Chapter 1: Betrayal in the Depths
"Is this it? Is this really my end?"
Those words echoed in Rein's mind as his brother's foot pressed down harder against his fingers, grinding them into the rocky edge of the cliff.
In this world, classes existed—fundamental paths that defined a person's strength and purpose. The common ones were known to all: Mage, Swordsman, Healer, and Assassin. These were the foundations upon which kingdoms were built, the backbone of every army and adventuring party across the continents.
But those were merely the beginning.
Hidden in the shadows of legend and myth were the advanced classes, so rare that some people lived their entire lives without ever meeting someone who possessed one. These were the classes that shaped history: Hero, Shadow Assassin, White Mage, Court Magician, Holy Healer, Dark Healer, Poison Creator, and the rarest of them all—Phantom Assassin.
Only seven people in recorded history had ever achieved the Phantom Assassin class.
Rein Claymore was the eighth.
At twenty-three years old, he stood as the second strongest human on the entire continent of Raythorn. His name was whispered in taverns, sung in ballads, and feared by criminals across the land. Rein the Phantom, they called him. The Invisible Blade. The Shadow That Kills.
The world itself was vast beyond measure, divided into seven great continents: Preits, Yuma, Powentey, Lionera, Zerit, Raythorn, and the mysterious seventh continent that no map dared to name. Each landmass was home to countless kingdoms, empires, and civilizations, all vying for power and resources.
Raythorn was no ordinary continent. It stood as the second most powerful landmass in the known world, surpassed only by the legendary Zerit—a place so dangerous that even S-rank adventurers thought twice before setting foot on its shores. The Claymore Empire, which ruled the eastern portion of Raythorn, was considered one of the five great powers of the continent.
And Rein Claymore was a prince of that empire.
His older brother, Ray Claymore, was the crown prince—the chosen heir to their father's throne. Ray was twenty-six, three years Rein's senior, and he possessed one of the most coveted hidden classes in existence: Hero.
The Hero class was legendary. It granted immense strength, the favor of the people, and special resistances against dark magic and curses. Heroes were meant to be paragons of virtue, champions of justice, and protectors of the weak.
But Ray Claymore was none of those things.
Three years ago, everything had been different.
Rein remembered those days clearly—simpler times when he and Ray would spar in the training grounds, laughing and competing like normal brothers. Ray had always been competitive, always needed to win, but back then it had seemed harmless. Just the natural rivalry between siblings.
But something changed when Rein achieved his Phantom Assassin class at age twenty.
It happened during a mission to eliminate a bandit lord who had been terrorizing villages along the southern border. Rein had been a regular Assassin class at the time, skilled but unremarkable compared to the true powerhouses of the continent.
The bandit lord turned out to be far more dangerous than intelligence had suggested. He was actually a fallen knight who had achieved the Dark Knight class, and he had slaughtered Rein's entire squad within minutes.
Rein should have died that day.
But as he lay bleeding on the ground, watching his comrades fall one by one, something awakened inside him. A voice—ancient and cold—whispered secrets of the shadow realm. His body moved on pure instinct, his blade finding angles that shouldn't have existed, striking from positions that defied physics.
When he came back to himself, the Dark Knight was dead, and a notification had appeared before his eyes:
[Congratulations! You have achieved the Hidden Class: Phantom Assassin]
News of his achievement spread like wildfire. The youngest person ever to achieve a hidden class. The eighth Phantom Assassin in history. Suddenly, nobles who had barely acknowledged his existence were inviting him to banquets. Kings from neighboring kingdoms were sending marriage proposals for their daughters. Even their father, Emperor Aldric Claymore, looked at him differently—with a mixture of pride and calculation.
Ray's demeanor changed overnight.
Where there had been warm smiles, there were now cold stares. Where there had been friendly competition, there was now barely concealed hostility. Ray began training obsessively, pushing himself to extremes that worried even their father.
But Rein had no interest in the throne. He never had.
His dreams were simple, almost embarrassingly mundane for someone of his status and power. He wanted to fall in love with someone genuine—not a noble lady interested in his title or power, but someone who would love him for who he was. He wanted to marry, settle down, and have a family. Three children, he had always thought. Two boys and a girl, or maybe two girls and a boy. He didn't really care which, as long as they were healthy and happy.
He wanted to watch them grow up, teach them to be kind, to be strong, to be better than he was. He wanted to grow old surrounded by people he loved, not alone on a throne he never desired.
But he never got the chance to explain this to Ray. His brother never asked, never listened. Ray had already made up his mind about what Rein wanted, and nothing could change it.
The achievements came one after another, each one driving another wedge between the brothers.
Last month, Rein had been sent to deal with a Minotaur that had been attacking merchant caravans in the northern mountains. The creature was massive—fifteen feet tall with muscles like steel cables and horns that could pierce through castle walls. It had already killed two dozen soldiers sent to subdue it.
Rein killed it in under three minutes.
The week after that, a Sea Serpent had risen from the depths of Lake Meridian, capsizing fishing boats and dragging sailors to their deaths. The local lord had sent desperate pleas for help to the capital. Rein volunteered for the mission.
He returned two days later, dragging the serpent's severed head behind his boat. The creature had been over a hundred feet long, with scales harder than iron and venom that could dissolve stone. Rein had numerous scars from the battle, but he was alive.
The Sea Serpent was not.
Then came the Lich. An ancient undead sorcerer had awakened in the Tomb of Forgotten Kings, raising an army of skeletons and zombies. The creature had been a Court Magician in life, and even in death, its magical power was devastating. Three parties of adventurers had already been wiped out attempting to stop it.
Rein went alone.
He bypassed the undead army entirely, using his Phantom abilities to slip through shadows and appear directly in the Lich's sanctum. The battle lasted hours—the Lich's powerful magic versus Rein's impossible speed and precision. In the end, Rein's blade found the phylactery that anchored the Lich's soul to the mortal realm.
When he crushed it, the Lich and its entire army crumbled to dust.
But the achievement that finally pushed Ray over the edge was the Demi-God.
No one knew why a Demi-God had descended to the mortal realm. These beings were rare—children of gods and mortals, possessing a fraction of divine power. They typically remained in the celestial realms, only appearing during world-ending crises.
This one had materialized in the middle of the capital city, demanding tribute and worship. It had the form of a massive warrior, twelve feet tall with skin like bronze and eyes that burned with golden fire. When the city guard tried to refuse its demands, it casually killed fifty men with a wave of its hand.
Their father had been preparing to negotiate, willing to give the creature whatever it wanted to protect the city. But Rein couldn't stand by and watch innocent people suffer at the whim of an arrogant divine being.
The battle had been the hardest of his life. The Demi-God's strength was overwhelming, each of its blows capable of leveling buildings. Its divine energy burned away Rein's shadow techniques, forcing him to fight in ways he had never trained for.
But Rein discovered something during that battle—his Phantom Assassin abilities weren't just about hiding in shadows. They were about existing between moments, moving through the spaces that others couldn't perceive. While the Demi-God was powerful, it was also arrogant, never imagining that a mere mortal could threaten it.
Rein struck at the perfect moment, his blade finding the one spot where divine and mortal flesh met—the Demi-God's heart. The creature's shock was almost comical as it looked down at the blade buried in its chest.
"Impossible," it whispered, before dissolving into golden motes of light.
The city erupted in celebration. Songs were written about Rein the Godslayer. Statues were commissioned. Children played games pretending to be him.
And Ray Claymore locked himself in his room for three days.
When Ray finally emerged, his eyes held something dark and final. Rein saw it immediately but didn't understand what it meant. Not yet.
"Brother," Ray had said, his voice perfectly calm. "Father wants to see us both. Something about a mission."
Rein should have known better. Should have questioned why his father would summon them through Ray instead of sending an official messenger. Should have wondered why Ray was being so cordial after weeks of cold silence.
But Rein wanted to believe his brother still cared, that there was still hope for them to repair their relationship.
So he followed Ray out of the castle, through the gardens, and up the winding mountain path that led to the Cliffs of Eternity—a scenic overlook where they had played as children.
"Do you remember this place?" Ray asked, standing near the edge and gazing out at the vista below. The cliff dropped straight down for over a thousand feet before meeting the churning ocean waters.
"Of course," Rein replied, moving to stand beside his brother. "We used to dare each other to see who could stand closest to the edge."
"You always won," Ray said quietly. "You were never afraid of falling."
"That's because I knew you'd catch me if I slipped."
Ray laughed at that—a bitter, broken sound. "Did you? Did you really believe that?"
Rein turned to look at his brother, confused by the strange tone in his voice. "Ray, what's—"
The punch came out of nowhere, enhanced by Ray's Hero-class strength. It caught Rein square in the jaw, sending him sprawling backward. Before he could recover, Ray was on top of him, raining down blows with calculated precision.
Rein tried to fight back, tried to activate his Phantom abilities, but something was wrong. His power wouldn't respond. His body felt sluggish, heavy.
"Confused?" Ray asked, pressing his boot down on Rein's hand, grinding it into the rocky ground at the cliff's edge. "The tea you drank this morning had a special ingredient—Shadow's Bane. It temporarily seals the abilities of anyone with assassination-based classes. Cost me a fortune on the black market, but it was worth every gold coin."
"Ray, what are you doing?" Rein gasped, his fingers screaming in pain as his brother's boot pressed harder.
"What I should have done a year ago," Ray hissed. "Do you have any idea what it's like? Being overshadowed by your younger brother? Every day, another report of your achievements. Every day, Father looking at you with more pride in his eyes than he's ever shown me!"
"But you're the Hero! You have the crown prince title! I never wanted—"
"LIAR!" Ray's scream echoed across the mountains. "If you didn't want recognition, why did you keep taking on impossible missions? Why did you keep winning? Why did you kill a DEMI-GOD?!"
"Because people needed help! Because it was the right thing to do!"
"The right thing?" Ray laughed again, and there was madness in his eyes now. "The right thing is for you to disappear. To stop making me look weak. To stop threatening my claim to the throne!"
"I've never threatened your claim! I don't want the throne, Ray! I never have!"
"Then what DO you want?" Ray demanded.
Rein met his brother's eyes, seeing nothing but hatred and fear reflected back at him. "I wanted my brother back," he whispered. "I wanted us to be family again."
For just a moment, something flickered in Ray's expression—regret, maybe, or sorrow. But it was gone as quickly as it appeared, replaced by cold determination.
"Dear brother," Ray said, his voice now eerily calm as he pressed his boot down harder on Rein's hand, forcing his fingers to bend backward over the cliff's edge. "You've become so very strong. But it seems like you still can't take my throne."
"But I don't have any intention to do so!" Rein defended desperately, his voice cracking.
"Oh really?" Ray sneered. "Then why pursue all those achievements? Why become so powerful that even Father looks at you and sees a better heir?"
Rein tried to speak, tried to explain about his dreams of a simple life, of love and family and peace. But the words wouldn't come. His brother was stronger than him—the Hero class granted immense physical power, and with Rein's Phantom abilities sealed by the poison, he was helpless.
Ray lifted his boot slightly, and for a heartbeat, Rein thought maybe his brother had changed his mind. Maybe somewhere deep down, the boy who had once protected him from bullies and bandaged his scraped knees still existed.
Then Ray let go of his feet and stepped back.
Rein's eyes widened as gravity took hold. His fingers scrabbled uselessly at the smooth rock, finding no purchase. He saw his brother's face above him, growing smaller as he fell—and he couldn't tell if that was triumph or anguish in Ray's expression.
The world became a blur of sky and stone and churning water rushing up to meet him.
Is this it? Is this really my end?
The thought was strangely calm, almost peaceful. All his power, all his achievements, all his dreams—none of it mattered now. He hadn't reached his goal. He would never fall in love, never marry, never have those three children he'd always imagined. Never teach them to be better than he was. Never grow old surrounded by family.
That was Rein's true intention, the dream he'd carried in his heart through every battle and mission. Not power. Not glory. Just the simple happiness of a life well-lived and love well-earned.
The ocean's surface shattered around him like glass as he plunged into its depths. The impact should have killed him instantly, but his Phantom Assassin body—though poisoned and weakened—was still far more durable than a normal human's. He felt bones crack and organs rupture, but he remained conscious as the water closed over him like a dark blanket.
He sank.
Down, down, down into the depths where sunlight couldn't reach. The pressure increased with every foot, crushing his already broken body. His lungs burned for air, but he couldn't even muster the strength to swim. The poison in his system had robbed him of everything—his power, his speed, his strength.
All he could do was sink.
The water grew darker. Colder. The sounds of the surface world faded until there was only the deep, profound silence of the abyss.
This is it, Rein thought, his consciousness beginning to fade. This is the end of my life.
He closed his eyes, ready to accept his fate.
And then he felt it.
A presence.
Something vast beyond comprehension, ancient beyond measure. It was like standing before a mountain and suddenly realizing the mountain was alive, that it was watching you with infinite patience and curiosity.
Rein's eyes snapped open.
Through the murky darkness of the deep ocean, he saw it.
A shadow so enormous that at first his mind couldn't process what he was seeing. It stretched in every direction, blocking out what little light filtered down from above. As his eyes adjusted, he began to make out details—scales the size of houses, each one shimmering with a faint bioluminescent glow. Fins that could have been mistaken for underwater mountains. A tail that seemed to extend forever into the lightless depths.
And then the eyes opened.
Two orbs of brilliant blue light, each one larger than Rein's entire body, focused on him with an intelligence that was terrifying in its intensity. They were beautiful and awful at the same time—eyes that had witnessed the birth of oceans, the rise and fall of continents, the passing of countless ages.
This was the Leviathan.
The progenitor of all sea creatures. The Eternal Terror of the Deep. The creature that sailors prayed would never notice their ships passing overhead. In a world of monsters and magic, dragons and demons, gods and Demi-Gods, there existed beings even more ancient and powerful.
The Leviathans were those beings.
And Rein was staring directly at one.
"Hey there, young man!"
The voice didn't come from outside. It resonated directly in Rein's mind, deep and oceanic, carrying the weight of millennia.
The Leviathan... spoke?
"Yes indeed, I just spoke!" The creature's mental voice carried a hint of amusement. "Surprised? Most people are. They expect me to just be a mindless beast, but I've been around since before your kind discovered fire. I should hope I've learned to communicate by now."
You can read my mind?
"In the deep ocean, at these pressures, in my domain? I can read everything about you, Rein Claymore. Your thoughts, your memories, your dreams, your regrets. I know why you fell. I know what your brother did. I know about those three children you'll never have."
Rein should have felt violated, angry at this invasion of his privacy. But he was too tired, too broken, too close to death to care.
Then you know I'm dying.
"Yes," the Leviathan agreed. "Your body is shutting down. Another minute, maybe two, and your story ends here at the bottom of the ocean. Forgotten. Unmourned. Your brother will tell everyone you fell during a mission. There will be a grand funeral. They'll erect a statue in your honor. And Ray will take the throne, and no one will ever know the truth."
So why are you talking to me? Just to watch me die? To mock me?
"Neither." The Leviathan's massive form shifted slightly, creating currents that buffeted Rein's sinking body. "I have a proposal. Actually, it's more of a desperate plea disguised as a proposal."
Despite everything, Rein felt a flicker of curiosity. What?
"I'm tired, Rein. So very, very tired. Do you know how long I've been down here? A million years. Maybe more. I've lost count of the centuries. I've watched civilizations rise and fall. I've seen species evolve and go extinct. I've outlived everything I ever cared about."
There was something profoundly sad in the Leviathan's mental voice, a weariness that went beyond physical exhaustion.
"I want to rest," it continued. "I want to sleep the final sleep, to return to the cosmic ocean from which all life springs. But I can't. Not yet. Not until I pass on my power, my essence, my legacy to a worthy successor."
A successor? You want someone to become... a Leviathan?
"Precisely! You catch on quick. I've been searching for centuries, examining every soul that sinks into my domain. But none were suitable. They were too weak, too cruel, too ambitious, too... wrong. But you..." Those massive blue eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "You might actually work."
Why me?
"Because you don't want power for power's sake. You've achieved so much, become so strong, and yet your deepest desire is just to be happy. To love and be loved. That's... rare. Precious, even. Most people who achieve the heights you've reached become addicted to it. They need more victories, more glory, more recognition. But not you."
The Leviathan's form shifted again, and suddenly they were moving through the water, though Rein couldn't tell if he was swimming or being carried.
"Plus, you're about to die anyway, so it's not like you have better options. So, Rein Claymore, I offer you this: Accept my power, my essence, my entire being. Become the next Leviathan. Live on to see your dreams fulfilled. Or refuse, and die here in the dark where no one will ever find your body."
What's the catch? There's always a catch.
"Smart boy." The Leviathan sounded approving. "The catch is simple—you'll carry the responsibility I've carried for a million years. You'll be the guardian of the deep oceans. You'll maintain the balance between land and sea. And when the time comes—centuries or millennia from now—you'll have to find your own successor and pass on the burden."
That's it?
"Well, there's also the fact that you'll technically be a monster. A Leviathan isn't human, even if you can take human form. You'll have instincts you never had before. Urges. The call of the deep. But I think you're strong enough to handle it. After all, you achieved the Phantom Assassin class through sheer will. This shouldn't be much different."
Rein's mind was racing, despite his failing body. This was insane. Impossible. And yet... here he was, having a conversation with a mythical creature at the bottom of the ocean while dying from poison and fall damage.
If I accept... can I still achieve my dream? Can I still have a family?
"I don't see why not. You'll be able to transform between human and Leviathan forms. Find your love, marry them, have your three children. Just... maybe don't mention the whole 'secretly an ancient sea monster' thing on the first date. Tends to kill the mood."
Despite everything, Rein almost laughed at that.
And my brother?
"What about him?" The Leviathan's voice turned cold. "He tried to kill you. Succeeded, actually, since you're currently dying. What happens between you two is your business. I'm offering you power, not revenge. What you do with it is your choice."
Rein thought about Ray, about the hatred in his brother's eyes as he pushed him off the cliff. About all the years they'd spent together before everything went wrong. About whether there was anything worth saving in their relationship.
Then he thought about his dreams. About finding love. About three children who would never exist if he died here. About a simple, happy life that had been stolen from him before he ever got the chance to pursue it.
I accept, Rein thought clearly, his mental voice firm despite his dying body.
"Excellent!" The Leviathan sounded genuinely delighted. "I was hoping you'd say that. Brace yourself—this is going to be extremely unpleasant."
What do you—
Light exploded through the darkness.
Blue and white energy erupted from the Leviathan, flowing into Rein like a tidal wave of pure power. It wasn't gentle or gradual—it was violent and overwhelming, like trying to contain an ocean in a teacup.
Rein screamed, though no sound emerged in the deep water. His body convulsed as the Leviathan's essence poured into him. His broken bones realigned themselves with audible cracks. His ruptured organs reformed. The poison in his system burned away like mist in sunlight.
But that was just the beginning.
His perception exploded outward. Suddenly he could feel every drop of water in the ocean, every current, every creature. He could sense the continental plates shifting miles below. He could hear the songs of whales thousands of miles away. He could taste the salt composition of the water and know exactly where he was without seeing.
His body began to change. Scales erupted from his skin—not painful, but surreal, each one harder than steel and more beautiful than sapphire. His hands elongated, fingers webbing and tipped with claws that could rend stone. His muscles expanded, growing denser and more powerful with each passing second.
And still the transformation continued.
Wings—massive fins, really—burst from his back. A tail extended from his spine, flexible and powerful enough to propel him through the water at incredible speeds. His eyes changed, gaining the ability to see in complete darkness, to perceive temperature and movement and even magical energy.
He was growing. Rapidly. Twenty feet. Fifty feet. One hundred feet. His new body was massive, powerful, magnificent, and utterly inhuman.
"There we go!" The Leviathan's voice was growing fainter now, more distant. "Much better! Oh, don't worry about your human form—just will yourself to change back and you'll shrink right down. Easy as breathing. Easier, actually, since you don't technically need to breathe anymore. Perks of being a sea creature."
What's... happening... to you? Rein asked, his new mental voice deeper and more resonant than before.
"What did you think would happen? I'm passing on my essence. That means I'm fading away. Finally getting that rest I've been dreaming about for a million years. Don't feel bad—this is exactly what I wanted."
The Leviathan's massive form was becoming translucent, its glow dimming.
"Take care of the oceans for me, Rein. And hey, name one of those kids after me. 'Leviathan Claymore' has a nice ring to it."
Wait! What's your name? I should at least know your name!
"Names..." The voice was barely a whisper now. "Haven't used mine in so long I've almost forgotten it. But you can call me... Atlas. Yes. Atlas the First Leviathan. And you are Rein the Second. Make me proud, kid."
Then the light faded completely, and Rein was alone in the darkness of the deep ocean.
No—not alone. He could feel everything now. Every living creature in his domain. Every current and temperature shift. The ocean itself felt like an extension of his body.
And floating before his eyes, visible despite the complete darkness, was a translucent blue screen covered in text:
[Congratulations! You have become a Leviathan!]
[You can transform between your human form and your Leviathan form at will!]
[Your current form is your Leviathan Form - your soul has been transferred to your new body!]
[Your previous human body has been absorbed and integrated!]
[Welcome to the Leviathan Evolution System!]
The screen expanded, showing more information:
Status Screen:
Name: Rein Claymore
Level: 1
Age: 23
Class: Phantom Assassin
Race: Leviathan (Awakened)
Stats:
Strength: 564
Stamina: 333
Speed: 789
Durability: 120
Intelligence: 215
Magic Power: 0 → 999
Divine Resistance: 85%
Unique Skills:
[Phantom Strike] - Attack from any shadow or darkness [Void Step] - Move between spaces that don't exist [Ocean's Dominion] - Complete control over water and sea creatures [Leviathan's Roar] - Intimidation ability that can paralyze enemies [Perfect Transformation] - Switch between human and Leviathan forms instantly [Pressure Immunity] - No damage from ocean depths or crushing force [Ancient Knowledge] - Access to memories of previous Leviathans
Title Acquired:
[The Second Leviathan] [Godslayer] [Phantom Assassin] [Ocean's Guardian]
Rein stared at the screen, his new Leviathan mind processing the information at incredible speed. He was level 1? That seemed wrong considering his previous achievements. But then he realized—this was a completely new power system. He was starting over, in a sense, though he retained his Phantom Assassin skills.
The magic power increase was insane. He'd never had any magical ability before—assassins relied on physical skills and techniques, not spells. But now his magic power was 999, which according to the screen was the maximum for his current level.
He tried to move and was shocked by how responsive his new body was. Despite being over a hundred feet long, he could maneuver through the water with perfect grace. His tail provided thrust, his fins gave him directional control, and the water itself seemed to part willingly before him.
Okay, Rein thought. First things first. Let's try this transformation ability.
He focused on his human form, picturing himself as he used to be. The change was instant—his massive Leviathan body compressed, scales retracting, fins folding, tail shrinking. Within seconds, he was floating in the water in his original human form.
Except it wasn't quite his original form. He felt stronger, faster, more durable. His body had been reconstructed from the ground up using Leviathan essence as the foundation. He was still recognizably Rein Claymore, but he was also fundamentally different.
He tried swimming upward and was amazed by how fast he moved. Even in human form, he cut through the water like a torpedo. The ocean depth that would have crushed a normal person didn't affect him at all.
As he swam, his mind began working through everything that had happened. His brother's betrayal. His death. His resurrection as a Leviathan. The system interface floating in his vision.
What was he supposed to do now?
The obvious answer was revenge. Ray had murdered him. Had poisoned him, beaten him, and thrown him off a cliff to his death. Every instinct Rein had cultivated as an assassin screamed for payback.
But another part of him—maybe the part that carried Atlas's ancient wisdom—hesitated. Revenge would be easy. He could transform into his Leviathan form, swim to shore, and reduce his brother and the entire kingdom to rubble in minutes.
But that wouldn't bring him his dream. That wouldn't give him the simple, happy life he'd always wanted.
Besides, Ray would have to live with what he'd done. That was its own form of justice.
No, Rein decided as he continued swimming upward. I'm not going to waste my second chance on revenge. Atlas gave me this power to live, not to destroy. I'll use it to finally achieve my real goals.
But first, he needed to get back to land and figure out what to do about his apparent death. The kingdom would think he was dead. Ray would have already begun spreading whatever cover story he'd concocted.
Rein smiled grimly to himself. Let his brother think he'd won. Let everyone think Rein Claymore was dead and gone.
He would start over. Build a new life. Find love. Have those three children he'd always dreamed of.
And if Ray or anyone else tried to stop him...
Well, they'd learn why you should never betray a Phantom Assassin.
Especially one who had become a Leviathan.
The water grew lighter as he ascended, the pressure decreasing. Soon he could see the shimmer of sunlight filtering down from the surface. He burst through into the air, taking a deep breath even though he didn't need to anymore.
The sun was setting, painting the sky in brilliant oranges and purples. In the distance, he could see the cliffs where Ray had pushed him. They were miles away—he must have been sinking for a long time before Atlas found him.
Rein floated in the water, feeling the gentle swell of the waves, watching the last light of day fade from the sky.
Somewhere up there, his brother was probably celebrating his successful murder.
Somewhere up there, an empire mourned the loss of its greatest hero.
Somewhere up there, a whole new life was waiting to be lived.
Rein Claymore, the Second Leviathan, the Phantom Assassin who had died and been reborn, smiled.