After the awards ceremony came the blessing ceremony. Only after receiving the blessing would Natsui truly become this year's Sea Hero.
The four attendants withdrew, and Maya, holding the scepter, walked up to Natsui.
"Mr. Natsui, please kneel on one knee here."
Knowing this was part of the procedure, Natsui followed her instructions and knelt on one knee on the high platform. Then, Maya raised the golden scepter and rested it on his shoulder.
His shoulder suddenly felt heavy, and Natsui couldn't help but glance at the scepter out of the corner of his eye.
Under the sunlight, the pure gold scepter was incredibly dazzling, and the Soul of the Sea embedded at its tip also shimmered with an azure light!
It had to be said, this scepter was quite heavy, and it was really hard on a seemingly delicate woman like Maya to have to carry it around all the time!
As the gentle breeze blew, Maya's long purple hair danced lightly. She looked up, and at this moment, as if enveloped in a holy light, she had a bit of a Greek goddess air about her.
She was heard proclaiming loudly, "O great God of the Sea! In the name of the High Priestess, I pray to you, requesting your grace to bestow a blessing upon the warrior before me, allowing him to travel freely through the seas and to gain the ability to communicate spiritually with all Water Pokémon!"
Through the speakers, Maya's voice spread throughout the entire venue, allowing everyone to hear it clearly.
But listening to the voice beside his ear, although Natsui was kneeling motionless on the surface, looking focused as if he were seriously receiving the blessing, in his mind, he was actually thinking about something else.
Is the God of the Sea mentioned in the ceremony also referring to Lugia?
To think that traces of this guy exist everywhere. And it's not just in the Orange Archipelago; even the people here like to call it the God of the Sea.
It could only be said that when it came to the worship of legendary Pokémon, whether in Kanto, Johto, or any other region, people were all the same.
But for a Psychic- and Flying-type Pokémon to be called the God of the Sea, Lugia's title really didn't seem to fit.
To be honest, compared to Lugia, the other legendary Pokémon that was a pure Water-type—Kyogre—actually fit the definition of a sea god better in Natsui's eyes.
He guessed that the reason Kyogre wasn't called the God of the Sea was probably related to the fact that it usually resides in the deepest parts of the ocean. Compared to Lugia, its appearances were far too rare, making it much less known to the outside world.
Just as his mind was wandering, the sound of Maya's voice beside him faded, and the Soul of the Sea on the scepter once again emitted a dazzling light.
Just like during the main competition's opening ceremony, the brilliant light shone once more. But this time, the faint blue light shone only on Natsui!
And just like last time, the light emitted by the Soul of the Sea was still soft and not blinding, looking no different from before.
Bathed in the blue light, Natsui felt very calm at this moment.
He naturally knew that this traditional ceremony had been passed down for nearly thousands of years since its inception. And such ceremonies were almost always symbolic, with little to no substantive effect. It was just a title, representing the highest achievement on the Whirl Islands that he had obtained after winning the competition.
In fact, it wasn't just him; almost everyone, including High Priestess Maya and all the spectators present, thought the same.
The ceremony proceeded step by step and was quickly coming to an end.
But just as the blue light began to fade and Maya was about to put away the scepter, the Soul of the Sea suddenly emitted a different kind of light.
It was a much brighter, azure light, just like the color of the Soul of the Sea itself!
The light shot out from the Soul of the Sea and instantly enveloped Natsui!
Under the influence of this light, Natsui felt as if he were weightless and floated directly into mid-air!
After floating for a few seconds, the light suddenly shot into Natsui's chest, and he was able to land back on the ground.
Huh?
This sudden change left Natsui baffled. He looked down at his chest in astonishment, then looked up at Maya, who was equally bewildered.
"Um... let me just ask, is this situation normal?"
"This..."
Maya was stunned for a long while. In fact, it wasn't just them; even the several attendants around them found the scene before them incredible.
It had been four years since Maya became the High Priestess, and this was the second time she had hosted the Whirl Cup during her tenure, but it was the first time she had ever encountered such a situation!
Even her mother and grandmother, the two previous High Priestesses, had never encountered such a situation during their decades in office!
Why on earth did the Soul of the Sea suddenly emit another beam of light? And why did it shoot into Natsui's heart?
It was completely unheard of!
"This is so strange. Why would something like this happen?" Maya frowned, clearly puzzled by the event. After a moment's thought, she looked at Natsui and tentatively asked, "Do you feel anything different?"
Natsui stood up, shook his head, and moved his limbs, but he didn't feel any different.
He asked back, "This isn't an effect you guys created?"
"Of course not," Maya denied directly. "The Soul of the Sea is a divine object passed down from ancient times. The light you see is not a lighting effect; it all comes from the Soul of the Sea itself. And in all the years it has been passed down, a situation like this has never occurred!"
"A situation like this has never occurred?" Seeing that she also didn't know the reason, Natsui couldn't help but smile. "Then can I interpret this as me being special? Doesn't that mean that, compared to all the previous winners, I am the one who has truly received the blessing of the God of the Sea?"
Hearing this, Maya was stunned at first, then seemed to think of something. A look of surprise appeared on her face, and she nodded thoughtfully.
"You have a good point. Maybe... maybe there is indeed something special about you, which is why you inadvertently activated one of its abilities. I think... that must be the reason!"
This little interlude only slightly delayed the ceremony. Since they couldn't figure out the reason for the time being, they could only put aside their doubts and continue with the ceremony.
And under Maya's blessing and the applause of the audience, this year's Whirl Cup finally came to a close.
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