Episode 50 - Crimson Tide 3



The one who blocked him from finishing off the second fighter was Tide herself.
"Move."
He had a policy against laying hands on women — so he scowled and told her to get out of the way.
But she shook her head.
"Absolutely not. Don't you touch any more of my crew!"
"...So you're saying you'll take it in their place. How admirable."
Biting her lower lip —
"Every person here has a family waiting for them! If I don't bring them home safely, I've failed as a captain!"
"And yet here you are, running a pirate operation..."
The mockery in Kaftin's voice made her click her tongue and shake her head.
"It's not like we do this because we want to! The damn Maritime Kingdom charges such brutal trade tariffs that there's nothing left for the crew's wages — that's how we ended up here!"
"That's none of my concern. Now that you've said your piece — move. I still—"
"No! You picked a fight with me. I'll take responsibility and settle it — so leave the others alone!"
She spread her arms wider and stood firm, and Kaftin ground his teeth as his displeasure became visible.
These people needed to die regardless. They had seen him here — that alone was enough. Every last one of them had to be dealt with.
"Whatever you do, these people are all going to die."
"Why?! The only one who did anything wrong was me! And I'm the captain — I'm apologizing in person, right here—"
"My creed is the perfect crime. And for that, there can be no witnesses. These people have already seen me here with their own eyes. I can't leave them alive."
She went pale as he cracked his knuckles and said it without a flicker of hesitation — planning to kill every witness as casually as discussing the weather.
She hadn't thought someone could actually follow through on something like this.
Pirates with this sort of disposition weren't unheard of — but at minimum they would attack and dump people overboard. They didn't stuff crumpled iron into the stomach of someone dying on the deck.
"W-wait — but then why did he do something that horrific to that one? If all you need is to eliminate witnesses—"
"Since I'm killing them anyway, I may as well enjoy it. A more creative and entertaining kill — more blood, more viscera, more screaming. The occasional begging for life, or a desperate wail. In short — it's a hobby."
"......!"
She was done for.
The kind of person that showed up only in old stories — the kind who simply enjoyed killing and had lost their mind to it.
"Now — move. If you don't, the ones behind you just suffer more."
"Never."
"...You think I can't move you?"
"Ngh—!"
She needed something. Something that would give him pause.
Desperately working through it — she finally lowered herself, eyes stinging with unshed tears.
"......"
In that moment, as Kaftin moved to step around her, she grabbed his ankle — and slowly began bringing her lips toward the top of his foot.
"...What do you think you're doing? You're in the way. Move."
"...What does it look like? I'm kissing your foot. Submitting to you."
"......!"
Kaftin's eyebrow twitched — he clearly hadn't expected her to go this far — and he immediately shook her hand off and stepped back.
"A captain, debasing herself like that. For the sake of mere crew. Pathetic."
"Say whatever you want. It's a vow I made when I set sail. Even if all we do is piracy — I bring every one of my crew back without so much as a scratch if I can help it. For that, I'll do whatever it takes—!"
She was trembling, her voice cracking as she spoke — and Kaftin silently pointed to the body of the fighter he had just killed.
"Congratulations. Your vow just broke. Which means there's no longer any reason to honor it. Move."
"No. It's not over yet — there are still this many left — I won't give up!"
"......"
Maengseol, who had been meditating, had apparently been watching from the other ship — he snapped his fingers to catch Kaftin's attention.
"Kaftin."
"...Don't talk to me. I'm busy."
"I have a suggestion. Would you hear it?"
"I said be quiet."
"...Ngh..."
He clearly wasn't going to listen in his current state. But leaving this as it was would certainly end in catastrophe — so Maengseol leapt across to Tide's deck as well.
"Alright. I'm not going to stop you. I just want a moment to speak with the woman captain."
"...Take her. I'll have a pleasant little session with the crew here in the meantime."
"Ah. That's what I'm asking you to wait on."
He blocked Kaftin's movement with one thick forearm, then gestured with his eyes for the crew to retreat into the cabin.
The crew fled in tears. He talked Kaftin down again — just barely — and steered Tide to the cabin door.
"Kaftin. Why don't you head back to the other ship for now?"
"...You want me to deal with the Night Fist Lord?"
"No. Absolutely not. You agreed to leave him to me."
"Tch—!"
Kaftin kicked the corpse of the fighter he had just killed as a parting expression of frustration and grudgingly crossed back to the original ship.
He had bought some time — but in that state, Kaftin was going to blow sooner rather than later.
"Listen carefully. Your name—"
"C-Crimson Tide. That's what people call me."
"Good. Tide. I'll explain this once, so pay close attention."
"......?"
"There is a way for you and every one of your crew to survive."
"......!"
She had been on edge because of the imposing demi-human's appearance — but the unexpected offer of a path to survival made her eyes sharpen.
"H-how?! What do we do?!"
"Shh. First — dropping weapons and lying flat was the right call. Unfortunately the timing was off."
"......?"
"He's been switched into a state of madness from the fight with the Gang Lords. He won't stop until he's killed every witness — or until his mood runs its course."
"......!"
She had expected as much — but having it confirmed still made her body shake.
If he was strong enough to kill one of the Gang Lords — how powerful did that make him? And someone that powerful had thrown away his humanity and made slaughter his pastime?
What kind of disaster was this?
"...But there are two factors in your favor."
"...In my favor?"
"Yes. First — the fact that you're a woman. For some reason he avoids using violence against women and children."
"Then why did he—"
"...Because you came at him with a weapon."
"......!"
It came back to her — she had clearly been capable of being killed, and yet he had done nothing but ignore her or tell her to get out of the way.
His actual response to her had only started when she leveled the pistol.
She flinched, realizing how stupid she had been, and let out a breath.
"Second. Kaftin — my boss — may be out of his mind, but he's not without reason."
"......?!"
"Surprising? He's quite sharp, despite appearances. I'll stake my word on it. Which means—"
Maengseol murmured something to her, then returned to Kaftin.
"Alright. That's settled. Go take care of your business."
"...Hm. You've pulled something again."
"It's for the boss's benefit. I can promise it's not a bad deal."
"I want blood. Come to think of it — where did Barnacle go? The one I half-finished earlier?"
He suddenly noticed the half-dead Barnacle from earlier was nowhere to be seen.
He'd broken both his knees — running away should have been impossible.
"Maengseol. Was that you?"
"...No. I'd forgotten about him too. Should we look?"
"...Find him. I'll finish things over there and come back."
Kaftin jumped back onto Tide's deck.
He walked slowly toward the cabin door — and found Tide waiting there, kneeling.
"I can more or less guess what Maengseol told you..."
"......!"
"I'm not planning to move into the sea yet. You're of no use to me."
He was already ahead of her, cutting her off before she could say it.
Cold sweat ran down her back. He'd actually predicted what she was going to propose.
"P-please — if you could just consider—"
"Which is why I said — of no use to me."
"Ngh—!"
She needed something else. Something with enough value to give him pause.
"If you still insist on blocking me — fine. Stay there. It's slightly inconvenient, but I can just tear up the deck and go in from below."
"......!"
He seemed genuine about it — looking the deck over and raising his foot to stamp down — and she lunged in without thinking, throwing herself against his chest.
"Hey. What is—!"
"Stop! Not that — please—!"
"Get off me! Right now—!"
The unexpected flustered reaction from him — she held on for dear life.
If she could keep this up, at least he couldn't tear the deck apart and go below.
"Get off! Damn it—!"
"No! I'm not letting go! Just kill me and be done with it!"
"You—?!"
A weakness in Kaftin that had never been shown before was making itself known.
Doing things himself — no issue. But sudden physical contact from the opposite sex — he was completely undone by it.
"Fine! Fine, I said! Fine — just get off me first!"
"No!"
"Oh for — I said fine! I won't touch the crew! Honestly, dragging this out to the bitter end—!"
Only after she had extracted a firm confirmation that there would be no more killing did she finally step back, awkward and flushed.
And then she saw it — the faint red creeping up Kaftin's face.
She was certain.
This man is a virgin.
"Your face is... kind of red."
"...Don't say another word. I'm still perfectly capable of throwing you into the sea."
"......"
"Damn it, this is a mess... killing the Night Fist Lord to settle my nerves — no, I suppose that's not an option."
He muttered about murder as though it were casual stress relief, then shook his head and let out a long sigh.
"Fine... fine. This turned out differently than expected — but I'll take you and your crew under my organization. The Brash Brigade."
"Hm...?"
"Two conditions, though."
"......?!"
He held up two fingers, and the unsettling smile was already back.
"First — the crew member I just killed is to be listed as lost at sea in an accident."
"What—?!"
Even so — to just write off a valued crew member as missing—
She started to protest, and he raised his index finger and pressed it lightly against her lips, cutting her off.
"Are you planning to show that body to their family and say — 'my new insane superior did this?'"
"Ngh—!"
"Dump the body at sea. Give your crew a silence order. Think of it as the kind of senseless cruelty the sea sometimes deals."
"......"
She couldn't bring herself to accept it — but he wasn't wrong.
Barnacle had warned her about whose head Kaftin was holding, and she had walked in anyway. However she explained it, there was no avoiding the family's grief and anger.
"If you really insist on telling the truth — there's only one course of action left to me."
"......"
"The possibility exists that the family might come after me for revenge. Which means they'd all have to die too."
"......!"
"As I said — the perfect crime. Eliminating witnesses and anyone connected to them is part of that."
"Ngh... f-fine. I'll... give the order. Silence..."
She agreed through trembling lips and clenched teeth — and Kaftin's brow furrowed slightly at the sight.
His own policy had demanded this — but it was clearly a difficult thing to accept.
"And the second condition..."
"......?"
—To be continued—