Bloodhound’s Regression Instinct

Chapter 160

The Pirate Empress burst into laughter upon seeing them.

“So, this was the game all along.”

She finally understood why the Chief sought her demise.

He didn’t desire a fleet mighty in strength alone.

He yearned for a pirate fleet under his absolute control.

The Chief’s strategy was simple yet certain.

Should she fall,

Drakan, the second in command, would swallow the fleet whole under the guise of avenging her.

No pirate would follow him in a coup, but in vengeance against the Pirate Empress, they would rally without question.

And the Chief would ensnare Drakan with the revolutionaries, leaving evidence that he was her killer.

Thus, the pirate fleet would become the revolutionaries’ well-trained hounds.

And Admiral Leang.

He, embroiled in various scandals, had incurred the Sun Duke’s wrath and faced expulsion from his post.

But should he return with her head, any scandal would be pardoned.

Of course,

‘This too must be a shackle the Chief has forged, evidence or documents to bind me at any time.’

Thus, the Chief would gain twofold without lifting a finger.

He could puppeteer the vengeful pirate fleet and enslave Admiral Leang, a power in the Southern Dukedom.

The Pirate Empress sneered.

“Fools.”

At her words, Admiral Leang burst out laughing.

“Who are you calling a fool? You’re the fool for walking into such an obvious trap, all to find a son lost decades ago!”

The Pirate Empress chuckled, ‘Huhuhu.’

He was right.

She had indeed fallen into this blatant trap, all to find a son who might well be dead.

Drakan spoke with a stern face.

“Sister… I am truly sorry.”

“Why betray me? You never seemed covetous of my seat.”

“It was but a facade. In truth, I’ve stood by your side the longest… How could a son, whose life is uncertain, be named heir?”

“Then why not speak up when I mentioned it? Do I seem like one who purges those who displease me?”

“That’s not it, but… Ah, forget it.”

Drakan unsheathed his sword, signaling an end to words.

The navy drew their blades, too, and began to close in around the Pirate Empress.

She watched them calmly and spoke in an even tone.

“Two fully matured superhumans and thousands of soldiers… You’ve brought your full force to capture me.”

Though only two were superhumans, soldiers of the fifth and sixth ranks were also well in sight.

The Pirate Empress smirked.

The pirates were away, battling the Kraken, and such an event unfolded.

No matter how much time she bought, survival seemed a distant hope.

She recalled her son in her memories, steeling her resolve.

Then, she drew her curved sword.

Swish.

“My life is quite costly. You all know that, right?”

Even amidst thousands of navy soldiers crowding the island, she exuded an overwhelming presence.

She unleashed her mana, revealing her true might.

And then, she expanded her domain, the privilege of the mighty.

The Twelve Swords of the Sea King.

Final Form – The Boundless Ocean.

An immense aura, vast as the open sea, began to surge across the island with terrifying force.

Behind the Pirate Empress, wielding her sword casually, countless water spouts arose.

“Inside this sea mist, you can’t use your full power! Don’t be afraid, capture her!”

Admiral Leang shouted.

“Charge!”

“Attack!”

The navy soldiers, shaking off the oppressive aura, charged at the Pirate Empress.

Simultaneously, she swung her sword.

Crash!

A whirlpool of water behind her surged forth with destructive force towards the navy.

Hundreds were swept away in a single stroke.

The navy hesitated at the formidable power, but…

“Fill the gaps quickly!”

At Admiral Leang’s command, the startled soldiers quickly closed ranks.

The Pirate Empress bit her lip.

Their intention was clear: to exhaust her strength with a war of attrition.

And so, on an unnamed small island, a battle of thousands against one commenced.

* * *

Two Hours Later

Gasping for breath, the Pirate Empress leaned on her curved sword as if it were a staff, her chest heaving with exertion.

Despite her weary appearance, Admiral Leang couldn’t muster a smile.

“Madness. To think she could wreak such havoc among the navy, even amidst the mana-disrupting sea mist.”

The thousands of navy soldiers had dwindled to a mere thousand.

The rest lay as corpses around the Pirate Empress, their blood staining the soil of the island red, turning the surrounding sea a ghastly crimson.

It was then that a smirk curled on Leang’s lips.

“But even your vaunted domain has shattered. It seems even a superhuman can’t properly deploy their domain in this mist-covered island, can they?”

He knew her skills well, having clashed with the Pirate Empress over many years.

The Twelve Swords of the Sea King.

A technique of extreme power over the seas that had earned her the moniker of Pirate Empress.

Each strike, like a raging wave, was a deadly technique.

And her ultimate move, the Boundless Ocean, could freely create powerful water cannons strong enough to shatter dozens of warships.

“Keh, keh, keh. But even your mighty Boundless Ocean must be hindered by this sea mist.”

The mist that enveloped them suppressed mana, making it difficult to draw upon without a special antidote.

Even the formidable Pirate Empress was not immune.

Even a superhuman with the insane ability to expand their domain couldn’t unleash their full power here.

Yet, it was remarkable that she had managed to decimate so many navy soldiers under these conditions.

Leang glanced at Drakan with a raised corner of his mouth.

“Time to wrap this up.”

“Understood.”

Admiral Leang began to walk forward with a wicked smile, followed by the cold-faced Drakan.

“Heugh, damn you all.”

The Pirate Empress forced a smile as she saw them approaching.

She quickly raised her curved sword to block Leang’s swiftly incoming blade.

Clang!

A blow so fierce it made her hands throb.

She nearly lost grip of her sword.

“I’ll send you off comfortably!”

Drakan then lunged forward at a terrifying speed, swinging his sword, charged with energy, towards the Pirate Empress’s abdomen.

Splash!

Crimson blood burst forth from her belly.

The Pirate Empress gritted her teeth, suppressing the fiery pain.

She had tried to dodge as much as she could, but given her current state, a complete evasion was difficult.

Thus began the bloody battle between the exhausted Pirate Empress and the two superhumans.

Clash, clash, clash, clash!

Their swords and curved blade clashed, each imbued with a ferocious energy, pressing the Pirate Empress.

She parried and deflected most of the sword strikes with her curved blade as quickly as she could, but she couldn’t stop the accumulation of wounds across her body.

Clash!

While the Pirate Empress endured the pain that felt like her wrist might break, fending off the onslaught…

Swoosh!

“Ugh!”

A navy soldier, who had quietly approached from behind, swung his sword at her unprotected back.

Blood spurted from her mouth as her head went dizzy with whiteness.

Seeing the power wane from her curved blade, Admiral Leang grinned triumphantly.

And then…

Thud!

He kicked the Pirate Empress in the abdomen.

Her body tumbled across the ground.

Admiral Leang approached her rolling form with a satisfied laugh.

“To think the day would come when I’d bring the Pirate Empress, ruler of the seas, to her knees before me. What an odd feeling, Mei Valentine.”

Drakan emerged from behind with a cold expression, seemingly irritated by Leang’s demeanor.

“Let’s end this. She wouldn’t have suffered this fate if it weren’t for me.”

“Hmph, even after betrayal, you’re still bound by her shadow?”

“Hey.”

“Tch, fine. Then remove that sword from my neck.”

At Leang’s words, Drakan glared at him and withdrew the curved blade he had pointed at his neck.

Admiral Leang drew his sword, aiming it at the Pirate Empress.

“I’ll let you keep that pretty face intact, sending you off with as little pain as possible.”

Whoosh.

The energy gathering in Admiral Leang’s sword reflected in the Pirate Empress’s eyes.

Even facing death, her thoughts were elsewhere.

‘Ah… I scoured the world to see you just once more. But in the end, I couldn’t.’

The precious being that drove her to the pirate-infested seas.

A child she searched for all her life, yet never found, precious enough to never hurt even when held close.

‘My son… I’m sorry I couldn’t find you.’

The Pirate Empress closed her eyes, and a single tear rolled down her cheek.

Just as the energy was about to sever her neck…

Something crashed with incredible speed between Admiral Leang and the Pirate Empress.

Boom!

A loud explosion sent dirt and stones flying.

Startled by the sudden turn of events, Leang and Drakan squinted through the dust cloud.

And then…

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, numerous energy strikes burst through the dust, heading straight for Leang and Drakan.

“What is this!”

“Sword energy?!”

They hastily raised their own energy in their sword and curved blade to fend off the incoming strikes.

Boom!

Despite the collision of energies, the impact wasn’t as great as expected.

“…?”

Sensing something was off, they both flashed their eyes open.

And quickly leaped towards where the Pirate Empress had been kneeling.

But…

“Ha!”

“Who would do such a thing?”

“Could it be that one of the pirate fleet’s captains noticed?”

At Leang’s question, Drakan bit his lip and shook his head.

“That’s impossible.”

The entire pirate fleet had left for a Kraken hunt far from here.

Still, they couldn’t help feeling uneasy as things took an unexpected turn.

Footprints of two people caught their eyes.

And so, they kicked off the ground, beginning their pursuit of the Pirate Empress and the mysterious figure.

* * *

At that very moment…

Yan, with the Pirate Empress in his arms, was sprinting at full speed towards an unknown destination.

“Panting heavily!”

His face was flushed red, and he kept gasping for air.

It was inevitable.

He had run for kilometers to get here.

‘Never again shall I run atop the sea.’

Even for Yan, who had undergone transformation, running on water was an arduous task.

It required immense concentration to lay down a force with each step as if creating a platform.

Had it not been for this, one of those two would have already been slain.

‘But it’s alright.’

Yan thought of his trump card and smirked.

Then he shouted to the Pirate Empress on his back.

“Pirate Empress! You mustn’t forget the offer I made you!”

A snicker came from behind him, followed by her voice.

“If we survive this, I’ll ask you for a favor.”

“If you change your mind later, really…”

“Really?”

“…We’ll talk about it later.”

Yan suddenly felt a premonition from behind and kicked off the ground.

Thud!

The very ground where he had just stepped caved in.

It was the sword energy shot by Admiral Leang and Drakan from behind.

The Pirate Empress looked at Yan with a bitter smile.

“Even now, you could leave me and run. I appreciate the sentiment, but if you stay, you’ll die too.”

No matter how exceptional Yan was, using mana in this sea mist was bound to be challenging.

The Pirate Empress frowned, sensing something amiss.

“Isn’t the mana getting heavier? You’re more resilient than I thought.”

“Ah, are you talking about this sea mist?”

Yan grinned.

He knew well about it from his past life experiences.

This mist had properties that conflicted with mana, making it difficult to draw mana from the core.

It might seem like a disaster for mana users.

‘But the countermeasure is simpler than you think.’

Just sever the connection between the internal and external mana.

The mist can only affect you if it contacts the mana organ; avoid that, and it’s just regular fog.

“Cut off the flow of mana that comes in with your breath. That might make you feel better.”

“Is that so?”

Especially for the Pirate Empress, who had reached a level where she could freely use external mana as her own, it must have been even more difficult.

Following Yan’s advice, the Pirate Empress blocked the mana coming in with her breath.

A little vitality returned to her limp body.

But she had inhaled too much of the mist to return to normal anytime soon.

And then, at that moment…

“Watch out!”

Whoosh!

A sharp force bore down from behind.

Yan kicked the ground hard and leaped into the air.

Then, he swiftly turned around and drew out Ascalon from his waist.

Clang!

The rebound from the clash of forces sent Yan and the Pirate Empress plummeting in an arc.

Drakan, seeing his sword energy hit its mark, curled the corners of his mouth.

“Got them.”

And they were falling right in front of a steep cliff.

The only escape was down the cliff.

‘If they fall in this mist-covered place, even with divine luck, they’ll be crippled.’

He glanced at Admiral Leang and said,

“Let’s hurry.”

“Right.”

With that, they powered their legs and kicked off the ground.

In an instant, they reached Yan and the Pirate Empress, who were cornered at the cliff.

The Pirate Empress dismounted from Yan and stood up resolutely.

“…I’ll create an opening. Survive on your own.”

She then glared ahead and coldly commanded.

“Stop lurking and come out, you bat bastards.”

She raised her curved sword, generating sword energy.

Despite the mist making it impossible to draw mana, she managed it through sheer superhuman control.

Yet, her sword energy was so unstable it seemed it might dissipate at any moment, unbefitting of a second-class superhuman.

Admiral Leang smirked at the sight of the Pirate Empress.

“The last stand of the Pirate Empress, who once ruled the seas with terror, is quite pitiful.”

The Pirate Empress ground her teeth in response.

Admiral Leang turned his gaze to Yan.

“…Some rat interfered, causing a bit of panic, but it wasn’t a significant variable.”

Yan stepped forward, passing the struggling Pirate Empress.

“A rat? Are you referring to me?”

“Who else would be here?”

Chuckle!

Yan stifled a laugh and pointed behind them.

“What would those people think?”

Leang and Drakan furrowed their brows at the unexpected remark.

But only for a moment.

Blaring horns!

The sound of horns, which should never be heard here, began to blare loudly.

The hornpipes of the pirate fleet.

And then, a powerful song began to echo from all directions.

“When the black skull flag appears, hold your breath.

The dark demons are on the move.

If you don’t wish to see the red sea, run as fast as you can.

Before the demons catch on.

Otherwise, you’ll be devoured.”

Leang and Drakan’s eyes widened to the point of tearing.

It was the tune often sung by those who followed the Pirate Empress.

“Pirate Song! You bastard Drakan!”

“I… I had no idea!”

They quickly turned their heads and focused their vision through the mist.

Something dark was approaching from beyond.

Blaring horns!

With the sound of the horns, the dense mist began to dissipate.

And the spectacle that was revealed made the two of them collapse to the ground.

One or two ships might have given them hope.

But look ahead.

Hundreds of pirate ships were floating around the small island where they stood, surrounding it.

How could they hold onto hope after seeing that?

Drakan muttered.

“They were supposed to be hunting the Kraken, how did they…?”

“Now’s not the time to worry about that! We need to get out of here!”

Admiral Leang ground his teeth and turned, trying to wrap himself in mana.

He thought there might be a chance if he jumped into the sea before the numerous pirate ships anchored and settled, swimming to the continent.

But Drakan let out a hollow laugh and shook his head.

“Keh, keh, keh. All wrong. How do you plan to escape the pirates’ grasp on the sea? It’s all over. We’re finished.”

At the forefront of the ships that had already docked at the island.

The owner of that ship, the captain of the fifth fleet, Ivan, shouted at them.

“Put down that damn sword now, you miserable bastards! Who do you think you’re pointing your swords at!”

Yan looked at the Pirate Empress, who was staring blankly at the scene, and smiled.

“The allies have arrived, Captain.”