In front of Crossroad's main castle.
A fierce battle was raging here as well.
The last line of defense for humanity was now preparing to deploy the melee units against the monsters that had suddenly advanced to the very foot of the castle walls.
"Melee units, prepare!"
Evangeline shouted from atop the castle wall. The soldiers of the melee units standing to her left and right immediately flashed their eyes in unison.
Until now, they had been mobilized to create a curtain of fire with bows and crossbows to stop the monsters, but the original purpose of the melee units was not to create a curtain of fire.
It was to block the monsters with their bodies.
It was to throw themselves into battle to hold the line, believing that others in the rear would deal with the monsters.
"The situation is urgent! 1st and 2nd units, deploy simultaneously!"
The melee units were currently divided into three groups for operation.
Evangeline was in command of the 1st unit, while Torkel led the 2nd unit. The 3rd unit, which was the reserve force, was to be rotated or deployed as the situation demanded.
"1st unit to the east, 2nd unit to the west! 3rd unit will replace the wounded when I give the order!"
Evangeline shouted again.
"Deploy!"
"Deploy!"
"Crush those monsters!"
The melee unit members who had rushed to the edge of the wall prepared for battle. Evangeline also readjusted her grip on her lance, placing one foot on the wall, and looked down.
"…"
For a moment, her breath caught.
It's black.
She had the illusion that an endless black wave filling the horizon was surging forward.
A sea of monsters was truly rushing towards the foot of the castle wall. The raging torrent had risen to just below Crossroad's throat.
Although Crossroad had declared itself a 'tidal wave', the actual tidal wave of monsters surging forward was too much for Crossroad, which was too shallow a port to withstand it.
For a moment, Evangeline felt small and insignificant.
How could she, such a tiny human, possibly stand against such a vast sea?
"…!"
At that moment.
Evangeline suddenly looked to the side.
Her eyes held the karma of the Cross family. All the 'paths' of the family that had made monster-slaying their livelihood were reflected in her eyes.
Perhaps that's why?
For a fleeting moment, Evangeline saw phantoms standing against the castle wall.
From the distant ancestors, right up to her own father.
They were the images of all the lords who had lived and fought against monsters on the walls of Crossroad.
They all wore fearful expressions.
From the first Margrave Cross who started the family business in a small palisade fortress, through the previous Margrave who led the iron fortress of the empire in its heyday, to her father who desperately held out in the declining fortress.
They were all terrified. Their eyes showed clear fear as they looked at the approaching horde of monsters.
"…"
Evangeline didn't know. She truly didn't know.
She had never imagined that her father, who always showed a firm back standing on the castle wall, had actually worn such an expression.
And then…
The first Margrave, having caught his breath, adjusted his helmet and strapped on his shield.
Following him, all the Margraves, regardless of gender or age, everyone who had continued the lineage of the Cross family, covered their fear-stricken faces with helmets and tightened the straps of the shields on their arms.
Her father, after exhaling a long sigh, bit his lip firmly to steady his mind, then grasped his spear and shield.
'Ah…'
Only then did Evangeline understand.
The reason why her family, mocked as country bumpkins in the capital, was truly great.Fôll0w current novÊls o/n n/o/(v)/3l/b((in).(c/o/m)
What fisherman isn't afraid of the sea?
What human isn't afraid of the world?
The moment they become great is not when they no longer feel fear.
It's when they face the waves despite being afraid of the sea.
'Father.'
To protect his daughter, his wife, his city, and the world behind it…
Evangeline finally truly understood her father's heart, who overcame his daily fears and silently set out to the sea of monsters.
A smile formed on Evangeline's lips as she finally truly understood.
Was it an illusion?
It seemed as if faint smiles also appeared on the faces of all the Cross Margraves glaring at the sea of monsters.
"…"
When she closed her eyes and opened them again, the phantoms were gone without a trace.
But Evangeline Cross no longer trembled with fear. She acknowledged and accepted the terror.
'I am a small human.'
The shield in her hand is even smaller.
But the future of the people she will protect with this shield, this 'continuity' that has persisted from the distant past and will spread into the future-
Is by no means small.
This must be the reason why the Cross family, and all those who face the world, have raised their small shields in front of the sea, willing to sacrifice their lives.
"Prepare for battle!"
Evangeline shouted in an unwavering voice as she watched the monsters climbing up the castle wall.
"Let's do what we've always done!"
The voice of the future Margrave Cross was filled with firm confidence, and that alone brought stability to the soldiers' hearts. Everyone in the melee unit prepared for battle in response to Evangeline's command.
Commanding the frontline soldiers with the charisma befitting the lord of a city, Evangeline smiled.
She was the daughter of a villager who had built a life on the shore of the monster sea. And now.
She was truly proud of that fact.
"Begin combat!"
The monsters climbed up the castle wall, and humans struck down with their weapons.
The desperate struggle at the final line of defense of Crossroad's main castle had begun.
In front of Crossroad's main castle.
In the air. The airship Blue Pearl.
10 minutes before the crash.
"Sir Lucas!"
One of Lucas's aides shouted in a scream-like voice.
"We have no more means to delay the 'Sleepless Lake Princess'!"
"…!"
Lucas, who had been cutting down the swarm of flying monsters while standing on the deck of the airship, groaned.
All the delay tactics prepared by the guerrilla unit had been exhausted.
They had been holding back the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' with all kinds of special equipment and tactics, but now they had reached their limit.
Moreover, the onslaught of ordinary monsters was intensifying. Monsters were pouring in densely both from the ground and the air, and the Blue Pearl was also engaged in dealing with flying monsters while carrying out the operation to stop the Lake Princess.
But there was no more way.
Even amidst all this, the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' was walking gracefully, getting closer to Crossroad's main castle bit by bit.
Among the countless horde of monsters, now the monsters themselves were making way for her.
It was as if she was walking along a white path parting the black waves.
"…It's not that there's no way."
At that moment, the Rompeller siblings, who had been dealing with flying monsters alongside Lucas, approached with a grin.
"We still have unused special equipment, don't we, Sir Knight?"
Lucas frowned.
"…Using that on the Lake Princess is too risky."
"But we have no other choice, right? And the risk we'll bear is less of a problem than Crossroad falling."
The Rompeller siblings took out the equipment they had been carrying on their backs.
The female Rompeller had a giant anchor, while the male Rompeller had a multi-barreled harpoon gun.
"We're already in deep water, so we might as well grasp at straws, right?"
"…"
It was true.
There was no time to hesitate. Lucas closed his eyes once, opened them, and immediately ordered.
"Operation 'Weight of Obsession', begin."
When Lucas spoke aloud the grotesque operation name they had given, the excited Rompeller siblings high-fived each other.
As there was no time, the operation began immediately. All crew members were already familiar with the operation details.
Everyone knew that this was essentially a suicide mission.
"Blue Pearl, launch! Target is the enemy commander… 'Sleepless Lake Princess'!"
The Blue Pearl, which had been hovering in the air, accelerated sharply and descended towards the ground.
Until now, the Blue Pearl had maintained a certain distance from the 'Sleepless Lake Princess'. This was to use delay tactics without getting caught in the Lake Princess's attacks.
However, this operation 'Weight of Obsession' necessarily presupposed approaching.
So the Blue Pearl, with all its sails unfurled, charged towards the enemy commander, leaving trails of blue magical energy.
"…"
Hanging like strings from the pitch-black gazes shot by the Outer Gods.
The gaze of the 'Sleepless Lake Princess', who had been advancing jerkily like a wooden puppet, slowly moved. It was towards the Blue Pearl charging at her.
Saaaa…!
Darkness gathered in the 'Sleepless Lake Princess's' hand, transformed into the shape of a longsword, and was lightly swung towards the Blue Pearl.
Crack-!
With a chilling sound that seemed to split space, the sword of darkness flew towards the front of the Blue Pearl.
And, the Blue Pearl did not dodge.
Thud…!
The sword of darkness pierced exactly into the bow of the Blue Pearl.
But the Blue Pearl endured.
Rather, it continued to charge forward, shattering the sword of darkness. The mermaid pirates on board cheered in unison.
"This is it-!"
"As expected of Lady Siren!"
There was a statue of Siren fixed to the bow of the Blue Pearl.
The Nightmare Slayer [Steadfast Superstition] — moved from La Mancha to the Blue Pearl.
This special artifact, made from the magic core of the Ghost Fleet Admiral, exerted its special ability without reservation.
'Unbreakable'!
Even if that attack was the most vicious strike shot by the incarnation of nightmares, it was completely nullified!
'No, not completely.'
Lucas sharply observed the state of the Blue Pearl.
Undoubtedly, [Steadfast Superstition] had endured even in the face of that terrible attack. However, the bow around the statue was tattered from the impact.
Even though the direct hit was nullified, the shockwave spread around it had shattered the durability of the airship's bow.
'It won't endure twice!'
But it was true that it had withstood the initial strike.
And while the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' prepared for a second attack following her first ineffective one, the Blue Pearl succeeded in approaching within the targeted distance.
"Harpoons, fire all-!"
"Fire!"
With the male Rompeller's shout, all the harpoon guns prepared on the Blue Pearl were fired at once. The male Rompeller also emptied his multi-barreled harpoon gun completely.
The multi-barreled harpoon gun, [Obsession of the Sea].
A weapon given by Ash, the special effect of this equipment was… forced binding.
Once connected with this harpoon, the target cannot escape from this harpoon until the user retrieves it.
In addition to the harpoons shot by the male Rompeller, dozens of harpoons fired by the Blue Pearl wrapped around the body of the 'Sleepless Lake Princess'.
"We did it!"
"Retreat!"
With that, the Blue Pearl turned tail and fled.
To the south.
And when the male Rompeller judged that they had gained sufficient distance, he shouted at the female Rompeller.
"Anchor it!"
"Okay-!"
The female Rompeller threw the giant anchor she was holding overboard.
The name of this anchor is [Weight of the Sea].
Also given by Ash, its special ability allows the user's ship to 'anchor' immediately the moment the anchor touches the ground.
Thud…!
The moment [Weight of the Sea] hit the ground.
Screech…!
Suddenly, the Blue Pearl stopped as if fixed in mid-air.
And the 'Sleepless Lake Princess', entangled by harpoons to the Blue Pearl, also had to stop in place, unable to advance north any further.
It looked as if the Blue Pearl, fixed like a nail in the southern sky, was holding back the 'Sleepless Lake Princess', who had been walking towards the north where human settlements were — towards Crossroad, with harpoon guns.
"…"
Snap, snap snap snap!
While all the other harpoon guns that the Blue Pearl had prepared were using magically reinforced ropes, they all rotted and broke just by the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' touching them.
However, the rope connected to the special harpoon shot by [Obsession of the Sea] endured.
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' tried to pull the rope tied to her to drag the Blue Pearl towards her instead. But the Blue Pearl, anchored by [Weight of the Sea], didn't budge an inch.
In the end, the 'Sleepless Lake Princess' had to stop there, unable to advance north any further.
"Where are you rushing off to? Got a party appointment or something?"
"Seems like you don't understand the situation, but if you want to pass through here, you've got to pay a hefty toll, you know?"
"Oh my, toll? We should call it a friendship fee!"
"That's right, friendship fee! Pay the friendship fee and let's be friends, friend!"
The two excited Rompellers cheered.
But the joy was short-lived.
Whoosh-!
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' turned her body, lightly kicked off the ground — and shot towards the southern sky.
It was a speed of a different dimension from her previous sluggish movements. The two Rompellers, startled, hurriedly tried to retrieve their equipment.
"Release the harpoons, retrieve the anchor!"
"Immediate evasive maneuvers…!"
Originally, the plan was to retrieve the harpoons and anchor, withdraw, and then continue to hinder and lure the Lake Princess in the same way, but.
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess' moved at an unexpected speed. Everyone on the Blue Pearl was flustered by this unprecedented movement.
Before they could retrieve the harpoons and anchor, before they could initiate evasive maneuvers.
The 'Sleepless Lake Princess', who had penetrated within range, threw a sword of darkness.
Even in this situation, the skilled helmsman accurately turned the ship's direction, allowing [Steadfast Superstition] to take the direct hit, but-
Only [Steadfast Superstition] endured.
Crash!
The front of the Blue Pearl caved in.
The tremendous force of the sword of darkness tore off [Steadfast Superstition] from the bow and pushed it into the inside of the ship.
The already tattered bow was crushed, and the collapse spread from the bow to the hull of the airship. The masts kept breaking and falling chaotically.
Unable to withstand, the Blue Pearl immediately lost its lift, and
Boom!
It crashed into the middle of the battlefield teeming with monsters.