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

Volume 11 Chapter 4 Confluence

Ruisha raced around the mysterious island sinking into the seabed.

Oddly enough, normal plants were growing on this island, and he could breathe as usual.

Except for the fact that the sky above turned into the “ocean,” he couldn’t distinguish it from being on solid ground.

“I wonder if it’s the effect of some magical tool or something. It’s an incredible power to have such a widespread impact.”

Ruisha pondered, wondering who and for what purpose would exert such an influence.

Not only creating a barrier in the sea but also sinking an entire island underwater wasn’t a trivial matter.

There must be something in this island that someone really didn’t want to be seen.

“Is it Pirate King Captain Bat who doesn’t want that to be seen? Or is it someone else?”

They hid it because they didn’t want anyone to find the treasure. If you think of it that way, it makes sense.

But Ruisha doubted if it was really just for that reason.

In this island, there might be secrets I’m not aware of—unexpected and unimaginable secrets. That’s what he thought.

“Hmm?”

While lost in thought, Ruisha heard the sound of metal clashing from a little distance away.

He perked up his ears. It sounded like the clashing of blades.

“Someone’s fighting!? I need to hurry!!”

There was a high possibility that one of the parties in the fight was his comrade.

Ruisha quickly ran in the direction of the sound.

Passing through the trees, he found a woman engaged in battle with a multitude of skeletal soldiers.

“Cindy!!”

“Ruisha! You’re alive!”

The one fighting was the female pirate Cindy.

There was no one else around her. It seemed she was alone.

“I’ll assist you!”

“I appreciate it! Let’s quickly deal with these bones!”

Ruisha gripped his Dragon King Sword and swiftly slew the skeletons.

However, no matter how many he defeated, the skeletons would reassemble and come back to life.

“It’s endless!”

“If you break them a few times, they won’t get back up. Dealing with this many is literally a ‘bone-breaking’ task.”

“In that case…!”

Ruisha sheathed his sword and began to weave his magical energy.

In reality, as he ran through the island, he had been thinking all along about how to defeat the immortal beings like skeletons.

“Take this! Wide-area Earthflow Radiasul!”

Magic was cast, and the ground began to move slowly.

The squirming earth seemed to open a large mouth, covering the skeletons and swallowing them.

Naturally, the skeletons tried to escape from the earth, but they didn’t possess enough strength to push the earth aside. They had no way out and were progressively swallowed.

“I see, you’ve thought this through. If they keep coming back even after defeat, then trapping them is the solution.”

“Yeah. But I think they’ll eventually find a way to break free. We should move away from this spot.”

“No doubt. We need to find our companions quickly.”

Ruisha approached Cindy to confirm the situation.

“You haven’t met anyone else, Cindy?”

“Yeah, before I knew it, I was alone and collapsed on this strange island. It seems like everyone got scattered.”

“I see… just like me. I hope everyone is safe though.”

Ruisha worried about his friends.

His friends weren’t soft enough to lose to mere skeletons. However, he couldn’t shake off an odd sense of unease.

There was a terrifying presence he didn’t know about… he had a feeling like that.

Seeing Ruisha’s worried expression, Cindy firmly patted his shoulder.

“Hey!”

“What’s with that gloomy face? You know better than anyone how strong your companions are, right? If you look like that, you won’t even be able to beat the enemies you can defeat.”

Saying so, Cindy smiled, giving Ruisha a boost of courage.

That smile strangely encouraged Ruisha.

“Yeah, you’re right. Thanks. I shouldn’t be discouraged by something like this.”

“That’s the spirit. Let’s find our companions and the treasure quickly, and bid farewell to this gloomy place.”

“Yeah!”

The two of them regained their energy and started walking.

Just as the two were moving forward, someone appeared to block their path.

“…I thought it was noisy, it seems quite lively visitors have arrived.”

“!?”

Ruisha and Cindy immediately readied their swords.

In front of them was a single skeleton, but its appearance was completely different from the skeletons they had encountered before.

It wore a sophisticated black jacket with a skull-marked hat. It stood over two meters tall, and its body was quite large. The bones seemed thick and sturdy.

In the hollow sockets that served as its eyes, eerie red light flickered, capturing Ruisha and Cindy and refusing to let go. Its gaze was so intense that it sent shivers down their spines.

Clearly, this skeleton was on a different level from the skeletons they had encountered before. The two of them remained on high alert, facing off against this formidable skeleton.

“…Who exactly are you?”

“Hmm. These kids these days lack manners. When you ask someone their name, shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?”

Perplexed by the clearly intelligent response, Ruisha was taken aback. He had thought they had no choice but to fight, but perhaps they could resolve this through conversation. With that thought, he sheathed his weapon.

“My name is Ruisha.”

“…I’m Cindy.”

Following Ruisha, Cindy also sheathed her weapon and introduced herself.

At this, the skeleton displayed a wicked grin on its menacing face.

“Oh, you’ve got the guts to introduce yourselves to me. I like it. I’ll tell you my name then.”

The large skeleton raised one leg and slammed it down on the ground with a resounding thud, causing the ground to shake slightly.

While Ruisha and Cindy were astonished by this tremendous strength, the skeleton made its declaration.

“Listen and be amazed, tremble in awe! The infamous pirate who echoes through the ends of the sea, the unparalleled pirate lord reigning over all, even the dragons cower and demons fall silent before me! Yes! I am none other than ‘Pirate King’ Captain Bat, who stands at the pinnacle of all pirates!”

Captain Bat, the legendary pirate who left a mark in history.

Ruisha and Cindy were so astonished by his appearance and proclamation that they were left speechless.

◇

Volume 11 Chapter 5 Pirate King

“Captain Bat has turned into a skeleton… No, could this have been anticipated…?”

The island Ruisha is on is said to be the last place visited by the Pirate King. If the Pirate King met his end there, then naturally, his remains would be there. Given that other remains are moving as skeletons, it is natural to assume that the Pirate King’s remains have also become a skeleton.

“…But why are you talking? I’ve never heard of a talking skeleton before.”

“I’ve always been a chatty guy… That hasn’t changed.”

“Is that the issue?”

Ruisha is puzzled by this reply, unsure if it’s a valid reason. Cindy, who had been silent until now, takes a step closer to Bat.

“…Are you Captain Bat? Is that true?”

“Yeah, that’s right. I don’t tell boring lies. …Could it be, miss, that you’re a fan of mine? You’ve come this far; I’ll even sign something for you.”

Amused and playful, Bat’s antics are met with a serious expression from Cindy. Ruisha could sense a considerable intensity in the emotions conveyed through Cindy’s gaze as she looked at Bat.

While Ruisha understands that Captain Bat holds a special place for Cindy, being a pirate herself, the strength of that sentiment felt somewhat abnormal to him.

“If you claim to be the real Captain Bat, then answer! Why have you turned into a skeleton at the bottom of the sea like this?”

“It’s a simple reason. My treasure is sleeping on this island. I can’t bear the thought of it being stolen by someone even after death. That’s why I’m here.”

At Bat’s words, Cindy grits her teeth in frustration. Ruisha senses a strong ‘anger’ emanating from her.

“You probably came here to aim for my treasure too, miss, didn’t you? Sorry, but I can’t allow that. Be quiet and leave… or die.”

At that moment, a dreadful killing intent radiates from Bat’s entire body. Ruisha’s spine chills, and he heightens his vigilance in response to the intense killing intent that sends shivers down his spine.

On the other hand, Cindy draws her beloved saber from her waist and points its tip towards Bat.

“I knew it. You’re not Captain Bat…! You’re just a skeleton pretending to bear that name!”

She shouts and dashes forward. Ruisha calls out, “Wait, Cindy!” but she does not listen.

“Hahaha, I don’t dislike spirited young ladies.”

“Prepare yourself!”

In an instant, closing the distance to her target, Cindy raises her saber overhead and swings it down with all her might.

“Haaah!”

A sharp, high-pitched sound resonates in the surroundings.

Cindy’s saber had hit Bat’s right arm, which he used to guard.

Yes, it hit.

However… it came to a dead stop on the surface of that arm.

“You fool…!?”

She puts strength into the swung saber, but the saber doesn’t budge an inch. The bones of the arm are so hard that it couldn’t even leave a mark on the surface.

“…I’ve always been a man of bone. That hasn’t changed.”

Grinning smugly with the skeleton’s face, Bat, without guarding, lands a powerful punch on Cindy using his other hand.

Cindy instinctively tries to defend, but she’s blown away along with her defense, crashing into a distant rock and falling down.

“Ugh…!?”

“Is it over already? Kids these days are fragile. Are you getting enough calcium?”

Bat mutters in a bored tone. Ruisha stands in front of him.

“…May I ask you something?”

“Huh, staying composed even when your comrade’s down. I like a gutsy guy. I’ll answer if I can.”

“Thank you. Then… Is the legacy of the Hero Orger here?”

Upon hearing this, Bat stops.

And after a moment of silence… in a stark contrast to his cheerful demeanor until now, he responds with a cold and ruthless tone.

“I see… So, that was your aim. Well then, I’ll kill you now, brat.”

Pirates depicted in stories are often seen as cheerful and carefree. In reality, such pirates do exist. However, that is just one aspect of pirates.

They are ruthless gangsters of the sea, an element inseparable from the image of pirates.

Ruisha keenly feels this.

(That reaction… It’s definitely here…!)

Observing Bat’s response, Ruisha becomes certain that his actions were not wrong. However, he also realizes that to obtain it, he must overcome the formidable enemy before him.

“I have a reason to obtain it. Even if it means fighting you, I’ll get it…!”

“If you think you can, give it a try. I am Captain Bat, the Pirate King… the strongest man of these seas!”

Clutching their iron fists, the two men clash.