NOVEL NEXT Chapter 147: Tonatiuh
Bright sunlight bathed the beach. The ocean shimmered, a warm, salty breeze carrying the scent of the sea.
Griseo, wearing a cute blue swimsuit, stood barefoot in the sand, frowning slightly as she contemplated her next stroke in the sand.
"Saving the world… how do I draw that?" she murmured.
Her quiet words contrasted sharply with the distant explosions and the mangled wreckage of the transport nearby.
"Who are you?" Bronya, wary despite the girl's appearance, shielded the others, Project Bunny's cannons aimed.
This stretch of coastline was deserted. They'd surveyed the area before the Hyperion landed; there were no signs of human activity. This girl's sudden appearance was suspicious.
A faint golden shimmer flickered in Griseo's eyes, then vanished. Ren had taken control.
He'd told Older Kiana to handle this alone, but he couldn't help worrying.
"Rozaliya-nee-chan, do you want to draw with me?" Griseo looked at the pink-haired girl, extending an invitation.
Rozaliya, hiding behind Bronya, was confused. How did this girl know her name? She glanced at Liliya, who looked at her with suspicion.
"Silly Rozaliya! You have another sister you didn't tell me about?!"
"I don't!" Rozaliya's tail lashed out. She vehemently denied it. Turning to Griseo, she scowled. "Don't call me that! I don't know you! I'm Liliya's sister, not yours!"
"Big brother's seashell is with you. You promised him. So you're my sister too." Griseo held up a delicate seashell necklace, the shell shimmering in the sunlight.
"What seashell? I don't know what you're talking about." Rozaliya's heart pounded as she instinctively denied it, not noticing the faint glow emanating from the shell in her pocket.
Before, she might have been willing to leave. But after these few days of fun with her friends, the thought of separating was unbearable.
"Rozaliya-nee-chan, children who break promises pay a price. If you don't want to come with me, fine. But please return Big Brother's seashell. He's gone now."
"I…" Rozaliya's hand clutched the shell in her pocket, her palm sweating. She didn't want to leave, but she was afraid of that man returning.
Liliya took her hand, her touch cool and reassuring. "Sister, is she that seashell weirdo's sister?"
Rozaliya nodded, glancing at Griseo. Bronya and Seele exchanged confused glances.
Seashell weirdo? That didn't sound good.
"The one we saw in the coral reef. Remember, Bronya-nee-chan? He had green hair," Liliya explained. She'd promised to keep it a secret, but this girl was trying to take her sister away.
"Green hair…" Bronya frowned, the description familiar. Seele's eyes widened. "Mr. Kindred! The one who took the Gem of Desire in the Sea of Quanta."
"But he's dead, isn't he?"
Griseo interrupted. "Yes, Big Brother is gone. But the things he left behind still have power. Those who break their promises will be cursed."
Ren glanced at Rozaliya, whose face had paled.
Scaring children was a low blow, but Ren was a Herrscher. Morality wasn't exactly his strong suit.
He didn't notice the bubbles rising on the ocean surface, the large shadow approaching from the depths.
Meanwhile, the battle around the Hyperion had ended. The attack had been swift and brutal, seemingly aimed solely at damaging the ship.
"Are Bronya and the others back yet?"
"I don't know. The Hyperion's signal has been jammed since the attack. It's strange." After the suicidal ramming, the Hyperion's shield was down, the ship heavily damaged, a chunk of the deck missing.
"The jamming hasn't stopped?" Theresa fidgeted nervously, staring at the radar. "Dr. Einstein, I have a bad feeling."
They hadn't identified the source of the jamming, but another explosion rocked the Hyperion.
When security arrived, they found a gaping hole in a metal wall.
"This is Cocolia's cell! She's escaped!"
"Someone's helping her! The attack was a distraction!" It was easy to deduce, but finding her would be difficult. The Hyperion's communications were down, the internal network hacked by Older Kiana. They had to resort to a manual search.
…
In a hidden passage, Older Kiana led a dazed Cocolia through the ship. Opening a portal would create a Honkai energy surge, alerting Anti-Entropy. They had to escape conventionally.
But Older Kiana was prepared. An invisible thread guided them through the ship, sensing enemy movements, providing an escape route.
They reached a breach in the hull, but as they prepared to jump, a powerful storm erupted on the ocean surface.
High energy reaction detected!
Alarms blared as the Honkai energy surge in the ocean reached its peak.
The sea boiled, waves rising dozens of meters high. The storm churned, seawater swirling into the sky, darkening the previously sunny horizon.
Ding!
A strange chime echoed. A massive Quantum Shadow leaped from the ocean, then vanished.
It reappeared, its massive claws slamming into the water, splitting the waves.
It was a monstrous lobster, radiating a foul aura.
「Tonatiuh: Eclipse's Shadow.」