As the initial beats of conflict reverberate, her resolve sharpens like the edge of a knife. The front lines weren’t a place she thought to find herself in; after all, she only came to learn more about the fishmen and their culinary arts. But things escalated a bit quickly after the other cooks, her new friends, got knocked out of consciousness in front of her. Her gaze widened in shock.

They would soon regret it, though.

They would soon realize it was a mistake.

Her hair flows against the wind as she propels herself with the impact of her weapon at great speed, matched only by the sound that follows her strikes— the booming aftermath of thunder. Fiery eyes petrified those unlucky enough to gaze at her as she swings her enormous electric hammer with effortless grace, each strike sending the invaders flying through the air. One after the other they fell to her wrath, although a menacing creature she danced around the field of danger with natural charm. But some instances a terror would emerge, only for a second though betraying the eyes of those who gaze at her.

They thought her harmless; often, those who see don't really see at all. But she made sure to open their eyes. Rarely is a fishman weak, but these fools made a mockery of the defenseless. She was not going to let this slide. How much of a coward does one need to be to do such a thing? “Unforgivable,” she said, swinging her weapon without any warning. Tears threatened to fall down her cheek, but she was too fast; they flew away much like the mean people she kept striking around.

With a reverse grip, she let her hammer rest atop the ground. With her other hand on her waist, she cried out dramatically, “Oh no! I am so tired!” There were a few who ran, afraid, but others decided to rush at her after cursing at her. She grinned with a gleam of excitement in her eyes. “Kidding!” She grabbed the hilt with both arms and made a 360-degree spin, carrying the beastly hammer with little effort. However, the scary part was that when she turned to gaze at her adversaries, she was a totally different person—her eyes reddened, her height taller, her fur spreading.

“No strings, puny men…” she said, exhaling in a beastly manner, her voice deep enough to reverberate inside those who were close enough to hear. Val then finished the dance with a firm stomp, striking all the approaching men with a single swing of her hammer, leaving behind a flash of light that enveloped a small area in an electrifying field.

In the presence of her fallen adversaries, defeated in the wake of her formidable prowess, Aries, now back to her usual self, surveyed the scene, noticing that the cooking area was a mess. She then immediately apologized to the other cooks for her behavior, or she tried to; there were none left by the time it was all over. Realizing she was the only one left standing, she cleaned her hands and began to tidy and prepare the area to start cooking.

“They are fighting so hard; I need to do my part as well,” she said, determined, slapping her cheeks and pushing herself to work.