The boat sliced through the open sea, its sails catching the wind as it glided effortlessly across the endless expanse of water. Toruri stood at the very edge of the vessel, his boots perched precariously on the wooden railing. He extended his arm forward, pointing dramatically into the distance, his eyes ablaze with a sense of adventure.
"AHOY, ME MATEYS!!!" Toruri bellowed, his voice carrying over the sound of the waves. "OUR PIRATE TRIP WILL COME TO NO END! THE NEXT SHIP OR ISLAND WE SEE, WE SHALL LOOT IT!!!"
To his left, Shuno sat quietly, his gaze fixed on the vast ocean. The tranquility of the water seemed to mirror his calm demeanor, and he barely acknowledged Toruri's outburst.
"No," Shuno responded flatly, not even turning to look at him.
Toruri huffed, his enthusiasm undeterred. "We've been on the sea for months, and we've only found small islands full of shops and tiny homes," he lamented. "The least you could do for me is sing a sea shanty."
"No," came the same deadpan reply from Shuno.
Toruri turned to face him, frustration bubbling up. "How far out is this city?"
Shuno shrugged nonchalantly. "I never said it was close."
Toruri squinted at the horizon, searching for any sign of land. "Is it close?" he pressed.
"Dunno," Shuno replied with a hint of indifference. "It looks like a whole lot of ocean."
Toruri let out a long sigh, his shoulders slumping slightly. "At least give me a yohoho," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else.
Out of nowhere, a robotic voice echoed across the deck. "Yohohohohoho," October chimed in, his mechanical tone cutting through the salty air.
Toruri straightened up, a grin spreading across his face. "Thank you, October."
"My pleasure, Master Toruri," October replied, the metallic timbre of his voice oddly soothing in its own way.
But before Toruri could bask in the moment, Shuno's expression suddenly shifted, his eyes narrowing as if sensing something. "But I'm feeling something—OCTOBER, STOP THE BOAT!!!" he shouted, urgency lacing his words.
Without hesitation, the boat came to an abrupt halt, the sudden stop almost sending Toruri overboard. He teetered dangerously on the edge, windmilling his arms for balance before finally steadying himself with a deep breath.
Shuno stood up, his gaze now focused on the water ahead. "We're here," he announced, his voice calm but with an undercurrent of anticipation.
The boat, now still on the vast ocean, seemed to hum with a quiet energy as the crew braced themselves for what lay ahead.
Kinrui stirred, his eyelids fluttering as he slowly woke from his sleep. He rubbed his eyes groggily and sat up, taking in his surroundings. "We're here?" he asked, his voice still heavy with sleep.
Toruri glanced over at him, curiosity evident on his face. "How do you know that, Shuno?"
Shuno didn't immediately answer, his focus on the horizon as he explained, "Atlantis is covered and protected by a large divine magical barrier. It's nearly indestructible and keeps anyone inside the kingdom completely undetectable."
Toruri, still skeptical, pressed on. "So how do you—?"
Before he could finish, Shuno pointed up, causing everyone to follow his gaze. High above, almost lost in the clouds, was a massive red airship. Painted in bold white letters across its side was the name "X-Caliber." The ship loomed ominously in the sky, rising steadily into the atmosphere.
Toruri's eyes widened in shock. "What the hell!"
Shuno remained unfazed, his tone casual. "Yep, we're here. I've heard about that guy. He kinda just patrols the skies and attacks Heavalley."
Toruri furrowed his brow, confusion etched on his face. "Where is that?"
"Couple thousand miles to the north, directly above Javarahoo," Shuno replied calmly.
"And what is that?" Toruri asked, feeling more lost with each answer.
Shuno's eyes seemed to soften as he explained, "That's where the Saraoko live. I came from there. The island is full of lots of mythical creatures."
Kinrui, now fully awake, interjected, "Sounds like a nice place to be."
A faint smile crossed Shuno's lips. "And that's where we'll be going."
Toruri blinked in surprise. "Huh?"
Shuno turned to him, his expression serious. "Toruri, you will go to Atlantis alone."
"Seriously?" Toruri's voice was tinged with disbelief.
Shuno hesitated for a moment before adding, "Well... Maybe you could take October."
Toruri's gaze shifted to the ship. "You hear that, October?"
Without a word, October defused from the ship's structure, his form solidifying as he stepped onto the deck beside Toruri.
"Affirmative," October responded, his robotic voice steady.
Shuno nodded, as if finalizing a plan in his mind. "I'll go to Javarahoo with Kinrui. We can meet up later."
Toruri considered this for a moment before agreeing. "Sounds like a plan. So... how do I get down there?"
Shuno opened his mouth to reply, but before he could speak, a massive pillar of water erupted from the ocean. The column shot up into the sky, piercing through the clouds like a spear of liquid power.
"Well, he said he would—" Shuno began, but his words were drowned out by the roar of the water.
Toruri's eyes followed the pillar's ascent, his mouth agape in awe. "What the—?"
Kinrui tried to focus, his senses straining, but he frowned in confusion. "Why can't I sense him?"
Shuno's voice was steady as he answered, "Javarahoo, Atlantis, and Heavalley..."
As they watched, something began to glow within the pillar of water. Two intense blue eyes shone through the torrent, radiating an otherworldly energy.
"These three places," Shuno continued, his voice tinged with reverence, "make up the legendary location of Pandora."
A slow smile spread across Toruri's face, a thrill of excitement coursing through him.
Shuno's tone grew more intense. "Not only is it legendary due to it housing some of the rarest and strongest creatures in the world, it's also the only living realm representation of..."
Suddenly, the pillar exploded outward, sending a shockwave that rocked the boat. The force of the blast knocked them back slightly, but they quickly regained their footing, eyes fixed on the figure that had emerged.
Standing on the deck was a shirtless man. His hair was a deep, royal blue, and his eyes, glowing a brilliant blue, resembled the slitted pupils of a dragon. A blue marking adorned his chest, shaped like a raindrop with dragon wings. His pants were armored in a striking red, and in his hand, he held a blue trident.
Shuno's voice was filled with awe as he introduced the newcomer. "God of water and the ocean, Poseidon."
Toruri's face lit up with pure joy. "COUSIN!!!" he shouted, rushing forward.
Poseidon grinned broadly, his voice booming as he called out, "TORURI!!!!"
Kinrui's mouth dropped open in shock. "You're cousins with a god?!"
Shuno nodded, a sheepish smile playing on his lips. "Yeah, it's kinda a long story."
Before anyone could ask further, Toruri threw his arms around Poseidon in a tight embrace. "I don't understand it myself," he admitted, laughing. "Maybe he can tell ya!"
Poseidon chuckled, patting Toruri on the back. "Welcome, travelers from the Negative Point. I am water god Poseidon, king of Atlantis!"
Toruri pulled back, waving off the formalities. "No need to be so formal!"
Poseidon rolled his eyes good-naturedly. "I know, it's such a drag, but I gotta do the whole god and king thing. I'm trying to get one up on the others. If you want to know about the whole god-being-related-to-Toruri thing, I can explain it to y'all on our way to the entrance."
Shuno raised an eyebrow. "We can't just come through the top?"
Poseidon shook his head. "You guys are on top of the city right now. A little more north is the down current. You can ditch the boat; I made the ocean stable to walk on for just the five of us."
Toruri, ever the adventurer, was the first to step off the boat. His foot touched the water, and to his delight, it held firm beneath him. "Cool!" he exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear.
The others quickly followed, stepping onto the ocean's surface with a mix of amazement and trepidation.
Poseidon tapped the tip of his trident on the water, and four dolphins materialized before them. "Get on," he instructed, his tone calm yet commanding. Without waiting, Poseidon submerged half of his body into the ocean, his movements fluid and natural.
Toruri, Shuno, Kinrui, and October climbed onto the dolphins, holding on as Poseidon began to swim. The water god moved with incredible speed, the dolphins trailing closely behind him, cutting through the water like knives.
As they raced across the ocean's surface, Poseidon's voice carried over the rush of water. "Alright, quick history lesson 101. The true gods of the sky, earth, and sea are too busy tending to different worlds, so by combining their powers, they created the mother dragon Inuka, the first dragon to ever exist. She laid the trillion eggs on Javarahoo, creating all the types of dragons in the world."
Kinrui's eyes widened in astonishment as he processed Poseidon's words. "Javarahoo is the birthplace of dragons?" he asked, still trying to wrap his mind around the significance of such a revelation.
Poseidon nodded, his expression serious. "Yes. Soon after that, the gods created the first three Hachtos with the same idea of dragons in mind, but each was designed by their respective god to have unique traits. The god of the sky created the Soriteoi variation, the god of the sea created the Deranten variation, and the god of the earth created the Saraoko variation."
Toruri, still grappling with the implications of all this, frowned in confusion. "Wait, so I'm not a dragon, dude?"
Poseidon offered a reassuring smile. "Think of yourself as an imitation of a dragon. The first three were deemed the founding gods, and each carried on a unique god magic that could be passed down through blood. The founding Soriteoi held white flames capable of affecting and harming magical weapons, the founding Deranten had special eyes, much stronger than your average Hachto eyes, and the founding Saraoko had extremely potent acid."
Toruri's brow furrowed as something nagged at the back of his mind. "White fire... why does that sound familiar?"
Poseidon's expression grew more serious. "I'll get to that in just one second. All three of the founding gods were set to mate with the mother dragon Inuka to not only pass down their bloodline abilities but also to give birth to the strongest dragonborns."
Kinrui, intrigued by the mention of dragonborns, leaned forward. "So you're a—"
Poseidon didn't let him finish. "Deranten dragonborn? Yep, the only one in the world. Due to being born from the mother dragon, I'm also the strongest version of a Deranten dragonborn there will ever be."
Kinrui's eyes widened further, his mind racing with questions. "So how does this connect to Toruri?"
Toruri, still looking for answers, asked bluntly, "Am I a dragonborn?"
Poseidon shook his head, his voice gentle. "No. You see, while the founding Saraoko also mated with the mother dragon, giving birth to Gaia, the goddess of the earth, the founding Soriteoi is... Toruri's father..."
Toruri's heart skipped a beat as he jumped to conclusions. "SO I AM—"
Poseidon quickly cut him off. "Shush, no. He didn't mate with the mother dragon but instead mated with your mother. So of course, you inherited his white flames."
Toruri blinked, trying to absorb the information. "My dad really was that old?"
Poseidon nodded, a hint of amusement in his eyes. "Mhm, he only recently mated with the mother dragon."
Toruri's confusion deepened. "Recently... like... how recently?"
Poseidon's voice grew somber. "Three years ago. In fact, he's the only founding god still alive."
Toruri's eyes widened in shock as the weight of the revelation hit him. His fists clenched in anger as he processed the implications.
Shuno, sensing the brewing storm, whispered, "You shouldn't have said that..."
Toruri's voice rose in fury, trembling with rage. "THAT BASTARD IS ALIVE?!"
Poseidon, caught off guard, stammered, "Y-You didn't know?"
Toruri's anger only grew, his voice shaking with betrayal. "Hell yeah! I was told he just died after my birth, but he's just off having sex with a dragon?!"
Poseidon quickly tried to calm him down. "Woah, woah, it's a lot less serious than that—"
But Toruri was beyond reasoning, his voice a mixture of rage and hurt. "HE LEFT HIS SON AND WIFE THINKING HE DIED!"
Poseidon's tone became more urgent, trying to make Toruri understand. "If he didn't do it, you and the world would be dead!"
Toruri went silent, the gravity of Poseidon's words sinking in.
Poseidon took a deep breath, his voice steady. "Due to him taking so long, the little baby, Zeus, isn't old enough to maintain his part of the world, the sky. So your dad has been up there for the past couple of years lifting the entire sky and clouds up with his magic."
Toruri's anger slowly faded, replaced by a mix of confusion and awe. "Maintaining the sky?.."
Poseidon nodded, his expression serious. "The dragonborn were created for a reason. We were all born with a birthmark, which we call the heavenly emblem. These birthmarks give each of the living realm gods almost all the abilities of a god, minus being unkillable. I can completely manipulate and control all water, no matter what form it takes."
Toruri's thoughts were racing, his voice subdued. "So, my dad... He's just up there, lifting clouds."
Poseidon sighed, his tone weary. "He does a lot more than that."
Toruri, unable to resist a jab, asked, "Does he control the weather too?"
Poseidon shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. "He has no heavenly emblem."
Toruri scoffed, his tone dismissive. "Lame."
Poseidon chuckled. "He's no earth realm god either."
Toruri rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "LAME!"
Kinrui, who had been quietly absorbing everything, asked, "Is that it?"
As they continued their journey, the distant outline of a large island appeared on the horizon. The island was covered in dense forests and towering mountains, but the most striking feature was the giant beanstalk that dominated the landscape. The beanstalk dwarfed the mountains in size, its enormous trunk stretching high above the clouds and out of sight. Dotting the beanstalk were countless buildings and houses, clinging to its sides like ants on a tree.
The sight was awe-inspiring, and for a moment, all of them were silent, taking in the grandeur of the island before them.
As Poseidon reached the edge of the island, he abruptly halted, causing the dolphins to stop in unison. The stillness of the water reflected the anticipation in the air as they prepared to part ways.
"We're here!" Poseidon declared with a sense of finality. "You can make your way to Javarahoo by simply walking straight ahead from here."
Shuno and Kinrui gracefully dismounted their dolphins, their feet sinking into the soft sand of the island's shore.
"I appreciate it, King!" Shuno called back, giving Poseidon a respectful nod.
"Yes, of course," Poseidon replied with a nod of his own.
Before leaving, Kinrui turned to Toruri, his gaze steady. "Toruri."
Toruri, sensing something serious, responded, "Yo?"
Kinrui's expression was a mix of concern and warning. "Don't blow anything up."
Kinrui then turned his back and began walking away, not waiting for a response.
Toruri, slightly indignant, raised his voice in protest. "What?! Blowing up things ain't even a big part of my abilities!"
Poseidon, who had been observing the exchange with a knowing smile, interjected, "Didn't you punch an island in half?"
Toruri quickly defended himself, "No. I punched October into an island, breaking it in half—How do you know that?"
Poseidon's smile grew wider. "I know everything that happens on the sea. Also, you're a Soriteoi hybrid; everything you do is meant for destruction."
Toruri paused, reflecting on the truth of Poseidon's words. "Well—Damn, I really am a walking hazard."
Shuno, who had already started walking away, turned back briefly to wave goodbye. "We'll meet again soon, Toruri. Stay sharp."
As Shuno and Kinrui disappeared from sight, Toruri found himself alone with the god of the sea. He turned to Poseidon, his tone light but curious. "So, water god supreme, what do you have in store for me?"
Poseidon's expression turned serious, his eyes gleaming with purpose. "By the time you leave Pandora, I and the rest of the gods intend on turning you into an absolute monster."
Toruri's interest was piqued. "Are you guys going to put me through a cool training gauntlet?"
Poseidon shook his head slightly, amusement dancing in his eyes. "No, not really. But I do know that I'm going to teach you something. The others might as well, but you'll have to meet them to get to Heavalley."
Toruri, slightly confused, asked, "And why do I have to go to Heavalley?"
"For more training," Poseidon stated simply.
Toruri groaned, exasperation clear in his voice. "Ugh. Why is everything training?!"
Poseidon's tone was firm, underscoring the importance of what he was about to say. "Because you're the future, and we can't afford to have the future destroyed."
Realizing the gravity of the situation, Toruri nodded, accepting his fate. "Alright then, I'll go through it. So where do we go?"
Poseidon's eyes sparkled with anticipation. "Under the sea."
Before Toruri could react, the dolphins began their descent into the depths, Poseidon following them with a graceful dive.
"Wait—Poseidon!—" Toruri's protest was cut short as he was suddenly pulled under the water, the world above disappearing in a swirl of bubbles and blue.
Toruri found himself encapsulated within a shimmering magical bubble beneath the water's surface. The bubble was soft to the touch, pulsing with a gentle light that illuminated the depths around him. In front of him, Poseidon floated effortlessly, his presence commanding even in the tranquil waters.
"You can't breathe underwater yet," Poseidon informed him, his voice resonating through the bubble as though it were carried by the currents themselves. "But that will change."
Toruri's gaze drifted downward, and his eyes widened in awe. Below him lay a sprawling city, its grandeur unmatched by anything he had ever seen. Towering buildings rose from the ocean floor, their structures adorned with coral and glowing marine life. The city's lights twinkled like stars beneath the waves, casting a soft, ethereal glow that bathed the entire underwater world in a mystical aura.
The sight left Toruri momentarily speechless, his thoughts racing as he took in the breathtaking view. This was no ordinary city—it was a kingdom, ancient and powerful, hidden away from the world above.
Poseidon's voice broke through Toruri's reverie, full of pride and reverence. "But for now, welcome to Atlantis."
The name echoed in Toruri's mind, a place of legend brought to life before his very eyes. He could feel the weight of history and myth pressing down on him, yet the sense of excitement surged within him. There was so much to discover, so much to learn, and he was ready to dive into it all.