Chapter 315 - The Disadvantage of Fighting on Enemy Turf
For land dwellers like us, fighting in the ocean is inherently disadvantageous. Especially when facing beasts called Messengers of the Water God, the threat is immeasurable.
During our operations, we had encountered underwater beast repellents, and the beasts we saw from afar were mostly small. But it seemed that in critical moments, the big ones appeared. Troublesome goddesses must really favor us.
The group of beasts from the northeast had begun to ravage the pirate ships and spread across the area. Being surrounded before we could escape was inevitable.
The appearance of these beasts alone evokes a primal fear. The dorsal fins protruding from the water were particularly striking, resembling sharks.
"Siegrune and Mary, defend on the deck! I’ve spread the sand, so use it as you please!"
With Siegrune and Mary on the deck, I could focus on the rear from the bridge roof. Preparing sand for Mary would also prevent her from slipping.
The rain, wind, and waves showed no signs of abating.
The monstrous creatures, like flying fish, attacked the pirate ships, devouring blood and flesh. For the pirates, it was a nightmare.
The graveyard of pirates we had been creating was now being replaced by the beasts.
The memory of the mysterious cargo ship with the Kikyo flower skull flag would likely be overshadowed by the attack of the Messengers of the Water God.
We hadn’t come here to seek fame, but it felt like our efforts were being overshadowed.
"If we’re surrounded, escaping unharmed is impossible. We might as well take out a few of them."
This was a rare opportunity to assess the strength of these so-called Messengers of the Water God.
No matter the creature, my combat body transformation magic and throwing techniques should be effective. In fact, these lesser beasts were perfect for testing excessive firepower.
Surrounded by a red aura, I raised my arms to prepare for a throw.
I shifted my weight forward on one foot, twisting my upper body as I swung my arm, transferring energy to my fingertips.
The rain didn’t matter; I just needed to control it.
The tungsten ball, gripped tightly, left my hand, cutting through the rain and wind faster than sound.
Even with the immense magical power of the beast, it couldn’t withstand the impact.
The beast, feasting on a pirate’s corpse, couldn’t resist the enormous destructive energy and exploded.
"Ha, whether Water God or not, come at me!"
Taking down one or a few beasts wouldn’t make much of a difference, but the rising combat spirit urged me to throw another.
Suddenly, water curtains appeared all around. The beasts had used magic.
They seemed to be setting up a defense. My throw was so fast that understanding what was happening would be difficult. If they could react and respond in such a split second, it meant they had a higher intelligence than expected.
I was impressed by their quick response. This felt more like instinct than intelligence.
"But it’s too thin!"
It was useless. A half-hearted defense wouldn’t work. I ignored it and threw again.
The tungsten ball easily pierced the water shield, striking and severely wounding a second beast.
The reduced power was evident. The water resistance provided surprisingly strong defense. Even if I threw with full force, it would likely lose momentum in the water, especially with the added resistance from the magic.
A thin defense could have a surprisingly significant effect. Once the trick was known, simple physical attacks were easier to counter.
Still, I wasn’t about to make it easy for them.
"...This is ridiculous."
My moment of ease was short-lived. The water curtains thickened and multiplied.
It wasn’t just weak; this almost completely blocked our long-range attacks. Frustration welled up inside me.
"Siegrune, they’re more troublesome than expected."
"Did you see that? We can’t use throwing attacks. What about Mary?"
"My water jets won’t work either. Only close-range attacks would be effective..."
Our plan to reduce their numbers with long-range attacks had failed.
But that was fine. Escaping was the goal. Dealing with such beasts was more about annoyance than combat spirit.
Repelling the approaching beasts and escaping the area was the priority. Defense and counterattacks were essential.
The ship gradually increased speed, trying to break through the pirate encirclement.
The beasts, growing more active, were likely to make contact soon.
Suddenly, I detected a rapidly approaching presence from the deep water.
"Full defense!"
Violante, commanding from inside the ship, shouted over the communication line.
Everyone poured their magical power into protecting the ship. They had realized that, despite working together, they couldn’t match the beasts’ water manipulation skills. The beasts were surprisingly advanced in their magical abilities.
With water manipulation blocked, the current team couldn’t deploy effective underwater defenses. General magic was even less effective.
The strategy was to infuse the ship’s magical minerals with power to enhance its structure. Simple but highly effective, it could mitigate the impact of a ramming attack, though it couldn’t completely prevent holes in the hull. This was possible only with the magical power of the Second Combat Unit. Even Valeria, suffering from seasickness, contributed by supplying magical power.
The beasts, perhaps sensing our defenses, continued to ram the ship persistently.
"Mary, how’s the magical power holding up?"
"We’re fine!"
The impacts were strong, making it difficult to stand. This was troublesome.
Moreover, the beasts attacked from directions other than underwater.
Two large beasts simultaneously leaped onto the deck. Mary and Siegrune, showing no signs of being off-balance, met the attack head-on.
The light sword cut through the massive body with precision, and the water snake blew off the head. Their constant magical perception allowed them to anticipate the attacks accurately.
I used a tungsten rod to smash the head of a leaping beast.
"What do you think you’re doing, Messengers of the Water God!"
With three of us, we could hold out until our escape.
The area around us was a chaotic scene of beasts ravaging pirate ships. Surviving pirates continued sporadic resistance.
The sudden quiet on our ship stood out in the midst of the chaos. Maybe they were focusing on us after repelling the beasts.
I hoped we could escape, but the calm before the storm was also a possibility.
Yes, I knew. Blood-thirsty beasts wouldn’t let their prey escape easily.
This calm was unsettling. Something was bound to happen.
We focused and closely monitored the situation.
"Damn, more magic!"
The beasts, maintaining their water curtains, seemed to be preparing another spell.
I anticipated the attack and set up multiple shields in advance.
The movements were immediate.
A beast leaped at me, casting a spell as it flew.
The impact from the spell and the beast’s leap left several shields shattered, and the beast lunged at me with its mouth open.
I fell backward to avoid the attack and punched its underside as it flew past.
Without looking back at the flying beast, I quickly regained my stance and checked on Siegrune and Mary. They had also avoided the attack.
I instantly understood what had happened.
It was a water jet. Though not as powerful as Mary’s water jets, it had a wider range. The water jet was about a meter in diameter.
The water jet itself wasn’t very powerful and didn’t contain sand, so it probably wasn’t lethal. But being hit by the water pressure would be difficult to withstand.
In other words, being hit would likely push you into the sea.
A water battle with these beasts was something I wanted to avoid at all costs.
"Yukari-dono, we need safety lines!"
"I know!"
I hadn’t worn them for convenience, but it was necessary now.
While maintaining the perimeter, I generated a long wire connecting to the deck. However, I didn’t have time to wrap it securely around my body, and the beasts attacked again.
We had no choice but to continue fighting, gripping the wire with our arms.
These beasts, despite being beasts, were cunning!
I blocked two water jets from different directions, dodged a charge, and then smashed the beast with my rod.
The bridge was narrow, making maneuvering difficult.
So far, we hadn’t been hit, but if the bridge were breached, it would be disastrous. I needed to set up multiple shields to protect it.
There was a lot to manage!
The stormy night sea, illuminated by light magic, was chaotic.
The beast-like creatures leaped and ravaged the pirate ships, turning the sea into a graveyard.
The refracted light from the rippling water curtains added a surreal touch to the hellish scene.
"—These beasts are a real pain!"
Despite the rising frustration, I found the scene strangely fascinating. This absurd situation was unlikely to happen again.
I dodged multiple incoming water jets, avoided charging beasts, and struck them as they passed.
But the attacks were never monotonous.
The cunning beasts varied the number of water jets, the angles, and the timing of their charges. They also used water shields during their charges, adding an extra layer of defense.
Even avoiding a head-on attack, a minor hit could drag you into the sea. Being hit by a water jet would likely knock you off the ship.
I wanted to avoid a water battle at all costs. If one of them bit my arm, I’d have to cut it off to avoid falling.
Siegrune and Mary likely thought the same.
These beasts, despite being beasts, were battle-hardened. My maneuvering on the narrow deck was becoming increasingly difficult.
Moreover, the ship was continuously being rammed, and they were now targeting the bridge. They seemed to understand that I was defending it and intensified their attacks.
The burden was heavy.
Combat body transformation magic provided immense power but also placed a significant strain on the body. Thanks to the recovery potions, there were no lingering side effects, but prolonged use still caused significant fatigue and pain.
"It’s too early to complain. Stay focused!"
I activated the communication line to call out.
I was mostly reminding myself, but fatigue was a common issue for everyone.
If anyone lost focus, it could lead to a quick collapse. We needed to ride this out with a sense of crisis.
The endless yet short time.
The ship accelerated and finally broke through the pirate encirclement.
All that was left was to escape the area, which shouldn’t take long.
Just as I braced myself for the final push, I dealt with water jets coming from both directions. They had learned not to charge and clearly aimed for a water battle. Their goal was to sink the ship or knock us off.
Of course, we couldn’t let them have their way. We dodged and defended, buying time. Siegrune and Mary were still holding up, and we could continue.
As I prepared to counter a side attack, I sensed an abnormally large magical presence.
I set up multiple shields, but they were all swept away. It was a water jet, twice as powerful as any we had faced before.
I leaped into the air, using the wire for support to avoid the aftereffects of the water jet. As I did, a massive beast launched an aerial attack, seemingly aiming for me.
"No way, back off!"
Enough of this!
This was a particularly large beast, likely one of the largest. I twisted my body mid-air and kicked it, evading the charge.
However, the tension in the wire suddenly disappeared, and I was thrown into the air.
"No way..."
I watched as the large beast passed beneath me. Its massive pectoral fin, sharp and heavy, had cut the wire.
I had created the wire; it wasn’t something easily breakable. It could even slice through what it touched. The only explanation was that the beast’s attack, with its immense mass and magical power, had severed it.
I flipped in mid-air to regain my balance, but it was too late. The deck below was already out of reach.
For those who couldn’t fly, the only fate was to fall into the abyss.