The Ocean's Big Catch

"Phew."

"Getting a little tired?"

"No, I'm fine."

That's what Azu said, but her face was a touch redder than usual.

Too much sun could make a person sick.

The early signs were showing.

They decided to rest in some nearby shade.

Sitting in the shade, the temperature felt like it dropped considerably.

"Here, drink this."

He handed Azu a canteen of water mixed with apple vinegar syrup.

He'd already unscrewed the cap so she could drink right away.

"Thank you."

She tilted the canteen back, and sure enough, she must have been thirsty. She drained half of it in one go.

When she pulled the canteen away from her lips, her complexion looked noticeably better.

"Let's cool off here for a bit."

"Okay."

After he said that, Elza cast a healing miracle on Azu just to be safe.

"I'm really fine now. I just got a little overheated."

"No, let's keep resting. Anyone else thirsty?"

There was still some left in the canteen.

Alexia took it and tipped it back for a drink.

"Ahh. That's revitalizing."

There was still a little remaining, so Elza took a sip, and finally Yohane finished it off.

The sun was stronger than usual here, and thirst came on quickly.

Better to stay mindful of hydration, he reminded himself.

Sitting in the shade with a strong breeze on them, the sweat gradually dried.

Yohane looked at Azu's face.

She seemed back to normal. The heat had passed.

"I'm really okay now, I promise."

"Alright, alright. It's about that time anyway. Let's grab something to eat."

They got up and headed for the beach house again.

It was still crowded, but they didn't have to wait long.

They bought food and drinks for four.

They'd gotten stir-fried seafood and a few vegetables tossed with wheat noodles.

Seasoned with salt and fish sauce.

"Heavy on the salt."

"Being so close to the ocean probably makes it cheap."

"It's good."

"Not bad."

Perhaps because they'd been sweating and their bodies were craving salt, they polished it off in no time.

With the meal finished, they took a breather.

"Maybe I'll go in the ocean too."

"Can you swim, Master?"

"No, never have. I've waded into a river before, but that's about it."

With that, Yohane stood and led his slaves down to the sea.

He waded in until the water reached his waist, but wisely went no further.

"The ocean really cools you down."

"On that, we agree."

It was less playing and more soaking to cool off, but that was how they spent their time in the water.

It was peaceful.

Then, suddenly, something brushed against Azu's right ankle.

She whipped around, but no one was there.

"What's wrong?"

"Something touched my ankle…"

Before Azu could look down at her right ankle, her body was lifted off the ground.

"Wha—?!"

She was pulled from the surface and hoisted into the air.

Azu's body was dangling upside down.

"What on earth!"

"Something's got Azu-chan's ankle!"

A white, tentacle-like appendage was coiled around Azu's right ankle, hoisting her up and suspending her.

She punched the tentacle, but it did little good.

All she got back was a rubbery, elastic sensation.

"Hang on."

Yohane called out and started toward the beach to get a sword.

In the meantime, Alexia fired off a spell to try and burn through the tentacle.

A ring-shaped flame seared through it, and Azu's body dropped.

Elza caught her in both arms.

"You okay?"

"Yes. That surprised me, but… thank you."

"What was that?"

They stayed on alert.

Normally, Azu was the first to detect any danger.

Was it because they were in the water?

"Let's get to shore. It's dangerous in the sea."

"Agreed."

They moved toward the beach, following after Yohane.

As they did, a swarm of tentacles came chasing after the three of them.

"Catch!"

Yohane hurled the sword he'd retrieved to Azu.

She caught it and drew the blade from its scabbard.

Her bare hands hadn't worked, but with a sword it was a different story.

She sliced apart every tentacle that lunged at them. After that, the creature seemed to grow cautious, watching them warily.

Azu was now standing where the water only came up below her knees.

With the Water Elemental's protection, she couldn't move as freely as on land, but she wasn't hampered either.

After a brief standoff, the waves grew unnaturally large.

Something was rising from beneath the surface.

"What… is that?"

Azu murmured, sword at the ready, staring at something she'd never seen before.

It was a gigantic squid.

The tentacles from before had been its legs.

The squid regenerated its severed limbs.

The parts that had been burned healed more slowly, but they still recovered.

"That's a monster, isn't it?"

"I'd say so."

The two without weapons moved behind Azu.

Elza readied a blessing.

Alexia prepared her magic.

The squid's massive eye studied them as if observing.

Azu leaned forward into an offensive stance, looking for an opening.

Sunlight glinted off the Sealed Sword Grungaus.

As if that were the signal, Azu charged.

But a swarm of fish monsters blocked her path.

By the time she swung her sword several times and cleared a way through, the giant squid monster had already dove into the sea and escaped offshore.

There was no way to catch up to it once it had submerged.

Fire magic's effectiveness was greatly reduced in water, so even though Alexia fired off several pursuit spells, she couldn't inflict any damage.

"Anyone hurt?"

"I'm fine. Where it grabbed me doesn't hurt either."

Yohane checked Azu's right ankle.

The spot where she'd been grabbed was slightly reddened, but there was no visible injury.

When he gently ran his fingers over it, Azu let out a ticklish sound.

"Let's head back up. We should report this to whoever's in charge."

Everyone got out of the water.

Several other people had apparently witnessed the encounter, and word had already been sent ahead.

A handful of people came running toward them.

They were the patrol guards on duty.

When the group explained what had happened, the guards' faces turned grim.

"So it finally made it this far…"

"That wrecked fishing boat must be its doing too."

It seemed this monster was well known.