Chapter 592: Relaxing on the beach… in bikinis
The sand was warm against her skin. A salty breeze blew in from the sea, bringing the strong scent of seaweed and the constant sound of the waves coming and going. The sky above was a clear, clear blue, as if the storm that had engulfed them had never existed.
Scathach opened her eyes first. The sun was blinding, but she didn’t care. Her body still ached from the energy she had expended trying to hold the group together before the disaster, but somehow, she had survived. Survival had always been her specialty.
Beside her, lying on her back in the sand with an arm draped over her eyes, Scarlet was breathing deeply, as if at peace. The redhead seemed less worried than Scathach would have expected, which made her smile slightly.
“Do you still think this was the best way to do it? I thought your plan was to make them stronger,” Scarlet asked, without taking her arm from her eyes.
Scathach let out a short, husky laugh. “Probably not. But sometimes it’s good to be… a little wicked.” She turned her face to the sky, her golden eyes glinting. “In the end, those things don’t matter. I just need them to focus on getting stronger while they survive my plan, okay?”
Scarlet finally removed her arm from her face and stared at her with those intense red eyes. “Your concept of ‘wicked’ is curious.”
“Oh, don’t tell me you didn’t have fun.” Scathach arched an eyebrow. “I admit, I might have been a little overconfident.”
Scarlet sighed, shaking her head. “You always are. After you came back to life, it even feels more alive.”
For a few seconds, they were silent, just listening to the sea. Scathach moved her hands slightly, noticing the strange sensation of sand between her fingers. The sun was too warm on her skin, and only then did she notice the piece of fabric she was wearing.
She lowered her eyes and raised her body slightly, looking down at herself. The outfit was ridiculous: two tiny pieces of cloth, held together by thin straps, leaving almost nothing to the imagination. Bright colors contrasted against her pale skin.
Scathach blinked. “What… exactly is this outfit?”
Scarlet also looked down, noticing her own outfit—a dark red ensemble, equally skimpy, suggestively molded to her body. She stood up slowly, her long hair falling over her bare shoulders. The faint blush on her cheeks was rare.
“I don’t know what you did, but… this is absurd.” She adjusted one of the thin straps, frowning. “Who in their right mind would wear something so… useless?”
Scathach shrugged, a mischievous smile curving her lips. “I bought it at Ducato. Some idiot was selling prototypes. He said they were ‘sunbathing’ outfits.”
Scarlet blinked slowly, trying to process. “Sunbathing…?”
“Exactly.” Scathach rested her chin on her hand and laughed. “It seems some cultures find it pleasurable to expose their bodies to the sun, in a… decorative manner.”
“Decorative?” Scarlet let out a resigned sigh. “Of course. Something like that could only have come from the minds of idle mortals.”
Scathach tilted her head, assessing her companion. “Well, at least it’s pretty. I’d love to see my son’s face when he sees me like this.”
Scarlet gave her a sidelong glance, assessing the redhead’s amused expression. “Pretty, yes. But practical, no. If we’re attacked, do you think these scraps of cloth will serve as armor?”
“Not at all.” Scathach laughed, closing her eyes for a moment. “But let’s face it, at our level, armor doesn’t make any difference if it’s not divine objects.”
Scarlet snorted, but didn’t press the point. Instead, he lay back down, propping himself up on his elbows, letting the sun beat down on his face.
“How long do you think it will take them to reach the center of the archipelago?” she asked, breaking the silence again.
Scathach didn’t answer immediately. She stared out at the open sea, letting the wind ruffle her red hair. The horizon seemed endless, swallowing up any hope of reference.
“It all depends…” she began thoughtfully. “On how much they depend on Strax.”
Scarlet turned to face her with a serious look. “You make bold moves knowing how much he loves those women.”
“Because it’s the truth.” Scathach shrugged. “They don’t even know where they are, nor what exactly separated them in that storm. But I hope they won’t just sit around waiting for him to show up and save them.”
Scarlet didn’t deny it, but she didn’t confirm it either. She simply stared at Scathach, weighing every word, every gesture. Deep down, she too believed in Strax’s strength, but she had difficulty admitting that her daughters depended on him. And that, for someone who values absolute strength, is pathetic.
“How do we know he’s alive…” Scarlet began, her voice low. “When he finds out, he’ll be really furious, you know?”
“He doesn’t have to find out, let’s just pretend it was an accident, okay?” Scathach nodded, her smile returning. “In the end, no matter how lost he thinks we are, he’ll find us eventually.”
Scarlet closed her eyes for a moment, allowing herself to believe in that infectious confidence. The sea continued to roar, and the sun seemed indifferent to their concerns, but there was something comforting in Scathach’s tone.
Still, she couldn’t help but mutter, “I wish I were that relaxed to plot so many things in just one day of planning.”
Scathach laughed softly. “I enjoy developing new talent, I’m glad he chose so many incredibly powerful women… I think he deserves an award.”
Scarlet turned sideways in the sand, resting her head on her hand. “What prize?”
“Why tell? That’s just for him.” Scathach smiled carelessly. “It’s not like you don’t know what I’m thinking, too.”
For a moment, they just stared at each other. The contrast between the two was stark: Scarlet, serious, intense, with that aura of pragmatism and discipline; Scathach, always smiling, always with that touch of irony that hid depths no one had ever been able to fathom.
The silence was broken only by the cry of a seabird in the distance.
Scarlet took a deep breath, her eyes returning to the blue sky. “You’ve really changed, you’re teasing me into thinking you want to give yourself to your son.”
Scathach smiled again, lying back on the sand and closing her eyes. “Hm… that’s a good idea, seeing as I won’t resist for long.”
Scarlet remained silent, digesting that answer.
The sun continued to rise, and the tide gently lapped at their toes. The feeling was strangely calm, almost illusory—as if the world weren’t in chaos, as if there weren’t monsters waiting in every shadow of that unknown archipelago.
For a moment, just for a moment, Scarlet allowed herself to relax. ‘Damn you.’