Chapter 112

“Oh, wait. Before that.”

Before hopping on the hoverbike, Ria said that to me and then snatched the camera.

“We have to leave our phones behind anyway, so let’s take a picture first.”

“But we already took one, didn’t we?”

That was back in the changing room.

Thinking back on it, it wasn’t just that I had a veil on my head; the biggest issue was that we took that picture in a changing room.

No, seriously, who takes pictures in a place where people change clothes?

Not that I think Ria would’ve taken a picture of me changing or anything; she knows her boundaries. Especially since I said I “trust” her, she wouldn’t engage in actions that might violate that trust.

“Come on, taking it outside is different. Come on, come on.”

As she said that, Ria pulled a veil out from her small bag.

“……”

I buried my face in my hands.

“……Don’t you want to?”

I heard Ria’s voice. It was different from her usual tone—somehow a bit less confident.

When I looked up, Ria was tilting her head slightly and looking at me with wide eyes, her expression flustered.

“I won’t be fooled.”

“Heh, you’ve grown, haven’t you?”

“……”

“But it’s a good memory, right? A memory of us once being nuns.”

When I heard that, I blinked in surprise.

“Once?”

“Why? You’re saying you’re quitting?”

Hmm.

Yeah, I haven’t given up yet.

But not giving up and seeing the situation objectively are two completely different matters. Objectively speaking, I was actually the one with the highest chance of becoming a Saintess among all the Saint Candidates.

“High schoolers usually take pictures in their uniforms, right?”

“What about taking pictures in our nun outfits?”

“But you can’t take phones into the church.”

That left me speechless.

“I just thought of it and wanted to take a picture, is that a problem?”

Ria then made that ‘wet puppy’ face once again.

Honestly speaking, even though I knew she was doing it on purpose, my heart stirred a little.

Yeah, it’s a memory.

The only ways we have to remember the past us are through photos and videos. If I say we should take one later, usually, we end up forgetting and missing the timing.

I looked around.

No one was around us. Maybe they felt satisfied after riding enough yesterday.

“Alright.”

In the end, I let out a sigh mixed with resignation.

Ria beamed and draped the veil over my head. Then she put one on her head too and snuggled up beside me.

I know that’s how you have to pose for a picture with the sea as a background. But still, it feels embarrassing no matter what.

…….

These days, it seems like physical contact is increasing a little. Is that a sign we’ve gotten closer?

Not that I disliked it, but feeling my head getting more complicated couldn’t be helped.

That’s why girls are like this.

I thought about Ria as she faced the front camera of our smartphone.

The picture turned out great.

Sure, there had been some changes in appearance here and there, but still.

*



Maybe because it was the second time, I lifted my head with resolve, and the sea breeze felt refreshing.

The hoverbike was still floating quite high above, and the waves below looked a bit scary.

I thought everyone stayed behind after having enjoyed riding it to their hearts’ content yesterday, but as soon as we started off, the others followed right behind us.

Ironically, the person riding behind Lee Si-yoon was neither Glaria nor Han Yu-ri.

It seemed one of them had fought tooth and nail over who would get to ride, and in the end, it was Davi who secured the spot behind Lee Si-yoon.

Well, they could have just left without anyone riding, but Lee Si-yoon and Han Yu-ri were too nice to separate either of them.

Wonder if Davi was feeling a bit of FOMO for not being able to enjoy that ride yesterday?

If there was a spot, I would’ve gladly let Davi take my place—

“……Huh?”

However, that carefree thought flew right out of my head when Ria made a sound.

While the hoverbike itself didn’t create much noise, the sound of wind right next to my ears made it hard to hear much else.

“……”

Ria briefly stared at a certain spot and then said, “Hey, Anna.”

“Yes?”

“Remember what that Davi girl said last night?”

“Yes.”

About waking up at dawn and rummaging through the building.

Nothing had happened that night. If something had, the guards would’ve woken us up right away and evacuated us.

“I think it might be true.”

“Huh?”

But before Ria could answer, she swerved the hoverbike to the side.

I looked in the direction where Ria’s gaze had been last.

The sea was bubbling up ominously.

If it wasn’t that, then someone must have installed a massive oxygen generator in the ocean—or something huge was breathing down there.

“Hold on tight.”

Ria said that and then swerved the hoverbike again.

There was a sound like something was about to explode. It sounded like waves were recorded and then compressed into a massive volume.

Above it stretched—

“An octopus?”

A massive octopus tentacle. It was thicker than a decades-old oak tree.

Oh, wait. It wasn’t just that huge arm. Below it, there were many smaller tentacles that were even thinner. By ‘smaller’, I mean slightly thicker than my waist.

“…Something’s moving!”

“Yeah, I think that’s what she meant.”

Ria’s voice was oddly calm.

She spoke loudly enough to cut through the wind, but for some reason, her tone was steady and composed.

“I mean, who would’ve thought—”

Whip!

One of those tentacles shot toward us like a whip. It seemed like its reach was endless.

Well, I guess that’s how it could sneak in undetected.

Wait, so nobody noticed something that huge coming in…?

“…My goodness.”

I felt the need to retract my earlier statement about their tentacles having no limits.

If there were really no limits, that tentacle couldn’t have shot itself upward from below.

Do you know what it would look like if a tentacle that looks like an octopus’s didn’t have an octopus head attached to it? It looked kind of like a worm with suckers on both sides. A bit pointy.

And it wasn’t just one of them…!

It was truly horrifying.

Instinctively, I reached out with one hand and unleashed Saint Power toward it.

“Oh.”

The tentacle jerked and fell back into the sea.

Feeling a bit relieved, I was shocked when I saw it surface again.

“…So, it’s a creature that uses magic power. It knows how to hide itself, too.”

Good. The second question was answered. Now I understood why, even with magic detectors, no one had known something like this existed.

If it was hiding deep in the sea—and if each of those tentacles was an independent entity, it would be hard to detect them if they were lying flat on the ground or buried in the sand.

Was it because of me?

I hesitated for just a moment.

But soon shook my head and dismissed that thought.

For now, I need to focus on the present.

I can’t afford to die while having a little fun, can I?

Moreover, if I’m going to die, I would rather it be in a dramatic showdown with a Demon King, not a freaky tentacle monster.

It’s not like we’re in some adult novel.

Click.

As I reached out toward the next wave of tentacles and projected Saint Power, a sound came from the hoverbike.

The hoverbike, which didn’t have wheels, had a spacious front area.

For some reason, Ria was pulling a sword out from there.

Swish.

She sliced through a few tentacles that were still hanging around even after being hit by my magic, and looked at me wide-eyed.

“Huh? Why?”

“Were you prepared for this?”

“Huh? No, not really. This is a Hunter Association hoverbike, you know?”

“…So?”

“Of course, it carries emergency weapons. You might drop the weapon you’re holding, but if you reach back there, you’ll probably find a pistol. There won’t be extra magazines, though.”

“You should’ve said that earlier!”

At my outburst, Ria turned around and chuckled.

With one hand, I pulled Ria’s waist tightly while reaching down to the seat I was sitting on. Just as she mentioned, I felt something distinctly strange within easy reach.

When I pressed it—

Click.

It opened up smoothly, like a drawer coming out.

Right, most hunters worked in pairs. It wouldn’t be odd to have an extra weapon in the back seat.

But still, she could’ve told me sooner…!

I pulled out a pistol that felt a bit heavier than usual.

Ria was right. “One magazine only” indicated it was an emergency reserve, so they must have prepared it without considering reloading.

However, that single magazine was pretty large. It was attached to the gun in a round shape, almost cumbersome beneath the pistol. It worked in my favor now, but…

Carefully removing my hand from Ria’s waist, I gripped the gun tightly with my thigh brushing against Ria’s backside, but since this was a life-or-death situation, I couldn’t help it.

Click.

Following my training, I checked the gun and pulled Ria’s waist close again.

And then,

“…Huh?”

When I infused magic power into Ria’s body, she seemed a bit flustered and said,

“It’s an emergency situation, isn’t it?”

I aimed the gun at the enemy and commented,

“Is this enough?”

“……”

Ria paused for a moment and then replied,

“That’s more than enough.”

She didn’t look this way, but I could just picture her beaming with confidence.