"Why are there so many monsters!?"
"Run! Everyone, run!"
"Where to? We're on the ocean!"
"Fight!"
Sea worms surged in, the ship rocked violently, and the students were thrown into chaos.
The deck had become nothing short of a hellscape.
"…What the hell is this!"
— Do not draw your sword.
'I know…!'
Officially, weapons were prohibited in the yacht club.
Of course, since this was a student-established rule, there was no real need to follow it.
However, given that the students on board were the sons and daughters of royalty and princely houses, the rule felt heavier than any school regulation.
Aint wrapped aura around both hands and struck the head of a sea worm that had opened its filthy jaws.
With a pop, its head burst, and its lifeless body fell back into the sea.
"They're just numerous! Don't panic!"
"Kill them all!"
"Don't let them climb aboard!"
"Don't use fire magic, you idiots!"
It wasn't just Aint.
Though confused at first about how to respond, the students gradually regained their composure and began slaughtering the sea worms one by one.
The unique environment of the sea, their sudden appearance, and the sheer number—hundreds, maybe thousands.
It was more than enough to cause panic, but in truth, the individual sea worms weren't that powerful.
And everyone here was among the top-ranking students in the entire academy.
Due to the academy's focus on real combat, they had fought countless monsters before. These were individuals capable of holding their own on an actual battlefield.
The sea worms seemed to swarm endlessly, covering the ocean's surface, but each one that managed to crawl aboard was promptly sent back to the sea.
"Don't let them chew through the ship!"
The problem was that as the sea worms climbed up, they gnawed away at the hull.
The corrosive substances mixed in their saliva even began to dissolve the magic circles coated on the ship.
The vessel, gradually thinning, was starting to lose the strength to withstand the waves.
"The deck isn't the issue. Keep them from approaching the ship at all!"
"The Knight Department will take the front line. We have no weapons, so don't overdo it!"
"The Magic Department will support the Knight Department. Limit the use of fire and lightning spells…"
"Stop them from latching onto the ship in the first place! If the ship sinks…"
It was at that moment that Rudger Schwaben stepped up, beginning to stand out as he took command of the students.
He naturally assumed control, and thanks to his status and reasonably sound orders, the students had no real objections.
"They're holding off better than I expected."
But Fernand wasn't worried.
If it were just sea worms, the ship would never have sunk in the first place.
And sure enough, before long, the awaited moment arrived.
Rumble—
Beyond the swarm of sea worms, a waterspout rose into the air.
Like a torrential downpour, rain scattered in every direction as a colossal creature emerged through the fading waterspout.
"…Holy shit, what is that!?"
"It's a monster!"
The students screamed.
"It's here."
Fernand smiled.
"It's a sea serpent!"
The massive sea snake devoured the worms as it charged toward the tastier prey.
— Get up! Hurry, get up!
The icy seawater had drained the warmth from his body.
— Did you survive all this time just to die to something like this!?
His foggy mind began to awaken little by little with the relentless shouting.
— I said get up!
The vibrating necklace trembled violently, dispelling the dreamlike darkness in an instant.
Aint opened his eyes.
'…Where am I.'
The cold sea. Around him floated the corpses of sea worms, occasionally nibbled by passing fish.
— You're awake?
The voice that had woken him let out a sigh of relief.
— Get to the surface immediately. If you stay like this, you'll die.
His lungs already felt like they were bursting.
Barely holding on with his aura, Aint desperately pushed himself upward toward the surface.
"Puhak…!"
He gasped, exhaling the breath he'd been holding all at once, breathing heavily.
He looked around immediately, but only a few scattered wreckages remained—presumably what was left of the ship. The ship itself was nowhere in sight.
"…What the hell happened?"
— You don't remember the end?
"…The end, you say."
The memory came back.
The sudden appearance of the Sea Serpent, a massive creature over 10 meters long, known as the ruler of the sea.
The students had poured their magic into stopping the monster as it charged toward the ship—but it wasn't enough.
The hull, already weakened by the sea worms, couldn't withstand the beast's impact and split in two.
The only fortunate thing was that the Sea Serpent had torn the ship in half by charging straight through the middle—wedging itself in between the split halves.
And the academy students, though momentarily panicked, weren't foolish enough to miss such an opportunity.
The Sea Serpent was quickly struck by a barrage of attacks from dozens of top-ranked students at the academy and sustained a fatal wound.
But it hadn't died quietly. The struggle was fierce, and Aint had taken the brunt of the Sea Serpent's death throes—its breath—and lost consciousness.
"…How am I still alive?"
— Normally, you'd be dead. You were hit by the cold breath of the Sea Serpent and sank into the ocean, half-frozen.
It would have been natural to die, becoming nothing more than an ice sculpture from hypothermia.
If not for the arrangements left by the First Emperor—the sword that held the soul of the First Royal Knight.
— I protected you. I dispersed the Sea Serpent's breath and kept your body warm so you wouldn't die down there.
"…Is that even possible?"
— This sword does more than just seal my soul.
— It is a complete vessel, created to fully support the successor for the future.
"…You're far more impressive than I thought."
He had assumed it was just a sturdy sword imbued with a spirit.
— Your enemy isn't just a human who seeks to unify the continent. It's a demon. And because it's a demon, this is the bare minimum.
It was a warning not to underestimate the task of fighting demons.
"…I'll keep that in mind."
— There's an island nearby. Head there. I don't want to imagine running into another monster underwater.
"Yes."
Thankfully, there was a small island not too far away. After swimming for quite a long time, Aint finally reached it.
"Huff… huff…!"
He collapsed onto the shore, gasping for air.
His whole body ached from the aftermath of battle, and the long swim had drained all his strength.
"…I survived."
— Someone's there.
Not far down the beach, two people lay collapsed and unconscious.
"The Golden Turtle Trading Company…?"
The emblem sewn into their slumped uniforms was of a golden turtle.
— Looks like crew members from the ship. Check if they're alive.
"Yes."
Dragging his heavy body forward, Aint approached them. He turned one of the bodies over and checked for breathing.
"They're alive, thank good—"
At that moment—
— Aint, watch out!
─!
The eyes of the two men suddenly snapped open.
Before he realized it, both men had daggers in hand, each aimed at Aint's chest and neck.
"...!"
Aint quickly jerked his body backward.
But his heavy body, already weakened, couldn't react fast enough to the unexpected ambush.
One blade narrowly grazed his shoulder, but the other plunged straight for his chest.
Clang!
There was an impact—but no wound.
— Grab me!
Gardner's sword had moved on its own, blocking the dagger.
Aint rolled backward, grabbing the sword, which had already returned to its original form.
A moment later, the daggers came flying again.
─!
──!
Their movements were quick, precise, and filled with lethal intent.
Most importantly, they left no room for retreat.
— That's the style of a trained assassin. These aren't just ordinary trading company staff—they're professional killers!
"…Kh!"
Aint was overwhelmed by their ruthless attacks, sacrificing defense for offense without concern for their own safety.
He had no experience with this. No preparation.
His defense became more passive, and naturally, small wounds began to accumulate.
Which in turn led to something worse.
"…What is this!"
Dizziness struck, and Aint hurried to steady himself.
— Poison! Circulate your aura through your body. I don't know how potent it is, but it'll at least neutralize part of it.
"Yes!"
Following Gardner's instructions, Aint circulated his aura, and the poison began to weaken, even if just a little.
His pale complexion started to regain some warmth. The assassins, thinking the poison had taken full effect, had let their guard down slightly—their eyes widened.
That brief pause gave Aint a moment to catch his breath.
— The ship was torn apart in a monster attack. You just happened to wash ashore on an island—and found assassins laced with poison waiting for you.
— What are the odds that all of this is just a coincidence?
Gardner finally pinpointed the lingering unease he had felt from the beginning.
— It defies common sense to think someone commanded sea monsters just to have you killed out here.
If not for the existence of demons…
Some demons possessed the authority to command monsters.
— It's demons. The demon bastards have finally begun to make their move on you in earnest.
"…No way… Demonic Breed?"
At the mention that demons had started actively targeting him, Aint muttered without realizing it.
And upon hearing that mutter, the atmosphere around the two assassins changed.
It became heavier, the killing intent sharper, and a surge of ominous energy exploded from them.
— Demonic energy. I guess they've given up hiding now that they've been found out.
It was a force Aint had never experienced before, but there was no mistaking—it had to be demonic energy.
A dark, vile, repulsive aura that was thoroughly sinister and disgusting.
"…Can I even survive this?"
Aint swallowed hard.
His body, already weakened by fatigue, injuries, and poison, was far from normal. He couldn't help but feel like he wasn't in any condition to fight and muttered uneasily.
— It's not about whether you can survive. You must survive.
— Were you born bearing the name Armian just to die to filthy Demonic Breed scum!?
The pure white aura around his sword sharpened.
The assassins exploded with demonic energy and charged forward just as Aint raised his sword to intercept them.
At that moment, a dark figure swept between them.
──!
A clean, precise sword strike blew away both incoming attacks in an instant.
Then a wave of sand surged up and swallowed the assassins whole.
"…Senior Luina?"
"Are you alright, Aint Armian?"
"How did you get here…?"
And she wasn't alone.
A magician was approaching from afar, walking leisurely with his hands behind his back, wearing a bored expression.
"They may be wearing merchant uniforms…"
The sand began to vibrate and rise into the air.
"…but those aren't any faces I recognize."
The assassins trapped in the sand were lifted into view.
"Who are you people?"
The vermin who dared provide the spark for my downfall…
The magician's face—Fernand—twisted into a grim scowl.
"...."
"...."
The assassins didn't respond. Realizing they had no chance of winning, they merely began to swell up.
"Self-destruct magic!"
"They're going to blow!"
They were using a forbidden technique: colliding internal mana to detonate their mana hearts. In their case, it wasn't mana—but demonic energy.
Luina sprinted forward to stop them, but the explosion was faster.
───!
A black explosion engulfed Fernand and even reached Luina.
— Those lunatics…!
"No—no!"
Aint and Gardner screamed in horror, but when the smoke cleared, the scene wasn't as bad as expected.
"Don't worry."
Fernand was standing exactly as he had before. Luina, now at his side, was brimming with aura.
Around them were several layers of magical shields.
"I was expecting this."
If I saw it in the prophecy book and still got taken out by such a crude trick, I'd be a complete fool.
Tch, Fernand scoffed.
"Are you okay?"
"…Yes, I'm fine."
"How touching. You ran in to protect me without hesitation."
"…Well, we are partners, aren't we?"
"But it's not over yet."
"…Excuse me?"
He never got to finish the question.
─────!
A deafening roar shattered the air and shook the beach. Then, the massive body that had split the ship in half revealed itself once more.
Only this time… there were two of them.
"…I'll handle one."
"Handle? Handle what?"
"The Sea Serpent."
"Don't be stupid. Why would you do something so reckless?"
Fighting a Sea Serpent in the open sea was suicide.
Unless they had overwhelming power or no other choice, there was no need to even consider it.
"We're running."
"…Huh?"
Instead of answering, Fernand used sand magic to lift Aint and began to flee.
Where was that setup on the island again?
If they reached that spot, Aint could take care of it himself. No need to invite unnecessary danger.
"Wait, I'm coming too!"
Luina chased after them a moment later.
Meanwhile, not far from the scene…
"…Is this really the right thing to do?"
Having been infected by demonic energy after being attacked by the Demonic Breed—and having sworn to fight them at her friend's request—Bella was now confused.
In her hand, a high-grade recorder orb was consuming mana, capturing everything happening in front of her.
"I mean, I am ranked 19th in the Knight Department…"
Sure, she was far behind the runner-up or top ten, but objectively, she was still among the academy's elite.
And yet, she had been told to just stand there and record the events.
"…Kyaa! Are they okay?"
She had nearly rushed out in horror when the assassins suddenly self-destructed.
But when the two Sea Serpents appeared and roared…
She could only let out a hollow laugh.
"…Yeah, guess recording is the right call."
Two Sea Serpents. There was no way she could take them down.
Despite her low muttering, she gripped her sword with one hand, ready to charge in at a moment's notice.
"…Oh?"
That is—until she saw them running away first.