Tides from the Deep - Blood Devourer

The chaos of battle engulfed Talia as she knelt beside the fallen local woman. Her hands trembled as she channeled her Mana into [Blood Siphon]. The creature’s ichor responded to her call, flowing toward her in dark rivulets. She pressed her hands to the woman’s wound, willing the stolen vitality to knit flesh and stanch bleeding. The gruesome hole in the woman’s abdomen began to close, and color returned to her face as her eyes opened.

“Thank you,” the woman gasped, struggling to sit up. Talia helped her to her feet, steadying her as she regained her balance. In disbelief, she touched her healed abdomen.

Talia watched as her classmates engaged the Slashing Crusters from beside the woman. The air filled with the clash of weapons on chitin and the screeches of monsters and humans alike.

When she looked around the beach, she saw that one person dominated the fight - Lilo. Before today, Talia hadn’t actually seen the Chosen of the Moana family fight in earnest. The only demonstration she’d gotten had been during Elder Krakatoa’s classes, where Lilo had briefly faced Takai and shattered his sword as if it were glass.

When Talia looked around the beach, one person dominated the fight - Lilo.

Before today, Talia hadn’t seen the Chosen of the Moana family fight in earnest. The only glimpse of Lilo’s power had been during Elder Krakatoa’s class, where she had casually shattered Takai’s sword like glass.

Lilo’s body was enveloped in Tempest Water as she moved with tremendous speed. Watching her now, Talia knew that in a duel, despite what she might have thought before, the heir of the Moana family would have obliterated her.

Though Tempest Water enhanced physical capabilities and weapons, the milky aura surrounding Lilo and concentrating on her Soul Weapon, White Rose, made it clear this wasn’t just her Affinity at work.

I think White Rose might enhance her Agility, Talia reasoned. Lilo had also said that White Rose would develop her a Wind Water Affinity and an Ocean Water Affinity.

Wind Water, as far as Talia knew, was an Agility-oriented Affinity, whereas Ocean Water was meant as a Primary Mana Channel amplifier.

That meant Lilo’s control on Hydromancy, pure Water Affinity, would grow stronger thanks to her Secondary Mana Channel.

Even though it might not sound as strong as Talia’s own Blood Water, Ocean Water was primarily meant to enhance the growth and future potential of the Primary Mana Channel.

It was a long-term investment as far as Affinities went.

But a good one at that.

Lilo cleaved through three Slashing Crusters in succession, their chitin useless against her Soul Weapon. Her hands danced through the air, directing Tempest Water with precision.

When a Cruster lunged at her with its blade-like forelimbs, a whip of water lashed out and cut it in half. The monster’s bisected body fell, spilling ichor onto the sand.

“Nami!” Lilo shouted, her voice carrying over the din of battle, pointing at the local guards, still hiding behind the boats and trying desperately to hide from two dozen monsters.

Nami had two daggers in her hands and was surrounded by the same aura her younger sister had, minus the milky component.

Talia had never seen Nami fight, but when she saw the girl using the two daggers, she expected her to be a rogue-like fighter like Keanu.

What came next, however, surprised her.

Nami threw a dagger, missing all the Slashing Crusters but impacting one of the fishing boats the guards were using as cover.

The next moment, a thick wall of Tempest Water erupted in a circle right where most of the Slashing Crusters had gathered.

Nami took out a second dagger and, this time threw it at the second-biggest gathering of monsters around the barrier.

As soon as the dagger made contact with the ground, Talia, who had turned on [Eyes of the Abyss], saw Mana flare inside Nami’s body.

The dagger exploded, creating a wild explosion of Tempest Water that shredded all the monsters around it.

Then, less flashily, Nami started pulling smaller throwing knives out of thin air and, using Mana Crystallization on them, threw them at the Slashing Crusters.

Given their size, one would have expected the small blades not to inflict much damage.

However, the Mana Crystallization that coated the blade suddenly exploded when they struck the first monster, ripping head-sized chunks off their chitin-covered flesh.

Nami’s a caster, Talia realized. A weird one. But she’s a caster.

After relieving pressure from the guards, Nami shadowed her sister. Her knives found their marks with deadly accuracy. One moment, a Cruster would lunge at Lilo’s blind spot; the next, it would stumble back with a knife in its throat.

The sisters moved as one, their teamwork showing why they were Promised Slayer and Shield.

“Left flank, Lilo!” Nami called, her voice steady despite the chaos.

Lilo spun without hesitation, whipping her Tempest Water from White Rose to intercept three flanking Slashing Crusters. The monsters fell back, their carapaces cracked and leaking ichor.

Whenever Nami needed an opening, Lilo created one with her Tempest Water.

Across the battlefield, Fiora’s Sunwater attacks blazed across the sand, leaving trails of steam. Her face scrunched in concentration as she used Overdrive Spiral to bore holes through the Slashing Crusters.

“Agalei, duck!” Fiora shouted, amplifying her magic further. "[Zenith]!"

As her companion dropped, a Sunwater orb caught a leaping Cruster. It boiled it from the inside out, cracking its exoskeleton under the heat.

She also saw Agalei tear a Slashing Cruster with a giant spear made of Coral Water.

Impressive, Talia thought.

Talia raised to her feet, looking around to decide who needed more help.

Surprisingly, she spotted Takai holding his own against a group of Slashing Crusters.

The usually timid boy moved with surprising confidence as [Silver Mist] poured out of his body. Right before leaving, Talia had managed to sort out a sword for Takai thanks to Mano’s help.

And now, he was putting its new weapon to good use.

With a quick sidestep and a powerful thrust, Takai’s blade found a weak spot in the monster before him, sinking deep into its body.

The Cruster released a high-pitched keen as it fell, its legs scrabbling uselessly at the sand.

Ichor poured from the wound, staining Takai’s blade and spattering his clothes, but he paid it no mind.

As the Cruster fell, Takai allowed himself a small smile.

Principal Kaimana’s words echoed in his mind.

“I see in you a purity of heart that I haven’t witnessed in a very long.”

“I can do this,” Takai muttered, grip steady on his sword.

Then, a Slashing Cruster charged toward Talia. Her glaive felt alive in her hands, but the monster came too fast to crystallize Blood Water around the blade.

[Blood Confluence]

A red aura surrounded her, and she felt her Mana starting to burn and empower her body. She felt more strength coursing through her veins, dispensed by her Blood Water.

To ensure she wouldn’t look like a weakling in front of Professor Iakopo, who limited himself to watching and making sure no one died under his watch, whether locals or students, she activated her Star Glaive’s Skill.

[Skill Enhance]

She directed its effect to [Blood Confluence].

[Blood Confluence Lv.2 -> Lv. 7 (2)]

With Blood Confluence having suddenly gained five levels, Talia swung her glaive against the monster’s limb and easily cleaved through it, reaching the monster’s chest and inflicting a grievous wound.

Slashing one more time, she killed the Abyssal Creature.

[You have slain Slashing Cruster Level 8!]

But she didn’t have the time to dally around nor use [Blood Siphon] on the carcass.

She immediately engaged one Slashing Crusters after another, falling into a rhythm of parrying, striking, dodging, and finishing the Abyssal Creatures with vicious efficiency.

After several kills, she finally had enough respite to use [Blood Siphon].

[You have absorbed the Slashing Cruster’s Life Force.]

[+0.4 to your Primary Mana Channel (1.32/20 to Level Two)]

[+0.5 to your Agility (0.8/1 to 1 Agility)]

[Your Primary Mana Channel has reached Level 1!]

Talia felt a rush of excitement. She had long waited for her Primary Mana Channel to reach Level 1. She swiftly focused on her Hydromancy to see if she could access her Primary Mana Channel now that it had reached Level 1.

However, when she reached for it, she felt nothing like always.

It appeared that even though her Primary Mana Channel had indeed reached Level 1, nothing had changed.

She still couldn’t access her Hydromancy.

She still wouldn’t be able to summon a Mana Board.

Frustrated, she lunged at the closest monster, ducking under its swings and sinking the weapon’s blade deep into the Abyssal Creature’s underbelly, spilling its innards onto the sand.

As Talia dispatched another Slashing Cruster, absorbing its vitality with [Blood Siphon], she noticed a strange lull in the fighting near the center of the beach.

The Crusters seemed to be pulling back, creating a circle of empty space.

In the sudden quiet, a humming sound drew everyone’s attention.

A girl was walking calmly through the battlefield as if out for a leisurely stroll, whistling.

Her long, dark hair whipped in the sea breeze, and her eyes, a startling shade of green, surveyed the carnage with a bored expression.

She moved with grace, her steps leaving barely a mark in the blood-soaked sand.

There was an aura of power about her, a palpable sense of danger.

Talia watched, confused and wary, as the newcomer made her way directly towards Takai.

The boy, fresh from dispatching another Cruster, turned to face her, his sword still raised defensively.

His chest heaved with exertion, but his grip on his weapon remained steady.

“Hello, brother,” the girl spoke with a pearly smile on her face.

“Who are you?” Takai called out.

He shifted his stance, ready for any sudden moves from this mysterious girl.

The girl’s lips curled into a cold smile.

“I’m Lilinoe,” she replied, her voice carrying easily across the suddenly quieter battlefield. “Father’s only daughter.”

Takai’s brow furrowed in confusion, his sword lowering slightly as he tried to process her words.

“What do you mean? Whose daughter?”

Lilinoe’s smile widened, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Her gaze sent chills down Talia’s spine.

“The Sword Demon’s daughter, of course. Our father’s true child.”

Takai’s eyes widened in shock.

“But... that’s impossible. I don’t have any siblings. My father left before—”

His words were cut off as Lilinoe suddenly moved, crossing the distance between them in the blink of an eye.

Her hand shot out, a blade of condensed Mana forming around it.

Takai barely managed to bring his sword up in time, deflecting the strike with a resounding clang that echoed across the beach.

However, Takai’s arms now trembled after the seemingly innocuous strike had almost disarmed him.

“Pathetic,” Lilinoe spat, her eyes narrowing in disgust. “Is this why Father doesn’t accept you? Because you’re so weak? You’re not worth the effort of drawing my sword.”

Takai stumbled back.

The confidence he had built up during the battle seemed to evaporate instantly.

“Why are you doing this?! Who are you, really?!”

Lilinoe laughed, a harsh, mirthless sound that sent shivers down the spines of all who heard it.

“Oh, you naive little boy. You understand nothing of the real world, do you? Let me show you what true power looks like.”

With that, she raised her hands and Mana gathered around her arm.

The air itself seemed to thicken, charged with potential energy.

Takai did the only thing he could think of. He activated [Silver Mist], and the haze expanded his body like a protective cocoon.

“That’s supposed to be [Silver Mist]?” Lilinoe’s voice dripped with disdain, her lip curling in a sneer. “Watch and learn, little brother.”

She made a sweeping gesture with her arms, and suddenly the air was filled with a dense, silvery fog.

It expanded rapidly, engulfing nearly a third of the battlefield in seconds.

The mist was so thick that it seemed almost solid.

Along with many others, Talia found herself blinded by the impenetrable haze, unable to see even her own hand in front of her face.

“Takai!” Talia shouted, trying to peer through the silver mist. Her voice sounded muffled as if the fog itself was swallowing her words. “Takai, where are you?”

For several tense moments, there was nothing but silence.

Then, as suddenly as it had appeared, the mist began to recede.

It thinned gradually, revealing glimpses of figures within.

As it cleared further, Talia could make out two silhouettes in its center. Her heart leaped into her throat as the scene became clear.

Takai stood motionless, his eyes wide with shock and pain. Protruding from his stomach, the tip gleaming wetly in the sunlight, was a sword.

The blade had pierced him from behind, emerging through his abdomen.

Behind him, Lilinoe stood with her hand on the hilt, smiling coldly.

“No!” Talia screamed.

The sound seemed to break the spell of silence that had fallen over the beach. As Takai’s knees buckled and he began to fall, Lilinoe leaned in close, her lips nearly touching his ear.

She whispered something, her words too low for anyone else to hear, but the effect on Takai was immediate.

His face, already pale from pain and blood loss, drained of what little color remained.

Then, swiftly, mercilessly, Lilinoe yanked the sword free.

The blade made a sickening sound as it left Takai’s body, and a fresh gout of blood poured from the wound.

Takai collapsed to the blood-soaked sand.