48 - Depths Diver

Shirou watched as the corpses of aquatic Nightmare Creatures started to float to the surface. Electricity could be seen sparking in the depths of the ocean. It took a while, but it couldn't resist an onslaught like this forever.

[You have defeated a Corrupted Devil, Depths Eel.]

[Your sword cannot grow sharper.]

This was one of the Nightmare Creatures that couldn't be controlled by Ingvild, as it was of a higher rank. It tried to approach the battleship, but was bombarded by Awakened and Fallen Nightmare Creatures.

"Shirou."

He turned to see Nephis standing behind him. She had a conflicted expression on her face.

"We received news that the Antartican Center was wiped out."

Shirou's eyes widened, "Wasn't that where Sunny was?!"

She nodded, "He's still alive, if that's what you were wondering."

…Maybe you should have started with that.

A question formed in his head, "Wait, how did you even contact him?"

Nephis looked into the distance with a smug expression, "It's because of the bond that we share."

Shirou sweatdropped, "Seriously? How does that even work?"

"It's because of his Aspect. He must have forgotten to tell you about it."

Shirou tilted his head in confusion, but nodded anyways. He did have some questions he needed answered.

He rubbed his eyes for a moment, and suddenly, Cassie was standing right next to Nephis. However, it seemed that Changing Star hadn't quite noticed yet.

Shirou blinked, "Since when could you teleport, Cassie?"

Uncharacteristically, Nephis flinched when she heard Cassie's name. She slowly looked to her left, seeing the blind woman standing there menacingly.

Cassie seemed confused, "I was always here."

Oh! She's not ignoring me!

Although Shirou was confused, he didn't really mind too much. It was preferable for her to be an eldritch entity than for her to ignore him.

Cassie turned towards Nephis, "Anyways, I think that the reason Sunny left was because you're being too creepy, Nephis."

Damn!

Nephis deadpanned, "I don't want advice from someone who lost to another woman."

They both glanced at Shirou, who was watching with interest.

"Oh, don't mind me. Carry on."

…This battle is going to be legendary.

Cassie glared at Nephis, "Unlike you, I had the decency to not turn him into a slave!"

Huh? Is this some sort of kink?

Nephis sputtered, "W-well, he asked me to do it, which means that he cherishes our bond, right?"

"It was either that or be enslaved by a sociopath!"

…I feel like I'm missing something crucial right now.

The battle between Changing Star and Song of the Fallen was enjoyed by the crew, and would be recounted for ages to come.

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Shirou sighed.

Shirou had an uncountable amount of weapons in his soul sea, which meant that he had that many enchantments he could use on himself. However, he couldn't find a single one which was as versatile as the [Dark Mirror] enchantment from the [Cruel Sight].

Currently, Shirou could use three different enchantments. However, they would become permanent, which means that any choices he made were final. He guessed that he would gain access to more enchantment slots as his rank increased.

Shirou did not want to use mediocre enchantments to fill up his slots, so he kept two of them open.

Shirou looked around for a moment, making sure that nobody was watching. Due to utter boredom, Shirou leaned back on the railing. With a quick push of his leg, he was over the railing and falling into the ocean.

He summoned the [Bubble Pendant], before he breached the surface of the ocean. The [Storm Ruler] suddenly appeared in his hand, as water bubbled around him. A gust of wind propelled him deeper into the water, as he used [Chronos Rose] in short bursts to increase his speed.

After awhile, Shirou saw countless red eyes appear in the darkness of the depths. The temperature rose as dark flames expelled from his body.

They did not produce any light, so he could not get a clear look. However, they seemed to be similar to a shark, yet with six eyes, and the legs of a spider.

Shirou did not know how they could swim effectively with bodies like those, but he didn't worry about it.

Shirou and the Nightmare Creatures blurred, as the horse rushed towards Shirou. Forged In Hell's Blade flourished, causing distortions in the water as it cleaved apart the Nightmare Creatures.

[You have slain a Fallen Monster, Chaos Jaw.]

He killed the same enemy over and over again, until there was none left. He got no real reward out of it, besides the extra experience in aquatic combat.

Wait, they were pretty well coordinated, right?

Shirou realized that they were being led by a Corrupted Tyrant or higher. He glanced around, trying to catch sight of this foe.

Shirou heard a melody, and felt a sharp pain in his skull. This only made him suspicious, as he shouldn't be able to hear something like this underwater. The pain meant that [Mind of Steel] was resisting a mental attack.

However, if it was a Corrupted Tyrant, he wouldn't be able to resist forever. He commanded Ingvild to take him in the direction of the Nightmare Creature, as she had enhanced senses underwater.

He was taken deeper into the ocean, as he felt the pressure of the sea pressing onto him. However, Shirou kept going, deeper and deeper.

It took awhile, but Shirou had finally found his enemy. It was a large centipede, which was larger than the battleship he was on. He could see a silhouette of a woman poking out near the head, having only her upper body exposed.

Freaky…

Scales started to appear on the [Storm Ruler], as lightning sparked. Shirou propelled towards the centipede, which was actually very slow. It seemed that it was not meant for close combat.

Shirou dashed towards the where the woman was, before stabbing her. The centipede shook for a moment, before it started to fade away.

[You have slain a Corrupted Tyrant, Hundred Songs.]

Shirou's boredom was lifted, so he propelled himself up to the battleship, flew in the air for a moment, before landing on the deck. He glanced around, as it seemed that nobody realized he was gone.

"Ahem."

Shirou froze as he looked behind him. It seemed that a certain princess had caught on to his little stunt.

Shirou sighed.

…It was fun while it lasted.