The Real And The Fake

“Th-this is…?”

—The Guardian Deity of the Central Sea had opened its massive jaws, poised to strike.

“B-but it makes no sense for the Guardian Deity to show up here!”

Jonah screamed while staring toward a small island in the distance.

That island was the same one they saw during the magitech test the other day. Which meant this wasn’t the region where the Guardian Deity normally appeared.

“Hold fast, all of you! If we ram this thing right into that bastard’s gut, we win!”

A young man shouted at the front of the deck, his voice carrying clearly.

There was no mistaking it. That was Carlo.

“Carloooo—!!”

“Wha—!? J-Jonah!?”

Carlo widened his eyes as he saw Jonah running across the swaying deck.

He had entrusted Jonah to Aurora and Priscilla and ordered them not to let him leave that room.

Before departure he’d even double-checked—Jonah was nowhere among the cargo or crew.

Yet Jonah was unmistakably standing right in front of him.

Impossible as it seemed, it was reality.

“You idiot! What the hell are you doing here!? This isn’t some playground for kids!”

“Isn’t it obvious!? I came to see the Guardian Deity of the Central Sea with my own eyes—and to defeat that monster!”

“This ain’t your fight! Get your ass back inside the ship!”

Already stretched thin while facing the Guardian Deity, Carlo snapped, shouting at Jonah without restraint.

He was just a child—no, a boy whose body was broken enough that he could die at any time. There was no way Jonah could do anything against a beast of that size.

“Hey! Get this brat out of here, right no—!?”

Just as Carlo grabbed a sailor to give orders—

“Hah… hah… it’s coming right toward us…”

The Guardian Deity moved directly in front of the Il Vento D’oro—right before the magitech cannon Fire of Judgment.

Its enormous jaws opened, ready to swallow everything whole.

“Galileo! Now—now’s our only chance!!”

“On it!”

Galileo and the sailors adjusted the aim of Fire of Judgment.

Their target—the deity’s torso.

“Fiiireeeeeeeeeee!!”

—BOOOOM!!

As Carlo raised his arm and pointed, a magical fireball burst from the cannon with a deafening roar and struck the deity’s torso.

“How’s that!? Feast your eyes!”

“Uoooooooohhh!!”

A massive splash erupted, and cheers rose from Carlo and the crew.

But—

“N-no… way…”

Even with a direct hit, there wasn’t a single scratch on the deity’s body.

Carlo, Galileo, and the sailors were all struck speechless.

“Tch! If one shot didn’t work, then shoot again!”

“Y-yes sir!”

They regained composure, reloaded, and prepared the next shot.

“Fiiiiire again!!”

—BOOOOM!!

Just like before, another magical fireball struck the deity.

“N-no… way…”

As expected, Fire of Judgment couldn’t harm it at all.

Just as Jonah had predicted.

“H-help!? We’re doomed!!”

“Retreat! Abandon ship!”

With their only effective weapon proven useless, all that awaited them now was one-sided slaughter and consumption by the Guardian Deity.

And yet—

“Heh… I… don’t have the option to run anymore…!”

Carlo drew his sword and pointed the tip toward the deity.

His legs trembled so violently he could barely stand on the deck.

“I’ll hold it off. Jonah—run. Now.”

“W-wait—Carlo!?”

How could he possibly face such a being with nothing but a sword?

Hearing the bravado of a man who had already given up on surviving, Jonah moved toward him.

At that moment—

“BWOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHH!!”

“Wh-what!?”

With an ear-splitting roar, something enormous exploded from the sea and rammed the deity aside.

A mountain-sized, white, fish-like beast.

“This creature…”

It placed itself between the Il Vento D’oro and the pushed-back deity, facing it head-on.

As if protecting the ship.

“Could it be… you’re the true Guardian Deity of the Central Sea…?”

Staring at the massive white creature’s back, Jonah murmured quietly.

He had been misled because the sea-serpent-like monster was enormous, but his compendium of legends described the Guardian Deity as a mountain-sized giant—not necessarily a serpent.

Meaning it wasn’t required to be serpent-shaped at all.

“I see… of course…! You’re the real Guardian Deity of the Central Sea!”

Despite the danger, Jonah’s onyx eyes sparkled.

He was witnessing one of the legends he’d admired his whole life.

“J-Jonah!?”

Jonah stepped past the stunned Carlo and climbed to the bow.

“In that case… I don’t need to hold back.”

He said this—and smiled.