___________
The journey toward the Kingdom of Water Ice began the next morning.
Cold currents drifted through the deep sea as Izumi and Dianara swam away from the Aquatic Elf kingdom. Behind them, the glowing coral towers slowly disappeared into the dark blue abyss.
For a long time, neither of them spoke.
Izumi's mind was busy thinking about everything the elders had revealed.
The Seven Earthian Gods.
The Serpent Lord.
Mizuchi.
And the mysterious organization called the the architect.
The deeper he thought about it, the heavier the world felt.
But that only strengthened his resolve.
If the world was this complicated… then peace would be even harder to achieve.
Which meant he needed even more power.
Beside him, Dianara broke the silence.
"You're quiet."
"I'm thinking."
"About Mizuchi?"
Izumi shook his head slightly.
"About everything."
Dianara looked ahead into the dark ocean.
"The world is bigger than most people realize."
Her voice was calm, but there was experience behind it.
"You demons fight humans. Humans fight elves. Dragons fight everyone. But the real dangers often hide behind those wars."
Izumi glanced at her.
"You mean the the architect?"
"Yes."
She tightened her grip on the sword at her waist.
"If they truly plan to release the Dark Lord… the entire world will burn."
For a moment, the ocean felt colder.
But Izumi only said one thing.
"Then we will stop them."
Dianara looked at him again.
"You speak with confidence."
"I speak with determination."
She stared at him for a few seconds before turning forward again.
"You really are strange for a demon prince."
Izumi smiled faintly.
The Deepest Trench
Hours later, the ocean environment began to change.
The water temperature dropped sharply.
Even Dianara could feel it.
"This cold…"
"It's unnatural," she said quietly.
Izumi nodded.
"We're close."
Ahead of them stretched a massive underwater trench.
It looked like a gigantic scar carved across the ocean floor.
Dark.
Silent.
Ancient.
This was the place the elders had described.
The entrance to the Kingdom of Water Ice.
But when they arrived at the location…
There was nothing.
Only empty ocean.
Dianara frowned.
"This is the place?"
"Yes."
She looked around carefully.
"There's no kingdom here."
Izumi closed his eyes for a moment.
Then he remembered Lady Fynlore's final words.
"Without ice magic… the kingdom cannot be seen."
His eyes opened.
"Stand back."
Dianara swam a few meters away.
Izumi slowly raised his hand.
Mana gathered around his palm.
Cold energy spread outward through the water.
"Ice magic…"
The temperature of the sea dropped even further.
"Ice Crash."
Instead of attacking, Izumi directed the spell downward toward the ocean floor.
The ice magic struck the ground.
For a moment—
Nothing happened.
Then suddenly—
CRACK.
The water trembled.
Massive cracks of ice spread across the ocean floor.
Ancient runes began glowing beneath the sand.
Dianara's eyes widened.
"Those are sealing runes!"
The runes shone brighter and brighter.
And then—
The illusion shattered.
The ocean space in front of them twisted like broken glass.
An enormous kingdom appeared.
Dianara gasped.
"By the spirits…"
Before them stood a breathtaking sight.
A city made entirely of ice.
Gigantic frozen towers rose from the ocean floor. Crystal bridges connected floating ice structures. Massive walls of enchanted frost surrounded the entire kingdom.
The ice itself glowed faintly blue, reflecting ancient magical power.
It was beautiful.
And terrifying.
"This… is the Kingdom of Water Ice," Izumi whispered.
Even the ocean currents seemed to slow around it.
Dianara looked stunned.
"I've lived in the ocean my entire life…"
"And I've never seen this place."
"That's because very few people know it exists," Izumi said.
They slowly approached the frozen barrier surrounding the city.
The closer they came, the more powerful the mana pressure became.
This was not ordinary ice.
This was magic created by one of the greatest ice mages in history.
Izumi raised his hand again.
"I'll try breaking it."
Dianara frowned.
"Be careful."
Izumi gathered mana and launched a concentrated water strike toward the frozen barrier.
The attack collided with the ice wall.
BOOM.
A loud sound echoed across the trench.
But the barrier didn't move even slightly.
Instead, Izumi's attack simply dissolved.
As if the ice had absorbed it.
Dianara stared.
"That barrier… completely nullified your attack."
Izumi lowered his hand.
"Which means brute force won't work."
They swam along the icy wall until they discovered something hidden behind a large frozen pillar.
An entrance.
A giant gate made of transparent crystal ice.
Two armored figures stood in front of it.
Ice guardians.
Their armor looked like frozen steel. Their eyes glowed faintly blue, showing they were sustained by magic rather than life.
One of them raised a spear as Izumi and Dianara approached.
"Identify yourselves."
The voice echoed with cold authority.
Izumi spoke calmly.
"My name is Izumi."
"Prince of the Water Demons."
The guardians remained still.
"And your purpose?"
"I seek an audience with the Great Mage of Ice."
"Alba Crystal."
For a moment, the trench fell silent.
The two guardians looked at each other.
Then one of them spoke again.
"Very few know that name."
Izumi didn't answer.
Finally, the guardian stepped aside.
"Follow us."
The giant ice gate slowly opened.
COLD AIR rushed out from inside the kingdom.
Izumi and Dianara exchanged a glance.
Then they entered.
The gates of the Kingdom of Water Ice closed slowly behind Izumi and Dianara.
A deep silence filled the air.
Cold currents moved slowly through the massive frozen city. Towers made of crystal ice stretched upward like frozen mountains. Every surface shimmered with faint blue mana.
The entire kingdom felt alive.
Yet strangely… empty.
Dianara looked around carefully.
"Where are the people?"
Izumi noticed it too.
The streets were quiet. No citizens. No soldiers. Only the two ice guardians leading them forward.
"It feels like a sacred place," Dianara whispered.
"Or a forbidden one."
They followed the guardians through the frozen city.
Eventually they arrived at the center of the kingdom.
A massive palace stood before them.
It was larger than the Aquatic Elf royal palace and far more intimidating.
The entire structure was carved from a single block of ancient ice.
Runes glowed across its surface.
Old runes.
Extremely old.
Even Dianara could feel the power contained inside them.
"This level of magic…" she murmured.
"…whoever built this kingdom is terrifying."
Izumi nodded.
"Not whoever."
"Only one person."
"The Great Mage of Ice."
The palace gates opened on their own.
Inside waited a giant hall of crystal pillars.
At the far end of the chamber stood a throne.
And someone was sitting on it.
A man wrapped in long white robes.
His long silver hair flowed across the throne like frost. His face was partially hidden behind a hood.
But the moment Izumi stepped inside—
The man spoke.
"Interesting."
His voice echoed calmly through the chamber.
"A demon prince… and an elven swordmaster."
"Inside my kingdom."
Dianara stiffened.
"How did he—"
The man slowly raised his head.
Sharp blue eyes looked directly at them.
"I can sense every mana fluctuation within my domain."
"You entered my barrier using ice magic."
He leaned forward slightly.
"So tell me…"
"Why have you come here?"
Izumi stepped forward.
"My name is Izumi."
"Prince of the Water Demons."
The man remained silent.
Dianara spoke next.
"I am Dianara Aleazea."
"One of the Ten Swordmasters of the Elven Race."
The man chuckled quietly.
"The wielder of Gurthang."
Dianara's eyes widened.
"You know my sword?"
"I know many things."
The man slowly stood up.
His presence filled the hall instantly.
Powerful.
Ancient.
Like a frozen storm.
"I am Alba Crystal."
"The one the world believes to be dead."
Izumi felt the mana pressure immediately.
It was overwhelming.
Even Azore's presence had not felt this intense.
This man…
Was truly a legendary mage.
Izumi lowered his head slightly.
"I came here to ask for your help."
Alba crossed his arms.
"Help?"
"A demon prince asking a half-elf hero for help."
"How interesting."
Izumi spoke honestly.
"I wish to defeat Mizuchi."
The entire hall fell silent.
Alba's eyes narrowed slightly.
"Mizuchi…"
"The Fourth General of the Serpent Lord."
"You aim high, demon prince."
Izumi nodded.
"I need to defeat him in order to gain the strength necessary to change this world."
Alba studied him carefully.
"And why would I help you?"
Izumi lifted his head.
"Because my goal is peace."
"Between demons, humans, elves, and every race."
For a moment…
Nothing happened.
Then Alba suddenly laughed.
A deep, amused laugh echoed across the frozen hall.
"How fascinating."
"You are the first demon I have met who speaks of peace."
Dianara crossed her arms.
"He's serious."
Alba looked at her.
"I can see that."
He turned back to Izumi.
"Very well."
"I will consider helping you."
Izumi's eyes sharpened.
"What must I do?"
Alba raised one finger.
"First… I test your potential."
He pointed toward the center of the hall.
"Attack me."
Dianara blinked.
"Attack you?"
Alba nodded casually.
"Yes."
"With your ice magic."
Izumi stepped forward.
"You want me to attack you seriously?"
"Yes."
"Do not hold back."
The hall grew colder as Izumi gathered mana.
His hand began glowing with icy energy.
"This is my strongest ice spell."
"Ice Crash."
The water in the hall froze instantly.
A massive spike of ice shot toward Alba.
But Alba did not move.
He simply raised one hand.
"Crystal Ice Shield."
A transparent shield of pure crystal ice appeared before him.
Izumi's attack collided with it.
BOOM.
The impact shook the hall.
But the shield didn't crack.
Not even slightly.
Izumi's spell completely shattered.
Dianara stared in shock.
"That was Izumi's strongest attack…"
"And he blocked it effortlessly."
Alba lowered his hand.
"Interesting."
He looked at Izumi carefully.
"Your ice mana is powerful."
"But your control is terrible."
Izumi nodded.
"I know."
Alba continued.
"Most people require years to learn ice magic properly."
"But your spell…"
He smiled faintly.
"…was strong enough to damage a high-level creature."
Dianara remembered the serpent from earlier.
"He killed a serpent with that spell."
Alba raised an eyebrow.
"Did he?"
Izumi spoke calmly.
"I need to grow stronger."
"Teach me."
Alba remained silent for a moment.
Then he said something surprising.
"You have potential."
"If trained properly…"
"You could master ninety percent of ice magic in one month."
Dianara nearly choked.
"One month?!"
"That's impossible!"
Alba shrugged.
"Normally, yes."
"But this demon prince has abnormal mana capacity."
Izumi asked quietly.
"What must I learn first?"
Alba smiled.
"Control."
He extended his hand.
"I will teach you a defensive spell first."
"Crystal Ice Shield."
Izumi remembered the barrier from earlier.
"That spell blocked my attack completely."
"Yes."
"It can block even legendary spells."
Izumi's eyes widened slightly.
"That powerful?"
Alba nodded.
"But it requires perfect balance between two elements."
"Water."
"And ice."
Izumi frowned.
"I only possess water affinity."
Alba shook his head.
"No."
"You possess both."
Izumi froze.
"What?"
Alba pointed toward him.
"Your ice magic is proof."
"Your water affinity evolved."
"You are a dual-element mage."
The realization struck Izumi like lightning.
Dianara looked stunned.
"A demon with both water and ice…"
Alba continued calmly.
"If you master these elements properly…"
"You may truly stand against Mizuchi."
He turned and began walking toward the throne.
"But remember something, demon prince."
Izumi waited.
Alba's voice grew serious.
"Mizuchi is not your only enemy."
"The world is changing."
"The architect is gathering the fragments of the forbidden scroll."
"If they succeed…"
"The Dark Lord will awaken."
The cold hall suddenly felt even colder.
Izumi clenched his fist.
"Then I will stop them too."
Alba looked back at him.
For a moment…
The legendary mage smiled.
"Good."
"Then your training begins tomorrow."
The Ice Kingdom trembled slightly.
And somewhere in the deepest ocean…
Mizuchi slowly opened his ancient eyes.
A new challenger had appeared.
And destiny had begun to move.