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The “pirate’s tactic,” also known as boarding or grappling, refers to the method of moving a pirate crew onto an enemy ship by using a wooden plank as a bridge or throwing a hooked rope to pull it close, enabling hand-to-hand combat.

This method became known as the “pirate’s tactic” when it became their preferred mode of attack—since pirates prioritized looting or hijacking a ship rather than sinking it, this approach was ideal. However, it was also a standard naval tactic before the invention of cannons, widely used by navies to combat threats at sea. In fact, the marine corps were originally formed to counter these pirate nuisances.

Typically, boarding would involve a crew coordinating to bring two ships close and launch a raid. But here, Momongai was doing it single-handedly as he prepared to jump onto the enemy vessel.

“And… whoops!”

Clenching his hangar in his teeth, he used the beast’s saddle as a foothold and leaped, needing no other tools. He propelled himself off the ship’s plating, using it as a springboard to gain speed, soaring high enough to nearly reach the top of the Magic Ship Beluga’s four sails.

“Hyaah! You’re in my way!”

Momongai landed squarely in the middle of a group of sailors. They stood stunned, having never seen an enemy launch themselves from the water like an arrow. Without hesitation, he let out a battle cry and began cutting them down.

The sailors, though taken aback for a moment, quickly regrouped. They were members of the Empire’s military, after all. Drawing their swords, they formed a tight circle around Momongai.

But Momongai’s speed and momentum were far beyond what the sailors could handle. Moving too quickly for the eye to follow, he tore through their ranks effortlessly. They fought valiantly, but against an opponent with superhuman abilities, they stood no chance. To add to the chaos, Momongai disrupted their rhythm by summoning a whirlwind and grumbling, “What a pain! Storm & Stress!” as he mowed them down with ease. Nothing about him seemed remotely human.

“An Elementalist?!”

More soldiers and mages arrived at the scene, their eyes widening in shock at what they saw.

The soldiers and mages tried to put distance between themselves and Momongai, firing arrows and casting spells to slow him down. But he was unstoppable—cutting them down with his sword, barreling through them with sheer physical strength, and trampling them with Spirit Arts. Within moments, the Empire’s elite lay defeated on the deck.

Realizing that the magic ship’s defenses were failing due to Momongai’s assault, other Imperial ships turned back to support it. This left a gap in their formation, allowing the enemy fleet to wedge their way in. In an instant, the battle spiraled into chaotic melee combat, abandoning any chance for coordinated strategy. With pirates outnumbering them and striking from all angles, the Empire’s forces were quickly overwhelmed.

Meanwhile, Momongai was enjoying himself immensely, relishing the fight. But soon he realized he’d nearly cleared the entire deck of soldiers, leaving him oddly unsatisfied as he looked around.

“Huh, is it already over? I didn’t accidentally take down the general, did I…? No, doesn’t look like it. Maybe he’s hiding in some corner, sniveling? Well, I guess I’ll just have to go and greet him myself.”

Muttering in annoyance, he made his way toward the door leading inside the ship, leaving the now-empty deck behind. The door opened without resistance.

Just as he opened the door, he was greeted by a young girl with raven hair, smiling sweetly from the other side. She couldn’t have been older than thirteen, yet she radiated a regal aura in a short black dress adorned with rose accents. Her beauty was unparalleled, like a fairytale princess or a goddess from legend, possessing an elegance and charm that were both ethereal and captivating.

Her long, glossy raven hair shimmered like the night sky infused with stardust, and her crimson eyes sparkled with a beguiling charm that could captivate anyone. She held a delicate, almost ethereal beauty, like a work of art untouched by the mundane world, radiating both gentleness and an ephemeral allure. Just looking at her could leave one breathless and strangely unsettled.

Yet—slam! Moving with surprising speed, Momongai shut the door he’d just opened and turned on his heel, pretending he’d seen nothing.

A split second later, the door was kicked open from the other side, ripping it off its hinges and sending it flying. Momongai, standing directly in its path, was sent tumbling back with it.

“Aaarrgghh!!” Momongai rolled across the deck a couple of times before managing to grab hold of the mast, steadying himself. The door, meanwhile, spun off the ship and splashed into the ocean.

“Has anyone ever told you that it’s rude to ignore someone after looking them in the face?”

Hiyuki, still smiling, lowered her leg from her kicking stance and stepped forward. Behind her, Mikoto and Tanabata followed, fully armed (Tanabata, clad in her usual revealing attire, wielded a large, single-edged broadsword called a Talwar). Christoff was further back; despite Hiyuki’s warnings about the danger, he had insisted on following. His eyes were wide as he observed Hiyuki’s sudden transformation, not only in attire but in her commanding demeanor as she addressed Momongai.

Before heading onto the deck, Hiyuki offered him a quick smile.

“I might have shown you something a bit embarrassing, Christoff. But from this point forward, you’ll see why I’m known as the Vampire Princess. If you’d rather not have your illusions shattered, I suggest leaving now.”

With that, Hiyuki didn’t wait for his reply and leapt forward, with Mikoto and Tanabata dashing after her.

◆◇◆◇

“Hey, hey, time out! What the hell are you doing here?” Momongai’s face twisted in shock, but I responded with a swift slash from my Gilles de Rais. When facing a player, the less you talk and the more alert you are, the better!

“Tsk!” He quickly rolled across the deck to dodge the attack.

My strike missed him but, unintentionally, the sheer force of it cleaved through the foremast where he had just been standing, splitting it cleanly in two.

Tanabata moved in gracefully, leaping toward the falling mast. With movements as precise as a dance, she sliced it into neat logs before it even hit the deck.

“Haa, as I thought—the footing on this ship is unstable, and it throws my timing off by a beat.”

I was sure my initial attack would finish him, but the ship’s constant swaying, along with the worry that the floor might give out if I stepped too hard, had caused me to unconsciously hold back. Meanwhile, Momongai was darting around the deck without hesitation.

“All right, we’ll handle the repairs later. Mikoto, Tanabata, let’s go. Don’t worry about collateral damage—just focus on pinning down Momongai.”
“Yes, Princess.”
“As you command, Princess.”

“Hey, give me a break! Wait, seriously, hold on!” Momongai, back on his feet, jammed his hangar sword into the deck and waved his arms wildly.

“Oh? Are you surrendering?”

That would be a welcome development if so.

“No! I’m saying this is unfair! I’m here alone with just this standard-issue steel sword, and I don’t even have a pet monster to enter ‘Pet Unison’ mode with!”

“…Are you serious? Weren’t you just using your ‘player skills’ to act like Mr. Invincible? I’m pretty sure the soldiers felt the same way.”

Honestly, what gave him the right to complain?

“But I was holding back too! At least let me use my proper player equipment if I’m going up against another player!”

“So what? A battlefield doesn’t operate by your cushy courtyard rules, so stop expecting the world to cater to you.”

“Ugh…” He fell silent, clearly stung. Wow, he was more naive than I thought. We’d barely exchanged words, but I hadn’t realized he was this oblivious.

“Then how about it? Let’s have a fair and square match, staking our manly pride on the line—a Pirate’s Duel!” He puffed out his chest with pride, making a suggestion that was as absurd as it was bold.

“Manly… pride?”
“Yup!”
“……?”
“Just to be clear… you’re a boy, right?”

A nervous expression crossed Momongai’s face as he asked, almost timidly.

“Oh… right.”

I’d almost forgotten. After living as a girl 24/7 for the past few months, the thought hadn’t even crossed my mind. This was probably the first time anyone had seen me as a boy since I reincarnated as Hiyuki. Oddly enough, I felt a bit nostalgic.

“Ahem, yes, staking our manly pride, you say? So, what exactly is this Pirate’s Duel?” Feeling a strange surge of amusement, I decided to humor him and listen to his explanation.

“Now that’s the spirit!”

Momongai clapped enthusiastically before explaining the rules of the duel, which turned out to be a rather brutal affair. Each of us would tie our left wrists together with a leather strap and fight with a knife in our right hand, battling until one of us could no longer continue.

“Well, since a knife alone probably won’t be enough to take us down, let’s make it interesting—first to land three hits wins.” As he explained, he pulled two knives and a leather strap from his inventory, tossing one of the knives in my direction.

I caught it mid-air and immediately threw it back, aiming straight for Momongai.

“—Whoa!”

He barely managed to deflect it with his own knife, surprised. Then again, my throwing skills weren’t exactly polished; I hadn’t put much strength into it.

“What the hell are you doing?! Are you trying to cancel our duel?”
“Cancel it? I never agreed to it in the first place.”

Why would I throw away my clear advantage just to indulge his absurd challenge? I wasn’t that gullible. Meanwhile, Mikoto and Tanabata took positions to block any escape routes he might try.

“You cheater! Don’t you have any pride as a man?”
“Haha, that’s long gone, my friend.”

Honestly, it was bold of him to assume I still had any while standing here in a miniskirt.

Momongai attempted to block my strike with his knife, but there was no way an ordinary blade could withstand my fully enhanced Gilles de Rais. I swung down with full intent to finish him off. But just as my blade descended, a large, red magic ship hurtled toward us at reckless speed, clearly aiming for a collision.

The Beluga’s operator spotted the incoming ship and quickly veered out of the way. The sudden movement threw off my balance just as I was about to land the finishing blow on Momongai. He took advantage of my compromised stance, lunging at me. I managed to strike his back with Gilles de Rais, but the awkward angle left only a shallow slash.

“Princess!?”

Mikoto and Tanabata’s shouts reached me as Momongai crossed the gunwale, pulling me overboard with him. As we fell, I thought I saw someone diving into the water after us, but in the panic of the moment—and as an amateur swimmer—all my focus was on frantically kicking my legs to stay afloat.

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