“Vayu, I’d like to go with you.”
Vayu gave Youko a long, hard look. There was doubt in those dark eyes, but it soon gave way to joy.
“OK. It’s strange, but I feel like we’ve met before. I don’t know why. Something about you seems familiar.”
For a long time, they stared at each other. Compound eyes locked gazes with primitive lenses. It was a mutual feeling that this meeting could only be described in cliché terms like ‘destined.’
“Then let’s go,” Youko said, heading back the way she’d come. Vayu followed in silence.
“Youko! You OK?” Dyaus came swimming over the moment she emerged from the branches. She swam circles around Youko, tapping her back with her parapodia.
“I’m fine! That tickles.”
“And who’s this?” Ganapati said, extending a feeler in Vayu’s direction.
“She’s Vayu. A new companion.”
“Woah, woah. I thought I was the leader here! I didn’t approve this.”
When exactly had anyone made Dyaus the leader?
“I dunno if this is the right time to make new friends. She looks weak, too. What use will she be?”
It had not occurred to Youko that Dyaus might not approve. Dyaus always seemed so delighted by any new thing that Youko had assumed she’d love the idea.
“Looks like I’m not welcome here.”
There was an awkward silence.
“Dyaus, that was rude,” Ganapati said, trying to deescalate. “Vayu, can you tell us what you’re good at?”
“Not much. The only high-rarity thing I’ve got is this.” She indicated her nose. “I’ve been saving up my points, so I haven’t pulled from the gacha much.”
“What’s that good for?”
“It’s an electroreceptor. If I use this, nearby Girls...” She broke off, as if noticing something. “Oh, one’s getting closer. Heading our way.”
“Hmm... What kind of Girl?” There was something faintly scornful in Dyaus’ tone.
“She’s big... much bigger than any of us.” Vayu was growing tense. “Maybe you should hide.”
“Hide? We’re pretty strong. You sure you’re not exaggerating?”
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
This pointless squabble was wasting precious seconds.
Before they knew it, a giant face was right on top of them. A tengu. A face like a tengu, with a ludicrously large nose. The entire surface of it was covered in sinister lumps. At the root of the nose were two eyes, each as large as Youko’s entire body. The eyes turned, locking directly onto Youko.
“Youko! Look out!”
Youko was only able to avoid the tengu’s attack because Dyaus rammed its side. The tengu briefly left, made a wide turn, and came in for another attack. At last they had a grasp of the creature’s whole. It was a strange one. Youko had never seen or heard of anything like it in her previous life. The whole thing was streamlined, but the fins had membranes, like bat wings. The bones were clearly visible. Translucent membranes spread out like a stealth bomber. At the rear, the tail was split in two like a pair of legs, and it swam by kicking these. It was a strange Girl, part fish, part bird, part insect, and part mammal.
The tengu Girl’s mouth yawned open. It had a strong jaw, and a lot of needle-like teeth. They looked like they could easily break even Ganapati’s shell.
Its massive wings flapped, slapping the ocean floor. Dirt plumed upwards, making it very hard to see. They were plunged into darkness.
Chomp! A huge mouth closed right next to Youko. The water pressure sent her flying away. This Girl was far stronger than they’d expected. They’d gotten cocky. A short period of success had made them forget they could be outmatched. They were frogs in the well. They could never beat a monster like this, no matter how hard they tried. They were all going to die. They’d be killed and all their points used to pull from a gacha!
“I told you all you should hide,” Vayu said, suddenly right next to her.
“Vayu! I’m glad you’re safe.” She was legitimately relieved. “How’d you know it was coming?”
“I can detect the bioelectricity nearby Girls give off,” she said, pointing at her nose. “Pretty sure it can, too. On a much larger scale.”
“Any way we can fight it?”
“Nope,” Vayu said, firmly. “We’d better duck into those branches. If we’re lucky, it’ll give up.”
Youko and Vayu found the other two and headed directly towards the branches. Ganapati lifted the branches up and the other three rushed in.
The long-nosed Girl handled this in a horribly simple way. It just swung its head and knocked the branches aside. Branches three times as thick as Youko was long were sent flying.
“Uh-oh... this is it... We’re all gonna die...” Youko had already died once and was preparing herself to die again.
“Wait, show me your cards!” Vayu yelled.
Show her cards? She hadn’t even known that function existed. But she tried it anyway.
“Yes... We might just have a chance...” Vayu said. “Level up your extrusome!”
Extrusome was a card she’d had since she was an amoeba but had ignored since she didn’t know what it was for. She leveled it up with her few remaining points and some other cards. The name changed to R: Cnidocyte.
“Equip that to your mandibles! If you get even one hit in we’ve got a chance!”
Youko made ready to launch herself daringly out from the branches. But the monster’s mouth was right in front of her. If she popped out now, she’d be inhaled and chewed up before she had a chance to do anything.
“I’ll distract it!”
When she saw Youko hesitate, Vayu ran out instead, desperately flailing her little body to draw the monster’s attention. Its massive eyes turned. Now! Youko stretched her mandibles as wide as they would go and charged, clamping onto its warty nose.
Familiar red fluid poured out of the wounds. Once, twice, three times, four times, five times. She chewed and chewed, widening the wound.
The giant body shook itself. She tightened her mandibles, trying to keep it from shaking her off. At last its raging subsided. The eyes glazed over. The poison had taken effect.
Compared to Youko, this thing was the size of an airplane — and now it slowly came to a rest on its side. She’d won. They’d survived.
Wait, Vayu? Was Vayu safe?
“I’m fine,” Vayu said, parting the sand clouds. She appeared to be uninjured.
“Vayu, you did great. Of course, so did you, Youko,” Ganapati said, emerging from the branches.
Dyaus followed. “I gotta admit it. Thanks,” she said. She seemed a little miffed, though.
“Well? I think Vayu’s made a good case for her inclusion in the party, right?” Youko said, so proud she didn’t even notice Dyaus’ disgruntlement.
“I’m sorry I bad-mouthed you earlier, Vayu,” Dyaus said, reluctantly.
“In that case, I think we should throw her a welcome party!”
“Agreed!”
Naturally, the main dish was the Girl they’d just killed.