Scenario:Conquest of the Dark Singularity - Chapter 3: Fishy Situation - Episode 1

Conquest of the Dark Singularity - Chapter 3: Fishy Situation - Episode 1

That night, (Captain) tells Neruko that being someone labeled as the "singularity" isn't normal either—in fact, everyone is weird in their own way, and that is normal. Neruko is encouraged once again to try and interact with the palace residents. Meanwhile, the crew on the shore are playing with sparklers together. Tunaro tells the others about how worried he is for his sister. Kumbhira, Cupitan, Sig, and Ilsa step closer to Tunaro, enveloping him in an almost familial warmth.

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That night, (Captain) and Neruko are in their room preparing for bed.

Neruko: Wow, a fluffy seaweed bed! Miss Kombu, the kelp fiend, went through all the trouble of setting it up for us!

Neruko: I was skeptical at first, but once we got to know them a little, the palace residents were so nice and fun to talk to!

Neruko: Well, I was only peeking out from inside your mouth, but still.

1. Do you still feel out of place?

Choose: Do you still feel out of place?

Neruko: Yeah... I can't help it. Albacore were never supposed to be in the ocean, so I don't think it's possible for me to get along with the others...

Seeing Neruko's gloomy expression, (Captain) tells her with confidence that there's no one more out of place than yours truly.

Neruko: Glu-glub?
Out of place? You?

(Captain) reminds Neruko that a regular person does not simply switch bodies with a primal beast.

Neruko: Hm, I guess that's true... But I thought you just happened to get caught up in this mess.

Shaking left and right as if to say "no," (Captain) realizes that this action no longer hurts the gill area.

As strange as the body switch situation is, it may not be such a bizarre occurrence compared to everything else the crew has experienced so far.

Losing one's life at the start of the journey, getting tangled with the archangels and Six Dragons, coming face to face with the many dangers of the sky...

Not to mention recreating the power of the Omnipotent, and most of all...

1. Being labeled the "singularity."

Choose: Being labeled the "singularity."

Neruko: Singularity?

The captain gives a sheepish smile, as if to sympathize with Neruko's confusion.

1. We're all similar in one way or another.

Choose: We're all similar in one way or another.

Neruko: ...!

Whether in the sky or in the sea, everyone is a little more peculiar than they think, and at times, more normal than they believe themselves to be.

Neruko: Everyone's weird... and yet normal?

Regular Fish: ...

Palace Residents: ...

Neruko: But... even if that were true, I still couldn't make any friends!

1. You definitely can here at the palace.

Choose: You definitely can here at the palace.

Neruko: ...

Without a response, Neruko sinks herself into the bed of seaweed.

Tunaro: Remember what I said before about how albacore don't need to blend in or get along with other sea creatures?

Neruko: Yeah! That's when I decided I'm gonna be a strong albacore like you...

Tunaro: You might be different from me, Neruko.

Neruko: Huh?

Neruko: (At the time, why did Big Bro Tunaro say that?)

Neruko: (I wanna see my big bro again...)

On the dusky beach, Tunaro gazes quietly at the flickering lights on his sparkler.

Tunaro: (I wonder if Neruko's feeling lonely, cor...)

Kumbhira: Hey, Tunaro. Mind if we join you?

Cupitan: I want to do that thing where we compete to see whose sparkler lasts the longest! That's something friends do, right?

Tunaro: I don't remember ever being friends with you all.

Kumbhira: Aw, come on. Sitting in the corner all by yourself has to get a little lonely. Just let us hang out here, okay?

Tunaro: ...

Kumbhira and Cupitan crouch down in front of Tunaro, the three forming a triangle. They light their sparklers at the same time.

Cupitan: You were thinking about your little sister Neruko, weren't you?

Tunaro: Cor!

Kumbhira: Hehe, you dropped it. You lose this round, Tunaro.

Tunaro: H-hey, that's not fair! You can't just use your Rainbow Bow power or whatever to look into people's hearts...

Cupitan: I didn't. I don't need to look to know what's occupying your mind.

Cupitan: I can understand what it's like to constantly think about someone dear to you who's far, far away...

Cupping her hand to protect her sparkler from the wind, she stares at the delicate flecks of light.

Cupitan: Ever since you came to the land, you've been worrying about Neruko's safety much more than your own.

Tunaro: Of course, cor. It's a big brother's duty to look out for his younger sister.

Cupitan: Is that all?

Tunaro: ...!

Cupitan: Relation by blood isn't a concept among primal beasts... but you still call her your younger sister. There must be a reason for that, right?

With a sigh, Tunaro takes another sparkler and lights it.

Tunaro: I met Neruko on the day of the incident, right after I lost my friends to the skydwellers' schemes.

The Two: ...!

Tunaro: Originally, albacore didn't belong to the sea.

Tunaro: Yet suddenly, I found myself subjected to a fate of wandering through the dark, cold waters all alone, forever...

Tunaro: It was then that I saw a single, small albacore trying to talk to some fish.

Tunaro: She kept getting brushed off and was on the verge of tears, but she still tried again and again.

Tunaro: To me... she was practically shining, cor.

Tunaro keeps his eyes on the brilliant sparks in front of him.

Tunaro: I wanted to give this young albacore a happy life.

Tunaro: Who cares about me? What's more important is making sure the little one didn't feel lonely anymore.

Cupitan: And... that's how you decided to stick with her, huh? To protect her as her older brother.

Tunaro: Oh...

Kumbhira: Your spark went out again... Hey, but it lasted longer than the first time.

Tunaro: It's gone... I used my hand and body to shield it from the wind, but it didn't work...

Kumbhira: ...

Kumbhira bends down to pick up the used sparkler before reaching out to give Tunaro a pat on the head.

Tunaro: Wh-what're you doing, cor!

Kumbhira: Telling you how proud I am of you.

Kumbhira: You've protected Neruko all this time. You did your best as her big brother.

Tunaro: ...!

Kumbhira: I can relate in that aspect. After all, I've got ten younger sisters and brothers too.

Kumbhira: I had hoped to provide my siblings and everyone in my village a happy life by serving as the Divine Boar.

Tunaro: ...

Kumbhira: But you know... you have to treasure your own feelings too.

Kumbhira: If you stop caring about yourself and can't be honest about how you truly feel inside... then you'll never be able to move forward.

Kumbhira: Let me... join your crew!

Kumbhira: (Captain) taught me that.

Kumbhira: That's why I want to pass it onto you too.

Kumbhira: Though... it does feel a bit weird, since you just look like (Captain) with a hat on.

Chuckling, Kumbhira pats Tunaro one more time.

Another hand—weathered and calloused from the hardships of fishing and handling firearms—places itself on Tunaro's head.

Sig: Heheh. I'm not sure what's going on, but I'm here to tell you you're doing a great job!

Ilsa: Life's a carrot on a stick. Sometimes you need to get a few carrots to keep going.

Tunaro: Sig... Sergeant Ilsa...

Cupitan: I want to pat Tunaro too! Oh, maybe I can help you relax with my Prism Arrow...

The Three: No, don't!

Tunaro: Heheh...

Sig: Haha, there it is! That's a nice smile.

Tunaro: I-it's got nothing to do with me... It's (Captain)'s face...

Ilsa: That's not what makes it nice.

Kumbhira: Yeah. Smile, Tunaro—a smiling face suits you so much better!

Tunaro: ...!

Still gathered around Tunaro, the four of them light the fire on their sparklers once more.

The soft light emitting from each of their sparklers together create a shining brilliance in the middle of the dark beach.

Vikala: Wh-what is that?

Vikala: Four... moms?

Hekate: Forget about that. Vikala, how about becoming one with me?

Vikala: Eep!

Ragazzo: Hey! What're you trying to do to her?

Hekate: Look around! We're in the middle of summer, surrounded by beautiful men and women.

Hekate: Surely something more should be happening!

Percival: A lot is happening right now, might I remind you. The albacore crisis, for example.

Vyrn: Yeah, so don't go botherin' the others in our crew, ya hear? I mean, you said it yourself.

Hekate: I said I intend to make a mess of solely (Captain), remember?

Hekate: Unlike mortals, a goddess such as myself always keeps her word.

Hekate: Rrg... I did say that, but...

Hekate's eyes sweep across the beach when she notices two figures a slight ways away.

Varuna: Ouch, that's hot! The sparks are flying toward me!

Neptune: Oh, Varu. You're supposed to hold the sparkler the other way.

Hekate: Drool... I've found my perfect prey!

Lyria: O-oh! I guess Varuna and Neptune technically aren't part of our crew, but still...

Just as the tip of Lyria's sparkler falls to the sand at her feet, so does a drop of saliva as Hekate continues to stare at the primal beasts, her interest dangerously clear.