"Getter Razor!" I yelled, cutting apart a monster squid's tentacles that were wrapping around Black Getter's head. Okay, in hindsight, flying right into a ball of monsters probably wasn't the smartest of ideas.
While I commend the enthusiasm, I would recommend against flying into an enemy formation without a plan.
"I've noticed!" I punched away a giant shark and ripped off another shark that was gnawing on one of Black Getter's horns.
I have established a defense line between the swarm and the cruise liner. Unfortunately, there were monsters that were able to slip by before the Nagare could intercept. I have informed the Captain of the incoming threats.
"Let's believe in Chris and the others then. Getter Tomahawk Shot-Boomerang!" Black Getter started throwing tomahawk after tomahawk that ripped through several monsters. Those that didn't get stuck inside monster hides looped back past me and hit the ones closing in from the rear.
Yeah! My totally original move worked for real!
I finally managed to get out of the ball of teeth and saw that the Nagare was facing the monsters sideways. Any monsters that got close immediately got several holes shot into them by smaller laser guns all over the surface of the ship. I guess that's what Control meant by a defense line.
A loud roar made me look back to the monsters and saw a whale open up its mouth to reveal several eyeballs all over the inside of its mouth. Gross!
"Of course the eyeballs shoot lasers." I grumbled while I made Black Getter dodge the energy beams randomly coming out of the whale. "Getter Bea–Gaaah!"
Three monster shrimps interrupted my attack by clamping down their serrated claws on Black Getter's limbs and head. They tried to pull the Getter Robo apart but it was way tougher than they probably expected.
"Get off me!" I yelled as I flailed them around, ending up hitting a bunch of monsters in the process. The lasers from the whale managed to hit me but they didn't do as much damage as I thought. They still rocked me around, but everything was still green.
[Minimum Competency Achieved: Spinning Getter Beam Certification Unlocked for Black Getter F]
"Control! What's Spinning Getter Beam?!" I asked while the shrimp monsters finally broke to pieces from my turning them into flails. In the meantime, I used another favorite to intercept a bunch of shellfish monsters. "Getter Spike!"
Spinning Getter Beam will make Black Getter F wrap Getter Wing around its body while Getter Beam is being fired. This will deflect the beam, turning it into several rapid fire shots that can be directed in particular directions. It is very effective when used in a large area or against numerous enemies.
Most of that flew over my head as I finished off the last of the shellfish, but if Control said that it's effective against numerous enemies, "Spinning Getter Beaaaaaam!"
Just as Control explained, Getter Wing extended and Black Getter wrapped it around itself. I yelped when it started flying towards the monsters as smaller Getter Beam shots started coming out randomly from within the cape.
That was actually really cool!
I weaved between monsters and shot holes into them for a few more seconds before the attack finally ran its course. That was when the whale reminded me of its presence by ramming into me and tried to make a break to also ram into the Nagare.
"Hey! That was rude! Getter Beaaam!" Hot pink death melted through the whale's skull as it roared out in pain. It eventually started falling from the sky as the beam cut through a bunch of other monsters before dissipating.
I clicked my tongue when I looked at the energy readings and saw that I was down to seventy percent. Too many Getter Beams was the reason why I went down during the Survival Mode of the Simulator earlier than I should have. Better pace myself more until I was sure I had enough to wipe out the rest.
"Getter Tomahawk!" I pulled out a pair of tomahawks but was surprised when a bunch of bone spikes started hitting Black Getter. They were being fired from the mouths of smaller versions of the lobster monsters from earlier. "Hey! Stop that!"
I tried to hit them with the tomahawks, but they were small enough to just slip away whenever I swung. Dammit! Without any choice, I leaned on my only real ranged option that didn't involve throwing tomahawks around. "Getter Beam!"
Green lasers fired from Black Getter's head and hit most of the lobsters. The remaining ones slipped away and hid behind a bunch of sharks that decided that they wanted a piece of me. Okay, those ones I could fight! I let out a roar as I swung right at their open jaws.
…
Even at the distance they were at, Chris Fia Arclight could see the swarm of monsters in the far distance. They were even more numerous before the bright flashes of light earlier, that everyone on the cruise liner saw, melted through most of them. He was one of the many who cheered at the display of raw power from Leon's Armor and Ship. He had seen it before but this was the first time he had ever witnessed his friend fight without holding back to avoid human casualties. Leon Fou Bartfort definitely earned the moniker of Doom Knight.
Chris was in a borrowed Armor, not nearly as comfortable or capable as his own, with a sword that wasn't balanced to his liking. Regardless, he would still do his damndest to use it to its full potential.
"Look alive gentlemen. We just got word that monsters have managed to slip past the Doom Knight's wall of death." The ship's Captain informed them through the radio.
"Focus on the largest ones. The security detail and the others can deal with the regular sized monsters." The head of security ordered from inside the lead Armor. Chris chanced a glance at the deck and saw several teachers, students, and security personnel ready to fight. He also saw Marie standing alongside Olivia as Miss Roseblade coordinated them and the other girls. "Arclight, you better not be dead weight."
"The woman I love is on that ship. I will not let her down." He heard a scoff and a couple of cheers and whistles from the other men in Armors.
They heard the monsters before they saw them approach. A couple larger crab types got through, those would be troublesome. The other fish monsters looked like they would be easier to deal with.
"Two squads of three on the crabs! Jamie, Arclight, you're with me!" They all answered in affirmative at the order and they quickly moved to intercept. The crabs were at the forefront and seemed determined to ram right through them.
"Jamie! Lock the claws with me! Arclight, find a weak spot!" Chris was surprised that he was being relied on to actually find a way to kill the thing.
"Check the underside in case the thing is more crab than monster!" The other man, Jamie, suggested just as they clashed with the crab. The monster tried to crush them with its pincers, but was met with stiff resistance. The two men Chris was with showed impressive mastery in movement and control, slipping past the attacks and striking at the thick carapace.
Not wanting to keep them all at risk, Chris quickly moved to the underside of the monster and started striking at it to find any weak point. He smiled when he managed to stab into something soft. The creature roared out in pain before backing away and using its claws to fend them off.
"It definitely didn't like that, keep it up gents!" Chris nodded at the words and the three of them moved to re-engage the beast.
…
Marie Fou Lafan never really handled any shortcomings she had well. Feeling useless and insignificant had always been the ugliest thing she had ever experienced. It was like that in her previous life, it didn't change in this life either.
As she worked to heal one of the injured students who was caught unawares by an eel monster, she saw just how insignificant she really was in the face of a true monster.
"Please don't move until I am done healing you!" Olivia, the girl who was meant to become the Saint, finished healing an injured teacher with one hand while shooting a monster that was about to kill another student right between the eyes with the handgun in her other hand. She proceeded to cast streams of piercing light that struck several other monsters with a wave of a hand before casually reloading her gun with perfect ease. She was even already receiving a new person in need of healing.
Marie never handled any shortcomings she had well, and the display that Olivia was showing at that moment caused a familiar ugly feeling to grow inside her.
Why would her Big Brother bother to settle with her as the Saint when he had the genuine article already worshiping the ground he walked on? No wonder he didn't want to give her the Saint's Necklace.
She continued to watch as the girl, who was more of a monster than any of the ones that were attacking their ship, got praised by the people around her as the threats began to thin out.
Without a doubt, Marie Fou Lafan hated Olivia.
…
"Haaa…haaa…haaa…Raaaaaaaaagh!" I gave one more heave with the monster I had by the tail and heard the satisfying sound of a splat.
While there would be no external damage from the action, please refrain from using the Nagare's hull as an anvil.
I coughed into my hand as the corpse of a large stingray monster I swung into the side of the Nagare slowly slid down before disappearing in an explosion of light particles. I was grateful that the monsters didn't leave behind any bodies or gore, otherwise Black Getter would have been covered in it by now.
"Last few left. You want to wrap this up, Control? Black Getter's getting low on energy." I said instead while I looked at the remaining dozen or so monsters. There were only large and medium monsters left anyway. I wasn't saying that I was getting tired or anything and was just using my Getter's energy levels as an excuse, but I was.
Of course, allow me.
Another Getter Beam from the Nagare later, the skies were finally clear. I had Black Getter stand on the ship's hull after all the beam emitters were covered again.
"I really need another option for long range enemies. Getter Beams eat up too much energy to waste on trash enemies just because I can't swing at them." I remembered the times when I was forced to use Getter Beam on small monsters and couldn't help but feel robbed by the waste of energy. "I can't hit everything with Tomahawks if they're too small or far away either."
I shall look into alternatives in the Lab's database and present some options for you to choose from at a later date.
"Have I told you how much I love you, Control?" I asked with a grateful sigh.
Not recently, but thank you.
I scanned the skies one more time and didn't see any stragglers. "Looks like we're done here. How's the cruise liner doing?"
They have already cleared their airspace of all hostile monsters. The Captain suggests that they wait for the army reinforcements to arrive so they can be escorted back to the Capital safely.
"I can understand that. Let's add to the convoy just in case." I didn't want another ambush to suddenly show up just as the Nagare started ascending back to the upper atmosphere.
I shall inform the Captain.
The Nagare headed back to link up with the cruise liner and I saw the damage on it. There was a lot of structural damage and smoke was coming out of a bunch of places. I also saw a lot of people on deck who were sitting down or were on their backs. I couldn't help but smile when I saw Marie and Livia moving around and healing the injured.
"Thank you for dealing with most of the monsters, Sir Doom Knight." My palm hit my face at the Captain's words, Control transmitting them to the cockpit via their stealth drone. Deirdre wasn't kidding after all, I really was being referred to by that ridiculous title. "The army will be here shortly with aid."
"Do you think your ship can make it back to the Capital safely? We can have everyone moved to my ship and just tow the cruise liner back to the harbor." I offered as I didn't like the way it was looking at that moment.
"That would give me a lot less things to worry about. Thank you, Sir Doom Knight." The Captain quickly made the announcement and the Nagare moved to receive the students, teachers, and crew. As the people prepared to board my ship, a damaged armor that was missing an arm flew closer to me.
"Leon, good to see you well." Chris spoke using the external speakers of the Armor.
"And you look like you need a nap." I did the same, joked about his present state and got a chuckle in response. "What happened? Got swarmed?"
"Giant crab." Was all he miserably said.
I raised Black Getter's hand and nodded. "Say no more. I understand completely."
The Captain says that he and a few essential crew members will stay on the cruise liner to ensure that it remains afloat. All others are boarding the Nagare.
Right after Control informed me of that, another damaged Armor approached. Chris introduced him as the cruise liner's head of security. "You must be the infamous Doom Knight."
"I really wish that I wasn't called that, but yeah." Black Getter's shoulders slumped to display just what I thought of the title.
"Too bad. The King called you that, so it's gonna stick to you forever." He said in good humor before suddenly shifting to a more serious tone of voice. "Listen, you think that this attack was deliberate?"
"I don't know. Everyone seems to think that this should have never happened." I echoed Chris and Deirdre's shock when I told them about the approaching swarm.
"It shouldn't have. I have friends in the army and guarding the shipping lanes is considered a vacation assignment." Okay, that really was pretty suspicious then.
The Captain has received word that the other two cruise liners were attacked by monsters as well.
"WHAT?!" My friends! My siblings! Angie! Clarice!
Thankfully, the army was a lot closer to them than they were to us. A lot of the students fought hard as well. Both ships should be able to make it back without issue.
"You gotta stop scaring me like that Control!" I complained but forgot that I still had the external speakers on.
"What is it?" Chris asked in clear worry.
"The other two cruise liners got attacked as well. The army and everyone onboard managed to fend them off." I quickly explained and caused some concern from the two men.
The army arrived shortly after. They were initially alarmed at the Nagare's presence but the Captain vouched for me and they changed their tune when they realized that I was the Doom Knight. I never hated someone like I hated the King when I realized that I was starting to refer to myself by the title. The Nagare and Black Getter were taking the rear of the formation as other army ships towed the cruise liner. A complement of Armors were constantly on patrol to ensure that no other surprises caught us off guard. As we flew back to the Capital, I thought about how oddly random the attack was. Was it deliberate? Was it Fanoss or a third party like Control suggested?
Just what the hell was going on?