The silver Knight

Rai Veris increased his speed, pushing the oar through the dark water with renewed force. The two boats ahead seemed to shift, opening a narrow path between them, as if they were making space, expecting his arrival. He slipped into the gap, the boat cutting through the waves, sending cold sprays of water in every direction. Rai's eyelids felt heavy, his breath coming in ragged gasps. He inhaled deeply, his chest rising as though he were about to shout.

"Hey! You two!" His voice was raw, strained, the shout piercing through the howling wind. He drew in another sharp breath, the cold air biting into his lungs. "Where are your oarsmen?!"

To his right, the bulky figure lay flat on his back, staring up at the sky as if he had not a care in the world. He held the oars with both hands, gripping them firmly. But what drew Rai's attention were the man's legs—his toes and fingers clutched the oars, working in tandem. With surprising dexterity, he maneuvered the oars with his feet, shifting his ankles in perfect sync with his hands, propelling the boat forward with an uncanny, almost mechanical rhythm, tilting his head towards Rai. It was as if he had become a part of the vessel itself, an extension of its movement. For a fleeting moment, it looked as if the boat itself had sprouted limbs—unnatural, almost grotesque.

"We pushed them overboard," the bulky man called out, his voice a deep, resonant rumble that carried over the wind. "The boat's lighter without them!"

Rai glanced at his own oarsman, their eyes locking in a tense, silent exchange. The oarsman's grip on the oar tightened, his knuckles white. From the left boat, the cool, relaxed figure spoke up, his voice smooth, almost nonchalant.

"You should do it too," he said, with a casual tilt of his head. "It's the best option."

An orange glow flickered for a split second, casting light on the left side of Rai's face and the right side of the oarsman's. They both turned their heads sharply. The motorboat on their left, with the sleek figure who had been lounging moments before, was now a blazing inferno. Flames licked up the sides, thick smoke billowing out. The motor had exploded, sending shrapnel into the air.

"Giro!" The shout came from the bulky man, a deep, guttural cry that tore through the noise of the flames and the roaring sea. His eyes were wide, filled with a sudden, palpable panic. As the boat disintegrated, chunks of debris flew into the water. The explosion sent a wave crashing towards them, spraying icy saltwater across Rai and his oarsman's faces.

Rai whipped his head around to the oarsman. "Stop rowing!" he commanded, his voice urgent. Without waiting for a response, he vaulted over the side, plunging into the frigid ocean. The cold stabbed at his skin, but he forced himself to focus, scanning the turbulent waters in every direction. The sea churned around him, the surface a chaotic mess of foam and sinking debris.

"There!" Rai's voice was muffled by the waves as he spotted a figure thrashing weakly in the water. He started swimming, cutting through the waves with powerful strokes. Suddenly, a shadow loomed above him—a dark mass hurtling downwards. It was the bulky man, diving in headfirst, his body like a falling boulder, aiming straight towards Rai.

Rai thrust his hand up, signaling frantically towards the spot where Giro was sinking. The two of them swam together, slicing through the dark water. Around them, ominous shapes lurked in the depths—massive, bus-sized creatures with sharp, jagged teeth and glowing red eyes. They moved with terrifying speed, darting like shadows beneath the surface, circling closer.

Rai reached Giro first, gripping his arm tightly. The bulky man surged forward, taking hold of Giro with a single, powerful motion, lifting him as if he weighed nothing. He slung Giro over his shoulder like a ragdoll, holding him steady as they both kicked upward. Rai's head broke the surface first, gasping for air. He inhaled deeply, his breath coming in harsh, ragged bursts. His eyes stung from the salt, a sharp pain throbbing behind them. He wiped the water away, blinking against the spray.

"Damn it!" the bulky man roared, his face twisted in frustration.

Rai's voice was hoarse, strained from the cold and the effort. "Is he alive?"

"He'll pull through, but what about our boats? They're destroyed!"

Rai opened his eyes, struggling to process what he heard. He scanned the ocean's surface—floating pieces of wood were everywhere, remnants of the shattered boats. And among the debris, the lifeless body of the oarsman drifted nearby. Rai swam over, grabbing the oarsman's hand, feeling its weight.

"Hey! Big guy!" Rai called out. "Take a closer look at this."

The big man's eyes widened, his shock palpable even through the haze of the salty spray. "He's not human!"

They could both see it now—the oarsman was made of wood, his face split open, revealing splinters and jagged edges. A deep bite mark, fresh and raw, marred his side, the clear work of a shark. Rai and the big guy glanced up just in time to see a dark shape slicing through the water, moving like a bullet train, closing in fast. The water splashed violently around them, the spray stinging their eyes.

"Here, hold him for now!" The big man hurriedly passed Giro over to Rai. Then he moved in front of Rai, his massive frame blocking the oncoming shark, crossing his forearms into an X shape, bracing himself.

"Hey," he said, his voice calm but intense. "The name's Kaizen Halver. Remember it."

Rai's expression twisted in disbelief. "What the hell are you planning to do?!"

Rai could feel a sudden warmth radiating from Kaizen, even in the cold ocean air. White fumes began to rise from his body, enveloping him like a mist. The shark charged at full speed, its jaws open wide. In the split second before impact, the shark seemed to stretch and coil like a spring.

The collision was brutal. The shark's body recoiled, its sleek form twisting, blood spraying into the sea and turning the water red. In the opposite direction, a brilliant white light erupted from the impact, cutting through the darkness like a flash of lightning. Rai, Kaizen, and Giro were hurled backward by the shockwave, tumbling through the air.

Rai's leg plunged into the water, and he felt the sharp sting of cuts slicing into his skin. Above him, Kaizen flew backward, blood gushing from his forearms like water from a burst pipe. The force of their flight made their heads feel like they were smashing against an invisible wall, but it was only the sheer speed of the wind.

Giro's heavy eyelids fluttered open. He groggily looked ahead, his vision clearing just enough to see a boat looming up behind them. "We're going to collide!" he shouted hoarsely.

The man in the boat stared wide-eyed, watching their approach, bracing for the inevitable impact.