Deep within the ocean, a grand castle stands.
On one of its balconies, Elli sits quietly, her expression serious. Around her, several servants stand in complete silence.
After a moment, Elli slowly rises from her chair. Her eyes sharpen as she turns and walks toward the interior of the room.
"Prepare my army. We're departing for Ralvish Island immediately."
One of the servants bows.
"As you command, Princess Elli."
The scene shifts to an armory.
Rows of armor of different designs and colors are displayed across the room. Elli stands in the center while two servants carefully help her wear a set of dark purple armor, complete with leggings and boots.
Elli speaks calmly.
"This mission is extremely important to me… so you've chosen the best armor for it, right?"
One of the servants nods while adjusting the armor.
"Yes, my lady. This armor is forged from bedrock found in Naco Country. Not only that… Entity 21 is a being capable of corrupting memories and manipulating identities. That's why we've added special enchantments to this armor—to protect you from such unpredictable and sudden attacks."
Elli's curiosity rises.
"What kind of enchantments?"
The servant answers:
"Soul Aegis Level 4 — protects against spiritual attacks.
Mind Lock Level 2 — provides resistance against mental attacks.
Blast Ward Level 7 — guards against explosive and fire-based attacks.
These three enchantments are embedded in your armor, my lady."
Elli narrows her eyes slightly.
"Are these enough?"
The servant hesitates.
"We're not certain… but adding more enchantments could cause the armor to break. That's what the enchanter warned us."
"I see…"
The servants step back after finishing. Elli turns and walks out of the armory without another word.
Outside, a group of around 30–40 soldiers stands assembled.
All of them are mermaids. Elli stands before them, with two high-ranking men behind her.
She raises her voice confidently.
"Today, I—the daughter of Ocean King Antonio—will invade Ralvish Island and claim it! And all of you elite soldiers will assist me in this mission!"
The soldiers cheer loudly.
"YEAHHH!!"
One of the men behind her speaks cautiously.
"My lady… will this number of soldiers be enough to conquer that island?"
Elli smirks slightly, her tone filled with confidence.
"Of course. And besides… what are the two of you here for?"
The two men fall silent, tension visible on their faces.
Elli raises her hand.
"Now… march!"
The army begins its journey.
Deep underwater, they move forward through a calm and peaceful ocean filled with marine life—crabs, fish, sharks—while sea plants and stones cover the ocean floor.
After some time, they reach a massive wall. At its base lies a hidden cave.
The entire group enters the cave, still underwater, and begins swimming through it.
After a long swim, they reach an underground chamber where the water ends.
As soon as they step onto solid ground, their mermaid tails glow—
—and with a soft mist-like burst, their tails vanish, transforming into human legs.
Now able to walk, they proceed deeper into the cave.
Time passes.
Inside the silent cave, only their footsteps echo. There are no beasts, no sounds—just emptiness.
One of the front soldiers whispers to Elli.
"My lady… we've reached the island, but how exactly are we going to claim it?"
Elli remains silent for a moment, thinking.
Who even cares about this useless island… I just need to find the fourth Nicul and leave before Entity 21 notices us…
She responds calmly.
"I've done some research. There's an item here—a knife-like object. No one has ever been able to claim it. But whoever does… will be recognized by this island as its owner."
Both high-ranking soldiers are shocked.
"Really, my lady?! The island itself will accept that person?"
Elli glances at them.
"Do I have any reason to lie?"
They quickly shake their heads.
"No…"
Elli continues.
"That's why finding and claiming it is extremely difficult. No one has succeeded so far."
Inside her mind, she thinks:
Of course, that's not entirely true… The knife is real—the Nicul Knife. But claiming it doesn't grant ownership of the island. I can't tell them that… or they might abandon the mission.
One of the soldiers asks again:
"But my lady… how will we find it? And where do we even start?"
Elli thinks briefly.
"First, we need to get out of this cave. Then we'll figure something out."
Another soldier speaks curiously.
"My lady… how did you know about this secret passage to enter the island?"
Elli suddenly stops.
Her expression darkens.
"How dare you question your princess?!"
The soldiers immediately panic.
"We're sorry, my lady!"
"Hmph."
They continue walking.
Suddenly—
A soldier in the front stops.
"…Wait. Haven't we been here before?"
The others freeze.
One of them points at the wall.
"He's right… I've seen that mark before! We're going in circles!"
Tension spreads instantly. The soldiers begin murmuring anxiously.
Elli turns quickly.
"Back row—turn ba—"
She stops mid-sentence.
Behind her…
There are only the two high-ranking soldiers.
The rest of the army is gone.
Her heart starts racing.
"What…?"
One of the soldiers speaks nervously.
"My lady… there were no soldiers behind us. Who were you giving orders to?"
Elli's mind spins.
What…? I clearly remember—half were in front, half behind… then where did they go? And why is he saying no one was behind us…?
Panic begins to rise within her.
After a moment, realization hits her.
"…So this is the power of Entity 21…"
Suddenly—
One soldier screams.
"AAAA…!! T-THERE'S SOMEONE HERE!!"
Meanwhile—
Back in the ocean castle, inside a chamber, a mermaid is shown—her face hidden, but her tail glowing in an indigo shade.
Beside her stands an old male mermaid with golden lines across his eyes.
He speaks respectfully.
"My king… Princess Elli has departed for Ralvish Island with a group of soldiers."
The king remains silent.
The old mermaid hesitates, then speaks again.
"Aren't you worried, King Antonio? That island lies within the territory of Entity 21…"
Antonio finally speaks—calm, yet heavy.
"Worried…? You ask me if I'm worried?"
A pause.
"In this world… no one worries about Elli more than I do."
The old mermaid stiffens.
Antonio continues, his voice turning colder.
"And yes… Entity 21 is powerful. But if he dares to harm my daughter…"
His aura sharpens.
"Then in this world… either he will remain alive… or I will. Only one of us will exist."
Silence fills the room.
The old mermaid stands still, loyal—but the tension on his face is unmistakable.