The Pureblood Merman

"Maybe having a hybrid merman baby wouldn't be such a bad idea," Deanna mused aloud, her eyes distant and dreamy as she glanced toward the corner where the merman mecha squad was stationed.

Arix, caught off guard by Deanna's comment, looked at her curiously. Following her line of sight, Arix spotted a small, blond-haired, blue-eyed merman, barely noticeable behind the much larger Siren mermen.

'Wait... is that a pureblood merman?' Arix furrowed her brow, studying the little merman who had somehow escaped everyone's attention until now.

Beyond his striking features, he looked less than thirteen. 'But what's a kid like that doing in a national mecha squad?' Arix wondered.

The whole situation didn't add up. No country would risk putting a child in such a dangerous position, especially not in the highly competitive Empire of Merman.