‘Back for another round, huh?’ It hadn’t been long since he and Xerxes targeted a sea creature, but they already received news of another appearing. He wasn’t fond of the idea that they would fight another one considering the condition Xerxes had been put in during the last battle, but his guildmate had convinced him. In some odd way, Ikazuchi understood that this hunt would be something like a revenge match for Xerxes. It was for that reason that he couldn’t oppose it, not to mention the fact that he felt guilty for allowing such an accident to begin with.

He had prepared more carefully based on the experience he gained previously. He naturally couldn’t learn a new spell to deal with combat atop the sea like a mage, but he was able to prepare his equipment more thoroughly for the conditions. Before they departed the guild, he had also done the same for Xerxes. Ikazuchi was a man of his word, so he had naturally started offering his services directly to Xerxes after they returned to the guild. Compared to their first expedition, it could be said that both men were better prepared than they had been.

Unlike last time, the pair had received a proper request for their services after they gained a bit of reputation from killing a similar sea creature. This was naturally easier for the two, but they couldn’t be sure that their profit would match their efforts. The pair had already discussed that they would lay a greater claim to the profits gained from the materials if the crew of fishermen didn’t want to pay up. Hopefully the crew wouldn’t mistakenly treat them like pushovers, for their sake. They may not go around killing others in an unreasonable manner, but neither would hesitate to spill some blood for the sake of their interests.

The crew that hired them consisted of foreigners from various countries. From Ikazuchi’s perspective, they were closer to pirates in appearance than fishermen. Rather, he was certain that most of the crew was actually wanted due to that. They had hidden their identities skillfully, but such deception didn’t work on Ikazuchi. In some ways, he had been more willing to accept this request due to this fact. They wouldn’t have to feel bad no matter what the outcome of the trip was, but he couldn’t inform Xerxes of that.

Ikazuchi couldn’t help but smile as he thought about how his guildmate would react when he discovered that they were traveling on a pirate ship in order to hunt a sea monster. It was a request that could only go wrong, but he actively believed that this fact would only result in more income for the pair. ‘Well, I guess he will blame his bad luck on me this time too…’ He couldn’t help but smile as he found their situation entertaining. It was at this point that his attention shifted to where his companion stood on the deck of the ship overlooking the sea with the sun high in the sky. “Xerxes! How confident are you in keeping your right eye this time?” While Ikazuchi may feel guilty about his companion’s injury, he also enjoyed riling up his friend. Someone who knew him better may even pick up on the slightest bit of concern hidden in that sarcastic question of his.

Word Count: 560

The member 'Ikazuchi' has done the following action : Spin

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'Dice 100' : 69

“Again!?” The Desiertian remembers yelling as Ikazuchi presented him with the prospect of going out to sea once again and dealing with yet another creature of the deep. Xerxes had to prod him into revealing what the request was as Ikazuchi was still wary about his health. It was only after Xerxes assured him that he was back to full health, which was a complete lie, that his comrade decided to inform him about the request in full. Xerxes sneered in irritation as he grabbed the flier from Ikazuchi’s hands and contemplated completing it. It had not been very long since the two of them had undertook the request to kill the previous creature; a climatic battle that ended in the loss of Xerxes’ left eye. Though he had since replaced it with the Millennium Eye, a family heirloom that was given to him by his brother which granted him abilities he was still attempting to comprehend, he still counted the entire ordeal as a loss. To be so thoroughly injured that he was bedridden for days was disgraceful to him. This presented an opportunity of redemption. Of revenge.

The sun shined brightly as the two made their way to the ship of the crew that hired them for the request. They opted to go for a more ‘official’ route unlike the last time. As they reached the dingy black ship, Xerxes saw the crew of foreigners. Joyan, Icebergian, Stellan, Bellan, each were represented within the melting pot-like crew. They presented themselves in a friendly manner though their appearance seemed to be too out of the ordinary for a bunch of simple fishermen as they claimed to be. As he scanned them with the Millennium Eye, he noticed that some of their stats seemed to be abnormally high for a fisherman. Strength in the low seventies, Constitution in the high sixties, some even had intelligence in the mid-eighties. The captain was the most jarring as he had strength that rivaled even that of Xerxes himself at a surprising one twenty. Something about them was off and as he glanced towards Ikazuchi to gauge his opinion on the situation, he sees a s smile on his face as he continues his stride towards the ship. “Hmph...” Xerxes mutters just loud enough for his comrade to hear. He had been around Ikazuchi long enough to know that a smile on his face such as that usually meant something bad for Xerxes later on. “He knows something….” Xerxes thinks to himself but decides to let it slide for the moment.

“Raise the anchors and lower the sails!” The captain says as the crew works hard to get the massive ship in motion. Xerxes felt a bit of nostalgia as the ship lowly lurched out to sea towards the brightly shining sun. As the ship travelled, Xerxes opted to stand out on the deck and search for the creature. He learned from his mistakes the last time and wanted to ensure that whatever was in the water did not get the drop on them this time around. The Millennium eye picked up the mana signatures of many creatures in the area but nothing that would warrant major concern. Lost in his scans, he barely heard the approaching footsteps of Ikazuchi who proceeded to prod him once more of his injury. It was done in jest, something the two of them grew fond of doing with one another. Xerxes, ignoring the jab, continues to stare out at the blue seas in front of him. “As long as your bad luck doesn’t completely screw us over, I should be good to go.” As he says this, the booming sound of thunder roars throughout the area as a crack of lightning strikes off in the distance. Dark clouds begin to roll in as a steady rainfall begins to drop. The crew scrambles to prepare for the unannounced storm as a drenched Xerxes slowly turns towards Ikazuchi. The defeated look on his face told the story. “Your bad luck strikes again. If I wind up losing another body part, I’m taking yours as compensation.” He says before returning his gaze towards the sea. As he does, he sees a massive and bright mana signature off in the distance. The entity was massive in length as he rapidly moves towards the ship; Xerxes slowly removes Jotunn’s Fang from its resting place. “It’s coming.”

WC: 734
TWC: 734/ 2,300 [10% WC Reduction]

‘What the fuck?’ Ikazuchi couldn’t help but marvel at the sight of the storm that had miraculously appeared out of nowhere in the clear sky. His gaze immediately shot towards Xerxes as he warily inspected his companion. “There’s no way you’re trying to blame this on me, right?” Xerxes ignored how his guildmate was looking at him as he continued. “If anything, you’re the one who jinxed us! You said something, and now we have to deal with this…” It was at this point that Xerxes had his attention drawn out towards the sea, only to be followed by the announcement of the creature's approach.

“See, you’re the bad luck…” He couldn’t help but mumble as he drew his swords in preparation for its arrival. The crew was busy handling the storm as Ikazuchi’s attention was fixed in the direction of his companion. Some of the crew even realized that something was off due to how they suddenly drew their weapons. The smarter ones even announced it for the others to prepare themselves.

It was at this moment that the massive creature shot out of the water tens of meters away as lightning flashed across the sky. The creature silently examined them, determining the quality of its upcoming meal. “Don’t you know how to go spearfishing or something? You should drag that cocky bastard over here so I can cut it into sashimi.” Ikazuchi couldn’t resist speaking as he realized what the creature was doing, not forgetting to take a jab at his companion during the process.

He knew that such a strong creature could understand him, so he wasn’t surprised to see its visible anger after hearing him speak. ‘Stupid thing…’ To him, it had been provoked too easily. He was looking forward to how it would rush at them and bite at them like the beast it was. They were already at a disadvantage over the water, so he knew that they would need to draw it in if they wished to finish it off like the last one. As for the crew, they were skillfully preparing the canons while this encounter was ongoing. A few stopped to stare in amazement at Ikazuchi after he provoked the beast, unsure what to think of the swordsman that they had hired.

“Shit…” Unfortunately, Ikazuchi had miscalculated this time. Not all sea creatures were the same, and this one was distinctly different as it possessed the magic power to affect the weather and conjure lightning. Rather than approach the ship, the creatures caused three yellow magic circles to appear in the air between it and the ship. “I’ll handle it!”

Ikazuchi quickly arrived at the side of the ship closest to the beast as the spells were fired towards them. “What kind of water snake is this…” Mana coated Breaker as the spell on it strengthened its durability before his two swords slashed out at the three bolts of lightning that had targeted him in particular rather than the ship as a whole. It could be said that his provocation had been a blessing in disguise as he was likely the best equipped to deal with the sudden spells on the ship.

The mana coating Breaker was quickly reduced between the two smaller bolts while the largest of the three was cut by Spellcutter. He couldn’t help but glance at Xerxes as he knew his guildmate would rarely pass up the opportunity to blame him for something like this that he couldn’t refute. At the very least, he had certainly provoked the creature causing it to do the unexpected. It wasn’t as though he could have known that the creature was blessed with the natural ability to use magic. It was only after seeing it wielding lightning freely that he realized the storm was likely connected to the creature. ‘I will defend for now.’ Unsure about how much magic it could use continuously, he chose to act defensively as they couldn’t afford to lose the ship. Even more so now that the storm created brutal currents that would only force them deeper into the sea if they fell on. Granted, their heavy armor would have already burdened them normally if they entered the sea.

Word Count: 700
Total Word Count: 1,260

“This is entirely your fault! You choose this damned request!” Xerxes says shortly before his comrade provoked the proverbial bear and insulted the creature. He had to have known that creatures such as this beast would be able to understand his words. As the Desiertian scanned the creature and saw its intelligence at a staggering two hundred and fifty-one, he could only sigh. He glanced around, seeing that the crew had stopped their preparations and looked at Ikazuchi with a collective look of confusion, amazement, and irritation on their faces, perfectly matching that of Xerxes. “Every sentient living being in the area thinks you are an idiot.” He sighs as three massive yellow circles appear in the air. “Of course…” Xerxes says as he and the crew move into position as Ikazuchi goes to handle the magical assault with his swords.

Manning the ballista on the portside of the ship, Xerxes fires off a few rounds towards the creature’s head with the intention of bringing it closer. Each arrow the ballista shot harmlessly bounced off the creature’s surprisingly tough skin, but it did its intended job of angering it. Glaring at Xerxes, the beast lifts its head as a magical circle appears directly above the Desiertian. “Could use some help over here!” Xerxes shouts towards Ikazuchi who busy dealing with magical attacks that was directed towards him. “Fuck…” Xerxes says as he runs away, narrowly dodging the massive strike which completely obliterates the ballista. Xerxes scrambles across the deck, narrowly dodging strike after strike until he reaches the harpoon gun on the other end. Seeing that the creature had once again reverted its attention towards Ikazuchi, Xerxes lines up his shot. Taking a deep breath, he fires the harpoon which strikes the creature in its left eye. A deafening roar of pain etches out as the creature falls back into the murky depths below, Xerxes laughing in jubilation. “That was for my eye.” He says as he sets the harpoon to pull in the target. “I’m going to head down and light it up with cannons along with the crew. Do what you do best and chop it up.” He says nonchalantly. Having complete faith in his partner’s abilities, Xerxes moved to the lower decks and prepared the cannons with the crew.

Cracks of thunder could be heard above deck as the crew moved diligently to prepare the cannons. Everyone spoke in muffled voices as they moved in a surprisingly organized manner. Streaks of light briefly illuminated the lower decks through the cracks as Ikazuchi handled the continuing magical assault from the outside. Xerxes reached the lower deck unnoticed and headed towards a cannon nearest the entrance before an odd feeling washed over him. As he sees the captain appear at the other end of the deck, the crew stops their work and turn towards the approaching captain. Xerxes decides to duck down and hide behind a couple of barrels as something about this didn’t feel right to him. “Alright men, listen up. Those idiots we hired from Sleeping Calamity are currently engaging the beast above. This beast might give them some trouble but if their strength is anything like what is rumored about them, they should be able to handle it. We’ll provide some cover fire just in case. To give the appearance that we are helping them. Immediately after the battle, that’s when we’ll strike. Go after the one-eyed bastard first. I didn’t like the way he glared at me earlier. We’ll use him as leverage to take out the other then toss their deceased bodies overboard. We claim the bounties on their heads and the money from the killing the beast.”

"Son of a bitch…” Xerxes whispers, realizing that the supposed group of fishermen were nothing more than pirates. Suddenly, the light bulb goes off as Xerxes remembers the smile on Ikazuchi’s face when they first laid eyes on the crew. “That motherfucker knew…”  he snarled. As the crew left to dismiss themselves, Xerxes appeared in front of them, Jotunn’s Fang already drawn. The captain and the crew looked as if they had seen a ghost as they instinctively moved to place a hand on their weapons. “I thought you were up fighting the creature…” the captain says warily. He had removed his sword from its sheath and had his right hand gripped tightly around its handle. “I was but I thought I’d come down here and help with the bombardment. Heard some pretty interesting things while I was down here. Some things about idiots, throwing some dead bodies overboard, claiming bounties. My absolute favorite was about the one-eyed bastard.” Several members of the crew gulped, realizing that their plan was shot. The captain, however, remained calm. “Even if you know, you would be a fool to believe that you alone can handle all of us.” A smile spreads across Xerxes’ face as he charges towards the group, cleaving the first man to approach him in two. The captain meets him as their weapons clash in a stalemate, a golden glow begins to emanate from the Millennium Eye. “Let’s see what you can do captain.”

WC: 858
TWC: 1,592 / 2,300 [10% WC Reduction]

‘I can only do so much!!’ Ikazuchi couldn’t help but shout internally as Xerxes announced his predicament. If possible, he wouldn’t have minded assisting. Unfortunately, he wasn’t in position to do so at all. There was a distance between them, so he accepted that Xerxes would have to rely on himself to deal with his issue. While he would have helped, he wasn’t concerned either. Seeing Xerxes dodge out of the way from the corner of his eye left him entertained. ‘See, you didn’t need my help.’

More lightning was fired his way after that forcing him to defend once more. “It really doesn’t like me, huh?” He muttered, as if he hadn’t been provoking it a short time ago. His reaction was as sharp as always as he cut through the various spells coming at him once more. One spell after another was cut through as he dedicated Spellcutter to his defenses, unaware of the various crew members making their way below deck during his efforts.

Xerxes took the opportunity to fire one of the mounted harpoons at the beast that was a distance away as Ikazuchi defended himself. The result was fairly impressive as the projectile embedded deep in the creature’s left eye. ‘Petty bastard…’ Ikazuchi couldn’t help but think that as he chuckled at the sight of the beast falling back in pain. He was impressed by the strength of the rope connecting the ship and the beast as the ship was pulled towards the beast following its actions.

Xerxes informed him of his intentions after landing that strike with the harpoon. “Sounds like a plan.” Ikazuchi had taken note of how the ship and beast were inching towards each other due to the harpoon’s mechanism. He didn’t spare any more attention for his guildmate or the crew after he realized that his turn would soon come.

He contemplated his options as he watched it thrash in the water while being careful not to exacerbate the wounds to its eye. It hadn’t even noticed the ship that was gradually being pulled closer due to the difference in mass between it and the ship. “If it uses magic, should I fight it like it’s a mage?” He mused to himself as he noticed the ship was approaching a distance that he could jump to the beast at.

“Hmmm…” It was at this point that it noticed him with its remaining good eye, growing more enraged at the sight of him. “Fuck you! I didn’t put your eye out, you overgrown snake!!” Out of habit he cursed the creature as he felt a slight resemblance between it and Xerxes due to the blame in its gaze.

Seeing that the battle would soon resume, Ikazuchi finally made a decision on how he wished to face the creature in battle. “Fuck it…” After that, he moved forward and used a single leap to reach the body of the sea creature. It was a crazy action that forced it to finally jerk away from the ship and dislodge the harpoon, at the expense of its entire eyeball being ripped from the socket.

Unfortunately, it wasn’t quick enough to move away before Ikazuchi reversed the grip on his swords and inserted them at angles in order to cling to the beast body. He relied on both his own strength and the strength granted by his relic to launch a powerful knee strike into the beast forcing its body to fly back forcefully. “Let’s see you shoot that lightning at me now, you motherfucker!” This was the last thing he could say before he was dragged under the water by the creature.

‘Do I look like a fish to you?’ He knew that he was in the wrong for cursing a sea monster for diving into the depths, but he wasn’t fond of the experience either. He had to force his eyes open and suffer the stinging pain for the salt in his eyes as he struggled to hold his breath. He fought against the water pressure as he alternated stabbing his swords into the creature to climb its body towards where its heart was. After arriving, he lined up his knee with its location before he forcefully jerked his body to one side in order for his back to face the depths of the sea. ‘Now, let’s have some fun…’ Would his air last, or would the best be sent flying? It was the dangerous game that he had decided to play, betting his life on his strength and relic.

What followed was an intense chain of knee strikes that forced the massive body to rise several meters with each strike. Straining himself consumed his oxygen at a faster rate, but he didn’t hesitate to keep attacking more aggressively even as his body screamed at him for air. The area his knee struck had already turned into mangled flesh that couldn’t be recognized while the wounds from his swords became more agitated. If it weren’t for the sturdy bones preventing his swords from easily cutting through the flesh, he would have already been separated from the creature.

‘Are you ready to fly?’ Ikazuchi couldn’t help but ask this question as he noticed the surface approaching. They had been steadily rising, and were finally about to exit the water. He didn’t doubt that Xerxes would curse him as a crazy bastard if he had seen his actions, but his gamble paid off as the creature partially lifted out of the water. He couldn’t help but take deep breaths before he screamed at it. “I’m not done yet!!”

With that said, he continued to attack it faster now that the water resistance wasn’t hindering him. The force of his strikes could only be stronger than it had been under the sea. Each thunderous knee strike forced the body up higher, the next following before the upward momentum disappeared. The giant body of the beast was eventually struck until it rose several tens of meters into the air, exiting the sea in a way reminiscent of flight. At least, that would be the case if it wasn’t thrashing in agony as he continued to attack unaware that they were gradually approaching the air above the ship.

At some point, the raging storm gradually started to calm down, unknown to Ikazuchi. Only the dark clouds still remained as he was absorbed in his battle. Finally, Ikazuchi started to maneuver more freely on the creature, pulling out one sword and using his momentum to swing towards the beast’s head. After getting his initial momentum, he would cleanly pull his sword through the beast’s flesh as he inserted his other sword as an anchor to maintain the momentum. It was an astonishing feat that occurred during the short time he had as it reached its highest point and started to fall downward.

He was fully immersed in slaughtering the best as he arrived at the base of its skull and pulled himself forward with his full strength. This ensured that he could safely arrive at the beast skull as he brought both swords from its body. He intended to deal the final blow at this moment as the beast’s vitality faded away due to his attacks. He was smiling in an excited manner as he thrust his two swords downward with a reverse grip, burying the two blades down to their hilts as he instinctively activated his relic accelerating its fall. Unfortunately, it was only after dealing the final blow that he realized what was below. “Shit…” He had just accelerated the descent of the massive creature into the very ship that they had sailed here on, where Xerxes was currently at. His expression froze as he braced himself for the impact that would soon occur.

Word Count: 1,290
Total Word Count: 2,550

The rhythmic clanging of steel against steel echoed throughout the lower decks as Xerxes and the ship’s captain were locked in combat, both of them covered in blood. Around them laid the broken and deceased bodies of the crew, all of them either falling by Xerxes’ blade or simply just collateral damage from the raging battle outside between his comrade and the massive beast that threatened to kill them all. Only Ikazuchi’s yelling and insults towards the creature he currently engaged could be heard above the fight. The captain, a non-mage much like Ikazuchi and Xerxes himself, had pushed the Desiertian well beyond what he had expected. Though most of this was due to the man still not being at one hundred percent after their last outing at sea, the captain’s strength and skills with a blade were still worth noting. After another flurry of strikes, the two men skidded back, both of them out of breath. “Fucking monsters…the lot of you.” the captain says as he stabs his sword into the floorboard to keep himself from falling over. Xerxes gives a half smile as he does something similar with Jotunn’s Fang, shifting majority of his weight on the weapon. “You still think that you and your men could handle the two of us? I have one ‘good’ eye, barely at fifty percent, and you boys couldn’t even handle me. The hell where you guys drinking that would lead you to believe that you’d manage against us?” “Shut up. Just shut the hell up!” The captain spits bitterly as he removes his sword from the floorboard and prepares himself for a final attack. Xerxes responds in kind as he lifts up his weapon and points the tip of it at the captain. With renewed vigor, the two men charge towards each other, ready to end the fight in a single blow.

Suddenly, a large cracking sound could be heard at the upper deck; a sound so loud that it halts the two charging men. Both of them glanced up, though only Xerxes could ascertain what was happening. Through his Millennium Eye, he could see a large figure rapidly approaching the two. The figure’s mana signature dimmed with each passing second which Xerxes correctly assumed meant that it was dead. “That rat motherfucker…” Xerxes yells as he quickly leaps backward. The captain, thinking that Xerxes was attempting to escape, foolishly lunges towards him. The massive serpent’s deceased body crashes through the ship, crushing the captain completely and splitting the entirety of the ship in half. The force knocks Xerxes back as he slams hard against the ship’s wall, momentarily knocking him out. A few minutes pass and the Desiertian comes to, waist deep in water. The end of the ship that he was in slowly sank as the storms slowly began to recede. Thankfully still clutching onto Jotunn’s Fang, Xerxes wades through the water to the now deceased serpent and stabs his weapon into its side to gain a foothold. Slowly, he makes his way out of the water and onto the top of the creature as he looks around. He sees a large mana signature in the water to his right, instantly recognizing that to be Ikazuchi due to his stats. “Of course, he's still alive.” He mutters as he slowly walks along the serpent’s belly towards him.

Coming within speaking distance, Xerxes sits down and sighs just loud enough for his comrade to hear him. “You son of a bitch. You’re so petty that to get back at me for leaving so I could perform a more supportive role in helping you kill this thing that you drop the bastard on my head?! Not to mention that you set us up with fucking pirates who, might I add, were trying to kill us? I had to fight that damn captain and his entire crew alone. I won, mind you, but that’s not the point. Ever since you let the last creature take my eye, you’ve been saying that I should ‘take it easy’. Yet nothing I’ve ended up doing is easy. I’m damn near crippled and you have me out in the middle of nowhere with no...way back….fuck.” He wanted to continue his tirade but thought better of it for the moment, as the realization hit him that they would now have to find their way back to the island with the dead creature in tow to collect their reward. He glances around and remembers that on the side of the ship where the captain last stood was a rowboat attached to the back wall. As he could still see that the part of the ship in question was relatively intact but currently sinking, he points towards it. “As I fought the Captain, which is totally your fault by the way, there was a small boat attached to the wall. I’m tired and, honestly, I’m not doing anything else. Get it and let’s get the hell out of here. And I’m not helping you carry this thing either.” He says as he pats the serpent. Sighing once more, he lays down and stares at the slowly setting sun and lets his mind wander. “I hate him.” He mutters.

WC: 870
TWC: 2,462 / 2,300 [10% WC Reduction]

Ikazuchi had finally been dislodged from the beast’s body after slamming through the ship. ‘Fucking hell, I won’t ever hear the end of this…’ That was the only thought running through his mind as he was forcefully plunged deep into the sea. This time, Ikazuchi sheathed his swords and swam to the surface himself. He was gasping for air near the beast floating body when he heard Xerxes sigh and let loose.

Ikazuchi couldn’t help but laugh at his guildmate’s rant. The fact that he made a point to brag amidst the venting was all it took for Ikazuchi to relax. The situation had ended safely, and there didn’t seem to be anyone else alive nearby. “You still have your eye, don’t you?” After that, Xerxes pointed out the row boat that Ikazuchi willingly retrieved due to the slight feeling of guilt he felt. He retrieved a similar rope to what had been attached to the harpoon and bound the giant beast to the boat before throwing an oar at Xerxes who was laying down.

“If you don’t want to spend all night at sea, get down here and help me row!” The pair stared at each other silently for a bit before Xerxes begrudgingly gave in. The two eventually managed to haul the sea creature back to Luluhawa Island and contact someone that would give them a reasonable price for their efforts. Other than that, Ikazuchi had collected a bonus from the captain’s quarters of the sinking ship for the pair to split. Even if everything went wrong along the way, they left wealthier than they had been previously.

Word Count: 270
Total Word Count: 2,820

OOC: Quest Completed