Deep in the dark sea, a faint, eerie blue light glimmered.
The two riding on the whale's back saw the strange sight as well.
Leaping off the plump whale's slowly moving back, Han patted its large head, thanking the adorable creature for carrying them part of the way. The plump whale stared at them with its shiny, beady black eyes, as though surprised by the sudden appearance of these strange beings. But sensing the girl's goodwill and the warmth she conveyed, it gave the matter no further thought and wagged its tail happily.
Han could not help laughing at the plump whale's slow wits. She waved goodbye and watched it swim leisurely away, as unhurried as ever.
After bidding farewell to the kind, slow-witted whale, the two swiftly swam toward the light.
The closer they came, the more astonished they were by this wondrous underwater world.
Though no sunlight reached this place, luminous underwater plants swayed gently in the water. Fresh green floating algae gave off a soft glow, towering corals branched out in orange, red, and yellow, and bright purple, mushroom-like plants rose high above the seabed. The underwater plants were enormous. Transparent jellyfish drifted lazily among the algae, while countless fish darted through them, forming a vibrant underwater forest.
For the first time, this mysterious stretch of sea revealed its magnificent splendor to its visitors.
The two did not linger.
The calmer the surface appeared, the more dangerous the darkness lurking beneath it.
The cleverer large fish and sea turtles all avoided this beautiful forest, whether deliberately or instinctively, hinting all the more strongly at unpredictable danger.
They swam high above the colorful coral thickets, surrounded by little rainbow-colored fish swimming freely about. Yet the deepest reaches beneath the coral remained unfathomably black, with nothing visible within.
Sesshomaru's body suddenly tensed. It was a canine's innate instinct warning him of approaching danger.
"Watch out!" Sesshomaru pulled the girl beside him out of the way as a black squid several times a person's height came straight at them.
A Light Whip extended from his fingertips. With a flick of his wrist, Sesshomaru sent it sweeping through layers of rippling water toward the enormous squid. Unfortunately, the water's resistance greatly weakened its force.
Sesshomaru frowned, displeased by how sharply the Light Whip's power diminished underwater. Seeing the great squid seize the opening to attack, he dodged its retaliating tentacles. But with nothing to push against in the sea, one thick, powerful tentacle still grazed him.
Sesshomaru's gaze turned icy. He caught the black-and-red, sucker-covered tentacle lashing toward him with a backhanded grab. Applying a little force, he released yellow-green poison from his palm, instantly corroding the still-slimy tentacle.
Unable to endure the agony, the squid let out a piercing shriek from its hideous mouthparts. Sesshomaru's brows drew tight, his eyes grew bloodshot, and his mouth split wider at the corners. He was enraged. The squid's unwitting shriek had placed an immense strain on the Dog Demon's sensitive ears.
Sensing the anger and demonic power boiling within the Dog Demon, the squid immediately contracted and expanded its body, spraying jets of pitch-black ink into the seawater. It concealed its form and obscured the Dog Demon's vision.
Sesshomaru closed his eyes and listened. Seawater carried sound faster, even amplifying the faintest noises immensely. To the Dog Demon's ears, they were as clear as singing at dawn.
Silence filled the deep sea.
The great squid quietly awaited the best moment to attack. Its many years of growth had given it more than an enormous body; they had also granted it intelligence far beyond that of ordinary fish and astonishing patience.
Sesshomaru waited as well, listening for the ripples and sounds the great squid would make when it could no longer restrain itself and struck.
The battle had reached a stalemate.
Outside the battlefield, Han bit her lower lip, her clear, bright eyes fixed unblinkingly on its center.
The instant the black cloud spread, Han's heart sank.
Sesshomaru was unquestionably stronger than this squid, even though it was no ordinary squid but a monster. Indeed, both Han and Sesshomaru could sense the demonic power emanating from it. Though not especially refined, it was considerable.
Within this black cloud that obscured vision and could even cause unconsciousness or death, Sesshomaru's innate poisonous power might allow him to resist a certain degree of toxicity. But he might not remain completely unaffected by a monster's poison accumulated over many years. Sesshomaru was at a disadvantage.
Han stared anxiously at the battlefield, urgently considering what she could do for Sesshomaru.
Granny Medicine had said she possessed the innate power of the water Spirit Clan, born with the ability to control water. But for some reason, her inherited memories were disordered, leaving her to discover her abilities little by little. During the month she had lived with Granny Medicine, they had explored her powers together. Though monsters who controlled water were rare, the knowledgeable Granny Medicine had known some. Granny Medicine had offered many insights into how such powers could be used, and the two had tested each one. A single month had simply been too short to explore everything. After all, awakening and using one's power depended more on each monster's own understanding.
Breathing underwater was one such technique, something every water-controlling monster could do.
Water already contained air. As long as that air was separated from the water, one could naturally breathe as usual.
At that thought, Han's eyes suddenly lit up.
The girl closed her eyes, sank deep into her heart, and prayed silently.
If you are willing to answer me, please cleanse the black cloud from these waters.
All right.
It was as though a cheerful voice had answered her.
The instant the girl opened her eyes, spiritual power eagerly flowed out of her body and into those waters.
The pitch-black cloud slowly receded. In the blink of an eye, the seawater was clean and crystal clear again.
The sudden draining of all her spiritual power brought extraordinary exhaustion. Utterly spent, Han's vision went black, and she could barely lift a finger.
Suddenly, spiritual power carrying the faint watery scent of seaweed flowed into the girl's body, gently soothing her exhausted limbs.
Her weakness gradually eased, and Han finally had enough strength to look back at the battlefield.
The situation had indeed changed again. The advantage the great squid had painstakingly created had been completely undone by the girl.
Sesshomaru opened his eyes the instant he sensed Han's spiritual power. He knew she must have done something, even going so far as to pour her spiritual power recklessly out of her body. There was no need to look back; Sesshomaru trusted that the girl could take care of herself. Thus, when the black cloud dispersed in an instant, he did not turn toward her. A cold smile curled his lips. His opportunity had come, and so had the squid's hour of death.
The great squid furtively glared at the girl nearby, only to find the land-dwelling monster suddenly before him, his hand loosely curled into a claw and exuding terrifying poisonous fumes, his eyes filled with icy killing intent.
A chill ran down the great squid's back. Reflexively, he lashed his tentacles and propelled himself backward.
Even so, several tentacles were corroded by the poison, bringing another wave of excruciating pain.
Seeing that his Poisonous Claws had failed to reach his opponent, while the great squid seemed inclined to retreat, Sesshomaru snorted inwardly in disdain. His black demon boots pushed lightly off a passing fish, and his sharp claws struck toward the great squid once more.
So what if he was a sea-dwelling monster? He would still fall before Sesshomaru!
The great squid named Black Kuro was not weak at all. A monster with such an enormous true form was powerful by definition, especially here in the waters he knew so well. This should have been his battlefield. It was only because his opponent's presence was so overwhelming that he had been forced to retreat again and again, avoiding the brunt of his assault.
Besides, the girl watching from the sidelines concerned him too... Without her, even if his black cloud had been dispelled once, he could simply release it again. But with the girl watching him intently from outside the battle, he had no choice but to abandon that pointless attempt. If she could dispel it once, she could do so a second time. Busy fending off the Dog Demon's attacks, Black Kuro had not noticed the girl's exhausted expression after she cleared the cloud. He had no idea this was her first time using that power, or that she would have difficulty using it again so soon.
The yellow-green, poison-soaked claws drew ever closer to him.
He had never expected that, after discovering the Light Whip's limited offensive power underwater, the Dog Demon would think to use it to restrict his movements instead. That was innate battle instinct!
His speed underwater had been unmatched, yet the Light Whip had forcibly slowed him down.
The terrifying poisonous claws drew closer and closer to his head. He even began considering whether to sever one of his own limbs, sacrificing a tentacle to stop this now-unstoppable monster.
At that critical instant, just as Black Kuro was about to decide to sacrifice a limb to survive-
"Stop!" A clear female voice rang out, tinged with anger.
A gleam flashed through Sesshomaru's golden eyes. He forcibly changed the course of his attack and withdrew his Poisonous Claws. Cautiously moving to one side, he held them across his chest with seeming nonchalance, though he was ready for danger.
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