hurt?"

"No one! But that blasted sea demon owes me a new ship!" the captain yelled back.

Over the howling wind, Luther could make out Liliana yelling, "Move! Move!" as she helped a staggering noble into safety, her blade cleaving through a tentacle that tore through the deck beside her.

The ship groaned louder now, timbers cracking. "It won't hold," Luther muttered. "At this rate—"

He looked down the length of the tentacle. Cutting from the outside wouldn't kill it; the core was too deep.

A dangerous grin curved his lips. "Guess we're going deeper."

Below, Liliana yelled above the wind, "What are you—ARE YOU RUNNING UP THE DAMN MONSTER!?"

Luther didn't look back. "Improvising!

The sword added helpfully, "He's lying. This is planned stupidity."

"Same thing," Luther muttered.

He sprinted up the twisting limb as it whipped and coiled, lightning flashing around him. The Kraken turned its hideous head toward him, its countless eyes glimmering like pearls in the dark.

The thing opened its maw, rows upon rows of teeth glistening with brine; the stench was just overpowering.

"Gross," Luther muttered, his grip tightening.

The Kraken screamed, unleashing a torrent of seawater so fierce it shattered a mast. Below, Liliana clung to the railing, yelling, "He's going to get himself killed!"

Aithur barked a laugh, eyes wide. "That idiot's enjoying it!"

He wasn't wrong. Somewhere between exhaustion and fury, Luther's blood sang with the old thrill of battle. The part of him that once was a priest, a savior, was long gone; what remained was the sinner who dared defy gods and monsters alike.

"Luther!" Alina's voice rang out once more, laced with panic. "What are you doing!?"

He looked down, and her golden eyes locked with his. In that heartbeat, it seemed the storm went quiet.

His smirk was back. "If we can't kill it from out here…

Her eyes widened. "Don't you dare—!"

"…then we'll just have to kill it from the inside."

The sword cackled, ecstatic. "Oh, I definitely missed this version of you!"

"Shut up," Luther said under his breath, crouching low. "You're coming with me."

"Like I have a choice?"

Then he leaped.

Lightning outlined him in mid-air—cape flying, sword shining red. For an instant, the storm arrested while his form fell to the Kraken's yawning mouth.

"LUTHER!" Alina yelled, her voice piercing the thunder.

The Kraken's jaws snapped shut. The sea went still. For a long, awful moment, there was only the sound of the rain: the soft patter on ruined wood and the faint hiss of steam where the sword's last glow had disappeared beneath the waves.

Liliana was frozen, eyes wide, holding onto the railing until her knuckles had turned white. Aithur stared into the dark, his jaw clenched. "Did he just—"

"Yeah," Liliana whispered hoarsely. "He did."

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