A boy raised by a demon king and a dragon king seems to be peerless in his school life.

Volume 10 Chapter 28 Waves

“Explaining it in words is easy, but it’s difficult to understand just from that. Ruisha, try extending your hand.”

“Like this?”

Ruisha said, extending his right palm forward.

Mac then placed his palm over Ruisha’s palm. And…

“Ha!”

The moment he shouted, Ruisha’s palm was pushed away.

An unknown shock, something he had never experienced before, raced through Ruisha’s arm. He looked at his trembling arm in amazement and smiled joyfully.

“W-What is this? The shock resonates throughout my body! It’s somewhat similar to Qi Gong’s ‘Water Wave to the Neck’ technique, but also a bit different…”

“Hey! Do it to me too!”

While Ruisha was pondering the nature of the shock, Wolf also received Mac’s attack in the same manner. Even the stiff Wolf felt the vibration resonating within, and he was astonished by the technique.

“What’s this? It’s a mysterious technique. It’s like swaying back and forth just like when you get seasick on a ship…”

“Oh, the principle is different, but that’s a good perspective.”

Impressed, Mac praised Wolf.

Hearing this, Ruisha further pondered.

“Seasickness… Swaying… Could it be that the source of this shock is… ‘waves’?”

“Well, you caught on so quickly, making it hardly worth teaching. That’s right. The technique I just showed is called ‘Wave Strike,’ utilizing the power of the waves.”

Upon hearing this answer, Wolf tilted his head in confusion.

“The power of waves…?”

“As long as we’re standing on the ship, we continuously experience the influence of the waves. Therefore, our bodies sway, making it difficult to stand properly. To avoid that, those of us who live at sea ‘redirect’ the impact of the waves through our lower bodies.”

“That’s what the captain mentioned, ‘let your lower body sway while keeping your upper body steady,’ right?”

“That’s right. However, ‘Wave Strike’ is the opposite. It ‘receives’ the impact of the waves with the feet.”

Mac said this and shifted his weight to his feet in a way opposite to usual. Naturally, the impact of the waves hit his feet.

“Then, the accumulated force of the waves in the feet moves from the lower body to the upper body, and from the upper body to the fingertips… and is released!”

With a loud sound, “Bang!” echoed from Mac’s palm. The technique required neither magic nor Qi. Ruisha and Wolf were excited and impressed by this skill.

“Incredible! I never knew a technique like this existed! Can anyone who lives by the sea do this?”

“Not everyone, but I believe any top-notch maritime warrior can. Some exceptional individuals can even perform ‘Wave Strike’ on land.”

“Huh? ‘Wave Strike’ without waves?”

“Yeah, it’s possible. Apparently, most of the human body is made of water, and by swaying it, you can create pseudo waves… Of course, I can’t do it personally, but I’ve heard about it. Only a few on this ship can do it, probably just the captain.”

“Captain Cindy can do it. She’s really amazing, isn’t she?”

Reaffirming Cindy’s astonishing abilities, Ruisha started practicing while reflecting on what he had been taught. Following suit, Wolf also began to practice, consciously aware of the waves.

Observing the two practicing together, Mac squinted his eyes and smiled, a smile that was barely perceptible to others.

“How nostalgic. Cindy used to train like this on the deck when she was a child.”

“Oh, I see. Mac-san, you’ve known Cindy for a long time.”

“Yeah, we’ve been together since she set sail at the age of eight. It’s been around eleven years now. At that time, she was even more lively than she is now and gave me quite a hard time…”

“Wait, going to sea at the age of eight is surprising enough!?”

Ruisha interjected, astonished. However, imagining a young Cindy persistently setting out to sea against everyone’s objections was possible. She didn’t seem like the type who could stay quiet in a town or city.

“The captain has been chasing Captain Bat since the day she first set sail. Even traveling the Seven Seas was preparation for this adventure. Gathering crew members, gathering information, and obtaining this ship made from wood cut from the World Tree were all preparations for this time. I know it’s a lot to ask of you, whom we’ve just met, but please, I want you to help the captain.”

With a serious expression, Mac implored them, and Ruisha and Wolf nodded seriously in response.

“My determination for this journey is substantial as well. If our goals align, I’ll assist you with all my might.”

Ruisha declared firmly, and Mac nodded in satisfaction.

“Thank you, I’m counting on you. If you have any questions about ‘Wave Strike,’ let me know. I’ll do my best to ensure you learn it before we part.”

“Oh, I got it.”

“Huh!? That was fast!?”

Imitating others’ techniques was one of Ruisha’s specialties. Ignoring a surprised Mac, Wolf, who had exceptional combat instincts, also began to grasp the technique.

The captain is quite something, but these kids are extraordinary too…

In his mind, Mac muttered these words.

◇

Volume 10 Chapter 29 Otherworld

Three days after dispelling the barrier at the ‘Dead Sea Point.’

The pirate ship, ‘GlowBlue,’ carrying Ruisha and his companions, safely reached their destination.

“Look! That’s our destination, the ‘Hidden Island of Oafuru!”‘

Cindy exclaimed. The island she pointed to was small, but it had numerous wooden huts and seemed populated. More notably, there were a significant number of anchored ships.

“All those are pirate ships!?”

“It seems like the law and order here are pretty lax…”

Various designs of skull symbols were painted on the sails of the anchored ships, the unmistakable mark of rough sea rovers—the pirates. At the Oafuru anchorage, dozens of ships bearing those marks were anchored.

“Why aren’t they cracking down on so many pirates gathering here? It seems like they’d get caught immediately…”

“Because this place is in the ‘Otherworld,'” Cindy answered Ruisha’s question.

“In this case, ‘Otherworld’ refers to that unfamiliar world? It just looks like an ordinary island.”

“It does seem like that, but this island is indeed an Otherworld. As proof, only pirate ships can reach this place.”

Ruisha and Cindy discussed the concept of the ‘Otherworld,’ assuming that the term was familiar. Wolf, feeling left out, interjected.

“So, what exactly is this ‘Otherworld’? I kind of get the idea of a mysterious space.”

“Ah, I see, my apologies, Wolf. ‘Otherworld’ refers to a space with additional unique rules. Describing it as a mysterious space isn’t exactly wrong.”

As Ruisha spoke, he recalled the space where he encountered the Demon King and Dragon King.

‘The Infinite Prison.’ That was another ‘Otherworld’ artificially created.

Two specific rules governed this space:

1. 1. 1. Slowing of time flow.

1. 1. 1. Halting of aging.

These rules were forcibly applied as long as one was inside the Infinite Prison.

Even the Demon King and Dragon King, the strongest beings, couldn’t escape these rules.

That was how absolute and unchanging the rules of the Otherworld were.

“The rules of the Otherworld, Oafuru Island, are twofold. One is that only pirate ships can arrive on this island. Even if you’re disguised as a pirate ship, you won’t be able to reach the island. Even if there’s just one person on board attempting to defeat a pirate, you won’t make it to the island.”

“…But we’re not pirates. Are we safe then?”

“It seems you’re fine if it’s clear you have no intention of causing harm. Well, if it wasn’t possible, I planned for you to drift around in a small boat, so it wouldn’t have been an issue.”

“But that would’ve been a problem for us, wouldn’t it?”

Ruisha made a strong retort, but Cindy didn’t pay it much mind. Sea warriors weren’t bothered by trivial matters.

“The other rule is ‘prohibition of combat between pirates.’ This island is a pirate’s paradise, the one place where you can forget about fighting. Anyone engaging in combat here will be forcibly expelled from the island and can never enter again. It would be difficult even to go to their aid, so never get into a fight here.”

“Got it.”

Ruisha responded obediently. However, Cindy, hearing such a compliant response, became uneasy.

“I’m telling you this seriously, not in jest, you know?”

“I understand. I’m not quick to pick a fight, so don’t worry. Right, Wolf?”

“Uh, yeah! That’s right!”

“…Geez, it seems like we’ve picked up a troublesome one.”

Seeing Wolf looking lost, Cindy felt a hint of worry. Nevertheless, having more people to carry the luggage was better. Reluctantly, Ruisha, Wolf, and Viness decided to accompany them.

“But Sharo and Iris, you’ll stay on the ship. This is an order from the captain.”

“Huh, why! I want to go too!”

“Yes, I cannot leave Ruisha-sama’s side.”

Protesting, the two were rejected by Cindy.

“Taking good-looking folks like you would be inviting unnecessary trouble. Even though combat actions are prohibited here, those inside are nothing but scoundrels with no qualms about illegal activities. We don’t know what kind of trouble might arise, so it’s wiser to stay on the ship.”

Cindy’s words were valid.

Even though there was a rule prohibiting combat on the island, there were plenty of loopholes—like using drugs to make someone unconscious and abduct them. Naturally, the pirates on this island would be well-versed in exploiting such gaps in the rules. No matter how strong they were, it was too dangerous.

“Ruisha also understood this, so he asked the two to stay behind.”

“We’ll be fine, so please take care of the ship. We’ll be back soon.”

After being told this, the two reluctantly agreed and stayed on the ship. They didn’t want to cause trouble, just wanting to be of help.

“Now then, now that things are settled, let’s go. Got it? You two, absolutely no fighting, okay?”

“Yes!”

“Leave it to me!”

“In accordance with the Covenant of Knowledge, I shall heed that wish.”

The three responded energetically.

Will they truly uphold their promise? Only time would tell…