"Ngh..." Azul finally awoke, his mind still reeling from the dream where he confronted Tokaku, and she witnessed every dark moment of his past. As for Tokaku, she remained unconscious, still recovering from the ordeal.
"Oh, hey, you're awake," Floyd greeted him.
Jade crouched down and held up his fingers. "Azul, how many fingers am I holding up?" he asked with concern.
"Er... Eight?" Azul replied, struggling to focus as he peered at Jade's fingers. "You're still in shock, it seems. But thankfully, your uncontrollable outburst has finally subsided," Jade said with a sense of relief.
"That little tantrum you threw really put us through the wringer, you know," Leona grumbled at Azul.
"Uh, Leona, I'm not sure you get to say that," Ruggie mumbled, pointing out Leona's own previous misadventures.
"What did I...do?" Azul asked, his confusion evident.
"You overused your magic and overblotted. Don't you remember?" Jade explained and questioned him.
"You were sucking everyone's magic dry, crying out for more power. It was the cringiest thing I've ever seen. I'm still not over it," Floyd added, unable to fully shake off the memory.
"Oh, no. Me, going berserk? I can't believe it," Azul exclaimed, surprised by his own actions.
"Fortunately, Eurus saved you right before we were about to lose hope. She almost sacrificed herself just to bring you back to normal," Jade informed him.
"But don't forget to forgive her. After all, she went to great lengths to get her revenge on you for throwing her into the ocean. She was so determined that she endangered her own life," Ruggie chimed in, his tone filled with both annoyance and admiration.
"Eurus...saved me?" Azul trailed off, his gaze fixed on the girl in Enma's arms. Enma sensed his thoughts and spoke up. "She knew she was weak with the blot gunk, but she didn't care about herself. Instead, she did whatever it took to pull you out of your berserk state. You must apologize to her and express your gratitude for saving you from the darkness."
Listening intently, Azul lowered his head and nodded. "I will do that as soon as she regains consciousness. I still can't believe I overblotted. How unsightly of me."
"Hey, I can't exactly blame a guy for losing control when something he's been building up for years gets ruined. I mean, if someone broke the coin bank I've been saving my money in, I'd hold a grudge for life," Ruggie empathized with Azul.
"But all those shady business dealings have to stop. You need to learn from this," Grim interjected with a stern tone.
"And how about you guys learn not to coast through exams using someone else's notes?!" Jack scolded the feline members of the group.
Enma, who was carrying Tokaku in his arms, hummed softly before speaking up. "No one else could have written those notes. I'm still amazed that Grim managed to get an 85, actually."
"What?" Azul exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yeah, it's true. Just one all-nighter, studying from that guide you wrote, was enough for me to score over a 90 on my exams," Ace confirmed, impressed by Azul's work.
"Yeah, it was amazingly helpful," Deuce added.
"I heard from the head mage that you wrote that guide yourself, analyzing a century's worth of test question trends. I may not agree with your questionable practices, but I must admit it took real guts to do that. I commend you for that," Jack acknowledged Azul's efforts.
"Hmph. Your clumsy attempts at consolation aren't helping me at all," Azul sighed, feeling a mix of annoyance and gratitude towards the silver-haired wolf.
"Awww, what's the matter? Are you getting teary-eyed, Azul?" Floyd teased him playfully.
"Oh dear, you've reverted back to being that ink-spewing crybaby," Jade chimed in, bothering Azul alongside his twin.
"Hey! You two signed an NDA specifically regarding that topic!" Azul scolded the mischievous twins.
"Right you are. My mistake," Jade apologized with a smirk, his neat teal hair gleaming under the light.
"Why are you apologizing to him in matters? You're kinda confusing me right now, Jade," Tokaku said, awakening in Enma's arms.
The males surrounding her gasped, shocked to see the blue-haired girl open her eyes. Enma gently set her down as she regained consciousness. At first, she struggled to stand, but the black-haired male offered her support. "Hey, slow down. Don't push yourself," he said.
"I know my body's limits, so don't tell me what steps I should take regarding my current condition," Tokaku snapped at the male, glaring at him.
"Okay...?" Enma replied, sweating nervously.
"Are you okay, Eurus?" Jack asked the girl.
The blue-haired girl sighed and touched her head, feeling a slight ache before responding to the light silver-haired male. "There's nothing finer than risking my life just to get a lost octopus back on the right path."
"I've got your back," the wolf male assured her. Meanwhile, upon seeing the girl regain consciousness, Azul tried to speak to her. "Eurus..." he called.
The blue-haired girl heard his call but refused to acknowledge him. "If you want to say something to me, save it for later. I don't have the patience right now to hold back my grudge against you," she replied to him.
"Hey. Taking out your anger on me doesn't make it right. I'm willing to accept any comments you have about my mistakes. I'll do everything in my power to improve myself and make up for my shortcomings," the grey-haired male convinced the girl.
"I don't hate to yell or complain about you right now. I just don't feel like embarrassing you in front of everyone here. You're a sensitive guy, remember?" Tokaku replied to the male.
Her words left Azul speechless and the other males slightly shocked. "*whistle* That girl sure is savage," Ruggie mumbled.
"Seriously, the proverb says 'Don't judge a book by its cover,' but I pronounce it as 'Judge a cover by its book,'" Ace whispered. Deuce agreed with him, saying, "I don't disagree with you. I can imagine all those knives being thrown at me." Grim cried.
Jade and Floyd, on the other hand, smirked as they enjoyed watching their freshman shut Azul down. "Oooohhh, what a nice scene to watch. Blue Shark sure is pretty scary when she gets mad," the messy teal-haired male grinned. His twin chuckled. "Floyd, don't be so rude," the neat teal-haired male scolded.
"Both of you, stop teasing Azul already. I don't want to hear him whimper again," Tokaku glared at the twins.
"Okay~" The Leech brothers replied, smiling.
"That girl is undoubtedly a heartless devil," Leona commented.
"You read my mind, congrats," Ruggie, standing next to the dark brown-haired male, agreed.
After scolding the twins, the blue-haired girl caught a scent of a photo in Jack's uniform jacket pocket. "Are you just going to stand there like a statue, or are you going to show us what you were contracted to retrieve?" she asked the light silver-haired male.
Upon hearing her question, the wolf male suddenly remembered the photo their team obtained from the Atlantic Memorial Museum. "Oh yeah, that reminds me... Here's the photo of Prince Rielle that you asked for. We managed to get hold of it. The sun hasn't set yet, so I think that seals our victory," he took out the photo from his pocket and showed it to the group.
Leona looked at the photo. "What's this? It's just a picture of a bunch of mermen fingerlings huddled in front of the camera."
"Is it some kind of group photo of an elementary school class? What do you need it for, anyway?" Ruggie asked, also looking at the photo.
Floyd laughed. "Aha ha, that takes me back! This is a picture from our school field trip," he pointed to two little eels. "Me and Jade are right here. And... see the kid sulking way off in the corner? That's baby Azul!"
"What?!" Everyone exclaimed, except for Tokaku, who crossed her arms and distanced herself from the males.
"AAAH!!! NO! Don't look! Please don't look!" Azul yelled out in panic.
"This moment tortures me for the second time with his crybaby whimper," the blue-haired girl sighed to herself.
"Well, well, Azul. You sure have a lot of spirit all of a sudden. Shouldn't you get a little more sleep? Considering how far things have already gone, it would be easier for you to let this one go," Jade advised the male.
"Let's see here," Ace said as he looked at the picture in Jack's hand.
"What's in the corner...?" Leona squinted at a little octopus at the far end of the photo.
"Are you talking about the octopus who's more round than any other mer-kids, even when you tilt the picture?" Ruggie said.
"Whoa, Azul! I never knew you used to look like that!" Grim exclaimed in disbelief.
Enma sighed as he sweat dropped. "So that's what this is about..."
Azul blushed and let out a small, embarrassing yell.
"I... I get it. I totally understand what you're feeling. Everybody has a past they wish they could erase!" Deuce said to the grey-haired male, turning to his friends. "I saw nothing! Neither did the rest of you, okay?! Never speak of this again!"
"I don't peg you as this, uh... passionate," Jack commented on the dark navy blue-haired male.
"It's no use. You all saw the picture," Tokaku said to the male, her words stabbing Deuce.
"Argh... I was going to expand the Mostro Lounge with a branch cafe and simultaneously erase the shame of my boyhood... It was supposed to be a perfect plan! Two birds with one stone!" Azul ranted.
"Hey, you know what they say: a rabbit in hand is worth two in the bush," Ruggie replied to the male.
"I got my schoolmates' yearbooks and the negatives from the photographer... I managed to obtain every single old photo of me through a series of deals... But there just wasn't any legal way to dispose of that one last photo," the grey-haired male admitted.
"That doesn't mean it's cool to make other people do your dirty work for you!" Grim exclaimed at the male.
"I don't see the big deal, really. I liked the old Azul. He would make a better meal than the one we have now," Floyd said.
"That's not the point at all!" Azul shouted at the messy teal-haired male.
"Hey, you don't have to be so obsessed with hiding it," Enma said to the male.
"*Sniff* This is the worst. I could crawl into an octopus pot right now," the grey-haired male lamented.
Meanwhile, Tokaku sighed from her distance as she watched the male's embarrassment.
----------- Scarfing Down Fast -----------------
Anyway, we upheld our end of the deal and brought the photo to you within the deadline you gave. We have completely fulfilled your terms," Jack reassured Azul.
"Yeah, it's a real shame about the contracts getting damaged before we did," Grim commented with a smirk.
"But stealing just doesn't sit right with me. Azul, you're someone who respects the law, right? Take responsibility and return the picture to its rightful place," the light silver-haired wolf male continued.
"We can go together, buddy. If we all approach the Atlantic Memorial Museum, maybe it will convince you," Enma encouraged Azul.
"Fine... But can I at least switch it out for a version where I've been edited out of the picture?" the grey-haired male pleaded.
Leona grumbled, "Hah. You just don't know when to let something go."
"He's right, you know. Records are a valuable treasure," Jade agreed with the dark brown-haired lion male.
"Ooh, a field trip! When do we go? And we're going as a group, right? I haven't been to the Atlantica Memorial Museum since our elementary school field trip. This is going to be amazing!" Floyd exclaimed excitedly.
"My, that's wonderful, my brother. Inviting more companions will make the trip even more enjoyable," his twin agreed.
Floyd looked at Tokaku, "Hey, Blue Shark. What do you say about going on a fun trip with us?"
"I'll be fine with whatever plans you've made for me," the blue-haired girl replied, purposely avoiding looking at Azul. Realizing that she was still angry with him, the grey-haired male lowered his eyes.
Meanwhile, Grim suddenly caught a scent on the ground. Ace noticed the feline and asked, "Yo, Grim. What are you sniffing at the ground for?"
"My gourmet hunting instincts are telling me... that there's a pitch-black treat as delectable as a truffle around here!" Grim exclaimed excitedly as he sniffed a dark black stone.
"What are you, a truffle hog?!" the ginger-haired male exclaimed.
The feline found the stone and jumped excitedly. "Meow! There it is - a black stone! There's no fooling gourmet hunter Grim's nose!"
"A... black stone?" Leona pondered.
Suddenly, Tokaku detected a scent of dark black mist spreading from the black stone on Grim's paws. She turned to the feline and stared at the stone.
"Time to chow down!" Grim cheered as he prepared to put the stone into his mouth.
"Wait!" Tokaku yelled at the feline.
Grim stopped when the girl yelled. "What's the buzz, man? I'm about to savor this scrumptious truffle."
The blue-haired girl approached the feline. Grim yapped nervously as the girl stood in front of him. "Don't kill me!" the feline begged.
"Don't worry, I can't kill anyone anyway," Tokaku reassured him.
"So, what do you want from the Great Sorcerer Grim?" Grim asked the girl.
"Don't eat that stone," the blue-haired girl said.
"What?! No way. This truffle is such a delightful snack for my tummy, and I won’t allow any human like you to devour my truffle, no matter what!" the feline refused.
"But I won't be able to digest such a hard stone," the girl explained.
"Too bad for you! I'm digging in! HUMPH!" Grim immediately shoved the stone into his mouth. Tokaku couldn't stop the feline from swallowing the black stone in time.
"Mmm... It's rich, with a briny punch like salted squid guts... This would drive any discerning gourmand wild! Seriously top-tier stuff!" the feline happily munched on the dark pitchstone.
"Really? You're eating off the ground AGAIN?" Deuce frowned at Grim.
"It feels like a waste of breath to even tell him to stop at this point. There's just no accounting for a monster's palate," Ace sighed.
Leona then looked at the feline. "Hey. Does that weasel always pick up black stones off the ground and eat them?"
"Like every time, as you can see," Enma answered.
"Something wrong, Leona?" Jack asked his upperclassman.
"Nah, don't mind me," the dark brown-haired lion male replied.
As for Tokaku, she sighed and made the decision to leave. "I'll be in my room, undisturbed," she warned the Leech brothers before glaring at Azul and walking away. The males watched her as she distanced herself from the group.
"She's definitely sulking right now," Floyd remarked with a smile.
"Let her be. Anyhow, all of us are exhausted after the battle, so let's get some rest in our dorms. We can settle up now," Jade announced to the males. All of the males agreed with his statement.
Meanwhile, Azul was upset after receiving Tokaku's hateful reaction. He felt guilty for the words he had spoken to her when she was saving him, acknowledging his own bad behavior.