Vastarael is a Divine and despite that, he has feats that not even Narisva could compare.
He killed two Divine Winter Labors. He stopped a curse that froze a tribe for centuries. He is the ruler of the Halo Islands and the Towermaster of an obsidian spire stretching for over one thousand five hundred meters high.
And... he was blessed with a lot of abilities, one of them enabling him to breathe underwater, thanks to inheriting his mother's Major Divinity.
An almost indestructible soul, nine pseudo-cores all of the highest Divine Rank and a Divine. If anything, if he went back, he would be one of the most powerful Divines out there.
The waters around the Erna Isles were dark yet alive, illuminated by faint streaks of golden and blue bioluminescence from the massive creature they were riding.
The Bioluminescent Manta Ray, its massive, glowing wings spanning nearly fived meters, glided effortlessly through the depths, a soft, ethereal light emanating from its body and illuminating the underwater world around them. Narisva led the way since she already found it.
Vastarael sat comfortably on its smooth back, one hand resting lightly on its glowing surface. Beside him, Narisva hovered slightly, using a Gale Rune Vastarael drew on her nose to breathe, the bubble of air shifting slightly with her movements.
[Alright, I gotta ask, where did you even find this thing? You've been keeping secrets from me, haven't you, Prince Vastarael?]
Vastarael smirked, his fingers tracing idle patterns along the Manta Ray's back as he responded through the temporary Sapphire Bond he made with her.
[It's not a secret. He's been with me for a while now. Sirithiele gave him to me. He's… special. Saved me a couple of times.]
[Special? Vastarael Richinaria, ruler of glowing sea creatures now? You going soft on me?]
He rolled his eyes, though the action was lost in the dim light.
[I'm serious. Without him, I wouldn't have survived half the things I've been through, especially in the Fallen Bridge. He's immune to most conditions. Took me straight through.]
Her tone was dripping with disbelief, though a hint of curiosity snuck through.
[Uh-huh. So what, you've got your own personal underwear vehicle now? This thing listens to you and everything?]
[Something like that. He's a Divine Creature, blessed by water divinity. He doesn't just listen to me. He understands me. When I inherited my mother's Divinity of Water, it bonded us even more.]
[Wow. A glowing stingray that's practically your best friend. I'm so jealous.]
He chuckled softly, the sound reverberating in her mind.
[Jealousy doesn't suit you, Narisva. Besides, you've got me helping you breathe down here, so technically, you owe him for keeping you alive too.]
She scoffed. [Pfft, I could've managed without your fancy runes. Probably.]
[Sure you could've.]
For a moment, they drifted in silence, the Manta Ray's smooth, undulating movements cutting through the water effortlessly. The world around them was alive with strange, glowing fish darting in and out of sight and the faint outline of coral forests looming in the distance. Vastarael's focus lingered on their destination, but Narisva wasn't done talking.
[Speaking of secrets, you didn't tell the others about this little suicide mission of yours, did you?]
He sighed inwardly, his gaze flicking toward her briefly before returning to the glowing expanse of the Manta Ray beneath him.
[No. I didn't.]
[Why am I not surprised? What, you thought you'd just ride off into the sunset or, uh, swim off into the abyss and nobody would notice? You've got a wife, siblings and a whole damn team that depends on you, Vastarael. Don't you think you owe them a little honesty?]
[It's not about honesty. It's about sparing them from worrying. If I told them, they'd try to stop me. They'd try to come with me. And they'd die. All of them. You know it as well as I do.]
[Yeah, sure, I know it but I'm not the one married to the icy tsundere who's probably going to murder you for pulling this stunt.]
[How do you know that name?]
[What, tsundere? One of our kingdoms has strange words and to be fair, it came from their ancestor.]
Vastarael smirked faintly at that. So he wasn't the only transmigrator in this world. There were more.
[Anyways, Adelasta's stronger than you think. She'll be fine without me if it comes to that.]
[Big talk for someone who hides from her. By the way, that was a terrible move. She's going to kill you. Assuming the Frozen God doesn't do it first.]
[You talk too much.]
[And you're avoiding the point, Admit it. You're scared.]
He didn't respond immediately, letting the silence stretch between them. Finally, he replied.
[I'm not scared for me. I'm scared for what happens if I fail. That's why I didn't tell them. This fight? It's my responsibility, Narisva. I can't let anyone else carry it. Except for you of course.]
[Still sounds like fear to me. But, hey, I guess I can't blame you. Killing a god is, you know, mildly terrifying.]
[You agreed to help, though.]
[Damn right I did. I'm not missing the chance to see if the great Prince of Beauty can actually pull this off. Besides, someone's gotta keep you from doing something stupid.]
He chuckled softly, shaking his head as the Manta Ray dipped lower, the coral forest growing closer.
The Bioluminescent Manta Ray cut through the water gracefully, its glowing wings lighting up the coral forests below like an underwater aurora. Vastarael kept his eyes on the horizon—or what counted as a horizon down here—when he felt the sudden shift in pressure. The water around them seemed to grow restless, the gentle flow turning erratic, tugging at his body.
[We're heading into a current. Hold on to me, Narisva. It's going to get rough and let's be honest, you're completely useless underwater, powerful or not.]
Narisva, floating just beside him, immediately crossed her arms in defiance, her cocky grin almost visible through the glowing water.
[Excuse me? Useless? Do you even know who you're talking to? I'm Narisva Starisnova, the strongest—]
[Blah blah blah,] Vastarael interrupted, rolling his eyes. [I'm serious. You're about to get thrown into the next dimension if you don't grab on.]
[Pfft, please,] she scoffed, waving a dismissive hand. [I can handle a little water current. I'm not some fragile flower.]
Vastarael didn't bother arguing. He just sighed, his attention snapping back to the sudden turbulence as the Manta Ray began struggling against the growing force of the current. The water churned violently now, pulling them faster and faster. The coral forest blurred beneath them, the once majestic scenery turning into a dizzying smear of color.
It started as a little jerk in Narisva's balance. Then the current hit them full force, a monstrous pull that even the massive Manta Ray couldn't resist. The Divine Creature's glowing wings flailed slightly as it tried to stabilize itself but the current was relentless. Narisva, for all her bravado, was immediately swept sideways, tumbling in the water like a rag doll.
[VASTARAEL!] She shouted telepathically, the sheer panic in her voice cutting through the Sapphire Bond like a scream.
He didn't say anything, just extended an arm toward her calmly, as if he'd been expecting this all along. She flailed toward him and without much thought, latched onto his waist, her arms wrapping around him in a death grip.
The moment she grabbed him, she noticed something strange or rather, infuriating. While she was being tossed around like a leaf in a hurricane, Vastarael didn't even flinch. He stood—well, floated—completely steady, his body unmoving despite the water whipping around them violently.
He maintained a stable distance between him and the Manta Ray, as if they were both magnetic. In fact, she felt as if she was magnetic to the Manta Ray when they dove underwater.
[Are you kidding me!? You're not even affected!?]
Vastarael replied casually, his voice maddeningly calm. He glanced back at her with a smirk, clearly enjoying her frustration.
[Told you to hold on. Water Divinity perks. I could hang out in this current all day. You? Not so much.]
Narisva cursed under her breath, tightening her grip as the current grew even stronger.
[Stupid Divinity... stupid glowing stingray... I'm stuck with an overpowered water boy...]
For nearly twenty minutes, the current dragged them along, the Bioluminescent Manta Ray doing its best to keep them from slamming into anything. Narisva, despite her grumbling, kept her arms locked around Vastarael, occasionally muttering telepathic curses about not being able to breathe underwater or punch currents in the face.
Vastarael meanwhile, remained focused, his hands resting calmly on the Manta Ray's back, as if the chaos around them didn't exist.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the water began to calm. The churning softened, the pull weakened, and the ocean grew still once more. Vastarael glanced around, his eyes catching the faint glow of the surface above.
[We're surfacing. Hold on. Let's see where this current dumped us.]
The Manta Ray angled upward, gliding toward the surface with ease. The moment they broke through the water, Vastarael's gaze locked onto something in the distance, his breath catching slightly. Narisva, still clinging to him, followed his line of sight.
They all floated on the water surface after a few minutes.
There, illuminated by the soft, fading light of late evening, was an island. But not just any island. This was something entirely different. It was otherworldly, its silhouette rising from the ocean like the skeleton of some ancient beast. The island seemed to shimmer faintly. Vastarael narrowed his eyes, recognition dawning on him.
"No way," he murmured under his breath. "The Submerged Island…"
Narisva's eyes widened.
"Wait, what? The Submerged Island? The one even the Andelaris twins couldn't find? Are you serious right now?"
"Looks like it."
He guided the Manta Ray closer to the island's edge, his gaze scanning the strange, glistening surface. The air here felt heavier, charged with an unfamiliar energy. It was as if the island itself was alive, watching them.
Narisva let go of his waist finally, floating beside him as they approached the shore.
"Okay, you've officially gone from 'lucky idiot' to 'cosmic joke.' How do you just find the one place no one else can? I found this current but never got close to it because of air."
"I didn't find it," he said quietly, his tone more serious now. "The current brought us here. It's like it wanted us to find it."
She frowned, glancing at him.
"That's not creepy at all."
Vastarael ignored her comment, his focus locked on the island. He could feel it a pull drawing him closer. Whatever this place was, it wasn't just a random island. As the Manta Ray came to a stop near the shore, Vastarael stepped off its massive back, his boots sinking into the glistening sand. He turned to Narisva.
"Well, ready to see what's waiting for us?"
Narisva smirked, her cockiness returning in full force.
"Always. Let's hope it's not another death trap, though. I'm not in the mood to save your sorry ass again."
He rolled his eyes, the faintest hint of a smile tugging at his lips. Together, they stepped onto the Submerged Island, the mysterious land waiting silently to reveal its secrets.