"…Tesla… it can drive itself… goddamn it…"
Clunk. Clunk… Clunk.
Something hit Sera's side and rolled past her. She glanced down—it was a wheel.
One of the Tesla's wheels had come clean off.
She looked back just to be sure. The wrecked vehicle lay mangled and still, incapable of moving again. It was done for.
No longer a threat.
Sera grit her teeth, pushing through the bruising and pain. She activated her healing ability while trading fire with Candy, her hands shaking with the effort.
Sweat poured from her face like a waterfall. Her powers were straining her now. Her body heated up more and more with every wound she closed.
Huff… huff… huff…
Then—
Silence.
The gunfire stopped.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Mickey summoned his signature green wires, sending them creeping toward the long table where Candy had been taking cover.
But when they reached it—
No one was there.
"!?"
Just seeing the stunned look on Mickey's face was enough for Sera to realize something was wrong.
And then—
CLUNK!
SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!
The floor beneath them gave way.
A hatch opened. The ground vanished.
Beneath them was an enormous tank of crystal blue seawater.
"WAAAHHHHH—?!"
Both Sera and Mickey plunged straight down into the water.
SPLAAAAASH!!!
It wasn't an illusion. It was real. All of it.
The sounds around them turned into the muffled depth of the ocean. Sera's body kicked and flailed in panic, her mouth screaming—but only bubbles came out.
Her mind reeled.
What the hell is happening?!
Mickey, by contrast, was eerily calm. His eyes flicked around, taking in the scene: they were now deep in the Sea Life Aquarium's main tank.
Fish scattered away from them in droves. Water flooded their ears—making everything a dull, distorted hum.
Looking up, they saw him.
Candy.
He stood at the edge above them like a victor, smirking.
Sera didn't understand what had just happened. But Mickey… Mickey had already pieced it together.
Candy held a remote control switch in his hand, the kind used for opening and sealing access hatches.
"Heh… Stupid bastards. You two lost the moment I ducked into this room. This is the VIP lounge—I designed it. There's a direct access hatch to the aquarium for our guests to scuba dive. But turns out… it has other uses too."
CLUNK.
He hit the switch again. The hatch began to slide closed, sealing the surface above.
"Become fish food."
He turned to leave.
But then—
Grab!
"!?"
Something clamped around his leg.
"Huh—wait, what!?"
He looked down and found dozens of hands, each glowing faintly with pink aura, grabbing at his ankles—holding him in place.
"...Hands?! That girl's power?!"
He stomped, kicked—trying to crush them. But more kept rising. Gripping. Grappling. Clutching at his jacket like zombies.
"Wha—what is this?!"
That's when Candy spotted it.
A green wire.
It was slithering up out of the water—and it led straight to the Tesla.
"His wires—?! No—!"
VROOOOM!!
The Tesla's engine roared to life.
Reanimated.
"He's using his power to control my electric car!?"
The vehicle revved—and lunged forward, plowing through furniture, decorations, and barriers.
Straight. For. Candy.
"Think I'll just let you?!" Candy shouted, reaching into his jacket.
He fumbled for his phone—the remote control.
But—
It was gone.
Stolen.
One of Sera's phantom hands had snuck into his coat pocket and lifted it during the chaos.
He hadn't even noticed.
CRAAAAAAASSSHHHHH!
"AAAAAAARGHHHHH!?!?"
The Tesla smashed into him full force, hurling Candy into the aquarium below.
SPLAAAAASHHHHHH!!!
A burst of bubbles exploded from the surface. The car followed, descending slowly into the deep.
Fish scattered. Coral cracked. The wreck sank like a falling star.
And Candy?
Candy fought his way free of the sinking vehicle, emerging among the wreckage.
But Mickey wasn't going to let him get away.
He glanced at Sera—still conscious, still alive.
He gave her a thumbs-up: You okay?
Sera, breathing hard, managed to raise her hand and return the signal.
Mickey had been ready to gamble everything on crashing the Tesla into Candy—but Sera had outdone him.
She'd used her own blood to form phantom hands… holding Candy in place.
As the wreckage drifted down through coral and fish, Candy did the unthinkable—he camouflaged with the wreck, pushing off and swimming toward Sera from behind.
Mickey saw it. Eyes wide.
"SERA!!"
He gestured wildly. But it was too late.
Candy grabbed her from behind.
Wrapped his arm around her neck.
"Ggh—!"
Mickey couldn't hear her—but he saw the bubbles rush from her mouth. She was choking.
The bastard was trying to drown her.
Sera struggled—but she was no match in strength.
Mickey summoned his wires.
He was ready.
But then Candy grinned—and looked right at him.
Go on. Do it. Use your wires. Send the voltage right into the water. I dare you.
Water conducts electricity, doesn't it? Go ahead. Shock me… and electrocute your little girlfriend too.
Mickey froze.
Shit. Candy was right. Sera was no longer shielded by Sid's aura. One wrong move, and she'd die first.
Candy smirked. Tightened his grip.
Then began swimming upward—dragging Sera with him.
Once I'm out of the water… I'll kill her first. Then deal with you.
He'd nearly reached the surface when—
"!?!?!"
Sera bit down on his hand—hard enough to tear Candy's skin wide open.
"AAAGH?! You crazy bitch! You still have strength left?!"
Panicked, Candy accidentally expelled a puff of air from his mouth—his breath escaping in a stream of bubbles.
He was still choking her, but now he used his free hand to hammer at her head, yanking and clawing at her hair, doing whatever he could to hurt her. But Sera was more resilient than he expected.
Mickey, watching from afar, could see blood drifting around both of them. It didn't take a genius to figure out it was Candy's—Sera had sunk her teeth into him so deep, his muscle had ripped.
But the blood also served as a signal—Mickey knew Sera was now dangerously low on oxygen.
Candy kept hitting and scratching, until finally… Sera stopped struggling. Then, she turned to look him dead in the eye—
—and smirked.
It was as if they could read each other's thoughts. Candy could feel what she was saying. And he, along with Mickey, finally realized why she had done this.
Their eyes widened.
They looked down at Candy's bleeding arm—and saw the blood glowing with a soft pink aura.
The droplets were multiplying, replicating.
Until the water around them became saturated with Candy Candido's blood.
"She… she used her power to clone my blood?! This much?!"
Candy's face twisted in fear.
Even Mickey was stunned.
What Sera had just done—it was suicidal. Even he wouldn't have dared it.
I can't kill you myself, her eyes said. But in this aquarium… something else can.
And then… Mickey felt it.
So did Sera.
And Candy.
Great white sharks.
They were coming.
A whole pack of them, swimming straight toward Sera from behind.
"She bit him until he bled… then used her power to copy it and lure in the sharks…" Mickey thought.
"YOU INSANE BITCH!!!"
Candy still refused to let go. But Sera fought back.
Finally, she twisted free from his grip and kicked off, swimming as fast as she could.
The blood hit the sharks' senses.
And in the blink of an eye, the predators surged forward—charging straight at Sera and Candy.
Sera swam desperately toward Mickey.
Candy followed, flailing.
Then, Sera saw something thrown her way—
A shard of coral.
"...?!"
She didn't know why he'd tossed it to her. But she held onto it anyway.
Her lungs were burning.
She was reaching her limit.
So was Mickey.
She swam toward the wrecked Tesla, braced her foot on the hood, and launched upward—
Too slow.
A great white, leading the pack, surged ahead of Candy and bit down on her arm.
"?!"
Sera and Mickey both froze in shock.
Why?! Why is it attacking her?! Candy was right there!
The shark clamped down, whipping her side to side, hard enough to tear a shoulder out of socket.
Sera fought to break free. But she couldn't overpower it.
Why the hell isn't it going for Candy?!
"Heh."
Candy sneered.
"You idiot… calling sharks to kill me? You forgot—these aquarium sharks don't just use smell. They use their eyes too."
From above, Mickey saw the truth.
Right as the shark had charged, Candy had cast an illusion again—projecting an image of empty blue water around himself.
The blood clouding the area masked his scent.
All the shark saw was Sera.
Die by your own trick.
"AAAAAGHH!! AAAAAAAHHHHHH!!"
Sera screamed in sheer panic.
The shark tore through her sleeve, thrashing her around like a chew toy.
She punched its snout—nothing.
And more sharks loomed in the distance.
Candy slowly swam away, watching in twisted satisfaction.
"…Huh. A piece of coral stuck to my shirt."
He casually pulled it off.
But then—
He noticed something.
There was no blood.
None from Sera.
"…Wait a minute. Why isn't she bleeding? She's getting mauled by a shark…"
"..."
"...!"
Then he saw it.
Her arm was wrapped in something black—
On closer look, it was car tire rubber.
That's why… no matter how hard the shark bites… it can't pierce it. It's just throwing her around.
She'd taken rubber from the wrecked Tesla and wrapped her own arm in it.
"This bitch!"
Still, he wasn't worried.
Sharks are closing in. Even if she wrapped herself up, if ten of them swarm her, she's dead anyway.
No… the real problem now is the other one—Mickey. Up there… what's he planning?