Reincarnated as a Land Shark???

Chapter 4: Darkness in the Water

As it turns out, the demonic screeching really didn't help life on the reef to want to come out any sooner. Like I'd learned from documentaries, sound travels really well underwater.

So I really have nothing to do all day but laze about over a nice sunny rock until life resumes. By the time it does, it's almost sunset and everything is just lazily floating about in the last few minutes before sundown.

Not really any better time to catch something, if I do say so myself.

My eyes drift over the clouds of fish around me, finally homing in on one that's being avoided.

This fish is... weird, to say the least. It's almost like a cross between a sturgeon and a whale, the blubbery belly seeming out of place on what should have been a very streamlined body. Out of its lower jaw razor-sharp teeth emerge, and its fins look more like swords than actual fins.

So if I were hunting, how would I go about this?

It has defenses in front and defenses below/to its sides. That means my best angle of approach would be from the back.

I swim leisurely at an angle to it, and it continues on its way, paying me no mind. It'll pay for that attitude. I change direction subtly while it continues to swim in a straight line. It's clearly going somewhere, likely to a den.

Now, I'll want to be careful about this. Sound transfers in water really quickly, so if I suddenly rush forwards it'll hear my movement. Not to mention fish have organs on their sides, known as the lateral line, which allows them to detect movement in the water. I haven't really been paying attention, but even I can feel mine working like that. That means if my movements are too sharp or rapid that thing will notice and turn to fight me. I'm undoubtedly faster, but those blades and fangs look like they can do a lot of damage if they hit me and I don't want to put chum in the water so close to sunset, when the other sharks are starting to become active.

Well, I don't want my blood in the water. This thing's blood is another matter entirely. It'll get in the blood either way, considering what I'm about to do.

I make sure to keep on level with it as I approach so my shadow doesn't give me away. I keep my movements natural and fluid, as though I'm simply passing by. The fish, if it has noticed me yet, doesn't react.

That means the hunting behaviors of animals are the same here as they are in my world. Sharks attack in a very brutal and straightforward manner most of the time, in most cases abandoning all caution. If a shark is casually swimming by something, it's unlikely to try and take a bite out of it. This behavior is not hunting behavior, but if I lurk too long it's bound to notice and get nervous... or aggressive.

I gradually increase my pace, angling upwards. I can tell it's noticed me by now, but it doesn't react. It thinks I want to swim past it, most likely. Its belly would be more vulnerable than its back in terms of skin density, so any other predator would attempt an approach from below. Going from above, however, gives me the advantage of not being in range of its sharp fins.

And, finally, I've made it into the optimal position.

I angle my body just so, allowing myself to be ready for a swift burst down, and I pounce!

My teeth close down on the flesh on its back, fore-claws raking across its back with sharp claws and hind claws fastening to the flesh near its tail to hold on, my own tail thrashing as I try to keep my hold on the bucking, writhing fish. It draws up, and I'm nearly launched clean off as it expels a huge bubble of air from its chest with a whoosh!

Don't tell me all that lard was actually air for situations such as these? Well, either way it doesn't matter. I've got you by the spine!

I bite as hard as a shark's rather incredible bite force will allow, and with a snap I feel bone break beneath my jaws. Perfect! Looks like I was right about this guy at least having a spine! ...I doubt it had a ribcage though, considering the massive size adjustment its stomach just made.