I boarded the enemy ship and ended up in a one-on-one fight with Deeohos.
What a fanatic Nigpyura had. Despite her kind face, she hid a ruthless desire for any sacrifice. I glanced at Karubene. He was still on his knees, gripping his gun, his fingertips trembling slightly. Something was different about him today.
“Hey, Karu.”
“Oraaa!!”
My voice was drowned out by Veronica’s roar. She was running up the slanted deck, the iron knuckles on her fingers glinting.
*Vwoosh.* Her swinging fist barely rustled Deeohos’s hair. Deeohos’s body was dragged back as if by something.
“Veronica!!”
“You… Guah!”
A high wave crashed over Veronica’s tail, biting into it. The sound of her claws on the deck echoed in my ears. Just then, Piyo, wreathed in flames, charged in.
“Piyo Kick!”
But that too was swallowed by a wave that rolled in from the side. The seawater clung to Piyo like a living creature, trying to drag her into the sea.
“Karubene.”
“…I know, I know.”
The gun rattled. Karubene, the one who was supposed to act, just muttered to himself.
“Well, what are you waiting for?! I’m right here!”
Deeohos spread her arms wide.
“Did you get scared now? Did you think someone else would do it without you using that? Did you get cocky? Ahahaha.”
What, was she really scared? But she had used my things without permission before. She wouldn’t have forgotten how to use them now.
“Karubene, it’s okay. Aim for his legs. That way, you won’t die.”
“I know, Haaah, I’ll do it, I’ll do it.”
Karubene raised his gun with trembling hands. This wouldn’t hit the target. And the opponent knew it too. But charging in with a dagger in one hand on this unstable footing wasn’t a good idea. So, I had to do it myself.
I put my hand in my pocket and my fingertips brushed against the bullets Kasha received from me. First, I had to reload. But I was struggling just to keep myself upright. If I let go of one hand, I’d fall into the sea. I placed my hand over Karubene’s shaky one.
“You only have what’s already in your gun. If you take it out, you’ll give the enemy an opening. Aim carefully.”
Karubene’s hand was cold. His other hand was digging its claws into the ship’s railing.
“Alright, I’ll count to three. One, two…”
“What are you waiting for? I’m tired of waiting. My Requiem is about to reach its final movement!”
*BANG!*
A low sound echoed on the sinking ship. Then, the sound of an empty casing falling. Deeohos’s body wavered, and she fell forward.
I looked at Karubene.
“I didn’t pull the trigger.”
“Me neither.”
A small figure appeared behind Deeohos against the raging waves.
“Kashalo…?”
A thin wisp of smoke rose from the gun in her hand like a heat haze and disappeared. Didn’t Harpies not know how to use guns?
“You guys were taking too long, so I came,” Kasha said.
Kasha, acting as if nothing had happened, tucked her gun into her belt and walked towards us, stepping over the fallen Deeohos. A shiver ran down my spine. From the corner of my eye, I thought I saw a faint smile on Deeohos’s face as she fell.
“Well, before the ship breaks, I need to get what I came for. Hey, go around that way.”
Her two daughters had also boarded by then. The Sea Tiger, despite her injury, happily began to ransack the ship.
“I’m glad you’re not the type to just shoot recklessly,” I said, patting Karubene’s pale shoulder.
“Veronica, are you okay?”
“I’m alright. That was a close one.”
Veronica, who had been held back on deck, returned with Piyo. With the conductor gone, the Requiem stopped. But the ship’s sinking didn’t. We needed to leave quickly.
“This way. A large fish is waiting.”
Kasha’s spirit had somehow docked alongside the ship. I thought they had left, but they had approached undetected by the enemy. That was a dangerous thing to do. Well, I couldn’t complain, since it saved us.
Deeohos’s body, struck in the head, slid across the deck and fell into the sea.
Upon returning to the ghost ship, everyone who had been worried rushed to greet us.
“Arisugawa, are you alright? I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything.”
“With a little more practice, I could have used the bow too.”
For now, we could move forward. But the captain was nowhere to be found. Then, several boxes fell from the ship. They almost hit me on the head.
“Is this all? Nothing much. Yo!”
Kasha leaped onto the spirit and took the helm.
“For its size, there was nothing inside. A bust. A waste of effort.”
She said, puffing on her pipe with a grumpy expression. “Um, wasn’t your job to deliver us?” I started to say quietly when the ghost ship lurched violently.
