Strange movements disrupted the quiet of the sea that night. Boats scattered across the water moved with the grace of a coordinated dance. Some vessels were casting a wide net while some were in pairs, drawing a circle on the surface—experimenting with methods known as drift netting and purse seine fishing. Sam dove in and out of the sea, weaving through schools of fish to mark their locations. At the right time, the nets had to be pulled in...but no fisherman could do that task alone. Dozens of them heaved to rhythmic calls, their faces beet red, working together.
Hummer watched the entire dance intently. At Eagle’s suggestion, the Legion fishermen had invited him. Hummer struggled at first to learn the cooperative choreography, but he had no problem jumping in once he knew the movements. On water, his body moved with grace and strength he never thought he had in himself. Even on a rocking boat, Hummer stood as firm as an oak—earning surprised looks of recognition from the Legion men. Every movement Hummer made was that of a man born and raised on the sea.
“I didn’t know you were one of us,” a fisherman said.
“O-One of you? N-No, I’ve barely ever gone swimming...” Hummer said.
These men, who made a living on the unforgiving sea, took immense pride in their work—that was true for fishermen of any region, Sam included.
“You’re wasting your talents on land. You belong on water,” the fisherman added.
“I-I’ll...try my best!” Hummer stammered.
“That’s the spirit!” The fisherman laughed. “We came up empty again... Try joining them for the next round.”
“Y-Yessir!” Hummer switched over to one of the drift netting boats and stared into the sea. Even his eyesight seemed enhanced, because he could clearly see Sam swimming through the water, somehow luring schools of fish to follow him. “W-Wow! How is he doing that?!”
“Doing what?”
“Sam’s luring the schools of fish into the nets!” Hummer exclaimed.
The fisherman laughed. “What? Don’t tell me that jacked-up guy is some kind of little mermaid.” The quip earned loud laughter from the rest of the crew, which promptly halted as Sam poked his head out of the water and gave a thumbs-up.
Hummer raised his voice for once, calling out, “Let’s pull! There’s an insane number of fish caught in the net!”
At that, the fishermen looked at one another until they reached a consensus. Sam and Hummer had pulled in that great haul yesterday—it was worth a shot.
“All hands on deck! We’re gonna pull it in!”
Roaring with effort, the fishermen tugged the net—now heavy with real weight that promised a bountiful haul.
“Whoa... Hey, do you feel that?!”
“That’s heavy! We got fish, heave!”
Hummer, too, clutched a corner of the net, pulling with all of his might to the rhythm of the leader’s call. Hauling such great weight on the rocking boat was no easy feat, but Hummer moved with the strength and smoothness of a seaman with decades of experience.
Soon, the net full of the sea’s bounty thudded onto the boat, and the fishermen exploded into celebration.
“We did it...! We finally did it! It worked!”
“Yeah... After all this time!”
Tangled salmon and sea bass filled the net—over a hundred of them from this one pull.
Amid the clamor of cheers and embraces, Sam was the first to regain his senses. “Let’s clean them quickly.”
“Right! Almost forgot!”
“The job ain’t done yet! Wave over the other guys!”
While the sea boiled over with warlike frenzy, the village of Rabbi was also heating up on dry land.
Crowds had gathered from all over the country, filling every nook and cranny of the small village—even its roofs and treetops—like a swarm of ants, their attention wholly on the glimmering golden Casino. As it was, the Casino constantly emitted beams of light that split the sky, demanding the attention of anyone within visible distance. Now it was said that the Grand Angel would descend upon the rooftop of said Casino—a once-in-a-lifetime event. Nobles and commoners alike sped to Rabbi to catch a glimpse of it—a scene all but guaranteed to be immortalized in songs and myths.
Ignoring the boundaries of Rabbi’s regulated districts, food stalls and vendors filled every block to accommodate the crowds, selling food and drink as well as clothing items, trinkets, and anything else imaginable on the cheap. Red lanterns were hung across storefronts and houses to add to the festivities. These lanterns—normally seen during festivals in Japan—had come preloaded into the Hot Springs Resort’s storage. Some nobles seemed inspired by the lines of glowing red, feverishly writing descriptions or sketching them onto paper, while musicians and street performers showed off their crafts to the crowds around them.
All of this, of course, had been orchestrated by Tahara, zealous from the prospect of finally seeing his sister again. His demeanor showed it too, as he conducted all affairs of the festival: placing the vendors, organizing the crowds, sourcing supplies, clearing the roads, inviting key personnel from around the country, maintaining the village’s security... With Ren’s help, everything went smoothly.
Patrolling through each area, Tahara shot the Demon Lord a Communication. “Chief, I just wanna double-check... Are you sure you wanna set that price for all the stalls? They may as well be giving them away.”
“My decision is final. It’s a celebration. Don’t you think Manami would prefer that happy faces fill the streets when she arrives?” the Demon Lord replied.
“Yeah, you’re right... Then I’m gonna make it rain!”
For one day only, every product at every stall in the village would be sold for a single bronze coin. Naturally, that would have tanked these businesses...if the Demon Lord hadn’t offered to cover any lost profits. Now every shopkeeper was calling to passersby until their voices were hoarse, selling and selling and selling. Since anything imaginable could be found for a single bronze coin, shoppers were buying with all their might...but not dropping. High-end items like silk clothing and shoes flew off the stalls, some families shopping for several hats and bags that would last them for years to come. It didn’t take long for the streets to fill with people and goods, even the children among them showing off their brand new toys that they could have never afforded were it not for Descension Day.