The mermaid queen dropped her guard. Shin and Bael immediately put their plan into motion.
They clashed again and again. The queen's joy grew with every strike. In all the years she had lived, it was the first time she had met beings who could potentially stand against her.
Come on, come on, COME ON!!! Show me what you are capable of! Entertain me, land dwellers! ENTERTAIN ME!!!
The mermaid queen stood as the other mermaids cheered for Shin and Bael. She intentionally dropped her trident and moved closer to the edge of the arena.
She was drunk on joy, completely unaware of her surroundings.
Just a little more… then we can strike.
Shin dodged and blocked Bael's attacks. Moments passed, and Bael's strikes grew increasingly faster. Shin could no longer keep up.
What the hell, Bael?
Bael's attacks began cutting Shin, but thanks to Satel, his new body healed the wounds seconds after they opened.
Shin stared into the bloodlust-filled eyes of Bael and saw cold determination.
"Bael, what the hell?" Shin asked, wincing at every cut.
Bael was unfazed by Shin's moans of pain.
Just kill him now. No one will know. If the mermaid speaks, kill her before she can. You can avenge your father here and now, then take the title that rightfully belongs to you.
Bael focused on pressing Shin. His attacks became faster and faster until the battle was one-sided.
Bael aimed his final strike at Shin's throat.
One quick strike. Then kill the queen. No one will know.
As he prepared to strike, the image of his father appeared in his mind. He intentionally missed.
"What!?" The queen was shocked by Bael's sudden hesitation.
She slumped in disappointment. Just as she was about to sit on the throne, a gust of air hit her.
Though it did not push her back, it caused her scales to dry slightly. Shin noticed this as Bael swung at the queen.
"Phantom Sword: Form 1: Vanishing Slash," he whispered. An invisible slash cut through the queen.
The strike did not faze her; she looked at it and scoffed. When she glanced at the arena, a rush of water hit her, pushing her back.
Her instincts made her look up. There she saw Shin and Bael escaping, using Shin's wind magic as propulsion—like underwater thrusters.
She clicked her tongue in rage and caught her descending trident.
"After them!!!" the queen commanded.
All ten thousand mermaids in the arena surged toward the pair.
"Shin, buddy, I'm going to need you to speed up the ride. I can't exactly fight well underwater," Bael said, pointing at the mermaids.
Just as Bael prepared a spell, the mermaid queen appeared right above Shin and Bael.
Shin stopped immediately. The queen smiled.
"Not bad. You managed to leave a lasting wound on me," she said, gesturing to the now-healed but still visible scar on her body.
She pointed her trident at them, and the mermaids surrounded the two.
"I must thank you. You've filled me with joy in battle, and after watching your fight, I've decided to find more worthy opponents on the surface," the mermaid queen said, smiling.
"Any last words before you die, land dwellers?" she asked, grinning wildly.
Bael smiled. "Sure. I have one thing."
"Dark Magic: Tier 5: Shadow Beasts—Fish."
A small black fish emerged from Bael's feet. It swam up and faced the mermaid queen. Bael grinned from ear to ear.