Click-clack-clack…
The mech retracted.
Ethan stepped out of the armor.
Emery blinked in surprise. Ethan had been all aggression just moments ago—why the sudden change of attitude?
The question barely formed in his mind when a series of sharp cracks split the air.
Smack! Smack! Smack!
"Ah—?" Emery's vision blurred. It all happened so fast he could barely process it.
Of the four trident-wielding creatures, only one was left standing.
That one now dangled helplessly in Ethan's grip, his fingers clamped around its neck. The other three were already airborne, hurled out of the protective dome and into the water beyond.
"You decide who gets to board and who doesn't?" Ethan's voice was calm, almost lazy, yet each word dripped with menace. "Who the hell do you think you are? Did you ask me, Ethan Caelum?"
The creature twisted in his grasp, its expression flickering between terror and rage. Its jaw split open, revealing a mouthful of needle-sharp teeth.
