Chapter 860

The sea dragon was already several times larger than the other sea creatures. But now, wrapped entirely in raging violet trails, it looked vastly larger than before.

"Yog!" Diana’s exclamation came a beat later.

It was enough to make Charlotte marvel at Ian’s familiar once again. The unbelievable truth from Thesaya’s letter, that a fragment of an ancient god dwelled within it, now felt undeniably real.

Whoosh—

After ascending, Yog began plunging straight into the middle of the sea creatures. It wasn’t an illusion that the massive body seemed to fall in slow motion.

To Charlotte, the violent trails whipping around it resembled chaotic tornadoes.

Screech—

The charging sea creatures were swept away the moment they touched those trails, flung aside. The sea below, covered in fog, was gouged inward as though scraped away.

Boom!

The instant Yog crashed into the center of it all, the tornadoes surrounding it exploded outward violently. Towering waves of spray erupted skyward while enormous shockwaves spread across the sea in rippling circles.

sea creatures caught helplessly within the impact were flung together in tangled masses.

Screech—

Bwoooooo!

Their screams echoed everywhere as the waters astern descended into utter chaos, like a storm front tearing across the ocean. Naturally, the aftershock surged toward the smuggling ships.

"Everyone get down!" Diana’s voice, amplified by magic, shouted toward the front of the ship.

Still gripping the stern railing, Charlotte glanced toward the central deck.

Swoosh—

A massive wave of fog and violent wind slammed into the ship. The ship didn’t sink, but it lurched violently under the massive impact.

Holding tightly to the railing while enduring the shock, Charlotte turned toward the neighboring ship.

Beyond the surging waters, the Black Wave appeared, staggering beneath the crashing tide. But thankfully, no passengers or sailors seemed to have been thrown overboard. They had likely braced for the collision as well.

Screech—

Immediately afterward, the shrieks of the sea creatures beyond the stern grew even sharper.

Charlotte turned her head, her orange eyes widening.

The formation of sea creatures had completely collapsed into a tangled frenzy. And at the center of it all rampaged Yog itself.

Its massive jaws and colossal tail smashed, tore, and pulverized everything nearby.

It’s completely one-sided....

As Charlotte watched the spectacle unfold, a faint chuckle escaped her lips. Every single one of those sea creatures was powerful enough to sink a smuggling ship on its own, yet now they were being swept aside like helpless livestock.

At this moment, Yog resembled nothing less than a wolf rampaging through a flock of sheep.

It was disappointing that she would no longer get the chance to fight those monsters herself, but this wasn’t the time to prioritize personal desires.

"When it traveled with me before, it definitely couldn’t do anything like this...."

A dazed voice sounded from behind her. Diana, having regained her balance, stood upright again.

Turning toward her, Charlotte said, "We need to bring the captain back, Diana. It looks like Yog is rampaging under Ian’s orders. We should use this chance to shake off their pursuit completely."

"Without fighting?! That’s an excellent idea!" Diana answered immediately, eyes widening behind her mask as she spun around.

Even then, she briefly glanced toward Yog in the distance as it continued slaughtering the sea creatures. She had likely realized Ian was aboard the ship fused to Yog’s back.

However, she didn’t head straight for the central deck.

"She says we’re shaking off the pursuit completely! Prepare to activate the magical device!"

Instead, she approached the starboard railing and shouted first. Her magic-laced voice cut through the noise effortlessly.

It clearly carried all the way to the Black Wave ship.

"U-Understood!" Sanford’s already-hoarse shout reached Charlotte’s ears.

Diana immediately turned and sprinted toward the central deck.

And that wasn’t all.

"Great Chieftain! Your orders—"

As though changing shifts, Palmer and a group of beastfolk warriors climbed onto the rear deck. Every one of them had ropes tied around their waists and hooked grapples slung over their shoulders.

"The Demigod bought us time. We’re going to use it to push straight toward those heathens’ sanctuary." Charlotte said, jerking her chin toward the rear horizon.

Palmer and the beastfolk warriors abruptly stopped moving as she continued, glancing toward the central deck. "Spread out along the edges and make sure nobody gets left behind. Keep watch for enemies approaching from elsewhere too."

The destination wasn’t far anymore, and small islands surrounded them everywhere. Sea creatures and corrupted enemies hiding nearby could emerge at any moment.

"Understood, Great Chieftain," Palmer answered immediately and turned away.

As the warriors followed him, he gestured with his chin as though assigning positions.

Charlotte turned her gaze back beyond the stern railing.

Screech!

The battle between the sea monsters had grown increasingly fierce.

Yog still rampaged violently, but now the sea creatures were charging at it in overwhelming numbers. Even the ones hidden beneath the surface had fully revealed themselves.

Boom, boom, boom! Thud—

Violet and blue explosions and streaks collided chaotically across the sea.

It wasn’t long before a voice of admiration rose behind Charlotte.

"What a spectacle..."

It was Nikau, captain of the Silent Storm, who had come up onto the rear deck alongside Diana.

The man who usually maintained a stoic expression no matter the situation now stared wide-eyed in open amazement.

"As you can see, the situation’s changed. How long until the talisman can be used again?" Charlotte asked immediately.

Nikau hesitated before slipping a hand into his coat.

At that moment, a tremendous roar erupted nearby.

Whoosh—

Towering columns of water exploded upward behind the Black Wave. The sailing ship suddenly surged forward like an arrow, cutting through the raging waves.

"It should be usable now," Nikau answered while pulling out the talisman.

At Charlotte’s glance, Diana immediately sprinted toward the railing of the central deck. "Stop rowing! Pull them inside! Now!"

Her magic-infused shout rang out loudly.

Charlotte had noticed it long ago, but Diana truly used magic without hesitation compared to most fairies.

"She says stop rowing!"

A hoarse shout followed from the central deck. It was Yalo, the Kurdian captain, who had transferred over from the sinking ship.

Diana spun around and lightly leaped upward. She grabbed the handle of the pulley suspended midway along the rope running diagonally from the magic device to the rear mast.

Meanwhile, Nikau stepped toward the stern railing and muttered, "I thought it was already too late... but to think he’d accomplish this much. I made the right choice by following him."

Even while inserting a magic stone into the center of the talisman, his eyes never left the distant battlefield.

Charlotte narrowed her eyes slightly as she looked at him. The fact that this captain was originally from the archipelago suddenly came back to her.

Oblivious to her gaze, Nikau placed the talisman onto the magic device and turned his head.

Clink!

As if waiting for the signal, Diana immediately began turning the pulley wheel. A metal frame resembling a locked wheel slid downward beneath the ship.

Then, after hopping lightly back onto the deck and lowering her stance, a massive plume of water erupted behind as the ship’s speed increased explosively.

The waves became so violent that it felt as though they were riding over hills and cliffs rather than the sea itself.

Swish—

The hull rocked continuously, but Charlotte didn’t crouch down. She stood gripping the railing tightly, never taking her eyes off the towering sprays erupting behind them.

Screech! Screech!

Each time the ships surged over towering waves, the sea creatures could be seen thrashing like creatures driven completely mad.

And at the center of it all, Yog rampaged wildly, scattering violet chaos in every direction.

The battlefield of sea monsters was steadily growing farther away.

Whoosh—

Eventually, the monsters themselves faded into the fog-covered darkness like ink dissolving into water.

Not long afterward, even the distant shrieks echoing through the spray vanished from Charlotte’s hearing.

"Did we shake them off?" Diana’squiet voice broke the silence after the endless waves and spray had finally begun calming down.

The Black Wave ship, which had departed ahead of them earlier, now drifted diagonally behind.

"Prepare to row again!" Yalo shouted orders as though he had naturally assumed the role of first mate.

Charlotte scanned their surroundings and said, "We can’t be sure yet. The waves are still rough."

The fog blanketing the sea remained just as thick. Clicking her tongue, Diana leapt upward again and grabbed the pulley handle.

"We’re almost there," said Nikau, while pulling himself upright against the railing. He was staring toward the distance beyond the bow.

Charlotte’s eyes narrowed slightly as she followed his gaze.

Far beyond the foggy darkness, several islands had emerged faintly into view. One island stood out, shrouded in bluish fog.

"That island is Kalinso. So the rumors really were true," added Nikau.

Charlotte turned toward him and said, "So you already knew what was happening here."

"As you can see, I’m from these islands," Nikau admitted calmly.

As the magic device slowly rose above the railing, he turned toward Charlotte and continued, "Not every islander worships Raskagin. That damned god was a monster that tried to drag the entire archipelago beneath the sea."

"So you’re one of them," Charlotte answered quietly. Though she didn’t show it outwardly, she felt an odd sense of kinship.

Reaching toward the talisman, Nikau nodded. "My father used to say that in my grandfather’s time, there weren’t nearly as many people serving that monster as there are now. He also said outsiders from the mainland were the ones encouraging it. He warned me never to fall for that temptation."

Nikau’s eyes darkened slightly. "It may look like you’re gaining dominion over the sea for a while... but eventually you pay the price after death. Because what you’re truly doing is selling your soul for power."

It was then that Diana, having landed back on the deck, let out a short scoff.

"Not surprising at all. Weren’t the heroes of the archipelago the ones who sealed that god away? What better revenge could there be than using the souls of their descendants as fuel to break open its prison?"

While Nikau glanced toward Diana with a hardened expression, Charlotte added in a subdued voice, "So you kept silent this whole time because you couldn’t betray your own people."

Turning toward her, Nikau removed the talisman and nodded. "That’s right. And because I believed their hatred was justified."

"Hatred? Don’t tell me you mean against the Empire?" Diana asked while narrowing her eyes behind her mask.

Nikau didn’t even glance at her.

Watching him, Charlotte quietly said, "So they intended to unleash the tidal wave created by that ancient god and wipe out the mainland."