Cider, wearing a nervous smile, aid his gun barrel diagonally toward the sky once more.
The Commodore gritted his teeth, but right now it was rather fortunate that Cider Claiborne had magical weapons. The fact that there was at least one person who wasn't panicking in this absurd situation.
"This situation doesn't seem very surprising to you."
"It's not the first ti. Is that important?"
"It is important. It gives
reason to trust your words. Captain Duke! Open the magic cannons! Convert all firearms to magical firearms as well."
The soldiers who had been in chaos quickly regained their positions. Though their faces still showed settled fear, ships swaying and fighting against sothing massive wasn't very unusual for the navy. Even if the opponents weren't enemy battleships but giant tentacle monsters, war was still war.
"Avondale, go to the safe engine room."
"If we die, we'll all die together anyway. The odds would be better with
here."
The engine room wouldn't be safe in this situation either.
Cider said while conspicuously blowing away a nearby monster's head. The Commodore acknowledged with displeasure.
"...You would have been quite sothing as a soldier too."
"I'm better as a magical engineer. Getting paid for work doesn't suit my constitution either."
With rapid gunfire, the pincers of a hard-shelled monster flew off. Commodore Rustin's mouth fell open. It wasn't just a matter of marksmanship. That trendous amount of magic power, the sharp cross-section of the severed head.
"Did you modify that gun?"
"I made it."
The Commodore, who had drawn his own gun and was shooting down small monsters climbing onto the ship, gritted his teeth.
"Manufacturing magical weapons without permission is..."
"Illegal, yes. But would you really arrest
for that?"
Cider answered shalessly while pushing spare magic stones into his gun. Though his attitude was brazen, his fingertips loading the gun were trembling slightly. The magic depletion rate was faster than expected. His patience burned away like a lit fuse.
"...Never mind. Lieutenant Elfain, cover the count. He's a civilian after all, so no matter what happens, we need to keep him alive."
"Yes!"
His coat and hat beca wet from the rough sea wind and spray splashing as high as the ship. Cider threw off his heavy coat, crouched low, and aid at the air. The magic bullet that extended far hit the head of a monster jumping up from the waves and water surface.
This warship hadn't suffered major damage yet. Though so soldiers on deck were injured, they had managed to avoid becoming the monsters' main target by quickly deploying magic cannons. The pirate ships were in much worse condition. But how long could they hold out like this?
"The magic bullets aren't working!"
"Argh! D-don't co!"
Cider gritted his teeth and changed the direction of his gun barrel. Bang, the sea monster that had climbed onto the deck exploded, spraying flesh and fluid everywhere. After confirming that the soldiers who had fallen while fleeing were getting up, Cider leaned his back against the wall and exhaled.
Though he had experienced dungeons before, he was originally soone who hadn't received proper combat training. His body, overworked from days of research, was exhausted by the combat situation where he couldn't let his guard down for even a mont. Magic stones were insufficient, and the magic cannons could barely fend off small fry. He didn't know how much longer they could hold out.
It was desperate.
But he couldn't give up like this. In this vast ocean, defeat ant death. Even while watching soldiers being swept away, Cider Claiborne felt a vague conviction. There was no way he would die like this.
He wasn't afraid of death. But he couldn't end things in such a manner. Those trivial letters couldn't be his final farewell. Strength entered his hand gripping the gun. It wouldn't take very long for Esperanza to arrive. If he could just hold out until then, there was a chance of victory.
"Now! Fire magic cannons while retreating!"
As the Commodore gave the order, the ship pulled back.
"Got it!"
"Just a little more, just a little...!"
However, before the ship could sufficiently distance itself from the fierce battle, a sea serpent appeared from the deep ocean. It was so massive that just poking its head above the surface soaked all the surrounding ships completely. When it swung its tail that filled their entire field of vision, a pirate ship instantly capsized. Pirates poured onto the sea littered with monster blood and flesh. Though they had been enemies just monts before, the sight of people being eaten alive was horrific. Senior soldiers helped up young soldiers who were vomiting.
"Further back!"
Officers raised their voices. White steam poured from the smokestack to cover the sky, but the ship could barely move as if it were tied down.
"Damn it, what the hell is going on?"
"Commodore, the ship won't move."
Did that an they had to fight that overwhelmingly massive sea serpent head-on? The Commodore's face turned deathly pale. The serpent was even larger than this warship, with sleek, jet-black scales like a fish. A massive tail studded with spikes and a pitch-black maw that seed to swallow even light. In no harsh combat situation had they ever faced sothing like that.
But there was nowhere to run. The Commodore strode quickly toward the bow.
"Turn all magic cannons toward the serpent! Deploy reserve cannons too!"
It was woefully insufficient. Cider could tell just by looking. Even with his gun, which perford sowhat better than cannons, he didn't know how long he could hold out, and there were only six magic cannons including reserves. The ship they had to protect was too large, and the enemy they had to face was even larger. In fact, from his perspective, these sea monsters seed to have roughly twice the defense power compared to the monsters they had faced so far. But knowing that didn't provide any imdiate solution.
Just as Cider pushed magic stones into his gun, an officer's resounding voice, as if drawing upon his very soul, commanded:
"Fire!"
Magic cannons poured onto the slick, slimy scales. Six cannons burst magic power without rest. The dragon scread and writhed its body. When the magic power that had been dazzlingly bright faded, they couldn't help but doubt their eyes.
"Damn it, not a single scratch!"
"Wh-what do we do? Commodore!"
"Retreat for now. We're retreating! Don't let it get within its range!"
But before the ship could move properly, the enraged serpent approached the ship with its mouth wide open. With a hissing sound, its bright red tongue and pitch-black throat were clearly visible to everyone.
Were they going to be eaten?
But the next mont, a bright blue blade severed the serpent's neck.
Thunk.
The fallen serpent's neck struck the ship's railing, causing the warship to sway greatly. The soldiers who had barely maintained their balance tumbled again. Regardless, sturdy military boots landed on the blood-stained railing with a light thunk. The sea wind roughly tousled long hair tied in a single bundle. The Commodore doubted his eyes.
It was a young woman holding a giant scythe.
"Who is...?"
The woman, who had been glancing down at the Commodore with unrealistically clear eyes narrowed, suddenly turned her head to look at the sea. A voice without any goodwill answered:
"Soone who ca to rescue you."
Esperanza, raising her gun, hit a black monster behind the collapsing sea serpent's corpse. The monster that had been about to attack a pirate ship writhed its body. Only after hitting several more vital spots could she finish off the monster.
Firearms performance had noticeably declined. Esperanza gritted her teeth. But there was nothing better than firearms for ranged attacks. She had no choice but to increase her magic power amount. While setting up her scope, she spoke:
"You're the commanding officer?"
Esperanza, lowering her voice, cald her anxiously pounding heart with deep breaths while quickly checking the rank insignia on the uniform.
"Commodore? A high-ranking person ca out. Switch everything to magic cannons and respond. This dungeon has no monsters appearing from the air, so you only need to worry about the sea, but if the ship gets holes, it's over. Don't forget to lower guns below the water surface for warning shots. Twice in succession, at least once every five minutes."
Before even hearing an answer, Esperanza stamped her foot once and threw herself onto the sea swarming with monsters.
"Wait!"
Commodore Rustin tried to grab her belatedly but couldn't even graze her clothing.
The massive blade drew a blue trajectory as it severed a monster's head. Even so, five heads and twelve legs remained. A wolf-like head charged with bared fangs. Her movents in avoiding swinging legs while cutting off the remaining heads were skillful. There was definitely pleasure from that skill. But there was also a strange anxiety that continued to suppress the rising pleasure.
She didn't know the reason, but she had an odd premonition. She was missing sothing. Sothing... what the hell was it?
Esperanza gritted her teeth while slashing through the monster's chest center. Scales cracked and blood poured out. Shaking off her hair and clothes that had beco heavy from being soaked in seawater, she also shook off her thoughts. There was no need to worry. After all, right now she just had to do what needed to be done.
Focusing her mind on the battlefield again, Esperanza swung her scythe and leaped into the middle of the sea.
Bang. Bang. Dodging the frantically pouring cannons, she headed toward the pirate ships. A cephalopod-type monster commonly called a kraken was attacking the pirate ship.
Esperanza's scythe unhesitatingly severed legs larger than her own body. Sticky fluid pooled and dripped from the scythe's tip that glead with cold light. Eight legs still remained. Esperanza let out a deep sigh.
'This is why I hate underwater dungeons.'
Because of her body that had grown cold from going back and forth above and below the water surface, she couldn't fully imrse herself in combat. Unlike when handling firearms, using a scythe required large body movents, but due to her body becoming heavy from being soaked, she needed to use more force to achieve the desired angles. Naturally, she tired more quickly. There seed to be perverts who preferred such restrictions, but hunters like Esperanza who mainly used firearms usually avoided underwater dungeons. Since they avoided them, they didn't have much experience either.
But right now there was no choice.
"Aaahhh!"
"Get away! Get away!"
The pirate ship's situation was worse than the warship's. Since they were people who hadn't received formal military training, their crisis response abilities were poor, and they had consud a lot of magic power due to the earlier battle. She didn't know how many magic stones they had obtained by capturing rchant ships, but there were many of them. Their magic consumption rate was naturally faster too.
The outco of the naval battle between Paolun and Osdern had nothing to do with Esperanza. She even sowhat hoped those snooty Osdern bastards would just lose completely. So both rationally and emotionally, it was right to prioritize the pirate ship side. Esperanza steadied her gaze that was sohow trying to turn back toward the warship and provoked the kraken with her pistol. The mont she kicked off a tentacle to launch her body high, the monster's empty eyes turned toward Esperanza.
Grrrrr, the massive sea monster that made a boiling sound turned its body. The empty sea between the pirate ship and the warship. The tentacle that wrapped around Esperanza's body disappeared below the water surface.
Very deep.
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