The Aegean Sea was not always a gentle azure. Today, the waters presented an unsettling leaden grey hue; heavy clouds hung low, pressing down like a shroud draped from the heavens. A weathered merchant ship struggled against the wind and waves, its timbers groaning under the strain of the surging sea. In a corner of the deck sat a solitary female passenger cloaked in rough fabric. She curled herself tightly into the shadows, her hood pulled low to reveal only a few stray strands of golden hair and a pair of bloodless lips. She was Sophitia Alexandra—once a holy warrior blessed by the gods, now merely a desperate mother. Patroklos... Pyrrha... Murmuring her children's names, Sophitia covered her mouth, unable to suppress another silent sob. The mere thought of Nightmare, that fallen knight, and his purpose for abducting them made her heart seize in agony. "Madam, are you seasick?" a merchant asked kindly. Sophitia waved a hand weakly, about to explain, when suddenly a voice cried out: "Look! Something is coming!" The scream instantly pierced the stagnant air, and the deck erupted into chaos. "Black sails! Pirates!" "Hard to port! God, we're done for!" The deck became a scene of pandemonium; sailors frantically hauled at the rigging while helpless passengers screamed, paralyzed by fear. Sophitia jerked her head up, eyes filled with anxiety beneath her hood. Through the panicked crowd, she watched the ominous black dot on the horizon grow larger. It was a swift vessel, its prow crushing the waves, its distinctive black sails billowing in the wind—a silent threat bearing down upon them. No, she could not afford to waste even a second in such a meaningless conflict—her children were waiting for her. The merchant crew hoisted every sail, but it was not enough. The passengers could only watch in horror as the swift ship closed the distance. As the vessels drew alongside each other, grappling hooks were cast from the pirate ship, biting deep into the railing and locking the two ships together. "Cut the lines! Quickly!" a passenger shouted. A brave sailor charged forward, axe raised high. But just as he prepared to strike, his burly frame was yanked as if by an invisible hand, sending him toppling over the rail and into the churning waves below. Then, with a wet thud, a claw covered in slick scales clamped tightly onto the edge of the gunwale. "Hiss—!" As the first monster vaulted onto the deck, the crowd, who had been ready to make a last stand, instantly recoiled. What boarded the ship were not pirates, nor were they even human. Though it walked upright, its knees were bent, and it dragged a thick, muscular tail behind it. Its skin, covered in green-brown scales, glistened with a nauseating mucous sheen under the gloomy sky. Then came a second, and a third... The Lizardmen flicked their forked tongues, emitting blood-curdling hisses. Their cloudy yellow vertical pupils coldly scanned the humans as they raised their battle axes. "Stop, monsters!" To everyone's astonishment, Sophitia cast aside her cloak. Even without the blessings of Hephaestus, she remained a seasoned warrior. However, the moment her fingers grazed the hilt of the Omega Sword, a sharp pain silently pierced her heart. "Ugh...!" She fell to her knees in agony, clutching her chest tightly. There, near her heart, was embedded a shard of the cursed sword, Soul Edge. It was a curse left from a duel to the death with the pirate king Cervantes years ago, and now, an accursed bond between her and her daughter, Pyrrha. In this moment, it seemed to come alive, pulsating and burning within her chest cavity. "No! Please, not now!" she begged in despair, biting her lip.