Thirty days have passed since we left the Kingdom of Shumuria.

　Naturally, the ship's journey continues.

　The blue ocean stretched out endlessly around the four 'pioneering ships'.

　Kaing, thump.

　The sound of two wooden swords clashing on the deck of the ship echoes.

　It's me and Kirt's training.

　Gakiin.

　Kirt's wooden sword easily catches my all-out swing off.

　And.

Okay, that's it.
Yes, sir.

　At my master's words, I exhale heavily and draw my wooden sword.

　Illtimina, who had been watching from a distance, comes over quickly and hands me a towel and a water bottle.

'Yes, Marle,'
Thank you, Miss Illtimina.

　I took it and wiped the sweat off my face.

　But I wasn't sweating as much as I thought I would.

　I moved in the strong, unobstructed sunshine, but I only needed to take a sip of my water bottle, and my throat wasn't dry.

　Geez.

　He gripped the wooden sword tightly.

　Normally I'd be exhausted and my grip would be gone, but right now I still had some extra strength.

　It's not that my strength has increased.

(That's how light my practice was.)

　It's been like that for the past week or so.

　Actually.

From today, we're going to practice as much as possible to conserve our strength.

　And that's what Mr. Kilt told me.

(Why?)

　I thought.

The sea is not safe for you anymore.

　That was the reason.

　When I went from the Kingdom of Shumuria to the Vega country before, the sea was already a route that had been cultivated and guaranteed, to some extent, safety.

　But now it was different.

　The passage to the Dark Continent has not been cultivated.

　And this otherworldly sea was not yet the domain of man.

　There are many demons of an unimaginable size living at the bottom of this ocean.

　That's why.

I need to know I have the strength to do it if something goes wrong.

　Then Mr. Kilt started to cut off the practice.

　Same today.

　It's a little underwhelming, though.

(But I don't blame you.)

　This is already a dangerous battlefield, and it would be strange to practice there.

''Oh, is the training over?''

　Solstice, who was leaning on the deck's edge, reading a book, noticed us and looked up.

'Yes.'
Yeah. Well, let's just go back to our room, okay?　This kind of sunshine is going to burn your books.

　pattern

　Closing the book, the girl stands up.

(Haha....)

　This kid is still very fast-paced.

　And speaking of fast pace, here's another one.

..........

　Poe's habitual blonde hair fluttered in the sea breeze, and he kept looking towards the ocean.

'Po-chan. Let's go back to our room, shall we?

　I call out to him.

　Normally, he'd be nodding cockily but....

..........

　Today, Poe was still looking out to sea.

(?)

　Didn't you hear that?

Poe?
..........

　I called out again, but there was no response.

　What in the world is wrong with him?

　The other three noticed our exchange and looked back at us.

　And.

Something is coming.

　Suddenly, Poe said.

　Huh?

　The moment I thought that.

　Boom, boom, boom, boom.

　From a distance, the sound of a gong could be heard.

!

　I hurriedly looked at the direction of the sound.

　It was coming from the first of the four "pioneer ships" that were advancing in a diamond-shaped formation.

'Three times is a signal of danger,'

　Kirt's expression grew grim.

　The sailors who were on the same deck as us also started to buzz and looked towards the lead 'pioneer ship'.

　Crunch! Crunch!

　Adventurers and temple knights also appeared from the cabin.

''What's going on?''

　Temple Knight Commander Aase asks.

'I don't know.'

　Mr. Kilt replied.

　I narrow my blue eyes and stare at him.

(....The surface of the sea is white and bubbling?

　You realize that.

　And the next thing you know.

　hugh

　Something white jumped out of the sea and seemed to fly through the air.

''Geez!''

　A scream came from behind me.

(Huh?)

　When I turned around, I saw one of the sailors lying bleeding.

　On the deck beside him, a fish was pitter-pattering and bouncing.

　It was about six inches long.

　But it had long fins like a flying fish.

　And that fish's fins were now stained with bright red blood.

''Guo-On!''

　The 'Dragon of the Dragon Cavalry' on the mast overhead roared something threatening.

　Mr. Amyukel, watching from a higher position than anyone else.

A bunch of edged fish!

　I shouted that.

　Almost simultaneously.

　Zappa. Zappa.

　A number of fishes called 'blade fish' jumped out of the sea.

''Whoa!''

　One of them is coming towards me.

　In a hurry, I received it with the 'White Silver Armor'.

　Gagging.

　Sparks flew.

(What?!)

The long fins of the fish called 'blade fish' were as hard as a blade and glowed a mysterious blue light in the sunlight.

　Chilling.

　This is a flying murder weapon.

　Zappa, Zappa.

　One after another, the 'blade fish' bounced off the surface of the sea and pounced on us on the deck.

　One of them approached and Solstice let out an impatient voice.

''Whaaat?''

(SOLTIS!)　

　hiccup

　I pull out my 'fairy sword' and cut off the 'bladed fish' that attacked the girl.

　In front of the girl, that horrible fish fell in half and fell in front of the girl.

''Are you okay?''
Oh, you know.

　Solstice mouthed her thanks with a blue face.

　In the meantime, the 'blade fish' and the other 'blade fish' jumped from the sea to the upper deck in schools of dozens or hundreds.

''Whoa?''
Ouch!
Hee!

　Some sailors are bleeding.

　Huoch Papaan.

　Iltimina's white spear and Poe's fist kicked the 'bladed fish' away.

　Kirt also used a swing of the Great Sword of Thunder to crush three of the bladed fish at the same time.

Everybody grab a weapon!　Protect your sailors!

　So I shouted to the adventurers around me.

　'Sailors are the kind of people you need to man the ship.

'Oh!'
Okay!

　The adventurers were quick to comply.

''Temple Knights, port side, let the Adventurers take care of it!　We will guard our starboard side!

　Arse-san also shouted.

　The Temple Knights also nodded with a 'haha' and started to move.

　I also hold up my 'fairy sword'.

''Solstice, don't get out from behind me.
Okay, okay.

　The girl nods coyly.

　Calmly, she stares at the front.

　Zapapap, zapapapap.

　They're here!

　A school of blue-green fish, five of them, fly toward us.

(Calm down, Merle!)

　It's like a bullet.

　You can't go slicing through it yourself.

Put your sword in its path!

　It's the basic, basic thing Kirt taught me, counter activation.

　Hyukokon.

　Fresh blood dances and five 'blade fish' are cut off and fall to the deck.

(Good!)

　In my mind, I'm gutted.

　And.

Come on, boy!

　Huh?

　Suddenly, I was approached from the side.

　When I looked, there was a strange adventurer in his thirties or so, holding a war hammer in both hands.

　He laughs.

''As expected of an apprentice of Demon Princess Kilt. Good skill.
Hi. Hi.

　Suddenly, all I could do was reply dumbly.

'Well, I'll have to do my best.

　hum

　He lightly turns his war hammer.

　A group of 'blade fish' rushes in there.

''Heh!''

　He laughed and waved two war mallets.

　Doppah, doppah, doppah.

　Fireworks of blood and flesh were born in the air.

(!)

　The herd of nearly a dozen of them was crushed in an instant.

'Olai!'

　(figuratively) speaking

　In the end, the two war hammers strike together and crush the 'blade fish'.

(Great arm........)

　I can't help but admire him.

　He said, 'How's that?' He laughed, showing me his white teeth, as if to say, "I don't know what to do.

　Then I realized.

　The adventurers around me were all using tremendous skill to easily defeat the "edged fish".

　A swordsman wielding a long sword and producing a large number of "edged fish" openings.

　He is a skilled archer who fires bows and arrows at the flying bladefish.

　A wizard who creates a vortex of wind around himself and shreds the flying edged fish.

(Amazing....)

　Everyone was an excellent warrior.

　As expected of being chosen for the 'Pioneer Group', they were all strong.

　They were so strong that I wondered if it was okay for me to be among them.

　Gakoon, zash!

　Meanwhile, on the opposite starboard side, a battle of the temple knights was taking place.

　All of them lined up in an orderly fashion, playing the flying 'blade fishes' with their large shields and poking them with their swords where they fell.

　That's all.

　It seems to be a simple task.

(The "edged fish" are not the enemy.

　None of them are even in a hurry.

　

　And.

"Gboo-ooh-oh!

　As I thought I heard a roar from above my head, a tremendous red lotus flame radiated towards the sea.　

　Dragon flames.

　Bojus, bojus, bojus.

　With the flames irradiated like a flamethrower, the schools of 'blade fish' were being burned to death by dozens of them at a time.

''I will protect this ship!

　Amieukel's sharp voice echoed.

(Nah, how reliable...)

　How reassuring it is to have a dragon on your side!

　And it's cool!

　It's a bit heartbreaking.

(I can't lose!)

　I held up my "fairy sword" again and continued to swing it at the incoming "blade fish".


　◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇ ◇


　Soon, the schools of "blade fish" flying in from the surface of the sea were decreasing in number.

　Looking at it, it seemed that the other three 'pioneer ships' had also been attacked, but due to the Kingdom Knights who were there, there didn't seem to be much damage.

　Even from a distance, it was cool to see the three dragons on the mast spitting fire.

　Hukoh.

　I cut off the one that flew at me.

(Is that it?)

　If you look, there was a large number of dead 'blade fish' lying on the deck.

　The feet are red with blood.

''Marle, are you alright?''

　Illtimina-san, her white spear wet with red, came running up to me.

　I laughed.

''Yeah.''
Good....

　Mr. Kilt will be here.

Are you okay?
Yes.
Yeah, I'm fine.
.......................

　In response to our younger group's answer, Ms. Kilt exhaled, "I see.

　She must have beaten quite a few of them, too.

　Her beautiful silver hair and black armor were drenched in blood, and her face, too, was splattered with return blood.

　She looked out to the ocean.

I think that's all settled.

　I said.

　There are no more 'blade fish' bouncing off the surface of the sea.

　Only the ones that were still breathing on deck were twitching and twitching.

　It was like a storm of blades.

　But it looked like that storm had passed safely too.

(Phew.)

　Is that a relief?

　But what did these 'blade fish' want to do?

(You wanted to attack us and eat us?)

　For that, though, there were more guys falling to the deck.

　It was as if they had gone ashore unintentionally in a panic to escape something........　

　..........

　Running away?

　This horrible school of 'blade fish'?

　From what?

　That's when I thought.

"There's something in the water.

　I heard Poe's muttering.

(Huh?)

　Poe was looking at the surface of the sea from the edge of the ship.

　..........

　We approached that way too.

　We heard Po-chan's voice, and the nearby adventurers also walked towards us with stiff expressions.

　We all looked at the sea.

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

　There was a black shadow.

　A blue sea.

　The blood of the blade fishes was flowing down there.

　Farther back, there was a 'huge something' moving in the sea.

(Shhhh!)

　Fear as if my heart had been grabbed.

　The size of the shadow was as big as this 'Pioneer Ship'.

　We all turned pale and gasped for breath.

　It passed beneath our pioneer ship without a sound.

　It went to the other side.

　We panicked and moved to the other side of the ship.

　A huge shadow moves under the surface of the sea.

　The one in its path was one of the 'pioneer ships' positioned on the left side of the rhombus.

''Well, isn't it bad?''

　The girl said in a trembling voice.

　I had no answer.

　The distance was too great for us to do anything about it.

　And then, from beneath the surface of the blue water, a tentacle with a long, thin suction cup lifted up.

'Ah.'

　It wraps around the distant 'pioneer ship'.

　The kingdom knights on deck can be seen panicking.

　The tentacles have increased from further below the surface of the sea.

　A total of three.

　They are wrapped around the hull of the ship.

　The ship tilted heavily.

''No!''

　Mr. Kilt says with a grim expression.

　Kashan.

　The wing ornament of the 'White-winged Spear' in Illtimina-san's hand was released, making the magic stone and the beautiful blade inside shine.

　He held it in his reverse hand.

Shh!

　The new 'Golden Mark Demon Hunter' threw a projectile.

　A white flash of light danced across the blue sky.

　Thump.

　One of the tentacles hit him.

　Flesh popped and blood splattered.

　The force of the coil loosened.

　Seeing this, all of them seemed to wake up.

''Those that can attack at long range, aim at that tentacle!　Pull it off the hull!

　Kilt-san shouted.

　And all of the adventurers, those with bows and those using magic, began to attack at once.

　Solstice, too.

'Maiden of the Wind! Cut off those disgusting tentacles!　--Win de Forsyth.

　The magic stone of the great staff shines.

　The wind that blew out of the staff became a maiden whose arms became wings and flew to the tentacles that wrapped around the distant 'pioneer ship' and slashed at it with its vacuum wave wings.

　Iltimina-san, too.

Shh!

　The white spear throwing continues.

　The Temple Knights also switched their weapons in their hands from swords to staffs and struck the blue lightning bolts that ran through the sky.

　Bows and arrows and magic flew in from the other two 'pioneer ships' as well.

　A true concentrated attack.

　Blood and flesh popped in the air, and the three tentacles came loose.

''Yes........!

　It was a short time before I was happy.

Ah!

　Seven more tentacles sprouted from beneath the surface of the sea, and a huge octopus-like creature appeared, which seemed to be the main body of the creature.

　A head that looked like it was slick with mucus.

　There was a huge gaping maw, with a large number of fangs growing inside.

''The main body has emerged!

　Kilt's voice.

　A lot of eyeballs are wriggling on the surface of the octopus.

(Ki, disgusting........)　

　There was something about its deformed appearance that was physiologically unacceptable.

　A giant octopus that was over 100 meters long.

　It approached to swallow the Pioneer Ship while ripping open the huge mouth of its head.

　It aimed at its mouth.

　Bobo-o-o-oong.

　The dragon on the mast of that 'pioneer ship' showered it with tremendous fire.

　The giant octopus cowered as if frightened.

　The dragon flew and, from even closer range, showered it with flaming breaths.

''Hang in there!''

　Without a second thought, I cheer for the dragon.

　As if it didn't like the flames, the giant octopus lifts its tentacles and tries to catch the dragon.

　While dodging it, the dragon continues to spit out flames.

　The heat wave is so far away that it can reach as far as here, faintly.

　Even the giant octopus that continues to bathe in it at point-blank range was not safe from the heat.

　Thwack!

　And Mr. Amieukel also flew away from the mast of this 'pioneering ship', perhaps to support his fellow 'Dragon Horsemen'.

　The 'Dragon Horsemen's Dragons' also flew away from the other two ships.

　From the blind spot of the giant octopus, which is focused on the flames, the approaching dragon attacks with its sharp claws.

　Gakukku.

　Flesh was ripped open and blood flooded the air.

　When a tentacle headed that way, it fluttered and evaded, and the other dragons attacked.

　Multiple attacks from four dragons.

　And all the while, Illtimina-san and the others' all-out attacks continued to be made on the tentacles wrapped around the hull of the ship.

　And.

(Uh.....)

From the head of the Dragon Cavalry's Dragon, a "Dragon Knight" jumped down from the head of the Dragon Cavalry's Dragon, aiming at the giant octopus.

　It's Mr. Raidle.

　My eyes clearly caught the distant figure.

　He spun his body around.

(!)

　That's a hell of a 'pressure' to be able to see from this distance!

　In the next moment, the sword in Mr. Reidl's hand, which had been spun around, shone, and the light turned into a long sword flash that slammed into the giant octopus' head.

　A third of the head was severed.

　A large amount of blood danced.

The 'Dragon Cavalry' wasn't just a 'dragon', it showed off its tremendous 'dragon knight' abilities.

　Falling as it was, Reidl-san was chased by the dragon, catching it with its head and flying up into the sky again.

　A beautiful combination.

　Then, the giant octopus lost its power from its tentacles and released the 'pioneer ship' it had captured.

''Yes!''

　I couldn't help but shout.　

　The other adventurers and temple knights cheered as well.

The 'Dragon Horsemen' watched the giant octopus submerge as it circled triumphantly above us.

　And then.

　zapaaan.

(Oh...?)

　A huge crocodile-like head emerged from further underwater to suck on the dying giant octopus.

　The cheers stopped.

　The giant octopus resisted, but was bitten by the giant crocodile and dragged directly into the deep sea.

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

　No one or nothing was able to speak out.

　The size of their mouths was such that they could have swallowed the "Pioneer Ship" in one gulp if they were not able to do so.

　How big would the whole body have been?

.................

　I think we were reminded of how weak we were in this ocean world.

　Mr. Kilt shouted.

'Don't be dumb!　Everyone, hurry up and get out of these waters!

　With that blackmail, the sailors who had stopped moving began to move again.

　...........

　It's been 30 days since we first sailed.

　We are still safely continuing our sea journey to the Dark Continent.