At first, I thought it was one of those rocky mountains in the desert.

　But no, it wasn't.

　It was swimming in this great yellow ocean, diving and rearing up again in a sea of sand, scattering dust with its long, huge body.

(Wow, 30 mead is really big, isn't it?)

　It's truly a monster.
　The fact that it's huge makes it a different kind of creature.

'Captain Zengram, bring the ship in closer!　However, keep the distance at least 200 meds!
Oh!

　At Mr. Kilt's command, the captain, Mr. Zen, looked back at the sailors.

'Bastards, you heard the man!　Don't disappoint Onihime-sama!

"Oh!

　The men's spirited voices returned, as if their eardrums were numb.

　Bah, Zazaa.

　Sails catching the wind, the sand boat runs through the sandy sea.

　Distance, closer.

　And then - the movement of the sandworms ahead of us changed.
　It sensed us.

"It's coming!　Face full of rudder, don't let them get anywhere near it!

　Mr. Zen shouted.
　Mr. Kilt looked back at his companions.

'Good. --Irna, Sol!
Yes, sir.
I know!

　The two men nodded and held their weapons at the ready.

　Kashan.

　The tip of the white spear - the wing ornament opens wide, and the beautiful blade and the red magic stone reflect the light of the sun.
　Illtimina-san gets into a position to throw it.

　Solstice's great staff dances.
　The trajectory of the shining magic stone draws out Thanatos magic letters.

"King of the Sand Sea!　Tell that worm who's the king of the land!　--Baros Nahda Li An!

　The magic letters were sucked into the desert ahead.

　Zuzuuuuu.

　Suddenly, the sand rose and a giant appeared there.

(Oooh!)

　He's a 10-med tall sand giant.

　His upper body is naked, with four strong arms growing out of it.
　His face is obscured by his helmet.

(He looks like a Spartan warrior in a previous life!　(Cool!)

　The Sand Giants.

"Ooh-oh-oh-oh!

　He let out a low-pitched roar and spread his arms to threaten the approaching sandworm.

　Kilt-san thrust out his great sword of lightning.

''Do it!''

　Command.

　And then the attack began.

'Shh!'

　Illtimina's white spear flies.

　Doping.

　A direct hit on the distant sandworm.
　Part of the giant body popped off.

　The spear immediately returned, and the second and third shots were fired.

　Dopahan! Dopahan!

　The surface of the sandy sea explodes again and again.
　But.

(No hits!)

　It was only the first blow that hit.

　The Sandworm, despite its huge size, was dodging the spear fire by wriggling around. As it was, it didn't get frightened and approached towards this sandworm, sending up a cloud of sand smoke.

''Sol!''
I know. --Go, 'King of the Sand Sea'!

　At the girl's voice, the 'sand giant' runs.

　She raises her four huge fists and swings them down at the rushing giant.

　Doggone.

　The sound of a tremendous blow.

　Thump, thump, thump.

　A barrage.
　But the sandworms would not stop.

　Finally, the two sand behemoths collided and scattered heavy sand.

(Whoa!

　He hurriedly cleared away the sand that flew at him.
　Then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw the sand giant catching the sand worm's huge body with its four strong arms. The sand monster's invasion stopped.

''Now, sister Irna!
Shhh!

　In response to her sister's voice, she shot out a white flash of light.

　Thump.

　Direct hit.

　Thump, thump, thump.

　An explosion occurred on the surface of the sandworm, sending many pieces of flesh and blood flying across the sandy sea sky.

''Oh!''
That's good. Get it done!
Go!

　The sailors cheered.

Kirt-san nodded widely at the 'Silver Seal Demon Hunter''s tremendous attack, and Captain Zen had an impressed look on his face.

''Hmm?''

　Suddenly, the wounded sandworm lifted its head.
　Its tip cracked open, and a round mouth lined with sharp fangs opened wide.

　The next moment.

　bang

The upper half of the Sand Giant was bitten off.

What...?

　The cheering stopped.
　Solstice's mouth moves briefly, "Lies........

　The giant collapses, and the sandworm begins to approach the sand boat again, over the top of it, spilling a great deal of sand from its mouth.

'No good.'

　Mr. Kilt frowned.

"Captain Zengram, roll out!　We'll use that rock pile over there as a shield, hurry up!
Oh, oh!

　Captain Zen immediately instructed his men.

''Ugh I can't believe the 'King of the Sand Sea' lost.

　The girl bites her lip in frustration.　　　

(.........Solstice)

　I don't know what to say to them.

　In the meantime, Illtimina-san has been shooting out white spears repeatedly in an attempt to delay the sandworm's approach even a little bit.

　Dopah, dopah, dopah.

　In the sandy sea, an explosion is created.

　Swimming through it, Sandworm lifted his head again.

(Hmm?)

　It was too far away to bite.

　The next moment of suspicion, what (...) was spat out of its mouth into the air above the sand boat.

　Bota bota bita bita.

　With a sound, a nothing(s) number(s) of(s), what(s),(s),(s) fall to the deck.
　It is.

Sandworms?

　It was.

　Nearly 30 ordinary sandworms of two to three medals in length had fallen on board.
　The sailors screamed.

(This is not good!)

　I pulled out my 'fairy sword' and ran as fast as I could to Solstice.

''Hey, hey!''

　Surrounded by the elongated 'sand demons', the girl was in a petite panic.
　One of them jumped at her and

　hum

　I'm gonna cut off its head.

　Hyphen.

　I cleared out the three that were nearby, in a matter of seconds.

Are you okay?
Yeah, uh, yeah. Oh, thanks.

　Surprised Solstice.

(Thank God.)

　I laugh and slash the approaching demons, one by one.

　Kirto-san is also protecting the other sailors.
　Ms. Illtimina was the only one who continued to fire her white spear at the giant sandworm.

　Eventually, the ship hid behind a rock pile.

'Alright, keep your distance!
Oh!

　The sand boat soon starts running through the sandy sea, with its back to the rocky mountains.

　Zazaa.

　Everyone's eyes are drawn to the stern of the ship.

　Then.

　Zuzuun.

　The rock pile shook and then collapsed.

(...ugh...)

　Kicking away the crumbling rocks, a huge sandworm hulk appears, crushing the rock pile and coming straight at you. Yes, it really is a monster.
　The sailors' faces are blue, too.

　The fallen rocks are raising a violent column of sand in the sandy sea.

What are we going to do about it, hey!

　Captain Zen asked the Golden Mark demon hunter with an impatient look on his face.
　But Mr. Kilt looked calm and collected.

No problem. We're in position.
Huh?
Irna, keep up the attack. Sol will wait here for a while.

　The sisters nod.
　Mr. Kilt looks at me.

'Marle, if another little sandworm is spit out, deal with it all on your own. Protect Sol and the sailors.
Uh-huh.

　This is my first leadership order.

　I nodded nervously.
　That's why Kilto-san smiled a small smile at me.

You'll be fine," he said. --You're in charge.

　bang-bang

　He tapped me lightly on the shoulder, and then Mr. Kilt started running toward the mast in the center of the hull.

(What's he going to do?)

　And when I think about it.

I'm throwing up again!
!

　The sailor's voice makes me huff and puff.

　The little 'sand monster' falls on the sandy boat like a disjointed rainstorm.

'Everyone, get behind me!

　While calling out to him, he ran and waved his 'fairy sword'.

　Hyun.

　First, I'll cut down the first one.

'Ya!'

　whistling

　Then the second one, then the third one.

　The one that jumped at me from the side played back with the 'White Silver Armor'. It hit with his fangs and sparks flew.

　Huh.

　While in the air, its body is severed.
　This is the fourth one.

'Soooooooooooooooooooooo,'
What's with the kid?
Strong...

　I hear the sailors' voices.
　Solstice was also watching my fight, somewhat surprised.

　But I didn't have time to worry about it.

(We have to protect everyone!)

　Just frantically, he swings his sword.

　...10 ...20 ...and then the last!

Hey!

　hyupan

　The last one, its long, slender torso, will be severed lengthwise.

　--27 sandworms are wiped out now.

"Huh, huh.

　I regulate my disordered breathing.

　None of the Solstice or the sailors were injured.

(Yo, thank God.)

　Exhale loudly.　　

　Thump, thump.

　Illtimina-san was still in the middle of a white spear bombardment towards the giant sandworm.

　But her crimson eyes turned to us for a moment.

''.........''
..........

　She smiled and then nodded.

(...ah...)

"Well done, Merle.

　That's what I found the compliment to be.
　I'm a little embarrassed.

　But I was happy.

　But we couldn't afford to sit back and enjoy the sweet aftermath.

"Shit, they're catching up to us!
!

　The sailor's voice made me huff and puff.

　The sandworm behemoth was closing in on us, right behind the sand boat.
　Everyone paled in shock.

　But then Illtimina-san's gaze suddenly looked up overhead.

(?)

　Following me, I look up too.

　Out of the corner of my eye - at the top of the long mast of the sand boat, a silver-haired beauty is standing pouting. A blue discharge is beginning to come from the great sword in her hand.

　Thump.

　She jumped.

　Leaving her in the air, the sand boat moved forward through the sandy sea, and instead, the sandworm's massive body dove into the drop.

　Her distant mouth moves like this.

''--Demon Sword, Thunderbolt Renzang.''

　And.

　As it was, she was swallowed noiselessly into the sandworm's huge mouth.

　For a few moments, and then.

　bajillions of dollars

　The world of the sandy sea is illuminated by a tremendous blue lightning bolt.

(Ugh, wow!)

　The blue discharging sandworm behemoth popped from within, splattering pieces of flesh and purple blood.

''Hee!''
"Whoa!

　Pieces of flesh and blood flew into the sand boat as well.

　The giant body collapsed into the sea of sand.
　A huge cloud of sand smoke rose and a large amount of purple blood was sucked into the sand.

　Me, Solstice, Captain Zen and the crew were all speechless. Only one person, Illtimina-san, was nodding with a quiet expression on her face.

　She was on top of a huge corpse.

　Her silver hair was fluttering long in the desert wind.

'Phew, dear.'

　The Golden Mark demon hunter looked down at himself, stained with the demon's bodily fluids, and let out a loud sigh.

　Then he noticed the approaching sand boat.

Hey, guys, it's over.

　He laughed and waved at us on the deck, waving his hand wide.


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇.


　That night we decided to spend the night at an inn in nearby Iwayama-cho.

　The town's tavern was crowded with people.

"Gahahahaha, kampay to the demon princess and her party!
'Oh!'

　Gan Gan Gan.

　They bumped wooden mugs against each other, spilling their drinks and laughing at each other.

　Zen, the captain, the sailor, and the townspeople who were there were all smiling.
　That's how much they were suffering from the threat of sandworms.

　The food served was a bit unique.

(Wow, grilled lizard figure?)

　The skinned, whole roasted lizard girl was placed on a large plate. It was surrounded by saucy vegetables and citrus fruits.
　It seems to be a specialty of this region.

　Everyone cut the lizard girl into small plates and ate them.

'Yes, Merle.'
Oh, thanks, Miss Illtimina.

　My portion was taken on a small plate by the kind lady.

(Which one?)

　mumbling

"Oh?

　I was scared to eat it, but it was surprisingly delicious.
　It's like chicken.

　The picky eater girl tells me in a good mood.

"You should eat this with your rice, it tastes even better.
Yeah,　

　When I do as I'm told, yes, it's true.

(This sweet and spicy sauce goes really well with rice, doesn't it?　(Yummy, yummy)

　Mouthfuls of gurgling.

　You're eating with gusto.

Huh?

　Choking.
　Water, water.

　By the way, water is also precious.
　I heard that the price of the Water Magic Stone is three times higher in the Kerala Desert than in the capital.

　Phew, I can swallow it.

Are you sure you're okay, Male?
Yes.

　And I gobble it up again with the foodie girl.

You two need to be more relaxed when you eat.
"Hm.
I know.

　mumbling

　As we eat, Illtimina sighs in annoyance and the sailors and shopkeepers are laughing hysterically as if they are laughing at us.

　The captain, Zen-san, is also laughing with a mug in one hand.

'Gahahaha, looking at him like this, he really is just a kid, isn't he?　It's a lie to use such awesome magic and show off your sword skills.
Hmm, okay.

　Kilt chuckled and fanned his mug.

'Well, even though I'm young, I'm still an approved companion of this demon princess Kilt.
I see.
But while we've made a little progress in our abilities, from a straw man's point of view, we're both still in our infancy.
Haha, that's tough.

　Zen-san chuckles at Onihime-sama's assessment.

''But from your point of view, all those guys in the world are, aren't they?　By the way, can't that white spear sister be too?
Hm?　Is it Irna?

　Mr. Zen nodded widely.

''Ah. Even from the point of view of us ordinary people, that sister's spear bombardment was outrageous. To be honest, it scared the shit out of me. It's like a cannon. It was so close to beating the sandworms. --You're still a novice?
"Hmm.

　The Golden Mark demon hunter paused for a moment.

You're a novice.
Oh....
But I have high hopes for you. That will be a golden opportunity for you in the near future. She has hidden talents.
"Oh, yeah?

　Mr. Kilt grins and Mr. Zen looks surprised.

(Heh, really?)

　No, I was surprised, too.
　It was Iltimina's topic of conversation, so I had to listen in.

　I see.
　In the future, I'm a Golden Mark demon hunter.

'....?　What is it, Merle?

　When I looked up at her, the sister nodded her head curiously.
　The gesture is kind of cute.

　I laugh.

"No, I'm just happy to see you!
?
I've got to be as strong as I can be.

　He clenched his little fist.

　Mr. Illtimina's face didn't quite understand.
　But with a small smile.

Merle will make you stronger.
Really?
Yes, sir.

　A white hand strokes my head gently.

Lately, I've been really looking forward to watching you grow up every day. I need to keep up with you.
Yeah, we'll work together on that, okay?
Yeah.

　When she said that, she kissed my forehead.

　Tut.

(What?)

　I was surprised, and he smiled wickedly at me.

　We stared at each other and then laughed along with each other as we blushed.

　Looking at us, Kirto-san laughed.

You never know when you'll meet someone. But that may be exactly what they needed to become strong.

　When he muttered that, he gulped down his mug of liquor very deliciously.


　◇ ◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇◇


　The party continued, and the night wore on.

'Then the warriors will return to the inn first?
Oh, oh, oh.

　To Kilt's greeting, a drunken Zen replied with only an "Oh~".
　We chuckled.

　We left the tavern as the sailors chorused "Ooh-oh" and "Ooh-oh" as we left the tavern.

(Ah, good breeze.)

　It's a nice, cold wind in the desert night.
　I stretch out wide.

　The town of Iwayama is a special kind of town.

　It's called a rocky mountain, but this town is like an island of rocks floating in a sea of sand.

　The uneven rock surface is lined with many wooden planks to create flat passageways and stairs, and the houses are lined up on stilts. They are characterized by the use of giant animal bones as decorations for the houses and streets. There were a few of them, but there were also inns and shops, making it a proper town.

　There is a large hole in the middle of the island.
　That is the mining site.

　On the other side of the island, there is a harbor on the desert side where many sand barges are moored.
　Our sand boat is there too.

(I love the view.)

　Around the island, there is just a sea of desert.
　In the sky, the stars are full.

　It's a quiet night, and you can hear the bustling voices of the tavern up here.

　It's a bit of a magical atmosphere.

　We walk through the cool night air.

'Come to think of it, didn't Irna drink a drop?

　Suddenly, I hear two voices behind me.

'I've abstained from drinking. I don't want to appear pathetic in front of Merle ever again.
Okay.

　Mr. Kilt chuckles.

(Heh, really?)

　I'm a bit surprised.
　As I was thinking about this, Solstice, who had her belly bulging, poked my left arm - the 'silvery white cuirass' - with her fingers.
　Hmm?

Merle. Spirit power, did it not work today after all?
Oh, yeah.

　I nodded.

　Ever since I defeated the Skeleton King, the earth spirit hasn't invoked its power. ''Maybe if it's an actual battle?'' And I was hoping for a good day, but it was no good.

(After all, if you can't communicate with a spirit, you can't, right?)

　That's the conclusion.

Well, I'll be patient.
Yeah.

　Solstice nodded.

''Well, even without the power of the spirits, you've gotten a lot stronger, Anta.

　Well, that's unusual.

(Solstice saying nice things about me.)

　To my surprise, she says, with a bit of seniority.

'But don't get carried away.　That's when you're most likely to fail.
Yes.

　I nodded honestly.
　Then, Illtimina-san chuckled.

'Come to think of it, Sol made a big mistake with it a long time ago. That's why I cried.
What....?

　Solstice is aghast at her sister's revelation.

(Heh~)

　Iltimina gets popped by her angry sister.

'Huh, I'm sorry, Sol. I won't say anymore.''
It's too late for that!

　We couldn't help but laugh at the girl who was sulking.

　We walked through the town of Iwayama, chatting about trivial things like that.

　The inn was near the port.

　There were still many people working at the harbor, trying to unload the sand boat. It was hot during the day, so there were more people working at night when it was cooler.

　And, as Mr. Illtimina suddenly remembered

Speaking of which, how rare is the quilt?
Hmm?
'It's the alcohol. The party is still going on and we're going back to the inn like this.

　Speaking of which.

(Mr. Kilt, you love to drink.)

　All three of our eyes are on the silver-haired beauty.
　Mr. Kilt thinks for a moment.　

"Hmm. ...Why?　But I can't seem to get drunk tonight.
Is that so?
Hmm. That's a new one for me.

　She nodded her head and said something like that.

(Hmmm?)

　It's a strange thing, isn't it?
　Somehow, Solstice and I look at each other.

　Suddenly, a cold wind in the desert caressed our skin.

　The world was in the shadows.
　The moon was hidden by the clouds.

　But soon the clouds were swept away by the wind, and the light of the moon returned to the desert world.　

(.........hmm?)

　There are many people in the harbor.
　On the pier among them, there were three figures.

''...........''

　The two men on either side were a slender man and woman, clad in black rags. Their pale faces were severely scratched cheeks and morbidly dangerous. On their skin, I could see what looked like tattooed letters.

　In the center was a young child.

　Dark hair.
　Brown skin.

　And a red mouth that was split open like a crescent moon, smiling.

''--What?''

　My feet stopped.
　No, the three people I was with had stopped too.

　A cold wind blew in the Kela Desert at night.

　--I'm not going to be able to get out of it.