No matter how much mermaids lived in the water, they were helpless against such a fierce rapid.
The mermaids became tangled together in the rapids surging from both sides, and the ones holding onto the ship were swept away.
In the meantime, the ship picked up speed and ascended steadily.
"Just block the ones coming down from above!"
"I'm already blocking them like crazy!"
Down below, where the water had begun to rise, countless mermaids stared this way with only their heads poking out.
Bizarre gleams in their eyes devoid of any emotion whatsoever.
Oscar, who was watching them, pulled the strings of space the moment the ship rose above sea level.
Crunch!
The walls of space facing each other slammed together like magnets, and all the mermaids caught between them were crushed to death.
"......."
"Ha."
It was to the extent that the nearby sea was momentarily dyed red due to the bloodstains spreading underwater.
Tesila, who had been staring at the sight blankly, gave a thumbs-up.
"That was refreshing, huh?"
"It's too early to be relieved."
"I suppose so. Tristan! Head straight to the second point!"
As Tristan manipulated the ocean currents, the ship surged swiftly forward.
Even while moving toward the second point, the mermaids tenaciously followed the ship.
Boom! Bang bang!
Every time the bastards rammed into the hull, the ship shook.
"Damned bastards! Don't they ever get tired! Mary!"
At Tristan's shout, Mary Jane blew off the heads of the pursuing mermaids.
However, the ones ramming the ship were moving underwater.
Pondering for a moment, she began to tie a rope around her own body.
"......What are you doing?"
At Oscar's question, she replied briefly.
"Cleaning."
Soon, she threw the rope.
The moment Oscar reflexively caught it.
Splash!
Mary Jane dove into the sea without hesitation.
"Wait...... Shouldn't we stop her?"
At Oscar's question, Tesila chuckled and waved her hand dismissively.
"It's fine. This is our job, after all."
As soon as those words ended, heavy gunshots rang out consecutively from beneath the ship.
So that thing could be fired underwater too.
Blue flashes continuously flared up beneath the surface.
"......."
Not long after, the mermaids' limbs floated up to the surface.
The impacts of them ramming against the hull also subsided.
At the same time, the rope he was holding was pulled taut a couple of times.
When Oscar pulled the rope, Mary Jane climbed onto the deck and shook her head.
Draining the water from her ears, she said.
"More of them are gathering."
"More than this? Just how many are there?"
"Let's just go to the second point for now."
Tesila spoke with a rarely serious expression.
"It could be that their numbers are increasing because we are getting closer to the kingdom of the mermaids."
"Right. Anyway, aside from the fact that they don't die, those guys aren't that strong."
"It's actually better if they are gathered in large numbers. You can just clear them out, unni."
Oscar glanced at Tesila, who was receiving such blind faith.
To be honest, she had shown absolutely nothing in combat so far.
To the point where the others stood out far more.
"Hmm?"
He made eye contact with Tesila, who had turned her head after feeling his gaze.
Soon, her eyes curving beautifully like half-moons, she smiled brightly.
"Oscar. 'Who is she to be trusted so much? She doesn't even look like she does anything.' Even I might get a little hurt by a gaze like that, you know?"
"......Ahem. I apologize."
Her perceptiveness is truly top-tier.
Tesila opened her mouth while clasping her hands behind her back.
"Oscar. The leader of an adventuring party is, as a rule, someone who does the big jobs. They shouldn't step forward for trivial matters."
"What is the standard for those big jobs?"
"When demons invade, or a disaster of Hazard Level A or higher occurs...... Wouldn't that be considered a big job?"
That just means you loaf around normally.
As Oscar's expression turned sullen, Tesila grabbed her belly in laughter.
"Ahahaha! It's a joke, a joke. It's just that my magic has somewhat strict conditions to activate. It's not cost-effective to fire it at trivial enemies."
Just what kind of magic was it that she even had to calculate cost-effectiveness?
Letting out a faint sigh, Oscar muttered.
"I certainly hope the kingdom of the mermaids counts as a big job."
"Of course, that definitely counts as a big job! Put your worries firmly to rest! Because I, a special-grade adventurer, am with you!"
Just how much further did they move like that?
The mermaids that had been attacking and following the ship suddenly began to disappear one by one.
"......What is it?"
"Did we leave their territory or something?"
"I'll go take a look."
Mary Jane threw the rope once more and dove into the sea.
A moment later, she emerged and spoke while receiving a towel from Maureen.
"They are all heading to one place as if possessed. The place we designated as the second point."
"Well...... It's good for us if we don't get attacked."
"Looks like there really is something at the second point, huh?"
"Let's just go."
A short while later, the place where the ship stopped was the vast open sea, which on the surface looked no different from the first point.
There wasn't even a common reef in sight around them, let alone an island.
"Does everyone feel it?"
"Yes."
"......Are you serious. An astronomical number has gathered."
Gulping, all the party members naturally looked down beneath the surface of the water.
They could feel an amount of mana so strong it made their skin prickle.
This wasn't emanating because a single entity was strong.
It was an intensity that could only be produced because at least thousands, perhaps tens of thousands of mermaids were gathered in one place.
"But maybe because it's underwater. I can't see what they're doing."
"Then it's about time we do that."
Clapping her hands and gathering their attention, Tesila looked this way.
"Oscar, what you mentioned before is possible, right?"
"You mean breathing underwater?"
"Yeah."
"It is possible, but...... will we be okay?"
If they engaged in an underwater battle with not just one or two, but tens of thousands of mermaids, even a Level 7 could not guarantee victory.
However, Tesila nodded without hesitation.
"It's fine, so cast it on us. Everyone, prepare to dive in. We'll retreat immediately if it gets dangerous."
"......Understood."
As Oscar snapped his fingers, round air bubbles formed over the party members' heads.
"This feels like it would pop if you just poke it."
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
"So conversation is possible."
"Won't water leak in?"
To the party's concerns, Oscar calmly explained.
"External physical forces are blocked. Voices generated inside the air bubble are automatically converted into Message Magic and transmitted, and fresh air is periodically generated, so there will be no problems with breathing."
"Ooh!"
"......It's completely omnipotent, isn't it?"
"I heard there are artifacts you bite in your mouth that help you breathe underwater, but this seems much more convenient."
The party marveled at the magic, which had an overwhelming performance far beyond what they had expected.
"Ah, I can't wait! I'm going in first!"
As Tesila plunged into the sea with a splash, the rest of the party threw themselves in one by one.
[Ah ah, can you hear me?]
[Wow! We're underwater, but I can really hear your voice!]
[......As expected of the Oscar Award winner. He really is on another level.]
Their marveling over the magic lasted only a moment.
[Over there.]
Everyone's heads turned in the direction Mary Jane pointed.
And at the same time, their brows furrowed.
[What is...... that?]
Mermaids were densely covering the entrance of a cave in the deep, deep sea.
Like ants clinging to their prey.
As if a single layer wasn't enough, they kept stacking their bodies over one another.
If they saw even the slightest gap, they would first shove their bodies in to fill it.
[Are they trying to protect something?]
[If they are protecting it, it just might be the kingdom of the mermaids.]
[Or...... maybe something like treasure.]
One thing was for sure.
Right now, tens of thousands of mermaids were huddled together right in front of them.
Concentrating magic power into his eyes, Oscar muttered.
[Looking at the topography...... that cave could be connected to the kingdom.]
[If so, are they doing that to hide the kingdom from the outside?]
Tesila, who had been listening to the conversation, curled up the corners of her mouth.
[Guys, this definitely counts as a big job, right?]
[With tens of thousands of mermaids doing that, it's definitely not a small job.]
[Alright. Then shall I finally earn my keep?]
So she was self-aware that she hadn't been doing so until now.
Tesila closed her eyes and drew out overwhelming magic power.
At the same time, the clumped mermaids snapped their heads around all at once and glared in this direction.
[Uh...... this feels a bit ominous.]
[W-why are they suddenly looking this way?]
[It seems they're reacting to the mana! Here they come!]
The stacked mermaids unentangled themselves in unison and began to swarm toward the party.
At the same time, Tristan used his underwater magic and shouted.
[It should be easier to move in the water now. Protect Tesila until she completes her magic!]
[How long will it take!]
[It'll take about a minute!]
A whole minute against those numbers?
Oscar shouted.
[How about we fight while falling back!]
[No! From the moment she prepares her formula, Tesila can't move from her spot!]
She can't move, and it takes a whole minute just to prepare the formula?
That's a magic with not even a speck of practicality in actual combat.
[Repel the wicked will!]
A golden radiance spread out like a ring with Eddie at the center.
As the speed of the mermaids hit by it dropped drastically, Tristan created dozens of water harpoons.
Crunch! Piercing through several mermaids at a time, the harpoons slammed into the seabed, sealing their movements.
[I'll leave the ones that slip through to you!]
[Just leave it to me!]
Maureen swung her hammer, sending the mermaids flying away like balls.
Moving without any resistance like they were on land despite being underwater thanks to Tristan's magic, their coordination was not the skill of people who had only worked together once or twice.
Finally, Mary Jane.
She stood next to Tesila, mainly aiming at the approaching mermaids.
As if a revolver wasn't enough firepower, she pulled out the shotgun strapped to her back.
Baaaaang!
Every time she pulled the trigger, a mermaid's upper body disappeared like a lie.
He couldn't even begin to fathom just how much had been poured into the enchanting alone.
‘I can't lose either.’
Oscar pulled on the strings of space.
『Spatial Slash』
The spatial blade smoothly swept through the water, bisecting the mermaids.
But even as he cut and cut down again, new mermaids filled the gaps.
‘Compared to the number I'm killing......’
The number of mermaids filling in and popping out is far greater.
As a result, the gap between the party and the mermaid swarm was rapidly closing.
‘This isn't good.’
Before he knew it, the front of the party was filled with swarming mermaids to the point it looked pitch black.
Should I use Sea Splitting once more?
The moment Oscar was seriously considering it.
[Everyone, move aside.]
Tesila, having finally finished her preparations, had eyes shining as brightly as a cluster of stars.
Next, pointing her index and middle fingers at the mermaids, she parted her lips.
[Magic Piercing Cannon.]
For an instant, all sound vanished.
The bubbling sound of rising air bubbles, the striking sound of the hammer hitting its mark.
Even the shrieks of the mermaids opening their mouths.
The beam of pure magic power stretching from Tesila's fingertips swallowed everything blocking its path.
“......!”
In a flash, a massive void was created underwater.
By the time the rushing seawater filled that space a beat later, all those countless mermaids, save for a few, had vanished.
At that point, the abnormal composition of this party was reinterpreted in a new light.
‘I was wondering if the party lacked firepower since it was filled mostly with support and control types, but......’
Their firepower was already sufficient.
The composition of this party was simple but absolute.
To buy time until Tesila, the ultimate firepower, could prepare her magic.
[Phew, how was that?]
Tesila winked one eye with a languid expression.
Watching her, Oscar nodded without realizing it.
Because the momentary destructive power she had shown was on a level that even he would find difficult to emulate.
[As expected, truly fitting for a special-grade adventurer.]
[Ahaha! As long as you acknowledge it now, Oscar, it's all good. Anyway......]
Jutting her chin toward the cave entrance the mermaids had been guarding, Tesila spoke.
[Let's go search and see just what on earth is in this kingdom those guys were guarding so tenaciously.]
Tesila eagerly rubbed her hands together like a fly.
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]

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