After some time, the Kappa and the Siren simultaneously breached the surface- interrupting their underwater struggle for a breath of air. As they came up, it was clear that both Summons had incurred significant damage. The Kappa was covered in deep cuts and the face of Zorya’s Summon was swollen with bruises

But despite the damage, Elem could feel that his Kappa was still hungry for more. The turtle-like Summons inhaled a deep gulp of oxygen and- as its Essence flared up like a spouting geyser- immediately launched another series of claw strikes at its opponent.

“Go!” Zorya shouted, prompting her Siren to evade the barrage and disappear into the swirling waters once more.

Elem’s mouth folded into a satisfied smirk.The Kappa was proving that it could stand its ground in hand-to-hand combat with a Legendary Class Summon and now, they had even successfully routed the Siren. He ordered his Kappa to follow carefully, pressuring the escaping Summon without running into a trap.

The Siren quickly re-emerged atop a rock on the far side of the flooded battlefield. It snarled at Elem and his Kappa, displaying its translucid, needle-like teeth while raising its arms in the air.

It was ann obvious taunt.

“Isn’t she pretty?” Zorya asked, gesturing at her Summon. “She carries the dangerous beauty of the ocean. It is the most enchanting thing there is.”

As the Unagi Master spoke, her Siren began to sing; producing a melody that started as a harrowing sequence of drawn out moans but slowly transformed into something deep and ethereal.

The waves surrounding the battlefield swayed and danced along with the Siren’s song and even Elem could feel its effect drip into his psyche. The music penetrated his body, entering through his very pores like some miniscule bacteria.

“Isn’t she everything one could desire?” Zorya continued. “Is she not perfect?”

“She is,” Elem answered dreamily, surprising himself with the answer.

His eyes were fixed on his adversary’s Water Summon. The creature’s slimy gray skin suddenly looked like the smoothest thing he had ever seen and he dreamt of running his hands through the Siren’s wet hair. He felt the desire to jump into the water, secretly wishing to be dragged into the depths so that the fish could feast on his remains.

Elem took a few steps towards the surf but stopped in his tracks the moment his toes touched the water. It was a spell he realized, before slapping himself in the face to regain his focus.

“Nice try,” he told Zorya. “But our resolve is stronger than this.”

The Unagi Master let out a light chuckle.

“Are you sure?” she teased, her words sounding distorted and muffled.

Elem felt dizzy and his vision rapidly darkened until he could see nothing but blackness.

You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

“What about now? Are you strong enough to resist the ocean?”

----------------------------------------

Elem suddenly found himself in a familiar place. He was home.

The main hall of the Sekuheim School was exactly the same as he remembered. The room was dark and serious. The air was cool, dry and pervaded by a strong scent of pinewood.

Before him, Elem noticed the figure of a person sitting on his knees. While the man was obscured by shadows, Elem recognized his posture and silhouette immediately.

“Father?” he asked. “Is that you?”

The man got up without uttering a word and stepped into the light.

Upon seeing his father, Elem staggered back in fear. Master Ardan’s face had decomposed like that of a rotting corpse. His eyes were hollow and devoid of life, his hair had been reduced to mossy strings and large patches of the skin on his face had withered away, revealing his yellowed skull.

“F…f…father,” he stammered. “Is that you?”

“Have you forgotten about me?” Ardan asked, his voice thundered through the school’s hall. “Do you not recognize your own father?”

“No!” Elem shouted. “I could never forg–.”

Before he could finish his sentence, the apparition slapped Elem in the face with the back of his hand.

“You disgust me! Your weakness is a curse to our family!”

Elem fell to the floor, suddenly unable to move.

“You were supposed to avenge me,” Ardan shouted. “But you are a failure. You should have died that day. Not me.”

The Sekuheim Master’’s skeletal eye sockets lit up with auburn flames and the earth behind him began to rumble.

The Minotaur crawled from the earth like a demon escaping the underworld. Its sharp horns and muscular deltoids were more intimidating than they’d ever been before. Steam blew from its nostrils and streaks of magma slithered across its massive body.

Then, the Minotaur picked Elem up like he was nothing and threw his body against the wall with so much velocity that it sent cracks across the entire side of the hall. Elem could only gasp for air as the Earth Summon leaned over his limp body and began striking him with his fists.

Blood pooled all around him. There was so much of it and yet Elem couldn’t figure out where it was coming from. He tried to get up and run away but his body wouldn’t budge. He was paralyzed by fear, forced to take hit after hit.

“You should be ashamed of yourself!” Ardan barked. “You should be dead!”

The Minotaur threw Elem across the battle hall like a rag doll time after time, kicking and punching him every time he crashed to the ground.

Eventually, the Earth Summon pinned Elem to the wall by trapping his limbs behind slabs of earth and left him hanging there for a moment. Elem stared at his father’s rotting face, trying to read a single emotion from the man’s lifeless gaze.

“Father,” he tried again but Master Ardan simply shook his head.

“Get rid of him,” Ardan ordered.

The Minotaur grunted before planting its horns all the way through Elem’s stomach.

----------------------------------------

When Elem opened his eyes again, he found himself back at the beach besides Zorya. On the battlefield in front of them, his Kappa was still facing the Siren.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” the Unagi Master said delicately. “So you’ve endured my Siren’s song huh? That’s impressive! Not many can do that.”

“That was your attack?” he stammered, slowly realizing that the horror he had just endured had been nothing more than another illusion casted by the Siren.

“It’s a powerful move isn’t it? But don’t you worry. I didn’t target you directly, you simply experienced the effects because the song hit your Kappa,” Zorya explained, stepping closer. “Are you sure you want to keep going? I promise you, the next song will break you.”