Inside the ’Real’ Phantom Pirates’ ship...
The mood was tense.
Kael Driftsbane paced near the helm, frustration simring beneath his calm exterior. The glow from the sea lanterns cast flickering shadows across the polished wood as the crew exchanged uneasy glances.
"What the hell happened?" Kael asked sharply, voice cutting through the silence like a blade. "I thought we trapped all the main mbers of those ’Fakes.’ Did we miss soone?"
Talindra stood nearby, her arms crossed, eyes fixed on the figure slumped in the corner. "Kanth hasn’t said a word since they brought him back," she muttered. "He’s just been lying there, radiating Abyss energy."
She took a cautious step forward but didn’t dare touch him. "Is he even alive?"
Another crewmate arrived with a vial in hand and carefully sprayed a glowing mist over Kanth’s body—Anti-Abyssal Spray, a rare concoction used to dispel corrupted energy. The hiss of the liquid eting his skin echoed eerily in the quiet chamber.
Kanth twitched.
His body, still stained with black mist, jerked slightly as if waking from a nightmare. He gasped for breath, his bald head slick with sweat, the ends of his mustache trembling.
"D... d..." he stamred, voice barely above a whisper.
Talindra knelt beside him. "What did you see? What did this to you?"
Kanth’s eyes fluttered open. Bloodshot. Wild. Haunted.
"It’s... it’s the Angel of Death..." he whispered.
Silence fell.
┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉
Tyler, Lily, and the rest of the crew returned to the hidden location where the Shadow Pearl ship was anchored, veiled under powerful concealnt arrays. Once onboard, they made their way to the ship’s built-in pocket dinsion.
Within the pocket realm stood a sprawling elegant mansion. The crew stepped through the double doors into the mansion’s main corridor, the air filled with the faint scent of herbal incense.
Tyler led the way with Lily at his side. His expression was unreadable, but his mind was racing.
According to the intel gathered by Lily, the one who confronted and defeated Kanth in the town square was soone from Phantom Pirates who called herself Angel of Death.
"Based on the information we received," Tyler said as he opened a large, ornate door, "the one who challenged Kanth... and crushed him... was described as a beautiful girl. She had a single white angelic wing on one side, and a dark, abyss-tainted wing on the other."
Inside the room was a large, softly lit chamber with polished floors and warm lantern light. On the massive bed, tucked under silk covers, a girl lay sleeping peacefully. Her long, golden hair cascaded over the pillows, and even in slumber, her aura felt... Calm. Not threatening, but warm
Several maids stood nearby, fidgeting nervously. One of them had a faint, red imprint across her neck—a handprint.
Tyler’s eyes narrowed. "Did she wake up?"
Mathilda stepped closer to the bed and checked the girl’s vitals with so devices.
"She woke up," one of the maids answered quietly
Tyler’s gaze sharpened. "What happened?"
┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉
It happened just the previous day.
Inside the pocket dinsion of the Shadow Pearl, within the quiet halls of Tyler’s luxurious mansion, a few of the ship’s maids gathered in one of the adjacent rooms. They were chatting casually, whispering gossip and teasing one another, as maids often do to pass the ti.
Their voices were soft, but one particular subject stirred more than just laughter.
"I swear," one of the girls giggled, "Lady Mathilda was on top of Boss Tyler like so wild tigress! I heard them from across the corridor. When Peeked at them , they dragged in."
Another maid snorted. "Please. That’s nothing. I peeked in once—by accident, I swear! He had both her and Miss Darla sprawled across the bed. Like a king! But sohow Lady Mathilda noticed and ordered to get naked imdiately and sit on Bosses face to subdue him.
"It was like teaming up with them to subdue the final Boss."
They all chuckled, covering their mouths as their whispers carried through the air.
Unbeknownst to them, just a few ters away in a private chamber, Astrid lay asleep. She had been unconscious for days— ever since they returned from the Abyss. Her body had been slowly recovering, adjusting to the ever-growing conflict inside her. She had also reached Grandmaster Level easily just by sleeping.
But sothing about the conversation sparked a trigger.
Astrid stirred.
Her eyelids fluttered. Energies trembled faintly in the room.
Her eyelids twitched, and the golden strands of her hair lifted gently as a wave of spiritual energy radiated from her.
Then her eyes opened.
Each eye glowed with an eerie contrast—her right eye a serene blue, like the tranquil skies of the heavens; her left eye a burning red-orange, reminiscent of Abyssal fire. It was a visual reflection of the two powers swirling within her. And now, both were awake.
She then took the storage ring that was beside her.
Without warning, she stood and moved toward the door.
One of the maids gasped as Astrid suddenly appeared before them. Before she could scream, Astrid raised her left hand and grabbed the girl by the neck—not out of hatred, but as if testing sothing. Abyssal pressure flared to life, suffocating the space. The girl froze, overwheld, eyes wide in panic.
Then, just as quickly, Astrid let her go. The maid collapsed to her knees, coughing violently, as Astrid turned and looked skyward.
She had heard enough.
Wings burst from her back—one pure white and glowing faintly, the other pitch-black, leaking mist-like tendrils of abyssal energy. The air shimred around her as her body ascended through the ceiling window in a streak of light and shadow.
She soared above the ship, her senses stretched out. She didn’t understand why she was so restless, only that her heart was heavy. Maybe it was the ntion of Tyler was fooling around with other girls. Or maybe... the angel and Abyss energy in her simply couldn’t ignore the imbalance she felt.
She flew towards the nearby town.
Below, a voice rang out.
"Hey, you FAKE craps!" soone yelled across a plaza. "I, on behalf of the Phantom Pirates, call for the next challenge! You wanted a round two, right? Then co face ! Or did ya run off after losing one little ga?"
Astrid hovered in the air, watching the scene unfold below. A large man—Kanth, dark elf, bald head with a bushy mustache—stood confidently in the town square. His voice echoed across the city, and a crowd had gathered to watch.
"Phantom Pirates..." Astrid muttered.
From her storage ring, she pulled out a Phantom Mask— one that Tyler had given her long ago. She had never used it, but she rembered his words: "If ever you want to be reckless use this . It’s our Pirate Identity, Phantom Pirates."
She stared at it for a mont.
With a deep breath, she placed it on her face. Its smooth surface shimred, changing appearance to a sleek, half-white, half-black exotic mask that seed to hum with hidden magic.
Down in the plaza, Kanth continued to shout. "How about this! Even if just one fake Phantom Pirate shows up—I’ll consider it your win! That bold enough for ya?"
At that mont, a streak of divine and abyssal light descended from the sky.
Astrid landed silently before him.
The crowd fell silent. Even Kanth stopped mid-taunt, dumbfounded.
"..." He didn’t say a word. Just stared.
"Alright," Astrid said calmly, her voice low but confident. "Then that ans we’ve won."
She didn’t fully understand the situation, but between the maid’s gossip and Kanth’s challenge, she connected the dots. Her presence, under the Phantom mask, was enough.
"This..." Kanth looked around, as if hoping soone would explain what was happening.
Astrid turned, ready to leave. But in a mont of frustration, Kanth stepped forward and grabbed her shoulder.
Astrid didn’t hesitate.
She turned back around and raised her palm.
"Heal," she said softly.
Abyssal energy exploded from her palm like a black sun. It slamd into Kanth, engulfing him in dark mist. He cried out as his Aura circuits scrambled, unable to control his body.
"What the hell kind of healing is this?!" he shouted, trying to back away. But his limbs trembled, weakened.
Astrid gave a faint nod, as if satisfied.
Then she took off again, leaving the square in stunned silence.
"Was that... another Phantom Pirate?"
"She looked like a freaking angel."
"No... no, that wasn’t just an angel. That was sothing else."
"An angel? More like Death."
"An Angel of Death then?"
The murmurs grew louder as the crowd watched the mysterious figure vanish into the clouds.
Back aboard the Shadow Pearl, Astrid returned just as quietly as she left. She wanted to ask the crew mbers where the others are.
As soon as her feet touched the deck, her wings dissipated into glowing feathers. Her body wavered, her legs gave out, and she collapsed with a soft thud onto the deck. Her mask also fell.
The maids gasped in alarm and rushed to her side.
"She’s unconscious again!"
"Quick, help her to her bed!"
They carried her gently back to her room and laid her down. Her breathing was soft and rhythmic— peaceful, almost childlike.
But one of the maid paused as she looked at the girl’s face, while touching her neck.
┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉
"That was so random... She just woke up and chose violence?" Tyler scratched his head, clearly baffled by the chain of coincidences. "If this were a novel, it’d be called plot armo—"
"Luck," Lily interrupted, cutting him off smoothly. "Probably just your ridiculous luck again, Tyler."
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