It couldn't recall how it had come to life, but what it could remember was the pride and satisfaction it felt whenever it had been summoned to wreak havoc amongst those fragile beings and their wooden ships...
It's summoner gave it the name of 'Kraken', a name befitting the superiority of its ultimate existence, which transcended almost every other organism that lived in this world: it was a massive beast that resembled a horrible amalgamation of a squid, an octopus, and various other sea-dwelling creatures, as its intimidating presence inflicted the very concept of doom upon those poor souls who managed to witness its grotesque form just moments before they were consumed alive...
Terror, fear, and chaos... Such were the things it had brought onto the countless, poor souls it had consumed amidst its rampages, and throughout most of its life of supremacy, none had ever been able to resist nor match the full display of its might... That is, until now...
A beast of steel that resembled a worm, the lowliest of creatures that even humans considered as bottomfeeders who fed on dirt and garbage; for some reason, there had been one of these lowly animals that not only matched him in size, speed and strength, but it was also even managing to leave fatal wounds upon its nigh-impervious body...
What, and who exactly was this behemoth that had dared to challenge its might? Strangely enough though, despite the absurdity of the situation it had found itself in, the sea-beast couldn't find it within itself to become mad at its enemy, as it had never been able to meet an entity that could match its might: the very fact that there was a worthy adversary that sought to challenge it made its body feel an emotion it had never felt before...
Joy... Excitement... Happiness...
It had only managed to feel these emotions as of late, and it was all because of this beast that had fought him within his own watery domain- because of this, it couldn't help but feel an even greater sense of jubilation as their battle continued to rage on, seemingly without a clear end in sight...
For the long-lived kraken had finally met it's match, and it was going to be a long while before either of them would show signs of relenting...
...
...
What exactly was Hassan seeing right now?
His prized, ultimate trump card, the beast he had summoned to destroy the countless enemies who had dared to oppose his legacy all those years ago...
There was a bright flash of light, and almost immediately, a serpentine monster of steel, whose impressive mass emerged from the construct of radiance that nearly blinded him, then came forth to do battle against his own destructive creature of the sea...
"I-it's fighting the kraken on equal terms, cap'n..."
"... I know, but... Don't worry... That glorified squid won't die as long as we keep the tome safe..."
What Hasssan stated was quite true: the kraken's life force was connected to the very arcane relic they used to rouse the behemoth to battle, and as long as the tome remained unharmed and active, the kraken would keep regenerating from the repeated damages that were being inflicted upon its nigh-impervious scales.
By now though, the 2 monsters had reached the surface, their massive bodies locked in an unending battle for survival, making the waters rise and spill forth in tall, ceaseless waves, as they both used every ounce of their strength to ensure the death of the other in their enduring duel- to Blackheart and his crew however, these sudden turn of events had left them incredibly shocked, as they never could have imagined that there could actually be an existing entity that equalled the kraken's raw power.
"C-cap'n, the ship is shaking from the chaos they're producing! We'll get shipwrecked if we stay here any longer!"
The battle of the 2 creatures turned the very seas into a chaotic space riddled with tides taller than entire forest trees, with the Dread Corsair already beginning to experience a taste of the mayhem that was only just about to begin- unfortunately though, the ship's captain, despite the panic-driving turmoil that was taking place on the very ocean they were in, already had other plans in store that would have seemed completely mad to the sanest of minds...
"Where would we run to anyway, you idiot? There's nowhere left to escape to, since we're most likely already within that metal ship's firing range. And besides, even if the kraken wins its battle here, we've lost most of our men and ships already, and we can't just come back from all of this without getting some form of revenge... As such..." Hassan answered, though deep inside, an emotion he had never felt before in his life had already taken a great hold on his heart: he had already been driven mad by the fact that he had lost many of the things he wasted so much of his life for in just a few short hours, and to him, there would be no other preferable form of redemption other than getting back at the ones who made him incur his most recent, catastrophic defeats.
"... Tell the others to get ready... We'll be setting sail again for something special..."
The sailor, wanting to understand the intentions that laid with what the captain had just ordered, would then ask curiously. "Excellent decision, cap'n... I guess we'll be leaving the rest to the kraken then, eh?"
"Huh?! Like hell I will, you dolt! Hahaha!" Hassan laughed madly. "The Corsair can easily endure waters as chaotic as the one we're in right one, I know her from the inside out after all! And besides..."
"???"
"The men we ordered to spot that damn tin can... They've already figured out its location in these damn waters, and we aren't just going to let it be, am I right? Which means..."
"... C-cap'n... You don't mean...?"
"Hahaha! Indeed!" a wide, madness-driven grin formed on his face. "I want the Corsair to charge at full speed ahead towards that damn iron carcass!"
"We'll bombard it with our cannons and board it with all our men! Then let's see if that metallic coffin can survive after all of that!" Blackheart shouted, insanity creeping into his voice with every word he spoke. "We have nothing left to lose anyway! Since we already lost so much to that fuck, let's go all out with this final gambit of ours!"
________________________________________
Jormungandr, or so was it affectionately called by its delightful caretaker: it was the strongest amongst Thurien's technological creations, though originally it was a scientific marvel of engineering that had been built at the height of humanity's technological era, an intricately complex construction device meant to drill and mine undersea bedrock where no land machine could ever hope to reach... Unfortunately though, the terrible war that engulfed the earth would lead to only Jormungandr remaining as the last of its metal kin, making it become an ancient relic of the past that developed a desire within Thurien to preserve its existence at all costs. And so was it given a new purpose by its fellow survivor of the war: its body was remade and rebuilt to become stronger than what it had once been, giving it an endurance that could take on even the harshest and most pressurized aquatic environments, as well as the strength to tear through vast swathes of magma and ocean floor as if they were nothing more than weak, fragile flesh. Not only that, however, but its body also had the ability to regenerate and recover from any form of harm that may befall upon its durable, metal hide: so long as there was at least a piece of its own metal framework, it was capable of eventually restoring its body back to being fully functional, a terrible nightmare for whatever foe it faced that was unable to put an end to its life in an instant.
Along with the 2 other mechanical beasts of technology that closely guarded the medical android's home, Jormungandr and its fellow relics of the past had continued to safeguard their caretaker's residence for countless years, making sure that no tresspasser would ever manage to intrude upon their home and wreak havoc with their ill-intentions: in fact, these 3 creatures, due to their overwhelming strength and their terrifying efficiency when it came to their duties, even the fire dragon that Novus took care of just a few months ago was hesitant in assaulting the stronghold directly due their sheer presence, wherein it had instead decided to make its assault by unleashing arcane attacks from afar.
ROOARRRR!!!!
It's metal tendrils bore into the hardened skin of its undying enemy, piercing its flesh with ease as it gored its insides with violent, whirring forces that pulverized its viscera into a bloody mess: even so however, the kraken wouldn't die from such brutal attacks, as the immortality provided to it by the magick tome that summoned it would keep it alive until it had finally finished in fulfilling its duty of destroying its enemies.
BLAM... BLAM... BLAM... BLAM...
The sea-leviathan itself however would also refuse to relent from the crippling blows that had been thrown against it: with its oversized appendages, it then landed a series of powerful blows upon Jormungandr's metal body, leaving large dents and open cracks upon its steel hide as they both continued to fight on, though of course, such meager injuries would immediately be restored by the metal worm's regenerative capabilities, which only further kept their duel in an endless stalemate that would seemingly never cease.
It appeared as if their battle would never come to a conclusion, as their powers of bodily restoration prevented either of them from ever managing to inflict any serious injuries upon the other, leaving them in a ceaseless deadlock where neither of them could hope to advance forward and claim victory...
Eventually though, Thurien would come up with a plan to put an end to all of this...
________________________________________
This was taking longer than what she expected... Jormungandr had not only been forced into a deadlocked battle by the underwater creature that had previously been making its way to the Silver Tempest, but it had now taken their brutal battle to the surface, causing a myriad of tidal disasters upon the ocean that made even the Silver Tempest's stabilizers unsteady from the chaos...
[Notice: A Signal is closing in with the ship's proximity... Execute firing command: Y/N?]
"... Just what are these people doing?"
Another peculiar sight formed upon the display before Thurien's eyes: the last ship that she was supposed to have blown up by now... For some reason, the ship and its crew had decided to plot a course directly towards the Tempest's location, which brought a great sense of confusion within the medicae's mind in almost as instant- normally, most would have chosen to make a hasty retreat and flee from such a disadvantageous position, and yet these doomed sailors have somehow decided to press on with whatever foolish venture they had in mind, completely ignorant about the inevitability of their deaths as they continued on fearlessly...
"Begin the charge-up processes. We can't allow their ship to get any closer..."
[Orders received. Readying secondary and primary guns for firing sequences...]
The massive turrets would once more face themselves towards the approaching Corsair, their internal mechanisms coming to life for the 2nd time as they prepared to unleash their deadly salvoes upon the doomed, steadily approaching ship: like the rest of the wooden vessels that Thurien had already taken care of, the remaining one before it would simply crumble and be torn apart by the Tempest's sheer firepower.
[Notice. All Guns have been recharged. Initiate firing sequences: Y/N?]
"Yes, fire the secondary guns and finish them off as quickly as possible. Try not to miss even a single shot... I don't want them to suffer too much..."
[Orders Received. Preparing to Fire in... 3... 2... 1...]
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
...
...
KAABOOOOOMMM!!!
"F-fucking hell... I thought we were a goner when I heard that!"
"Good thing the Corsair's shields can hold up against that demon ship's attacks... A pity the others couldn't though..."
Before the Tempest's destructive blasts of energy could even reach and tear the Corsair's wooden framework asunder, a blue, see-through dome of light instantly formed to protect it from the attacks that would have rendered their ship into a flaming wreckage in an instant: unlike Hassan's other ships, the Dread Corsair was a special one, as due to its role as the pirate lord's infamous flagship, it had been outfitted and equipped with various features that made it vastly different from the likes of most ship-of-the-lines, with its powerful magick shield being one of its many advantages above most of its kin.
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Black metal armor plating that rendered it impervious to any form of arcane attack... Magick-enchanted windsails that could propel the ship to impressive speeds with even the weakest gusts of air... Arcane-boosted cannons that could rip through fortresses and wipe out any ship that got within the range of its broadside cannons... And most importantly, its magickal shield of light that rendered it nigh-invincible to any form of long-ranged attack...
In truth, these were some of the most impressive features that Hassan's flagship possessed ever since its first maiden voyage: such was the tremendous power it held, that even the empire had dared not to trespass into the business of the pirate warlord known as Blackheart.
Unfortunately though, while it was indeed impressive for the shield to be able to endure such powerful energies of destruction, the attacks it had just succeed in stopping were merely a prelude to the countless other salvoes that were already heading towards the Corsair's exact location...
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Several more explosions would rock the Corsair with their tremendous power, their shockwaves making ripples on its protective layer of arcane shielding, as more of them appeared and gradually began to weather the ship's magickal force field in a slow, yet unnoticeable manner.
"C-cap'n, are you really sure that the shields'll be able to endure all these hits?"
"As long as there aren't any cracks on the damn thing, it'll keep holding!"
Both of them couldn't deny the absolute power of the attacks being launched at them however: were it not for the magicks that protected the Corsair from harm, they would have all been sinking to the bottom of the sea right now if even one of the explosions managed to get through and reach the ship's hull.
However, despite the Corsair managing to survive the heavy rain of assault being unleashed upon it, there was a worry that had already risen within some of the sailors hearts, and it was not of the belief that the Corsair's shielding won't be able to last...
"S-still, cap'n.... How the hell are we going to reach that metal ship in the first place... It's still too far away, and we can't reach it with the speeds we're currently at..."
"Are you forgetting, you idiot? We don't have to worry one bit about speed, not when we have that on our hands..."
"... I take it that we'll be using it as well then, cap'n?"
The Wind Crystal of Aeros, or so was that particularly large emerald crystal's name when they first got it from the notably agile merchant ship they ambushed 2 years ago: it had taken them a toll to even board that accursed vessel, as far as Hassan could remember, and it was all because of that damn crystal that nearly allowed that merchant ship to escape from their very grasps. Now however, it was within the Corsair's storage of endless riches, patiently awaiting the day where it would be used again.
The crystal was capable of summoning powerful tailwinds, gusts of air that could significantly increase a vessel's speed by several orders of magnitude, provided that the ship's sails could endure such powerful gusts of air of course: unfortunately though, the mighty winds that the crystal could summon were also a drawback, as they could end up tearing the ship's sails and wooden framework apart and even displace the ship from its course if the magick device were to be handled without extreme caution, and this was the reason why Blackheart had rarely ever chosen to use such a potent item, as he had only ever used it in pursuits where the ships they were pillaging proved to be far swifter than the Corsair's sailing speed, and even when Hassan had decided to use it, he would often only use it for a short period of time in quick bursts, in order to prevent the crystal from doing more harm than good to his very own vessel.
"Aye! Order the men to bring that damn emerald out from the safe and begin activating it at once!" Blackheart would, once again, give his orders, which of course the sailor within his vicinity would immediately pay heed to. "The moment those winds appear, it'll only take us a few minutes to reach that metal tin can, then we'll finally board the damn thing and rip it apart with our cannons!"
...
...
"... T-they got faster all of a sudden... They must have used some sort of magick..."
As the blue dome of light continued to shield the lone, wooden ship from the Tempest's attacks, Thurien began to notice another strange thing that was happening before her very eyes... Or at least, one the monitor that gave her a visual display of her target- that wooden vessel, it had somehow become even faster than before, reaching speeds that wouldn't ever be possible for the likes of a slow, wind-reliant ship-of-the-line in this technologically-regressed era.
"How are they still even alive? I've already configured the primary guns to begin firing, and yet that wooden ship still isn't sinking..." Thurien murmured to herself as the impossibility that was taking place in front of her kept baffling her without end. "And then I also still have to deal with that giant squid-like creature... This is becoming quite troublesome..."
That ship was getting closer to the Tempest as seconds continued to pass, and although the medicae was certain that its crew didn't possess the firepower to bring down her ship, she still needed to be cautious for whatever trick that they might pull from their sleeve all of a sudden- as such, Thurien's mind began evaluating the thousands of ideas that ran within her line of thought, as she raced with time to come up with a way to deal with the problem right in front of her.
She needed to find a way to pierce through that bothersome shield that was somehow managing to endure the Tempest's powerful guns, and by now, she was still trying to come up with a solution.
Eventually though, she would finally discover the solution to the vexing issue that allowed her enemy vessel to gradually get closer and closer...
"Ah... I understand now... I see..."
The shield could prevent many things from passing through its protective layer, as not even the railgun shots from the Tempest's main guns could get through and finish the job, and as such, Thurien had already decided to not proceed with the conventional way of dealing with such an adamantly strong defence: instead, why not utilize the advantage of a technicality to its fullest instead?
Light... That ship's shields were still allowing light to penetrate its protective dome, and this could all be proven by the fact that the vessel was still visible using her ship's optic scanners, and as a result, it was safe to conclude that light was one of the few things that were allowed to pass through the shield's seemingly indomitable barrier...
Therefore, it would also be safe to say that, a weaponized form of light definitely had a high chance of making through that pestering shield and finally deal damage to that bothersome wooden ship.
"Charge up the laser weapons to maximum output. I've found a way to get through that annoying shield of theirs..."
[Orders Received: Charge-up Sequences for laser weapons have been initiated...]
...
...
"Turn the crystal off! We can already see the damn thing, there's no need for the winds any more!"
"Aye! We're deactivating it right away!"
Within minutes of its hyper-accelerated sailing, the Dread Corsair would finally reach the close vicinity of its lonesome opponent, skimming past its vast, metal body as it dauntlessly cruised to its right side in order to maximize the effectiveness of the cannons it was about to use against its ironclad enemy.
"The crew can see it now cap'n... We're getting closer..."
"... That monstrous ship... It's fucking massive... How is it managing to float with all that metal attached to it?"
"Can we even defeat that blasted steel coffin though? It's armour will probably just shrug off our cannons..."
At last, with the help of the wind crystal, the Corsair had finally managed to get its enemy within the sight of its crew- a single ship armored with metal from head to toe, sporting massive cannons that could seemingly allow it to rain hellfire upon entire cities with but a single salvo from its turrets.
The sight of its terrifying appearance would have already compelled any normal sailor to turn their ship around and make a run for it, though for the likes of these pirates under Blackheart's command, they had already seen far more monstrous and dreadful things that thrived and existed within the mysterious domain of the ocean.
"The ship's within our broadside range, cap'n!"
"Get to it then! Load the guns! Tear that thing to pieces!"
Their cannons were enhanced with potent explosive magick, with each and every loaded shell capable of ripping through entire fortresses and castles like a hot knife through butter: even though the enemy ship appeared to be fully made of metal, Blackheart was confident that the entire combined firepower of all the Corsair's cannons firing at once could tear that massive metal ship into shreds and finally sink it to the bottom of the ocean...
"FIRE! DON'T WASTE ANY MORE TIME! FIRE!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Hundreds of magick-enchanted cannonballs would be launched at the gigantic metal ship in an instant, and almost immediately, a large explosion would engulf its impressive mass. For a while, the resulting explosion and the pluming smoke would cover their adversary in a thick smokescreen for a while, though already, the pirate captain and his men already began celebrating.
"We did it! That beast is dead now!"
"There's no way it can survive all of those hits without a scratch!"
"All our attacks scored direct hits, cap'n!"
"Good... That monster will be sinking to the depths now..."
The joyful cries of the once fear-stricken sailors echoed throughout the decks in a jovial celebration, as even a smile would form on the usually stern Blackheart's face: they had done it, they struck back at the behemoth that had killed many of their close comrades, and although it would take a long time before they would be able to recover all the losses they already sustained, they had at least managed to avenge the deaths of their fellow fallen sailors who died so mercilessly by the hands of the enemy ship they just sunk.
... Unfortunately though, as the smoke would clear up and as the explosions that engulfed the metal vessel would cease to be, their cheerful, merry celebrations were instantly replaced with a look of disbelief and shock on their faces...
"... H-how in the hell... That damn fuck took no damage at all!"
"O-our cannons had no effect! Is that even possible?!"
"C-cap'n... There isn't even a scratch on its metal body... What do we do now?"
"KEEP FIRING! DON'T RELENT!" In complete and utter panic, Hassan would immediately give out his orders, as he too had just witnessed the impossibility that had transpired before his very eyes. "USE ALL THE CANNONBALLS WE HAVE FOR ALL I CARE! IT'LL GO DOWN EVENTUALLY IF WE KEEP HITTING IT, SO KEEP FIRING!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A hundred more cannonballs would be launched from the Corsair, as each and every one of these shells quickly reached their target in seconds, unleashing multitudes of explosions that would engulf their enemy in a sea of smoke and fire that would never seem to cease for even a moment.
However, this bombardment would take longer than the previous one, taking an entire 2 minute's worth of time as the crew loaded all of their shells in this grand, desperate assault of theirs: it would be the longest amount of time spent by the Corsair in a single bombardment that day, and after they had finally ran out of cannonballs to load, a heavy sense of doubt and worry immediately formed within the minds of both the sailors and even Blackheart himself.
Could that damn thing still have managed to survive from all of that? Even after they unleashed every ounce of firepower they could muster? They could only hope that they managed to damage it considerably, as they had nothing else to use in attacking it otherwise.
... Alas though...
"... It's... Still alive..."
"D-damn it... It's not sinking... How?"
"... C-cap'n, what do we do? We need your orders...!"
"..."
Despair had already began clouding the pirate captain's mind, and there was no other emotion that remained heavy within his heart other than dread: how foolish he had been to assume that he could even manage to sink such a metal beast, as not even the firepower of the Corsair's magick cannons were able to tear the beast apart using everything they had...
Well, at the very least, they still have the option of running away and making a hasty retreat: the crystal was still ready for use after all, and the attacks of that metal beast were still woefully unable to penetrate through their shields...
Still though, it had remained strange to Hassan for a while already- why did their adversary stop firing all of a sudden the moment they got within its close proximity? Was it afraid of damaging itself by firing too closely at the Corsair? Was their perhaps a built in limitation to its weapons? Or could their perhaps be another, more logical reason to this?
"Cap'n! We need your orders, now!"
"Wait... Just a moment..."
Mesmerizing, red lights formed from the massive, metal structures of the steel ship's decks, and they were bright enough to paint the skies and seas with their splendid, crimson radiance: Blackheart himself couldn't help but find himself mesmerized by the dazzling display of colors, though in reality, there was another reason why he had chosen to remain silent right now.
They were doomed... He could feel that impending death that was about to claim their souls, a feeling that had been molded by years of built-up instinct amidst his various near-death experiences as a seasoned, high-ranking criminal of the sea...
What a waste though, Blackheart thought to himself in silence: years of building up a legacy as a lord or crime feared even by the strongest empires of 2 continents... He had spent most of his living through fear and strength, and ironically, he was about to meet his end at the hands of a far stronger being.
Though he didn't wish to accept it, there was no other choice anyway: as such, Hassan closed his eyes and regretfully accepted the end that was about to befall upon him and his crew, as there was nothing else he could do anymore at this point.
"ORDERS, CAP'N! NOW!"
"... We're already dead... There's no use in trying anything else, I suppose..." Hassan replied, knowing that these would be his last words as the red lights turned ever brighter. "Ah, well... It was fun while it lasted... Get to it then, you stupid fucking tin can-"
Multiple, crimson beams of light easily pierced through the pirate ship's magick shield, and the blink of an eye, intense, searing energies would make impact upon the Dread Corsair's hull, incinerating the ship and its very crew into nonexistence as the crimson radiance engulfed them all in the blink of an eye...
________________________________________
What was happening?
It could feel a chilling cold swiftly coursing throughout its body, as if its very life force was seeping from its hide rather quickly: could its summoner have perhaps perished? No, that couldn't be... It shouldn't be that case...
Although, there was other reason why this was happening right now- though it was a creature of limited intelligence, it could at least somewhat understand that its life was heavily connected to that magick tome within its summoner's ship, and it was the reason why it had never dared to rebel against its summoner whenever it had been roused to unleash its fury.
With one last action before its approaching, inevitable death, the kraken would halt its attacks and pause before the mighty metal creature it had been fighting against for a while, and with one last sign of respect for its enemy's power, the creature gave a brief, yet respectful stare, almost as if it was fully acknowledging the strength of its worthy adversary, before its body then slowly descended back into the ocean floor.
You were a worthy foe... If only we could have fought even longer...
... Or so it would have uttered if it had a mouth and was capable speech through the utterance of words...
...
...
"And here I thought that they were going to do something strange again... I was worried about nothing at all..."
When they had first gotten within the Tempest's proximity, Thurien could momentarily feel a faint anxiety within her as she carefully observed their actions- at first, she thought that they were about to pull out another trick from their sleeve, one that would somehow allow them to seize the upper hand against her in this battle...
Yet, all that happened however was a bombardment of primitive cannons upon her ship, unleashing salvoes upon salvoes that had no effect whatsoever upon the Tempest's metal hull: even if they were enchanted with various magicks, the durability of Thurien's ship would require a far more impressive firepower, as even full-powered battleship cannons would have difficulties in penetrating its thick hull.
"Ah, I was correct then... That strange creature really is connected to that ship somehow... Good job, Jormungandr, you've made me proud~"
The moment the wooden ship ceased to exist, the sea-beast that Jormungandr had been fighting with immediately lost all of its functions: its body ceased to move as all of signs of life left its massive body, leading to it falling and descending back lifelessly into the ocean like a puppet who's strings had been abruptly cut.
At last, after several hours of dealing with these rather peculiar, noteworthy enemies, Thurien had finally accomplished her objectives, and now it was time for the Silver Tempest to make its way to the main scene of battle.
"Hmm... I have to admit, Jormungandr had been rather effective though... Well, it is the strongest of my creations after all..." Thurien thought to herself in her silence. "Ah I just had a really good idea~"
"If I modify its body to be able to work on land... Then maybe... Hmm... Just how marvelous would that be, I wonder..."