Rita’s mind flashed back to the words she had read in those old notes. —"Eleven thousand three hundred and sixty-seven sunsets. Eleven thousand three hundred and sixty-seven times I saw the Blue-striped Bluru. It never once touched the bait. So why does it come here every day? Why does it always leave at sunset? Will I die never seeing anyone reel one in?" She turned her head. Ignoring the thousands of students staring at Blue-striped Bluru, waiting for the game to end, she looked at the Fishing Master standing at the edge of the pier. He had already lifted his rod, ready to go home. This was the eleven thousand three hundred and sixty-eighth sunset. Why did the fish come every day? Why did it always wait until sunset to leave? —"The joy of fishing lies in patience and adventure." —"If we can never catch a fish, then in the eyes of the fish, are we not the rarest anglers of all?" Before, she thought "patience" described anglers waiting for fish to bite, and "adventure" meant the fish daring to risk the hook for something tasty. But what if it was the other way around? What if "patience" described the Blue-striped Bluru... and "adventure" was meant for the angler? Rita suddenly stowed [Sunset and Tsunami] and drew her very first rod—[Reef]. Without hesitation, she drove the hook straight through her wrist. Line wrapped around her arm, staining crimson in seconds. Then she activated the rod’s skill—[Fishing Master]! A shadow split free from her body. The shade caught the rod her real hand had thrown. Only 26 seconds left. The line arced through the air, droplets of blood trailing, splashing into the sea. The hooked student plunged into the water. Her cast had come just a little late, landing behind the Blue-striped Bluru. But the shadow didn’t recast. It only gripped the rod and waited. Every student in the arena. Every spectator outside. All of them held their breath. Snowflakes clung to Quex’s icy-blue hair, but she didn’t brush them away. 23 seconds... 21 seconds... The red sun burned on the waves. Blue-striped Bluru suddenly dove, vanishing beneath the surface. So many sighs of relief rose at once it was deafening. But not one person laughed. 19 seconds... 18... 17... The drooping line snapped taut in a single direction! The shadow was yanked forward, nearly losing grip, but she clung to the rod with both hands. The reel screamed as it adjusted the line tension. [Fishing Master] was working—reeling the fish. The hooked creature carved circles through the sea, trying to wrench free. 12 seconds... 11... 10... A massive fish erupted from the water, crashing back down in a glittering spray. The sunset lit the spray like fire. It was Blue-striped Bluru! It was Blue-striped Bluru!! And on its back was someone! Blood Elf shot to her feet, no longer watching the little screen but locking onto the massive one drifting forward. Black Cat leapt onto her shoulder, forced to—it couldn’t see over the crowd otherwise, every spectator had risen as one. The dwarf ahead of them floated upward, hovering just to see. GodDraw77 surged to her feet—only to be smacked sideways by the massive butterfly wings of someone cheering behind her. Blue-striped Bluru breached again. This time everyone saw clearly. Its jaws clenched around Rita’s right hand. She clung to its back, drenched, pale, hair plastered across her face. She was a mess. But her grin was wild, her eyes blazing brighter than the sun. She screamed, voice cracking with glee, "Blue—blurughhh!" as seawater choked her. The fish twisted in midair, crashing back-first into the water, trying to crush and fling her off. Blue-striped Bluru dove deep. The rod’s tip was yanked down, almost vertical against the sea, then whipped in another direction, bowing like a drawn bowstring. The shadow soared upward, reeling with all its might. The line stretched to its limit, ready to snap. Blue-striped Bluru only swam faster, dragging the shade in a frenzy across the waves. Again and again it tried to buck its rider. But even a fish that shrugged off every skill couldn’t escape the effect of [Fishing Master]. Yes, yes. You fish for me. And I too wait for the tastiest bait of all—an angler. The angler is the sweetest catch in the world. Especially one flavored with dreams. Three seconds... two... As the countdown clouds dispersed, as the sun slipped fully into the sea— The surface split. Blue-striped Bluru, with a rider clinging, was hauled skyward by the rod. They never fell back down. She raised her unbroken hand high, blood dripping down her other arm, face wet with both salt and tears. And she shouted, "Blue-striped Bluru—!!!" Her voice cracked, softer. "Blue-striped Bluru..." Shattering rang across the skies of Golden Hills. Screens splintered, falling as Kimbori seeds. Only one remained. On it, a girl soared clutching the mythical fish. The sun had set, but her flame-bright wings lit the sea. Silence—then an eruption. The cheers and screams shook Golden Hills to its roots. Black Cat balanced on Blood Elf’s head, flailing its paws at the sky and howling. Blood Elf rasped, voice raw, "Oh my god—Lightchaser really should’ve been here to see this!" Get full chapters from NovєlFіre.net Arms folded, she sank back into her seat while creatures all around her leapt and shrieked, calling out in voices she couldn’t understand. A meerkat standing on a bench beside her jabbed a claw toward her face and squealed, "She’s amazing, isn’t she?! She really is, isn’t she?!" Lightchaser chuckled softly, inclining her head. The meerkat scowled, unsatisfied by her calm. "Say it! Tell me! She’s really, really amazing, isn’t she?!" Lightchaser: "......" Blue-striped Bluru vanished. On the last screen, Rita fell into a pillar of deep-blue light. Outside, the screen went black, leaving six glowing words. —Moonlight Marsh, Rita! Moments later, the card tilted and fell, becoming the temporary waiting zone. Students reappeared one by one upon its surface. Behind the card, a blue column of light rose, carrying the champion of this year’s Divine Game Fun Match. Rita’s right wrist gaped with a bloody hole, the hook still lodged, line and rod attached. She was about to tear it free and heal herself when she heard the audience chanting her name. So instead, she gripped the rod tight with her bloodied hand and raised it high, baring her wound and her trophy to their roar. One step closer to unlocking GodDraw77. The swing from despair to triumph left her dizzy. She couldn’t hold it back anymore. After a pause, she yanked out the hook, healed herself, and flew toward the stands. From her bag she pulled a stack of Scratch Cards she hadn’t had time to use—and flung them into the crowd. There was no better moment to advertise! If you’re going to promote, you’ve got to put out the real goods! Blood Elf’s eyes widened at the card fluttering toward her. "Oh no!" Black Cat shrieked, "Protect me!!!" It was about to erupt into chaos. She knew something was missing!