Chapter 318
The five assigned to attack the black ship had already settled on their plan before descending. In other words, they would launch a surprise attack and press forward all at once.
"Then I'll take out the lookout."
Shio pressed a switch beside the goggles she was wearing and shouldered the long rifle slung over her shoulder. This unmistakably modern weapon was an impressive magic item found in the container they had acquired the other day. The goggles were called the 'Pari-style Tactical Sight,' while the rifle was called the 'Type 88 Anti-Magic Variable Mana Gun.'
The goggles and rifle were a set connected by a single cable. The 'Pari-style Tactical Sight' displayed not only a reticle whose shape she could choose herself, but also the wind direction and speed, temperature, humidity, and distance to the object at the center of the reticle. It was also equipped with a thermal scope that could display heat sources through walls and a night-vision function that allowed her to see through darkness.
Furthermore, when connected by cable to a compatible gun, it displayed a line predicting the bullet's trajectory under those conditions. However, it was so accurate that even the slightest change in the conditions caused the line to shift, which was annoying enough that Shio had turned the function off.
The 'Type 88 Anti-Magic Variable Mana Gun' was a weapon that transformed its user's mana into bullets and fired them. The bullets' power and firing speed could be freely adjusted, but increasing either one consumed mana. The gun's variable nature was not limited to its bullets, either. Its barrel could be lengthened for use as a rifle or shortened for use as a machine gun. It could even be fitted with a suppressor function for quiet sniping. It was incredibly versatile.
Through her goggles, Shio could clearly make out the figures of crewmen dressed in black. She quickly aligned her sights and pulled the rifle's trigger without hesitation.
"My mana's pretty low, but not having to pay for ammunition is the best! And as long as I land a headshot, there's no problem!"
With a soft pfft, the mana bullet flew through the air and pierced the head of the lookout keeping watch from one of the black ship's masts. Shio killed all three lookouts stationed on the three masts without anyone noticing.
Unfortunately, the corpse of the last lookout she shot fell into the sea. The resulting loud splash alerted the crew that something was wrong. It had not been Shio's mistake, merely an accident, but she clicked her tongue in frustration.
"I screwed up... Everyone, it's your turn!"
"Yes. Then let's proceed according to plan. Mikero-san and Toji-san will be the vanguard."
"Yeah, yeah, I know."
"Leave it to me."
Toji answered with a listless wave while clinging to one of Mikero's tentacles—the one without an eye on it. Though she acted as if it were a bother, everyone knew that she was not the type to hold back. So no one said anything.
Mikero and Toji approached from the stern and launched a surprise attack on the black ship. Toji cut down several crewmen by surprise, while Mikero simultaneously used several magic eyes to sow confusion. The surprise attack could safely be called a success for now.
"It's our turn, Mott-san! Give it all you've got!"
"Yes. Don't let your guard down, either."
After their casual exchange, Nanakou used 【Summoning Arts】 to summon a huge flock of crows, and Mott-san charged with them from the bow. The crew, who were still busy dealing with the attack from the stern, found it difficult to respond quickly to Mott-san flying in from behind.
The two-stage surprise attack succeeded beautifully, allowing them to defeat just under twenty enemies, including the lookouts, in no time at all. However, the black ship was somewhat larger than the transparent ship. It had more than twice as many crewmen, and black-clad figures began emerging from inside it in a steady stream.
Although they were outnumbered, Toji and the others did not seem concerned. Their opening attack had confirmed that the enemies' levels were lower than their own, and everyone present was capable of overcoming a numerical disadvantage to some degree.
Toji had her clones, Mikero his many magic eyes, Mott-san his wide-area ultrasonic attacks, and Nanakou saturation attacks from his summoned beasts. Shio alone was poor at fighting large numbers of enemies, but she steadily picked them off with precise shots from a position the enemy could never reach.
"I understand the black clothes and masks for the sake of stealth, but even the weapons are identical... It's almost as if they're an army. Does this mean they're different from the villains we've happened to take down along the way?"
"Quit blathering and keep those eyes moving."
Toji told Mikero to concentrate on the battle, but he did not seem to hear her. He continued to mutter to himself while pondering the enemy. A monster that muttered while firing mysterious beams from its eyes was far too creepy, and Toji sincerely wished that the battle would end soon. Mikero, however, remained completely unaware of her feelings.
The crewmen were not content to be beaten down, either. They drew their swords from their waists and fought back. Even if they were inferior in individual Race and Skill levels, they knew how to fight opponents stronger than themselves. They always maneuvered to make use of their numbers, and whenever someone suffered heavy damage, another immediately took their place so the injured person could recover quickly.
Their movements, as though the group were a single living creature, clearly showed that they had undergone advanced training. However, Mikero found it strange that there did not seem to be anyone acting as a commander. It was understandable that they did not panic when attacked, but it was certainly odd that not one of them even let out a groan.
"There we go... What is this?"
Having a bad feeling, Mikero used one tentacle to pull back the mask of a fallen enemy. Beneath it was a face covered in countless seams. It was obvious from the different textures and colors, which made the skin look like a patchwork quilt, that the wounds had not simply been stitched up for treatment.
He had only seen what lay beneath the mask, but it was not difficult to imagine that the entire body was the same. In fact, every person aboard the black ship was a human modified by the organization. They were still alive, but the modifications had robbed them of their self-awareness. They were puppets capable of moving only when given orders through a magic item implanted in their heads.
Removing the magic item at the root of the problem was necessary to restore their self-awareness, but the modifications were not limited to their heads. Parts of monsters and other creatures had been implanted throughout their bodies, while the magic item in each head served as a life-support device. In other words, there was nothing Mikero and the others could do to save them.
Mikero was shocked by their appearance, which resembled Frankenstein's monster, but he could not afford to remain shocked. Even if their levels were lower, these enemies were like combat machines that would not stop until they had killed their opponents. They were not foes to underestimate. If he had known their circumstances, he might have sympathized with them, but his ignorance allowed him to fight without mercy.
"Mikero, is something wrong?"
"No. I merely revised my assessment: the enemies are even more abnormal than I imagined."
If every crew member was like this, rejoining Izaam-sama might take them a little longer. Although he did not say it aloud, Mikero somehow felt certain that his prediction was correct.
By the time Mikero realized how abnormal the enemy was, the island serving as the pirates' base had come under attack. The 'Austin Gang' was a renowned group of pirates with considerable experience, but they had apparently never encountered a transparent ship approaching them. A ship suddenly appeared out of nowhere in the cove they used as a harbor, and around forty black-clad figures with their faces hidden beneath black hoods sprang from it.
Unlike those aboard the black ship, these were assassins sent by the organization who possessed clear self-awareness. Because they retained their minds, they did not fight as though their lives meant nothing from the outset, but their individual levels were higher. They were not the organization's ultimate fighting force, but they were unquestionably an elite unit. They were excessive force for the extermination of mere pirates.
A pirate lookout tried to shout that they were under attack, but an arrow struck him in the throat before he could do so. He was not even allowed to utter a death cry before collapsing on the spot. Unlike the crewmen aboard the black ship, the hooded figures communicated with hand signals as they methodically eliminated the pirates. Their skill as assassins was exceptional.
"What's that? The smell of blood... Huh? Someone's dead from an arrow."
The unexpected variable was Edward, the third son of the 'Austin Gang.' People said that brawn was his only virtue, but his senses were sharp enough to detect the smell of blood. He had come alone from the pirates' camp, followed the scent, and discovered the corpse of one of his companions.
Edward was only a little surprised before turning back to tell his two brothers. Because he had a habit of not hurrying even in situations like this, his eldest brother always scolded him, and his troubled second brother would gently admonish him afterward... but Edward still had not realized any of this.
"Ow! Who did that!? I'll kill you!"
"!?"
The infiltrators showed their consternation for the first time. The arrow fired from the bow had definitely struck Edward in the head. It had been a lethal shot using the same special martial technique as before, one that muffled the sound while enhancing its penetrating power. Yet it had bounced off Edward's bare head, which was not protected by even a helmet.
This was the secret of Edward's strength. He had been born with a level of defensive power no human should possess, and that defense had increased at an accelerating rate as he grew. By now, it surpassed even the protection of metal armor made by a master blacksmith. The martial technique used by the assassins prioritized avoiding detection, and it could not pierce him.
If anything, the halfhearted attack only enraged Edward. Although he often said violent things, he was normally mild-mannered. Once angered, however, he transformed into a berserker who would not stop fighting until every enemy was dead. His already keen sense of smell grew even sharper, and he detected a place with no scent at all.
"There you are! Die!"
After finding the assassins, Edward clenched his fists and charged at them. His physical strength was as inhuman as his defensive power. When combined with fists like steel, even an ordinary punch displayed more destructive force than a bludgeon.
The pirates heard Edward's roar and the sound of his fists gouging the ground, then began appearing from the cove one after another to see what was happening. They discovered the suspicious figures fighting Edward, along with an unfamiliar ship they had never seen before.
"I-intruders!"
"Go get the bosses! Kill 'em!"
The original plan of quietly and swiftly exterminating the pirates collapsed completely. However, the assassins did not panic. Even if they had been discovered, they were strong enough to wipe out pirates of this caliber without taking much time.
But they did not know that an unanticipated group was approaching from the sky, a group neither side had anticipated.