The wave crashed down, but just as it was doing so, something really peculiar happened. The shield was retracted and the ships were left exposed, if I didn't know better I would say that they were sacrificing the less important ships so that they could escape or come up with a counter attack. And whichever one of those was true, it still won't stop what was coming, or rather what had already arrived.
The wave swept the ships, almost as it was embraced by the hug of a raging sea god. The sharks did not dull as they swam in an out of the ships that the ocean had swallowed. Players who weren't able to immediately die from the impact where bitten until all that was left of their bodies where shreds of skin, and steel. I made the wave hang in place, focusing it on the area around the only ship that still had the shield around it's body.
I hung the trident on my back and got off Neron, shooting through the wave that had now encased the shield like a donut. I looked at the ship as I swam around it, I was so close to the shield I could just reach out my hands and touch it if I wanted to. I could see the players gathered on the deck, though I'm not sure they could see me, even if they could it would have only been a hazy outline. I could read the emotions etched on their faces almost as if it was etched on mine. There was surprise, shock, anger, frustration, fear and rage, lot's and lots of it.
I noticed a lot of players who were still alive trying their hardest to swim towards the edge of the massive wave that swallowed them and was currently encircling their flagship. I went after them, the KUSANAGI gleaming under the ocean's refraction of sunlight. I got to one of the players who's head was already out of the wave, he was yelling, what it was, I'm sure we will never find out as I stabbed the Kusanagi through the back of his head and out his open mouth, then threw his dead body on top of the shield, watching as it burned before dissipating into motes of light.
There was another player right besides him who's entire body had already made it through the wave. The Kusanagi stabbed forward, moving through the 'rear great gate' and into the body of the player. I heard a scream, a very female scream as the player burst into lights and I suddenly found myself feeling somewhat traumatized or disgusted with what I just did. Next time I'll try and confirm I'm attacking a male before shoving a sword up his or her asshole.
I swam forward slicing the Kusanagi on the waist of another player, only for it bounce back with a ding sound, leaving me unprotected as the player pulled himself back into the water and swung a halberd at me. Whether by luck, or the player having no time to properly reorient himself, the flat side of the halberd was what hit the side of my head, smacking star lights into my vision as I was pushed backwards, giving the player enough time to swim out of the wave and make a run or rather a jump for the shield.
Just as he was about to do so, Neron stretched himself out of the wave, and in one fluid motion, snatched up the player into his jaw, crushing bone and steel in one fell swoop, spilling blood over the shield that somehow got through and spilled on the players watching, a string of his intestine also following close behind. Neron drew back his jaw chewing in a manner that made a shiver go up and down my spine, he swam past me and gave me a nod before going after other players.
"Fuck! I'm so glad that shark's on my side." I couldn't help but say to myself as I turned to face the shield, only to see a cannon ball, that's very much on fire heading for my face. I moved the ocean in front of me, densely packing the water and increasing the pressure around me.
It was not enough to serve as a perfect shield, but I was trying to use science, or as much as science as I can remember without completely butchering it. It was an on the spot decision, and the fact that I was able to make it also left me quite shocked. The idea was to try and make the density (or whatever) of the water heavier, so that it would replicate the pressure that's sure to be present thousands of feet under the sea. And for the most part, my plan actually worked.
The cannon ball was squeezed the moment it came in contact with the water until all I was looking at was a crumbled scrap of metal. The flames dissipated, but that was just one canon ball out of the hundreds they had just fired, and one or two of the sharks were caught in the crossfire. I turned to Neron and beckoned him to my side, the dungeon boss; that funny enough was not in his dungeon(wherever the fuck it was) swam towards me.
"Neron thank you so much for your help, but take your kin and regroup around the Acheron, I'll take over from here. You guys should defend the ship and make sure the whole of the island is completely sunk without threats from anybody else." The shark blinked his yellow eyes, which should be impossible....right? Fishes don't blink do they, they don't have eyelids. Oh well I don't think it mattered at the moment anyway.
"It will be as you say, we await news of your victory." And then he raised his head and gave off a little bounce, a sort of shockwave spreading from his head that left me even more surprised. Last I remember sharks don't have echolocation, that's the communication mojo for bats and dolphins...…seriously why the hell am I trying to apply logic to anything that happens here, this is a game! Sure it's real, but it's a game! Remember that Aaron!
The Sharks swam back towards the Acheron, leaving me alone within the vicinity of the shield as more canon balls flew past me and harmlessly into the ocean. I placed my hand on the trident, even though so far the ocean had be reacting to my will, as if it was a part of my own body, I needed to focus a bit for it to happen, to visualize the next move to be made. I closed my eyes as the sea began to move, and I moved along with it, it's current motion coming about as result of my manipulation.
The massive wave that now surrounded the flagship of the dragon god guild, like a cocoon began to rotate. It was like the shield itself was in the middle of giant whirlpool, and the whirlpool itself was exerting enough pressure to crush rocks into diamond and even further crush diamonds into dust. I opened my eyes as I was swept by the current of the whirlpool, watching as it placed more and more pressure on the shield that seemed completely impenetrable.
*CRACK!!!!* until now that is.
A rather nasty crack had appeared on one side of the shield, snaking across it's surface like a lightening bolt. It still held, but now tiny trickles of water was slowly escaping through that crack. The rotation got faster, so much so that I was starting to feel a little nauseous by the constant circular motion and the pressure being exerted on the shield, it was like being thrown in a blender, or maybe a tornado.
*Crackakacak! Craaaack!*
It was only a matter of time now, this shield was strong, really strong. If it was anyone else who didn't have the power of the trident or maybe even the firepower the Ion pulse cannon brought to the table, the these guild of bullies would have been absolutely unstoppable and unbeatable. But I guess they ran out of luck the moment the tree of revelations decided I was worthy enough of being chosen as an Avatar.
I looked at the ship, watching as players on it moved back step by step, completely defeated by the sight of the rapidly expanding cracks on their unbreakable shield. Maybe this time they'll learn that being a bully is wrong, or even they don't learn that, they would be exposed to one very fundamental truth of life....you don't fucking mess with Aaron Wade.
*thud! Crack! Thud!! Crack!! Thud!!! Crack!!!* I could see someone come out if the ship's interior and start walking towards me.
Her very steps caused vibrations to rang out in tandem with the cracks stretching all over the shield. Seeing how the players gave way for her, she's probably the person in charge of this entire operation, probably the head honcho just like Hell Rain, though I have to admit she seems prettier, but I can't be sure as seeing her through moving water did not do wonders for my clarity of sight. She suddenly took off running, moving so fast across the almost one hundred and fifty meter long deck of her ship that she was nothing but a blur to most people, then she leaped into the air in one massive leap, shifting in midair into a massive black and red dragon who's jaws were opened wide and heading straight for me...shit!
I withdrew the wave and converged it on my body as a means for defense, then I turned and plunged right back into the sea, returning the ocean back to it's normal look and form, and leaving the Acheron right in the sights of the flag ship. The woman now dragon followed me into the ocean, her jaws snapping at my heels as I swam deeper, the sunken island or currently sinking island of the Trident city of Atlantis watching on in the distance.
I shifted my direction, going the opposite way, hoping to drag the fight away from the island, but I was worried for nothing as it seemed as if she didn't care, all she wanted to do was to rip my sorry hide to pieces. I could also shift, but just like my use with the trident I had to focus to do so, and as awesome as I was, I can't do it while moving. It would take practice and before today that would have been a waste; as shift skill had a rather long cool down. Either way I had to think of something fast because she was drawing close, way too close!
*Snap!!*
*BOOOM!
HOOOOOONNNNNNGGGGGGGGG*
Just as escaped being eaten by just a hairs breath, a familiar sound rang out, causing shockwaves and vibrations through the ocean. As if on an unspoken agreement, we both stopped and looked above us, watching as the beam from the Ion pulse cannon completely obliterated the shield and flagship it was protecting, leaving nothing but a flaming heap of metal that wasn't even three fourths of what it once was. Flames and molten metal, along with quite a few bodies fell into the ocean. And whatever was left of thw flagship followed close behind. I quickly swam towards it, hoping to use it descent as an obstacle to evade the dragon lady that I'm very sure would be super pissed right about now. 'damn it Qitar you awesome green lady!'
But while Dragon lady was no longer interested in me, the Acheron on the other hand now made a very big target. She moved her gaze to me, as if to say 'watch me destroy everything you love' and then she flew out of the ocean in one fell swoop, but luck didn't seem to be on her side lately as she was first assaulted with a hail of turret and gun fire, before Zareth slammed his hulking red dragon body against hers and they crashed right back into the sea, completely entangled in a wrestle of draconic proportions.
Zareth might have pushed her back into the ocean and quite impressively I might add as snapped his massive jaws at her, attacking and fighting in a manner reminiscent of the animalistic instinct of a dragon. But anyone with an experienced eye would be able to see everything wrong with this fight, she wasn't actively attacking, but she was letting Zareth exhaust and frantically move his body every which way. She had no intention of dragging this fight out, and was very much stronger than Zareth, she was actually just waiting for the right moment to strike, and then...….she's going to kill him. Shit!