As Zhen Liu mused about the thought of rescuing the Fallen from their sinking predicament, the explosion of the [Shadow Sovereign] finally died down. There were still literal waves of activity, but the loud explosive sound and bright lights had finally died down.
The only physical reminder of the thing that was once the [Shadow Sovereign] was a now sinking wreck of a body, with a surprisingly intact dragon skull.
That and one other thing, but that was someone else’s emotional story to tell.
For now, Zhen Liu finally came around to a decision…albeit, a little too late.
‘Meh, let’s be nice for…wait a minute, what am I sensing?’
The moment Zhen Liu was about to command both the Neo Storm Knights and several zakos to go and “rescue” the Fallen from their sunken wreck of a fortress, someone else already made a move.
More specifically, he noticed several dozen unknow, yet vaguely familiar, [Chaos] signatures swim towards where the Fallen were sinking. Evidently, none of these signatures felt particularly bloodthirsty so he didn’t really think to act upon it.
Well, that and the Neo Storm Knights didn’t feel the need to act upon it either.
…
[It appears the enemy has truly been routed,] Shellvalier proclaimed proudly. [Look how they send rescue squads instead of proper reinforcements.]
[Yeah…you think the three of us can take em out faster than they can get rescued,] Slug-at-arms suggested with a sinister glee to his voice. [I’m curious to find out if my copy of Marlancer’s moves are faster or slower than the OG…]
[We will not be anything so dishonorable,] Wavebreaker interjected. [The Fallen have been defeated and I’m fairly certain I saw their matriarch getting caught in the blast of the Shadow Sovereign. They’re leaderless and will probably fall apart at the seams, or at least, to a lower rung in the grand scheme of things. In other words, no shooting the medics.]
[D’awww…]
[On the plus side, it does mean they might come back as a more suitable challenge!]
[Ooooh…]
…
“Hey, Jin Fang, you should probably know this-”
“If you’re talking about the Neo Storm Knights choosing to be merciful, I heard them,” Jin Fang interrupted.
“Ah, right.”
Zhen Liu had honestly forgotten that for reasons beyond his understanding, Jin Fang was mentally connected to the Neo Storm Knight kaijin specifically, but none of the others. However, unlike Zhen Liu, she wasn’t as used to the voice in her head as he was.
“So…do you ever get used to the multiple voices in your head or is this something that will always feel a little weird?,” Jin Fang asked.
“Well…yes and no. Yes in the sense that the dialogue shared will eventually become like birdsong, background noise, but the “feeling what they’re feeling” thing will never go away.
“Is…is that why you seem to wildly swing with your emotions sometimes? Influence from the Kaijin?”
“Little bit. Some of it is just me being me…arrows to the dome does things to a guy.”
“Understandable.”
“Oh, we should probably dismiss the constructs now.”
“Right!”
With a wave of their hands, Zhen Liu and Jin Fang dismissed the giant sea monsters that were encapsulating them, leaving them alone in the air.
The young couple made a rather striking impression, with Jin Fang dressed like a heavenly fairy from another world while Zhen Liu looked like a demonic deep sea overlord, all while glittering little balls of debris fell from the sky like snow.
As the two of them floated in silence at the sight for a few moments, Jin Fang decided to break it in order to ask a pertinent question.
“It looks like Tortallion is about to…I guess die wouldn’t be the right word here…return to [Chaos] sounds more accurate,” Jin Fang stated while staring at the now still form of the giant creature once known as Tortallion. “Should we go over to do last rites or…”
“Soon,” Zhen Liu agreed. “For now…I think we should let someone else have that privilege.”
A quizzical look appeared on Jin Fang’s face as soon as she heard this answer…but that eventually gave way to understanding, as Zhen Liu gestured toward a streak of light that vaguely resembled a swimming eel.
“Ah…”
…
[Papa? Are…are you still here?,] Terra asked once she had gotten close enough to the giant turtle that was once Tortallion.
For all intents and purposes, Terra had no reason to be here.
She has already said her good-byes not once, but twice at this point.
She should’ve already made her peace with the fact that her father had chosen to die fighting for a cause as opposed to disappearing like Marlancer had done.
She should’ve made her peace when she had managed to enter Tortallion’s spiritual sea and shared last words with him.
But…that’s the funny thing about goodbyes.
Regardless of their type, forever or temporary, there is always this hope attach to them that the former is always a longer version to the latter.
That “goodbye” is simply “see you later”.
Which is why Terra still floated over to where the petrified form of her father was and hoped to hope that there was just one last little miracle.
[Papa?]
But alas, miracles could only occur when someone least expects it, not when it’s the only hope they have left.
[…]
No sound escaped from Terra’s lips as she bit them to try and control her crying. However, it did nothing to stop the tears from freely flowing down her face, which fell into the ocean below her feet like tiny drops of rain.
Eventually, as she kept crying and grieving, she ended up placing her hand on Tortallion’s back in order to physically support herself.
[…huh?]
Once she did though, she noticed something odd.
[What’s this?]
Tortallion’s shell was segmented and smooth, like all turtle shells were, but that had changed in Tortallion’s final moments.
Empowered by his fallen comrades, this empowerment became obvious in the form of engravings of the animals that represented his fellow Storm Knights.
However, there was one spot that was left blank and smooth: the exact center of his shell.
At least, it was blank and smooth.
[What the…]
Beneath her hand, Terra could feel that a new engraving had appeared on Tortallion’s back, but she couldn’t exactly make out what it was. She was too close to get a clear picture, and it was too dark to make any details.
[I need a better angle…]
Compelled by her curiosity temporarily overcoming her grief, Terra flew towards the ceiling of the [Abyssal Lands] cavern so that she could get a complete overview of what she had felt.
‘It’s probably an even bigger engraving…but of what?’
It didn’t take her too long to reach a great enough height that allowed her to see the whole of Tortallion’s shell. But it was still a touch too dark to see any fine details.
Luckily she knew a little trick to see.
[Chaos Arts: Glowfish’s Lantern].
With a wave of her hand, a school of glowing fish manifested in front of her before swimming through the air and illuminating the engraving she couldn’t make out before.
‘Now let’s see what…oh. Oh my…’
Once she did though, she became overwhelmed with emotion.
‘Papa…you big softie…’
Engraved in the very center of Tortallion’s back was a mural depicting his life, his [Story].
Every single moment that mattered to him was depicted in painstaking detail like a tapestry.
These moments that were not his greatest victories or his most bombastic feats. No, these were simply carvings that showed the things that mattered to him.
There was carvings that showed his very beginning as an old knight who retired by the sea, to his death and rebirth as the Unbreakable Shell Knight.
There were carvings that showcased the moments he welcomed the other Storm Knights into existence.
There was a carving that showed him and the others finding Undertow all those centuries ago.
And there were even carvings depicting more modern events.
But amongst these engravings, there were three that stood out the most, to Terra at least.
The first was a previously mentioned one, the moment Tortallion was given [Life] but the Storm Queen, shortly after she became Kaijin Lord.
The second was a mural depicting Tortallion holding a baby. This must’ve been the moment Tortallion first met the Storm Princess, at least that was what Terra had initially assumed.
It wasn’t until she focused on the last mural that she realized the true meaning of the previous one.
[Papa…]
The last mural was a bit…odd.
It didn’t depict anything grandiose like Tortallion slaying the [Shadow Sovereign], or him defending his homeland for the final time.
Rather, it simply depicted Tortallion, looking much older and more at peace with himself, sailing a small ship towards a setting sun, with his back facing towards her.
But on this engraved version of Tortallion’s back was no elaborate mural, but a simple hand print.
A hand print that looked just like hers.
