"YUKIO!!!" From their perspective, it felt devastating. Yukio should've known better. Yukio was smart. Even so Yukio took an action that reaped no benefits. Everybody knew he was a softie, but he was not illogical.

They stared as his body disappeared underneath the water. Even the beast was perplexed to the point that the attack it was preparing dissipated back to the environment. Both parties looked at the tiny bubbles that floated up in the particular area.

"Remcon, start the engines," Arashi ordered.

Almost everyone gasped.

"What are you saying, sis?!" Shin glared back in confusion.

"It's as he said. He drew its attention. Even if half of his plan, well, probably more than that, was a failure, we should might as well make do with what we have. It would be foolish not to utilize the little opportunity we have."

"Hey…" His voice turned raspy. "I don't hear you. Try saying that again. Yu isn't dead yet. He's right there!"

"I don't see your point. That's where he wanted to be, right? So that we could escape. Are you implying that we go save him? Don't be ridiculous. We can't defeat that thing even if we combined forces. Saving what's now a deadweight is the least of our concerns. Remcon, what are you waiting for?! Start before it goes for us!"

"You bitch!" Shin grabbed her collar at the same time they started accelerating. "Are you saying we sacrifice Yu?! This is not even using him as bait! He'll definitely get eaten! And even if it's not by that one, one of those beasts will! Do you understand what you're doing?!"

"Completely and 100 percent." She looked into his eyes with an uninterested expression. "Didn't I tell you from the very beginning? You people might die. And now you're reacting over this? Why don't you grow a pair and come back to Earth?"

Shin simply grinded his teeth in frustration as tears started to flow out.

"Oh dear. Crying now? For your information, I'm not here to babysit you. From the very beginning, my only goal is to protect one person, and that's my sister. I don't care what happens to the rest of you. And if my memory serves me right, it was you guys who approached her and wanted to help. She tried to stop you, but you guys wanted to act like goodie two-shoes and be her saviors. What were you expecting? If that's all what you amount to after all that then—"

"Onee-chan, that's—!"

"Am I wrong?! I may spare some effort to save Hannah because of my promise to her grandfather, but I don't remember doing the same for these three. Hopefully this will help provide an example… about the path we're walking on."

"B…but…" Shin finally spoke out…

Hurgh!

… but immediately felt the motion sickness kicking in again, causing him to crouch down.

Arashi sighed. "Geez, just put on the mask already. You have problems of your own."

"BUT!" Shin mustered out. "He didn't even get to fight who we were supposed to!"

Arashi stood silent for a moment before answering. "There's nothing we can do about it. We were just unlucky. To be honest, I'm perplexed and disappointed at his actions too. I expected better from him. But I'm also grateful because we get to escape because of his sacrifice."

"No we don't..." Diavolo solemnly replied, looking towards the rear horizon. "It's heading our way."

The distraction was over. The beast was ready to pounce once again. And it was making its way at breakneck speed.

"Shit! Remcon!"

"I already have the engine running at max output, ma'am!"

"Guess vacation's over. Grab the harpoons again! However…" She opened the hatch to the ammunition and looked inside. "From the looks of it, I doubt we'll be able to deal with future adversaries."

"Eh?!" Suzume shrieked. "We were underprepared?"

"Quite from it, actually," Randolf replied. "But we just never expected its kind to be out here, that's all."

"You know…" Shin weakly began to speak. "I've been wondering. Wouldn't it just be better off for it to let it eat us?"

"...Hah?!" Arashi exclaimed.

"After all, if it ate us, that would mean it would also eat the shard. And if it ate the shard, Hisao wouldn't be able to find it anymore. That's it! It's not like he can track the shard. Till now, he's simply been tracking the person who holds the shard to find it. And what are the chances of him finding this particular beast from the middle of nowhere?"

"Shin…" Randolf let out sorrowfully.

"Heh, did you just snap because of all that I said, boy? Planning on betraying us now?"

"Hehe… No. It was just a silent suggestion, that's all. Don't worry. I'm not like you. I value my friends. Even if it hasn't been that long." He put on the mask. "I suspected Suzume for the rumours at first, but she was actually a good person. All my friends are good people. I wouldn't abandon them, let alone betray. And besides, Diav, Hannah and Layla are on this ship too." He stood at the edge of the deck beside Diavolo. "I'd be ashamed if I let these people die."

He locked eyes with Diavolo and the two smiled at each other. And then they looked back at the people in the middle on the deck. "Suzume, could you hand be the harpoon launcher?"

Suzume who seemed to almost about to tear up, rubbed her eyes and gave a quiet but strong nod. As someone powerless and being protected, helping out in little things here and there was the only way she could be of use.

"We injured it before and we can do it again. No matter how many trials it takes. If it runs away in pain, then fine. We'll recover Yu's body. If it doesn't and simply gets enraged even further, then we'll have no choice but to defeat it!"

"W-wait, what did you just say?! You've definitely lost it! We can't beat that thing!"

"Sis… you're actually pretty strong. You can take control of other people's energy just as it was originally shaped. That Claude is also the same. I can't do it yet. I've got ways to go. If it's you, you'll be able to manage. Whether it's a hit and run or just run, after we've injured it enough, you do what's needed. As someone who's been protecting Suzume the whole time, you can do it."

"Don't try to act cool. What about after that? Even if we've managed to escape it, there are more up ahead. You really think after you die, we'll be able to take them on in the same way?"

"..." He clenched his jaws.

"See, you definitely haven't thought this through! You're basically doing the same thing as Yukio!"

"Maybe…" He looked down at his clenched fist, "But I can't stop. I will…" then looked at the receding horizon. "—Huh?!"

"Hmm? What's wron—eh?!" Diavolo too was surprised when he looked in the same direction. "It stopped."

Arashi ran between them. "What? What's the meaning of this?!"

The beast blankly stared at them while staying perfectly still. Its eyes looking straight at them, but somehow seemed like its attention was somewhere else. And then it turned, moving slightly aside in the process, revealing the scenery for everyone.

From that point which almost basically looked like a speck of dust, something, no, someone came out. Even if they were so far away, they couldn't not recognize him. But there was clearly something odd. Yukio looked different.

Even if his body was drenched, his hair, all of it, stood on its ends. His weapons, the two small armbands gave off a faint bluish-white twinkle. From their distance it looked like so, but it was actually giving off a glow akin to the ripples on the surface of a water body. But the most striking thing… was the fact that he was not floating, but standing on water.

You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

"Hey, Diav… did he just awaken something like you?"

"I don't… Maybe. I mean… he fell unconscious didn't he?"

"Don't be stupid! If that was the case, everybody would be unleashing something whenever they fell unconscious! What's going on here?!"

On the other hand, the beast turned to observe Yukio. The time it took before it chased everyone was not only because it was surprising at first, but also because it was making sure of something. Unlike the first group of beasts, it was more intelligent. It was making sure if something was up before it gave chase. That's why, it was observing the area that Yukio drowned to make sure he wasn't coming back up.

But now things flipped over. It didn't think it was in danger because of something odd happening, it wasn't intelligent enough to comprehend such thought. As a beast, it simply had one directive, catch prey and face enemies. Although, it did feel a hint of uneasiness.

And then there was Yukio standing atop the ocean, slouching, and looking down at the water. He spoke no words, and let out no sounds. It was unclear whether he was even thinking anything. At one moment, his pupils moved aimlessly around his entire eyes, as if scanning the area, and then on the next moment… he launched himself straight towards the beast!

What was even more surprising was that rather than running, it seemed as through the water itself was propelling him forwards. Or it might have been that he was surfing over at a really high speed. Regardless, nobody at the time knew how he was doing it.

Almost as if the previous exhaustion wasn't even there, the silent Yukio swerved across the gentle yet indisruptable waves with ease.

«Heh! This brat! Even if he has finally awakened, to think he is still asleep…»

«Do you mean unconscious?»

«Whatever! You get the point!»

«At the very least, it is fortunate that he seems to recognize friend from foe.»

«Can he really? Are you sure he isn't simply attacking the first thing near him?»

«Please do not say such things, brother! It would be troublesome if that were the case!»

«Even so… Unless the brat starts using Voyd, he will not be able to utilize our powers. Should I give him a little push?»

«I would deem such actions unwise. Especially in his current state. And besides, we have been waiting for so long anyway. An extra year or two is no matter. You are becoming too restless, brother.»

«Tch! Don't blame me if it takes him too long!»

«I do not think that would be a problem. This child is quite diligent after all.»

The beast attempted a quick reaction against its opponent, but to its surprise, the tiny human, even with such a great distance in height, gestured a punch, immediately after which a large gush of water burst out and struck its head.

Naturally it was unscathed. As if water could harm it! Nevertheless, it definitely packed a punch and it lost some of its balance, even with its apparently sturdy body.

In the meantime, Yukio allowed no delay and leapt onto its body, latching onto just the right spot to grab ahold of the harpoon that was stuck in its large bleeding glands. The beast attempted to writhe and twist to get him off but Yukio grabbed a hold and gave a strong heave.

KSSSHHH

A mixture of blood and other fluid sprayed out as the beast screamed and convulsed in pain, eventually throwing Yukio off itself.

As if it was merely a natural flow of outcomes, Yukio was unfazed and launched another counterattack. But this time, the beast used a different card up its sleeve… or rather, down the ocean. Its tail made its first appearance and Yukio suffered a direct hit on his back, launching him way up into the sky.

He lost his grip over the harpoon and all air gushed out of his lungs. His eyes turned upwards as his barely existing consciousness tried desperately to get air back in.

But it was not over. As if its pride was hurt or something, the beast was furious. Now was the chance. If Yukio didn't have ground to hold onto, he was vulnerable. It charged up Natura in its mouth and blasted it as quickly as possible!

This blast mixed with some of its gastric juices was more than enough to cause a full body second degree burn, but from that distance, first degree was the only inevitable outcome. Small parts of his clothes were melted and burnt, and the poor boy fell straight into the water yet again.

"YU!!! SHIT!" Shin slammed the deck railing.

"This is why I've been telling you! He has no chance!" Arashi fell on her knees and held her forehead in frustration. "Why did I get my hopes up for a second there?! I should've known better!"

"No, Yukio should still be fine! That wasn't a fully charged blast like last time! The beast is also desperate!" Diavolo conjectured.

"If that's the case, we should help him! Increase his odds as much as possible!" Suzume suggested.

"That's what I wanted from the beginning, but…!" Shin grinded his teeth saying so, and then turned towards Arashi beside him.

"Onee-chan, please reconsider! He is doing his best for us! We can't just abandon him like this!"

Arashi sat there contemplating. It was true Yukio was doing his best, but did that imply providing backup or escape? It was Yukio's will for them to escape, but then again, he didn't seem to be in the right mind. Protecting Suzume and Hannah were the only things she bore responsibility for… or at least, those were the only responsibilities she decided to take on herself. If so, she shouldn't even second guess escaping.

However, it was not so simple. Regardless of whether they escape or help, the road ahead was bound to be harsh, if not harsher. If they escape they permanently lose some fighting strength. If they help, they risk themselves all perishing, but in turn they may end up all alive and well, at least after a recovery period. No matter which decision she took, she would have to take full responsibility for it.

But then she remembered one thing. Even if they were so far away from the equator, they met this beast. Wouldn't that mean they were heading closer to their territories anyway? If so, they would die anyway. In that case, slightly, just slightly, there was a better chance of everyone staying alive, if they helped. Moreover, if it's on water, it was basically Yukio's domain since the other two were plasma users. Yukio was their greatest asset throughout this journey. It would probably be foolish to let him die like this. And thus…

"I got it…" she murmured. "Turn the boat."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Yukio shall not be abandoned. They no longer had any reason to have a guilty conscience. Thus they steeled themselves for one final bout.

"Did you get that, Yu! We'll be there right away!"

But all this concern was about to go to waste. That was because…

«Hey, sister of mine! This is getting on my nerves! Are you sure you still want to—!»

«T-this damned inferior reptile… dares to hurt our long sought after partner… »

«U-uh… at last that frightening malice of yours surfaced, huh? Ehehe… What happened to holding back and waiting?»

Yukio once again swam up. But it was clear that he was at his limit, although technically it could be said that he had already worked beyond his 'limit'.

His slouching body had trouble standing. In fact, where previously he was able to stand atop water, his legs continuously sunk and surfaced at irregular intervals. He twitched and tripped but he got back up, sometimes even swimming, or rather, crawling his way towards the beast, ever so slowly. With every strain he put on his body, his limbs shook and his breath ragged. The microscopic muscles underneath his skin flexed and convulsed as reflex to the pain of the burns. Yet still, he attempted to fight, as if his very existence was that of a killing machine.

Normally, the beast would've scoffed, but it still had anger left to spare. With Yukio in this state, it was the perfect opportunity. It once again started to charge up its original blast wave.

"Remcon, hurry up!!!" His friends screamed from a distance.

«If it were this garbage's ancestors, I would have understood. However, against this weak being… and to think it used such a dirty trick against the poor child!!!»

«Um, I do not think using its tail is a dirty trick, but… Does that mean we will be doing it?»

«Do not be absurd, brother dear! I simply wish to scare this pitiful creature! May it be engraved upon its soul about who it faces!»

«Ah you still have your reason… Good to see you have yet to lose your temper. Otherwise, there would be no place for myself, after all.»

«Fear not, brother. You shall always remain the hot-headed among us, fufu!»

Meanwhile, outside, all parties were getting desperate. The beast charged up faster and faster, while the people on the yacht charged full speed towards the fight. Shin, Diavolo and Randolf, all prepared their respective harpoon launchers, aiming at the exposed injured area. And suddenly, it happened.

Moments before they would have reached the proper range for the harpoons, the beast stopped its attack, again.

"Wait!" Diavolo called out.

"What are you saying, Diav?! This is our chance! We don't have ti—!"

"Just look!"

The beast stopped, true, but it was different this time. Unlike the previous cause of surprise, this time seemed like it was… afraid. As if its saliva got stuck in its throat, it stared at Yukio like a deadman. Its pupils contracted, its breath stopped and the skin underneath its fins and scales quivered. It also seemed to subconsciously lower its head as if it was facing something bigger than itself.

Little did everyone on deck know what things were from the beast's point of view. This puny little human who was pathetically making its way towards it managed to anger a beast such as itself. He should've been grateful to be facing its strongest blast on the face of his death. Or at least that was how it thought it was supposed to go.

Suddenly, out of the blue, the beast felt fear that it had never felt before in its life. A kind of fear that made it regret ever performing its actions. A feeling that it had sinned. Something along the lines of when a child gets ahead of itself when facing an adult with years of accumulated experience, and has finally learnt what it was truly facing.

Although the scene in front of it was a sort of hallucination, it was still fearsome. Yukio's body was enveloped in a smoke-like dark aura, making his figure appear like a silhouette. The colours of the world were bleached away into black and white, and from his shoulders protruded out two long dark lumps which were supposedly heads. And then from all three heads shone three pairs of bright white eyes without any pupils. Angry. Fearsome. Dreadful.

The world, no, its body seemed to have become heavier and it could no longer stay afloat as it had been. Unwantedly, as its head lowered and lowered, it was coming face to face with this monstrous existence.

Finally, as only half of its head remained above water, Yukio's body reached its snout. He raised his hand and placed it gently on its cold scales, and what permanently settled the confrontation was the three heads opening their mouths revealing a gaping white void followed by their sharp teeth at the entrance. Just as its heart was about to stop, the colours of the world returned and the hallucination stopped, Yukio's weary body flopping onto its snout and his mind falling completely into the unconscious.

It was over, and nobody knew what exactly had happened.