Alfonso, cocking an ear as if listening to something, suddenly looked at Skadi.
"You are not Aegir, neither of you are just Aegir... None of you are! What is your name?"
"Skadi." As a straightforward Orca who answered every question, Skadi completely disregarded the hostility the other party showed.
"No, no, no, no, Aegir, don't try to fool me. Although we have been imprisoned on this ship for decades, our minds haven't degenerated to the intelligence of a Terrorfish. They call you — Ishar-mla!" The Captain, half-assimilated into a Seaborn, had been resisting the Seaborn's erosion, but their long coexistence allowed him to glean secrets from the Seaborn's words that others could not know.
"I am Skadi, not Ishar-mla!" Skadi firmly rejected the other party's appellation. She knew the meaning of that name, it came from the Seaborn god she had slain. From Kanna's words, she understood that at the very moment she successfully slew the opponent, the opponent also found her. Ishar-mla was currently within her body. Although she didn't know in what form the opponent would appear, at least for now, she clearly knew that she was still Skadi, an Abyssal Hunter who fought against the Seaborn.
As if sensing the other party's Seaborn identity, Alfonso turned to Irene and roared, "Inquisitor, how dare you associate with them!"
"W-what's wrong!" The Captain's shout brought the bewildered Irene back to her senses. She was still caught up in his previous reprimand, a trace of confusion in her eyes.
"Now, get off the ship immediately, or you will become my prey for this hunt, just like that one." The Captain looked outside the door, unceremoniously issuing an eviction notice.
As he raised his hand, he suddenly found a great force pressing his hand down firmly. He looked down and saw that Little Draco, who had been sitting not far away fiddling with a video recorder, had somehow appeared before him.
"Draco? Even if you are a Young Dragon, if you try to stand in my way, my blade will still tear you to shreds!"
"Don't be so agitated, Captain. Can you tell us how you know the name Ishar-mla?" After watching the drama for a long time and noticing that the Captain's mental state was clearly unstable, she immediately stepped to the front of the group.
As she looked up, Alfonso suddenly felt the Seaborn that had been eroding his body and mind retreat, a rare occurrence. It was as if encountering a natural predator, it hid in the corners of his body, making him feel exceptionally light at that moment.
"It seems I underestimated you, Young Dragon. You are the strongest one!
Why do I know this name? It's because devouring these flesh and blood changes our bodies. I personally executed a three-digit number of survivors, until the very end.
Because of this, I can smell that Seaborn blood also flows within their bodies, and she is even more special than the others!
Look at my hand, it craves my thoughts, to let me save you, to let me listen to your thoughts, to let me confide in you. This is a situation I have never encountered in sixty years; she must be a special Seaborn, only that can explain everything!"
Hearing Alfonso's words, Irene also looked at Skadi in shock, never expecting that this seemingly dull yet incredibly powerful woman had such a significant secret all along.
"That's natural, because she accomplished something that even Iberia's most powerful Golden Fleet couldn't: she killed a Seaborn 'god'..."
What Skadi achieved was a monumental feat that, no matter where in Terra, deserved to be permanently recorded and passed down through texts, poems, biographies, and other means for eternity.
Even if there was the reason of "Ishar-mla" willingly seeking death involved, it cannot be denied that the achievement of god-slaying was something the person involved should be proud of.
"How... is that possible..." Hearing Kanna's words, both Alfonso and Irene were shocked. 'God-slaying,' something that only existed in novels, actually happened to the seemingly not-so-powerful woman before them.
"Of course... this did not come without a price... or perhaps the 'gods' of Terra all share the same twisted sense of humor!" Kanna reached out and patted Skadi's waist (because she couldn't reach higher).
"Of course, 'gods' are not beings that can be easily killed. Even if they lose their physical bodies, unless they can be completely annihilated on a spiritual and belief level, gods can be resurrected.
And every 'god-slayer' is the best seed and vessel for a god's resurrection. After all, anyone who can achieve this must be a genius with extremely strong talent and potential in both belief and strength.
Undoubtedly, Skadi is that genius!"
Alfonso sighed, "Since that's the case, I'll give you a chance. Leave this place, leave my Iberia, leave this ship, go back, and don't come again."
"No! We paid a huge price to get here. If you truly still possess the consciousness of an Iberia hero, then you should understand that cooperating with us is the best choice!" Hearing Alfonso's words, Irene, worried that Kanna might agree, immediately refused.
Alfonso turned and glanced at Irene, then shook his head and walked over to the adjutant beside him, gently stroking its skin.
"Think carefully, Little Inquisitor! The time I've struggled here far exceeds the days I spent fighting in my homeland. Can you understand? A year of confinement can break countless wills. Do you know how much time we spent flirting with the waves?"
Hearing Alfonso's words, Irene was at a loss for how to respond, and Alfonso continued,
"Just seven or eight years ago, I personally executed the last crew member and threw him into the sea. He died retaining his human consciousness. He was the last…"
At this, Kanna glanced at the "First Mate" who seemed quite comfortable under Alfonso's caress. Clearly, Alfonso didn't know that his First Mate still retained its "human" consciousness, but it was unclear why "it" chose to hide it.
"The best sailors, warriors, and steadfast scientists of Iberia—the most common cause of death for them on this ship was suicide.
You cannot imagine what I've been through. My left half has stolen my sleep; this torment and curse will remain with me until death.
During this long time, the only thing I could do was hunt the Seaborn who dared to board my ship, and then, spend time cleaning my ship.
Let my First Mate and I stay here. You all go where you belong!"
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