Turning Chapter 972

Chapter 972

"I know. You've done well. Leave the rest to me, and you can step back now."

Upon hearing these words, a sense of relief washed over him, draining all the strength from his body. Gakane deeply bowed his head in salute.

"...Thank you! From now on, I will step back and guard your side, Commander!"

In truth, he wanted to apologize. He felt ashamed for not being able to fill the Commander's absence adequately and wanted to beg for forgiveness for not living up to the trust placed in him.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. Gakane decided to withdraw, relieved that his comrades were unharmed and Kishiar did not seem to have sustained serious injuries.

However, just as he was about to turn away, Kishiar unexpectedly turned his head and called out to Gakane.

"Gakane Bolunwald."

"...Yes?"

"I had anticipated that the breakwater would reach its limit even before we departed. I thought it was inevitable that it would break under strain, but finding and implementing a quick repair solution was beyond my expectations. Well done."

Gakane's face and neck turned a bright red after a brief silence.

"Ah... That was just a temporary measure. It was thanks to Kanna and the others who didn't stop even amidst danger that we could..."

"There's no need to deny that coming up with the initial solution was impressive."

Kishiar interrupted Gakane and said this before lightly patting his shoulder. That light touch felt like the world-shaking to Gakane.

"You did better than expected in a difficult situation."

Kishiar turned away. Gakane stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds before lifting his trembling hands to his face and silently screaming.

‘Ah... Aaaah.’

He felt like his body could burst from the blood rushing through him. He was too happy, yet unsure whether it was appropriate to feel such joy in this situation, leaving him breathless.

Throughout his life, there were many times he wanted to hide somewhere out of sight due to burdensome expectations based on his appearance and background. He often wished someone else who looked just like him but could meet those expectations would take his place.

But now, for the first time, he felt an overwhelming joy that made him want to hide.

The shadows under Gakane's feet writhed around his ankles before returning to their normal shape. He ran energetically towards Kanna and the other members, as well as those disembarking from the ship.

"Don't rush! I'll help!"

"Your Grace."

Soon, Nathan Zuckerman and Hellem reached Kishiar. Kishiar refused the towel offered by his adjutant to dry his sea-drenched body.

"It's better to send that to Mick in the medical unit."

"Understood."

His adjutant, knowing his lord's temperament well, did not insist further. Hellem asked with a slight concern in her eyes.

"Mick... to the medical unit, is he badly injured?"

"It was inevitable, given his pursuit of danger. I'm only sorry since he overexerted himself because of me. But thanks to him, we could successfully complete our task."

"Ah, that boy finally did something worthwhile for his lord. There's no need for you to apologize, Your Grace."

Despite her sharp words, Hellem glanced toward the medical unit's tent. She seemed genuinely concerned, though she soon turned her gaze towards the blue wall rising from the distant sea.

"Is that the final wave?"

"Yes."

"I didn't expect it to be so large. It seems even the last one is putting up a strong fight. This won't be easy."

"Indeed. How much of the magic traps prepared by the mages do we have left?"

"I wish I could say we have enough, but the magic power is meager, and there's a limit to what we can create here, so regrettably, we don't have much left."

"Still, having some is enough. Spread what's left as wide as possible near the sea."

"Understood."

"After that, you and the mages should immediately move to higher ground."

After giving these instructions, Kishiar turned to Nathan Zuckerman.

"Nathan."

"Yes."

"Over there, near that wave, Yuder and the others are present. Can you see them?"

"...The fog is thick, it's difficult to pinpoint their exact location."

"The wave is higher than expected. It might even grow larger from there. But a higher wave doesn't mean it's without vulnerabilities to exploit."

"Do you have a plan?"

"Soon, that wave will split into several paths. The members over there will make it happen. That will be the perfect opportunity for a diversionary operation to reduce the wave's height and deal with as many monsters inside it as possible in one go."

Kishiar didn't specify who would do it, talking as if the success of this almost fantastical assumption was a given, as if Yuder's presence there made it obvious.

"So, we'll wait for it to split and then release our aura from here."

After uttering words beyond the imagination of ordinary minds, Kishiar fell silent, giving Nathan Zuckerman time to think. Nathan, gazing out to the sea, spoke.

"So, we must perform the sea-splitting feat that you, my lord, showed yesterday once again."

"Similar. But this time, not from here, but from a higher position."

Kishiar pointed upwards with his finger.

"I will lift you and me up. We must do it even without solid ground beneath our feet. Can you handle it?"

A slow change crossed the previously expressionless face of Nathan Zuckerman. He answered firmly, not as an adjutant or a servant, but as a fearless swordsman.

"If I couldn't, I wouldn't deserve to be called a swordmaster."

"Good. It's reassuring to have a well-trained adjutant at times like this."

Laughing, Kishiar ruffled Nathan Zuckerman's hair and rolled up his sleeves.

"Thinking this might be the last gift Yuder sends me feels somewhat regrettable. Well, let's get ready."

The two men, swords drawn as if by mutual understanding, walked resolutely towards the sea.

From atop the high wave, the earth below seemed like a speck of dust in a precarious fog, as insignificant and transient as the world viewed from a serene mountaintop.

Yet, beneath their feet, there was neither peace nor quiet. Yuder, bracing against the lashing spray and wind that seemed ready to tear his flesh and swallow him whole, stared coldly at the massive wave.

'Damned thing. It's like it's sucking in the surrounding water, continuously rising.'

As if to bury the world in water if it couldn't overturn it with an earthquake, the wave, despite being buffeted by Yuder and his companions' efforts, continued to grow, as if in defiance.

As if the inevitable was bound to happen.

Kishiar had thought the aftermath of the underwater crack's collapse wouldn't have such an impact, but the miscalculation proved painfully significant.

Yet, the path was already chosen. Even if he could go back, he would likely make the same choice, so he decided not to regret it.

'Just need to resolve it.'

How did Kishiar and the other members come this far?

Yuder was determined not to let this wave crash over the land and engulf the entire south.

He had overturned many events in a direction opposite to his previous life. None had been easy, and this time was no different. Thus, this occasion wouldn't be an exception.

Red mists surged from Yuder's entire body.

'Settle down. Split!'

The sea screamed under his power.

Kuaaaaaaaah!

'How can he go to such lengths...'

Steiber, who was lending his strength near Yuder, lost his words for a moment in front of the erupting vigor. How could anyone not be overwhelmed by the sight of Yuder, looking like a mix between a man and a water pillar, furiously wrestling with the waves? Even if he failed after doing so much, no one could blame him. But Yuder, at this moment, seemed like a man with nothing left behind him, extracting his abilities like a fiend.

The strongest person among them was using his strength more desperately and earnestly than anyone else. It was a blindly incomprehensible sight, as if displayed by a young man who did not have a family to protect and who might not yet fully understand the weight of a great cause. Where did that tremendous willpower and intense sense of purpose endlessly spring from? It was curious because it was unknowable, and the more curious Steiber became, the more he wanted to lend his strength to this desperate person.

Steiber exerted his power against the small monsters that kept leaping from the waves under Yuder's feet, trying to entwine around his ankles. The creatures that couldn't penetrate the force of the other members or his own were easily breaching Yuder's defenses to attack him. With just a bit of force, the monsters captured by Steiber's power were crushed, screaming painfully before flattening and sinking.

Even amidst such chaos, Yuder, with terrifying concentration and without a backward glance, continued to exert his strength, followed by even greater force.

The wave surged. Yuder Aile’s power repeatedly flew to put a bridle on it for stopping. The members added their strength, creating a larger and denser snare, and the water and wind danced viciously, intertwined.

Steiber thought several times that the next moment might truly be his last. If his strength failed and he plunged into the wave, that would be his end.

But at the same time, seeing Yuder's solid back made him want to gather strength in his knees to follow, as if he had returned to his vigorous youth. He wanted to split this damned wave with the young man.

And finally,

The moment Yuder's newly launched power combined with others, spreading what seemed like the umpteenth snare over the wave.

What seemed like another futile attempt felt like it caught onto something, as the wave wobbled with an unfamiliar movement.

"Finally, we've caught it! Don't stop, everyone!"

Yuder shouted, seizing the opportunity. His eye fiercely glinted golden.

The wave finally began to split into several paths.