Yamato, Sora, and Lumei drifted forward inside the glowing, swirling dome of water, following the deep ocean current. It wasn't swimming. It was like being carried through a tunnel, the ocean parting for them as Sora's Dome guided the way.
The deeper they traveled, the greater the pressure became. Even with the protective dome around them, it pressed against them like giant hands from every direction.
Sora's expression remained focused. Beads of sweat floated from her brow, instantly mixing with the surrounding water. Her hands moved in slow, spiraling patterns, weaving streams of oxygen to keep them breathing. Her breaths were shallow, her lips tight, and her eyes narrowed.
"You okay, Sora?" Yamato asked, drifting beside her.
She gave a short nod.
"Yeah... just don't stop moving. The current needs us to move with it."
Lumei snorted softly as he gazed into the endless blue.
"Look at all these freaky creatures. It's like we're floating through a dream."
He pointed to his left. A strange glowing fish flickered past like dancing sparks. Then he pointed to his right. Massive jellyfish with umbrella-shaped bodies floated nearby, their long tendrils pulsing with dim light. A school of eel-like creatures slithered overhead, their skins glinting like polished glass.
Yamato leaned toward the edge of the dome.
"That one looks like it has wings. Do fish have wings in this region?"
Neither of them answered. None of them had ever visited this part of Earth before. Then something shifted beneath them. Yamato narrowed his eyes. He caught the movement. A dark shadow rested motionless on the ocean floor. It wasn't moving... But something about it felt wrong. It wasn't a rock. Not quite. He leaned closer.
"Guys... look down there."
The others turned. Sora frowned while continuing to steer.
"It has limbs... this isn't a saltwater creature."
Lumei pressed closer to the dome.
"I see something moving behind it."
Yamato exhaled slowly.
"Doesn't that thing look like a cat?"
Lumei burst into laughter.
"A cat? Seriously? We're underwater, Yamato. Cats hate water. You think one's just relaxing down here?"
Sora stifled a giggle, nearly breaking her rhythm.
"Yamato, no way. Nothing that lives on land survives this deep. Even if it were a magical beast, this pressure would crush it."
Yamato never looked away.
"I'm telling you... look at the ears. The tail. The way it's curled."
Then... They made a mistake. They slowed down. The dome trembled. The once-smooth current became unstable. Gentle resistance turned into violent pushes and pulls.
Their sudden stop disrupted the flow of the surrounding water. Jellyfish drifted away. The eels scattered. Crabs vanished beneath the sand. Everything around them fled.
Then... The cat-shaped shadow rose. Grains of sand drifted from its body like falling ash. A massive figure unfolded from the ocean floor, dark, broad, ancient. Its fur resembled stone soaked in energy, while its enormous body shimmered with an unnatural force. Two crimson lights slowly opened. Its eyes.
Yamato swallowed. It really was a cat. Or something shaped like one. It was twice the size of several ships stacked together. And unmistakably alive. Its gaze locked onto them like a predator finding prey. The creature moved, its tail flicked once.
CRACK.
The dome's outer shell fractured. Sora screamed.
"Hold on!"
She struggled to repair the crack. A blast of freezing seawater burst through the opening. They were no longer drifting. They were sinking. More cracks spread across the dome as water rushed inside. The immense pressure began overpowering Sora's spell. Bubbles spiraled wildly around them.
"It's awake! IT'S HUGE!" Lumei shouted.
The beast made no sound. Yet all three of them felt its growl. A wave of pressure rippled through their bones. The surrounding water bent around the creature as though it ruled the sea itself. Then... A thought entered Yamato's mind. It wasn't his. It was the creature communicating.
MOB CAT.
A beast said to have once been the pet of one of the Elder Gods. A creature rumored to possess the agility, power, intelligence, and attack potency of a Second Transit Divine King. It wasn't born in the sea. It didn't even belong on Earth. It had been cast out for being the weakest among its own kind. Banished to Earth... to wait for death. And now... It had found them.
Lumei could feel the overwhelming energy pouring from it. It far surpassed his own. And they were underwater. Two disadvantages already.
"RUN!" Lumei shouted.
Sora moved immediately, spinning the dome faster as she tried to escape. Water poured through the widening cracks, making every movement sluggish. She fought desperately to hold the barrier together. It continued breaking apart. Yamato clenched his fists.
"Sora! You're wasting energy trying to hold the dome together! Drop it and run!"
He turned to Lumei.
"Seal your head with a Shadow Cocoon and escape with Sora!"
Lumei nodded.
"Got it!"
Dark Divine Energy gathered around his hands. Sora gritted her teeth.
"What about you?"
Yamato looked toward the approaching beast. It crouched like a predator preparing to strike.
"I'll distract it. You two find an underwater cave. Hide."
"How will you find us again?" Lumei shouted.
"Your shadow."
Yamato extended his hand.
"Mark me. I'll use it to teleport."
Lumei stared.
"Teleport? How? I can't teleport. It's only shadow."
Yamato smirked.
"How clueless can you be? Your shadow always returns to you."
He raised his arm.
"Mark me with it... then call your shadow back exactly one minute and eleven seconds."
Lumei pressed his palm against Yamato's. Dark energy spread across Yamato's arm like flowing ink. Fear remained in Lumei's eyes.
"I've never tried recalling my shadow before... but I'll do it. Done."
He forced a smile.
"Now don't die, idiot."
Dark energy wrapped around Lumei's head, sealing it completely. Sora could already survive underwater for a limited time.
POOM!
The dome shattered. The three of them shot into the darkness. Yamato remained behind. Floating alone. Facing the behemoth. The Mob Cat lunged. Yamato moved.
His aura burst outward, forming a dense barrier around his body. He dodged the claws by inches. The creature crashed into the ocean floor, sending tremors through the seabed.
"You're not just big... you're smart."
Yamato communicated through thought.
"You went straight for my head. But I can't let you chase them."
The Mob Cat turned. Its tail sliced through a coral ridge as though it were paper. Then it charged again. Faster. Yamato rushed forward.
BOOM!
His fist collided with the creature's paw, redirecting the attack. The impact echoed through the ocean. Yamato was thrown backward, scraping across stone and coral. A shallow cut opened on his shoulder. Blood drifted into the sea. He grimaced.
"That strike from your paw could tear an S-Rank's head clean off..."
The Mob Cat circled him. Its crimson eyes glowed brighter. Yamato floated silently. Then... He clapped his hands together. The surrounding pressure squeezed against them, but Yamato forced them shut.
"Alright. One shot."
Energy spiraled into his fists like compressed lightning. The Mob Cat leaped. Yamato vanished forward.
BOOM!
Both fists slammed into the beast's side. A massive shockwave exploded through the ocean, shaking coral reefs, rocks, and the seabed itself. The Mob Cat was hurled backward. It crashed into a jagged wall of coral and stone. Stunned. It groaned as it struggled to stand. Yamato didn't hesitate. He planted his feet. Energy gathered into his right fist. One more strike...
WOOM.
He vanished.
—
Worm Desert – The Closest Region of WELL-SPRING
The Worm Desert burned beneath a merciless sun. Golden dunes stretched endlessly while dry winds sliced across the sand. A lone man stood motionless atop a dune. His skyblue spiked hair shone like the clear ocean water.
Ruvo Kain. One of THE CURRENTS. His eyes narrowed. Something was wrong, the wind the sand, the rhythm of the desert itself had changed.
"The sea..." he muttered.
He knelt and pressed a hand against the ground. Heat and cold steam pulsed back at him. Not from the sun or cool of the ocean. Something else, something alive. Ruvo stood, then he sprinted. His speed reached nearly Mach Two as he crossed the dunes toward a hidden camp beneath a massive stone arch.
Inside the shaded tent sat four figures. The remaining members of THE CURRENTS. Ruvo burst inside.
"Something's moving. The ocean has been disturbed. The Mob Cat has awakened."
Kael Renzo, leaning lazily against a crate, raised an eyebrow. His burning crimson like hair, blowing heat in the room gave him attention.
"You sure? You're standing in a desert, Ruvo. Heat can play tricks."
Ruvo growled.
"I felt the sea's pressure all the way from here. That wasn't natural. Someone woke it."
Eira Vellin slowly looked up. Her pale-blue hair drifted weightlessly despite the still air.
"Impossible. That creature hasn't moved for decades."
"It has now," Ruvo replied. "And I'd bet my life the ones who woke it are heading here."
Toren Yashi remained silent. He simply nodded once. Lyza Nohra rose to her feet.
"Whatever awakened it must be heading for Black Market. And if they disturbed the Mob Cat and survived... They're stronger than us."
Outside... The desert wind howled louder.
—
Underwater Cave
A faint light flickered inside a submerged cavern. Silent. Untouched. Yamato appeared. Soaked. Bloodied. His knees struck the stone floor as the pressure around him disappeared.
He coughed violently, forcing seawater from his lungs. Then he looked up. He had made it. But his eyes narrowed. Something... Was coming. And the true storm... Had only just begun.