Headed by a Snake

⁆ Captain's Log, Date XXXX. ⁅

⁆ So there I was... literally surrounded, full circle, by brainwashed cultists. They came by the dozens, using flashy Skills, decorated spears, and chains with sharp spikes or, uh... ⁅

⁆ Ehhh, I don't really know. A bunch of them used real weapons like swords and sticks. A lot of them, though... didn't. ⁅

⁆ Weird shite. ⁅

⁆ Anyroad, they were all waiting on the stormy beach like they knew we were coming. ⁅

⁆ The only reasonable way they could've known was through that prick of a sea god... ⁅

⁆ That meant the whole lot of them were enemies. ⁅

⁆ Enemies get got. ⁅

⁆ They were decently strong, most of them... but it didn't matter too much. ⁅

⁆ Petty Officer Bob seemed real pissed-- either out of concern for Mina or maybe he just hadn't gotten off in awhile. ⁅

⁆ The big guy put down some old lady like a cripple-finned clownfish. He took a few hits, but uh... the boys literally cannot f*cking die when it's raining on shore. ⁅

⁆ The sea god might have warned his cocksucking lackeys ahead of time, but he was a f*cking idiot for letting it rain during the beach landing. ⁅

⁆ Wonderboy managed to kill one. Immediately after, he got blasted in the face by some kind of energy ball. ⁅

⁆ ...One for one ain't bad. Hopefully, he was dead... ⁅

⁆ Rest in pieces, boyo. ⁅

⁆ Barrel Boy took out a surprising amount of bad guys. It's like no one knew how to fight a murderous barrel, blowing out of the water like a cannonball. ⁅

⁆ F*ck me. I don't even know how I'd fight a weaponized, death barrel. ⁅

⁆ The cultists tried to mount some kind of organized counterattack... few dozen guys, probably some talent in there, with how their leader wagged his tongue. ⁅

⁆ That didn't last long. Doc and the ranged line had managed to pull off a successful flank. They  delivered a veritable shite-storm of bullets and crossbow bolts... broke 'em up-- picked off the stragglers too. ⁅

⁆ Not gonna lie, it was pretty impressive. ⁅

⁆ And that's just talking about the Coral Boys. If all that wasn't enough... then I've got to talk about the strongest Lieutenant in the gods-damned-- ⁅

"DIE, HEATHEN SCUMMMM!!!"

Krysaos lifted the Heart of the Ocean to block a crazed cultist's quarterstaff, redirecting the force downward to throw the cunt off balance.

"I'm TRYIN' to f*ckin' think, here!" He spat, running his rapier through the guy's throat... "Seven f*ckin' hells... Where was I?"

⁆ ...Bah, whatever. ⁅

⁆ Now, I don't think of myself as a braggart... but the whole operation was only going so well because of me and my leadership. ⁅

⁆ After all, I, Captain Krysaos, am the baddest motherf-- ⁅

"Halt, Outsider!!" Another cultist shouted, "I, Wang Lei of the Jiang family, CHALLENGE YOU TO--"

"Oh, come the f*ck on," Krysaos groaned.

Some crazy bastard had leapt towards him-- pretty quick, too.

Before the guy could do him dirty, though, a pale Coral Boy appeared out of nowhere and put a big knife through the side of the cultist's neck.

"⌈Shadowfang Strike.⌋"

...Krysaos raised an eyebrow. That sounded like a movement technique... and a familiar one.

"That you, Stickyfingers?"

Leading Hand Stickyfingers straightened his back and rendered a quick salute. "Evenin', Cap'n. Gen'lemen."

The other Coral Boys guarding Krysaos returned various nods and half-salutes.

"Evenin', Leads." "Good kill, mate." "Bah, ya shoulda went fer 'is nads."

"Good work," Krysaos stood tall as he adjusted the lapels of his coat... "Dunno what that guy was thinkin', announcin' himself like that."

"Yeh," Stickyfingers shrugged. "Made 'is mark real obvious... emanated a whole lot of killy intent... 'E did jus' about everyfing da Bosun said *not* to do."

Krysaos narrowed his eyes. It seemed Stickyfingers was getting personal instruction from Lieutenant Tycon... not that that should have been surprising.

"Good for you, boyo. You see the LT anywhere?"

Suddenly a... snapping sound echoed throughout the battlefield, even louder than the lightning.

"DEATHH!!!" A deep, but human-ish voice bellowed, "Des-TRUCTION!!!"

All the Coral Boys responded at the same time, sounding suspiciously like a cohesive army...

"""TO'AL ANNIHILATIOOOONNN!!!"""

"Total!" Krysaos thrusted his hand forward, taking control of a crashing wave behind him. It smashed into a random, panicking cultist, sinking a cannonball-sized water sphere into their chest...

At the same time, Stickyfingers had leapt towards a different enemy, taking them down by the neck and stabbing them several times in the chest, "ANNIHILATION!!!"

...The Coral Boy stood up and awkwardly walked back to Krysaos, "We uh... might not know dunno where da Bosun is, Cap'n. But uh--"

"But we can hear him just fine," Krysaos waved. "Yeah. I got it."

He looked at the rapier in his hand.

When he first picked up the Heart of the Ocean, he didn't realize just how powerful it was. It made his mana control easier, it made his reactions a little bit quicker, and it ran through flesh and armor as easy as a filet knife.

But then again... Krysaos had gotten a lot stronger since the Tree God's Forest...

He didn't want to admit it, but it seemed like the stupid meditation shite that Tycon forced him to do did just what he said it would.

...Of course, it would.

"I fink I see da Bosun, Cap'n," One of the boys pointed back to the waters.

A massive, white-scaled sea serpent was sticking its head out of the stormy ocean, staring impassively as waves crashed into and around him.

That was the LT, alright.

...But how did he make that snapping noise? The current Tycon didn't have fingers.

"Huh..." Stickyfingers scratched at his head. "Y'know... iss... funny, innit? When da Bosun yells real loud, everyone jus'... fights harder fer sum reason."

"...Mm. Never noticed."

"Think he'll use uh... some kinda beam skill?" The pale Coral Boy asked hopefully. "like one o' em Levia'fans?"

"Wiv all due respect, Leads," One of the boys twisted his maw as his axe chopped some cultist's leg off, "Da Bosun's more precise about 'is killing-- more... personal."

"Bah. Look at da size of 'im, doh?!" The grumpy one countered.

He had a cultist grabbed by the legs and was stomping on his groin, "Da Bosun jus' needs ta hit da beach and 'frash about! Ain't 'at roight, Cap'n?"

"Nah," Krysaos shook his head. "LT said he wanted to conserve his energy in case a boss monster shows up. Also, you there. Quit f*ckin' off."

"Aye aye, Cap'n," The third Coral Boy pouted... but two chops of his axe properly decapitated the sap he already had bloodied and broken.

Stickyfingers looked legitimately confused... "Da Bosun really finks 'ese... 'ooever 'ese humies are... 'ave a boss monsta?"

Kryasos didn't blame him, "Well, ah, the LT's pretty spot on for things like that... usually."

"Ah... yeahhh," Stickyfingers shrugged. "Prolly best not to fink too much about it, eh, Cap'n?"

"Well, I'mma let you get back to it, gentlemen," Krysaos smiled as he patted his crewman on the shoulder, "Take care o' these guys, Leads. I'll be going ahead on my own."

"You got it, Cap'n. Kehehe..." Stickyfingers chuckled as he rendered a sloppy salute.

⁆ Now with that out of the way... ⁅

⁆ So there I was... ⁅