The sea was peaceful. Only blue and even more blue to be seen. A couple ships were floating atop such blue waters, the seagulls perching on top of the mast as they cawked around and stretched their wings.
They tilted their heads, observing the fishes swim with their little eyes. Soon enough, they spotted their targets and they stretched out their wings once more. A small gust of wind blew as the seagulls flew, soon stooping down and diving toward the water.
Splash Splash Splash
Splashes echoed time and time again as the seagulls dove headfirst towards the waters. They were like fired arrows, darting through the blue sea and grabbing small fishes by their long beaks. It was a busy day for them.
Well, it wasn't just the seagulls. The fishermen were even busier, moving barrel after barrel and drawing back the cast out nets. Everyone walked back and forth the deck, repeating the same pattern over and over again, all the while chatting merrily.
"Alright, are the barrels all secured?" ［Jack］
"Yes, Captain! We made sure everything's all tied up!"
"How about the nets and ropes?' ［Jack］
"They've also been taken care of."
It was almost noon, and with it was the time for the final check. With the main deck almost void of fishes and sea creatures, Jack made sure everything is the way it's supposed to be, not missing out on a single detail.
It didn't take long before everything was finally accounted for. So far, there wasn't a single problem in the ship. If anything, they surpassed their quota for the day by a large margin. With it, a celebration is sure to ensue once they get back in town.
"Alright, pull the anchors! We're heading baー huh...?" ［Jack］
Jack couldn't finish his words. In the corner of his eyes, he saw something unusual over the horizon. Unusual waves were coming their way, going against the others and growing bigger and bigger as they got closer.
"Is something wrong, Captain Jack?" ［Vilma］
"Ah, Your Excellency... It's just... I think there's something over,., hmm..." ［Jack］
Jack squinted his eyes much more, and focused with all his might. The closer the unusual wave came, the clearer the view became. It wasn't long before Jack finally figured things out, cold chills running down his spine as his face turned pale.
"R... Ring the bells! Beasts are coming! Ring the bells!" ［Jack］
"W-What?! Beasts?!"
"Hey! Ring the bells! Hurry!"
Tap Tap Tap Tap Tap
Chaos quickly ensued at Jack's words, and before they knew it, people were running around the place like crazy, their faces resembling Jacks, as they turned pale, hearts racing wildly like a hovering hummingbird.
Some grabbed weapons, some headed to the ice storage, and some made sure to prepare the supplies. At the same time, the anchors were quickly raised with all their strengths. Jack then headed towards the steering wheel, preparing to escape the beasts and get away safely with everyone.
There were only two people amongst the crowd who had totally different expressions, remaining calm despite the threat they are currently facing. They were, of course, none other than Grey and Yuna, ready to engage in battle at any given moment,
『Master, Mistress. On behalf of everyone, I sincerely apologize for our ineptitude... Master, we failed you.』 ［Sirius］
『Hahaha. What are you talking about? Everyone makes a mistake or two from time to time. There's no need to be so discouraged.』 ［Grey］
『Un! You all did your best, didn't you? That's already a job well done!』 ［Yuna］
The familiars apologized, but neither Grey nor Yun blamed them for what happened. They knew full well how hard the familiars work to fulfill their request, and they also know that they tried their very best. There was no need for needless blaming.
At Grey and Yuna's words of encouragement, though they were ashamed that they couldn't fulfill their duties, they are very happy that their masters still forgave them. Now, they are even more determined to stop more enemies from approaching.
『Anyway, we'll handle the ones which slipped out. For now, just take care of what's in front of you.』 ［Grey］
『Understood. We shall do so.』 ［Sirius］
There wasn't too much to think about. With the situation now the way it is, Grey and Yuna are left with no choice but to reveal their identities. Though they would rather nor, there is only so much they could do about it.
『Yuna, what do you want for dinner? Eels, squids, or lobsters?』 ［Grey］
『Hmm... Can't we just have all of them? They're all just too delicious.』 ［Yuna］
『Hahaha. Then it looks like we'll be having a feast tonight!』 ［Grey］
Well, they may be horrifying beasts to others, in the eyes of Grey and Yuna, all of them were simply unfortunate ingredients who'll be part of their seafood dishes for dinner. It was time for another hunt!
The panic continued and soon, everyone was finally at their positions. The fishermen, though just like any other normal person, neither trembled nor hid from the dangers. It wasn't the first time they faced such threats, and it wouldn't be the last either. They weren't going down without a fight.
"I apologize, Your Excellency, but we'll need to have you inside the captain's cabin. I believe it's the safest place to be at the moment." ［Jack］
"Fufufu! Thank you for your consideration, but I believe there's no need for such things. Things will be over soon." ［Vilma］
"H... Huh...? What do you mean by that, Your Excellency?" ［Jack］
"Nothing much. It's simply that... We have reliable people on our side." ［Vilma］
A smile afloat on her face, Vilma ended her statement whilst looking Jack in the eyes. As for the latter, he simply tilted his head in confusion, still unable to grasp what the Marchioness was talking about. Well, it isn't long before he does.
Not a single trace of fear in their eyes, two figures walked towards the front. Despite how delicate and young they looked, they were even calmer than anyone else. One of them was even playing with a small stone by his hands, throwing it up and catching it as it dropped.
"Captain, what does Thunder Eel meat taste like?" ［Grey］
"Uh... I... I don't know..." ［Jack］
"That's too bad... But oh, well, we'll be finding out soon enough..." ［Grey］
"Wh-What do you mean by that, Mister Shー !!!" ［Jack］
There was nothing short of a warning. Before Jack could even finish his words, Grey suddenly pulled back his hand and with a quick flick, threw the smooth stone he was holding unto towards the open seas.
No, it didn't even look like a stone. As soon as Grey threw it, it darted straight across the winds at speeds the naked eye could not see, parting the waters beneath it and rupturing the winds, loud booms echoing in the air one after another.
SPLAAASSHHHHH BOOOOMMMMMM
All of the sudden, the water's surface formed a little mound, and from it, a large eel emerged, lightning covering its body. It was a ferocious beast which stretched out to more than 10 meters in length, able to crush small if it wanted to.
But such a beast couldn't even do so much as to let out a roar. As soon as it got out of the water's surface, its head was blown to bits by the stone Grey just threw. The sea was dyed red from all its blood as its body stayed afloat the salty sea.
"Hmm... Did I use too much strength?" ［Grey］
"Grey! No fair! You're using your cheats again!" ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. Sorry, sorry, I'll let you have the next one, alright?" ［Grey］
It was just like what Yuna said. Before it even emerged out of the water, he already saw with his "Eyes of Destiny" when it would surface. And with a little bit of math and logic, he was able to kill the Thunder Eel as soon as it appeared. A perfect kill.
Meanwhile, everyone else was in shock, unable to utter a single word as they tried to grasp what just happened. It was all too sudden. One moment, the beast appeared, the next moment, it was dead. Their eyes couldn't keep up.
"Th... That was a Thunder Eel, right...?"
"Hey... Am I dreaming...? I'm dreaming, right?"
"A-Aren't Thunder Eels C-rank beasts? To kill it in one shot..."
Everyone was in disbelief. Even when they saw everything that happened with their own two eyes, they still couldn't wrap their heads over what just happened. All they could do was look at the two youths in front of them and marvel between truths and lies,
"Yo... Your Excellency, just... Just who are those youngsters..." ［Jack］
"Fufufu! Didn't I tell you already? They're guests of the Beldon Household." ［Vilma］
Jack asked, but all he received was a giggle and a playful answer. Now, he could fully understand where the Marchioness' unfounded confidence came from. Well, it wasn't too long before he figured out their identities. Such outstanding youths aren't common, after all.
"Wait... Don't tell me..." ［Jack］
"Oh my, did you figure it out already?" ［Vilma］
"Ha... Haha... Just a rough guess, Your Excellency. Hahaha..." ［Jack］
Jack was laughing, but all that could be seen on his face was a nervous smile. The moment he figured things out, he could only remain frozen whilst smiling as a cold chill ran down his olden spine. His hands trembled like never before.
Well, it wasn't just his hands which were trembling. The sea was rocked with waves as sea creatures showed from one another. From normal animals all the way to high ranked beasts which could destroy ships on a whim. There was a lot to see.
And by high-ranked, there were two B-rank beasts swimming towards them. There was a Pterygia, a plesiosaur-like beast, and a Tarper Shark, a large shark which was like a living torpedo, able to decimate anything on its path.
"Grey, I'll take on the weird turtle, can you take care of the big fish?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, sure, but... That isn't a weird turtle, you know?" ［Grey］
"Hehehe! Of course! It's a long-neck weird turtle!" ［Yuna］
There was no use trying to convince her. Yuna is now far too excited and now just naming things randomly. Well, it's a part of her which only makes her more adorable. Childish, but still adorable.
Without further ado, Grey and Yuna quickly set off from the ship, the waves parting as they darted through the water's surface at breakneck speeds. No one could catch their speed. Before they knew it, both Grey and Yuna were already in the sea.
With a little bit of wind magic, Grey utilized the air to fly and cover a short burst of distance. His speed may not be comparable to the familiars', but it was more than enough. As for Yuna, she simply froze the seawater, creating solid footing.
⟨⟨Wind Cutter⟩⟩ ［Grey］
At Grey's behest, the winds danced and gathered around his hand. The moment his words filled the air, a large blade swept through above the water, cutting everything in sight. Be it the waves of the beast, everything atop the surface was cut clean, dyeing the seawater red.
It didn't just stop there. The moment everything on the surface was felled, the sea beasts dove deep down in fear. Unfortunately for them, no matter how deep they dove, they wouldn't be able to escape Grey's eyes. The Eyes of God.
⟨⟨Hunter's Hymn⟩⟩ ［Grey］
Grey's voice once again echoed, and one after another, thousands upon thousands of air bullets formed in the air. The moment he flicked his hand, all the bullets stopped down the water and chased after the beasts like starving hounds.
There was no escape. As soon as the air bullets locked towards them, they wouldn't let go. All the beasts were peppered and holes appeared one after one another. It didn't matter how much they hid nor swam away, they all met their end.
Well, almost all of them. After all, Grey was not a monster. Those who escaped and those which didn't pose any threats were spared. He only wanted to repel them, not hunt them to extinction. It was more than enough.
SPLAAASSSSHHHHH
But unlike the others, a certain bullheaded shark tried to fight Grey rather than flee, springing up on him from under the surface and opening up its mouth with the intent to devour Grey in one go. A true apex predator.
"Haah... You should have just ran away..." ［Grey］
Unfortunately for it, the one he went against wasn't its prey. Before its whole body could even break out of the surface, hundreds upon hundreds of air bullets came its way and struck its body without mercy, leaving deathly holes all over its body.
It couldn't even be called a fight. The moment the bullets struck it, it was already over. The Tarper Shark, with its eyes fading white, fell helplessly back towards the sea. A loud splash soon echoed as the sea embraced its fallen king.
"Well... Now that that's over... I wonder how my cute girlfriend is doing..." ［Grey］
Asked Grey as he looked towards the ship, watching another fight unfold with the waters freezing time and time again. A smile soon appeared on his face as he watched over Yuna's battle from above.
Though, there really isn't much to see. Just like how Grey fought the enemies, the battle was simply too one-sided. After all, Yuna was at the peak of S-rank, whilst the strongest enemy was only at B-rank. One strike and the enemies fell.
⟨⟨Icicle Shotgun!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
Her cold voice floating adrift in the air, blue spears were conjured out of thin air. And like lightning bolts striking down the ground, her icicle lances pierced through the waters as speeds not even bullets could match.
Not one of her enemies could escape her rampage. Everything that tried to go against her received a quick death as sharp icicles pierced their bodies. Countless bodies could be seen floating on the sea's surface, lifeless and covered in blood.
⟨⟨Icicle Shotgun!⟩⟩ ［Yuna］
The rain of ice continued and as more time passed, more blood was spilt. If it wasn't for the fact that Yuna didn't want to harm the beautiful coral reefs on the ocean floor, everything would have been over already.
"Yuna, should I help you out?" ［Grey］
"No! You already had your fun! I won't let you have this!" ［Yuna］
Like a stubborn child, Yuna didn't accept Grey's offer and continued whilst sulking. Though she also has homing spells like Grey, they were simply all too powerful that she couldn't use them in such situations. She is stuck with using weaker spells, having no other choices.
Of course, she could also use Elemental Aura to increase her control over her element. But unlike Grey, she hasn't trained in using them. She couldn't just use it willy-nilly without any practice, after all.
She attacked, and attacked, and attacked some more. But whilst she continued her relentless barrage of spells towards her enemies, she kept glancing at Grey with eyes full of hesitation and curiosity. Of course, she was still sulking.
"Hmm... Is something wrong, Yuna?" ［Grey］
Grey asked but Yuna didn't answer him immediately. She simply continued glancing at Grey's direction with meek eyes. Well, it wasn't long before she opened her mouth, asking a question Grey didn't entirely expect.
"Grey...." ［Yuna］
"Hm? What is it?" ［Grey］
"The weird turtle... I lost sight of it..." ［Yuna］
Her eyes upturned and upset, Yuna said such downcast words. She was just like a child who lost her toy, hesitating to tell her mother about it. Yuna was simply just too cute. Simply too precious. Grey couldn't handle it.
It wasn't the first time Grey saw Yuna act so childishly, but she always gets him every single time. It was then that Grey realized how truly lucky he really was. He swore to god to protect the precious creature who was right in front of him.
"Grey... Why are you covering your face? Are you not feeling well?" ［Yuna］
"Yeah, I think so... I think I'm a little feverish..." ［Grey］
"Really? I thought High-Rankers don't get sick... Let me seー" ［Yuna］
Yuna closed in to feel Grey's forehead, but she couldn't even finish her words when Grey suddenly leaned close to her and sealed her lips with a sudden kiss. It was all too sudden, Yuna's eyes could only open in shock.
"G-Grey?! What are you doing?!" ［Yuna］
"Nothing. Just taking my medicine. After all, Yuna's medicine is the best." ［Grey］
"Y-You...! Stop teasing me! Don't do that out in the open!" ［Yuna］
"Ah, right. The weird turtle's running away over there." ［Grey］
"Hey! Don't just nonchalantly change the subject!" ［Yuna］
Of course, no matter what. Yuna's flustered and beet red face was still the best. The moment she tried to hide her embarrassment even though it was clear as day was a fun sight to see. It was Yuna's cutest and most expressive expression.
It was just too much fun seeing Yuna blush and all that. Even if they were in the middle of the ocean and currently engaged in battle, Grey just couldn't help. They were finally alone, after all. It was a relief normal people can't see so farー or so Grey thought to himself.
"Hm? Is something wrong, Captain Jack?" ［Vilma］
"A-Ah, no... I just think Their Highnesses are amazing. To defeat so many enemies so quickly. It's not an easy feat." ［Jack］
"Fufufu! That's right. They're simply too amazing," ［Vilma］
Jack nodded calmly, but deep down in his mind, he wanted to ask something entirely else. Though he wasn't sure, using his "Farsight", he just saw something quite amazing. He was in shock, in really, really, big shock and also in doubt.
'It seems like my age is starting to catch up to me. To think I'm starting to see things... I should probably take a week off...' ［Jack］
Thankfully, Jack's "Farsight" was only "1☆". Now, he is left doubting whether he was simply seeing things. Jack felt like his head was aching as he rubbed his eyes over and over again, really thinking things through
After all, what kind of crazy people would flirt and kiss in the middle of a battle, and on top of the sea, no less. Only insane people would do such things. Grey was barely saved by common sense. He really was lucky.
"Hey now, if you don't chase that weird turtle, it will get away you know... Well, it's running away already, we should probably just let it go." ［Grey］
"Uuu... I hate this..." ［Yuna］
"Hahaha. Let's just give up on it for now, alright? I'll treat you to a good dinner tonight. How about it?" ［Grey］
In the end, the Pterygia managed to escape Yuna's deadly grasp and flee quite a lengthy distance away. It was quite speedy as well, bridging hundreds of meters in just a couple seconds. Now, there are only the hardheaded small fries which remain.
Their numbers were in the hundreds, maybe even still in the thousands, but with their strengths, it wouldn't take too long to exterminate all of them. A spell or two from Grey and they'll be quickly done for.
"Then, let's finish this, shall weー" ［Grey］
『M-Master! Mistress! Th-There's an emergency!』 ［Capella］
"Hm? Capella? What is it?" ［Grey］
『D-Danger! Another ship is in danger!』 ［Capella］
Unfortunately for Grey and Yuna, the matter was not as simple as it seems. It wasn't just their ship which was getting caught in a stampede. Another ship, a few kilometers west where Grey's eyes cannot reach, was also in grave danger.
Moreover, it wasn't just any ship, it was a large fishing vessel like the one they were riding on. It was one which carried dozens of people. If they were a bit late even for a second, a person's life could be lost.
"Yuna, I'll handle everything else here. Please help the other ship. I'll help you out once I'm done on this side." ［Grey］
There was no time to waste. As there was still blood and carcass floating around which could attract other beasts, Grey is needed to clean up the mess. Only Yuna could exterminate the beasts in the other ship.
"Oh, and right. If I remember correctly, there should be no reefs over there. Go ham and exterminate them all." ［Grey］
"Un!" ［Yuna］
The sulking Yuna was no more. As soon as Yuna heard Grey's words, a smile was quickly painted on her face. Excitement bloomed in her heart as she looked forward to letting loose and razing the sea with deadly spears of ice.
"Sirius!" ［Yuna］
"Yes, Mistress!" ［Sirius］
A single call, and Sirius suddenly appeared in front of Yuna. The moment she broke out of the water's surface, she immediately returned to her original form, a beautiful platinum dragon, stretching out her wings as seawater sparkled over her body.
All eyes were on Sirius the moment she emerged. But Yuna was not dazzled, she then grabbed onto her and the moment she flapped her wings, she took off into the sky, leaving gusts of winds and raging waves on her wake.
"And there she goes..." ［Grey］
Commented Grey as he looked up to the sky, following the platinum figure as she soared freely like she owned the sky. A smile was afloat his face before he turned back his gaze to the waters and the beasts lunging towards him.
"Now... Let's also have some fun, shall we?" ［Grey］
CHAPTER 223 END