Monster Island, the Fleet, and the Grotesque Raft
Monster Island, the ships, the grotesque raft. Taking those three points formed a perfect triangle, and right at its center, Karina's long-cast wide-area spell came crashing down. The coordinates had shifted because the ship rocked violently from an impact far fiercer than any cannonball... but after her Explosion went off, excuses like that didn't matter one bit.
It started simply. A crimson pillar of light shooting up through the clouds. The mana vortex swirling on the deck spun furiously for an instant, then twisted like a whip of blood and lightning, spewing light as it rocketed skyward. Then—flash.
A red glow beyond the clouds. In that moment, a massive vibration rumbled from somewhere in the heavens.
Thoom... thoom... thoom...
Like a god hiding behind sheep-white clouds playing a prank, an ominous tolling echoed across the entire sky.
Bubble... bubble... bubble...
The heavens began to boil. At the same time, red heat and blinding white flashes erupted randomly from bubbling patches of empty air. As if a deity had taken the sky for a canvas and scrawled with a crimson brush, the once-blue firmament cracked under white and red streaks.
From beyond the clouds that boiled and scattered—
BOOOOM━━━━━━━━!
A white sun poured down. From the boiling sky to the sea surface called the Dead Sea, incandescent orbs trailing long tails began plummeting one by one.
Sizzle—! Sizzzzzle——!
It wasn't white light or red. Pure incandescence. The spheres slammed into the sea, which started shimmering with heat haze, exploding into hemispherical blasts. It was over in a heartbeat. Sounds of boiling, twisting, shattering—like plunging into hellfire—filled the air for a split second.
Shhhhhh——!
The incandescent bodies embedded in the sea flashed, swallowing the noise in a deafening silence that spread across the waves. And then—
FLAAASH——!
An explosion on the scale of a natural disaster ignited.
At the same time, in the underground archives of a continental kingdom's library. In that lightless chamber reeking of dust and oxidized ink, a man flipping through books muttered.
"...It says a tremendous explosion must accompany it."
"That's it?"
"Yes. As for records on Ascension that Master Albareon seeks, this is the last mention in these documents, at least."
"Tch."
The white-bearded mage clicked his tongue in dissatisfaction at the reply. His name was Albareon, Karina's master who had headed east, one of the continent's great archmages. He was touring libraries across kingdoms in search of clues to Ascension.
"This one's tapped out too."
"The Empire doesn't officially recognize Ascension as a realm, after all. It's awkward to record it formally."
"It's a path with no theory or map to begin with."
"Indeed."
The archive keeper closed the ancient tome he'd opened, glancing at the great mage.
"But I believe Ascension exists."
"Why?"
"Someone as esteemed as you is personally scouring the continent for it. It must be real."
"Shallow reasoning."
"By the way, is it alright leaving the magic tower unattended for so long? I hear you have a disciple now."
"Ah."
Albareon smirked at the mention of Karina. No need to add that she'd left for the east on a mission. He was just curious about public opinion on his long-awaited protégé.
"You've heard?"
"Word gets around. They say Albareon of the tower, who never took a disciple, finally has a promising mage under him."
"'Promising'?"
"Ah, not quite?"
The keeper backpedaled at Albareon's scoff. Had he overstated? Mages tended to look down on outsiders anyway. But then—
"That's underselling her."
"Pardon?"
"Can you call my prized disciple—who turns into a natural disaster when she rampages—'promising'?"
He could only gape at what followed.
Seawater surged skyward, vaporizing in an instant. A bizarre mushroom cloud of unnatural hues spread to the horizon.
Shwoooo——!
The Hellenger fleet's mages slammed into roaring shockwaves and sprays from hundreds of meters away.
"Urghhhh!"
"Snap out of it—!"
"Aft crew! All hands on deck, start casting—!"
Facing the scorching gale with boiling spray, the magic swordsmen thought the same word: heavenly calamity. This was disaster incarnate. Tsunamis dwarfing any voyage, shockwaves and blast energy crashing in tandem, boiling droplets screaming through the sky—it defied reason.
"Everyone—focus on the barrier—!"
"Unfurl the sails—!"
"Squad 2, petrify that upper deck! Squad 3, entangle the center!"
"Brace for this shockwave or we'll get pushed back—!"
The adjutant barked orders, propping the creaking hull with magic to flee the insane blast.
"Get it together, you idiots!"
"Don't wanna die here!"
"Move! Faster!"
Dashing through the ship with urgent commands, he turned to Ivan Hellenger shaking someone at the deck's far end.
"Young master!"
"Hey, wake up! Karina!"
"We need to move!"
"We're fucked if we don't! Hurry! You trying to kill us all?!"
"Mmm..."
"Get up! Come on!"p>
The one Ivan—forgetting she'd passed out casting at his request—was shaking was the mage who'd unleashed that cataclysm: Karina.
"Hey! Karina! Get up already—!!"
"Uh... ah...?"
"Snap out of it!"
"Young master!!"
The adjutant bellowed at him.
"Please! Get your head in the game!!!"
Ivan's pathetic antics in the crisis grated endlessly. But—
Crack! Crraaack! CRRRACK—!
He had no time for that. For instance, the grotesque monster-thing that had single-handedly menaced their ship until moments ago...
.
.
.
......
Kreeek—!
The sharp tang of sea air stung my nose. Shwaa, splash—! Faint waves and gull cries in my ears. Warm sand against my skin. A gentle breeze settling over my body. And... and... the sweet fruity scent teasing my nostrils... snapped me awake.
"Cough!"
I hacked, slowly opening my eyes. My blurring vision first locked on my arms. Raising my torso, I checked my whole body—intact. Only then did I exhale.
"Haa... ahh..."
Survived... somehow. Even after that insane blast.
'What the fuck kind of spell was that...'
Even now, it made no sense—a rampaging apocalypse. Surviving bare-handed was a miracle. I was still dazed. The lightning power I'd ramped up in berserk mode had saved me. But I'd blacked out mid-escape because I popped it too early. If I'd held it to strike Ivan Hellenger's ship right before, I might've fled unscathed.
Self-reproach hit hard in this hellish world—alive, but vulnerably unconscious. I closed my eyes, grimacing, then shook my head with a sigh.
"Hoo."
...No point dwelling. I lived, so lesson learned: this cursed world crawls with monsters. Be cautious next time.
I brushed sand from my hair and stood.
'Body's fine, no injuries...'
Even if hurt, this monster physique would've healed it. Lucky. Next check: location.
'Where the hell am I?'
Unfamiliar beach. Palm trees everywhere, warm breeze, gulls wheeling overhead...
"Huh?"
Then—
"You're awake!"
Turning, I saw a woman dashing over with a basket full of stuff.
"Thank goodness!"
"Uh..."
"You okay? I thought to fetch a healer, but your breathing's steady, no wounds... Here, eat this!"
She thrust the basket forward. Overflowing with fruits. Picked fresh for me?
"No poison! Don't worry, hehe."
"..."
She beamed at my guarded stare.
'This body, and she's chill?'
Frankly, I looked more monster than man now. Her sunny offer of food without a hint of suspicion wasn't normal...
Grrrooowl!
My stomach roared.
"A-hem!"
"Hehe, I heard nothing~!"
Starving—gut to spine. Poison wouldn't faze this body anyway.
"Then... just one..."
I grabbed a ripe fruit and bit. Crunch! Juice flooded my mouth, sweet and fragrant.
"Mm!"
"Tasty, right? Have more!"
"Guh!"
I devoured fruits to fill the void.
Gulp! Gulp! Gulp!
She watched the basket empty with a proud smile, then spoke.
"Hehe, glad you're eating well."
"Guh! Guh!"
"Where you from? Shipwrecked? Where'd you live before?"
"Mm-mm!"
"Ah, sorry! Not interrupting! Hehe, finish up and tell me slow!"
No wrinkles of insincerity—she beamed again.
"Oh, I'm Nadia. Call me that once you're done."
"Pffft!"
I choked.
"Oh dear! You okay?"
"Na-Nadia?"
"Yes!"
"Las-last name?"
"Luminis!"
"Cough!"
I'd tangled with the one woman I absolutely shouldn't in this world.
Because—
"...Na-Nadia Luminis?!"
"Yep! Pretty name, right?"
"Cough!"
The original heroine of 'The Lady Monopolizes Attention', who attracts psycho monsters. I'd met her.