Dimension Wave Chapter 21

It’s been a week since we began our lives as sailors.
Shouko and Yamikage have both acquired Naval Combat and as soon as I felt like they’ve improved…

“I think we can tackle the open seas now. Why don’t we try heading out a little deeper?”
“Yes, that might not be a bad idea. Lately, I feel more at ease fighting on this ship than—”

Shouko got serious all of a sudden, cutting her own words off.
Then, she turned around and looked towards the First.
Wondering what caught her attention, I looked over at the same direction too.

“What’s up?”
“Nothing much… but it is a little curious how the wind blows from both the front and the back.”
“Yeah, that’s odd…”

Sheryl pointed to the sails as she spoke.
The sails were fluttering in a very strange way.

“Is something the matter, Misses?”

Yamikage walked over to us from the bow to see what was happening.
Just as Shouko and I were about to answer her… something changed.

“This spells trouble! Kizuna!”

Suddenly, Shouko clung onto me as she tightly gripped the sheet.
I had no idea what was happening.

Screech!

It sounded like something was being pushed open.
The noise seemed to be piped directly into our ears.
It was an awful, painful screeching like nails on a chalkboard, but many times worse.
And then…

Crash!

The sound of gla.s.s thrown against the ground pierced our ears.
Then, in the distance near the First…

“Wha—?!”

Something physically impossible happened before our very eyes.
A black line tore open the s.p.a.ce in the distance.
Then, immediately, the fissure in the sky emitted a shockwave like from an explosion.

“Augh!”

Shouko called out in pain.
Reasonable, as the blast directly struck our boat.
The sails—rather, the whole boat twisted and swayed.
The force was immense.
And just like what I’ve seen on TV, waterspouts began to form.
In an instant, the seas had turned into a h.e.l.lscape, tranquil no more.

“Yamika—”

Yamikage, then Sheryl along with her, were sent flying by the blast.
I couldn’t make out their screams over the noise. Sure, it probably wasn’t anything more than a death in game, but the way they were thrown in the air… it was traumatic.

How long has it been?
A minute? Ten?
Time felt fuzzy, but it has been some time since the storm settled down.

“… Kizuna. Are… are you okay?”
“Ugh… yeah…”

If I can hear Shouko’s voice, then surely, the storm must’ve stopped already.
I took a look at my surroundings and realized we were still on the boat.
The sailboat didn’t seem to be damaged, but there was wood and lumber floating on the water.
If this weren’t a game, I would say all of this flew from the first city. But because we are in a game, this might have been scripted.

“Did you take any damage?”

Damage?
I checked my status screen to find everything fortunately normal.
The storm didn’t seem to have affected me.
But how she asked the question made me feel like she did take damage.

“Are you okay, Sheryl?!”
“I am fine. I was only hit for about 500 damage, nothing much.”
“Oh, good. Well, no, that’s not good.”
“500 Energy is a small price to pay for what happened.”
“… yeah, I guess.”

I sighed with relief.
Thankfully it wasn’t in the thousands.

“But what the h.e.l.l was that?”
“Look up, Kizuna.”
“Huh…?”

Red. I could see nothing but red, as if the skies have been painted over by wine.
As if the skies have been painted over by blood.
It was an unsettling, ominous shade.
I could only stare into the sky speechless.
Not just me, but Shouko too.
But no, we have more pressing matters at hand.

“More importantly are Yamikage and Sheryl!”
“O-Of course!”

I saw them get blown away with my own eyes.
The water would’ve mitigate some of the blast, but Yamikage can’t swim.
She’s probably hurt.
But as Spirits, every tick of damage is bad for us.
I searched in the distance to where they may have been blown towards, but I couldn’t find them.
… please, I really, really hope they’re okay.

“I see them!”
“Really?!”

I look over to where Shouko pointed and see a shadow.
Then, after acquiring Helmsmanship, I steered the sailboat over there.
Enerygy and Mana meant nothing to me.

“Are you alright?!”
“… yep. Yami’s here too.”

I wasn’t nearly as skillful in helming the boat as Sheryl, but I managed to bring it close to them.
It was only then I could see Yamikage in Sheryl’s arms.

“Sheryl, take my hand!”
“Get Yami first.”
“Okay.”

Shouko extends her hand to Yamikage and then to Sheryl.
They were obviously sopping wet.
Even Shouko and I were drenched by the splashing.

“How’s your Energy level, Yamikage?”
“… I lost but 2,000. ‘tis no problem as, with Drain, I earn more than ye. More importantly, payest mind to Miss Sheryl.”

2,000 isn’t nothing, frankly speaking.
Us Spirits can take it no problem, but Sheryl is a Jewel. I don’t know how much max HP she has. At least she didn’t die, avoiding whatever penalties that may incur.

“I’m okay. My HP bar is just red.”
“That’s not okay.”

She said she’s fine, but I got her to rest up for a bit and I took control of the boat.
For now, we’ll head back to the First.
But naturally, I casted my gaze up high.

—Dimension Wave.

It made a lot of sense to us all.
The black fissure in the sky loomed above the first city.

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