Alphario - Chapter 6

"Haaaaa..."

Dennis immersed himself up to his ears, closed his eyes, and tried to make sense of things. First, SPOT told him that he had disappeared for two days, then Franck laughed when Dennis told him that they had only met a few hours ago.

But that's impossible...

Dennis opened his eyes and thought he saw Eurid. He reached out to touch him, but remembered that Eurid couldn't be there. Dennis rubbed his eyes, and when he looked back, Eurid had already vanished just as he had expected.

Dennis leaned back against the pool wall and gritted his teeth. Had he imagined it all? There was no way to tell. Eurid told Dennis that he had saved him before, but maybe that wasn't real. He had no idea where to begin looking for answers. Frustrated, Dennis laid on his back and dozed off.

When he woke up, Dennis found himself in his bedroom, still wearing his swimwear. He almost jumped when he saw Senjo, sitting in the other bed, staring at him.

"You!" Dennis pointed sternly at Senjo. "How did you get in here?!"

Senjo remained silent, annoying Dennis all the more.

Dennis heard SPOT trying to open the door, but it was locked from the inside. "Warf! Is everything all right, Master? Please open the door, Master. SPOT is worried, warf warf!"

"Everything's fine, SPOT." Dennis recomposed himself. "Don't worry about me."

Staring back at Senjo, Dennis lowered his voice and asked, "How did you find me?"

Senjo took something from his bag. It was the same pair of shorts Dennis had been wearing the day he met Eurid.

"Why do you have those?"

Senjo reached his hand inside one of the pockets, and took out a sheet of folder paper. "Map."

Dennis took the sheet from Senjo and unfolded it. It was the map SPOT had given him. "What? You've been stalking me?!"

Senjo nodded. Dennis barely noticed.

"Come. Now." Senjo said.

"Huh? What?"

"There's something I want you to help me investigate. Let's go."

"Ask someone else. I'm busy."

Senjo shook his head. "We have to go. Now."

"I said I'm busy!"

With that, Senjo left with a disgruntled "hmph" and disappeared through the window.

"That guy's been keeping watch since dawn, kid."

Eurid appeared on Dennis's shoulder.

"Uhm... are you the real deal?" Dennis asked, figuring out if Eurid was just a figment of his imagination.

"Am I real?! Is that all you have to say after I saved your life? Yet again?" Eurid fumed and turned reddish.

Sounds pretty authentic. "What do you mean?" Dennis asked, finally convinced.

"You lost consciousness, kid! Do you know how scary kyvix of the depths are?!"

"But I was just sleeping..."

"You're lucky it was me who found you. If it was-"

"We are in the human world, remember?" Dennis interrupted. "No need to worry!"

"Well, erm..." Eurid looked up and turned pink.

Dennis chuckled. Eurid was glowering at him, but still pink.

"I thought you had already gone back to your world. Did you miss me?"

Eurid snarled and looked away. "Chief's orders."

"Yeah, right..."

Dennis's smile faded.

"Hey Eurid..."

"Whaddup?"

"Does time pass differently in Altre?"

"How am I supposed to know? It's my first time coming to this world... I think."

"You think?"

Dennis heard SPOT scratching at the door.

"SPOT is sorry to disturb you again, Master Dennis. Master Franck has just called to say that he will arrive in a few minutes, warf warf!"

"All right. Be downstairs as soon as I'm done packing."

"SPOT shall go ahead and prepare breakfast, warf! Please give SPOT a call in case Master needs any assistance, warf warf!"

"Yeah, gotcha."

Dennis was starting to feel that SPOT's responses were all automated.

"Then SPOT shall be off, Master!" The voiced trailed off with a series of warfs.

"Who's that?" Eurid questioned.

"You mean SPOT?" Dennis grabbed fresh clothes from the closet and put them on.

"No, the guy you were talking about."

"Franck?"

Eurid nodded.

"Some guy I met when I got off the plane. He said he's going to take me all kinds of places!"

"Sounds fun. When do we leave, kid?"

"We?"

"Yep. Gotta keep a close eye on you from now on."

"No!" Dennis blurted. "You can't!"

"You think you can stop me, kid?!"

Eurid was bright red and hot to the touch.

"You would stick out like a sore thumb. You're a half-dressed horned demon made of rocks!"

"You... Don't forget who I am, kid."

"This is the human world. Nobody gives a crap about who you are."

Eurid growled, then faded.

"It won't be a problem if nobody sees me, right?"

"Not if they can hear you."

"I'm using telepathy, kid. Nobody else can hear us."

"Well..."

---

Dennis strapped on his backpack before leaving his room. Franck told him to travel light, so he only brought his camera, his hoverboard, and an extra set of clothes. Dennis also slid a couple of US dollars into his pocket; he had planned to have them exchanged for Japanese yen during his accidental trip to Kyoto, but Jinka and her friends had insisted that there was no need as they were shouldering the expenses that afternoon.

Dennis went down to the second floor balcony and found Franck and SPOT in the main hallway. As he was about to call out to them, Dennis suddenly heard Franck mention his name. Intrigued, he snuck downstairs and crept close to eavesdrop.

"So… has my kiddo been a good boy?" Franck asked SPOT.

"Master Dennis always gets lost inside Calave, warf warf! Master Dennis also grumbles in his sleep and makes SPOT worry, waaarf..."

"...but even after everything SPOT has done, Master Dennis only kicks SPOT out of the bedroom when he wakes up, warf waaarf..." SPOT continued, its head and tail downcast.

"OI!" Dennis loomed from behind and cracked his knuckles. "I am so not going to play with you again, you ungrateful mutt!"

"Warf! Ma-master Dennis!" SPOT jumped back and lowered its entire metal body to the ground whimpered. "SPOT has been a bad dog, waaarf... Please forgive SPOT, Master Dennis. Warf waaarf..."

"Hey kiddo!" Franck casually tipped his cap. "What took ya so long?"

Dennis stared at him from top to bottom. Franck was wearing an unbuttoned purple collared shirt with matching cap and shoes and appeared a lot paler and thinner compared to when he was wearing a suit.

"Like you weren't late last time."

"That was all in the past, kiddo. Let's move on, shall we?"

Dennis shrugged and said nothing.

"Why so silent, kiddo?"

"Hn."

"Anyway, ya better eat up. Full intinerary today."

"Where are we going?"

"Secret." Franck grinned. "Ya'll love it there!"

"I don't like surprises." Dennis grumbled.

"So I take ya haven't eaten yet, kiddo?"

"Don't change the topic!"

"Let's chow then. Can't have ya starve in the middle of our trip!"

"Master Franck is right, warf! SPOT had prepared a sumptuous breakfast in the dining area, Master Dennis! Warf warf!"

Dennis reluctantly followed Franck and SPOT to the dining hall. "Tsk. You guys are gonna get it from me one day!"

Dennis's eyes widened at the sight of the wide choice of cereals and fruits carefully arranged on the dining table. Wasting no second, he took a seat and grabbed a bowl of fresh milk and filled it with chocolate cereal. Shortly after, SPOT, who had gone off to the kitchen, brought in a large plate topped with poached eggs, hash browns, choice sausages, crispy bacon, and waffles toasted to perfection.

"What would Master Dennis like for drinks, warf warf?" SPOT asked.

"Water's fi- no wait, do we have mango shake?"

"There's nothing we don't have here, Master Dennis! Warf!" SPOT dashed back to the kitchen. "One freshly made mango milkshake coming up, warf warf!"

Franck walked across the room with his arms behind his head. "Haaa... yer so lucky, kiddo. I've always wanted to stay in a place like this."

"Ya have the company's best AI unit to cook anything ya want, and the things ya can do in here's just endless." He continued. "Heck, this place even has its own amusement park."

"Mmyou cuf com mstay 'ere anyfaime 'y waf, ya mow" Dennis spoke with a full mouth.

"Nah." Franck whispered into Dennis's right ear, "Company policy."

"Ow..."

"It's cool, kiddo." Franck replied, followed by a long silence. "Hey, go finish yer food. We're running late!"

Dennis chomped down the strip of bacon he had been saving until the end and glugged the glass of mango shake that SPOT had just brought in. "Done!"

SPOT sat down beside Dennis and tilted its head sideways. "How was SPOT's cooking, Master Dennis? Warf warf!"

Dennis got out of the seat and slung his bag over his shoulder, getting ready to leave. "Not bad. I'd give it an 8.5 out of 10."

"Thank you for the kind review, Master Dennis. SPOT shall strive to do better next time, warf warf!"

"Just curious, but why an American breakfast when we're in Japan?" Dennis asked.

"SPOT believes that Master Dennis would prefer something from his hometown since it's Master Dennis's first time to have breakfast in Calave, warf warf! Would Master Dennis prefer a Japanese breakfast tomorrow? Warf!"

"Hmmm..."

"SPOT's database contains thousands of recipes and cuisines from around the world, warf warf! SPOT can do a daily rotation between each one if Master Dennis wishes so, warf!"

"Sounds good." Dennis gave SPOT a pat on the head. "Let's see what you come up with then!"

"Warf warf!" SPOT wagged its tail. "SPOT was informed that Master Franck would take Master Dennis out for lunch and dinner today. Does Master Dennis have any preferences for tomorrow's lunch? Warf warf!"

"Lamb chops!" Dennis answered without hesitation. "Medium well."

"Excellent choice, Master Dennis, warf! SPOT shall serve Master's favorite lamb chops medium-well done for tomorrow's lunch, warf warf!"

Franck elbowed Dennis playfully. "See what I mean, kiddo?"

"Yeah, yeah. You win." Dennis shrugged.

Franck winked. "Well then..." He took out his car key from his pocket. "Shall we?"

Dennis nodded, "Later, SPOT!"

"Have a great day, Master Dennis and Master Franck!" SPOT said, and bade farewell with a series of loud warfs which reverberated throughout the hallway. Dennis and Franck could hear them clearly from outside the main entrance.

"Lively dog." Franck eyed Dennis with a strange expression on his face.

Dennis shrugged, "You don't say."

A glossy white hatchback with black tinted wiindows was waiting for them in the driveway.

"Meet Enzo. Not as classy as the car from the company, but he gets the job done."

"You gave your car a name?"

Franck's expression changed. "Anything wrong with that?"

"No... nothing."

Dennis stared at the automobile. It wasn't as fancy as the limo they rode the other day; nevertheless, it still looked like a nice car. Dennis only felt that its simplicity doesn't match well with Franck; he had expected something funkier.

Franck headed over to Dennis. "Wacha waiting for, kiddo? Hop in!"

"Okay. Okay." Dennis tried to open the car door but Franck was in the way. "Erm... excuse me."

Franck grinned and pointed at the opposite door. "Yer on the opposite side, kiddo. Unless ya wanna do the driving."

"Huh? But I remember sitting..."

"That limo's an exception, kiddo. We only bring him out on special occasions... like, ya know, fetching a certain someone from the airport."

"Uhh... me?"

Franck tapped his car roof. "Yeah. Anyway, don't be disappointed kiddo, Enzo's pretty special in his own way... if ya know what I mean."

"I... see..."

Dennis headed to the opposite side of the car and opened the door. What greeted him was a mountain of trash piled on the passenger's seat.

"How the heck am I supposed to sit in here?!" Dennis raised his voice.

"Just brush 'em aside then there'll be plenty of room." Franck flatly said.

"Sheesh. Making your guest do all the work."

Dennis rummaged through the area and moved the clutter bit by bit to the backseat as Franck started up the car. He took back every good thing he had said about the vehicle, believing that Enzo was the perfect example of the saying "don't just a book by its cover."

"Whew!" Dennis slumped down in his seat, slightly exhausted after clearing up Franck's mess.

Franck started to drive. "Thanks for cleaning up my car, kiddo! In case that made ya hungry, there's some chips inside the compartment to yer front. Help yerself!"

"Gee, thanks." Dennis clapped his hands clean before tearing a bag open and snagging a handful. "Want some?"

"No thanks, I've had enough of those earlier this morning."

"Sure? I'm gonna eat it all!"

Franck nodded. "So tell me... where have ya been these past few days?"

Crunch! "Heh. You wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"I'm listening."

"Ok..." Dennis took a deep breath. "Where should I start?"

"Dunno, kiddo. SPOT said that ya went to Tokyo and then disappeared."

"Ah, that." Dennis scratched his forehead. "I ended up in Kyoto."

"WHAT?!" Franck suddenly hit the brakes, throwing Dennis forward as a result.

"Oof!"

"Whoops... sorry about that?" Franck said apologetically. "Ya okay, kiddo?"

Dennis tilted his head from side to side and cracked his neck. "I'm fine, but don't do that again please."

"Sure, kiddo... Anyway, listen!. Tokyo and Kyoto are hundreds of miles apart. Did ya even know that?"

"Not really. So..?"

"Wow kiddo, I'm amazed that ya made it back in one piece!"

"That was, er... a couple of fans helped me out."

"Fans? Solar fans? I have one at the back."

"No, stupid. Some girls ran into me and called themselves the Dennis Blake Fan Club."

"I'm not surprised, kiddo. You won the greatest contest in the world, held by the biggest company in the world!" Franck spoke in an announcer's voice.

"In fact, I have a huge fanbase myself!" He added.

"I guess so..." Dennis remembered how hesitant he was about joining the contest a month ago, and how his life had changed after that fateful decision. He recalled the trials and challenges he had encountered since he stepped foot in Japan, and realized that getting through them would not have beenpossible without the help of everyone he came across. Dennis smiled involuntarily, happy to know that he had dependable companions by his side.

"I'm glad to see yer in a good mood today, kiddo." Franck said.

"Yeah... haha!" Dennis turned away, slightly embarrassed that Franck had caught him while he was daydreaming. He shook his head and gave himself a little pinch. "So where was I?"

Dennis resumed his story, telling Franck about his afternoon with Jinka and the rest of his fangirls and the strange things that had happened on his way home. Franck only listened in amusement as Dennis told him that he was able to stop time and freeze everything in place before a giant pterodactyl appeared out of nowhere and attacked him. He also told Franck about Senjo and his cocky attitude, but before he could discuss the details regarding the kyvix world, Eurid gave him a violent nudge.

"What's the big idea?" Dennis complained. "I wasn't even bothering you!"

"You can't just speak about Altre so openly to other humans, kid!"

"But Franck's my friend!"

"Chief's orders." Eurid replied sternly. "I'll shut you up myself if you don't."

"Hey kiddo, yer spacing out again."

"O-oh, hey!" Franck's voice shook Dennis back to the present situation.

"Don't just hey me, kiddo." Franck glared. "Something wrong?"

Dennis shook his head. "Just thinking stuffs."

"Care to share?"

Dennis shook his head, not wanting to intimidate Eurid any further. "I'm fine."

Franck tapped Dennis on the back multiple times. "Had too much sake last night?"

"Uh, what..?"

"You sneaky kiddo! Stop hiding things from me, will ya? How many women did you spend the last few nights with?"

"H-huh?" Dennis didn't know what Franck was talking about.

"Tag me along next time, will ya?"

"Uh, sure." Dennis tried to play along. Anything's better than Eurid getting mad. He thought.

"So how many girls were you with?"

"Errr... uhm..." Dennis wasn't sure of what to answer, but the first thing that came to mind was that group he met the other day.

"I think there was eight of them." He counted mentally, still cluless.

"Damn! You're a pro, kiddo! But this guy won't lose to you." Franck pointed his thumb at himself.

"What do you mean?"

"Grab yer stuff and hop off the car! We're here!"

Dennis looked outside the car window. "Eh? A beach?"

Dennis thought that Franck would bring him to some cultural landmarks where he could enjoy Japanese culture at its finest. He was highly mistaken.

"Welcome to Omi-Maiko! Known for its beautiful white sand and Japan's luscious babes. Mmmm..."

Franck quickly got off the car, while Dennis was still confused as to what to do.

"What are you waiting for, kiddo?" Franck had already stripped off his top and was ready to hit the waters.

"But I didn't bring my-"

"Just take your shirt off and you're good to go!"

"Besides… see those?" Franck put his arm around Dennis's shoulder and directed his attention to the bikini clad girls on their right. "Most chicks after two hours wins the contest!"

"But…"

"I'm off! See ya around!"

"Hey… wait up!"

Nothing could stop Franck as he dashed forth with newfound goal in mind. Dennis observed him from a distance. Franck was very lean but not too scrawny, and his pale skin was two shades lighter than Dennis's. The numbers 3, 7, and 2 were tattooed on his upper back, encircled by a figure akin to the Shutter Technologies's logo. Dennis wondered if every Shutter employee had a similar mark on their backs, but he dismissed the idea as absurd and blamed his crazy mind for coming up with such warped thoughts.

Might as well enjoy myself while I'm here, Dennis thought as he unzipped his vest and made himself comfortable on the warm beach sand. He looked up and saw Franck exchanging greetings with a random girl by the shore. Minutes after, Franck was already with another girl, repeating the same sweet words that he had told the first one.

"Geez… what a playboy."

"That friend of yours isn't so bad, kid." Dennis heard Eurid say.

"Yeah right. He brings me to the beach only to flirt with others." Dennis grumbled.

"I'm here, kid." Eurid said in his usual arrogant tone. "What more could you possibly want?"

Uh oh! Dennis could sense a monologue coming on.

"Anyway, aren't humans supposed to have fun in this place?"

"I dunno..." Dennis buried his feet under the sand, only to take them out after a few seconds. He was usually enthusiastic about swimming, but he had already spent the previous night wallowing inside a giant pool back at Calave. Water wasn't exactly his friend right now.

Dennis rolled about on the warm sand, wondering what to do on a clear, sunny day. He remembered seeing videos of people practicing flips at the beach using an exercise ball, and wondered if he could do the same with his friend's help.

"Hey Eurid, can you change into anything else aside from weapons?"

"You mocking me, kid? There is nothing in Altre than the almighty Eurid can't turn into."

"You're the human world, remember."

Eurid growled. "Even in your world!"

"Can you tra-"

"No."

"You didn't even let me finish..."

Eurid grunted. "Speak."

"Can you transform into this light, bouncy ball for me?" Dennis tried to illustrate his point with careless hand gestures. "Something like a giant beach ball."

"I don't take orders from anyone, kid!"

"Come on! I'll show you something cool!"

It took a lot of convincing before Eurid agreed. Dennis almost gave up, but Eurid finally gave in after Dennis offered to share half of SPOT's lamb chops with him during their next lunch.

Dennis dug a large hole in the sand and instructed Eurid to stay at the bottom. On his signal, Eurid appeared in the form of a tiny blue ball which slowly expanded in size until the gaps were completely filled.

"Perfect!" Dennis gave Eurid a thumbs up. "Now watch me!"

Dennis cracked his knuckles, then lunged toward the ball at full speed. As soon as his feet brushed the top surface, he sprung off with full might, executing a forward somersault in the air.

"How's that?" Dennis looked back at Eurid with a smug grin after landing his stunt successfully. His expression changed abruptly when he saw the ball turning into a violent shade of crimson.

"How dare you put your filthy toes on me?!" Eurid bellowed.

"But I just..."

Dennis tried to calm Eurid, but the more he struggled, the worse the situation became for him. Worried about attracting unwanted attention, Dennis quickly scanned his surroundings for spectators. To his dismay, several people already had their eyes locked onto them. Some even had their phones up, taking pictures and recording the scene on video.

Great. That's what you get for being a show-off. Dennis muttered.

It was hard for Dennis to act normal with all the people staring at him. As he thought hard on how to get out of the situation without arousing suspicion, he felt a finger touching him from behind, causing the hair on his back to bristle.

Get a grip! Dennis told himself.

He turned around, only to find a young boy half his height. The boy looked at Dennis in the eye and exclaimed "sugoi," followed by other Japanese phrases Dennis didn't quite understand.

"Hmph." Eurid grunted.

"You understand him?" Dennis asked.

Eurid remained silent as Dennis lifted his head and took a few seconds to look the people around him. The crowd responded by nodding back, giving him reassuring smiles as they awaited Dennis's next move.

"I think... they want to see more." Dennis told Eurid as he continued to observe his audience.

"No."

"But t-"

"No. You will never step foot on me again, kid!"

"How is this any worse than slashing through the guts of monsters?"

"I'm a warrior, kid. Not some toy you can bounce around with!"

"Come on! Don't you wanna be an Internet star?"

"And what is that supposed to mean?"

Dennis paused for a bit and wondered how to explain the Internet in the simplest way possible.

"Don't you wanna be famous? You are Altre's great guardian after all. And you deser-"

"Enough, kid." Dennis knew that everything would turn out fine as soon as he saw Eurid shift back into his original blueish hue.

"Fine. Let's do it!" Eurid said gruffly.

Dennis grinned. He knew that the self-centered Eurid was a sucker for compliments.

"Don't screw up, kid."

"I won't." Dennis rubbed his finger against his nose. "I'm a pro!"

After stretching his arms and legs, Dennis bumped his fists twice — his habit when people are watching him perform. The audience cheered loudly when Dennis did an encore of his last stunt, and it inspired him to keep on going. Unlike earlier, Eurid didn't seem to mind when Dennis asked him to change in properties in the middle of his performance, becoming bouncy or firm as needed while Dennis incorporated some bboy power moves into his routine.

In just a few minutes, Dennis had already attracted a crowd of over fifty people. Some of them were generous enough to throw in some money, and without realizing it, Dennis had managed to accumulate over three thousand yen.

Dennis was having the time of his life, until a loud female voice disrupted his concentration and sent everyone packing.

"What's happening?!" Dennis looked around nervously.

"Some crazy person just stopped our show and told everyone to leave." Eurid informed him.

"Seriously? Now who could possibly d-"

"Dennis-sama! Dennis-sama!”

No wonder the voice sounded familiar. Pushing against the crowd of people was Jinka. The other club members trailed closely behind her.

"Who are they?" Eurid demanded an answer.

"They're the girls I was talking about a while ago." Dennis paused. "My fans..."

"You should have told us you were coming, Dennis-sama!" Jinka approached Dennis and pinched his cheek.

"I... uh..." Dennis's cheeks flushed as he remembered the kiss Jinka gave him back in Kyoto.

"My, my. You look good without a shirt." Jinka traced her finger across Dennis's toned midsection, making him shiver and blush even more. The girls giggled at his reaction.

The girls had laid a giant picnic mat on the sand, and invited Dennis to sit along beside them.

"What brings you here? Dennis-sama?" Risaki asked him.

"Well..."

Before he could answer, the rest of the girls came to him with all sorts of requests. Erin offered to buy Dennis some ice cream; Kari offered him a back rub; Shaira wanted to play volleyball with him; the rest bombarded him with questions.

"Girls! Girls!" Jinka yelled. "One at a time! You're making Dennis-sama confused!"

Everyone, including Jinka, bowed in unison and apologized. "Sumimasen deshita, Dennis-sama!"

"I-it's really okay..." Dennis scratched his neck. He wasn't used to all the formality.

"Hasn't Aina returned yet?" Jinka asked. "She was supposed to meet with us here ten minutes ago!"

"We've been trying to contact her, but she isn't answering."

It was at that moment that they noticed people running away from the shore, and this time it wasn't because of them.

"Run away! Run away!" They heard someone scream.

"What's going on?" Dennis asked, growing uneasy by the second. The girls quickly packed their things and surrounded him from every side.

Jinka raised her arm and flashed a V-sign. "Rule number two: Protect Dennis-sama from any physical harm!"

"To the car!" At Jinka's signal, the girls picked Dennis up and lifted him above their heads.

"H-hey! What are you doing?"

"Bringing Dennis-sama to safety, of course. We won't let anything happen to you!"

"Wai- wait! Put me down for a while!"

"Does Dennis-sama feel uncomfortable in that position?" Jinka asked, still lifting Dennis together with the rest.

"Please... just..."

Wanting nothing other than Dennis's satisfaction, the girls carried Dennis down, making sure he doesn't get hurt in the process.

"I'll be baaack!" Dennis dashed with all his might to the part of the shore where people have gathered, ignoring the horrified screams of Jinka and the gang. Something big is up, he thought as he saw ambulances and broadcasting vehicles parked along the sandy road.

"We have the situation under control. Repeat. We have the situation under control." The announcement blared through loud megaphones.

"I sense a kyvix nearby. Be careful, kid." Eurid, who was back to being invisible, told Dennis.

Dennis arrived at the shore gasping and took a few seconds to catch his breath. Contrary to the announcement, the whole place was in disarray. People ran amok, clueless as to how to handle the situation.

KYAAAAAAAA!! A loud shriek caught Dennis’s attention.

It was one of the fan club members. She was struggling to stay afloat in the middle of the sea, but something seemed to be pulling her from below.

"Aina! Ainaaa!" The girls managed to catch up. "We're coming to help you!" They were stopped by beach officials.

"But... she's... ugh... one of us!" Jinka struggled to get through.

"Rest assured. We're doing our best to save your friend." One of the lifeguards told the group.

"But you're doing nothing at all!" Shaira yelled.

"Everyone is doing their best to save your friend from that monster." The lifeguard repeated.

"Let's go!" Dennis told Eurid.

"Wait. That's..."

A giant eye popped out in the middle of the sea, causing another huge commotion at the shore. It had one tentacle latched onto Aina's leg, carrying her upside-down in midair.

"Tasukete kudasai..." Aina cried for help one last time before losing consciousness.

"We gotta go! Now!" Dennis felt a rush of adrenaline surging through his body.

"That’s... Anuonesa. What’s she doing here?"

"Anuo… what?"

"Trust me kid, she is bad, bad news."