On the endless expanse of the seas, a ship rocks from left and right as the waves crash into the hull of the ship, the sails tattered and stretched by the howling wind’s force.

A raucous chorus of laughter resonated within the inner cabins of the ship itself, and there in the quarters lay a girl with crimson hair. Her eyes, as pristine as sapphire, felt heavier and heavier as she fought to keep them open.

Even though she was nothing more than a young girl, barely above the age of eleven, she lay bruised, beaten, and exhausted beyond belief. Her body was screaming at her to lay down, to give up and rest, but she fought against her instincts as she attempted to get up, and then… Flopped onto the cold hard wooden floor with a grunt and a loud thud.

–“Drifting out on the open sea felt safer than this place…”

The redhead groaned with exhaustion, gritting her teeth through the pain as she sluggishly stood up. Her hair is unkempt and messy, and her heavy limbs feel as though they are being pulled to the floor by magnets. It took all of her strength to not collapse again.

As she stumbled to the door, she flinched as three swift knocks shook the door off its hinges ever so slightly. After a short silence, a sharp and stern voice rang out from the other side.

–“Mirasu, are you awake? If you are, get out here already! You’re supposed to assist with the rope tying! I thought this was discussed when you were taken in!”

Mirasu, gritting her teeth as a result of her injuries, rolled her eyes and let out an exasperated sigh. Ignoring the pain, she flung open the door and dashed out, only to collide headfirst with someone’s stomach. She leaped back, clutching her nose as she finally burst out in insults.

–“Can’t you move aside?! You already knew I was gonna run out the door!”

Her gaze slowly drifted up, and as she took in more of the figure, her face contorted with dread and fear. Her eyes widened and her mouth fell agape as her body ever so slightly trembled and her breath hitched. The pain in her body was suddenly thrown completely out of her mind as she realized who was standing in front of her.

There stood a woman clad in black, wearing a coat with a white undershirt and baggy pants. Her left leg had been replaced with a peg leg, which had been fashioned into a spearhead, while her right foot was securely fastened with a tightly tied boot.

The woman then glanced down, her white hair obscuring the right side of her face, her piercing yellow eyes staring intently at Mirasu. Her stern look and serious expression sent shivers down her spine. And suddenly that fear was quickly thrown out the window when the woman let out a soft chuckle, her expression softening.

Mirasu stammered, her face flushed with embarrassment as she sweated nervously.

–“C-Captain Ushern! I-I didn’t know it was you!”

Mirasu tried to defuse any anger Ushern might be feeling, but before she could get out more, Ushern spoke.

–“And? You shouldn’t be so eager to rush off when you’re in such bad shape. Take it easy—bruises like that don’t heal overnight. It’s not like Kosen’shere either.”

And as quickly as she came she strolled away, laughter drifting carelessly behind her and the crew, leaving Mirasu utterly bewildered. She watched Ushern’s braided hair swinging like a pendulum as they lost themselves in conversation.

She struggled to grasp their words as she reflected on the first things the crew told her when they saved her out on the sea;

That woman, Ushern, and her harsh, brutal training were the reason behind Mirasu’s bruises. Not only that, but she is the Captain of the White Sparrows.

These pirates did not simply pillage or attack other ships. Rather, they did things on a far larger scale: they hunted Sea Beasts.

Monsters born from the hands of Kaiter, the Tree of Opulence, and corrupted by the Influence of Nomad, The Tree of Chaos. They roam the oceans, attack anything in sight, even their flesh and blood, their size unrestrained in the vast abyss of the sea.

These were monsters no man would wish to hunt, yet this crew of pirates did not falter or fear the Sea Beasts that roamed the deep blue abyss. Instead, they actively sought them out and hunted them down.

The only reason they succeed is due to the strength of Ushern Stoneheart. That’s what she had heard from the crew, at least.

Mirasu was soon struck out of her thoughts as Ushern gave her a look, signaling that the girl was to start running and working.

In a swift motion, she turned around with haste, the latent fear in her stomach suddenly striking her as she ran to the deck. What greeted her was the sounds of the waves smashing into the hull, the cries of the seagulls, and the hearty laughter of the men aboard as they worked.

Mirasu inched her way across the deck. Despite her young age, she managed to keep her balance as the ship swayed from side to side. She surveyed the area, trying to locate her assigned post and recalling her assigned task: tying the ropes.

Making her way to the taffrail, Mirasu observes the deckhands working diligently. As she reaches her destination, she lets out a sigh of relief. The others had already completed her task, with ropes neatly secured and sails holding steady.

She peers at the darkening sea, noting the unusually violent waves. Something is unsettling about their restless churn as if an unseen force beneath the surface is stirring.

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

An odd sense of foreboding crawls beneath her skin, but she brushes it off with a shrug. Besides, she knew this ship was heavily fortified to combat the roughness of the waves.

Mirasu wonders if there will be anything noteworthy today aside from the waves or if it will be just another round of “do this” and “do that’ from Ushern. She had grown accustomed to the routine since her first day stepping foot on the ship a week ago.

Mirasu is jolted from her thoughts by an abrupt shout from the crow’s nest of the ship. The lookout’s voice echoes across the ship as he screams at the top of his lungs:

–“IT’S HERE! THE TIDE SMASHER!”

He repeats his words three times as the crew scurries about. Mirasu, left in a daze, frantically scans her surroundings, her breath quickening. Before she can fully compose herself, a powerful wave crashes into the ship, followed by a thunderous roar and bubbling water.

An emerald green hue slithers beneath the water's surface, sending ripples in its wake. Mirasu, gripping the taffrail tightly and still panicked, struggles to prop herself up. As she does, she sees the water darken, the creature's long body briefly breaching the surface.

Each meticulously aligned scale on its imposing figure shimmers with a green hue that radiates a sense of dread. The color reveals its predatory nature and unrestrained power, a chilling display of dominance.

Without warning, the massive creature breaches the water’s surface, its scales shining brighter under the sun’s radiance, waves splashing, letting out a low bellow that shook everyone to their cores.

As the waves subside, its figure casts a shadow over the ship itself, glaring down on the ship with its dead-fish eyes. It lets out a sharp, ear-piercing roar. Everyone aboard, including Mirasu, clutching their ears and screaming in agony, as they all fall to the deck floor.

The creature leaned back, ready to strike, in that very moment it lunged forward aiming to snap the ship in half-!

Crash!

Before Mirasu knows it, the Tide Smasher is thrust back by a thunderous force, leaving it disoriented and crying in agony. Mirasu, on the other hand, felt like her legs had been crushed under heavy crates.

No matter how hard she struggles, she can’t move them. She is glued to the ground, watching as the monster cries out louder, writhing in pain as it tries to dislodge something in its eye.

There she saw a large harpoon embedded in its eye. As the cries slowly weakened, in that brief moment, the deckhands rushed to the cannons.

They began firing at the creature, pushing it back further, and the sounds of the cannon’s blast rang through Mirasu’s ears.

Despite the chaos and noise unfolding all around her, Mirasu faintly picks up the noise of footsteps, accompanied by the distinct sound of metal clicking against the wood.

Mirasu pulls her head back to find Ushern standing before her.

Ushern looks down at Mirasu with an obvious smile on her face, clearly relishing the moment.

The chaos and unrest of the sea are what the captain thrives on, and the turmoil around them only further fuels her twisted idea of fun.

–“Your first week on the ship is already pretty hectic, huh? Don’t worry, though—you’ll get used to the chaos.”

Ushern reaches down, pulling Mirasu back to her feet. Mirasu can only stare at Ushern like a doll. In her state of shock, her brain is blank and utterly devoid of any understanding.

–"As your captain, it’s my duty to show you how we do things around here." A soft cackle escaped her lips as she stepped forward. "So stand back and watch!"

Ushern stretches her arms and cracks her knuckles as she walks past Mirasu. Making her way to the taffrail of the ship, Ushern places her right foot on the railing and strikes a confident pose, bracing herself with a determined stance.

Mirasu simply can’t believe what she is seeing, she knew Ushern was strong but she doubts that she could take on a sea beast this big, and on her own to boot!

She understands that the Stoneheart pirates took down Sea Beasts because of Ushern, but she thought it was all due to tactical strength.

She must’ve been walking forward to call out to the crew to organize right..? Maybe she’s going to make a motivational speech and she’s simply preparing herself.

No, Ushern leaps into the air with incredible force, pushing the ship itself deep into the water as Mirasu loses her balance from the aggressive rocking and falls once more.

There she sees Ushern, a human—someone who Mirasu thought was just an ordinary person who was a bit stronger than most—soaring through the air.

Ushern then strikes her right foot straight into the Tide Smasher’s body. The impact is met with another resounding crash that echoes through the air.

The Tide Smasher’s scales shatter under her strike. Mirasu watches Ushern run up the creature’s body as it attempts to shake her off.

Its deafening roars echo throughout the ocean as it moves to slam itself back into the water.

Ushern remains unfazed as she continues her relentless charge. Her peg leg drives deep into the Tide Smasher’s scales with every fierce and focused footstep. Mirasu watches in awe from a safe distance, her heart pounding as the scene unfolds before her eyes.

Suddenly, with a decisive move, Ushern glances down at the water’s surface as the Tide Smasher tries to crash itself back onto the water, gripping its scales firmly.

She raises her right leg high and, with a mighty swing, drives her heel down into the water’s surface. The force of the impact sends ripples cascading outward, and the clash reverberates through the air.

The powerful strike instantly vaporizes the surrounding water into steam, boiling the ocean beneath them. The force of the impact creates a shockwave that propels both Ushern and the Tide Smasher upwards, causing the ship to lurch violently from the sudden upheaval.

With another swift, decisive motion, Ushern hurls herself over the Tide Smasher, landing expertly on its back. Although she nearly slips off, she digs her peg leg into its hide to regain balance.

She quickly runs up its spine, determined to retrieve her harpoon that’s still lodged in the creature’s eye.

Mirasu can only watch in awe as the Ushern herself wrestles with a monster... Actually, could that even be right? In her mind, the true monster here was Ushern.

All of this… It’s only possible When Reason Fades.

PROLOGUE END.