Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 20

Chapter 20

The admiral didn't seem to notice them as they stole onto the deck. There was at least 100 feet of open deck between them. Approaching without being spotted wouldn't be possible because of the admiral's vantage point. They would have to use speed and distraction. The two players took a deep breath and prepared for combat.

Seiko slid out first, he put all his power into his legs to sprint blindingly fast to the middle of the deck. He aimed his bow at the npc, immediately drawing his attention as planned. The admiral actually appeared to be pleased by the unexpected turn of events.

"Well well well, what do we have here? A rat has finally found the stones to board my vessel! I was beginning to think I'd die of old age before I got another good fight!"

His voice boomed effortlessly over the crashing of the waves. There was a shift in the atmosphere as the ship fell silent. The air thickened as his voice seemed to command the world's attention. The Admiral stepped down from his place at the helm, each footfall vibrating through the floorboards as he approached the ranger.

"It has been such a long time, so you'll have to forgive me. I may not be able to hold back by excitement." The timbre of his voice was deeper than the creaking groans of the ship deck. The ranger sensed the malice oozing from him despite his calm demeanor. Every part of his body was telling him to flee.

Trust the plan. Trust the plan!

Seiko chanted the mantra in his head, but he truly wasn't sure how the next part was going to go. He sighed and gripped his bow tightly. It was too late to turn back now. The npc in front of him was just another obstacle.

Two arrows flitted through the air toward the admirals head. They were dead on target. Just as they were about to skewer the npc's eyes, there was a quick flash of movement that Seiko would have missed if he had blinked. His heart sank as he saw his arrows clutched in one of the Admirals huge fists. They snapped like twigs as he squeezed them.

Seiko backed away instinctively from his opponent, sensing the gap in their strength. A maniacal, unnaturally large grin stretched the Admiral's face. He stalked toward Seiko with giddy delight.

"Criminals like you are truly the scum of the world. Worthless wastes of life. It would be better for you to disappear." he proclaimed.

Suddenly, the Admiral was caught off guard by a powerful kick to his ribs. Shinobu catapulted from the side of the ship like a rocket, crashing into the large enemy. Her strike sent him skidding across the planks. The admiral clutched his ribs as he hacked up a spattering of blood. Despite taking damage, his grin didn't diminish even a little.

"How delightful! I can send two rats to Hell this day!" As he said that, an intense pressure began to emanate from him. The adventurers felt themselves being pushed by a wall of force. The royal navy admirals of the Ether were some of the most ruthless and strongest npc's a player could encounter. They upheld the law of the seas, preventing even high level players from exploiting the sea's bounty. The adventurers were witnessing firsthand, the might of these enforcers.

The samurai was able to hold her ground against the force, but Seiko was thrown backward. The difference between their strength and gear was becoming much clearer as he struggled to keep his footing. Even still, Shinobu's skin grew clammy in the presence of such an overpowering opponent. With a quickness unbefitting of such a large man, the admiral lunged forward. He was in front of her in a flash, hurling a powerful haymaker at her head. It was all she could do to bring her sword up just in time to block it. The wood crunched and splintered under Shinobu's feet as he smashed his fist against the blade. Seiko rallied himself and seized the opportunity to attack. He dashed to the side of the skirmish, firing into the npc's side. The admiral flinched, giving Shinobu enough room to counterattack. She swung her sword in an upward arc, leaving a jagged trail across the white naval uniform. More damage was done to the fabric than the skin underneath unfortunately.