An unobstructed sky, dyed blue overhead, hides its form beyond the horizon.
The Kingdom of Egdualm, which has a peninsula to the northwest and steep mountains rising to the south, is known as a magical nation, also famous for the relatively powerful magical beasts that appear.
Under a clear sky devoid of wind or clouds, three sturdy ships carrying knights and wizards dispatched from the kingdom faced the raging target of their hunt, while a small unit of wizards flew alone in the air, splashing as they advanced.
“This is not a sea serpent!” one of them exclaimed.
“I told you that a thorough investigation is necessary! But those fools only have power struggles on their minds!” another shouted.
“A huge wave is coming! Activate protection… It’s shaking!! Everyone on deck, grab onto something!”
On the ship, the air was filled with screams and shouts of panic as they faced the fear of the advancing waves and the storm breath unleashed by the magical beasts.
Among the wizards preparing to confront the sea monster from the sky was a notably young woman with light purple hair who exhaled deeply.
“…It’s a sea dragon. Moreover, a superior one… At this rate, those at sea won’t even be able to escape…”
“No way! I never thought it would come to this! The head of the wizards has been neglecting dangerous hunts and hasn’t even given us proper time for investigation! It’s his negligence that’s caused this!”
A man standing next to her, likely older than her by a decade, muttered bitterly from beneath his navy robe.
“A gigantic sea serpent has appeared, causing massive waves that prevent fishing. The villagers living close to the coast are becoming increasingly anxious.”
This was a petition sent to the kingdom from coastal villages and towns through the Adventurer’s Guild. Since the guild was unable to handle it, a request for action was made to the kingdom’s extermination squad. Although the soldiers and adventurers in the area were accustomed to sea monsters, they could not approach an opponent that could create massive waves with normal ships, and flying magic was a high-level spell that few in the town could use.
Currently, the adventurers registered with nearby guilds were not particularly strong, and none could fly. Therefore, the information about the sea serpent was based on reports from people who had seen it from a distance and could not be verified. At most, they had seen a part of its massive body emerge from the sea or observed its tail slamming against the waves from afar before fleeing.
The general, who had received a royal order to exterminate it, requested the court’s chief wizard to dispatch wizards and organized a knight order for extermination. He prepared sturdy ships capable of withstanding the sea serpent’s attacks. The knights and wizards from the second knight order tasked with the extermination boarded the ships, while the flying wizards dispatched by the chief wizard took to the skies.
For the dangerous extermination, a young woman wizard, aged 24 with light purple hair and deep amethyst eyes, had been selected. Among the court wizards, who were mostly of noble birth, a woman from a mountain village without power in her family had no choice but to accept the dangerous mission thrust upon her.
In the course of repeatedly completing extermination missions, her only solace was the friendships she formed with the knights and wizards who worked alongside her.
This time, they were urged to act swiftly before any damage occurred, and everyone felt anxiety from the beginning.
Now that it had become a reality, anger and despair overwhelmed everyone, making it seem difficult to even survive.
“Everyone, descend to the ship while I hold it off! Create a wind and retreat with all your might! For a little while, I’ll keep the sea dragon occupied!”
The woman commanding the wizard unit on the scene issued her orders while glaring at the sea dragon. The man in the robe next to her looked at her in disbelief.
“But… if you do that, you’ll…”
“We don’t have time! If we stay like this, the ship will capsize! Once everyone is safe, I will escape too. We must return to port and request reinforcements!”
“Then, I will accompany you! It’s madness to face the sea dragon alone…”
Without averting her gaze from the sea dragon, she smiled faintly at him.
“…I am grateful to you for helping someone like me, a mere village girl. But this is my job. Please gather the others. It seems there is quite a bit of confusion on the ship…”
“…Understood. But, please… stay alive. I’ve never seen a wizard as skilled as you.”
Feeling the strong resolve from him, the man had no choice but to comply.
He couldn’t believe anyone could survive alone against the sea dragon.
Yet, he could not let her noble intent to save everyone go to waste.
“Let’s go… Everyone, descend! Follow orders, spread out, and move to the ship with all your strength! Not a single one of us must be missing!!”
The three wizards called out to the woman, “May fortune be with you,” and “Make sure to return,” before they descended to the ship.
Hearing their final words, the woman began her incantation.
“O sea, great ancient water, source of life that covers the world. Great power that devours all…”
The sea dragon raised its face to the sky, slamming its massive body against the sea surface, letting out a roar that echoed in all directions.
The powerful cry, like a declaration of its own strength, was said to be the prelude to a devastating attack meant to destroy its enemies. The wizards landed on the deck and lined up with the wizards of the knight order already aboard the ship. They all chanted spells simultaneously, creating a wind that propelled them backward and increased their speed to retreat. Those assigned to defense concentrated all remaining magic power into protective spells.
Even if they could not completely fend off the sea dragon’s attack, they could mitigate the effects of waves and magical assaults.
“Just retreat for now! Captain, please assist the knights to prevent them from being knocked down by the waves!”
“Understood! But the dragon is still…”
Before he could finish his sentence, the sea dragon surged forward, approaching its prey, and swung its massive limb toward the ship.
“Ugh… ah…!???”
The cries of astonished men echoed across the sea.
However, the sea dragon’s attack never reached the ship.
The sea rose, forming a wall that stood between the sea dragon and the ship.
Blocked by the wall, the sea dragon was violently thrown back, crashing into the sea with a loud splash.
The blue barrier repelled even the shockwaves, and the ship increased its speed toward the port.
“Gather, O air, and become a whirlwind, and again, become the power to destroy my enemies! Needle of the wind, become a blade; blade, obey my will and become a cleaving force! Storm Cutter!”
As the water wall returned to the sea, a small figure facing the sea dragon could be seen in the distance. With arms outstretched, she formed a triangle with her thumbs and index fingers together. From there, immense magical power was released, and countless blades of wind surged forth, striking at the sea dragon.
Unlike before, the sea dragon’s roar, neither a scream nor a battle cry, shook the air, leaving numerous deep wounds on its resilient body.
“Impressive, as expected…”
A sigh escaped as they watched the spectacle from the ship’s stern.
Even among court wizards, few could confront such a superior dragon alone…
However, just as they felt a moment of relief, the new spell being chanted by the woman abruptly ceased.
The sea dragon’s tail struck at her.
Dressed in a garment lined with light purple like her hair, adorned with golden embroidery, her figure vanished into the sea in the next instant.
And after that, no search would ever reveal her again.
Whether the sea dragon too sank back into the ocean or moved elsewhere, it would never be seen again.
The death of the woman, affectionately called “Lady Violet” by the knights and wizards involved, was announced ten days later.
She was a young talent rumored to be the first woman and the youngest to enter the ranks of court wizards.
“Iriya”
She would never answer that call again.
