The Skeletal Fish

The powerful tremors at the bottom of the sea grew increasingly violent, and chaotic currents howled across the seabed. In the wilderness of the western Sea Nation, vast clouds of silt and sand were kicked up by the intense vibrations, billowing into the seawater. At the deepest point of this churning silt lay a widening abyssal rift.

Amidst the strengthening tremors, the rocks surrounding the dark fissure began to collapse. Under the influence of some colossal force, the abyss was being torn open, expanding rapidly. The rift, which had originally been dozens of meters wide, had already stretched to over a hundred meters.

During this upheaval, countless houses in the Sea Nation collapsed, and the seabed cracked with one fissure after another. Nearby underwater volcanoes began to erupt, sending thick plumes of smoke surging from the depths toward the surface.

—!

With an indescribable, soul-piercing cry, a massive shadow burst forth from the abyss. From the perspective of Otakemaru and the others, a giant, fish-shaped phantom emerged through the thick dust suspended in the water.

"That thing... what is it?"

Otakemaru, struggling to maintain his balance amidst the turbulence, stared at the enormous shadow rising through the distant dust and mist, murmuring in shock. As a Yokai Lord, he could feel a soul-crushing pressure radiating from it.

Another long cry, like the call of a whale, echoed across the seabed. The gargantuan creature within the dust began to writhe its massive body, disturbing the silt that blanketed the wilderness. The behemoth slowly broke through the mist, and only then did everyone see its true form.

It was... a skeletal giant fish, resembling both a shark and a whale.

Thick, stone-like bones were joined together, with a massive spine extending three to four hundred meters. The long ribs curving downward were sharp and terrifying. From head to tail, seven or eight pairs of giant skeletal fins looked like the claws of a terrestrial beast. A heavy, rounded skull opened and closed a massive maw, lined with countless jagged, serrated teeth. At the very top of the skull was a large, jagged crack.

There was not a single shred of flesh on this skeletal giant fish; it looked like a god of death from the deep sea. Suspended between the ribs of its chest cavity was a large orb of light flickering with an eerie green glow, radiating an endless aura of life.

"This... is the Evil God of the Sea that dwelled in that abyss, the one defeated by the First Emperor a thousand years ago? To think... such a thing existed beneath the Sea Nation," Uminari said in shock, squinting against the current as he stared at the distant skeletal fish.

"Damn it... is that the thing that stole the Sea Nation's life force?" Otakemaru shouted, staring fixedly at the energy orb between the skeletal fish's ribs, his eyes burning with fury.

"Give... give the Sea Nation back to me!!"

With a roar, Otakemaru charged through the currents toward the distant skeletal fish. Seeing this, Kujira and Uminari couldn't help but reach out in alarm.

"Watch out, Young Lord!"

Otakemaru's charge lasted only a moment. While he was still a considerable distance from the skeletal fish, the turbulence in the water suddenly intensified. A powerful current he could not resist swept him away instantly. Otakemaru tried to stabilize himself, but it was impossible. He was carried by the violent flow and slammed hard into a protruding rock on the seabed, shattering it. Otakemaru himself couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of blood.

"Cough... cough... what's happening... this current is so strong, even more powerful than before... I can't break free at all." Embedded deep within the shattered rock, Otakemaru spoke through his coughing. He realized that the closer he got to the skeletal fish, the more torrential the currents became, eventually reaching a point where even he, the Yokai Lord of the sea, could not defy them. Being swept away was the only possible outcome.

"Cough... as the Yokai Lord of the Sea Nation... I can't even get close to that guy..."

As Otakemaru murmured in despair, the skeletal fish made a new move. Its skeletal head turned toward the north, and then it twisted its massive body, using its skeletal fins to swim powerfully in that direction. Seeing this, a terrible premonition rose in Uminari's heart.

"North... what is it doing going that way?"

"Since the denizens of the Sea Nation refused to die in the war, it is going to devour them personally. Although such a forced action will cost it a price, it has no other choice now."

The one who answered Uminari was 'Kikyo,' whose expression was now indifferent. Miketsu understood perfectly what the ancient sea god's goal was.

After its schemes failed, it could only resort to forceful means to gather energy. Given its current situation, this sea god, having died twice, likely lacked the excess blood sacrifice power that the Great Snake once had to forcibly drive a corpse. The fact that it could move this skeleton now was likely due to the life energy it had already siphoned from the Sea Nation—the energy orb currently held within its ribs.

This power was originally intended for its resurrection ritual, but now it was forced to use it to drive the skeleton so it could hunt for more energy on the northern lands. The consumption during the journey would mean that even after devouring all the people of the Sea Nation, there would still be a deficit, so it would have to invade the land further.

In Miketsu's view, perhaps this sea god, having learned from its experience a thousand years ago, was reluctant to go directly to the land to seize energy. It couldn't be sure if it would attract another existence like the First Emperor. Therefore, its original plan didn't involve a true invasion of the land; it only needed the people of the Sea Nation to mostly die in the war. Now, due to Miketsu's intervention, it was forced onto this perilous path.

"It's going to devour the citizens of the Sea Nation... then what should we do? What can we..." Uminari said in a panic. Even with his vast experience, he had no idea how to handle the current situation. Clearly, the events unfolding had exceeded the scope of his knowledge.

"The current incident is no longer something you can interfere with. Stay back and just watch. Don't worry, it will be stopped," Kikyo said calmly. Uminari looked at her blankly.

"It will be stopped..."

"Yes. Matters of gods should be handled by gods. All we can do is witness..." As Kikyo spoke, she looked upward. Through the deep seawater, she saw a blurred golden light plummeting downward.

A golden arrow of light streaked through the deep sea, piercing the torrential currents as it fell. It struck the thick spine of the skeletal fish directly, erupting into a dazzling golden explosion. The pitch-black seabed was illuminated by the golden radiance, and within this light, the skeletal fish let out a wail of agony, its massive body tilting to one side.

Above the giant fish, Miketsu held a longbow constructed purely of divine light, aiming downward as another arrow of light condensed upon the string.