---

Melissa swallowed the sticky saliva in her mouth, cat ears twitching at the silent atmosphere that met them in the misty environment; the ominous black sand and murky water left her stomach tight and upset.

To make matters worse, Selvaria motioned for them to jump into the water together as the waters became choppy, indicating something unseen hidden below.

“We’re… going in first?”  she tentatively asked, edging to the side to glance over.

Cahira chuckled, glancing between Nemesis, Mara, and Jack.  “Ya kind of be the big beasties that be the muscle of the operation, love.”

The Leviathan nodded, giving her a thumbs up before flexing her left arm’s slight but firm muscles with such confidence it made Melissa’s chest tighten in unexpected envy.

“We’re strong; no problem.  I’ll protect you if anything scary comes.”

You’re perfect…  Why can’t I be so confident?  I want to be like you… but how can I be happy about myself when I hate what I am?

Mara amused hummed, drawing her gaze; the mermaid was a vision of beauty like she’d been as a Nymph.

“Correct me if I’m wrong, Melissa, but don’t you need to take the lead in destroying these monsters to obtain the figure you want?  Perhaps you could even hide the tattoos in time; it’s possible.”

Perfect…

The giant, muscular lion man roared with laughter, jumping onto the railing to lick his black lips and expose his sharp teeth; his lust for battle and a challenge made her hug her shoulders.  “Only if she can beat me to the prey, Mara.  The first challenger?”

Melissa shook her head, falling to her butt in disbelief as Ward lifted the brim of his hat while eyeing the glistening white teeth of a monstrous skeletal shark that moved to take a chunk out of the ship.

“Oh, heh, quite the beastie.  Megalodon, eh?  No flesh to cook, though.  Shame.”

Bonnet stumbled back as he approached, catching sight of the terrifying calamity.  “Cahira!”  

“Put your balls back on, boys,” Cahira laughed, massive cannons already swiveling to intercept.  “Looks like we got a welcome party!”

Melissa winced, hands clamping over her ears as the ship reverberated with the shots, yet a touch against her shoulders brought her gaze up to Selvaria’s smiling face—her idol showing a thumbs up—and, out of the corner of her eyes, she saw Nemesis jump into the water.

Mara soon followed, giving her a half-smile and salute before diving after him; the look said: See you below, girl!

She didn’t understand; her time with the heroic group Glaucus guided through their own quest was nothing like this group of brash, fearless Mythickin.

Mara, Selvaria, Nemesis…  They’re perfect monsters…  Looks, confidence, power…  I hate it.  I hate it.  I want to be more than a pathetic little girl.  I have to be more than this!

Selvaria picked her up with an understanding smile, and her even, always unperturbed tone put a strange fire in Melissa’s breast.  “I’ll be here to help you if you need it.  Don’t be scared.”

“Gyuu!”  Galatea chimed, spraying rays of icicles into the air for some reason.

The Leviathan nodded.  “Yup.  It’s time for the massacre, Lieutenant.  You with me, Private?”

Realizing Selvaria was talking to her, Melissa’s cheeks darkened at Cahira and Jack’s chuckles.  “I-uh…  I guess.  I need to get points?”

“That’s the spirit.”

Shifting to her side, Selvaria pointed at the big, bony fins now circling the ship.  “We go to battle, Private.  No need to hold back; they’re already dead… he-he-he.”

“Really?”  Cahira shook her head with Jack’s chuckles at the Leviathan’s joke.  “Just make sure they don’t hurt mi fine boy.”

“Cahira!”  Jack cried, putting his hat over his heart.  “Ya do care for a sea dog!”

“I wasn’t talkin’ about yer stern—as fine as it may be—mi boy will always take mi eye!”  she returned, patting a big cannon next to her with a sly grin.  “Unless ya got somethin’ similar in hidden places, eh?”

“Aye, with the gunpowder ta match!  Hehe.  What, ya doubt a face like this?”  Jack laughed with a gesture.

“We’ll see yer prowess before this journey ends!”

Selvaria guided her to the edge while rolling her eyes.  “It’s always sex with you.  Get a room already… not like you’re needed.”

“Oof!”

Jack stroked his beard as he lifted an eyebrow at the Pirate Queen.  “Ya ready ta prove the lass wrong, Love?”

“Aye!  Find a cannon yerself and make yerself useful, Jackie!  Get the boats ready, boys, or I’ll ‘ave a fire in yer arses; we’re goin’ ashore!”

“Ready, Mel?”  Selvaria asked, pointing at the choppy sea, where more fins could be seen.

“Okay…”

Thrown off a bit by the nickname, Melissa’s belly tightened again, feeling tongue-tied.  She was happy with her new amazing sweater, but Mara was right about gaining more Skill Points; being able to have other options while not being constrained by her repulsive form would be amazing.

Drawn out of her momentary shock, she nodded.  “I’ll do my best!  Uh…”

Noticing her downward glance at her own clothes, Cahira snickered, stopping beside her with the others moving to jump to get the smaller boats ready to lower.  “Aye, mi special gear be waterproof, Dearie; I’m a pirate—gettin’ wet, heh, is a part of the job title!”

“Aye!  Who be wet now?”  Jack jumped in, fingers pausing on the release of a boat while grinning at Cahira’s dry smirk.

Selvaria rolled her eyes, but Melissa rather enjoyed the open nature of the crew’s discussions; everyone seemed to say what was on their mind—sex or not—making her less nervous about what was said behind masks and platitudes.

So perfect…

Letting herself fall into the water, cool waves slid over her skin, and her breath locked in her chest as she felt the urge to return to her colossal state, yet resisted it.

However, the air trapped in her lungs flooded out in panic as she saw Selvaria’s smiling wave underwater—still a human—and a massive set of jaws looming behind her.

“S-Selvari—”

Her tentacles lurched out of the back of her sweater to carry them away and use the drifting ship to propel them away from the skeletal megalodon, yet she was too late; the glistening rows of teeth of the 25-meter-long shark snapped shut.

“Eh?”

The teeth dislodged and cracked on impact, and her tentacles enclosed her protectively as the bony creature barreled into her and put pressure against her and her ship.  Her jaw locked from the force, but her squishy appendages took the brunt of the assault, cushioning her, and Melissa felt her wolf leap down to confront the shark, growing to 15-meters tall.

Cahira’s armored hull seemed to have taken the tackle well, but there was a small indentation; the sudden tug against her body drew her attention to her unconscious action of attaching herself to the undead shark.

Selvaria was still in its jaws, looking unperturbed as she gave her another thumbs up while they were carried away; the megalodon shook his head as it tried to work into the girl’s body to no avail.

“I’m good.  You gonna grow and turn them to dust?”

Melissa couldn’t help a short chuckle in the rapid, zig-zag motions they made, repeating what she kept telling herself inside.  “You’re perfect…  I hate it.  What should I do?”

Selvaria was unresponsive for a few seconds until catching sight of Galatea desperately chasing after them while sending icy blasts at the ribs of the skeletal shark.  Blinking a few times, the Leviathan smiled.

“Me… perfect?  Ha.  Ha-ha-ha.  I’m the commander; I don’t have time to be anything less, Private.”  Lifting a closed fist, she smashed it against the silent killer’s mouth to fracture the bone and wiggle herself free.  “C’mon.”

Releasing her suction against the undead creature, she spun in circles after being batted away by the shark’s swaying tail; it didn’t hurt that much, but she sucked at swimming.

Luckily, Selvaria was right behind her to stabilize her, and the woman’s comforting embrace filled her with security.  Melissa couldn’t believe the woman had survived being bitten by a 25-meter-long, skeletal megalodon; these people were insane!

Casting her gaze about now that they were free from the rapid acceleration, she witnessed Mara and Nemesis engaging their own flood of either skeletal pirates or fish underwater; one cry from the mermaid shattered the schools to dust, and Nemesis…  Nemesis was ignoring them entirely on his casual swim to the black shore as if these weren’t worth his time.

Five circling megalodons were now moving to attack Cahira’s ship as she lowered her pirate-filled boats; the giant sharks seemed able to cause slight damage to Cahira’s hull, yet the moment the boats were in the water, the ship turned to crimson flames and vanished.

“T-The ship?!”

“It’s fine,” Selvaria hummed, eyeing the confused sharks.  “You gotta be strong, Private.  Ready to kick ass?”

Steeling her resolve, Melissa’s fists tightened underwater; she saw her wolf being targeted by the circling sharks now, without his pack or help.

Selvaria’s unconcerned face helped to stabilize her pounding heart as she held out her hand to recall the wolf; it turned into black ink just before meeting the advancing megalodon before rushing back to be absorbed into her skin.

Melissa made herself a promise with the powerful presence of this legendary group that had rescued her.  If they lived as and reveled in being monsters, then so could she.  Besides, they’d shown her a path that would let her become whoever she wanted to be; she wasn’t helpless.

I’m done being scared!  I won’t back down anymore.  I’m not weak!  I’m a monster too!

She yelled, “Selvaria, keep these safe for me!”

“Hmm?  Oh!  Yeah, good plan,” the young woman nodded, helping to keep her still as Melissa quickly removed her clothing; the sharks spun around to spot them, rushing forward to sink their fangs into them.

Things are different, she smiled, feeling a pulse of excitement finally bloom in her heart as the world grew smaller.  You’re not my nightmare… I’m yours.

Her skin tinted blue as her twelve spiked tentacles filled the sea, wrapping the advancing creatures into tight balls before six draconic mouths roared their fury as Melissa let everything she suppressed loose; her remaining five wolves broke free from her to find prey.  She was free.

Melissa’s back broke the surface as she grew too large, and her bulb-like bottom dug into the sandy earth; she sent a light rain on the stunned pirates in their tiny boats as she towered over them, and her giant 15-meter-tall hounds propelled themselves through the water as if they had fins themselves, seeking prey now that she was released.

For the first time since her change, the white faces that met her were exhilarating.  Rolling around her neck, Melissa reached her many arms out to seek the prey of her barbed grip; she was done being the victim.

The three rows of grisly teeth on her dragon appendages crushed the bones of the ensnared megalodons—who seemed unable to respond to her multi-angled attack—while her larger tentacles sent sharp currents to bring Cahira’s crew onto land and the undead fish away.

Was I always this terrifying?  she internally questioned.

Finding Selvaria keeping her head above the churning ocean, whipped up in her wake, she lifted the human Leviathan out of the water with one of her arms; the young woman was far heavier than she appeared as Selvaria passively kicked her feet in the air, observing the chaos Melissa instantly brought.

Nemesis was somehow already at the shore, scanning for prey as Mara protected the speeding boats; using motors, they’d reach the black sands soon.

Melissa bit her lower lip as more sharks came from the mist, each a tad larger from their previous counterparts she’d just devastated, but each tentacle, wolf, and dragon had their own brain that acted as a receiver for her instinctual desires and extension of herself, which intercepted them.

“Nice.”

She could hardly hear Selvaria, so Melissa brought her closer to her left ear.

“What?”

“I said nice!”  she returned.  “Oh, and cover your boobs more—creeps are near—can’t be too careful.”

“Huh?”

Melissa glanced down at her soaked black locks sticking to her bust and gingerly adjusted it to comply; it was so strange how at ease this group made such an extreme situation, such as skeletal megalodons, seem.

“So… I just—ouch…”

She frowned as one shark, hiding in the fog, lurched out to chomp down on a tentacle.  Melissa reflexively lifted it out of the water to glare at the wriggling monster, attempting to further dig into her spiky hide; it actually drew a bit of black blood.

Whipping it back, its teeth were dislodged for it to soar overhead and land somewhere on obscured, forested island, creating a distant crash.

Her gaze went to Selvaria’s tiny figure in her hand as she popped her tongue a few times, shaking her head.  “Tsk.  Tsk.  Tsk.  You have a way to go, Little Grasshopper.  You gotta become an invincible tank, like me.  No one hurts the unbreakable skin of Commander Leviathan.”

Chuckling a little as the woman referred to herself in the 3rd person, Melissa lifted her damaged tentacle to show the bite healing and dislodged teeth.  “I recover pretty fast.”

Selvaria’s expression said she wasn’t impressed, though, and Melissa leaned closer to hear her words as her horde continued to savage the waters: six dragons, six wolves, twelve tentacles, and a swaying cat’s tail; she was a monster, alright.

“You gotta worry about poison if you can be cut; I learned the hard way.  Now, my plates are indestructible.  If they can’t hurt you, they can’t win.”

“Hmm-hmm.  Words of wisdom, but what if it’s poisonous smoke?”  she smiled, seeing the writhing waters and desperate struggle the undead creatures had as she slid them across the ocean floor, whipping up sand and mist all around them.  “Is… it supposed to be this easy?”

Selvaria dismissively waved her hand, pointing at the shore.  “Looks like everyone’s clear, so we’re good to go.  Oh, yeah, I forgot to say, Cahira probably just didn’t like her boat being beaten up, so she returned it to storage.  How are things going underwater?  Too much sand to see.”

Melissa scanned the stormy sea, whipped into a frenzy by her swift appendages that had the mission to search and destroy.

“Good… but they keep going after my tail,” she growled, twisting her hips to lift it out of the ocean to show the woman; hundreds of tiny, skeletal piranha were wriggling while gnawing on it, but they couldn’t penetrate her thick fur.

“Oof.  Is it your weak point?”

Jaw tightening, she stiffly nodded but soon giggled at the little transformed baby seal as the mini Leviathan roared and set off to cleanse the dead fish, blasting them with her frost breath.

“Hmm.”  Selvaria lifted herself up to stand on her hand, changing positions to survey the battlefield like a commander while safeguarding Melissa’s precious outfit.  “We first get you looking cute—most important—and then we build up your defense.  Sound good?”

“Hehe.  I guess.  Umm…  I can’t move, by the way,” she said, glancing down at her bulky bulb of a lower half that was stuck in the mud.  “I gotta transform back into a human if we’re going to leave.  Should we?”

“Mmh.  Probably.  Looks like the big boys are all broken bones now, and we’re only interested in the big fish.  Shrink down, and I’ll protect you while you change underwater.”

Heart burning at the woman’s thumbs up and reassuring smile, Melissa returned her wolves into her body and shrunk; they’d sustained some injuries, but they’d quickly heal.

Entering the swirling currents, she frowned at how bad she was at keeping herself stable in the raging tides she’d created, yet, not soon after, Selvaria’s fingers closed around her bare shoulders to keep her from being carried away.

“I got ya,” she reassured, clothing still held in her left hand.

“Thanks.”

Galatea joined them to fend off the smaller fish as Selvaria handed her the articles; once the transfer happened, the Leviathan transformed into her titanic form to carry her above.  The mist now blocked their view of the shore, twisting Melissa’s gut.

Don’t tell me we’re not going to be able to find them…  It’s totally going to be that stupid trope!  C’mon!

Melissa kept herself from falling off by using the natural suction of her tentacles against Selvaria’s thick plates, and after the Leviathan ceased her movements, Melissa tentatively asked her Seed—as they called it—to turn more of her appendages into tattoos.  It worked!

Her now six tentacles shot her up and down with her squeals of delight as two receded.  “Yes!  Yes!  Yes!”

Her black tail weaved back and forth while reaching around her side to feel the smooth skin.  “It’s working—even if I’m a cat girl…  I’m not an ugly bulbous, tentacle monster anymore!”

A low rumble from Selvaria made her bones quake from the reverberation, yet she could understand her.  “Nope.  You’re a cute cat girl that gets head pats and has a protective big sister.  I’ll help you find your little sister, and she can be my little sister, too.  Oh.  Are you done?”

“No!  No, sorry!”  Melissa yelled back, hurriedly slipping her bra on before carefully maneuvering her six remaining tentacles inside her sweater.  “Just a second!”

Perfect… if a little weird, she had to admit to herself with some laughter, but that’s what makes them so amazing, too.

Finishing by sliding her panties and shorts on, Melissa’s appendages exited through the spatial divide of her sweater to support her along the Leviathan’s spine to reach her head.

“Okay!  I’m good.”

Selvaria’s tail weaved with her body as the sea monster went to the shore, Galatea still blasting undead fish jumping out of the water to get her; she seemed to be baiting them and having fun while doing it.

“Gyuuu!”

Melissa sat on Selvaria’s shoulder while searching for their party beyond the thickening mist, yet they couldn’t spot anything on the shore when they neared.  “Uh-oh…  Mmgm…  Hmm?!!?!”

Selvaria rose to her full height on the shore, creating rivers of trailing water to be carved along the black sandy shore as she breathed in deeply, sucking in the foggy mist before releasing a deafening roar that parted the vail in an instant and blew back trees.

“I’m in a hurry!”

Melissa’s blood ran cold as colossal 30-meter-tall, black-boned giants rose out of the parting mist—still smaller than Selvaria—towering over the trees.  Alongside them were thousands of ghostly lights dotted across the island; yet, further in, there were sounds of Nemesis’ roaring laughter as he engaged the undead army that marched to meet him.

“Huu-haaa…  I’m going to have to get undressed again.  Huh?”

Selvaria chuckled, lowering her hand to set Melissa on the ground to stare at the slowly advancing horde.

Bending left and right, she smiled and stripped, bundling them on the edge of the Leviathan’s massive hand before joining her; it was then that she realized she wasn’t quite as tall as the older woman, yet her tentacles were extremely long.

Vision tilting to the shoreline as the flood of corpses rushed them to try and climb up their bodies, Melissa loosed her own monsters on the throng but hesitated to engage the fanged giants, dressed in plated gold and carrying massive swords.

“Uh… remember what you said about defense, Selvaria?”

“Mhm?”  the Leviathan returned, low rumbles from her throat quivering the hazy air at their attitude as it settled back in.

“I, umm… I think they’re going to cut off my tentacles.”

“Tactics, Private!  Bait and switch,” she instructed, crossing her arms across her chest as steam shot through her nose.

“Yikes,” Melissa hissed, deciding to play along with the roles, but she really did not want to know what it would feel like to have a limb cut off, even if it would grow back.  “Well… I’ll try, Commander.”

Extending her tentacles to weave through the large trees like snakes at the slowly approaching undead giants, unphased by the monsters in front of them, Melissa sent her snapping draconic arms out to taunt them from above.

Luckily, they seemed to not be the brightest tools, and Selvaria was right; her tentacles sprung up to lock the six skeletons in place as her other six tentacles restrained their sword arms and dragons snapped around their skulls.

Unfortunately, Melissa underestimated their strength; skulls only cracked from the surprise attack, and an unholy aura they released drained her strength.

“Ugh…”

Her wolves came to her rescue, jumping out of the undergrowth with undead clinging to their fur to latch onto their legs and snap their bones, forcing them to the ground.

“Good puppies!”  Selvaria praised, and another reposition and snap from her dragons broke the monstrous giants’ skulls.

Puffing out a relieved sigh as they crumbled to dust, Melissa retracted her tentacles; whatever the big monsters did had weakened her thick skin to the point some of the undead in the forest were able to penetrate her defenses with spears.

However, she couldn’t help a short jump as Selvaria leaned back, chest puffing up again and making Melissa panic about what she was going to do next; her appendages rose up in defense as her wolves and dragons retreated.

Lightning and blue mist coalesced in the Leviathan’s mouth, and, some short seconds later, she released a large beam of electrified ice that cut a straight line from the beach to the smoking volcano in the distance, leaving a trail of frostburn.

Melissa’s jaw hung open as Selvaria gave a satisfied huff and a clawed thumbs up.  “Made a path.  Maybe we can beat Nemesis and the gang there.”

“Uh… heh-hehe.  Yeah…  Maybe.”

She nudged her head while holding out her hand.  “Want to get dressed and ride on my back to the end?  It’s faster than walking as humans, and I want to finish this so we can go see my mom.  Oh.  How many tentacles now?”

“Give me a moment,” Melissa mumbled, a bit overwhelmed and glad the woman hadn’t seen her as an enemy when they first met.

She shrunk down and accepted her clothing as Selvaria lowered herself to her belly to lazily flick the undead that exited the forest to come after them.

Taking a deep breath, she breathed out a heavy stream of air and asked her Seed for the change; retracting her tentacles, only two remained.

“Two!  Selvaria!  Selvaria!”  Melissa cried, darting over to hug her nose as her massive head turned her way.  “I only have two left!  I’m so close!”

“Wooh,” Selvaria cheered in her monotone voice that Melissa loved, clawed fist pumping in the air before slamming down on some mounted undead charging out of the forest.  “Maybe we can do something about the tattoos if you’re getting experience like this, but… it is a Legend’s Quest.”

She rose up a bit to stare at where the fallen pile of bones had ended up.  “Heh… hehe.  I could see Rachel totally just one-shotting those things with one kick or something.  Fi would just turn them to ash, and Maria…  We really should have brought Maria.  They’re going to be sad they missed the fun and experience.  You snooze, you lose.”

Melissa giggled as she finished sliding her clothes back on, turning around to see piles of treasure washing up on the shore.  “Oh…  Selvaria.  Selvaria!”

“Mmh?  Oh, our reward from the sharks.  Let me just scoop that into a pile…  Good.  Hmm.  Let’s go see what reward we get from the skelly bosses now; we can come back and sort stuff later.”

“Could there be even better clothes that can transform with me… or is that asking too much?”  Melissa forced a laugh while getting on the Leviathan’s sandy hand, using her tentacles to keep upright before transferring to her shoulder.

“Who knows.  Maybe an android.  That’d be cool.”

“Sure,” she shrugged, no longer surprised by the woman’s unusual ideas; Melissa smiled at her new sister, and together they set off to discover whatever items the undead giants had dropped.

---