Here we go again:

    "Which boat, Nanami?" she asked.

Nanami: The one that says 'The Minnow' on the side. My brother is
disguised as the skinny guy with the red shirt and white hat.

    "That one.  Next to the one with the red flag and the twin
masts."  Nanami pointed.  "My brother's on it."  Her face twisted
into a grimace.  "With that little Phantom Tribe worm."

Aww, isn't she going to mention the 'old looking duche bag' next to him?
^_^

    Shayla cursed.  What looked to her like a Dorusian merchant
ship appeared to be more than the twice the size of the
red-flagged Gainosian cruiser.  Then she scooped up Nanami in her
arms and took a run towards the end of the pier.

    "Shayla, what are you doing!"

Shayla: Taking you away from that Ailie bitch so I can have you all to
myself.  I've decided to give up on Makoto and men altogether. I'm going
with a girl that can really satisfy me.

    "We're sinking!" the pilot cried.  "The captain is going to
kill me!  This is all your fault!"

    "Nanami, can we still catch them?"

    Nanami shook her head.  "They pulled in front of a bunch of
other boats.  They'll be out of the harbour and out to sea by
now.  I'm sorry, Shayla."

Hmm. I guess Bugrom ships can move fast when they have to.

    "Not any more,

'anymore' I think

it isn't."  Afura touched down lightly on the

deck, in a gust of wind that ran over Shayla like a caress.  "Miz
is holding it up with her power."

    "If you'd been here, Afura, we could have caught them,"
Shayla muttered.

True. Also with Miz, it probably would have been over in seconds. Even
with illusions, I doubt they could have hidden their actual contact with
the water from her. From there it would have been easy to stop them.

    "To hell with your committees!  Don't you understand
anything?  The leaders of the Bugrom sailed down the middle of
your harbour and are currently in the Sea of Tears!  The longer
it takes for you to give us what we need, the less our chance of
catching them will be.  We've already delayed enough, merely
because you required an explanation as to why the honoured
priestess from Muldoon set a ship on fire, sank another, and
damaged part of the harbour in her valiant attempt to stop them."

If she really wants to turn make them nervous, she can imply that they are
stonewalling her because they might have  a secret agreement with the
bugrom. They did scoot right past their harbor without anyone trying to
stop them and not it appears they are impeding the chase after them.

    "I think being a princess must be rather like being a
priestess," Miz said softly.  She touched the back of his hand.
"There are certain roles you have to play."

    A tall, middle-aged man in an elegant crimson uniform stood
up from his seat.  "As commander of Gannan's navy, I would say
that we can spare at least ten small cruisers and one larger
cruiser to the Princess's cause."

Hmm. Sounds like the commader might want to go along.

    What vexed him was just how Nanami had managed to spot him.
He'd been puzzling over it since she first pointed them out in
the harbour.

Hmm. This is true. He has no idea his sister can see through the illusions
of the Phantom Tribe, does he?

    Deva said nothing, only glanced back over her shoulder, her
eyes narrowed.

She definitely suspects something's up. Wonder if my guess about her
pierceing Phantom Tribe illusions is on the mark.

    "I figured out why Nanami could see us," Jinnai explained.
"The angels are hiding us from our enemies.  But Nanami,
traitorous as she may be, is still my flesh and blood--they
didn't recognize her as my foe."

    Deva shrugged.  "I suppose that is as likely an explanation
as any."

Actually, it is pretty reasonable, from Jinnai's POV. Even if it is wrong.

    It was too fast for the eye to register any detail beyond
the human shape of it.  Whatever it was, it moved through the
water like a spear, not riding the waves so much as simply
cutting through them.  The wake it left on either side seemed far
too large for such a small object.

It's the Sub-Mariner! When did he get into El Hazard? ^_^

    It stepped towards him.  The skin of it was very pale, and
had green tinge to it.  It wore no clothing beyond a pair of
trousers the colour of ancient jade.  Sea-green hair fell in a
wild tangle about its face, barely constrained by a seven-pointed
crown upon its brow.

Ah. The one the girl saw in her dreams. I suspected as much, but wasn't
sure until now.

 One hand was human in shape, but had no

false covering of skin, and shone like molten silver in the sun.
That hand held a seven-pointed trident with a fist-sized green
sphere directly below the head.

So it is the Sub-Mariner, Demon God version.

    Still smiling, Jinnai nodded.  "My thoughts exactly.
Destroy them all."

    Without another word, the Demon-God leapt over the side of
the boat.

Hmm. If it's anything like Ifurita in power level, it's going to be a
massacre.

    "Katsuhiko," Deva said urgently.  "If Makoto is aboard those
boats, won't your sister also be?"

    The words sank in slowly.  His laughter died in time with
it.  A coldness, beyond even that he'd felt when winding up
Lethiaphan, settled down over his heart like a heavy weight.

Oh? Still has feelings for his sister?

    To the left of the Godswind, one of the smaller cutters
exploded as a column of swirling water erupted from the sea and
ripped it in half.  Men screamed and dived overboard.  Even
before the column hit its apex, it was splitting into dozens of
spears that struck out at the men as they tried to swim to the
safety of the other boats.  Those hit sank below the surface
without a sound.

It used the water to kill them? That was what it sounded like the 'spears'
were made from.

    "Did they get it?" Alielle said softly.

Nope. Not far enough into the series yet.

    "What is going on?" Fatora shouted.  "I demand to know what
is going on!"

Your fleet is being sunk.

    "Makoto!"  Nanami seized his arm.  "What boat were Mr.
Fujisawa and Miz on?  Shayla and Afura?"

    "I don't know, Nanami," Makoto whispered.  "I don't know."

Yeah. Miz should be doing something by now. The water is her element.

    "I thought I sensed another," the Demon-God said.  Though it
had no facial features, Makoto knew that it was looking at him.
"But I do not recognize you.  What is your name?"

Ah, This explains why he didn't simply sink the ship.

    Light dazzled his eyes again, and the female angel stepped
out of thin air, wings folded against her back.  "Turn back,
Katsuhiko Jinnai."

A face off coming up.

    "That is enough," Deva said sharply.  "This charade ends
now."

Heh. About time she stepped up.

    Deva stepped forward, and seized it by the throat.  The
smile disappeared.  "Drop the illusions now, or I'll crush you
like an egg."

She should do it anyway. Can't trust someone as duplicitous as the Nahato,
or Lemulla.

    "I am hardly helpless," Deva said drolly.  She raised her
free hand and seemed to point at something.  Lines of silver
thread, rather like the webbing of a spider, shot from her
fingertips and wrapped around, to Jinnai's eyes, empty air.

Ah. Deva begins to strut her stuff. I wonder if she'll suck the blood out
of the little bastard now. ^_^

    "For deceiving God's messenger there can be but one
penalty," Jinnai said solemnly.  The boat was still moving back
towards Balam--hopefully they'd get there in time to change
Lethiaphan's orders, but that was only on the edge of his mind
right now.  "Bind her arms and legs, and toss her and the boy
over the side, Queen Diva."

Bah! Hasn't Jinnai heard of keelhauling?

    "You make a great error," the woman said calmly.

    "I've made many errors," Deva replied.  "I just correct
them."

Hmm. I rather like this new assertive Deva, even if she still is a bad
guy.

    "Lemulla!" the boy screamed.  "You bitch, you bitch, I'll--"

    "Be silent!"  Jinnai struck him across the face.

Nahato looked at Jinnai with new respect. He could bitch slap just like
his beloved Lord Gallus.

    Deva effortlessly lifted the boy and threw him over the side
after Lemulla before he could speak another word.

Somehow, I doubt if it's that easy.

Hmm. A lot more dialogue in this one, which flowed seamlessly. Lot more
action too, which was needed at this point in the story. More action to
follow, of course. Once again a wonderful read that was nicely done.

D.B. Sommer