Editing Leviathan:Volume 8 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 3===

"Allow me to say this in advance for the record."

Hinokagutsuchi had said this prior to teaching Hal the secret ritual of turning into a ghost.

"This is not a spell for creating a ghost that cannot die."

"Then what is it used for?"

"A secret technique to reincarnate a person into an immortal god."

"I-Immortal?"

An unexpected term had suddenly cropped up. Immortal god. The power of dragonbane and dragon kings were plenty grandiose already, but this even god was mentioned.

"Something along these lines? Transcending beasts, transcending humans, turning into a god..."

"More or less. A thousand years ago, before I fought that lass Yukikaze&mdash;I had already lived long as a dragon king. Hence, I was honestly a little bored."

"Oh..."

How long exactly was "long" for a dragon king?

Definitely more than a millennium or two. Five thousand years. Ten thousand years. Possibly more than a hundred thousand years. Indeed, getting bored after sitting on the throne for so long would be all too natural.

"As such, I decided to devise a secret technique for becoming a god, a good way to kill time while I was at it. But there was one major problem. It was impossible to know how much power one would obtain after performing the ritual, and it was irreversible too. This prevented me from mustering the effort to give it a try."

"Because it's basically a secret ritual for reincarnation."

"Indeed. It would be a problem if I could no longer shower my love upon the beauties in my harem."

"And you said you were bored? Looks like you were really enjoying yourself!"

"Hmph, that is neither here nor there. In any case, it was not a spell one could recklessly experiment upon oneself. Even if I tricked a few random people to serve as experiments, they would not be able to learn the spell at all unless they were mighty warriors on the level of dragon kings."

"I'm so glad the devil's plan ended in failure."

"In the end, during my fight with Yukikaze&mdash;"

"You took a fatal wound, so you used the spell for reincarnating into a god, right? So how did it go?"

"I would not call it a success... Compared to an ordinary ghost, indeed, I am free. However, the power is still nowhere near an 'immortal god'."

"Yup."

Although there were restrictions, after her death, Hinokagutsuchi could still use her magical power from when she was alive, appearing and disappearing elusively, even materializing herself to eat things. More importantly, she did not move on to the afterlife, spending a thousand years idly, occasionally interfering in human society&mdash;

A transcendent being that was on the level of cheating for sure, but nowhere near as powerful as an omniscient and omnipotent god.

"I believe it can re-purposed. Further improvement could turn it into a secret ritual for reincarnating into a lich or a vampire lord," Hal said with a sigh after listening to the earlier explanation.

This had happened in the Moon ruins when he was alone with Hinokagutsuchi, after meeting Sophocles.

"There's really no time for that, though."

"However, brat, I am deeply surprised that you intend to settle things with Yukikaze by turning into a half-baked immortal. Are you giving up on being human?"

Hinokagutsuchi laughed maliciously to mock Hal, who glared at her.

"Giving up is irrelevant here. I stopped being human long ago."

"True."

"By this point, I can only consider it the same as accepting body modification surgery. After all, using a body that's about to turn into a dragon is not enough to defeat Princess Yukikaze."

Hal was already one of those monsters that could hardly be called human.

He had to admit that he had merged with a dragon before.

"Putting that aside, things were going pretty well during my fight against Galad until the Crimson Queen absorbed my consciousness. I want to take a gamble. As far as I know, you're the most resilient ghost in the whole wide world."

"Ha! Would a crafty brat like you ever take a seat at this sort of gambling table, the kind where luck is the only factor!?"

"I can't help it. I don't have a single card left in my hand. Apart from leaving it to fate and draw a new card from the deck, I don't have a choice."

"Hahahahaha!"

Hinokagutsuchi had thoroughly mocked the demoralized Hal.

Even so, she still generously instructed Hal on the secret technique for turning into a ghost. Hal originally had doubts on whether it would go smoothly, but it ended up succeeding.

On further thought&mdash;

He was forced to make a job change to a ghost from a man who was about to turn into a dragon.

This situation was so tragic that it actually felt a bit comical. Perhaps the self-styled devil had been willing to instruct him without reserve precisely because she saw this point. Furthermore&mdash;

Perhaps there was something similar to a bond between him and Hinokagutsuchi&mdash;No no no.

They were not the type to go sentimental.

Haruga Haruomi and the former dragon queen were supposed to maintain a relationship based on aligned interest the whole time. Thanks to that, Hal had barely managed to survive...

(Hmm&mdash;)

Even though he could maintain his state as an astral body, Hal overturned his earlier thought.

(This isn't really "surviving.")

To be exact, he was currently on the beach of a certain island.

Time was night. The air seemed quite clean. The starry sky was very beautiful.

Thrown ashore by the waves was a semi-automatic handgun with the color of steel and decorated with gold.

Hal's soul was affixed to his personal magic gun, barely hanging on to remain in this world.

The princess' "purification of evil spirits" had almost erased him, but Hal had survived the crisis in the nick of time, entering the Crimson Queen's body.

That being said, the Queen had also started to disintegrate immediately.

Inside the Queen was the magic gun that had been absorbed before the battle, so Hal imitated Hinokagutsuchi and possessed it too.

(In the end, I fell down to Earth together with the Queen's body...)

After crashing into the atmosphere, the red dragon was damaged all over.

The magic gun was included in the fallen remains.

Based on scenery Hal saw on his way down, he deduced that he was somewhere in the northern Pacific Ocean. Probably the Hawaiian archipelago.

(Not Hawaii Island or Oahu but more to the northwest&mdash;where the Battle of Midway had taken place.)

He was very worried about Orihime and Asya whom he had left on the Moon.

His childhood friend could still draw on her powers as a Tyrannos, but if Hal's beloved lacked imperishable protection, she probably would not last more than an hour&mdash;

(I hope Juujouji will actively take my power to use.)

In fact, even though one of them was on Earth while the other was on the Moon, their bonds through the Bow and the Twin Katana ought t o allow him to ascertain her safety immediately.

But as he was right now, Hal could not do it. Possessing the magic gun barely allowed him to keep his soul in this world, like the weakened Hinokagutsuchi, unable to do anything else.

(Contacting my companions on Earth&mdash;Can't do that either.)

Was he going to be swallowed by the waves and sunk into the sea just like this?

Was Orihime okay? What were Princess Yukikaze and Asya doing now?

He was worried sick. But not falling into the sea was plenty fortunate already&mdash;

(...That's not completely right.)

Hal took back his earlier words.

A man was walking on the beach where waves were breaking on the sand.

An eccentric man dressed in a suit, Sophocles. He was the super ancient man who had described Haruga Haruomi as very similar to him. A former Tyrannos, he had lived thousands of years without turning into a dragon, possibly by using some method to alter the nature of his body, like Hal had done&mdash;

If possible, Hal wanted to meet Sophocles and clear up his questions, but...

(I'm pretty sure nothing good will come out of meeting him at a time like this.)

For some reason, that was what Hal instinctively thought when he saw the expressionless Sophocles.

He sensed a crisis. Why? Was it because his sixth sense had sharpened due to becoming a spirit-only existence? He had an intensely bad feeling of premonition.

"Haruga Haruomi, my how you have changed."

His voice was magnetic as always.

"I know you are a young man who dislikes fighting. For surviving all the way till now despite disliking fighting, I truly wish to praise you from the bottom of my heart."

(D-Despite saying that, you're&mdash;)

Sophocles calmly spoke to the semi-automatic handgun that had fallen on the shore.

He apparently discerned Hal's state with a single glance. Hal tried his hardest to convey his thoughts to Sophocles.

(Aren't you being much scarier than usual? I can sense carefully concealed intent to kill... Something like that.)

"Hmm."

Ominously, Sophocles neither confirmed nor denied.

"Actually, I was thinking. Princess Yukikaze harbors incredible affection for you. Although you are on the brink of death right now, you did keep your promise and survived. In that case&mdash;I expect the princess to keep the Tyrannos of the Bow and the Twin Katana as her pet, until he breathes his very last breath."

(Who knows? I do think she'll keep her promise.)

Hal remained wary of Sophocles' intentions while answering.

(But given her personality, she'll probably ask me to continue fighting her once I recover.)

"Very likely. But you already... have no more options apart from turning into a dragon. Unless you turn into a dragon to fight, you will only achieve as much as this time, at best."

(Yeah...)

"But apparently, you would rather die than turn into a dragon."

(...)

"Fufufufu, willing to turn into a ghost, yet refusing to walk the road to becoming a dragon king? I really wish to support you, but regrettably, that will be challenging. Because you not only possess the Bow and the Twin Katana, but have also obtained the Rune of the Ring."

That was the dragonslaying rune he had stolen from King Solomon, the Tyrannos from ancient Israel.

Hal secretly felt alarmed. Sophocles was impressive as ever, to think he even knew about this rune that had not been publicized.

"Very well. A Tyrannos who possesses as many as three dragonslaying runes, yet has no hope of becoming dragon king. Would it be right or wrong to allow him to roam free? Or &mdash;"

The strange man in black muttered.

"Given the opportunity, erase his existence to liberate the powers of the Bow, the Twin Katana, and the Ring. Wouldn't this be more beneficial to maintaining balance in our game, the Road to Kingship?"

(That's what you intend... to do?)

"No, I am simply stating one possible perspective."

(Th-Then what are you doing right now?)

The arrangement of runes he had seen earlier was appearing over Sophocles' head.

"Purfication of evil spirits," the secret ritual performed using goddess power. If struck by that move again, Hal's soul would most likely begin his journey to heaven or hell for real this time!

(You're going to use this spell on me!?)

"Oh, I forgot to mention to you, but ancient serpents and priestesses are not the only ones capable of employing goddess power. A long long time ago, at Hyperborea in the sky, during the pinnacle of the human world, among male priests there existed some who possessed the same ability.  In fact, I was one of them."

(Y-You are definitely changing the subject on purpose, right!?)

"I shall not make excuses. Farewell, Haruga Haruomi. I sincerely applaud your achievements... However, it is time for you to exit the stage."

(Wahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!?)

Hal was facing a gigantic crisis that he could do nothing against.

This was possibly the most dangerous situation after his first enemy&mdash;the elite dragon Raak Al Soth.

However.

"Glinda, Laser Breath!"

An unexpected strike. A heat beam shot out from the side, sweeping across.

It caused Sophocles to vanish from before Hal, i.e. the magic gun.

The breath released by the lion, the center head of the three-headed leviathan, had vaporized the eccentric man.