The sound of communal devouring wove together into a symphony that made one’s scalp crawl. The gadflies’ tail tentacles swayed rhythmically to the melody of the feast, seemingly in delight. Very quickly, only white bones remained on the ground.
Still unsatisfied, the swarm vibrated their membranous wings, letting out a piercing hum as they rose like a black cloud, charging toward the waystation.
Inside the waystation, the young witches of Room 201 were sharing candy, completely unaware of the approaching danger.
“So sweet! I need water!” Cynthia’s cheeks puffed out as she chewed, looking much like a hamster.
Though her cheeks were lightly dusted with freckles beneath her eyelids, her features were delicate and beautiful. Her round, almond-shaped eyes were particularly endearing, making her a very charming freckled girl.
“Then why are you still eating candy? If you add water, it won’t be as sweet anymore,” the tall girl, Eileen, said.
“It’s a bit too much. I’ve never had candy this sweet before,” Cynthia said, swallowing hard to soothe her throat.
“The candy from Plum’s house is very pure. There aren’t any impurities,” another roommate, Maxine, added.
Suddenly, Medeili pulled the lollipop out of her mouth with a soft pop.
“Did you guys hear a scream?” she asked.
“I think I heard a squeak.”
“Really? Maybe it was just the station master moving a table?”
“Something’s wrong. I’m going to check. Get your wands ready!”
Medeili hopped off her high stool and walked toward the door leading to the first compartment.
Suddenly, a piercing hum erupted from outside the door!
Her face paled instantly. This was no ordinary insect flight. The buzzing grew closer and closer, transforming into a terrifying shriek.
“Quick! Run further inside!” Medeili turned and shouted.
The roommates were startled, but seeing their dormitory leader’s horrified expression and extreme tension, they instinctively obeyed. One by one, they ran into the next compartment.
Medeili leaped to the door, but she didn’t go through. She slammed it shut, locked it, and then turned back to face the outer entrance.
She took a deep breath, listening closely. There were at least twenty of the unknown creatures. A swarm.
The school had only taught them Magic Missile, and a single-shot missile would be useless against a swarm. She didn’t even bother drawing her wand.
She quickly reconstructed the events in her mind. After the scream, there had been a thud. It seemed the water merchant and the station master were both dead—the poor station master hadn’t even had the chance to make a sound.
The swarm arrived.
The front door held them for only a few seconds. After several heavy thuds, wood splinters flew as holes were punched through the door panels. The hideous heads of the insects poked through.
Medeili shrugged her shoulders, shedding her school uniform to reveal a pale blue camisole and small panties printed with little fish.
She raised her hand, clenching her fingers into a fist before slowly opening them. Webbed membranes had appeared between her fingers.
Mystic Art 026: Sea Demon!*
Medeili’s skin was suddenly covered in soft, dreamlike fish scales that shimmered with a blue light.
Octopus-like suckers sprouted on her fingertips, and her fingers grew long and slender.
Her pupils fractured, staining the whites of her eyes blue until they resembled the deep, dark ocean.
Her lips thinned and receded, leaving only a crescent-shaped slit when closed.
Dark blue fins extended from her hips, back, and elbows, their high spines fanning out like sails.
She possessed the characteristics of both fish and cephalopods. Her body was exceptionally soft, yet supported by a cartilaginous internal skeleton beneath the skin.
The Sea Demon’s scales secreted a layer of mucus that was not only resistant to cuts but also highly effective at deflecting piercing attacks.
She stepped forward, her gait fluid and graceful, as if she were being pushed by rolling waves. She looked as though she were taking a stroll on the seabed.
As she swung her arms, the sound of crashing waves followed her movements.
The compartment was short—only ten meters—and the swarm arrived in a flash. Their wings vibrated with a piercing hum as they cut through the air like bullets!
Though they lacked stingers, once they struck, they would hook onto the body like burrs. The tentacles on their tails would burrow into flesh like leeches, making them impossible to pull out.
Even if they were cut off with a knife, the severed tentacles would continue to burrow inward like living things until they reached the bone marrow.
Medeili dropped into a stance, ready for the onslaught.
A shimmering layer of liquid water coated her palms.
The swarm shot toward her like lightning. Suddenly, Medeili made a motion like an athlete throwing a discus!
Her forearm whipped around, and water droplets flew!
Then, Medeili twisted her fingers as if turning a key. The swarm was suddenly yanked toward a central point by an irresistible force!
Splat!
A massive ball of insects crashed to the floor, encased in a layer of transparent water that took on the shape of a bottle.
