The Storm in the Sea

[Night]

Marco set up a camp for him and Alice, tomorrow they would reach Illiasport, right now Marco was using 'Start', and followed Alice's commands to learn a new technique.

Alice: That's right… Stabilize your upper body. Step forwards with your foot, and quickly thrust into the enemy with your claws.

Then Marco took a deep breath and made a fast step forward while he pushed away the dirt with the other foot, and he thrusted forward against a tree, his arm looked like a snake, and made an hole in the tree, his arm penetrated the tree, surprising him a bit.

But it reached the depth of 10 centimeters, it would be ok against normal monsters but stronger ones requires the Gates.

Marco: How was it?

Alice: For the 'Start' form, it isn't that bad… It's better if you try it in actual combat instead of training…

Marco: So… What is this technique? 'Thunder Thrust… My second skill'

Alice: It's said that Bloody Fernandez mastered this technique, and covered the battlefield with her bloody thrusts. It is called Blood Fissure Thunder Thrust…

Marco: Too bloody fucking long! I'll rename it Thunder Thrust.

Alice: *Sigh* Do whatever you want… This technique is most useful right at the start of combat. That is, if you use it at the beginning of a fight, it will unleash its full power.

Marco: I see… Thanks Alice.

Alice closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

Alice: Well then, let's end the practice for today. Let's head off to sleep to get ready for tomorrow.

Marco nodded, deactivated his Nine Tailed Gates, and both him and Alice picked up a place to sleep in the area.

Marco immediately slept and started to dream.

[Dreamscape]

Marco opened his eyes to find himself once again in the familiar golden cloud, and Illias appeared once again in front of him with a smile.

Illias: Marco… Oh brave Marco… Defeat the Monster Lord, Marco…

Marco: I see…

Illias: That's right… Defeat the Monster Lord…

Then Marco felt sleepy once again, and closed his eyes, then he reopened them to find himself under the blue sky, in the morning, he frowned and thought.

Marco: '... Just like that? Was that too fast?'

Marco shrugged and rubbed his sleepy-filled eyes, he never agreed at Illias' request since it would trigger a quest, he just said 'I see', it wasn't a no, but it was neither a yes.

Marco heard a sound and looked at Alice that was drinking some water, it seems that she woke before him. When she brought down the bottle, she said.

Alice: Good morning, Marco.

Marco: Good morning… Well, some eggs for breakfast...

[Later]

Marco and Alice finished breakfast some time ago, and now the reached a forest full of mud.

Marco: Thanks god I don't have my shoes from my past life…

Alice: What?

Marco: Nothing… Just saying this place is full of mud.

Alice: You are right… Be careful, in these kind of places a lot of tropical monsters are likely to appear. Watch where you're going.

Marco: ...The fuck is a tropical mon… ster…

Marco noticed that Alice disappeared, and reflexively used 'Start' and looked forward, in front of him there was a Rafflesia Girl, it was basically 2 girls in a giant rafflesia, the girls were twins with short green hair, there was a pistil in both foreheads, and had human chests.

But below their chest there were two giant branches connected to the center of the flower, around them there were countless green tentacles, and the flower petals were red with countless white spots.

Rafflesia Girl: Perfect… It's time for me to be pollinated… Hey… Will you mate with me? Spread your seed all over my pistil.

Marco stood silent before just walking around them, making them panic a bit since he was out from their range.

Rafflesia Girl: W-Wait a second! Come back! I'll give you immense pleasu…

Marco couldn't hear them anymore since he was too far, since the monster girl was in the ground, she couldn't leave from her place, probably other men were too near and got captured from her tentacles.

When a certain distance was reached, Alice turned back at Marco, and said.

Alice: So you avoided another monster…

Marco: If all the monsters are like that I might as well avoid them, I fight only because I defend myself.

Alice nodded in agreement.

Marco: Once we're out of these woods, we should reach Illiasport…

Marco didn't heard anything from Alice, not even her breath, so he turned and found that she vanished again. In front of Marco there was another plant monster, this time it was a roper.

She had purple hair which ended in purple tentacles, her arms were tentacles too, her chest was the same one of a human, while the rest of the body was the one of a plant.

Roper Girl: It's been a long time since I tasted a delicious treat…

Marco looked down, and noticed that she was planted in the ground too, so he decided to avoid her too, but unexpectedly, he was in her tentacle's range, and one grabbed his leg, surprising him, he immediately used 'Start' and struggled to get free, but it was unsuccessful.

Then another two tentacles came and this time they binded Marco's arms, Marco couldn't get out from her grasp, while she took him near him.

Roper Girl: Hahahaha! You will not get… free…

The Roper Girl noticed a sudden increase in aura from Marco, and a tail came out, it transformed in a claw and cut down all the tentacles, making Marco fall in the ground, he immediately used Thunder Thrust, making a hole in the monster girl's body.

Roper Girl: W-What…

The Roper Girl glowed and turned in a normal roper and Marco deactivated 1st Gate. Then Alice came.

Alice: This time you had some difficulties with such a weak monster.

Marco: I just didn't expected that I was in her range… Now let's go.

[Later]

Marco and Alice reached Illiasport, but…

Alice: For a port town, it isn't very lively.

Marco and Alice, in her human form, looked around and seen that there were many depressed people and no much activity, there were only people that were either fishing, walking around, or drinking.

Marco knew the reason, it was because Alma Elma, another Heavenly Knight, was destroying every ship that would go in the sea. But it could easily be something else since there were some changes in the story, like that abnormal chimera in the mountain range.

Marco: Something that should not happen happened…

Marco walked towards a nearby shopkeeper and asked.

Marco: Excuse me… Is there something happening in this port?

Shopkeeper: You look like a new guy… Since last year, nobody has made a round trip to the Sentora continent.

Marco: Do you know why?

Shopkeeper: There's a horrible storm. Every time a ship leaves the coast, it's hit by a huge storm.

Marco: A storm…? 'Until now it seems all normal…'

Shopkeeper: Yeah, no matter how clear the sky looks, as soon as a ship sets out it starts storming. As the rumors go, it's the work of monsters. They're harassing us or something, I don't really know.

Alice: I see…

Alice nodded, as if she understood something.

Marco: …Is it 'Her'?

Alice sweated a bit and looked away.

Alice: I don't know what you mean with that…

Marco: *Sigh* Alright… Alice, can you take me at Sentora? You should be able to fly, right?

Alice: I can.

Marco: Then…

Alice: ... But I don't want.

Marco: Fuck you…

Alice smiled in amusement and put an hand under Marco's chin.

Alice: You want to fuck me?

Marco clicked his tongue and slapped away Alice's hand while she grinned, then her grin turned in a serious face.

Alice: Still, you will not be able to beat her…

Marco: And I surely can't go berserk in a ship… Alma Elma can even fly so it would be useless using a bijuudama, unless I block her movements, which is impossible with my current strength…

Alice: *Sigh* At this rate, I will not be able to taste foreign delicacies…

Marco: You can fly…

Alice: *Cough* *Cough*

Alice faked some coughs, and Marco sighed again.

Marco: 'Where the fuck is…'

?: My love! There is a way!

Marco sighed once again, and he and Alice turned towards the source of the familiar voice. Amira, the unfortunate lamia appeared again.

Amira: I am Amira, an Unfortunate Lamia. A snake swaying in the breeze.

Marco: ...Can you just come to the main part of the talk?

Amira: If my love ask for that, then it will happen! ...Only if you say please…

Marco: …*Sigh* Please, Amira, can you tell me what the fuck I need to do?

Amira: Can you use a sweet voi-

Marco: If you don't talk, I'll devour your legs until only bones remains and throw you in the fucking sea!

Amira yelped and said with a bit of fear.

Amira: I-If you go out of the town… And head east, you will come across a cave. In there lies the treasure of the legendary pirate Captain Selene. In that treasure trove seems to be the legendary Poseidon's Bell, carrying that bell, no matter how the sea rages, the ship won't sink.

Marco: 'Thanks god she finally said that… At least I don't need to explain how I knew about it myself…' Alright, thank you Amira, Alice, let's get the fuck out of there…

Alice immediately followed Marco away from Amira, who was still talking about herself, and left the town before heading towards the treasure cove.

[SPECIAL QUESTS]

1st. Kick Gabriel's ass

2nd. Achieve coexistence between Monsters and Humans

3rd. Kill Illias

4th. Return to Lucifina's grave

5th. Visit every places in Illias Continent, Sentora and Hellgondo