A/N: Hey everyone, it's been a while. For those who are still following the fic, thank you for your patience. These past 10 months have been stressful, to say the very least. With the backdrop of COVID and being put on high-alert for a deployment (that ended up not happening), I was also dealing with the last course I needed for my degree. I ripped, I tore, and I finally got it done. Now that I've gotten over my stress-induced writer's block, I finally bring you the next chapter.

Ardent, Remiferia

Klaudia von Auslese adjusted her wig for the umpteenth time, making sure there were no stray strands of fake blonde locks sticking up on top of her head. She was no stranger to wigs, having worn them at various points in her life out of necessity. This was one such time, as she was attending an Orbal Technology Symposium in a foreign country as a guest of honor and didn't want to be the subject of tabloids for going out at night.

What she did have trouble with was wearing contact lenses. The technology behind them still needed refinements, and the pair Julia had given her wasn't quite the perfect fit. The way they pressed on her eyeballs was just a little off, enough to be uncomfortable but not enough to hurt, forcing her to blink more often than usual. Every once in a while, her blinks had just enough force to shift her contacts and turn at least part of her world blue until a follow-up blink would move them back into place. It was a battle she was doomed to repeat until this meeting ended.

Klaudia respected Julia and loved her like a sister, but she felt going to such lengths to disguising herself and maintain secrecy was one of the Royal Guard CO's more questionable decisions. She made a mental note to discuss this problem with Julia on the way back to Liberl, as part of what the Royal Guard and the military as a whole referred to as "After-Action Reviews". In the meantime, she had to contend with the uncomfortable disguise as well as the grating behavior of the young man in front of her.

Lechter Arundel, an old schoolmate and (as it turns out) an Imperial intelligence operative, wore no disguise and seemed content in teasing Klaudia intermittently about her facade. If it were not for her uncomfortable guise as well as the nature of their meeting, Klaudia would have found the shared meal in the high-class restaurant an enjoyable experience.

"Kloe, what's this I've heard about you taking control of the military from your granny?" Lechter asked after swallowing a piece of his steak. "Don't tell me you took a page out of Richard's playbook?"

"I may be heir to the throne, but I am in no way desperate to usurp Grandmother's place, especially not via a coup," Klaudia retorted. "If you actually took time to read the news instead of philandering, you would have known that this was a planned arrangement: a way to prepare me for the throne."

"Oh, come on. Who's got the time to sift through all those boring rags anyway? It's not like I can afford to import every single edition of Liberl News anyway," Lechter said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, all that political crap has to get watered down for the common rabble before the papers will publish them. I want to hear it straight from the horse's mouth."

Remember. One-for-one trade. Klaudia rubbed her temple, shifting her contacts back into place for the umptieth time.

"Since you asked so politely, allow me to enlighten you. The National Security Committee was proposed shortly after Alan Richard's failed coup, but did not fully come into being until…until after the Orbal Shutdown Phenomenon." Klaudia had to stop herself from bringing up Phantasma, considering how only herself and fifteen others had been involved in that particular travesty and that Lechter had not been one the fifteen. She began reciting the same phrases she had parroted to the press countless times ever since Grandmother had appointed her to the position. "Its purpose is to ensure the royal family's control over the armed forces and to facilitate national defence from a multi-stakeholder approach, thereby preventing another coup from happening. By constitutional stipulation, the chairman of the committee…"

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever," Lechter interrupted. "Just get to the meat of it."

"The chairman is normally the ruling monarch, but Grandmother made an exception and gave me the job instead," Klaudia sighed. "However, I still report to Grandmother who remains commander-in-chief of the armed forces. It's just that I take a more direct role managing the military in her place."

"What? So you're like what we Imperials call a Minister of War or a general or something now?" Lechter swirled his wine suspiciously in his glass. "I bet you'd look real sexy in a uniform, especially with your disguise."

"No, my position is simply Chairman of the National Security Committee, and I wear no uniform," Klaudia said flatly, trying to not get too riled up by Lechter's boorish behaviour. "I exercise operational command of the military to a degree, but mainly deal with budgetary and procurement concerns."

"Let me guess, Cassius Bright is also on the committee," Lechter asked, leaning forward in his seat. "Who else?"

"Lechter, I believe this is a separate matter that requires you to disclose something first," Klaudia replied. "It is a one-for-one trade of information, after all."

"Okay, okay. Just testing ya. Besides, what I'm about to say does concern General Bright to a certain degree." Lechter's playful expression turned serious. "More specifically, that missing persons case involving his daughter and his…what do I even call that handsome, raven-haired devil? General Bright's long-term houseguest? Future son-in-law?"

Klaudia's breath caught in her throat, and it was her turn to lean forward in her seat. Lechter knew something about Estelle and Joshua? Could it be that they had somehow been kidnapped and secreted to Erebonia? What would it cost her – no, cost Liberl to repatriate them? How did the Empire even capture them in the first place? Her mind buzzed with questions and worry as she eagerly awaited what Lechter would reveal next.

"Anyway, we have a strict 'Detain & Deport' order for those two Bracers since they would have to had entered Erebonia illegally. Considering their relation to that walking existential threat to Erebonia known as Cassius Bright, the Chancellor has put up quite the bounty for their arrest. Plus, there isn't really a limit to how long they'd be detained for," Lechter said. "I doubt the handful of Bracers still in Erebonia would be willing to betray their own, but it's sure got the security establishment chomping at the bit. I don't have a grudge against those two, and I doubt Claire does either. But damn is Osborne dangling a massive pie in front of our faces."

"You're not seriously thinking of throwing them in a prison and torturing them, are you?" Klaudia blurted out. "Estelle and Joshua are good people. They'd have no reason to conduct any sort of criminal activity, let alone enter your country illegally."

"I'm not, but there's no telling what the RMP or the rest of the Intelligence Division have in store," Lechter said. "Erebonia has a lot of problems to deal with, but we also have a lot of people to throw at said problems. Besides, it's not like the Imperial Army slacked off during the manhunt or anything. Prince Olivert has a personal stake in the case too, you know."

"And did you find them?" Klaudia asked. "Are they in the Empire?"

"Nope. No body parts in the wilderness, no rumored sightings, not even a single footprint. In this humble Erebonian's opinion, they never left Calvard, alive or otherwise," Lechter replied. "The Chancellor is just looking for excuses to defame Cassius Bright and Liberl as a whole. With the civil war over, Osborne wants to turn Erebonia's attention outwards as a twisted way for the country to move on. Calvard will always be Enemy Number One, of course, but Liberl is a close second."

Klaudia nodded, feeling relieved that two of her closest friends weren't rotting in some Imperial prison but also disappointed that they hadn't been found yet. But there were greater problems at hand, namely the newly emboldened Erebonian Empire that seemed to be back on the warpath. This wasn't the moment to let personal sentiments surface.

"Well, I've said my piece. It's your turn again," Lechter took out an envelope and dropped it in front of Klaudia. He took out several photos, and her eyes widened at their contents. "Care to explain? Seems like you guys don't even take your own Non-Aggression Pact seriously."

Now is not the time for weakness, Klaudia held up the photos in front of her face, hiding a smirk. Riposte and get back on the offensive.

"Lechter, why are you showing me something I already know?" Klaudia asked as she lowered the photos. "After all, the Imperial spies we deported carried the very memory quartz these photos were stored on. Such dastardly behaviour, by the way. Using two young girls for your dirty work."

"That still doesn't explain…"

"Do you seriously think Liberl would remain complacent after an attempted coup, having our capital sacked by well-equipped terrorists, and watch helplessly as Crossbell is similarly ravaged before being unceremoniously annexed?" Klaudia asked. "If only those spies waited patiently for another week or actually bothered reading the local news, they would have had all the information they needed without being caught and deported. Read my lips: non-aggression does not mean embracing weakness…"

Cove

To minimize risk of being swept out to sea, the team had decided to wait until low tide to advance onto the sandbar. Having never encountered the Drowned Crew before, on top of her own past experience with the undead and fear of ghosts, Estelle was particularly nervous about the fight. Joshua tried his best to be a calming presence for her, but he had his own worries about the foe. Unlike Reynauld and Dismas who had faced the Drowned Crew in their native environment, Joshua had only faced them in that bizarre void conjured by whatever force had warped the Farmstead into its current state. There was no context nor terrain to work off of, and no accurate assessment on the enemy's capabilities, which was why he and Estelle pored over the sandbar map, marking any potential ambush spots.

There were plenty of those.

Aside from the wrecked ships where Drowned Thralls surely resided in addition to harboring their quarry, Reynauld and Dismas had informed them that the Drowned Crew also loved to ambush unaware adventurers out of the assorted lagoons that dotted the sandbar. Even an ankle-deep puddle was a potential hiding spot for the enemy if it was wide enough, which meant the team had to be extremely vigilant and remain together.

Still, the Bracer couple did think of one solution. It involved casting a particular water Art known as Crystal Flood to freeze the puddles, with the two alternating casting duties to cover as much ground as possible. Although a determined enough enemy would still break through eventually, he and Estelle figured the ice sheets would narrow down the Drowned Crew's movements to something more predictable. Hopefully it would give them enough time for Reynauld to do his thing and put the enemy down for good.

While the couple studied the map, Joshua heard Reynauld intermittently chanting. The Crusader was rehearsing for the rites which would permanently sever the Drowned Crew's link to the mortal world. He was trying to commit every last syllable of the lengthy sacrament to memory in preparation for his role in the battle. Every once in a while, Reynauld would fumble and castigate himself until Dismas came up to him and put a reassuring hand on the Crusader's shoulder. The act would be occasionally reinforced by Dismas engaging in conversation with Reynauld, partly to get the Crusader to relax and partly to refine parts of their plan.

Two brothers in arms. Could have been Loewe and me in another life. Joshua spared the two a glance before turning his attention to Estelle who was once again poring over the map with an intense gaze he had only seen once or twice in his life. He snuck a hand over hers, giving it a gentle squeeze. They exchanged smiles before going over their own battle plan, just like they would always do before a monster extermination request. Then there's Estelle and me. Words can't describe how much we've been through, and how much we've come along.

Two sets of partners, each with their own bonds. By the Goddess we will succeed.

After a while, the two halves of the team met back up to combine their separate battle plans into one. Soon after that, Dismas gave a thumbs-up after peeking out the cave mouth.

"Low tide's here," Dismas called out after looking out the cave exit. "Let's go."

The team formed a square, with Joshua and Estelle in the front plus Reynauld and Dismas following close behind. They filed through the cave opening onto the sandbar which was littered with barnacle-encrusted wrecks and ankle-deep lagoons. Joshua inhaled deeply, instinctively savoring the fresh air - a far cry from the musky, rotting smell within the cave. Yet he could hardly relax. His eyes darted frantically among the brackish pools and wrecks, fighting to keep his breathing even as he scrutinized every shadow for potential enemy attack. A hum rang out next to him, the telltale sign of Estelle's ARCUS beginning its lengthy casting sequence.

Joshua could already make out shapes stirring amidst the splintered ships. Soon, the closest one spat out several Drowned Thralls which then lumbered towards them.

"Contact left!" Joshua called out, and Dismas wasted no time in shooting one of the lumbering corpses. The gunshot detonated a particularly bloated Drowned Thrall and took out several others along with it. Yet more poured out of the derelict hulks, looking far fresher and nimbler than the ones they'd encountered so far. They rapidly shuffled forward, brandishing swords, bare fists, or even exposed arm bones sharpened to a point. As the drowned dead multiplied, sweat began trickling down Joshua's face, exacerbated by Estelle's own anxiety and heavy breathing.

Come on…come on… Joshua braced himself, blades at the ready.

After what felt like an eternity, Estelle cast her Art. A frozen river flanked by jagged ice crystals sprung into existence in front of her, trapping the charging dead in place. Moments later, the entire ice bank exploded and shredded the enemy. As the dust settled, Joshua saw that the lagoons in front of Estelle had indeed been frozen over, albeit not as thickly as Joshua had hoped.

"Move up!" Joshua called out as he and Estelle took their first steps forward, with their two companions following close behind. Even with the small lagoons frozen over, the team didn't take their chances and went around instead. Already there was more shuffling and moaning coming from within the wrecks, accompanied by a loud bang from Dismas' pistol.

"Right between the eyes," the Highwayman quipped.

Come on, come on, wherever you are. Joshua thought as he scanned the lagoons, frozen or otherwise, for any signs of their quarry. A shadow stirred in the hole of a shattered hull, and Joshua responded in kind via a well-aimed throwing knife. A fallen Drowned Thrall tumbled out, the knife buried up to the hilt in its left eye.

"Not bad," Dismas said. "Guess he's keeping the knife?"

"Yes," Joshua replied curtly. "No way I'd want that back."

Despite the team's best efforts, the tide of drowned corpses swelled, with the recently dead at the forefront. The team went back-to-back, having advanced far enough to be surrounded by the enemy. Joshua saw some unfrozen lagoons further ahead and readied his own Art.

"Here I go," he called out. "Cover me!"

"Dismas and Estelle, protect Joshua's flanks!" Reynauld ordered as he braced himself, sword at the ready. "I shall be rearguard."

Shot after shot rang out as Joshua stared intently ahead, waiting for his Art to cast. Yet despite Dismas' best efforts, there was only so much firepower he could dish out with a few flintlocks and their tedious reloading process.

"Hey, pus sacks!" Estelle called out, crushing a Drowned Thrall's skull with her staff. "I'm the one you want!"

The air became frantic with the moans of the dead and the battle cry of the still living. Heads were lopped off, skulls were crushed, and daggers found home in necks or eyes. Through their shared Combat Link, Joshua could feel Estelle's fear fading, burned to ash by her searing determination and rage. Before long, Joshua finally cast his own Art. The charging horde were torn apart, and the few remaining lagoons were caked over with ice. The team soon turned their attention to assisting Reynauld in pacifying the risen dead, and the sandbank was silent once more.

"Excellent work, friends," Reynauld said as the team scanned their surroundings. "But do not think this is a respite, for we are in the middle of unholy ground."

The team fell silent, each one scanning the sandbar for signs of their enemy... yet there was nothing but the howling ocean wind. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw how stiff Estelle's stance was and the subtle shaking at the tip of her staff. Knowing her recent experience with the undead and her fear of ghosts, Joshua wasn't surprised but it nevertheless upset him to see her like this.

Yet she pushes on…

A violent thud caught Joshua's attention, and he noticed that one of the frozen lagoons suddenly sported a large series of cracks. Then came some more. Finally, the ice covering one of the lagoons completely gave way and a barnacle-caked rowboat crashed through the surface. Something shot towards Estelle's exposed flank, only for Joshua to intercept it in with a loud, crisp clang. The offending object, a jagged boathook covered in equal parts rust and dried blood and attached to a pole infested with undulating worms, was quickly pulled back via a rope attached to the end. Joshua traced the rope to its source.

The Drowned Crew was just like Joshua remembered from his ordeal at the Farmstead. What colour remained from their waterlogged clothing accentuated their moist, pallid skin, their eyes and mouths glowing with a chilly blue light. The same blue glow emanated from inscriptions stenciled onto the cursed anchor and chain which bound them to the rotting boat. The most ornately dressed of them, the captain of the vessel, gazed upon them with his hollow lifeless eyes. Sizing us up for his kill, most likely.

"Remember the plan!" Reynauld dropped to one knee and began rifling through the contents of his backpack. "Keep them distracted as I prepare the enemy's last rites!"

By Joshua's standards, it was a straightforward plan. Keep the pressure on the Drowned Crew and land a few cuts, but not enough to force the enemy to retreat and lick their wounds in the ocean depths for Goddess-knows-how-long. Not until Reynauld could execute what passed for this world's version of Septian Church Thaumatology and destroy the cursed chain, at least.

Whether the plan would be easy to execute was another matter entirely. Reynauld had stated multiple times that the rites would require both time and his undivided attention. That meant the Crusader was vulnerable and depended on the others to protect him during the process. It didn't help that the process was overly complicated in Joshua's opinion; something involving a protective circle made of blessed salt, a whole lot of chanting and praying, sacred oils, and momentarily taking Dismas out of the fight because the final part of the ritual required two people. All Joshua could do was stand by Estelle's side and hold the line while trusting Reynauld with the last rites. The team quickly formed a protective circle around Reynauld, anticipating the slog ahead.

As the ghostly sailor pulled back his boat hook, the captain pulled out a long-depleted bottle and tilted it back. Dismas took a potshot, plugging a sailor in the chest to little effect.

"Drink…with us…" said the captain before the boat vanished beneath the surface, drenching the adventurers in icy cold water.

"The hell did he mean by that?" Estelle asked, shivering as she wrung out water from her clothes.

"Bastard just wants to psych us out, just like that Prophet we iced when you first showed up," Dismas replied. "Every freak in this hellhole has their own way to mess with our heads."

"Stay sharp, everyone!" Joshua called out as more thuds echoed throughout the sandbar, each coming from a different direction, with cracks appearing in multiple lagoons. Despite the enemy trying to break through from all directions, he was as calm as he can be. He felt his girlfriend's returning anxiety seep through their Combat Link, but let it wash over him. He held his swords in a relaxed and firm grip, his breathing even, and his mind focused on what his sharpened senses were telling him, prepared to react.

"Hah, so much for taking us by surprise," Dismas said as the pounding continued. "Good call on the ice, kids – erm, no offence."

"None taken," Estelle and Joshua said in unison.

A lagoon in front of Joshua suddenly exploded, forcing him to shield his eyes from harm. He heard the sound of shattering ice again, followed immediately by an unnatural deathly cold slamming into him through Estelle's Combat Link. The sensation lasted a brief second before the link was severed by his ARCUS' emergency override. Despite his best efforts to stay calm, Joshua immediately knew something was terribly wrong.

"No…" Joshua muttered in horror as he turned.

Thick anchor chain was wrapped tightly around Estelle's body and neck, slowly choking and crushing the life out of her. The chain was coated in a layer of frost, which was quickly spreading over Estelle's clothes and skin. As for Estelle, her eyes bulged out of her head as she weakly reached for Joshua, her mouth desperately trying to draw breath.

I can't lose her like this! Not so soon!

"Feel…our pain…" the captain said as he took another phantom swig. "…pain of betrayal."

Joshua was running on pure instinct, not wanting to see Estelle being strangled and frozen for another second. A quick glance showed Reynauld kneeling in prayer and appeared to be consecrating a canvas sack. The Crusader didn't seem to be anywhere close to ready, so he acted.

"You're…" Joshua dashed towards the source of the chain, yet another ghostly crewman. "…finished!"

Two slashes in the blink of an eye, and the undead sailor sank beneath the lagoon along with the rest of the boat. As quickly as he'd attacked, Joshua retreated to check on Estelle. She was on all fours, shivering and hacking her lungs out.

"Estelle! Are you all right?" Joshua put a hand on her back, only to feel a force grab his jacket. A rough tug turned him to face a particularly irate Dismas.

"Weren't you paying bloody attention? The Drowned Crew will only remain still if the anchor is latched onto a victim!" Dismas barked as Joshua shook him loose. "Reynauld needed the time to complete the ritual circle! You could have botched the chance to put them down for good!"

"I fought these things back at the Farmstead too! They'll come back," Joshua said through gritted teeth. "Besides, do you honestly think —"

"Watch out!" Estelle called out, followed by another clang as Estelle swatted something aside. Then she stepped between Joshua and Dismas.

"Joshua, I know you're worried about me, but you need to trust Reynauld to do his thing! I've fought by his side before and he's never let me down." Estelle tried to reassure him before turning to Dismas. "And you need to go easy on Joshua. I would have been in even more of a rush if it was him being choked out. Now both of you need stop squabbling and focus on the job!"

A clang sounded as Joshua parried yet another boat hook strike, followed up by a shot from Dismas.

"We'll settle this later," Joshua said, only to be met by a shrug from the Highwayman.

Before Joshua could cast an Art to soften up the Drowned Crew, it sank beneath the surface again. Suddenly, he felt the wind being knocked out of him from the side.

"Joshua!" Estelle wheezed as she was wrapped up by the anchor chain once more, having taken the blow meant for him.

"Shore…party…close up…" the captain said as a ghostly sailor furiously rang the bell clutched in his hand. "Protect…the…ship…"

Like clockwork, more Drowned Thralls shuffled out of the surf. The sandbank was once again filled with the groans of the waterlogged revenants.

"Shite! Of course things have to get bloody complicated!" Dismas said. "Reynauld's on the move. Protect him!"

Joshua first glanced at Estelle, then at Reynauld and Dismas who were already stepping away. With a grunt of frustration, he forced himself to dash away from her drowning form and join the others. Reynauld's pace was slow and steady as he poured the blessed salt onto the sand; both the Drowned Crew and their Thralls spared in no effort in trying to attack him.

Don't target the anchorman. Dash, slash, retreat. Joshua bit his lips as he tried to avert his gaze from Estelle, but it was impossible to tune out those sounds that should never be coming out of her mouth. He and Dismas worked in concert, taking turns parrying the boathook and putting down the Drowned Thralls converging on Reynauld.

Don't target the anchorman! Dash, slash, retreat. He tried to fall back on the tricks and techniques that had been taught to him to regain composure, but even a stray glance at Estelle was enough to shatter it. No more shots rang out from Dismas, who was crushing skulls with his pistol in one hand and stabbing eye sockets with his dagger in the other.

Don't. Target. The. Anchorman! Even as he tried to avoid the ghost who was actually strangling Estelle, Joshua can feel his attacks becoming more frantic and less focused. Any semblance of calm was merely hanging by a bare thread. It felt like an eternity had passed, yet Reynauld was only halfway around the lagoon and the horde showed no sign of thinning.

What's taking you so long? Joshua bit his lips as he slashed and stabbed as his world became silent. He struck out like a wounded animal, trying to use his blades to distract himself from the images in his mind.

Images of Karin's last moments as she bled out and of Estelle's agonized drowning face while her struggles weakened. The horrid memories and sensations melded together, making Joshua sloppy and panic even more than before. A missed parry here, a failed dodge there, always followed by the salty sting of a new gouge in his flesh.

"Dismas!" Reynauld called out after what felt like hours, shaking Joshua out of his reverie. He retreated out of the way before the boathook could tear another chunk out of him. A quick glance down showed jagged cuts on his jacket, the fabric stained by blood weeping from his wounds. The horde that had tried to take down Reynauld lay in dismembered piles, the lagoon was surrounding by a ring of salt. That, plus the fact he was next to Estelle again, meant Reynauld had successfully made the circuit and completed that part of the ritual.

"You look like shite," the Highwayman tapped Joshua on the shoulder. "Anyway, that's my cue. We're almost done, so don't bite it before our big win."

"Do you hear that, Estelle? We're almost there." Joshua grit his teeth as he deflected another blow from the boathook, trying to keep his gaze forward and avoid looking at Estelle's blue face or how her eyes have rolled backwards into her skull. "Please, just hang in there. I…I don't want to lose you."

Moments later, there was the sound of scraping flint, followed by something igniting and the jangling of chains. Meanwhile, the captain of the Drowned Crew locked his eyes with Joshua. To his surprise, there was no malice in the ghost's eyes, only pain and desperation.

Just like Loewe right after what happened in Hamel.

"Treachery…runs…in his family…stabbed in the back…we were, and so will you…"

"Restless spirits, head my call!" Reynauld's voice rang out, interrupting the ghostly captain. The Crusader and Dismas strode towards the Drowned Crew with faithful determination. As the Crusader held a scroll in front of him, the Highwayman followed close behind, swinging a censer filled to the brim with burning incense.

Evidently seeing Reynauld as the bigger threat, the Drowned Crew turned their attention away from Joshua and towards the Crusader. A thrust from the enemy's boathook was parried in time by Joshua, followed by another and another. The staccato clanging of metal echoed throughout the air as Joshua parried the enemy's blows and followed up with his own blades.

A sick gargling sounded, and Joshua caught glimpses of Estelle reaching out to him out of the corner of his eye. Memories of his sister's death played out in his mind once more, which Joshua did his hardest to quash. Don't worry. It'll all be over soon.

"I know thee. Thou hast been cast aside, wronged and damned. Yet the hexed anchor and these cursed chains still bound thee to this existence," Reynauld recited, taking care to dwell on every syllable as he put away the scroll and unsheathed his sword. "By the Light's radiance, I shall free thee today!"

Amidst the cloud of consecrated smoke coming out of Dismas' censer, Reynauld whipped out a bottle from his pack with practiced ease. The enemy's thrusts became more frantic, and Joshua found it increasingly difficult to keep up his parries and blocks. Estelle…I know you'll keep holding on. Hurry up, Reynauld!

Unharried, Reynauld mumbled what appeared to be prayers as he dumped some kind of fragrant oil onto his sword. With a mighty roar, Reynauld delivered a downwards cut. Amidst a deafening clang, the link shattered. Instead of reforming like Joshua had remembered from his Farmstead experience, the remainder of the chain and the anchor itself crumbled into dust. The newly freed Estelle collapsed on her knees, gagging and sucking in deep breaths. Joshua wasted no time in rushing to her side to make sure she was all right.

"Joshua… don't worry about me…first things first," Estelle said in between sickly coughs, wiping water and mucus from her mouth. She then pulled out her ARCUS and cast a Tear on Joshua. He gasped in relief as he felt the crispy cool effects of the healing Art mending his wounds together.

"Now…go do your thing," Estelle smiled before turning her attention to Reynauld and Dismas. "Hey! Clear the way!"

Joshua nodded then turned his gaze towards the Drowned Crew. With the destruction of the cursed anchor binding the Drowned Crew to the land of the living, it was finally time to unleash his full power. Phantom Raid was his most devastating technique, a perfect blend of speed, precision, and strength. He had first created the Craft as a child assassin with Ouroboros, then continued to perfect it as a Bracer on a never-ending journey for improvement. Now it was time to bring it to bear so the Drowned Crew can finally rest.

"I am an illusion, a dance of light and shadow," Joshua got on one knee, centering himself for the attack he would soon unleash. "I'll banish you! Phantom Raid!"

The world seemingly ground to a halt, frozen in a silent snapshot of the moment Joshua dashed forward. A wave hung in mid air like a sculpture and droplets of water were suspended like glass beads, let alone the other combatants who were as still as statues. The stillness of the world was first only broken by Joshua's calm, even breathing, then by a series of dry thwacks as Joshua struck each ghostly seaman exactly once. The Zemurian Ore blades cut through necrotic flesh and bone as if they were simply hot butter, with severed limbs dangling in midair like morbid ornaments. Then, Joshua unleashed a furious flurry of thrusts and slashes, his swords severing several more pieces of reanimated cadaver. They added to the collection of suspended severed body parts around the Drowned Crew, like a macabre parody of an orrery.

Finally, for the last act of Phantom Raid, Joshua retreated.

As Joshua landed on the sand next to Estelle and let out a long shaking breath, the sights and sounds rushed in as the world around him resumed running. A wave crashed onto the sandbar, just as the Drowned Crew collapsed into their boat in pieces. The boat simply drifted on the lagoon surface, with no signs of movement within.

"Is it over?" Estelle asked.

"Be on thy guard," Reynauld held up his sword. "Spread out and advance on the boat."

The team cautiously crept up to the lagoon, their weapons at the ready. Joshua was the first one to get a good look inside, at the pile of bones that showed no sign of unlife save for the fading glow in the captain's eyes.

"Thank…you…lad…be…ware…"

Then the light in his eyes faded for good.

"Well, that takes care of that," Dismas said. "Let's get the hell out of here."

Not wanting to spend any more time on that accursed sandbar, the team quickly retreated into the caverns. They retraced their steps through the tunnels, eagerly awaiting the moment they could re-emerge on the other side of the Cove and be on the way back to the Hamlet.

"Nice work back there, Joshua," Estelle beamed, seemingly trying to banish the tedium of the return trip. "I know seeing me being strangled and drowned was horrifying for you, but I'm glad you kept your cool. I knew you would."

"Thanks…Estelle…" Joshua found himself slightly slurring. He chalked it up to being worn out after his first major battle outside the Farmstead.

"Boy, I can't wait until we're back at the Hamlet. Can't stand all this grime and salt anymore," Estelle grunted in disgust. "First round's on Dismas!"

The Highwayman must have complained. Whether he did so in jest mattered not to Joshua who found it increasingly difficult to keep his eyes open. Am I really that tired?

With the hallucination of someone singing, he must be.

"Joshua, wait! That's the wrong way!"

The voice sounded so far away, drowned out more and more by a beautiful melodic singing that compelled Joshua to get closer and closer. He was just tired…so tired after that battle…

"Joshua, come back!"

"Joshua?"

A/N: In addition to my usual beta, I'd like to give a shout-out to K'Arthur for helping me iron out the segment at the beginning with Kloe and Lechter. She has a far better grasp on their character dynamic than the antisocial workaholic that is me.

Fun fact: I originally wanted the Drowned Crew to slowly and ominously row out of the mist while singing a Darkest Dungeon version of Barrett's Privateers. Unfortunately that stressful period in the middle of 2020 rendered that idea dead in the water.