Battlefields on Every Front

On the Death Announcer, whose sails bore a Black Tombstone, Slaughterer Kircheis hurried up to a middle-aged man so pale he looked ready to rot at any moment and reported:

"Captain, Pann from the Church of Combat has stopped The Black Emperor... But our First through Fourth Fleets haven't arrived on time, and we don't know why. Only the Fifth Fleet has reached the nearby waters and contacted us."

The middle-aged man was Agalito, the King of Immortality. With a bounty of 100,000 pounds from a single nation, he was an exceedingly cautious Pirate King who had never confronted an official Demigod head-on.

As a result, everyone who had once opposed him—pirates, adventurers, even a naval fleet—had perished. Only he and the other three members of the Four Kings were still alive.

Agalito pondered for a moment. Seeing that the Pale Saintess had changed course, he ordered, "Have the Fifth Fleet circle around and intercept her on her new heading with everything they've got. The Death Announcer will pursue from behind."

"But... the King ordered us to stop the Pale Admiral at any cost. She could break through the Fifth Fleet..." Kircheis said hesitantly.

"I'm back aboard my ship! I'm the King of Immortality now!" Agalito stared at Kircheis, stressing every word.

"Yes... Captain!" Cold sweat broke out on Kircheis's forehead. Seeing that the Death Announcer raised no objection, he bowed and went to relay the order.

Only after Kircheis had gone did Agalito let out a muffled grunt. A large chunk of rotten flesh fell from his face. Ignoring it, he spoke to the "air" through lips that now leaked breath:

"I know you want to please Him... So do I!

"But we can't stake our lives on it! Four fleets have lost contact. Something we never anticipated has