''Kah...! That was good!''

Smacking the empty cup of melon juice down the table, I look to the sky in absolute bliss, enjoying the sweet aftertaste of the drink.

''Sylvia, do you want more?'' Anna chimes in from the side, holding out her orange juice.

''I'm good. Thanks.''

It has been a few days since we decided to go to Atlas. In the end, we still haven't found a way to enter the city. All routes going into the country have been blocked, and all negotiations are also meaningless. Even when I mention my status as a saint, no one who has the capability to guide us there budges.

It's certainly a mystery.

I think it should become an international problem at some point after this. Atlas is our ally in the war with the demons, so when the country suddenly behaves like this without showing any signs beforehand, troubles will inevitably arise.

Like it or not, we will then have to solve this since we have the power and we're close.

Dad also agrees to this when I call him, so it should be fine.

''Hm... Should we just break in?'' I muse.

''That's valid.'' Liana snaps her finger.

''No, no, no, we're not that uncivilized, okay?'' Tina hurriedly intervenes before any of us exert terrorist behavior.

So you still have self-awareness, huh?

Pinning me down after luring me to the back is not how a princess should act. Not that I'm better for sucking her off right there and then. We're two uncivilized princesses, yay.

Either way, we should really find a way to enter the city. I'm dying of curiosity already...

Without many clues, another day passes before a surprise message comes in.

''Hello, my good friends!'' The kraken woman rises from the ocean, holding a few fish in her tentacles. ''We met again!''

''Belia! You're still here?''

''Yeah! It's my off day again!''

On the shore, where we are playing balls, Belia appears, albeit this time in her humanoid body. Munching on her newly caught fish, she begins to share more news about Atlas.

''Mhm... Recently, my unit of guards has seen fewer and fewer people.'' She says. ''They've been summoning more and more into the city. This might be the last vacation I get in a while.''

''Do you know what's going on now?'' Tina asks.

''Nope. Not at all. But why?''

''Ah, about that—''

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After briefly telling her we have something important to do in the city, Belia nods with an understanding expression.

''Can you help us in?'' I crouch in front of her. ''If you want, I can give you a body to use. A really good one.''

As long as I make the clone totally different from me and then disable the sense sharing, it won't count as anything. As expected, Belia perks her ears when I say that.

''For real?''

''Yeah. As good as mine.''

''Ooh...!'' Belia's tentacles begin to wiggle in excitement. ''Ah, wait... Um... Sorry, I think it's quite hard right now.''

''Eh?''

"The security has been getting better these days. It might have been possible a few days ago, but now..."

Shit. It seems we've lost an opportunity... Well.

At this point, I think finding a way into the city typically is going to be quite time-consuming. For the sake of our mission, let's just sneak in. I'm confident our camouflage is good enough.

''I see, Belia.'' I nod in understanding. ''That's unfortunate, but... Can you guide us around the city's territory, at least?''

''Hm? Sure. That's nothing hard.''

''Thanks!''

What a friendly kraken. I like it.

''But you guys are dry people.'' Belia adds. ''I'll have to give you Wobs. Wait here.''

With that, Belia jumps into the ocean, never to be seen again... Or not. She comes back a bit after, holding a few blue earrings in her tentacles.

''Wear this, and you'll be able to breathe underwater.'' She says casually. ''Oh, and I'm not supposed to do this, so give me something in return, alright?''

As she winks at us, a sense of appreciation for tentacles arises inside my heart, adding to the huge one already there.

''You'll get a top-tier body all for yourself!''

After putting on the tear-shaped earring, we, still in our swimsuits, dive straight into the refreshing water with our resident kraken. As soon as my body is fully submerged, a transparent light blue bubble surrounds my head, and a fish-shaped barrier forms from my waist down.

''Whoa...''

I can breathe normally underwater, and even my swimming skills have magically appeared! Even the hazy vision has been adjusted. Now, I can see far into the distance.

So this is Wob...

Upon a brief inspection, an intricate maze of magic formations is operating this device. Mana-charge. Water magic and wind magic. A bit of illusion as well.

Interesting. I'll have to take note of this.

''How'd you like the water? Fun, right?''

Right then, Belia appears before us with a smirk. Except for Sariel, who seems to have known this already, the five of us all make our excitement clear.

Before long, the resident kraken has turned back to her original form, appearing menacingly. She offers a ride, to which we absolutely accept it. As Belia takes us to a relatively shallow seafloor area, a scene straight out of a movie greets us.

Schools of exotic fish dance around a forest of colorful coral reefs, giant jellyfish punching around, camouflaging octopuses cosplaying as the sand.

If I can see my eyes right now, I'm sure they will be sparkling like little gemstones.

Instinctively, I pull out my phone and float it to the side, recording the current scene—the scene of my partners with mesmerized faces and curled lips.

It's not this beautiful sight that I want to record; it's my loved ones' reaction to it. In the future, I'm sure there will be times when our interest in all things waver. At that time, with these recordings, I hope we can at least remember our firsts together and find the meaning of our lives again.

''...''

I'm turning into a grandma, goddamnit.

In any case, after guiding us through a bit more, Belia finally heads to Atlas. As we descend into the deep ocean, light slowly concedes, leaving space to the abyss-like darkness. Scared, we begin to huddle together.

''Hey, Belia, are you sure where we're going...?'' I ask nervously, representing the uneasiness among us.

''Of course, of course.''

''Okay...''

Along the way, faint silhouettes of deepsea giants can be briefly seen passing through us. As there is no light, only their eyes are visible, adding to the eerie ambiance.

What a fucking horror movie.

After almost wetting my already wet swimsuit, a source of light finally appears. In the far, far distance, a sparkling bubble, one resembling a perfect pearl, radiates an unexplainable aura to the surrounding water, subsequently illuminating it a shallow blue.

Beyond what seems to be a barrier—the bubble—a radiant cityscape can be seen.

We have officially arrived at Atlas, the 'Underwater City of Dreams.'

Well, we need to break in first.