Chapter 38 Black ocean
Without wasting another second, Kai moved.
He took two quick steps forward, his boots striking hard against the soaked wooden deck. The surface beneath him was still slick from the earlier crash, droplets of seawater rolling and sliding with every shift of the boat. The wind pressed against his soaked clothes, whipping loose strands of hair across his face.
Then he leapt.
Not a small jump — not hesitation — but a full, committed launch. His body arced high over the side of the boat, cutting cleanly through the cold air. For a brief moment, he was suspended above the black water below, framed against the restless sea and the distant horizon.
Then gravity claimed him.
He crashed into the ocean with a violent splash, the surface bursting apart as his body drove straight through it. Water surged upward around him in a towering spray before collapsing back into itself, swallowing him into the dark depths below.
Cold water wrapped around him instantly.
He did not slow. His body sank rapidly, slicing downward through the heavy pressure of the deep. The faint light from above faded with every passing second, replaced by the dark, endless blue-black of the lower depths.
Stage one. Distract the creature. That was the plan.
The moment his feet stabilized in the water, he kicked forward with powerful strokes, forcing his body into motion. His arms carved through the sea with practiced precision, his legs driving hard behind him as he began to move — not straight toward the creature, but in a wide, circling path around it.
Fast. Very fast.
He swam in a wide arc, keeping his distance but never slowing, pushing his speed higher with every stroke. The water around him began to shift, dragged into motion by the force of his movement.
Once around. Then again. Faster. Wider. Stronger.
With each circle, the current grew heavier. The surrounding water twisted and spiraled, pulled into violent motion by the relentless speed of his swimming. Trails of bubbles spun wildly behind him, dragged into tightening loops.
Round and round he moved, circling the octopus again and again until the water itself began to churn.
The calm depths transformed into chaos. Currents clashed against one another, forming spinning walls of water that began to resemble a growing underwater hurricane. The pressure shifted, pulling debris, sand, and scattered fragments into spiraling motion around the center.
At the heart of it — the octopus reacted.
Its massive body shifted suddenly. The creature's enormous limbs unfurled outward as it detected the disturbance. Its eyes locked onto the rapidly moving figure circling it, sensing the unnatural force building around its territory.
Then it moved.
With sudden aggression, the octopus launched from its position, tentacles striking outward in violent bursts. Massive limbs tore through the spinning currents, lunging toward Kai with crushing force.
But he was faster. Far faster.
He shifted direction sharply, twisting his body mid-motion and kicking hard against the water. The tentacles struck empty space, slicing through nothing but spinning currents and scattered bubbles.
He continued moving. Circling. Running through the sea like a storm given form.
Every movement dragged more water into motion, feeding the growing chaos around the creature. The underwater hurricane strengthened with every passing second, currents tightening, pressure rising, visibility twisting into spiraling distortion.
The octopus grew more aggressive. Its attacks came faster now, tentacles striking again and again, sweeping through the water in relentless attempts to capture the moving target.
But Kai did not stop. He kept running. Kept circling. Kept pulling the creature further and further into rage and motion.
And while all of that unfolded — behind the creature, two figures descended.
Drakara and Trinity moved through the water from the opposite side, approaching the towering structure and the smooth surface where the treasure lay.
They landed carefully. Their feet touched down against the solid surface, water shifting gently around them as they steadied their balance.
Then they saw it. The treasure.
A massive pile stretched before them — an enormous spread of gold, gemstones, ornaments, chains, pendants, and countless other objects layered into a towering mound. Pieces of jewelry reflected faint glimmers of light, scattering dim flashes across the surrounding darkness. Gold lay stacked upon gold. Silver intertwined with crystal. Bright jewels shimmered faintly even in the low light, creating an overwhelming sight of endless wealth piled without order.
For a brief moment, both women froze — not in awe, but in recognition of the scale of the task before them.
Somewhere within that impossible mountain… was the pendant they were searching for.
No hesitation followed. They moved immediately.
Both of them stepped forward and began searching through the massive piles, their hands pushing aside chains, lifting ornaments, shifting scattered treasures in urgent motion. Gold clinked softly against gold. Jewels slid and shifted as they dug through the endless mass, scanning piece after piece without pause.
Every second mattered. Because on the other side — Kai was still moving. Still circling. Still racing through the water at relentless speed.
His body cut through the sea like a storm-driven blade, never slowing, never stopping. The currents around him had grown wild now, twisting into violent spirals that filled the surrounding depths.
The octopus chased him relentlessly, its massive limbs striking again and again, tearing through the spinning water in fury. But he continued running. Faster. Harder. Relentlessly. Keeping the creature's attention locked on him — buying time — while, behind the chaos, the search for the pendant continued.
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The chaos in the water continued to build.
Kai kept circling at relentless speed, his body cutting through the sea again and again, dragging the currents into tightening spirals. The growing storm of water roared around him, forcing the octopus to remain focused entirely on his movement. Massive tentacles lashed through the swirling currents, striking again and again, missing him by narrow margins as he twisted and surged through the deep.
Behind the creature — the search finally reached its turning point.
Trinity's hands moved rapidly through the endless piles of treasure. Gold chains slid across her fingers. Rings clinked together. Pendants knocked against one another as she pushed aside piece after piece with growing urgency.
Then — her hand stopped.
Something felt different.
She pulled a pendant free from beneath a tangled cluster of ornaments. It was small compared to the surrounding treasures, but its weight and shape carried a distinct familiarity.
She turned it in her hand. For a brief moment, her movements slowed as she opened it.
Inside — there was a small photo, carefully folded and preserved. Beside it rested a tiny glass bottle, smooth and reflective like a fragment of a mirror. Inside the bottle, a faint liquid shifted slightly with her movement, glimmering dimly in the underwater light.
She stared at it for a brief second, confirming what she had found. Yuki's pendant. Hana's photograph. The liquid — perhaps a remnant of ice demon essence, preserved against time.
Without wasting time, she closed the pendant tightly and secured it in her grip.
Then she turned. Raising her arm, she waved sharply toward Kai in the distance — clear, direct, unmistakable.
They had found it.
Even through the violent spinning water, he saw the motion.
Relief flickered across his face — but only for an instant.
Because at that same moment — as Trinity and Drakara turned to leave, moving quickly across the uneven surface, their hurried motion caused a mistake.
A single step landed wrong.
Their movement struck one of the eggs.
The contact was small — but the result was not.
The egg shifted. Rolled. Turned slowly along the smooth surface beneath it.
Then — it slipped.
The edge vanished beneath it as gravity took hold. The egg dropped. Falling silently into the endless abyss below.
Kai saw it.
The octopus saw it.
Both of them reacted at the same instant.
The creature froze for a fraction of a second — then its body twisted violently, its massive limbs pulling inward before launching forward with terrifying force.
Its attention shifted completely. Not toward him — but toward the falling egg. And beyond it — toward the two women.
Kai's expression changed instantly.
If the creature reached them now — it would attack. And if it attacked — they would be forced to kill it.
That outcome could not happen.
Without hesitation, he forced his body forward. He surged directly into the creature's path, driving through the swirling water with explosive speed.
Then — impact.
He slammed into the octopus with his full body, tackling it from the side and forcing its massive form to halt mid-motion. The collision sent violent currents ripping outward, shaking the surrounding water with crushing force.
Holding it in place for even a moment required immense effort. But he did not release it.
Instead, he turned his head sharply toward the two women and shouted through the water with absolute force:
"Get the egg!"
Both of them froze. Their reaction came instantly.
"No!"
The refusal was sharp and immediate. They hesitated, unwilling to abandon the retrieved pendant.
But Kai's expression darkened. His voice surged with raw fury as he roared again:
"I will destroy this entire sea if you don't get that egg!"
The words carried terrifying weight.
"And believe me — I can do that!"
Even through the chaos of water and motion, the threat was unmistakable. Both women knew — if his anger crossed that line, he would do exactly what he said.
Without another word, they moved.
Both of them launched themselves toward the falling egg, diving downward into the abyss with urgent speed. Their bodies cut through the dark water, arms reaching as the egg continued its slow descent into the depths.
Moments later — they caught it.
Securing it tightly between them, they turned immediately and surged upward, carrying it back toward safety. Within seconds, they reached the upper waters and broke toward the ship, climbing aboard with the egg held firmly in place.
But Kai — was not so fortunate.
The moment the octopus realized what had happened — realized that its egg had fallen, had been touched, had been taken — its fury deepened into something far more violent.
Its movements became wild. Uncontrolled. Savage.
Tentacles lashed outward with monstrous strength, striking faster and harder than before. The force behind each attack increased rapidly, turning every motion into a crushing blow.
Kai felt it immediately. Shock flickered through him.
Its strength… is increasing.
Every strike carried more weight than the last. More pressure. More rage. If this continued — if he failed to control it — he might not survive.
The realization tightened his focus instantly.
He steadied himself.
Then he moved his hands. Slowly at first. Then with rhythm. Precise. Controlled.
His arms shifted through the water in deliberate patterns, cutting through the currents with measured force. The surrounding water responded immediately, bending and shifting under his control.
The rhythm intensified. The swirling currents twisted violently, forming powerful waves beneath the surface.
Then — with a final motion — everything moved.
The entire body of water surged upward in a violent eruption. The octopus was caught inside the force as the surrounding currents twisted and lifted, dragging its massive body upward with overwhelming pressure.
The sea exploded. Water burst into the air as the creature was thrown violently out of the ocean, its enormous body rising into open air in a massive spray of shattered waves.
Without hesitation — Kai turned.
He kicked forward with everything he had left, swimming hard toward the ship. His arms tore through the water, pushing him forward at desperate speed. He climbed upward — bursting through the surface — then surged toward the side of the vessel.
As he grabbed hold and pulled himself upward, he glanced behind him — just in time to see the octopus still suspended in the air, its massive form twisting as it prepared to strike again.
There was no time. No hesitation.
He moved instantly.
Grabbing the startled sailor, he shoved him backward out of the way, clearing the controls. His hands seized the steering hold, locking into place with urgent strength.
Then — he drove the boat forward.
Hard.
The vessel lurched violently as it surged ahead, cutting through the water at high speed. Waves shattered against its sides as it raced forward, pulling away as fast as possible from the raging creature behind them.