Book 12: Chapter 2: Sea God (1/5)
That guy suddenly came one day.
“Sea God-sama! This is dreadful!”
“What… Did something happen?”
One of the shikigami serving me run towards me in a fluster.
“T-That’s, the Leviathan and the Kraken are fighting —”
“Tsk. Those guys are on it again, huh…. Sigh, can’t be helped then. I’ll go stop them.”
Kraken’s one thing, but I’m the only one who can stop Divine Beast Leviathan.
“No. That’s not it.”
“Hm? Then what?”
“The fighting Leviathan and Kraken had been defeated by a human!”
“— Huh?”
I didn’t understand what the shikigami just told me.
We were under the sea.
And based on what the shikigami just said, Leviathan and Kraken were rampaging around. Well, that’s only natural.
So, just how on Neptune’s beard did a human defeat those guys, then?
“... When both of them had been beaten black and blue after going at each other, that human swoop in and dealt the final blow — was it something like that?”
I couldn’t think of any plausible reason other than that.
“That’s not what happened, either. He said that the ship he was on almost sunk because of the two going on a rampage, so calmed them down.”
“W-What did you say!?”
That was impossible.
Kraken was the strongest monster living in the depths of the sea.
His strength comes close to Leviathan’s, who is a Divine Beast.
As for Leviathan, he was the most powerful among the Divine Beasts as long as he fought in a place with enough water.
There was no human who could defeat those two.
No way could that happen.
“...Hm? Wait. You just said ‘he’, right?”
“Indeed.”
“Did you see that human?”
“Rather than see…”
The shikigami glanced at the entrance of the shrine.
“Actually, he’s here now.”
“Sorry for the intrusion~”
“— Eh?”
That guy was walking normally.
— under water.
My Shrine is located in the deepest portion of the ocean.
My shikigami and I could live normally underwater, so even the shrine was filled with seawater.
And yet, he was walking here as if he was on dry land.
“W-What!? What the heck is happening here… Why is he walking here!?”
“Well, even if you ask me…”
The shikigami was also at a loss.
Who will answer my question then!?
“Just how did he know the location of my Shrine in the first place?”
My shrine was deep under the ocean.
It should be impossible to pinpoint the exact location of my shrine given just how wide the ocean is.
“Oh. He saw me when I went to check Leviathan and Kraken’s situation, and he followed me here.”
“...Huh?”
“I deeply apologize.”
The shikigami apologized, but I wasn’t mad.
I just couldn’t understand this.
I, the Sea God, was the fastest being that could traverse the entire expanse of the oceans and the seas.
Leviathan and the mermaids would be next in speed.
The mermaids may be weak, but they could swim very fast.
The shikigami could swim as fast as the mermaids.
It was only natural given that she serves me, but I also bestowed her with the ability and body that could endure life under the sea.
And yet, he managed to chase after that shikigami?
The shikigami that swam as if they were flying underwater?
— No way a mere human could do that!!
“Ahm, sorry, did I really disturb you?”
He spoke normally underwater.
I could hear his voice clearly.
Actually, I should have been wary of this suspicious, unknown entity.
I should’ve activated my deity power and chase him off outta here.
Still, I couldn’t help but be interested in this guy that supposedly defeated Leviathan and Kraken, and even chased the shikigami all the way here.
“You, what’s your name?
“Ah! Sorry for barging in without even introducing myself! I’m —”
A tremendous amount of mana suddenly overflowed and surrounded the guy.
The overflowing power created currents that swept all the mermaids and fishes who had come to see what was going on inside the Shrine.
“I am Halt.”
He was a human kid around six years of age.
That little Bakemono boy named Halt watched the mermaids and fishes enjoying being swept by the currents with a smile.