"Ah, Lord Izumi came from the Zuwai race. They're usually a race of seadwellers," Hana explained, her voice tinged with a mix of awe and disdain.
"Seadwellers? What are seadwellers doing on land?" Rain asked. Based on what he know, seadwellers mostly remained at sea and rarely went on land.
Hana shrugged, a gesture of helplessness. "I really don't know. It's odd that so many of them surface onto the land, almost as if there's something in the ocean they're trying to avoid."
She sighed deeply, the burden clear on her face, his eyes fixed on the endless ocean. "Because of this, they seized control, and no one offered aid. Moreover, the Barren Wasteland is isolated; no one wanted to assist because they saw no value here. There are no resources to exploit.
"Taxes became oppressively high under Lord Izumi's rule. Because of that, I joined an expedition to map out the northern parts, even though it was dangerous. We hope that . . . there's another town or village up there where we could live," she continued, her voice touched with a faint hope.
Hana hugged her legs, cradling herself. "Life here has become so hard ever since. We can barely afford anything now."
Rain remembered, amidst the glamorous facade, hidden behind dark alleys were dilapidated sections of the town, with its residents lying wasted on the ground. Some begged for scraps, while others appeared to have lost all hope.
"The only ones doing any business were the merchants and the foreigners, while the citizens could barely survive under the heavy taxes," Hana continued.
Rain wanted to comfort Hana, but he didn't know what to say or do. He wasn't exactly the hero type who could save a town, and he didn't have that kind of power.
He wanted to help, but he felt powerless. Heck, he was even having trouble figuring out where they would sleep for the night!
Rain decided to change the discussion, away from the depressing topic, and noticed a lot of passing shrimps, prompting him to ask about them.
"There are numerous of them around here," Rain pointed at the giant walking lobsters. Unlike regular lobsters back on Earth, they were blue-colored, walking on their two crab feet. Their two hands were giant claws wielding a spear and a shield. They also had full body armor and very long antennae that appeared like mustaches.
"Ah, those are Ebizos, Lord Izumi's soldiers. Like I said, he has a battalion of those in his warship and his castle, just waiting for his beck and call. They are hardy lobster yokai with natural carapaces as durable as lacquered armor."
"They look . . . menacing," Rain observed, unable to hide his unease.
Hana dryly laughed. "They are. I read that they come from far beneath roiling ocean waves, in pitch darkness and numbing cold, only the hardiest and most tenacious life forms could endure.
"The Ebizo, a society of dangerous crustacean yokai, are notorious for their raids on coastal towns and the plundering of ships foolhardy enough to stray into their ocean territory.
"Despite their clunky, encumbered appearance, none can navigate riptides and ride currents quite like the Ebizo — reading and sensing the flow of the water with a precision reminiscent of a hawk gliding on an updraft. While uncontested combatants in water, they are still formidable and ferocious on land, carrying the power and tenacity of the ocean wherever they tread."
"They seem dangerous," Rain could only say.
Hana affirmed. "An adage that rings particularly true among the ebi'ishi is that they never cease growing. Over time, their shells and claws become increasingly thick and mighty, with elders bearing carapaces so dense they deflect weapons with the ease of waves breaking on rock.
"However, as their weight and strength increase, their mobility suffers. The ultimate fate of an ebi'ishi is for their carapace to grow so heavy that it crushes the flesh within. To collapse under the weight of one's shell is seen as an honorable death for an otherwise unconquerable warrior of the Ebizo clan."
Rain was amazed by all the information regarding another race. Back on Earth, the only fate of lobsters was on a dinner plate. Here, it seemed to be quite the opposite.
Wait . . . yokai? As in spirits?!
Rain only realized now . . . that's right. He was in the Spirit Realm, so that meant yokai and a lot of spirits, right?!
Eh?! Rain's eyes widened in shock. 'Does that mean ghosts?!'
Why had he just realized that now?
Rain took a deep breath and asked a different question to divert his mind from such scary thoughts. "S-so, what is this Zuwai that Lord Izumi comes from?" Rain tried not to stutter, but failed miserably. He really needed to get his head in the game.
Hana noticed Rain's shivering and couldn't blame him. He must be scared to death about Lord Izumi's powers and soldiers. Poor guy, she thought. We're all scared.
Hana cleared her throat before continuing, "The Zuwai are the evolved form of the Ebizo. The Ebizo believe that all things belong to the ocean, and the ocean belongs to the Zuwai. Matriarchs among the Ebizo, these deep-sea elementalists tower over the rest of the clan, both in stature and magical prowess.
"Among their kin, the Zuwai act as chieftains and battlefield commanders, masterminding the flow of combat from afar and rarely engaging personally.
"However, should the need arise, Zuwai are fearsome warriors innately equipped with lethal magic. Their grace in battle is unmatched; the Zuwai's many limbs move with spectacular synchronicity as they channel the element of water through precise movements — an uncanny union of delicate motion and crushing tidal force.
"In many ways, the Zuwai embody the ocean's erratic temperament. They are, at one moment, beautiful in tranquility, and the next, terrifying in tempestuous rage."
Rain thought about Hana's lengthy explanation and couldn't help but be intrigued. He opened his race handbook on his screen and found the image he was looking for.
A towering crab around 3m long with six very long legs, longer than its body. It seemed to be floating midair, and its face was . . . like a human-octopus hybrid with red skin, a big red nose, angry eyes, and tentacles at the side of its mouth like they were part of its teeth.
What a weird-looking thing.
But it was so tall, probably the same height as a Goliath, only thinner.