God Ash: Remnants of the fallen.

Turning a little, he could see a the gaunt shaoes of a few figures covered in white tarp.

'Fuck.'

Cain could only curse. If only he had been attentive, maybe this calamity would have been avoided. They absolutely weren't prepared to brave the Death Zone yet. It had come far too quickly.

Even though he had managed to get must of them out, those that lost their lives had their souls rooted to that one moment. Because of it, they existed only as memories now.

Silence floated across the deck, as the people couldn't decide whether to feel cautious or mournful.

Cain shook his head, 'How bad is it?'

A mental link formed with Hunter.

Hunter's indifferent voice carried a hint of exhaustion,

'Twenty. Fifteen were warrior, the five were archers.'

Cain said nothing. He had no choice but to accept it. If he didn't, he would never move forward. On this road, many more would lose their lives.

''How are the rest?'

Hunter's reply came immediately after,

'Barely holding down. Most of them are still a bit shaken by it. The normal humans are safely tucked away in the cabins, so we can go all out.'

Cain let out another sigh...

To truly define the Death Zone, one would have to characterize chaos. Every moment, one had to accept that death could very well be at the next corner.

It was a difficult thing to conceptualize. After all, how can someone create a mental image of chaos?

But on these treacherous black waves, chaos was the essence within.

It had been months since Cain had felt the nectar of the heavens...

Splat! Splat! Splat!

Feeling a chill wind brush over him, Cain took his gaze to the sky.

"It's raining..." He muttered to himself.

"L-look! It's raining!"

"I can't believe it!"

"A miracle! We are saved!"

Sometimes, those who lose hope can seek it in the smallest of misconceptions. These beliefs were even further strengthened by ignorance.

The burden fell on those that who could see past these miss conceptions.

Cain's face turned even more grim as the wind speed picked up.

Evangeline who had disappeared back into the shadow after last battle suddenly reappeared.

"Trouble is coming." She said, her words dripping with ill omen.

"Why don't you ever bring good news?" Cain muttered under his breath in frustration.

Evangeline glanced at him, "Until we get across this, prepare your mind for the worst, Cain."

Cain tore his gaze from the sky and the rainfall began in earnest, beads of heavenly water dropped on their bodies and the wooden deck. Some joyfully cheered and jubilated, while others sported grim looks on their faces.

Cain's frown was evident,

"What do you mean, Evangeline?"

She shook her head, "I don't need to spell it out, do I?"

Her tone became indifferent,

"These people died because of you, believe it or not."

Cain was speechless for a moment.

Evangeline chuckled and continued, "You are guilty because you aren't strong enough. How are you going to carry the lives of so many people on your back of it isn't strong enough? Do you think this is fun and games?!"

Her voice was quiet and cold, yet it hit like a derained train. Cain scowled,

"What the fuck would you know about any of this?! When things get rough, you just up and disappear!"

Evangeline snorted derisively, "If you know the things I do for you, I bet you'd be singinya completely different tune."

Cain's scowl turned into a glare, "What the hell are you saying?!"

Now he was pissed. He could accept being blamed for these people losing their lives. The moment they had stepped on this ship, he had automatically agreed to that responsibility.

But he was giving it his all...

Evangeline stared him straight in the eye. Under the darkness of the storm clouds, her ruby eyes gave off a desolate sense of darkness...

"I'm saying you aren't doing as much as you think. You're mind is scrambled and you are everywhere at once. If you can't overcome this small of a challenge, then you .kggt as well step down and let someone else take the mantle."

Cain understood what she was saying, but didn't want to accept it.

'Are things that bad? What is it I'm missing?'

The wind picked up again, and those who mindlessly jubilated finally picked up on something. That perhaps this storm, this downpour of rain wasn't a good thing, but rather, the beginning of a disaster?

The storm began to rage, the droplets of water falling from the skyike bullets.

Many were swept off their feet, and almost thrown off board.

The ship was tossed above the waves, slamming back just seconds later. The angry waves threatened to smash the hull open at any time.

Cain finally got to witness what the humans of old had termed 'Nature's Wrath'. It truly did feel like the world itself was angry.

However, Cain could guess as to what the reason for this sudden and terrible downpour was, but that didn't matter right now. All that mattered was making sure they all got out of it alive.

The storm continued to rage on as the wind became even more and more aggressive.

Cain was beginning to feel even more worried now as he was now beginning to lose his own balance. The storm threatened to take him too.

Suddenly, Cain realized something...

'So this is what she meant?'

Against something like this, even he was powerless. So how was he going to save others? He could do nothing.

He let out a sigh...

So what is the solution?

He had to be strong enough to shield them all from the storm, to break the wind with only the strength of his back. That was what she was asking.

An incredibly tall, seemingly impossible task. A downright insane request even. But that was the reality of it.

He turned his head slightly. Now drenched in rainwater, Evangeline looked more like a washed up beauty than a prideful one.

Her usually pristine white hair was drenched, and her clothes were soaked through. Still, her eyes never wavered as she stared right into the eye of the storm.

Turning around, Cain could see numerous others like her...

Susan stood proud and tall, not summoning any magic barriers or spells to help hold the cutting winds and biting cold back.

No, she also bore the storm as well...

Jenny had her back straight, her usually kind face filled with a fierce determination, and her long hair floating behind like a war flag. Cain almost couldn't recognize her...

Hunter stood still like a statue, seemingly unbothered, his piercing eyes cutting through the haze of the storm, his gaze like a sharp knife.

Steve desperately held onto the railings, trying not to get flung over. Still, his face was filled with determination. Or fear. Or birth perhaps...

The rest also stood their grounds in their own way, forming an impregnable windbreaker that reduced the force of the wind for those behind them, who in turn did the same for those behind.

'I see...'

Evangeline smiled lightly, turning her gazes back to him,

"For now, whole your back isn't big, or strong enough, let us help you share that burden."

Cain was speechless once again. Staring at Evangeline for a while, the words poured out of his mouth without him knowing,

"Why do you believe in me so much?"

Cain had no idea why she would think so highly of him.

Through the storm, she found it difficult to express herself, and yet her intentions pushed through without fail,

"I don't know."

Cain wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

"That isn't a very good answer, you know."

She shrugged, "Was it meant to be?"

Cain shook his head, "Not at all."

Against such a force of nature, they could only bear. Doing any other thing could probably lead to a disaster.

'One step at a time until by back is wide enough, huh... I'd have to become as huge as a mountain to stop something of this level, huh.' Cain chuckled to himself.

Gwendolyn continent its perilous voyage through the storm...

During this period, perhaps also scared off by the ferocity of storm, whatever abominations that lurked within the waters refused to show up.

Gripping onto the iron railings, Cain kept his foot grounded. If he fell, everything he stood for would go down the drain as well.

Was it possible for him to become a symbol of strength?

He had no doubts about his mortality. Perhaps one of these days, he would finally meet his match and die with a spear plunged into his back, or an arrow shooting through his eyesockets.

Just thinking about it made him feel uneasy, yet thrilled...

It was strange, his thoughts...

But they were who he was. So he couldn't be scared, nor could he afford to not become better. If he didn't, he would die.

And even worst, his ideals would die too.

He would not be able to unite the world and the humans would be hunted down and decimated by the Devils until every last one of them was torn apart.

That was when it would be truly game over.

And so, with a soul brewing with storms, Cain braved through the storm, his heart many times heavier, yet his shoulders a thousand times lighter...

"Thank you."