Chapter 34: The Giant Fish

Suddenly, appearing right in front of them was that enormous, monstrous fish.

(N-no way…! Why is it here—here of all places!?)

Among the three, the one most stunned was Anii, blessed—or cursed—with the Hunter’s Sense.

Whenever a large monster approached, she could always sense its presence beforehand. That was the power of the Hunter’s Sense.

Yet despite this colossal creature drawing so close, she had been completely oblivious until this very moment. It was as if it had materialized out of thin air.

(W-we have to get out of here, now!)

Sena’s panicked shout finally shook Anii from her frozen state of shock, reminding her of the most critical course of action she needed to take.

(R-right! We have to run!)

Such an immense body… like an ant unaware of the human foot above it, Anii gambled that the monster had not yet noticed their presence and spun on her heels to flee.

But at that instant, as if to crush their hopes, the giant fish shifted its direction.

““Raaaaaah!””

Its massive jaws gaped wide, a black void like the depths of an abyss visible within.

It was over—Anii thought—but then, unexpectedly, the creature merely opened its mouth and halted. It did not advance any further. Perhaps it was simply a threat display. Perhaps it deemed them unappetizing as prey.

Whatever the reason, it was a fleeting chance at survival.

Anii and Sena sprinted away at top speed.

But then—

(Shifa!? What are you doing!?)

The leader of their group, Shifa, stood frozen, her spear still raised, refusing to move.

Had fear paralyzed her body? No, that couldn’t be it. Shifa was always calm, no matter the situation.

Anii’s mind spun in panic, desperate to comprehend what was happening.

(…I don’t feel much intimidation.)

(…What?)

Shifa’s quiet observation made Anii’s ears prick up in disbelief.

(…At least, not nearly as much as Volcano.) 

(W-what are you saying!? This is way more dangerous than that! We have to get out of here!)

Anii’s desperate yelling went unheeded, for some inexplicable reason, Shifa did not move an inch. The giant fish, too, remained stationary.

(Bow down.)

Shifa commanded the monster.

The Empress’s Majesty. A gift that could intimidate enemies, weakening their strength.

Against formidable foes, its effect was usually limited. Anii guessed that against a creature this huge, it would be like throwing water on burning stone.

(…Huh!?)

Her eyes could not believe what they saw.

Part of the giant fish’s mouth began to crumble, fragmenting into pieces as if made of fragile clay. Anii and Sena blinked in astonishment, while Shifa simply nodded, as if confirming an expected outcome.

(It’s not a single giant fish. It’s a swarm of small fish.)

Looking closely, the broken parts of the body had transformed into small fish, only a few centimeters each, swimming weakly and aimlessly.

The Empress’s Majesty worked best against weak creatures, sometimes even knocking them unconscious. In other words, the strength of each individual fish was negligible.

(So that’s why I couldn’t sense them approaching.)

Anii finally understood.

(Then it’s all just smoke and mirrors!)

With the secret revealed, Sena readied her sword.

(But we can’t let our guard down. There might be a commanding presence controlling this swarm.)

Shifa warned, and yet Sena lunged headlong at the massive swarm, which was no longer a single fish but a collective entity.

(I’ll provide support. Bow down, you weaklings.)

At Shifa’s command, the fish faltered and scattered, and Sena’s sword slashed through the chaos.

(Hyaa! Take this! Hyah!)

(Bow down, bow down, bow down!)

The two of them worked in seamless coordination, and the swarm was quickly whittled down. Shifa’s gift acted as a natural predator for these fish, her mere words effortlessly suppressing their movements.

But sensing danger, the swarm suddenly surged forward in a mass attack.

(Ghh!) 

(Ouch, ouch, ouch—!?)

In an instant, their vision was flooded with fish. The weak but continuous impacts rained down on their bodies, each minor strike building cumulative pain.

After enduring for several tense seconds, the swarm seemed to have relented. But no—just as they thought it was over, the swarm executed a massive U-turn, charging them once more.

(Bow down…! Bow down…! Bow down…!)

(Agh, it hurts—!)

Shifa’s commands forced some of the fish to halt, but it was not enough. The two warriors fell to their knees, bruised and battered.

They could not withstand another wave of full-force charges. Yet mercilessly, a third assault came crashing down.

(Ughhhhhh!)

Sena let out a ragged scream. At that moment, a glint of gold caught the corner of her eye.

(…You—!)

In an instant, she swung her sword reflexively.

Zan!

The golden fish, noticeably larger than the others, had its head cleanly severed.

The swarm, as if released from a spell, scattered in every direction.

(W-what just happened…?)

(Are we… saved?)

Shifa and the others rushed to Sena.

(When we took down this one, the rest just fell apart.)

Sena showed them the golden fish.

(So this was the one controlling the others… the mastermind fish?)

(Sena, how did you manage to target it among so many…?)

(I just caught a glimpse and reacted instinctively.)

Where there had once been countless fish, not a single one remained nearby. They were astonished that just a single fish had been orchestrating the entire swarm.

(This isn’t just a fish… it’s a monster, really.

(So, this was a named boss, huh?)

(Very likely. It may have been a façade, but it was still strong.)

Exhausted and relieved, they made their way back to solid ground, the battle finally behind them.