Sixteen: You can't really tell someone's strength without seeing it in action, huh.
Well, the tentacles wrecking the ship were swiftly driven back thanks to Raidock and Eva’s efforts.
But you can't say for sure they don’t have that kind of regenerative power like that eight-headed hydra.
The giant squid’s main body surfaced a short distance from land, writhing its remaining limbs. Its size alone was larger than a warship, so if it swam close, we’d be dead before we knew it.
But Raidock didn’t look the slightest bit worried. He just turned around and said one word.
“Eva.”
“I’ve got this, Raidock-sama!”
Eva lifted her pointed, wide-brimmed hat with a sharp tug, then raised her old-fashioned wand.
As she took a small breath, an invisible magical sigil unfolded, and a massive surge of mana began to concentrate.
Evra had always been a skilled mage, but now that she’d claimed the sigil of the Sage—Wise Man—she wielded power so far beyond anything she’d known before it made the ancient magic of long-dead civilizations look like child’s play.
And then, quietly, she cast the spell.
“Thorned Rose Constriction Shackles, Prison of Thorns.”
A cage of steel thorned roses—just like the one she’d seen before—unfolded around the giant squid.
But wait… that was a defensive spell, wasn’t it?
No. The name was wrong.
The thorned roses weren’t protecting the squid. They were wrapping around it, squeezing, driving their steel spikes deep into its body, writhing like snakes, tearing it apart limb from limb.
…Damn. That’s brutal.
Within minutes, the monstrous squid—once a calamity—had crumpled into nothing more than a ragged, broken thing, sinking into the sea in pieces.
Clap.
“Raidock-sama! Did you see it!? That’s my original magic—improved Steel Thorn Rose Prison!”
“O… oh. I mean… damn, that was something.”
“Worked hard for it!”
I’d hate to ruin Eva’s excitement, but Raidock’s the type who’s more turned off than impressed.
Should I give her a piece of my mind?
Until then, the fishermen, stunned and silent, finally snapped back to themselves.
“Ah… you guys are something! I thought Imperial adventurers were mostly useless, but there are actually some like you!”
I’ve been hearing about Imperial adventurers a few times since I got here.
Seems like the Eastern Empire’s got some real contact going on. I was about to correct myself and say “kingdom folk” when the thunder cracked again.
A massive water spout rose once more. And right there by the harbor, three more colossal squids emerged.
"Why the hell are krakens showing up in this fjord!?!"
"Not funny! What the hell is the navy doing!?"
"Y’all should run for it!"
Fisherfolk and sailors scrambled toward the road leading to the northern gate, but ahead of them, dust rose in a cloud.
Looks like a cavalry of bird riders—probably a hundred or so charging straight at us.
Mizuo’s samurai ride two-legged birds, standard issue. Persia’s got the same. Too bad I left my beloved Tebasaki back at the inn.
The lead bird rider arrived, and the samurai scanned us and the fishermen.
"Rushed over when I heard about the kraken. But I'm glad everyone's safe."
Well, the samurai was a woman.
And a pretty one at that. Black hair, common here, with a sharp, determined face.
She looked younger than me, maybe.
Unlike the others, her armor was surprisingly light.
She probably wasn’t the type to lead from the front.
"Miss Nobuna! The kraken! There are four of them at the port!"
"Is that so serious?...Wait, only three, right?"
She glanced at the giant squid wreaking havoc in the harbor, tilting her head.
"Those people dealt with it!"
"Indeed! With incredible swordplay and magic!"
"Never seen anything like that before!"
Nobuna’s face twisted with a complicated expression as the excited fishermen stared at her.
“Does that mean it’s stronger than us?”
“Eh!? No, I mean… uh…”
“Compared to your swordplay and Onmyō techniques…”
The fishermen stammered, and Nobuna’s mood soured. One of the warriors finally caught up, voice cutting in.
No—didn’t look like a warrior. This guy wore a white, fluttering robe.
A few more riders in the same outfit followed behind. Probably some kind of magic unit.
“Nobuna… forget that. We need to deal with the kraken. Everyone’s in trouble.”
The warriors she’d seen so far all radiated power. But this one? Weird. His stance was low.
Combined with his outfit, he looked… weak.
“Can’t attack unless you take command fast.”
“Yeah, I know, Kanetsugu.”
Seems like this fidgety guy’s Kanetsugu.
“Draw your blades, all samurai! Attack the limbs clinging to land! Onmyōji, hit the main body! Target the closest one first!”
“““Hah!!”””
The armored samurai began attacking the tentacles sinking the ship. To my surprise, Nobuna was leading the charge.
“Rainbow Flash Slash — Shining Rainbow!”
The girl, who looked younger than me, unleashed a high-powered technique.
“What the hell was that!? Looks awesome!?!”
“Cheating! I wanna shout a move like that too!”
We’re all staring, stunned by the flashy move, when Raidock gives a soft “hmm” and lightly swings his sword.
Then he smirks.
“Let me lend a hand. You all guard Kyle-sama.”
“Me too!”
“Then me and Solal. The rest stay put.”
“Then I’ll—”
"No, if we’re not synced up, the magic users might just get in the way."
"Is that so?"
Solal looks down at Eva with a smirk. Eva flinches, her face twisted in fear.
Please, stop.
"Let’s go, Solal! I’ll take care of one that’s not being handled—keep the warriors from getting in our way!"
"Got it!"
Over a hundred soldiers from the Mizoho Shrine Nation didn’t scatter their forces—instead, they focused everything on one creature, leaving only pressure on the others. Raidock and Solal darted toward the one left unattended.
"...How’s this? Rainbow Slash—Shining Rainbow!"
The sword technique, lightly swung with one hand, was identical to the one Nobuna had just unleashed—but the power was visibly stronger.
The strike severed one tentacle into seven pieces, which thudded down onto the ground.
Not just us—those samurai… especially Nobuna and Kanetsugu were stunned.
Then Nobuna huffed a little.
“Not bad… but this is impossible! Infinite Snow Moon Flower—Infinite Blizzard!”
On the single-edged greatsword Nobuna held, a phantom blizzard flickered.
Not magic—more like willpower made manifest, shaping supernatural phenomena.
That breathtakingly beautiful strike finally shattered the tentacle.
Even after taking heavy damage from the samurai, it was a masterclass in swordplay.
Still…
“Dude, is this country’s sword style just too flashy or what!?”
“Agreed.”
Eva nodded hard.
What even *was* that. Cheating.
But then… someone even more cheating showed up.
“…Infinite Snow Moon Flower—Infinite Blizzard.”
It was a furious blizzard.
The cold was so intense it felt like a corner of the sea was freezing solid—clinging to one of the tentacles, then shattering into fragments in an instant. Like ice smashed with a hammer.
Of course. Raidock’s bastard.
Damn it!
Nobuna and the others stood frozen, mouths agape, utterly transfixed by Raidock. I get it. I really do.
But Raidock didn’t care. The white-clad men raised what looked like talismans.
Kanetsugu’s unit.
“““I call upon you. Come forth from the Underworld! The Ubu Bird Child!!”””
The talismans they hurled into the air transformed—shifting into a creature no one had ever seen.
At first glance, it looked like a giant bird. But the upper body was a woman’s form—unnerving, unnatural.
“Whoa!?”
I instinctively braced myself, but the creatures spread their wings and dove straight for the kraken’s main body on the sea.
The monsters summoned—whatever that was—finished off the single kraken, then instantly reverted back into their talismans.
"Never seen magic like that. Some kind of summoning?"
Eva murmured, eyes lit with interest.
"Uh-huh. World’s bigger than I thought. But no doubt they’re all seal bearers."
"Right. Genelis would probably be thrilled if he saw this."
Hearing the Seal Officer’s name, I couldn’t help but smirk.
"Yeah. He’d be throwing a fit for sure."
We ended up laughing at each other, caught in the moment.
"Two left, then."
Well, no big deal.
Look—just as we speak, Solar’s about to unleash a big move.
Crazy kanji skills? Totally cool.