The doors of the ancient temple shut behind them with a powerful rumbling sound.

Boom!

Silence enveloped the surroundings.

Not that uncomfortable silence of fear, but that peaceful silence of a place where nobody has visited for thousands of years.

Jennie, Snow and Roxy stood in place, allowing their eyes to get used to the soft blue lighting filling the huge chamber.

It felt different.

Despite the fact that they were standing under the ocean, they breathed just like on the land.

Mana here was incredibly pure.

It refreshed.

Roxy observed their surroundings with twinkling eyes.

"...This mana..."

"I’ve never experienced anything like this."

She slowly stretched out her hand.

Blue droplets of lights formed around her fingers, before flying away like little fireflies.

"It feels...alive..."

Snow nodded.

"Yes."

"This temple was built at the place where mana of the world ocean gathers."

"The sea guards this place."

Jennie listened silently, looking at the marvelous architecture.

Unlike other constructions created in order to impress people...

This temple demanded reverence.

High white columns reached into the dark space above.

The walls were covered in murals showing oceans, stars, dragons and seven great swords guarding thousands of lives.

Crystal streams were running through the narrow grooves on the marble floor.

Water was glowing faintly, providing light to every corner of the sanctuary.

Nothing had been destroyed.

Nothing had crumbled.

Time itself was unable to destroy this place.

The three slowly moved further into the temple.

Each step echoed softly in the gigantic hall.

Neither monsters, nor traps attacked them.

No guardians were waiting for them in the shadows.

Just an immense peace.

Roxy whispered,

"...Is this strange?"

Jennie nodded.

"I expected to face the dangers."

Snow smiled.

"Not all sacred places greet visitors with aggression."

They moved forward.

After several minutes...

The passage opened into the chamber that was so huge that its roof disappeared in the shimmering darkness.

Jennie stopped moving.

"..."

For a long time...

Nobody said anything.

In the very center of the chamber there was the gigantic column built completely of the living water.

It was rising to almost fifty meters in height.

Water was not falling down.

It was spiraling upwards eternally like a wonderful blue tornado.

Inside this transparent column...

something slept.

Sword.

Its blade was shining with the deep sapphire light.

Its edge was resembling the waves of the sea instead of forged metal.

The guard was curving smoothly like wings of the ancient sea dragon.

Silver runes were covering the hilt of this sword, glowing with each beating of the ocean.

Without touching it...

Jennie was able to feel it.

Ancient.

Calm.

Incomprehensibly powerful.

Snow bowed his head.

"...Leviathan."

Roxy’s breathing was speeding up.

"So this is one of the Seven Divine Swords..."

Jennie’s silver eyes were concentrated on the sleeping weapon.

"It feels..."

She searched for the right words.

"...lonely."

As if hearing her voice...

The column of the living water shone brighter.

The blue light was spreading around the whole chamber.

The marble floor was trembling faintly.

The crystal rivers surrounding the room were flowing faster.

Outside the temple...

Whole underwater city was responding.

Thousand of glowing jellyfish were lighting up the streets.

Schools of crystal fish were gathering around the temple.

Sea spirits were swimming towards the sanctuary.

Even the ocean outside the magical barriers was becoming absolutely still.

The sleeping sword was waking up.

The deep vibration resounded in the chamber.

The column was slowly turning.

Blue runes were appearing on it one by one.

Ancient symbols that were not known anymore by modern civilizations.

Excalibur was trembling under Jennie’s cloak.

Its familiar voice echoed in her heart.

"After one thousand years..."

"...my old companion awakens."

Jennie gently put her hand on Excalibur’s hilt.

"Do you know what will happen?"

The legendary sword answered calmly.

"No."

"Each Divine Sword makes its own choice."

The column of the water was suddenly splitting apart.

Not violently.

Gently.

Like ocean waves parting before the moon.

Leviathan was slowly floating forward.

Nobody touched it.

The sword was hovering in the air in front of Jennie.

Blue light was shining on her silver hair.

Roxy smiled excitedly.

"It recognized you!"

Snow nodded.

"I expected as much."

Even Jennie smiled nervously.

"So..."

"I suppose we should start our acquaintance."

She bowed politely in front of the floating sword.

"My name is Jennie."

"I hope we will become friends."

For several long seconds...

Nothing happened.

Then...

The sword answered.

Its voice was neither masculine, nor feminine.

It sounded like countless waves coming from the sea to the shore.

Ancient.

Calm.

Wise.

One single word echoed in the temple.

"No."

Silence.

Jennie’s smile froze.

"...No?"

Roxy blinked twice.

"...Did..."

"...did the sword reject you?"

Snow was equally surprised.

"I did not expect this."

Leviathan’s blue light was pulsating once.

Its voice was perfectly calm.

"I do not recognize kings."

The words were echoing in the temple.

Once.

And once again.

As if the sea itself repeated them.

"I do not recognize kings."

Jennie’s expression slowly turned to thoughts.

She was not angry.

She was confused.

"...I’m not asking you to recognize me as a king."

The sword was silent.

Then...

It answered again.

"You carry the soul of one."

"That is not enough."

Roxy was looking at Jennie.

"I thought each Divine Sword belongs to the Sword King."

Excalibur’s voice was whispering in Jennie’s mind.

"No."

"We belong only to those who chose us."

Jennie looked down.

"So..."

"You are not rejecting Leonis."

Leviathan’s voice was filling the temple with itself.

"Correct."

"I remember Leonis."

"He was worthy."

Several moments of silence passed.

Then came words that shocked everybody.

"But I do not see Leonis before me."

Jennie slowly raised her head.

"What do you see?"

The ancient sword was silent for several heartbeats.

Then...

It answered.

"Someone still searching for herself."

The temple became completely silent.

Even sea spirits outside were stopping their movements.

Jennie was standing before the Divine Sword.

Not being insulted.

Not being offended.

Just curious.

Perhaps...

This journey was never about proving that she was the Sword King.

Perhaps...

It was about proving that she had become someone else.

And Leviathan wanted to find out who that somebody was.

Silence reigned in the sacred chamber.

The pillar of living water continued to flow around Leviathan with soft murmuring sounds, which reminded an ancient lullaby.

Jennie remained near the Divine Sword and tried to analyze the message of that artifact.

"... You refused me."

The sapphire blade started to glow softly.

"Yes."

There was no arrogance in its voice.

No hate.

Only certainty.

Jennie put the cross on her chest and sighed.

"I’ve been refused before."

"But I have to admit..."

"I didn’t expect to be refused by the sword."

Roxy scratched her face shyly.

"I don’t think that someone expects to be refused by a legendary weapon..."

Even Snow looked thoughtful.

"I have lived for over a thousand years."

"This is the first time I’ve seen that Leviathan refused someone after awakening."

The temple sank into the silence.

However, soon there was another message from the Divine Sword.

The voice of Leviathan sounded like the calm waves approaching the coast.

"Listen carefully."

The pillar of the living water shined.

One by one...

Ancient memories appeared inside the waters.

As the reflection on the surface of the ocean.

Jennie gazed into the waters.

There she saw an emperor in golden armor.

Thousands of soldiers were kneeling before him.

His empire extended farther than the eye could see.

The emperor raised his hand towards the Divine Sword.

"I shall unite the world."

The sword remained silent.

Then...

The vision vanished.

"Rejected."

Another vision appeared.

There was a saint, covered by the holy light.

Millions of people were worshipping her.

She was healing the sick people, purifying curses, saving people.

People called her a living miracle.

The saint smiled.

"With your power..."

"I can guide the whole humanity."

Again...

The sword remained silent.

The vision disappeared into water.

"Rejected."

Another memory appeared.

This time...

It was the legendary hero who appeared before the sword.

The armor of that hero was scarred by numerous battles.

The defeated demons laid behind him.

He raised his hand towards the sword.

"I have conquered each evil."

"Now lend me your power."

The ocean answered with the silence.

Then...

The vision disappeared.

"Rejected."

Jennie was watching every vision in silence.

Leviathan kept on talking.

"Kings."

The waters moved.

"Emperors."

Another image.

"Heroes."

Another.

"Saints."

Countless faces appeared before vanishing into the waves.

Hundreds.

Or perhaps thousands.

Everyone had sought the Divine Sword.

Everyone had failed.

Roxy gasped in surprise.

"So many..."

Snow nodded slowly.

"The sea remembers every visitor."

The voice of the sword resonated once again.

"Power does not impress me."

"Titles do not move me."

"Fame is as ephemeral as foam on the waves."

The blue light around the sword shone brighter.

"Those who sought to rule..."

"... Left empty-handed."

Jennie looked down silently.

"I understand."

The sword immediately responded.

"No."

"You understand with your mind."

"Not yet with your heart."

Jennie looked up.

"What do you mean?"

The sword said nothing.

But soon...

The ocean around them changed.

The crystal roads under the feet of Jennie turned into the waters.

Soft waves flooded the chamber.

Not enough to drown.

Only enough to reflect the sky.

Leviathan said once again.

"Tell me, child."

"Why do you seek me?"

Jennie answered sincerely.

"Because you’re one of the Seven Divine Swords."

The sword said nothing.

She tried again.

"I want to protect people."

But still...

There was no reply.

Jennie started to think carefully.

"... And because I don’t want your power to fall into the wrong hands."

Again...

The silence.

Roxy was looking concerned.

"These seemed like good answers..."

Snow smiled quietly.

"They were."

"But these are not the answers, which Leviathan is looking for."

Jennie closed her eyes.

She started to search her heart.

Then she whispered.

"I don’t know."

Her words resonated in the temple softly.

"I truly don’t."

"I only know..."

"If the people suffer..."

"I want to help them."

"If someone cries..."

"I want to reach them."

"If I have the power to save someone..."

"I don’t want to deny that."

She looked directly at the Divine Sword.

"I don’t seek you because I want to become stronger."

"I seek you because..."

"... I never want to regret failing someone."

For some time...

Leviathan was motionless.

Then...

The voice of the sword became softer.

Almost tender.

"Closer."

Jennie smiled weakly.

"I’ll have to search more."

The sword responded.

"Yes."

The pillar of the living water suddenly burst into millions of droplets.

None of them was falling.

Instead...

They surrounded Jennie.

Each of the droplets reflected the memory.

Another life.

Another choice.

Another regret.

The ancient voice resonated in the temple for the last time.

"Hear my judgment."

"If you desire conquest..."

The droplets trembled.

"You will never hold me."

The ocean itself replied.

The crystal roads outside started to shine brighter.

The sea spirits gathered outside of the temple.

The underwater city stopped breathing.

The sapphire blade of the sword glimmered like the second moon under the sea.

But then...

The waters around Jennie started to rise.

Not fiercely.

Gently.

Like loving hands.

The waves swallowed the chamber.

Snow made one step forward.

"Jennie!"

But he couldn’t reach her.

The invisible wall of water separated them.

Roxy was pounding it.

"Jennie!"

"Can you hear us?"

Jennie was still able to see them.

She smiled reassuringly.

"I’m fine."

The voice of the sword was resonating in every direction.

"Your sword cannot win this trial."

"Your strength cannot win this trial."

"Only your heart."

The endless ocean of memories was opening before her.

Countless shimmering doors appeared in the water.

To the other times.

To the other regrets.

To the other truths.

The final words of the Divine Sword reverberated in the silent temple.

"Look into the depths of your own heart."

"Only then..."

"... Shall the ocean decide whether to accept you."

The sea swallowed Jennie in the blue light.

And the Trial of the Ocean began.