Tilly channeled Magic Power into the flying magic stone, leaping into the air and surveying the entire deck below.
The crew of the Beautiful Beauty were mostly seasoned sailors. After the initial panic, they grabbed their weapons and clashed with the evil beasts, gradually advancing toward the stern tower. They knew full well that their numbers couldn't match the enemy's, and their only hope lay in the witches aboard.
The situation changed rapidly when the ashes were added to the battlefield.
She was like a tempest, her wrath unleashing the monsters' wails and groans. Any beast daring to face the mighty sword would be cleaved in two, its limbs scattered across the deck like fragments of a shattered armor.
Andrea was no less formidable. Her Magic Power bow could transform any object at hand into an arrow, with astonishing power and precision. She rarely used conventional feathers, instead carrying a bag of glass beads. The evil beasts she struck didn't even let out a scream—they collapsed, convulsing on the ground. The hard beads could penetrate a skull within twenty steps, turning the interior into a pulp.
On the deck, Kazuki and Saewi moved back and forth, rescuing the injured sailors. With their invisible barrier protecting them, the evil beast couldn't get close to the two.
Even as the demonic beasts were being slaughtered in rapid succession, Tilly remained on high alert.
These fish-shaped creatures were clearly inadequate to cause the violent shaking of the Charming Beauty at first—feeling like a colossal monster slamming into the ship's hull underwater. Without Moril's servants to protect them, such collisions repeated several times would likely reduce the vessel to a pile of floating wooden debris. The witches might barely survive, but few of the crew could escape being devoured by the fish.
As she had foreseen, when the last demonic beast was crushed by the Ash Sword, a colossal shadow emerged from the seawater ahead on the ship's left—far beyond any fish's reach. The shadow swiftly approached the water's surface and charged toward the Qiaomeiren.
"Be careful!" she shouted.
Before the words had fully faded, a shadow swept beneath the vessel, sending the sailboat into violent sways once more. The twin masts emitted a series of bone-chilling cracks, as if poised to collapse at any moment. Fortunately, the shadow refrained from further attacks and vanished swiftly into the ocean depths—perhaps it had intended to ram the 'Pretty Lady' with its back, then feast on the wreckage with relish.
Tilly returned to the deck and gave a brief account of the situation.
We need to force it out of the water, or this damn monster will sink the ship sooner or later," Ash said with a frown.
"I'll take the shot," said Savie. "Since it's coming from under the ship, I can block its impact with my barrier if we're close enough." "Good grief," Old Jack wiped his forehead, "If it's as massive as Lady Tilly said, regular attacks won't work. Even if we force it to surface, how do we kill it?" "Leave it to me," Andrea said, pulling her hair back behind her ear with a confident smile. "No enemy within ten paces can withstand my full-force strike." A shadow appeared swiftly, this time changing direction and charging toward the Beauty from the ship's stern.
Tilly, under aerial surveillance, immediately activated the warning signal. Shawei dashed to her position and leaped out of the boat, her waist tightly bound with multiple hemp ropes—the other end of which was gripped by Ash, who steadily controlled the descent height.
As the shadow descended, Shawei instantly activated her barrier, creating a sudden crack in the grayish sea—like it had been split by some invisible force.
The monster slammed headfirst into the barrier, its massive form freezing instantly. Shawei let out a muffled groan, her hands dangling limp as if she'd exhausted all her strength. The shadow beneath her feet swelled rapidly, and the seawater surged violently upward.
"Pull her up quickly!" Tilly shouted as she dove down.
Ash lifted Savila onto the deck with one hand, but a colossal sea beast had already erupted from the water with a thunderous roar. The surging waves made the Charming Beauty sway violently. At first glance, it resembled a hybrid of a great white shark and an octopus, its triangular head extending several tentacles that lashed directly at the deck.
Even by the sound alone, it was clear how furious it was at this inexplicable collision. Its tentacles, as thick as an adult's thigh, shredded the railing to pieces, yet it couldn't break through the barely held defense by Sa Wei.
"Andrea!" Ash bent down, clasping her hands together in a bowl shape.
"Come on," the latter stomped on the ashes, "leave everything to me!" The Extraordinary One hurled her with all his might, and Andrea Witch shot up in a arc, soaring above the monster's head in the blink of an eye.
She summoned the Magic Power bow, drew the string taut, and a blinding light suddenly burst forth between the bow and its string. The light, like the sun piercing through the clouds, bathed the sea in a golden glow.
"Go!" A flash of lightning erupted as the arrow, composed entirely of Magic Power, emitted a piercing roar that struck the monster like a thunderbolt. The creature's grayish-brown skin instantly swelled, golden cracks spreading across its body, and a beam of light emanated from within. With a deafening explosion, the arrow shattered into fragments.
The colossal explosion sent shockwaves rippling across the sea. Black plasma, like ink, plunged the waters into darkness, while shattered organs rained down. The tentacles that had clung to the ship coiled back, sinking with the colossal beast whose head had been shattered.
Andrea fell into the sea with a splash.
"Ah... Help! I can't swim! Gulu, who... who can pull me in?" Ash glanced at the exhausted Shawei and sighed helplessly. "What a dumbass who only knows how to act cool." She unfastened the massive sword from her back, plunged into the sea, and swam straight toward the other person.
Tilly finally breathed a sigh of relief—the shipwreck threat was over, at least she wouldn't have to swim to Border Town anymore.
Suddenly, she felt a chill on her nose, looked up, and froze in place.
At some point, gray clouds began to drift with snowflakes, like dancing fairies filling the entire sky.
"This... is snow?" Hafu stared at the melting ice crystals in his hand. "Does Graycastle really get snow in autumn?" "Well, I mean, the colder it gets the further west you go," Jack the One-Eyed said, pulling out his pipe and lighting it. "Looks like you're living in a place of dire straits." Tiri didn't respond, but God's expression turned solemn. Hafu came from the Spring-like Kingdom of Dawn, while Old Jack was from the Fjord region, where even in winter, heavy snow was rare. But for the western lands of Graycastle, snow held a special meaning.
The court mentor once said this endless snowfall heralds the Devil's invasion—marking the beginning of the Evil Moon, which will only cease when the Evil Moon ends.
Though the Evil Demon Moon never has a fixed end date, it typically begins in winter. Could it be that Border Town is already under attack from these demonic beasts? Moreover, while the sea water ghosts usually only appear east of Burning Island, they've now been spotted even in the Far South Coast. One wonders if merchant ships traveling between the Kingdom Continent and its shores might fall victim to these monstrous creatures.
Tilly grew increasingly worried.
After two days of sailing in the heavy snow, they finally saw the hazy coastline.