"We weren't supposed to make contact with the storm in just an hour! How are we here already!?" Isaac questioned.
"She teleported us here, I didn't think she'd be this petty and bring three Skavilens along though!"
Leo exclaimed through the communicator, loud enough for her to hear. Yet her face didn't show any sign of change even when he said that. Indifference was the expression she gave him.
"Can we worry about her later! who knows when—"
Suddenly, the ship plunged underwater, and the pressure hit them fast. Everyone had to hold their breath while gripping something to stay upright. The Skavilens remained, providing a faint light to guide the ship.
They swam through the currents with ease. Lightning flashed in the distance, triggering one of the Skavilens to ram into the ship. Everyone stumbled, until finally, the water vanished.
As they tried to stand another one rammed onto the ship, while one let out a loud shriek. The other two joined him, harmonizing with ear-piercing roar. Blood trailed down on their ears.
After withstanding the sudden weight of an ocean, a shriek tore through the thick fog, and their eardrums gave out, bleeding. Luckily, Ena's communicator repaired some of the damage—but only on one side.
Haruo immediately stood up and regained his own balance by using the railing of the airship as support. He pressed his ear in a hurry then saying:
"We'll all split in to two groups! Ena and Leo go find Tatiana while the rest help me fight! After—"
They were once again submerged in heavy water. All of them had anticipated it and clung to nearby objects, bracing themselves to stay balanced. Movement in the water was nearly impossible, yet the Skavilens swam effortlessly, ramming into the ship with ease.
Isaac's eyes glowed, his pupils shifting into a new shape. He quickened his own movements while slowing the pressure around him, allowing him to move toward the Skavilen that was about to ram.
He leapt forward and slashed at one of the beast's mouths. It let out a low hum—quiet, but noticeable. The water finally vanished once more, allowing Theodor and Haruo to move.
Haruo lunged forward at a Skavilen and thrusted his sword into the beast's flesh. The black liquid instantly left its body and made it way toward Haruo.
Before it could reach him though, he froze his sword his eyes flaring with illumination while he grit his teeth freezing all the liquid inside it. A side of the Skavilen shattered and flew with water current.
Meanwhile, Theodor dashed toward one of them on the railing before plunging into the beast's mouth, aiming for its eye. He clawed at the cornea and drove his spear into the iris, then leapt away, using the eye like a trampoline to escape.
He had escaped before the mouth could close.
In a sudden motion a tentacle swiftly delivered an attack on his liver, the force was enough to send towards a wall. Haruo caught sight of this and instantly repositioned himself to be on the side of theodor.
Haruo grabbed Theodor by his wrist and launched him back toward the Skavilen. He planted his foot firmly to the ground before launching him back towards the Skavilen.
***
"Do you even know where were going!?"
Ena stayed close to Leo, gripping a nearby box for support. The ship's movements shifted erratically—one moment a wide sway, the next nearly tilting sideways.
The motion made her sick to her stomach, and the only thing keeping her from throwing up was focusing on her ability.
"I was following you!"
Leo exclaimed, while he also clung to the nearby crates. The fight between the Skavilens also added a new tempo to the motion, which made the ship quake a few times.
"I thought you were tracking her using your ability!"
"Then why were you in front dumbass!?"
Just as he was about to speak, Tatiana appeared midair along the side of Leo. She directly kicked him in the temple. Which sent him flying toward the railing. Before Ena could act, she vanished and trailed Leo.
She reappeared in front of him, who was already preparing to attack. His pupils dilated, and he raised his hand subconsciously to block his attack. But his saber wasn't there to stop it.
She took this as an opening and gave a clean strike. Not even a second later, she drew her weapon and again lunged her blade through his chest. A crimson color dripped from the wound.
As she retreated her blade from his flesh and repositioned herself toward Ena. But as she did, Leo appeared materialized himself to her side, disarming her and grappling her by the neck.
His wounds were no where to be found, she clawed through his forearm with the intent to escape. Despite the pain of his flesh getting exposed he kept a firm grip.
"ENA!"
Tatiana gritted her teeth while looking forward. She saw a palm that was just inches from connecting to her face. Her eyes lit with color before teleporting from Leo's grasp.
Both of them regrouped and armed themselves properly this time. Ena put her hand on his shoulder, recovering him from the concussion caused by the kick and the open wound.
Crates and objects were suddenly materializing aimed at them at incomprehensible speeds. They observed their surroundings, then saw her teleport on the other side of the deck. Parallel to each other.
With the flick of her wrist a short blade was sent flying precisely at them. Ena easily deflected it and shot herself at her. In a blur Ena felt her cranium getting dragged down by a palm.
Leo held onto her—not without reason. Above her a blade sliced through the cloudy air before returning to Tatiana's hand. After raising her head, Leo pushed her to the side with the same short blade, flying past her.
Another was shot this time, directed at Leo. Luckily, he saw it and deflected it swiftly. Then another came, then another, and another... the same short blade was flying and kept repositioning itself to their blind spots.
They tried to adjust, but it was to no avail. Even when you dodge it, it repositions itself to your blind spot, and when you deflect it, it generates more momentum. And once you expect where it's going to redirect itself to the other person.
Sometimes it wouldn't be the short blade but instead be a random object and uses your confusion as an opening.
Ena, knowing her position, made her way to Tatiana. She aimed her dagger to slash her by the hips, but she teleported behind her while the short blade was in front of her.
Ena focused her attention on Tatiana while creating a barrier of blood that protected her from the short blade. She deflected the blade and grabbed her wrist, making a swift kick to her thigh.
With Tatiana stunned, she began to search for the parasite. Lightning shot near the Airship but not directly. Seeing the lightning, Tatiana bit her lip before redirecting the lightning to Ena.
Despite the surge of electricity that coursed through her veins, she didn't dare break her focus. Her body vibrated intensely, her eyes crying tears of blood. Her heart was beating at an immense speed. She was going to let go.
But before she could, Leo ran next to her and began healing her. His eyes glowing a faint blue color—healing her quickly.
This allowed her to regain some of her strength, enabling her to finally kill the parasite that burrowed inside Tatiana.
***
Theodor hurled his spear toward the Skavilen, piercing and tearing through layers of its flesh and fat. He followed the spear and leaped on it, using the handle as a spring to lift him high.
He opened his mana storage and seeped his hand through till he felt a grip on his palm. He pulled out a longsword before closing the mana storage. He slowly began to descend until he reached the Skavilen.
With all his momentum and strength, he cleaved the Skavilen in half. The longsword disintegrated from his grasp after the strike. He landed on the beast's corpse, retrieved his spear, and leapt back onto the deck.
He took his side, only to see that Haruo had shattered one by freezing it and destroying it in one punch. Now there was only one left.
While Theodor regrouped with Isaac, Haruo pressed a finger to his ear. "Is group one available?"
Silence was the only thing Haruo met before a slight buzz connected him to Leo. "Just finished, we're currently recovering injuries for the moment. Ena can't even stand properly at the moment."
"Regroup immediately, we're almost finished." Haruo said before disconnecting from communications.
There was one left. Its illuminating eyes are the only source of light they have left. Eliminating it too early meant they'd be blinded and forced to experience the storm for days.
While killing it too late would give the Skavilen a chance to attack the ship. They could only fight until all of them assembled; they have to perfect this. Otherwise, all their efforts would be nothing but a waste.
The Skavilen shrieked as it battled Theodor and Isaac. The beast pushed both of them back, finding a chance to escape. Then a massive wave appeared, towering both the airship and the Skavilen in terms of size.
It swallowed them both and crushed them in heavy water. The ship withstood the heavy blow, but some of the railing tore off. The Skavilen saw this as an opportunity to escape.
It swam as fast as it could, but just before it could drift into the darkness. It halted—unable to move.
Ena was on top of it, holding on to the beast with all her strength. She was attached to the only rope there was left since most of them were cut off or snapped on their own.
On her back was the velo and a large sack. She grabbed one of them and dug it into its flesh. She pressed the button on the side before inserting the other one. Then came the risky part. She disconnected herself from the line and attached it to the velo.
She slowly crawled all the way to the mouth; her hand slipped from time to time, but she held on. Finally, she made it to the mouth, its eyes flaring towards her, its pupil shrinking when it spotted her.
She took the large sack and hurled it into the center of the Skavilen's mouth. Raising her hand to aim, she formed a thin, sharp needle from blood and fired it, piercing through the water-resistant fabric.
The sack then started to grow, growing larger and larger until it exploded and Burst in the beast's eyes and through its open wound. The Skavilen slowly lost its movement.
Ena then reported it the division, all of them instantly scattered and relocated their positions. Each found their own spots to lock themselves in place.
"Prepare for descent!" Haruo warned.
Then the airship suddenly began to move; she wasn't in the dock yet. And it was already moving without her; she finally realized why they didn't want to do it themselves and made her do it.
She cursed them under her breath before submerging further below. The airship pierced through the water. The speed only rises with every passing second, making it harder for her to stay on the carcass.
In that moment, they popped back to the sky. They were finally out of the ether zone.
The division took off their mask and belts. They moved their hands, which were no longer heavy or restricted in any way. Haruo looked at the clouds above him and felt the rain falling on his face.
The other hand was pulling on the line gently, trying not to damage the carcass. It was finally in the deck, which took up all of the space. Ena steadily climbed down and lay on the wooden planks.
She gently lifted her head toward Haruo and said:
"I hate sky fishing..."