Published: August 10, 2026
As far as the eye could see, the vast ocean glittered under the bright sun.
The clear blue sky was free of even a single cloud, and on the ship's deck, the sails caught the sea breeze and stood proudly.
Looking toward the stern, whitecaps spread out like the veil worn by the mermaid figurehead at the bow.
The pirate ship sailed along triumphantly. On its deck, Lizel and the others fixed their gaze on the labyrinth boss: a giant squid monster that had swallowed several wrecked ships and turned into a twisted abomination.
"Oh, this is it, right!? There's the spear! The spear!"
"What are you gonna do with it?"
"Maybe put it here, align the base with this root and...... huh?"
"What's wrong?"
"The aim only moves up and down...... is that the default?"
In front of that grotesque monster, the three of them exchanged one idea after another.
Before them was one of the deck's ballistae, one that they had noticed when they first explored the ship. This vessel had a magnificent mast like any ordinary large sailing ship, countless ropes strung across it, a decorative helm, and weapons for dealing with monsters.
The centerpiece of those anti-monster weapons was the gigantic crossbow the three of them were trying to use, clumsily, by feel. Of course they had cut and shot at it before, but the overwhelming difference in mass and range was something they simply couldn't overcome.
"Don't the leader know anything about this stuff?"
"The ballista I know is the magic-stone pulverizing type."
"Ah, so this one's too old?"
"Hey, don't just come back by yourself. Bring the spear."
At that moment, a tentacle from the boss swept across the deck.
The three of them crouched in unison and dodged it. The tentacle struck the mast, and the ship rocked violently.
"So, the aim isaa—well, it's fine, right? If we just shoot kinda randomly, we'll probably hit something."
"Y-yes. As long as we pay attention to the timing, I think it'll work."
Lizel clung to the giant ballista, using it to steady his body so he wouldn't roll over, and looked at the boss.
The pirate ship was moving on its own, slowly circling around the boss. They had confirmed during the exploration that there was a helm, but no matter how randomly they spun it, the course did not change even a little.
Should they consider it better than being steered by amateurs and drifting away from the boss? Fortunately, the boss was actively closing in on them, so it wasn't as though they were completely helpless. Even so, the difference in reach between the boss and them was so great that the battle had become a one-sided affair.
That was why the three of them were trying to rely on this ballista.
"This good enough?"
"Yes. Then align the base with the string here."
"Damn, this is hard. I can't pull a thing this stiff."
"No, I think you're supposed to turn this pulley to draw back the string, but there's no fastening to hook it onto."
"Eh? Then we gotta find one...... guess we should just have Big Brother pull it."
The metal spear was huge and rugged, and its tip reflected the sunlight.
A weapon like that was meant to be launched, so the string had to be pulled taut far beyond what human strength could manage. Naturally, there was a pulley for drawing it back. So there should have been a fastening connecting the string to it.
But they couldn't find one anywhere. They couldn't even guess where it had been stored.
"It's a maintenance failure. And I thought this captain was a proper one."
"Even so, he's a pirate."
"Don't get mad."
"I'm not mad."
Gill pressed down on Lizel's head as Lizel muttered his complaints about the captain they had just met.
The very next second, a huge leg thrust out from the boss and swept over their heads. Its thick limb cast a shadow, and seawater dripped from it onto their hair and cheeks. It was cold, and the scent of salt became stronger. At least it didn't smell fishy.
"Gill, can you pull it?"
"Ah......"
Gill muttered as if thinking it over, then took hold of the taut string.
He pressed one hand against the base and pulled back his elbow, resisting the tremendous tension. The massive ballista, with its exposed wood grain befitting a weapon, groaned and bent under the strain. The taut string was so tense that if something went wrong, it wouldn't have been strange for someone's fingers to get torn off.