A Good Day For Fishing

The carriage came to a halt with a soft creak, and the world around them fell eerily silent. The road before them stretched into the horizon, flanked by dense trees whose shadows seemed to grow longer as the evening sun dipped lower. The air was thick, heavy, as if the world itself was holding its breath.

Emilia leaned out of the carriage window, her amethyst eyes scanning the unfamiliar surroundings. "Where are we?" she asked, her voice tinged with confusion and a touch of unease. "This… doesn't look like the road back home."

Before Suzune could reply, a soft, ethereal glow lit up behind Emilia's neck. Puck materialized in his small, cat-like form, perched on her shoulder. His mismatched eyes—one blue, one gold—narrowed ominously as they fixed on Suzune and then on Rosewall. His normally playful demeanor was replaced with a seriousness that sent chills down Emilia's spine.

"Care to explain, Suzune-'chan'?" Puck's voice was calm, but there was an edge to it, like the quiet before a storm. "Why are we heading towards that place? I hope you're not putting my precious Lia in danger."

Rosewall chuckled, lounging in his seat as if the tension in the air was nothing but a mild inconvenience. "Oh, Puck-kun, you wound me. Suzune-chan and I meeeerely thought a little adventure would be beeeneficial for our dear Emilia-sama."

Suzune, however, wasn't as flowery in her explanation. She leaned back, crossing her arms with a look that could cut steel. "Relax, fluffball. We're fine."

Puck's ears twitched, his gaze sharp. "Fine? Do you even know what lies ahead on this road?"

Emilia turned to Suzune, her worry growing. "Suzune, if this is dangerous, we need to turn back. This isn't worth the risk!"

Suzune's confident didn't falter. If anything, it deepened. She gestured casually down the road. "That highway leads to Flugal's tree. And if the rumors are true… that's where the White Whale likes to hang out."

Emilia's eyes widened in horror. "The White Whale? Are you serious?! That's not just dangerous—it's insane! We can't possibly—"

"—Win?" Suzune finished for her, her tone almost mocking. She leaned forward, her eyes gleaming with an unsettling confidence. "Nah, we'll win."

Puck's fur bristled as he jumped from Emilia's shoulder to the seat across from Suzune, staring her down. "The White Whale isn't some bandit or rogue knight you can outsmart or punch into submission. It's a calamity, Suzune. A force of nature. If you're wrong—"

"I'm not," Suzune cut him off, her voice sharp and unyielding. "I know exactly what I'm doing."

Rosewall's grin widened as he tilted his head, watching the exchange like a spectator at a theater. "Suuuuch confidence. I must say, Suzune-chan, you have a flair for dramatics. But I do hope you have a plan beyond blind bravado?"

Suzune shot him a glance, her look morphing into something almost feral. "Of course, Ros-chi. I always have a plan."

Puck turned to Emilia, his expression serious. "Lia, this is madness. We can't let her drag us into this."

Emilia hesitated, torn between her trust in Suzune and the growing fear in her chest. "Suzune… this is reckless. If something happens—"

"Nothing will happen," Suzune interrupted, her voice steady. "You want to prove to this Kingdom that you're a hero, right? That you're strong enough to lead? Well, here's your chance."

Emilia's hands clenched into fists in her lap, her mind racing. The White Whale wasn't just a creature—it was a legend, a nightmare. Entire armies had fallen to it. But the determination in Suzune's eyes was unshakable, and for a moment, Emilia felt a flicker of hope amidst her fear.

Rosewall clapped his hands together, his smile as enigmatic as ever. "Well then, it seems the decision has been made. Shall we proceed?"

Puck huffed, his tail flicking irritably. "This is a terrible idea."

Suzune's snorted, her confidence unbroken. "Terrible ideas are my specialty."

The carriage creaked forward once more, carrying them down the ominous highway toward the towering shadow of Flugal's tree in the distance. Somewhere ahead, the White Whale awaited—a living nightmare. And Suzune? She was ready to face it head-on.

The rhythmic creaking of the carriage wheels on the old road seemed to set the tense mood, though Rosewall appeared entirely unbothered. He leaned back in his seat, resting his chin lazily on his hand, that ever-present grin teasing at the corners of his mouth.

"Suzune-chaaan," he said, breaking the silence in his sing-song tone, "you seem aaawfully confident about this little… expeeedition. Care to enlighten us on when or where exactly the White Whale is expected to make its grand entrance?"

His question hung in the air, causing Emilia to glance nervously between him and Suzune. Puck's tail flicked irritably, but before Suzune could reply, Ram's calm voice cut in, her tone polite but firm.

"Rosewall-sama," she said, her crimson eyes narrowing slightly. "Why would you assume Suzune-sama knows such a thing?"

Rosewall's grin widened as if the answer amused him far more than the question itself. "Oh, I have my reasons, dear Ram."

Suzune, unfazed, leaned back with a frown. "Of course I know."

The carriage fell silent. Even the faint creaks and rustling trees seemed to hush in anticipation.

Rosewall's interest piqued, and he leaned forward slightly. "Oh? Enlighten us, then. What secret knowledge does our dear Suzune-chan possess?"

With a casual air, Suzune reached into her coat pocket and retrieved a sleek, rectangular device—her metia, or as they liked to call it, her phone. She held it up for all to see, its black screen reflecting the dim light.

"This," Suzune said, her voice laced with amusement, "tells me when it's coming."

Rosewall blinked, momentarily caught off guard. "A metia? Truly fascinating. And how exactly does it warn you of impending doom?"

Suzune pressed a button, and the screen lit up, though its function remained a mystery to everyone else in the carriage. "When the White Whale comes," she began, her tone dropping slightly as if she were reciting a chilling nursery rhyme, "the sky will darken. The wind will carry a song. Not a happy tune, mind you, but a haunting melody. And in its wake—chaos. Silent, eerie chaos."

Emilia shuddered, gripping her dress tightly. "A song? What do you mean, Suzune? The Whale… sings?"

"Not the Whale itself. It's my metia. It's like the this gives you a heads-up, just to mess with you."

Puck narrowed his eyes at the phone, his tiny paw gesturing toward it. "So this thing… it's supposed to help us? Can it tell us how to kill the damn thing?"

Suzune nodded. "Oh, I've got that part covered, too."

Rosewall chuckled softly, intrigued. "And what, praaay tell, is the grand strategy for slaying a calaaamity?"

Suzune leaned forward, her voice low and conspiratorial, though her words carried a weight that sent shivers down Emilia's spine. "Simple. We need to blow it up from the inside. And while we're at it, we make sure to obliterate its head completely. No head, no more White Whale."

Ram raised an eyebrow. "Blow it up… from the inside? Do you plan on feeding it an explosive meal?"

Suzune shrugged, unbothered by the sarcasm. "Not exactly. But we'll need bait, a good plan, and a lot of firepower."

Emilia's hands trembled slightly as she clutched at Puck, her voice barely above a whisper. "Suzune… this sounds impossible."

"Impossible is just another word for fun," Suzune replied, leaning back. "Trust me. We'll pull this off."

Rosewall's laughter echoed softly in the carriage. "Such confidence. I do hope it's well-founded, Suzune-chan."

Suzune's eyes gleamed with determination. "It always is."

The carriage rolled on, every creak of the wheels carrying them closer to the dark fate awaiting them.

The air hung heavy with anticipation as Suzune leaned back against the side of the cart, arms crossed. Rosewall's amused hum broke the tension.

"Suzune-chan," he said in his signature sing-song tone, "you seem quite suuure of yourself, but do you realize something? Even with my cooonsiderable talents, I could only damage the White Whale. Minor spells might tickle it at best, but outright kiiiilling it?" He waved a hand dismissively. "A different story entireeeely."

Suzune raised an eyebrow. "Then we go bigger, Ros-chi. No holding back."

Emilia, sitting stiffly on the bench, shook her head. "Bigger spells? Puck, is that even possible?"

Puck, perched on her shoulder, gave a slow nod. "Possible? Sure. Smart? Not really. This is bad news, Lia. Really bad news." His tiny paws gestured toward Suzune. "What she's talking about isn't just dangerous—it's reckless."

Suzune cracked her knuckles nonchalantly. "Reckless? Nah. Ambitious? Definitely."

Sliding off the cart with an almost predatory grace, Suzune stretched her arms over her head. Her movements were deliberate, as though she were loosening the tension before a fight. "But before we get into the nitty-gritty of spell slinging, I'd like to try something."

Ram raised an eyebrow, tilting her head. "What exactly do you mean by 'something,' Suzune-sama?"

Suzune bent her knees slightly, her sharp eyes locked on the sky. "This."

And with that, she leapt.

A whoosh of displaced air roared as Suzune shot up like a missile, her figure becoming a blur. The sheer force of her jump left a gust strong enough to ruffle the grass and shake the cart. Ram's usually neutral expression cracked into a rare look of shock as her pink hair whipped around her face.

"Wha—" Ram started, but words failed her.

Emilia gasped, gripping Puck tightly. "She… she jumped! But how?!"

Puck's jaw dropped. "A few thousand meters… that's insane! She's not human!"

Rosewall let out a laugh, clapping his hands together in sheer delight. "Ooohohoho! What power! Truly remarkable, Suzune-chan!"

Far above, Suzune reached the apex of her leap, the world below stretching out like a painting. The wind howled around her, but she stayed steady, observing the distant treetops and the horizon with a grin. "Huh. With this leap, reaching that oversized fish is gonna be a breeze."

Gravity took over, and she descended with meteoric speed. Her landing was nothing short of cataclysmic—a thunderous boom shook the earth, sending shockwaves outward. Dust and debris flew in every direction, and when the cloud settled, Suzune stood in the middle of a massive crater.

She dusted herself off, looking completely unbothered. "Not bad."

The group was speechless.

"I-Is she even human?" Emilia whispered, her eyes wide with disbelief.

Puck clutched his head. "Forget human—what even is she?!"

Rosewall, ever the connoisseur of chaos, grinned wider. "A marvel, I'd say. A fascinating marvel."

Suzune's gaze shifted to a nearby boulder. She walked toward it, sizing it up like it had offended her. With a casual motion, she drew back her fist and punched.

Wham!

The boulder shot off like a cannonball, crashing into the forest with a deafening crack. Birds scattered in panic as the impact sent a plume of dust skyward. Suzune inspected her knuckles, then turned to another boulder nearby.

This time, her punch had a different effect. The rock didn't fly; it shattered. Pieces exploded outward like shards of glass, glittering briefly in the sunlight before scattering to the ground.

"Hmm," Suzune mused, flexing her fingers. "Two types of punches: Cannonball and Shatter. Should be enough to tenderize that whale."

Ram finally found her voice, though it was tinged with disbelief. "Suzune-sama… are you planning to fistfight the White Whale?"

Suzune turned to her with her eyes closed. "What can I say? Gotta make it quick."

Suzune glanced at her phone, the time glaring up at her. 3:30 PM. Her heart pounded faster. It was almost time.

Suzune noticed her nervous expression and approached, her voice steady. "Emilia-tan, listen up. You can stay here if you're scared. But I need you. The Kingdom needs you. If you want to earn their respect, you have to fight for it. No one's gonna hand it to you on a silver platter."

Emilia's hands trembled. "But what if I mess up? What if—"

"No 'what ifs,'" Suzune interrupted, gripping her shoulders firmly. "You wanna prove you're strong? Kind? A hero? Then stop doubting yourself and step up."

Puck interjected, his tone sharp. "You're putting her in danger, Suzune. This isn't some game."

"I know it's not," Suzune shot back. "That's why she has to be there. To show she's not afraid. So what's it gonna be, Emilia-tan? You in or not?"

Emilia hesitated, her breath hitching. Then, with a sigh, she nodded. "I'm in."

Suzune nodded back, her smirk returning. "Good. Time to hunt an oversized fish."

o—O—o

Author Note: Can Subaru really do it? How can she do it?

Weilhem wanted to kill the White Whale, so, if Subaru really manages to do it, they may end up having some problems…

Drop your thoughts in the review section. Your words inspire me to write faster, better, longer and with more depth.

In the next chapter, we'll see.

Till next time!