Chapter 316 - Battle of Sea and Sky
Diving into the sea, teeming with ferocious shark-like beasts, would be a death sentence, beyond mere recklessness.
I have no way to swim away from a water-manipulating beast, and fighting it in the water seems equally foolish. The turbulent currents would toss me around, making it nearly impossible to maintain my balance. Drowning seems like the most likely outcome.
The only way to survive would be to turn the sea into a literal hell with no regard for consequences. I have too many things to live for, so I’ll use any means necessary to stay alive.
Who cares if others are inconvenienced? I don’t give a damn.
Even if I cause massive environmental damage or kill countless creatures, I will survive!
“Haha, just kidding.”
This isn’t even a real crisis. I’m completely calm.
If a beast tries to knock me into the sea, it’s a waste of effort. I have plenty of options.
Siegrune and Mary are always monitoring my magical energy, so they must have noticed my situation. But there’s no need for them to worry excessively.
Worrying about me, the leader of the Kikyo Society, a highly combative organization, would be pointless. I can handle this on my own, so they won’t even give it a second thought.
This is the perfect opportunity to show everyone a trick I haven’t used yet.
It’s my first time using it in combat, but I need a challenge. This situation is just right.
Glowing with a crimson aura, I slowly drift through the air, drawing a lot of attention.
The shark-like beasts are gathering at the impact point, eager for a meal. Some are so impatient they’re flying up to attack before I even land.
“Try me if you dare!”
I know the timing. When one beast lunges, I kick off a ‘platform’ to change my position, then kick off another to return to my original spot.
I approach the side of a beast that lost sight of its prey and deliver a powerful punch.
A perfect strike, enhanced by a twist of my hips, a full-bodied straight punch wrapped in crimson aura. The beast’s body is torn in half, and I feel a satisfying impact. Yes!
I won’t fall.
I create another ‘platform’ and kick off it to jump, diving toward the sea instead of falling.
The shark’s dorsal fin stands out even in the stormy sea. I aim for it, punch through, and feel the destructive impact. Then, I jump back into the air.
The dorsal fin is a great target. I attack from the sky again, moving horizontally just above the water’s surface. Using ‘platforms’ to move freely, I strike with my fists and heels, easily ending the giant beasts’ lives.
Using ‘platforms’ or kicking nearby pirate ships, I maneuver in three dimensions, dominating the battlefield like a ruler.
What are you, Messenger of the Water God, going to do about it?
“Don’t you dare underestimate humans!”
I laugh as I look down at the sea.
Perhaps fearing my uncontrollable power, the beasts ignore me and intensify their attacks on the ships.
I’m not neglecting the ships, which are busy defending and counterattacking.
My heightened senses allow me to intercept attacks before they’re even launched.
I repeatedly use aerial maneuvers, throwing objects to disrupt the beasts. A few water curtains are no problem, and I can adjust my throwing angles in the air. Mixing in curveballs, I aim for the critical spots. I don’t need to land a killing blow; just disrupting them is enough.
If the beasts think they can outsmart me, they’re sorely mistaken.
Leaving a trail of crimson light in the stormy night sky, I engrave the difference in our ranks into the Messengers of the Water God’s instincts.
After a brief rampage, I return to the ship with plenty of room to spare.
The pirate ships are no longer surrounded, and we’ll soon be out of the current.
The shark-like monsters are staying in the blood-soaked area, gradually moving away.
As I look at the sea illuminated by light magic, Siegrune and Mary, sheathing their swords, approach me.
“It seems to be over. But, Yukari-dono, you’ve shown us something quite interesting.”
“I didn’t know your shield could be used like that, Yukari-san.”
“I can float it near me, so it’s only natural that I can do such tricks. I just never had the chance before.”
Actually, it’s not easy.
It took a lot of effort to develop it to the point where I could use it in combat.
I have a strong image of a shield as a defensive tool, and using it as a platform requires flexible thinking. That subtle difference makes it challenging for me to construct and deploy magic quickly.
Besides, such tricks are only useful in environments like today’s or for surprise attacks. They’re not very effective against strong opponents.
For example, against the two strong people here, it’s better to fight straightforwardly.
“Let’s head to the bridge and talk to the captain.”
“Should we stand down from combat readiness?”
“Yes, go ahead and give the order.”
While confirming with wide-area magical energy sensing that there are no more issues, we deactivate our Combat Body Transformation Magic. Finally, we can take a breather.
Mary tells the others to rest, except for a few on watch, and we enter the bridge. Excited old men greet us.
“You did great, girls!”
“I don’t know how many times I thought I was dead. No way I’m going through that again!”
“Actually, if you can survive that, there’s nothing to fear! I’ve got a great story to tell in the afterlife.”
The old men’s tension seems to have lifted, and their energy is unusually high.
“That’s good to hear. I don’t know what the currents are like, but we won’t encounter that again, right?”
“No worries. Leave it to us.”
“We’ll keep moving through the night to get as far away as possible. We should be fine.”
If the experienced old men say so, we can relax completely.
With that, I feel the urge to dry off and rest.
“Just leave the watch to us. If anything happens, we’ll wake you up, so rest easy.”
The old man, concerned about our fatigue, kindly offers to take over. We gratefully accept and head to the ship’s hold. Mary gives the order for everyone to rest, and Siegrune and I quickly take hot showers.
The warmth returns to my cold body, and I finally feel relaxed. The sudden drowsiness hits me hard.
The storm continues, and the ship rocks violently. Sharing a room with seasick crew members, I can’t settle down.
I can’t settle down, but the thought of finding a better place to sleep is too exhausting. I block out the commotion of people preparing for bed and wrap myself in a blanket.
Closing my eyes, I drift off to sleep easily.
The rest of the journey feels like an afterthought.
The people transporting the minerals and those in the town will wonder why the number of pirates has drastically decreased. That’s about the only thing that might catch their attention. The journey back is uneventful, just like the way there.
We were a bit cautious about being tracked by the Messengers of the Water God, but we returned to Rigaheim without any trouble.
Returning to land after a temporary stop on an uninhabited island finally puts my mind at ease. Even though I’m not prone to seasickness, being on solid ground is more comforting.
Some of the crew, who are not used to ships, have become even more averse to them after this trip. I think they’ll get used to it after a few more storms.
We arrive at the port earlier than the scheduled return, so there’s no welcoming party.
We quickly gather our belongings and board a vehicle. We report the details to the shipping company’s captain and crew, then head straight to our temporary base.
As we approach, the members who stayed behind open the entrance for us. We enter and start unpacking.
“Phew, we’re back.”
“I was confident we wouldn’t be outdone by pirates, but it’s good to see you back safely, Yukari-dono.”
“You look well, Rosabel-san.”
Returning to our home base, I find the old lady sipping tea and relaxing. It’s a comforting sight.
“A lot happened, but how about you, Rosabel-san? Did you have any success?”
I recall she was supposed to gather information through her connections with healers.
Going on a trip to the south and dispersing pirates was just training. Now, the real work begins.
“We have a lot to discuss, but let’s settle in first.”
“True, that makes sense.”
“Many members are still out. Let’s wait for everyone to return before we start.”
Siegrune suggests taking a break or free time until dinner, and I agree.
“I’ll go for a run.”
“I’ll join you.”
Mary and the others want to feel solid ground under their feet and regain their usual senses. They leave after a quick unpacking.
“Onee-sama, I’ll go for a run too.”
“I’ll join you. What about you, Siegrune?”
“I’d like to, but I’m also curious about the town. I’ll visit Cafe Daisy.”
“Alright, see you later. Rosabel-san, I’ll be out for a bit.”
“Restless bunch, aren’t they?”
Ignoring the old lady’s exasperated look, we stretch our shoulders and head out.
We’ll meet up for dinner, enjoy a slightly more luxurious meal in town, and then return to the warehouse for a brief meeting.
We share information with the expedition members and those who stayed behind.
“First, a quick report on the pirate training. It’s not the main topic, so I’ll keep it brief.”
Siegrune takes the lead, summarizing our encounter with the pirates. Our pirate-hunting isn’t the main story, so we gloss over it but provide a detailed account of the sea’s threats, the powerful beasts.
“Fighting powerful sea beasts is rare, but the Second Combat Unit is writing a detailed report. Take a look when you have time.”
The Intelligence Bureau and Combat Support Unit members are all very interested.
We were about to hear about Rigaheim while we were away, but apparently, nothing significant happened.
“Let’s get to the main topic.”
“The real target, the ex-navy pirates. There’s been some progress, right?”
From Rosabel-san’s demeanor, I can tell. Information from Rigaheim’s healers and the efforts of the Intelligence Bureau members have finally led us to the pirates.
They were unknown, and we couldn’t contact them.
“Actually, a friend of a friend of a friend is a healer. He treated a former navy officer.”
“That’s quite a distant connection... but you heard it directly?”
“I didn’t, but—”
The old lady looks at the Intelligence Bureau member.
“The advisor told us about the healer, and we visited him.”
“Yes, it was a small fishing village. There was an old healer, and he was happy to talk when we mentioned Rosabel-san. He treated a man who washed up on the beach, dressed like a former navy officer, as mentioned in a letter to his friend, another healer.”
I see. That’s how the information reached Rosabel-san.
“There’s no navy in Retnark anymore. If someone’s dressed like that, they’re definitely pirates.”
“Yes, it’s a valuable lead. Did you track them down?”
“They were recuperating in the village. The healer said the man’s injuries were too severe for him to fully recover.”
“He was coherent enough for us to question him with medicine. It’s a complicated situation.”
The warehouse fills with a sense of weariness.
Another troublesome situation. We’re clearly favored by the goddess of trouble.
We were on an expedition and didn’t know the details, but we can’t avoid hearing them.
Well, we already knew it would be complicated.
A former navy officer, now a pirate, washing up on the beach with severe injuries? Something must have happened.
---
We spent a long time fighting pirates and sea beasts, but as you know, it was just training for the real battle! Yes.
From here, we’ll finally get to the main event with the pirates, but it won’t be too long.
Next time: "A Dishonest Favor."