"Everyone, get over there!"
"There's only one of him!"
Dozens of pirates swarmed onto the deck. Despite the overwhelming difference in numbers, Finch remained perfectly calm as he opened his Subspace. He took out a small, finger-length potion bottle, uncorked it, and drank the contents in one go.
A burp escaped his lips. At the same time, his back began to bubble and boil.
"Kill him!"
The moment the pirate leading the charge swung his sword, a green tentacle shot out from Finch's back, grabbed the man's face, and slammed it into the deck with a sickening thud.
"What the—?"
The pirates froze. From behind Finch's back, light green tentacles reminiscent of a jellyfish were rising into the air.
"What?" Finch smiled chillingly, "Is it your first time fighting a necromancer?"
"This bastard...!"
"Get him all at once!"
The pirates charged simultaneously. From behind Finch, dozens of tentacles shot out as if they had been waiting.
It was completely one-sided. The tentacles were elastic and could freely adjust their length. Despite facing dozens of opponents alone, Finch stood leisurely in place without moving a single step.
'He's letting his guard down!' A pirate who had dodged the tentacles and flanked him aimed a crossbow at the back of Finch's head and fired.
The crossbow bolt lodged itself deep in Finch's skull.
"Yes! Got him!" the pirate cheered. "Hahaha! Serves you right for acting so high and... huh?"
Finch moved his arm. He grabbed the tip of the bolt—which had passed clean through his head and was now protruding from near his eye—and pulled.
The bolt came out, and a few drops of green liquid splattered onto the deck. Finch's face had already dissolved into a viscous, emerald substance.
"Were you expecting something?" he asked, his voice gurgling.
Finch tossed the bolt to the floor, his face already reforming as the liquid filled it back in.
"I-Insane!"
"What kind of monster is this!"
A tentacle whipped out like a lash, grabbed the leg of the crossbowman, and threw him overboard. The pirate's terrible scream echoed before ending with a distant splash. Meanwhile, another pirate slashed at Finch's waist, but only a green, juice-like liquid oozed out. Finch showed no sign of pain.
"What in the world are you... Agh!"
Finch reached out and grabbed the pirate's face.
"Aaaaaaaaah!"
The horrifying sizzling sound of flesh melting filled the air. A moment later, the pirate's head had completely dissolved, and his body slumped to the floor. Seeing this, his comrades took several steps back, their faces pale with terror.
"Now do you see what you're up against?" Finch asked, a twisted smile on his reformed face. "Do you understand who you've made an enemy of?"
Finch was overwhelmingly strong. He took every attack head-on while his tentacles threw men into the sea or wrapped around their necks to snap their bones. Now, he was even spreading a poisonous smoke as he fought—a wide-range chemical attack on top of his physical one. The pirates were helpless, collapsing one after another.
"C-Captain!" a pirate cried, looking at Gale with fear in his eyes. "We're no match for him! You have to step in...!"
"Shut up, you fool!" Gale—or rather, Erzebet—kicked the pirate's rear. "Hurry up and fight! Or should I kill you myself before he does!"
"N-No, sir!"
As she sent the pirates to their deaths, Erzebet was sweating profusely. 'What in the world is that body made of?' No matter what attack hit Finch, his body turned to liquid and nullified it. Her spiderweb restraints, her wide-area piercing attacks—there was a high chance none of them would work. And this wasn't just some simple black magic. He had likely paid an enormous price to obtain that body. Erzebet was sure of it.
'For now, if I can just get the Count out of here and escape... huh?'
It was then. Suddenly, her vision spun violently, and a wave of intense dizziness washed over her. She dropped to one knee. The other pirates seemed fine.
"So it's finally taking effect," Finch said, walking toward her as he finished off the last of the pirates. "How does it feel? Undead."
Erzebet was startled. Not only had he seen through her disguise, but he also knew she was an undead.
"I could smell you out." Finch sniffed the air theatrically. "Undead have a unique smell. And I also know that you're a much stronger opponent than Gale."
"That potion is a reagent I developed myself that only affects undead. I've mixed it with this poison fog and sea mist, spreading it in a gaseous form. It's colorless and odorless, and has no effect in small amounts, but it gradually accumulates in the body. Once it crosses a certain threshold, the effects manifest all at once."
Erzebet pushed herself up. She staggered but held her stance firmly.
"This is a problem, a real problem," Finch mused, frowning. "My thesis stated that administering a dose of over 4,760 ppm would completely neutralize any undead, regardless of type. But here's a variable right in front of me, isn't it?"
The tentacles behind his back shot up violently. "For the sake of my research's integrity, you'll have to die. And I'd love to dissect that exceptional body of yours!"
Dark blue Jet-Black gathered at her fingertips, forming a spiderweb. Just as the two were about to exchange blows...
Once again, a massive impact shook the hull. Another pirate ship had emerged from the sea mist and rammed their vessel.
"Aaaaaah!"
"I-I'm falling!"
The defenseless pirates were thrown from the deck into the sea, while Finch and Erzebet held their ground with Jet-Black. She shot a spiderweb to secure Shun safely to a mast.
"What is it this time!" Finch whipped his head around.
The three large pirate ships were now a tangled, damaged mess. From the deck of the newest arrival, two silhouettes were walking through the fog.
'Oh, it's the Legion Commander!' Erzebet's face lit up instantly.
Shun, still tied up, also shouted, "Simon!"
Crossing from the other deck were none other than Simon and Pier.
Finch clicked his tongue. "Coming all this way just to die. You're asking for it."
"We'll have to see about that," Simon retorted with a crooked smile. "Erzebet, take Shun and fall back."
"Yes!"
[Bwahahaha! Excellent! Is it finally time for this body to shine!] As Pier shouldered his greatsword and stepped forward, Erzebet raised an arm to stop him.
"Pier! You must not come any closer."
[What is it?]
"A reagent that affects undead is spread all over. Even a little exposure makes it hard to stand properly."
As if not giving them time to talk, over twenty tentacles flew at them all at once. They leaped in different directions to dodge. A loud roar echoed as holes were punched into the deck where the tentacles landed.
"Little guy! You have some interesting undead with you!" Finch yelled, thrusting his arm out. The tentacles all changed direction and flew toward Simon.
"Ugh!"
[Move!] Pier leaped forward, blocking them with his greatsword. The tentacles, deflected by the sword, changed direction again in mid-air and flew toward Simon. He jumped using Jet-Black, and a series of holes were punched into the floor beneath him.
"Simon!" Shun cried out.
"I'm fine!" Simon gestured to Erzebet, giving her a signal. She nodded and ran to Shun.
[Hmm, it's true!] Pier grimaced. [That strange substance is all over the ship! The space is too confined, so we have no choice but to keep fighting while under its effects!]
"Then what do we do, Pier?"
[There is one way. Though I'd rather die than do it!]
Before they could continue, Finch relentlessly sent more tentacles, his back bubbling as their numbers continued to increase.
'He's insane!'
Simon threw himself to the side, twisting his body into strange positions. The light green tentacles grazed past him by a hair's breadth.
They were coated in poison. Fortunately, the defensive magic woven into his Kizen uniform held, saving his body from melting. Just as Simon landed on the deck...
'Thud!'
The deck, corroded by the poison, gave way, and he fell to the floor below. It was a dusty, warehouse-like area, and the sharp smell of rum stung his nose.
The tentacles relentlessly pursued him, punching holes through the walls and windows of the lower deck. Simon ran without stopping. When he hit a dead end, he ran up the wall itself. The tentacles followed, punching holes in the wall in sequence.
Simon used Jet-Black to leap up and grab a ladder connected to the ceiling. He immediately climbed it back up to the deck.
"Pier!"
On the deck, Pier and Finch were fighting. Pier seemed to be in poor condition due to the reagent, his face contorted in a grimace, while Finch looked more than a little surprised. The tentacles that had been directly cut by Pier's greatsword were not regenerating.
"I've never seen such a powerful, intelligent undead. How interesting!" Finch muttered, then saw Simon climbing back onto the deck and sent tentacles his way. Pier quickly jumped in front of Simon and deflected them with his greatsword. "I don't understand! Why would an undead like you serve a brat like that!"
Pier chuckled, his voice echoing in Simon's mind. [This human is filled with an inferiority complex!]
'Pier! More importantly, what was that method you mentioned earlier?'
Pier's lips curled into a grin. [Boy, you will wear me!]
More tentacles flew at them. Pier swung his greatsword to cut them down while Simon ducked to avoid them.
'Was that even possible?' A Bone Armor made from Pier. If he had to be classified, Pier was a skeleton-type undead.
[I can't control my body properly because of the reagent!] Pier explained telepathically. [It's impossible to protect you completely in this state! So, you will take my power and defeat him!]
Simon's heart began to pound with excitement. The Priest in the Forbidden Forest. Erzebet. Ellen Zile. Serne Aindark. He had always relied on Pier's help against powerful enemies. More accurately, he had only watched from behind Pier's back. As a Legion Commander, that position was natural, but Simon had always felt a sense of disappointment, a thirst to resolve situations proactively. But now, that could change. He could fight with Pier's power.
[But I am an Ancient Undead! Connecting to my consciousness will be more difficult than you can imagine. One wrong move and your mind could collapse, leaving you a vegetable. Will you still do it?]
Simon nodded without a hint of hesitation. 'Of course. I'll make it happen, no matter what!'
[Get ready! When I give the signal, you will wear me!]
Dodging the tentacles, Simon and Pier ran toward each other.
[One!]
Finch's tentacles descended from the air all at once.
[Two!]
Pier leaped forward to protect Simon.
[Three! Now!]
Pier's body, struck by the tentacles, shattered and disassembled into bone fragments. Finch's face lit up, thinking his attack had finally worked, but he was mistaken. It was a precisely intended move. Simon, who had closed his eyes to concentrate, snapped them open.
'Bone Armor!'
Pier's disassembled body flew toward Simon. At the same time, their mental link was activated, and Simon successfully connected to Pier's consciousness.
A single drop of water fell into a vast pond. Simon was the droplet. Pier was the pond. As the droplet was swallowed by the water, Simon's very existence began to fade.
[Focus, boy,] Pier's voice echoed in his mind. [Don't let my consciousness devour you. Concentrate. Maintain your will within the will of another.]
'Yes.'
Before he was completely consumed, Simon recovered his senses, reasserting his own identity. 'Focus, focus, focus.'
On the pond's glassy surface, the droplet created a ripple. The ripple became a wave, the wave became a torrent, and the torrent became a new current. The entire pond began to churn like a whirlpool.
Pier's skeletal jaw stretched into a wide grin. [Hehehehe! As expected of Richard's son! Perfect!]
Escaping his mental landscape, Simon returned to the real world. The countless bones that made up Pier's massive body disassembled in the air and began to attach to Simon one by one.
Pier's bones wrapped around Simon's body, forming his torso and limbs. The Shadowless Cloak settled on his back, and Pier's cracked skull covered Simon's face, transforming into a helmet. His right eye was obscured by the bone, from which a dark blue flame now erupted.
The large cloak settled completely on Simon's shoulders. Pier's hand bones covered his palm like a gauntlet. Only his right arm was armored, leaving his left hand empty; Bone Armor required a set of two skeletons, and Pier's body alone didn't have enough bones for a full suit.
Despite that, Simon felt a thrilling power coursing through him, something he had never experienced before. As tentacles surged like a wave from all directions, he walked over and grabbed Pier's greatsword, which was embedded in the deck.
As if welcoming its master, the sword he couldn't lift before now felt light as a feather.
[Let's go, boy!] Pier's voice roared in his head.
'Yes, Pier.'
Simon smiled and raised the Greatsword of Ruin.

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