Born into the legacy of the most illustrious dojo, she was destined to embody the strength of a leader. She strove, tirelessly, to fulfill the expectations placed upon her, shaping herself into a figure of unparalleled power.

Expectation, unfortunately, was heavier than any weapon.

Yet, it was not a lack of ability that held her back, but the rigid perception of her very being, a subtle yet insidious barrier of gender. An obstacle no amount of training could strike down.

She realized it was reserved not for merit, but for conformity to a world that measured worth by arbitrary lines.

Lines she had never agreed to but was forced to stand behind.

Over time, this injustice became a shadow within her, a consuming darkness that eroded her sense of self.

Quiet at first, then impossible to ignore.

And in surrendering to that shadow, in seeking freedom from its oppressive gaze, she transcended the boundaries imposed upon her and became a man, not merely in form, but in the world's eyes, in order to claim the acknowledgment she had always been denied.

***

The next sea appeared on the horizon. Though barely visible through the fog, which had begun to thin, the White Scavenger they'd caught grew agitated, forcing them to release it back into the waves.

Apparently, even deities had places they preferred not to linger.

But once that was handled, just as they waited to see what the next sea would bring, Lyra caught everyone's attention.

She cleared her throat. By now, even Jihriel was anticipating what she'd say.

That was an unusual sign.

"There's something I need to tell you all… I am actually a woman, but I can't act as such. My Flaw is Inferiority Complex, I'd definitely still come back to dressing like a man anyway."

The crowd was silent. Not the dramatic kind, just confused.

Halo didn't think his words would impact her so deeply. She could have simply accepted it quietly, not proclaimed it before the entire crew.

In the moments that followed, though, only White reacted with surprise to her words.

"Uhm, I think we already knew that," Omega said.

Brave sneered. "You suck at acting like a man, who would fall for that?"

Lyra's gaze swept over their faces, her mouth falling open slightly in shock. This was not the reaction she'd rehearsed.

Jihriel approached her and tried to encourage her.

"Your Flaw is fascinating, but don't worry about it. Don't be too hard on yourself. In the future, it might be harder to tell, but for now, your actions are clear. You don't have to be a man to be superior. It may be too late for that, but follow your heart, you can even be both if that makes you happy."

Lyra sighed in relief. Acceptance, it turned out, didn't require secrecy.

Her Flaw would inevitably wear her down. Perhaps one day she'd come to completely accept being a man, or perhaps not. Either way, it wasn't difficult to imagine the experiences that had given her such a Flaw.

An uncomfortable silence hung in the air until Hazard broke it by changing the subject.

"Brace yourselves, guys." Hazard never said this without consequences.

The moment he spoke, the change was abrupt.

Halo had hoped for calm, gentle breezes after the hazardous cold, but there was no respite.

One moment, their nostrils were frozen; the next, the sky darkened, fierce winds whipped up, waves tossed chaotically, and lightning hammered the water relentlessly. Rest became impossible. So much for optimism.

They'd entered the Storm Sea, the smallest of all the seas and one of the few without Sinners. But constant lightning, massive waves, and random tornadoes made rest impossible.

Apparently, it made up for the lack of Sinners with enthusiasm.

It was said the lightning itself was the Sinner, remaining invisible until it struck with impossible speed.

But whether this was true or not, no one had ever observed the lightning as something alive. It killed all the same.

Alive or not, it was rude.

On Hazard's orders, everyone pitched in to help the ship through the storm, except Leto, whose seasickness was getting worse by the minute.

The crystals kept the ship at an ideal pace for these conditions. Some crew members angled the ship into the waves, others tied down anything that could break loose and turn lethal, and a few worked pumps to expel water.

Yet White shouldered most of the burden. She stood at the deck's center, brown hair streaming in the wind, her red eyes fixed on the dark sky above.

Subtle but effective. She redirected most of the wind and waves away from them, and whatever she couldn't deflect, she subdued before it could strike the ship.

Halo was impressed.

White had just started learning to wield her True Ability properly, this would undoubtedly help her grow. But to work at this scale while still a novice? She must have advanced rapidly. Or desperation was a very good teacher.

Yet in that moment, nothing mattered but survival: orders shouted over howling wind, reefed sails cracking like gunfire, crew frantically pumping in darkness, the ship climbing massive swells and crashing down again.

This would be their existence until they escaped these waters, but mere hours into it, they were already feeling the strain.

Time stretched differently when exhaustion took over.

Halo wished he could be one of his clones right now. Those lucky bastards were relaxing in his room.

Existential jealousy wasn't new to him, but heavier now.

However, in the midst of it all, Halo caught wind of something.

Despite the dense atmosphere, he recognized the stench of killing intent immediately.

Some things cut through anything.

His gaze swept around until he spotted a ship bearing down on them deliberately. The people on board were pirates in all but name, laughing, cursing excitedly, and with greed burning unmistakably in their eyes.

They were skilled sailors without question, and confronting them would be dangerous. As if the storm hadn't been enough.

'Damn it all.'

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