The Grand Ocean Tournament – Day Two, Afternoon. Quarterfinals Begin.
The magical waters of the floating coliseum churned wildly as the crowd roared like a thousand waves crashing on the shore. The sun hung overhead, reflecting brilliant light over the crystal-blue battlefield.
"LADIES AND GENTLEMEN!" the announcer's voice echoed across the enchanted speakers. "THE TIDES WILL CLASH ONCE MORE—FOUR BATTLES! FOUR VICTORS! ONLY THE STRONGEST SWIM BEYOND!"
The King of the Water Kingdom leaned forward on his pearl-adorned throne, eyes sharp. "Let us see what tide carries the worthy," he muttered, barely audible.
The princess beside him, Saya, simply smiled, her long hair billowing like a wave in the wind.
Battle One: Kaito Sensaki vs. River Pulse
Kyota stepped forward in his navy tunic, calm and unreadable. River Pulse cracked her neck, eyes glowing with aqua runes.
"May the sea forgive us," she whispered.
BAM!
The clash began instantly—blades of water flew, coiling like serpents and spears. River Pulse spun, sending a Hydro Vortex at Kyota, who dodged with barely a sway. He raised a hand.
SHWOOOM!
A geyser erupted from below, swallowing her in a dome of pressure. River Pulse screamed, attempting to break free—only for a second geyser to smash her from above.
"ARGHHH—!" she crashed into the edge of the arena, coughing blood.
"WINNER: KAITO SENSAKI!"
The crowd exploded. "Who IS this guy?!"
Knights along the arena edge whispered nervously. One leaned toward another. "Did you see that? No chant. No delay. That's not human reflex."
The king narrowed his eyes. "That spell... was it conjured from the sea's will?"
Battle Two: Deepcurrent Durga vs. Bubble Boy
The two warriors leaped in. Bubble Boy unleashed high-speed orbs, while Durga screamed a tribal chant, his muscles bulging with cursed energy.
BOOM! SPLASH!
They collided mid-air—Bubble Boy screamed as Durga's fists crushed his bubble shield, then his shoulder.
A roar followed—a punch to the ribs. Bones cracked audibly.
"AAAGH!" Bubble Boy flew into the pillar, body limp.
"WINNER: DEEPCURRENT DURGA!"
The crowd was stunned. Medics rushed in.
"He... shattered three of his ribs," a knight reported.
Battle Three: Velie vs. Sea Monk
Velie summoned clones of water, shifting around in illusions. Sea Monk didn't flinch.
With a savage growl, he struck with tidal fists, breaking illusions like glass. But Velie reappeared behind him—Mirror Torrent!
Water mirrors exploded in all directions.
Sea Monk's body flew, but he grabbed Velie mid-air and, with a scream of fury, slammed him to the ground.
CRACK.
Velie screamed as his leg twisted unnaturally.
"Enough!!" the announcer shouted.
"WINNER: SEA MONK!"
Blood spilled on the stage.
Battle Four: Princess Saya vs. Cloudy Cee
A hush fell. The princess stepped forward like a moonlit tide. Cee grinned, wild as ever.
Their clash was beautiful—mist vs. moonlight, crashing tides, and mirrored storms. The princess floated, her hands glowing like the moon's reflection. With a sudden cry, she unleashed Lunar Spiral, a coiling serpent of silver water.
Cee tried to counter—but the serpent crashed into him, lifting him and slamming him hard onto the stone arena. He coughed blood and didn't move.
"WINNER: PRINCESS SAYA!"
The coliseum erupted in cheers.
As the dust and mist settled, only four stood tall in the field of broken champions:
Kaito Sensaki (Kyota)
Deepcurrent Durga
Sea Monk
Princess Saya
The king stood. "What a glorious tide we've witnessed. Tomorrow, only two will remain. Let the ocean decide."
Knights saluted, though many still whispered in awe of Kyota's silent dominance.
The camera orb zoomed into Kyota's face. He stared calmly into the sky.
A low voice echoed once again in his mind.
"You're changing, boy. The sea stirs with you now."
After the brutal fight ended and the crowd's roars faded, Kyota disappeared quietly from the coliseum grounds.
He walked down a rocky path alone, heading toward the edge of the capital where the sea whispered beneath a golden twilight. The cliffs overlooked the crashing waves, the wind tossing his cloak around his ankles.
He stood there, silent.
The battle played in his head again—the crushing hits, the blood, the screams, the pain. And finally, the sound of the opponent's ribs cracking as they fell unconscious.
Behind him, some townspeople passed by, whispering and laughing.
"Man, that kid's crazy."
"Who breaks bones like that in a tournament?"
"Monster…"
"Should've shown some mercy. He's just a kid, but he fights like a cursed ghost."
Kyota clenched his fists.
He stared at the waves crashing against the rocks.
"…Stupid…" someone muttered behind him.
Kyota lowered his head, letting the salty breeze bite into his skin.
Suddenly, footsteps approached.
"Hey," came a calm, clear voice.
He turned.
Princess Saya.
She was wearing a light cloak over her armor, her hair braided neatly, and her eyes curious and bright. She stood just beside him, looking at the ocean too.
"You were… awesome today," she said, arms behind her back.
Kyota blinked, then gave a half-smile. "Thanks. You too. You looked like a star in the arena."
She smiled and looked at him sideways. "Smooth talker."
They stood together for a while, the wind flowing around them.
He glanced at her and smirked. "If I were a little older… maybe I'd have tried to make you my princess."
Saya blinked, caught off guard, a small blush touching her cheeks. "That's dangerous talk, Kyota. You're still a kid."
Kyota shrugged, playful. "I won't stay one forever."
Saya chuckled, but then her smile became thoughtful. "For someone who talks like a gentleman, you showed no mercy to that woman today."
Kyota's eyes widened.
"Wait… she was a woman?"
Saya tilted her head, surprised. "You didn't know?"
He shook his head. "If I had known, I wouldn't have fought her directly… I made a promise not to ever hit a woman again. I broke it once… I don't want to repeat it."
The princess paused. Her smile softened.
"You're strange, Kyota. Strange, but… honest."
She stepped closer. "Let's see what happens in the finals then…"
With that, she reached up and pulled down the hood of his cloak.
His messy black hair tumbled free, wild in the wind.
The light revealed his upper face—pale, sharp, and very human—but below that, a haunting mask covered his nose, mouth, cheeks, and jaw. It looked skeletal, carved like bone, shadowed and grim, a remnant of his cursed power.
And then—Saya leaned in and kissed his forehead.
Kyota froze.
That warmth—it hit his soul.
It was the same… just like Aqua. His mother. That comforting kiss from long ago when he was scared when he cried when he bled. The way she kissed him was like everything was okay.
Saya stepped back, blushing faintly. "That's for being a mysterious idiot."
She turned and walked up the path.
Just as she reached the top, two knights rushed to her side.
"Princess Saya! You escaped again?! What are you doing out here?!"
Saya smiled sweetly and looked over her shoulder one last time. "See you in the finals, Kyota Sensaki."
Kyota stood there, stunned. Then, slowly, he reached up and pulled the hood back over his hair and skeletal mask, covering that strange mix of humanity and darkness.
The wind howled quietly behind him.
And the waves kept crashing.