Episode 47 - Leviathan of the Deep



Meanwhile, Kaftin and Bizeth had plunged into the blue sea in an instant.
Bizeth had known well in advance that Kaftin couldn't swim — which was precisely why he had engineered this confrontation aboard a ship in the middle of the open ocean.
The result was going according to plan — he had intended to finish it with the cannons, but either way, drowning the man seemed achievable.
Now — let go of him and somehow get myself back up—!
......!
He immediately released the arms he had wrapped around Kaftin's waist, shoved him away with his feet, and reached upward toward the surface —
......!
Let — let go, damn you—!
Naturally, Kaftin was still conscious — and that large right hand closed around Bizeth's ankle in an iron grip.
He hammered the remaining foot down onto Kaftin's face again and again, trying desperately to break free — but the grip only tightened, threatening to crush the ankle entirely.
Ngh — kgh—!
.......
But time was on Bizeth's side.
As a high-level Aura Master, he had already drawn in more than enough air through his Aura Skill just before they went over the railing.
Kaftin, on the other hand, had been pushed backward by cannonballs and grabbed in a sudden lunge with no time to prepare.
His breathing would become difficult sooner rather than later. Once the air started running out, he would try to get back to the surface by any means necessary.
And to swim, he would need both hands free — which meant he would inevitably release Bizeth.
Hurry up and let go of this—!
Still, he wanted away from Kaftin as fast as possible — and kept driving his heel down into the corner of Kaftin's eye, insistently.
Bubbles began to leak in small streams from Kaftin's mouth, and his expression gradually stiffened.
Yes — running out of air, aren't you?
Come on. Let go of me and—
Bwuuulgh—.
...Wh—?!
The color drained from Bizeth's face at what he was witnessing.
Wait. Why now? Why here?
Why was this creature transforming into a monster — here, underwater?!
Even through the blue water, the red mist billowing out was clear — the Corpse Poison cloud—!
Y-you—! Let go of this, now—!
He was transforming while still gripping the ankle!
At this rate, they would sink together — and he would be torn apart by the transformed creature on the way down.
For a moment the mist obscured the view — and when it cleared, what emerged was Kaftin in his second form, scaled in blue.
Th-this is — the other monster—!
.......
With nothing left, Bizeth set his teeth, squeezed out what remained of his Aura, and formed an Aura Blade along the edge of his hand.
Unfamiliar work — but he managed to concentrate it just enough at the tip and raked it across the wrist holding his ankle.
Got it — serve you right—!
......!
Kaftin's eyes went wide, attention drawn to the hand drifting away below him.
In that fraction of a second Bizeth was already swimming for his life toward the surface.
Before he knew it they had sunk nearly twenty meters.
He glanced down at Kaftin — and sure enough, the body wasn't rising. It was sinking at a slow but steady rate.
Yes — his weight was even greater than I expected! He can't get back up now! We've won—!
The moment of triumph lit Bizeth's face — and then something grabbed his ankle again.
He flinched and looked down.
"Well, well. Leaving already? That's hurtful. Come on, let's go together — down to the depths of the blue hole."
What—?!
Tentacles.
The grotesque tentacles had extended all the way to his ankle and coiled around it.
And the creature was speaking — mouth open, completely at ease, underwater.
Damn you — you underhanded creature, Kaftin! You were already defeated the moment you entered the water! Accept it and go down into the abyss alone—!
"Hfheheh... ah, you didn't know, did you... my current form — the Lusca Form—"
He tilted his neck slightly to the side — the neck usually hidden beneath overdeveloped trapezius muscles — and spread the muscle wide to show what lay beneath.
"Look. The primary battlefield of this Lusca Form... is deep water like this."
G-gills?! Are those — gills?! You little — you lied to the woman you like—?!
There, unmistakably embedded in the trapezius, was an organ that pulsed open and closed — nothing other than gills.
"Hfheheh... no. I didn't lie. In my original human form, Kaftin, water is genuinely, clearly a weakness. It's simply that this Lusca Form was prepared precisely as the countermeasure."
Bizeth's eyes hardened.
The conditions had reversed.
Now it was Bizeth who was running out of time.
As long as Kaftin maintained this form, he could stay underwater indefinitely.
Then the only option left was—
Hff—!
He abandoned the push toward the surface and kicked off the water, driving himself downward toward Kaftin.
This might be the last chance while Kaftin was still off guard. And one of his hands had been cut away.
At this distance, driving an Aura Blade along his hand-edge into a vital point and cutting through the heart was still possible.
Kaaaftiiiiin—!
"Yes — that's more like it—!"
Thud.
The right hand he thrust out — was caught solidly by the left hand that should already have been severed—!
Im — impossible! That hand was definitely cut off!
"Hfheheh—! One more thing to share with you! The first form — the Behemoth Form — nullifies every attack through fortress-like defense—!"
The first monster — Behemoth, he calls it!
"And this, the second — the Lusca Form, dancing in the depths of the blue hole — its defensive mechanism is transcendent regeneration—!"
R-regeneration—!
Bizeth recoiled and desperately tried to wrench the captured wrist free — impossible. The grip held absolute.
"That's right! Phantom Fang Lord — your method of attack was severing. And severing cannot keep up with my regeneration—!"
Ngh—!
"Now then, since you've come all this way — heading down to the depths of the blue hole together isn't a bad idea, but—"
Am I — going to die like this—?!
In one final act, Bizeth wrung out every last drop of Aura remaining in his body — concentrating it to a single point at the tip of his hand-blade and firing it in a long piercing burst.
Drawing on even the Aura he had been using for breathing — a truly final attack.
He saw it connect with the trapezius where the gills were on Kaftin's side — and in that moment he began to smile—
"Hm!"
GYAAAAAAAAGH—?!
Four grotesque tentacles raked across Bizeth's arms and legs with the serrated edges along their length—!
"My apologies. Athunga is waiting — I'll dispose of you here. As painfully as possible, of course."
You — arrogant little — stay still, right now I'll take your head—!
"Oh? You're sure you want to focus on my head right now? You might want to look around first."
Kaftin suddenly began scanning the surroundings — and instinctively Bizeth turned to look as well—
Sharks.
Six of them, each larger than a person, were circling in slow rings around them — and he hadn't noticed until now.
Wh—?! Sh-sharks?! Where did they come from?
"Not out of nowhere. Sharks — the sea's hunting dogs. The scent of blood in the water reaches them from kilometers away."
......!?
"In short — when you cut my wrist, and when I wounded you just now, they had already—"
The sharks were tightening their circle, slowly — and Bizeth's expression twisted.
He could cut Kaftin's head off from here — but the moment he did, both of them would be left helpless against those sharks.
But if he tried to force his way free to keep the sharks at bay, Kaftin would attack from the other side.
There's only — one answer—!
"...Too late."
...!!
In that instant, Kaftin grinned and drove multiple tentacles straight through Bizeth's abdomen.
Kghurrk—?!
"Now then—!"
Ignoring the Aura at his fingertips already beginning to scatter, Kaftin's left hand closed around his throat.
"All I need is your head. You know what that means."
Damn you — you'll never die peacefully — one day, your karma will—!
"Ah. That? Fine. I'll be waiting. Come find me any time — I'll welcome you."
Still sinking, Kaftin braced both feet against Bizeth's shoulders while maintaining the grip on his throat.
The next moment — he pushed with his legs and tore Bizeth's head from his body while they were both still alive.
The cloud of blood drew the sharks in immediately — and he kicked the headless body toward them as if on cue.
"Well then. Time to go. I still need the Night Fist Lord's head."
He swatted the surging sharks away with his tentacles, and openings across his body — hidden in his limbs and elsewhere — split apart.
"...Blue Jet—!"
Water gathered through the gills was expelled at high pressure from the openings, and Kaftin rocketed upward at speed.
He burst through the surface in an explosion of spray, and the ship moving ahead of him came into view.
He twisted his body and rolled onto the deck, landing — and the gunners across the deck swung their cannons toward him in unison.
"Wh-who is that?!"
"That doesn't look like Lord Bizeth—?!"
Kaftin slowly straightened up and raised Bizeth's head high.
"Is this what you're looking for?"
"......!!"
"So then — what now? Are you going to keep shooting?"
Every face on deck went rigid.
That a Sword Master with decades of refinement behind his blade — Bizeth the Phantom Fang Lord — could have his head taken this simply.
It was obvious that resisting further would only end in something horrific.
"Wh-what is this—?!"
"What do we do? This wasn't in the plan—?!"
"Damn it—!"
At that moment, Maengseol walked out from where he had been watching to see if Kaftin had made it back.
"You lot — that's enough resistance. He is a ferocious man, like a starving predator — resist any further and you'll end up as ground meat thrown into the sea."
"Hey. Maengseol. Where's the Night Fist Lord's head?"
"......"
Kaftin's brow twitched as he spotted Gabelth huddled in the corner of the deck.
"Maengseol. Would you mind explaining why someone who should be dead is visible to me right now?"
"...He's my prey. I thought the handling was left to my judgment."
"Fair enough. You really are impossible sometimes. In that case, I'll just—"
He wriggled his tentacles and began moving toward Gabelth with a grin — and Maengseol quietly stepped forward and extended one foot to block the path.
"...What does this mean?"
"There has been enough killing. You have the Phantom Fang Lord's head—"
"Two more still missing. One of them is right there behind the foot you just put in front of me."
—To be continued—