Volume 2 Chapter 34

Volume 2 Chapter 34: Survey team’s side

「What is this?!」

「What is this?!」

Splitting the rising sea, a giant reef appeared.

——No, a giant turtle-like something that had the giant reef on its back, to which the sailors on the survey ship showed a strong reaction.

And responding to their words, a veteran guild member uttered—

「I-I know! It’s the ancient beast that devoured humans left and right during the great war, the black tortoise……!! It even ate my mentor!」

「Ancient beast? Isn’t that an outrageous monster……?!　So what we thought is a reef was its carapace? This is insane……!」

Surely it can be described as a turtle with a reef on it’s back, but with that size, it looks like a moving island. It’s that big.

……But if the enemy is known there is a means to deal with it.

Even if the opponent is a giant monster if the enemy is known countermeasures can be taken.

Though it’s only a survey boat, it had proper firepower prepared, as such, I, the commanding officer gave orders to subordinates around him.

「Reef crushers, ready!　Scrape off that heavy carapace!」

「Y-yes!」

With that order harpoon loaded cannons, the reef crushers, were prepared.

Remodeled cannons originally used for hunting whales, they now shot steel pillar-like harpoons.

By penetrating into a reef and detonating installed magic explosives they allowed for an easy demolition. And of course, it was also possible to use those as a weapon against monsters.

「Shoot!!」

And as soon as preparations were over, reef crushers were immediately launched at the black tortoise.

To allow for certain destruction, those projectiles possessed about the same force as a high ranking magic. Now they were rushing towards the black tortoise—

*—CLANG!*

And with a dull sound were repelled by its shell.

「… Wha, what?!」

Since their armaments were brushed off way too easily I froze for a few seconds.

「S-sir……Don’t reef crushers easily skewer even iron and steel monsters that have a hide even tougher than steel……」

「With the power on par with advanced magic, it’s unaffected……?　Is that really a living organism……?!」

The scene stirred a commotion among the sailors. However—

「Kuh……Not yet!　 With that much power, it should be effective!　Focus fire on one spot and continue!　And add magic!　This thing……Is going towards the city!」

Astounded sailors began to move again with this encouragement from the officer.

It’s moving slowly, but this black tortoise certainly is approaching the city. Which undoubtedly meant a great danger for the city. It absolutely must be driven away—

「Ice Pillar!!」

A mid-tier magician that was riding the ship launched an ice pillar.

It possessed enough power to pierce through a giant sea monster.

「… …」

But this attack was repelled as well. And even with reef crushers hitting the same spot, they still were unable to break this rock-like carapace.

「Shit, what is that hardness!」

Presented with such results I was gritting my teeth as I slammed my fist on the mast, then—

「Wha, what?!　Something is moving on the black tortoise’s carapace.」

Someone shouted. A moment later—

「……!!!!!」

With a howl from the black tortoise, a number of magic circles appeared on its shell. And—

*——Bam. *

With a thunderous boom, rock bullets were shot.

Several boulders of a few meters in size flew through the air as high-speed projectiles.

「Wha?!」

My thoughts froze for a moment with this sudden development. But—

「——This is bad…… All forces to defense!」

But I promptly recovered and ordered to deploy defensive magic.

「Water Shield!」

「Air Defense Wall!」

Following that order, magicians used their defensive spells.

Powerful sorceries of above intermediate level. They managed to invoke and deploy them in time, covering the ship in the protective wall of water and air. However—

「——」

That protection was shattered without lasting even for a second and the rain of boulders directly hit the survey ship utterly destroying it and throwing the crew off-board.

「Gah……!?」

Thrown off the ship, I ended up in the sea along with the rest of the crew.

In addition, with the momentum from falling off the ship, he plunged deeper into the waters, spinning around.

And after finally stopping, I opened my eyes and surveyed the surroundings.

However, I couldn’t understand which way was the sea surface and which was the sea bottom.

……Guh…… The head jolted too hard.

I must hurry up and rise to the surface. At this rate, I’ll end up drowning. No, before that happens, I might end up getting eaten by the black tortoise.

And as I struggled, I panicked, and tried to resurface and confirm the surroundings, that moment.

「Eh……?」

Suddenly, an ice pillar appeared in the water.

And going forward the pillar pushed me upwards.

「Good— Now.」

Before I noticed, the pillar hauled me up all the way to the surface, raising a splashing sound as it emerged, and thus I ended up above the water, sitting on the chunk of ice.

There, on top of the frozen sea stood a black-haired girl, who most likely pulled me up to the surface.

*Cough* 「……This…Are you the hero of magic……?」

「Yes. That’s right. And……If I’m correct, you were the officer in command of the survey ship with which we were supposed to join up here?」

「Ah, y-yes.」

Before going on investigation we exchanged greetings with the hero of magic. Looks like that was enough for her to remember my face.

「… Ah, that’s right. The ship crew……With the attack from the black tortoise, they should have fallen into the sea. ……」

「Ah, that, please look over there.」

There, in the sea, in the direction where the hero of magic pointed with her finger, was a path made of ice, a wide one, leading all the way to the port, in addition—

「Everyone……Is there?」

All of the crewmates, who fought alongside me just moments ago were there, though in a dripping wet state, but everyone was pulled up to that platform.

And it seems the hero of magic wasn’t the only one who worked to bring them to the surface.

「Lysnoir. For now, I picked up everyone that fell here.」

A red-haired young lady that worked with that carrier stood in front of the sailors and waved her hand.

「Is that so. Same here……I gathered everything in the area I can perceive……Commander-san, the crew that we pulled up from the sea, are those all of the members of the investigation team?」

「Y-Yes. 25…… Everyone is……there.」

Hitting still a dizzy head a couple of times to recover some clarity, I informed the hero of magic that every member of the team was saved.

Then, she quietly nodded.

「Is that so. Then let’s have you escape to the harbor. ……Since that black tortoise is coming our way, and looks perfectly ready to wreak a havoc.」

Following her gaze, I look in the same direction.

There, on the rocky part of the black tortoise’s shell were magic circles, which shot bits of those rocks as projectiles.

It seems that as soon they are shot, some sort of recovery happens, and then, the restored rocks are used as projectiles. Which results in a rain of boulders falling onto the sea.

「Escape……H-how can we get away from here……?!」

Boulders, each at least several meters in diameter, flying at a high speed, poured like hail.

Just now we were lucky and no one got hit by the previous volley but were they to hit a person, one wouldn’t have a shred of any chance of survival.

「It’s just impossible to run while evading those……!」

Is she telling us to run while praying that we won’t be hit? I shook while thinking about that, then—

「Pray?　Why would you have to do something like that?」

The hero of magic tilted her head to the side.

「What are you sa——Ah, Hero! Behind you!」

Meanwhile, the stone rain reached us. A giant shadow covered me and the hero, about to squash us. Then—

「——【Dress up・Ice Grip]（Armored Boots of Ice）」

With a single kick from the hero of magic equipped in the shining white boots, the boulder was crushed to pieces.