I’m itchy and something is pulling on my clothes. My eyes opened, and I was face down laying in sand. Noisy seagulls pulled on my clothes and lifted me up.

  Hey assholes… I’m not Gully.

  I tried to move around, but my body resisted. I somehow had stranded without losing a life. Didn’t this happen before? But what’s going to happen now? These seagulls are successfully kidnapping me.

  A blue streak flashed by, and a seagull got caught in the maws of Nilah. The other seagulls got scared off and dropped me in the sand.

  Thank you, Nilah, or… were you just hungry…

  Nilah might have gone for the ‘two harpies with one fireball’ approach and save me while procuring breakfast. Or was it lunch? How late was it?

  My chest hurt, I coughed up oceanwater and rolled on my back. There was sand everywhere, but I was alive!

  Or was I? I might have died and went to sand hell but… why would Nilah go to hell too? I could understand me going to hell but why Nilah too? And why would there be shitty seagulls in hell? The most logical conclusion would be that I was alive.

  Hey Nilah, you can just leave if you’ve had enough of me.

  Nilah responded by handing me a piece of foxfire fried seagull.

  It has sand on it! But… thank you.

  It wasn’t tasty or graceful, but it was food. My body hurt and felt slow, but I managed to eat the fried seagull.

  I didn’t recognize this shore. I could briefly activate Elgards eyes, and it revealed that I was on the Denga peninsula. There was nobody here. But for how long? Sure, that loser wouldn’t give up like that.

  My only metric that was going well was mana. There was not much I could do. I connected to the gigantic, continent sized magic circle my clones had drawn. Most had disappeared, but some were still maintaining the circle.

  Want to help Nilah?

  Nilah jumped on my head and gave me mana.

  The magic circle was quirky and only accepted mana while I was exhaling. My tails felt the need to ignite in foxfire and ‘breathe’ when I did while pouring mana in, intensifying while I inhaled and dimming while I exhaled.

  This skill is so deeply tied to myself that it wasn’t surprising. 5 minutes went by, 10 minutes went by, 20 minutes went by, and the mana kept going into the magic circle. It was a slow process. I might have made a mistake while making this. It felt as if this was too slow and also doing something else.

  Was it broken? Nope. But a bit inefficient. A bit too late to fix it now. I thought I had fished out all the inconvenient mistakes.

  All the mana had been taken after 2 hours and Nilah and I rested on a dune. Just doing this 19 more times and it will accept the other skills.

  A [Meteor] dropped into the ocean in the distance. It was quite far. Is Zack trying to fish with [Meteors]?

  My eyes stung and didn’t want to cooperate. My Elgards eyes activated briefly. All I could see was that he was fighting Della before they deactivated.

  Bellia and Della really trying to score brownie points with the tailed beasts, although… if Zack was trying to fish with [Meteors] I can understand that the goddess of water would get pissed off. Maybe she doesn’t even know that Zack was fighting me.

  He might also get in trouble with Bellia as he had dropped [Meteors] on the mainland and had been throwing [Lava Bombs] the size of city blocks at me.

  Nilah’s fur was a mess. I was a mess and my tails… they were scorched, full of sand and injured. No trace was left of my beautiful tails. Appearing like this will break Giana’s heart but… I can’t fix this without her.

  Hey Nilah, do you think I have a special ability that makes me skilled at making Giana cry?

  I beckoned Nilah and started to brush her fur. I was sleepy, but 2 gods are fighting in the distance. I could get caught in the crossfire the moment one of them gets blasted into my direction. But I just kept brushing Nilah.

  What would Nilah say if I could understand her? Would she be bitchy or be nice?

  The sound of waves crashing soothed my mind. The sand didn’t bother me that much. Something that Yv once said floated up. Personality dictates skillset. Is this why the ocean calmed me down? I haven’t used water in quite a while. I have made so many skills, but none were water type.

  A tug startled me. The storm is coming. Giana is either going to be pissed or cry a lot. Either way I’m not prepared. I will just wait here.

  A storm was really coming, a real one. The fight of Della and Zack had moved far enough that I wasn’t in danger, but Della might have called this storm. Rain didn’t bother me; the wind was an annoyance, though. I bound myself to a tree with [Azure Chains] to ensure I wouldn't fly off. No rest for me, I guess.

  A day passed and nobody was here yet. I forgot that my team is slow as snails.

  The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

  Nilah, can you pick them up?

  Nilah stuck close to me and didn't do much else. Is that a ‘no’?

  They were sure taking their time. I had recovered enough to move around. My tails hurt, so I hid them. I got some tropical attire out and unfolded a beach chair. It was mid-winter but the temperature wasn’t too bad here.

  Mid-winter… what was it again? Silver foxes in the winter and gold in the spring… uh oh. This is Giana’s season. Her hair was clearly silver and blonde, does that mean shes from the winter or spring? Or both?.

  I would deal with that when it pops up. It was a sunny day and the shades went on. It felt as if I was on a holiday. I sure did earn it!

  A teleport ping arrived next to me, a busty silver haired woman dove at me and knocked me out of my beach chair.

  “I am never letting you out of my sight!”

  I’m sorry Deca…

  “Do you know how confused I was when I woke up in a comfortable living room? And how scared I was after I realized that you sealed me away and made it so easy to get out? I thought that I would never see you again!”

  Zack got interested in you…I wouldn’t let him.

  Hey Agni…

  Not now Raishin, let them have their moment.

  “Who is Zack?” A muffled voice asked, coming from my chest.

  Sarian god of fire and simps. He fell for you the moment he laid eyes on you. Not that I blame him…

  “Aww…Please just run away with me next time…”

  I barely had energy to defend myself. I said that I would prioritize you, that’s why I sealed you away and sent you to safety. I…I’m lucky to be alive… I love your hair.

  “I see…Deca…I’m sorry for being so useless. I saved you, but then dropped the ball and became dead weight.”

  I embraced Giana. It seemed that we even felt the same. Dragging each other down.

  I was thinking the exact same… causing you worry time after time. I thought you were getting sick of it.

  Aww they're so sweet that I’m getting diabetes!

  “Raishin! Please be quiet! They’re having a moment!” Noelle said and smacked Raishin.

  And thank you for looking after everyone and Giana, Raishin. You’re a real bro.

  Heh, no problems.

  Well then go on, let me hear it. You guys probably have a lot to say.

  I got hit by a group hug.

  Owowow be careful! I’m fragile! Are you guys dying? Where is my scolding?

  We might have all died if you didn’t react like you did… there was no scolding. We had a talk, the 5 of us. We need to work on ourselves as currently, you and Giana are the only ones who will be fine when something like that happens again.

  Oh, you got overpowered while I was stuck in a black hole, Deca?

  “I can use frost magic now!”

  Wow it sure got time! Yv, guys. Sorry for worrying you.

  So can you tell us now why you looked like you were on a vacation when we arrived?

  No time! Deca! Please heal me! Look what that asshole Zack did to my tails!

  I got my tails out and Giana was shocked the most. It flowed into anger and concern.

  “Come here Deca. Let’s have the sea help out and if Zack appears next time…. He is dead.” Giana gave off an angry, intimidating vibe.

  She gently pulled me into the ocean and started to heal me in her mermaid form. Is her healing from her mermaid side?

  I forgot how gorgeous and huge she was in her mermaid form. My tails got healed in no time and I took a swim with Giana.

  She made a bubble and I told her everything that happened in my fight against Zack, his weaknesses and the previous fights I had with him. Also, about how he cheated with his divine energy and that his religion needs to be sacked first to have a better shot at him.

  I showed her the magic circle of [Kryokym] but she couldn’t master it. Talking to her had always been pleasant.

  “Deca…can you help me in ‘being your shield’ more seriously? I keep failing and… my heart wouldn’t be able to take it anymore if something like this happens again. I want to be as overpowered as you.”

  You don’t realize it, do you? Look at you. How well do you know your mermaid form? You are already more overpowered than me. You just need to play to your strengths. I realized that the ocean brings me calm. You affect me like the ocean but…I haven’t used many water skills lately.

  I played with Giana’s frilly fins.

  If I used a large volume of water and started to throw it around. Would you hop into it and turn into a mermaid?

  “At first…I was reluctant to show this side to the world but…I don’t care anymore. I will Deca.”

  Because you see. I have this ultimate technique called [Hsien] and it would suit you beautifully. How about we practice it when I’m completely healed up?

  “Yes!” I got smothered by a 3 meter long mermaid, but I didn’t mind at all.