"Hey, Akio," Beidou suddenly nudged Akio's shoulder after they had been watching the scenery for a while. "Can you tell me what your relationship with the Raiden Shogun is? If it's not appropriate, you don't have to tell me. Don't worry, I'll keep it a secret."
"It's nothing," Akio replied. "She's kind of my… future woman, I guess."
"Impressive!" Beidou gave Akio a thumbs-up, her tone full of admiration. "As a mortal, you've managed to win over the Raiden Shogun. Akio, you're a role model for men everywhere."
Akio smiled but didn't say anything. He hadn't mentioned that he wasn't a mortal, and as for the Shogun, how could she understand love? It was up to him to teach her. Despite her being a mature woman, there was a strange sense of raising her, like a nurturing project.
"Get some rest early. First-timers on the sea might feel a bit seasick," Beidou said, patting Akio on the back as she stood up. "If you do feel sick, there's some dried sour raspberries in the drawer of the room's table. Eating something sour can help with seasickness."
"Got it," Akio nodded and returned to his room with Kitsune Saiguu.
To be honest, sailing on the sea wasn't smooth, and sleeping wasn't particularly comfortable either.
But at least there was Kitsune Saiguu. Every night, she would transform into a large fox and cradle Akio in her arms. In her embrace, everything felt steady, warm, and fragrant—it was incredibly soothing.
Time flew by, and before they knew it, a week had passed.
Midnight. Akio was sound asleep when a violent tremor jolted him awake.
Lying in the arms of Kitsune Saiguu, who had transformed into a large fox, he was usually undisturbed by the usual rocking of the waves.
Outside, there was a lot of noise, with people shouting something.
"What's going on?" Kitsune Saiguu, now a small fox, nestled into Akio's arms. She wasn't afraid—Akio, as a god, had power that could rival the Raiden Shogun. Even if a demon god appeared, it would be instantly defeated.
"Let's go out and see," Akio said, stepping outside. A heavy rain was pouring down, and the waves were taller than the Alcor. The entire fleet was swaying violently, as if it might sink into the sea at any moment.
A faint golden barrier appeared, shielding Akio and Kitsune Saiguu from the torrential rain.
"What's happening?" Akio asked, walking up to Beidou, who was holding onto a pillar. She was completely drenched.
"We don't know! Suddenly, there's a storm and a tsunami!" Beidou shook her head. She had a bad feeling about this, and her instincts about the sea were usually accurate.
"Hmm?" Akio's spatial senses detected a massive sea dragon circling not far from the fleet. Its movements were causing the sea to become so turbulent.
"There's a sea beast in the water. It's the culprit," Akio said to Beidou. "It seems your fleet is its target."
"What?!" Beidou's heart sank. If Akio was right, she was in serious trouble.
This time, her ship was carrying many valuable items that Ningguang had purchased, many of which were fragile. She couldn't afford to engage in a prolonged battle.
Even if she could defeat the so-called sea beast, if these valuable items were destroyed, she wouldn't be able to pay for them even if she sold herself.
"Everyone! Full sail! Get us out of this area as fast as possible!" Beidou shouted.
"It's too late," Akio waved his hand. The next moment, a massive figure emerged from the sea.
"Roar…" The deafening roar of the beast sent huge waves crashing, and everyone stared in shock at the colossal creature.
"It's a sea beast!" the sailors shouted, all looking to Beidou.
Beidou gritted her teeth. She wasn't afraid of the beast, but…
"Captain Beidou, I'll help you," Kaedehara Kazuha drew his sword and stood beside Beidou. On this ship, only he and Beidou had Visions.
"Damn it!" Beidou summoned her greatsword, glaring at the sea dragon. There was no way to escape now—they had to fight. This damned thing was going to ruin her.
She could already imagine Ningguang's mocking laughter, and her anger flared.
Powerful lightning surged from her body. Even without a Vision, she had dared to challenge Haishan. This beast was going to be cut into eight pieces!
"Protect your cargo. I'll handle this little eel," Akio suddenly stopped Beidou.
"You? But you don't even have a Vision," Beidou shook her head. She had assumed Akio was just a high-ranking official without any real power.
"A Vision?" Akio chuckled, gently stroking the little fox in his arms. He took a step forward, and to everyone's astonishment, it was as if there were invisible steps beneath his feet, allowing him to ascend into the sky.
Akio's figure looked tiny compared to the massive sea beast, but for some reason, everyone felt a sense of calm just by looking at him.
"Captain Beidou, don't worry. With this lord taking action, there's no danger," Kazuha said, relieved to see Akio step in.
"Lord Akio is a god! What's a mere sea beast to him?" Kazuha added, shocking Beidou. "He's as powerful as the Raiden Shogun."
"A… god?" Beidou stared blankly at the figure in the sky. This easygoing, handsome young man was actually a god, without any of the airs of a deity!
Of course, how could a mortal win the Raiden Shogun's favor? How could a mortal have a white fox spirit so obediently nestled in his arms, letting him pet her?
Akio looked at the sea beast before him. It had to be said, the sea beasts in this world were quite majestic. This sea dragon had the head of a dragon and the body of a snake, stretching over two to three hundred meters in length—a true behemoth.
However, witnessing this sea beast firsthand made Akio realize just how impressive Beidou's feat of slaying Haishan truly was.
"Roar…" The sea dragon looked at the "tiny speck" before it, unable to comprehend how such a small creature dared to stand in its presence.
It summoned a massive wave, attempting to engulf Akio.
But Akio merely glanced at it, and the hundred-meter-high wave inexplicably froze in mid-air.
With a gentle wave of his hand, the wave dissolved into countless raindrops, scattering into the air.
Akio didn't plan to use the power of a Herrscher. A mere sea beast, not even a demon god, wasn't worthy of such judgment.
He wanted to test his physical strength.
With his next step, Akio appeared right in front of the sea beast's face. He threw a powerful uppercut, striking the beast's jaw.
"Thud…" A dull sound echoed as the massive sea beast was sent flying out of the water, soaring hundreds of meters into the air.
A rain of blood poured down, staining a large portion of the sea. With just one punch, Akio had shattered the sea beast's head. The headless body writhed unconsciously in the air.
"Eww, Akio, you're so brutal," Kitsune Saiguu, perched on Akio's shoulder, looked at the blood rain with disgust. Although Akio's power protected her from getting stained, the clean little white fox still disliked the scene of blood raining from the sky.
"Just testing my strength," Akio said, pulling Kitsune Saiguu close and taking a deep sniff of her fur.
A/n - Woohoo! I hit 400 power stones for the first time! Thanks so much, everyone! Now, onto the next goal: 500 power stones for one extra chapter! And as promised, I've just uploaded two new chapters for you all to enjoy!