By Zephyria =======
“Guh?!”
The man collapsed, tangling himself with his twin axes.
“Move, you idiot!”
“You’re the one—!”
It was the chance. Wolf hoisted his greatsword high. Dragging the tip of his boot against the deck, he put his entire body weight into the blade. He slammed it down instantly. The air, pushed aside by the pressure of the blade, created a fierce wind. In an instant, the tip of the greatsword reached the latissimus dorsi. Straight. Deeper. The blade, tearing through muscle, crushed the ribs. It pierced deep into the heart of the man with the twin axes and finally punched through the back muscles, embedding itself with a loud crack into the deck.
“Keu…”
“Heuu…”
The groans didn’t last long. The notification reported the deaths dryly.
〚Subject 1 Vital Signs :: None〛
〚Subject 2 Vital Signs :: None〛
Wolf yanked the greatsword out. Blood followed like a shadow, spurting upward. Now, is it over?
He looked around. The pirate ship was keeping its distance, retreating. The pirates who had crossed over seemed mostly suppressed. Excellent. Now, all that was left was to toss the corpses into the sea and it would truly be… wait?
〚Threat Scale :: ■■■■■ (5/5)〛
What the, why did this box suddenly fill up?
The moment he stood there bewildered, the targeting line whipped upward.
The mast. The crow’s nest at the top. Someone was perched on the crossbeam. One leg dangled downward, the other rested on the wooden beam. They looked relaxed and comfortable, like a theater spectator, but Wolf recognized it at a glance. Their center of gravity was perfect.
〚Subject Combat Output :: Unmeasurable〛
Wolf blinked.
“Unmeasurable?”
〔If it exceeds 100 Calden, it is automatically processed as unmeasurable. In other words, it could be 101 Calden.〕
“Even 101 Calden is excessive.”
〔Possible, if it is ‘Thunder.’〕
“I didn’t know you had a talent for being a bard.”
〔Thunder is not a fiction of legend.〕
〔Based on observation records of 〈Our Domain〉. Thunder is confirmed to exist.〕
〔Average combat output for a 20-year-old subject is around 500 Calden.〕
“Hey.”
〔Recommended action. Immediate evacuation.〕
〔Caution. Even if you flee, it is the sea. Utilize your swimming skills to the maximum.〕
He didn’t even have time to curse at the Flea.
〚Subject → Initiating Action〛
Before he knew it, the enemy had leaped up. They wore a black robe with the hood pulled low over their head. Simultaneously, the black box extended further.
〚Measurement Limit Exceeded → Threat Scale Expanded〛
〚Cumulative Threat :: ■■■■■■■■■■ (10/10)〛
“You’re overreacting.”
〔This is a calculation.〕
The enemy lowered their body slightly. In the next moment, they leaped into the air, putting the sun at their back. That height. It was a jump altitude that made it hard to believe they had skipped the acceleration process. To put it as it looked, they had simply ‘shot up’ from their spot. Then, their body spiraled, instantly transitioning into a steep dive. At the same time, a sword slid out from inside the robe. The rotation grew even faster. The hem of the black robe fluttered, and the tip of the sword gripped in both hands pointed accurately toward him.
〚Subject → High-Speed Descent〛
〚Weight-loaded Dive → Estimated Intent to Maximize Destructive Power〛
Warnings exploded in succession.
〚Upon Impact → Expected Bisection of Body〛
〚Evasion Strategy → Calculation Impossible〛
〚Enemy Subject Exceeds Speed Limit〛
Shit! It wasn’t an overreaction!
Wolf’s legs moved instinctively. Two steps toward the southwest. Immediately after, a fierce wind swept past his front. It was so powerful it felt as if a waterfall had plummeted right before his eyes. The following sound was comparable to a landslide. Boom. Thump. Crack. Thud. Crunch. Crash.
Wooden splinters flew in all directions. The opponent, who had missed Wolf by a hair’s breadth, had crashed through the deck. The chain of noise soon fell silent. Thick dust billowed up from the gaping hole in the deck.
Everything became deathly quiet. Not only Wolf, but every warrior stood frozen.
〚Threat Scale :: ■■■■■□□□□□ (5/10)〛
〚Subject → Temporary Loss of Consciousness〛
They didn’t die?
Wolf hurriedly peered into the hole. Amidst the hazy dust, the enemy lay sprawled in a frog-like position. The warriors shouted in a panic.
“Crossbows! Just in case, bring the crossbows!”
〚Threat Level Increases Upon Subject’s Resumption of Activity〛
〚Recommendation :: Utilize Long-range Projectiles → Rapid Elimination〛
〚Subject → Regaining Consciousness〛
What?
〚Cumulative Threat :: ■■■■■■■■■■ (10/10)〛
Are you kidding me?
〚Recommendation :: Immediate Evacuation and Maritime Escape〛
It wasn’t a joke. The enemy’s shoulders twitched as they lifted their head.
〚Subject Biological Stability :: Normal〛
Wolf was flabbergasted once again. For a normal person, it would be natural for their organs to burst and for them to die. However, the Flea absurdly judged them as ‘Normal.’ It meant they were fine, aside from minor abrasions.
The enemy was already standing up, scratching the back of their head. At that sight, the warriors gasped and collectively backed away from the hole in the deck. Only Wolf remained still, staring at the enemy. Strangely, he couldn’t take his eyes off them.
The enemy let out a sigh and suddenly kicked the floor hard. Anger could be felt in the movement. This was someone who hated failure. However, they didn’t obsess over the target they missed. They were the type to kick the innocent floor once and then shake it off. Their body language explained it so.
“Cr-crossbows. Crossbows.”
A warrior belatedly looked around. Wolf raised one hand.
“Fall back. Get your shields.”
“But… against one person?”
The wavering warriors soon followed the order. They quickly formed a defensive line ten paces from the hatch. One knee down, shields forward, swords angled at 30 degrees toward the hatch.
It was an excessively grand formation for dealing with a single person, but an unprecedented tension settled in the warriors’ eyes. Even without the warning messages that quantified human combat power, everyone sensed it. The one about to appear before them was a monstrous individual.
Wolf stood at the front of the warriors. The scent of salt, tar, oak, and heavy iron scattered on the wind. The creaking of the mast and the sound of waves hitting the hull blended with the dim sunlight.
Finally, a presence stirred inside the hatch. The sound of slightly staggering footsteps. Before long, the individual stepped onto the deck. They didn’t even glance this way. They seemed to regard the dozens of blades pointed at them as nothing more than dry winter twigs. The robe, covered in gray dust, was torn in several places, and the hood had fallen back. The moment the sunlight illuminated that face, “Ugh… Aaaagh!”
The warriors screamed in unison and recoiled. A chill ran down Wolf’s neck as well.
The person was wearing a mask. It looked as if a flatly rolled-out piece of flour dough had been plastered onto their face. It would have been quite funny if it were a real round dough mask, but unfortunately, Wolf and the warriors recognized it at first glance. That was human facial skin.
What kind of person… are they a psychopath?
The lunatic headed toward the deck railing, casting off the robe. The moment the robe hit the floor, there was a clink—clank, clang sound. It was unmistakably the sound of metal. Daggers and awls filled the lining of the robe like scales. Despite that, their build was slender. It was a sight that would make the physicists of Atania fundamentally re-examine the law of mass.
The lunatic hopped onto the deck railing. It seemed they intended to jump into the sea and swim toward the pirate ship. Wolf could hear someone let out a sigh of relief. Even the Flea joined in.
〚Subject’s Attempt at Maritime Escape Detected → Recommendation: Do Not Pursue〛
The lunatic twisted their upper body left and right as if warming up. Their hair fluttered in the sea breeze. Though the faint blue of the combat interface was overlaid, it was clear they had platinum blonde hair. Their eyes were Alice Blue.
What.
Why are they like that.
The lunatic’s gaze, which had been carelessly scanning the sea, the seagulls, the sky, and the warriors, suddenly stopped on Wolf. Wolf stared back at the lunatic without moving. Was it an illusion? Suddenly, everything except that bizarre person became blurred. Even the sounds seemed to drift away.
It felt as if they were under the influence of powerful magic. It felt as if their body was being contaminated by something. As if it were simply bypassing and penetrating even the defense system implanted by the skeleton wraith… that was how strange it felt.
“Hah!”
Wolf gasped. Suddenly, the person vanished from his sight.
〚Subject Maritime Escape〛
〚Threat Scale :: □□□□□□□□□□ (0/10)〛
The lunatic was cutting through the water, heading toward the pirate ship. They were fast and relentless.
75 – Hell Execution Order