ROOOAAAARRRRRRRRR
A deafening roar thundered all throughout the sea and rocked the skies, a massive and deadly beast appearing out of nowhere and shing out its gigantitacles all over the pce, breaking ks of ice every time it shed.
It whipped out one of its tentacles and the thick yers of ice were split and broken easily, gciers throw and right and in the air. Loud thuds and crashes echoed throughout the air as the massive ks of ice rained down on the Winter Forest.
It was a beast which resembled a massive squid, reag over 50 meters ih, eyes bigger than a car, and each sh pag enough power to annihite the isnds as if they were fragile toys. Its eyes were full e, painted red as be.
A creature Grey was all too familiar with, appearing in all sorts of shows and fis he's read in his past life. There were all sorts of variations, but ohing was clear in all of them, and that was that it owerful and aggressive destroyer.
??Appraisal?? ［Grey］
----------------------------------
[Demonic Beast]
[Species]Kraken
[Status]Healthy, Starving, Enraged
[Sex]Female
[Age]158
[Mana Capacity]16,011 [Mana Quality]A
[bat Power]5,207 [Threat Level]S
[Attribute]Water
[Intelligence]87
[Description]
A giant Cephalopod-Type which dwells in the deep and dark reaches uhe sea. It is referred to by many as the "Nightmare of the Sea", often sinking boats and ships with its tentacles in the rare events that it surfaces. The number of its tentacles grow iion to its age, reag 12 during adulthood.
Krakens often live in solitary lifestyles and are highly territorial. Though it is famous for its water magic which wash away eowns, it is even more infamous for its corrosive properties enough to melt iron in an instant ants sticky tentacles which ships have slim to no ce of esg from.
-----------------------------------
It was a Kraken, alright. A beast which is often dubbed as one of the "Three Terrors" of the seas along with Scyl and Charybdis, ranking sed only after the Leviathan. They are true powerhouses which rule the os.
What's even worse was that it wasn't just any Kraken, but a Corrupted Kraken whose bloodlust was all over the pce. Its roars were filled with iy and hunger, ready to devour everything in its path be it other beasts or massive ks of ice.
Normally, Krakens reach the middle-ends of A-rank ohey reach adulthood, but si was a demonic beast before there, it is now itom of S-rank. Now, it is parable to a normal Leviathan in terms of bat power.
"Grey, isn't this..." ［Yuna］
"Yeah. I'm doubting that possibility too..." ［Grey］
However, ohing didn't just line up with Grey and Yuna's findings. Though demonic beasts aren't really extremely rare, they aren't oher. Yet after the Leviathan before, they fou another aquatic beast that has been corrupted.
With how big the o is, it was very much likely that it was a ce, however, Grey just couldn't shake off the ominous feeling from befrowing stronger and stronger with doubts and fusion towards the subject.
"No, it's still far too early to make unsupported clusions like that. It could just be a huge ce as well. That's more likely to be it than not." ［Grey］
"But what if it's not?" ［Yuna］
"Well, in the slim ce it's not, then... That'll really be troublesome... Let's just keep an eye on things for now and see how things go." ［Grey］
"Mmn... I guess you're right." ［Yuna］
It was no use thinking too hard about it. If it's a ce then that would be much better for everyone, but if it's not, then it would be a lot of problems. They haven't so much so as started their journey and they were already entering such problems.
ROOOAAAARRRRRR
Just when Grey and Yuna fiheir short versatio another deafening roar thundered all throughout the sea and the Kraken shed out even harder, smming its massive tentacles as if there was no tomorrow.
It seems to have spotted them already too, its eyes glowing a fierce red color as it stared straight at them. It soon tched one of its tentacles onto a massive k of ice it just broke and hurled it towards the two of them at insane speeds.
"How rude..." ［Grey］
There was o fret. All Grey had to do was stand in silend activate his "Bellowing Heavens" and thousands of tiny shockwaves rippled all throughout the air, pulverizing the massive k of ito fine snow in an instant.
The sound of shattering gss rang out like sweet chimes in the air and a downpour of snow came falling down the white sandy beach. It was an absurd sight to behold, yet it was just as mystical and magical.
"Thanks a lot, Grey. You're the best!" ［Yuna］
"What are you saying, you silly girl? You already reached Camity-Css, but you should still have erected a barrier. That was dangerous." ［Grey］
"Teehee! It's because I knew Grey will protect me!" ［Yuna］
"Don't 'teehee' me, youー Haah... Fet it..." ［Grey］
Seeing how its previous attempt didn't work, the Kraken didn't try throwing projectiles at them anymore and instead, tinued breaking through the id rushed forth trey and Yuna, its eyes resembling that of a hungry predator.
There were all sorts of frozes here and there, and they were also the beasts it was chasing before, but for some reason, the Kraken is remely and strangely fixated on them, ready to rip them apart without sed thoughts.
Of course, Grey and Yuna didn't just leave it be. The young dy was a little stumped that she didn't get to fight after setting off the "Winter Forest", but now that a ce has preseself before her, there was no way she'd dee.
"Grey, we add another dish to our lunch today?" ［Yuna］
"... Sure, I'm hungry for some squid anyway." ［Grey］
"Fufufu! Just what I wao hear! Thanks, Grey!" ［Yuna］
It may be a demonic beast, but it was still a fact that it was a massive S-rank squid, one which should be as delicious as it is powerful. Yuna quickly equipped her daggers, a sharp glimmer shimmering in the beachー or so for a short time.
"Right, Grey, I borrow the spear for a short while?" ［Yuna］
"The Divine Spear? Why all of the sudden?" ［Grey］
"Nothing much. But since we're already out in the sea, shouldn't we try spearfishing every on a while? It's fun, you know?" ［Yuna］
Or so she says, beaming a bright smile as she asked for su i request. It was a request no one would think of in such a situation... No one except his beloved fiahat is. She really was a fasating person to say the very least.
Grey didn't think too much about her request and simply gra, taking out another Armament Ring from his Iory. It looked simir to the one Yuna's wearing, but as soon as she activated it, a beautiful ptinum halberd appeared out of nowhere.
The Kraken tio charge recklessly towards them, but Yuna was still calm as be. She just tio admire the halberd she was holding, swinging it a little bit to get used to it after having not held one for quite some time.
"Good! Looks like I still have the hang of it!" ［Yuna］
"Then, I'll be cooking in the shed if you ever need me. Good luck." ［Grey］
"Un! Just leave it to me! I'm gonna catch us some tasty squid!" ［Yuna］
She heaved a deep breath and locked her sights on the Kraken before them. It has been quite some time si started moving, but it has yet to reach halfway towards her because of the Winter Forest hindering its movements greatly.
BOOK BOOM BOOM CRACK SHATTER
The Winter Forest tio deal damage towards it it tio sh out its giant arms aacles, the sound of shattering gss and ice ringing about as it broke several trees and snapped several vines, eyes fueled with rage.
On the trary, Yuna was calm as be, her blue eyes emanating a sharp and deadly ess as she took aep. She raised her right hand and the halberd along with if, her eyes locked on the eye of the rampaging Kraken.
"Haap!" ［Yuna］
BOOOOMMMM FWOOSH FWOOSH FWOOSH
With no magic whatsoever, Yuna threw the halberd with brute ford sonis redounded clearly as the halberd broke through the sonic barrier several times time and time again, darting towards the Kraken at breakneck speed.
At the same time, Yuna pnted her foot firmly towards the ground and bolted along the halberd she threw, leaving soft clouds of dust and snow as she rushed towards the Kraken, creating spears of ice with her as she went.
She threw the spears of ice like an endless volley of blue and aimed for the tentacles this time. Dozens of blue spears rushed out towards the Kraken like a downpour of frost ah, like bolts of lightning cruising throughout the sky.
BOOOOMMMMM GHIIEEEEKKKKKKKK
The Divine Halberd ected successfully and the Winter Forest was dyed red with the Kraken's blood. It was lucky enough to move about, and its eyes weren't hurt, but in exge, the halberd bore a hole through one of its tentacles, soon cutting it off.
A pained screech ran wild, and so did the Kraken. But before it got ed by its rage, it mao catch a glimpse of the spears rushing towards it, a newfound trauma pying out as it saw a torrent of terror rush towards it.
The Kraken didn't waste any time and created a wall of magic with the use of water magic. It was thick as be, successfully blog the volley of blue. Unfortunately, it has pletely fotten about a certain someone.
"Hey, over here!" ［Yuna］
That certain someone was her than Yuna, vanishing without a trad soon appearing behind the Kraken with the Divine Halberd on her person. There was a cold glint in her eyes, raising the halberd with resolve.
The Kraken tried to block Yuna's swing with another wall of water, but before it could even do so, Yuna's strike had already tore through the inplete curtain of water and cut off yet another one of the Kraken's massive tentacles.
From 12 intact tentacles, only 10 remained in just a few seds. Another shriek filled with pain and ag out in the Winter Forest, the Kraken's eyes painted a fierce fed color, as deep as the color of the blood it spilled.
If opes beak and shot out its infamous ink, a stream of bd smoke rushing out to get Yuna. It was corrosive enough to melt eveals and alloys in an instant, drops ink of it melting the ice Yuna made, the vegetation slowly withering away.
Yet despite how dangerous it was, Yuna didn't budge an ind simply activated her "Phaseless". The stream of dark ink simply passed through her and nded oher side of the Winter Forest, corroding that area in the blink of an eye.
??Crest Ssh!?? ［Yuna］
Yuna made another swing, and this time, she decided to pack a bit of mana itack. As if she ainting and the Divine Halberd was her brush, a massive bde of mana was born of her stroke, rushing towards the Kraken without any warning.
Not just one, but the swing cut off two tentacles of the Kraken, an even more pained belling in the air as only 8 out of its 12 tentacles remaihey all fell towards the ground, loud thuds and crashes eg all the while.
"Hmm... Now it's more fitting to call you an octopus, doesn't it?" ［Yuna］
KHIIIEEEEKKKKKKKK BOOM BOOM BOOM
The young dy remained calm and posed, but the same couldn't be said for the Kraken. It has now lost its mind from so much pain, shing even more violently than before, breaking all the frozeation creeping towards it.
It shed out its tentacles and bdes of water formed all over the pce. It made sure to spare no effort to hurt Yuna, trying to finish her by itself and crush her bones into fine powder os tentacles grab ahold of the evasive young dy.
Unfortunately for the Kraken, Yuna was simply too fast for it. Before its giaacles could eveend halfway, Yuna has already pulled bad dodged the trajectory of the attacks. Just a couple side steps and a bit of swinging to ter attack.
One... Two... Three...
The more time passed and the more Yuna swung the Divine Halberd, the more of the Kraken's tentacles were cut off aowards the Winter Forest. Frost swallowed it whole, preserving and proteg it from the deadly csh before it.
The Kraken tried all sorts of attacks from simple brute force all the way to AoE magic, but every single one of the attacks missed. On the trary, all of Yuna's attaded with 100% accuracy, dealing wounds and injuries oer another.
ROOAAARRRRR BOOOOM BOOOOM FWOOOSSSHHHHH
Rage burning deep in its hearts, the Kraken smmed the Winter Forest Whole and the thick sheets of ice broke into ks and pieces, flying towards the air along with a bit of sea water and snow, obstrug all sight without fail.
The Kraken didn't just stop there. As soon as the chucks of ice were raised, it then whipped with its remaining 5 tentacles and catapulted all the icebergs and gciers towards all dires, hoping to hit and injure Yuna even by a little bit.
Yet quite uedly, rather than be flustered by the volley of ice turowards her, she used them as footing to run towards the Kraken. She arrived in an instant with just a couple normal leaps for her and Grey.
??Crest Ssh!?? ［Yuna］
Another swing and another arm cut off. More blood illed and aentacle fell towards the ground with a loud thud. The Kraken's eyes were now bloodshot with rage, not wasting the opportunity it made by sacrifig a tentacle.
Two of its remaining 4 tentacles rushed out to get Yuna, and for the first time sihe whole battle started, it finally caught the young dy, crushing her with extreme force without any mercyー or so it thought it did.
But rather than a warm body, it only felt chills and cold on the figure it caught. It didn't take long for it to realize that what it was holding was not Yuna, but rather, a dummy she used to grab the Kraken's attention, the young dy now o be seen.
"Are you looking for me?" ［Yuna］
The moment she appeared again, she was already beside the Kraken aing the handle of the halberd on her right shoulder. She wasn't swinging nor using any tricks and magics. She's simply anticipating for something to occur.
"Oh, and I prepared a little surprise for you." ［Yuna］
WHHIIIRRRRRRRRRRR CRACKLE CRACKLE BOOOOOOMMMMMM
Slowly but surely, the frozen dummy started to glht, and not even a sed ter, it exploded into an explosion of blue and white, swallowing the Kraken whole, deadly ice crystals f sharp needles and pierg through its skin.
The Kraken mao somehow avoid its head getting into tact with the frozen explosion, but unfortunately, two of its tentacles were caught, pinning it down to its location and making it choose betweeh and pain.
If the Kraken chooses to be free, it will have to cut off two of its remainiacles, but if it doesn't, it will be stuck there for some time with limited movement, making risks of Yuna's attacks from before even more effective and troublesome.
Yuna, you sure are having a lot of fun, huh. ［Grey］
Hehehe! It's not often that we fight enemies in the sea, after all! ［Yuna］
Whatever floats your boat, I guess... Oh! And be sure to finish quickly. I'm almost doh lunch. Let's eat together after you're done. ［Grey］
"Un! Uood!" ［Yuna］
And just as Yuna and the Kraken were fighting against one anrey tio cook by the sandy beach as if nothing unusual was happening. Rather, he chuckled to himself as he watched his beloved fiancée's wonderful performance.
They were chatting idly, but there was o worry. In Yuna's pce, the Winfer Forest is doing damage to the Kraken, bsting out leaves of ice, whipping vines of white, grass prig from below, and ivorous fauna taking a bite of it
It mao fend against its attacks from before with its 12 tentacles, but now that only 4 remained and only of those 2 are funal, it has bee close to impossible. It was a Forest of Death through and through.
GROOOAAAARRRRRRR KHIIEEEKKKKKK
The Kraken didn't hesitate any further and using its sharp and massive beak, it then tore through the flesh of the stuck tentacles and forcefully cut them off from its body. It regrow such tentacles after a couple of months, anyway,
BOOM BOOM CRASH CRASH RUMBBLLLEEEEEEE
As soon as it was free, it smmed its st remainiacles towards the thid gcial sheets of ice, hurling massive ks of ice again. It whipped and shot them around some more, massive debris flying towards Yuna's dire.
But rather than tiag, it decided that it was better to run away for now and attack at a ter time whe could. It quickly turned around, broke the vines and frozeation pinning it down to such a frozen hell.
Oh! Looks like the Kraken Is trying to escape! It's so fast despite having only 2 more tentacles remaining, doesn't it? ［Yuna］
Well, even if it's severely injured. it's still an S-rank demonic beast, after all... It's a shame though... It's only digging up its own grave. ［Grey］
Fufufu! I didn't expect it like that, tooー Oh! ［Yuna］
Yuna deflected the ks of iing her way with a light swing from the Divine Halberd, but turhe whole volley into blue ale snow. As soon as the veil of snow cleared out, the Kraken had already escaped.
It used the hole it dug up the ks of ice from and dove deep uer to escape Yuna's eyes. Its blood was still trig, dyeing the waters red and leaving traces of itself as it ran away. What's more important was that it could escape.
Unfortunately for it, as soon as it dove uer, it was greeted by an even bigger and even more formidable. The thick vines of ice quickly caught one of its tentacles, and the other one soon after. It inned, once more.
The Kraken tried tle, but it was futile. More and more frozen viched onto it and more and more leaves left wounds all throughout its body. It was in a hell of frost and torture, the young dy soon deg to end its misery.
The young dy grabbed the halberd for the final time and held it tightly. She raised her hands and her eyes locked on the Kraken. A violent surge of mana rushed forth from the halberd, glowing a bright shimmer like stars in the night sky.
??Heavenly Star: Perdition!?? ［Yuna］
BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM BOOM
She held it rightly and hurled the Divine Halberd with all her might up above. Several sonis ruptured the air again and again in rapid succession, soon toug the clouds before rushing down like a shooting star, ptinum sparkles making it shine.
It sped up more and more as if falling from the heavens, and rocked the Winter Forest as it pierced through without any problems, waves of seawater and ice rushing about, apanied by the chilly winter breeze and pierg cold winds.
A perfect hit!
The Kraken couldn't even notice the Divine Halberd ing its way, when a brilliant fsh of light swallowed its sight. The hing it knew, its body was already pierced, all its hearts crushed into paste as if they were nothing.
Its fmes of life flickered in the cold sea and soon, it was swallowed by the cold and merciless hands of death. The Kraken had lost its life and the struggle was finally over. It soon floats towards the surface, only 2 tentacles remaining.
"Yaay～! It looks like the body isn't too damaged! We still eat it!" ［Yuna］
"Yuna, you should worry about unfreezing the sea first." ［Grey］
"ht! I pletely fot!" ［Yuna］
"Haah... Really, what am I gonna do with you." ［Grey］
After the fierd pletely one-sided battle between Yuna and the Kraken, what came after was the ing up. Yuna quickly deactivated Winter Forest and turhe sea back to normal, the only pieces of ice to be seen are eng the beasts.
With a little bit of water magic, the two also washed up all the deceased beasts into shore and stored them in the Iory soon after. They will be dismantling them soon enough when they have time to do so.
Though, as per Yuna's request, they did take a bit of meat from the Kraken the young dy just took out and cooked it in all sorts of ways. Grilled squid, Camares, Sweet and Sour squid, and also Takoyaki. They made a couple things and...
"Mmn～! So good～! This is what I'm talking about～!" ［Yuna］
"Yu slowly. You'll choke yourself." ［Grey］
"It's fi's fi's not everyday that we eat Krakens, is it?" ［Yuna］
"Hmm... I guess you're right..." ［Grey］
... As expected, the dishes made from Krake are superb and immacute. It is firm but soft, and also juicy with overflowing umami and salty goodness. Pairing it with some sour and spicy sauces were the best.
Grey and Yuna eheir lund their little lunch break, also eating with the familiars and the tract spirits to have a lot of fun chatting and ughing about. They may be in the middle of the o, but it wasn't lonely at all.
The journey had just barely started..
CHAPTER 404 END
