That's why I....

　I'm going to participate in the Wushuushu swimming tournament in a hurry!

　In order to fill the void left by the absent swimmers, I had to jump into the tournament.

What am I supposed to do with that?

　I'm human, you know?
　He can only breathe through his lungs.

　I'm the one who has the audacity to challenge a mermaid to an underwater battle...?

I think you'll die of asphyxiation before it becomes a proper contest...?

　This is deep under the sea.
　Although we're inside an air-filled space filled with the special secret art of mermaids so we're not drowned, if we step out of that space, we'll have a pathetic drowned body!

　But my wife Prathi, holding Junior, didn't move a bit.

'Don't worry, I've got something good for you to do to make this happen.
'Did you expect this situation?

　What Prathi held out on her hand was a damp seaweed lump that looked like a squirt.
　It's rather fine and slimy.

You have to put this in your mouth. Don't swallow it.
Oh, could it be...?
Yes, uh-huh.
"Ahhh.........?

　As I was told, I sipped and sucked the droplets directly from Platy's hand.
　The chunky feeling of viscous seaweed in my mouth.
　But at the same time, the cool, refreshing taste that spreads in your mouth.

　This is good.

　I jumped out of the air area of the royal bleachers.
　I'm immediately surrounded by seawater, but I won't panic, and I won't drown.

　I'm breathing underwater now.
　I can breathe underwater now, thanks to the drops Prati gave me.

"Oh my God, Prathi, did you even make all that fun stuff up?
"The more you chew, the more air you generate, the more air you generate!　As long as you have that thing in your mouth, even land people can operate under the sea!

　This was created by Prathi through the application of a magic potion.
　I knew my wife was a genius!

　When you're holding Junior, the soap bubbles may be safer, but when you're looking for agility in a rough situation, even if you don't mind getting your clothes wet, this mozuku is definitely more advantageous.

　This solves the disadvantage of fighting in the sea.
　I feel like we're going to make it!

　By the way, I'm getting tired of chewing the drops in my mouth.
　OK, let's swallow it.
　Gulp.

"Goo-goo-goo...?
I told you not to swallow it!　That's why I have mozuku in my mouth, so I can breathe!

　It was!

　　　　* * *

　Prathi gave me a new air drop and I joined in earnest.

　The final tournament of the bushido tournament.

　The reaction of the galleries in attendance was 'what the hell? It was like that.
　It was unheard of for another race to participate in the Sacred Mermaid's Martial Competition.
　It was as if they could feel the confusion and caution of whether they should accept it.

　Oh man, it's like being in a needle-in-a-haystack...!

''I didn't know that the Lord Saint was going to compete!　This is getting interesting!

　It was Prince Arowana who laughed away the heavy atmosphere in a breath.
　That's the dignity of a prince.

''O all you covetous ones gathered at the war festival!　I can vouch for the strength of your saintly lord. I'm sure he will give us a worthy fight at the mermaid's festival of warfare!　Everyone should watch with anticipation!
Mooch!

　Even the Mermaid King?
　I appreciate you following me, but could you please not set the bar too high?

　　　　* * * *

　That's how my warrior swimming competition begins.
　I'm hoping that I'll be able to win as far as I can because I'm just a reservoir.

　The first game.
　My opponent was a man named Shark General.

　.........
　.........hmmm?
　Does that name sound familiar?

Master, General Shark is one of the regulars in the tournament.

　Prathi comes over to the side of the field to give me some advice.
　'You're pretending to be a second man.

'He's a general from the mermaid nation, but he's fierce, and he's a winner, so be careful!

　Such is her.
　She went out of her way to carry Junior in her human form and was wrapped in Shavon.
　Well, that's okay........

　
　A former winner!
　And fierce!　As if to back up Prathi's commentary, his opponent, General Shark, looked more like a Mohawk roaming the wilds of the turn of the century than a general.

'Gyahahahaha!　I never thought I'd run into Princess Platy's danna so soon!　It's a shark!　No, it's brilliant!

　It was some kind of rather large sword that was wielded in a two-pronged fashion.
　It's not just a matter of time before you get your hands on a new one.

The first thing you need to do is to get a good idea of what you're looking for. If you are cut by the jagged blade of the two blades, you will be bitten by a shark, so be careful!

　What am I supposed to be careful about?

'Princess Prathi's in love with you not only because you're a great guy!　And you're good at it, too!　Strength is the charm, eh!

　Shark attacked me without a signal to start the match.

　It's super scary, so I dodge, shattering my back, but since I'm in the water, everything I do is slow, and I dodged, but just barely.

　Even though I was able to use the air-drop to get some air, I'm still a land-based guy.
　A mermaid with tail fins would be no match for me underwater.

"I'm going to tear you to shreds!

　The mermaid's unique rapid swimming style makes her attack again before she can catch her breath.
　The mermaids are faster and sharper in the water.

　How in the world should I counteract this...?

　But I'm not a fool, either.
　I also have my own trump card. I have the Evil Sacred Sword Dry Schwartz in the middle of the ocean, and most importantly, I am the Supreme Bearer.

If you have the "Supreme Bearer", you can swim well, right?
　It's like holding water well in your hand.

　After all, she is the "supreme bearer" who has worked many miracles in the past.
　This time too, you might be able to swim faster than a mermaid with the theory of "I caught the flow".

　If that happens, good things come first.
　Catch the wave!　Wave access!

　Just like that, I'm scratching the seawater around me with the intention of grabbing the water.......?

''Heh?　What's that nonsensical move?　It's the best way to get the most out of your time.

　I'm not sure if they took my mysterious dance as a loss of will to fight, or if they couldn't keep up with me, the enemy comes to decide the game.
　It's not just a matter of time before you find yourself in a situation where you can't get your hands on something.

　It's not just a matter of grasping the water, but also a matter of grasping the core of the water.

''Over here!

The 'supreme bearer' firmly grabbed the seawater, drawing out more than enough of the water's potential.

''Gehee?　What is this?　The current?　The current is aaaaah!

　The stream of seawater that originated from my hand swirled violently and attacked General Shark.
　I grabbed the water.
　By grasping the essence of seawater, I've become able to control the current at will!

'Hogeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!　Being swallowed up!　Being swallowed by the vortex!　You can't fight the current!　You're spinning!　He's going to be swallowed by the vortex.

　Swallowed by the vortex, General Shark had no way to resist the forces of nature.
　They are no more than a sock thrown into a washing machine and then blown away with the vortex.

　He'll be alive.
　Maybe.

"...the victor, husband of Princess Platy, the saint.

　The referee's proclamation sealed my place in the second round.
　On the other hand, I....

"Gubububububububububububububububububbo!
"That's why I told you not to speak when there's an air drop in your mouth!　I want to spit it all out!

　As soon as I shouted in a spirited manner, seawater was in my mouth as much as I could.

　Wow.
　It's been a long time since I've caught a glimpse of the recklessness of the "supreme bearer".
　I thought I could just get a little kappa-level swimming ability, but I didn't expect him to go so far as to manipulate the current.