"Help...help me...uh..."
The man who abandoned his companion did not escape; a shrill scream came from the other end of the alley, and his death was probably not a pleasant one.
"How could this be... these guys don't have any magic!"
I don't know when it started, but I've gotten into the habit of subconsciously activating my magic eyes in these situations. Judging from their attack just now, there's no doubt that it was a magic-like attack.
But... they don't have any magic power at all.
It's important to understand that in this other world of swords and magic, magic power is like life force. Even swordsmen and fighters, once they reach a certain level of strength, will generate a certain amount of magic power, though it won't be as concentrated as that of mages.
But... the fish head and snake body showed no signs of movement.
"Hey! Kid! Can't you stand up by yourself?"
Jessica's voice came from the side, her wand gripped tightly in her hand, assuming an attack stance.
"……able"
In short, I am well aware that the situation is extremely critical, and I cannot afford to look dejected. Lilith and Katya are still waiting for me, and I must at least save them.
"A leaping spring, a rising stream, may the great water spirit hear my confession, protect my hand, descend upon this place, and let the shallow stream manifest itself! — Insurgent Water Ball!"
Jessica chanted a spell, and immediately azure magic rose around her wand, forming a trickle of water that quickly blasted dozens of water bullets toward the fish-headed snake.
I knew very well that this was an entry-level spell among high-level spells. Although it looked weak and powerless and not as awe-inspiring as a large fireball, its power was still considerable, hitting the fish head and snake body precisely.
"How could this be..."
"...How could that be?"
Faced with such a magical attack, the fish-headed snake was only pushed back two steps by the impact of the water bullet, and quickly regained its balance after staggering.
Jessica and I looked rather grim, especially Jessica, whose mouth was agape. Her previous composure vanished, and she gripped her wand helplessly.
Even if it's just high-level magic, even a Sword King wouldn't be able to escape unscathed from such a blow. Just what kind of monster is this...?
Just then, the gills of the fish-headed, snake-bodied creature suddenly began to flap at an extremely fast speed, as if a machine had received some kind of command; their movements were exceptionally synchronized.
"...This is bad."
Faced with such a sudden and bizarre sight, I recalled the tragic deaths of the rescue team members and immediately realized that this was a prelude to an attack.
"Hey! Jessica! Get down!"
Whoosh whoosh~
The moment I shouted it out, the gills of the fish-headed, snake-bodied creature suddenly throbbed, growing larger and larger, and ice spikes shot out from their mouths, hurtling towards Jessica and me.
"...Damn it!"
Jessica seemed not to have reacted yet, standing there with her wand in hand, lost in thought.
"First Layer: Rashomon"
The situation was critical. I didn't have time to think. I quickly gathered my magic power. The only defensive magic I could think of was Rashomon. As the magic power was injected, an earthen wall instantly rose up from the ground, blocking Jessica and me.
Bang bang boom~
But despite the attack from the fish-headed, snake-bodied creature, Rashomon was somehow pierced through, and its offensive showed no signs of slowing down, continuing to rush towards me and Jessica.
"Women are such a hassle!"
Although I don't know for sure whether Jessica and Seglade have a confirmed sexual relationship, I don't want to lose a younger brother or sister who might suddenly appear in the future, so I had no choice but to grab her waist and knock her to the ground.
At that crucial moment, icicles swept over our heads and embedded themselves deeply into the walls of the buildings along the street, creating a unique mosaic-like scene.
"Phew, that was close..."
"Hmm? What's this... soft?"
—Pinch it.
"Ugh... What are you doing! You brat!"
*Snap*
Yes, I had no idea that my hands were now inside Jessica's robe, and that her breasts, which were bound by a bra, were now in my palms.
The main reason for this was the height difference between Jessica and me. In desperation, I could only dodge the attack by falling down. However, the hands that were originally around her waist seemed to have a mind of their own and slipped into her robe as she went down.
Most importantly, before I even had a chance to explore (play with) what was in my palm, I felt a sharp pain on my face, as if I had been burned. I imagine that a palm print about the same size as Jessica's hand was also embedded on my face like a work of art.
"I'm...I'm sorry, I didn't mean to!"
That being said, the feel wasn't too bad either. My hands, which were only ten years old at the time, could just fit it. In short, it wouldn't exceed a B cup. According to adult logic, it would be considered flat-chested, but for me, it was just right.
"I never knew that a reliable and trustworthy man like the Commander could have a lecherous brat like you! You're disgusting!"
"But I just..."
"Hmph! You just want to use this opportunity to carry out your perverted ideas, don't you!"
"..."
Yes, I've been labeled with this inexplicable tag again. Once something is fixed in time, no amount of explanation will help. So I choose to remain silent and stop talking.
"Disgusting! Perverted! Shameless!"
"..."
She seems like a very gentle older sister, but she still manages to utter such awful words?
I didn't intend to pay much attention to it and turned to walk to the other side of the street. Perhaps, once she had vented enough, she would naturally feel sorry for her impulsive behavior, since I did cause this to happen in order to save her.
Whoosh whoosh~
However, the next moment...
A blur of motion swept past me...
When I came to my senses, I could no longer hear Jessica's foul Chinese, and all that remained was the wand that had slipped from my hand and fallen to the ground.
"..."
"Ugh... Ahhh..."
A familiar figure suddenly appeared among the ice spikes that were originally embedded in the wall. The person was suspended in mid-air, with an ice spike piercing through it and pinning it there, swaying precariously.
“Jessica…”
After seeing her face clearly, my pupils contracted sharply. I didn't want her to die. Although my words were harsh, they were truly unintentional.
In other words, how am I supposed to explain to my father that Jessica is in such a state of death?
"If it were you, you would have done even better!"
"If it were you... you would probably do even better..."
"If it were you..."
Seglade's words kept echoing in my ears...
"But I... I just can't do it..."
Yeah... I've always been that kind of person who can't grasp anything, I always have... and I still do...
It cannot be changed... and it simply cannot be changed...
High in the distant sky, an ethereal tremor resounded throughout the clouds. The azure mist poured over "Port Luca" like an ink painting, gradually engulfing the town and me.
In this world filled with pervasive fog, a fish shadow with a swaying, enormous body suddenly appeared in sight.
It has two tails, a single horn on its head, sharp teeth that are several meters long, and terrifying spines that extend to its tail. Its entire body is covered with blood-red scales that constantly emit a piercing sound like scratching glass.
That was the beluga whale, the monster that appeared in the "tide" and brought endless fear to people.
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