It had been three days since the battle for Vincilios concluded. Citizens began to clean the streets from the battle where it took place and reconstruct their homes. Some lives were lost, homes were damaged, and valuable possessions were destroyed during that fight. People lament and cope from these dire circumstances.

But some held their heads high and, even though their homes were destroyed and their lives aren't what they used to be, they were able to help those who had suffered the same situation and bring those people back to their feet, hopefully reconstructing and continuing on with their lives.

“I’m surprised that we’re able to survive this long.”

“Yeah, all because of you, Sho.”

“Aww, don’t say that. Besides, I didn’t do this alone. You, Gin, Gunther, and everyone. I couldn't have done this without you guys.”

“You’re so sweet, you’re making me blush!”

Alisa’s cheeks blushed rosy red after listening to Shouya’s positive comment that it made her giggle a little. But Shouya wasn’t wrong. Without his friends, without the people of Vincilos defending their country, he wouldn’t see the light of day and Vincilos would’ve been taken off the map.

It was all thanks to the people around him, and he had just been here for only a few days after he had been transported to another world.

“Hey, you guys!”

Both Shouya and Alisa turned around to see Gin approaching them with both the children and Enna by his side. Not only that, he seems to be carrying some wooden fishing poles on him.

“Oh, what are you guys doing here?”

“We thought that it would be a good time if we all have a family fishing. You know, getting ready for a good meal.”

“And I want to try out a new recipe with fish.”

“Yeah, and catching some big and meaty fish to fill my stomach!”

“Big meaty fish! Imma eat them all until I get full!”

“Hey now, you two. If you eat all the fish, you won’t have any dessert after.”

After a scolding from their father, the group laughed with each other. Their laughter settled and Gin looked at Shouya.

“Also, we got extra poles for you guys if you want to fish with us.”

“Heck yeah, I’m in! So Sho, are you gonna join?”

“I’ve never actually gone fishing before in my life, but it can't hurt to try out something new.”

“That’s the spirit!”

Both Shouya and Alisa each grabbed one of the fishing poles from Gin and headed towards the bay.

After a short walk, they arrived at the bay where they could catch some fish. He and his group weren't the only ones who arrived at the place. Many people, both young and old, came to this place to fish as well. He couldn’t believe how many people were gathered here. It’s like one big melting pot.

The group sat at the edge of the bay and casted their line into the water with the fishing pole in hand.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

“So this is the end of Blue Sharks, huh?”

Clugil returned to the place where Vikov, the leader of the Blue Sharks, died. After the riot ended, the citizens took his and the rest of the Blue Sharks’ corpses, piled them up, and burned them to a point where it became ash.

Their base is no longer the Blue Sharks’ headquarters anymore. There’s no roof to cover them. No cage to captivate them. And lastly, no throne to sit on. What’s more, the remaining members who are still alive were later disbanded and went their separate ways.

The Blue Sharks are no more.

“Boss…”

“Let me…have my moment, would you?”

In response to this, Touya nods and backs up a few feet to stand beside Raiji, who has his arm reattached after the fight with Darmac. Even though his arm was back in place and functioning, the large scar around where his arm was cut remained.

While both of them are a couple of feet away, standing with their backs turned, Clugil took a long deep breath and let out what he had what he wanted to say.

“You see that you bastard!?! I told you that we would make it! You didn’t think that we would pull it through, huh? You said that we were all gonna die today? Yeah, I didn’t know what you were planning at first. But after I heard about the Inquisitor going to destroy this city and kill us all, thank the goddess that they killed you before he can, because guess what? The plan failed! We survived! I lived! We lived! And you, you’re nothing but a piece of shit that died by a low grade species! So if you think that you’re gonna kill him just to prove your point, you’re dead wrong! YOU DIED ASSHOLE!! You can never mess with the Blue Sharks!!”

He shouted by the top of his lungs to a point where there was a small echo in the air. He wanted to vent out what he had to say when Vikov was alive. His anger. His frustration. He wanted to yell at someone that he hates until his throat dries up. He has always hated him from the very beginning. If Vikov were alive as Clugil were saying this, he would’ve destroyed him to oblivion.

—But thankfully he is dead.

“Huff…Huff…”

After getting it out of his chest, Clugil was exhausted. He slowly took a deep breath, and then softly exhaled.

“So I hope you realize that now. You’re no leader, you’re a failure. Have fun rotting in hell.”

He concluded his talk with the dead, and left the place before spatting on the ground where the former leader died. Clugil regrouped with the only two guys that he knew, Touya and Raiji.

“So now boss. What are we going to do now?”

“I already have a plan.”

“And that is…?”

“By jump-starting a new organization!”

“Huh?”

Both Touya and Raiji were confused by what Clugil had said. Jump-starting a new organization? Is that even possible? What could he possibly gain from this?

He continued.

“Since the Blue Sharks are no longer around, we’ll be making our own group where we would follow our old master’s original intentions and our opportunity to bring back what the group used to be. Back to its old roots.”

“Are you saying…?”

“That’s right!”

Clugil reached his arms out to both Touya and Raiji and placed each of them behind the back of their necks.

“Starting today, with me and you two guys, the New Blue Sharks will step into the scene and show them that we’ll be the ones to become kings!”

“Yeah!”

Both of them raised their fists and cheered.

They now have an objective that they must succeed. They must bring the Blue Sharks back to the way it was and come out on top.

“…”

The three of them stopped cheering when their stomachs growled.

“…On second thought, how about we start tomorrow? I’m starving!”

“Oh! Why don’t we get fish? I know a good spot where we can catch some.”

“That’s a great idea, Touya! Boys, let’s fish!”

“Whoo!”

They cheered once again and sang “fish fish fish, we’re gonna get some fish,” as they marched to the pier where the three of them can fish for food.

And thus, the start of a new organization, the New Blue Sharks, begins their business……at least, for another time.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Hard. That’s what he felt. Something hard and made out of wood behind him. He can feel stiff pain, but it was nothing serious. Just something prickling behind him.

“Hnngh…”

He slowly regained consciousness, only for him to be woken up with the stone ceiling in front of him.

“Huh, am I in hell yet?”

Using a little bit of strength, he tilted his head and surveyed the area around him. There were stone walls around him, but it surely didn't look like hell. It looked like someone was living in this place. A house, maybe? If he’s in a house, then he is certainly alive.

“Ugh… Where am I?”

He rubbed off the pain by pressing his big blue hands in front of him—well, only his remaining hand.

“Oh, my arm…”

He looks at his right arm only to see that his arm was missing, only to be cut off at the elbow. It became nothing but a stump.

It wasn’t just his arm, however, as he couldn’t see his left side. His left eye was missing as well.

“Ah, right. Ginny…”

Darmac remembered that night where he fought Gin. He took his eye. He took his arm. Then after that, his mind went dark and he was out for the count. He looked around the room one more time and he remembered the stone structures.

He rose from the straw bed from the floor and walked to the window to take a look at the outside. There was no fire, no smoke, or anything disastrous. He can see the bright blue sky and clear blue sea from a distance.

There’s no mistaking it. He’s in Vincilos.

“So I guess he did it, huh?”

Gin. That bastard. He really killed that fool from the Blue Sharks.

It was unexpected, but it was also predictable. He knows Gin too well. He always believed that people with morality will give them blessings and spread them to the people.

But that’s full of hogwash. There is one thing, and the only thing, that Darmac always relied on. And that is power. Power to survive. Power to become strong. Power to rule. This is a dog-eat-dog world and he will use it to dominate over the weak and will eliminate anyone that gets in his way.

—He will use that power to strive him into the future—his future.

“Hrm?”

His ears twitched as Darmac turned around to see the door opened behind him, only for the person to say “I see that you’re awake,” as the door opened wide and he was greeted by a female dwarf.

This person is about a half-size shorter than Darmac with small pointy ears and tiny hands and feet that she could be easily mistaken for a child. He could easily crush her just by stepping on her like a bug.

“So you’re the one that patched me up?”

“Mhm. For a big muscular guy, you were bleeding out a large amount of blood. So I thought that I could—”

She was interrupted by the click of his tongue and gave a foul expression.

You should’ve left me in the streets while I have some dignity. I do not need to be saved by some dwarf.”

“Come now. Is that the way you talk to someone who dragged you from the streets? You could’ve at least thank me.”

“Me? Thanking you? Hah! I would rather die than thank someone that is weak such as yourself.”

“Oooh, that’s so harsh! You really hurt my feelings.”

This dwarvish woman didn’t take his insult seriously. She was merely pretending to be insulted to try to get a reaction out of him. But he can see through her facade and he was taunted instead.

“You know, I can eat your fragile little head with just one bite!”

“Ooo, scary! Is the big bad wolf with one arm gonna eat me, even though I saved him? How evil, yet stupid by my book!”

Now she’s just being overdramatic. She isn’t taking him seriously. She’s merely toying with him, insulting him, angering him to a point where he wants to murder her.

“Oh really now? I don’t know where you get off, but this wolf still has some strength to kill you with just one arm! So if you want to live with your head intact, I suggest that you shut up, or else!”

“Or else what?

“You’ll be dead where you stand.”

“Oh, like how you almost died against that Kowler that you called Gin?”

“—!”

How did she know about Gin? He had only known her just recently and she had the gull to bring up Gin’s name. Did she read his mind? Have these two met before? Has she been observing the fight from the start?

No. None of that matters. He will not allow her to insult him and tarnish his pride while he’s still alive.

“You bitch!”

“Aww, what’s wrong? Is the dogman gonna throw a temper tantrum like a little kid? Surely you should know that with the way you look right now, you’ve gotten yourself a bit weaker. And your fight with him, even having both of your arms and eyes, well…I gotta say, that was really pathetic.”

“Grr!”

He had just about enough of it.

Fueled with rage, Darmac charges at the dwarf woman with his fist raised behind him and attempts to kill her—.

But before he could, she snapped her finger. And the moment she snapped her finger.

“—!!”

For unknown reason, Darmac stopped his attack, with his fist an inch in front of her face.

But Darmac didn’t willingly stop his attack. It was as if this mysterious force was holding him back. He tried moving it, but his arm didn't respond. No, it’s not just his arm, he couldn’t move his entire body. His body was frozen in place.

“What did you—gah!”

Suddenly, Darmac’s body was forcefully pressed down onto the floor. The weight was so heavy that he couldn’t get up, not even a finger. It was as if he was being held down and being crushed by a giant.

“Damn it! Gravity magic!”

“For someone who is dumb enough to charge in to kill the person who gave you another chance of living, at least you’re not stupid to know what it is.”

“Grr…”

“I could just kill you right here with just a flick of a finger, you know. I can burn you alive, wondering what Kowlers taste like? I can turn your organs inside out so I can research your anatomy. I can cut you to pieces so I can feed my puppies. Or heck, I can just send you to space where there’s no oxygen. As they say, nobody can hear you scream. Oooh, that’s such a splendid line that I get goosebumps saying it!”

What is with this woman? She’s already coming up with ways of killing him that it’s inhumane beyond belief. Is she really insane?

Nevertheless, if she wanted to kill him, she would’ve done so. So why wait? Darmac questions her while being pressured by this mysterious force.

“If you are thinking about killing me your own way, then why stall? Go ahead and do it already!”

“Huh. So you value your pride so much that you’re eager to die that bad? I must say, you’re more of a man with more balls than most of my subjects.”

“Subjects?”

He didn’t get what she said and she smiled as she snapped her little fingers, releasing the weight that was holding Darmac down.

“Perhaps if you hadn't wildly attacked me like a caveman, I would’ve explained to you why I decided to save you and keep you alive.”

“…”

Darmac was left silent.

That is true. Why did she save him? He was at death's door and was ready to accept his end, even if his plan failed, thanks to that goodie-two-shoes Gin.

If Darmac had actually won and killed Gin, he would’ve challenged the Inquisitor himself. They say that he’s the strongest man alive, strong enough to even kill a dragon. No one was able to defeat him in a fight. But Darmac wanted to test that. He wanted to prove to everyone that he is the true strongest man alive, to prove that the Inquisitor can be beatable in a fight. But if what they said was true, well, at least he didn’t go off without a fight.

Under his growl, he looked at her with a sour look on his face.

“Tsk, fine! Tell me, why do you need me alive?”

“It’s easy. Because I want to make a deal with you.”

“…?”

A deal? With Darmac? What can she want with a lowlife that tried to destroy the city with that suicidal plan of his? Why would she want to team up with a dangerous person? Has she lost her marbles? This had Darmac puzzled as she kept smiling.

So he asked.

“You want me to make a deal with you?”

“I mean, that’s what I said.”

“But why? Why do you need me out of all people?”

“Well that’s the thing. I do need a subject to carry out my plan.”

“‘Subject’? What do you mean by that?”

“Oh, you know. Lab rats. Testers. Plaything. You name it. I just needed someone to test my project out.”

So she just needed Darmac so that he could be her test subject? Darmac was baffled by this. Angry, even. He couldn’t—in fact, don’t want to—imagine what disgusting experiments she was going to do to his body.

However, this felt off.

“Why are you telling me this right out of the blue? You could’ve just simply lied your way through to make me believe you.”

“Why would I? So that I can make the same mistake as you did?”

“—!”

“You think I didn't know that? I knew that it was your plan to begin with; your scheme to have the Blue Sharks run rampant so that you would attract the Inquisitor to destroy this city. I must say, that is a devilish plan, but that’s nothing but child’s play. Such poor fools. They are so hungry for power that they are willing to gobble up anything to get what they want. And they fell for it.”

How did she know that? Was she at the base when Darmac announced his plan to the Blue Sharks? Darmac couldn’t recall. There were so many people in that place that he could barely remember their faces—or even their names. But it didn’t matter to him and he didn’t care. As long as his plan was—or at least, were—in motion, sacrifices are beneficial and he didn’t care how many lives were lost.

All that remains is who is she?

“Who are you?”

“Oh, foolish me. So much was going on in an instant that I’ve completely forgotten to introduce myself.”

Regaining her composure, she cleared her throat and she introduced herself to the blue-furred wolfman.

“The name’s Grimia. In case you may not know me, I’m the Head of the Quinnwell Prime Labs.”

The little dwarf put her hands on her hips and held her head high as she proudly introduced herself to Darmac.

“…”

However, Darmac gave a puzzled expression as if he didn’t know who she was.

“Who?”

“What th— Don’t you know who I am?”

“No, I don’t.”

“Then you’re familiar with Quinnwell Prime Labs, then?”

“Can’t say I have.”

“Did someone at least mention me or my company?”

“Not one thing. And I never even heard about you or your ‘company’.”

“Gwaa?!”

Grimia was flabbergasted by Darmac’s response. He wasn’t joking. He genuinely does not know who she is or who she works for. It was not familiar to him.

“I-I don’t believe it! You of all people should know better who you’re talking to.”

“Pah! Why should I care? And besides, if you want to make a deal with someone, don’t you think you need someone who is more…useful?”

He says that as he waved his stumped right arm in front of her. If she wanted to hire the best person that she could find, she would’ve found someone who is able bodied. It would be a hindrance if she made him do something that is trivial to him.

“Oh, that? Pfft! That’s nothing. That can easily be arranged.”

“…Alright. But even if I say yes, what do I even get out of this?”

“Well…since your plan failed and you got your butt kicked by the person you called Gin, how about I can set you up with a rematch with him, with modifications, of course. And I’ll give you what you want. You said you want to be the world’s strongest, do you?”

“…”

Darmac is thinking about what Grimia had said. It was not a lie. He does want to be the world’s strongest man alive. It was something that he wanted.

But the question is, should he trust her? He finds that hard to believe.

“What’s the catch?”

“No catch. I can assure you that there’s nothing you need to give me in return. I don’t need money or power. I just need someone to bring forth an evolution.”

“What does that even mean?”

“Oh, you’ll find out. So how about it? Oh.”

Grimia reaches out and extends her right arm before switching to her left in front of Darmac. It was the only arm that Darmac had left was his felt arm, so of course she had to switch it. He couldn’t tell if she did it by accident or on purpose just to tick him off. Whichever the case may be, he gave a brief pause before extending his only arm and said “Fine” as he shook her hand.

And so, the deal has been set.

With the deal set in motion, Darmac stood up from the floor and walked towards the door.

“Where are you going?”

“Right now is the perfect weather to fish for food.”

“With only one arm?”

“Well they aren’t going to fish themselves. Besides, what’s nothing more than a good, sweet fish?”

With that, he goes through the door and closes it behind him. Meanwhile the big blue wolf is wild and out catching fish, Grimia, alone in the room, makes a face of disgust.

“Fish? Really? Yack!”

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

“Look, look, I caught it!”

“Yeah, me too!”

They had been fishing for half an hour; both Jakki and Gina reeled back their lures and caught themselves some fish. This was the third time that the two children caught some fish as there were six fishes—three from Jakki and three from Gina—in their bucket that they shared.

“That’s great you guys! Have you caught one yet, Sho?”

“Not yet.”

While everyone has caught their fish, Shouya was the only one that hasn’t caught a single bite, whereas Alisa has captured three fishes and Enna has captured two. He’s neither frustrated or sad, although it would make him happy if he did catch one. As long as everyone is having fun, he is having fun as well.

It’s the experience that counts.

Gin reached out to Shouya and patted him on his shoulder.

“Hey, don’t sweat it, kiddo! You’ll get your catch in no time.”

“Easy for you to say! Look at what you have.”

Shouya exclaimed as he pointed out what Gin had caught from the sea.

Unlike the others that the group has caught, Gin, on the other hand, was the oddball of the bunch. While he did catch the most out of the group, he fished out a lot of various sea creatures. He caught four yellowtails, three salmon, six sardines, two basses, and somehow an eel and an octopus. Is he that good at fishing, or was he just lucky? He couldn’t tell.

Gin doesn’t deny this and he lightly scratches the side of his cheeks.

“I…might’ve gone a bit overboard.”

“I don’t know if ‘overboard’ was the right word.”

“Well, when it comes to fish, or any seafood, he’ll just eat them up.”

“Aw, Enna, you don’t have to say that! It’s embarrassing.”

Gin blushes and covers his face with his hands. Everyone laughed in joy as they enjoyed their time with the people who they cared for.

This was the moment Shouya had wanted: people who he cares about and they cared back and had an enjoyable time with each other.

An hour has passed and it was already midday.

“Still nothing, eh?”

“Not one fish.”

Shouya still had not captured a single fish since they had arrived. His bucket was still empty while others’ buckets were full of fishes.

“Phew! Alright, that should be it for the day!”

Gin says that as he reeled up one more fish before announcing that he’s done for the day.

“Yeah, I’m pooped!”

“I guess we’re all tired, huh?”

It wasn’t just Gin, but others began to tire themselves from all the fishing that they’ve done. Can’t really blame them. They’ve been fishing for a while and their strength and stamina was spent on it. They got up and started preparing to head home.

Even though Shouya hasn't caught a single fish, at least he had fun spending time with the people who're close to him.

“Hm?”

As Shouya was about to get ready to leave, he tried reeling back his line, but his line got stuck on something.

“What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. I think my line got stuck.”

He tried veering his pole, even pulling from different directions, but it came to no effect. Maybe that’s why he hadn’t caught a single fish; his line was caught on something. A rock, maybe? He wasn’t sure.

He gave one hard pull on the fishing pole, something odd happened.

“Woah!”

Suddenly, his line started to move on its own, pulling away from Shouya.

“Woah there! Looks like you’ve caught a big one!”

Gin assisted him by holding on to the pole with Shouya and tried pulling it, but even with Gin’s help, it’s still strong and being pulled away from to the point that they’re being dragged on their feet and closer to the ocean.

Alisa, Enna, Jakki, and Gina stepped in to help the two of them, stopping them from falling into the ocean. Everyone grabbed onto each other while Shouya and Gin held on to the pole and started pulling. The one who was pulling the line away from the group started to feel weakened.

“It’s working!”

“Don’t stop!”

With everyone’s strength, they continued to pull, and pull, and pull, until suddenly, something jumped out of the water.

“—!”

Everyone fell to the floor on top of each other and then something landed on top of Shouya like a soccer ball hit him. It was a huge red fish that was six feet tall. It’s big enough to feed an entire family.

“Wow Sho! You caught it!”

“M-Me? I couldn’t have done it without you guys!”

“Nah! We couldn’t take all the credit. It is your line, and you’re the one that caught it. So take it with pride. You’ve earned it. And besides, what are families for?”

Family…

Shouya was moved by those words. He looked around him to see the people smiling and laughing with such joy and happiness. He never felt such warmth in his life before; not from his school, not from his home, or even from his world. He never had such happiness until now.

“Huh, well, guess I did.”

He laughs along with the people he has met, who they called him family.

[END]