An Enemy to Protect, An Enemy to Defeat

 

「…This is the end!」

 

After being left alone, I ran around the unexplored areas, solving the riddles of the gimmicks.

There was something that could change the warp pattern, and I got lost several times, but along with the change in the warp pattern, the path that opened led to the 『Captain’s Quarters』.

 

I gripped my weapon and kicked open the door in the same way Shouko did, preparing for the enemy’s attack.

I was watching leisurely a few hours ago, but surprisingly, this method turns out to be useful.

Come to think of it, it was also used in VR-based FPS games, wasn’t it?

 

…There was no attack.

 

I peeked out once to check if there was anything there.

Nothing.

Being mindful of my surroundings, I stepped into the room.

 

「This really feels like the Captain’s Quarters.」

 

In the room, there was a large, rusted work desk and chair.

Along the walls were bookshelves, and behind them was a map of some kind.

So far, I haven’t found any keys or special items.

Of course, it’s highly possible that one of the party members has found something, but I’ll consider any undetermined elements after they’re discovered.

 

But still, books, huh?

There haven’t been any rooms with books placed inside this ghost ship so far.

I was a little curious, so I rummaged through the bookshelves.

When I touched a few of them, they crumbled and fell apart before I could read them, as if they were choosing their owner.

Maybe the system doesn’t allow me to read them.

But when I picked up the last book, it didn’t crumble, and I could flip through the pages.

 

…A diary?

 

That’s what was written on the faded, yellowed book that looked like it would fall apart at the slightest touch.

The author’s name was… Havenburgh Mefifana, a rather grandiose and noble-sounding name.

It was probably the captain’s name or something like that.

 

「It’s not in Japanese… Oh? I can read it now.」

 

Whether it was English or not, at some point it changed to Japanese.

It was probably designed to prioritize the atmosphere, and it was converted so that the player could read it.

What is this?

 

——○ Month × Day. I am Havenburgh, who has inherited the rank of Count.

I have been entrusted with that island by a certain person.

That island is an essential one that must never be lost, necessary for diplomatic relations with other countries.

This is a record I have written to caution myself.

My future self, I want you to caution yourself every time you see this.

 

Hmm… It’s a diary with a rather expository tone for the player.

In that famous game about a biological disaster, diaries and records frequently appear, but is it a common practice in the game world for people to be so diligent in keeping records?

In any case, this is certainly a key item for clearing the dungeon.

I continued to read.

 

——× Month ○ Day. Several months have passed since I moved to the island.

The islanders are really friendly people, and I have become close with them and built good relationships.

In the midst of these days, I heard an ominous rumor.

Apparently, pirates have been constantly appearing at sea lately.

This island is an important base for our country, and I must immediately consider some countermeasures.

 

——△ Month × Day. I established a private military force at my own expense.

They are all people who have spent their lives at sea since birth.

With ample experience battling monsters and frequently clashing with pirates, they are fierce warriors.

With such men assembled, I can certainly defeat the pirates.

 

——◎ Month ▽ Day. The survivors of my private military force washed ashore.

I provided them with ample care and waited for their recovery before inquiring about the situation.

Apparently, my private military force was annihilated by an attack from monsters.

However, until the end, what I couldn’t understand was that he used the word pirate.

 

——● Month ◇ Day. To ascertain the true nature of the monsters, I decided to set sail myself.

Those around me strongly objected, but this island is my life, and these seas are my blood.

Within my reach, I want to do something for those who have scattered.

 

——■ Month ▲ Day. I encountered the monsters and realized their true nature.

They were not pirates. They were the men I had hired.

However, their flesh was rotting, and they had become monsters.

It would have been lamentable for them to be used as slaves in such a state.

After writing this journal, I will engage in a decisive battle against that soul-devouring monster—

 

「Huh? What’s this… The rest is… Uwah!」

 

Suddenly, the pages of the book were covered with numerous red handprint-like stains, making them unreadable.

It startled me.

Well, it’s a common trope in horror stories, but I was reading it quite seriously, so I was surprised.

Still, not pirates, but monsters, huh?

As I got closer to the truth, something tried to conceal it… In other words, there was something behind it.

 

As I was pondering this, the area behind me grew bright.

When I turned around, red souls were gathering near the map that had been propped up.

For a moment, I tensed up, thinking they were enemies, but I didn’t sense any hostility from them.

I don’t have the ability to judge malice or anything, but somehow, I just felt that way.

 

「Look at the map?」

 

For some reason, it seemed like the souls were trying to tell me to look at the map.

When I looked at the map, it was different from before, showing a large ship’s layout.

 

Is this an accurate map of this place?

There was a clear discrepancy in the map that could be viewed from the menu cursor.

 

Numbers were assigned on the map, and they were moving around in various locations.

Number 2 was moving around on the deck, and Number 3 was wandering around the bottom.

Number 4 was walking around the upper part of the ship.

5 and 6 were about to intersect in the middle area, with 6 trying to go in a different direction from the right and left.

Numbers…?

 

Leader                 1 Kizuna†Exceed

Sub-Leader        2 Hakoniwa Shouko

Member              3 Yamikage

4 Sheryl

5 Tsumugi†Exceed

6 Altorese

 

That order seemed correct, if I remembered it right.

If the assigned numbers were accurate, then this showed the current locations of the party members!

In that case, everyone is currently acting separately.

At this point, Yamikage and Alto are the ones who might be in trouble if they’re isolated.

Yamikage was scared, and Alto’s combat abilities are limited.

To help them from here…

 

「Chat window?」

 

When I touched the map, a chat window was forcibly displayed.

But I couldn’t send messages through the chat earlier, could I?

Can I send it from here?

I immediately selected number 2 from the window… I chose Shouko.

It’s because she was the person whose current situation was most unclear to me.

A ringing sound like an incoming call echoed, and we connected.

 

「Kizuna-san? Where are you right now… No, more importantly, are you okay?」

「Are you okay over there? What is Shouko doing on the deck?」

「Why do you know where I am… Ugh!」

 

In the middle of our conversation, Shouko let out a pained groan.

She was probably fighting something.

 

「I’m sorry. I’m currently in the middle of a battle.」

「Are you sure you’re okay over there?」

「I’m still alive for now, but at this rate, it might become difficult. The enemy is a boss monster, and it’s a tough situation for me alone.」

「A boss, huh… Understood. I’ll have everyone head over there immediately.」

「Thank you. To be honest, I was feeling uneasy.」

「Yeah, we’ll definitely come to your aid. Just hold on.」

「Yes. I’ll be sure to endure until then!」

 

After ending the chat, the next person I contacted was number 6, Alto.

If I missed this chance, Alto wouldn’t be able to rendezvous with Tsumugi.

 

「Kizuna? Where are you sending this chat from?」

「Go back the way you just turned!」

「What do you mean? I’ve already been there.」

「Yeah, but Tsumugi is over there. You can still make it if you hurry.」

「I don’t really understand, but for now, I’ll trust you. I was wondering what would happen if I ended up alone.」

「Once you meet up with Tsumugi——」

 

I relayed the path to the deck to Alto and then disconnected.

Next, I connected with Yamikage.

Personally, I wanted to talk to her first, but due to the circumstances, she ended up being third.

 

「Yamikage.」

「Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!」

「Shut up! Be quiet! It’s me!」

「Uwaaaahhhh! Kizuna-chan ghooooooost!」

「Don’t call me -chan!」

 

It took quite some time to calm her down, but I also instructed Yamikage on the path to the deck.

Next was Sheryl.

Number 4, Sheryl, was the closest to the deck.

 

「……..」

 

When I connected to the chat, she was silent.

You were like this when we first met too, but it makes me uneasy when there’s no response, so stop that.

 

「This is Kizuna. I’ll tell you the way, I want you to head to the deck.」

「…yeah.」

「Were you all right, Sheryl?」

「…yeah.」

「I see, you were all right.」

「…Nn.」

「And about the path——」

 

As I think about it, I’ve recently become able to understand Sheryl’s behavior when she only says 『yeah』.

It’s an incredibly subtle feeling.

At this rate, I’ll truly become a dedicated translator for Sheryl.

Anyway, everyone started moving towards the deck.

If anyone made a mistake along the way, I sent corrective chats, and I confirmed that everyone had arrived on the deck.

 

「Now, I should head up there too.」

 

I checked the map and memorized as much as possible.

Then, as I was about to leave the Captain’s Quarters, the red souls suddenly disappeared.

It was probably a game assist, but the fact is, they helped me.

 

「—— Thank you for helping me.」

 

I muttered those words in my heart.

 

†

 

「Shouko!」

 

After running through the ship’s interior like it was my own backyard, I shouted as I reached the entrance to the deck.

The scene that unfolded before me was not only Shouko, but also Yamikage and the others, safe and sound.

A red moon illuminated the ship, setting the stage for the boss battle.

 

「Kizuna-san, are you unharmed?」

「Yeah, not a scratch. How about you all?」

「Yes! With everyone’s help, we should be able to manage.」

 

And then the boss monster—a large skeletal figure in a military uniform, named Havenburgh.

 

—— No!

 

If we are to believe that ship’s log, the person named Havenburgh shouldn’t be the boss.

Not only the boss, but according to the setting, the Pirate Skeleton monsters that appeared on this ship were also victims being manipulated by something, their corpses being controlled, no matter how much I attack Count Havenburgh, it won’t make a difference if that’s the case.

The soul-devouring monster mentioned is likely somewhere else.

 

Where is it? Where are you?

 

Shouko and Tsumugi, Yamikage, and Sheryl were engaged in battle with Count Havenburgh.

Alto was commanding from the rear.

Ignoring those five, I searched for the true enemy.

Count Havenburgh… He seemed to have been a righteous person originally, but now he was wrapped in tattered military attire, wielding a massive cutlass, and dabbling in pirate-like activities.

According to the setting, he had lost.

 

…I saw it.

 

For a brief moment, there was a flicker in Count Havenburgh’s shadow.

It was a subtle shift that I wouldn’t have noticed without the hint.

I held the Cerberus Slaughter in my left hand and the Energy Blade in my right.

 

「Shouko, Tsumugi. That’s not the enemy!」

 

Shouting those words, I plunged the Cerberus Slaughter in my left hand into Count Havenburgh’s shadow.

A crackling sound, like the dimensional rift I had heard before, echoed.

 

「Kizuna-san? What is that…」

「The enemy is over here. The soul-devouring monster『Soul Eater』!」

 

Being careful not to let it escape, I kept the Cerberus Slaughter plunged in and poured power into the Energy Blade that had been fully charged, emitting a beam of light, thrusting it into the shadow.

With a sound like water evaporating, the blade of the Energy Blade disappeared into the deck floor.

Count Havenburgh’s skeletal remains crumbled with a clattering sound.

At the same time, I leaped backward.

And from the shadow emerged the true boss monster, the Soul Eater.

A white, ferocious-looking face, red eyes, a large mouth, and fangs—an ugly monster.

 

「The enemy we must defeat is you.」

 

The Soul Eater was likely a boss of the type that uses decoys like Count Havenburgh to lure attacks, keeping its true body separate and unharmed.

This type is less common nowadays, but it used to appear frequently in old RPGs.

In a famous time-traveling RPG, the final boss wasn’t the ominous-looking creature in the middle, but rather the minion on the left that was in charge of healing.

I had played the remake version, but not reading any walkthroughs, I was dumbfounded.

After all, defeating the fake main body only caused the healing minion to revive the fake main body.

In other words, no matter how many times we defeated Count Havenburgh, it would be meaningless against this Soul Eater boss.

 

「If you know the truth, it’s no big deal. As everyone can see, the boss is over there.」

「…I see. Understood.」

「I didn’t notice anything about shadows or anything like that~」

「…I’m good at shooting harpoons downward.」

 

The members who understood the situation nodded in agreement and took up battle stances.

As for the remaining two…

 

「Gyaaaah! The real ghost came out! Aaaaaah!」

「That’s enough, already.」

「W-Well, I’ll carefully observe the enemy’s position.」

「Why are you stammering?」

 

Seriously, these guys never change, do they?

Well, I suppose it’s a nice role to play in terms of reaction, but still. Those three have the same expressions as when facing a regular monster, while looking at that ugly Soul Eater.

 

「A-Anyway! Let’s defeat that thing!」

「Yes!」

 

With Shouko’s response, the fierce assault on the Soul Eater began.