Volume 3 Chapter 171: The Last Second Escape

Rio remained beside the front railing of the sand cruiser, her arms folded as she studied the two enormous Ouzame resting beneath the desert. From their current position, the creatures looked like a pair of rocky plateaus that had risen naturally from the surrounding terrain. Their broad backs were covered with jagged ridges, weathered stones, and scattered deposits of dark minerals, while the rest of their enormous bodies remained concealed beneath the shifting sand.

Neither creature had moved significantly since the cruiser came to a stop. However, Rio knew better than to mistake their stillness for harmlessness. Beneath those seemingly ordinary formations lay two apex predators capable of destroying their vessel with a single well-placed attack. Their size was not merely an advantage in combat; it was a weapon in itself. Even without opening their jaws or striking with their fins, they could turn the cruiser into a collection of twisted metal simply by moving their bodies.

Rio narrowed her eyes as she considered the distance separating the two creatures.

If I can get the first Ouzame to attack the second, the impact should be enough to provoke a response. But simply approaching one of them isn't going to work. They can sense our vibrations, and if either decides we're the easier target, we'll be the ones getting attacked.

She tapped one finger against her arm while examining the terrain between the two enormous backs. Their positions offered a potential opportunity, but the conditions had to be right. Ouzame were territorial creatures, and a rival entering their hunting grounds could trigger an aggressive response. If Rio could exploit that instinct, the two monsters might focus on one another long enough for Crowned Era to approach their mineral deposits.

The problem was getting them to recognize each other as enemies without becoming their immediate target.

She could fire a shot into the first Ouzame's exposed back, but that would be a dangerous gamble. The creature might interpret the attack as a threat and emerge from the sand in search of the source. If that happened, the cruiser would be the closest moving object in the area, making it an obvious target. She could also attempt to create a disturbance near the second creature, hoping the first would mistake it for a territorial challenge, but there was no guarantee that the monsters would interpret the situation as she intended.

These were not ordinary enemies that could be lured into predictable patterns with a simple trick. They were enormous predators whose instincts had allowed them to dominate one of the most dangerous regions of the valley.

I need something that will make one of them react aggressively toward the other without giving either a reason to target us.

Behind her, Memory cautiously peered over the railing while keeping Bubbles close to her side. She had not completely recovered from learning that the rocky formations were actually living monsters, and the sight of two of them occupying the same basin had done little to improve her confidence. Akari stood nearby, watching the creatures with a mixture of fascination and apprehension, while Ryota remained at the steering station, ready to move the cruiser whenever Rio gave the command.

After several minutes of watching Rio silently examine the terrain, Ryota finally broke the silence.

"Have you figured it out yet?"

"Not quite," Rio replied without looking away from the Ouzame. "I have a few ideas, but none of them are particularly safe."

Ryota slowly turned toward her.

"Could you elaborate on what you mean by 'not particularly safe'?"

"It means we're dealing with two creatures that can outrun this cruiser and crush it beneath their bodies. If we make the wrong move, we won't have enough time to correct it."

Ryota stared at her for a moment before turning his attention back toward the desert. He had been expecting an answer that would reassure him, or at least one that offered a reasonable chance of survival. Instead, Rio had managed to explain their situation in a way that made him even less comfortable with their current location.

"...I really should have expected that answer."

Rio almost smiled. She was about to explain another possibility when a distant roar suddenly rolled across the valley.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAR!!

The sound was so deep that it seemed to rise from beneath the desert itself. It traveled across the enormous basin, reverberating between the sandstone ridges before fading into the distance. The vibration passed through the ground and reached the cruiser, causing the railing beneath Rio's hand to tremble faintly.

Her expression changed immediately.

She turned toward the source of the noise, searching the distant dunes for any sign of movement.

That wasn't an Ouzame.

At least, it did not sound like one.

Before she could identify the creature responsible, another roar answered from somewhere farther to their left. A third followed moments later, accompanied by several heavy impacts that sent fresh vibrations through the sand beneath the cruiser.

THUD. THUD. THUD.

The vessel began shaking.

Memory immediately seized the railing to keep herself from losing her balance. Bubbles bounced against her side, squeaking in alarm as the deck rocked beneath their feet.

"WHOA! WHY IS THE GROUND MOVING?!"

Akari stumbled sideways before catching herself against the railing. She looked toward the surrounding dunes, searching for the source of the disturbance, but the uneven terrain made it difficult to determine where the impacts were coming from.

"Is one of the Ouzame waking up?"

"Not yet," Rio answered, although her expression had become considerably more serious. She scanned the landscape, following the vibrations as they traveled through the sand. "Something else is moving nearby."

Ryota leaned over the steering console and examined the surrounding area. Although the cruiser had stopped its forward movement, the sand around it was beginning to shift in several places. Small clouds of dust rose from the dunes, and the ground trembled whenever another distant impact echoed through the valley. Whatever was approaching, it was moving quickly enough to disturb the terrain well before it came into view.

Then Ryota spotted something beyond a low ridge.

Several dark shapes were racing across the sand. Their armored backs emerged from the dunes as they accelerated toward the cruiser, throwing enormous sprays of sand behind them with every powerful movement.

Ryota's eyes widened.

"Rio! We've got company!"

Rio immediately turned toward the approaching shapes.

The monsters were unmistakable.

Ganzame.

Several giant sand sharks had entered the Ouzame danger zone, and they were not simply passing through. Their bodies were angled directly toward the cruiser, their dorsal fins cutting through the sand as they gathered speed. The creatures had been reluctant to approach this region earlier, maintaining their distance whenever the cruiser moved deeper into the basin. Now they were charging straight toward the group without the slightest hesitation.

Something had changed.

Whether the Ganzame were fleeing another predator or had simply lost their caution, the reason no longer mattered. Their aggressive approach left no doubt about what they intended to do.

They were coming straight for the cruiser.

Rio's expression hardened as she assessed the approaching pack. The distance between them was closing rapidly, and there was little time to prepare a proper defense.

"Everyone, get ready! Don't let them reach the hull!"

Memory immediately released Bubbles onto the deck and opened her summon menu. A familiar system window appeared before her, displaying the available options for her Tamer Skill: Terracotta Commission. Her eyes settled on the enhanced Terracotta Archer she had used during the earlier battle.

The summon was larger and sturdier than her ordinary Terracotta units. Its armor had been reinforced with additional plates and spikes, while a small slime insignia decorated its body as a mark of Memory's ownership. The enormous bow it carried had a thick, reinforced frame, incorporating a spear-like structure that allowed the weapon to withstand the tremendous force generated by its powerful arrows.

It was not an ordinary archer. It was the concentrated result of Memory's altered summoning technique, a single warrior empowered with the resources that would otherwise have been distributed among several summons.

Memory pointed toward the approaching Ganzame.

"All right, Archer! You know what to do! Keep them away from the cruiser!"

Golden light spread across the deck as the Terracotta Archer materialized beside her. Its heavy feet struck the metal floor with a solid clank, and it immediately raised its bow toward the incoming monsters. A luminous arrow began forming between its fingers as the weapon's reinforced frame creaked under the pressure of the drawn string.

Memory swallowed nervously.

"Okay. Just aim carefully, please. We really don't need another disaster right now."

The Terracotta Archer released its first shot.

FWOOOOOSH!

The arrow tore through the air toward the nearest Ganzame. The monster reacted quickly, dipping beneath the sand before the projectile could strike its head. However, the archer had anticipated the movement well enough to adjust its aim, and the arrow continued along its trajectory until it struck the creature's exposed back.

A burst of golden energy erupted on impact.

The Ganzame recoiled violently, its armored body twisting as the force of the attack disrupted its charge. Its dorsal fin vanished beneath the sand for a moment before reappearing farther to the side, leaving a deep furrow in the terrain as it struggled to regain its balance.

Memory's eyes brightened.

"Yes! That worked!"

The archer immediately began preparing another shot. It shifted its stance and tracked the remaining Ganzame as they spread out across the approaching dunes. One was moving toward the cruiser's left side, while another had begun circling toward the rear. The rest continued advancing in a loose formation, forcing Ryota to keep both hands near the controls in case the vessel needed to move.

Rio watched the incoming pack carefully, her attention moving between the monsters and the two Ouzame beyond them.

Something about the Ganzame's behavior bothered her.

They were aggressive predators, but they were not normally this reckless. Earlier, the pack had coordinated its pursuit while maintaining enough distance to avoid entering the Ouzame's territory. Their movements had suggested that they were accustomed to hunting in this region, yet also understood the dangers of venturing too far into the territory of larger predators.

Now they were charging directly into the basin without hesitation.

Why are they coming here?

Rio's gaze flicked toward the enormous rocky formation ahead, then toward the second Ouzame resting farther away. She had no time to investigate the inconsistency, however. The approaching Ganzame were already close enough to threaten the cruiser, and allowing them to reach the hull could leave the entire group stranded in the middle of the danger zone.

"Memory!" she called. "Keep your summon focused on the approaching Ganzame! Akari, stay near her and protect the deck!"

"Got it!" Akari answered.

Memory nodded quickly, tightening her grip on Bubbles before moving away from the railing.

"Understood!"

The Terracotta Archer released another arrow, striking a second Ganzame across the side of its armored head. The monster veered away from the cruiser, its health bar dropping as the projectile's energy spread across its hide. The attack had disrupted its advance and forced it to retreat beneath the sand, buying the group several precious seconds.

For a moment, it seemed as though they might be able to repel the pack before the creatures reached the vessel.

Then three of the Ganzame disappeared beneath the sand.

Memory blinked in confusion.

"...Huh?"

The three monsters had been advancing behind the others. Now they had vanished completely, leaving only rapidly moving ripples in the sand to indicate their positions. Their paths diverged as they moved beneath the surface, one approaching the cruiser from the left while the other two circled toward opposite sides of the deck.

Memory's eyes widened as she realized what they were doing.

"Archer, behind you!"

The Terracotta Archer began turning its body toward the nearest disturbance, but the warning came too late.

BOOOOOOOOM!!

Three Ganzame erupted from the sand almost simultaneously. Their enormous bodies surged into the air, showering the deck with sand as they converged on the summoned warrior. The Terracotta Archer managed to turn its bow toward the first attacker, but the monster struck before it could release another arrow.

Its jaws snapped around the archer's upper body.

CRUNCH!

The impact sent the summoned warrior staggering backward. Its bow slipped from its grasp and clattered across the deck, while the other two Ganzame seized its legs and torso. Their combined weight overwhelmed the summon, forcing it to stumble toward the railing as the monsters pulled in opposite directions.

Memory froze.

"...No."

The Ganzame dragged the archer toward the edge of the cruiser. Its heavy feet scraped against the metal floor as it attempted to resist, but the three monsters pulled with overwhelming force. Their bodies twisted and rolled, dragging the summon over the railing and down into the sand.

Memory rushed toward the edge.

"NO! GET OFF HIM!"

The archer's armored body disappeared beneath the creatures' jaws. The three Ganzame crowded around it, biting repeatedly into its armor and tearing at the joints. Their movements were violent and relentless, each attack driving the summon farther into the shifting sand. Golden fragments scattered around them as the archer's armor began breaking apart beneath their combined assault.

Memory stared in horror.

Her enhanced Terracotta Archer had been the strongest version of her summon she had discovered so far. Its arrows had been powerful enough to disrupt the Ganzame's charges, and she had relied on it to keep the cruiser safe while the rest of the group prepared their defenses.

Now it was being torn apart right in front of her.

"Stop! Leave it alone!"

Memory raised both hands, desperately trying to think of a way to save her summon. She could not simply jump into the sand after it. The Ganzame were already surrounding the archer, and the ground beneath them was shifting violently enough to swallow anything that approached. Even if she reached the monsters, she had no guarantee that she could pull the summon free before they turned on her.

But she could not stand there and watch it disappear.

A familiar system window flashed across her vision as she activated her skill.

[Tamer Skill: Leonas Roar]

Memory thrust both hands forward. A pale-blue magic circle formed beneath her feet, and the temperature around the cruiser dropped sharply. Frost spread across the railing, coating the metal in a thin layer of ice, while concentrated energy gathered between her palms. The air grew cold enough that her breath became visible, and a beam of icy-blue light began forming between her hands.

"GET AWAY FROM MY SUMMON!"

She unleashed the attack.

FWOOSHHHH!

The icy beam struck the cluster of Ganzame surrounding the Terracotta Archer. The impact froze the sand around their bodies, and a burst of blue-white energy engulfed the nearest monsters. One Ganzame convulsed violently as frost spread across its head and torso, rapidly encasing its armor in a thick layer of ice.

Its health bar emptied, and its body dissolved into particles of light.

A second monster was caught along its flank. The freezing beam cut across its armored side, dealing enough damage to defeat it before its body vanished beneath the sand. For an instant, Memory felt a flicker of hope. She had managed to eliminate two of the creatures, and the remaining Ganzame were finally beginning to recoil from the icy energy.

She kept channeling the attack, her arms trembling from the effort.

"Let it go!"

The remaining monsters reacted with furious roars. One turned toward Memory, its dark eyes gleaming beneath the sand as it opened its jaws, while the other continued dragging the Terracotta Archer farther into the ground.

Memory tried to adjust her aim, sweeping the icy beam toward the final pair.

But the Ganzame had already begun retreating beneath the surface.

Their armored backs vanished into the sand, taking the Terracotta Archer with them. Memory's attack struck the ground where they had disappeared, producing a cloud of frozen sand that erupted into the air before scattering across the deck.

Then everything went still.

Memory stood at the railing, staring at the empty patch of desert.

"...No."

She waited, hoping that the summon might somehow emerge from the sand. Perhaps it had survived the attack. Perhaps it would reappear once the Ganzame moved away. Perhaps the system would report that it had escaped.

A notification appeared before her eyes.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

[SUMMON DEFEATED]

Terracotta Archer has been defeated.

[Tamer Skill: Terracotta Commission]

Cooldown activated.

━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━

Memory's expression went blank.

Her summon was gone, and the skill she needed to bring it back was now on cooldown. She had lost the strongest Terracotta unit she could currently summon, and the Ganzame had escaped beneath the sand before she could finish them.

For several seconds, she could not move. She simply stared at the notification, struggling to accept what had happened.

"...My archer..."

Her voice was barely audible.

Bubbles bounced anxiously beside her feet.

"Pyu...?"

Memory swallowed hard, her hands trembling as she lowered them to her sides.

"I... I couldn't save it."

Akari immediately stepped closer.

"Memory—"

Before she could say anything else, a loud roar erupted from the sand directly in front of the cruiser.

Memory's head snapped upward.

The remaining Ganzame had returned.

Three enormous shapes surged toward the vessel, their armored backs breaking through the sand as they accelerated into a final attack. Their bodies rose higher and higher, gathering momentum before launching themselves into the air. Unlike the previous assault, they were no longer trying to circle the cruiser or distract the summoned archer. They were attacking directly, using their combined speed and weight to overwhelm the group before anyone could respond.

The first Ganzame aimed directly at Memory.

The second followed close behind.

The third arced toward the center of the deck, its enormous jaws opening wide enough to swallow a person whole.

Memory's eyes widened.

"...Oh, come on!"

She tried to move, but the shock of losing her summon had left her a fraction of a second too slow. The first Ganzame was already descending toward her, its shadow spreading across the deck as its jaws opened.

Then Akari moved.

She stepped between Memory and the incoming monsters, her expression suddenly calm. Her right hand settled on the hilt of her katana, which remained secured by the white scarf wrapped around its scabbard.

For a brief moment, she hesitated.

The memory of the Terracotta Warden's dungeon flashed through her mind: the overwhelming lightning, the destruction it had caused, and Memory's injured body. She remembered the helplessness she had felt when her power had spiraled beyond her control, and the fear that she might hurt someone she cared about if she allowed herself to rely on it again.

She had promised herself that she would not use Narukami's power

But this was different.

She did not need to unleash divine lightning. She did not need to draw on the weapon's overwhelming abilities or release the force that had frightened her in the past. She only needed to make a decision and trust in the swordsmanship she had been practicing.

Memory was in danger.

That was enough.

Akari tightened her grip.

[Sword Skill: Retsugeki]

She drew her katana in a single, fluid motion.

The blade flashed through the air with a sharp metallic whisper.

SHRAAAK!

The first Ganzame was cut in half before it could reach the deck. Its enormous body split along a clean diagonal line, the two halves separating as they continued through the air. A moment later, both sections dissolved into particles of light before they could strike the cruiser.

Akari pivoted immediately.

The second Ganzame was already descending toward her left side. She stepped into its trajectory and swung again, using the momentum of her movement to deliver a powerful physical slash. Her blade passed through the monster's armored body, cutting cleanly through the layers that protected its torso.

SHRAAAK!

The creature's upper half spun away from the lower section, and both pieces vanished before they could crash into the deck.

The third Ganzame attempted to change direction in midair, twisting its enormous body as it tried to avoid the approaching blade. Akari had already adjusted her stance. She stepped forward, planted her feet firmly against the deck, and brought her katana across the monster's path with a decisive horizontal strike.

SHRAAAK!

The final Ganzame was split in half.

Three monsters had attacked at once, and three precise strikes had ended their assault. Akari had used no divine lightning, no explosive magical wave, and no overwhelming release of Narukami's power. She had relied entirely on physical strength, precise movement, and the force of a properly executed sword skill.

The deck fell silent.

Akari stood with her katana extended, the blade reflecting the harsh light of the desert. She held the position for a brief moment before slowly returning the weapon to its scabbard and securing the white scarf around the handle. Only then did she turn toward Memory.

"Are you okay?"

Memory stared at her, seemingly unable to understand what had just happened. A moment earlier, she had been certain that the Ganzame were about to tear her apart. Now the three monsters were gone, and Akari was standing in front of her as though she had merely stepped aside to avoid a passing obstacle.

Then Memory's expression crumpled.

"AKARI!"

She rushed forward and wrapped both arms around her best friend, hugging her so tightly that Akari nearly stumbled backward.

"THANK YOU! THANK YOU SO MUCH!"

"W-Wait! Memory!"

"You saved me!"

Memory squeezed her even harder, burying her face against Akari's shoulder. Her voice shook as the remaining fear finally escaped her in a rush of words.

"I thought I was going to get eaten! I couldn't move, and my summon was gone, and then those things came flying at me, and I thought they were going to bite my head off!"

Akari awkwardly patted her back, unsure whether to reassure her or ask her to loosen her grip.

"You're fine now."

Memory pulled back just enough to look at her.

"And then you cut them all in half!"

Akari glanced away, embarrassed by the intensity of her reaction.

"...They were coming straight at us."

"That was amazing!"

Akari's cheeks reddened slightly.

"...It was just Retsugeki."

"JUST RETSUGEKI?!"

Memory immediately hugged her again, nearly knocking the breath out of her.

"YOU SAVED MY LIFE WITH A ONE-HUNDRED-PERCENT PHYSICAL ATTACK!"

Akari sighed, although a small smile finally appeared on her face.

"Please stop shouting."

"NO!"

Bubbles bounced excitedly around their feet, apparently deciding that the crisis had passed and that this was an appropriate moment to celebrate.

"Pyu! Pyu! Pyuuuu!"

For a brief moment, the cruiser felt peaceful again. The Ganzame had been defeated, Memory was safe, and Akari had managed to protect her friend without resorting to the power she had sworn to keep under control.

Unfortunately, Rio was not celebrating.

"...Something is wrong."

Her voice was quiet, but the change in her tone immediately caught everyone's attention.

Akari slowly released Memory, while Ryota turned away from the steering station. Rio stood near the front railing, staring at the sand where the Ganzame had emerged. The amusement and concentration that had defined her expression earlier were gone, replaced by a look of genuine concern.

"The Ganzame shouldn't be here."

Ryota frowned.

"...What do you mean?"

Rio pointed toward the surrounding terrain.

"The Ouzame danger zone is the territory of the largest predators in this valley. Ganzame normally avoid coming this far into the basin, especially when Ouzame are active nearby. They might hunt in packs, but that doesn't mean they're stupid enough to wander into a hunting ground where they could become prey themselves."

She looked toward the distant dunes, recalling the earlier pursuit and the way the Ganzame had hesitated whenever the cruiser approached the basin.

"They know better than to enter this area without a reason."

Akari glanced toward the sand where the monsters had disappeared.

"Then why did they attack us?"

"I don't know yet."

Rio narrowed her eyes.

"But something has driven them out of their usual territory. They weren't behaving like the pack we fought earlier. They were desperate, reckless, and willing to risk entering an area they should have avoided."

Ryota looked toward the rocky formation ahead.

"...Could they be running away from something?"

Rio did not answer immediately.

Instead, she studied the sand.

A faint movement caught her attention near the first Ouzame. At first, it looked like nothing more than a ripple passing beneath the surface. A small amount of sand slid down the creature's exposed back, and several loose stones shifted out of place.

Then the ripple became larger.

Rio's gaze sharpened.

The sand around the second Ouzame had begun moving as well.

A broad wave traveled along the creature's buried body, displacing the sand in a long, uneven ridge. The rocky formation trembled, and a cloud of dust rose from its surface. The movement was no longer subtle enough to be mistaken for a passing disturbance. Something enormous was shifting beneath the desert, pushing upward against the sand that concealed it.

Rio felt a cold sensation run down her spine.

No.

She immediately turned toward the second Ouzame.

The sand around its exposed back was moving violently now. More stones slid from the ridges, tumbling down its sides as the enormous body beneath them began to rise.

Rio understood.

The Ganzame had not entered the danger zone without a reason.

They had been fleeing.

And whatever they had been fleeing from was no longer content to remain buried beneath the sand.

"...Ryota."

Her voice had become urgent.

"Start the cruiser!"

Ryota immediately moved toward the controls.

"On it!"

Rio turned toward Akari and Memory.

"Both of you, get over here! Now!"

The urgency in her voice left no room for questions. Akari grabbed Memory's wrist and pulled her toward the front of the vessel, while Bubbles bounced frantically after them. Memory glanced over her shoulder, trying to understand why Rio had suddenly abandoned her earlier plan.

"...Rio? What's happening?"

"We're leaving."

Rio reached into her inventory.

"And we're leaving immediately."

A crystalline object appeared in her hand. It was small enough to fit comfortably within her palm, with a brilliant blue core surrounded by several silver rings. Fine lines of magic rotated inside its transparent surface, creating the impression of a miniature star trapped within the stone. Unlike ordinary teleportation items, its intricate structure suggested that it had been designed for a specific purpose.

Akari recognized it as a teleportation item from the equipment descriptions she had read, but the symbol engraved on its side was unfamiliar.

Memory stared at it.

"...What's that?"

"An Emergency Guild Teleport Crystal."

Rio tightened her fingers around the item.

"It's a one-use emergency item that transports the user and nearby party members directly to their registered guild base. I kept it in my inventory in case something went wrong."

Ryota glanced toward the sand.

"...I'd say something has gone wrong."

The ground shook again.

This time, the vibration was strong enough to throw Memory off balance. Akari caught her before she could fall, then looked toward the two enormous rocky formations.

The sand was moving violently around both Ouzame.

Their exposed backs rose higher as the creatures began lifting their enormous bodies from beneath the desert. Sand cascaded from their sides like waterfalls, and the rocky ridges that had seemed like ordinary terrain moments earlier were now shifting in unmistakable patterns. The creatures were emerging, revealing the true scale of the predators that had been concealed beneath the basin.

Memory stared in horror.

"...They're waking up."

Rio nodded grimly.

"Both of them."

The first Ouzame surged upward.

Its immense body burst from the sand, revealing a gigantic, streamlined form covered in rough, armor-like scales. Its broad head emerged first, followed by enormous fins and a powerful tail that sent a wave of sand rolling across the basin. The creature continued rising, displacing the terrain around it until the rocky formation that had concealed its back became only a small part of its exposed body.

Then the second Ouzame answered.

ROOOOOOOOOOOOAAAAAR!!

Its roar shook the entire valley. The sound echoed across the basin, rattling the cruiser's railing and sending another wave of sand sliding down the surrounding ridges. Both predators now towered over the desert, their enormous bodies rising above the terrain like living mountains.

For a brief moment, they appeared to be confronting one another over the same territory.

Rio's plan had worked.

The two Ouzame had become aware of each other, and each had recognized the presence of a rival.

But the result was far more dangerous than she had anticipated.

Neither creature immediately attacked the other. Instead, both shifted their attention toward the sand cruiser sitting between them. Their massive heads turned, and the vibrations from the vessel seemed to draw their attention to the same target.

Rio's smile disappeared.

The creatures were not preparing to fight over territory.

They were preparing to eliminate the disturbance in front of them.

And that disturbance was the cruiser.

The first Ouzame lowered its body, gathering its enormous weight as its powerful tail moved behind it. The second followed suit, its body bending in preparation for a sudden burst of movement.

Rio's eyes widened.

"...They're not fighting each other."

Ryota stared at the enormous predators.

"...Then what are they doing?"

Rio looked at their trajectories, and the answer became painfully obvious.

"They're attacking us!"

The first Ouzame launched itself into the air.

Despite its immense size, the creature moved with terrifying speed. Its body arced above the sand, its powerful tail propelling it forward in a movement reminiscent of a gigantic whale breaching the surface of the ocean. The sheer force of its leap sent a shockwave through the basin, scattering sand and loose stones in every direction.

The second Ouzame followed.

Both creatures were airborne now, their enormous shadows spreading across the basin as they descended toward the cruiser. Their bodies blocked out the sky, and the distance between them and the vessel disappeared with frightening speed.

Memory looked up.

Then her face turned completely white.

"...They're going to crush us."

Rio's grip tightened around the Emergency Guild Teleport Crystal.

The Ouzame did not need to bite the cruiser or strike it with their fins. They were simply going to fall onto the vessel, using their immense mass to flatten the entire craft beneath them.

There would be no chance of surviving the impact.

The reinforced hull would not matter. The magical propulsion system would not matter. Even if the cruiser somehow withstood the initial collision, the resulting shockwave would throw everyone aboard into the sand, directly beneath two enraged apex predators.

Rio had spent years learning about Evermount's monsters. She knew how dangerous the Ouzame were, and she understood why even experienced players avoided their hunting grounds.

But she had never intended to provoke two of them at the same time while standing aboard a sand cruiser.

Of course. The Ganzame weren't fleeing because the Ouzame were simply nearby. They were fleeing because something had already disturbed them.

The smaller predators had panicked when the Ouzame began moving beneath the surface. Their desperate attack had distracted the group long enough for the enormous creatures to emerge, and the cruiser had become the most obvious target in the basin.

Rio cursed herself for not recognizing the signs sooner.

There was no time to correct the mistake.

"Everyone, stay close to me!"

She held the crystal firmly in one hand and reached toward Ryota with the other. Akari immediately pulled Memory closer, while Bubbles bounced frantically against Memory's legs as the girls pressed toward Rio.

Ryota abandoned the steering controls and rushed toward them. The cruiser continued shaking violently beneath their feet, its hull creaking as the two Ouzame descended from above.

Their enormous bodies blocked out the sky.

Rio could see the rough texture of their armored backs, the massive fins extending from their sides, and the sand cascading from their bodies as gravity pulled them toward the vessel. The first creature was already close enough that its shadow completely covered the deck.

"RIO!"

Ryota shouted her name, but Rio had already made her decision.

She closed her fist around the Emergency Guild Teleport Crystal.

CRACK!

The crystal shattered in her hand.

Blue light exploded outward.

A circular magic formation appeared beneath the group, its intricate runes spinning rapidly as the teleportation effect activated. The light climbed around their bodies, surrounding Rio, Ryota, Akari, and Memory in a brilliant sphere of energy. The air hummed with magical power, and the edges of the deck began to blur as the teleportation process pulled them away from the desert.

Memory grabbed Akari's arm.

Akari held tightly to Memory.

Ryota reached toward Rio, making sure he remained within the formation.

And Rio kept her eyes fixed on the descending monsters.

The first Ouzame's body was only moments away from crushing the cruiser.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

The creature struck.

Its immense weight slammed into the sand cruiser, folding the reinforced hull inward. The deck shattered beneath the impact, and the magical propulsion system exploded in a burst of blue light. Metal screamed as the vessel collapsed beneath the monster's body, its structure crushed into a mass of twisted plates and broken supports.

The entire cruiser disappeared beneath the Ouzame.

The second creature landed a fraction of a second later.

KRAAAAAAAAAASH!!

The shockwave tore across the basin.

Sand erupted into the air, forming a vast cloud that swallowed the surrounding terrain. The ground split beneath the combined impact, and the cruiser's remaining structure was reduced to scattered fragments. Loose stones were hurled across the valley, while waves of sand rolled outward from the point of impact.

But Rio and her companions were already gone.

The teleportation had completed at the final possible instant.

The desert vanished.

The roaring Ouzame disappeared.

And the group was swallowed by blue light.

The next moment, Rio's boots struck a solid wooden floor.

She stumbled half a step before regaining her balance, still gripping the broken fragments of the teleportation crystal. The magical light faded around her, leaving the four of them standing inside the familiar headquarters of Crowned Era.

For several seconds, nobody spoke.

The room was warm, quiet, and comfortable. The scent of freshly prepared food drifted through the air, and somewhere nearby, a glass clinked against a plate. The wooden floor beneath their feet was perfectly still, and the walls surrounding them were reassuringly solid.

It was so peaceful that the contrast felt almost insulting.

Rio slowly looked around.

They had returned to the guild base safely. The teleportation crystal had worked exactly as intended, transporting everyone who had remained within its range before the cruiser was destroyed.

Ryota bent forward, placing both hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath.

"...I'm alive."

Akari stared at the floor, then at the walls, and finally toward Memory.

"...We're alive."

Memory immediately grabbed Akari and hugged her.

"WE'RE ALIVE!"

Akari nearly lost her balance.

"Memory!"

"We're alive! We're alive! We're alive!"

Bubbles bounced around their feet, squeaking happily as though it had personally contributed to their survival.

"Pyu! Pyu! Pyuuuu!"

Ryota slowly straightened and looked toward Rio.

"...We just lost the cruiser, didn't we?"

Rio glanced at the fragments of the teleportation crystal in her hand before letting out a tired sigh.

"Yes."

Ryota stared at her.

"...And the Emergency Guild Teleport Crystal?"

"Also gone."

He lowered his head.

"...That was expensive, wasn't it?"

Rio gave him a weary look.

"Do you want to go back and retrieve it?"

Ryota immediately shook his head.

"Nope."

"Good."

Rio placed the broken fragments into her inventory before brushing the remaining sand from her sleeves. Although she had managed to keep everyone alive, her thoughts were still racing. The Ouzame had attacked together, the Ganzame had fled their territory, and both enormous predators had been disturbed before the group arrived.

Someone—or something—might have entered the danger zone before them.

Alternatively, the Ouzame might have been responding to the vibrations of the cruiser itself, and the arrival of the Ganzame had merely complicated an already dangerous situation.

Whatever the cause, the expedition had become far more dangerous than she had anticipated.

Rio exhaled slowly.

We'll need a different approach next time.

Then she noticed something strange.

The guild headquarters was occupied.

More specifically, someone was relaxing on the large sofa near the common room's central table, apparently enjoying a peaceful afternoon without a care in the world.

Sayanaki.

The crimson-haired assassin was lounging comfortably against the cushions, one leg draped over the armrest while she held a bottle of soda in one hand and a piece of bread in the other. Her dagger was nowhere obvious, although Rio knew better than to assume that the assassin had left it far away.

A plate of food sat on the table in front of her. Beside the sofa, Silla was serving another dish, carefully arranging the plates as though this were an ordinary evening at the guild base.

Sayanaki took a casual sip of soda before biting into her bread.

Only after chewing did she glance toward the sudden arrival of four exhausted adventurers.

Her crimson eyes widened slightly.

Then a smile slowly spread across her face.

There was blood on her cheeks.

Not a little, either. The red stains stood out against her pale skin, and there were several marks near the corner of her mouth. Yet she did not seem particularly concerned about them. In fact, she looked positively delighted.

"Oh."

Sayanaki swallowed her bite of bread.

"You're back."

Silence filled the common room.

Akari stared at her.

Memory stared at her.

Ryota slowly looked from Sayanaki to the blood on her cheeks, then toward the food on the table. He seemed to be trying to determine whether he had somehow arrived in the wrong room.

Rio's eyes narrowed.

"...Sayanaki."

The assassin tilted her head innocently.

"Hm?"

Rio glanced at the blood, then at the soda, and finally at the bread in Sayanaki's hand.

"...What happened here?"

Sayanaki took another sip of soda before smiling even more brightly.

"Nothing much."

Silla placed the final dish on the table and quietly stepped away, apparently accustomed to Sayanaki's behavior.

"Just a little cleanup," Sayanaki added.

Ryota stared at her.

"...Cleanup?"

"Yep."

She lifted the bread in a small, cheerful gesture.

"Want some?"

Nobody answered.

Sayanaki looked around at their exhausted faces, then glanced at the empty space where their sand cruiser should have been represented in their inventories.

Her smile widened.

"...So. How was the desert?"

Rio closed her eyes.

For a long moment, she said nothing.

They had nearly been crushed by two enormous Ouzame, lost their cruiser, and burned an emergency teleportation item to escape. Memory had lost her enhanced Terracotta Archer, Akari had been forced to save her from a direct attack, and the expedition had ended without collecting a single piece of the rare ore they had come to find.

And now, after all of that, they had returned to find Sayanaki relaxing on the sofa, eating bread and drinking soda with blood on her cheeks.

Rio slowly opened her eyes.

"...I don't even want to know."

Sayanaki laughed.

Silla quietly poured her another drink.

Far away, in the Endless Sand Valley, two enormous Ouzame continued roaring over the wreckage of the sand cruiser they had crushed together. Their bodies shifted across the basin, displacing sand and stone as they resumed their struggle over the territory they considered their own.

Crowned Era had survived.

Barely.

But Rio had learned something important. The next time she entered the Ouzame danger zone, she would need a much better plan—one that accounted for the creatures' territorial instincts, the behavior of the smaller predators, and the possibility that the entire region might become unstable without warning.

Preferably, it would be a plan that did not involve being flattened by two living mountains.

And definitely one that did not require spending another emergency teleportation crystal.

For now, however, she had a different mystery to investigate.

Rio glanced toward Sayanaki and the suspiciously bloody snack break unfolding before her.

Somehow, she had a feeling that asking what had happened at headquarters would be almost as troublesome as returning to the desert.