"Unfurl the wings!"
Tina's voice cracked like a whip across the deck, sharp over the roar of the turbines. Her hands moved with precision, pulling levers and adjusting gears. The deck shuddered as the Eternal Life's side panels split open with a booming metallic thud.
From either side of the hull, two enormous silvered wings unfurled, creaking once before locking in place. The ship lurched forward, sails straining, turbines screaming, the currents catching under those wings. For the first time since its construction, the Eternal Life truly soared.
Salt spray whipped Jin's long hair across his face. He braced against the rail, eyes narrowed as the vessel lifted clear of the first churning spirals. The air itself seemed to roar approval. For a heartbeat, even he felt exhilaration.
"Steady her! Kuma, clamp that wheel tight! When we fall, don't let the helm be dragged by the pull!" Tina barked.
The great bear-man planted his paws on the wheel, jaw firm. "Aye. I won't let her shift."
Tina strode forward to stand shoulder to shoulder with Jin. She didn't look at him, only at the maelstrom below. "The wings will only carry us so far. When we drop, it'll be on you."
Jin's hand tightened on his blade's hilt. "I know."
The Eternal Life glided like a massive bird, its shadow skimming the vortex field. The spirals below twisted hungrily, eager to devour. Already Jin could feel the ship beginning to lose lift.
He drew in a sharp breath. His voice was calm, cutting across the deck. "Prepare. We'll touch down in five minutes. Distance to clear waters: one-point-two nautical miles. That's the final line."
"Understood!" Tina peeled away, relaying his command.
Exactly five minutes later, the wings shuddered.
With a grinding snap, they folded back into the hull. The Eternal Life dropped.
The deck tilted, wind howling as the ship descended into chaos.
But Jin was already moving.
One heartbeat he was there on deck, hair whipping in the gale. The next he was gone, a silver streak flashing into the abyss. He dove straight into the throat of the largest whirlpool, its black mouth gaping wide.
The water slammed against him instantly, crushing in all directions. The pressure could tear warships apart like kindling. But Jin roared, a primal sound that rippled through the sea itself, parting it around his body.
Inner force erupted through his veins, circuits of lightning-fast power surging into every tendon, every bone. His muscles swelled and hardened, his frame expanding with raw energy until his very skin trembled. His purple eyes deepened into gemstones, brilliant and terrible in the gloom.
He spread his stance on the seafloor current, the Eternal Life far above him now. In his hands, his heavy blade shone like a fragment of the moon.
・Blade Gang – World Severance!"
The sea itself seemed to scream as he swung. His blade carved a perfect circle, two hundred meters wide, a solid disc of condensed force. That barrier slammed into the vortex's core, halting its pull. For one miraculous instant, the spiral stuttered, its endless hunger denied.
On the surface, the Eternal Life struck water—yet instead of being torn apart, it skimmed the chaotic waves, skirting across like a skiff on calm tide.
Tina's eyes widened as she felt it. "He's… holding it back. He's really—by the seas, he's stopping it!"
Below, Jin's arms shook under the strain. Cracks laced across his barrier. He grit his teeth, eyes narrowing. Fifty seconds. That's all it buys them.
When the circle finally shattered with a deafening crack, he didn't flinch. His right arm was already coiled.
"Five Dragon Fist—Golden Dragon Shatters the Mountain!"
His punch tore reality. A golden dragon head burst from his fist, scales flashing with lightning. It roared soundlessly in the depths, teeth gnashing as it slammed into the whirlpool's heart. The countercurrent ripped, shredded, and for another precious few seconds the abyss stilled.
The Eternal Life slid further forward, sails billowing.
But the sea was not so easily denied. The vortex shuddered, twisted—and reformed.
Jin's lips curled into a savage grin. His blood boiled. Good. A real fight.
He tucked his blade behind him and bared his fists. Both arms coiled, muscles like steel cables.
"Five Dragon Fist—Resonance!"
Twin punches exploded into the sea. Shockwaves rippled outward, concentric rings tearing into the whirlpool's structure. The rotation faltered, broken into fragments.
But for Jin, there was no illusion—he could not destroy the root. Not without plunging deeper, not without risking the Eternal Life being lost while he fought the sea's heart below. His task was simpler: hold the surface at bay.
Seconds stretched. His lungs burned. His knuckles split, blood dissolving instantly in the salt. He kept punching, each strike carrying the resonance of an earthquake.
On the deck above, Makino gripped the rail, knuckles white. "He's still down there." Her voice shook.
Kuina's eyes were locked on the frothing waters, her jaw tight. She hated this helplessness more than death.
Tina's orders cut through their fear like a blade. "Stay steady! Trust him!"
But even Tina couldn't hide the tremor in her tone. The sea itself was shattering around them—because of him.
And then—
The Eternal Life burst clear.
The final rim of the vortex fell away behind them, water cascading like collapsing towers. Spray rained across the deck.
They had crossed.
Jin broke the surface in the ship's wake, hair plastered to his skull, chest heaving. He hauled himself aboard in a single bound, water sluicing down his scarred body.
For a moment, silence. Then Makino rushed him, flinging her arms around his drenched torso.
"You mad bastard! Don't you ever—" Her words broke against his chest.
Jin only laughed, warm and rough, resting his forehead against hers. "Told you. I don't fall that easy."
Her lips trembled. He silenced them with a kiss, sudden and claiming, saltwater and heat colliding. She melted against him, fear bleeding out into relief.
Kuina looked away sharply, though her ears burned. Tina only exhaled slowly, relief masked as irritation. "Idiot. If you'd failed, none of us would be here."
Jin finally let Makino go, brushing her wet hair back with one hand. His grin was tired but unbroken. "But I didn't fail. We're alive. That's what matters."
The Eternal Life creaked, but it sailed on into calmer waters. Behind them, the vortex field churned uselessly, its hunger thwarted.
Jin turned, gazing into the black horizon. His eyes glimmered. "The sea threw its worst at us. And we won. What waits on Tensa Island… better be worth it."
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T/N :
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