The graduation of Earthling Class #1 had finally come and Reimei Scarlettail had joined her classmates as they celebrated the event on the beach.

The newest Earthling hadn’t initially planned to go, seeing as how this wasn’t such an important event for her. She’d been with the hot heads for only a couple of weeks to get an understanding of the environment in Sunbird High School and the organization of the curriculum in this part of Barilia, so it wasn’t like she was graduating from anything.

Hikaru Summerbolt – the smartest, angriest and first member of the class she had met – had managed to convince her to join in the celebration eventually, though, which is how she found herself by the sea at the present moment. This was her first visit to a beach on the South Coast, so far having only been to the one in Saraley, her home city, which while not small, was outmatched by Deckstoru in every way, the beaches included.

Summer had just about reached its peak, this being the cause for thousands of people of all ages to come in droves to the beach, even from afar being evident that they had covered every corner of it. As many as there were on the sand, though, at least twice that number had gone in the water, everyone having fun, getting in trouble or simply relaxing in their own way.

The smell of the sea was in the air, the sun’s rays felt hot on the skin, a mixture of the sounds made by seagulls and those made by people being heard all around. It was in such an environment that Earthling Class #1’s homeroom teacher and former headmaster of Sunbird, Zoran Lawell, was giving his graduation speech. The spot chosen for the occasion was the Octohorn Ring Bar, owned and ran by Hikaru’s uncle, Graid – a place Reimei hadn’t visited before either.

(Zoran) ‘-Here we are, everyone. I would like to congratulate all members of Earth … (he paused for a moment as he came to a realization which made him smile) … sorry. That’s not right anymore. I would like to congratulate all members of Martian Class #1 for successfully graduating this school year!! While not having been your homeroom teacher for long, I have seen how hard-working and capable all of you are and am very glad to have the opportunity to join you in this celebration! From here on all I wish for you is …’

King Orsa’s yawn, which although produced in his non-giant form was much louder than Zoran’s voice, interrupted the History teacher’s speech then.

(King) ‘-Sensei, you do realize we’re on the beach, right? No offense, but we came here to have fun, not to listen to your speeches. (he looked over at Yuki, Hikaru and Seiren) The serving of your sentence as well as the one for those three starts tomorrow, so I think it’d be best if we got to the fun part of the day already.’

The former headmaster sighed while exchanging glances with King.

(Zoran) ‘-I knew someone was going to interrupt me, King, but really? You couldn’t wait just a bit more until I wished all of you as much success in all future endeavours, seeing as how your next year in high school will be the last?’

Vega Warren opened two bottles of cold beer using just his thumbs as any professional drunkard would, handing one of them to Zoran with a symphatetic smile.

(Vega) ‘-We don’t want to think about the next school year or the future as a whole today, sensei. You even gave me permission to drink as much as I want since it’s our graduation, so why not join us in having a good time with actions instead of words?’

(Zoran) ‘-I don’t drink with my students, Vega.’

Graid wasted no time waving to Mr. Lawell from the bar, holding a glass filled with a bright green cocktail.

(Graid) ‘-I’m not a student. Join me, then.’

(Zoran) ‘-You’re working, Graid. Drinking is not a good thing to do right now.’

Hikaru’s uncle was quite annoyed by that comment as he seemed very hopeful Zoran would join him before the refusal.

(Graid) ‘-You do know I won’t get drunk with my metabolism, right?’

(Zoran) ‘-The principle is what’s important.’

Graid’s annoyance now turned into anger, Reimei having seen enough fits of rage from Hikaru to be able to tell such a fit was drawing close for the other Summerbolt in the vicinity.

(Graid) ‘-What’s important is that you need to get that huge stick out of your a … (a client sat on the bar before Graid could finish, the newest member of the Earthlings (now Martians) having never seen someone’s expression change so drastically so fast) Welcome to the Octohorn Ring! Would you like to see the menu with our special summer cocktails?’

The students clearly couldn’t be bothered with the old dogs anymore, taking their clothes off before getting in the water, Vega taking the bottles in his hands again as soon as the only clothes left on him were his shorts.

(Vega) ‘-I guess I’ll be going ahead with these bottles to keep me company, then, sensei!’

And there they were. The girls revealed what was hiding under their T-shirts and shorts, the swimsuits of many of them further accentuating the loveliest parts of their bodies that appeared as if chiseled from stone to Reimei. Some had darker skin, some were paler, there were those with average complexion, but every single female member of the class was stunningly fit. Another characteristic they shared was the beauty of their faces, some having a cute side to their appearance and others – a more mature beauty to them. Yuki Iceflame, the strongest girl in the class and the only one with no memories of her past, shined brightest among the Earthling ladies with cute faces. Looking at her made Reimei feel the most insecure, deciding to shift her focus to the boys to see if she would find some salvation there, all hope being lost when she did that.

Even Exo Drazz who in his words very rarely worked out had a beautifully shaped body and his was the least muscular one. Tokura Braveheart had a bit more muscle and after him came the heavy hitters – King, Hikaru and his rival, Seiren Blackscale.

The first of that trinity had already entered his giant form, in which every single muscle on him was more than well defined, Seiren coming in second and Hikaru falling just a bit behind his rival in terms of muscle mass. What he had was perfect in Miss Scarlettail’s eyes, however, not being too much and still having muscles defined well enough to make a woman’s heart skip a beat when she touched him.

Overall, the sole escape route Reimei could find out of this situation was Vega. He at least had a tummy that he flashed around with as much confidence as his newest classmate had ever seen and focusing on him offered some reprieve. That is until he noticed her gaze, as well as the fact she was still wearing a summer dress over her swimsuit, going to her. As the other girls tried to deal with the all-too-eager to rub suntan lotion on them perverted Seiren and Tokura, Miss Scarlettail found herself in a tight spot in her own right.

(Vega) ‘-Mei, is something wrong? You definitely need to get some lotion on you as you’re quite pale.’

(Reimei) ‘-I … I plan to stay by the bar for now. I’ll rub in some lotion later, Vega, but thank you for asking.’

Tha façade she had put up didn’t seem to be enough to fool the drunkard who still stayed close to her and studied her reactions.

(Vega) ‘-You sure you’re alright? You look a bit nervous. (he handed her the same bottle he was going to give Mr. Lawell earlier with a reassuring smile, having already emptied the contents of the other) You can always have one of these to help you relax, you know!’

(Reimei) ‘-Oh, no, there’s no need to …’

King’s battle roar drew those two’s attention to him, having grabbed a girl from his class in each hand and speeding up to the water with his Daroid to clash with the waves head-on, all the while the girls who were with him screaming.

(King) ‘-It’s time to conquer the sea!!! CHARGE!!!’

Yuki threw Hikaru and Seiren in the water, following them soon enough to ensure they wouldn’t start a fight, Tokura being the one who tied the dark blue swimming float Exo had around him to himself, forcing his classmate to go in the water with him.

(Tokura) ‘-Don’t you worry, Ex! As a pro swimmer, I’ll protect you with my life at sea!’

(Exo) ‘-I’ve heard that before, Tora, and I’m telling you, I don’t want to!’

Vega threw the bottle in Reimei’s hands then, by the time her panic from the possibility of dropping it had passed, the drunkard having pushed the techno-genius further in with a wild laugh.

(Vega) ‘-Think about my offer, Mei! You’ve still got a choice, whereas Exo here doesn’t! We’re going to the depths!!’

It didn’t take long for mayhem to spread after this group entered the sea, while finding what they were doing to be funny, Reimei still feeling too insecure to join them. Moreover, she would have to go in the WATER to have fun like her class– something she most definitely preferred not to do with others around. So all she did was watch.

King started racing with Tokura to see who’s the better swimmer, the ‘big’ battering ram using his Daroid to speed himself up to make up for how fast the ‘small’ battering ram swam without any enhancements.  Exo’s swimming float was still tied to the pseudoknight, however, being dragged in this race involuntarily, Vega on the other hand joining it willingly by hoping on the giant’s back. Eventually a fight broke out between the contestants as Tokura acussed King of not playing fair and activated his spherical shield that quickly turned invisible. The shield pushed the rope he had tied around his waist aside, however, blasting Exo further back, Vega ignoring his classmate’s screams of dread and egging on the two battering rams.

His fun didn’t last long as well, though, as the combination the dynamic movement he had experienced and the alcohol he had consumed up to that point caused him to throw up. Annabel, the second strongest girl in the class and the best healer, did not miss out on the opportunity to make fun of him, the drunkard throwing himself at her. As concentrated rays of light and bursts of pale green energy clashed, Aria, the only member of the class’ healer trinity without any deva other than a healing one, went to the comically beaten-up Exo to heal him.

After failing to take off the top or bottom of a couple of his female classmates’ swimsuits, Seiren finally targeted Yuki, but Hikaru, who was splashing water at one of the girls, somehow sensed that and jumped at his rival to protect Miss Iceflame. Probably the least surprising fight from all the ones taking place within the Earthling (Martian) group started then, what Reimei didn’t expect being that the young Blackscale would end up crushing next to her after he was hit by a lightning wave.

He spat sand aside, gritting his teeth and getting ready for a counterattack when he noticed the scarlet-haired beauty sitting by the bar, his expression suddenly changing to utter astonishment.

(Seiren) ‘-Reimei … (he leapt at her, holding both her hands and now looking rather worried) … what is it, my scarlet princess? You afraid of that raging maniac in the water there? Fear not. I’ll protect you. And you’ve also got Tora to count on when he’s finished kicking King’s ass.’

Miss Scarlettail had hoped to remain unnoticed by her classmates as they focused on having fun, but in the end someone had yet again turned their eyes to her. What she needed to do now was find a way to not get in the water.

(Reimei) ‘-No, it’s just … the water …’

(Seiren) ‘-You’ve got aquaphobia?’

(Reimei) ‘-No, but it’s not a good idea for me to be too close to that much water. That’s all.’

(Seiren) ‘-But you knew we were coming to the beach. Why agree to this in the first place?’

(Reimei) ‘-It’s Hikaru. He convinced me to come.’

(Seiren) ‘-And then he left you here all alone? (he had been holding her hands during their whole exchange, but now pulled her closer as he started walking toward the sea again) We’re going to fix that right now, my dear! Come with me!! That bastard’s not getting away with this!!! We’ll punish him together!!!’

Reimei tried to free herself from Seiren’s grip, but was far too weak to achieve any actual result, pleading with him also leading to no avail, until finally she found herself in the water. The pervert dragging her with him had also led to her getting closer to Hikaru, which was always welcome, but she didn’t want it to happen like this. Spending time together at the bar was a much better option she was hoping to turn into reality eventually, instead having to settle for her current circumstances.

(Hikaru) ‘-Back for more, are you?’

(Seiren) ‘-And I’m not alone this time, Summerbolt! (he pulled Reimei closer to himself to focus his rival’s attention on her) Why’d you leave this one alone back at the bar after asking her to come here with us? Selfish piece of shit!! (Hikaru only looked away with guilt in his eyes after the momentary surprise of Reimei’s arrival passed) We can either beat you up first and have you apologize later or you can apologize now and we’ll beat you up after that! I’ll at least let you decide which option we’re gonna go with!’

(Reimei) ‘-Seiren, let me go! That’s enough already! (the young Blackscale finally let her go, the scarlet-haired beauty now being able to focus on the mad genius) Don’t listen to him, Hikaru! You don’t have to apologize to me about anything! I’ll just go wait by the bar and we can talk …’

(Yuki) ‘-Why not stay in the water with us a bit, Mei? Or at least take off your dress and go get some tan on one of the lounge chairs? I can come with you, if you like. (she now glanced consecutively at the two rivals with irritation) I’ve got really tired of dealing with these two already, so a break from that would be nice.’

(Seiren) ‘-No one’s going anywhere until Summerbolt apologizes!!’

(Hikaru) ‘-I am so sorry, Mei. I noticed Vega trying to convince you to join us earlier and since you declined, I thought I won’t rush you until you choose to come in the water yourself.’

(Reimei) ‘-I told you, it’s fine. Even if you had asked me, I would’ve still said ‘no’. (finally she gave Yuki some attention as well) And thanks for the invite, Yuki, but I’d rather stay at the bar. You can join me there if you …’

Seiren burst in his vermillion fireworks, pushing Reimei aside with that and lunging at Hikaru, the young Summerbolt being fully prepared to counter his rival.

(Seiren) ‘-OK, you’ve apologized. Now it’s time to finish what we started!!!’

(Hikaru) ‘-More like me finishing you, Blackscale!!!’

The last thing Miss Scarlettail had wanted was to become the cause for a fight between Hikaru and Seiren. That would put her in the center of attention and she tried to stay away from that as much as possible. More than that, though, she didn’t want to see the Earthlings’ genius get hurt in any way. All these emotions caused her deva to activate without her even wanting to and due to her surprise when it happened, she couldn’t respond fast enough to contain it.

The waves in the water suddenly grew higher, also starting to come at much shorter intervals, Reimei’s scream coinciding with the biggest wave yet crushing down on the eternal rivals.

(Reimei) ‘-Please, just stop it!!’

The surrounding area was shook when that wave hit, the timid girl looking around to see then that she had caused the formation of a number of big waves that had swept all the Earthlings.

Some of them were now floating with only their backs being visible beyond the water, others having vanished from sight entirely, moreover this event having drawn the attention of plenty of other deviants and ordinari on the beach. Yuki, who was still closest to Reimei, was the one that probably seemed the most shocked, not even paying attention to Hikaru and Seiren’s bodies who were floating near her.

The scarlet-haired beauty had known this would happen when she got in the water and yet the mixture of regret, shame and anxiety that consumed her after realizing what she had done felt much worse than she had imagined. The look in the baby doll’s eyes alone was enough to break her newest classmate who now only wanted to be taken by the sea and never have to experience something like this again.

(Yuki) ‘-You’ve never done deva training with us until now, so I didn’t know. You have a water deva, Mei?’

Miss Scarlettail was trying to find the words to answer the amnesiac’s question, but it was as if she had suddenly lost the ability to speak. She was just too overtaken by the stress of her loss of control to maintain a normal thought process.

To make things worse, Zoran joined the group as well, landing right next to the culprit with his wings of phoenix flames that disappeared after his landing. A scolding was on its way without a doubt, so the shame and anxiety for the timid girl were only going to increase from here on.

(Zoran) ‘-That wasn’t just any water deva. To do something like this at only a 15% output … and from what I saw you didn’t even do it on purpose … I don’t think I’ve ever seen a water deva as strong as this!’

More attention. So much more attention. And more confusion. What was probably going to follow was fear because of how strong her abilities were. It was that fear that Reimei dreaded the most and it was because of it that she had tried her best to hide her deva up to this point.

Hikaru got back on his feet then as the sea around the whole group regained its usual flow. It was his reaction that Miss Scarlettail was afraid of the most and the closer he drew to her, the more afraid she was. The fear of other people’s fear had gripped her so much that she couldn’t even realize the mad genius was smiling until he grabbed and shook her.

(Hikaru) ‘-That was awesome, Mei! I sure as hell deserved that, but didn’t even expect you’d kick my ass with just a single attack! It was quite fun actually, so you can hit me with one of those again any time you want! (he glanced at Seiren who had also got up behind him) In case you’ve forgiven me, though, you mind teaming up with me so we can take down that pervert? (now Reimei noticed Hikaru’s attention was no longer focused on her face) Considering how you look right now, I’m sure he’ll try to attack you soon enough and it will be best if we make the first move.’

Another thing the mistress of water hadn’t noticed while engrossed with what was happening around her was that Seiren creating a blast to launch himself at Hikaru earlier had partially burned her dress. And that burned dress had been soaked from the splashes of water her waves had made, the swimsuit with a red and white line pattern under it being all too visible.

Her half-naked body was now fully exposed and HIKARU had seen it. He had seen it under the worst circumstances she could possibly imagine.

Reimei felt dizzy all of a sudden, everything she was experiencing being too much to handle all at once, her mind giving way under the immense psychological weight.

(Reimei) ‘-P-please … don’t look … just don’t …’

Some strange screaming reached the soaked beauty’s ears then, its source being Seiren and Tokura, both of them having taken prayer-like stances with idiotic dreamy smiles while blood was dripping from their noses.

(Seiren) ‘-A goddess is now among us. Let us pray to the goddess of breasts, brothers and sisters, so that she may grace us with her touch.’

(Tokura) ‘-We have reached something our lowly mortal selves are unworthy of. Heaven … heaven itself could never compare to this.’

The two worshippers of the Reimei Bust Cult as they would later name themselves were pushed away by King, going straight for Seiren and Tokura’s new deity and scaring the timid girl even more.

(King) ‘-Out of the way! I’ve got to get my hands on that water deva! Mei, you’re the one our class has been waiting for all along!!’

(Reimei) ‘-I … I am?’

The giant stopped only half a meter shy of the scarlet-haired beauty, towering over her, but not in an intimidating manner at all. Instead he seemed to be in awe of her.

(King) ‘-You do realize we’re in the middle of the sea, right? And with a water deva like yours, the possibilities for what we can do here are endless Why were you holding out on this all this time?’

(Reimei) ‘-I … my deva … I can’t control it too well when near water, especially if I don’t keep my emotions in check, so I thought it best to keep it a secret. It’s dangerous.’

Vega came out next to King on one side, Exo – on the other, meanwhile the girls of the class gathering behind Miss Scarlettail who realized she was now surrounded. But out of all the faces she could see, there was no fear on a single one.

Had they actually enjoyed being thrown around by the waves? Despite being with them for nearly a month, Reimei never suspected that they were not just insane, but masochistic as well.

(Vega) ‘-Dangerous is not the right word, girl! Epic is what it is!!’

(Exo) ‘-We’ve got others among us who have some difficulties in controlling their abilities, Mei, so you should’ve told us earlier. We might be able to help you better control your deva, even when close to water.’

(Aria) ‘-The hell with control! I say we let her loose and see what happens! Show us what you’ve got, girl!!’

(Annabel) ‘-Now the real graduation party’s about to start!!’

For the first time in her life, Reimei smiled while near water. For the first time she felt happy for having such a deva. And while she could feel it already, she couldn’t yet fully grasp that this would be her most memorable day by the sea for all time. On that day she would gain her own title as every other member of her class had – the Earthlings (Martians)’ scarlet calamity.