Shattering Humanity-Chapter 411: Power Projection Stare Down

’There is no blame on those who enforce justice after being wronged.

Blame is only on those who wrong people and transgress in the land unjustly. It is they who will suffer a painful punishment.

And whoever endures patiently and forgives—surely this is a resolve to aspire to.

And whoever Allah leaves to stray will have no guide after Him. You will see the wrongdoers, when they face the torment, pleading, "Is there any way back to the world?"

And you will see them exposed to the Fire, fully humbled out of disgrace, stealing glances at it. And the believers will say, "The true losers are those who have lost themselves and their families on Judgment Day." The wrongdoers will certainly be in everlasting torment.’-Surah Ash Shuraa 42:41-45

________________

A wall of ocean water, almost as high as the western face of the island, conceals the entire sandy shore and the Sanpaku territory attached behind it.

Behind the Sheriff, the First Mate of the ship runs out of the wheelhouse to see the commotion and what has stopped the progress of the mission.

The brown eyed vision of the man in his late 20s scales all the way up to the top of the water wall.

His amazement quickly shifts to an annoyed gaze towards the person in charge and standing at the front of the watercraft.

First-Mate: "So Sheriff, what’s the plan now?

Clearly these guys have some sort of high powered barrier pumping water into the air and preventing us from landing."

Without turning to the snide remarking 2nd in command the Sheriff keeps her eyes on the main defense to Kami Island.

Suddenly, shouting and more chatter erupts from the surrounding boats.

The First-Mate focuses more on the result of Charybdis’ eye ability. The man’s mouth and eyes open wide at the sight on top.

First-Mate: "What the...?

What...?

Wait, do you see that?

Is--Is someone up there?!"

Having already seen Kami Island’s own way to project it’s power, Jesse James narrows her vision up above to where everyone else is pointing and talking about.

Standing on the wall of Atlantic Ocean water over 200 meters high, looking down on the puny fleet, with her pink and gold Mach 1 SanguineSoulSeiõrShield active, is Shelly.

Arms crossed, golden hair flowing in the wind, and her all black Seax gripped in her teeth.

None of the mutually unacknowledged humans below can see the mystic energy lightly fuming off the sole soldier’s body.

Murmurs and babbling amongst the military spectators on all the ships echoes all the way to both Jesse James on her Marine Corps craft and Shelly standing more than 150 yards above.

Up above, the bright blue eyes of Shelly scans each ship.

In her head, Laban’s voice talks to her using Katsu’s ability.

Laban DaeMon(telepathy): *Alright Skalmönd, that cowboy bitch should be on the furthest ship in the back.*

Katsu’s voice suddenly cuts in.

Katsu(telepathy): *Let’s have this last opportunity to make peace a quick one. Big Bro Char is struggling to keep this intimidating wall up, even with Sol’s SharedSoulSeiõrShield.*

Shelly’s sweeping gaze finally finds the large trench coat and cowboy hat wearing Sheriff on the vessel in the back of the fleet. The sad but confident pink eyes looking back up at her.

Shelly(telepathy): *Found her!

Activate the next phase in Sensei and Saku’s play!*

Saku(telepathy): *Wait!

Not yet!*

Daisuki(telepathy): *Saku’s right. We have to wait for her to make the next critical move if we are going to make them retreat with our power projection.*

Back down below on her Marine ship, Jesse James addresses the First-Mate without looking away from Shelly above.

Jesse James: "You are the ’First Officer’ of this warship, correct?"

Offended by the brushing past his well earned and prestigious title, the second in command responds through the grinding of his teeth. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

First-Mate: "Yes.

Due to our world’s situation, I have been given the opportunity to be this unit’s First Officer.

Even if it was a situational premotion, I still spent the past 11 years of my life in the Marine Corps, and trained under my Captain for 7 of those years.

Learning how to properly plan and coordinate for amphibious military approaches."

Not acknowledging the hint of adverse feelings in the prideful man’s response, Jesse James activates her own matching, two colored SanguineSoulSeiõrShield.

The breeze being created from the woman’s projected energy is felt by the First-Mate. The slightly angered man, not mutually acknowledged by the universal force, can instinctively feel something at the moment the powerful woman activates her magical shield.

Jesse James: "I need you to have your team send a message to everyone else over communications.

’That woman alone up there, she is one of our two most dangerous enemies on this land. There shall be a substantial reward for anyone who can capture her or force her to surrender herself."

First-Mate: "That’s one single teenage girl! And since I know you have zero knowledge on real battle, the act of giving soldiers war bounties has been outlawed for over 100 years."

Finally looking away from one of her main targets, the Sheriff’s cold, forceful stare locks with the man’s gaze.

Jesse James: "’Due to our world’s situation’..."

The First-Mate swallows his spit nervously as the woman covered in her SanguineSoulSeiõrShield, and her pink ocular pools of emotion consumes him.

Jesse James: "...There is a truth that shouldn’t be presented to the populous for their own safety and to maintain civility.

If you are actually someone who studies the intricacies of military strategy and understands the purpose of white lies for the ’greater good’, you will compromise with the discretion of dangerous knowledge leaking, not only the public, but to the common soldier who can also spread public discourse."

Back on top of the protective halfpipe to the ocean, as if she can hear another bounty being placed on her head, Shelly smirks with her Seax gripped between her teeth.

Laban DaeMon(telepathy): *She did it, just like my Saki predicted!

The dumb bitch put a hit on Skalmönd!

I don’t know why, they should be keeping their head on a swivel for me!"

Persephone(telepathy): *Uh-Um, can everyone really hear me?

I’ve transferred my personal energy over to them.

This is kind of tiring...*

Charybdis(struggling telepathy): *You’re doing...urghh... you’re doing great Persephone...

Sorry for dragging you into...arrck...dragging you into this.*

Saku(telepathy): *Listen, I’m tired too, but the lives of Sanpaku and the innocent people from the mountains are at stake!

Is everyone ready?!*

Everyone(telepathy): *Ready!*

*POP*

*POP*

*POP**POP*

*POP*

*POP**POP*

Across the top of the wet, blue wall, many clones of Shelly pop into existence. Each covered in a rainbow SoulSeiõrShield that none unacknowledged soldiers below can see.

Either way, all onlookers are astonished by the copies of the identical blonde haired badass popping into existence, one by one.

Stopping at 10 clones, five on each side of the one original.

From the wheelhouse, the man who is second to the captain of the ship is leaning through the open door looks back.

First-Mate: "There.

I hope you’re happy.

An unethical, dangerously exploitable, and possibly innocent victim causing bounty has been relayed...to...the..."

Returning his vision towards the amazement causes something to click in the ignorant but intelligent officer’s mind.

First-Mate: "Wait...that’s not any type of anti-aquatic landing technology. It has something to do with the declassified acts of those mutant eyes, isn’t it?

Specifically from your ’special unit’."

Looking at her reflection in the water below, Jesse James answers while thinking of her precious apostle being held captive.

Jesse James: "My Symb-eye-ote Program was originally an opportunity to watch and study the effects of those alien eyes attaching themselves to human hosts.

It was created after an accidental account, but served a great purpose towards taking back precious territory and saving the innocent from those violent, bloodthirsty Levites."

First-Mate: "None of our soldiers have anything like those optical mutations.

Why didn’t you bring anybody who can compete with them?"

The Sheriff looks back up at the squadron of Shelly’s, each with matching all black long daggers clenched in their pearly white, perfectly straight teeth.

Jesse James: "Everyone who was part of that program is either dead or being held captive on this island by the enemy. Aside from one large, dangerous individual who is valuable for being strong enough to subdue those who are hostile to his current party."

There comes shouting from the other boats in front of their’s and it doesn’t take long for the First-Mate to notice why.

First-Mate: "Oh my God!

One jumped!"

Just as he said, the one real smiling Shelly covered in her own pink and golden SanguineSoulSeiõrShield has confidently taken a step off her wall of water and is now free falling towards the shallow waters below.

All the watching soldiers, aware of what’s going on shout and a few cover their eyes. Majority of them can’t look away as they watch the horrific astonishment.

Jesse James(thinking): *They’re all planning something on the other side...

What’s their play?*

Halfway down the blue rushing barrier, Madame Fryer bashes through, and steams whatever liquid she touches.

Jesse James focuses on the spot she flew through slowly fixing itself.

Jesse James: *I see your bluff, ’Shelly’, or should I say...?*

With perfect timing, the sentient blade glides under Shelly’s sneakers, catching her and smoothly uses the smirking warrior’s falling momentum to carry her faster over the calm waves.

Jesse James(thinking): *...’Skalmönd’?*