One of his lieutenants stammered, stepping back. "S-Sir... are you certain—?"
BANG. Luther didn't hesitate. He shot the lieutenant in the shoulder. The man screamed and fell. "Silence!" Luther barked, the barrel of his weapon smoking. "Not a step backward! You will all witness justice today! I always knew you were weak like your foolish mother... but I was a fool to think you'd be any different!"
Ethra stepped forward. Her hands trembled, not with fear, but with a rage she had buried for years. "Collaborating with pirates... Yes. If that makes me a traitor, then I wear the title gladly. I would rather stand with pirates than kneel with invaders, Father!"
She raised her voice, letting it echo over the churning sea so every sailor could hear. "I, Admiral Ethra, declare that Admiral Luther has betrayed his oath! He has allied with monsters from the Void, and he has attempted to murder Valina, the Guardian of these Seas!"
Luther snarled. He fired a barrage of blue mana-shots. Ethra dodged, dancing across the wet deck. She returned a single counter-shot. Luther sidestepped it effortlessly, sneering. "Is this the strength of an Admiral?" he mocked. "It seems you only claimed the rank because you carry my blood."
He aimed at the sky. "Rain of Judgment." He fired. The shots split in the air, raining down like a glowing blue storm. Ethra rolled, weaving through the bombardment, but one bolt grazed her knee, sending her stumbling to the deck.
Luther leveled his weapon at her head. "Pathetic. Weak. Just like her. You must die... you are a disgrace to the uniform."
Ethra lowered her gaze. She breathed in the cold sea air. She raised her weapon and fired four rapid shots. Bang-Bang-Bang-Bang.
Luther didn't even flinch. He simply leaned left, then right. The bullets whizzed past him harmlessly. "You missed," he sneered. "You're pitiful."
"Did I?" Ethra whispered
The Crimes of the Father
"I know what you did," Ethra said, her voice trembling with fury. "You destroyed our alliance with the Kingdom of Auric and the Luminous Tree. You trembled like a coward afterward—terrified of facing King Caesar."
Luther’s jaw tightened. "I received intelligence that the Auric delegation intended to exploit us—"
"SILENCE!" Ethra shouted, cutting him down. "You are pathetic. My brother told me the truth before you silenced him! You tried to steal the Crimson Jewels from the Auric ship. When Prince Sami saw you, you murdered him! You panicked, drowned the ship, and tried to kill everyone to cover your tracks!"
The sailors on the ship gasped. The murder of Prince Sami was a legend—a "tragic accident at sea." "It was Falcon and poor Valina who saved the survivor, Prince Jaber!" Ethra cried, tears streaming down her face. "Mother faced King Caesar and convinced him it was an accident... while you hid behind her skirts like a coward!"
Luther staggered back, his face pale. "That's a lie! You—"
One of his men shouted, pointing. "Commander! Behind you!"
WHIIIIIR. The four shots Ethra had "missed" hadn't missed. They had curved. Like a boomerang, the bullets arced back through the air, glowing with erratic, chaotic energy—a technique no naval officer would ever teach.
THWACK-THWACK-THWACK. Three shots struck Luther in the back. He gasped, his eyes bulging, and fell to one knees. Blood stained his pristine white uniform.
The False Surrender
Ethra stood up. Her knee was bleeding, her face stained with soot and tears, but she held her weapon steady. "If I had stayed with you," she said softly, aiming at his head, "I would never have learned such skill. The pirates taught me how to shoot in a curve. They taught me that the straight path isn't always the right one."
Snow fell around them, settling on Luther’s shoulders. His men watched in horror, weapons lowered. The Admiral was beaten.
Luther lowered his head, his breathing ragged. He dropped his weapon to the deck. "I..." Luther’s voice broke. "I know I was wrong, my daughter... You have surpassed me. You have defeated me."
He looked up at her, eyes wet with what looked like remorse. "Forgive me, Ethra."
Ethra’s lip quivered. She saw the father she used to love. Slowly, hesitantly, she began to lower her weapon.
The Final Betrayal
Ethra began to lower her weapon, her heart aching for the father she thought she had regained. Luther’s eyes remained downcast... until the barrel of his weapon dropped past his waist.
CLICK. A hidden mechanism in his sleeve snapped forward. A small, concealed pistol slid into his palm. BANG.
Ethra gasped, her eyes going wide. A bloom of red exploded across her abdomen. The force of the point-blank shot knocked her backward. She collapsed to the hard wood of the deck, clutching her stomach, blood seeping instantly between her fingers.
"You..." she wheezed.
Luther stood up. The remorse vanished from his face, replaced by a cold, victorious sneer. He dusted off his knees. "Sentiment," Luther said, aiming his main weapon at her head, "is a weakness I do not possess."
The Honor of Thieves
Ethra looked up at him, her vision blurring. Yet, even as she bled, a faint, mocking smile touched her lips. "I never learned such tricks..." she whispered, blood bubbling past her lips. "Because I never stayed with you long enough to become a monster."
Luther’s finger tightened on the trigger. "Any last words?"
"These cowardly moves..." Ethra rasped. "You wretched coward. Even the pirates... even the filth of the sea... prefer facing their enemies head-on. You are a disgrace to the true strength of Leonithra. You made us bow to Auric... all because you wanted a crown."
Luther’s face hardened. The truth stung more than a bullet. "Silence."
He prepared to execute his own daughter.
KRA-KOOM.
A thunderous shot echoed across the sea—but it didn't come from Luther’s gun. A heavy sniper round tore through the air from a distant ship, smashing into Luther’s side and exiting through his other hip.
Luther froze. His eyes went wide. He dropped his weapon, clutching his shattered pelvis. He turned slowly, looking toward the horizon.
On a distant pirate vessel, Aseel lowered his long-rifle, smoke drifting from the barrel. "I hit him..." Aseel muttered to himself, racking the bolt. "Using his own style. No duel. No warning. Let him taste his own dish."
The End of the Admiral
Luther collapsed. He hit the deck face-first, lifeless. The Admiral of Leonithra died not in a glorious battle, but in the mud and blood of his own treachery.
Silence fell over the ship. Ethra breathed heavily, staring at her father's still body. The rain washed the blood from the deck, mixing it with the sea.
The sailors of Leonithra stood frozen. Then, one by one, the fear left their eyes. The monster was dead. "Admiral Ethra!" one shouted. They rushed to her side, ignoring their dead commander. They lifted her gently, applying pressure to her wound—shocked, confused, but driven by instinct.
She looked at their faces through her tears. They weren't enemies. They were just lost. Father... she thought, darkness creeping into her vision. Why wouldn't you just listen...?
Lore!
Leonithera Past!
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.
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The New Admiral
Ethra watched as her father's flagship—the last remnant of Leonithra's former glory—slowly listed and sank beneath the freezing waves. Once, that vessel had carried celebrations. She remembered running on its polished decks as a child, chasing her brother Jaber, while her father steered the helm and her mother played the flute in the captain's quarters, filling the wood with warmth and music.
Now, it was nothing but a grave. The music was gone, replaced by the howling wind. Tears streamed down Ethra's face as she stared at the spot where her father’s lifeless body had vanished into the deep. She lifted her gaze to the grey sky, her voice trembling. "Mother... Brother... Jaber... I've chosen to settle our debts."
Aseel’s voice cut through the wind. "Ethra! Snap out of it! Everyone—secure the ship!"
Ethra turned. Luther’s men—the survivors on the nearby vessels—were staring at her. Some were terrified, huddled by the railings. Others had collapsed in shock. Most just looked lost, unable to process the death of their invincible commander.
She shouted at them, clutching her bleeding abdomen. "You pitiful fools! Is this the greatness of Leonithra's Navy? Do you see now? Pirates are the ones protecting these seas—while we tremble on land like cowards!"
One by one, the sailors rose to their feet. Shame replaced the shock.
A pirate ship approached to assist her transfer. Aseel was there, catching her as she stumbled. Snow fell harder. The fog thickened. Cannonfire thundered from the direction of Thera, reminding them the war wasn't over.
Ethra raised her voice again, projecting it to the fleet. "My father—Admiral Luther—brought corruption to this land! He destroyed our alliances! Valina refuses to aid us because of his greed!" She clenched her jaw, her voice breaking. "And today... I killed him. I avenged everyone who fell into his traps. If you want to avenge him, shoot me now! If not... then follow me to save what’s left of our honor!"
Silence stretched across the water.
The Silent Signal
Aseel helped her limp toward the pirate vessel. He leaned in, whispering urgently. "Ethra... Falcon needs us. We have to hurry." "We will," she gritted out. "No, listen to me," Aseel hissed. "I was supposed to be his backup against Azalor. But he signaled me from afar—he ordered me to stay with you. He knew Luther would try to kill you."
Ethra froze. "He... he left himself unguarded?" "Yes. He chose you."
Ethra clenched her fist, fresh tears stinging her eyes. "Damn it, old man..."
Then, a sound of creaking wood echoed behind them. Aseel spun around, hand on his rifle. "They're moving... do they mean to attack?"
Ethra looked back. The remaining ships of Luther’s fleet—three destroyers and a frigate—were turning. They weren't aiming their cannons. They were falling into formation behind the pirate ship. On the lead ship, a sailor lowered the flag of Leonithra to half-mast, then raised a signal flare. We follow the Admiral.
Ethra smiled faintly through the falling snow. "No, Aseel. If that were their intent, they would have fired long ago." She straightened her back, ignoring the pain. "Let's go. Falcon is waiting."
The Mist of the Red Meteor
Ethra gritted her teeth, blood soaking the bandages at her waist. "Damn it... it's not enough!" She aimed the runic weapon again, her vision swimming. The gemstones flared, struggling to recharge. Click. The weapon hummed and died. It was overheated. "No!" Ethra screamed.
The meteor, shattered by her beam, hadn't vanished. It had turned into a rain of molten stone—thousands of flaming jagged rocks, still carrying enough velocity to turn The Red Meteor into driftwood.
Aseel grabbed her shoulder to steady her. "Ethra! Look out!"
The Legacy of Yamen
On the deck of The Red Meteor, the shadow of the falling debris swallowed the ship. The assassin carrying Majd had just scrambled onto the deck. He looked up and froze. There was nowhere to run. The guards dropped their weapons, shielding their heads in futile desperation. "It's over!"
Sowsan stepped forward. She didn't run. She didn't cower. She walked to the center of the deck, directly under the path of the largest fragment. The wind whipped her hair, but she was smiling. She lifted the simple pendant her father, Yamen, had given her. It wasn't gold or jewels; it was a rough, grey stone—a piece of the Singing Mist.
"Do not fear," Sowsan whispered, her voice carrying a strange, harmonic resonance. "The mist knows its own."
She closed her hand over the stone. WOOOOOSH.
The "strange fog" that had been circling the ship suddenly reacted. It didn't just swirl; it solidified. A massive dome of swirling grey vapor erupted from the water, encasing the entire ship in a protective cocoon.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM. The meteor fragments slammed into the mist. They didn't explode. They were caught. The mist acted like a spiderweb, catching the burning rocks and extinguishing their fire instantly, dissolving them into harmless grey dust.
On the pirate ship, Aseel dropped his jaw. "What... what kind of magic is that?"
Ethra stared, breathless. "That isn't magic... That's the Old Sea. Who is on that ship?"
The Broken Knight
While the ship was saved, the horror on the beach was just beginning.
Lainas stood frozen, his sword point drooping toward the sand. The Broken Knight Azalor had summoned took a step forward. The movement was jerky, unnatural, accompanied by the sound of grinding bones. He raised his shattered sword. The face inside the helm was rotted, but the eyes... the eyes were unmistakably familiar.
"Captain Rian..." Lainas whispered, the name choking him. "But... I saw you die. I held you."
Azalor laughed softly from behind the undead warrior. "You held him as he bled out, yes. You failed to save him then, Lainas of the Luminous Tree. Do you think you can save him now?"
The Broken Knight opened his mouth. No breath came out, only a dry, raspy hiss that sounded like Lainas's name. Lai...nas...
Lainas’s hand trembled. "I can't... I can't fight him."
The Knight didn't share his hesitation. He lunged. The speed was terrifying. The broken sword slashed downward, aiming to cleave Lainas in two.
Lainas barely brought his sword up in time. CLANG. The impact drove Lainas to his knees. The strength behind the blow was inhuman. "Captain! It's me!" Lainas shouted, desperate.
The Knight didn't blink. He raised his sword for a second strike, his hollow eyes burning with a cursed, mindless rage.
The Weight of a Star
Falcon bled heavily, the dagger in his chest moving slightly with every breath. Majd stood before him, eyes empty voids, his hand still gripping the hilt.
Falcon’s breath caught as a memory flashed—Majd’s smile on a sunny deck. "Uncle... I'll become the best navigator. I'll be your right hand someday..."
BOOM. A massive beam from Ethra's runic weapon pierced the snow and fog, striking the meteor again. It cracked further, but it was still falling.
Azalor hissed, watching the light. "Damn it... it seems that fool Luther has fallen sooner than expected." He turned to Valon, who was locked in combat with Mehran. "Take his soul. The Admiral's. We may still use it."
Valon raised a skeletal finger. Something dark and screaming rose from the sea where Luther had sunk. It flowed like black smoke into Valon's scythe. The blade glowed with renewed necrotic power. Mehran snarled, backing away. "What did you do, you wretch?!" "Renewing my strength," Valon replied calmly. "Waste not, want not."
The Sea King's True Power
Falcon smiled through the blood. He didn't collapse. He rose to his full height, towering over Reiz, Azalor, and the boy. "You foolish girl... Ethra..." Falcon whispered to the wind. "I was holding back my aura only so you wouldn't drown in the pressure."
Azalor’s eyes widened. He felt the shift in the air pressure. "Reiz—fall back!" Azalor vanished instantly.
Reiz shouted, confused. "Why?! He's dead on his feet!"
Falcon pulled Majd close with his left arm. "I'm sorry... my boy..." He embraced Majd tightly, trapping the boy’s arms so he couldn't twist the dagger. "Stay like this... Let me protect you one last time."
Falcon charged. He dragged Majd with him, swinging his sword at Reiz with his right hand. "HAAAAAA!"
Reiz blocked, his knees buckling. "You never give up, old man! Look at all this blood—you're dying!"
"Dying?" Falcon laughed. It was a terrifying sound. "Of course. And history will record that the mighty Black Order needed a child to kill a man they couldn't defeat themselves!"
Falcon pressed harder. Reiz’s armored boots sank into the bedrock. "What—what is this strength?!" Reiz screamed.
A dark blue aura—dense as the ocean floor—wrapped around Falcon. Above the clouds, the Blue Star Eklat blazed, piercing the storm. Falcon's voice was calm, cold, and final. "You know what disgusts me about you invaders...?"
Reiz roared in panic. "Lucifer's Darkness!" Grey flames erupted around him. "Get away from me!"
Falcon's aura surged, crushing the grey flames. "Your methods."
The Human Battery
Qaws stood beside Velins, blood dripping from his mouth. Velins stared at the distant glow of Ethra’s ship. "If I can absorb that attack... I can reflect it at the meteor and destroy it completely."
Nawal gasped, creating a water shield. "You can do that?! That's a naval cannon!" "I have to," Velins muttered.
Qaws smiled weakly. "Then do it." Velins frowned, tensing his legs to run toward the beach. "Wait—what are you planning?"
SLICE. Qaws moved in a blur. He slashed Velins’s calf with his dagger. Deep enough to disable, not enough to kill.
"ARGH!" Velins shouted, dropping to one knee. "What are you doing?!"
"Making you stay put," Qaws whispered. "Stop thinking about fighting them. Focus on the sky. I'll handle the ground."
Loran laughed from above, firing a storm of arrows. "Infighting? How pathetic!"
Azalor appeared before Qaws, sensing the plan. "I won't allow it." He raised his staff to blast Velins. Qaws vanished. He reappeared between Azalor and Velins. He didn't attack; he threw a smoke bomb and used his wind to deflect the blast.
"She's preparing another shot!" Qaws shouted, coughing blood. "VELINS! READY!"
From the sea, a brilliant beam of blue and crimson light erupted from Ethra’s ship. It wasn't aimed at the meteor. It was aimed directly at Velins.
Azalor sneered. "She's trying to kill her own ally?" "No," Qaws grinned, his teeth stained red. "She trusts him."
Velins looked at the incoming beam of destruction. He took a deep breath, ignoring the pain in his leg. He opened his arms wide. "Come on then," Velins roared. "HIT ME!"