Project Necro is an official initiative by Re:Library.

“Heave-ho”

With lightning-fast reflexes and a reliance on sheer speed, I scaled the wall of a nearby house and climbed up onto the roof.
Once I reached the roof, I focused my senses, and detected a strong scent amongst the sea breeze. It’s the overly sweet perfume that Samakah-san was wearing.
There are many smells in the town. The scent of people, or rather, the scent of daily life. Even amidst all those scents, I could clearly distinguish the scent of Samakah-san’s perfume. It really is too overpowering.

…He’s going to the harbor, huh.

He’s moving pretty fast. Actually, maybe he’s just in a hurry.
Now that I knew the direction, I moved immediately. Hopping from roof to roof, I took the shortest route to Samakah-san.
As I arrived at the harbor, I saw him busy barking orders all over the place. People rushed about in response.
Wanting to talk to him, I jumped down from the roof and landed right in front of his mushroom head.

“Argento!? Why did you come here!? Don’t you know ships can’t leave now!?”
“I know that. So where’s the Baccal Cone?”
“It’s the Abysscall! It’s right there, our ships are currently dealing damage to it.”

I followed the direction Samakah-san was pointing with my eyes.
It was out at sea. And quite far away. Even then, I knew that’s where it was.
There was no need to use my enhanced vision. A massive shadow—or rather, a colossal presence—was wreaking havoc on the sea.
It possessed numerous arms. Swinging them in every direction, it sank armed ships one after another.
Even when the opposing fleet fired their cannons, the creature barely tilted. It immediately regained its balance and began sinking the nearest ship.
An embodiment of evil, drawing ships and people into the abyss of the sea to reduce them to seaweed. Truly, a call to the abyss.

“Gee… That’s a giant squid…”

It was a squid.
No matter how you looked at it, it was a squid.
It was definitely a squid.
It was a squid of extraordinary size.

Not slender like giant squids of the Atlantic, but rounder like a cuttlefish—except stupidly enormous.
That was the true form of the Abysscall. It actually looked pretty tasty.
It might look like a squid, but its actions are vicious. The giant squid is sinking ship after ship.

A giant sea creature running amok—A scene straight out of a B-movie, except a lot of real people have surely died.

“…you said you’re dealing damage, but you’re clearly at a disadvantage against that thing, no?”
“We’re at a disadvantage as long as it’s in the ocean. That’s why we chip away at its health like that, and then take it down in one fell swoop when it gets close to the harbor… That’s the most efficient approach.”

Don’t engage in a head-on battle on the opponent’s turf. That’s the basic rule of combat.
Samakah-san adheres to this strictly. He engages the enemy moderately while they’re on their home turf, then unleashes concentrated fire once they enter his territory—a truly sound tactic.
The battle currently taking place at sea is also intended to injure the monster a certain amount beforehand to minimize eventual damage to the port. That much I understand, I do, but still…

“…What about the people on the ships?”
“They’ve accepted their roles. They know they’re in the most dangerous position…that they’re playing the role of sacrificial pawns. And they would still do it nonetheless… We must answer to their resolve..”

Despite the calm tone, his fists clenched tightly. Seeing that, I thought to myself, he really is a good lord.
Someone who can weigh what to sacrifice against what to preserve, choose the balance that yields the greatest benefit without hesitation—and still feel pain in their heart over it.
I don’t think I could ever do that. I don’t want that kind of responsibility to begin with.
What I can do is something much simpler and easier to understand.

“Samakah-san, say we could drive off that giant squid without causing any further damage, would that make you happy?”
“Huh? Why the sudden question…?”
“No, I mean, if we could stop that squid’s invasion without causing any further damage…no casualties, no property damage, would that make you happy?”
“…Of course. If there’s something to be gained without losing anything, that would be best.”
“I see. Then, will you listen to everything I have to say from now on?”
“……Do you have a plan?”
“Yes. It’ll probably work. And even if it doesn’t, I’ll make sure it doesn’t cause any trouble.”
“Hm… hmm…”

Samakah-san seems quite torn. I suppose he really doesn’t want to put a woman in combat. He probably hasn’t even imagined that I’m actually a man on the inside.

“Samakah-san”
“W-what is it?”
“You saw my Healing Magic, no? I’m good at a lot of other things too, so please leave it to me.”

Samakah-san continued to agonize for a while after that, but in the end, he relented.
He weighed my safety against the consequences down the line and made the right choice. If I can defeat Abysscall, that’s good enough. And even if I failed, they could use the time leading up to that failure to prepare their defenses. That’s the judgment he made.

“Alright then, please hurry and gather everyone. Also, once the ships currently fighting Abysscall have rescued the survivors, have them all withdraw.”

I’d really like to heal the wounded too, but unfortunately, I wouldn’t have the time for that, so I’ll leave that to Samakah-san to handle. I’m sure they have medics or something.

“Got it… Don’t die on me, Argento.”
“I’ll be fine. I’m a vampire, so I’m pretty tough.”
“Huh!? A vampire!?”

Felnoute-san told me to keep it a secret, but since I’ll be leaving town once this is over, I figured it wouldn’t hurt to tell him.
Urging the stunned Samakah with a “Come on, hurry up,” I began preparing to take down that giant squid.

“…Blood Contract. First time using this Skill.”

I know all my Skills inside out. With this many abilities at my disposal, I’m sure I’ll manage.