Chapter 17: Chapter 17: The Sea Dragon Emperor
-----
A tsunami!
It struck out of absolutely nowhere.
A crack tore open in the sky in the blink of an eye, my father was too late to sense it in time.
From that rift poured an endless surge of azure light, followed by water crashing down uncontrollably like a tidal wave.
It was seawater, roaring straight toward us while a colossal silhouette rose amid the deluge.
The creature was enormous, resembling a plesiosaur but vastly larger, with powerful limbs and a serpentine neck. It radiated supreme divinity that overshadowed everything and everyone else, much like Surtr. It seemed to be a figure on par with my great-grandfather.
Two sea serpents accompanied it, swimming at its sides, along with... a gigantic black squid exuding void and darkness.
What the hell is this?!
Are we under attack?!
"Are these Nightmares?!" I cried.
"No..." my father sighed, raising his hand.
FLASH!
A barrier instantly enveloped the entire event, blocking the downpour. Water splashed outward across the grasslands below, soaking them and the forest.
The excess cascaded off the floating island onto the unfortunate citizens beneath, I could only hope it didn’t cause a catastrophe.
As the water receded, the crack in the sky sealed shut. Four titanic figures revealed themselves, hovering above the sea that still rippled beneath them.
"Well, here we are! Is this where the party’s at?!"
A loud, booming voice rang out from the largest of them—a deep, manly tone filled with effortless power.
"Sea Dragon Emperor, Triton, right?" my father asked. "Long time no see... Did you really have to make such a dramatic entrance?!"
"What?! Oh! Louis! There you are!" Triton laughed heartily. "What entrance? We just arrived!"
"...? Did you have to dump an ocean’s worth of seawater on us?!" my mother snapped angrily. "You nearly drowned everyone!"
"Oh..." Triton muttered, glancing back at the giant black squid and the two sea serpents. "My bad. We came through the sea... maybe a little spilled out. Ha... Hahahaha! But it’s kind of funny, right?"
"It’s not funny..." my father sighed, shaking his head as the barrier dissolved.
"Honey, I think we messed up," the black squid sighed beside him.
"Ah, did we?!" Triton gasped. "A-Ahem! Anyway, sorry about that. Let’s shrink down—looks like this party’s for human-sized folks."
The giants burst into divine light one after another, shrinking into humanoid forms.
The black squid became a stunning Scylla woman with long black tentacles for hair and lower limbs. She had pale skin, glowing red eyes, and a third purple-red eye on her forehead. She wore an elegant black-and-red dress.
Triton himself transformed into a tall, imposing merman with pale blue skin, fins along his neck, and azure scales accenting his body. He had a handsome, strong face, long white hair, a lean yet powerful frame, a long dragon-like tail without wings, and coral-shaped blue horns rising from his forehead.
The two sea serpents, one adult, one child, shifted into forms that blended traits of both "parents": pale blue skin, tentacle-like hair in black or azure, gleaming golden eyes, a third red eye, and slender yet strong builds decorated with scales.
They were an astonishing fusion of features!
So the Sea Dragon Emperor’s wife was a Scylla, an octopus- or squid-like woman... or something even more unique. Either way, she radiated the aura of a goddess, clearly a formidable being.
Triton had a son, the taller, stronger of the two sea-serpent figures, and a daughter, the smaller girl.
Another figure emerged beside them: a beautiful mermaid woman with legs alongside a thick, fish-like tail. She had long, flowing pink hair, striking blue eyes, and coral-like horns despite not being a dragon.
She exuded an aura of mystery; she was no ordinary being. Was she Triton’s daughter-in-law?
Their daughter was adorable: long pink tentacle-hair, an azure-and-pink sea-serpent tail, and pale blue skin. She appeared three or four years older than me and had clearly already achieved her dragon form, as we had just witnessed.
"Sorry for the commotion," Triton apologized as he approached, carrying the unmistakable scent of the ocean with him.
"Don’t worry about it," my father said, shaking his hand. "I was half expecting something like this after the last three times you pulled a similar stunt."
"Hello Triton, Eleanor!" my mother greeted them warmly, waving. "Oh, you brought the whole family! Aquarius and..."
Aquarius, Triton’s son, replied in a calm, measured voice. "This is my wife, Coral Rose, daughter of the previous Mermaid Princess of our kingdom. And this is our little girl, Salacia."
"Hiiii!!!" Salacia waved her tentacles enthusiastically at me. "OMG! Are you little Elizabeth?! You’re so tiny!"
"Hi!" I waved back as she rushed over and began patting my head with her tentacles.
"Ugh, please don’t..." I muttered.
"O-Oh, sorry..." she said, suddenly shy. "I just get excited when I see a new friend."
Huh. I guess she’s already decided we’re friends.
Not that I mind.
"Nice to see your girl’s safe and healthy!" Triton said. "I heard she got into some trouble a couple of years ago. Is she alright now?"
"Yeah, we handled it ourselves—don’t worry," my father replied with a nod.
"Thank you for your concern," my mother added. "Anyway, yes, this is our baby girl, and..."
"Oh! You’re expecting, Mirai?" Eleanor asked, stepping forward. "I’m so happy for you. I hope it’s a healthy child."
"Thank you for your blessings, Eleanor," my mother said with a gentle smile.
"She’s indeed a very beautiful girl," Eleanor continued. "Hello, Elizabeth. How are you?"
"Fine..." I yawned, already tired of being asked that question repeatedly.
"Haha, she’s already yawning. I guess this is pretty boring for a kid," Aquarius chuckled.
"Fufu, coming to the surface from time to time is nice, though," his wife said, glancing around curiously.
"Are you usually underwater?" I asked, gently pushing Salacia’s tentacles away from my face—though the little girl never quite stopped.
"The Aquarius Archipelago sank a few thousand years ago due to a tremor," Triton explained. "But most inhabitants were already mermen capable of breathing underwater, so we built an underwater kingdom called the Sea Kingdom of Aquarius. It was named after my father, and I passed the name to my son, the current king, while I mostly oversee the oceans of Yggdrasil."
"Ooohh!" I nodded. "And what do you do, Salacia?"
"Me? I goof around, hunt beasties, and... hmmm, I like going to the surface to buy shiny things and nice clothes!" she said brightly. "Earth looks super fun! Can we stay here for a while, Daddy?"
"Hmm, we’ll think about it," Aquarius replied. "Mostly depends on whether your grandpa wants to stay or not."
"I wouldn’t mind if you stayed, Salacia," I said. "As long as you stop using your tentacles on me..."
"S-Sorry! Hehehe," she giggled, bubbles escaping her mouth and making a funny popping sound.
"Hmm, maybe," Triton mused. "I haven’t tested the seas of this world yet. I’d like to see if they’re safe or full of danger."
"I would appreciate that," my father said. "Oh, also—Surtr is staying. My daughter seems compatible with the Origin Flames and absorbed them, so he’ll test her. If she passes, he and his family will tutor her in fire magic."
"W-Wait, what?" Triton suddenly tensed. "That bastard Surtr already...! Ah, fine...! Um, Elizabeth, what do you think? Can you wield this too?"
He opened his large palm, revealing spiraling azure-and-gold seawater that pulsed with spiritual energy and soul essence.
"Wow, what’s that?!" I asked in awe.
"This is Spirit Soul Sea Water," he explained. "It was born from my own special Spiritual Soul Physique. Over the years it has spread through the oceans, creating special areas known as Spiritual Soul Seas, realms filled with treasures and dangers. It’s equivalent to the Origin Flames, capable of things you wouldn’t expect from water, like breathing life into things."
"Oh...!" I extended my hand eagerly. "Okay, Uncle, let me check it out!"
"C-Check it out?" He raised an eyebrow, then laughed. "Hahaha! This one’s a funny kid! Alright, girl, go ahead."
He let me touch the water. I activated Harmony... and nothing happened.
Wait, it doesn’t react?
Guess this one isn’t for me then.
Or...
Chaos?
FLUOSH!
Chaos absorbed the azure-gold water instead, for some reason. I had thought Chaos only took in evil, cursed, or shadow elements, but apparently this counted as chaotic too.
Whatever the case, the Spirit Soul Sea Water flowed through my body. I felt refreshed and cold, as though I were swimming in a crisp, invigorating ocean.
"Wow..."
My eyes briefly glowed bright blue, I caught the light in my reflection. I smiled and nodded, channeling it. The water emerged again... but dark, like miasma, and unmistakably sinister.
"S-Sorry!" I panicked. "I could absorb it, but it came out black..."
"Hahah, don’t worry," Triton said. "I’m well aware you must have inherited some of your mother’s powers. It seems you’re compatible, but like the Origin Flames, you wield them in your own way—which is perfectly fine. Alright, that’s reason enough to test you later."
"Sure!" I nodded excitedly, my tail wagging before I could stop it. "I’ll take any test, Uncle!"
"Good response!" He patted my head. "Alright then, see you at the awakening ceremony. I’m starving. Let’s eat something first, everyone. Also—that Surtr is over there... I haven’t seen that bastard in a thousand years! How are you?"
"Ah, Triton?! Hey! Hahah! Long time no see!"
As they started catching up, we were finally left alone. I now had two new Elemental Magics that Harmony and Chaos had assimilated, leaving me with a lot of questions.
"It’s incredible how easily you get along with everyone," my father said with a warm smile. "I see a very bright future ahead of you, my daughter."
"Yeah, she’s so talented too!" my mother laughed. "I can’t believe it! She absorbed two primordial elements created by these two Dragon Venerables?! That’s unbelievable!"
"Wait—they’re Venerables?!" I gasped.
"Well, yeah," my father nodded.
"At their level, of course they are," my mother added.
"A-Ah... I see..." I breathed, realizing they were perhaps even stronger than I could fully comprehend.
This only fueled my desire to grow stronger, to stand at the same glorious height as these legendary figures known across the Fantasy Worlds and even the Cosmos.
I opened my palms. White flames and black, miasmic water surged forth, both Harmony and Chaos, now infused with new elements, forming wondrous new shapes.
"Alright, I think that’s most of the important guests," my father said. "Let’s go eat something. I bet you two are hungry."
"I am..." I nodded.
"Yeah, I have to eat twice because of the baby," my mother agreed.
We moved to the banquet area. I was seated on my little golden throne beside my parents. Nobles and dragons surrounded us, raising cups of wine and ale in greeting.
A full table of sweet pastries sat before me, while another held towering stacks of grilled meat, fried rice, noodles, pizza, and countless other dishes from famous restaurants my father had hired to cater the event.
The food was incredible. Though a little embarrassed, I ate to my heart’s content without caring about appearances.
"Hahah, the young princess has quite the appetite!"
"She’ll definitely grow into a powerful dragon!"
"Look at her go—she’s devouring everything!"
"Fufu, she’s so cuteeeee!"
Ugh. The attention made me lose my appetite halfway through. Thankfully, my friends came to rescue me... well, as an old soul, "playing" wasn’t exactly thrilling anymore.
But it beat sitting around doing nothing until the ceremony began—and yeah, there was a massive birthday cake I’d been eyeing, but they still wouldn’t let me touch it!
"Eli! Let’s go play knight!" Guinevere ran up and grabbed my hand.
"Alright, alright, calm down!" I laughed as she dragged me off the throne without a care for rank or etiquette.
Over the past few years, Guinevere and I have grown very close. We’d become great friends, sharing days together, sleepovers that stretched into weeks, sneaking into the kitchen at night for snacks, and "playing knight" with wooden swords. She even taught me some fencing techniques, which were surprisingly interesting.
She was also really cute, so it was hard to say no to anything she asked...
"Are we actually playing knight though?" I asked as she released my hand.
"Hahah, nah," she chuckled. "I just figured you were nervous with everyone watching. You like being active, but I’ve always known you’re not a crowd person."
"Ahhh, it’s like you read my mind," I sighed. "You’re not wrong, Guinevere. I don’t really like it when there are so many people around—it feels suffocating. But I guess this is what being a princess is all about, right?"
"Yeah! I go through it all the time too. It’s so tiring, haha," she laughed. "But that’s the position we were born into. We just have to push through and learn to handle it well."
"Hmm," I nodded. "I’m glad you came, Guinevere—even though you awakened a few years ago!"
"Of course I’d come see my friend," she said with a bright smile, patting my head. "And you look super extra cute today! What’s that dress? It’s so pretty! And it matches your hair perfectly!"
"Is that so?" I chuckled, feeling a little embarrassed. "Heheh, you look pretty too, Guinevere. That princess-knight outfit is really cool! I wish I could wear armor, but Dad insists dragons don’t really need it."
"Eh, if you think it’s cool then there’s nothing wrong with wearing some!" she said. "Hmm, wanna grab something to eat at the food stalls? I saw the twins wandering around there with their parents."
"Nice! Sure!" I nodded.
She grabbed my hand again and we ran through the event, reaching the long row of food stalls where all kinds of delicious meals were being prepared.
We snagged some divine beast meat skewers and cups of spirit-fruit juice packed with ice. As we ate and drank, we found the twins.
They were with their parents, just as Guinevere had said. The Emperor and Empress of Yamato wandered around, looking at everything in delighted surprise and enjoying every moment.
The handsome kitsune king, the current emperor of Yamato, who still held slightly less authority than the empress, wagged his tails as he playfully chased his children.
Meanwhile, Empress Mikoto scolded them, telling them to stop acting like wild beasts.
"Enough is enough, s-stop embarrassing us! We’re the royal family of Yamato!" she sighed. "What would Lady Yudra say if she saw you behaving like this?"
"But Mom, we’re bored!" Haruto protested.
"Why can’t we go play with Eli?" Misaki asked.
"I’ve told you multiple times—Princess Elizabeth is off-limits today. She’s the star of this entire event. If you go bother her, you might even anger the rulers of Frostbane, and that’s the last thing we want— Ah!" She gasped as she noticed me and Guinevere. "Y-Your Highness?!"
"Hey!" I waved. "Hello."
"Aha, what an adorable surprise," the emperor said with a kind smile. "Would you like to play with our children, Princess Elizabeth?"
"Eli!"
"Happy birthday!"
The twins rushed over, hugging me tightly and wrapping me in their fluffy fox tails. The sensation was pure bliss; I closed my eyes and savored it for a moment.
"Heheh, yeah, I’m here. How have you two been lately?" I asked.
"We’re good!" Haruto said with an enthusiastic nod.
"We can’t wait for the awakening ceremony!" Misaki added. "I wonder what I’ll get!"
"I bet you’ll get some awesome abilities," I said, nodding confidently. "Wanna go eat something at the food stalls? It’s on me—you can get anything you want."
"Really?!" Both twins lit up. "Mommy, Mommy, can we? Can we? Can we?" they asked in perfect unison.
"Hahaha! Of course you can—go ahead and play!" their laid-back father approved instantly.
"W-Wait! Don’t— Ah," their mother sighed and facepalmed as we already dashed away once we had his permission.
I overheard their conversation as we left, thanks to my sharp senses.
"Did you have to do that, Tamae?!" she asked irritably. "I told you those kids need some discipline!"
"Come on now, Mikoto—kids will be kids. Can’t you let our pups play around like the children they are? One day they’ll have to grow up and shoulder endless responsibilities... but until then, isn’t it better to let them enjoy their childhood while they still can?" he asked playfully.
"Haaa..." Mikoto sighed. "Maybe... ugh, I’m just exhausted."
"Come on, my beloved—let’s sit down and eat something you like," her husband said, gently massaging her shoulders as they walked off.
As we played and sampled food from various stalls with my friends, a little black octopus suddenly appeared above my head.
"Woah, who’s that?!" Haruto asked.
"My Shikigami!" I said proudly. "It’s a familiar!"
"No way! You got yours already!" Misaki exclaimed. "So cool!"
Mongrel groaned, glaring at the kids with his big red eye. "Damn kids... I’m no familiar—this is enslavement...!"
"He sure has an attitude," Guinevere laughed. "Oh?"
As we continued playing, bells suddenly rang out. A large crowd began gathering in one area.
At the same time, our parents came looking for us.
"Elizabeth! The ceremony is about to begin—the dragons are going first!" my mother called.
"Come on, let’s go," my father added.
"Ah, right!" I gasped. "See you at the altar!" I waved to my friends.
"Good luck!" Haruto said.
"Yeah! Good luck!" Misaki waved enthusiastically.
"Do your best and believe in yourself, Eli!" Guinevere encouraged. "Dad always says the trick is being confident!"
It was finally my time to shine.
-----
