The ambush was swift and merciless.
Nereus, who was still recovering from the exertion during his duel with Dante, found himself surrounded by a group of Mer students, their faces twisted with malicious intent.
All the while Ruth and Rave watched from the sidelines, their eyes gleaming with satisfaction as they anticipated Nereus's downfall.
"Argh!" The first attacker lunged at Nereus, his spear aimed directly at his heart.
With a swift movement, Nereus deflected the blow with a wave of water, his dual affinities of water and earth coming to life in a dazzling display of power. A small ring of pressurized water then coalesced around him, protecting him a bit from the onslaught of attacks.
His next move was immediate and decisive. With a powerful surge of sea essence, he summoned a spire of earth from the seabed, sending one attacker flying backward with a pained grunt. The remaining onlooking students gasped in awe, unable to comprehend the speed and precision of Nereus's counterattacks.
Another attacker came at him from the side, but Nereus was ready.
SWISH
With a twist of his body, his tail swept through the water with deadly accuracy as a wall of sand and stone erupted from the ground.
And in but a moment the wall was already semi enveloping the lower half of the attacker and rendering him immobile.
'Oof that last one def took a lot out of me, I can't afford to keep playing things fast and loose.'
Despite his fatigue, Nereus fought with the ferocity of a cornered leviathan.
His movements, though tinged with the telltale signs of fatigue, were fluid and calculated, each strike landing with devastating effect.
"Urgh!"
"Argh!"
Two more attackers fell under his relentless assault, their bodies crumpling to the ocean floor.
Despite these successes, the strain of the duel and the previous night's exertions were taking their toll.
Nereus's breathing had long grown labored, but now with his vision blurring at the edges he was rapidly approaching his limits.
He could feel his strength waning, and his opponents, sensing his weakness, pressed their advantage.
However just as the situation seemed dire, a familiar voice cut through the chaos.
"Hang in there, Argent!"
Wsting no time, Jonny and Triton burst into the fray, their expressions fierce with determination.
Jonny, usually so cheerful and laid-back, now radiated a surprising aura of confidence and resolve. Triton, too, showed a newfound courage as he swam by Nereus's side, ready to face their enemies.
"Talk about perfect timing" Nereus couldn't help but remark in relief.
"Hehe sorry for the delay." Triton apologized sheepishly for a moment.
"Yeahh we we were waiting for you outside after the match with Dante. But after you didn't show for a while, we heard all this commotion, got suspicious and came swimming." Jonny explained.
"No worries, its good' that you're here now. Lets show these guppies how its done!"
The three of them then began to fight as one, their movements synchronized and precise.
Jonny's fists seemed to glow with sea essence as he pummeled one attacker after another, his strength seemingly amplified by a newfound power.
Triton, despite his relative inexperience, was surprisingly swift and skilled in hand to hand combat, striking down his opponents with calculated precision as well.
Nereus, though fatigued, drew strength from his friends' presence and leaned on the support and cover they provided.
With a surge of some of the last dredges of his sea essence, he summoned a torrent of water, sweeping away a large amount of the remaining attackers.
The battle continued on both fierce and unrelenting, but the tide had turned in their favor.
One by one, the assailants fell, their bodies littering the floor where they then crawled away.
The few remaining crowd members and nosy Mer watched on in stunned silence, unable to believe what they were witnessing.
Ruth and Rave, now realizing their plan had failed, exchanged frantic glances.
With a snarl of frustration, Ruth ordered a retreat. "Fall back! And you, ugh I swear this isn't over, Argent!"
The twins then fled the scene, dragging an unconscious Dante with them.
Shortly after those of the defeated attackers who were still conscious and could still swim unhesitatingly followed suit, their pride shattered by the unexpected turn of events.
As the sand settled, Nereus, Jonny, and Triton stood victorious, their chests heaving with exertion.
Nereus then glanced at Jonny, a hint of surprise flickering in his eyes.
'He's improving quite fast...' he thought to himself.
During the battle, Jonny had displayed a level of strength and skill that seemed almost unnatural. It was subtle, but there was no denying the improvement in his battle prowess and Sealocke skills.
"Thank you, both of you," Nereus said, his voice steady despite his exhaustion. "I couldn't have done this without you."
Jonny grinned, a hint of pride in his eyes. "Aw shucks, it was nothing. What are friends for!"
Triton nodded in agreement, his expression determined. "W-what he said!"
Nereus's heart swelled with gratitude as he looked at the two.
In his previous life, he had two chief bodyguards that similarly had his back when the going got tough.
They had faced incredible odds together and emerged victorious every time.
Well until his untimely demise at one of their hands that is.
'I can't forget that was then and this is now though, while I still have some internal misgivings about the Mer race, I have a good feeling about these two...' he thought to himself as the trio swam from the dueling grounds aching and laughing together.