VS Hornigold

The chilling sensation of cold seawater flooding her entire face. Thanks to the underwater breathing spell, she didn't feel suffocated. The mysterious rope binding her hands—Hornigold had called it Hecate's Rope. Even rewinding time didn't shake it off, and no matter how much strength she poured into it, it refused to snap. But with both hands gripping Mortis's head, she couldn't use them anyway. She flailed her legs desperately, but the heavy, sodden dress weighed her down, pulling her deeper instead of letting her swim. It was absolutely not swim-friendly attire.

At the same moment, Hornigold kicked the sea like a cannonball, diving underwater. His downward plunge carried devastating acceleration as his kick smashed into her head. Her neck whipped around with rubber-like flexibility, and Invisible Touch seized the Bopal Weapon, launching it toward him. Though her hands floated free, enabling anatomically impossible sword paths, he deflected it effortlessly, toying with it like a broken cutlass. The hook's prongs snapped open with a clank, blasting compressed air. Thorns sprouted from the perforated barbs. She tried to leap off a magic circle for footing, but Hornigold wrapped the rope's end around one arm, anchoring it to his body, yanking her toward him and thrusting the hook into her waist.

Blood erupted—and sharks swarmed from all sides. Dodging the frenzied biters, she poured everything into soaring ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠above the surface.

No sooner had she taken flight than a shark lunged, clamping onto one leg. The taut rope shuddered ominously, transmitting vibrations from the depths up her arm. Like a hooked monster, her body twisted wildly in midair. Summoning a magic circle to anchor her leg, she gritted her teeth against the strain.

"No! Get free somehow—quick!!"

Mortis's frantic cry. Shadows ballooned beneath the surface. Hornigold exhaled underwater for propulsion, soaring like a flying fish, his leg spearing her abdomen like a marlin's bill. The twisting knee-and-ankle grind pulverized her gut; the anchored circle shattered, flinging her body backward. The Bopal Weapon ambushed from behind, targeting his charging head for a headbutt, but his tail-slap parried it skyward. His ramming forehead crashed into her skull, and stars wheeled across the blue sky.

Then the stars stretched into lines, vision warping into a linear world as crushing gravity bore down. Her body plummeted toward the slaves' ramshackle shantytown in the ruins.

Hornigold plummeted diagonally, skating across the sea surface on his legs like an ice skater. She smashed through like a wrecking ball on a crane, demolishing shacks, pulping fleeing nobles, limbless dangling elves, and crippled pirates who'd defied him at sea—reduced to bloody pulp—before cratering into the mithril wall.

"Kuhuk—"

Endless alarms of [Disaster Approaches] blared without respite. Cursing the damned constellation inwardly, she anchored her legs to the mithril wall and yanked the rope with all her might.

If I can't use my hands, what can I do? The answer was "nothing." Her distant eye fired Eye of the Watcher, but Hornigold flipped away effortlessly. The searing beam chased his head in a straight line, but he air-dashed along the rope, evading with aerial maneuvers. Worse, the rope showed no scorch marks from the heat ray.

Available skills: [Wall-Climbing], [Magic Circle Summon], [Chain Devil Summon], [Metal Skin], [Recycle]. With Mortis's head in her grasp, even if sturdy, no guarantee she wouldn't hurt her.

"Block with me—now!!"

At Mortis's desperate warning, she looked up. Hornigold spread his arms wide. Like a butterfly alighting on water, his toes touched down gracefully, ripples spreading as seawater crowned him in a surging halo. Seven overlapping sounds rang out, followed by the plunging kick. She raised Mortis's head to block, but it squished flat like a crushed pizza between her skull and the mithril wall. Cracks spiderwebbed the inner mithril. But this was merely his "setup stance"—just landing.

The real power: seven accelerating kicks layered in rotation. He leaped, arcing back with spin, whipping the "attack" toward her in a massive upward strike.

Clouds pierced, kingdom shrinking to a dot as she rocketed skyward. Without her rubber body, she'd be dead ten times over. Even at max impact resistance, agony wracked her; screams escaped unbidden. Clear Mind kept her conscious, awakening her repeatedly, but bound arms meant no path to victory. And that endless magical rope to the sea below tautened, dragging her down.

"Radamu!"

—I can do this. Now it was a battle of grit. Until the 90-year-old, senescent man tired. If not, fight disadvantaged.

Trusting High Selena Levitfoot leg strength, she crouched, powering her thighs. Muscles ballooning twice her waist's girth exploded downward, kicking the Bopal Weapon's flat held by Invisible Touch, gravity accelerating her meteor-like toward the ground. Not stopping: Invisible Touch's ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠2m range auto-tracked her. Crouching again, she kicked the blade pre-impact, boosting speed, hurtling at Hornigold. Flipping midair in a crescent arc, the plunging kick hammered down.

A moon rabbit's heel from the heavens, trailing light. Impact roiled the sea, waves crashing kingdom-high. Water walls imprisoned the two men, taller than the realm—a miraculous sight. But Radamu's super-accelerated plunge halted on Hecate's Rope, hooked around her instep by hook and arm.

The rope whined and trembled. Astonished she'd blocked it, but Hornigold flipped, his kick slamming her chest. Yanking the rope like a ping-pong paddle on a string, he unleashed storm-like combos without mercy.

"Your weakness is obvious! Even an idiot would see your hands are your power source! Seal 'em, and you're helpless—too weapon-reliant!! Use that rubber body for flexibility! Treat your flesh like a weapon! Brat!"

Scolding like a drill sergeant, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his pants ripped as greaves glowed golden with mana. That unnoticed strike from before activated—demonstrated slowly. Or perhaps adrenaline sharpened perception amid the frenzy. Swirling mana sucked in air, vacuuming the surroundings instantly. Pulled in, oxygen vanished, consciousness flickering—but pain forcibly awakened her brain. The ferocious mana vortex, typhoon-like, soared heavenward like the legendary dragon ascent.

Death. How he'd felled elves—this technique showed it. No way to block; no hope glimmered.

The ruthless sea monster's maw gaped. Invisible Touch drew Sea Triton from inventory, pouring all power into a counter-thrust plunge. Layered Small Polymorph and Costume Change LV.2. Bare-handed Triton overloaded flesh; this risked catastrophe. But no choice. No time to hesitate against a natural disaster. Magic circle anchored her feet; teeth gritted.

Flash—Triton clashed with Hornigold, light erupting. Mana and divinity collided in shockwaves, shredding her body, blood spraying.

Second explosion—Mithril wall shattered, island tilting to sink, clouds bursting. Amid the blast, Hornigold power-struggled bare-handed against Triton, slowly yielding. Limits hit; blood leaked from every facial orifice.

Seizing the gap, Mortis whipped her head wildly. Aiding her finisher, as he closed for the kill— he raised his arm, blocking. Mana depleted, his elbow-to-arm exploded in bone shards.

Simultaneously, unidentified fluid splashed her face. Hook pierced his chest, "something" shattering; liquid flowed from the breast-pocket hole. Wounds, fatigue, overload—all vanished.

───Her vision fully restored too.

"Too hasty, brat."

Rejuvenated instantly, his kick repelled Sea Triton, slamming her full-force. Body bowed like a bowstring; protective spells cracked. Even underwater breathing shattered in mana storm; sinking body couldn't breathe.

".....Inexperienced, kid."

Seawater drained through holes, exposing skull-strewn seabed. Water would refill soon, but Hornigold ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠atop hundreds of deaths awaited Radamu's unsubmerging descent.

Heart burst? She was strong—for her age, rapid growth potential. But skills felt borrowed, gaps unpatched. Skill mastery existed, but wounds invited curses dwarfing her own, driving death.

"You and I—both cursed fates."

Ironic: two men loving Circe, both cursed. His Crown of the Sea God curse self-devoured; wounds weakened him, disasters distracted. Advantageous, yet accumulating misfortune ballooned like butterfly wings birthing typhoons—overwhelming, until luck ran dry at the end.

The little witch's tale of Circe's wounds prompted the incomplete elixir in his pocket. Remembering, he shattered it over injuries. Truly, ill-fated....

Staggering, limping, he climbed shantytown stairs toward the impaled Sea Triton.

──That divine relic, wielding god-slaying storm-banishing power encircling Witches' Island. Like his crown, unworthy wielders cursed? Irrelevant.

Forgetting the loosening rope, entranced, he reached for Triton.

"Hornigold──!!!!"

A roar from behind. Turning: eyepatched Edward stared up harpoon-ready. No—he was dead. By her hand. Nightmare realized, but reversed perspective drew a hollow chuckle.

"Remember this well! I'm not that man who was your captain! My name's Bartholomew Kidd! The man who'll be Pirate King!!"

.......Time flies. Shining gems dull, value lost—futile, ephemeral.

──"I hate being called 'like that damned man,' Edward.""Pirates gotta be manly, right, Hornigold?"──

"Then come. Kill me like a man. That's piracy, ain't it?"

Bartholomew charged harpoon gripped; tail stiffened, coat flipping. Scales shot from trembling tip. As he swung lifelong cutlass—late realization: arm exploded by Mortis. Bitter smile.

"Missing an arm makes me look easy?"

Whipping hook-arm snatched harpoon shaft, twisting trajectory to steal it. That instant, ice magic sword impaled his gut. Stolen harpoon tore Bartholomew's eyepatch—revealing gruesome wound from prior fight. One-eyed face filled Hornigold's view.

Inevitable death loomed.

"Don't underestimate me──!! I'm the king of this sea!!!"

Roaring tail pierced Castella's belly, hurling him; gripped ice blade snapped, shoving into shoulder, severing remaining arm. Hornigold soccer-kicked him flying.

"Hahk... hahk..."

Head raised to searing sun, expelling breath.

"....Yeah, you've got grit.. Bartholomew Kidd..."

Bleeding, staggering, fading consciousness clinging, back to Triton. Regeneration mending, elixir seeping from pocket healed all but severed arms. Hornigold laughed at staggering Radamu ascending from sea.

Death-shadowed eyes fixed, he advanced.

"Beating the villain's what the princess-rescuing prince does. Come, let's end it."

No more words—Radamu charged, trampling skulls.

"This sea's vast, Radamu!!! Full of vile beasts!!!"

Hornigold leaped down at him.

"Can you protect Circe from all of 'em!!"

Simultaneous "timing"—ground-kick acceleration on "identical trajectory," raging mana clashed. Vortices repelled air, mana tug-of-war without contact.

Radamu yielded. Identical, but weaker. Armless Hornigold's mana blazed fiercer.

"Weak──!!"

Thud—boom kick snapped her leg wrongward, dangling.

But—a feint. Past zenith sun's light, her fist swung from behind. Rope freed—.

Hornigold didn't wonder how. Exploding spin-punch rocketed from overextended back.

Silver-metal fist met his twisting counter-leg. Searing heat gathered on hers.

"Sunspot Explosion──!!!"

Roaring clash symphony. [Hero Appears!] music blared; Radamu's strike overwhelmed, sun-like blaze incinerating all, devouring in wildfire.

Steam billowed from evaporating sea in inferno heat. Even skill-casting Radamu screamed enduring agony. Flames tore; burning Hornigold charged.

Hero's spirit crushing fate—one man's grit transcended. Invisible Touch gripped Bopal Weapon incoming—too slow; his head would pulverize hers first.

"ᚱᚨᛞᚨᛗᚢ!"

Unable to watch the desperate crux, a woman raced from sea—Mortis's head and loosened rope in hand, tearful face. Seeing it, Hornigold's kick braked midair.

──Then Bopal Weapon pierced his heart.

Gushing crimson. Staggering but un-kneeling, he backpedaled.

".....You win. No arms—balance is tough..."

Both arms lost, Bopal Weapon in chest. Standing on legs, overlooking prostrate, vomiting Radamu, Hornigold declared his victory. Circe rushed, checking him; Hornigold silently gazed down. Soon, she looked up too.

What words? Did she remember? He'd sought her 90 years, poured all to protect her from unknowns, even if she didn't know.

Circe said nothing, just sad eyes upward. They conveyed volumes unspoken. Remembering him, unable to side, knowing she'd wrecked his life—tearful expression.

Freely, seek happiness—like a bird over the seas.

Self-taught runes, her solitary kin-tongue, from his lips. Circe swallowed emotion, unable to reply. No need; hearing sufficed. Nothing mattered but her joy.

Waves' direction? Irrelevant. Selfish clinging to her unwanted. If happy, enough. Obsessive ghost. Living death.

Pirate King's end watched by many: his pirates, Shark admiral dragging Lemon Hyacinth, gut-clutching, vomiting Castella and Bartholomew. Half-century sea dominator's finale.

Gazing at watching Mortis... he smiled.

Only smiles possible. Captain's habit infected.

".....Mind the cold, sis."

"....Hornigold."

With satisfied smile, Pirate King knelt.

Half-century foe to all, guarding kingdom, loving unrecognized woman—he ended under blue sky, bright sun.