act18d3

Brother, why won't you accept them?

They are my sisters, and so they are your sisters too.

I can rouse you, rouse Ishar-mla, and, of course... Gla-dia too.

Just because your brothers swam for the shallow seas, you no longer recognize them as your brothers. You haven't looked back even once...

But our tribe cares.

No... This is nonsense...

So you believe every single word in that good book you're holding? Let me remind you, Bishop, but you, too, are spreading heresy in full view of the Iberians.

It doesn't matter to me one bit what this thing tells me, but you are from the Church of the Deep. Perhaps you should be taking notes?

Kill them... Kill them! Herald, do it! Their crimes are grave and unforgivable! They spout blasphemy against you and the sea!

If that is your wish... then I shall do it.

It doesn't matter to you at all, does it? It doesn't matter if I ask this of you. You said so yourself! You will kill them!

Yes, It doesn't matter to me.

Then kill the... wandering singer first. Kill the one in the red dress!

Trash. If I tell you to kill the person behind you, the bishop who's dressed like a strand of kelp, will you do it?

Yes.

Because he is my kin, and so are you. He calls out to me, and so do you.

Ah, humans.

Ægir are vile and hideous, aren't they? Admit it, Bishop.

We are all foolish Ægir, and we like to apply what we think to lowlife beasts. You don't understand it at all.

You mixed-blood!

Well, if all you want is to protect us—Why not refuse?

Refuse?

How do I... refuse?

Enough. Looks like you are indeed a lowlife. That's about as deep as you can swim.

But listen up, Trash. I won't ask you to kill the weakling behind you.

You are prey. Who would beg prey to do something?

You want to hurt her? You will listen to his suggestion and kill Skadi, my hunter? You don't need that answer anymore, do you?

I have other ways, even with her dead. As long as there's a way, it doesn't matter to me.

But you told me... to refuse...

Way too soon... *cough*...

(Coughs up blood)

*Spit*. Whatever. If you have your heart set on killing her—You must first go through me.

Now, Gla-dia.

Whether you get to live and whether your flesh will continue to function... This is for you to decide.

And let us decide that by hunting each other.

Each other... Each other. Yes. We will prey on each other. You will prey on me, and I will prey on you.

Hfff—

Gladiia has pierced through the Seaborn's body once again.

The Seaborn is about to die.

The Seaborn does not turn its 'face' toward the bishop. The bystanders have no idea whether the Seaborn actually had eyes, but Skadi can feel the monster's gaze. At the very least, that is how she feels.

It is 'looking' at the bishop.

The shapeless tides are washing away at the bishop. His robes weigh down on his body, almost crushing him.

But the Seaborn is not addressing him.

Do you think you are more like me... or him?

Gla-dia. You are strong.

Gladiia merely looks at her prey with a cold stare.

Emotions. Our kinsmen will learn it. There is much that we are passing on, and we will try to pass them on to you as well.

Ishar-mla. Live. It's good to be alive. Our blood kin will find you again... and they will ask you.

We don't know how to ask questions, but we will learn.

Slowly, the Seaborn kneels down.

Its body will stand no longer. It merely curls like a rapidly withering flower.

—It's dead.

Skadi breathes a sigh of relief.

No. She has yet to recover from learning the truth, but the prey's death has truly made her felt...

It was alive. And now it is not.

You damned mixed-breeds.

The bishop raises his voice. His coarse voice reverberates in his throat, slithering through the debris left behind by the intense battle as though his vocal cords could not contain his mumbling.

Yet Gladiia does not so much as look his way.

Yes, step right up. It's your turn now.

This piece of trash is all by himself, and the Sea Terrors outside probably aren't from the same tribe. So they must be yours.

I will tear you to shreds. Your blasphemy will be punished.

I will do it myself. I will take care of you mixed bloods right here, right now. Life is precious, but to keep you alive would be a waste of resources.

One of you is heavily injured, and the other cannot so much as move. I will scatter what's left of you across the land so that you will be eaten by the most lowly of land creatures.

I can easily kill you two—

Enough with the show. Unlike that piece of trash Seaborn, you at least used to be human, and now you are pretending to still be one. That just makes me want to puke.

(Shrieks)

This is where you will die!

Forgot about me, did you?

Skadi rolls her eyes as Gladiia grins.

The bishop starts for a second before he turns around.

Skadi, can you move?

I don't know. It's tough... to keep that kind of feeling under control. It's hard not to think about it.

I can't move my fingers. It feels like my nails will all swim away if I tried to.

Your neural cells are rapidly metabolizing. Remember, you are a hunter. They can't do anything to you.

Is thinking about that going to help?

If you don't want to become a Seaborn, this will help wonders.

Okay.

I think... I can still pick up my weapon.

A mixed blood without a weapon, another who's injured, and a third one that's infected. What can you even hope to accomplish?

Look at that expression of yours? Are you starting to think yourself noble now?

Me?

Wait, strange... I'm afraid you misunderstood.

I might have felt sorry for the Seaborn, but if you think I feel the same about you, you have another thing coming. Once I kill you, it'll be all over.

Do you really think that's a saxophone in her case?

Little mermaid, how much longer will you sleep? Open your eyes. The things that happened in the past can't possibly have you trapped.

She was a mere test subject as well!

Shark, you've been awake for a while, haven't you?

The bishop turns around.

There, he finds Specter stroking the glass of the water tank. She looks at the bishop with a curious... and gentle gaze.

What...? Even such a high-density Originium liquid...?

The bishop stumbles backwards a little but then remembers the two Abyssal Hunters are standing behind him, petrifying him.

Specter mouths a few words.

They seem to be some really ferocious words.

It's great to see you're the same as ever, Shark.

Ugh, I've almost forgotten she always used to be like this.

Skadi kicks open the box. There is a blade inside. Yes, her greatsword had been inside the box the whole time... alongside a circular saw with a long handle.

Ahh... My hand still feels rather numb.

I didn't spend all these years with Rhodes Island to come unprepared for something like this. Here.

Skadi bends back a little and vigorously throws the saw at the glass tank.

The bishop hurriedly dodges, but the circular saw sweeps up a gale that manages to tear open a wide hole in his long robe.