Volume 3 Chapter 168: The Pack That Hunted The Sand Cruiser

The Ganzame had no intention of letting them escape.

After Akari's concentrated slash split one of the enormous sand sharks in half, the Endless Sand Valley seemed to become even more hostile. The golden dunes still rolled toward the horizon beneath the afternoon sun, their shifting surfaces glittering beautifully in the light, but the scenery no longer held any of its earlier charm. The sand cruiser had become the center of a hunt, and the predators pursuing it were growing increasingly aggressive.

Beneath the golden surface, enormous shadows darted through the sand with frightening speed. They circled the vessel from every direction, their movements coordinated enough to suggest that the Ganzame were not simply chasing their prey. They were attempting to surround it, cut off its escape routes, and bring it to a complete stop.

The first warning came from the left.

A broad dorsal fin emerged from the sand, slicing through the golden surface like a blade. Several meters behind it, another fin appeared, followed by a third. Before Ryota could adjust the cruiser's course, three more rose from the opposite side. Their triangular silhouettes glided through the dunes, keeping pace with the vessel as though the cruiser were moving through water rather than sand.

Ryota tightened his grip on the steering controls. His eyes moved rapidly between the fins on either side, then toward the shifting ground ahead. The number of visible Ganzame was already concerning, and the ripples spreading across the dunes suggested that several more were swimming just beneath the surface.

"...You've got to be kidding me."

He had expected trouble in the Endless Sand Valley. Rio had warned them about the creatures that inhabited this region, and the wrecked cruisers they had discovered earlier had made it clear that the danger was very real. Still, knowing that something might attack them and watching an entire pack close in on their vessel were two very different experiences.

"They're surrounding us!" Akari shouted from beside the railing.

"I CAN SEE THAT!" Ryota yelled back.

The cruiser suddenly lurched sideways.

KRRRRAAANG!

A Ganzame had slammed into the right side of the hull.

The impact reverberated through the vessel with enough force to rattle the railings and make the wooden deck groan beneath everyone's feet. The sand cruiser tilted sharply, throwing Memory off balance. She stumbled into a nearby bench and desperately caught its edge before she could fall.

Bubbles, who had been resting in her arms, bounced free.

"Pyu?!"

The little blue slime rolled across the deck, wobbling helplessly as the vessel shuddered beneath it. It bounced once, twice, and then bumped into the base of a seat, where it remained motionless for a moment as though trying to understand why their relaxing expedition had suddenly turned into a life-or-death struggle.

"Bubbles!" Memory cried.

She hurried over, scooped up the slime, and held it tightly against her chest. "You need to hold on to something! Anything! Just please don't roll off the ship!"

"Pyu...!"

Bubbles trembled in her arms.

Memory couldn't tell whether it was frightened or simply confused, but she had no intention of finding out what would happen if the little creature went flying overboard while a pack of enormous sand sharks was waiting below.

Another impact struck the opposite side of the cruiser.

THUD!

The vessel rocked in the other direction. Ryota twisted the steering controls, struggling to keep the nose pointed forward while the propulsion units fought to maintain their speed. Sand sprayed against the hull, and a metallic grinding sound came from somewhere beneath the deck.

The Ganzame weren't merely following them anymore.

They were attacking with increasing aggression, striking the cruiser from different angles in an attempt to destabilize it. Each collision threatened to throw the vessel off course, and if one of the sharks managed to hit the hull at the wrong angle, the entire cruiser could overturn.

Akari leaned over the railing and caught sight of one of the creatures swimming alongside them. Its broad, armored head briefly broke through the disturbed sand, revealing rows of serrated teeth before it submerged again. The shark circled the vessel, keeping just far enough away to avoid being struck by the moving hull.

Then Akari remembered what she had done to the Ganzame at the bow.

"...Oh."

Memory turned toward her without releasing Bubbles.

"What?"

Akari slowly looked back at the approaching pack. "I think they're angry."

Memory stared at her.

"...You think?"

"Well, I did cut one of them in half."

For several seconds, Memory could only look at Akari in disbelief. Then the color drained from her face.

"YOU THINK THEY NOTICED?!"

Akari winced at the volume of her voice. "I didn't exactly have time to ask it to move!"

The cruiser shook again as another Ganzame rammed its side.

BOOOOM!

Ryota leaned heavily into the steering controls, forcing the vessel back toward its original course. The front of the cruiser swung dangerously close to a dune before he managed to correct its direction.

"Can we discuss the consequences of killing their relatives AFTER we stop the rest of them from sinking us?!"

"I'm trying to help!" Akari protested.

"THEN HELP IN A WAY THAT DOESN'T MAKE THEM ANGRIER!"

"I DON'T THINK THEY WERE GOING TO BE FRIENDLY IN THE FIRST PLACE!"

"THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"

Their argument might have continued if another violent shudder hadn't forced both of them to grab the nearest railing.

Several meters away from the cruiser, Rio remained perched on the back of a wounded Ganzame. She had managed to draw the attention of several members of the pack, but the remaining creatures had continued pursuing the vessel. Her strategy had worked only partially. Instead of abandoning the cruiser to chase her, the sharks were splitting their attention between the moving ship and the target riding one of their own.

Rio tightened her grip on her Imperial Saber as the creature beneath her twisted violently. Its rough, armored back offered little room for a comfortable foothold, and every sudden movement threatened to throw her into the sand.

She adjusted her stance, keeping her center of gravity low while she watched the cruiser.

Akari and Memory were still aboard, and Ryota was doing everything he could to keep the vessel moving. Rio trusted their abilities, but she wasn't going to assume they could handle an entire pack without assistance. The Ganzame had already demonstrated that they were intelligent enough to coordinate their attacks, and the narrow deck gave her companions very little room to maneuver.

She needed to end this encounter before the cruiser sustained serious damage.

Unfortunately, the sharks seemed determined to make that difficult.

"Memory! Help me with the Ganzame!"

Akari's voice cut through the noise of the attack.

Memory immediately straightened, her fear giving way to concentration. She carefully placed Bubbles beside the base of a seat, making sure the little slime was tucked away from the railing before opening her skill interface.

A familiar golden icon appeared before her eyes.

[Tamer Skill: Terracotta Commission]

"Right! I'll summon the Terracotta warriors!"

Golden light began gathering around her hands as she prepared to activate the skill. In an ordinary battle, her first instinct would have been to deploy all four of her summons. Their numbers allowed them to attack from multiple angles, protect one another, and keep enemies occupied while Memory supported them from a safe distance.

But before she could complete the activation, Akari grabbed her shoulder.

"WAIT!"

Memory nearly jumped out of her skin. "W-What?!"

"Don't summon all of them!"

Memory blinked at her. "...Why not?"

Akari pointed toward the deck. The cruiser was still swaying beneath their feet, and another set of ripples had begun spreading through the sand to their right.

"Look at how much the ship is shaking! If you summon four heavy Terracotta warriors on top of it, we might not be able to support their combined weight. And if they all appear on one side, the cruiser could tilt far enough for us to lose our balance. The hull might already be damaged, too. Adding that much weight could make the situation even worse!"

Memory's mouth slowly fell open.

She looked at the deck beneath her feet, then at the railing, and finally at the sand rushing past the cruiser. For the first time since the attack began, she considered how much her actions might affect the vessel itself.

"...Oh."

Akari nodded. "We need to be careful about how we use our skills here. We can't just throw everything we have at the enemy if doing so makes the ship less stable."

Memory lowered her hands, allowing the golden light around her fingers to fade. Her gaze returned to the skill interface, and she began reconsidering her options.

Terracotta Commission had always been one of her most useful abilities. Four summons meant four separate bodies capable of attacking, defending, and drawing enemy attention. In a dungeon, having more allies was usually an advantage, especially when facing enemies that could overwhelm a single fighter through sheer numbers.

But this wasn't an ordinary battlefield.

They were fighting aboard a relatively small vessel, surrounded by creatures powerful enough to throw it off course with a single impact. There was limited space to move, and every additional weight or sudden shift in position could affect the balance of the cruiser. Even if her Terracotta warriors were strong enough to hold back the Ganzame, summoning them carelessly might create an entirely different problem.

She needed another approach.

Before she could find one, a massive shadow rose from the sand ahead.

"RYOTA!" Akari shouted.

Ryota saw the Ganzame almost immediately.

The creature surged out of the dunes with explosive force, its muscular body emerging from the golden sand as it opened its jaws toward the front of the cruiser. Its enormous shadow swept over the deck, briefly blotting out the sunlight. Rows of serrated teeth glimmered between its jaws, and the opening was wide enough to swallow a considerable portion of the vessel.

Ryota reacted on instinct.

He wrenched the steering controls to the left.

The sand cruiser's nose swung sideways just as the Ganzame descended. The creature's jaws snapped shut a short distance ahead of the vessel, missing the bow by mere meters.

SHHHHHRRRAAASH!

The shark crashed into the sand where the cruiser had been heading. Its enormous body plowed through the dunes, sending a tremendous spray of golden grains into the air. The shock wave from its landing struck the vessel, making the deck shudder and forcing everyone to brace themselves.

Ryota fought the steering controls until the cruiser straightened.

"...I AM STARTING TO HATE SHARKS!"

Memory grabbed the railing with one hand and covered her head with the other.

"I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW SHARKS COULD FLY!"

"They're not flying!" Akari shouted.

"THEY'RE JUMPING!"

"THAT DOESN'T MAKE IT BETTER!"

Despite the chaos, a thought had begun to take shape in Memory's mind.

She looked again at the skill interface still floating before her. Terracotta Commission. Four summons. Four separate bodies, each with its own armor, weapon, and combat capabilities.

Her gaze shifted toward the illustration of the Terracotta Archer.

Then she looked at the deck.

There was enough room for one warrior to stand near the railing without obstructing Ryota's movements. If she positioned the summon carefully, it could attack the Ganzame without putting too much additional strain on one side of the vessel.

But there was another question.

Did she really need to summon all four warriors to use the skill properly?

Memory had always assumed that the number four was an essential part of Terracotta Commission. It was the skill's defining feature, after all. She could call forth a small unit of warriors, giving her a numerical advantage against enemies that would otherwise be difficult to handle alone.

Yet the skill interface described the maximum number of summons she could deploy. It didn't necessarily mean she had to summon all of them.

Her eyes widened slightly.

"...Wait."

Akari glanced toward her. "What?"

Memory looked at the skill icon again, studying it as though she had never truly understood it before.

"What if I don't summon all four?"

Akari blinked. "...What?"

"What if I only summon one?"

For a moment, Akari simply stared at her. Then her expression changed as she began to understand what Memory was considering.

"...You want to concentrate the summon?"

Memory nodded, though she wasn't entirely certain of her own idea yet. "I'm not sure if it'll work, but the skill lets me summon four warriors. Maybe I don't have to use all four at once. If I summon only one, maybe the skill will put more power into that one instead."

Another impact struck the right side of the cruiser.

THUD!

Memory nearly lost her footing, but she caught the railing and steadied herself. They didn't have much time to experiment, and the Ganzame were still circling the vessel, looking for another opportunity to strike.

She took a deep breath and forced herself to focus.

"Alright. Let's try it!"

Memory raised her hand toward the skill interface.

[Tamer Skill: Terracotta Commission]

Golden magic circles appeared beneath her feet, but this time, only one formed. Rather than spreading across the deck, the light gathered into a narrow circle directly in front of her. Golden lines traced intricate patterns across its surface, and the air above it began to shimmer as magical energy condensed into a single point.

The light intensified.

A humanoid silhouette gradually emerged from within the glow.

BOOOOM!

A Terracotta Archer materialized on the deck.

The summon landed with one knee against the wooden boards, its heavy bow held firmly in one hand. The impact produced a deep thud, but the cruiser remained steady. After a brief pause, the warrior rose to its full height and turned toward Memory.

She immediately noticed that something was different.

The Terracotta Archer's armor was noticeably thicker than before. Additional plates covered its shoulders and forearms, while overlapping layers of terracotta and metal reinforced its torso. Several sharp protrusions extended from the armor, giving the warrior a more formidable silhouette. Even its helmet had changed, its angular shape lending the summon a distinctly more imposing appearance.

Its weapon was different, too.

The bow was longer and more heavily reinforced, with a narrow, spear-like structure built into its frame. Its limbs were thick enough to resemble the components of a siege weapon, and engraved golden runes glimmered around the central grip.

Memory stared at it.

"...Huh?"

The Terracotta Archer slowly rose to its feet, turned toward her, and lowered its head in a respectful gesture.

Memory blinked several times.

"...You look different."

Before she could examine the summon more closely, a notification appeared before her eyes.

[Terracotta Commission — Summoning Variation Detected]

Summons Deployed: 1 / 4

Formation: Concentrated

Available Summon Power has been redirected to the active unit.

Individual Summon Enhancement: Activated

Memory froze.

She read the notification once.

Then again.

Then a third time, just to make certain she hadn't misunderstood it.

"...Wait."

Akari leaned closer to look at the interface. "What does it say?"

Memory swallowed as she read the notification aloud. "It says the skill redirected the available summon power into the one warrior I summoned."

Her eyes widened as the meaning of the remaining text became clear.

"When I summon fewer warriors, the power that would normally be distributed between all four gets concentrated into the ones I actually summon."

Akari looked from the interface to the Terracotta Archer. The warrior's reinforced armor and oversized bow suddenly made much more sense.

"So instead of having four warriors with their normal strength..."

Memory slowly nodded.

"...I get one that's much stronger."

The realization struck her all at once.

She had always thought of Terracotta Commission as a skill that traded quality for quantity. Its greatest advantage was the ability to summon several units, allowing her to surround enemies and fight with a small army. She had never considered that the skill might possess another function, one that allowed her to sacrifice the number of summons in exchange for greater individual power.

The skill wasn't simply giving her four warriors.

It was giving her a pool of summon power that could be distributed among them.

If she deployed fewer units, the remaining warriors could receive a larger share of that power, strengthening their bodies and enhancing their combat capabilities. It was a simple principle, but one she had never thought to test.

Memory looked at the Terracotta Archer again. Its armored frame was sturdier, its posture more imposing, and its reinforced bow looked capable of delivering far more force than its ordinary counterpart.

She had used Terracotta Commission countless times, yet she had never discovered this possibility.

"...That's amazing."

Akari smiled at her. "You figured out a new way to use your skill."

Memory's face brightened with pride.

"I did!"

Then the cruiser shook violently again.

KRRRRAAANG!

Memory's smile vanished as she grabbed the railing.

"...Right. Celebrating later."

She turned toward the right side of the vessel, where a Ganzame had emerged from the sand and was preparing to ram the hull again. The shark's broad dorsal fin cut through the golden surface as it accelerated, its armored head angling toward the cruiser.

Memory pointed at it.

"Archer! Attack that Ganzame!"

The Terracotta Archer immediately shifted its stance. It planted its feet firmly against the deck, raised its reinforced bow, and aligned the weapon's spear-like frame with the approaching creature. Golden energy began gathering along the bow's limbs, illuminating the engraved runes with a brilliant glow.

For a brief moment, the warrior held its position.

Then it released its first shot.

FWOOOOSH!

The projectile crossed the distance between the cruiser and the Ganzame with astonishing speed. It struck the sand just ahead of the shark, detonating with a sharp explosion that threw a wall of golden grains into the air.

The Ganzame recoiled as the shock wave struck its armored head. Its body twisted away from the blast, disrupting its approach and forcing it to veer off course.

Memory's eyes widened.

"...Whoa!"

The Terracotta Archer drew again without hesitation.

FWOOOOSH!

A second projectile slammed into the sand beside the creature, sending debris flying across the dune. It wasn't a direct hit, but the sheer force behind the shot was enough to disrupt the Ganzame's movement once more. The shark tried to correct its course, only to find that the archer had already prepared another attack.

FWOOOOSH!

The third projectile struck the Ganzame's flank.

This time, the attack connected directly.

The creature let out a deep, distorted roar and twisted away from the cruiser. Its momentum carried it several meters farther from the vessel, and sand erupted around its body as it struggled to regain its course.

The Terracotta Archer continued firing, maintaining a steady rhythm. Every shot carried tremendous force. Even when a projectile missed its target, the resulting impact scattered sand and shattered buried debris, creating small craters along the Ganzame's path.

The right side of the cruiser gradually became less crowded.

The sharks were still pursuing them, but they could no longer approach as freely as before. Whenever one attempted to close the distance, the archer released another powerful shot, forcing it to veer away before it could ram the hull.

Memory could barely contain her excitement.

"My Terracotta Archer is so strong!"

Akari watched the summon work, clearly impressed by the difference in its power. "Concentrating the summon power really made a difference."

Memory nodded enthusiastically. "I had no idea Terracotta Commission could do that! I thought I always had to summon all four!"

She looked at the Terracotta Archer with renewed appreciation. The discovery had opened up possibilities she had never considered. If she could concentrate the skill's power into one warrior, she might be able to summon specialized units for different situations rather than always relying on the same formation.

A single powerful summon could protect a narrow passage or hold off a dangerous enemy. Several weaker summons could spread across a larger battlefield, surrounding opponents and supporting one another. The best formation would depend on the situation, and she would need to learn how to judge which one suited each encounter.

For now, however, she was simply happy that her experiment had worked.

Then her expression changed.

The archer's shots were keeping the Ganzame on the right at a distance, but the left side of the cruiser remained dangerously exposed.

"...Memory."

Akari's tone made her look up.

"Hm?"

"Look at the left side."

Memory's smile slowly faded as she turned toward the railing.

More Ganzame were swimming alongside the vessel.

There were even more than before.

Their dorsal fins cut through the sand in a staggered formation, and several enormous shadows moved beneath the surface. Some kept their distance from the Terracotta Archer's firing range, while others circled toward the front and rear of the cruiser, searching for an opening.

The archer's attacks had pressured the right side, but the pack was adapting. Rather than continuing to approach the strongest defensive position, the Ganzame were concentrating their efforts on the opposite side of the vessel.

"...They're avoiding the archer," Memory murmured.

Akari nodded. "They know it's dangerous."

"And there are more of them on this side."

Memory stared at the approaching sharks. The Terracotta Archer could protect the right side, but it couldn't cover the entire cruiser by itself. If the Ganzame continued attacking from the left, Ryota would have to maneuver constantly to avoid their strikes. Sooner or later, one of the creatures might find an opening and hit the hull before the archer could turn to intercept it.

They needed another way to hold the left side.

Akari drew a slow breath. "We need to deal with them."

Memory nodded. "Right."

She stepped closer to the railing, thinking through the abilities at her disposal. The Terracotta Archer continued firing behind her, its powerful shots preventing the right-side Ganzame from closing in, but she needed something that could reach the creatures on the opposite side.

Her gaze drifted toward the skill she had inherited through Bubbles: Maiden of Blue.

The ability allowed her to transform parts of her body into water. She could manipulate the transformed water to some extent, and during her earlier fight against the Frostbite Leonas, she had discovered that she could extend her arms and use them to restrain an enemy.

Perhaps she could apply the same principle here.

She didn't need to defeat every Ganzame herself. If she could interfere with their movements, slow their approach, and keep them away from the cruiser, Akari would have a chance to strike while the creatures were vulnerable.

Memory raised both hands.

"...Let's see if this works."

Akari immediately turned toward her. "Memory, be careful!"

"I will!"

Memory extended her arms over the railing. A faint blue glow spread across her skin, and her forearms began to dissolve into flowing water. The transformation advanced from her fingertips toward her elbows, leaving no blood or wound behind. Instead, her flesh became a shimmering liquid that moved with a life of its own.

Long ribbons of water streamed over the edge of the cruiser, stretching toward the shifting sand below. They swayed in the air, responding to Memory's movements as she tried to understand how much control she could exert over them.

The nearest Ganzame noticed the disturbance.

Its broad head rose slightly above the sand, and its dorsal fin tilted toward the vessel as it accelerated.

Memory narrowed her eyes.

"Alright... come on!"

She thrust both arms forward.

The water surged outward.

SHHHHHHAAAAA!

A tremendous stream of water blasted from her transformed limbs, sweeping across the sand toward the approaching pack. The sudden torrent struck the first Ganzame across its armored head, forcing the creature to veer away from the cruiser. The water splashed over its scales and streamed down its sides before disappearing into the sand.

Memory redirected the flow.

Another stream swept across the surface, striking the sand in front of a second shark. A third followed, cutting across the path of another Ganzame just as it began to angle toward the hull.

The creatures scattered slightly, forced to adjust their movements to avoid the sudden torrents. Several veered away from the vessel, while others tried to approach from different angles, searching for a way around Memory's attacks.

She kept pushing water toward them, using the current to interfere with their movements rather than attempting to damage their thick armor directly. Every time a Ganzame tried to line itself up for a strike, she swept water across its path, disrupting its momentum and forcing it to change direction.

Akari stared at her in surprise.

"...You're controlling the water."

Memory glanced toward her without lowering her arms.

"Apparently!"

"Can you do that now?!"

"I'M JUST AS SURPRISED AS YOU ARE!"

Despite her frantic response, Memory was beginning to understand how the ability worked. She didn't need to produce a torrent strong enough to injure the Ganzame. The creatures were fast, powerful, and heavily armored, but their attacks depended on timing and momentum. If she could interrupt their approach and prevent them from striking the hull at the right angle, she could create an opening for a more decisive attack.

The water itself was not the solution.

It was the means of creating one.

Memory's gaze shifted toward the sharks again. A few had already begun circling farther away, wary of the streams she was directing toward them. Others remained close, their dorsal fins slicing through the sand as they searched for an opening.

She needed to do more than slow them down.

She needed to stop them.

Then she remembered another ability—one that had already proven useful against powerful enemies.

Memory drew a deep breath. The streams of water continued flowing from her arms, spreading across the sand around the approaching Ganzame. She pulled her hands closer together, gathering the water into a broader current that spread across the creatures' path.

"Alright, you giant sand sharks..."

Her expression became determined.

"...Let's see how you like being frozen!"

She opened her mouth.

The system interface flashed before her eyes.

[Tamer Skill: Leonas Roar]

Cold energy surged through her body.

A deep blue glow gathered in her throat, spreading outward across her cheeks and down her neck. The air around her grew noticeably colder, and frost began forming along the edges of the railing nearest her. A thin layer of ice crept across the wooden boards beneath her feet as the temperature dropped.

Akari's eyes widened.

"Memory, wait—"

Memory released the skill.

[Leonas Roar]

KRRRRAAAAAAAASH!

A powerful beam of icy energy erupted from her mouth and swept across the Ganzame pack.

The blast struck the water she had already spread over the sand.

For a fraction of a second, nothing appeared to happen. The torrent of water continued flowing across the dunes, and the Ganzame were still moving beneath the surface.

Then the entire area froze.

Ice raced across the water in branching patterns, spreading over the sand and climbing onto the nearest Ganzame. The sudden change caught the creatures in the middle of their movements. They tried to turn away, but the frozen field expanded too quickly for them to escape.

One shark's fins became trapped first.

Then its tail.

Thick layers of ice spread across its armored body, locking its movements in place. The creature thrashed violently, but the ice tightened around it as the water beneath its body froze into a solid mass.

Another Ganzame attempted to dive beneath the sand, only to find the ground around it had become an uneven sheet of ice. Its body slipped as it tried to turn, and the frozen layer caught its fins before it could escape. The creature's movements slowed, then stopped as the ice spread across its back.

Within seconds, several Ganzame were trapped in the frozen bind.

Their enormous bodies were partially encased in ice, with thick layers locking their fins and tails in place. Some struggled hard enough to send cracks racing across the frozen surface, but the combination of Memory's water manipulation and Leonas Roar had successfully restricted their movements.

Memory finally lowered her head, breathing hard. Her arms were still partially transformed, and the water around the railing rippled as she gradually brought it under control.

"...I did it."

Akari stared at the frozen sharks.

Then she looked at Memory.

Then she looked back at the sharks, as though she expected them to break free at any moment.

"...You actually did it."

Memory turned toward her, and her exhausted expression brightened.

"Akari!"

Akari immediately understood.

Memory had created the opening. Now it was her turn to finish the job.

She stepped toward the railing and tightened her grip around Narukami Tenrai's sealed scabbard. The white scarf remained wrapped securely around its handle, keeping the divine blade sealed. She had no intention of drawing it, and after what had happened during their earlier battles, she knew better than to rely on its lightning without considering the consequences.

She didn't need to, anyway.

Retsugeki had already proven that it could cut through a Ganzame without relying on Narukami's divine power. The technique demanded precise movement and control, but it allowed her to unleash a concentrated physical slash through the sealed weapon.

Memory pointed toward the frozen pack.

"Akari! Now!"

Akari moved immediately.

She planted her feet firmly against the deck, adjusted her stance to account for the cruiser's movement, and lowered her shoulders. Rather than forcing power through the sealed blade, she focused on the physical technique she had practiced. Her grip settled into place, and her breathing became steady as she concentrated on the direction of the strike.

The Ganzame were immobilized, their armored bodies held in place by ice. They could no longer use their speed to evade an attack, and the frozen water around them prevented them from building momentum for another charge.

Akari had the opening she needed.

[Sword Skill: Retsugeki]

She swung Narukami Tenrai while it remained sealed inside its scabbard.

A concentrated physical slash tore through the air, its cutting force traveling forward in a narrow, decisive arc. The attack crossed the distance between the cruiser and the frozen Ganzame before the creatures could break free.

SHRAAAAAK!

The first shark's armored body split apart beneath the concentrated force. The slash cut through both its frozen restraints and its thick hide, separating its enormous body before the two halves crashed into the sand on either side of the frozen field.

Akari didn't stop to admire the result.

She adjusted her footing and delivered another strike.

SHRAK!

A second Ganzame was cut in half.

Then a third.

Each slash traveled through the immobilized pack with the same controlled precision. The concentrated force cut through the frozen bodies, shattering the ice that held them before the creatures could free themselves. Fragments scattered across the dunes like glittering glass, catching the sunlight as they fell.

Memory watched in amazement.

Akari's movements were precise and controlled, each strike following naturally from the one before it. She wasn't releasing Narukami's divine lightning, nor was she relying on an overwhelming special ability to destroy her enemies. She was using a physical sword skill and taking advantage of the opening Memory had created.

The two abilities complemented each other perfectly.

Memory restricted the enemies' movements, robbing them of the speed and maneuverability that made them so dangerous. Akari then used Retsugeki to deliver decisive strikes while the Ganzame were unable to dodge or counterattack.

Neither of them could have achieved the same result as easily on her own.

Together, however, they were dismantling the pack.

The last frozen Ganzame struggled against its restraints, thrashing its tail so violently that cracks spread through the ice beneath it. The frozen layer groaned, and one of its fins began to tear free.

Akari saw the movement.

She stepped forward before the creature could escape, tightened her grip on the sealed weapon, and delivered the final strike.

SHRAAAAAK!

The concentrated slash cut through the Ganzame's body.

Its enormous form split apart, and the two halves crashed into the sand with a heavy rumble. Ice shattered around them, scattering across the golden surface as the remaining pieces of the frozen field began to collapse.

For a brief moment, the left side of the cruiser became quiet.

Only the sound of cracking ice, the rush of displaced sand, and the distant hum of the propulsion units remained.

Memory stared at the battlefield, scarcely believing what she had just witnessed. A few moments earlier, the Ganzame had been surrounding the cruiser and striking the hull from every direction. Now, the creatures that had threatened the vessel were lying motionless across the dunes.

"...We did it."

Akari slowly lowered her weapon. Her breathing was heavier than before, but she remained on her feet, watching the ice settle around the fallen sharks.

"Yeah."

Memory turned toward her. For a moment, she simply looked at Akari, her face bright with relief and pride.

Then she smiled.

"We actually worked together."

Akari returned the smile. "Of course we did."

Behind them, the Terracotta Archer continued watching the dunes, its reinforced bow held ready in case another Ganzame approached. On the opposite side of the cruiser, Ryota finally managed to straighten the vessel's course. The steering controls had become harder to handle with every impact, but the cruiser was still moving, and the hull had survived the worst of the assault.

He glanced over his shoulder at the battlefield.

His gaze moved from the shattered ice to the fallen Ganzame, then to Akari and Memory standing beside the railing.

"...Did you two just clear the left side?"

Memory immediately puffed out her chest, unable to contain her pride.

"YES!"

Akari glanced toward the remaining dunes, keeping her weapon ready. "We stopped the ones that were close enough to attack."

Ryota let out a long, relieved breath.

"Good. Because I was running out of ways to steer around them."

Memory laughed nervously, her earlier excitement giving way to the realization of how close they had come to losing control of the cruiser.

"Maybe we should've thought of that before we got into the valley."

"Maybe!" Ryota agreed.

"That's not very reassuring," Akari remarked.

"I'm a little busy keeping us from becoming shark food!"

"Fair enough."

For the first time since the assault began, the cruiser had room to maneuver. The Terracotta Archer's powerful shots kept the Ganzame on the right at a distance, while the pack on the left had been eliminated before it could land another strike. With fewer creatures directly beside the vessel, Ryota could finally focus on maintaining a steady course instead of constantly throwing the steering controls from side to side.

Memory returned to the Terracotta Archer and looked over its reinforced armor. The discovery she had made during the attack continued turning over in her mind. Terracotta Commission was more versatile than she had realized, and she could already imagine situations in which concentrating the summon power into a single unit might prove useful.

She had learned something new about her skill because the situation had forced her to think beyond the way she usually used it.

Akari had learned something, too.

She glanced down at the white scarf wrapped around Narukami Tenrai. The weapon remained sealed, and not a single spark of divine lightning had escaped from it during the fight. Yet she had still managed to split a Ganzame in half with Retsugeki, then repeat the feat against several more enemies after Memory immobilized them.

She had always known that she possessed physical strength and swordsmanship beyond what most players could achieve. But knowing something in theory and proving it under pressure were different matters. This time, she hadn't needed to release Narukami's power to protect herself or the people beside her.

She had relied on her own technique.

And it had been enough.

A small, uncertain smile appeared on her face.

Memory noticed it and gave her a gentle nudge with her shoulder. "What are you smiling about?"

Akari shook her head. "Nothing."

"That's suspicious."

"I'm just glad we managed to help."

Memory's expression softened. "Me too."

The cruiser continued forward, leaving the shattered ice and fallen Ganzame behind. The golden dunes stretched endlessly ahead of them, beautiful and deceptively peaceful beneath the afternoon sun. For a few moments, the only sounds were the hum of the propulsion units and the shifting sand beneath the hull.

Then a distant roar rolled across the valley.

The sound was deep enough to make the deck vibrate faintly beneath their feet.

Ryota's shoulders stiffened.

"...Please tell me that was the wind."

"No," Akari answered.

"Could you at least pretend?"

Memory clutched Bubbles against her chest again. The little slime had recovered enough to bounce once in her arms, but it quickly settled down when another shadow passed beneath the cruiser.

"Are there more of them?" she asked.

Akari looked toward the dunes.

Beyond the shattered ice, several dorsal fins were already disappearing beneath the sand. Others moved farther away, keeping their distance from the Terracotta Archer's line of fire. The pack they had fought was no longer attacking as aggressively, but that didn't mean the danger had passed.

They had defeated the Ganzame that managed to close in on the cruiser. They had not driven every predator out of the valley, and the Endless Sand Valley was far too vast for them to assume that the encounter had been an isolated one.

On the back of a wounded Ganzame several meters away, Rio had witnessed the entire exchange.

When Memory's water spread across the sand and froze the approaching sharks in place, Rio's eyes had widened with genuine surprise. She had seen Memory use her abilities before, but the combination of water manipulation and Leonas Roar had turned what might have been a desperate defensive maneuver into a decisive battlefield control skill.

Akari's follow-up had been just as impressive.

Without releasing Narukami's divine lightning, she had used Retsugeki to destroy the immobilized Ganzame one after another. Her strikes had been clean, controlled, and powerful enough to cut through both ice and armored flesh.

Rio's surprise gradually gave way to a proud smile.

"Well done, Akari."

Although the words were carried away by the wind, Akari caught sight of her sister in the distance. Their eyes met for a brief moment, and Rio's expression told her everything she needed to know.

Akari felt a quiet warmth spread through her chest.

For a long time, Narukami Tenrai had been both a source of strength and a source of fear. Its divine lightning was powerful, but its destructive potential made every decision to use it feel dangerous. She had worried about losing control, about harming someone beside her, and about what might happen if she relied too heavily on a power she still struggled to understand.

She hadn't overcome those fears completely.

But she had taken another step forward.

She could protect her companions without drawing the divine blade. She could trust her own physical abilities, and she could combine them with the skills of someone fighting beside her. Memory's support had made the difference, just as Akari's strikes had completed the work Memory began.

They hadn't needed to rely on a single overwhelming power.

They had relied on each other.

Memory looked at Akari, then toward the frozen battlefield behind them. Her excitement had settled into a quiet sense of accomplishment, and even the sight of more shadows beneath the dunes couldn't completely erase her smile.

"We really did it," she said again, this time more softly.

Akari nodded. "We did."

The sand cruiser pressed deeper into the Endless Sand Valley, its propulsion units humming steadily as it moved across the golden dunes. The Terracotta Archer remained on guard, and Ryota kept his eyes fixed on the terrain ahead. Rio continued monitoring the pack from her precarious position on the wounded shark, ready to act if the creatures attempted another coordinated assault.

For now, the immediate danger had eased.

But the valley was far from safe. Beyond the wreckage and the frozen remains of the Ganzame, more shadows moved beneath the dunes. The distant golden horizon concealed dangers none of them had encountered yet, and the pack that had attacked them might not be the last obstacle standing between them and the Ouzamite they had come to collect.

Akari glanced toward Memory.

Memory looked back.

Neither needed to say anything. They had discovered something important during the fight: they didn't have to face every enemy alone, and they didn't have to rely on their strongest abilities to win. A skill that seemed straightforward could hold possibilities they had never considered, and two abilities that appeared unrelated could become far more effective when used together.

Sometimes, the right combination of skills was enough.

As the cruiser carried them farther into the Endless Sand Valley, Akari and Memory stood side by side, their confidence strengthened by what they had accomplished. The next battle might be more difficult, and the creatures waiting beneath the dunes might be even more dangerous, but neither girl felt quite as helpless as she had before.

They had faced the pack together.

And they were ready to face whatever came next.