Editing Leviathan:Volume 4 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 3===

It was the second day of the trip for Hal and company. Fortunately, the weather was quite  since morning.

The sky was very blue, the clouds were very white, and the sun was very dazzling.

A sunny day in summer was a matter-of-fact symbol of intense heat, but Hal and company were planning to go to the beach in the first place, so hotter weather would make for greater enjoyment. Ignoring the blinding sunlight, the group boarded a minivan early in the morning to arrive at a small bay after a full hour of driving.

A deliberate choice to avoid spacious seaside swimming destinations, they had picked a remote beach instead.

Combined with the two additional factors of it being a weekday as well as the very beginning of summer holidays, the ensuing result was&mdash;

"It's much less crowded than imagined! The sea is so pretty too!"

Pointing at the sea, Hazumi could not help but get excited.

Compared to the familiar Tokyo Bay, this navy-blue sea stretched vastly before their eyes.

The beach's sand was also very white. Bathed under the morning sunlight, things heated up all at once. As a beach with only ten-odd visitors who looked like locals, the location was quite perfect. After getting changed at the only beach house, they immediately went to play in the water.

"I suppose I shall go rent one of those."

What had caught Luna Francois' eye was a personal watercraft.

Two of them were available at the beach house for rent. In addition, swim rings, banana boats, parasols and other equipment could be rented.

"If you like, Harry, how about sitting behind me?"

"Uh, I..."

"Fufu. Just give me a shout any time if that's what you want♪"

Sitting in tandem on a jet ski in close skin contact with Luna Francois...

Moreover, she was wearing a very revealing swimsuit&mdash;Hal was rendered speechless by his imagination of the scene. Luna smiled impishly at him then returned to the beach house, presumably to complete rental procedures.

Hal could not help but sigh in relief. While he was looking at the swim rings, Orihime walked over.

"Haruga-kun, are you a good swimmer?"

"If not drowning counts as being good, I guess. How about you?"

"In truth, I can't win against the girls in the swimming team."

"Meaning you can win against everyone else, right...? As expected of a perfect superhuman blessed with athletic ability and a fulfilling life."

"I don't quite understand but are you complimenting me? Fufu, thank you."

The girl, who had visited his room this morning as promised, smiled and replied.

Orihime had gently shaken Hal by the shoulder while whispering "Haruga-kun, it's morning" into his ear. After that, she had waited patiently by his bedside for as long as ten minutes until Hal woke up thoroughly.

Then using tea leaves and a teapot prepared ahead of time, she brewed a pot of green tea for Hal before leaving discreetly.

Despite this happening earlier, the two of them were now conversing normally as though nothing had happened.

But with a rising feeling of mischief as accomplices, Hal and Orihime could not help but burst out laughing at the same time.

Left in the dark on the side, Hazumi jumped in surprise. Hal hastily spoke to his junior, "Shirasaka, how's your swimming?"

"For around twenty meters, probably the same as you, Senpai, I can avoid drowning, but I'm not confident if the distance is greater than that..."

The younger student, as pure as an angel, confessed the truth shyly. She was definitely not strong in health and always had to sit out PE class in an observing role.

In spite of that, Hazumi clenched her fist and expressed her determination.

"But this summer, I hope to improve further."

"I guess this'll be indispensable as a tool to aid your training, Shirasaka."

Hence, Hal rented two swim rings, giving one to Hazumi and one for himself respectively.

Also, everyone had finished changing and were all in swimsuits.

Luna Francois' was black while Orihime had a white bikini with a pareo. Both looks had been revealed at the swimming pool reception last time.

The blonde American girl's bikini was decorated with lace.

Combined with Luna Francois' original airs like an antique doll's, her seductive charm was fully on display at the beach here.

Meanwhile, Orihime was wearing a bikini with a simple and casual design.

Perhaps because she not only gave off a well-bred young lady's airs but also bore an expression of upstanding moral character and approachability, the swimsuit was an especially good match for this Japanese girl.

Truly two young beauties standing in stark contrast.

Not only that, but their figures were also outstanding. Described as closeted by his own admission, Hal naturally felt an indescribable sense of fulfillment after seeing Orihime and Luna's gorgeous appearances from close range.

But today, apart from Orihime and Luna, Hazumi was dressed in swimwear too.

Using a UV-cut parka as a wrap, she was wearing a simple lime-colored bikini with frills sewn on the edges. Exceptionally cute.

Noticing Hal's gaze, Hazumi squirmed in embarrassment.

"Umm... I look weird after all, right?"

"No, it's not weird at all. Why do you ask?"

"Because this is my first time wearing this type of swimsuit... I accidentally bought it after the salesperson recommended it, but afterwards, it felt more and more embarrassing..."

This type of swimsuit&mdash;She was probably referring to the bikini.

Hal tilted his head, thinking it was good precisely because it was "this type of swimsuit."

Last time when they were face to face in the female bathroom at school, Hazumi had wrapped herself in a towel. Compared to that time, today's swimsuit had even less fabric. In terms of bare skin, it was a dramatic power up.

Furthermore, although Hal had sensed it vaguely, he was finally able to confirm beyond a doubt.

Second year of middle school. Fourteen years old. Nevertheless, the bulge of her chest and the roundness of her posterior were definitely not flat even if they were a bit subdued. Rather, it would be better to describe their presence as aptly expressed.

It was unknown whether she would reach the same level as her older cousin Orihime in two years' time, but her potential had undoubtedly begun to bloom.

Faced with Hazumi ''whose figure was excellent for an eighth grader'', Hal said, "Despite how I may look, I'm actually very closeted, which is why I make this assertion: simply seeing you in a swimsuit, Shirasaka, has made this trip to the beach totally worth it. So please don't call your appearance 'weird'&mdash;"

"Excuse me, Haruga-kun, please do not make bizarre comments in front of Hazumi!"

"Sh-Should I be saying thanks in this kind of situation, Nee-sama...?"

"Hazumi too, stop accepting Haruga-kun's closeted perversion so obediently!"

While Orihime was lecturing Hal on his tactlessness and her cousin for being swayed, their last companion finally exited the beach house. Namely, Asya.

"Thanks for waiting, everyone... Because preparations took some time and effort."

The beautiful fairy-like girl was speaking with a rare tone of eloquence.

Her expression was sharp with a stern gaze. Such were the vibes exuded from her entire body that it would not be surprising even if she were to fight a dragon immediately. Extremely gallant.

Of course, Asya was also in a swimsuit. The blue bikini top had vertical stripes while the bottom piece was designed like a pair of shorts.

Speaking of the lines of her figure, Asya's were essentially quite gentle in undulation.

Even so, it was not a completely flat line. The curves illustrated by her breathtakingly slender body were quite well-suited to a teenage girl's low-key body, instead adding a tempting sense of allure.

That being said, Asya's swimsuit look embodied a warrior's vigor instead of cuteness.

Devoured by overwhelming tension, Orihime and Hazumi fell silent. Immediately, Hal was certain that this atmosphere stemmed from the ''harpoon'' held in his childhood friend's hand.

"Cooking is best when local ingredients are used after all. And you guys are in luck today, because apart from magic and combat, I've been praised for my free-diving and harpoon skills too. I've already prepared traditional Japanese cooking implements&mdash;a portable clay stove and charcoal flames. Let's have a seafood party for lunch today!"
[[image:Leviathan 04 106.jpg|thumb]]

"Asya, free-dive fishing is prohibited by law in these waters."

"What did you say!?"

In the majority of Japanese prefectures, it was forbidden for ordinary people without fishing rights to catch marine life using harpoons or fishing nets. Simply walking on the shore with such equipment in your hands would be enough to get scolded by fishermen, so please be careful.


Although marine hunting was stopped, there were still plenty of recreation activities by the sea.

Hal and Hazumi floated on swim rings amid marine-blue waves while Orihime and Asya swam leisurely on the side.

Especially Hal's childhood friend with her boundless energy that had nowhere to vent.

With speed and fluidity rivaling sea nymphs or mermaids, she was able to move effortlessly and nimbly whether on the surface or underwater. Apart from free-diving, she was also very skilled in ordinary swimming.

In addition, Luna Francois was currently riding a jet ski, racing across the sea.

Wearing a pair of sunglasses, she was handling the watercraft magnificently with experienced hand and body motions. Let alone automobiles, the Trans-Pacific Shootdown Ace was apparently skilled in operating all kinds of transportation.

Luna was riding her jet ski in dashing manner.

Hazumi and Orihime also took turns riding the back seat, enjoying the thrill of speeding across the sea.

Meanwhile, Asya and Hal went ashore and strolled along the beach.

"It's almost noon. Let's acquire ingredients for a seafood party without catching fish ourselves."

Walking along the shore side by side, Asya asked, "Any suggestions?"

"Go check out local markets nearby and see if you can purchase leftover seafood on a retail basis. Then go find a fisherman, who operates a small boat on his own, or his wife and ask them to sell us what they've caught this morning."

"Understood. What are your plans next, Haruomi?"

"As much as I'd like to avoid it, I do have work to do. By the way, where's the stone?"

"I've been carrying it with me properly. After all, it's still being ''tested''."

Asya took out a transparent plastic pouch containing the unidentified black stone as well as her purse and cellphone.

After parting ways with his childhood friend, Hal walked to the beach house.

He took out a laptop from his belongings in the locker then walked over to a parasol he had just rented and sat down cross-legged on a beach chair.

"Looks like you have discerned that stone's true identity."

"Rather than discern, it's more like a hunch building on Asya and Luna's ideas after I asked for their opinion. Don't tell me that this thing isn't part of a dragon's body?"

Hinokagutsuchi's figure manifested in the unoccupied beach chair beside him.

In addition, the former dragon queen was wearing a red bikini. This was the same swimsuit she had worn at the pool reception last time. While Hinokagutsuchi was reclining on the chair, Hal said to her, "It should be a related species if it's not a dragon. A 'serpent' for example&mdash;a leviathan. Apart from that, among your minions, there are some that fit the criteria."

"Oh?"

"Like Princess Yukikaze's minion, Genbu-Ou. Speaking of which, if you chipped a piece off that crazy big shell and scattered the fragments... They'll probably take this kind of form."

This stone fragment, resembling obsidian, had been found inside a shrine's storeroom.

Its uneven surface glowed green very faintly. This color was quite similar to the turtle shell of that super organism, Genbu-Ou, the hundred-meter-long giant chelonian creature and Princess Yukikaze's minion.

"Earlier, I made this association after recalling that giant turtle," said Hal while sneaking a glance at Hinokagutsuchi beside him.

Despite the appearance of a young girl, she was reclining arrogantly with her legs crossed.

"Genbu-Ou too is a humongous creature like an island, capable of swimming freely in the ocean, right? Furthermore, back in ancient China, there were legends of holy beasts such as sacred chelonians, including a gigantic turtle that carried a mountain on top of its carapace."

The gigantic turtle carrying Mount Penglai&mdash;Legends of sacred turtles were not unique to China.

The Korean peninsula and Japan had similar stories, intricately connecting to one another across the ocean that the Crimson Queen had made her ''territory'' eight hundred years ago.

This applied to the story of Urashima Tarou too. Ever since antiquity, turtles had served as guides to the Dragon Palace (a castle in the sea hidden from the world). This excessively famous fairy tale protagonist was called "Urashima no Ko" in ancient times and actually had quite antiquated literary records in the ''Chronicles of Japan'' and the ''Collection of Myriad Leaves''.

The ''Chronicles of Japan'' contained the following description: "Mizue no Urashima no Ko went to Mount Penglai together with a woman who had transformed from a giant turtle"...

Hal calmly put his academic prowess on display and concluded, "Consequently, the following is purely my own speculation: The Dragon Palace mentioned in these legends is actually the same kind of turtle monster as Genbu-Ou. Perhaps there might even be a castle on top of an insanely large carapace. This turtle used to be your minion whereas the black stone and so-called signpost is a part of the turtle shell&mdash;"

"Kukuku. Not a bad idea, that is all I can say."

"Asya said this too. In the past, you and Princess Yukikaze... It makes her want to investigate what effect the dragon kings a thousand years ago had on legends of this type, that was what she mentioned before."

Hal recounted to Hinokagutsuchi who was smiling malevolently.

Just earlier, he had heard from Asya that the research theme of "a study on the effects imparted upon dragon and serpent legends around the world by the existence of dragonkind" had already been started a while ago.

That being said, she had also spent a substantial amount of time obsessively on strange training&mdash;

"Based on this hunch, I decided to look for relevant clues. Can I ask you not to disturb me in the meantime?"

"Understood. Do your best. Hmph."

Thus, Hinokagutsuchi vanished with a sneer. Sitting on the beach chair, Hal opened his laptop. All the ancient texts and reference materials about the shrine where Goddess Hinokagutsuchi was worshiped had already been digitized and saved into the hard drive.

After reading these materials for an hour, Hal suddenly noticed.

At some point in time, someone had sat down on the adjacent beach chair. Someone familiar.

Showing off her extravagant proportions in a black bikini, the blonde beauty was Luna Francois, of course.