Marine, the High-ranking God of the sea, and Eingana, the Sea Dragon and one of the Four Great Magic Dragons—the Dragon King’s executives who ruled the waters of the Demon Realm. Those in the know were well aware that the two were on notoriously bad terms.
The primary cause was a grudge held by Marine, who resented Eingana for surpassing her in public fame. Eingana, for her part, was immensely proud of her domain and burned with a fierce competitive spirit whenever the sea was concerned.
"...So, you actually came, Eingana-san," Marine said.
"Indeed. Miyama Kaito-san is a man with deep ties to Magnawell-sama, and since this party is being held on the waters of the Demon Realm, it would be unthinkable for me not to attend. As the one entrusted by Magnawell-sama with the rule of these seas, my presence is required. If anything, I am the one surprised to find you have any relationship with him at all."
"Hahaha, is that so? Well, I suppose you could say you are the top of the Demon Realm’s sea, Eingana-san."
Marine spoke with a smile plastered on her face, but she went out of her way to emphasize the words "Demon Realm" with biting intent. In the face of such clear hostility, Eingana simply offered a fearless smirk.
"Yes, I do manage these waters... However, it seems my influence extends further than that. Even among humankind, not just demons, it is my name that usually comes to mind when they think of the sea. I am frequently invited to ceremonies in the Human Realm as well. It feels a bit forward to say it myself, but I do seem to be recognized as a sort of 'Guardian God of the Sea'... wouldn't you agree?"
"..."
Eingana’s words were calculated to provoke, and they were devastatingly effective. A thick blue vein throbbed on Marine’s forehead, and her smile twitched.
In truth, Eingana’s fame in the Human Realm was overwhelmingly superior. In many regions, she was the one worshipped as the god of the sea. As a Six Kings' Executive, she frequently appeared at major events like the Hero Festival, making her name well-known. Furthermore, her true form—a colossal Sea Dragon exceeding a thousand meters in length—left a staggering impact on anyone who saw her.
In contrast, while Marine was the actual God of the sea, her status as a High-ranking God meant she did not maintain temples in the Human Realm. Even among the direct subordinates of the God of Life, Life, she was third in line behind Sky and Gaia. Her public recognition was thin, as she had almost no opportunities to interact with humankind.
This disparity was the root of Marine’s deep-seated rivalry, and on the surface, it seemed Eingana held all the cards. However, that wasn't entirely true.
"...It truly is wonderful. Your fame never ceases to amaze me, Eingana-san... even if your actual power over the water is far inferior to mine."
"..."
With a sharp snapping sound, it was Eingana’s turn for a vein to pulse on her temple. It was true that Eingana was the more famous of the two, but when it came to their respective abilities, Marine, who wielded the Authority of the Sea, held the upper hand. Authority was a power that functioned as the laws of the world itself, standing as a tier above mere magic. It was an objective fact that in any contest of maritime power, Eingana would lose to Marine.
For Eingana, who possessed immense pride in her connection to the ocean, this was an intolerable reality. Her eyes flared with a clear light of anger.
"Indeed, it is frustrating, but I suppose I cannot match Marine-san when it comes to raw power over the water. As expected of a Fragment of Shallow Vernal-sama’s Power, the God of the World. Yes, quite right... your raw power might be the only thing that surpasses mine."
"...Is it just my imagination? If I take that at face value, it sounds as if you’re claiming you are superior in every way except for my Authority."
"...Did it sound like that to you? Then your ears must be functioning perfectly."
"..."
"..."
The air seemed to crackle with the sound of snapping patience. The forced smiles vanished from their faces simultaneously, replaced by cold, murderous glares. The situation was one second away from an all-out explosion—but the spark never caught.
"What are you doing, you fools? Are you planning to start a fight at a comrade's party?"
"Ni-Nizbel!? N-no, but this is a matter of pride, I can't—"
"Do you intend to drag Magnawell-sama’s name through the mud?"
"...Ah, no... My apologies. I let myself get carried away."
Having been rebuked by the newly arrived Nizbel, Eingana’s head cooled. Realizing the gravity of starting a brawl in such a place, she lowered her head. Marine began to smirk at the sight, but her satisfaction was cut short when a razor-sharp scythe was pressed against her throat.
"...That goes for you too, Great Sea God. If you intend to ruin the party that Shallow Vernal-sama is looking forward to, you’d best be prepared for the consequences."
"...My apologies. I was thoughtless... I’m reflecting on it now, I promise, so please lower the scythe, Goddess of Calamity."
The Great Sea God had been caught by the other High-ranking God invited by Kaito—Shia, the Goddess of Calamity. Once Marine regained her senses and realized the magnitude of her blunder, she apologized with a sheepish expression. She was promptly hauled away by Shia, while Nizbel led Eingana in the opposite direction.
As a natural consequence of the incident, Shia and Nizbel later issued a strict decree: for the duration of the party, Marine and Eingana were forbidden from coming within a certain distance of one another.
??? "Oh, Shia-san—the 'Cool Serious-senpai'—makes an appearance for the first time in a while."
Serious-senpai: "...Eh? No, wait, hang on. If you put it like that, doesn't that imply I'm the 'uncool one'?"