Rewinding time a bit, back to one week before the events in Elsos and the banquet held by the Apollo Familia.
"...The sea?"
"Aye! We're headin' to the sea!!"
Akumo looked at Loki with a flat expression, questioning her sanity, but she simply repeated herself with the same boisterous grin.
"This is sudden."
"Aye! If we go to the sea, the kids'll—"
"The real reason?"
"...Ye're too sharp for yer own good, ain't ye?"
Loki opened one eye, peering at Akumo with a more serious edge.
"Ye remember them man-eating plants we saw before, right?"
"Of course."
"They've been spotted in the port city of Melen."
"What!?"
'Could it be...'
"Just like ye're thinkin'. I'm wonderin' if the seal on the Leviathan has started to fray."
"Hmph..."
Akumo pressed a hand to his forehead, his mind immediately beginning to construct a web of tactical hypotheses. He first recalled what he knew of the location.
Port Melen. Located to the southwest of Orario, it served as the city's gateway to the ocean. It was a bustling hub where vast quantities of ships, goods, and people circulated daily.
'The seal is the most logical conclusion... otherwise, it's Evilus at work...'
"So we're going to Melen?"
"That's the plan! Though I've tucked a bit of personal desire into the trip as well!"
"...Well, if that's the case."
'Even if it's only the women going, having Riveria, Ais, Tiona, and Tione together means...'
Akumo briefly considered potential risks, but given the strategic strength of those members and the layout of Melen, he dismissed his concerns.
"Have a safe trip. Conduct your investigation well."
"Eh? What are ye yappin' about? Ye're obviously comin' with us!"
"...What?"
"Did ye really think ye could skip out?"
"That is absolute madness..."
As Akumo broke into a cold sweat while questioning her, Loki finally burst into a fit of laughter.
"Ahahaha!! I didn't think I'd actually see ye lookin' flustered!"
"Enough. What are you playing at?"
"Obviously, we aren't just goin' on a standard holiday."
'Though I certainly wouldn't mind that part...'
"Ye need to be ready for any 'what-if' scenarios there. Ye'll be our shadow!"
"The shadow...?"
"This is absurd...!"
Sssshhh—!
'If they catch me, I'm a dead man...'
Akumo stood overlooking the beautiful, azure horizon. However, his face was a mask of turmoil and mental exhaustion.
He was currently tasked with guarding the women of the Loki Familia during their vacation from a distance while simultaneously scouring the town for signs of the reported anomalies.
"I have never wanted to strangle Loki more than I do right now..."
With a deep, weary sigh, Akumo watched the group from afar.
"I wonder if Ais's swimming skills have improved?"
'She seems to have developed a stronger aversion to swimming because of Riveria...'
Wink—!
"Ha... unbelievable..."
Loki, catching his gaze from the beach, sent a cheeky wink his way. It felt like a personal insult to his current plight.
Leaving the immediate investigation of the Leviathan seal to the main group for the moment, Akumo turned his heels and headed deeper into the town.
"Hehe~"
"Loki? What is it?"
"Nothin'~ I just thought the kids looked especially cute today!"
"...You never cease to look like a complete pervert, Loki."
"Eh!? Mama Riveria, ye're cruel..."
Loki smiled as she watched Akumo's receding figure atop the hill. Riveria sensed something odd in her behavior, but Loki's typical nonsense quickly derailed her suspicion.
"By the way, are ye really not gonna put on a swimsuit?"
"I would never wear such a thing...!"
"Ehh... is it 'cause ye don't want to show it off to just anyone?"
"Obviously. These... embarrassing clothes..."
"I bet if ye showed that guy, he'd have quite the reaction~?"
Riveria glared coldly at the 'slingshot' swimsuit in her hand, but her body stiffened at Loki's words.
"..."
"He's a man after all~ Ye think he could resist ye in this?"
"...Even so."
"What's there to be shy about? Your rival's already done everythin' there is to do!"
Grind—
Thinking of Akumo, she stared intensely at the fabric in her palm. Though she had confessed her feelings, there was a undeniable sense of distance compared to her 'rival.' It was likely because she lacked the experience Loki was hinting at.
Imagining the acts Alfia and Akumo had likely engaged in caused her to grit her teeth involuntarily.
"But..."
'Dressing specifically to seduce him is...'
"Hehe~ then it'd be fine if it was just a coincidence, right?"
"How on earth could I 'coincidentally' be wearing this in front of him!"
"Well, we'll just have to see, won't we~?"
Loki wore a cryptic smile, glancing between Riveria and the daring piece of swimwear.
Splash—!
"Ais-san! If you're okay with it, do you want to swim together?"
"I... I'm fine..."
"Eh?"
Just then, Lefiya's voice reached them, inviting Ais into the water. Loki drifted over to find Ais sitting motionless under a parasol.
"What's wrong, Ais-tan? Ye still sink like a lead weight?"
"A lead weight?"
Flinch—!!
Loki had casually revealed Ais's secret weakness. Ais reacted violently, frantically trying to cover Loki's mouth.
"Surely there's no way Ais-san can't swim..."
"N-No... it's... that is..."
'She's completely rattled!!'
Lefiya realized Loki was telling the truth based on Ais's unprecedented agitation. The commotion drew the rest of the members nearby.
"Now that I think about it... she definitely avoids the water in the Dungeon..."
"Even when she's about to fall in, she always uses [Ariel] to tread on the surface and escape..."
Thump—!
Crushed by the mounting evidence, Ais collapsed into a heap, speaking with a hollow voice.
"Every time I try to swim, I just sink..."
"Y-You're kidding, right...?"
"..."
"She's serious..."
Ais was drowning in despair now that her secret was out, but she tried to salvage a shred of dignity.
"But... I can at least float...!"
"Oh? Then I'll teach you! Come on, let's get in!"
"W-Wait! Not so suddenly..."
"It'll be fine~"
Splash—!
"...!!!"
Ignoring the protest, Tiona grabbed Ais and dived straight into the ocean.
Blub blub—
"Ais? You're floating, right...?"
Rise—
"Yes, if it's just floating..."
"""Phew..."""
Thankfully, as long as she relaxed her body, Ais could remain buoyant. Tiona, Tione, and Lefiya let out a collective sigh of relief.
Splash splash—
"You can do it if you're on your back?"
"Akumo... taught me."
"Akumo did!?"
"Yes. A long time ago, he saw I couldn't swim... and showed me how..."
"How did that even happen?"
"That's—"
Before Ais could explain, Riveria intervened with uncharacteristic haste.
"There was an incident in the Dungeon where Ais accidentally fell into a lake."
"...Yes, that's what happened."
Ais felt there was more to it, but under Riveria's sharp gaze, she remained silent and continued to drift across the water.
"Phew..."
"Riveria-tan, ye were quite somethin' back then, weren't ye~?"
"Be quiet, Loki...!"
Loki laughed mischievously as she recalled the past, while Riveria shot her a look that promised pain if she spoke another word.
Years ago, when Ais was only seven, Riveria had attempted to teach her to swim. She had tried to instill theoretical knowledge while forcing her into the water.
However, Ais was in her rebellious phase and repeatedly avoided the lessons. Tired of the nagging, she had eventually snapped and called Riveria 'Auntie'—
"And she immediately tied her up in Adamantite and chucked her into the lake! Ahaha!!"
"...It was a justified punishment."
"If Akumo hadn't been so shocked and saved her immediately, she would've been traumatized for life~"
"Hmph. It made me even angrier that she learned so quietly when it was Akumo teaching her."
As their conversation continued, the beach vacation carried on.
Step, step—
"Hmm..."
'On the surface, it's just a normal port town...'
Meanwhile, Akumo was walking the streets of Melen, assessing the atmosphere. Though it was bustling and vibrant, his eyes caught a subtle, undeniable sense of dissonance lurking beneath the surface.
"Hey, Mister!"
"Hm?"
"Are you an adventurer?"
'An Amazon...?'
A young girl appeared behind him and called out.
"Yes, I'm an adventurer. What is it?"
"Then help me!"
"Help you?"
"Yeah! My name's Chandy, by the way!"
The girl introduced herself, and Akumo began analyzing her. Though her bronze skin suggested she was an Amazon, he couldn't sense the typical warrior spirit or the 'peculiar' aura associated with them.
"...What's the request?"
"My dad is a fisherman, but recently monsters have been appearing in the sea, so he can't work!"
"Monsters? What did they look like?"
"They were yellowish-green and long... like snakes!"
'The man-eating plants...!'
Reacting to Chandy's description, Akumo urgently asked where her father was. Hearing that the ship was about to set sail, he immediately bolted toward the harbor.
Patter—!
"Over here!"
"Which one of those is your father's ship?"
'I have to stop that departure immediately!'
"That big ship over there!"
Akumo moved toward the ship Chandy pointed at, but in that split second—
Shhhuu—!
"What!?"
THWACK—!!!!!!!!
A massive impact sent Akumo flying through the air and into the sea.
SPLASH—!!!
'Let's analyze... The person who just kicked me was at least Level 5 or higher...'
"Uugh..."
'Why attack me now, and what is their identity?'
'Evilus? There's no way they don't have data on me. Would they really reveal themselves with an attack that wouldn't even work?'
Submerged in the water, Akumo decided to turn the situation into an opportunity. He feigned being incapacitated, sinking further while identifying his assailant.
At that moment.
SHHH—!!!!!
"The plants!"
Swish, swish—!!!!!
'Even daggers...!!'
The tentacles of the man-eating plants lurking beneath the surface and daggers thrown from above converged on Akumo's position.
The woman who had attacked him stood atop a building, overlooking the sea. Standing beside her was Chandy, who had been riding on Akumo's back just moments ago.
"Is that really Orario's strongest?"
"According to the rumors."
"If he died from just that, I'm disappointed."
"You're a Level 6 and used a surprise attack, the man-eating plants, and followed up with a killing blow. Don't you think you're being a bit harsh?"
"Whatever. Get ready to approach the Loki Familia. Kali."
"Understood. Argana."
Telskyura, the combat nation outside Orario.
It was the kingdom of the Amazons, a den for those obsessed with strength.
A place where one grew strong by killing their own kin, and where survival was the only proof of power.
Kali, finding that environment to her liking, had established her Familia there and taken numerous Amazons under her wing.
And Argana was the woman known as the strongest within that Kali Familia.
"...Wait."
"What is it, Kali?"
"There's something... wrong..."
They assumed Akumo would have taken significant damage from such a coordinated strike, but—
Slide—!!!
"Your instincts are sharp. As expected of a God."
"H-How!?"
'I didn't feel a trace of his presence...!!'
The target they had attacked was indeed the pinnacle of Orario.
"Kali Familia, was it? It's been a while since I heard that name."
His dark daggers, tinged with a blood-red hue, hummed with a cold, lethal anticipation.