Capítulo 28: Chapter 26: Swimming with the Mermaids
General Pov
Salem woke up with the alarm on his phone ringing loud. He yawned and checked the time and saw it was eight exactly. He got up from his bed and stretched a little. He took a quick shower to refresh himself before going out.
"Boy it's a good thing I was smart enough not to let Morrigan touch my earnings from the whole Tres Carnavales a year ago but now they're running a little low now. He wondered how the Saberwolves were doing as it's been a year since he saw them. And he wondered if the royal family would remember him but it was highly likely.
"I should start getting actual paying missions and making saving choices." He said to himself. As he re-quip into a new set of clothes. He wore a black shirt with a picture of thorn like chains, a green hoodie, grey trousers, sandals and his bandana wrapped around his neck.
"Got to love requip magic." He chuckled and left the room and wandered off into town despite the doorman trying to stop him.
As he walked in the night streets, I noticed that not a lot of people were around. Most stores were already closed for the night.
"Hey kid you lost." A tall black-haired man sat on a wooden box asked.
'Stranger danger.' Salem thought as he gave the man a deadpan stare and continued on to the port ignoring him.
He heard footsteps walking towards me and a man's hand was about to cover his face but he grabbed it and quickly flipped the man over and saw it was the same man who sat on the box. Salem clicked his lounge and twisted the man's arm making him quiver in pain.
"Oh, trying to run my pockets huh?" Salem raised an eyebrow.
"W-what? What does that even mean." The man said nervously.
"Don't worry about that what you have to worry about is though is that you ran up on the wrong nigga." Salem said with a deadpan voice. "Here's a little punishment for trying that little stunt." He then easily broke the man's hand making the man scream in pain.
The small number of people who witnessed the scene walked away fast. Salem wondered where the local knights were at this time.
"Dumbass." Salem muttered and got up then comically kicked the man away then continued on with his business.
As he was walking towards the port, he heard a loud boom and the ground shock a little bit. He turned his head towards the source and spotted Kagura not too far in front of him, looking annoyed with four men on the ground with comically large bumps on their heads.
"Pfft! What the fuck!" Salem laughed at the sight. She spotted him and Salem simply waved at her which she also did. He walked over the scene since it was in his way.
"Hello again Salem-san." Kagura greeted him.
"Yo Kagura." He greeted her and looked down to the four men and then up to her. "Let me guess they tried to get lucky?"
"Tch! They were nothing but scum." She clicked her tongue in pure annoyance. "I see your business in Motor city is already done. And by the way, how did you get here? I thought the railways would take a little time to get things back to normal."
"Oh, I just travelled by foot."
"It's dangerous for a child your age to be travelling alone Salem-san especially past a forest." She lectured me.
"Hai~ Hai~ mom I'll be sure to remember that." Salem joked but her eyes widened a little.
"E-excuse me." Kagura was slightly taken back.
"Relax i'm joking Kagura." He raised my hands up. "By the way, where's Millianna?"
"Oh, she got a she went to go buy us some food for tonight. Speaking of night, why are you even wandering the streets at this time."
"Why."
"The residents of the town have been advised to stay indoors at night time due to the Sea Serpent infestation. So, it would be best that you go back inside till tomorrow."
"Thanks for the concern but I am fine am pretty tough." Salem flexed my right arm and walked off.
'This kid didn't read about sea serpents from that book so shouldn't he be aware of the danger he is in, especially with all of these scum in the streets.' Kagura's eye twitched a bit then walked after him and grabbed his shoulder.
"It wasn't a request so please for your own safety go back inside." She said more aggressively and with a fierce and demanding glare.
Now Salem was a little intimidated but facing life threatening scenarios, fighting monsters and demons from other dimensions and constantly training with a crazy woman hardened him a bit. If Kagura truly wanted to scare him she would have to try harder than that.
Salem made his fluffy cat tail appear and made it move up and tickle the swordswoman's nose. This sudden move made her retract a bit and hold her nose with both hands in surprise.
"W-why did you do that!" She stammered a bit.
"Relax Kagura like I said. I'm pretty tough and besides I'm here for the sea serpents too but I promise not to get involved with your mission."
Kagura wasn't sure it was a good idea to get him involved.
"Please~." Salem made himself bunny ears and tail as he begged.
'So cute! No Kagura you must stay strong!' She then so his rabbit ears bent downwards. "A-alright f-fine just stop looking at me like that!" She yelled in slight frustration and looked away not noticing Salem's smirk.
'Ah cuteness manipulation~.' He snickered a bit.
"I noticed you use transformation magic. Do you have combat training or experience though?" Kagura asked back in serious mode which he answered with a nod. "Okay but if things get too dangerous, I will throw you out of it." She meant that literally with a scary voice.
"You got it boss lady." Salem gave a two-finger salute and she nodded.
"Come on, let's find Millianna."
"KAGURA-CHAN THERE YOU ARE!" They turned and saw Millianna running to them with two food boxes and drinks and her hand. "Oh Salem-chan you're here too!?"
'That was easy.'
A little while later
The three mages were now sitting on a bench with the two women eating their food.
"You sure you don't want some Salem-chan?" Millianna asked the take-over mage.
"Am sure but thanks." He denied. "By the way, what's your plan to bring out the sea serpents? "The two mermaid heel members just looked at each other rather than at Salem. "So, you were just going to wait for them to attack to take action?"
"Well what else can we do?" Millianna tilted her head.
"You could just draw them out. Sea serpents are highly territorial creatures and once they sense a threat to their territory, they usually band together to take it out but only if an Alpha is in the mist. But if there's no Alpha most usually just disperse to find a new home."
"Do you have a way of drawing them out of Salem-san?" Kagura asked.
"Yep, but I got a few transformations which will allow you to handle the job."
"Transformations?" Millianna tilted her head.
"Oh right, am I actually a Take-over mage and you two?" He asked them.
"I use Gravity magic." Kagura answered.
"And I use Binding magic!" Millianna Cheerfully stated.
Kagura finished her food and stood up, throwing it into the trash can.
"Alright from what Salem described we got the night to take care of these things but we can't waste any more time so Millianna finishes up and Salem remembers what I said."
"Got it Kagura-chan~."
"Got it boss lady."
The two answered.
15 minutes later
"Alright Salem-san are you ready?" Kagura asked Salem which he gave a thumbs up.
The three were currently at the port ready to complete the object.
'Animal soul: Glacier wolf!' Salem transformed into his full glacier wolf state and the amount of magic levels he was emitting.
'His Strong.' Kagura thought in surprise.
'H-his magic power is on par with Kagura-chan!" Millianna's eyes widened at the thought of a kid that age being that strong.
(Note: Kagura isn't as strong as her canon counterpart since she's 7 years younger here so her power is A-class level).
"ROAAAR!" Salem let out a mighty roar which blew a strong wind and he even let out some of the ice into the sea. After a little bit of time something began coming out of the water.
Then about 70 snake-like creatures appeared. They were all blue in colour, fin-like ears on their heads, green eyes and 45 feet long. But then an even larger one appeared about 100 feet long, it had a similar appearance to the others but this one had two horns on its head and a big fin on its back and had a large claw raging down its body.
It roared back at Salem basically saying it and its troops are ready for war.
"W-wow those things look intense." Millianna said, a little scared.
"Well from what I read basic sea serpents are mostly fodder but the Alpha is B to A level of strength." Salem said.
"So, the most worrisome thing I see is their numbers advantage. Millianna remembers this is your first A-class mission so don't overdo things." Kagura told the cat girl.
"I get that Kagura-chan but how are we supposed to get over there?"
"Frozen Floor." Salem put his claw in the water freezing a good proportion of it making a pathway of ice and a little snow to sea serpents. 'Good thing making ice on water takes less magic power.
Didn't waste time and Kagura jumped on the pathway and to the sea serpents followed by Millianna Salem morphed into his demi-glacier wolf form and followed suit.
The Alpha started the attack by firing a huge water blast from its mouth but Salem quickly intercepted it by turning the water into an ice wall blocking the attack.
'Hm so it's weaker than the Milotic but it's still good enough.' He thought to himself.
Both Salem and Kagura sped forward and were in front of the horde of sea serpents. Fifteen of them shot water at them.
"Flying Form!" Kagura slashed all the water projectiles with ease.
"Freezing Howl!" Salem howled at a blast of ice freezing the fifteen sea serpents solid.
"Slash form!" The swordswoman finished them off by completely cutting off the frozen sea serpents.
The Alpha roared and all the other serpents rushed towards the group intending to rip them apart without mercy. They destroyed the ice pathway to the port leaving only a little left which Millianna was on.
The Alpha then made the water rise up making tendrils and attacked Salem and Kagura but Salem easily froze them and slide making act as some form of ground on them with Kagura close behind him. Then suddenly forty of them including all got ready for an attack.
"Not good Salem-san do you think you can stop it? We can't let that attack hit the town!" Kagura asked him.
"I'll try!"
The multiple water attacks then fired and missed the mages completely but was headed towards the town but Salem made a huge ice wall blocking the attacks from reaching anywhere near the town but it did take a good proportion of his energy and the ice walls disappeared immediately.
One of them went straight for Millianna but she managed it though it destroyed the remaining ice floor path. She then ran up its body on all fours and jumped up only to see another one about to sink its teeth in her.
"Nekosoku Tube!" A tube of binding magic restricted its movements but she was hit hard by a water blast behind her launching her to another sea serpents' mouth. She froze in fear a little as she drew closer to the monster.
"Gravity Magic: Earth!" The sea serpent fell into the ocean courtesy of Kagura.
Kagura then quickly caught her guildmate and double kicked one of the sea serpents hard springing them to the remaining parts of the ice surface. Five other sea serpents viciously want for the attack but before Kagura could cut them down others come from below destroying the girl's ground.
As the girls were in the air Millianna restrained three serpents and Kagura used her slash form to cut down ten of them. But the girl now fell in the water but before the sea serpents could continue Salem froze them in place and destroyed them with large ice spikes.
When he reached the water, it immediately froze beneath his feet. He then grabbed the two girls and made another way dodging the projectiles and underground attacks.
"Ice Tomb!" The water beneath him froze and the ice rose to at least 67 feet giving them some ground. Those which tried to slither up where implied by Salem making ice spikes sprout out of the pillar impaling them.
"Ice Tomb!" The frozen water below them spreads and shouts forward fast like an avalanche also freezing the water. The serpents dived into the water to avoid the attack.
"Damn. Hey Kagura, how far can your gravity spell extend?" Salem asked.
"Pretty far. Got a plan Salem-san?"
"Yep, those scaly pricks are about to burst through the ice and all I need for you is to hold them in place while I do my thing."
"Alright then." She nodded, trusting him.
The remaining Sea serpents burst out of the ice like Salem said. The Alpha then began making nine water tornados out of the sea and sent them there. Salem just smirked.
"Freeze!" He froze the water with all the tornados. 'Okay this is taking a little more magic than I thought.' Salem thought as breathed heavily.
"Salem-san are you alright?" Kagura asked.
"Y-Yeah, am fine let's just finish this before they decide to do that ground attack again or worse, they make a giant whirlpool."
"You're right, let's go." Kagura got ready but paused. 'Wait a giant whirlpool!' She thought in surprise.
Millianna just looked at the two with down casted. Kagura initially wanted to come on this mission alone but she relentlessly begged her to take her alone and of course it was only thanks to the master that she took her along. She didn't say it but she knew Kagura thought she was weak. That's the reason why she wanted to prove to her that she was strong too and that she could help avenge Simon.
But since the battle started all, she was barely restricted to nine sea serpents in total. She chuckled emptily and just sat on the ice pillar. The other two noticed but both silently agree that it was a problem for another time.
"Gravity magic: Earth!" Kagura added heavy gravity on the remaining thirty-two sea serpents. "Salem-san whatever you're about to do , please hurry!" She yelled.
"Beast Soul: Zinogre!" Salem transformed into his humanoid Zinogre form.
"What is that!" The two girls thought.
Salem was in the air and got his attack ready and lightning danced around his body, his white hair really crackling. A big magic circle formed underneath him towards the sea serpents.
"Tempest's Rampaging Beast!" With that huge lightning bolt come out of the magic circle in shape of a monster of sorts and stroke the remaining sea serpents making huge light show and killing pretty much most aquatic life in the area but Salem had to focus really hard not to let the attack spread further in the sea not to completely kill off the ecosystem.
As all the other serpents were electrocuted to death the Alpha barely but it was seconds to death as well. Salem turned to normal and landed on it.
"Gotcha big guy~." He smirked and began the take-over processes and since it was close to death so it was a little easy despite his slight exhaustion. Once it was over, he fell in the water and began splashing around as he couldn't swim very well.
But before he could transform into an owl and fly away, Kagura helped him out.
"Seriously you can't swim?" She gave him a deadpan look as she swam to the ice pillar it was hard for her to believe someone as strong as him was getting bested by water.
"Not bigger bodies of water but hey at least I can brag to my friends that I got to swim with a pretty mermaid." Salem shrugged but Kagura pulled his cheeks. "Ow hey I was just kidding damn!"
The next day
"Good job mermaid heel and with little property damage!" The mayor thanked the two mermaid heel members.
"Thank you, sir." Kagura bowed slightly and Millianna was silent through the whole exchange.
"You know we were thinking about hiring Fairy tail but that would have been an issue." The mayor silently sighed in relief that he didn't hire the destructive guild. "Any here 's your reward money for a job well done." The mayor handed them the Jewels which Kagura thanked and the two left.
As they walked in town Kagura saw Millianna still looked down; she didn't have time to address it last night as she went to sleep fast. Before Kagura now addresses her, they spotted Salem walking outside of a café.
"Hey you two." He greeted them.
"Hello Salem-san." Kagura greeted back.
"Hey Salem-chan." Millianna also greeted but with less enthusiasm than she usually had.
Of course, Salem noticed but decided not say anything about it as it really wasn't his business in the first place. Pluss he wasn't great at comforting people.
"Are you already leaving Salem-san?"
"Yeah, I already got what I came for so there's no need to stay."
"Was it a chance to takeover the alpha sea serpent?" Salem simply just shrugged his shoulders. "Why did you want to take-over it anyway?"
"I was asked to take care of some things and one of them happened to be underwater and I suck at swimming so I yeah."
"Why not just turn into a fish?" Millianna asked.
"Do you how freaking terrifying it can get underwater in the sea or ocean. Am not taking any chances. I needed a strong transformation to at least help me with whatever crazy monsters that might be down there." He defended himself.
"I sort of see your point. They say only 33% of Earthlands waters have been discovered and analysed so we don't really know what's out there." Kagura put her hand on her chin thinking about all the undiscovered species and areas of Earthland.
"Hm oh by the way can I ask for a favour from the both of you?" Salem scratched his cheek a little.
"Sure Salem-chan you help us a bunch on the mission so it's no problem." Millianna accepted without hesitation.
"Lets her know what it is first, Millianna." Kagura pointed out.
"Cool, can I take a picture with the both of you." Salem asked as he brought out his phone.
"Huh?" Both girls were taken back by the request.
A little time later
After Salem had taken the picture with the two-mermaid heel guild members he said his goodbyes and turned into an owl and left.
Kagura was just in the room they booked for the mission while Millianna went out to get some fresh air. Now she did want to tackle her friend's down mood but she really didn't know where to start from. She took out a communication lacrima ball to contact the guild master and give her a brief report of the mission.
"That's quit the little adventure you had Kagura-chan." The master of mermaid heel was a beautiful woman in her late twenties with long wavy red hair tied in a ponytail, blue eyes, and a busty figure. "And you're saying the mage who helped you was younger than you yet had magic power equal to yours?"
"Hai master Marella." Kagura nodded.
"Hm interesting he had take-over magic too that sounds familiar." Marella mumbled. "What was his name and what did he look like?"
"Salem Shupiwe, dark skinned, green eyes, curly white hair, looked about thirteen years old, estimated weight about..."
"Wow there Kagura-chan I think that's enough."
Marella stopped her from going further. "But I think I know who you're talking about."
"Have you met him before master?"
"No but I have a friend who is visiting for my wizard saint ceremony and she really likes talking about him and the adventures they go through." Marella chuckled at the little stories about the wacky adventures her friend gets into with the boy.
"By the way master I-I need help."
"Oh, with what Kagura-chan?"
"It's about Millianna."
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