Kuro no Maou

The 23rd of the month of frozen earth. Clear.

From the port of Rockwell sails the Great Atlas III, a giant freighter that overwhelms the others. It's not a steamship, so it doesn't raise a big whistle, but it's like a change, Jahn! Jahn! and even the famous warlord was ringing the sound of a brave drag that seemed to appear.

Why do you ring the drag? I don't know, big ships always have them on board, and you think it's a habit to ring this up when you're in and out of the port? Is it a replacement for the whistle?

Anyway, with huge amounts of cargo and us on board, the ship safely proceeded to the desert sea.

"Running on the sand is amazing, but don't get anxious because you feel like you're about to stop on your way"

It's hard to be touching that a giant hull cuts the wind and goes through the desert, but I get that anxiety when I think I'm really on the ground.

"Unless the quicksand stops, isn't that possible?

"Well, yeah,"

"They say the quicksand stops here is just as unlikely as the waves of the sea stop."

From those who have lived in this Atlas Great Desert, the flow of sand is so much a part of nature that it moves the ship. Since far back in ancient times, when Mia was active, quicksand should continue to flow without ever stopping.

"That's the most incredible sight I've ever seen."

"Ha, with all this sand flow, I think it would be nice to float"

It was Fiona who said that there were no romance shards either.

"It's a week till we get over there."

"By the time we get to Carla Mara, the moon will be changing."

Depending on the speed of the quicksand, the road takes about a week between Rockevel Carlamara. Now if I were a luxury passenger ship, I'd feel relaxed cruising, but this ship is only a freighter. If you've been on the boat for a week, you'll be bored sometimes.

In that case, even if you sit back and develop black magic... that's only a story after you have no time.

"All right, then, let's do an expedition!

"Wow, I'll explore!

A giant freighter just boarded. For starters, I'd like to explore every corner until I get to my heart, but I guess I'm a man.

And most importantly, we're real adventurers. An adventurer is an adventurer. I'm not playing with you!

"I'm back in my room. I can't help but look at the sandy scenery."

"Master, I will gather information on board, just in case."

"Okay. Then we'll all get together at lunch."

"Chrono, come on!

"Oh, wait, Lily!

Chasing Lily, who runs out of the deck with a lot of momentum while cackling, my heart was totally a boy.

And it is yet another story that discovers the compartment where slaves sold to Carla Mara in the middle of an exploration, leaving her feeling blue.

More than half that way, the sailing journey continues in tourist temperament.

This ship is also a freighter, but there were quite a few passengers just like us. The huge three-storey warehouse compartment is a warehouse for cargo and has a cabin that can accommodate a large number of passengers, including passengers, on the deck.

Since it is not a passenger ship, the cabin is as elegant as the Adventurer Guild Inn Room, but it is not so cramped with the shame of a giant hull. Speaking of my experience aboard ships in this world, twice when I came across the Pandora continent and twice when I crossed to Serene on my way home from the Manticore crusade with Lily to Partier.

The former was hidden in an apple box in the corner of the warehouse, so it's not helpful, but the cabin was about half of this when it crossed from the port city of Ousia to Serene. Compared to normal, I think it is a cabin that is nearly twice the size.

Most importantly, it's one room for all the members, so I end up feeling cramped because of the number of people.

I'd rather have a big room, or I'd be restless if I wasn't alone, but I'm perfectly fine because I'm not so much of a kid as I say wagamama like that now. Except when the women are about to change their clothes.

Hey, how come this scene where a girl is dressed feels weird at the same time as it's exciting? I'm in a good position to look at it in grandeur, but it's a repetition of the flirtatious look at it while it's still out of sight.

Anyway, that's about it when it comes to concerns me, and later I didn't have any particular problems.

It's not a bad meal, and if you have to, Saliel can handle it. There are a lot of crew and passengers, but it doesn't look like the passengers on this boat are quite the best or rubbing. We seem to have a few other adventurer passengers, but they seem to be all veterans of Rank 3 and above, and when they become as powerful as that on the boulder, they follow their distinction when traveling.

Basically, sloppy and chimpy bad adventurers are like local dullness. At the time of the style of traveling up the ranks, you will also have the corresponding strength. And if you have that much experience, you don't bother to cause trouble yourself.

As such, we arrive safely at Carlamara without anything - thought to be the 30th of the month of frozen earth. It is just before dawn.

We woke up before waking time, feeling the sound and tremor gradually intensify.

"What, this sound? And don't shake it a little."

"Master, apparently we're in a sandstorm"

Sariel, who had been awake earlier or had already finished getting herself together, told me.

"Are you all right?

"Some sandstorms happen all year round, regardless of the heavy storm season. There's no obstacle to the ship's navigation."

"That would be nice, but you're a little loud to go back to sleep"

I had no choice but to get up again, and I went through the bunk and changed my clothes, and Lily asked Fiona to fix her sleeping habits, and when she started to support each of them,

Jahn!

And, since I heard it during sailing, the sound of the drag echoes.

"Now what?"

Big Dora is slapped so full of power that she wonders if even Kanye has come out. It's loud enough to be heard anywhere on the ship.

That should mean a signal to let you know what's going on.

"Apparently, I ran into a dangerous monster"

"Well, I wonder if we'll make it."

"For the most part, it can only be handled by the ship's crew. But just in case, I was wondering if we should be ready to fight."

"Oh, let's do that"

At a time like this, there are mostly bad monsters out there... from the rule of thumb, we decided to gear ourselves up and see how it goes up to the deck.

"Prepare the junction plane. Hurry! Hey, plane three is slow, what are you doing!!

"Sunmasen! Almost there - it's done!

"General sailors, back off! Come on, or they'll grab you from the sky!

Captain, all armed sailors have been placed.

"All right, I'll intercept. Get here!

The deck had already been rushed around by hastily armed sailors. And we also see other vigilant adventurers.

Fighting hasn't started yet, but on the other side of the sandstorm that hides your sight, you can clearly sense the signs of countless monsters.

Apparently, quite a few herds, and the opponent is a flying guy.

"No way, the octopus won't come down."

If you accidentally crush such a soliloquy,

Khowaaaaaaaaaa!

and a brown bird appeared disputed by the sandstorm as a tall strange chirp.

Good, the opponent is not Gratney Octo, but with a normal flying mons.

"Rank 1 Monster 'Sandbat'. It's a common monster in the Great Desert."

It's not a bird with feathers and couches, it's a bat-shaped monster with wings and fangs. I'm not satisfied with just breathing blood, it's normal carnivorous, and people on ships going in the middle of the desert are prey to outfits for them.

Hungry sandbats will be happy to fly if caught by the smell and ultrasound detection. That's even in the midst of this sandstorm.

"Yikes! You're already on board, Olah!!

An armed sailor who also fights monsters flashed a sandbat in front of us with a cutlass in his hand. A sandbat with a sandy hard epidermis, but the Cutlass blade had just torn around the joint and was finished with a single blow. It's a move that you're used to.

The brown-skinned sailor, who burned in the day, glanced at us and immediately realized he was an adventurer, leaving without warning, complaining or saying anything.

"Something's going to be okay with me leaving it to you."

"No, I can't say enough"

Sariel rebutted, just at that time, when the sailors shouted loudly at each other.

"Wind dust junction, activate!

I felt a good amount of magic running through the deck floor. Looks like the device that activates the junction on board the ship is starting to activate.

The effect of that junction is the thing of preventing the blowing wind and sand.

The activated 'wind and dust junction' is basically a range defensive magic of the wind attribute. Use strong winds to dome the surgeon to the starting point, divert flying arrows, scatter toxic gases, and so on.

Now the wind junction prevents this raging sandstorm itself.

The wind and dust junction was acting on a wide area with a radius of several hundred metres, including the Greater Atlas III, within which only the sandstorm cleared and the sight returned.

"Oh, quite a few of them are flying"

And just around the border of the junction, countless sandbats were clearly seen winged. I knew just the signs, but when I was forced to show that number, the feeling of crisis also increased.

For one thing, before the strong wind swirls around the junction, it doesn't seem to fall into an avalanche at once without trying to break through forcefully, but I don't know how long that glue will last.

"No, it's not a bunch of sandbats you should be wary of"

"Hey, Chrono, wow, the big one's over there."

Lily fingers across the sandstorm, stretching her back, blocking her raging vision. Ahead, a silhouette like a big mountain felt like it moved...

"Hey, what's that? No way."

"Aren't you the 'Fortress White Whale (Dreadnote)'?

In my place, Fiona raised her voice.

That, a Rank 5 monster whale out in the desert, was that the name?

"What's" Fortress White Whale (Dreadnote) "?

"It's literally a monster of white whales, the size and power of a fortress"

Of course, the hazard level is Rank 5. To crusade in a head-on battle is nothing more than leading a fleet and challenging, boasting one of the greatest forces at sea.

It seems that such 'Fortress White Whale (Dreadnote)' material is also used in Fiona's 'Walpurgis'.

"Dear Fiona, that's not Fortress White Whale (Dreadnote), but a very similar separate species that lives in the Atlas Great Desert, Castle Fortress Sand Whale (Fortress Grahl)."

"Ha, really?"

"Yes, it's just rank five and the same level of danger."

"Either a fortress or a castle fortress, but aren't those whales gonna suck anyway!

I just want to think it's my fault, but a huge shadow that looks blurry across the sandstorm is slowly approaching the ship.

"Aren't you okay? If you're going through the waters where it lives, you'll have the equipment to handle it properly."

Well, certainly, even if you can't crusade, there should be as much way to avoid dangerous supermassive monsters in that direction as to chase them away or something. Besides, it's such a huge ship, so it should be well equipped around there.

"Hey, you're fucked, Grahl's getting closer and closer!

"Such an idiot, even though it's not a wack I inspired from here"

"No way, isn't this ship too big and alert!?

And so on, I pinch the stories of the panicked armed sailors in my ears, and I have a super bad feeling rushing through.

"'Castle Fortress Sand Whale (Fortress Grahl)' is basically a warm monster, and what you should be wary of is the massive sandbats that are nesting on its back. So desert ships can handle sandbat herds and even other medium-sized monsters."

'Cause, Fiona.

"Mr. Krono, it's not if you're running away from reality, like other HRs."

Yeah, I know. I just wanted some time to make up my mind.

It is obvious that the 'Castle Fortress Sand Whale (Fortress Grahl)' is approaching for this one anyway as to whether the enormity of the Greater Atlas III has become a vendetta, or whether it happens to be another cause, such as the poor dwelling of insects.

"I don't want to wreck a boulder in the middle of the desert... let's concentrate our firepower and get rid of the whales"

"That's all you have. With half-way power, you should do everything you can to make them angry."

Because that big fat ass has to have just the impact of making you think, "Oh, this sucks." Indeed Fiona is right. Never, I guess I just want to let go of 'Walpurgis' in full bloom.

Well, let's do it.

Get in the mood and head to the side where the whales are slowly approaching.

Along the way, a sandbat finally begins to emerge that forcefully breaks through the wind's boundaries, with me and Saliel duly scattered with gunfire. It's just that the numbers are numbered, and the armed sailors feel like they're full of bat opponents.

I can't see any effective response to the unexpected whale proximity. After all, we're gonna have to do something about this place.

I thought it was a peaceful sailing trip, but all of a sudden I was under pressure.

"If you look close, you're seriously big"

"Not as good as Gratney Octo"

'Cause he's got tentacle lengths too.

The whale is approaching near the boundary of the 'wind and dust junction', and gradually its giant is revealed.

The full length is not as good as Gratney Octo, but a giant square-headed silhouette like a McCowwwwwhale literally floats like a rocky mountain. Look, a kilo from head to tail tip would be beyond spare.

Alongside him, no matter how huge the freighter, it seems unreliable. One shot of tackle or so, and that's all you can wreck.

On the back side, a dark gray white crust forms a rocky mountain, where a swarm of sandbats appears to be nesting. Like a safe zone where the enemy won't attack you, an island that moves through the desert sea? What do you do when you dive...

But how much damage can be expected even if an attack is made on the outer shell portion of the whale, which boasts so much thickness than the earliest monster crust, but also with the natural terrain.

Aim for steep points such as eyes? Or would a whale feel the crisis just as well if they could hit the crust and strip this off? Even if the battle continues as it is, if the crust is shredded, we can go for it as a weekpoint.

"I'm going to aim around the base of the fin. What do you say?"

While charging for black magic, ask members about The Grid, which has already been converted to Thunder Cannon Form (Blaster Gill).

"I don't know, it's easy to aim for."

Lily responds with "Meteor Striker" and "Star Destroyer" in her hand, completing her transformation into a girl figure.

"The crust is also slightly thin, so if you concentrate your firepower, you'll be able to peel it in one go"

Fiona with "Walpurgis" seems to have the same idea as I do.

Copy that, Master.

And Saliel, affirming as usual, sits quietly with the 'Rebellion Cross' in his hand.

"We're going for the moment the whale crosses the Wind and Dust Junction."

Easily set the steps, then set up each weapon and wait for then.

moment by moment, "The Castle Fortress Whale (Fortress Grahl)" finally enters the junction as he leans over to the ship -

Guuuuuuuuuuuuu!

The whale's proximity stops perfectly with such a huge roar that it rocks the earth.

It was just when I put my finger on the trigger for The Grid.

No way, did you read this sign of killing or magic and be vigilant? A whale, a monster without words, can't even answer...... slowly, but rapidly away from the ship, drawing huge amounts of quicksand.

"Hey, look! Grahl's moving away!

"Yay, thanks..."

"Okay, now it's just bats later!

Obviously, "I watch 'Castle Fortress Sand Whale (Fortress Grahl)' leave, and on the deck I'm surrounded by triumphant cheers.

I guess you can't leave a whale that is a nest. Sandbats also softly summon Gaagaa, but one after the other, they leave the ship and fly away to chase the whales.

Thus, Mirumi said, "'The Castle Fortress Sand Whale (Fortress Grahl)' disappeared to the other side of the dust, and finally one more thing, with a loud roar, its appearance was completely invisible.

"... what kind of whim is that?"

"I'm glad it's easier."

"Yeah, because as far as I'm concerned, I don't want to fight a rank five whale. I've never crossed the line to avoid battle."

Being a dangerous opponent didn't make a difference. I really appreciate you leaving from the other side.

It's a good place to take a breather... but I didn't really have a good feeling about it.

"Master, it looks like the sandstorm is clear"

If you noticed, the dust curtain covering your sight had completely disappeared and there was sunny weather over your head that could fall out.

Apparently, it was just dawn. From the sandy sea horizon the red sun is rising out, illuminating the clear with no clouds.

Yes, even though it is a blue sky with no clouds - there was a huge shadow of black over our heads.

"Hey, what the hell, are you..."

The sight of the mountains floating in the sky was seen in Gratney Octo. Because of my experience witnessing the sight of supermassive objects floating in the air, I was able to observe the sole calmly, without questioning my eyes.

In a nutshell, it's a flying castle. It is obvious that it is not a flying monster more than it is an architecture called a castle.

With a beautiful castle of white monochrome, every huge foundation of metal, no, Arre is probably a ship.

I already know there's a giant ship flying in the sky.

"Are you a spaceship?"

"No, Master, that's not a spaceship"

I didn't have to ask if you knew, and Saliel responded.

"The Aerial Fortress' Peaceful Heart '. To be precise, it's an aircraft carrier type giant flying weapon called" Sky Carrier. "

But what matters to me is not that ancient weapons of the same magnitude are being revived as spacecraft.

"The Lord of that castle is the eleventh Apostolic Mass"

I mean, one of the enemies to resent, he's there.

"- Oh, I finally found you! You are Chrono!!

Coming down from heaven is the voice of a damned girl that echoes in her head.

Only a few heard that voice, but I still won't forget it. It can't be forgotten.

The culprit who brought the battle of Alsace to its worst end.

Eleventh Apostolic Mass.

He showed up to me from the other side.