Chapter 60

As Bahamut approached the Palace of Sorrow, he noticed unusual movements in the river's mirror, something sizable lurking beneath the water's surface. However, before he could investigate further, he sensed magic emanating from the broken bridges, each one filled with stonemen.

Curiosity piqued, Bahamut focused on one particular bridge, where a lone figure stood among the stonemen. The mysterious entity covered his face, revealing only skinny arms with a rocky structure and a staff crowned by a head of blue orb. Intrigued, Bahamut in his human form approached the bridge cautiously.

As Bahamut drew near, the figure began floating toward him, posing a question, "Are you here for my gift?" The word "gift" raised suspicions in Bahamut, confirming that he faced the Shrouded Lord of Sorrow. Responding with an air of arrogance, Bahamut declared, "No, I'm here to give you my fiery kiss!"

In an instant, Bahamut transformed back into his dragon form, unleashing a torrent of flame upon the Shrouded Lord. As the flames dissipated, the figure remained unscathed, a stream of water glancing around him. Unfazed, the Shrouded Lord declared, "I won't lose to the blood of a beast again.".

The Shrouded Lord, with a flick of his hands, began summoning water from the river, creating a massive wave around Bahamut. Quick on his feet, Bahamut unleashed the full intensity of his flames, attempting to break through the encroaching waves. However, his focus on the Shrouded Lord caused him to overlook another lurking presence in the river.

As Bahamut ventured into the middle of the river, a colossal turtle emerged, snapping its jaws around his leg and dragging him into the depths. Reacting swiftly, Bahamut rained blows upon the undead turtle's shell, cracking it with each strike. In a desperate bid for freedom, Bahamut instinctively bit into the undead creature's neck, severing the grip and escaping.

Emerging from the water, Bahamut faced a sudden onslaught as the river turned violent, attempting to bury him beneath its tumultuous waves. Drawing upon his draconic strength, Bahamut unleashed a powerful flap of his wings, cutting through the torrent and rising from the water with a mighty roar.

Because of injury, Bahamut fueled by fury, unleashed his wrath upon everything in his path. Burning down every stoneman he encountered, he relentlessly advanced towards the Shrouded Lord. The Shrouded Lord, undeterred, began casting another spell, attempting to counter Bahamut's fiery assault.

However, Bahamut, determined and powerful, conjured a tornado of flames around him, nullifying the water-based attacks and weakening the Shrouded Lord's magic. Realizing the difficulty of taking down Bahamut, the Shrouded Lord resorted to covering the area in a dense grey mist. In response, Bahamut unleashed a mighty wind and beat his wings fiercely, dispersing the mist.

Without hesitation, Bahamut released another torrent of fiery breath upon the Shrouded Lord, who attempted to resist with magic but succumbed to the unrelenting flames. As the Shrouded Lord turned to ashes, Bahamut didn't cease his destruction. He continued to unleash flames upon the ruins of Sorrow until it was reduced to ashes and debris.

The demise of the Shrouded Lord caused the mist to fade away, turning the undead stonemen back to lifeless ashes. However, Bahamut, weakened by the colossal undead turtle's bite, lost too much blood. Unconscious and falling into the river, Bahamut unintentionally transformed into his human form in the midst of his fiery destruction.

When Bahamut regained consciousness, he found himself in an unfamiliar cabin. As he looked around, his gaze met the eyes of a woman in her thirties, with black hair and clear blue eyes. She regarded him with a seductive gaze, and Bahamut, struggling at first, managed to sit up. Curious, he asked, "Who are you?"

The woman chuckled and replied, "Shouldn't I be asking you that question?" Bahamut apologized and introduced himself, to which she responded with a smile, "Nissa."

As Bahamut focused on his leg injury, he noticed it slowly healing and joining back together. Nissa approached him, but Bahamut instinctively raised his head, sensing danger. Nissa halted and expressed concern, asking if he was okay. Bahamut, feeling strangely defensive, simply responded with a confused "Huh."

As he continued to heal himself with magic, Nissa observed the rapid recovery without any surprise. Perplexed, Bahamut cautiously inquired, "Why aren't you surprised?" Nissa casually explained, "Because I'm a sorcerer."

This revelation piqued Bahamut's interest, but as he stepped outside the cabin, he realized something was amiss. The ship was moving forward, yet there were no sailors in sight. Suspicion growing, Bahamut focused on Nissa, the sorcerer, as he felt the presence of strange magic surrounding them.