Chapter 397: The Battle to Repel
“Fire the ballistae!”
“Mages, begin your chants! Those who have fired a shot, retreat to the fort immediately!”
Dee and Panamera issued orders simultaneously. The firing sounds and impacts of the ballistae echoed continuously. Panamera and the others should also be chanting together on the deck.
“I was worried because it’s an aquatic magic beast, but if it comes straight at us like that, we might be able to manage.”
I honestly voiced my thoughts. However, the Hydra changed its posture as if it had heard those words. With a motion like falling forward, it placed its five heads on the water’s surface and dove straight into the sea.
“Ehh!? I didn’t mean to trigger a flag at all, you know!?”
I involuntarily retorted to the Hydra’s actions. What is with that Hydra? Don’t tell me strong magic beasts can even read minds.
While I was astonished by the Hydra’s wild instincts, Dee’s voice came from the deck.
“There is a risk the ship will be attacked! Everyone, evacuate!”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
By Dee’s judgment, all the chivalric order members who had boarded the ship disembarked. At the same time, Panamera and the others interrupted their chanting and came down.
“As expected, it dove underwater.”
Panamera returned saying that with a frustrated look. After confirming everyone had disembarked, Dee pointed at the fort.
“Lord Van, to the rear!”
“Yeah, thanks.”
We all evacuated to the fort as told. Dee and Khamsin carried Arte’s puppets.
The fort was just a stone’s throw away. It was a piece of cake.
Just as I thought that, an unprecedented sound of destruction echoed behind me, and the impact traveling through the ground shook my legs.
“……You’ve got to be kidding me, right?”
I involuntarily stopped in my tracks and looked back.
There, crushing the deck of the sturdy large ship made mostly of Wood Blocks, were dragon faces. Five of them, at that.
Mouths filled with countless fangs the size of an adult human were right before my eyes, crunching and crushing the ship to pieces.
Those muddy yellow eyes glared at their surroundings while destroying the ship, and then, they found us. Ten eyes locked onto us simultaneously, and the Hydra’s five faces opened their mouths wide and roared.
The distance was barely under fifty meters. It was a terrifyingly overwhelming presence that made my body stiffen.
“Lord Van! Hurry!”
Until Khamsin said that and stood in front of me, I was so petrified I couldn’t move at all. Seeing the Hydra growling in its throat beyond Khamsin, cold sweat poured out all at once.
“K-Khamsin, you run too, okay!?”
“Yes!”
When I took his hand and called out, Khamsin replied and followed.
I felt Khamsin, who was backing away while glaring at that terrifying Hydra, was more reliable than usual.
“Lord Van! Look out!”
At that moment, Arte’s voice echoed.
Raising my face, there was the Hydra’s face closing in on us with its mouth open. Even if Khamsin swung his sword, there was nothing we could do about this. Running away was even more impossible.
I realized in an instant that there was no way out. However, an unexpected situation occurred.
A tall and thin figure ran in and dove right at the Hydra’s mouth. With something suddenly entering its mouth, the Hydra also raised its face and leaned back. It was only for a moment, but that was probably one of Arte’s puppets.
Taking advantage of that opening, Till grabbed my hand and ran. Khamsin in my right hand, Till in my left.
“R-Run awayyy!”
Catching sight of Arte operating the puppet in front of the fort, the three of us sprinted there with all our might. I feel like I could win a gold medal right now.
As we ran desperately, voices echoed from the top of the fort.
“Aim for the torso!”
“Fire!”
It was Arb and Law.
With those shouts, the ballistae were fired in succession. The bolts flew, aimed at the Hydra’s body located behind the breaking ship.
A roar followed after a momentary pause. At the roar that seemed to tear through eardrums, I let out a girlish scream, “Iyaaaaaah!”
At this distance, it was undoubtedly a hit. But even so, it had that massive body. Unless we got lucky and hit the heart or something, it wouldn’t be a fatal wound.
“Sei!”
At that moment, something flew from the roof of the fort. Looking up, Dee was flying through the sky holding his greatsword.
“Dorya……!”
Then, he violently swung the greatsword in a horizontal sweep, slashing at the Hydra’s face. The greatsword cleaved through its jaw, and the Hydra’s face retreated significantly.
Furthermore, Panamera’s voice resounded from the roof here.
“Eat this! Fire Javelin!”
“……Air Cutter!”
“Storm Wind!”
“Aqua Pile!”
The fire spear, fired from point-blank range, engulfed one of the Hydra’s necks in fire with a single blow, and furthermore, the other mages carried out follow-up attacks.
Taking the magic of the four people one after another, the single Hydra head that had been targeting us finally retreated into the sea.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
We dove into the fort as if sliding into base.
How many things happened while we ran those tens of meters just now? For something like this, no matter how many lives I have, it wouldn’t be enough.
“I-I underestimated them! I completely underestimated large magic beasts!”
Having somehow made it back alive, I emphatically declared that to Till, Khamsin, and Arte.
