After the group, Coco, Alex, Fenrir, Zena, and Captain Treon traversed through sections one and two of the horrible storm, they made it to the center.
The eye of the storm, the center, was where Captain Treon had steered them to before bringing the others out of the cabin.
An extremely odd magical effect was taking place within this eye.
The storm looked as if it was far away. Still in sight, but miles and miles away. The difference is that the storm was all around them, not dark clouds in one spot above the sea, but in every and all directions.
Under them, a small gold shimmer is piercing through the water.
Aziel was below them, watching. It appeared as though it just wanted to let out an all out assault, but felt as though something was off. The creature known as Aziel was waiting in anticipation.
"Captain, you really navigated us to the center of this storm." Alex said in awe of the site before the party.
"I sure did, and I ain't letting this beast get away from me again."
"What are we waiting for?" Zena asked, ready to attack the beast.
"I'm allowin you lot to take this feeling in. When facing an opponent for the first time, both parties have to feel the other one out. They might be doing this in a few different ways, but Aziel is waiting, so we are too. Ye will know when the time comes for a fight."
To feel each other out? Is there some kind of warning sign that needs to happen? Coco thought freaking out not understanding this form of combat. The group up to this point had faced weak opponents.
Coco, Alex, Zena, and Fenrir had easily defeated most opponents such as the bandits without the use of their magic.
During their latest encounter with Captain Karrin and his crew of adventures, they were pushed to the point of using their spells, but it was still considered an easy combat, not even a drop of blood was spilled from Team Earth's side.
However, what Captain Treon seemed to be pointing out was that weaker people attack without feeling out their opponent. The bandits and Captain Karrin attacked without a moment's notice. But Aziel is waiting, and this moment of pause was enough to see him as a powerful opponent.
"You lot should know, I altered this ship to be able to launch cannons under water, a lot more free aim than most ships."
"How do we use a cannon?" Fenrir asked not being used to this kind of craft.
"Ye pick up a cannonball from the floor, place it into da cylinder, then lock it into place, aim, press the button, and boom. Ah, each one is already loaded though. You lot always overcomplicate situations, don't cha?" Captain Treon said with a small chuckle at their youth.
Fenrir stood there mimicking the action of loading up a cannonball with his hands, visualizing the mechanics in his head. After a few tries he just kept saying "I see" on repeat.
After a while, probably a full seven minutes of waiting, Aziel made his move.
A lightning strike appeared out of nothing and attacked the boat. A short bolt that simply appeared and fell onto the boat.
BOOM
It was fast and came out of nowhere at the center of the boat. The bolt didn't hit anyone, and since it was short and instantaneous, it lacked a lot of power. This felt more like a warning shot.
Captain Treon smiled, "get to ye stations!!" He yelled, giving a command to his crew.
Coco and Zena took the left side of the boat, Fenrir and Alex took the other side. Each person grabbed onto a cannon.
Fenrir was ready for this, it felt natural in his hands.
Alex hated the metal texture of the cannon, it was awkward, out of place, an object that nature would not allow. She toughed it out though.
Zena simply viewed it as another tool for slaying a beast. Same as a sword, dagger, or arrow. It wasn't as natural for her as for Fenrir, but easy enough to handle.
Coco questioned its mechanics, she understood the explanation, but when actually feeling it, the entire device was different than described. She was nervous to use it.
After a moment, Fenrir aimed downwards at the golden whale, distorted by the water appearing more like a golden blob in the ocean, and launched the first cannonball.
BANG
His arms jolted back from the recoil, the ball entered the water with intent to kill, but there was no sign that it hit.
Fenrir shook it off, grabbed another ball, loaded it into the cylinder that had popped open after he shot the ball, placed the new one in, closed the sphere, and aimed again.
Fenrir fired another shot.
BANG
Although the cannonball had lost a lot of momentum being in the water, it was still a full metal ball following the laws of gravity. It might not do a lot of damage, but it did get a reaction this time.
It was an instant reaction, as another fast lighting bolt summoned from nothing popped into existence and fell onto the ship.
The cannon that Fenrir was standing at, blew up in front of him. Luckily he had moved out of the way to grab another ball.
"Aziel got mine!"
Zena aimed then fired, having been a natural at using tools for slaughter, her attack hit on the first try.
They each noticed that the beast spun around, really though it just looked like a golden ball rolling over.
Since Aziel couldn't see where the shot came from, all it did was spin around to where the metal cannonball fell from, but it did not attack.
Coco took her shot … Nothing happened, "I missed!"
Zena launched another attack. Immediately jumping back from her spot.
ZING
A lighting shot blew her cannon up.
"Coco!"
"I know!"
Coco and Zena pieced it together. Aziel is waiting to be hit with minimal damage to pinpoint where exactly the attacks are coming from in order to destroy them on the first try.
"Zena, take mine," Coco said, moving out of the way, and heading over to Captain Treon. "Permission to head to the crows nest?"
"Aye."
"Fenrir, prepare to dive in!" Coco yelled while climbing up to the better look out spot.
"Right!"
Aziel, the golden sea creature, was facing where Zena had fired her cannonball but moments ago.
The group however, was waiting for Coco to finish getting to her better vantage point atop the ship.
The end of the feeling-each-other out period had come to an end, and now the real fight was about to begin.
…
Coco's one month of training came in handy as climbing to the birds nest of the ship was no easy task, especially while wearing a cloak.
After a minute or so of climbing, Coco made it to the top. She took a second to analyze the situation from a bird's eye view.
Zena was on the left side, ready to fire a cannonball at a moment's notice.
Fenrir was preparing to enter the water, taking off his armor.
Alex was shaking while holding onto her cannon on the right side.
Captain Treon was manning the wheel.
"Alex, the time will come when I need you to fire a single shot. Then you can leave the machine behind."
"R-right!"
"Zena, I need you to purposely miss shots, but keep the creature interested."
Zena looked up and nodded, refusing to yell as much as Coco is for them to hear each other.
"Fenrir, are you ready?"
"Aye!"
Zena began to fire cannonball after cannonball.
The instant Zena felt the recoil of the shot, she used that momentum to increase her speed in grabbing another cannonball, loaded it into the cylinder, and fired again.
They would hit the water with force and slowly sink. Zena purposely kept aiming in various spots to keep the creature confused.
BANG, BANG, BANG, BANG.
Coco was watching for any disturbance, any odd movements from the creature that was so deep underwater that it looked like a golden circle.
After the fifth shot from Zena, that moment came. The beast moved its head to the rhythm of the shots. Trying to figure out where the source of the shots were coming from.
"NOW!"
…
Fenrir jumped into the water from the right side of the boat. Since the beast was distracted by Zena, Fenrir would have an easier time getting to the creature.
Splash
Under the surface of the water, it was beautiful.
Coral reefs, shiny rocks and mana stones, a large open area where the creature was, but most beautiful of all was that the area was empty. At this moment it was just Fenrir and beast under the sea. No fish, no sharks, no life.
It was only the deep blue water, Fenrir, and Aziel in the water.
After taking in the scenery, Fenrir swam deeper down, nearing in on Aziel who slowly came into detailed view.
A gargantuan golden whale with smooth skin. It had a set of six fins, starting from the tail up it had two fins pointing upwards, four fins shooting from its sides, and two fins at the front pointed downwards. Near its tail, leading to the main body, there were six giant blue lights, three on each side.
The creature is still in a trace from the cannonballs.
"Ab-zourab" speaking underwater made it difficult, but his ability went through.
Fenrir began to absorb the magic in the water. He absorbed it to his fullest extent. With the ability to use water magic at a moment's notice now, he was able to breathe underwater, and cast destructive spells since he was surrounded by the element.
Fenrir began to prepare a spell, "Wabuter piwerciwer!" Water swirled around his arm forming the shape of a drill.
…
"Alex, shoot now!"
Alex took a gulp. Nervous and panicking, she couldn't get the grip right.
What is wrong with me? Why can't I fire this thing? I want to, I need to, but my body won't move. It didn't do this in the last fight. It's because it's a machine, it feels weird in my hands, I really want to shoot my bow. Wooden, handmade, simple. But I can't right now, I need to shoot this weapon, but my hands refuse to pull the trigger.
Badum Badum Badum
Alex could feel her heart beat through her chest.
How could an elf use such an evil destructive device?
She couldn't.
"Boost!" Zena dashed over, pushed Alex out of the way, and fired a shot.
Alex fell to the ground with force. She wasn't mad at Zena, but scared. Alex curled into a ball, her hands cusping her ears. "I'm sorry."
I am so sorry, I just couldn't do it, I am sorry, so sorry, to Coco, to my team. I hate this, I want to do something in this fight, but I can't.
…
The cannon ball coming from the right side hit the tail of Aziel.
In a moment the beast spun around. Flipping its head the other direction, only to be met by the spell, water piercer.
Fenrir threw his arm forwards launching a massive spinning water attack towards Aziel.
The attack hit, but it was not strong enough to break through Aziel's skin. Suddenly one of the blue lights on its side lit up and hit Fenrir with a lighting attack.
In an instant Fenrir fell, falling deeper into the ocean, until finally hitting the ocean floor. He died after reaching the bottom and dispersed into gold just like the brawley man and pink haired girl from earlier did when they died.
The creature let out a loud roar.
…
Zena, after firing the shot, went back to her original station, and fired another shot.
Two of her cannonballs hit the creature's back side. Thinking it would have the same result of it spinning around to see what was hurting it.
That plan backfired, as its full blood lust was still aimed towards Fenrir.
Blood rose to the surface, blocking a portion of Coco's vision.
"Who's blood is that?"
Captain Treon walked over to the right side of the boat and took a deep breath. "It's Fenrir's, the smell isn't of a divine flavor."
Coco's eyes went wide.
Suddenly lightning began to rain down on them.
Lighting, rain, and wind all came down on the ship. The bright open sky in the center of the storm slowly began to disappear and the storm that once looked like it was miles away, was closing in.
Aziel was angry, and was now taking this fight seriously.
Coco brushed her hands through her hair again and breathed a deep exhale.
"Captain, do you have an extra boat!?" Coco yelled coming down from her post, with her hood down.
"Aye, we have a jolly-boat at the ready, it just needs to be dropped down … You're a demon ey?"
Coco was shocked by the captain's question, but realized her hood was down. She was cautious, but there was no more hiding it in this fight. "I am, is that a problem?"
"HAHA, nope, it means you're stronger than ye look."
Coco breathed a relieving sigh. I have to be more careful next time. Coco thought to herself before turning to the group. "Who is willing to be a distraction?"
Alex looked up from her sulking corner, and raised her hand meekly. "I can do this one."
"Don't bother. I got it." Zena said, stepping in.
"Sorry, Alex, Zena is better for this job. Your turn will come soon. I promise!" Coco said standing over Alex offering a smile and a hand up.
Alex accepted the offer and got up.
Lightning came down right where Alex was moments ago.
Coco ran over to the cannon on the left side and fired a cannonball, only to load the next shot, and fire again.
This was to distract Aziel just enough to get Zena onto the mini boat and down into the water.
Zena activated her magic again and began to row with intensity along the same side that Coco was firing at.
The creature saw this small object moving and fired a lightning attack on it. Zena dove into the water at the nick of time, the boat exploded instantly.
Zena then began to swim laps around the beast, distracting it from the main boat.
After a moment, the creature's eyes began to follow Zena's movements, its sides becoming a bright blue color.
What the hell is it doing? This is just an overgrown golden whale with lighting magic, what are the blue spots appearing on its sides all of a sudden.
A flash of blue surrounded the entire area. It was bright shining through the surface of the water. It blinded Coco, Alex, and Captain Treon.
Coco quickly looked into the water and saw only a blue shining whale rising quickly upwards.
Zena was nowhere to be seen.
Captain Treon quickly moved back to his station and spun the wheel. Narrowly dodging the starry blue whale ramming upwards into the ship.
The beast, now in full detail for all to see, stood tall, vertically in the air, then it shifted its body, falling sideways crashing right next to the ship.
Thanks to Captain Treon's expert steering, they avoided a direct attack, but the ship still took some damage.
Aziel's attack flooded the floor, Alex, Coco, and Captain Treon are now drenched in water. Coco and Alex's movements are now limited.
Aziel, being horizontal to the ship, began to light up its body in all blue again. A blinding light shot from its body. The same bright light attack that it did to Zena.
Coco closed her eyes.
"Summon Treant!" Alex yelled, putting her hands together.
Suddenly a large tree monster appeared, eight feet tall and a two foot diameter across. Then. without orders, as if scared of what it saw, quickly placed its hands against the floorboard of the boat and created a wall. Destroying a large section of the ship in the process.
Aziel then casted the spell. A sphere of blue overtook the area.
Coco and Alex were covered by the wooden wall, but they both noticed blue sparks on the sides of them. Pure blue lightning that wasn't causing any damage to the ship, but to every living thing that the light touches.
Captain Treon, who was still near the wheel of the ship, yelled out in pain and was vaporised, vanishing without a trace.
Coco and Alex were alive though and the blue light slowly dissipated.
The two paused, realized they were fine, and laughed together. A helpless, desperate, scared, drenched laugh.
"Thank you Vircan." Alex said now facing towards her treant summon.
When she looked towards her summon, the space was now black.
Coco and Alex were back in the same black liminal space as before. Greed's waiting room.
Everyone else, every other team that was on the water perished from Aziel's massive lighting attack.