Black Killer Whale Baby [EN]: Chapter 194

194

Three days later.

The day of the bet with the Family Head had arrived.

The location for the bet was the Aquasialdel’s indoor training arena.

I had been there in my previous life as well.

There was a stage-like structure prepared for duels. It was a sparring arena built like a coliseum for matches.

That’s where we would fight.

‘In the third timeline, it was heavily damaged due to the fight for succession, though.’

This was the first time I’d seen the training arena building intact.

The indoor training arena was incredibly large, and the massive doors had a large orca painted on them, befitting the Aquasialdel family.

The orca had a scar on its forehead, said to be from a fight with the first Dragon Duke [a legendary figure known for their strength and battles].

It proved that the ancestors had enjoyed fighting, and their gangster-like demeanor was a very old tradition.

The moment I opened the door and stepped inside, I was a little surprised.

‘What the…’

In any case, the stakes were absurdly high.

‘I definitely thought there would be a huge crowd of people.’

There was no one behind Grandmother.

No, there was only one person.

Why did I expect so many people?

‘Because the Family Head wouldn’t think she would lose.’

In the Family Head’s eyes, I was just an eight-year-old child. Unless I had Dad stand in for me, there was no way I could win.

And that was true.

She wouldn’t know that I could use the power of the third timeline through Ekion.

‘Right. So, I thought she would be excited about gathering a crowd to humiliate me.’

The empty training arena brought me a small sense of bewilderment. What was this?

Compared to the emptiness behind the Family Head, there were quite a few people behind me. All the important figures from my faction were in attendance.

‘Is she treating this bet like a joke?’

Maybe so.

Instead of objecting, I quietly stepped onto the sparring stage.

“You’ve come rather modestly?”

The Family Head looked a little thinner than she had a few days ago.

But far from looking weak or emaciated, she seemed like an even sharper beast.

The Family Head didn’t smile.

“Why, does it seem like I’m taking this bet lightly?”

“…….”

I didn’t ask it that way?

“What good is a crowd? It would only be a clown show. I’m taking this seriously.”

At those calm words, I glanced at the person standing behind the Family Head.

‘Oh, I almost missed him…’

It was an unexpected figure.

“A duel requires a witness. That guy is my witness.”

It was the Family Head of the strongest branch family in the current family.

The family’s name was ‘Kipleau’.

You could consider him the Family Head’s right-hand man.

“No need for long speeches, right?”

If their witness was the Family Head of that branch family, then ours was Dad.

The duel began with the witnesses’ declarations.

They would act as witnesses to this duel and declare only the truth about the outcome, or something like that.

It was also done with the Sea’s Oath [a magical oath bound by the sea’s power, ensuring truthfulness], so they couldn’t lie.

“I don’t really want to admit it, but Mother’s words will be the truth.”

Dad, having finished his witness declaration, came to me and whispered. Grandmother was serious about this.

It felt strange to hear Dad admit it.

“Calypso.”

Ekion was standing next to Dad. When had he gotten so close?

He had pulled his cloak’s hood down low to hide his face, and he stuck close to me, gently taking my hand.

Since there was a time limit to using the power of water, Ekion would step forward and use his power after the witness declaration was over.

That was the agreement.

“You said we have to touch foreheads?”

“Yeah.”

“And kiss?”

“…Yeah.”

I was reciting the method Ekion had already revealed to confirm it, but my temples stung.

Glancing to the side, Dad was glaring at me with a displeased look.

“Ahaha… Should we do it quickly?”

I laughed awkwardly and pulled Ekion closer.

“Thank you.”

After the process was over, I whispered in Ekion’s ear.

Soon after, the duelists took their places.

The Family Head and I faced each other, our eyes meeting.

‘But is it really working? Is it true that I can use the power of the third timeline…’

When I was able to use the power of water for a few minutes in the Dragon City, I felt power overflowing from my body from the moment I received my power through Ekion’s power.

This time, it was a little different.

‘Rather, it feels like there’s nothing in my body…’

I soon realized.

Yes, that’s right.

There was a saying in the martial arts novels I briefly read back on Earth.

When someone reaches a high level of mastery, they appear no different from ordinary people on the outside.

The power of water was the same.

When you have built up countless levels of mastery and finally reached the pinnacle, it looked no different from when you couldn’t use the power of water.

‘Wow, it’s been so long since I’ve been in this state that I forgot.’

I clenched and unclenched my fist.

‘If it’s like this, I should have no problem using my power, even if it’s been a while?’

I slowly raised my head.

A woman like a mountain stood before me.

Mixed in with her swaying hair were strands of silver hair that revealed the passage of time.

A person who always seemed disgustingly large.

At this moment.

She no longer looked big.

Perhaps it was because of the enormous power filling my body.

I focused on the feeling of the water’s power swirling through my body, which I had momentarily forgotten.

My power that brought me to the pinnacle in the third timeline.

‘The power of water.’

Water slowly flowed out of my hand in a swirling motion.

“……!”

Grandmother looked surprised, then chuckled.

“Huh, have you awakened?”

I didn’t answer.

I had no obligation to answer.

Instead, I quietly felt the power surging from my body.

Gradually, the smile disappeared from Grandmother’s face.

“…Just what.”

I didn’t have time to laugh at her dumbfounded voice.

‘How long has it been? This feeling of fullness.’

Soon, a huge force of water rose up and manifested its form in my hand.

Finally, the weapon in my hand was a giant axe.

It was the weapon I used to settle the succession fight when I returned here in the third timeline.

“Now the fight will be fun, right?”

I swung the giant axe around.

I thought there would be some awkwardness since it was a weapon made for an adult body.

It moved without any problems.

‘Is this thanks to Dad? Glory to Dad, who used to roll me around like crazy in the past.’

I took a step back.

“Hahaha, this will be fun. Really.”

The bet momentarily disappeared from my mind.

And one wish that I had purely desired a long time ago came to mind.

Yes. How much had the me in the third timeline wanted this?

‘I wanted to beat up Grandmother with my own hands!’

So I didn’t know.

That my eyes were slowly going crazy from this point on.

* * *

“She’s gone crazy.”

Atlan, who had been quietly watching Calypso’s fight from behind, muttered.

“Indeed.”

Bellus replied to Atlan’s voice in a cold tone.

Atlan looked at him with an absurd expression, adding a fierce look to it.

“What, you’re not even trying to hide it anymore, you bastard?”

“What’s with calling your older brother a bastard?”

Atlan blocked the incoming force of water with his bare arm and gritted his teeth.

This bastard, older brother my ass.

He remembered his memories later than I did, and he just kept circling around Calypso, refusing to acknowledge it.

How could I acknowledge such a guy as my older brother?

“I don’t have an older brother.”

I can’t acknowledge a dimwit!

Bellus just stared with a cold expression.

“Then get your ass kicked.”

Atlan blamed Bellus, completely forgetting that he too had a period of denial(?), and what he had done.

“You wanna try?”

The moment Atlan clenched his fist, a pale-colored water awl headed towards Bellus.

At that moment, the water sword that Bellus unfolded and Atlan’s awl were buried and disappeared by the enormous power of water.

“Be quiet.”

It was Pierre’s power.

“I can’t hear Calypso’s breathing.”

He said it quietly, but it was closer to ‘Shut up, you bastards?’

Bellus and Atlan quietly lowered their fists.

‘No, just what kind of human is that guy…’

Atlan was dumbfounded and frustrated.

‘He’s stronger than a regressor?’

Even though I’m in a body before I became an adult, even if it was the prime of the third timeline.

I couldn’t beat Pierre.

How did he end up dying of a disease?

I never understood why the Family Head couldn’t let go of his lingering feelings for his sick father.

It was the first time I understood that greed.

Glancing over, my brother Bellus seemed to be thinking something similar.

The two brothers had no time to think any further.

Kwaang!

A sound so loud that they couldn’t help but turn around echoed.

Immediately after turning their heads towards the training arena, Atlan saw a giant wave.

‘Wow, I’m seeing that again.’

A mysterious blue wave that rose fiercely as if it would reach the high ceiling.

It was a specialty that made Calypso the Family Head in the previous life.

A tsunami that sweeps everything away.