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With or without our timely assistance, the empire’s navy was gradually gaining the upper hand in battle. The fleet had altered its formation, moving the Beluga from the forefront to the center of a protective circle created by the other ships.

By slowing their advance, they focused on clearing out the smaller, scattered pirate ships first. This tactic proved effective, as the mass of pirate vessels in the area began to vanish beneath the waves one by one, regardless of their size.

“Thank you for your concern, but it was only a sneeze. I’m perfectly fine otherwise.”

Christoff sighed in visible relief at my reassurance. He really had been looking out for me at every turn.

“Christoff, I’d like to express my gratitude for saving me. If there’s anything I can do for you, please let me know—I’ll do my best to make it happen.”

Considering he was the only child of an Archduke from a major power, he was likely spoiled with every luxury imaginable. Still, I felt confident I could fulfill most requests he might have.

“Gratitude…?” Christoff’s eyes widened, clearly surprised. “Please, you really don’t—uh, well… actually, there might be one small, somewhat impudent request, but…”

His voice started out hesitant, but something seemed to spark his resolve midway through, and his cheeks turned a faint shade of red as he glanced at me. After a moment of fidgeting, he looked like he was about to speak—until a sudden commotion caught our attention.

“What the hell is that!?”

One of the sailors, recently recovered from his wounds, shouted in alarm as he pointed toward the sea ahead.

Instinctively, I followed his gaze and saw the sea surface erupt like a volcano. Moments later, a massive shadow emerged, followed by what looked like a tower rising vertically from the water.

“…A drill?” I murmured, the word slipping out as I recognized the shape of the structure.

◆◇◆◇

“Let’s goooo, «Kaitei-Ou»! Full power ahead, battle mode engaged!”

Momongai settled into the control seat, grasping the joystick among an array of elaborate controls. His guild’s base, the «Underwater Warship – Kaitei-Ou», surged forward, parting the white-capped waves as it charged toward the Empire’s fleet.

The control room was the main hub of any guild base, allowing the leader to modify and direct the guild home as needed. Through the touchscreen, the player could access functions like Teleport, Exterior View, and Interior Customization—standard options across all guild bases. Despite the high-tech look of the ship’s control room, it was purely cosmetic, serving no actual function beyond appearance.

Furthermore, guild bases couldn’t be equipped with actual weaponry, regardless of how formidable they appeared from the outside. Take the drill extending from the Kaitei-Ou’s deck, for example—it could spin, but that was all. It was about as functional as the barber pole outside a barbershop.

Beyond its appearance, the ship itself—measuring 390 meters in length and weighing countless tons—was a weapon in its own right. Against the wooden ships of this world, it could crush them like fallen leaves.

“Our target is that enemy fleet. Let’s take them down swiftly and get out of this cursed place!”

“Aro Hora Sassa!” Momongai let out a rallying cry to boost his own morale and that of his crew. His peculiar shout was echoed by his unusual subordinates: a mix of kappa, half-man half-fish creatures, and ship-bound spirits, all loyal to him.

He pushed the Kaitei-Ou to its maximum speed, charging into the chaotic battlefield where allies and enemies were entangled in relentless combat.

Watching the tense battlefield through the monitor, Momongai was convinced of his imminent victory. But that smug confidence vanished in an instant as a tremendous force from beneath the sea launched him—and the entire Kaitei-Ou—skyward. Like a leaf in a storm, the massive ship was sent spinning high into the air.

“Wh—What the heeeeeeeck was thaaaat?!”

Momongai’s bewildered shout echoed, but this was only the beginning. Moments later, a storm of lightning struck down from above, arcing through the air before crashing into the Kaitei-Ou. Charred and powerless, the ship plummeted back to the sea, landing atop a massive, platinum-scaled beast, several kilometers in length. Its form was somewhere between a fish and a dragon, though it defied simple classification.

This colossal creature was «Bahamut» Kuon, one of the Thirteen Demon Generals.

“Hmm… Tengai, you do realize we can’t destroy this device outright, don’t you? I trust you didn’t use any unnecessary force? Look how shabby it appears now, and that was just from a light nudge.”

Kuon cast a brief glance at the battered Kaitei-Ou before turning his gaze skyward, where Tengai appeared, descending in his golden dragon form.

Tengai replied, sounding less than pleased. “Obviously. I don’t do anything halfway. But enough about me—took you long enough to show up, didn’t it, old man?”

“Youngsters and their impatience,” Kuon sighed. “I assumed you had things under control. Was I mistaken?”

◆◇◆◇

A platinum and a golden dragon argued against each other, the horizon stretching out between them.

Standing atop the deck, I bowed to the bewildered Admiral Estrada. This entire spectacle had clearly exceeded any mortal’s worldview, and the sudden end to the battle only compounded the shock—though, technically, the Empire had claimed victory as no pirates remained. Kuon, in all his massive glory, had tossed the Kaitei-Ou so high that the resulting waves engulfed most of the pirate fleet, sending them back to the depths of the ocean—a fitting end for those who lived by the sea.

“Please accept my apology, Admiral Estrada. I can only express regret for this spectacle and my inability to restrain my subordinates.”

Admiral Estrada, eyes glazed, was staring blankly at the distant horizon when my words snapped him back to reality. He blinked, his gaze shifting from Tengai in the sky to Kuon in the sea—they were still arguing like a strict boss and his carefree subordinate—and finally to the Kaitei-Ou, still perched on Kuon’s back.

“Your Majesty… a-are they all… your subordinates?” he stammered.
“Yes. On the bright side, we’ve managed to capture the culprit.”

Of course, we still needed to secure the guild base, relocate him, and gain control of the teleporter to fully resolve the situation, but that was another matter. I muttered this under my breath.

“Gracious, this is… umm… never mind.” Swamped by emotions too complex for words, Admiral Estrada slowly shook his head.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some business with that ship. I’ll take my leave here.” As I bid my farewell, I noticed Christoff’s expression; he looked as though he wanted to say something.

“Oh, right. I had asked about your wish, Christoff, but I’m afraid we’ll have to postpone that discussion for now. We should finish settling things first.”

“Please, it would be my pleasure! I’ll be waiting eagerly for your visit!” Christoff’s face lit up at my words, nodding eagerly.

Admiral Estrada, too, added from the side, a curious grin on his face as he glanced at his son. “My wife and I will also await your visit eagerly, Your Majesty. Please feel free to drop by anytime—it would be our honor to host you.”

“Huh? Oh—ahem, yes, thank you very much for the offer.”

I offered my thanks—though I wasn’t entirely sure what all this excitement was about—and mounted the giant swan form of Tanabata, leaving the Beluga behind. Mikoto followed close by, flying alongside us.

“Well, here’s hoping this isn’t all for nothing,” I murmured to myself as we headed toward Tengai and Kuon, who were still locked in their endless argument.

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