Scenario:Bzzt! Amped-Up Summer - Chapter 4: Encroaching Currents - Episode 2

Bzzt! Amped-Up Summer - Chapter 4: Encroaching Currents - Episode 2

Back on the beach, the flames of passion burn brightly with Yngwie in town. Seruel spots an anti-mafia protest and learns of the eal supply being unscrupulously controlled by the mafia. Thinking back to the eal grabfest that Tony mentioned earlier, Seruel grows suspicious and gathers a few others to look for (Captain) and company.

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Girl 1: Oh my Yngwie!

Girl 2: When we heard about your visit, we knew we just had to see you with our own eyes!

Girl 3: Would you like to have dinner with us? I know a great place.

Yngwie: Thanks, but no thanks... One town, one girl—that's my rule.

Yngwie puts an arm around Carla's shoulder and pulls her closer.

Yngwie: You see, I've already got the best girl there is. She's set my heart ablaze.

Women: Aww, Yngwie!

Carla: Seems like you're pretty famous. Are you sure about turning them down? They seemed pretty cute.

Yngwie: That your way of testing me?

Yngwie flashes her a bold grin and closes the distance between them.

Yngwie: Only thing going through my head right now is how we're going to make love to each other later.

Yngwie gently traces his rugged fingers along the slender base of her neck.

Yngwie: Ma Cherie... I know you feel the same. Am I wrong?

Carla: ...!

Carla: Don't... tease me like that... Sorry for testing you...

Yngwie: Good girl.

The pair make their way to the sandy summer beach as the searing flames of passion scatter in every direction.

Seruel: ...

Meanwhile Seruel walks alone by the shoreline on the now nearly vacant beach.

Seruel: Hm? Isn't that...

Islander 1: Get the heck off our island!

Islander 2: Cyrath's ecosystem won't last long with you slimeballs mucking everything up!

Seruel: Could this be...

The angry shouts of the locals can be heard in the distance.

Islander 2: Damned mafia always messing with our lives!

Seruel: Mafia?

Seruel: This can't be good...

Seruel cuts his stroll short to learn more about the protest.

Islander 2: Was about two or three years ago when the mafia first came to Cyrath.

Islander 2: Tourism, fishing, commerce... Those rotten scumbags have their sticky fingers in everything. Worst is the eal trade.

Seruel: Tell me about the eals.

Islander 1: Everything went down the drain the moment they realized how valuable eals can be.

Islander 1: They used their endless poaching to flood the market with eals, dramatically increasing the island's supply.

Islander 1: Originally a rare commodity, the unit price on eals have always made them a bit of a luxury. But now supply outpaces demand.

Islander 1: With so few buyers, fishers had no choice but to throw out a whole bunch of 'em regularly.

Islander 2: Eals have always been a staple of Cyrath Island. A good number of shops depend on them as the main source of income.

Islander 2: To those guys, ever-increasing inflation and restrictions on eal fishing is a make-or-break deal.

Islander 2: It resulted in a downward spiral where shop owners felt they couldn't survive anymore unless they got into bed with the mafia.

Islander 1: And what are we left with now? More and more young'uns are doing the dirty work for the mafia—civil order's a thing of the past. It's all downhill from here...

Seruel: I see...

Islander 1: You a tourist? I'm sorry we don't got much more than this heck of a snafu to show you.

Seruel: Please, don't be. I consider it my duty as a guest to learn how the locals live their lives.

Seruel: I'm ashamed of myself for feasting on broiled eal earlier without knowing any of this.

Seruel: Thank you for the insight.

An ominous feeling welling up in the pit of his stomach, Seruel rushes to find nearby crewmates.

Seruel: Olivia, Ilsa, may I have a moment?

Olivia: Is everything all right—
That look on your face is not a good sign.

Elsewhere Feower and Tien also take notice of the unrest fermenting.

Islander 2: Damned mafia can beat it!

Tien: ...!

Feower: Mafia...

Feower: Sis, did he just say...

Tien: Mm, I heard it too. I wonder how much influence the mafia have here.

Feower: It's a resort destination after all. Those mafia cockroaches gather wherever the money is.

Tien: I'll go check things out. You should get everyone ready.

Feower: Gotcha, Sis.

Seruel and Olivia seem to be in a rush as they pass by.

Feower: Ah, it's you two.

Olivia: Oh, I didn't realize you were here too.

Tien: Can we ask you a question?

Tien: We heard mention of mafia. Do you know if they have a presence on the island?

Olivia: That seems to be the case.

Seruel: Which reminds me... The mafia have families set up in Stardust Town too, don't they?

Feower: That's right. I can't say for sure that the mafia here in Cyrath don't have a connection to them.

Seruel explains the island's situation to the Erune siblings.

Tien: So that's what's going on...

Seruel: I hope I'm simply overthinking matters, but I need to relay everything I've learned at once.

Seruel: There was a man who introduced himself as a member of the Cyrath Tourism Association. He mentioned an eal grabfest.

Seruel: With the extinction of eals at stake and restrictions placed on the number that may be caught, a grabfest is unthinkable.

Tien: Sounds like the mafia definitely has a hand in this.

Seruel: We can also assume (Captain) and the others are within their grasp.

Feower: But they were just talking business, right? In which case I doubt everyone would be in immediate danger.

Seruel: How I wish that were so. But back in our homeland of Alster, we engaged in a minor scuffle with the mafia.

Seruel: They know my face and my sister's. It would be a safe guess that they were targeting Heles from the outset.

Tien: Feower, if you or any of the children were the ones who had gone with them, I'd be in a rush to find you too.

Feower: Got me there.

Tien: Seruel, if you're going to look for them, we'll come along. We owe it to (Captain).

Feower: Besides, we can hold our own against those goombahs pretty well.

Seruel: Having two Eternals join our ranks is most reassuring.

Seruel: Time is wasting as we stand here and speak. Let us make haste.