The pirates obeyed Edwina almost without question. As soon as the Iceberg Admiral finished speaking, they jumped into the opening blasted by Solar Flame, using it to reach the bottom of the ship quickly.
Only after Sifa had gone down did Edwina leap into the opening. At this dangerous moment, the Iceberg Admiral resolutely took on the responsibility of bringing up the rear.
After all, the Underworld Emperor's Descendant might still be there and could appear at any moment. Whoever went last would have to shoulder an enormous risk.
They ran through the bottom of the ship, passing one wooden door after another, retracing their route toward the opening deep inside the hold that led outside.
Just as the opening came into view a short distance away, Sifa's vision abruptly darkened. Everything around him suddenly became deathly silent, dark, and cold.
It was as though he had suddenly entered some mausoleum deep underground, as though coffins, some upright and some lying flat, were hidden in the surrounding darkness, as though the rotting dead lying inside them were struggling to rise...
An indescribable terror coiled around his warm heart like an icy python.
He could not hear the others or see any light. Dense black vapor spread like smog, flowing slowly until it enveloped and entwined him, threatening to leave him utterly lost.
Just then.
A sharp pain shot through Sifa's arm, as though someone had bitten him. He abruptly came to his senses and found that he was still inside the ship, still running.
He saw Edwina, the Iceberg Admiral's face grave. Then, from behind him, farther back inside the ship, Sifa heard a series of sounds unlike anything a human could make.
Hah, hah, hah!
Sifa instinctively wanted to glance back.
Edwina's stern shout rang in his ear. **"Don't