Just as the destructive energy gathered at the tip of Black Tide was about to erupt completely and erase both the sea monster and its heart from existence...
Ritter grinned wickedly.
Your life force is mine.
"Mr. Ritter! Please wait!"
Ritter blinked.
...Huh? Am I not the hero here?
A hurried voice rang out.
His brows furrowed slightly, and the killing intent behind his sword paused for a moment as he glanced toward the source.
There, seated inside a giant transparent bubble inflated by Joy Boy's rubber powers, Poseidon was slowly floating toward them.
The young vice-captain remained quietly by her side.
The bubble drifted through the blood-red barrier, entered the waterless battlefield, and gently landed not far from Ritter.
Poseidon stepped out.
Looking at the sea monster bound by the Blood Dragon, still struggling and growling despite the despair in its eyes, a complicated expression appeared in her icy-blue gaze.
Ritter rubbed his forehead.
Come on. Standing there like that really makes me look like the villain.
"Mr. Ritter," Poseidon said softly, "could you let me... try something?"
Ritter raised an eyebrow.
"Try something? Kid, that thing was just trying to drain us dry and turn Fish-Man Island into a snack. What exactly are you getting at? If Joy Boy and I weren't here, your entire kingdom would've been wiped out."
His meaning was simple.
Don't let misplaced compassion get in the way.
More importantly, don't interrupt his meal.
"I know..." Poseidon nodded.
"But... just now, I think I could feel some of its emotions..."
She pointed at the writhing monster.
"It... it doesn't feel like a bad child."
"It was trapped in darkness for far too long."
"It's suffering."
"And it's angry."
"It's like... like a child who's been locked away for years and years, starving the entire time. Eventually, it bites at anything it sees."
Ritter stared at her.
A child? This thing's been trying to eat fish-men and merfolk by the mouthful, and you're calling it a child?
As the Ancient Weapon Poseidon, capable of communicating with all Sea Kings, her understanding of creatures of the sea far surpassed that of ordinary people.
"After being imprisoned for so long, it's only a little angry?" Ritter twitched his lips.
The little mermaid's perspective felt absurdly optimistic.
This thing had genuinely been trying to destroy everything.
Without him and Joy Boy, Ritter couldn't even imagine how Fish-Man Island could have survived.
"I'm not excusing what it did!" Poseidon hurriedly said, shaking her head.
"But if... if I can calm it down and guide it..."
"Maybe we don't have to destroy it."
"It possesses such incredible life force. It's still part of the sea."
Ritter suddenly felt as though holy light were shining behind her.
He stared at her earnest little face, then glanced at the sea monster.
The creature still radiated danger, but its struggles seemed slightly weaker than before.
After a brief silence, the blood mist surrounding him softened, and the Blood Dragon's murderous aura eased somewhat.
"Fine."
He rested Black Tide on his shoulder.
"You've got three minutes."
"If you fail, or if it decides to throw a tantrum, I'm vaporizing it immediately."
He genuinely wanted to see just how far the future Poseidon could go.
Poseidon shot him a grateful look before turning toward the monster.
Taking a deep breath, she carefully swam forward, slowly approaching the enormous creature that remained bound by the Blood Dragon's phantom form.
As the distance closed, the sea monster's murky eye locked onto her.
A threatening growl rumbled from its throat.
Its twisted tentacles trembled slightly.
Yet it didn't attack.
Because it could clearly sense death standing right behind her.
The moment it glanced past Poseidon, it saw Ritter and Joy Boy openly radiating murderous intent.
The sea monster's thoughts were simple:
Do I look like the kind of Sea King that can't read the room?
Yet Poseidon showed no fear.
Stopping at a safe distance, she extended her pale, delicate hands and gently rested them against the armored skull.
"It's okay..."
"You don't need to be afraid anymore."
"There are no bad people here now..."
The words carried the natural gift of Poseidon herself, the innate ability to communicate with all life within the ocean.
Ritter frowned.
For some reason, the scene felt strangely familiar.
He knew he'd seen something like this before.
He just couldn't remember where.
"It was cold, wasn't it?"
"Being trapped in darkness."
"You were lonely too."
"You were hungry for such a long time."
"That must have hurt."
Her voice seemed to possess a mysterious power.
The monster's furious roars gradually softened.
The madness and hatred clouding its eye were slowly washed away by her gentle words.
Its massive body stopped struggling violently.
Instead, it began to tremble.
And within that trembling was something unexpected.
Something that looked remarkably like... grievance.
"You won't be imprisoned anymore."
"And you won't have to starve like that again."
Poseidon's voice remained soft and soothing.
A gentle radiance seemed to flow from her palm, spreading across the creature's head.
"But you can't hurt others anymore, okay?"
"Everyone..."
"We're all children of the sea."
Little by little, the murkiness in the monster's eye faded.
The violent crimson glow disappeared.
In its place appeared something almost childlike.
Pure.
Confused.
Innocent.
Even its grotesque body seemed slightly less terrifying beneath that warm light.
Its appearance remained monstrous, but the frenzied urge to devour everything had retreated like an ebbing tide.
Suddenly, Ritter remembered.
Good grief.
This is basically Nangong Wenya purifying a demon beast.
Isn't this exactly how the terrifying monster gets turned into an adorable college student?
Then another horrifying realization struck him.
Wait...
If she's Nangong Wenya, then what am I doing?
Am I cosplaying Nangong Wentian with a sword?
No wonder the monster got purified.
The sea monster even let out a faint whimper.
A sound completely different from its previous roars.
Like an enormous, highly dangerous pet that had finally been comforted.
Ritter rested Black Tide on his shoulder, the corner of his mouth twitching.
"Tch..."
"You actually talked it into behaving."
He could feel it clearly.
The creature had become calm.
Gentle, even.
Still enormous, still powerful, but no longer aggressive.
Poseidon withdrew her hand and let out a small breath.
Fine beads of sweat dotted her forehead, evidence of the strain this communication had taken.
Turning back toward Ritter, her eyes sparkled.
"Mr. Ritter!"
"I think it understood!"
"It promised it won't harm living beings indiscriminately anymore!"
Ritter looked at the now-shrunken sea monster, whose eyes had become almost absurdly innocent.
Then he looked at Poseidon's expression, which practically screamed Please praise me.
Helplessly, he shook his head.
"Alright, alright. You win."
The Blood Dragon phantom dissolved, and most of the blood mist dispersed, leaving only enough for precaution.
"So what do we do with it now?"
"We can't exactly leave it lying around here."
Poseidon blinked.
Clearly, she had already thought this through.
"It said..."
"It wants to return to the deepest parts of the ocean and sleep."
"It wants to slowly digest all the life force it absorbed over the years."
Her voice softened.
"And..."
"It wants to guard Noah."
"It will protect me."
"If I ever need help, it will answer my call."
"As repayment..."
"And as a promise to watch over me."
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