The wind had not subsided.
The sky continued to spiral, spinning dark clouds into an invisible vortex that pointed toward its center: Hazle. He hovered above the cracked earth, his body cloaked in flickering winds. No sound came from him, yet the sheer pressure of his presence made every living creature nearby feel small.
From afar, the thunder of marching echoed—hundreds, even thousands of boots stomping the ground. Joker's troops, deployed from dozens of ships, had begun reaching the shoreline. They spread quickly, raising banners and brandishing weapons, prepared to conquer Iceland's northern territory.
But their steps slowed as they neared the battlefield.
"...What is that?" whispered a soldier, eyes locked on the figure floating in the eye of the storm.
Hazle hadn't turned. Still silent, his body slowly rotated to face the sea. He could feel it.
Something was coming.
BOOM. BOOM.
Explosions thundered from the ocean. Bright red lights streaked across the sky. Dozens of massive ship-mounted cannons fired shells of flame and enchanted blasts toward Hazle.
Joker, standing behind a pile of rubble, immediately cursed, "IDIOTS!"
He gritted his teeth, glaring out at the sea. "Why are they launching an attack there?!"
His left fist clenched. "Damn it. They're going to pay for that…"
Hazle looked up. His eyes were still void-white. The incoming projectiles tore through the air like blazing comets.
And then the sea began to change.
"W-what is that?!"
"The ocean… it's receding?!"
"TSUNAMI!!! TSUNAMI!!!"
From the distant horizon, a wave more than four meters high rose, coiling like a colossal wall of water. It swelled, spun, and formed a great vortex, dragging entire ships like dry leaves into its maw.
Screams erupted across every vessel.
"Jump! JUMP!!"
"No! I can't swim—ARGHH!"
The wave crashed.
KRA-KA-BOOM!!!
The entire fleet was swallowed in one sweeping motion. The giant wave lifted the ships, slammed them into one another, and smashed them apart in a cacophony of splintering wood, tearing metal, and dying screams.
The tsunami charged toward the northern coast, dragging the wreckage and debris along. But before it could reach land, Hazle raised one hand—and the wave... rebounded.
With a single breath, the raging sea was repelled. As though an invisible wall slammed into it, the calamity was halted in its tracks.
Silence.
Then came the whistle—shrill, not of human breath, but the shriek of broken air under immense pressure.
From afar, Velyrra launched an aerial strike—a gleaming, long magic arrow fired from a spiraled staff. She hovered midair, trying to seize the moment.
Hazle turned slowly. Without emotion. Without concern.
One hand rose.
BOOM!
The air shrieked. Velyrra's attack ricocheted before reaching him—and reversed, slamming straight into her. She was hurled backward, crashing into a stone wall before crumpling motionless, her fate uncertain.
Now Joker truly panicked.
"Damn it," he muttered. "This isn't what I wanted."
He gripped his hair. "That damned fool… is he still holding out by the shoreline?!"
He meant The Witch.
At the edge of the dim, rain-soaked forest, a raggedly cloaked woman trembled behind a large tree. Her face was stricken with panic, her body shivering, drenched in mud and the relentless waves crashing over her.
She clung tightly to the tree trunk, holding herself back from being swept away by the raging flood.
"I-I didn't know there were other elemental users here…" she whispered in fear. "Forgive me… Joker… I…"
The final wave crashed over her feet—and all she could do was shut her eyes, praying the tree would be strong enough to save her.