The captain is shocked as the rumoured mystic creature Ihcoro appears in front of the ship out of the blue.

"We cannot handle something like this! There is no escaping from this situation. We're doomed!"

"The situation is looking bad Captain. Why did it appear right now?"

"I've read that the mystic creatures that live underwater can survive without oxygen for around 5 years. They come to the surface to inhale the required amount of oxygen once in a while. But I was told that it is just a myth. I have been travelling for 11 years, but this the first time I have encountered something like this!"

"If that's the case, there should not be an issue right?" questions Nouma.
"It will go back underwater once it's done, right?"

"I'm not so sure about that! It might consider us to be invaders and try to annihilate us."

Ichoro sends a powerful wave of water towards the ship upon spotting it and follows it up with a wild roar.

"Just as I expected, it thinks that we are trespassing its territory. This is bad!"

Looks like the situation is actually serious. The Captain seems to have no idea how to tackle it. I will have to do something about it.

"We should focus on the safety of other passengers. Captain, lead the remaining passengers to the cabin."

The captain replies, "I'm already on it."

She loudly announces, "Everyone, follow me. Rita and Nouma, both of you as well. Head to the cabin right now!"

Rita notifies Nouma to follow the captain, "Nouma, let's follow the Captain and hope for the best. Are you even listening?"

Nouma stares at Rita as he says, "You go on ahead. I need to do something about this creature. Things will get sparky out here, so get inside. The situation won't resolve by itself. I have no other option but to trust you right now."

"What do you mean?"

Before Rita finishes her question, Nouma dives into the ocean.

Rita yells, "Nouma you idiot! What do you think you're doing?"

I cannot put all the passengers' lives in danger. Right now, I have no option other than using Fento to overcome this hurdle. It is one of the rulers of the ocean, it must be insanely strong. The ship won't be able to take a critical hit. But I cannot go all out either, as killing it would cause a disturbance in the ecosystem. I'll have to somehow distract it back into the ocean.

The captain asks Rita, "Where is Nouma?" to which Rita replies, "He dived into the water all of a sudden. I'm pretty sure he is planning to defeat Ihcoro all by himself."

"What?! It's a suicide attempt. You saw that thing right? You think we have any chance at defeating something like that? I can't believe that I neglected the safety of a passenger. Stay here, I'll see if I can get him back in some way."

Ihcoro notices Nouma approaching it and sends a strong ripple towards Nouma. However, Nouma quickly recovers from it and continues to charge.

What would be the best option to attack it with right now?

Flashbacks

"Water conducts electricity. That multiplies its effects."

That's right. Thank you Pranesh, meeting you was truly my destiny.

Nouma further reduces the distance between himself and Ihcoro.

I have to somehow reach its head. It is still maintaining contact with water. Thanks to all the rain, its skin is moist as well. If it gets zapped from the top, electricity will flow through its body into the water and that will surely affect it. The ship is made of wood and it is also pretty far from here. These are all optimal conditions for the plan to work out.

Nouma stops swimming and rests in a vertical posture on the water surface.

"Fento Form #2 MAJESTIC THRUST"

Nouma gets propelled into the air causing a small whirlpool in the water. As a result, Ihcoro loses its balance. This allows Nouma to whizz to the top of its head.

This is the first time I'm using it in such extreme conditions, but I have no choice right now. I will have to pull it off!

Ihcoro tries to get Nouma off its head by wildly moving around but Nouma stays put. He lays both of his palms on Ihcoro. 

"Fento Form #5 THUNDERBOLT"

The rain stops for a second and a sparkling bolt of lightning lands upon Ihcoro. After the strike, the rain continues to pour.

Ihcoro roars in anguish as the shock waves distribute throughout its body rendering it unconscious.

It worked! I did it! I've used Fento successfully to protect someone! I am starting to feel dizzy though. Consecutively using two forms wasn't the best course of action, but I couldn't think of anything else.

There is a huge splash of water as it falls into the ocean. Nouma swims back to the ship, the waves created by Ihcoro falling into the ocean helps him while swimming back.

Rita and the captain are surprised as they see the mighty Ihcoro fall into the water. As soon as Nouma gets back on the ship, he speaks looking at the captain, "We must get out of here as soon as possible. It won't be unconscious forever." 

She follows the instructions and redirects the ship forward at full speed.

Nouma initiated the thunderbolt. Hence, he was also caught in it. His body is bruised and his hair is messed up. Parts of his clothes are burnt off. He is on the brink of passing out. 

Rita is startled as she witnesses Nouma's condition.

How was he able to launch such a large scale attack? Even Ihcoro was affected by the attack but Nouma was able to survive it with minimal injury. It is like a monster resides within him! There is no time to think about all this! I need to do something about his current condition.

"Captain, is there a doctor here? Or a first aid kit? Anything is appreciated."

The captain hands Rita a first aid kid, "This is all I could find right now. I'll ask if any of the passengers is a doctor."

Rita asks Nouma, "Are you fine? Does it hurt pretty bad anywhere?" 

Nouma replies, "I can see and hear! My nose seems to be working all right!"

"You dumbass! You're fooling around at a time like this!"

The captain sits beside Nouma while Rita is treating his burns, "I don't know how you did it, but it is because of you that all of us are safe. I saw everything that happened. I thank you on behalf of every passenger. As a token of appreciation, you will be allowed to travel in this ship free of cost whenever you want!"

This isn't the right time to talk about it captain!

"There is no need for that! But I would really appreciate something to eat."

"Sure. I'll bring you some fruits right away."

"I saw everything that happened as well. I still can't believe what I saw just now. What was that and where did you learn it?" asks Rita.

"My grandfather taught me everything you just saw."

Nouma rests his index finger on his lips, "Please keep it a secret. The only reason I'm telling you about this is because you are trustworthy."

"Sure, I'll keep it a secret. However, some of the passengers and the Captain saw you in action."

"That might be an issue."

The captain returns with a couple of apples, "Don't worry about it. That is already resolved. I told the passengers that you fell off the ship and had to be rescued. I also told them that we were lucky that Ihcoro was hit by lightning. Some of them are still skeptical but most of them bought it."

"Thank goodness."

That's actually a relief. However, it was necessary to act in this situation. I had no other choice.

Nouma falls unconscious the very next moment.

Nouma and Rita will reach Ceprad City in 3 hours. A competition awaits them at their destination!

TO BE CONTINUED

NOTEARTH VOCABULARY #8

FENTO FORMS: They are the various applications of Fento. Using any form requires lot of energy and in order to utilize it efficiently in battles, a large amount of stamina is required.

A/N: Images used to depict Ihcoro in this chapter and chapter 9 are from Pinterest. I don't own any of these images.