Chapter 81

We pulled back a short distance from the shore and hid behind the jagged rocks scattered along the beach.

“Hey, so, I have a simple question.”

Mary spoke up. When I turned to her I realized she was completely naked; I forced my eyes forward. From that angle I could still see the President’s and Sanson-sou-senpai’s backsides, but that was a negligible margin of error.

“How did Franz know the Island Sharks were coming? Is it some kind of local wisdom from living by the sea?”

I see—it’s natural she’d be curious about that.

“Listen, you might not believe me, but it’s the absolute truth.”

“There’s no way I’d doubt what Franz says,” she replied.

Her sweet remark made me want to gloat, so I gave the most honest explanation I could.

“—And that’s how I became able to see things far away.”

“…My junior was looking at everyone naked, then,” Farphistanya-senpai added, fixing me with a scornful, half-lidded stare.

“I’m sorry—I still don’t know what caused me to gain this power. I have no idea how I ended up with something like this.”

Since neither Cerulia nor Mary could explain the cause, it seemed to be a truly rare case.

“Regardless, it’s a good thing you noticed the sharks. Look—the President and Sanson-sou-senpai are already in fighting stances.”

“Thanks for the backup, Cerulia. You’re right—first, we have to handle the crisis closing in on us.”

Before long, the approaching Island Sharks became visible even to the naked eye.

Two women stood to face them.

“Now then, I could arrange a ‘mysterious accidental death’ for them, but perhaps I’ll spare their lives. If so, I should make sure they can’t see us naked. Also, let’s overlook Franz-san’s indiscretion for now.”

As the President performed an incantation, two black fist-sized objects flew toward the sharks. They struck the Blue Mage square in the face.

“W-what! I can’t see! I can’t see anything!” the man screamed from across the water.

“Yes, I’ve covered your eyes with darkness. Now I can do as I please.”

“President, what should we do about the sharks? They’re edible, but not tasty. They’re fine fresh, but spoil quickly,” Sanson-sou-senpai remarked in a fishing-port tone.

“Indeed. Let’s assume the creatures themselves are innocent.”

“Understood!”

Sanson-sou-senpai traced a magic circle on the surface of the water while chanting. The sea around the sharks shifted.

Violent swells erupted, twisting the water so the sharks couldn’t swim straight—like a carriage forced along a road of endless, sharp curves. They began colliding and getting stuck, losing speed. Once bogged down like that, they weren’t particularly frightening.

“Also, I’m quite proficient in Black Magic myself.”

This time Sanson-sou-senpai used a spell I knew well: Life Drain.

A light representing physical strength drained from the lead shark into her body. The weakened shark was rear-ended by those behind it. Although they’d come so close, they were now floundering.

Ah—Sanson-sou-senpai could handle this on her own.

“Dammit! Why can’t I see! The sharks seem to be slowing too…!”

The Blue Mage, panicked, kept coming—an idiotic choice. He was a daredevil. It was too late to run anyway; the result would likely have been the same.

“Well then, that’s enough for the preparations. President, please deliver the finishing blow.”

“Understood. It’s no fun if I don’t let loose once in a while, after all.”

The President’s outline blurred and dissolved into a black mist.

Wait—what is this magic…?

“Franz, you should watch closely. This is an incredibly powerful spell.”

“The President is tremendous. I’m glad I got to see something so great today.”

If Mary and Farphistanya-senpai said so, I had no choice but to watch intently—even though the President’s body was now a mist.

The mist spread over the sharks and the Blue Mage, turning the entire area black as if a thundercloud had descended. Then, like a rumbling storm, a voice spoke on a scale that filled the sky.

“O unfaithful one who dares oppose us. I shall carve the arrowhead of retribution into your very soul. You shall suffer for eternity, struggling to restore your twisted flesh. With every struggle, your agony will increase ten thousandfold. Your helplessness is pitiful, but since the fault is yours, I shall offer no shred of compassion.”

It was a heavy, demonic voice—but I realized it belonged to the President.

Even the sharks’ faces showed terror. They actually began to drown.

“In the face of pure terror, even instincts fail,” Mary explained. “Look—the enemy is in an even worse state. Take a look.”

The Blue Mage screamed, shouting something I couldn’t make out at first. Slowly it registered—he was begging for help.

“That is the spell ‘Vise of Hell.’ I believe he’s already been suffering for what feels like ten years in his perceived time.”

“Th-that truly is hell…”

“If you wish to escape this torment, confess your misdeeds everywhere. If even a fragment remains hidden, you shall be tormented by this phenomenon again. Do you understand?”

“Yes! I’ll spill everything my company has done! The town council, the industry associations—I’ll tell everyone I can!”

I see—the President wasn’t just crushing him personally; she was forcing his company to confess.

“Hm, I see. Then return at once and do as you have sworn.”

With that, the thundercloud-like mist finally cleared.

The man looked dazed, as if his soul had been sucked dry, but he staggered through the water back to the mainland. The President returned to the island in her original form—as a dog-eared girl.

“I interpreted it as one company picking a fight with another, so I took them up on it. If they’ve been operating cleanly, they won’t have any misdeeds to confess, so it shouldn’t be a problem~”

Logically, that makes sense. It’s those with bad secrets who are in the wrong…

“Now then, is everyone unharmed? Though I suppose there’s no way you wouldn’t be.”

President Kelkel wore her usual soft, fluffy smile.

“You all are like my family. I will protect you with all my might. That is a president’s duty.”

Her words pierced my heart—and everyone else’s.

That’s why I’m going to stick with this company.

However, if I could make just one request—

I wish she’d put some clothes on before saying that.