Chapter 42: Ch 42: Hamuna’s Interference

Tree of Life.

The Tree Spirit, Hamuna, stood atop a vast leaf, watching the shadow of the Red Dragon Emperor stretch across the realm.

“So… this was my true purpose, my love?” she murmured softly. “To save your heir?”

Her emerald-green eyes reflected a quiet tsunami, restrained only by will.

“Haha… very well then,” she whispered. “If you were confident enough to place all your hopes on that human boy, then I shall do my part.”

Meanwhile, at Aquabyss:

Seeing Naida charging toward him, the Red Dragon snorted in disdain.

< Hmph! Little fish, do you really think you can save him? How naïve! >

As soon as he finished speaking, a wall of crimson energy halted Naida’s charge completely.

Naida immediately summoned the remnant power of her Sea Scepter.

Hum! Humm! Hummm!

Instantly, tides of golden water rushed in from all sides and shattered the crimson wall with a deafening—

CRASH!

She wasn’t done yet.

She waved the scepter in a precise pattern, forming a massive water spear midair.

But it was not an ordinary water spear.

It was far denser, almost lifelike.

Whoosh! Buzz! Buzz!

The golden spear tore through the air at impossible speed.

And yet, the Red Dragon smiled.

< Child’s play. >

He casually extended a claw and swatted the golden spear back toward Naida.

Naida barely dodged, her silver hair fluttering violently as the redirected attack grazed past her.

The battle continued on.

Golden tides clashed with crimson storms again and again.

Naida moved with everything she had left. Her scepter carved arcs of light through the sky, summoning waves sharp enough to slice space itself.

Each strike carried her will, her love, her desperation.

The Red Dragon Emperor swatted them aside lazily at first.

Claws shattered oceans. Wings tore storms apart. His laughter echoed like thunder rolling through eternity.

< PERSISTENT LITTLE FISH >

“Cough, cough!” Naida coughed. The light on her spirit form was growing deem. She was using every fraction of her powers.

Still, she did not retreat.

She launched herself again. “Humm!”

Beneath her, a spiral of golden water formed lifting her high. She then brought the scepter down, and unleashed a cascading torrent that wrapped around the dragon’s neck like glowing chains.

For a moment—

The Red Emperor paused.

Then his eyes narrowed.

The amusement vanished from its features.

< ENOUGH. >

With his shout, the sky itself buckled.

Instantaneously crimson pressure erupted outward, shredding the golden chains like fragile threads. “Bang, Bang, Bang!”

Naida was thrown back violently.

Her body barely stabilizing midair. Her breathing waa haggerd and face pale.

< Little Fish, I am going to destroy what you desperately trying to protect till now>

The dragon did not look at her again.

Instead—

His gaze shifted on Aegis.

Following his declaration, the world came to a standstill.

But the very air suddenly vibrated.

Buzzz! Buzzz! Buzzz!

Before the dragon’s maw, a sphere of annihilating crimson energy formed.

The sphere was dense enough to warp light itself. The breath was not aimed at Naida this time.

It was aimed at Aegis.

At the one she was protecting.

Aegis’ spine tingled. He felt it. Death.

Absolute and unavoidable.

Still, he didn’t call for anyone’s help. Not even her’s.

But she wasn’t blind. Her face lost its remaining colours.

“No,” she whispered.

She flew like a bolt of lightning.

At that moment she abandoned all hesitation, all reason, all fear.

Naida threw herself before him.

She reached him just as the breath was released.

“Roarrrrr!”

The annihilation breath roared downward.

Naida wrapped her arms around Aegis instinctively, pressing her body against his.

“…”

The impact was silent.

There No sound. No explosion.

Just… erasure.

Her spirit essence tore free from her core, spilling across Aegis’ shoulder and chest like warm starlight.

It burned, not with pain, but with unbearable tenderness.

He felt her.

Her memories.

Her laughter.

Her loneliness.

Her love.

“You’re the Sea God… Never forget.. ” she whispered weakly, her voice barely a breath now.

Her form dimmed rapidly. Thr edges dissolved into shimmering particles.

“I’m glad… I was useful… in the end.”

“No,” Aegis choked. “No, don’t do this. You fool, don’t leave me. I’ll fix this. I swear I will.”

He caught her fading body, trying to hold her as if strength alone could save her existence.

Her trembling fingers brushed passed his cheek.

“You’re crying…” she murmured softly.

Indeed he was. But instead of salty tears, there was blood.

For the first time, he shed tears, and they were tears of blood.

They stained her fading form.

“I thought… gods didn’t cry.”

His voice shattered completely.

“I’m not a god,” he sobbed. “I’m just… just a man who came too late.”

Her smile was peaceful.

“That’s why— you were worth believing in.”

Her body began to dissolve fully now, light slipping through his fingers no matter how tightly he held her.

The Red Dragon Emperor laughed.

< PATHETIC. >

< A SPIRIT AND A HUMAN… PRETENDING THIS MEANS SOMETHING. >

From it colossal figure, crimson energy gathered again. And It was far more violent than before.

< I’LL ERASE WHAT’S LEFT OF YOU BOTH. >

“ROARRRR…”

The second annihilation breath began to descend.

“Enough!”

A shout echoed just then. It instantly dissipated the annihilation breath.

The Red Emperor’s eyes narrowed.

From below, massive roots and leaves rose upward until an almost equally sized figure stood domineeringly.

This second gigantic entity was none other than Hamuna,

the Life Tree’s Spirit.

Each of her fingers was a manifestation of the Life Tree’s branches, each of her nails formed from leaves.

Her body radiated a gentle green glow that spread across almost every corner of the sky and land.

Her eyes were twin emerald rubies, and their pupils were etched with ancient symbols that represented life.

“You have taken enough, Red Emperor,” Hamuna spoke, her voice resonating like a temple bell.

“I won’t let you harm him.”

The Red Emperor was initially surprised by her appearance.

But not long after, his nostrils flared as if snickering.

< Come fight me then, Weakling. Let us see if you still have that edge or not. >

“Very well…”

The sky trembled as her words settled.

Life energy seemed to spread around her in dense waves.

Hamuna stepped forward, and with that single motion, forests were born in the void.

Vines thicker than mountains coiled through shattered space, stitching cracks in reality as if they were wounds on flesh. Fallen islands, half-melted and dying, stabilized as green light washed over them.

The wounded began to heal automatically.

Aegis also felt it.

Warmth.

Not a power that annihilated, but power that healed.

But unfortunately, it couldn’t save Naida.

He immediately took out the Seashell Of Nirvana.

“Don’t resist, Naida. There’s still a chance.”

“N-no.. This is a precious.. lifesaving treasure. I can’t.”

“Please!” he practically pleaded this time.

Naida’s eyes softened. “Fine. But don’t feel guilty… Don’t feel sad, even if we don’t get to meet in this lifetime.”

Aegis didn’t respond. He just hurriedly stored the last of her remnant spirit into the Seashell of Nirvana, afraid she would disappear forever.

Now, all he could do is: Hope.

In the meantime:

The Red Emperor’s wings spread wide, tearing storms apart with casual dominance.

< YOU DARE STAND BEFORE ME AGAIN? >

< LAST TIME, YOU HID BEHIND SACRIFICE AND TIME. THIS TIME, THERE WILL BE NOTHING LEFT OF YOU. >

Hamuna did not raise her voice. She did not posture.

She simply lifted one hand and roots burst forth, wrapping around the annihilation residue still lingering in the air, absorbing it, neutralizing it, returning it to harmless dust.

Where crimson miasma had poisoned the sky, emerald healing light followed, healing the realm inch by inch.

“You made mistake, Red Emperor. I am not here to defeat you.”

Her gaze shifted briefly.

To Aegis.

To the fading glow of Naida in his arms.

“I am here to buy time.”

The Red Emperor laughed and the sound alone shattered the distant clouds into ash.

< TIME? FOR A HUMAN? FOR A FAILED LEGACY? >

He inhaled, and the world screamed.

“THERE WILL BE NO REMAINS OF THE SEA GOD!”

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