Eleven
Hunt
"Are you lot leaving, young Isamu?" Miss Frog asked, her voice filled with elderly concern. Isamu nodded, tightening his breastplate that had seen very little service. He glanced at the dawn sun before turning to face the old woman, who was fretting over each of her house guests who were making their own preparations to leave.
"Only for a day or two. We're going to do a mass search for our missing platoon leaders, and hunt the shark pack that's been wandering around the coast and cliffs." Isamu explained, grabbing onto the new spear that Miss Frog was carrying for him. "It's a good thing the arbalests reported it when they did."
"I suppose so. But we haven't seen any sharks in nearly two years! They rarely come so far inland." Miss Frog told, getting a shrug from the younger boy.
"Better be safe than sorry, right? What if the townsfolk were spotted when they were collecting salt? A pack as big as the one described could easily wipe Kamakessai out if they aren't taken care of." Isamu pointed out, wondering just how long the elder would hold onto his new weapon. "I'm going to need that, by the way."
"Oh! I'm sorry dearie. I'm just worried is all…"
"Don't be! We've got six platoons of arbalests, and all the infantry knows what to do if they have to fight sharks." Isamu confidently spoke, trying to ease the fear in the old woman.
"What's that?" Miss Frog asked, confusion evident on her face.
"Run, of course."
The wrinkled face of the elder seemed to light up at the words right before she let loose a mad cackle which obtained the entire attention of the room. After Miss Frog calmed herself, she released her grasp of his weapon before sitting down in one of her many chairs. "I suppose your leader knows what he's doing then. Good luck, everyone."
Miss Frog was returned with eight voices saying goodbye, and how they would be back soon. Isamu was the last one out, and as he closed the sliding door, he couldn't help but feel saddened by having to leave the old woman behind in the shadows of her home.
As the two companies formed outside the southern side of Kamakessai, Rafu wondered who the two new figures were standing beside his general. He had briefly seen one of the masked Inklings enter his general's hall after he had finished giving out orders for the shark hunt for today, but he hadn't been allowed to linger and listen as to who he was. For whatever reason, his fellow platoon leaders had shied away from the subject entirely, or had bluntly told him to ignore the individual.
But with the arrival of the second masked figure, his peers had gone all but silent, as if trying to become as small as possible and to avoid the masked gaze of the red hooded Inkling. This attitude was copied by a fourth of his company, those warriors obviously in the know as to who these two were as well. Lucky for him, his platoon seemed unaffected by the appearance of these new squids, and were quietly joking behind him as they waited for the last of the brigade to get into marching positions.
"Hey, Rafu." One of his squad leaders said, before turning their head to chuckle to those that surrounded them. "Platoon leader. Hey."
"What?" Rafu asked, knowing damn well what was coming next.
"Could you sing for us?"
"Fuck you." Rafu lashed back, getting two dozen laughs directed at him. "I'm never going to live this down, am I?"
The squad leader, probably Leiko judging by the girlish laughter, stopped her chortling briefly to speak once more. "C'mon Rafu. Your home song was cute. Do another one."
"I get drunk once…" Rafu started before silencing himself, focusing his vision on his commander.
"It wasn't that bad!" Someone in the back of the platoon shouted, getting much agreement judging by the copied remarks that soon came after.
"It'll make us march better." His squad leader said, a stupid grin fixated on her idiotic face.
"Fine. FINE! Shut up, kids. I'll sing a sailor's jaunty. OOOOOH!" Rafu started, getting confused looks directed at him from those talking quietly amongst themselves in other platoons.
"Who lives in a cabin on top of the –"
"RAFU!" General Range shouted over the din of boos' and cheers, silencing the majority of the brigade. "Shut the fuck up and keep that shit in the taverns. Look what you made me do! I'm now stuck addressing the company before everyone's assembled!"
Rafu lowered his head, seeing a glimpse of the general snorting to himself as he turned back to converse with those in metal masks, along with Commander Kichi.
"Mixed reviews, sir." Leiko, taking the opportunity to be a smartass, whispered.
"I'm going to skin you all." Rafu promised as his general turned back towards the several hundred Inklings waiting in the low grass beside the small dirt road that would lead them to the far off shore.
"Alright children. Can all of you hear me?" Range spoke pointing at the platoon leaders the farthest away from him and throwing a hand up, switching it between a thumbs up and down. "IS THIS BETTER? TOO MUCH? Okay! How's this? Good!"
"Attention fuckers! Here's what's been happening while you idiots got yourselves into a stupor and caused irreparable damage to the town's state of mind! Platoon leaders Taiki and Akurai have gotten themselves lost in the fucking woods and while searching for them, we've discovered a fucking shark pack! Yep, that's why we did yesterday's training!" Range shouted, taking a moment to gather air into his lungs before bellowing out his conjecture and following orders.
"Instead of walking the entire brigade shoulder to shoulder through woods and into a pack of sharks, we're going to separate. The brigade has two objectives! One, hunt the sharks and kill them! Two, find the missing platoon leaders! There will be six hunting groups, each comprised of an arbalest unit, a harquebus unit, and a spear unit! Everyone else will fall under sub-commander Kagehaha's command and form a search line to find our fucking retards to laugh at them for being lost for a damn week! Understood? YOU WILL LAUGH AT THEM AND IT BETTER BE GENUINE!" Range bellowed, inhaling air while the group laughter died down. After speaking to Kichi quietly, both of them simultaneously started pulling platoon leaders to them until eighteen platoon leaders stood in a loose line, Rafu himself included to Umeko and Megumi's ire.
"If your platoon leader is not currently standing here with me, then you are in the search team! Sub-commander Kagehaha is currently standing behind you all! Those not in these warrior's platoons shall form a new assembly in front of her, and do as she commands! If you somehow manage to find the sharks before we do, run for your fucking lives! I don't want to retrain any new fucks to replace your sorry asses because you thought you could fist fight a shark, got it?" Range shouted, getting an enthusiastic chorus of 'Yes sir' in response. Nodding at the affirmation, he nodded to himself, before shouting "Dismissed!"
"By the way, Range. Where's my missing pet? Where's eighteen hiding?" The red hooded Inkling asked while the mass of warriors started to reform towards the wood line, in front of the strange Night Blades. Rafu couldn't help but turn to get a closer look at the owner of the voice, not liking how close this Inkling had gotten to their general during the speech.
"Ha. Like I'd tell you. You gave him up, Kantoku, and you're not getting him back." Range arrogantly spoke, not even turning to face the red and black covered Inkling.
"Fair enough, fair enough. Has he been eating right? You're not bullying him, are you?" The masked one asked, concern evident on his voice. Rafu couldn't help but notice that Inklings were actively fighting themselves not to turn towards the scene, judging by the shaking looks of his fellow platoon leaders in his company. Why his fellows were on the brink of violence was still in the air when his general spoke as though he were not being investigated by the strange masked Inkling.
"Kichi, give out the next set of orders." Range spoke loudly, ignoring the proximity of the mask, an impressive feat for just how close it was to his face.
After a pause, the young commander stepped forwards to separate herself from the line of platoon leaders that had formed. "Right! Okay. Um. The Sixtieth Company shall be taking this road, and working our way down the coast until we find our quarry."
"Louder." Range quietly commanded, distracting the commander briefly before she raised her tone, arm still pointing to the dirt road that led to the coast.
"The Tenth Company shall cut through the woods to the west and work their way along the coast until they discover the enemy! You are not to engage as soon as you spot the pack, but alert your commander and remain hidden! Once we have surrounded the enemy in a concave, we will form a mire around them with the harquebusiers to slow them, before sending in the spear infantry to 'play' with them!" Kichi shouted, sending a questioning look to the nodding general. "The infantry will not be expected to kill said sharks, but to distract them as you run around the mire until they can be brought down by focused arbalest fire! Understood?"
A chorus of 'yes ma'am' and affirmations went through the few hundred remaining Inklings, those in the Sixtieth looking rather nervous. For a majority of their spear infantry, this would be their first taste of combat, and it would ignore nearly all of their training they had been doing thus far, from what he had noticed. Rafu shook his head at their reactions, knowing he wouldn't want to be in their positions.
"For those of you with your doubts, I will let you in on a secret!" Range shouted, taking control of the situation before the grumbling got a bit louder. "These two here, are from the Monster Corp. Both are experienced shark hunters, and have confirmed that this is the best way to deal with any number of sharks. Spear infantry, all you have to do is run away and split the attention of the enemy. If you believe you are going to die, just run off! No one is going to care if you flee today!"
With the new Inkling's identity revealed, and their general giving them an out for their cowardice at fighting the most horrifying creatures any of their enemies could field against them, determined looks were suddenly given.
"There should be no more than twenty five, or thirty of the sharks. The majority have been described as the lesser blue kind, which are the 'weakest' breed of the monsters. It will not take many bolts to take them down. Buy time for the ranged infantry to bring them low, and don't die. To you arbalests and harquebusiers, don't miss. Understood?!"
Rafu felt bad for the commander, who looked down as those in the hunting units shouted with pure determination, some expressions showing excitement. Even Rafu felt pumped to move, ready to get this task over with so he could go drunkenly hit on Emi and piss off Naoki some more.
As those in the hunting platoons began to split up into groups of three, Rafu halted as he heard one of the Monster Corp, the without the red and black coverings, speak up, asking "When did we say that this strategy is the best?"
"Calm down, Kaito." The happier one chimed in, holding his masked friend back, even though he didn't look like he was about to make a move.
"You're just mad that I proved it worked. Now go get your Infernals. I want to beat Kichi to the sharks." His general quietly informed the pair of apparent Monster Corp officers, only when he believed his words to be out of listening from his commander.
Rafu turned to look at the three warriors and how they were talking behind the moving girl's back. As the one in red turned to face him, Rafu elected to follow his fellow platoon leaders before he was addressed by any of the officers behind him.
Kichi walked along the wet sand, watching the waves carefully in case the things she hunted were ready to strike from the waves. After hours of walking along a river, she had finally reached the coast with her nine platoons, each of whom she had little experience working with. As she tried to remember her platoon leader's names, Kichi placed a hand on the cliff face that blocked her retreat from the ocean.
Hundreds of feet above her, another platoon group was following her pace, ready to signal them if anything was spotted. The tactics and strategy lessons that she had been taught yelled at her for walking her warriors into the death trap that was the shore, but Kichi felt a certain apathy for her current situation. For whatever reason, Kichi didn't believe she would be the one to obtain the glory of becoming a shark slayer, mostly due to the fact that Range had taken the Monster Corp guys with him, and had all but openly stated such things when her back had just barely been turned.
It was probably a good thing, Kichi thought while avoiding eye contact with her guards. At least she wasn't being completely useless indoors while Range went to take care of her problems again, Kichi thought with no small amount of self-resentment. Now she was getting some exercise and showing her face to her supposed warriors. Kichi had briefly wondered if all commanders who were joined into a brigade felt this way, only being puppets, meant to be used by their general.
"Caves." One of her nameless, faceless squid-guards pointed out with their weapon. Kichi, somewhat surprised that anything eventful would happen to her at all for the remainder of her life, felt confusion as she stared at the entrance to a smooth walled hole in the cliffs.
"Orders, ma'am?" One of her platoon leaders asked, their name not coming to mind as she blinked several times, thinking about what needed to happen.
Obviously, they would need to investigate the cave. A small group would need to enter, who could quickly judge and adapt to any possible threat inside. While the scouts would enter, the rest of the platoon would need to secure the entrance, putting down a mire of ink and set up a picket in case enemies came from the coast and ocean. After Kichi went through the mental exercise, she... realized she would need to put it into words.
"Harquebusiers, start spraying the ground around and inside the cave's mouth. My squid-guard and I shall investigate the interior of the cave. Arbalests, prepare to fire at a moment's notice. Spear warriors, watch for any potential threats." Kichi commanded, her company's warriors only hesitating a moment before making her words a reality.
It would only take her squid-guard a moment to produce illuminating fire, the heavily armed and armored apparently ready for all sorts of circumstances. Once they were ready to enter the cave, Kichi drew her sword and went in first, as all good commanders did when something potentially dangerous was occurring. Range himself had said that he wouldn't make his warriors do something he himself was not prepared to do, and even though she wasn't nearly as strong or skilled as her guards, Kichi knew she needed to be seen being courageous.
The first thing she noticed was just how strongly the smell of salt water was, ocean proximity be damned. The air tasted so heavily of salt, Kichi thought her mouth was bleeding. The second thing she noticed were the deep scratches on the walls, and even ceiling of the smooth stone, an obvious indicator that this tunnel would submerge with the tide... and was most likely a den of the sharks. The third and final thing she noticed was the echo whispers reverberating through the cave, unintelligible from this far away from the source.
Her guards reacted to the sounds before Kichi could even gesture to them, the seven torches being lowered immediately as weapons were pointed towards the noise. Watching her steps carefully, Kichi crept closer and closer to where the sounds were coming from, stopping only when she could make out what language the voices were speaking.
"I hate you both, so much." Kichi heard clearly, the words making her smile as she jogged forward, her guards hot in pursuit. Two more voices joined the original speaker, each growing louder with every step she took.
"You're the one who locked us in here without the key, you idiot. This is your fault."
"Taiki, Kageha, quiet. Someone's coming." Akurai clearly warned.
"What? It's way too early for the sharks to be coming back." Kageha chimed in.
"Inkling or Fish?" Taiki shouted into the cave, before the sounds of him being hit several times echoed through the tunnel.
"Inkling!" Kichi happily called, finally entering the part of the cave where they were located, and boy, was she not disappointed in the sight.
As the three Inklings covered their eyes from the source of light her guards brought, Kichi looked in surprise at the metal spike wall that had been built in the back of the room, a small pool of water covering the entire floor. Above the three heads of the Inklings, a small outcropping where the missing Inkling's must have climbed to keep dry whenever the tunnels would flood. Outside this metal wall, dozens of translucent eggs were spread all over stone floor, signs of life moving inside the yellowish membrane.
"Kichi!" Taiki excitedly called, his hand pointing to a part of the floor. "The key! There! Get us out of here."
"Commander." Akurai greeted, his face looking as if he had spent the entire week awake.
"And you said we'd die in here, Kageha." Taiki gloated as he moved towards the back of the cave and began knocking things from the high outcropping.
"Commander Kichi, please get us out of here before I murder Taiki." Kageha begged, his words making her openly laugh as she continued her search for the key, eventually finding a crude metal contraption. Awkwardly, Kichi took several seconds figuring out how the lock mechanism worked before opening the thick metal gate.
"What is this thing?" Kichi asked, the three males eagerly pushing each other out of the threshold.
"We'll explain later. We've got to leave before the tide comes in." Akurai spoke, his no nonsense attitude being undamaged in his captivity.
"Or the sharks come back." Kageha added, moving past the motionless squid-guard as if they weren't there, closely followed by the one eyed warrior.
"You looked pleased with yourself, Kichi." Taiki pointed out, the flames giving her expression away.
"I am, Taiki." Kichi smiled at the somewhat dazed Inkling, before trailing after the other two recovered Inklings.
"Is that a gale shark? Stripes mean gale, yeah?" Yuuma whispered to her, Etsuko only giving a shrug in response. Ignoring the young man's cowardly whining as he tried to become one with the dirt he crawled along, Etsuko walked towards where her general was planning their next move. With the aid of Kaito's hunting pack, or whatever the hell they called these wretched beasts, they had discovered the wandering shark group marching in an unorderly fashion up and down the coast changing directions seemingly at whim.
"There's no terrain where we can funnel them near here." One of Range's bodyguards informed the group of platoon leaders.
"Well we can't just walk out onto the shore and set up our lines. They'd charge us before we'd even get the first salvoes out." Rafu, the new guy, said wisely. Etsuko watched Miyu glare daggers at how he was speaking before her, but ignored the two, as she didn't care for their specific platoon squabbles.
"So we start in the tree line, and work our way to the sand." Tae spoke next, his plan being the most obvious.
"Or we send the spears out first, followed by the ranged infantry." Mitsuru, the first new guy to replace Daiki in the spear platoon offered, biting his thumb nervously as he watched the beasts he was going to have to dodge. Where Rafu seemed a bit experienced in leading, Mitsuru was only recently promoted to platoon leader after Daiki's death, and his opinions were immediately rejected for his lack of experience, and stupid idea.
"No. I'm not going to send them out without somewhere to run to if things turn south." Range told, getting a collective sigh of relief from the three infantry leaders. "You've counted them now, right? Twenty blue sharks and a single gale? I'm surprised you outran them, Etsuko."
Realizing the entire attention of the group was directed at her now, Etsuko quickly spoke, trying to dismiss their eyes before they all got distracted. "I thought there were twelve. What are your orders?"
Eyes successfully directed back towards Range, he calmly gave out his orders, staring at Kaito and Kantoku. "Harquebusiers, start spraying from where we came from. Once we've got the ground behind us inked, we'll start moving it up. No need to rush these things, right? Infantry, arbalests, get ready in case they somehow spot us."
Having no need to linger, the nine platoon leaders broke off and started to whisper their orders to their warriors. In moments, large swathes of blue started to hiss out of their plastic and wood contraptions, the rapport of the weapons almost inaudible. While she waited for the ink shooters to be satisfied with their work and begin spraying towards the sea, Etsuko was given the chance to study the sharks.
For some reason, she felt pity for these creatures. The smaller blue sharks followed the circling, much larger gale shark, who was sniffing the wind as if its life depended on it. A mental image of children following their mother formed in her head, but Etsuko quickly banished the thought. These creatures were nothing more than monsters, hungry beasts that could never be satiated. She tried not to think for a while, deciding it better to mentally prepare the actions she would have to do in a few minutes.
"We're ready." Range whispered in her ear, making Etsuko jump in surprise, and ramming her head into the tree roots she was using for cover. Watching Range smirk at his apparent success of being a sneaky piece of shit, Etsuko shook herself and put a bolt on her crossbow, signaling she was ready.
"Go!" Range loudly whispered, still trying to keep a modicum of stealth as his harquebusiers unleashed their payload onto the barren dirt and sand. As Etsuko led her line of arbalests out of the tree line behind the spears and ink shooters, she was pleasantly surprised the sharks hadn't immediately noticed them.
"One more salvo, then start picking them off! Command squad, we're going after the big one!" Range shouted, drawing the attention of the sniffing beasts, who were just now realizing that they were being surrounded. Range shouted his last order, confusing her to no length as the words came out of his mouth. "NO ONE SHOOT THE BIG ONE!"
As the second harquebus volley turned the white sand blue, Etsuko released her first bolt and immediately went to reload, putting her foot on the metal stirrup as she hauled the taught string back. Etsuko smiled as she heard the roars of the beasts, each arbalest undoubtedly finding a mark on the targets that the sharks had made of themselves. Hopefully, one of the seventy some odd shots would kill one of the beasts before they reached the infantry line that was loosely forming around the beasts.
The smaller sharks seemed mostly undeterred by the crossbow fire, only a couple pacing back and forth as they tried to dig the missiles out of their thich flesh and beady eyes. Etsuko began shouting as she released her second bolt, commanding her platoon to hasten their shots before they would have to back up towards the tree line. Her shouts were copied by every ranged platoon leader, all of them knowing that if this fight went back into the trees, their chances of having casualties would spike dramatically with the obscuring foliage providing cover for the monsters.
As the first of the charging animals reached the blue turf that had been created, Etsuko watched spear warriors scatter, banging their weapons against their metal shields as the larger creatures slipped on the slick ground. Etsuko continued to reload and loose her crossbow into the nearest of the beasts, watching one of them drop dead in her periphery from concentrated fire from another platoon.
As the spear warriors began running in random directions away from the singular beast that was pursuing them, Etsuko began to believe her general's tactic was a mixture of retardation and brilliance. Last year, Etsuko had watched the then platoon leader Range do this exact same thing, albeit with only a single arbalest platoon along with his own, against three larger hammerheads. The scene he had caused had made the participates of the battlefield watch in shock and confusion as the battle had turned into a one sided affair, the thirty Inklings dancing and diving away from the musclebound beasts that could rend their flesh just by lightly touching them.
But just like then, perhaps because the sharks were horrible at turning to things directly to their flanks, their lumbering legs tripped and slipped as their primal brains directed towards the meat that ran around them. The fact that the sharks were constantly being shot with metal tipped projectiles undoubtedly messed with their senses, as claws only found air, and jaws only found empty space or sandy shore. Instead of a battle of brag worthy tale, the fight devolved into a gigantic…
Etsuko didn't even have the words for what she was a part of. The fact these creatures were the deadliest predator known to their kind meant nothing as the accumulated damage started to drop the heavy creatures left and right. More importantly, none of her kinsmen had died to these creatures as they were spun in several directions before finally falling to the concentrated fire of the arbalests, who were quickly running out of targets. In a matter of perhaps a minute and a half, the last of the smaller monsters were destroyed, Etsuko noticing that one of the fallen sharks was currently being swarmed by the so called Infernals.
Watching in stunned silence as Kaito brought a large curved blade into the struggling creature's neck, the masked Inkling letting loose a roar so bestial that Etsuko couldn't believe it was her old friend. Not wanting to look at the blood covered pack master that was her ex-lover, Etsuko turned to her general, who was currently dancing around the massive tan shark that threatened to swallow his entire command squad.
"No one shoot the big one, eh?" Tae grumbled as he made his way to bring his platoon closer to Etsuko's own. Etsuko glanced in the direction of Natsumi, no doubt wrapping up the right flank in a similar manner as they had done. The two of them would soon be joined by other platoon leaders as they prepared their warriors for the eventuality of their general getting killed, each not liking how big the flailing creature was.
She didn't know what the command squad was doing, Etsuko realized. As she shared looks of confusion with her fellow platoon leaders, the masked general decided to join them and speak, getting looks of apprehension as he spoke.
"If you all are wondering what your favorite general is doing, he's trying to preserve the animal's skin!" Kantoku happily exclaimed, grabbing onto the shoulders of Tae and Rafu, who looked very uncomfortable at the touch.
"The skin?" Rafu asked, turning between the one who was touching him and the battle at hand. Etsuko watched as the bodyguards finally surrounded the creature completely, the beast being much too close to the shore to risk getting knocked by the massive tail that was nearly twice the size of the monster's back. As she watched the fake squid-guard jump back and forth, cutting at the ankles and wrists of the beast, Etsuko realized Kantoku was probably right.
"Did you all know that the Monster Corp divisions do more than lead our country's own monstrous infantry into battle?" Kantoku asked to no one in particular. "We also classify, and study our enemy's own giant beasts, from intelligent lobster, to the mountain sized jellyfish!"
"They do?" Rafu asked questioningly, most likely confused as to why he was the only one responding to the general.
"They do, young man! May I ask your name?" Kantoku inquired, the platoon leader giving it away much too freely. "Young Rafu then! Did you know there are several different species of sharks our fish nemeses field on our shores?"
"I do." Rafu nervously said.
"I would hope so! You see, these smaller ones you've just assisted in felling are the fastest, and weakest of all the breeds that we currently know of. In fact, we at the Monster Corp send aspiring commanders, like young Kaito over there, to hunt them down to prove themselves! Sometimes alone! These ones usually only come in packs of ten in the wild, though, and aren't usually seen with such a large beast that you see your commander fighting."
"General." Tae corrected, getting the masked general to direct his entire upper torso towards Tae. Once Tae was sufficiently scared in his place, Kantoku once more spoke, at the behest of the one who knew not what this borderline criminal had done to his new company.
"The gale, right?" Rafu asked.
"Yes! Gale sharks are the second largest of the beasts known to be fielded by the fish-tribes! They are usually deployed alone, or in pairs depending on the specific tribe, which we still have problems identifying. There are only two larger shark creatures known to us currently."
"Didn't you say that they were the second largest?"
"That the fish-tribes field, yes. The first being the vicious Great White shark, whose skin pigments are not unlike your general's. Perhaps they are related!" Kantoku laughed loudly and alone before continuing his lesson. "Those great beasts are by far the deadliest, and the subject to nearly every horror story you've ever heard of. In fact, there have only been a few instances where we've seen 'tame' whites, as they are notorious for turning on their masters, which is a crime these dead things are probably guilty of as well."
"I… see." Rafu paused, looking towards the battle, and how their general was now charging under the standing beast, too distracted by the seven that were trying to cut it low.
"Only one shark is larger than the Great White, young Rafu, and hasn't been spotted in several decades in the south western corner of our country." Kantoku spoke, not even hesitating as he watched Range cut the beast open from neck to crotch, the general sliding his glaive through the shark's belly as he ran underneath the giant creature. "Some don't even believe it's a shark, with how radically different it acts."
"What's it called?" Rafu asked, looking uncomfortable as the bloody Kaito returned with a still oozing shark skin, offering it to Kantoku with both hands. Kantoku would eventually release his grip on the two platoon leaders, letting the skin drape over his outstretched arms as if the carved flesh was some ceremonious item.
"The Lord Fish! The Peaceful Reaver! Estimated to be six or seven times larger than a Great White!" Kantoku informed those who cared to listen, describing a shark that could not possibly exist. Yet, as the faces of confusion and bafflement turned to take the strange, masked creature's words as a joke, the happy voice of the Joyous dulled briefly, his words stabbing into their guts as though they were knives. "I hope to one day see it again."
"Again?" Kaito asked, apparently hearing of such a creature before.
"Once, when I was a boy. I've been keeping you from celebrating, warriors of the Tenth. Go to your general, shark slayers!" Kantoku joyfully ordered, gesturing to their waving general, who was beckoning his platoons over.
Etsuko took a step towards her leader, turning to watch the two masked Inklings head back into the forest, words dead on her lips. Realizing her lover was walking a completely different path than her now, Etsuko swallowed her words, rubbing her eyes as she continued walking towards her general.
