Chapter 15

I was sad.

After all, I had traveled a long time to reach this land of Rhodes.

Why did I have to be attacked by one of Terra's most dangerous individuals in what I thought was the safest place on Terra?

"Ahahah, you're better than you look!"

"Well, thank you."

Lorentina—no, let's just call her Specter now.

Specter, who was scraping up Rhodes' deck with her saw as she swung it around, was smiling happily as she slashed at me for whatever reason she found amusing.

I'm truly terrified and wish she would stop.

I'm trying my best to swing my tentacles around to deflect her attacks, but honestly, I don't understand how I'm still in one piece.

"You... swinging tentacles around like that, I thought you might be Aegir of the Deep Sea Church, but it seems you're not. Ufufu."

Yikes! Some debris just grazed my cheek!

I'm seriously about to cry.

What did I even do to deserve this?

"I don't like violent affairs!"

"Oh, that was dangerous."

The tentacle I swung out displayed strength far beyond what I had expected, deeply smashing the sturdy floor, but Specter easily dodged it.

She approached with dance-like steps, which I somehow managed to intercept with my remaining tentacles.

She moves so nimbly that I'm struggling just to keep track of her with my eyes.

I want to lecture her for a good hour about why she had to make herself so lightly equipped and agile, just like that hunter from Yharnam.

By the way, I can only use three tentacles.

Actually, a lot more could grow, but since they're like arms, my thoughts can't keep up.

"How boring. Won't you fight me seriously?"

"This is serious. I'm so desperate I'm about to cry."

So, I'm standing still.

With excess tentacles wiggling aimlessly, I'm just swinging three of them around.

From the outside, I might look like some arrogant jerk who's not taking this seriously, but please understand that I'm truly on the verge of tears while doing this. I trained with cooking and such. I should actually be praised for being able to handle three arms so skillfully.

But wow, I'm actually fighting pretty well, not just cooking. How am I so skilled at this...? Ah, I see... the experience of shooting down approaching originium meteorites during that natural disaster I encountered before coming here is paying off...

While somehow managing to deflect the blade that's coming at me with explosive sounds, I thanked that past misfortune.

...Well, actually, there's nothing to be thankful for. Both natural disasters and Abyssal Hunters are misfortunes!

And as for Kal'tsit...

"Stop it, Gladiia, Specter! This isn't something you should—"

"Oh, it's fine, Kal'tsit. Those two aren't obedient enough to be stopped with words. There are things they'll only understand after being hit."

"...However."

Stop it!

Why are you giving off a "well, whatever..." kind of attitude?! What has Skadi been telling you?!

I wanted to shout, but I had no room for that.

Look, the saw is about to attack again... A big overhead swing—no, a feint for a double strike!

I continued to read Specter's attacks with astonishingly elegant predictions, successfully parrying blow after blow, but as time passed, I was gradually losing my motivation.

Because there's no need to fight... Since Skadi seemed to have given her approval in some way, maybe these two will also calm down somehow...

...Skadi. That's right, Skadi.

"Aren't you curious why Skadi is just watching?"

I retreated greatly, watching with terrified eyes as the blade passed through where my head had been just moments ago.

"Well, I wonder why? Unfortunately, I'm not good at thinking about various things while fighting."

This is tough! Specter is scary, continuing to attack without hesitation even as the conversation starts!

This woman would definitely smash straight through any attempts at persuasion or begging for mercy! She'd probably get along well with Lappland!

If I swing my tentacles widely, I know she'll retreat, so I'm somehow buying time with that.

"She has learned about the future of the Abyssal Hunters. That's why she decided to entrust it to Kal'tsit."

Though I don't really know what she saw or learned.

While somehow managing to fend off Specter's fierce attacks, I stole a glance at Skadi's situation and saw her watching alongside the Doctor. Even Mon3tr is there... Damn, they're so carefree.

"Looking away? You must be feeling confident."

That was close!

That just grazed me!

"Sorry, but I don't care what Skadi does. I'm just fulfilling my duty as an Abyssal Hunter."

"As if you have any sense of responsibility!"

This is exhausting. I'm a pacifist.

I don't even want to fight, so why do I have to engage in this life-or-death struggle?

My plan for peaceful living at Rhodes...

"Gah, don't worry!"

"Ah! Seaborn...!"

Skadi's Seaborn appeared, distracting Specter.

For the first time, she showed a clear opening. No doubt, this is my chance.

I quickly released my tentacles, attempting to wrap her up like I once did to Skadi.

If I can restrain her even a little, that would be great.

I really want someone to stop this rampaging Abyssal Hunter.

"Got you."

My tentacles wrapped around Specter.

I tightened them quickly to restrain her—but there was absolutely no sensation at all.

"Too bad."

A voice came from behind, and as I hurriedly turned around, I swung my arm.

The blade trembled with a grinding sound as it tried to gouge my face—at the moment of contact, my fist, which somehow made it in time, punched the saw from the side, and I managed to avoid it.

"Oh, that's too bad."

"...That hurt."

...It hurts so muuuuuuch!

My hand is in incredible pain!

I don't even want to see what condition it's in!

So this is what happens when you touch a chainsaw! I really didn't want to know that! That's why I was using tentacles!

"I thought I had captured you."

"A substitution, huh. You do ninja-like things."

I had forgotten.

Specter and Lorentina, that duality.

The woman before me is not just a muscle-brained gorilla. That makes this very painful.

"Gwoh."

The Seaborn let out a comforting cry.

Perhaps it's Skadi's buff power.

The pain seems to be gradually lessening, which is welcome even if it's just a placebo effect.

"Is that Seaborn a part of that Skadi lookalike over there?"

...Come to think of it, what happened to Skadi?

Since Specter came here, Gladiia must be over there.

Paying careful attention not to miss any of Specter's movements, I carefully stole a glance in Skadi's direction.

"...Wow."

I couldn't see her clearly.

Skadi was moving as if dancing, spinning and gliding, with black shadows flying around her.

Without a doubt, those shadows must be Gladiia. Is Skadi still unharmed, dodging everything despite the speed being too fast for my eyes to follow?

Skadi's bright red outfit makes her look like a dancer, giving me the feeling of watching an extremely skilled dance performance. Though in reality, it's more combat than dance.

The sea people are really terrifying.

"To think she has that speed even outside water. It's frightening beyond words."

"You seem to know a lot about me and the Captain."

I'm glad it's Specter... or am I?

It's troubling how I'm starting to feel relatively fortunate.

In reality, that's not the case at all, but somehow seeing such an incredible sight has reset my dejected mood.

Skadi... how can you keep handling that? I can't look at you the same way anymore.

"...Well then. Shall we start over?"

"Yes, let's."

Specter readied her saw, and I flexed my tentacles.

"Let's end this."

—My defeat was, quite shamefully, due to my carelessness.

After exchanging blows with Specter multiple times, I was gradually getting used to it despite being terrified.

A baseless confidence was welling up, and I think that was actually true.

However, this was never a one-on-one duel.

Abyssal Hunters are always hunters, and they don't care about methods when it comes to killing their prey.

And I, objectively speaking, was a fool who had infiltrated enemy territory—Rhodes.

In short, I should have been on guard against everything. ...Although I don't think being cautious would have made any difference.

"Yes—let's end this."

I twisted my body reflexively, perhaps because my senses had been sharpened from being in combat.

Originally, I was a complete amateur who knew nothing about fighting.

I'd like to be praised for how well I've done so far—but in the end, at this moment, I was pierced by Gladiia who came flying like a bullet from directly behind me.

Are you really doing this?

That's what I thought in a corner of my mind.

Weren't you just over by Skadi? Suddenly changing targets for a pincer attack, isn't that excessively murderous?

How did you even coordinate timing with Specter? The sea people are truly terrifying.

While internally complaining and grumbling, the blow that tried to pierce straight through my torso only managed to take one of my arms from the shoulder, thanks to my desperate resistance.

But I am neither Aegir nor anything else, not even one of those unusually tough Ancients—I'm just an ordinary human, so there's no way I could endure it. Naturally, it's a fatal wound.

I was blown away by the impact, my body spinning in midair. The movement, like being hit by a truck, taught me well about how dangerous Gladiia is.

Even in the midst of this, my somewhat clear head recognized the injury, my brain frantically warning that this is bad, really bad, I'm going to die, and beyond the spurting pale blood, I recognized Gladiia's and Specter's cold, sharp red eyes—

"Hahaha, you've done it now."

The "Small Granfarro" that I had been keeping in my pocket since obtaining it created a dazzling aurora that illuminated my entire field of vision.

It seems that when a person's thought process overflows, laughter really does leak out.

I could only let out a dry laugh, without even feeling pain.

That imitation of Iberia's eye was able to stop the Abyssal Hunters' movements, if only for a moment. In that instantaneous time when I had suffered a fatal wound but still couldn't even feel the pain.

And it was also enough time for Skadi, who had been dodging Gladiia's fierce attacks, to "awaken" from her slumber.

Through my ears, trembling from the impact, I heard a familiar voice.

"Hey, Kal'tsit. Didn't you say it yourself?"

—"A voice resonating in the depths" I've awakened in the darkness

"All life, every bit of it, originates from the sea."

—"I'll show you my true self" Now, I am here

"If that's the case, aren't we all kin?"

—"I release the chains" I am bound by no one

"And I am one who roams the 'sea.'"

—"Come here" Now, come closer?

"Let's return to our eternal homeland."

A scarlet "God" drifts in the sea.

I wonder if I've caused some seriously dangerous evolution to occur?