"Damn it."
Eve swung her sword aimlessly in the air before taking a step back. This gave the hero, A.A., a moment to regain composure. I grabbed the mermaid by her hair, pressed my mace against her head, and said,
"Drop your weapon."
I was praying this threat would work. Honestly, even with the hostage, I wasn't confident I could overpower Eve. Killing her felt like a waste, but subduing her without harm would cost too much. Backing down was the best option for both of us. Eve tapped her sword against the deck and glared at me.
"Drop my weapon? And if I don't? What, you'll kill me? Go ahead, try it. Do you think I'm doing this because I can't beat you? The moment my mom dies, you're all fish food. Got it? Let's see how tough you are underwater."
Eve pointed at the sea. She was right. If that madwoman jumped into the water, there'd be no way to catch her. Fighting a mermaid underwater was impossible. Worse, this one wasn't just any mermaid—she was a monster who could destroy ships barehanded, like some Aquaman-level threat. If I killed her, she'd likely shatter the ship and drag us into the depths.
"Go ahead, jump in."
But I couldn't back down now. If I dropped my weapon out of fear, I'd be finished. Losing this standoff meant death, so I stood my ground. A.A. stood between us, nervously assessing the situation. I tapped the mermaid's groin with my mace and said,
"Go ahead, jump in. I'll shove this mace right here."
"Damn, this is fun."
Eve didn't seem eager to let the mermaid die, so she held back. A tense stalemate formed. Just as A.A. said, there was room for negotiation. Sailors began creeping out from hiding. Seeing their hesitation, Eve snapped.
"Damn it! What the hell are you idiots doing? Get to work!"
The sailors froze, conflicted. From what I'd seen, they weren't here by choice. They were forced into service by rape, threats, and fear. Now, this might be the last chance to take Eve down.
Eve raked her hair in frustration and glared at me and A.A. before pointing a finger.
"I'll say this once. Let my mom go, and I'll spare you, Priest. I'll give you a ship to leave. And you, A.A., drop your weapon now, and I won't cut off your arm. Stop this stupid rebellion. Got it?"
"Nope."
I answered before A.A. could. I pressed the mace against the mermaid's groin. Cold metal met skin, and she let out a soft moan. Eve gasped and shouted,
"Damn it! Do it again, and I'll gut you alive and salt your insides! And you, A.A., I'll chop you into pieces and feed you to the dogs! Do you hear me? Drop your weapons and let my mom go!"
But she never jumped into the water. Even if she was strong, I'd snap the mermaid's neck before she could destroy the ship. Eve knew stalling would be too late, so she held back.
"What the hell are you idiots waiting for? Get to work!"
As Eve's desperation showed, her fear-driven authority began to crumble. The sailors stared blankly at me, A.A., and Eve. In that moment, A.A. spoke.
"Don't be afraid."
Eve, who'd been cursing, fell silent. She took a step toward A.A., who steadied himself and continued.
"Everyone, we can all live. If you help us, we can end this."
"Damn, is this idiot crazy? What the hell are you morons doing? Get back to work or hide below deck! Want to die when this is over?"
"You all want to go home, right? We can send you back. How long has it been? A year? Two? We'll take you home!"
"You bastards! Get lost! Below deck, now! You—"
Bang!
A gunshot rang out. Eve, startled, looked toward the sound. A trembling sailor held a gun, her bullet leaving a small hole in the ship's wall. Eve stared at her, incredulous.
"Damn."
"I… I…"
The sailor shook but didn't back down. She steadied her legs and shouted at Eve,
"I want to go home! Damn it, I want to go home, you bitch!"
She reloaded her gun. Eve could've snapped her neck before she fired, but as she took a step forward, the sailors on deck rushed Eve without hesitation.
"Bring back my husband, you bitch!"
"Let us go home! We've done enough!"
"I won't spend my life cleaning up castrated corpses! I'm going home!"
Hands grabbed Eve from all sides. She fought them off, creating a brief opening—just enough for A.A. He stepped forward, curved blade in hand, and ducked.
In a flash, A.A. struck. Eve's attackers were thrown aside as his blade pierced her stomach and burst through her back.
"Ugh…!"
Eve's eyes widened in shock. I punched the mermaid, knocking her out again, and rushed Eve. I didn't care about enslaving or breaking her—my survival came first.
Eve, impaled, glared at A.A. with raw emotion. Empty-handed, she tried to push him away, but he held firm. Pain and confusion twisted her face, blood trickling from her lips. I raised my mace in both hands.
"You… damn… bitch…!"
"Eve!"
I shouted, aiming my mace at her. Eve, about to strike A.A., turned to me.
"I declare you evil!"
A chime sounded, and a new window appeared above Eve's head.
**[Heretic Inquisitor]**
Declare an opponent as evil or dark-aligned.
Deal double damage to evil/dark targets and take half damage from them.
I charged Eve. Simultaneously, A.A. pulled his blade free and rolled aside. Eve collapsed, clutching her stomach, blue blood soaking the deck.
I swung my mace with all my strength at the kneeling Eve. Her eyes watched the mace descend, a distant look in them, as if remembering the past.
Clang!
I didn't care about her thoughts. She was just a bitch who tried to take my woman. Struck by the mace, Eve flew like a bullet, smashing half the deck before crashing into the ship's corner.
"Gah…!"
She was still alive. I caught my breath and checked her condition. Blue blood streamed from her head. I'd suspected she wasn't human, and her blood confirmed it. She flailed her hand in the air, muttering,
"Mom…"
The sailors embraced, weeping. A.A. threw ropes to rescue those who'd fallen overboard. I saw the mermaid, dazed, crawl toward Eve. I didn't stop her. She grabbed Eve's hand, laid her head on the deck, and passed out.
"Damn bitches."
I muttered too softly to be heard. I bound Eve's limbs with chains from below deck, ensuring she couldn't move if she woke. Holding my mace, I watched her, ready to kill her if she tried anything.
Fortunately, Eve remained unconscious until we reached port.
Eve's pirate ship caused chaos in the harbor. Warnings blared about a pirate attack. Only after A.A. and I showed the bound Eve did the maritime guards calm down.
Eve said,
"Let my mom go. I killed everyone. I lured them; she never killed anyone."
"I don't care."
"Please, let her go. She'll pay for her crimes. Damn it, is killing mermaid hunters a crime? My mom's innocent!"
As A.A. handed over the recovered items to the guards, Eve glared at me. I shook my head. The sailors' reactions to the mermaid proved Eve was complicit in the murders. Masturbating over corpses sealed her guilt. Eve ground her teeth, but I just laughed.
"Are mermaids that valuable? Enough for hunters to chase them?"
"They're profitable. Mermaid blood… wait, damn it, you're not—"
Eve stared at me in shock. Why was she surprised I'd profit from legal mermaid trade while ignoring her own murders? I planned to hand the unconscious mermaid to the guildmaster, claiming she was the true culprit.
The guildmaster would handle her. Mermaids were versatile—edible, their blood useful, and they served as sex tools. Rare and intelligent, they were hard to catch but in high demand.
And Eve, a mermaid hybrid, was even rarer. I intended to take her to my territory.