“My lord, you’ve received a missive from Rongo Moana.”

Professor Iakopo raised his eyes to meet Saikai’s, his trusted right hand. He extended his hand and took the sealed letter. Sitting in his study dealing with the organization of the school, but mostly worrying about Talia, he opened the seal, feeling the Tempest Water-attuned Mana coming from the letter. The Mana signature certified that it had indeed been written by Rongo and no one else.

Professor Iakopo’s eyes scanned the letter quickly. Then he reclined in his chair, holding the letter out for Saikai and nodding at him. Saikai took the letter and started reading it.

“He wants you alive, Professor,” Saikai said.

“He’s only saying that there will be an attempt on my life soon. As if I didn’t know that,” Professor Iakopo commented, tapping his knuckles on the desk.

“My lord, you’re not exactly full of allies at this moment.”

“And you suggest I take Rongo as my ally? With all we know about him?”

“Lord Rongo was indeed very fond of Yalena, my lord. However, that tells us he must resent all the elders and nobles alike. And, my lord, since we’re in dire need of allies... As they say, there’s no better friend than an enemy of my enemy.”

“Have you read the entire letter, Saikai?” Professor Iakopo asked in a challenging tone.

“I have, my lord. I am not surprised by his request. He wants Talia to challenge the same dungeon that Yalena became famous for. One of the dungeons I could never explore unless I wanted to create a diplomatic incident. Tempest City is very jealous of their secrets.”

“I don’t think the city nor its inhabitants are jealous of what’s in that dungeon, Saikai.”

“My lord?” Saikai raised an eyebrow. “Do you believe this is the work of Yalena?”

Professor Iakopo sighed, rubbing his face. “We know very well how vicious Yalena could be, Saikai. Would it surprise you?”

“No, my lord. But if that was indeed the case, why would Yalena want Miss Talia to go into the dungeon?”

“I think the answer to that is pretty simple,” Professor Iakopo said. “Whatever is in there clearly has the key to this whole mystery. And Rongo wants me to allow Talia to clear the dungeon as part of her second year graduation dungeon. Yalena cleared it during her fourth year at the academy. It was one of the few dungeons we didn’t visit together.” He paused thoughtfully. “I wonder, perhaps, if I should disregard Rongo’s words, storm Tempest City, and take a look at the dungeon for myself.”

“You would be left with no allies, my lord,” Saikai said grimly. “And Rongo is probably right. We have seen much movement in the underbelly of the academy. This year is going to be the last year things stay peaceful.”

“Let me correct you, Saikai,” Professor Iakopo said, with an ironic tinge to his voice. “If Rongo is right, this might very well be the last year of the Water Rider Academy.”

* * *

When Professor Tukupa had mentioned a ritual to undo the Kraken, Talia had felt a strong sense of urgency in her stomach. She knew from Professor Iakopo that her mother had found a way, she believed, to kill the Kraken. But what she hadn't known was that the Kraken had been man-made in the first place. Apparently, someone had really believed that the Kraken would have helped while fighting Abyssal Creatures. And at some point, that same plan clearly went haywire.

Talia didn't know if that was the whole truth, but at least now she had clues to work from. And since she knew for a fact that her mother had visited Aneanui, the city where Keanu came from, her next step was crystal clear.

"Are you sure?" Keanu said nervously.

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Talia nodded at him. "I don't think I need Professor Iakopo's class. Perhaps learning how to draw more Mana would help. But right now, what I really need is to know the truth about what my mother did, about what my mother made me into," she said with a grave face.

"The preparations are done," Keanu said. "So we don't need to wait any longer. If you want to go," he said as they were returning from Professor Tukupa's house, "we can go as soon as tonight."

"Very well," Talia said. “Let’s go then.”

* * *

Talia found Professor Iakopo in his study.

"Professor," Talia said, standing straight. "I'm leaving tonight. Keanu has made arrangements."

Professor Iakopo set down the letter he'd been reading. "You’re going to Aneauni?"

Aneanui, the flying city, was where Keanu came from.

"Yes. Mom went there, and after what Professor Tukupa told us about the three races..." Talia trailed off, then met his eyes firmly. "I need answers. I know that they have the key to the Cursed Form. So, at the very least, I’ll be stronger once I come back."

“You will,” he nodded. “You should be safe there. But just in case,” he fished out a seashell from his pocket. “Keanu won’t like this, but this is a communication device and tracker that I’ve imprinted with my Space Water. I will be able to come over wherever you are as long as you inject Mana in it.”

Talia bid the Professor goodbye and went to her room to pack.

* * *

The evening air was thick with salt as Talia and Keanu made their way toward the larger docks where merchant vessels and bigger ships were moored. The setting sun painted the water in shades of amber and gold.

"The vessel I arranged is sturdy enough for deep water," Keanu explained as they walked. "We'll need it for where we're going. The waters around Aneanui can quite treacherous."

Talia adjusted the pack on her shoulder.

"How long will it take to reach—"

"Well, well." A familiar voice cut through the evening air. "The whore's daughter, sneaking away in the night."

Maleko emerged between two warehouses, flanked by his two goons from earlier.

“Do you know?” Talia said, putting her pack on the ground and retrieving her glaive from her back. “Elder Kawena wants you to die, I think.”

Maleko was caught by surprise by those words. “What are you saying, you stupid bitch?”

“Elder Kawena is a great teacher,” Talia commented, “and she wants you to die. She wants you to die because she knows you’re not as strong as me. You must know. But she knows she needs a reason to come after me. That’s what you are—her reason to come after me.”

Maleko wasn’t stupid, and when he heard those words, it made terrible sense to him. However, his eyes gleamed with malevolence as he commented, “Well, that means you cannot kill me, but I can most definitely make you suffer and scream.”

“That’s very wrong,” Talia said with a smile. “I said that Elder Kawena thinks she’ll be able to come after me if I kill you. But I don’t think she’s really understood that there won’t be any of you left, not one drop of blood, when I’m done.”

“I know you’re strong,” Maleko sneered. “But you clearly don’t know who I am.”

Suddenly, the temperature rose exponentially around them, with a few wooden crates around them spontaneously catching on fire.

“I am Maleko Kanaloa, you whore’s daughter, Elder Krakatoa is my uncle. I am the Chose of the Kanaloa Family, the strongest Great Family of all, the spearhead of the North Deep.”

“And?” Talia said, activating [Blood Confluence], empowering her body to resist the rise in temperature.

“I was born with a once-in-a-thousand-years special Skill,” he cackled, extending his arms by his side, with his goons retreating swiftly. “You are about to witness the strongest Skill in the world, you stupid bitch.”

Flames erupted in midair and the pavement below her feet started to crack, with rivulets of magma flowing in-between the ridges in the broken stone.

“You are about to die to my [Soul Domain],” he laughed. “It is high time someone put an end to your disgraceful existence, Kraken’s Spawn.”

Talia was surprised by Maleko knowing the slur they used for her for so many years but just smiled since she was about to give him a good reason to call her that.

“[Soul Domain]?” Talia said, looking at the twisting environment around them and already feeling like her skin was on fire. “That sounds like a very powerful Skill.”

“It is,” Maleko smiled evilly. “I will be the strongest Kraken Slayer of my Family, ever. Greater than Kanaloa himself. Greater than Principal Kaimana. Much greater than that whore mother of yours. All of because of my Skill, which puts my Uncle’s greatest powers to shame. I can influence the very fabric of reality!”

“Good,” Talia smiled. “I will be taking that Skill from your dead body, then.”

She lunged forward and activated [Ravenous Wounds].