Because of the warm sun, the lake that Tim and Nina were seeing shone brightly. They still couldn't spot the girl, but there were occasions when both of them saw moving silhouettes.
"The lake is enormous! Is this where we're expected to find a girl?!" Tim wasn't in the best of spirits; he was practically melancholy and bored, ruminating on trivial matters.
"What's the matter with you? Can't you use that skill to locate Spirituality or whatever you want to name it?" Tim yawned loudly and stretched his arms above his head, exhausted.
Nina assumed he'd say something insightful because he appeared serious, but it appears she was mistaken after the words he uttered.
"For the past 30 minutes, I haven't eaten anything! I'm going to pass out from hunger!" With sweat streaming down her brow, Nina immediately adopted an unimpressed expression. "Are you really hungry right now? You should start carrying food when we arrive on the island, based on your food requirements."
While he was listening, he noticed the same silhouette standing on the lake in the distance, which piqued his interest and led him to believe the girl wasn't genuine.
"Take a look at that. Is that that girl?" Nina was taken aback when she saw the girl in the direction Tim pointed, and she began waving to her. "Over here, hey! Please, don't run; your mother is concerned about you! Come along with us!"
Nina was horrified when the girl's shadow turned around and began racing over the river. She was aware that some people were capable of doing so, but she never imagined a typical girl running over water.
"It's not like she's running on water, is it?" Tim scratched the back of his head as he voiced his boredom.
"I'm not sure what to make of this girl; is she a ghost or something?"
"A Gh-Ghost?! You can't be s-serious, right?! There's no such th-things as ghosts! O-Only Spirits!"
Nina's eyes were lifeless the instant she heard something terrifying, and Tim proceeded to speak, oblivious to Nina's trembling like a cat in the water.
"Yeah, you know. The dead people who start haunting living people? I've seen a few of those before. They're cool and interesting, therefore I think we could make friends with one, just like I did before!"
"Stop bringing up the subject of ghosts! They are who or what they are, and I know who or what they are! I just don't want to be a part of one in the real world! While we were in the Spiritual Realm, I saw far too many Spirits! Just the word "ghost" gives me the chills!"
Tim wobbled his arms closer and slowly gripped Nina's shoulders, murmuring in her ear after making a kitten-like look. "Welcome to our house, child!"
Nina squawked aloud, leaping to her feet and tumbling forward, her face rapidly pressed into the earth as she heard Tim's laughter behind her back.
"I can't believe you're afraid of ghosts! Nina, you're a fantastic comedian!"
She lifted her face from the ground and grabbed Tim's collar, shaking him violently back and forth while shouting angrily and spitting in his face.
"Keep your mouth shut! Do you think you're amusing? Don't make fun of me because I'm afraid of them!"
"Their translucent bodies and hushed voices are enough to catch you off guard! Why don't you just hunt that ghost down if you're so brave?!"
She came to a halt, shaking Tim's body and straining her stare into his, sweat pouring down her cheeks and neck. "Yeah, why not? Simply see how it's done."
Tim walked by Nina, who had her arms crossed, and prepared to walk on water. "I'm sure there's something magical about this lake that allows that girl to walk on water. I'll show you."
Tim took the first step after catching his breath by confidently coughing, and the minute he took the second, his body sank into the water, splashing over the grass and mud, amusing Nina.
"You just stepped on water, which is a fantastic achievement. I'm so proud of you... What an Idiot..."
Nina's arms were crossed, and she had various thoughts that led her to believe he had drowned. However, as Tim returned to the surface, she sighed and clutched her forehead in disappointment.
"How did a person like you end up as a Duelist? You're like one of those kids who sounds intelligent, but is actually a complete moron." Tim emerged from the water, his hair obscuring his face in the process.
However, the mood quickly grew strange and twisted. A sudden fog began to form around the lake, separating Tim and Nina, who had vanished in the fog.
"What exactly is going on? How am I meant to get around this place now?"
Tim was unconcerned and more concerned with navigation when he observed the same shadow lurking behind the fog. She laughed easily, but sent strange and unsettling vibrations through Tim's body.
The girl's silhouette began to shift shape after that. It spun like a vortex, and the shadow appeared to be deformed or twisted. The echoes of the girl's laugh gradually faded away, and silence reigned supreme.
Jawjack's worried countenance began to widen in the town, allowing Ayuka to see and sense it. Jawjack was aware that she had a firm grasp on the blade and that a duel could begin at any moment. He was entirely correct.
Ayuka waged a struggle of her own volition to protect the island and restore its peace. Because Jawjack's jaw is the most destructive weapon to ruin Pelwick's territories, she slashed accurately ahead and directed it. Even though the swing was quick and tense, it wasn't enough to stop Jawjack's jaws.
He realized that biting through Ayuka's blade, even with fast smashes, would be difficult, so he used his hand hook to raise it and resist her slash.
They fought up close, with Ayuka delivering slashes and attempting to slit his jaws while Jawjack defended with the hook while retreating back, but it wasn't long until Ayuka changed her tactics.
She drew her opponent up close and uppercut him, making him fear she was going to slash his jaw. He tried to defend once again, but it was futile because Ayuka had vanished from the front position and was winded behind his back.
It had taken him by surprise. Jawjack has never had to cope with such a mobile opponent before, which is why Ayuka managed to cut through the back of Jawjack's fabric but fell short of cutting his back from his reaction.
Because of Ayuka's unrivaled speed, Jawjack devised a new strategy. He stomped his left foot into the ground and extended out his left arm. He tricked Ayuka into thinking he'd attack from the front, but instead he threw his hook behind her and nearly sliced her throat.
She was fortunate to have been trained in mobility and reaction timing, which is why she was able to avoid the swing and duck. Jawjack, however, surged forward and opened his deadly jaws as soon as he realized she was about to be assaulted in that pose.
He had wanted to crush Ayuka's head in them and win quickly, but that was not the case.
While Ayuka was taken aback by his method of attack, she was still able to lift the sword forward and let his sharp teeth to bite into the metal.
The metal shrieking reverberated across the space, causing everyone to shield their ears. The unpleasant noise was too much for Ayuka to bear, and she couldn't hide her ears. She was defending herself with a sword in one hand, so the shriek easily reached out and stunned her on the spot.
Jawjack bent his right knee and grabbed Ayuka by the top of her head in that one moment. He brought her near to his stomach before forcibly kneeling her in the stomach and following another kick into her face.
The strikes were powerful enough to knock Ayuka's body up into a fighting stance. However, he then launched another tremendous onslaught. He smashed Ayuka in the head with his head, which was almost completely covered by the Jaw's metal.
The hit reverberated across the room, and the pulse it unleashed extended outward, lifting the floor and demolishing many building walls. The break in Ayuka's skull resonated outward as her eyes widened and whitened.
The shock was visible in the eyes of others. They had finally come to believe that they could defeat Jawjack's pirates, but this was all wishful thinking. Even Ayuka, who had been a skilled duelist, was defeated by Jawjack's tough head in the end.
The blood was running wet down her forehead, and her body had become exceedingly weak and soft, but he didn't stop there because of his fury and annoyance at Ayuka.
He clutched her hair and drew her in close, his palm clenched into a fist. He bent it and then slammed his hand into Ayuka's stomach, causing another hard strike to Ayuka's body.
It was enough to send her flying through the air and then land on her back, immobilizing her body even more. Jawjack's laugh echoed through the town and docks once more, and he moved closer.
"I admire your Dueling abilities, but there isn't a single person on the earth who could defeat me. I'm a tough cookie that won't back down or be kind with anyone, even if they're a pretty young girl! When I'm done with you, I'm going to destroy this hamlet and massacre the people who tried to fight me!"
As the sun reflected in the metal of his hook, he raised it. He was getting ready to execute a tremendous attack with the hook, which could easily penetrate her fragile body.
"It's time for you to die, little rat!"
He nearly rammed the hook into her stomach, but her memories instantly came flooding back. Her will to live was strong, and before she was stabbed and murdered on the spot, her form vanished in a flash. Jawjack couldn't even respond in time, and instead felt a tremendous amount of pressure behind his back.
He turned around to see Ayuka standing behind his back, cradling her head, while he smashed the earth in front of him. She remained quiet but fixed her gaze on him.
"No way..."
To be continued...