"Hold your ground! Don't let them into the water! Hold your ground!"

Hody brought down yet another enemy before him, but growled when he was quickly replaced with another. It seemed like there was just no end to them. He looked over his shoulder to make sure his sister was holding up okay. He had told her to stay close to him during the battle. Maria wasn't helpless, but she wasn't as seasoned in battle as he was.

To his surprise, and a bit to his pride as well, Maria was holding her own quite well. She spun her own trident around and knocked another rebel aside, then washed him away with a stream of water she brought for with a wave of her hand. "Be sure to stay close to me Maria!" he ordered.

"I heard you the first five time!" Maria said, stepping back to avoid a minotaur's axe. Hody was about to turn to help her, but before he could something jumped on her attacker's shoulder. Lenora growled before raising her hands and slamming them down on the minotaur's head.

She shocked him, then leapt down, leaving him in a daze. Maria yelled out before jabbing at him with her trident. The blow wasn't enough to pierce his heavy armor, but it was enough to knock him back and send him crashing to the ground. Lenora grunted before looking towards Hody.

"Stop trying to baby your damn sister. You're the acting commander here, and she can hold her own just damn fine," Lenora said. She honestly didn't know Maria all that well, and she knew next to nothing of her battle skills. But if Hody kept fretting over a single solider in their ranks, then he'd be distracted.

Hody narrowed his eyes at her, but then turned around heatbutted another attacker who had tried to rush him. "She's right Hody! I'll be fine! I'm not planning on picking any fights I'm not sure I can win! Focus on the battle!" Maria shouted.

The acting king grit his teeth. As much as he hated to admit it, he couldn't afford to split his attention right now. He… would just have to trust that his sister would be fine.

"Young prince, look out!"

Hody heard a familiar voice. One that he hadn't heard in years. The shock of hearing it again didn't keep him from moving however, and he just narrowly avoided the anchor that came flying through the air at him. He looked over to see two figures making their way towards him.

One of them was a rather tiny figure. It looked like a young waterfolk boy. He had green skin. He had rather sharp teeth, and a pair of blood red eyes. He smiled as he pulled on the chain he was holding, easily bringing back the anchor he had hurled at Hody and slinging it over his shoulder.

The other was the one who's voice Hody recognized. A large hulking figure with pitch black skin, save for the handful of white spots on his back and around his eyes. He had razor sharp teeth, and a pair of sharp yellow eyes. He had quite a few scars over his body. Signs of his seasoned record of battles.

Hody had known this man, though he never thought he would ever come face to face with him again. He was the former captain of the Waterfolk's guard, and the one who had bestowed the title of the Blood Soaked Piranha to Coral.

Keto The Killer.

"I should have known they would bring you back…" Hody muttered. He had been one of the most famed warriors of the Waterfolk tribe, and behind Coral he had been one of the knights that Hody had looked up to the most. He overwhelming strength and power, the pride he had in the Waterfolk people and kingdom, it was second to none.

The smaller waterfolk boy smiled. "Oh, you two know each other? That's sort of interesting," he said laughing.

Keto grunted, ignoring him. "Forgive me young prince. I can't control my actions. The enemy is using some twisted magic to manipulate my body." To be used as a puppet against his people and kingdom felt absolutely disgusting to him. But to even make him break his oath and raise his hand at a member of the royal family? It was sickening.

Hody raised his weapon. "I already know that," he said, readying himself. "I can't say I'm eager to have to put you back in the grave, but I don't have much of a choice either."

Keto nodded in understanding, but then glanced around. "You've grown into quite the warrior it seems. But… where is Coral? She should be here at your side, should she not?" he asked. She was always assigned to protect him, and given what he managed to pick up about the situation, this should have been no exception.

Hody hesitated for a moment. "She… she isn't here. She's with child, and she isn't in any condition to fight right now," he explained.

Keto's expression changed, and he scowled. "Is that right… Hody, tell me if what the scum working under that wretched halfbreed told me was true. Did she abandon her duty? Did she really run off with those surface scum septarians?" he asked. Hody grit his teeth. He had honestly been hoping to avoid this conversion.

The expression on his face seemed to be all Keto needed to see. "So it is true. I had always had my doubts about that girl, but this? How absolutely disgusting," he said, shaking his head. "It seems I chose wrong in my successor after-"

"Keto," Hody said, cutting him off. "I understand what things may seem like from your point of view, and that you haven't been here to see how things have unfolded and changed. But I don't have you badmouthing Coral." The tone of his voice got his irritation across very clearly.

He had respected and even admired Keto as a warrior of the Waterfolk, but he had cared for Coral even more, and he wouldn't have him badmouthing her.

Keto stared back at Hody, and then narrowed his eyes. "I see… it seems she even poisoned your head with her nonsense. That's regrettable. I do hope her foolish ideals haven't weakened you as a warrior. Sad at this is, I still would rather not be the one to have to lay you low," he said.

"You won't be," Hody assured.

He rushed towards Keto, trident raised. He remembered just how to study, and how powerful he was. This wasn't going to be easy, but he would-

"Did you forget about me?"

Hody's eyes went wide, and he ducked just before the anchor from earlier came swinging at him and nearly took his head off. He slid to a stop and then looked towards the smaller waterfolk boy. "I know you two have a whole past together and everything, but I don't like being ignored," he said.

He pulled the anchor back again and then began spinning it around in the air. Hody scowled, wondering just who this brat was. The anchor was well over twice his size, but he was swinging it around like it was nothing. Did his magical ability strengthen him? Or was it the weapon itself?

"Who are you?"

The boy blinked, and then let out a laugh. "Wow, you actually cared enough to ask my name. I'm so flattered your highness. My name is Gup, but back in my time people knew me better by my nickname. The Seaweed Gifter." Both Hody, Maria, and more than a few waterfolk warriors nearby all looked shocked, a reason that got another laugh out of the boy.

"What… no fucking way! You're a myth!" Hody barked.

"Am I? I don't feel like a myth," Gup said, tilting his head.

Lenora looked towards Maria confused. "I don't get it. What's the big deal about this guy?" she asked. He looked like just some runt, but the moment he spouted that nickname everybody freaked the hell out.

Maria explained. "The Seaweed Gifter was said to be a serial killer who played the Waterfolk kingdom generations ago. It was said that he… he would dismember and wrap his victims inside of seaweed before dropping them off somewhere for someone to find," she said. "Nobody had ever been able to catch him, and he slowly faded away as a myth."

While the killings were very much real, most people didn't think one person could ever get away with it on their own. Or even that a group could get away with it for that long. They'd thought the killings were using similar methods, but were ultimately committed by different people. But if the one standing before them was telling the truth about who he was, that clearly wasn't the case.

"I'm a myth now? Aw man," Gup said, frowning. "Well, I guess at least some people still know about me. And this is my chance to make everyone remember again! I'll get to give the rest of the royal family a seaweed wrapped gift!"

Maria immediately went on guard, pointing her trident towards him. He looked like a mere child, but she had seen and heard enough stories to know now to underestimate an opponent based on appearances.

Hody looked like he was about to move towards his sister's side, but suddenly Keto moved in towards him. "Don't let your guard down, Prince Hody!" he shouted, bringing his fist back. He swung towards the royal, who quickly turned back around and prepared to counter the attack with one of his own.

Before he could however, something came flying towards Keto. The behemoth grit his teeth as the whip snapped against his face. He didn't move or even stumble, but his attention had been drawn away from Hody and towards the figure off to the side.

Flink glared as she held both of her whips in her hands. "Didn't Lenora tell you earlier to stop worrying over your sister and focus? If you let your guard down and get taken out this earlier we won't stand a chance," she said.

Hody scowled back at her. "I didn't need your help…"

"I didn't do it to help you. I did it because we can't afford to have you worn out before we deal with Scylla," Flink said bluntly. As much as it irked her to admit it, Hody was the only one here who had a chance against her. They needed to conserve his strength if they were going to have a shot.

Maria got ready to move in. "She's right, Hody. Let us handle these two. After we finish them we'll work our way towards Scylla and work together to-"

"I think not…"

Something rushed towards them from the chaos of the battle, and before Maria could react, she found herself struck and knocked back into the water. The figure who had dealt out the blow moved fast, diving into the water after her. "Maria!" Hody immediately moved towards the water to follow after her.

As he did, both Keto and Gup moved in to attack.

"Don't let your guard down…" Gup said, smirking.

"Young prince! You must move!" Keto shouted, panicked.

Just as they were about to strike, Lenora and Flink both intercepted them. Flink using her whips to strike at Keto's face, blinding his vision, and Lenora kicking Gup in the stomach and sending him stumbling back. "Damn it! How did that guys slip past us?!" Lenora said, glancing towards the water.

"We'll cover you! Go!" Flink said.

Hody continued to rush towards the water. He knew his sister didn't want him to be overprotective of her, but being blindsided and separated like that wasn't a situation he was willing to leave her in. Especially not with someone who had slipped by everyone's guards so easily.

He jumped into the water, diving down after his sister and her attacker.

Lenora stood off against Gup, and Flink against Keto. "We're not gonna be any help to them in the water. We'll have to leave it to them," Flink said, cracking her whip. "But we should still hurry up and take these two out."

The beastkin girl beside her cracked her neck. "You want the big fish, or the little one?"

"We're already paired off, so might as well tak the whale."

Keto narrowed his eyes towards Flink. "A pixie and a beastskin? What reason do you have to be here fighting alongside the waterfolk?" he asked.

Gup tilted his head. "Oh, I've never killed either of those before!"

From the back of the battlefield, Scylla watched everything unfold. She didn't know if the beastskin girl or the pixie would be a problem. They seemed strong, but whether they could bring down Keto and Gup was a coin flip. It didn't really matter to her though. If it came down to it she'd take them out herself.

The royal siblings however? They were done for.

It was a shame she wouldn't be able to see it. But she didn't mind leaving it up to her old friend. Kamon deserved his revenge as much as she did.

Maria looked around in the water, trying to spot whatever it was that had attacked her and knocked her beneath the surface. Everything had happened so fast she hadn't even been able to get a decent look at them, let alone react.

She saw something from the corner of her eye, and quickly lifted her trident and got ready to attack. But then stopped when she realized it was her brother. "Maria, are you okay?!" he asked, making his way towards her.

"I'm fine. A little rattled, but not hurt," she said. "Whoever got me is still around here I think. Don't let your guard down."

Hody looked around the water trying to find any signs of where their enemy was, but he couldn't see any sign of them. He and Maria floated back to back, both of their weapons raised. "All this time has passed, and your bloodline still persists. How unfortunate," a voice said from below.

Hody and Maria both looked down and saw a pair of piercing white eyes staring back at them. A figure with long black hair and greyish skin made their way out of the darkness towards them. The lower half of his body had a fish-like tail instead of legs, and he carried a harpoon-like weapon.

"Who are you?" Maria asked.

"I'm the one who's going to right the wrongs your people have committed against monster-kind," he said, spinning the harpoon in his hand. "And someone who's going to finally end the royal line."

Hody grit his teeth, while Maria just stared at him. There was something that seemed… off about this person. He had a strange aura around him. "This one is dangerous, Hody," she muttered towards her brother. "Be careful of him."

Hody grunted. "You don't have to tell me." He'd only gotten a glance of him so far, but the way this guy handled his harpoon very much reminded him of Coral. And his lower half… could he switch between land and sea, or was there another one here? "Maria, get back up to the surface and-"

"No, I'm not leaving you," Maria said bluntly. "We'll fight him together and then get back up and help the others."

Hody narrowed his eyes. There was honestly no point arguing with her at this point. It wasn't as if he could make her leave. Besides, it was better if they stayed nearby so they could watch one another's backs, like she said. "Alright. We'll fight together."

"You'll die together…"

The enemy rushed towards them, arm raised and ready to strike. Hody and Maria both braced themselves, both siblings ready to battle.

A/N: Setup for the Battle of the Waterfolk kingdom! Even if it technically isn't happening at the Waterfolk kingdom. But "The Battle Of Garbage Beach Part 1" doesn't quite have the same ring to it lol. This chapter was a little shorter than the others since I don't want to get to repetitive setting up these battles. Next chapter will have Lenora and Flink throwing down with Keto and Gup! Then we'll get to see the Kelpbottom siblings team up one more time to take on Kamon!

Hope you guys enjoyed!