Shin and Bael sat near the lake under the star-filled night. The moonlight danced across the still water.
"I swear I'm going to kill that damn mermaid," Bael cursed aloud.
"And how do you plan on doing that?" Shin asked, raising an eyebrow.
Bael paused to look at him. Just as he was about to speak, the water began bubbling. The pair immediately got up and headed toward their luggage.
Just as they were about to leave, a shadow loomed over them.
"If my hearing is as good as I think it is, I heard you say you were going to kill me (breathes loudly). Don't go making promises you can't keep," the mermaid queen said, grabbing Bael's shoulder.
She tossed him back toward the lake, but he landed on his fish-turned-orca whale. Bael wore a look of annoyance on his face.
He was starting to get thoroughly pissed off at this overgrown fish. The fish swam gracefully through the air back to the shore.
The mermaid queen turned her attention toward Bael, completely leaving herself vulnerable to any attack from behind.
Shin slowly reached for his sword but stopped—he felt a pair of eyes locked on him. They harbored so much killing intent that it froze him on the spot.
He glanced behind him and was met by the soul-piercing eyes of the mermaid queen.
"You'd better not interfere, weakling, if you value your pathetic life," the queen said, then turned to face Bael.
Shin remained frozen.
Wait a minute. Me? A WEAKLING!? I was a member of the hero party. Just because I have a very small mana pool doesn't make me weak.
Shin stood there motionless. Her words had pierced deep; her gaze even deeper.
Bael looked at the mermaid queen—her scales were completely dry. He jumped from his fish and charged at her.
The queen followed suit, swinging her trident. Bael managed to catch it and then hit the mermaid queen so hard that he sent her flying back.
Bael tossed the trident into the lake. "I say we go hand-to-hand."
The mermaid queen grinned wildly.
"Gear 3,"
They rushed at each other, unleashing a flurry of blows. They neither dodged nor moved from their stance point.
They simply took damage and dished out damage. Bael and the mermaid queen turned the fight into a battle of attrition, with neither side backing down.
Bael glanced over at Shin. Shin immediately sensed this and looked back at him. Bael nodded as the mermaid queen punched him in the face.
Bael stumbled back and held his nose—it was broken. He smiled.
The queen rushed at Bael, but he dodged. He grabbed one of her tentacles and slammed her into the ground. The mermaid queen blocked with her hands as Bael continuously stomped on her.
She grinned throughout the fight, relishing the opportunity to be actually harmed.
She managed to grab Bael's leg and tossed him aside. She raised her hand, and a large mass of water rose and splashed onto her.
"Refreshing. Okay, landweller, I'm ready to fight seriously," the queen said, whipping back her hair.
Bael smiled, wiped the blood from his nose, and got up.