Bane of the Seas
While Siegfried is visiting Venera Beach, a massive orca called Rugiet appears and uses a powerful sound wave to destroy a nearby building. Siegfried engages the beast in battle, but his equipment is unsuitable for water combat, causing him to drop his blade into the ocean depths.
Siegfried pays a visit to Auguste with Lancelot and the others for a long-due summer vacation.
There, the knights find themselves reunited with (Captain) and the crew, and together, they help save a sushi house by the name of "Miyasato" on Tono Island.
Once business at Miyasato is stable again, Siegfried heads back to Venera Beach on his own.
Siegfried: (Earlier, when I was walking along the rocks looking for abalone...)
Siegfried: (All right, that should be enough to use for sushi.)
Siegfried: (Was that a fish? Larger creatures like that don't usually swim so close to shore.)
Siegfried: (The fish I saw had been swimming in shallow water for days.)
Siegfried: (The ocean was quiet, and there weren't any signs of a storm coming. But it's clear that the fish are picking up on something.)
Siegfried looks out at the ocean as he stands on the shore, the hems of his yukata fluttering in the wind.
Siegfried: (It's the same here. The fish's behavior is worrying... Let's hope I'm overthinking it.)
Tourist 1: Hey, did you hear about a colossal hermit crab or whatever appearing recently? The thing that looks like a giant mountain.
Tourist 1: Apparently some girl with a shark took it down all by herself! Isn't that crazy?
Tourist 2: Ooh, I heard about that! Wasn't the girl around the same age as us? How the heck did she get so strong?
Siegfried: (Hm, it seems something happened while we were on Tono Island. I should ask them about it.)
Siegfried: Pardon me. I happened to overhear your conversation—could I ask you for more details about the incident?
Tourists: (Oh my. What a hunk!)
Siegfried: Is something the matter?
Tourist 1: Oh, nothing at all! You wanna know about the colossal hermit crab? We didn't see it ourselves, but...
The incident happened a short while ago.
Meg: This is for that Albacore I never asked for on my very first vacation!
Meg: Revenge is a bonito best served cold! Here's a sunfish rising up your shellhole!
Meg: Get benthic and take those eals with you!
Meg: And last but not least... This is for pissing me off!
Girl with Shark: This is for that Albacore I never asked for on my very first vacation!
Girl with Shark: Revenge is a bonito best served cold! Here's a sunfish rising up your shellhole!
Girl with Shark: Get benthic and take those eals with you!
Girl with Shark: And last but not least... This is for pissing me off!
Colossal Hermit: ...
The awakened colossal hermit crab takes a fierce blow from the girl and collapses, falling silent once again.
Tourist 1: You see that mountain over there? The girl knocked out that humungous thing!
Tourist 2: I think it's sleeping right now, but it's really scary when it moves.
Siegfried: I see... And you say a girl defeated it all by herself? That's rather remarkable.
Tourist 2: Right? But she's not in Auguste anymore. I heard she went home after that.
Siegfried looks up at the dormant crab before shifting his gaze back to the ocean.
Siegfried: (The trees and buildings along the beach are intact... which means the colossal hermit crab fell back into its slumber without leaving the water.)
Siegfried: (In that case, it doesn't seem like the incident with the crab is connected to the changes in the ocean.)
Siegfried: That was very helpful; thank you for your time. I'll take my leave here.
Tourist 2: Not at all! I'm glad we could... help...
Siegfried: What's wrong?
Tourist 2: Do you... hear something?
Siegfried: Hear something?
A moment later, an ear-piercing cry from the ocean sweeps across the beach without warning.
Tourist 2: Eeek, my ears! What the heck is this? Aah...
An intense feeling of dizziness from the sound wave seizes one of the girls, and she sinks to the ground.
Tourist 1: Hey, you okay?
Siegfried: ...!
Caught by surprise, Siegfried looks cautiously around the area.
The waves on the surface of the sea move in strange patterns to the sound as the sand on the shore rises in the air.
Siegfried: It's almost as if the island itself is shaking... Could the sound be from something happening underground?
Siegfried: No... The sound itself possesses some kind of power.
Just as Siegfried reaches this conclusion, he hears a crack from a nearby building and notices it trembling.
Tourist 1: Huh?
Debris begins to crash down from the collapsing building, the falling rubble heading straight for the tourists below.
Tourists: Aaaaah!
Siegfried: Are you hurt? You need to get as far away as you can from here—immediately.
Tourist 2: R-right!
Siegfried: (The sound wave is capable of even destroying buildings... I need to locate the cause of this quickly.)
Siegfried: (Judging by the surface of the water, the culprit is most likely hidden under the sea.)
Just as he is about to head toward the ocean, a large shadow leaps out from the water.
???: Screeeee!
Dolphin Caretaker: It's an orca! An orca's coming! Quick, get the dolphins out of here!
Fisherman: That's no ordinary orca... It's the songstress Rugiet!
Fisherman: Everyone, stop what you're doing and hurry back to land! This is no joke! Rugiet's wandered into our area!
Siegfried: Excuse me. What is this "Rugiet" you were talking about just now?
Fisherman: Isn't it obvious? A monster, that's what it is! You should run as far as you can from the ocean if you know what's good for you!
Fisherman: I've got decades of experience as a fisherman, but I've never seen anything as big as this! Even we masters of the sea don't know how to handle it!
Siegfried: (So that's how it is. The changes in the ocean are from this creature named Rugiet that's not native to these waters.)
Fisherman: Retreat! Back to shore now, or you'll find yourself at the bottom of the ocean, boat and all!
All the fisherman who had been working on the sea snatch up their oars and begin to row back to the beach.
Dolphin: Screeee!
Dolphin Caretaker: Ack! Get away from us! Take this!
Seeing a dolphin about to get eaten by Rugiet, the caretaker takes his oar and strikes the large head protruding from the surface of the water.
Fisherman: Hey, what do you think you're doing! Don't provoke it!
Rugiet: Screeeee!
Dolphin Caretaker: Augh!
The angry Rugiet releases a deafening cry, immediately knocking the nearby caretaker unconscious. The man falls overboard and sinks below the waves.
Fisherman: Hey! What the... Are you serious?
Fisherman: My boat's starting to sink too! Ugh... Don't tell me I have no choice but to leave 'im...
Siegfried: Leave this to me. You wait over there.
Fisherman: Wha!
The fisherman watches in disbelief as the man dressed in a yukata leaps out from behind him.
With a large blade in hand, the man jumps fearlessly between the moving boat and the surrounding rocks, heading for Rugiet with incredible speed.
Rugiet: ...
Siegfried: (It's big all right. Its size is comparable to that of a dragon.)
Siegfried: (I might have gotten a head start, but ordinary methods won't work on this one. Still—even if I can't take it down, I can at least drive it away!)
Siegfried: Haaaah!
Rugiet: Screee!
Siegfried leaps up from the rocks and swings his sword down on Rugiet's head, plunging straight into the ocean together with it.
Fisherman: That guy must be nuts!
Siegfried: Wake up!
Dolphin Caretaker: Ngh...
Fisherman: Hey, I threw over a life preserver! Grab it!
Siegfried: Perfect. Thank you!
The fisherman tugs on the rope, pulling the dolphin caretaker safely to the boat.
Fisherman: You too! Hurry!
Siegfried: No, my work isn't done yet. The two of you escape first.
Fisherman: You're actually planning to take on Rugiet in the water? It'll be the end of you!
Despite the fisherman's words, however, Siegfried turns to face the creature once more.
Rugiet: ...
Siegfried: (It's rather inconvenient to move in the water with my blade and this yukata on.)
Rugiet: Screeeeee!
Siegfried: (Augh!)
Siegfried: (Rugiet's cries are a lot stronger here compared to when I was on land... It's messing with my sense of balance!)
Siegfried: (But it'll take more than that to stop me. After all, I've been through worse things—a lot of them.)
Siegfried: (I'll need to fend it off while everyone is still evacuating. And if I have to, I'll use my power as a last resort...)
Rugiet: Screeeeee!
Rugiet opens its mouth wide and bares its multitude of teeth as it charges toward Siegfried, threatening to swallow the man whole.
Predicting Rugiet's movements, Siegfried nimbly dodges its attacks with minimal effort.
Fisherman: I don't believe it... He's actually fighting that thing underwater!
Dolphin Caretaker: Mmrgh...
Dolphin Caretaker: The dolphins! Where are they? W-whoa—
Fisherman: Take it easy there. The dolphins are safe—for now.
Dolphin Caretaker: For now?
His head still spinning, the caretaker looks toward where the fisherman's eyes are glued.
Siegfried: (It's fast and has a good eye. My strikes are landing, but only barely. It's reading my every move.)
Siegfried: (I suppose I won't get anywhere if I don't take a few risks.)
Siegfried swims swiftly up to the surface before kicking off again from a rock, diving straight toward Rugiet.
Siegfried: (Take this!)
Rugiet: Scree!
Rugiet: Scrooooaaar!
Siegfried: Gwah!
Upon taking a hard hit from Siegfried, Rugiet flies into a rampage and strikes the knight with its tail fin, sending him spinning toward the surface.
Siegfried: (Damn it, my sword!)
Siegfried's blow had successfully landed, but he is pushed back in the opposite direction by the force of the water. His weapon slips out of his grasp.
His sword slowly sinks into the darkness of the sea—the blade that had accompanied him through the days he spent as a fugitive and when he fought for his country.
Rugiet: Scrooooaaaar!
Siegfried: (It can't be helped. I'll have to use...)
Rugiet: ...!
Dolphin Caretaker: Come on, go!
Dolphin: Squeeee!
Siegfried: ...!
Feeling the power of the great dragon Fafnir run through his body, Siegfried is about to release the energy when he finds himself surrounded by a pod of dolphins.
Dolphin: Squee, squee!
The dolphins prod Siegfried with their beaks, pushing him in the direction of the shore.
Rugiet: ...
Rugiet, injured from the fight, appears to give up its pursuit and turns back toward the open sea.
Siegfried: (I guess it's gone for now... But from what I can gauge, it'll be back once it's recovered from its injuries.)
Siegfried: (Then we'll settle this once and for all. It may be a fearsome sea creature, but I'll be ready for it when the time comes.)
Swearing victory in their next fight, Siegfried turns to head back to shore.
Siegfried: ...
Siegfried: (Thanks to the others, I'm now well-armed and well-dressed. I might have suffered defeat the other day, but I won't go down so easy in our next battle.)
Standing on the shore of a sun-kissed beach, Siegfried narrows his eyes as he gazes out at the ocean.
From the horizon, he spots a shadow fiercely making its way along the surface of the water toward the shore.
Siegfried: I knew you'd come back.
Carrying a large harpoon over his shoulder, Siegfried takes a firm step forward as he heads out to the battlefield.
Exempt from the Cycle
Following the battle with Rugiet, Siegfried learns that the orca's appearance was due to an ecosystem disturbance caused by rampaging sharks. After making sure he's fully prepared for combat, Siegfried heads to the shore intending to face the beast alone, but the local fishermen insist on lending their aid.
A ferocious orca by the name of Rugiet had suddenly appeared in the ocean. Caught in the uproar, Siegfried had promptly driven the orca away after an intense battle.
Later that night, Siegfried visits the Tourism Association to check up on the dolphin caretaker he had rescued.
Dolphin Caretaker: I don't know how to thank you... I really owe you my life.
Siegfried: I'm glad to see that you're already on your way to recovery. Besides, it's your dolphins that saved me back there—thank you.
Fisherman: It's good that we're all safe now, but you two were way too reckless out there! What were you thinking, standing up to Rugiet?
Siegfried: I apologize for any worry I've caused.
Fisherman: You've gotta be outta your mind... It's already bad enough fighting an orca in the middle of the ocean, much less Rugiet.
Siegfried: Hm... What exactly is an "orca" anyway? I've come to Auguste on several occasions before, but it's my first time seeing one.
Dolphin Caretaker: Orcas are very similar to dolphins. Despite their wild tempers, they're very smart, so they usually don't attack people without a reason.
Fisherman: Right. They don't come near the shore 'cause they don't want trouble with people, and they don't seem to care even if fishermen happen to wander into their territory.
Fisherman: But Rugiet is different. Its temper and strength are on a whole different level. Put even one toe in its territory and you're dead.
Dolphin Caretaker: Rugiet is most likely a mutation of an orca. Different parts of its body are developing in an abnormal way.
Dolphin Caretaker: Its vocal organs are especially remarkable. Rugiet's voice has become so strong that it's basically a shock wave now.
Fisherman: If you're careless and stray too close, Rugiet'll sink your entire boat with just its voice. It's infamous among fishermen as being the "songstress of the stormy seas."
Fisherman: A few of my own friends have gotten involved in some trouble with Rugiet before, so none of us go near it anymore. Who'd have thought it'd actually come to us though...
Siegfried: Hm, so you've been peacefully coexisting up until now. What do you think would make it come into your territory?
???: Most likely, something has disturbed the ecosystem.
The chairman of the Tourism Association strides into the first aid room, a somber look on his face.
Siegfried: Do you mean the shark mutation caused by a meteorite strike that happened here before?
Chairman: Indeed. Since the number of creatures in the ocean drastically decreased due to attacks from rampaging sharks, other carnivorous animals are now starving.
Fisherman: The size of our hauls has diminished too. It's almost impossible for us to get any fish out in the open sea.
Chairman: That's why we opened up an area where tourists can swim with the dolphins, in hopes of boosting our revenue, if only a little.
Fisherman: We've been doing our best to help too. We fed the dolphins small fish so that more of 'em would gather near the shore. But then...
Siegfried: Rugiet showed up to target the dolphins. Is that right?
Dolphin Caretaker: Yes... We've had several dolphins disappear recently. It's probably Rugiet's doing...
Siegfried: So that's why you risked yourself like that and stood up to Rugiet.
Dolphin Caretaker: Since I'm the one who called the dolphins, I have to protect them... Or that's what I thought, but I got knocked out so easily. I can't be any more ashamed of myself...
Thinking back to the fearful events that happened just a few hours ago, the caretaker's hands begin to shake.
Dolphin Caretaker: Thanks to your help, the dolphins and I managed to escape safe and sound this time. But who knows if we'll be so lucky next time...
Fisherman: Sigh... If this is how it's gonna be, we can't have dolphins swimming here anymore.
Fisherman: We should let 'em back into the open sea. The longer they're here, the more danger we're in as well.
Dolphin Caretaker: You can't be serious! Are you suggesting we sacrifice the dolphins for our own safety?
Fisherman: That's right! If we wanna stay safe, we gotta make some sacrifices!
Fisherman: We might find ourselves suffering even more damage the next time Rugiet shows up. We don't have a choice anymore!
Dolphin Caretaker: Still, that can't be right! You were looking forward to swimming with the dolphins yourself, weren't you?
Fisherman: We have to make some decisions! Once an ecosystem begins to degrade, you can't fix it again that easily!
Chairman: ...
A look of pain flickers across the chairman's face as he watches the frustrated exchange between the fisherman and the caretaker.
Siegfried: Let's calm down. There's no need to get so pessimistic.
Siegfried: It's true that repairing an ecosystem after it's degraded is no simple task. But it seems to me that we can only solve this issue if we get Rugiet away from here.
Dolphin Caretaker: Huh? Oh, um... You're right...
Siegfried: You mentioned how Rugiet is smart, and that's why it never came near people before.
Siegfried: If that's the case, then we'll just need to teach it that coming here again will only bring trouble.
Dolphin Caretaker: Y-you have a point...
Siegfried: In order to do that, I'll have to ask you to continue letting the dolphins swim in the shallow area.
Dolphin Caretaker: You mean you want the dolphins to be decoys to draw Rugiet here?
Siegfried: That's right. But there's no need to worry—I won't let them get helplessly eaten.
Siegfried: When Rugiet comes for the dolphins, I'll take it down and make sure it remembers not to come near the shore ever again.
Fisherman: Wh-what! Are you out of your mind? Didn't the last fight teach you anything about how strong Rugiet is?
Siegfried: It certainly did. And that's how I can see a way to conquer it now.
Siegfried: I'd like to make the appropriate preparations for my fight against Rugiet. Could I ask for your assistance?
The Men: ...
Curious as to what Siegfried plans to do, the two men look at each other before agreeing to help.
Fisherman: You said you wanted a harpoon. Will this do?
Siegfried: Oho, that is quite the fine weapon. Both the material and craftsmanship are on par with the blades a captain of the knights would wield.
Fisherman: Yeah, I brought the best one we had. Though I don't know if it'll work on the orca... What're you gonna do about your clothes?
Dolphin Caretaker: It'd be hard to prepare any suitable armor. Whether we use cloth or metal, its resistance and weight will make it inconvenient for underwater movement.
Fisherman: Well, we can't have 'im going out there naked, can we?
Dolphin Caretaker: Of course not. Which is why this will do.
Siegfried: Hm. Shark hide?
Dolphin Caretaker: It's not as smooth as a person's flesh or a live shark's skin, but the resistance underwater should be minimal.
Siegfried: So if we make something from this, it should give me at least some kind of protection.
Siegfried: Thank you very much for offering such valuable items. This will be enough.
Thus, Siegfried proceeds with the preparations for his rematch against Rugiet.
Siegfried: ...
A few days later, Siegfried stands on the beach, a large harpoon in hand.
Siegfried: (The fish near the rocks have been restless since this morning. If my guess is correct, it should be here soon.)
The knight narrows his eyes and looks out at the blue ocean.
Dolphin Caretaker: I still can't believe he's going to take on that thing all by himself.
Fisherman: He said he had something worked out, but what exactly does he plan on doing?
Rugiet: ...
Siegfried: There it is.
Fisherman: I-it's here! I'd recognize that dorsal fin anywhere!
Calmly climbing onto the boat he borrowed, Siegfried gets ready to depart.
Siegfried: Now then, all that's left is to set sail...
The Men: Huff, huff...
Siegfried: So you really did follow me. I thought I told the two of you to leave it to me.
Dolphin Caretaker: I-I'm aware of that... But it wouldn't sit well with me if we just let you go alone into such a dangerous situation... not to mention for our sakes!
Fisherman: Besides, I'm better at steering. And we know a lot more about the ocean than you do.
Fisherman: So you should let us come with you!
Siegfried: ...
Siegfried: Heh... I see now.
Dolphin Caretaker: Um... What's so funny?
Siegfried: Sorry, I was just thinking how I've never had many people worry about me like this before.
Siegfried: (It's true that I'm no expert when it comes to things of the deep. Though I came as prepared as I could, having these two with me would be a much safer option.)
Siegfried: I appreciate the help. I'll leave the steering to you then.
Fisherman: You got it! But before that...
The fisherman puts a large seashell to his lips and blows into it.
Fisherman: It's a battle to defend everyone on this island! We'll need as many boats out there as we can get!
And with that, the men depart for the open sea where a furious showdown awaits.
Exempt from the Cycle: Scene 2
Siegfried heads out to sea with the fishermen to await Rugiet's appearance. After using dolphins to lure the orca, the fishermen cast their nets, but a frenzied Rugiet sinks their boat with a sound wave. Siegfried unleashes the power of Fafnir to save the fishermen, and with their help he is able to wound the beast and drive it away.
Fisherman: The net's ready! How's it going over there?
Dolphin Caretaker: I got all the dolphins out of the area!
The fisherman is readying a large net on the boat while the caretaker urges the dolphins to swim toward the open water.
Rugiet: ...!
Having noticed the pod of dolphins, Rugiet charges in the same direction.
Siegfried: (Okay, it's about time.)
Siegfried stays concealed in the shadows of the rocks, waiting for the perfect moment.
Dolphin Caretaker: Fweeeee!
Dolphin: Squee, squee!
Rugiet: ...?
At the sound of the caretaker's whistle, the dolphins disperse.
Only Siegfried remains, harpoon at the ready as he looks the orca squarely in the eye.
Siegfried: ...
Rugiet: Scree!
Fisherman: Gotcha! Take that!
The fisherman swiftly throws a net between Rugiet and Siegfried.
Rugiet: Screeee!
Siegfried: (We've briefly limited its movements. While it's distracted, now's my chance!)
Siegfried kicks off from a rock and heads straight for the orca. He braces the harpoon for impact.
Rugiet: Scrooooaaaar!
Siegfried: ...!
Fisherman: The net!
Sensing danger, Rugiet flies into a frenzy and bites through the net around its body.
Rugiet: Screeeee!
Fisherman: Damn it!
Dolphin Caretaker: Aaaah!
Everything happens in an instant.
Rugiet jumps out from the water and lets out an intense sound wave, sinking the boats in the area one after another.
Rugiet: Scrooooaaaar!
Dolphin Caretaker: Eeek! D-don't come near me!
Fisherman: Hey, over here! Climb up onto these rocks!
The people who have fallen overboard look desperately for a foothold, but the angered orca continues its attacks relentlessly.
Dolphin Caretaker: Eek!
The dolphin caretaker is making his way up onto the rocks when he senses something behind him. He turns and comes face-to-face with Rugiet.
Dolphin Caretaker: Aaaaah!
Rugiet: Scroooooaaaar!
Rugiet opens its mouth wide in an attempt to swallow the caretaker whole.
Siegfried: Haaaah!
When all seems lost, an invisible impact hits the water, making concentric ripples that grow bigger and bigger.
Both Rugiet and the people clambering onto the rocks turn to look at the source of the impact.
There stands Siegfried, cloaked in a layer of dark energy as his eyes flash with a dangerous fire.
Siegfried: (Come... Come to me!)
Rugiet: ...!
Rugiet: Scrooooaaaar!
Rugiet spins around and charges toward Siegfried, diving into the water.
Rugiet: Scroar!
Dolphin Caretaker: He's fighting evenly with Rugiet... His speed is unbelievable!
Fisherman: I doubted my eyes last time, but... what is this energy I'm feeling from him? I can't stop shaking...
Everyone's eyes are glued to the two shadows clashing with each other under the surface of the water.
Dolphin: Squeeee!
Dolphin Caretaker: Whoa! You picked this up for me?
A dolphin pops its head out from the water, holding a spare net from the sunken boat between its teeth.
Fisherman: Come on, let's focus! We gotta throw the net over it again when we have the chance!
Siegfried: Hraaaaah!
Rugiet: Screeee!
Siegfried: (Speed's down to half... We're both getting exhausted.)
Siegfried: (How much longer will this power last? I have to find some way to finish this in one blow!)
Dolphin: Squeeee!
Siegfried: (What?)
Siegfried looks up at the dolphin that seems to be calling out to him from near the surface.
That's when he notices the fisherman and the others holding up a net and signaling to him.
Siegfried: (All right!)
Having understood the signal, Siegfried begins to swim toward the rocks, with Rugiet hot on his heels.
Fisherman: Ready... Now!
Rugiet: Squeeee!
The men throw the net over the orca once again, but it doesn't take long for Rugiet's sharp teeth to cut through it.
However, the split second in which Rugiet untangles itself from the net is more than enough time for Siegfried to unleash his power.
Siegfried: Graaaaaah!
Rugiet: Scrooooooaaaar!
The harpoon sinks deep into Rugiet. It lets out an ear-splitting shriek as it writhes in agony.
Siegfried: Hrngh!
When Siegfried yanks out the harpoon from the orca's body, blood sprays out like a red fountain.
Desperate to protect itself, Rugiet abruptly turns and swims as fast as it can back into the open sea.
Several days later.
The fisherman reports seeing Rugiet in the ocean, and that its wound from Siegfried's attack had already closed up.
It appears the songstress has returned to its home, continuing to sing its song in its own territory.
After that, just as Siegfried had predicted, Rugiet never dared to go near where people dwelled ever again.
Exempt from the Cycle: Scene 3
Having retrieved his blade from the ocean, Siegfried looks out at the peaceful waters, pondering the fact that he and Rugiet both exist outside the circle of life. Just then Lancelot and the other knights turn up, saving him from his brooding thoughts. Elsewhere the chairman of the Tourism Association nods to himself, vowing to restore Auguste to its former glory.
Siegfried: Whew... I'm glad I was able to retrieve it before it got swept away by the waves.
Siegfried floats on the surface of the water, smiling down at his blade that he recovered from the depths of the ocean.
With Rugiet back in its own territory, the waters are now safe to swim in again, and the shores buzz with activity once more.
His sword at his side, Siegfried looks out at the ocean as he takes in the sea breeze.
Siegfried: (The weather is perfect. The skies are clear, the ocean blue, and the wind and waves are calm. It feels nice.)
Siegfried: (Rugiet is no longer a threat to the creatures of this area. The fish don't seem alarmed anymore.)
The knight takes a deep breath, filling his lungs with the ocean's salty air.
Siegfried: (That power I unleashed earlier...)
Siegfried: Haaaah!
Siegfried: (It was stronger than anything I've unleashed before.)
Siegfried: (The great dragon is so ferocious that even monsters cower in its presence. I drank that dragon's blood and received its power.)
Siegfried: (To eat, or be eaten... Both the great dragon and Rugiet can be considered exempt from this cycle.)
Siegfried: (And now, I, too... may have already become an exception myself.)
Siegfried thinks back to a conversation he had with the fishermen and the dolphin caretaker after his battle with Rugiet.
Dolphin Caretaker: Thank you so much for driving away Rugiet for us.
Dolphin Caretaker: Not only did you save my life on multiple occasions—you brought peace back to these waters. You're our savior.
Fisherman: You were so strong, you could've taken down Rugiet even without our help. I'm sorry we got in your way.
Fisherman: I'm glad we had you with us though. When you drew Rugiet's attention, for a second, you almost looked like something entirely different...
Fisherman: Ah, what am I saying? I just didn't have the guts to do anything. But I'm gonna keep working on myself so that I can protect these waters.
Siegfried: ...
Siegfried: (Perhaps both the concept of a savior and of a monster are essentially the same.)
Siegfried: Hm? A beach ball?
???: I'm terribly sorry! That's our ball!
Lancelot: Huh? Siegfried?
Siegfried: Ah, Lancelot. So you're back from Tono Island.
Vane: So this is where you've been! Here I was thinking you'd left Auguste without us.
Siegfried: There was something that I wanted to look into. I see Percival is with you as well.
Percival: I happened to hear that a knight with a harpoon had suddenly appeared to drive off an enormous sea creature the other day.
Percival: So it really was you, Siegfried.
Vane: Wha! You mean that huge fuss in town about a sea creature... You took care of it all by yourself?
Siegfried: Yes. It came to my attention that something strange was happening in the ocean, and that's how I ended up getting involved.
Lancelot: In that case, you should have talked to us about it too.
Percival: Honestly... When will you learn to stop acting on your own like that?
Siegfried: I wasn't alone. I had ocean experts and dolphins helping me along the way.
Percival: That's not what I'm talking about—
Vane: Whooooa, that's amazing! What kind of sea creature was it exactly?
Siegfried: It was a powerful creature comparable to a dragon, and swam so fast it looked like it was jumping in the water. Its cry also proved quite troublesome.
Vane: Its cry? I wonder what that sounds like...
Vane: But you still managed to beat it in the water? Your strength really knows no limits, huh!
Percival: Stay down and stop interrupting, mongrel!
Lancelot: Calm down, you two. You're overwhelming Siegfried.
Lancelot: I'm sorry, we didn't mean to disturb you while you were relaxing by yourself.
Siegfried: I don't mind. What were all of you doing, by the way?
Vane: We were playing beach volleyball at the court over there!
Lancelot: We're planning to leave in the evening so we won't be playing for too long, but would you like to join us, Siegfried?
Siegfried: Sure, I'd be glad to.
Vane: All right! You can join my team, Siegfried!
Lancelot: Hey, that's not fair. I want him on my team too!
Percival: Sigh... How old are you two?
Vane: Come on, Percy. Don't tell me you don't want Siegfried on your team too?
Percival: Tch. I'm merely thinking from a strategic point of view. Teaming up with Siegfried would raise the probability of winning much higher compared to either of you.
Siegfried: (Haha. Being with these three makes me feel silly for brooding so much all by myself.)
Siegfried: (I'm glad they're here.)
Siegfried follows Lancelot and the others to the beach volleyball court.
A smile spreads on his lips, his expression as clear as the cloudless sky above.
Meanwhile, at a different location.
Chairman: (Auguste's ecosystem has been completely messed up...)
Chairman: (I must return it to its original state... and protect my beloved Auguste!)
In a deserted area of the beach, a single man nods to himself and walks briskly away.