Captain – Chapter 550 – Requiem

The cutting between night and scales continued.

After resolving to deal with that man, the giant serpent silently and tenaciously swam toward the Ghost Scythe.

Even though every meter—no, every inch—of progress required paying a terrible price, it harbored no thoughts of retreat or seeking another path.

For it knew that as long as one lived beneath the heavens, there was no avoiding the night.

Diving into the deepest, coldest, darkest depths might offer temporary respite, but that was too slow and meaningless.

Moreover, the pride of being a primordial spirit would not allow it even half a step of retreat or submission. If it faced even the gods thus, how much more so a mere lowly insect?

For all these reasons, the spectral creature swam in silence, pushing through massive waves and stirring fierce winds, allowing the blades woven from night to carve fine, dense cracks across its scales.

Allowing the brilliant golden blood to flow across half its body.

It was continuously wounded, both in body and soul.

Gradually, the frequency of new wounds completely exceeded the speed of healing.

Scales turned outward, golden blood flowed freely, and even the unseen bones bore cracks, emitting sounds of strain under unbearable weight. The spectral creature now appeared somewhat tattered, seemingly having lost the invincible majesty it possessed when manifesting in this world.

Even the dozen or so “suns” it bore were rapidly dimming in their radiance.

Yet though the previous tingling had transformed into pain covering its entire body, though the weakness brought by continuous injury and bleeding grew ever more intense…

The giant serpent’s gaze remained calm, even indifferent.

Even the anger and wariness that had surfaced upon discovering it was being blocked and provoked had vanished without trace.

Its vision pierced through the night, gazing at the man who had been trembling constantly since earlier, its emotions light and faint, showing no sign it was observing a great enemy.

Rather, it looked… like it was watching a dead man.

The night was like weaving, like blades. Under divine guidance, it truly wounded the spectral creature, slowing its pace while forcing it into a perilous situation.

But ultimately, those silken “mists” could not prevent it from approaching that ship.

Much less could they kill it.

Rеαⅾ oո ΚatReαԁinɡСαfe

So when it reached the vicinity of the Ghost Scythe, that would naturally be the moment of that man’s death.

Oh, and he might not even last until then.

The originally gentle rain, due to the fierce winds stirred by the spectral creature, became rapid and icy cold, pattering against the black coat that danced like a battle flag.

Enzo still stood on deck, making no attempt to climb to the pilot house.

Whether because holding on until now was already his limit, or because the wind and currents stirred by the spectral creature became the final straw, the Ghost Scythe’s already precarious foremast collapsed.

“Bang!”

With an ear-splitting crack, it crashed down heavily, breaking several crossbeams on the mainmast.

Though the Ghost Scythe was extremely fortunate not to capsize from the mast’s collapse, under conditions of damaged propulsion and no crew, it could already be declared crippled.

However, even if this weren’t the case, the Night Curtain captain had no intention of piloting it to escape.

First, it would be meaningless; second, to face the giant serpent in battle, he could spare no additional attention.

Right now, he couldn’t even move a finger.

Drawing the spectral creature into this narrow path filled with killing intent was not without cost.

The spectral creature’s bones trembled and cracked.

The man’s body likewise bore heavy pressure. If not for the Night Goddess’s divine blessing, if not for his will being like iron and steel, his body and soul would have been destroyed long ago.

The giant serpent bled.

On the deck where the Night Curtain captain stood, crimson droplets continuously shattered, only to be washed away without trace by the increasingly rapid rain.

Just as the giant serpent thought, continuing this way, Enzo truly might not last until it arrived.

Man and serpent still faced off in silence, only the distance between them grew ever shorter with time. In this deathly quiet, a light sound suddenly appeared.

“Crack.”

Rеаԁ οո ΚаtRеаⅾіոɡСαfе

The moment that sound fell, the man’s entire body lightened. He quickly grabbed the ship’s railing, supporting his near-collapsing form to keep from falling, blood scattering like rain.

Sliding from the corners of his eyes and lips, dripping from his cloak, even flowing down the hand gripping the railing toward the sea surface, “drip-drop, drip-drop,” as if playing a mournful song.

That invisible, cruel thread connecting him and the giant serpent thus snapped.

The instant the man escaped that state, the spectral creature surged forward a section toward the Ghost Scythe, no new wounds appearing on its body.

Those night shades that had been blocking it since earlier…

Collapsed.

Gazing at that man half-leaning against the railing, seemingly lifeless, the giant serpent’s emotionless pupils showed heavy mockery and extremely cruel killing intent.

Even if the Night Goddess were still present, it would be impossible for her alone to defeat it.

Much less a mere “lucky one” chosen by her?

Echoing in his ears was only heavy breathing.

After breathing heavily for an unknown time, Enzo finally managed to stand straight.

He turned around, released the railing, stumbled forward, finally bracing himself with both hands before the mainmast, then sat down against it with some difficulty.

“Drip-drop, drip-drop…”

Blood droplets stained the planks beneath him red. Perhaps at any moment, they would flow completely dry.

The Night Curtain captain gasped urgently, forcibly swallowing the bloody taste rising in his throat. He lowered his head weakly, his somewhat scattered gaze falling on his hand.

Falling on the black ring that bore a fine crack from top to bottom.

That crack was inconspicuous, yet seemed to have taken away everything left by that deity.

This was the source of that earlier brittle sound, the reason he collapsed like a dangerous building and the giant serpent broke free from restraint. But this was not his personal will.

He could have held on longer.

But before his strength was exhausted, the Dream-Calling Ring shattered, and with it went all hope.

Reаԁ oո KаtReαԁіոɡСаfе

Could this be what they called fate?

Listening to the gradually approaching sound of breaking waves, feeling the light that had grown bright again and carried a hint of judgment, the man smiled with difficulty, knowing the spectral creature was already near.

And he could do nothing. It seemed…

This was the end.

As the Night Curtain captain’s thoughts moved slowly, the giant serpent was already less than a hundred meters from the Ghost Scythe. Its nine heads gradually spread apart in a semi-arch, surrounding the warship.

When it arrived, it would surely be able to easily seal off all directions of escape.

Though that man seemed to have accepted his fate, it had no intention of underestimating him.

No, coming this far wasn’t enough.

Far from enough.

Meeting the blue-green pupil light, Enzo raised his face, squinting as he looked at the central massive head of the spectral creature charging straight at him, thinking in silent silence.

He thought of many things.

That boy from the Howard family with no word of his whereabouts, the young man and woman left on the paralyzed warship with no escape, those people on the Mermaid.

The Great Captain’s gaze falling from the sky, and the emotions and will hidden within it.

And that resolutely departing figure, and that person’s child now falling back into this world.

If he stopped here ahead of his own and the old man’s expectations, then many things would lose meaning, and everyone would perish here.

Everything would turn to bubbles. Such a result…

He, Enzo Leyne, would never permit.

Whether mortal will could truly influence the world was unknown, but at least the man’s determination, and the madness gradually climbing onto his face, truly changed something.

“Crack…”

Rеаd оn КatReαԁіnɡCαfе

Without warning, the brittle sound arose again, then never ceased.

That black ring, already cracked and having lost all divine power, seemed at the end of its mission to make one final response to the man who had accompanied it for over ten years.

Though it was a heart-stopping requiem, when it reached his ears, it was so gentle, just like that night when it fell before him, the light sound of breaking the puddle.

Finally, the black ring completely shattered, turning into countless fragments that fell onto the deck.

But puzzling was that the night shades dispersing from the divine object’s destruction appeared once again, only this time, they didn’t come from that ring.

But originated from the true night sky.

They fell strand by strand, swirling around the man’s body.

The next moment, that dying captain, supporting himself against the mast, miraculously stood up. During this process, his trembling body gradually regained stability.

No longer shaking, no longer bleeding, seemingly returning to strength.

Suddenly wind rose, lifting his black coat and brushing aside the damp strands on Enzo’s face, revealing those deep eyes completely occupied by night.

If others were present, even Roy, they would surely gasp in amazement at his power and marvel that the divine had once again created a miracle.

Only he himself knew this was not divine blessing, much less the black ring’s requiem…

But his own.

Gazing at the giant serpent so close at hand, feeling the great power flowing within his body that might break free from control at any moment and tear him to pieces, in this visible moment of ending, Enzo suddenly remembered something and curved his lips in a faint smile.

“Night is falling.”

The man gently spread his arms and whispered softly.

Then night truly fell. Night far more concentrated than before spread rapidly outward from him as center, toward all directions, sky and seabed.

Like a black lotus blooming, wherever its petals fell, all things were shrouded in night.

Even that spectral creature could not escape.