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Chapter 37 - the monster
The instant the colossal octopus opened its eye and fixed its gaze upon Kai, the water around it trembled.
For a single, suspended heartbeat, everything went still.
Then—
It attacked.
All at once, the creature's massive tentacles erupted outward, unfurling with terrifying speed. What had moments before looked like motionless pillars suddenly became a storm of living weapons. Dozens of colossal limbs lashed forward, tearing through the water with explosive force.
They came at him like a barrage of spears. Like a rain of living arrows. Like a storm of bullets fired from the abyss itself.
The water around the creature churned violently as the tentacles surged forward, cutting through the dark depths with overwhelming momentum. Each limb moved with terrifying precision, whipping toward him from every direction, leaving violent trails of turbulence in their wake.
The ocean itself seemed to split apart under their force.
But Kai did not hesitate.
The moment he saw the attack coming, his body reacted on instinct. His legs tightened. His muscles locked into place.
And then—he kicked.
Not once. But with explosive, devastating force.
The water behind him erupted outward as his legs drove downward with unimaginable strength. His body launched forward like a projectile fired from a cannon, slicing through the black depths at blinding speed.
The acceleration was so violent that the surrounding water fractured around him. A thunderous shockwave burst outward.
Above the surface, a towering explosion of water erupted into the air. A massive column surged upward, crashing skyward like a geyser, sending waves rippling across the surrounding sea. The force of his movement alone disturbed the surface far above, turning calm darkness into violent chaos.
Below the water, he became a living missile. His body tore through the ocean with unstoppable momentum, leaving a violent trail of spiraling bubbles behind him. The pressure of his speed forced the water aside, carving a temporary tunnel through the depths.
As he surged forward, he pulled one arm back. His fist tightened. Muscles coiled like drawn steel cables, gathering power into a single devastating strike. The speed of his movement multiplied the force of the blow. If that punch connected — it would not simply wound the creature. It would obliterate it. The entire monstrous body reduced to shattered flesh in a single impact.
Ahead of him, the tentacles continued their furious assault. They came from every direction. Left. Right. Above. Below. Massive limbs whipped toward him with crushing force, their pointed ends slicing through the water like sharpened blades. The speed of their movement churned the surrounding sea into violent currents, turning the battlefield into a swirling vortex of chaos.
Two unstoppable forces raced toward collision.
His fist surged forward with annihilating power.
The tentacles surged forward with merciless fury.
The moment of impact approached.
Closer.
Closer.
Then —
And just as both sides were about to collide, just as destruction was about to erupt — Kai saw something.
In that single instant, his decision changed.
Without hesitation, he lowered his hand.
The punch — capable of destroying the creature in one strike — was withdrawn at the very last moment.
And in that single moment of restraint — the tentacles struck.
All of them. At once.
A storm of crushing impacts slammed into his chest and across his entire body. The thick, pointed ends of the tentacles hit with terrifying speed, striking with the force of falling mountains. Blow after blow landed at the same instant, smashing into him with overwhelming brutality.
The impact was devastating.
His body shook violently as the force tore through him. The strikes slammed into his chest, ribs, shoulders, and torso, each blow carrying enough power to shatter bone and crush flesh.
Then — the force launched him.
Not pushed. Not thrown. Launched.
His body was blasted backward with explosive power, hurled upward through the water like a projectile fired from a massive weapon. The speed of the strike carried him violently toward the surface.
The ocean burst apart.
He erupted out of the water in a violent explosion of spray, waves crashing outward as his body shot through the air.
CRASH —
He slammed violently into the side of the boat, the impact shaking the entire vessel. The wooden structure groaned under the force as the boat rocked dangerously from the collision.
Before he could fall back into the sea — Trinity moved.
Her hand shot forward instantly, grabbing his arm with fierce strength. Her grip locked around him without hesitation, refusing to let him slip away.
With force and urgency, she pulled him upward, dragging him back into the ship and hauling him safely onto the deck as the raging water continued to crash violently around them.
"What the hell happened…?"
The words came out rough and heavy as Kai forced himself upright.
Water streamed off his body in thick trails, dripping from his hair, his clothes, his hands. He staggered slightly as his feet found balance on the wet deck. For a brief moment, his body swayed — but then he steadied himself.
He rolled his shoulders once. A deep, sharp cracking sound echoed as his bones shifted back into place. Then he tightened his fists and slowly cracked his knuckles, one after another. The sound was loud, deliberate — like stone grinding against stone.
The hit had been brutal. The force of those tentacles had slammed into his chest and entire body with overwhelming strength — enough to shatter an ordinary man without leaving anything behind.
But for him — now, it was nothing.
He exhaled slowly, shaking the last drops of water from his arms. His chest rose and fell once, steady and controlled, as if the earlier impact had already faded from his body.
Then his expression hardened.
"Bad news," he said.
His voice was calm — but heavy with meaning.
Trinity stepped forward immediately, her three heads all wearing expressions of sharp urgency. Her middle head spoke first.
"What?"
There was no hesitation in her tone — only demand.
Kai lifted his head slightly, his eyes dark and serious.
"Inside the creature's lair," he said slowly, "there's something big… something important."
The deck seemed to grow quieter around them.
Trinity's left head narrowed her eyes. "What is it?"
Kai answered without delay.
"Eggs."
The single word landed with weight.
"It's protecting its eggs," he continued. "That's what it's guarding down there."
For a moment, silence lingered between them, broken only by the restless sound of water striking against the hull of the boat.
He looked toward the dark sea, his voice lowering slightly.
"We can't kill it," he said. "If we do… the children will die too."
His jaw tightened faintly.
"And I don't want to kill it," he added. "It's not attacking without reason. It's just protecting its home."
Trinity did not look convinced.
Her middle head's expression hardened, her posture stiffening as she folded strength into her stance.
"We are not going to just forget our promise," she said firmly, her voice carrying sharp determination, "just because there is a mother down there."
Her eyes locked onto his.
"Let's go in," she continued. "Kill it. And get the pendant."
There was a pause.
Then the left head added, more directly: "There was a pendant… right?"
Kai nodded once.
"Yes," he replied. "There was a pendant."
But then he let out a short breath, as if correcting himself.
"Well… not particularly one pendant."
He rubbed the back of his neck briefly, recalling the sight beneath the water.
"There are more than a thousand pendants," he said. "Maybe even more than that. I didn't count. I don't know exactly."
His voice remained steady, but thoughtful.
"But yeah… we need to find which one is his," he continued. "Yuki's."
He glanced toward the sea again, his brows tightening slightly as the memory replayed in his mind.
"Okay… so that's the real problem," he said quietly.
A brief pause followed before he continued.
"But yeah, definitely it's one of them," he added. "There were luxurious jewels… and some of them were common."
His expression remained serious.
"So honestly… anything can be anything."
The words settled into the heavy air as the dark ocean continued to shift beside the boat, restless and waiting.
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The deck was still slick with seawater, the scent of salt heavy in the air. Waves slapped against the hull in uneven bursts, rocking the boat just enough to keep everyone slightly off balance. The dark sea stretched endlessly around them, restless and cold, as if listening.
Trinity stepped forward, her boots striking the wooden deck with hard, deliberate force. Her armor gave a faint metallic tremor with each movement, reflecting the anger building inside her.
She stopped directly in front of him, folding her arms across her chest, her three sets of eyes burning with sharp frustration. Her middle head spoke first.
"So let me understand this clearly," she said, her voice tight and edged with disbelief. "What you're telling me… is that down there lies a mountain of jewels. Endless treasures. Thousands of ornaments scattered everywhere."
She took another step closer, leaning forward slightly as if forcing the logic into place.
"And somewhere among all of that," she continued, "hidden between riches and scraps alike… is the one piece we actually need."
Her jaw tightened.
"To get it, we would have to search through everything — every pile, every glittering piece — while that creature remains alive and guarding the entire place."
Her lips curled faintly, irritation sharpening her tone.
"And while doing that, we are supposed to avoid killing it."
A short, humorless breath escaped her.
"You realize how absurd that sounds, don't you?"
She straightened fully, her posture rigid with certainty.
Her left head spoke next, voice colder.
"There's a simple solution. Kill the creature. Remove the obstacle. Take what we came for."
Her right head nodded in agreement, then added harshly: "And stop letting human sentiment cloud your judgment. Emotion like that has no place here. That's not how survival works in this world."
The words hung heavily between them.
For a moment, the only sound was the restless creaking of the boat and the distant roar of waves striking the hull.
Kai did not react immediately.
Instead, he let out a slow breath, steadying himself before answering. His posture remained calm, but his gaze hardened — not in anger, but in quiet conviction.
"Alright," he said evenly. "I get what you're saying."
He nodded once, acknowledging her point without resistance.
"I understand that this world doesn't run on compassion," he continued. "That things here are decided by strength, by survival, by what benefits the strongest."
He paused briefly, choosing his next words with care.
"But that's not the reason we came here."
His voice deepened slightly, carrying more weight now.
"We're doing this for a child," he said. "For Toshiro. And for a promise made to his grandfather, Yuki."
His eyes shifted briefly toward the dark sea, as if remembering the reason behind the mission.
"If we start destroying lives that have nothing to do with us," he continued quietly, "then what are we really protecting?"
He looked back at her.
"Yes, the bond between that child and his grandfather matters," he said. "But the bond between that creature and its offspring… matters too."
The statement settled into the silence like a stone dropped into deep water.
Then his expression sharpened slightly.
"I have an idea," he added.
His tone carried cautious confidence.
"It might work."
Trinity's reaction was immediate.
Her middle head's expression hardened further, and her patience snapped visibly.
"Oh?" she said, her voice dripping with irritation. "And what exactly is this brilliant idea of yours?"
But before he could respond, she shook her head sharply, dismissing the thought altogether.
Her right head spoke coldly. "Actually, forget it."
Her left head nodded. "I don't need to hear it."
Trinity's hand moved toward the edge of the boat, her stance shifting as she prepared to act. Her three heads spoke in unison, their voices blending into a single, cold declaration.
"If you won't kill that creature… then I will."
Without waiting for approval, she bent her knees slightly, preparing to leap into the water below.
The movement was sudden — decisive.
But before she could dive —
"Stop."
The voice cut through the air like a blade.
It came from Drakara.
Her tone wasn't loud, but it carried enough authority to freeze motion mid-action. The weight of her presence pressed against the deck like a physical force.
Trinity halted, her body still tense with readiness, but her leap suspended.
Drakara's armored form did not move, but the air around her seemed to grow heavier. The plates of her kimono trembled faintly, producing a low, resonant hum.
"We should listen," Drakara continued, her voice calm but firm. "Hear what he has to say first."
Her gaze shifted toward Kai, steady and thoughtful.
"If his plan works," she added, "then we follow it."
A brief pause followed.
Her voice hardened slightly behind her veiled helmet.
"And if it doesn't… then we kill the creature."
Silence returned once again, thick with tension and possibility.
Kai exhaled quietly, relief flickering across his face for just a fraction of a second.
He turned slightly toward Drakara.
"Thank you," he said, his voice steady but sincere.