Could it be some sort of artifact?
Akari's eyes scanned the coin, which bore the face of an old man, the strange engraving making her remember memories she had wished to suppress.
She discovered the coin in the coastal cavern, an object she had never spoken of to a single soul.
No. This isn't the time for that.
Biting her lip and gazing down at her ruined body, she examined herself closely, producing a basic diagnosis.
My shooting hand is hanging on by a thread, and I've broken multiple ribs. My legs feel fractured, and I can feel poisonous gas inside my lungs.
Coughing gently, she looked at the massive Kraken that had slowly begun to recover, the only opening she had to end its life slipping away.
Watching its limbs begin to sway and smash into the waters closer and closer to where she resided, she could only wait for her injured arm to either rot away or regain mobility.
However, with the unusual coin in her hand, she could feel a strange tingle inside her flesh, one that warmed her to her core.
Something was also occurring inside her head, whether it be odd headaches or moments where her memory lapsed, she could tell that whatever was happening was connected to Aaron.
BOOM!
Behind where she lay, the sound of cannonfire shocked the girl, and she tried to turn her head to look for the source, but ended up hissing in pain instead, the movement aggravating her already broken body.
W-what could it be?
BOOM! BOOM!
Two more explosions rang out before the furious screeches from the Kraken faded away, massive waves erupting from its fall into the sea.
D-Did it die? But who could've—
Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of heavy footsteps landing atop the corpse where she was stranded.
The approaching feet only grew in volume; a group of about three or four individuals, likely men, stood behind her.
"Hello…?"
She called out, confused, waiting for an answer that would never come.
For in the next moment, without an ability to fight back, a bag was shoved over her head, a solid kick to her chest knocking the breath from her lungs.
Flashes of the blonde-haired girl in Sea Fallen appeared in front of her fading vision, uncontrollable tears forming in her eye sockets as she gasped for the poisoned air.
T-traffickers…
The substance laced within the bag attacked the girl's consciousness, washing her into a slumber unstoppable by her will.
Feeling her eyelids fall, she accepted it, waiting for her mind to fade away and to awaken in whatever hellish auction house she would be sold in.
However, like before, that strange warmth settled over her entire body, shrouding her mind in a layer of impenetrable turquoise mist.
Her vision instantly cleared, her brain seemingly injected with caffeine that pulsed her senses to life once again.
That coin, the one imbued with the mana of a certain deity, was not going to let this young girl be captured.
Especially not with the memories of him that she had inside her head, for if searched through by the right being, it would result in impossible to comprehend results.
So, in the very moment that the pink-haired girl known as Akari Ayaka was serenated by an immense stream of mana that coursed through her blood, she acted.
Feeling hands begin to wrap around her hips, she dug her fingers into the thick crust of the terror's corpse, pushing and flinging herself upwards.
The pain in her ruined hand had faded into a simple soreness, the bag over her head swiftly removed in one quick motion.
Rejuvenated energy filled her body, allowing her to swiftly scan the area while midair, noticing a group of three men holding sabers.
Pirates.
Falling back towards them, she stretched out her boot-covered foot, reaching her hand down and flicking a small lever attached to the inside of the shoe.
I didn't think I'd ever have to use this!
A dagger ejected itself from the base of the leather-bound bottom, attached to the heel of her boot.
Aiming her leg towards the largest of the men, she slammed into him with intense force, digging the blade directly into the man's face that was propped upward.
He could only scream for a moment before the knife slit his throat, his cutlass falling from his hand straight into the cherry-haired girl's.
"Close range, eh? This'll work fine."
Pointing the tip at the other two men who backed up warily, she smiled, speaking loudly.
"Whose first?"
Without answering, one of the men, shorter than the young girl herself, charged.
He didn't even have a chance to slice her before his head rolled across the scaly corpse of the beast and into the sea.
Yawning lightly, Akari kicked his decapitated body off the beast's hide, staring at the remaining pirate who trembled dramatically.
"You know, I've always wondered why people kill each other."
She took a step forward, making the man flinch and raise his weapon.
Attempting to stab the girl through the throat, his attack was easily parried, and his weapon was thrown into the sea.
"Was it because they found it fun?"
The cutlass in her hand hovered over the man's neck, his face pale and eyes closed in prayer.
"Was it because they needed money?"
Akari raised her blade above the pirate's head, a frown appearing across her face.
"I've found in my experience that it's neither of those."
Slicing downward, the man's body was split into two pieces, blood spraying everywhere like a fountain of crimson.
Bending over slightly to face half the man's head that lost consciousness in seconds, she spoke in less than a whisper.
"People kill others because they deserve to die."
…
The chery-haired girl had moved quickly after disposing of the three bodies she had created, throwing them all into the sea.
Their crimson blood mixed with the orange, making a filthy brown, yet, in her eyes, it was the price they deserved.
Turning her gaze towards the ocean itself, she watched as their small brigantine floated helplessly in the waves, its three-man crew dead under her hand.
How kind of them to provide me transport…
Since her own ship was in a less-than-ideal state, she had no qualms about borrowing theirs.
Looking away from where she had thrown the bodies, she placed her hands above her head, diving into the sea and swimming towards the vessel.
That unusual warmth that spread through her body earlier acted as a seal, preventing whatever whispers had wedged their way into her head previously from reemerging.
Placing her hands on the ship ladder and climbing aboard, she glanced around, noticing various boxes and other assortments of goods.
Cannonballs and cannons lined the sides, while near the front, various types of weaponry were stacked in piles.
Smiling and walking ahead, she grabbed a small dagger from one of the crates, turning her gaze back towards the many terror corpses.
"Digging out these cores will be a pain…"
Shaking her head and directing her attention away from the future, she took another look around the ship, opening a small hatch in the deck.
I wonder where this leads?
Jumping in without thinking, she landed with a light thud, the swaying of the ship due to harsh waves nearly knocking her over.
Supporting herself with the wall, she realized that the pain in her hand was returning slowly, yet the blood loss had been completely replenished.
Hurts like hell, but at least I won't die…
Walking through the underside of the pirateship, she located a locked doorway without a label on the frame.
Raising her leg and kicking open the doorway, she breathed in heavily as she came face-to-face with multiple cages.
Inside each cell, dozens of women were bound and chained to the walls, with some dead and others alive.
Dear god…
Some women looked at the cherry-haired girl, flinching back at the sight of the weapon gripped in her hand.
They've been abused and had to watch the others being killed. No wonder they wouldn't trust me.
Deciding that freeing them was more important than how they felt, she slashed across each of the cell doors, shattering the lock and opening them for the girls inside.
Slowly, they began to stir, and with aid from Akari, they were freed from their chains and were able to make their way outside.
In total, the pink-haired girl counted nearly twenty alive, with the remainder of the three dozen dead.
Speaking up and addressing the group of women, Akari tightened her expression.
"The men who imprisoned you here are dead. You will now all be free when we return to the Bay of Thorn."
She paused, noticing a small girl in the back raising her hand.
Furrowing her brow and pointing to the girl, she listened as the child spoke quietly.
"A-Are you okay?"
The words shocked the pink-haired girl; however, as she followed the child's gaze to her own hand, she realized why.
Ah. I forgot I didn't have any skin on my fingertips anymore…
Frowning and answering the girl's question quickly, she felt a wave of fatigue fall over her.
"No, I am not."
Speaking quickly as she felt her conscience faint dangerously, she addressed the group again.
"Once I pass out, I'll urgently need medical treatment. After that, I'll need you to prepare this ship to set sail. Once I wake up and harvest the terrors that are floating nearby, we can return—"
There was no time for her to finish as her eyes rolled back in her head, her body slumping against the wooden wall.
However, as she slept, the girl heard whispers, ones of something inhuman, ones that sought to hide behind a layer of darkness.