Chapter 8: Chapter.8. The Behemoth pirate ship
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Chapter. 8
Words counted-- 1300
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When Eudora reached the deck, her normally composed face paled at the sight of the approaching ship. Its dark silhouette against the horizon struck a chord of dread in her chest. Gripping the ship's rail tightly, she whispered, "Why is he here?"
"Miss, who are they?" one of her assistants asked, noticing her sudden unease.
Eudora's voice was barely audible, tinged with both recognition and fear. "All mariners' nightmare… the Lord of Haptaseas… leader of the Black Shark Pirates… and captain of the Bahamoth pirate ship."
A collective gasp rippled through the crew. Eudora rarely praised an enemy, but hearing such titles from her was unnerving for all who knew her.
"Why would Bane be sailing here?" another crew member who recognised the approaching ship banner muttered, the unease spreading like wildfire.
Eudora forced herself to steady her voice and called out, her words amplified with magic to reach the enemy ship. "State your business, Bane!"
A loud, guttural laugh echoed across the sea, carrying an ominous weight. "Jejaaaahahaha! All hands, ahoy!" Bane's voice boomed as his ship drew closer. The pirates obeyed, halting the ship with precision. Then came his mocking tone. "Long time no see, kid. My, how you've grown."
"Don't speak as if we're acquaintances, Bane," Eudora shot back. "Why are you here?"
"Jehaaaaha! Can't a pirate roam free? What I see, I take it. Hand over those noble brats, and I'll consider sparing only you," Bane replied, his tone dripping with arrogance.
Eudora's eyes narrowed as her fingers curled into fists. "Do you really think you can say something like that and walk away unscathed? Sir Franco will be here soon. He'll deal with the likes of you." Her words, though confident, were laced with a desperate hope to stall for time.
"Franco?" Bane laughed louder, the sound grating on everyone's nerves. "Even the strongest currents couldn't drown me, and you think a mere pirate from the North Seas is my equal? I had already killed him."
The words struck Eudora like a thunderbolt. "Sir Franco is… dead? Impossible!" she shouted, her voice faltering with emotion. "Not even you, with all your fleet, could take him down. You've already lost to him once!"
Bane smirked, his expression dark and menacing. "Hold my rum," he commanded, tossing a barrel to a nearby subordinate. "Bring me my treasure chest."
"Yes, Captain!" another pirate hurriedly dragged the chest toward him.
With a flourish, Bane opened it and pulled out a bloodied helmet. Placing it on his head, he sneered. "I don't need words to prove myself. My actions are enough! Jehaaaahaha!"
"It's Sir Franco's helmet!" someone exclaimed in panic. "A top-level artifact—the Cursed Helmet! By sacrificing the user's magic power, it grants the host immunity to any magic below relic class!"
The explanation sent ripples of unease through the crew.
"And with what we know about Sir Franco's defeat," the same person continued, voice trembling, "that pirate already possesses five artifacts—two top-class and three legacy-class!"
Eudora's composure cracked as fury overtook her. "You monster! You'll pay for this!" she cried, her hands glowing with magical energy.
"LIGHTNING— STRICK"
A massive bolt of lightning tore through the sky, striking Bane's ship with a deafening roar. The blast spread across the vessel, frying dozens of pirates in an instant. The smell of charred wood and scorched flesh filled the air.
When the smoke cleared, Bane stood unharmed, his mocking laughter echoing again. "Eudora, are you becoming racist now? Attacking me first just because I'm half-octopus?" He gestured to his grotesque form with a smirk, showing no concern for his fallen crew.
Eudora's heart sank. Even her charge spell had no effect. " Is it due to that curse helmat?"
'Should I release some seals?' Eudora's mind was a whirlwind of chaos and doubt. She knew her full power could rival Bane, even with all his formidable artifacts. However, the cost of such an action was too great. Her seals existed for a reason—without them, her power was volatile, uncontrollable. If unleashed, it would not just target Bane and his pirates but also the students, crew, and even the ship itself.
Her eyes flicked to the faces around her. Some were trembling, trying to hide their fear, while others clutched their weapons with determination.
They know they were carrying the future of the academy, perhaps the future of their lands. If she lost control, she wouldn't just defeat Bane; she would destroy everything and everyone she had sworn to protect.
Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on the rail. "No," she whispered to herself. "Not yet." Instead of succumbing to her destructive power, Eudora began channeling a more focused energy, her silver hair shimmering faintly with contained magic.
While Eudora and the others stood tense and uncertain, Bane turned to his subordinates with a menacing grin. "Let me show her how I killed Franco," he exclaimed, his voice booming with cruel pride. "Bring it up."
"Fatal Link—Atlas Rise for me!"
The atmosphere shifted violently. The air became icy, and the once-calm waves churned into raging whirlpools. Tornadoes erupted across the sea as an enormous shadow rose from the depths.
The monstrous figure that emerged dwarfed everything in sight. Its size was staggering—larger than the tallest mountains, with eyes glowing like fiery orbs. Its mere presence sent waves of terror through everyone on board.
"What… what is that?" someone whispered, their voice trembling.
Looking down at the ships, which appeared no more than specks beneath its gaze, the colossal creature surveyed its surroundings. Its deep, resonant voice echoed across the waters, chilling everyone to their core. "Times have changed my Northern Vale," it rumbled, the weight of its words pressing down like the ocean itself.
"Is that… an Ocean Gladiator?" someone stammered, their voice quivering.
"An Abyssal Sea Creature," another whispered in awe.
"But what… what is it riding?"
The Abyssal Sea Creatures were thought to exist only in ancient texts, legendary guardians of the Northern Vale said to have vanished centuries ago. Yet here one stood, a towering monstrosity the size of a mountain. Even more bewildering was the sight of it encased within a massive mecha, its mechanical limbs glinting ominously in the light.
The creature loomed over the ships, its massive mechanical frame glinting ominously in the light.
"Yes, yes! This is my ultimate weapon!" Bane declared, his voice filled with manic glee. "A mecha sentinel powered by a Gladiator of the Abyss! With this, I'll rule the seas! Killing that mermaid queen will be child's play!"
Eudora's assistant fell to his knees, his voice barely a whisper. "We're doomed…"
Eudora's determination hardened as she glared at the abomination before her. "Gladiators are the guardians of the Northern Vale. We cannot allow them to be controlled by a pirate!"
The Gladiator's booming voice silenced the chaos. "Young girl," it rumbled, "I am not being controlled."
Eudora's breath caught in her throat. "Then… why? Why would you help him?"
The massive creature's gaze fell upon her. "I owe him a debt. I lay dormant at the ocean's depths for centuries. He freed me. In return, I granted him three wishes. One of them is my protection."
"Are you an idiot!" a voice suddenly shouted.
The declaration cut through the tension like a knife. All eyes turned toward the source—Shinji, standing at the edge of the deck, his expression calm but firm. Beside him were Veronica, Guinevere, and several other students.
"Who dares call the gladiator an idiot?" the people around shuddered, there voice ready shaking the very ocean.
"I do," Shinji said plainly, stepping forward. His tone was steady, almost casual. "You're being used, and you're too blind to see it."
Even Bane was momentarily stunned, his mocking laughter dying in his throat.
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Remainder -
• Every character here will be an existing character from anime, novel, fanfiction, manga, manhwa ,game, myth etc.
• But here they will have there own role.
The lore for them will be sometime diffrent.
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Bane -
Atlast -
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