As Dearth, Alicia, and I sat on the canoe like lambs to the slaughter, we faced down the horror of the sea monster, Leviathan. The monstrous wave loomed over us, and I found myself praying for a miracle.
Then, I heard Platform.
{...Master is in trouble?}
Yes! Big trouble!
I'm literally torn between drowning and getting eaten by a sea monster!
{I see. How unfortunate.}
Huh?
Was that all?
Where was the encouragement, the plan, the backup?
Whatever. I had to squeeze water from a stone if I had to.
I'm counting on you, Platfor—
{No.}
…Excuse me? Platform...?
{...}
My own ability was giving me the silent treatment. Fantastic.
I turned to Dearth, whose expression had turned deadly serious. There was a steeliness in her eyes, a sharpness that promised violence.
"Do you have something in mind, Dearth?" I asked, my voice tinged with panic.
She snorted, gripping her paddle.
It morphed in her hands, elongating and reshaping until it became a massive scythe. A deep violet aura hummed around its blade, guaranteeing nothing but obliteration.
"This little sprinkle?" She smirked, her tone dripping with menace. "I'll cut it down along with that freak of nature, or I'm not Dearth, the god of death!"
Ah. Right. How could I forget?
This woman was a menace who'd managed to harm Sarvest. If anyone could pull off a miracle, it was her.
Hmph! Platform could go to hell!
{...}
Yeah, you heard me!
The tsunami bore down on us, a wall of doom, and Dearth didn't flinch.
She swung her scythe in a wide arc, and a deep violet slash of energy tore through the air, speeding towards the wave like a razor through silk…
It did nothing.
The wave remained. The Leviathan's eye still stared.
As Dearth reconsidered her brilliant strategy—to just row the canoe faster (which, frankly, she should have done in the first place)—the water finally swallowed us whole.
The wave crashed over, flipping our canoe like a child's toy.
"Alicia! Hold your breath!" I shouted, clutching her tightly before the icy water enveloped us.
The cold hit me hard.
Too cold, even for me. But I could manage.
Alicia should be fine too—dragon vitality and all.
Thank you, Greia!
Under the surface, I noticed the water had returned to a normal blue. The earlier darkness wasn't the sea but the Leviathan itself underneath.
Frightening.
I forced my way up, breaking through the surface like an overgrown fang, dragging Alicia with me.
The water raged around us, waves crashing in chaotic rhythm.
I managed to paddle us to a broken piece of the canoe. Well, boat—considering its size—but still shaped like a canoe, so... semantics.
"Alicia, are you alright?" I asked, breathless but relieved.
And...
Oh. I didn't really notice it before…
Where do I even look?
Her soaked pale yellow blouse clung to her, outlining her chest region—too mature for her age!
Wait, when did I start reacting to human breasts?!
"Ehehe," Alicia giggled, completely unaffected by the cold. "It's okay for Ruby to look. You can even touch it—"
She was perfectly fine. No need to worry about her.
Though, something about this place felt off.
My senses were dull, like a magical clog clouded everything.
A spell, perhaps?
Turning away from Alicia's... resources, I searched for our captain.
"Help... Help! I can't... I can't swim!"
The pathetic, sputtering cries drew my attention.
There, not far off, Dearth was flailing, dipping below the water and popping up again like the head of a lizard.
Nah, she'll be fine. Probably.
Death reapers can't die normally—certainly not from something as mundane as drowning.
FUUUUUIIIIIIII!!
Oh no! Was that another DIY tsunami?!
A wave began to rise at a distance, not as towering as the last one—about 20 feet high—but still a bad sign.
It wasn't a wave.
It was the Leviathan, swimming straight at us.
We were about to become its next meal—breakfast or dinner, whichever meal was less fortunate.
"STOP! Fenrir flesh tastes so good, you'll die from euphoria!" I yelled, hoping some reverse psychology might work.
The Leviathan did not give a damn.
"Aren't you just welcoming it now?" The supposedly drowning death god chimed in, now standing atop the water like it was solid ground.
Her silhouette wavered with the disturbed sea, the rough waves a surreal background.
And the Leviathan was headed straight for her.
She turned her head just enough for her skull-etched eyes to meet mine. "Hey, Rudeus..."
"It's Ruben."
"...Do you trust me?"
That was... suspicious.
I mean, no, I didn't trust her. Not someone I had just met, who couldn't even remember my name, and who, let's not forget, was a death god (reaper).
But it did seem like she had a solid plan this time, so—
"Yes!" I said, putting on my best serious face. "I trust you, Dearth."
"Liar," she hissed.
Eek! She saw right through me.
"C'mon! All you've done since we met was either insult me or mess something up!" I protested, but she remained still, steadfast as the Leviathan surged closer.
Sigh.
I guess it was time to be honest.
"Do I trust you? The answer is no, I don't."
Dearth flinched, just a bit.
"You're clumsy and apparently tell lies. I can't possibly trust you with anything... But still, you saved Alicia and me back at the wasteland. You didn't have to—Sarvest is a powerful principality that could've been trouble for you, too."
Dearth turned her pale face to me, a mix of curiosity and hurt in her expression.
I continued, my voice steadier now. "But in a situation like this, I'm certain you'll be my lifesaver. I trust that you can do it if you really want to."
Wait... That sounded terrible. Like, I didn't trust her but had no choice since I was in danger.
Ugh. Very terrible of me.
"Heh. Dumb feral animal." She turned back to face the Leviathan, now so close it practically cast a shadow over her.
"Creepers, yet managers of the dark, I beseech you!" Her husky voice rang with authority, and from the air, two woman-shaped shadows materialized, their violet eyes glowing in the dim.
"Take them to the coast. Now."
With that short command, the darkness spirits reached out, grabbing Alicia and me. Alicia still clung to my torso, making the whole thing look more awkward than gallant.
"Eh? What about you?!"
Panic sharpened my voice as Leviathan poked its massive head before her—its monstrous gaze fixed solely on the death reaper who stood more than ready for a fight to the death.
Of course, death reapers didn't die easily, but they weren't immortal. And against that force of nature? I couldn't imagine her surviving.
"You fool. Don't worry about me..." She refused to look my way, her stance unwavering.
Her voice softened. "You know... I was kinda happy, even if it was just for an hour or so, to be your companion."
Finally, she turned, her neck craning just enough for me to see her expression.
Nice of Leviathan to wait for the hearting moment, though.