Countless possibilities unfold before my eyes in real time.
Filtering out only what is needed for the current situation leaves me with hundreds.
Filter that same stream again, and it narrows to dozens.
From those dozens of possibilities, stripped away in an instant by a brain and eyes working like they're on fire, I find the one that matters most.
At present, Mr. Queequeg is behind me. Unfortunately, the direction I need to flee in is also behind me.
Spinning my body around once, I watch the trajectory of Mr. Queequeg's attack. Precisely...
- Swaaish─!
Break through by the narrowest margin.
I can feel Starbuck joining in quickly, but since I'd already stamped my foot down in advance, escaping wasn't inconvenient.
But what changes just because I'm in the middle of six prisoners who've joined the attack?
The enemy's five or so crew members were all watching me like hawks, and there wasn't much room to move.
Wouldn't my chances of survival go up if I simply reduced the number of enemies by even one?
The moment that thought crossed my mind, I charged back in the direction I'd come from and broke through.
Dante immediately considers the optimal means in that situation. A way to tie their feet down as much as possible.
Target their core: Ahab.
The remaining six prisoners immediately begin pursuing the target.
"Queequeg! Stand around me!"
"..."
What blocks that is Mr. Queequeg.
Still, no matter how sturdy she was, she couldn't take on all six alone, so most of the remaining crew helped her.
Because of the threat of a possible harpoon strike, and the other crew members who could lunge in at any moment, the people on guard couldn't recklessly break away.
The only variable that could turn the tide of battle was the duel between me and Starbuck.
...Am I being trusted a little too much? Even so, they're handing me something this important.
Still, surely this isn't some strategy that's really going all in on me. I trust there's a plan that works even if I die.
What I need to do now is give my all to the task assigned to me.
Haa... The Liu Association's fighting style is at its best when many fight together, and yet for some reason I keep fighting alone. Not that I hate this, either.
I loosen my body and glare at Starbuck.
Our eyes meet, the tension stretches on... then, as if by prior agreement, we both rush at each other.
Because of the difference in range, Starbuck gets the first move.
This time, instead of the irregular attack mixed with hand-to-hand combat from before, he toys with me using only the advantage of distance.
Tsk. Range control, huh? What a pain.
I'm practically forced to go in.
Against someone with decent reflexes and solid hand-to-hand skill, can I really take the initiative and gain the upper hand by going in first?
No, that's not the question. I have to. The situation has already come to that.
"Hup!"
"Damn..."
- Kaaang─!
With a clear ringing sound, the blade wreathed in flames shoves the harpoon back for a brief moment.
Then I immediately close the distance by one step, creating a range where I can reach out and touch him. What now?
My rapidly spinning brain works with my eyes to present several paths. For now I've temporarily knocked the harpoon away, but he hasn't let go of his strength, so he'll rush me again immediately. Hand-to-hand is likely to be countered by my own strength...
- Ching─! Kkgeuk, kakakakak─!
We fight with weapons at a range so close that a thrown fist could land. If the other side gets impatient and throws a punch first, I'll counter then.
In a formation like this, where even a slight miss can mean a fatal wound, deep mind games are forced on us.
And I have no intention of losing that exchange. Naturally, the impatient Starbuck comes at me with hand-to-hand combat that can create a variable first...
"Got you."
Of course, that was my aim from the start.
I let the leg technique Starbuck threw at me slip past as if I'd already seen through it.
If a trip fails and the center of gravity scatters, that also means the upper body can't generate force. A broken center of gravity collapses the balance above it.
Not missing the opening, I swung my blade with the intent of snapping the harpoon in half if necessary.
And in that brief opening, Starbuck shows some quick thinking.
He lets go of the harpoon entirely, steps one pace closer, and aims for the back of the hand holding my sword.
In that instant. Unable to reclaim the force I'd already committed, I allow the strike to my wrist, and our weapons go tumbling through the air.
If this keeps up, I'll be pinned down. Just like before, I shove Starbuck back with all my strength to open the distance.
"Hah, seriously, this is insane. Isn't that cheating?"
"I have one on the instep... and you have one on the back of the hand... so this is even... maybe?"
He's out of his mind, seriously.
I rub the stinging back of my hand. Not good. I gave him a chance to gnaw at me.
And both our weapons are rolling over in that direction, damn it.
Starbuck can't casually go pick his up either because of the wound on his foot, but...
The tension between us is obvious in our eyes. He just got hit in hand-to-hand combat.
Even if I make full use of my eyes, given our current physical abilities, are we equal?
The moment I predicted this would be a difficult fight, I was the first to smile.
From far away, an umbrella flies over my head.
And down comes a sudden fox rain.
Yi Sang's strongest current [E.G.O].
- Swaaaaaaah───!!!
Starbuck panics, and I smile as I charge in.
Of course he never would have imagined that rain would suddenly pour down inside a whale's heart, and that only he would take damage from it!
...I caught a glimpse of it as it passed by, and the rain aimed at Ahab was all taken by Mr. Queequeg. What the hell is that person doing?
For a brief instant, my offensive takes a clear advantage.
It's nothing more than improvised close-quarters combat, where we read and respond to each other's every move.
Since our levels are similar, Starbuck naturally takes the blows cleanly, but there are things no matter how well you handle them that you still can't block.
- Chiiiiiiik...!
"Ghk..."
"How is it? The pain of flesh burning."
If my shoes had also been Liu Association standard issue, I could have added even more damage here and there. What a shame. Maybe I should request them next time.
Who would have thought that after reaching Section 3, I'd end up using kicks as my main weapon... Next time, I should anticipate this in advance and prepare.
One step, then another. Starbuck is slowly driven back. He's managing to block my attacks somehow, but his face is unmistakably showing distress.
Then, the moment he reaches a certain distance, Starbuck shoves me back with all his strength.
On the floor, I can see the harpoon he'd been knocked away from earlier. Is that his target?
Since I can't stop the sequence of him slowly retreating and then going to grab it anyway, I quickly dismiss my regret at not anticipating it sooner.
What I need to do is quickly recover my own weapon, which should be lying nearby.
As soon as I finish assessing the situation, I quickly retrieve my sword and point it at Starbuck.
Starbuck is no different. He hurriedly recovers his own weapon and points it at me.
The sight of us aiming weapons at each other looked almost exactly like the moments before the first exchange began.
Unlike then, it was very clear who was smiling now.
Starbuck, with burns all over his body, lets out a rough breath. I'm tired from concentration too, but not as much as he is.
...Huh, wait. Come to think of it, once the painkillers wear off, isn't the damage on my side actually worse?
Eh... as long as I win the fight, it doesn't matter. Yeah.
I shake off the unnecessary thoughts and focus on reality.
A tired body breeds fatigue, and fatigue breeds mistakes. The situation is much better now, so if I just stay calm, there won't be any variables.
- Kkang! Kkeuk. Chwaak!
"Urgh..."
Clean hit. He's definitely slowed down. There's no way I can lose now.
Having allowed a proper strike, did Starbuck sense his defeat? He fled from the fight and took position behind Ahab.
Still, he doesn't seem to intend to step back in. A complete withdrawal from battle.
I won.
Haa... If the [E.G.O] hadn't helped in the middle, this would have been a serious pain. If I had to judge it, the chance of losing was a little higher.
I slump down and catch my breath.
What's happening over there?
- Ching, kkakak...!
"Ahab!!!"
"Yes, shout louder! Your whale is right here!!"
Mr. Queequeg is taking on nine, and Ahab and Ms. Ishmael are in a duel.
The remaining crew members... are down.
From the situation, it looks like once the crew was dealt with, there was no need to guard Dante so fiercely, so they left only a small number behind and threw everyone else into the fight.
I should sit and rest.
I pushed myself too hard. When this medicine wears off... ugh. Horrible.
The rest of the battle was obvious.
Unable to handle nine opponents, Mr. Queequeg eventually withdrew midway, and Ahab, finally left alone, was targeted with gritted teeth.
No matter how much of a fighter, instigator, commander, and judge of the situation a person is, there are limits.
The wounds on Ahab's body kept increasing, and before long the battle was nearly over.
"You could have! Given them a chance. To the crew!! At least enough for them to know where they were..."
"On every route I sail... white, cloudy traces are left behind. You say I stole the crew's chance? Wrong. They saw the traces I left and aligned their own direction to mine."
Then. Just when I thought it was over.
A strange vibration echoes inside the heart.
"──"
It was definitely a sound I'd heard before. Right, just before Dongrang changed... fuck, this is...
"Because I can't endure it any other way. Because I'm endlessly weak! Because in an uncertain life, I'm the one with certainty above all else, and I'm the one who gives the path! My last remaining crew! Where are you? Follow my orders! Pursue this bastard!!"
I shoved every last dose of medicine I had left into my mouth.
Haa... Right. There was no way it would end that easily.
This time, I'll really finish it and go back.
I made that vow firmly in my heart.
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