Nerissa hovered motionless, her gaze transfixed on the back of retreating Jax as he vanished into the distance.
To think that guy actually left her just like that. Certainly, that guy wasn't afraid or concerned at all whether she would escape or follow behind him.
What should she do now? Nerissa's eyes instinctively combed the unfamiliar landscape as she weighed her options. The forest's eerie silence and unrecognizable contours seemed to instill an unsettling feeling.
Whether the feeling was danger or something else entirely, eluded her grasp, leaving her with a lingering sense of unease.
But there was one thing she firmly believed. Staying with that bastard proved more dangerous than straying into this unfamiliar terrain alone.
With a frosty glance, Nerissa's gaze lingered on the spot where Jax was retreating, her eyes blazing with a vow of retribution.
''Hmph! Just you wait, you bastard,'' Nerissa muttered under her breath, her arms folded defiantly across her chest. ''I will definitely grow stronger and take my revenge someday.''
With a haughty harrumph, she turned on her heel, or rather, her fin, and swam swiftly away, her lithe figure slicing through the air with ease.
***
"..." Jax's gaze lingered over his shoulder, tracking Nerissa's retreating figure. He sighed, and a helpless smile tugged at the corners of his lips.
In the end, a dry chuckle escaped Jax's lips as he shook his head, "She really didn't follow. Well, I could just find her later. For now, I better give her some freedom. Maybe, she will realize soon that I'm not that kind of a bad master."
With a sly grin, Jax focused inward, tuning into the subtle connection he shared with Nerissa. He homed in on her location, and a low hum of awareness spread through his chest. Seizing the chance, he indulged in the cunning trick to do the uncanny.
A wicked glint sparkled in Jax's eye as he savored the plan. He'd let her think she's got the upper hand, let her believe she was free... Until she's neck-deep in trouble, and then he'd swoop in, the hero of her story.
The plan unfolded in Jax's mind like a well-scripted drama. With a subtle nod, he sealed his decision. She would definitely lower her guard and finally accept him as her master eventually.
But would someone at her level be in danger in this world? That was what Jax failed to consider. After all, his thoughts were still clouded by his experience in the Fish Mystic Land, where monsters and dangers still roamed free in the area.
But now, they were on earth. There were no monsters here, or at least as far as he knew. The probability of Nerissa encountering danger severe enough to warrant his intervention was... slim.
''Ke ke ke,'' Unaware of his misplaced confidence, a cruel and cunning laughter escaped Jax's lips. He continued walking away, muttering under his breath, ''I hope you come into danger very soon.''
CRASH!!!
Jax almost jumped up in surprise, his composure momentarily shattered by the sudden noise. He spun around, his gaze frantic as he searched for the source of the disturbance.
It was in the direction where Nerissa had gone.
A brutal smile surfaced on Jax's lips as he exclaimed in excitement, ''Did she finally come into trouble?! That's way too fast!''
Without delaying another second, Jax sprinted forward, intent on lending a hand. He better not let this opportunity slip away.
In a matter of minutes, Jax reached the area where the sudden disturbance occurred, as well as the location where Nerissa was. But he was surprised to find out the little girl had already run far enough distance that fast.
Was she really that desperate to flee from him?
But that aside, it seemed like reality proved more cruel than he was. Upon arrival, he was met with the brutal reality. A fight had erupted, the event a chaotic mess.
Nerissa, his pet, was now surrounded by several humans. Most of these people were also familiar faces, the very people Jax worked alongside in the hacienda.
But to his surprise, quite a few of them were already limping brutally on the ground. One look sufficed to tell these guys had taken a severe beating.
''Everyone, be careful! This mob is quite strong! Let's attack it together!''
A sudden voice, also frustratingly familiar, cut through the chaos. Jax turned, tracking the source of voice, and his hands twitched with sudden tension. This bastard... Was it finally time to teach him a good lesson?
The person Jax saw was his notorious bully from way back. The damned Eliseo who he longed to beat up. The same bastard who tormented him in the first chapter of the story.
Jax's anger flared at the sight of Eliseo. He'd wanted to punch him for ages, but held back. All because of his girlfriend. No, because of his ex. Who even was that fucking bitch?!
In any case, the moment Jax locked eyes with Eliseo, a fire ignited in his veins. His fist was itching to connect with that smug face, and he was barely holding himself back.
However, a few seconds of looking at the situation had him thinking of something strange. Now that he thought about it carefully, why was that person, as well as all the others, ganging up on his soon-to-be companion? What was going on?
As far as he could see, the little mermaid, fishtail-less as she was, was still a monster-looking creature. One look at her would've sent any living being on earth running for cover.
But those guys...
They weren't afraid of her at all. Instead, they surrounded her like hungry wolves that had just spotted their prey.
''What are they trying to do?'' Jax muttered, knitting his eyebrows in confusion. No matter how he looked at it, those guys were playing with fire. When did they get so stupid? Couldn't they see Nerissa was a monster, maybe a sea monster? Did they really want to die that bad?
Jax's confusion was short-lived. Something he saw made his eyes widen in shock.
"Those guys... How the...?" Jax muttered, trailing off.
''Accept my fireball, you little monster!''
A fireball the size of a human head flew at Nerissa from one of the men surrounding her. It was slow, but Jax's jaw still dropped in shock.
But the attack didn't let up. The others joined in, unleashing their own fury, bellowing curses and shouting in unison till they were hoarse.
Some threw different elements, others chucked rats and worms, while a few charged in for brutal close-range attacks.
Unfortunately, just as it was a stupid sight to behold, their efforts yielded nothing. None of their attacks could even have the luck to land the hair of the nimble Nerissa.
''These pathetic bastards... They already have powers and yet... How on earth are they so weak?!'' Jax cursed inwardly, annoyed at the fact that the pathetic group of weaklings couldn't even do a thing against Nerissa.
If this kept up, Jax wouldn't be saving anyone. Instead, those guys would be the ones who would be needing rescue from Nerissa's wrath.
"Should I just help these pathetic losers?" Jax sneered in mockery. But seriously, how did they even get those powers? What was going on in this world?
Swoosh!
As Jax's thoughts lingered, Nerissa finally struck back. A fluid motion of her hand summoned a burst of water, deliberately aimed to strike all those encircling her.
However, what seemed harmless proved deadly.
The innocuous splash belied its ferocity. Upon contact, the water unleashed a devastating force, propelling each individual into a frenzied, uncontrollable tumult. Their bodies hurtled and tumbled wildly across the ground.
Only Eliseo, who was observing from a safe distance, remained unscathed. Yet the scene unfolding before him dealt a crushing blow to his composure. One swift move... his entire group... annihilated...
"M-m-monster..." Eliseo stammered, confronted with the unthinkable. His body trembled violently, and a moment later, a warm trickle spread down his leg.
''What the hell...'' Jax swallowed hard as he also saw the unbelievable. ''That bastard... Is he actually pissing himself now?!''
Jax's mind reeled. As far as he remembered, Eliseo was the bastard who always projected strength and brutality, especially around those he deemed weaker.
But now... How laughable! This was definitely a beautiful sight to behold.
''Damn it! Wait for me everyone! I'll call for reinforcement!'' Eliseo's voice cracked with horror as he spun on his heel, fleeing with a frenzied haste that transformed him from predator to prey.