CH 53

Ep 53 First Time on a Boat Part 3

The hull shakes, and then the red souls jumped one by one towards the ocean liner.

They aren’t human, because you can’t call them anything else but irregularly shaped evil spirits. Most of them still haven’t received Roel’s heal and aren’t purified yet.

「Just what happened! Just what happened! Ryua-chan just what happened!?」

Not being able to handle the shaking, Roel fell down and I had to support her.

What happened, even if you ask me that, I would also be stumped. But the ghosts are aiming for Bortom, that’s is for certain. If this goes on, it will be dangerous for Bortom. Just like before, I carried Roel and jumped towards the ocean liner.

Even if we touched a ghost, we would only pass through them.

Even if I strike them, they would just scatter like mist and then go back to their original forms. Even without me doing anything, they don’t even look like they are considering me. Their speed isn’t that fast, so in the blink of an eye we were able to to pass over them and return to the ocean liner.

「Bortom-san! Go hide yourself!」

「Ee…eeeeek….please spare me….」

When we landed on the ocean liner, we immediately called out to Bortom, but he was only shedding tears and begging for his life, not moving at all.

In this situation, I have no choice but to carry Bortom and throw him inside the cabin.

「Roel heal them!」

「T-there are too many….」

「Even by yourself, please purify as many as you can!」

In response to my demand, Roel casted heal on one of the ghosts coming this way. However, rather than appeasing their anger, they further changed form. The red soul slowly changed form and started to materialize. Changing from human to a nonhuman form, it was a monster.

【Mortal Ghost x4 appeared! HP 322】

【Evil Spirit x5 appeared! HP 257】

【Sword Wight x3 appeared! HP 490】

It wasn’t only the ghost that Roel healed, the other spirits too had changed their forms.

There are so many that you can’t tell what their exact number is. A tremendous number of souls are coming from the ship.

「What are you doing!? Attack!」

Silva, Zizinia, and the soldiers started to fight back. I don’t have time to be taken aback, I have to do something to protect this ship.

【Sword Wight slashed while laughing ominously!

Silva received 66 damage! HP 99/165

Zizinia received 81 damage! HP 80/141】

「Ugaah! M-my body is….」

Having been slashed, Silva dropped his bow and fell to his knees unable to move. It’s probably paralysis abnormal condition.

That monster’s movements are fast, it attacks in a wide area, and moreover it can also cause abnormal effects.

I’m sure that mortal ghosts also use area attack magic, before the damage spreads I have to do something about this.

「I don’t know what just happened, but if you’re going to damage this ship then I will show no mercy!」

I slashed the Sword Wight who was going to act next, and then swung once at each Sword wight in my sight. The foothold is shaky and has no stability, but I moved by kicking the hull and was somehow able to move.

The slashed monster groaned something, and dissipated like scattering sand.

【Ryua attacked!

Sword Wight x3 received 368461 damage!

Sword Wights were defeated! HP 0/490】

「Heal! Heal! Heal!」

Roel worked hard, assembled together with the soldiers. Although each heal purifies one of them, their numbers are too numerous. Moreover, these ghosts are quite strong. Even though Silva and Zizinia should have considerable skill, with just one attack they became cornered. And they’re not opponents that the soldiers can just somehow deal with.

「Roel! Leave this to me, and go cure Silva and Zizinia!」

「O-okay!

Now that I think about it, Roel should be able to use a recovery magic that can cure abnormal statuses. But then again healing injuries is considerably different from curing status effects.

【Sword Wight x5 appeared! HP 490】

They increased again, are they also the people from that ship? I don’t know how many people were on it, but still their numbers are too numerous. While holding my sword in hand, I rotated my body while going around the ship.

【Ryua used Rotation slash!

Sword Wights received 361982 damage!

Mortal Ghosts received 371022 damage!

Evil Spirits received 359649 damage!

The monsters have been swept clean!】

One by one, the monsters scatter like sand into the sky. So in the end it’s this. Even though if Roel’s healing had continued well, this wouldn’t have happened. I wonder why these ghosts become ferocious when they see Bortom.

No, there isn’t time to worry about that.

Now, the ghost ship has changed direction towards this way. Even though there is no wind and the sail is full of holes, it slowly advanced aiming for this ocean liner. And then suddenly, as if charging it rammed into the hull of the ocean liner .

The ocean liner shook wildly.

As expected if this goes on, this ship will capsize.

「Hey! Do something about this!」

The sailors and the soldiers have started to panic. I don’t have a choice anymore but to destroy that whole ship. When I was going to shoot Sonic Ripper, looking at the ghost ship, a black mist gushed out from the whole ship. The mist gradually gathered, and then it formed something.

A giant human-shaped form. With its lower body connected to the ghost ship, it had showed itself.

A mist-like human, not a skeleton. What surprised me was the hat that one of them wore. It was the same as what the sailors of the ocean liner wear.

There is a black line so that was most likely the ship’s captain.

It was wearing the same cap as the captain who greeted us when we boarded the ship. If I remember it correctly, Roel told me that you could tell who is a superior depending on the hat.

It could be seen that the mist-made skeleton captain’s hands seem to be manipulate the ship.

【Ghost Captain has appeared! HP 4444】

「Please stoooooooooooopp!」

When I noticed it, Bortom was dragged out from the cabin by the ghost. There were about 3 ghosts that were coiling around him, not being able to resist them Bortom was screaming.

「Bortom-san!」

「I was bad okay…..I’m sorry that I abandoned you, but at that time there was no choice….

I couldn’t fight that strong monster, it was scary…..before I noticed it I was already escaping on a lifeboat….」

Not thinking right now, just rescuing Bortom. I slashed the coiling ghosts, but even if Bortom was released he was still shouting. Being scared too much, Bortom tried to leap towards the sea, as Silva and Zizinia hurriedly stopped him.

「Just as I thought, you knew about that ship right!? With that distance it’s not normal to notice that ship as the ghost ship!

That ship started appearing ever since 20 years ago! So you were on that ship?」

「Silva….. at those days, I believed that I could do everything and took the request to guard the ship. Then a week after the voyage, a monster attacked the ship…..I ran. I had big mouthed that I would absolutely protect them, and all of them admired me……I  betrayed them…..it’s natural to be hated…..even as I turn around I could still see the kids’ faces, I can’t even forget them up until now…..」

Bortom stood up, he started walking while staggering. Did he calm down from the fear? He was not shouting and screaming like earlier. I protected Bortom from the simultaneously attacking monsters. One by one I cut them, the vengeful ghosts started groaning and resounded so regretful.

「Even right now, I have been continuing taking this guarding job as an atonement…..however, today that actual ship on that day, the ship that sank has appeared…..in the end, it was all just self-satisfaction……Silva, Zizinia. I’m sorry for hiding it. I met you guys after that…..it was fun. To be able to have people of the same age that I could get along till this day…..thank you.」

And again one more step, Bortom approached the ghost ship that had collided with the ocean liner. And then he kneeled on the ground(dogeza).

While sobbing, Bortom didn’t change his posture. He quietly whispered, “I’m sorry”. It looks like that action wasn’t able to reach the ghosts, without giving any care the monsters  once again simultaneously went towards Bortom.

But still, Bortom did not move. No matter what circumstances there were, I can’t overlook this.

But this time, it was not my turn to go off stage.

An area-type flame magic was cast around Bortom. Even though it did not defeat them, the surprised ghost monsters separated from Bortom. And then pushing Bortom to the head of the deck, the two old guys stood there protecting him.

Silva with his bow in his hands, and Zizinia starting to cast again.

Bortom noticing the unusual event, raised his face.

「Y-you guys…」

「Let us fulfill our duty, or are you saying that we should let this ship sink as well?」

Silva’s arrow shot through the ghost, and Zizinia’s magic once again reliably drove them away. A large amount of groaning was released from the vengeful ghosts. It was as if you could hear them saying to not hinder them.

Certainly, what Bortom did might have been the worst thing. But what Silva had said was right.

On this ship there are a lot of unrelated people. There is only one thing to do.

「It’s just as Silva-san said.」

Easily mowing down the surrounding vengeful ghosts, I looked at the top of the ghost ship of which you can see a captain’s mist. From the hollow eyes of the skeleton , it was obvious that it was looking at us. It’s sad, but I can’t die here.

Here I go, I will destroy that ghost ship whole.

「Sonic–」

「Ryua-chan, wait.」

Roel was breathing heavily, she was standing while holding the rails. I could guess that she had used heal to purify the monsters. The reason the numbers had decreased, was because she had worked hard I’m sure. I hurriedly supported Roel’s body.

「Please, let me do it…..」

「Please don’t do more than that. I’ll finish this off okay?」

「It’s alright. I, even if I look like this, I’ve gotten stronger you know…」

I immediately understood that it was not a bluff. Roel had always been fighting with me. If it was just like what Aude had said about the combat system, Roel’s level right now should be considerable. It’s alright, let’s leave it to her.

She held her Fire Rod horizontally, Roel closed her eyes.

Little by little, light started wrapping Roel. It was much more sublime compared to when I saw it at the deck of the ghost ship.

But, Roel should’ve been just a Healer, and yet I wonder what’s with this power. This time is it really just a heal?

「uU…」

It looks like it started to fear the light, the mist skeleton bent backward a little bit. However that was only for a moment, as if trying to smash the ocean liner, it swung its misty hand from high above.  Silva and Zizinia on the top of the deck had prepared to assault it, but the misty hand never even reached the ocean liner. In the vicinity of the ocean liner, it was as if the mist was avoiding Roel and had scattered and then disappeared. From its palm to its wrist, and then its arm, slowly it started to scatter and finally the whole ghost ship was about to disappear.

「oOo….BorTOm…..bOr..toM….CoME…bA…」

It was its first and final words. With just that, I understood how deep its resentment was.

Nearly about completely scattered away and disappeared, the skeletal ghost captain had its face returned to a human. However, that too was also in an instant.

The only ones who saw it were probably just me and a few others. Immediately, the mist completely disappeared without any trace left.

「D-did I do it….?」(9: a flag…?)

「Yeah, it was all thanks to Roel….」

Silva looked at Roel in half-doubt. I heard him whisper, “What’s with that girl?”.

What was left was the ghost ship, the ship sailed and had many people aboard it.

Earlier it was a ghost ship, but right now it is silently sinking.

The hull had tilted, fallen over, and gone back into the sea.

「The ghost ship is sinking….」

「Hey, it’s starting to clear up! I can see the horizon!」

One of the soldiers yelled. It looks like the fog that appeared with the ghost ship had disappeared.

The waves  returned back to normal, and once again the sunlight illuminated the ocean liner. The ghosts who had become monsters, were gone before I was aware of it. It seems that it was because the captain was purified, but I can’t help but think that the deep resentment won’t disappear just like that.

「Fuu…..Is it finished….?」

「Roel!」

Roel, who opened her eyes, was dripping in sweat. It looks like she had ran out of strength, and collapsed.

It seems she got relieved when she saw the ghost ship sinking , and this time she had closed her eyes.

「Roel, are you alright? Roel!」

「I guess she used up her magic power. I believe  there is no problem, but just in case let the ship doctor check her up」

The one who told me this was Zizinia. He too had a tired face. Well, it’s natural since he had fought so many monsters.

Miraculously there wasn’t any casualties, I’m sure that’s also thanks to Roel. With the ghosts’ purification and the people’s’ recovery, doing both of that at the same time, I can’t measure her effort. I wiped Roel’s sweat off her forehead.

「I….I had committed an outrageous sin…」

Bortom-san looked as if he was relieved to see the sinking ghost ship. Not like the tears when he was sobbing from fear, a  stream of tears flowed down his cheek. Snorting his mucus, he once again silently cried.

「Sorry…I’m really sorry….」

「Bortom-san, “I understand your feelings!” is what i won’t say. We are not scorning you. If I was in your place at that time I might have done the same thing. However, you right now have regretted it and shed tears for it. And up until now you have lives that you have kept alive. There is no better truth than that」

Silva who stood beside Bortom looked at the sinking ghost ship and didn’t say any other words than that.

Zizinia and the two of them lined up and just silently looked at the ship. What Bortom is doing now is just thinking about that ghost ship, no he’s thinking that ship and having pain in his heart.

If the monsters hadn’t attacked that ship, I’m sure right now they would be living their lives somewhere.

Up until the end they kept resenting, but I’d like to think that thanks to Roel they were able to be purified without suffering.

「Roel, you really worked hard.」

Looking at Roel’s face in my arms, I was compelled to think so. Let’s go to this ship’s doctor.

Zizinia-san said not to worry, but I am worried.

――――The ocean liner shook greatly, and then I could hear a crashing sound from behind.

When I looked backwards, I saw the splinters of the ghost ship dancing in the air. Guarding their bodies from the splinters, everyone crouched.

「Yahoooooooooooooooooo!」

A high tension yell and at the same time from below the ghost ship something jumped out as if it was tossed from the sea. Because of the sunlight, I couldn’t properly see the guy that destroyed the ghost ship. However, the one who appeared from the bottom of the sea was without a doubt a human.

From the air and once again going back into the surface of the water, for an instant I saw it, his upper-body was a human but his lower body looked like it was a fish.

Half of his face was covered with scales, and at the place of his ears there was a fish like fin growing there.

When he landed, the water splashed grandly and sprayed us.

「W-what the hell just happened!?」

As if replying to Zizinia’s shout, he showed his face from the water. As if he was doing the backstroking, he floated on water. It’s a guy with gill ears, a scaled face, and a slightly tanned body.

I could understand that his body was full of muscles, I could certainly understand that it was human, but I already understood he wasn’t.

「You guys showed me a good shooooooooow! After that ghost ship, play with me next!」

The gill guy grinned showing his white teeth. And then that guy looked at the ocean liner from the sea and then looked at me.

This guy, is he possibly.

「Eeee, the name Ryua is yours, right? You don’t have to say anything I know! Hey, play a game with me!」

Purposely destroying that ghost ship as he appeared, my anger towards that guy had already risen.