(28.2) The Astral City

"Monologue later, let's get up top!" Aki takes the lead, deftly dodging past the ship's crew to get a lead on everything.

Crashing waves and sea foam threaten the ship's stability. Some of the crew go flying without a chance to do anything. Aki slashes her pendulum at them and the waves that would have swallowed them up spit the crew back onto the deck.

Winter catches up then. He curses under his breath as he looks at the scene.

The skies that were clear only a few minutes prior are darkened by swirling storm clouds focused over the ship. Violent waves lash against the ship, rocking the surface so severely that there is hardly a moment the ship isn't at an angle.

Yet Winter's gaze focuses on the port side of the forecastle. Unlike the gloam light everywhere else, a pitch-black void towered over the massive ship. Only wide, piercing eyes could be made out. They bore down on the deck where Dent and other crew members stood in contest to its mighty presence.

"That's– wait, Dent!" Winter sprints across the deck, leaping across the shaking surface with strained care to the front. "It's immune to water and wind magic!"

Powerful winds engulf Dent and focus onto his blade as he slashes at the gargantuan creature of darkness. Wuthering winds implode at the impact site, stumbling the creature back but also causing the ship to spin violently. Only staying upright thanks to Aki and the few other mages not focused on the monster.

"It's… immune?..." Winter loses his footing and slams into the deck only to get bucked back to his feet.

Dent grabs him before he goes too far and stabilises him. A furrowed brow presents itself on his frowning face.

"I didn't use wind magic, I used the wind to carry the slash I made."

"Huh?" Winter gives a dumbfounded look to Dent then at Aki who can only shrug on account of more pressing matters. "Wait, more importantly. That's the boss. Guardian: Pelgaius of the Deep."

"Boss?"

Cannon fire mixed with various spells from the crew hit Pelgaius with explosive force, but did little noticeable damage aside from making it wail.

"It's based on an umibozu. Ah, look out!" Winter throws out his hand and creates a wall of shadows over the ship.

Pelgaius sinks an arm into the sea and pushes, creating a rogue wave that towers over the ship, yet barely reaching its own shoulder.

Aki is the first to react, spinning her pendulum faster to force the rampaging waves to counter the volatility of the storm.

The clash of waves coupled with Winter's shadow shield creates a shockwave that knocks the ship over. Water pressure threatens to submerge the vessel and any crew that wasn't tied down are sent overboard.

Aki sinks beneath the waves the deepest. Her eyes sting and her breath seizes. In the darkness, Aki cannot tell which way is up nor which is down. Only the faint silhouette of sinking bodies and panicked emotions her own and others flow into her.

Burning pain splits her head as faint light flickers.

She sees her pendulum about to be swept away from her in the dim illumination. A renewed strength fills her body as she snatches the pendulum. Power surges around Aki as the shining crown manifests.

"Water Manipulation."

The entire seascape is filled with bubbles then. Around Aki, the water encases her in a ball. From it, commands spew forth, catching every crew member that sank and spits them back onto the surface where they land on the now upright ship.

"Dent used wind without using wind magic, right?" Aki funnels the water and propels up, breaking the surface and trailing a massive tail of surging waves that towers over everything.

She takes a gulp of air, taking in the sight of the ship and the umibozu. Now that she has some distance, she can feel an anger as volatile as the storm they are all in.

"Use your words when you're angry!" Aki waves the pendulum around and slams it forward.

Heeding her command, the funnel she rides rushes forward, crashing into Pelgaius whilst Aki splits off and leaps onto the deck of the ship, sticking to it with a five point landing. She turns then, shouting a command to the dazed few, and works rapidly to raise a shield.

The walls of wind, water, and shadow rise quickly as the weight of the water knocks Pelgaius over. Dark, cold, and ominous as the shadow behind it, the tidal waves submerges the encased ship.

"Take a breath!" Dent slashes his sword in a wide arc, commanding the winds to form an air bubble. "Winter, stabilise us!"

Shadowy hands extend from Winter's gloved hands and grab onto the water wall Aki and the water mage crew hurriedly built.

Once more the world spins but this time everyone is held in place by their shadows. The faint light in the darkness of the sea is once more visible for a moment.

"We aren't getting out of this." Winter gasps out.

Aki hadn't realised how close to her he actually was. His youthful features contorted in pain and soaked to the bone.

"But if it follows Carnia Love, this isn't the end either."

The water shield starts to deform, shrinking as the wind Dent can generate lessens.

"Just grab onto each other and we won't get separated! Winter tells everyone. "Trust me!"

On Aki's other side, Dent slides up, sheathing his sword and grabbing her by the shoulder. Winter does the same. Meanwhile, any who heard Winter's warning follow suit.

Above, the faint light of the stormy day vanishes as a giant black void encloses around the shielded ship. Water bursts in, the pressure gushing in with violent force.

Then everything goes dark.

***

Wet sand compresses under Aki's body, giving way to a slick, rocky surface. She coughs up some water as she pushes herself into a sitting position. Rubbing the water from her eyes, she takes a look at her surroundings.

The rocky beach she washed up on blends into murky black water. Ahead of her, she sees Winter and Dent – soaked and sandy – waking up. Even further still is a palatial collection of buildings encircled by a massive wall. Aside from this view, there is only darkness.

"Did someone get the licence plate..?" a groggy Winter says as he stands up. "This is… it's the Astral City. Huh? Why isn't it pitch black?"

Winter catches sight of Aki who is presently giving off a weak light localised around the empty space over her head.

"Seems even immaterialised, the Crown heeds your needs, Aki." Dent spits a small fish out of his mouth and shakes the sand from the joints in his armour. "Winter, this has some relation to your world's game, correct? Where are we?"

Aki swats at the air behind her head but feels nothing. Not one to give in easily, she swats at it in various ways as she joins her companions and go further from the shoreline.

"Uhm, I told Aki this already, but this is an area you go to for a side quest around the mid-game. At least, it's supposed to be. I had no idea the underwater temple for the sidequest was attached to the Astral City area." Winter takes the lead as he explains, taking them closer to the city walls and scanning the environment with interest. "Point is, the temple is mid-game and the Astral City is late-game. But, when you do New Game Plus, there's something different."