Chapter 263: The Sharpness of Murasame’s Blade
“What’s the urgency?”
“A group believed to be fishmen pirates of the Sea Light City have suddenly shown up in the port side’s Warehouse District. The fishmen have swiftly established a turf and begun business with illegal slaves and highly-concentrated magic drugs. Right now, the troops of Remains of the Moon led by Mel, Benett, Paulsen, Angie, Lala, Lulu, and Robalt, who have sallied forth to make them stop, are standing off against the fishmen.”
“So they finally came, huh…?”
Well, days have pa.s.sed since I crushed 【Owl’s Fangs】 who had forged an alliance with the fishmen pirates.
“Don’t mind that! Hurry up, cat-loving guildmaster who has black fur clinging to his mouth!”
“――Okay, okay.”
I removed Rollo’s cute fur by wiping my mouth. I think I should contact my other < Head Servant Leaders > through a blood message, just in case.
『A part of the fishmen pirates, who launched from the Sea Light City, have apparently built a turf in the port side’s Warehouse District. It might be related to the Water Element Staff. I’m going to head over. You’re free to come as well if you’ve got spare time, but since I’m going first, I can’t wait for you.』
I sent that message to everyone besides Viine and Veronica who were next to me.
『Nn, okay. Since I still haven’t gone out to hunt for raw materials, I will head over to the Warehouse District’s port.』
『Sure～ I’ll head over together with Eva.』
Eva and Rebecca were apparently in the middle of a shopping date.
『I was in the middle of patrolling with the intention to a.s.sist 【Remains of the Moon】 while having a good time in the Gambling Quarter, but I will join up with Dad, and come in a hurry.』
I suppose, Yui was privately making the rounds. Since she’s going to join up with Kaldo, it looks like she’ll drop in with a delay.
『I can’t come right now since I’m in the middle of cla.s.s.』
An obvious reply from Mysty.
After looking at the replies of everyone, I turned my eyes in Helme’s direction. She was in her resting area, but…the number of new sculptures and flower decorations around her had increased.
It appears that the servants’ piety towards Helme was growing. A new religion, the Helme Faith, might have already started.
“…Helme, we’re going out. Come into my left eye.”
“Okay!”
Helme turned into a liquid, and smoothly moved across the floor. After getting close to me, the liquid swelled up like a wave with splas.h.i.+ng sounds. And then she flew into my left eye while transforming her shape from a wave into a long, narrow spiral.
After Helme settled down in my left eye, I faced Viine. She was wearing her thick, crimson leather attire, and had put on her chest strap-shaped item box. She was already in her battle mode.
Her b.o.o.bs were slightly hidden, but the way how they were hidden was great as I felt that it also emphasized her huge b.r.e.a.s.t.s.
I checked my equipment, too. Right now I was wearing the short-sleeved, dark green protective clothing and Arzen’s Boots, but it might also be fun to change into the Gatrance combat uniform on the way. I guess I’ll confront the fishmen with this protective clothing for now. As weapon I’ll test Murasame which is holstered at my waist.
“…Let’s go.”
“Nyao――”
Rollo ran off towards the courtyard ahead of us.
“Veronica, Viine, let’s head outside.”
“Okay.”
“Your only equipment is that st.u.r.dy, protective clothing?” Veronica apparently felt doubts about my short-sleeved appearance.
“Yep.”
“Is…that so? Short-sleeved? But, after watching the battle during the festival, I know that it’s robust.”
She was doubtful, but it was me we were talking about here, so she didn’t probe any further.
I exited to the courtyard, taking the two with me. At that moment, we were greeted by many of Rollodeen’s tentacles who had transformed into her horse lion form.
“Kya.”
Rollodeen coiled her tentacles manifold around Viine’s, Veronica’s and my waists, carrying us onto her back with its fluffy, black fur. This time Veronica sat in front, and Viine in back.
“Veronica, please show the way.” I requested across her back.
“Oki, leave it to me ?”
While I gently stoked the black, velvet-like pelt on Rollodeen’s back, I instructed her, “Rollo, for starters we head towards Pelneet’s east.”
“Nyaoo.”
My partner began to gallop. Black horse, black lion, black panther, black lynx, or huge black ocelot – in short, she was a big divine beast of the cat family.
In the middle of the journey, Veronica explained the location to Rollodeen. My partner confirmed it with a roar, and headed towards the Warehouse District while putting power into her strong limbs. She ricocheted off the houses’ walls as if stabbing them with her paws. In an instant, we dashed through Pelneet. I’ve got no idea what happened…to the walls stabbed by Rollodeen, though.
We arrived in no time.
“…It’s here. However, you’re an amazing child, aren’t you Rollo-chan, no Rollo-sama…?”
Veronica caressed Rollodeen’s fur with her left hand.
“Nyaon.”
Rollo-san reacted to Vero-chi by making her square ears twitch.
“Fufu, what a cute voice. I think Rollo-chan fits better than Rollo-sama, after all. Now then ―― I’m getting off.”
Veronica landed magnificently on the ground. It should have been Veronica’s first experience of Rollodeen’s explosively fast traveling, but she was different from Viine. It looks like her legs didn’t become giddy either.
I followed her, getting off as well. Viine dismounted as well, but since her model-like legs were quite shaky, I propped her up right away.
“Master, I’m sorry for troubling you every time.”
“Don’t mind it. It’s become a habit.”
She’s a chosen bloodkin, but it doesn’t look like she’ll ever fix that quirk. It might be her past senses that play a role here.
As I nonchalantly enjoyed touching her silver hair while supporting her back, Rollo returned on my shoulder.
Thereupon, Veronica said, “This way.”
We followed Veronica. It was a place where countless magic sources had gathered. Seemingly because the port was close as well, the scent of the ocean hung in the air. Birds similar to seagulls flew in the sky.
I could sense a stagnant, hot stuffiness from the warehouses’ walls and the red stones on the street that wouldn’t cool down. It was autumn, but because people were crowding the Warehouse District, it was sultry here. The sky was blue and clear.
While entertaining such carefree thoughts, I turned around a street corner, and was greeted by, “Oh! Veronica, Guildmaster!”
It was Mel who led 【Remains of the Moon】. As if saying that she had awaited us, she gracefully lifted the corners of her mouth, flas.h.i.+ng a smile.
“Guildmaster has shown up! We’ve won this match now!” Benett declared while hoisting up her new bow.
“Shuuya-sama, we have awaited your arrival.”
“Guildmaster, I’ve waited with Papa.”
Paulsen and Angie said. Angie’s att.i.tude towards me had completely changed compared to our first meeting. Her th.o.r.n.y character side apparently didn’t lash out at me anymore.
Talking about the ring with her and Paulsen has to wait until later, I guess. However, seeing how her big sister is a vampire hunter, I think I must talk with her about it.
“Guildmaster is here!”
“Lala, keep looking to the front.”
“Guildmaster…”
Lulu, Lala, and Robalt had drawn their respective weapons, and were ready for combat.
“Guildmaster has come for us.”
“Yeeeaah!”
The soldiers of the dark guild kicked up a fuss as well. They gave their enthusiasm free reign. It was a force conveying their fervent pa.s.sion to me.
On the opposite side I could spot fishmen with long gills that looked like mohicans mixing pink and violet colors running down from their necks and the tops of their heads.
『We’re going to fight against them, right? All of them are manipulating their mana quite well.』
It was just as Helme pointed out. I suppose it’s because they’re fishmen?
“Those guys are the fishmen pirates or 【Sea King Hornets】?” I asked Mel.
“No, they appear to be an organization called Gazeljan Fishmen Pirates 【Oil Sh.e.l.l Miguln】. They claimed that they’ve come from the Sea Light City as well, though.”
“What’s up with that? I guess I will try to chat with them for a bit.”
“Hmm, I don’t know how it will turn out if you go over there unarmed, but if you approach them armed, they will arbitrarily throw javelins, you know?”
“I don’t care. If I can’t negotiate with them, I will simply crush them. Mel, take a part of the leaders, and investigate whether similar fishmen organizations have advanced on this area, including the neighborhood of this port.”
“Understood. ――Veronica, Benett, Paulsen, Angie, follow me.”
“Roger.”
“Got it.”
“Okay.”
“No way, I wanna fight with guildmaster.”
“Hmm, so you don’t need the new bones I obtained for you then? No problem.” Mel replied while looking at the reluctant Veronica with a smile.
“Eh? Are they possibly bones not from Holkerbaum, but from the ancient people located in the Lalarbuin Mountain?”
Veronica’s eyes sparkled. Apparently it was something she had desired.
“Yep.”
“Sorry, Mel. I will do my best, ok? I’ll show you my new dance of the whirling blood swords?”
“Fufu, that’s the spirit. Well then, we’re off――”
The soldiers of 【Remains of the Moon】 led by Mel moved swiftly. Around half the soldiers have stayed behind, huh?
『Helme, you go around towards the right side, into the right rear of the fishmen. a.s.sault them, if I start to fight.』
『Okay, as you command.』
Helme left my left eye in her liquid state. While remaining like that, she smoothly crept across the brick floor’s surface, heading towards the fishmen’s side.
“Rollo, you climb atop the warehouse, the high building on the left side, from the back, and a.s.sault them from there once it turns into a battle.”
“Nyaa――”
Rollo jumped off my shoulder, changing into a black panther in midair with a poof. She ran off, relying on her powerful limbs, heading into the warehouse’s shadow.
While looking at my partner das.h.i.+ng, I said to Viine, “First I will negotiate with them. If the negotiations break down and things develop into a battle, I will leave the command of the soldiers around us to you. Make sure that they can join the attack at any time.”
She should possess command abilities, too. Her experiences in the underground weren’t just for show.
“…Understood, please leave it to me.”
“Guildmaster, what should we do?”
“Plunge in?”
“I can also serve as vanguard.”
Lulu, Lala, and Robalt, huh?
“You guys follow my servant’s, Viine’s, instructions.”
“Understood. I’m Lala. Elf lady with the pretty silver hair and blue skin, I look forward to working with you.”
“Lulu here~. Oki. I’ll follow the orders of the b.o.o.by lady.”
“Roger. You’re one of the family members introduced by guildmaster the other day, right? A rare dark elf, and you look strong. I’ll obediently follow your directions. My name is Robalt.”
After hearing Lulu’s, Lala’s, and Robalt’s greeting, Viine flashed a smile at them. But, her att.i.tude immediately turned serious. She stared at the three with a composed, dispa.s.sionate look.
“Okay. Nice to meet you. Well then, I shall inform you of the battle tactics so as to not get in the way of Master’s enjoyment…”
Viine started to talk about tactics, but I’m pretty sure that nothing of it entered Lulu’s and Lala’s heads. Viine’s beautiful silver hair was tampered with by the two girls…
Since Robalt had been nodding seriously, he might be able to carry out what he was told.
Now then, I guess I’ll have some fun with negotiations. It’s the second time today, but I crack my fingers audibly.
The long gills of the fishmen pirates continued from beneath their chins, up to above their ears, and then behind their heads. I approached the location of those fishmen.
While walking with a smile on my lips, I yelled with a silly voice, “h.e.l.lo~ all of you fishmen pirates, are you doing fine~?”
The fishmen started a commotion due to the out-of-place greeting.
“An unarmed man is approaching us?”
“Isn’t he part of the dark guild?”
“Booosss, a weird guy is getting closer~”
“I’m doing fineeee.”
“Me too~”
There were several earnest fishmen who returned the greetings. A noticeably, tall and broad fishman stepped forward from among the others.
Big…he’s easily more than three meters tall…
An emerald glint dwelt in his depressed eyes on a face with violet scales. His naked body didn’t possess any smooth fur, but instead a tightened, steel-like, light purple scale skin on chest and abdomen with the muscles standing out.
“This is our Gazeljan Fishmen Pirates 【Oil Sh.e.l.l Miguln】 turf. Human brat, go away.”
“Why did you make a turf here?”
Upon my question, the fishman narrowed his eye down.
“Human brat, that got nothing to do with you.”
“Sir fishman pirate, I’d appreciate it if you could tell me, though.” I said politely after bowing my head.
“…You want to know it that much? There were still some of the magic drugs, created by an excellent Magic Compounder in the Sea Light City, left in another place, thus we seized those drugs, and came here on a captured s.h.i.+p to sell them. As we also turned the people, who we captured when we boarded the s.h.i.+p, into slaves, we were planning to sell them for a good chunk of money. So, do you want to buy drugs or women?”
It agreed with what Veronica told me.
“No, I have enough women, and I don’t need any drugs either. Fishmen, is it your objective to earn money?”
“If you’re not going to buy, we don’t have any business with you anymore. Any further words are unnecessary. The next time words leave that mouth of yours, my sea spear Gunurn will reap your throat and thus your life.”
The fishman rotated a huge trident suiting his own frame around in front of him, and pointed its spearhead at me.
“Kukuku…” The fishman let a husky chuckle escape his mouth while showing his silver, sharp teeth.
I guess I don’t need to be polite to this guy any longer.
“…Orly? So, I spoke, and now?”
“Don’t look down on us! You d.a.m.n humaaaaaaan――”
Completely s.h.i.+fting from his joyful expression, the big fishman shouted out his anger so loudly that it seemed as though the warehouses were vibrating, and extended his trident with hostility clearly dyeing his face. He charged at me with lumbering footsteps.
At that moment, I grabbed Murasame with my left hand as if drawing a gun. Then I stored away the short-sleeved, dark green protective clothing, and chanted in my mind for Gatrance to be put on.
Within a few milliseconds, the special, black fiber sprung forth from the item box on my right wrist. The fabric crept along my arm, and went on to cover my whole body, deploying automatically. In no time, I changed from a dark green attire to a jet-black combat uniform. Murasame in my left hand remained just like that.
As soon as I poured mana into the hilt of Murasame, the turquoise light saber appeared with a buzzing.
The fishman, who came charging at me, was fast and his spearmans.h.i.+p was fairly good as well, but I evaded the trident by s.h.i.+fting my upper body half.
――The designs of the handle and the spearhead pa.s.sing in front of my eyes were rather neat.
My target was the base of the trident’s spearhead ―― I scooped up Murasame’s blade on the spot. The light blade pa.s.sed through the spearhandle. Alongside a sound of evaporation, the base got easily bisected.
As expected of Murasame’s light blade. I don’t know whether it’s plasma, but it’s got a flair as if it’d be able to cut through anything.
“W-What the h.e.l.l!?” The big fishman was surprised.
Well, he had handled his big trident full of pride. However, I don’t give a d.a.m.n about such things.
Here’s a return gift ―― After charging Murasame with plenty of mana, I suddenly used < Throwing >. Murasame’s blade soared through the air with a humming.
“――Gyobahh!”
The turquoise blade had stabbed the big fishman’s forehead. Seemingly having had his brain roasted, the fishman raised a weird scream in death agony, and fell backwards with crossed eyes. Immediately following, the light blade, which had run out of mana, vanished, turning into no more than a steel hilt, and then tumbled down along the fishman’s face.
“――Boss has dieeeeed!”
“However, that guy is unarmed now! He’s full of openings! Slaughter the humaaaan.”
At that moment, Helme, who had waited on the right side in her liquefied state, turned into her humanoid shape, and yelled, “I won’t let you!”
She unleashed her ice pebble magic at the group of fishmen.
“Gyaaaa.”
“Gueeh!”
“Eh? A woman appeared on the right sideeeee!”
Following, Rollo, who had been atop the warehouse on the left side, “Nyagooo――”
She swooped down on the fishmen while launching a huge amount of tentacle bone swords that popped out from across her whole body at them.
“Oi, now a monster from the sky!”
“Strange Beast Mantaln? Guaaa.”
The tentacle bone swords stabbed into close to twenty fishmen in an instant.
Once Rollodeen (Black Panther) landed on the spot where the fishmen had collapsed all at once, she moved as if creeping along the ground while pouncing at the neck of a fishman she targeted, and killing him in the blink of any eye by biting through his neck. Using his corpse as stepping stone, she jumped at her next target while roaring savagely as if to kill the foes that had invaded her territory with a growl.
A rampaging, divine lion had landed on the hard ground. With a force that shaved off the soil with her sharp claws, she swiftly dashed across the battlefield with her powerful limbs throbbing. While running, she slashed at the fishmen’s legs with her extended forepaw claws.
Next, Viine’s beam arrows pierced into the fishmen, who had become confused by Rollodeen’s movements, from behind. One fishmen after the other lost his life after being precisely hit into the forehead by her arrows.
“――Guildmaster, I’ll join you!”, yelled Twin-Blade Robalt.
While running past my side, he diagonally cut down a fishman from the shoulder, who had been at 1 o’clock from me.
“Gyeee.”
Blood gushed out of the fishman’s gaping wound.
“I will partic.i.p.ate with the King Sword Style~”
“I’ll go with the Peerless Sword Style~”
Lulu and Lala run, crossing each other in alternation while naming their respective sword styles. They slashed at their targeted fishman. Making use of their overlapping bodies that seemed to produce the optical illusion that they might be clones, they horizontally cut the fishmen right in half with slashes of their cute, unique, cooperative sword style.
All the while, arrows from the soldiers of 【Remains of the Moon】 came flying from behind me. They didn’t came to the front.
It looks like Viine is commanding them properly.
I called back Murasame, which was laying next to the big fishman’s corpse, into my left hand as if performing telekinesis. Then I smoothly holstered it at my waist again.
There was a place exclusively for Murasame’s hilt at the waist area of the Gatrance combat uniform.
And then I summoned my Magic Halberd into my right hand. Now then, I guess I’ll make an announcement before starting to genuinely annihilate them.
“――You people turned your tridents at me, who was unarmed. Whatever the reason might have been, you’ve now become a target for annihilation!”
Seemingly having interpreted my yell as provocation, the enraged fishmen were drawn towards me.
“You piece of human s.h.i.+t! Just be obedient and take some magic drugs!”
“Surround them! We’ve still go the numerical superiority on our side!”
“We hafta avenge booosss!!”
I perceived how fishmen charged at me, one from the front, and another from the right side. I attacked them without waiting for their arrival. First the gutsy fishman coming at me from the front.
While fully stepping in on the ground with my left foot and twisting my waist, I thrust my right hand with the halberd out while putting a screw on it. The spiraling red spear’s < Thrust > drilled into the guts of the fishman in front, and penetrated through them.
“――Guaaah!”
While drawing out the halberd stuck in his belly, I evaded, rotating my body with my toes as axis since I saw a trident about to stab into my head from the right side. I pulled off a revolving evasion as I felt how the trident that had aimed for my head grazed my nose tip, cheek, and my earlobe, and using the momentum of the rotation, I unleashed an upper right roundhouse kick against the neck of the fishman who had attacked me.
The instep of my right foot sank into the fishman’s neck. Arzen’s hard black leather might have a higher firepower than the foot guard of the Evil Dragon King armor. The fishman’s head was torn off, and flew to the left side. I had reaped his head.
While pulling back my leg, I swung my halberd, which I had pulled back at the same time, to the side at 180°, waiting for a chance to s.h.i.+ft into the next attack without showing any gaps in my evasion techniques.
The fishmen stopped after seeing the combination of me wielding my Magic Halberd and kicking. They were apparently wary of me while circling around me.
If they don’t come closer, I’ll freely use appropriate tactics.
After erasing my halberd, I extended both arms to the left and right as if imitating the kanji 大. And then I shot out < Chain > from the < Chain Factors > on both wrists.
The two < Chains > flew out diagonally to the left and right. They pierced through the gills and necks of the fishmen that had kept their distance.
“Gufuaaa.”
“Guguzoooo”
The chains properly pierced through their neck and gills, but they were still alive.
Quite tough…well, as you wish. In that case…
I made the chains twine themselves around their torsos, and then I had the tightly bound fishmen torsos collide against each other with quite the force. Let alone stars appearing above their heads, the fishmen’s heads created fountains of blood as they got caved in.
“What the fuuuuck!?”
“Oh s.h.i.+t, he ain’t a simple spear user.”
“――Get ready for ranged combat!”
“I’m going to get out of here.”
I erased the < Chains > while they were still coiled around the corpses, and then rematerialized them again. After a good long while, I had the left chain transform into a rod-shaped three-section staff. I created the right chain as normal fake spear.
I don’t think that I’ll need a third arm, so I’ll have Catiza remain a finger.
I went straight for the remaining fishmen without chasing after the runaways. I extended the staff towards the leg of my target, breaking it with a mighty blow.
“Gyaaaa”
Just when the fishman went down holding his broken leg, I finished him off, stabbing his head with the fake spear. Immediately following, aiming for that opportunity, the fishmen threw javelins at me.
In a hurry I dodged those javelins while relying on my step work, destroyed them with the fake spear, and repeled many javelins with a Hoplin-shaped chain s.h.i.+eld I created on the spot.
The opponents didn’t get closer to me. They apparently plan to deal with me by throwing javelins while escaping.
While using the chain s.h.i.+eld, I swiftly advanced with Magic Combat Step. I extended the three-section chain staff in my left hand, targeting the leg of a fishman who had retreated, but in the middle of the attack, I made the < Chain > transform from a staff into a wriggling snake.
The chain’s pointed end penetrated his leg, and arrested it by twining itself around the leg.
“Geh, why, meeee?”
I tried to pull the fishman, who shouted like this as if to lament his bad luck. I reeled in the < Chain > that was bound around his leg.
“Hyaaa.” The frightened fishman screamed as he arrived at my feet.
I brought down the Hoplon s.h.i.+eld in my right hand on his head, and got showered by his blood when his head got crushed.
The instant the blood spray occurred, the fishmen, who had been throwing their spears, all turned around at once, and ran away at full speed.
“Running away is a no-no~”
“We’ll throw these after all~”
Lulu and Lala used < Throwing > on the swords and spears they picked up. Those weapons stabbed into the backs of one escaping fishman after the other.
Both of them were very young. Therefore I felt a peculiar impact due to their enjoyment from performing something so heartless.
Viine had apparently started to order the soldiers of 【Remains of the Moon】 to pursue the enemy, too. She rushed to the front with a great number of soldiers. While her silver hair bounced up and down as it fluttered in the wind, she slew a fishman, who got close, with Gadorices. She used her Jade Snake Bow to finish off the enemies who were running about trying to escape.
Nothing less of Viine. It’s different from j.a.panese archery, but her stance is still beautiful.
Her beam arrows reliably killed the fishmen.
At that point I could see Robalt leading a great number of 【Remains of the Moon】 soldiers as they kept running deeper into the port. I suppose this settles our victory.
Rollo pointed her head upwards, and released a roar of triumph.