"That voice… is you, bastard, Kou Kousaka!"
"How did you know?"
"Of course. Kou, you bastard! You caused me a lot of trouble…!"
On the other side of the communicator, Dox gave an eerie laugh.
"I would never forget your face or your voice, not even for a day. My resentment runs deep."
"You could have used that energy in a better way. you know…?"
"Shut up, don't tell me what to do!"
Dox yelled so loudly that the communicator almost broke.
He's so angry. It's like an instantaneous water heater. How about having a Dox pot in each household?
…Well, I don't need it. I will refuse it with all my might.
"Kou! Now is the time for you to get your head out of your ass! We have ancient weapons over here! I'm going to watch you burn before I go and set Fort Port on fire!"
Dox finally shouted and unilaterally cut off the communication.
What does he mean by setting me on fire…?
No, I know what he means.
Anyway, Dox seems to be full of hatred toward me. In a way, this is a favorable development.
The most annoying thing would be if Dox ignored me and started an all-out attack on Fort Port.
I'm honestly grateful that we seem to be able to avoid that.
As I was gathering my thoughts, Dest suddenly raised his voice.
"Master! Emergency! A number of magic missiles are approaching from the sky!"
What?
I looked up and saw a cylindrical object with a tail of smoke approaching us.
The number of these objects probably exceeded 100 and may have reached 200, or even 300.
I activated [Appraisal].
Anti-Calamity Magic Missile: This is a magic missile developed with combat against calamities in mind. The tip of the missile is pointed like a spear, and as soon as it pierces the target, the magic formula built into the missile is activated, causing a large explosion. Four thousand years ago, a similar weapon was used in the battle against the Black Dragon, but it failed to even scratch its scales.
I see.
The magic missile must be a very powerful weapon since it bears the name "anti-calamity." But even so, it seems that it was unable to inflict even a scratch on the Black Dragon.
Thinking about it the other way around, how could I have defeated the Black Dragon with just a sword?
Of course, it was thanks to the help of Iris and the spirit ring given to me by Milia, but in any case, it was a miraculous victory.
Considering what happened then, the current situation with countless magic missiles in the air doesn't seem like such an extreme situation.
"Kou, I'm ready."
Iris called out to me.
She had already taken out her Dragon God shield and held it in her left hand.
The"Dragon God Barrier EX"effect has prevented even the attacks of the Black Dragon and the Gluttonous Dragon.
If the barrier is deployed, it should easily shut out magic missiles.
However, I tell Iris.
"There may be other attacks coming. Iris, you prepare for that one. I'll deal with the missiles."
"What will you do?"
"I'll shoot them down."
I replied briefly and took out a ring from my [Item Box].
──Flame Emperor Dragon's Ring.
It is an item that was created from the corpse of the Black Dragon with [Creation], and inside the large crimson gemstone, flames are blazing brightly.
I put the ring on the middle finger of my left hand.
Then, one of the effects ─"Flame Emperor's Successor EX"─ was activated, and [Flame Emperor] was added to my skill set. This increases my aptitude for flame magic to the utmost limit.
"The target is all anti-calamity magic missiles, and I will intercept them by expending all my magic power."
I thrust out my left hand, and a large magic circle spreads out from that point.
"──Go, Fire Arrow!"
As if on cue, the magic circle began to rotate at high speed.
From there, fire arrows are released with the force of a machine gun, piercing every one of the magic missiles, causing them to explode and burst into flames.
The blue sky became a stage for the blooming of explosions.
"Well…!"
Leticia let out a sigh as if she had been moved to tears.
"It's quite a gorgeous firework display."
"It really is. …But..!"
Iris raised the Dragon God's shield and activated the"Dragon God Barrier EX".
The light barrier is deployed.
Then, after a few seconds of delay, a red heat ray comes toward us in a straight line from the front.
Screech.
However, the heat ray could not penetrate Iris's barrier and was completely blocked.
"Thank you, Iris."
"Fufu, you're welcome. It's my job to protect Kou."
"I'm always grateful for your help. …Where is the enemy?"
Looking in the direction of the heat rays, I saw two ships without sails on each side ─ four in total ─ cutting through the waves as they approached us.
I immediately activated [Appraisal].
Assault Cruiser: An unmanned assault vessel equipped with a magic core. The hull is covered with Orichalcum and armed with a rapid-firing magic laser cannon. In the age of ancient civilization, it boasted the highest performance in both offense and defense.
Speaking of rapid-firing magic laser cannons, the Orichalcum golem was also armed with one.
From the name, I would guess that the assault cruisers were like Orichalcum golems for maritime combat.
The four assault cruisers were approaching us and attacking us simultaneously with red magic lasers.
"…It's no use!"
Iris shouted, and the light barrier shined even brighter.
Its solidity was overwhelming, shutting out all the concentrated fire of the magic lasers.
However, the story wouldn't progress if we just defend ourselves.
"Dest. Can you shake off the enemy's attack?"
"Yes! If the Exceed Cruiser is as maneuverable as it appears to be, it can break free!"
"Alright. Do it."
"Roger that!"
The Exceed Cruiser accelerated and made a sharp left turn.
Normally, with our inertia, the centrifugal force would have swept us off the ship, but since it had"Stability Enhancement S", we only leaned a little.
I grabbed the deck railing just in case and told Iris and Leticia.
"I will take care of the two ships on the left. Leticia will take care of the two on the right, is that alright?"
"Of course. I was just about to go on a rampage."
"What am I supposed to do?"
"Iris, you stay on the boat and follow behind. If Dox started to attack the city, you would take care of the defense."
"I understand. Don't worry about me, Kou; just go ahead and go wild."
Iris winked with her left eye and nodded.
Soon after, Dest's voice rang out.
"Master! We're out of range of the enemy!"
Okay, it's time to counterattack.
I took out a Flying Potion from my [Item Box].
As I gulped it down in one gulp, a mellow aroma filled my nostrils, and at the same time, my body floated away.
"Kou-sama, did you make that potion with [Creation] too?"
I nodded at Leticia's words.
"Yeah. I'll be able to fly for a while if I drink it. Leticia, would you like some?"
"I'm interested, but I'm a little nervous about trying it in the middle of a battle."
"Well, maybe some other time."
I said that and told Iris.
"I'm going to go now. I need you to deactivate the barrier."
"Okay. You two take care of yourselves."
"Of course."
"Of course."
Leticia and I both uttered the same line, and we both jumped out of the boat simultaneously.
I'm going to fly away with the Flying Potion, but I wondered what Leticia was going to do… and to my surprise, she was sprinting over the ocean.
What in the world is the principle of that?
When I looked at the surface of the sea after Leticia had run through, I saw cracked thin ice floating there.
The inorganic voice of [Full Assist] told me.
Leticia di Meteor is exercising [Domination] over the sea surface and is presumably forming a foothold by freezing it locally.
That's interesting.
It seems that [Domination] is a much more versatile ability than I had imagined.
But this is no time to be impressed.
Let's get rid of the two ships on the left.
"Let's go."
I manipulated the wind and headed toward the two assault cruisers.
Dozens of magic lasers were flying at me to intercept me, but sometimes I avoided them, and other times I received them with my Bastard Gauntlets.
The"Magic Power Absorption S+"effect was useful here.
No matter how many magic lasers hit me, they were only absorbed by the Bastard Gauntlet and did no damage to me. This would be an easy win.
I closed the distance to some extent and took out the magic sword "Gram" from my [Item Box].
I set it up as if I were carrying it on my right shoulder.
I put all the magic power I had absorbed up to this point into the sword and activated"God of War Slash S+".
"Here's your return. Receive it."
From the upper left to the lower right, I swung the sword down with great force.
Magic power was released from the silvery blade, becoming a huge slash that struck the two assault cruisers.
With a single slash.
Both assault cruisers were split in half and exploded.
Now, how about Leticia?
If she is having a hard time, I'll help her out… So I thought and headed to the right.
In the first place, I wonder what kind of fighting style Leticia had.
She always speaks in a lady-like language and has a graceful manner, so it doesn't seem like she would do anything to get her hands dirty. She would probably use magic from a distance to blow away her enemies or something like that.
But…
When I arrived at the battlefield, I found that the scene was completely different from what I had imagined.
Leticia dodged the magic lasers and came within striking distance of the first assault cruiser, and she readied her right fist.
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
With a brave shout, her right hand glowed blue.
The fist, clad in light, trailed like a meteor as it struck the hull of the assault cruiser from below.
It was an uppercut so magnificent that one could almost be smitten.
The force of the blow transcended the laws of physics, and the huge hull of the assault cruiser was launched into the sky, dented and spinning around.
"That's the finishing blow!"
Leticia moved in for the chase.
This time, her legs were covered with blue flashes of light, and she kicked off the frozen surface of the sea, making a big jump.
And then…
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!"
She released a spinning kick in the air just as the assault cruiser was being pulled down by gravity.
It was like a scene from a fighting game.
Leticia's kick sent the assault cruiser flying diagonally downward.
Ahead of the cruiser was the other assault cruiser.
The two assault cruisers collided.
Both assault cruisers seem to have sustained fatal damage to their magic core, and with a blinding flash of light, they explode in a massive explosion.
Against the backdrop of the flames and black smoke from the explosion, Leticia descended from the sky.
Her expression was very cool.
A thin layer of ice forms on the surface of the sea, and with a thud, she landed on it.
When Leticia noticed me, she smiled mischievously and raised her right hand, and… made a gun-shooting gesture.
As I was smiling, Leticia walked over to me.
"As you can see, it's all taken care of. How was it?"
"How to say it… It was bold."
"Fufu. I'll take that as a compliment."
"Yeah, please do."
I responded to Leticia's words and thought about our next move.
The pirates were supposed to have one manned ship and four unmanned ships.
In the battle just now, all the unmanned ships had been crushed.
All that remained were the manned ships occupied by Dox and his crew.
Suddenly, a light flashed at the edge of my vision.
A magic laser was flying in a straight line toward us.
The manned ship in which Dox and his crew were on board must have attacked us.
Both Leticia and I jumped out of the way at the same time.
"It seems an invitation to the party has arrived."
"It's very kind of them to go out of their way to tell us where they are."
In the direction from which the magic laser flew, I saw the shadow of a large ship.
"How would you like to attack, Kou-sama?"
"Right… I'll go ahead and attract their attacks. Leticia, you come after me."
"Sure. I'll be ready."
Leticia smiled wryly and snapped her fingers.
Leticia was a very strong person and very dependable.
I glanced back and saw the Exceed Cruiser in the distance and Iris standing on the deck.
When I waved my right hand, Iris noticed me and waved right back. It made me feel a little warm.
"Iris-sama has really changed, hasn't she?"
Leticia said sincerely.
"In the past, she didn't seem so cheerful. It must be thanks to Kou-sama."
"…I wonder."
"Fufu, you're also very cute when you are embarrassed, Kou-sama."
Leticia gave me a devilish little smile and peeked down at me.
"Anyway, I'll be watching the two of you as if I were a wall or a ceiling. …Well then, let's go."
"Yeah, let's go."
We nodded to each other and started moving at the same time.
I maneuver the wind to gain altitude and head toward the enemy ship, accelerating at once.
"…It's big."
The battleship is probably over two hundred meters long.
It had no sails, similar to the unmanned assault cruisers, but its numerous turrets were crammed together on deck like hedgehogs floating in the sea.
I activated [Appraisal].
Anti-Calamity Battleship Orichalcum Rox: A super-sized battleship developed by combining the technologies of ancient civilizations. Equipped with a number of magic missile turrets and rapid-firing magic laser turrets, it boasts unparalleled offensive power in naval battles and land bombardments. Its most powerful weapon is the super high-power magic laser cannon on its bow.
The results of the [Appraisal] indicate that the earlier magic missiles and magic lasers were probably an attack from the Orichalcum Rox.
Speaking of super high-power magic laser cannons, the same thing is mounted on the Destroyer Golem's Dest.
It is powerful enough to vaporize tens of thousands of monsters in an instant, so if something like that were to be unleashed on the city, it would be more than just a sea of fire. It would be a catastrophe.
"…That guy, Dox, has brought out an extraordinary thing."
I sighed and stored Gram in my [Item Box].
I'd like to reduce my luggage as much as possible in order to increase my mobility.
I lower my altitude and daringly appear in front of the Orichalcum Rox.
Countless magic laser turrets turned toward me, all at once.
Okay, so far, so much for the plan.
My role is a diversion.
The more the Orichalcum Rox's attacks are concentrated on me, the less burden Leticia will have to bear.
"Oops!"
Dozens, no, hundreds of magic lasers attacked me in bunches.
It was truly a barrage of light.
I activated my [Dexterity] and dodged through the gaps between the lasers.
It was as if I was dancing.
The barrage of Orichalcum Rox was getting more and more intense.
I wondered if Leticia was ready to enter.
Just as I thought that, one of the magic laser turrets exploded.
Was it a malfunction?
No, it was not.
Leticia's figure was on board the Orichalcum Rox.
Leticia's fist was covered with the radiance of a blue meteor, and she unleashed a blow with all her might.
It completely transcended the laws of physics and easily exploded a magic laser turret with mass hundreds of times greater than hers.
For a moment, Leticia looked at me.
I didn't hear her voice, but she said, "Thank you. This one is all taken care of now." It seemed to be that.
Nodding my head in acknowledgment, I raised my altitude once more to get a full view of the Orichalcum Rox.
In the middle of the deck, surrounded by a magic laser turret, there is a tall structure.
The front of the structure was made of glass, and it looked like it offered the passengers a good view.
Inside the structure, I could see a few figures of what appeared to be pirates.
I am only guessing, but this is probably the bridge… or, in other words, the command center.
In human terms, it is the brain of the ship, so I want to destroy it as soon as possible.
"…Okay."
Thanks to Leticia's efforts, more than half of the Orichalcum Rox's magic laser turrets have already been silenced. The magic missile turret had been motionless from the start, but it may have fired all its missiles in the previous attack. This would make it easier to approach .
I swooped down and approached the command center in a straight line ─ and with the same momentum, smashed through the glass in front of it and rushed in. Thanks to my Fenrir Coat and Armored Bear Armor, I didn't even get a scratch.
Maneuvering the wind, I put on a sudden stop and came to a stop in mid-air.
I land on the floor and look around.
The place is about the size of a school classroom, with shiny monitors and suspiciously glowing machines set up along the walls. It has the atmosphere of a space battleship from an anime or manga.
The number of pirates in the room was… roughly counted at about 30.
I jumped in out of nowhere, and everyone had a look of astonishment on their faces.
Hmm?
That's strange.
"Where's Dox…?"
There was no doubt that this was the command center, but there was no one among the pirates who looked like Dox.
Where in the world could he be?
As I looked around again, one of the pirates came to his senses and shouted out.
"It's been a long time, Kou Kousaka! Boss Dox ain't here!"
…Who's that?
The pirate was large and muscular; his chin covered with a shaggy beard.
I don't recognize him at all… I thought and activated [Appraisal].
His name is Genuma, and the two skills he possesses are [Axe Technique] and [Fighting Spirit Enchantment].
Considering his words and actions, he is probably one of the three mercenaries who abandoned Chrome-san's escort.
"Thank you for coming all the way here to get killed. Hey, you bastards, get him!"
When Genuma shouted this, the other pirates looked up and picked up their weapons.
Swords, spears, axes ─ all were well-worn, and many had rust on them.
Weapons are your partners to whom you owe your lives, so why don't you take good care of them?
The pirates, with their whole bodies filled with murderous intent, rushed toward me all at once.
"Too slow!"
I dodged a slash and grabbed a nearby pirate in the face with my left hand.
The effect of the Bastard Gauntlet ─"White Scorpion Thunderbolt EX"─ is activated.
"Agggggghhhh!"
The pirate's body trembled with pale sparks.
I let go of the pirate, and he collapsed to the floor, white-eyed.
"Die!"
Another pirate came up from behind me with a spear thrust.
"No use!"
I turned around and threw a kick. The blow struck the spearhead squarely in the side, sending it flying far away.
"That's ridiculous…!"
The pirate had a look of astonishment on his face.
I stepped forward and launched a body blow while activating"White Scorpion Thunderbolt EX".
"Gah, aaaaggghh!"
The pirate was sent flying backward in a parabolic trajectory, crashing into a machine near the wall.
I kept up the momentum, knocking out three, four, and then five more.
After knocking out about fifteen, the pirates slowed down.
"W-what the hell are you doing…? He's alone. Why can't you kill him…?"
"Is this guy really human…?"
"S-shouldn't we just give up…?"
The pirates' faces showed signs of fear.
Many of them had lost their will to fight and were now running away.
Is the game already decided?
Just as I was thinking about this, Genuma shouted angrily.
"You bastards, don't be cowardly! It doesn't matter that he is a Dragon Slayer, he is still a human being, and he is bound to get exhausted sooner or later! Surround him, and keep attacking him!"
"A-alright, Genuma-aniki!"
"We will make you regret that you ever picked a fight with us…"
"If we kill you, we'll become the Dragon Slayers! Prepare yourselves…!"
…What's going on?
As soon as Genuma raised his voice, the pirates regained their fighting spirit.
It's too inexplicable a situation.
Then [Full Assist] automatically activated and told me.
The activation of Genuma's skill, [Fighting Spirit Enchantment], was confirmed.
The [Fighting Spirit Enchantment] is a skill that affects the mental state of the allies and increases their will to fight.
I see.
So the pirates suddenly became motivated because of this skill.