As fireballs are blasted from the skies, I couldn’t help but think this was our death.

“Looks like this is it”

Was what I thought as several massive fireballs flew from the skies towards us, I quickly stood in front of Hotaru so that she didn’t have to take the full blast of one.

“Get Back Hotaru.”

“Itsuki, what the hell happened up there!?” Hotaru shook my back.

“They got attacked by pirates,” responded Lugh.

“Seriously?”

“Yes.”

I guess Kei’s rumors were true, was this the time to see how strong our resolve was to see this through till the end?

“But why would they get attacked?” Hotaru shouted in fear as if she was about to break down crying.

That was the first time I saw her like that, I never expected her of all people to become that vulnerable.

“...Because We were in the way,” Sora answered.

“In the way of what?” I asked.

“They want whatever is in the ship,” Sora responded.

Why would they attack the ship then!? Are they not afraid to damage whatever good even is inside?

“Hotaru get ready now.”

I quickly drew my saber and flintlock pistol and looked at Hotaru signaling her to do the same which she reluctantly did.

“Grrrr……!!”

Looking to my side I saw Caesar Snarling and growling and in a brief moment his height grew to up to 8 inches taller while his arms, chest, and legs bulked up with muscles.

“GRAAAGGGHHHHH!!!” Caesar roared in anger.

Caesar stood somewhat taller than Hotaru and me, his muscles made it look like he was able to crush cars easily.

Man… Hotaru and I are fully outclassed here.

In a brief moment, Sora’s eyes started glowing a bright purple and a purplish electric energy fully surrounded him.

Was that an illusion or that was us seeing lightning mana in action? It was almost like being in a light show with all the flashes happening

“I’ll check where it’s coming from.” Sora quickly leaped towards the collapsed pole and made a mad dash onto the main deck to scout.

“Stay safe brother,” Lugh muttered as Sora scouted ahead.

“Lugh! What do we do now?” Kianna asked and held on to Lugh’s arm to which he held her shoulder.

“Don’t worry Kianna, I’ll make sure to keep you safe.”

“I… I’m sorry for being a dead weight.” she clung to Lugh harder.

“You are not a dead weight”

It’s quite nice to see that despite this life-threatening scenario, these 2 lovebirds are still focused on each other’s safety.

As a fireball is about to crash upon us, a massive golden barrier surrounds us like a dome.

When the explosion stopped We saw Lugh’s eyes shining golden as he was surrounded by a golden aura all over his body

“So that's Geo magic, Very Impressive,” I admired and smiled wryly.

For a brief moment, the fireball barrage ceased.

“Sora what’s going on up there?”

The barrier disappeared as Lugh shouted at Sora.

“You 5 might wanna see this,” Sora shouted back.

“Wait none of you get up yet, I have a plan for us!” I announced to everyone.”

 Sora dropped down as I explained what to do. We took a chunk out of the toppled pole, sharpened it, and gave it to Kianna to which she rushed inside the ship.

5 minutes left.

After I explained what to do all of us except Kianna went aboard the ship's main deck which Kianna followed shortly.

There was a pirate ship that seemed to be twice the size of the one we were on already closing in on this island we stood on.

“Get ready all of you.” Demanded Sora.

I couldn’t help but have a strained smile.

“Hey, Itsuki.” Hotaru moved to my side.

“What?”

“ I want you to keep Kianna safe and hide inside the shipwreck,” Hotaru demanded.

Kianna and I both looked at Hotaru quite surprised by her proposal.

“There’s no need to say that Ms. Hotaru, Kianna stays by my side,” Lugh answered. 

“No, let Itsuki keep her safe, we both know You need to be focused here.” She insisted.

“He’s right Hotaru, and I can defend myself too!” Kianna pumped herself showing her pyro emblem.

“Kianna, I promise to help keep Lugh safe, just go with Itsuki.”

…This girl, what is she thinking!? Was she starting a debate at this moment!? The ship is getting closer and she’s trying to play hero!?

 “Why not help me keep her safe then?” I broke my silence.

3.5 minutes of stalling left, and here she goes interrupting it! 

“I’m gonna be helping Sora, Lugh, and Caesar fend them off!”

“Hotaru don’t be stupid! Just let the three of them handle this on their own, it’s obvious they know what they’re doing unlike the two of us.”

“I have to at least try to help them!”

“Hotaru listen to yourself! You don’t even have an emblem to use! I have one so you go protect Kianna!” I showed her the Wind emblem I picked up when I was down there with Lugh.

“Yes I do have one Itsuki, I can help them, just look!”

Hotaru showed me an insignia that had a fire symbol.

“What the- when did you get that!?”

“Back when we first arrived! So please Itsuki, go keep Kianna safe for Lugh, and Me!”

“It’s too late for that, whether you want to or not, all of us have to fight right now,” Sora said as he cracked his knuckles.

Sora looked like he was itching for a fight, as The pirate ship stopped directly in front of the island where our wreckage was, stood A young man and his crew were aboard, he had red-streaked, black hair and reddish eyes.

“In the name of Captain “Blackbeard,” I demand that all of you surrender this wreckage and all your belongings or die by my hand.”

Did he just mention “Captain Blackbeard!?” As in “Edward Teach” Blackbeard!?

“Why don’t you surrender those 3 ships ya got there? From what I see we have the home-field advantage,” replied Sora with confidence.

“I’m afraid your “home field” is surrounded” on all sides, and I can easily blast all ya island folks into smithereens!”

Did this bastard just threaten to blast us to smithereens? How cocky of them… well he did already blasted us and we just barely lived.

“Is that supposed to scare us!? why don’t you stop being a coward and have a duel with one of us instead.”

“What a mighty fine idea you got there, who’re ya sending? The twin-tailed blondie? Don’t make me laugh I’ll tear her apart before she moves.

“What did you say about me!?” Hotaru shouted in rage.

Looking at Hotaru she was gritting her teeth and holding her saber tightly, if she dared to fight whoever this guy was, I was afraid she would be playing right into his hands.

I refuse to let her die! Not when there's 1 minute left

I quickly leaped off the ship and landed on the sandy beach.

“I’m your opponent!”

“Itsuki No!” Hotaru shouted at me.

“What the!?” Sora said dumbfounded.

“That kid!” Lugh muttered.

“Grrr….” Caesar growled.

“If I win, You surrender those 2 of your ships! And you leave the islands alone!”

I prepared my cutlass and stared him in the eye.

2 minutes left.

“How bold of ya, well then I accept your offer! But if I win, ya’ll gonna surrender that shipwreck, all your belongings, and I’ll be taking the blonde and the heterochromatic wench ov’a there with me.”

Was this bastard threatening to steal Hotaru and Kianna!?

I can tell I acted solely out of impulse here, but after I got the wind emblem back in the ship Lugh told me that to use magic I had to “steel my resolve” and the emblem would do the work for me. Now I have to win this bet or else I “Literally” lose Hotaru.

“Do we have a deal then?”

     The man leaped off his ship and drew what looked like a katana, hearing him nonchalantly threatening to take the girls made me just want to rip his face off.

“I’ll take your silence as a yes then!”

“Itsuki, don’t you dare lose!” Kianna and Hotaru shouted.

…I don't plan to lose, after all, I hid my musket in my coat.

I felt the wind blow past me, was that a tailwind, or was it the wind emblem I had on me?

“Well then, before we start why not get acquainted with each other? I’ll go first! My name is Itsuki, I’m the pirate captain of my crew up there!”

“Pirate crew?” Hotaru muttered to herself.

1 minute left.

“Wait when were we a crew?” Caesar asked while Sora and Lugh shrugged.

“Well then, “Captain Itsuki-”

“He bought it!?” Hotaru screamed.

“My name is Agni, I’m the second in command of Captain Blackbeard!”

     Looking at him up close he was a bit shorter than I was and his clothes were mostly black with a red vest or coat.

“I’m Ready when you are Agni.”

“A’m glad you’re confident how shall we start then?

“Let’s start when this coin lands.”

“Fine by Me! Now let’s get to it!”

His eyes blazed a fiery aura as if he was prepared to obliterate me, I was genuinely afraid of this confrontation but, there was no turning back now!

“Wait, if I do end up killing you how do I know you’d uphold your end of the bargain.”

“Ahaha! Ya don’t trust me? Fine then, all of you if I lose this ya’ll better high-tail it back to the captain! Got that!?”

     His crew all bowed as if they were honoring the boss’ orders, That's great! I can now win this properly!

20 seconds left.

I threw the coin in the air and both of us focused on it hard.

Both our mana’s aura flared and engulfed our bodies.

8…7…6…

We each had our weapons ready and as the coin was about to land.

3… 2…

“Die.”

The coin landed on the sand,  and Agni immediately rushed in my direction. I stepped out of the way as one of the cannons in the shipwreck fired the sharpened wooden bullet we made and impaled Agni directly on his right chest.

The explosion caused him to fly back crashing to one of the ships, whilst I felt the extreme heat course through my back.

How did I plan all of this? Well after sharpening that wooden bullet, I asked Kianna to load it in the canon while she used her fire magic to aim it ever so slightly directly on my head just enough for me to avoid it and impale our boy over there.

Now all the problem we had left was stalling it down, I asked Hotaru to cause a commotion amongst ourselves when we got up and it all played well.

I won this duel.

I approached Agni who was in total shock and bleeding heavily, and as I aimed my flintlock pistol at him, I asked him this;

“Now what will you do?” I stared him in the eye.

“We…. we surrender…”

“Good.”

I looked up at his crewmen and they reluctantly prepared to take their boss back, some were ready to start fighting however, Sora took the opportunity to use his lightning-fast movements and decapitate the ones that drew their weapons among all 3 ships.

They were in complete shock that several of their men lay in defeat in seconds. Just like that they recovered Agni’s body and left 2 of the ships they had as all of the crew from both carried over and moved to the last 1 due to our condition that if I won we get 2 of their ships.

I turned around and made eye contact with Hotaru, smiling at each other as we successfully forced one of the strongest pirate fleet’s henchmen to back away!

We returned home and it looked like several citizens waited for us to get back, I guess they saw the commotion from back here, we were welcomed for not letting the fleet pillage the islands.

I saw Kei among the crowd and she went towards us and “Gave me a bear hug” and a head pat.

Our entire group spent the night at the tavern that night where we drank wine and ate to our heart's content.

We then spent the morning at the bakery.

“Thank you for all coming here.” 

Everyone was here, Kei, Lugh, Caesar, Sora, Kianna, Hotaru, and me.

“I would like all of you to join Hotaru and me to sail the seas together, We’re not from this world, we know nothing about it and we need a way back home, so I’m asking, No. I’m begging, please join us.”

“Sounds good to me, I have been itching for some action lately,” Sora answered.

“I was already planning to travel with Lugh for a while so count us in!” Kianna chimed.

“If ya’ll need a muscle then I’m in, Nagisa has grown a lot ever since you 2 arrived and I owe you for it!

“I wouldn’t mind leaving the library in a friend's care, and I can tell you and your friends need help taking care of the ship, I accept,” Kei Responded.

“Everyone, Thank you.”

We all agreed to meet up in 2 weeks when the shipwreck gets repaired and enhanced so that everyone has their quarters then We will begin to set sail on the seas to our first destination, the Continent of Bier.

     I’m very glad that we successfully forced those pirates to back off from this island. But knowing this transgression we committed to them had me worried. I bet that these guys would be returning to hunt us down.

     Their “captain” mentioned in the name of “Blackbeard” and I couldn’t help but be worried for the safety of this place, If they want to hunt us down, then they don’t need to come to us, We will come to them! Hotaru and I will sail this world while getting stronger! We’re taking them down ourselves and we’re gonna find our way home!