Chapter 104: Date With Watery Destiny, Part Seven

Grace trudged out of the water, her soaked robes clinging to her skin like they’d been glued there.

Her legs wobbled with each step, threatening to give out after what she’d just been through—apparently, defeating a water goddess with her hips was excellent exercise.

“Grace!”

Diana sprinted toward her, sword still in hand. Behind her, Petriel followed at a more dignified pace, supporting a very bedraggled Meridian who looked like she’d been dragged backward through a whirlpool.

“You made it!” Diana grabbed Grace’s shoulders, scanning her up and down for injuries. “And… you’re not a fish. That’s good.”

“Yeah, thanks for the vote of confidence,” Grace muttered, wringing water from her hair. It splashed onto the sand in an impressive puddle. “I’m fine. Just tired. And wet. I don’t even wanna see water again for at least a year.”

She looked past Diana at Meridian, who was leaning heavily on Petriel. The Ascended Choir member’s blue robes were torn in several places, and her hair was plastered to her skull in sad, soggy clumps.

Grace blinked away the image of her being thoroughly tentacle-ravaged.

“What happened to her? How did she get out?”

Diana glanced back.

“No idea. The temple just sort of… spat her out about ten minutes ago.”

“Ew.”

“Yeah.”

Grace approached Meridian, who looked up with bleary eyes that couldn’t quite focus.

Meridian’s face contorted through several emotions at once.

“I remember water. Stars. Pleasure like I’ve never known.” She shuddered, her body trembling with the memory. “And then nothing until I woke up on the beach with half the village standing over me.”

[So the Tide wiped her memory somehow? Probably for the best. No one needs to remember being tentacle-pleasured into oblivion.]

“Well, you’re free now,” Grace said, patting her awkwardly on the shoulder. “And, uh, so is everyone else.”

Around them, many of the villagers who’d picked up weapons to come fight alongside Diana and Petriel were slowly realizing the fight was over. A few corrupted villagers remained that they stabbed and killed, and then, silence.

“How did you manage it?” Diana asked, lowering her voice to a whisper. “What happened in there?”

“How do you think?” Grace blushed and looked away.

“Damn, good stuff, shorty!”

A familiar voice called out from the village path.

“Darling! You’ve returned!”

Venus glided toward them, looking fresh and pristine despite the chaos around her. Her pink robes somehow remained unwrinkled and spotless. Behind her marched several blue-robed Ascended Choir members, led by Variel.

“Venus,” Grace greeted her, suddenly self-conscious about how thoroughly she’d applied the Love Leader’s lessons. “Yeah, I’m back.”

Venus reached her and immediately cupped Grace’s face, examining her with a knowing smile that made Grace want to sink back into the ocean.

“And successful, I see. The glow on your cheeks tells me you put my training to good use.”

[Is there a “just had intimate relations with water” sign floating over my head?]

“I… did what I had to do,” Grace mumbled, feeling her face heat up even more.

Venus laughed delightedly, the sound like tiny bells.

“So diplomatic! I want details later, little angel.”

The other Choir member, Meridian’s right-hand woman, stepped forward. Her posture was perfect, her expression calculating.

“We’ve come for Meridian.”

Grace stepped forward.

“She needs rest, not an interrogation.”

“We know,” Variel said, raising a placating hand. “We merely wish to ensure her well-being, and her dignity, and hear her account of what transpired.”

Meridian made a noise like a drowning cat.

“I don’t remember anything useful. Just… water. And stars.”

Variel nodded, her expression giving nothing away.

“Regardless, please come, Leader.”

Two Choir members gently took Meridian from Petriel, supporting her between them as they led her toward the village. Meridian’s feet dragged in the sand, leaving uneven trails behind her.

“Is it over?” a villager asked, approaching cautiously. He was an older man with a weathered face, still slightly damp from his recent transformation. His eyes held equal parts hope and fear. “The… the curse?”

Grace felt the pearl pendant warm against her skin, pulsing gently like a tiny heartbeat.

“Yes,” she said with certainty. “The Tide won’t bother you anymore.”

「System Notification: Pillar Quest Complete!」

「Reward: Skill Evolution – Aura Cleanse → Aura Manipulation」

「Aura Manipulation (Level 5)」

「+10 Love Points Gained!」

「Love: 60/100」

The notification confirmed what Grace already knew.

She’d done it.

—

The villagers insisted on throwing a feast that night.

Tables were dragged into the village square, laden with fish and bread and whatever else could be scrounged up on short notice. Barrels of ale were rolled out, torches lit, and somewhere, someone found a fiddle that seemed to have survived the watery chaos.

Grace sat at a table with Diana and Petriel, picking at her food. She was hungry—starving, really—but her mind kept drifting back to the Tide—to those starry eyes and the promise she’d made to return.

[… So, when do I come back? A week? A month? A decade?]

“So,” Diana said, dropping her voice so only Grace could hear. “You gonna tell me how you did it, or do I have to get you drunk first?”

Grace choked on her ale, spluttering as it went down the wrong way.

“W-What do you even want to know!?”

“Everything, obviously.” Diana grinned.

Grace felt more than just one pair of eyes on her as she hesitated to say anything in response.

“… L-Let’s just say Venus’s lessons came in handy,” Grace finally said, tracing the rim of her mug with her finger.

Diana’s eyebrows shot up so high they nearly left her forehead.

“Rookie, you actually fucked a water goddess.”

It wasn’t a question.

“Pillar, not goddess. And, I wouldn’t put it exactly like that—”

“Holy shit.” Diana leaned back, looking impressed. “And here I thought you were still the blushing virgin who couldn’t say ’breasts’ without turning red.”

“I can say… breasts just fine,” Grace muttered, then blushed despite herself.

Diana burst out laughing, the sound drawing glances from nearby villagers. She clapped Grace on the back hard enough to make her spill her ale.

The feast continued around them, the mood growing merrier as more ale flowed. The villagers sang and danced, celebrating their freedom from the Tide’s influence. Children ran between tables, stealing bits of bread and giggling. Venus joined in, teaching some of the women a dance that uh… yeah.

After her second mug of ale, Grace excused herself for some air. The warmth of the celebration had become stifling, and her head buzzed pleasantly from the drink.

She wandered toward the beach, away from the noise and light of the feast, seeking a bit of solitude.

The moon hung low over the water, casting a silver path across the waves. It was beautiful and peaceful—hard to believe that just hours ago, she’d been fighting for her life (and dignity) beneath those same waves.

Movement caught her eye. A small group of villagers—three women and two men—stood at the shore’s edge, staring out at the ocean. Their shoulders were slumped, their postures speaking of loss, not celebration.

Grace approached cautiously, her feet sinking into the cool sand.

“Are you alright?”

One of the women turned. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy from crying.

“You saved us,” she said, voice thick with emotion. “And we’re grateful. But…”

“But?” Grace prompted gently, moving closer.

“My husband was taken two weeks ago,” another woman said. Her hands were twisted together in front of her, knuckles white. “He changed. Walked into the sea. We thought… when we heard you were going to stop it, we thought maybe…”

She didn’t finish, but she didn’t need to. Grace understood the unspoken hope.

[They thought I’d bring their loved ones back.]

“I’m sorry,” Grace said, and meant it with every fiber of her being. “The ones who were fully transformed… There was nothing I could do.”

It was a harsh truth. The Tide had committed real crimes, caused real suffering. Grace’s deal with her didn’t erase that pain or bring back what was lost.

“Will it happen again?” one of the men asked. “Will more be taken?”

Grace touched the pearl at her throat, feeling its warmth respond to her touch.

“No. I promise you that.”

They nodded, accepting her word even though they had no reason to trust her. The weight of their faith made Grace stand a little straighter, determined to be worthy of it.

[I made a difference here. Not a perfect one, but a real one.]

“Come back to the feast,” she urged them, gesturing toward the village. “Honor their memory by living. By finding joy where you can.”

Slowly, almost reluctantly, they turned from the ocean and followed her back toward the lights and music of the village. One of the women paused to press Grace’s hand in silent gratitude before continuing on.

Grace glanced back once at the dark water, wondering if the Tide was watching from its depths. The pearl at her throat pulsed gently, as if in answer.

Whether the Tide was watching or not, Grace had done what she came to do. She’d completed her mission, even if it wasn’t the victory she’d imagined. Tomorrow, they would return to the Dominion. New missions awaited, new Pillars to find.

But tonight, she would celebrate this small victory and try not to think about the future. Or about how she’d have to explain to Celestia exactly how she’d convinced an ancient water deity to stop drowning villagers.

That conversation could wait for another day.

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