The clash of metal and claw echoed through the murky depths as Nilala's sword met the fierce strike of Baya's crocodilian talons. The force of the impact sent a ripple through the water, their energies clashing in a fierce, underwater duel.
Nilala's mind raced, thoughts swirling in frustration. His regeneration is just too good! Every time I think I've got him low, he just restores himself to full strength!
Baya, relentless as ever, swung his monstrous claws towards Nilala with a vicious growl. But Nilala, quick on his feet, dodged the attack with nimble grace, water trailing in his wake.
But he's getting tired and sluggish, Nilala noted, a glint of calculation in his eyes. I either kill him in one blow, or wear him down until he collapses from exhaustion.
Without hesitation, Baya lashed out with his thick, muscular tail, aiming to catch Nilala off-guard. But Nilala was ready. With a sharp, calculated motion, he parried the incoming attack, his sword deflecting the blow like a leaf bending in the current. In one swift counter, Nilala slashed across Baya's chest, his blade cutting clean through, and in the next breath, he impaled the beast through the stomach, the sword sinking deep into flesh and bone.
No matter how many times I do this exact attack... Nilala thought grimly as he yanked his blade free.
Baya staggered back, momentarily faltering. Yet, as expected, the monstrous crocodile-man's flesh began to knit itself together almost instantly. In mere moments, his wounds were no more. With renewed ferocity, Baya lunged forward, jaws wide, aiming to sink his teeth into Nilala. But Nilala was faster, wedging his sword between the beast's gaping maw, holding his ground.
He'll just heal it right back! Nilala cursed inwardly.
With a savage growl, Baya lashed out with his free hands, claws raking across Nilala's stomach. The impact sent Nilala stumbling back, pain shooting through his abdomen. He grimaced, quickly regenerating the wound, but slower than his opponent.
I can regenerate too... but not as fast...
Baya's deep, mocking voice cut through the tension, "Getting tired, swordfish?"
"Pft, as if," Nilala scoffed, his lips twisting into a determined smirk. His chi flared to life, surrounding him in a vibrant, electric aura.
Nilala moved with sudden, blistering speed, his body a blur as he darted around Baya, attacking in quick succession. Each time he crossed Baya's path, he slashed, his blade cutting through scales and flesh. The water shimmered with the afterglow of his chi, as Baya struggled to keep up with the onslaught, swinging wildly in defense.
"Is this all you got?" Baya snarled, his frustration growing with each failed block.
In a moment of opportunity, Baya caught Nilala off-guard, landing a crushing punch to Nilala's face, the force sending shockwaves through the water. Before Nilala could react, Baya's tail slammed into him, driving him hard into the ocean floor. The ground cracked beneath Nilala's body, but he recovered with impressive speed, pushing himself up and swimming back into position.
"I'll cut you in half!!!" Nilala roared, his voice echoing with raw power.
Channeling his chi, he poured every ounce of energy into his sword hand. The energy around him surged, crackling with intensity as he propelled himself forward at blinding speed, the water parting in his wake. Baya's eyes widened in alarm, realizing too late what was coming.
In a heartbeat, Nilala dashed past Baya, his sword slicing through the beast's thick hide with brutal precision. The blade tore across Baya's stomach and chest, leaving deep, gaping wounds in its wake. Blood spilled into the water, darkening the ocean around them as Baya fell to his knees, clutching his bleeding chest, gasping for air.
"I might be a bit out of my league," Baya muttered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he looked up at Nilala, his strength fading.
The battle was over, and the tides had decisively shifted in Nilala's favor. Standing tall, sword gleaming with the remnants of the fight, his figure was an imposing silhouette in the water, his victory all but assured.
"Surrender now," Nilala commanded, his voice calm but authoritative, as if it was not a request but an inevitable conclusion.
The faint sound of hurried movement in the distance quickly grew louder. Dozens of Atlantean guards appeared, armed with long spears, their armor shimmering faintly in the dim light. They surrounded the battlefield, ready for action.
"I surrender," Baya muttered, his voice low and defeated. His massive, beaten form slumped under the weight of his injuries, blood still leaking from his chest.
One of the guards, his face stern with duty, stepped forward. "Captain, sir! We heard the commotion."
Nilala's gaze never left Baya as he responded. "Guards, take this man to the water gate. We'll imprison him in Javarahoo."
Without hesitation, the guards snapped into formation. "Sir, yes sir!" they barked in unison. Quickly, they moved toward Baya, locking cuffs onto his wrists before hefting his massive frame off the ground. Their heavy footsteps echoed through the water as they stomped off, taking the defeated warrior away.
Meanwhile, not far from Nilala's victory, the waters roared with chaotic energy as October, Hoku, Holoi, and Uila faced a relentless assault. The monstrous creature, Guricumi, lashed out with fifteen thick tentacles, each one larger than a man. The group weaved and dodged through the onslaught, but the sheer size and power of the beast made every maneuver a close call.
Suddenly, six of Guricumi's tentacles closed in around Uila, boxing him in with no escape.
"CONTROLLED SHOCK: BURST!!!" Uila shouted, his body crackling with intense electricity. A burst of energy exploded from him, the surrounding water shimmering with blue light as bolts of lightning surged out. Guricumi's tentacles writhed in agony as the electricity fried them, the flesh charring from the shock.
"Damn you eel!!" Guricumi bellowed, his voice reverberating through the water, vibrating the very depths.
From above, Hoku swam in fast. "Don't forget about the starfish!" he yelled with a cocky grin. He began spinning in place, his body creating a whirlpool effect as his aura slowly glowed brighter and brighter.
"Sonic... star... BOOM!" Hoku stopped spinning abruptly, releasing a powerful star-shaped sonic wave that shot toward Guricumi like a missile. The attack hit the giant creature square in the face, sending a shockwave rippling through the water.
"ARGH! Damn you starfish!" Guricumi snarled, reeling from the blow.
Suddenly, Holoi dropped from above, eyes blazing with focus. "Air Magic: Typhoon!" he called out, unleashing a massive typhoon directly at Guricumi. The spiraling vortex smashed into the creature, knocking him off balance and leaving him momentarily disoriented.
Guricumi roared in frustration. "Damn you manta ray!"
"This guy is clueless!" Hoku shouted, his laughter echoing through the battlefield. But before anyone could respond, Guricumi suddenly vanished, his massive form dissolving into nothingness.
A small smirk curled at the corner of Hoku's lips. Just as I thought.
"I'm right, he is clueless!" Hoku announced triumphantly. "Now, it's time for the move that makes the ocean wet, the technique that causes tsunamis, shifts tides, and has more control over the ocean than the moon! This move makes even Poseidon tremble!" His voice was filled with exaggerated confidence, but the aura around him grew serious, powerful.
Hoku began to spin once more, faster this time. The water around him began to swirl violently, and suddenly, blue flames ignited, licking the edges of his body even underwater. The sight was impossible—fire blazing in the depths of the ocean.
Uila's eyes widened. "BLUE FLAMES?!"
"Get ready," Hoku said with a grin. "BURNING STAR ATTACK: LAPIS MIX!!!"
With a burst of speed, Hoku flung himself downward, aiming for where Guricumi had disappeared. His flaming body tore through the water like a meteor. In a flash, he collided with the invisible Guricumi, the impact uncorking a burst of blue flames that momentarily illuminated the battlefield. The flames burned bright, even underwater, before being snuffed out by the crushing weight of the ocean. When the light faded, Guricumi's charred form became visible once again, heavily wounded by the devastating blow.
Guricumi coughed, his voice a rasp. "How... how did you find me?"
Hoku's eyes sparkled with mischief. "We can all see your chi aura."
Guricumi growled in frustration. "Dammit!"
Meanwhile, Toruri darted through the water, narrowly evading Nui's snapping jaws as they came dangerously close with each attempt. Each bite was a reminder of the razor-sharp teeth that could tear through flesh like paper. But Toruri was relentless in his evasiveness.
"You are NOT biting me!" he shouted, frustration laced with confidence.
Seizing an opening, Toruri planted a solid kick into Nui's open mouth.
"Ouch—!" Nui yelped, momentarily stunned.
Not wasting a second, Toruri followed up with a powerful hook to Nui's chest, sending a shockwave through the water. He immediately transitioned into an uppercut, his fist colliding with Nui's chin, sending his head snapping upward. In one fluid motion, Toruri extended his claws and slashed at Nui's leg, then across his chest, carving deep wounds into his opponent's flesh. With precision, he threw a punch aimed at Nui's face, only to deliberately miss, allowing his unseen force to lash out, striking Nui square in the face with brutal force.
Finally, he delivered a savage kick to Nui's stomach, sending him reeling backward.
Nui growled in frustration, his eyes burning with rage. "Grrrrr... Stop being such a good fighter!"
Toruri flashed a sly grin, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I'm flattered."
Nui lunged forward, his clawed hand swinging at Toruri. Reacting quickly, Toruri raised an arm to block the strike, feeling the impact vibrate through his bones. But Nui was quick, and with his free arm, he landed a heavy punch to Toruri's stomach, sending him spiraling backward, bubbles swirling around him from the force of the blow.
Toruri shook off the impact, the corners of his mouth curling into a snarl. Zilla...
He began charging orange magic in his mouth, the energy swirling like fire inside him.
"Raptor!" Toruri shouted as he released a barrage of smaller, homing beams of orange magic from his mouth while spinning mid-flight. The beams lit up the water like a storm of comets, each one streaking toward Nui with deadly accuracy.
"What?!" Nui's shocked voice echoed just before the beams all collided with him, detonating in a massive explosion of orange light. The shockwave rippled through the water, but as the light faded, Nui emerged, damaged but still charging toward Toruri, his fury unyielding.
This guy—! Toruri's thought was cut off as Nui lunged, grabbing him by the throat with brutal strength. In a single motion, Nui dragged Toruri all the way to the surface, breaking through the water and hurling him high into the air.
Toruri twisted in the air, his body reacting instinctively. His dragon-like wings burst from his back with a snap, catching the wind as he soared above the surface of the ocean, hovering effortlessly. Below, Nui floated, looking up in bewilderment.
"What are you?!" Nui shouted, a mixture of anger and confusion in his voice. "Why can you fly?"
Toruri's eyes narrowed. "Ever heard of a hybrid?"
Nui's frustration boiled over, his voice a roar. "Stop being so strong! Water Magic: Water Spears!!!"
With a sweeping motion, Nui gathered the water around him, shaping it into deadly, shimmering spears. He hurled them upward with lethal intent. One spear shot past Toruri, narrowly missing him as he twisted out of its path.
At that force, he could blow a hole in me! Toruri thought, his heart pounding as more spears followed in quick succession.
He moved swiftly, dodging each water spear with precision, his wings carrying him through the air in erratic patterns. But Nui wasn't slowing down, and Toruri could feel the intensity of the fight escalating.
Determined to end it, Toruri began charging another attack in his mouth, this time more potent than before.
"Zilla..." he growled, the magic building in his throat, glowing fiercely.
Nui's eyes widened in realization, his voice rising in panic. "Are you nuts?! Are you trying to blow me to bits?!"
"Yes!" Toruri roared back, the energy radiating from him like a furnace. "REX!!!"
He unleashed a massive beam of orange magic, the attack roaring through the air like a blazing inferno. The beam struck Nui with devastating force, dragging him back down into the depths of the ocean. As the beam made contact with the ocean floor, it detonated in an explosion of blinding orange light, creating a towering pillar of magic that shot upward, breaching the surface of the water and piercing through the clouds above.
Toruri descended back into the water, his wings folding as he dropped into the aftermath of the blast. He floated there, staring down at the massive crater he had created below, the ocean floor scorched from the sheer force of his attack. And there, at the center of the destruction, was Nui—still alive, though heavily damaged, his body charred and broken, yet somehow moving.
Toruri's eyes widened in disbelief. "How is this guy still alive? I unloaded two Zilla techniques into him!"
"I won't let you get the better of me, brat!" Nui snarled, his voice dripping with fury as he shot toward Toruri, moving at a blinding speed. He raised his palm to strike, but Toruri quickly raised both arms in defense, bracing for impact.
A smirk crawled across Nui's face. "That's exactly what I thought you'd do."
In one swift movement, Nui closed his hand, his claws digging deep into Toruri's forearms. With a fierce pull, he dragged Toruri down with terrifying force, slamming him hard into the ocean floor. The impact sent a shockwave through the sand and rocks beneath them, stirring up debris.
But Toruri was fast. In one fluid motion, he placed his hand against the ground and back-flipped away, distancing himself from Nui.
"HA!" Nui laughed, mocking Toruri's retreat. "I got you running!!"
In an instant, Toruri's form began to shift. His skin hardened, becoming scaly like that of a dragon, and his eyes glowed a feral yellow, the pupils narrowing into reptilian slits. The transformation gave him an even more intimidating presence, but it wasn't without scorn.
Nui sneered. "You hybrids always have the nastiest-looking forms. Human skin overlaying with scales? How repulsing."
Toruri barely acknowledged the insult, his tone almost nonchalant. "I do get a bit ugly."
Nui took a step forward, but before he could move, the ocean floor gave way beneath him, and he found himself sinking into the ground, trapped waist-deep. His eyes widened in surprise.
"What—"
"Simple trap magic," Toruri said with a smirk, crossing his arms as he spoke. "Now, where was I? Oh right, I do get a bit ugly... but not as ugly as you after I bury you three thousand meters deeper!"
With a sudden burst of energy, Toruri leapt into the air, his fists flying in rapid succession, though they never made direct contact. Instead, the elemental force of each punch struck Nui's head with unseen blows, pounding him further and further into the ground with every hit. Nui's body was forced deeper until only his head remained above the surface, eyes wide with shock.
Toruri landed gracefully, cracking his knuckles as he looked down at Nui's buried form. "Still not ugly enough!" He clenched his fist, preparing to finish it.
But before he could act, Nui erupted from the ground, breaking free with an enraged roar. "You're beating me!" he snarled, summoning his magical weapon with a violent surge of power. "Magical Weapon: Saigai No Ikari!!!"
In a blinding flash, a massive anchor, chained and the size of a battleship, materialized in Nui's hands. Its sheer weight made the water around it shudder.
"Whoa..." Toruri muttered, eyes widening as he took in the size of the weapon.
Nui grinned, relishing Toruri's surprise. "I'll swing your head clean off!!"
With terrifying speed, Nui swung the anchor as if it weighed nothing, the massive weapon cleaving through the water with deadly force. Toruri dodged each swing by a hair's breadth, his instincts screaming with the intensity of the danger.
Being near this thing makes my nerves jump! Toruri thought as he narrowly evaded another swing. I really hope I don't get hit by this!!
But Nui wasn't about to let up. Seeing an opening as Toruri dodged another swing, he pulled back the anchor and rushed forward, landing a brutal punch to Toruri's face. The impact sent Toruri tumbling back, blood splattering from his nose.
Toruri staggered to his feet, holding his nose, blood dripping between his fingers. "Bastard broke my nose... For now, that is."
Nui's lips curled into a grin. "Skill 1: Sea-nado!"
The water around Nui began to swirl as he spun his massive anchor at a terrifying speed. The sheer force of it conjured a massive underwater tornado, so powerful it pulled in everything around it in an instant.
"This is a tornado with the force of a black hole!!!" Nui roared, his voice drowning in the chaos of the spinning vortex.
Toruri barely had time to react before the current yanked him into the swirling maelstrom.
This brute... he's so brute!! Toruri thought, frustration mounting as he was dragged helplessly toward the center of the deadly storm.
The tornado hurled Toruri upward, flipping him above the surface of the water. Before he could even orient himself, the anchor rocketed past him, rising higher and higher into the air. In one swift motion, Nui pulled hard on the chain, and the massive anchor whipped downward like a hammer of the gods.
The anchor struck Toruri with a sickening crack, the force so intense it shattered the very water around them, the sound echoing in the depths like a thunderclap. Toruri's body was sent plummeting back down, the chain dragging him helplessly through the water as the anchor slammed him into the ocean floor. The impact was devastating, leaving him lying flat on his back, motionless.
Nui stood over him, slowly reeling his anchor back. A satisfied grin spread across his face as he wiped a bead of sweat from his brow. "That should do it."
Toruri lay there, blood seeping from his forehead and missing teeth. His eyes had rolled to the back of his head, and his body was limp, completely motionless.
Nui chuckled darkly. "Out cold."
Nui, confident in his victory, turned his back on Toruri, a dismissive smirk on his face.
"I don't know how anyone struggled with you," he muttered, his tone laced with condescension.
Behind him, Toruri stirred, his body shaking as he slowly pushed himself up from the ground. A low, ragged laugh escaped his bloodied lips as he wiped the crimson from his forehead.
"Nothing too fatal," Toruri rasped, his voice defiant. "I've felt worse."
Nui turned to face him, surprise flickering in his eyes. "You're so tough..."
Toruri's fists clenched tightly, the urge building inside him like a dam ready to burst. I must resist that instinct... he thought, his knuckles white with tension. But the raw power of his killer instinct roared within him, threatening to take control. But this killer instinct... it really wants me to murder you.
While this deadly standoff unfolded, elsewhere on the battlefield, Holoi and Hoku were relentlessly attacking Guricumi. The massive creature thrashed about as their combined efforts kept him at bay, with October and Uila providing crucial ranged support from the back—October firing torpedoes with deadly precision, and Uila unleashing arcs of electricity that crackled through the water.
Guricumi, panting from exertion, growled, "I'm getting tired..."
Hoku paused for a moment, sensing something. "Wait... I can feel someone coming—Captain?!"
Suddenly, like a bolt of lightning, Nilala appeared, swimming at light speed. He dashed past Guricumi in a blur, his blade flashing as it sliced through the sea beast's tough hide. With a heavy groan, Guricumi's body flopped over, finally unconscious.
"CAPTAIN'S BACK!!!" Uila shouted, elation in his voice.
Nilala landed smoothly beside them, his expression calm but focused. "You guys did well. You weakened him enough for me to finish it. The guards will handle the rest."
Almost on cue, hundreds of Atlantean guards swarmed in, surrounding Guricumi and attempting to lift his massive body all at once.
Uila rushed up to Nilala, his eyes wide. "CAPTAIN, YOU CAPTURED THE SARAOKA??"
Nilala nodded, his expression stoic. "Yes, he's being transported to Javarahoo as we speak."
Hoku grinned. "Well, looks like it's cleanup time!"
Meanwhile, back with Toruri, his aura flared violently, golden energy erupting around him like flames. His body shook with the intensity of it, the raw sensation of power coursing through him.
"The sensation..." he growled, his eyes narrowing. "It's just on the edge!!!"
Nui, sensing the change in Toruri's aura, roared, swinging his anchor with all his might. "This swing will put you down!!!"
But Toruri was faster. He lunged toward Nui, dodging the massive anchor as it whistled past him with deadly force.
"The sensation..." Toruri muttered under his breath, his fist now engulfed in golden chi, the energy crackling around him like lightning. He felt it building within him—the primal, unstoppable force that had been lying dormant, waiting for the right moment to be unleashed.
"Is killing you!" Toruri's punch connected with Nui's stomach, and in that instant, his aura exploded in size, growing fivefold as golden light filled the depths of the ocean.
"GOLDEN BURST!!!" Toruri roared.
Nui's eyes flashed gold as the impact shook through his body. He let out a guttural scream as his form trembled violently. The sheer force of Toruri's attack sent him flying, his body smashing through the peaks of several underwater mountains before he finally crashed onto his back, motionless.
Toruri hovered for a moment, staring at the spot where Nui had been, his chest heaving. He couldn't believe what had just happened.
"I actually hit it," he whispered to himself, still caught in the rush of adrenaline.
Meanwhile, Baya was being dragged toward a massive vault door by a squad of heavily armored Atlantean guards. His face was unreadable, but beneath the surface, something stirred.
Nui... you're not unconscious? Baya's mind raced as he felt the familiar pulse of his ally's energy calling out to him. You're calling upon me? Even now?
Suddenly, he stopped walking.
"Hey, keep moving!" one of the guards barked, giving Baya a rough shove. But Baya only snickered under his breath, his lips curling into a sly grin.
So, Guricumi's out cold too, huh? His thoughts became more focused. We're gonna raise some hell now. Without warning, his body morphed into a glowing green stone, shimmering with energy, and shot off into the distance, leaving the guards stunned.
"Hey!!" one of them yelled, reaching for him in vain as the stone vanished from sight.
Simultaneously, across the battlefield, the guards carrying Guricumi watched in horror as the massive creature's body also shifted into a radiant orange stone. It slipped from their grasp and rocketed into the sky.
"WHERE'S HE GOING?!" Uila shouted, her voice full of confusion and urgency.
Hoku's face darkened with realization. "This could be bad. Really bad."
Back where Toruri stood, Nui's unconscious form began to change as well. His battered body transformed into a glowing blue stone that floated upwards, defying all logic. Toruri watched, wide-eyed, as the blue stone was joined by the green and orange stones, now circling around each other in an eerie dance of light.
"What the hell..." Toruri muttered, his fists still clenched, sensing something terrible on the horizon.
The three stones drew closer together, their radiant colors melding into one another before they all touched, creating a blinding flash of light. Toruri shielded his eyes, the brilliance too intense to bear. When the light faded, a new monstrosity crashed down in front of him, shaking the seabed with its arrival.
Toruri blinked, struggling to comprehend the creature before him. "What... am I looking at?"
The monstrosity that stood before him was unlike anything he had ever seen. It had the elongated, serrated mouth of a crocodile, lined with rows of jagged shark teeth. A massive dorsal fin jutted from its back, and fifteen enormous tentacles, each tipped with razor-sharp crocodile claws, flailed around it, all covered in thick, impenetrable crocodile scales.
A grotesque voice rumbled from deep within the creature's throat, its tone a mixture of mocking and menace. "You thought that would've been the end of it? You haven't even faced our true power. You didn't even deal with our fusion." The creature's eyes glinted with malice. "Standing before you now is a whole new being. Gurnuiba."
Toruri stared, unimpressed despite the monstrosity in front of him. "That's a stupid name," he deadpanned. "And where did the other two come from?"
Gurnuiba sneered, the ground shaking beneath his heavy footsteps. "That doesn't matter! I'm going to eat you alive!"