Port City Spirit and Sirens!

“Waaaah! Waaaah!”

“Yes, like that! Wait–what now?!”

Sharlotte’s halo bobbed weakly, her sleepy snot bubble popping with a pitiful pwap. “A baby?” she croaked.

“A BABY?!” I rattled inside my spring, water swirling so hard the ripples clinked against the glass. “IT’S NOT MIIINE!!”

There it was. Drifting by her wing – tiny, round-faced, gurgling bubbles with every hiccup. A Water Spirit. A literal living soap drop.

“You woke me up for this?” Sharlotte mumbled, half-smile cracking as she scooped it closer. “Aw, look at you… Wait. You’re not supposed to be here. Baby Water Spirits are born when people really care for the waters… Well, I guess it makes sense.”

Even my smug rim softened. Watching its innocent little drip-drip face, I sniffled, tears sparkling across my gem. “Actually, he is mine. Let’s adopt him.”

“Nope.” Sharlotte’s eyes flattened like an iron to the cheek. “I refuse to have a watery alarm clock floating in my room all night.”

“You heartless hen.”

“Am not! Do you know how much work it is? A Water Spirit needs a constant flow, balanced minerals, level temperature, rip currents–”

“Done.”

“No, this one’s different. He belongs in the sea.”

“…Sea? Then how’d he pop up here?”

“Probably because of how often you gush your water everywhere. Rivers spawn them, but the young migrate to the ocean to join the rest.”

“So, they’re like salmon?”

“The point is, this baby needs his family! The sea, Kazuki!”

“Fine. No adoption. But we protect him!”

“Of course! I might nap through doomsday, but I won’t abandon a soggy baby. I’ll give this alarm clock a home.”

“All right! Port City of Crass, here we come!”

And so, I found myself sealed in a travel flask, stuffed into Sharlotte’s satchel while she cradled the bubbly Spirit like a large egg and soared out over fields and rivers. Rin, Borkas, and the others kept the Spa running while I maintained my Healing Flow remotely.

Ahead, the Port City rose from smoke and salt. Massive ships clinked their masts like drunken skeletons in a storm. Beyond them, Human and Demon-kin armies stared each other down across a grassy ridge like toddlers bickering over a sandbox.

“Look at all that potential profit!” I sparkled.

“Get your eyes checked.”

“Untapped possibilities! Expansion! Gold!!”

We glided lower over crooked alleys, tidy houses packed tight with Humans, and almost no Monsters in sight. Compared to our Spa, the lack of tails, claws, and wings made the whole place feel scrubbed out of the flavor.

Sharlotte dipped toward a fishing vessel prepping nets. “Perfect. Big fish lead to Water Spirits.”

She landed with radiant grace, halo bright, baby Spirit cradled to her chest. “Excuse me–”

Thump! Half the sailors collapsed to their knees.

“Holy Mother of–!!”

“She’s real!”

“She’s holding the baby!”

“What kind of spell is this?!” I rattled.

“Nothing! The Port must be religious!” Sharlotte beamed. “Hello, good men! We need help returning this baby Water Spirit to a school–”

Their awe halted. A squint-eyed fisherman muttered, “Monster baby?”

Warmth vanished from the air.

The captain, a salt-crusted man with a permanent scowl carved into his beard, stomped forward. “Ma’am. If you want to follow us out, fine. But not with that. I’d sooner face a Devil Shark than bring a Spirit aboard.”

“He’s just a baby. And I’m a Monster too, technically.”

“You’re welcome to trail us. But on deck? Not with it. I’d accept a Human. Not that.”

Of course. The Port City was steeped in the Human–Demon war. Out of anywhere else, it was likely that interspecies peace would be the most strongly discriminated against here.

“That’s fine,” I thought. “We can fly!”

“I don’t wanna,” Sharlotte announced flatly.

“What?!”

“My wings are tired! I’m not flapping over the open sea all day. I hate the salty wind!” She hugged the baby tighter and glared. “Let us onboard, or I’ll have my assistant file a complaint to Heaven and mark you as lost at sea when your time’s up!”

“…Dirty move. I love it!”

The captain scowled, grunted, and waved us on. “Tch. Fine. Special route, boys!”

The boat pushed out, carving a path through the waves.

“See? Harmless.” Sharlotte beamed, placing the baby in a young sailor’s lap. The kid stared nervously.

“I don’t get why you’re helping it, Miss Angel. Captain Richard’s rotten. If I were you, I’d flap home while you can.”

Before she could sass him, the deck broke into chaos, sailors running, swinging ropes, handing wax earplugs down the line.

“Earplugs?” I perked in my flask.

A faint song drifted over the water. Gorgeous, ethereal, floating through the air like morning sunlight woven into sound.

Sharlotte’s wings trembled. Her eyes were mesmerized, sparkling. “So pretty… Kazuki, do you hear that? Music!!”

“NOPE. NOPE, NOPE, NOPE!!” I slammed against the flask walls. “Those are– don’t you dare–”

Her face lit up, drunk on the melody. “We needed music! This really is the special route! Let’s ask the Sirens!”

“SIRENS?!”

She leaned over the rail, eyes shining. “I’m gonna invite them to sing at our Spa–”

“[Ability: Slime Ball!!]” I burst out of my flask, reforming into a squishy blob. “[Ability: Bind!!]” Ropes lashed around her and the baby.

“Wha– HEY! Let go, you freak! I’m securing us a band contract!”

“SNAP OUT OF IT! THEY’LL LURE YOU DOWN AND EAT YOU!”

“Never! Waaah!”

SPLOOSH.

Sharlotte toppled straight over the rail, baby and bindings in tow.

I dove after without hesitation. Sirens or not, no way was I letting her and the baby face them alone!

Down into the deep. Down to face the Sirens head-on!

…Sirens.

…All men.

Mermen?!

Strong arms caught Sharlotte before she could sink further. Blue-scaled tails curled around the baby, tickling him until he burbled happily.

“[Underwater Breathing]!” Sharlotte gasped for fresh air at the Merman’s command, blinking in shock as the Spirit thrived in seawater.

Dozens of them were under the ship’s hull, well-built and with long fins, laughing faces, and annoyingly perfect posture.

One winked. “Looks like our operation has been found.”

They ferried us to an undersea grotto glowing with kelp lights and carved coral tables. Magic shimmered as they sprouted legs to sit comfortably. Sharlotte plopped the baby on the table, cooing like she hadn’t just tried to recruit a death chorus.

The leader smiled. “We swipe rare fish before Richard’s men haul them up. Best creatures deserve a chance. This Spirit’s one of us now.”

“Humans need food too,” I muttered. “Don’t starve them. But run Richard out of business if you can. But thank goodness it was you and not the Sirens!”

“Sirens are peaceful!” Sharlotte huffed.

“…Peaceful?!”

“Of course! You stopped me for nothing!”

“You were under their spell!”

“What spell?! Wanting to talk to them?! Don’t you know they’re a famous idol group?!”

“Idol– WHAT?! Don’t you know about the sailors who dive off board and never return?!”

“Naturally. Humans cover their ears because of one bad breakup decades ago,” the boss explained. “A jealous ex wrote a novel about his Siren lover. Total slander. Now everyone thinks their songs are cursed.”

“I don’t get it,” I exclaimed into the void.

“It used to be that sailors and Sirens fell in love. If they broke up, the sailor remained at the underwater Palace, or they returned to the surface and didn’t speak about it much.”

I was gobsmacked.

“The Sirens have been sad lately! They love to mingle with Human partners, but they haven’t been able to in decades! The Humans have been covering their ears to the most beautiful singing! Even as Merfolk, we find it insulting!”

“Damn. Damn it, what is up with the logic in this world?! ONE PETTY BREAKUP RUINED AN ENTIRE SPECIES’ CAREER?! I had it all wrong!!! I will never forgive you, ODESSEYYY!!”

The grotto echoed with laughter.

The baby gurgled, glowing happily in the mermen’s arms.

“When he’s older, send him to our Spa,” Sharlotte sniffled, hugging him one last time. “First soak’s free.”

“Word of your Spring’s already reached us,” the leader said. “Monsters gossip, too.”

“Knew it! Our brand leaks far and wide!” I sparkled smugly.

“What is a Spa?” a young mermaid asked shyly from behind a kelp curtain.

I swirled proudly. “It’s like the ocean. Only instead of salt in your eyes, you’re constantly healed.”

Sharlotte added, “And it washes off grudges and worries. Be assured, you’ll get the best sleep of your life!”

“Then spread it here,” the leader said, eyes sharp. “This port’s drowning in grudges. Maybe your Spring can clean that too. We’ll help.”

“Please, Mr. Kazuki, Miss Sharlotte, show the world peace is possible!”

I grinned. “The sea wants us. The forest wants us. Next? The whole world’s gonna beg to take a bath! Gahahaha!”

The baby burped.

Above, Captain Richard’s empty net floated uselessly on the waves. He’d grumble all the way back to port.

As for us? Music secured. Ocean allies gained. And a new headline glimmering across our Spa’s wall:

New Sign: Siren Star Idol Group!