The sun rose on the second day of the Grand Ocean Tournament.
The Water Kingdom bloomed with celebration. Water channels flowed brightly, music echoed from towers, and floating ships hovered above the crystal coliseum. Today marked one of the most anticipated events—Water Spells Only.
The announcer's voice boomed across the coliseum like thunder:
**"Welcome, everyone! The rules are simple—no weapons, no fire, wind, earth, or lightning. Only water—its purest and deadliest form! Let the ocean decide the victor!"
Inside the royal box, the King sat in regal robes, his daughter beside him—sharp-eyed, elegant, yet suspicious of one masked fighter.
That boy… Kaito Sensaki.
Round One Begins – The Liquid Chaos
Battle 1: River Pulse vs. Ice Fang
Ice Fang's frozen shards met River Pulse's dancing water curves. His spells were rigid—hers, fluid. When the Ripple Chain coiled around his knees and tossed him like a doll, the crowd roared with excitement.
Winner: River Pulse.
Battle 2: Sea Monk vs. Coral Knight
With a calm expression, the Sea Monk sent precise jets of pressurized water at the armored Coral Knight. The Coral Knight blocked, but water burst from below and launched him into the air.
Winner: Sea Monk.
Battle 3: Toadlord Bako vs. Aqua Dancer Velie
Bako, a chubby mage with frog tattoos and a belt full of water bombs, bounced onto the field with a croak. His opponent, Velie, summoned mirror-like puddles that reflected her every move.
"Water Clone Ballet!" she shouted, and a dozen copies danced toward Bako.
He laughed and threw a bouncing bomb—but it turned into a splashy mess.
She smiled. "Whirlpool Waltz."
The entire stage spun.
Bako? Gulped too much water and passed out.
Winner: Velie.
Battle 4: Bladefish vs. Deepcurrent Durga
Bladefish moved like a shark, slashing water blades in all directions. Durga, a quiet warrior with tribal paint, held still—until she raised both hands and whispered:
"Ocean Floor Seal."
The water underneath Bladefish collapsed, pulling him into an illusion of drowning.
"Y-you're cheating!" he gasped.
"No. You just don't understand water."
Winner: Durga.
Kyota Enters the Stage Again – Battle 5
Kyota—still cloaked and masked—walked calmly onto the field.
His opponent: Noble Rika, heir of a prestigious water mage family.
She scoffed. "This ends quickly."
"Twin Serpent Streams!" Two high-pressure jets slithered toward Kyota.
But the moment they neared—he stepped sideways, gently lifting water beneath his feet.
"Flow Break."
CRACK. The spells crumbled.
She panicked. "Hydro Daggers! Thirty-shot burst!"
Kyota raised a single hand. The water paused mid-air.
Then dropped.
As if the water itself refused to obey anyone else.
The entire stadium went silent.
Rika fell to her knees.
"I forfeit…"
Winner: Kaito Sensaki.
More Matches – The Wild & the Clever
Battle 6: Fishy Fred vs. Cloudy Cee
Fred threw endless fish-shaped water spells. "Goldfish Barrage!"
Cee used condensed fog. "Mist Wall."
Fred got lost in his own attack and tripped.
Winner: Cloudy Cee.
Battle 7: Sir Gush vs. Bubble Boy
Sir Gush wore heavy armor made of shifting waves. Bubble Boy… was literally just a kid in a bubble.
Gush laughed. "Child, withdraw before you get hurt."
Bubble Boy pointed.
POP!
Sir Gush slipped and fell flat.
Crowd: "WHAAAA!?"
Winner: Bubble Boy.
Battle 8: Princess Saya vs. Phantom Streamer
The princess stepped into the ring in formal water robes. Her opponent wore a cloak of water vapor, face hidden.
She smiled politely.
"Moonlight Torrent."
The crowd gasped. A glowing silver wave exploded across the field. The phantom dodged, but Saya struck again and again—each spell faster.
Until—
"Tide Chains!" she snapped.
The phantom froze mid-air, caught by invisible water rings.
The crowd exploded.
Winner: Princess Saya.
End of Day Two – The Final Eight
As the sky turned golden, the announcer's voice rose once more:
"Only eight competitors remain! Tomorrow—the quarterfinals!"
Kaito Sensaki – The mysterious masked boy.
River Pulse – The graceful spell dancer.
Sea Monk – The quiet juggernaut.
Bubble Boy – The laughing underdog.
Princess Saya – The royal prodigy.
Velie the Aqua Dancer
Deepcurrent Durga
Cloudy Cee
As Kyota exited the arena, whispers surrounded him.
"Who is that kid?"
"His water magic is alive…"
"Even the ocean bent to him…"
Up above, the princess stared silently. Her gaze fixed on the boy in the cape and mask. Her hand clenched around her pendant—a tiny, carved shell.
And in the shadows of the tower, a hooded figure whispered into a dark crystal:
"He's here. He's awakened."
Far across the sea, another presence stirred.
A voice as cold as death hissed from beneath the water:
"Kyota…"
Later that night, long after the tournament grounds had gone silent, Kyota walked alone to the ocean's edge.
The moon floated high, silver and pale. The waves lapped gently at his boots as he stood on the wet sand, cloak fluttering, sword in hand—unsheathed, yet resting gently at his side.
He looked out at the sea, its endless horizon stretching into nothing.
And then, he whispered.
"…You watched, didn't you?"
The waves replied with a faint hiss.
"I felt you. I always do."
He held his sword before him like a torch to the darkness.
"I'm not the same boy who feared you anymore."
A gust of sea breeze brushed against his face, cold and familiar. His black hair shifted, revealing that faint crimson tint at the tips—now more visible under moonlight.
"I used to think the ocean was just water and salt. But you're more than that. Aren't you?"
He paused. Eyes narrow. Tone gentle.
"You were always speaking to me… I just didn't listen."
He knelt and touched the surface with his blade.
The water curved slightly—as if bowing.
"I will protect them. Even if I'm cursed. Even if I lose myself."
A fisherman nearby stared at him, muttering to a friend, "That kid's talking to the sea again… He's lost it."
But Kyota smiled.
"I know you understand me. You've seen my soul now. And I've seen yours."
A single wave swept forward, wrapping gently around his feet.
"Thank you."
He turned his back to the sea.
The wave pulled back, quietly.
Behind him, whispers stirred. Townspeople watching from afar.
"Is he mad?"
"No. He's… something else."
Kyota slid the sword back into its sheath, the sound sharp and final.
He walked off into the mist, the tide echoing behind him like an answer.