Professor Tear is quietly building a sandcastle, and Laius is off swimming in the waves.
My work is finally complete. I’m ready to chill out, watch anime, and drift off.
I create a barrier over my eyes, put on my earbud barriers, and start watching an episode.
Ahhh, free at last.
Watching anime while enjoying the ocean breeze has its own charm.
“Fweh!” I let out a snort right when the main character lands himself in an accidental nudity scene.
At that second, I hear someone yell.
“Yee-ikes!”
The deep wail belongs to Laius.
Now I’m regretting not turning on the noise-canceling function. What’s with him?
I pause the anime and turn my head to the shore.
A huge shadow rises out of the water. The dark head of a dragon is looking straight this way. It’s kinda similar to Liza’s original form.
“Hm? Oh, a Sea Dragon. They don’t usually come out this close to the shore.”
“You know what it is, Flay?”
“Of course. It’s a type of dragon that lives in the ocean. Also known as a Sea Serpent!”
Thanks for the info!
“Its head is that of a dragon, but its body is long like a snake’s. It mainly inhabits the deep seas…”
Sorry, I’m not that interested. Not gonna remember any of it.
“Halt, dragon! What business have you here? This isn’t your territory.”
Flay struts over to the giant beast. Her generous bosom jiggles as she crosses her arms and comes face to face with it.
Whether it understands her or not, the dragon stares back for a few seconds before opening its mouth.
Pshoo! Jetstream spurts out of its jaw.
“Glurf!”
Flay takes the blast of water head on. It sends her rolling and backflipping across the beach. She lands face down in the sand.
After quivering for a few seconds, she sits up.
“You wastrel! How dare you humiliate me in Sir Haruto’s presence!”
She’s furious but otherwise fine. Phew.
The red-haired woman extends her sharp claws. Her fluffy tail sticks straight up. Battle Mode! She looks like she’s ready to pounce on the Sea Dragon at any moment.
“Please wait, Flay! We can’t have a conversation if you open it with threats,” exclaims Charlotte, the little angel of my heart─nay, the goddess of the whole world.
Every inch of her face glows with goodwill. Char addresses the dragon with open arms.
“We are not your enemy. There’s no need to be afraid.”
Pshoo!
“Hyaaaw?!” my sister yowls.
Without warning, the serpent hits Char right in the face with a water gun attack. She, too, rolls backwards and lands flat on her face in the sand.
Why, you insolent scoundrel! What do you think you’re doing to my little Char?!
She’s completely uninjured thanks to her self-defense barrier, but an attack on my little sister is an attack on me. This means war!
I slowly rise from my beach chair.
But now, Liza is the one standing before the Sea Dragon.
Liza’s true form is a Blizzard Dragon. They’re both of the dragon species. She must be furious with her kin’s impudent attitude, and she’ll probably try to reprimand it and beg me and Char to spare its life.
I suppose I could let it slide just this once for Liza.
“An attack on Lady Charlotte is an attack on me. Prepare to be frozen solid and shattered to pieces.”
Nope. She’s pissed for realsies.
Pshoo!
“Hah!”
Liza intercepts the stream of water with a giant lance she conjured out of nowhere. The water splits into multiple streams at the tip of the lance, all missing Liza.
“Freez─?!”
Just as her lance glows with light, a tiny figure leaps into the line of fire.
A little girl in a swimsuit labeled “Mel” across the chest. She jumps up and down with her arms outstretched in front of the giant serpent.
The waterjet stops. The Sea Dragon eases its head down to the ground.
The little girl climbs up.
The monster’s huge head rises.
The Sea Dragon raises and lowers its head, swinging left and right.
Mel is squealing with laughter.
“Our message of goodwill has been heard.” Charlotte smiles.
There was no conversation, and I don’t think it even understood us.
Maybe the monster just wanted to play?
But a good big brother doesn’t have to point that out. “I think you’re right,” I reassure my sister.
“May I ride, too?” she calls out.
Char and Mel start to play on the Sea Dragon’s head.
Boing, boing! “Stop! No thanks! I don’t want to play!” The dragon is bouncing Laius atop its tail like a ball.
Before long, it’s lunchtime.
Skewers of meat and vegetables are sizzling over a barbecue. Looks delicious.
“Oough… I feel sick…” moans Laius.
“Meat’s ready!” I holler.
“Ugh, get that away from me!”
Geez, I was just being nice. Oh well, I’ll just have to eat it myself. Nom, nom. Yum!
“Brother Haruto, what shall we do in the afternoon?”
One thing’s for sure: I’ll be lounging in my chair.
“You’ve still got more playing to do, don’t you? Let’s take the rest of the day off. After dinner, we can do fireworks.”
Yay! My little sister, Mel, and Professor Kiddy Glasses all fling their hands up in the air.
“They’ve got way too much energy…” Laius is slumped over.
“Perhaps you should learn to pace yourself,” scolds his big sister who’s been mostly looking after Mel.
While everyone’s chattering happily and enjoying the meal…
I wonder… I glance back at the beach.
The giant serpent is lolling on the shore. I think it’s sunning itself.
Why is that thing out here?
Was it attracted by all our whooping and laughing?
Oh well. Doesn’t matter.
I take a big bite of meat.