Royal guards headed towards Arthur and Vanilla, but the duo was ready with an ingenious plan: Arthur would pretend he was the only one in the area. Little did the fish-people know, Vanilla would hide in a bush and ambush them when Arthur would say the signal. This was all devised from their single shared brain cell.

"Vanilla, you better help me when I tell you to."

"Don't sweat it," Vanilla said, crouching down as she hid inside a puffed yet soft bush — hiding her body rather well. "Pretend I'm not even here. It should be A-okay, and hey, if you're so worried, we can switch? I don't mind."

"It's not about switching. It's just that... Can't we use a different signal? I mean, it's kinda odd and questionable."

"We should stick with it. I feel like it really embodies your roots. And hey, they'll never expect it."

"Yeah, I'm sure I harmonize with fish sticks on a spiritual level."

"That's the spirit," she said, popping her head out and back in as her eyes flashed with white and black shades. "They're here in three minutes."

"Bushes don't talk," Arthur said as he looked at his hands, gripping each tightly. He was unsure if his powers would work or if FQ would help. However, if he hoped to succeed, such concerns needed to be washed away.

Arthur's doubts didn't get much time to marinate; not even one minute passed, and the guards zoomed into the scene. An Atlantean that looked like the last fish-man appeared, but her head was smaller. She skidded on the floor and kneeled, checking her defeated teammate's vitals. Luckily for her, he was still alive.

Behind the female, a massive Atlantean approached, but he was different... Literally, he was built different. His features were more humanoid, plus he was around seven feet tall — his blue fish scales were unmistakable. Coupled with his attire: glossy green armor that could be mistaken as a mirror, much different from the other guard's run-down apparel — he was otherworldly. The behemoth of an Atlantean looked at Arthur and then lowered his head towards his fallen teammate, standing tall as he did, his expression kept stern. "Boyo, have you done this to my soldier?"

Arthur smiled and placed his hand behind his head. "It was an acc-"

"Boyo!" the enormous general yelled, striding towards Arthur, and he only needed four long steps, each taking less than half a second. Before one could even see it, the general's fist was inches away as he punched Arthur in the face, soaring him back twenty feet. The force flung Arthur into a tree. His back cracked as he smashed into the hardwood, breaking through it and into another tree. He fell to the floor, dizzy from the attack.

The attack was enough strength to kill a hippopotamus on strike.

"Boyo," the general said, running towards him. He wanted to end the disarray brought upon his nation, so he jumped in the air and launched a fist toward Arthur, not thinking once about what he was soon to perform — death approached.

"No, you don't," Vanilla said, grabbing a grenade from her pocket and throwing it at the general, but as the explosive neared, he turned his head towards it, his teeth clenching in agony as he saw an instant detonation in front of his face — it forced him many feet back.

No matter, it was not enough to subdue the tank that the general was. He quickly got up, shaking his head as he steadily trudged towards Arthur, and it didn't take long for his steps to become consistent again — he ran.

Unfortunately, by the time the general got up, the other guard had created a spear with her water abilities and attacked Vanilla. The soldier plugged Vanilla multiple times with her weapon, but every attack was dodged, though not by much. Each foray was swooped with an accuracy that would hit any moving target, but the human prey was acting abnormal, moving sporadically with her hands in her pockets.

Vanilla shuffled through her pockets as she stepped backward and moved her head left to right, dodging the attacks that nearly grazed her. She clutched a black box with a white button, bringing it in front of her body as she took one massive leap back, creating space between her and the Atlantean; she clicked it. The device transformed into a silver forearm cane — a tool for those who need long-term crutches. She seamlessly fit her right arm through the weapon and extended upwards, aiming it at the fish's head as she jerked her arm back, shooting a bullet out of the crane's sole.

The fish watched the pellet come nearer, but she wasn't afraid. She sidestepped, avoiding the bullet, and she used her spear to counterattack, swinging it to her side and towards her enemy with a speed that was irregular to any human — her body control was much more assertive and faster than any mortal could hope to achieve. She was better.

Vanilla gripped her crane's handle and brought her weapon downwards, stopping the spear from going any further. As great as the guard was, Vanilla's defense was impeccable; her vision could see any movement the soldier could think of, and she was many steps ahead. None of them gave in, continuing to attack and defend with no thought of anything else. Their battle seemed to be heading nowhere — they both nullified each other — which meant Vanilla couldn't escape, leaving Arthur to fend for himself.

The general formed water around his fist and approached a disoriented Arthur, who could barely stand. He looked down at the feeble man, grabbing his neck and raising him up high to his own sight. "Why are you here?"

Arthur tried freeing himself from the man's grip, scratching at his wrists, but the general wouldn't let go. That's when it hit his brain. 'USE TUAM!' He spread Tuam across his body, acquiring new strength; he ripped apart the once strong man's grasp. He fell to the floor on his feet and placed his hands in front of his face like a boxer, getting ready to strike at any second.

"Fascinating," the general said, hurling a punch at Arthur.

Arthur pivoted to his right and jumped up, putting all his force into a right uppercut as his body moved upwards, giving his punch more fuel. Like a hammer slamming into a nail, Arthur's fist collided against the general's chin.

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The general slid back. But he remained standing as he looked up at Arthur and spat blue blood on the floor. "Boyo, who are you?"

"Arthur Penfish," he said, gasping. Pointing to himself, he took a breath through his nose. "That's the name, and yeah, I'm a fish, motherfucker."

The general cracked his neck and then his knuckles. "I needed an exercise. I think you will do quite fine."

Arthur didn't wait for him to finish his stretches and ran towards him with a newfound speed. Tuam coursed through his body, giving a different type of capacity, something not known to humans. Without it, never would his capabilities be achievable, not even if one had trained a thousand years.

The colossus fish-man didn't mind. He waited and stretched his legs, scratching his crotch as he did, not afraid of what was to come.

Arthur pressed his lips together, his facial muscles tightening as he jumped and flung his fist at the fish's face. His attack soared downwards towards the man, gaining momentum, his body was in the air.

The general continued to stretch his arms, not paying attention to the attack. In fact, his eyes were closed, like a relaxed person on a beach, simply letting the sun souse into them as they drank a cool tropical drink, quenching their dry throat. He was letting the moment soak into him.

Arthur's fist was only inches from the fish-man.

"Boyo," he said as his eyes flashed open, and a singular dark blue octopus tentacle erupted from the general's pants. It came out of his right leg hole. The long pickle-like shape molded against the man's armor, but it was much bigger in the open.

The arm-sized tentacle launched upwards with a "u-shape," smacking Arthur in the face. It pushed him back a few feet. He stood up and scowled, shaking his head as he stared at the general. "Don't tell me that's your..."

Unfortunately for Arthur, the general took the meaning of blue balls to another level.

The tentacle full of pimples and warts extended towards Arthur, forcing him to run away, and suddenly, it increased in girth, with each bang causing more damage.

"Fuck," Arthur said, spinning on the floor and avoiding the tentacle's barrages. He jumped up and ran, looking back at the destruction that ensued. 'Think, think, think!'

The general observed Arthur as his tentacle attacked. He rubbed his chin and nodded. "What speed."

Arthur continued dashing and jumped sideways on a tree, using his parkour skills to launch himself and evade the tentacle. The tentacle smashed into the tree, causing it to snap, wood splitting into a plethora of pieces.

"Boyo," the fish-man said. "Running can only help you so much. "

"Don't... Don't talk," Arthur said, turning around and pivoting his body towards the tentacle. He looked at the tentacle and then at the man, extending his left arm back as red flares sprinkled off his hand, and he brought his body forward like a baseball pitcher, launching a wave of red Tuam. He didn't stop there. He steadily hurled four more.

The general's eyes widened as he brought his tentacle back and blocked the attacks, but his blue octopus-like appendage tore apart by the fifth attack, and what was left plopped to the floor. He touched the ripped tentacle near his leg hole, and somehow it regrew; the color was a fresh light blue rather than the dark one it was.

"You gotta be kidding," Arthur whispered, but he quickly focused and took advantage of the scenario. He envisioned himself throwing a fastball with his right hand, so he enacted it, but instead of red flares, a wave of water rushed at the general.

He smirked as he placed his tentacle in front of the attack. Water passed through it, slicing the flesh apart and slamming into the man, not pushing him very far. He shook his head, now soaked with Arthur's fluid. "Is that the best you-"

Arthur focused on the general, not blinking once. He got ready to intervene and finish what he started, but as soon as he moved — something curious happened.

The liquid around the general started simmering, and after a few seconds, it emitted steam. He spun on the floor as the thick white haze covered his body, impossible for him to be seen, and his movements caused the smoke to move in a wavering manner, sporadically.

Back in the mountains, Vanilla screamed and deflected the guard's spear as her crane and the guard's weapon pressed against one another. She gritted her teeth and shouted. "FISH BASTARD!"

The fish shouted like a dying whale and used all her force. Plowing her blade against Vanilla's walking crane, but unexpectedly, Vanilla eased and didn't press any power into the guard's weapon.

The fish-person's force propelled Vanilla to the floor. Her elbow turned towards the guard, causing the crane's foot to point up. She shot. The bullet pierced through the fish's head, exploding her cranium and flinging blue brains everywhere. Her body plopped backward to the floor.

Vanilla got up as she panted and ran towards the forest. "ARTHUR!"

Arthur stood over the general, staring at him. The man's body surprisingly wasn't damaged, but he seemed unconscious, his eyes all white.

"Arthur!"

Arthur kneeled on the floor over the general, placing his hands around the fish's throat. He wasn't sure what to do. He knew the "man" in front of him was his enemy, but did that justify killing him? Closing his eyes, he clenched his teeth and tried pressing the man's throat, but he couldn't. He didn't have it in him to kill a random person, at least, not like this.

"Arthur!" Vanilla said, touching his shoulder. "What are you doing? Why are you teabagging him?"

Arthur turned around, his hands barely touching the man's throat. "What?"

"Are you crying?" She asked, shaking her head. "Weirdo."

"Shut up," Arthur said, standing up and looking up and down at Vanilla. Out of nowhere, he grabbed her by the legs and back and ran forward. "Tell me where to go. I'll get us to Zoork and Void in no time."

'He's so fast.' Vanilla thought, too stunned to do anything.

"Vanilla, where should I go?"

She snapped out of it and blinked. Her eyes filled with black and white static. "Keep going forward, then take a sharp right in two minutes."

"Damn it, just tell me when to turn. Not how long, but when I should. Not this GPS bullshit. I'm not a GPS. Okay?"

"Sure..." Vanilla said, in awe at how quickly they were moving. She could barely keep her eyes open at the speed Arthur ran. The wind pushed against her eyes, forcing her to keep her eyelids only somewhat open.

The duo ran towards their teammates, but back in the forest, business wasn't finished. A feeling of apprehension loomed in that area — one filled with concern yet also interest, but most importantly, sovereignty.

The boiled general stood up and withdrew his tentacle back into his pants. "Arthur Penfish. A fish?" He sat down on the floor and laughed, hitting his hand on the ground. "The young master will enjoy you." He stood up and held his breath, circling Tuam around his body, causing him to grow soft, scaly skin on top of his burns.

Two royal guards approached behind the general and saluted, one of them speaking. "Sir, the king awaits your presence."

"We no longer serve that king," the general said, walking forward.

One guard created a spear with water and slammed the end on the floor. He looked at the general with a look of concern, yet also with confusion, his hands shaking as he pointed his blade at his leader. "Blasphemous!"

"The young master will serve as the new heir. After all, the master is the one and true king of Atlantis. Not Fishman. Not his brother. But our young master."

Before the guard that held the spear could do anything, the other soldier pierced his peer in the back and bowed to the general. "Our numbers are almost ready for the coup d'état. Whenever you will."

"Have them readied now."

"Yes, sir."

The general turned around and leaned forward, making eye contact with the guard. His stare was steady yet deadly. "Whatever happens, DO NOT let the young master get involved until the finale."

"Sir, yes, sir!"

"I'll deal with the intruders," he said, gripping his fist as blue skin grew on his fist. "I'll kill them all."