Chapter 101

Until Eula stood in front of the pirate sub-leader who was kneeling on the ground involuntarily, this inexplicable disaster came to an end.

The Alcor!

Just as the pirates were about to board, the Sea Dragon maneuvered the massive ship, charging forward with unstoppable momentum.

It was estimated that in less than a quarter of an hour, they would reach the passenger ship within a thousand-meter radius, aided by the wind.

Beidou was busy calling out to the crew and sailors to get ready, checking weapons and equipment to ensure nothing would go wrong during the upcoming battle.

"Listen up, brothers! Today is the last day of our patrol. After this, we’ll return to Liyue Harbor for three days of rest. I’ll have your Sister Xiangling cook for us then—plenty of meat and plenty of wine! So, keep your spirits up!"

Hearing that Sister Xiangling would be cooking for them, the crew’s morale soared instantly.

The crew of the Crux Fleet had a great relationship with Xiangling; because of her exceptional culinary skills, Beidou had ordered the crew to address her as "Sister."

So much so that whenever they set sail, they often brought Xiangling along.

"Then I’m definitely ordering a plate of Stir-Fried Jueyun Chili Chicken! I still can't forget that fragrance from the last time I had it!"

Huixing, the navigator, joked with a smile.

Hearing this, the ship’s doctor, Ginkgo, rolled her eyes at him: "Just focus on the battle ahead and stop thinking about other things."

Despite the joking, the group felt none of the tension usually associated with an impending fight.

They had experienced similar situations countless times and were long since used to it.

However, as the Alcor drew near, everyone’s expressions turned grave.

Because the pirates had already gathered all the passengers on the deck; one didn't need to look twice to know what they were planning.

"Trying to use hostages to negotiate?"

Beidou’s expression turned cold; she saw through the pirates' scheme at a glance.

With the help of Xu Liushi’s observations, the crew understood the situation on the passenger ship.

"Kazuha, you and a few brothers go underwater and sneak over."

Although the situation was tricky, it wasn't without a solution. Beidou immediately devised a countermeasure and began issuing detailed orders.

They would use their superior combat strength to catch the enemy off guard, then bring the ship in for a hard boarding.

Beidou trusted her brothers implicitly and was confident they wouldn't have any issues.

But soon, just as they were about to act, they noticed something wrong.

A massive ice fortress suddenly erupted from the previously empty deck, encasing all the civilians within.

Then came a burst of chaotic shouting; the pirates on the deck were suddenly in disarray.

Looking closely, they realized the pirates were fighting two figures, and people were being killed one after another.

Immediately after, the sea surface leading to the passenger ship froze over, and countless sharp ice spears sprouted from it.

Many pirates who had jumped overboard in a panic were left hanging on them like rags, spurting blood.

"Hiss! What ruthless people!"

Beidou exclaimed, quickly ordering the Sea Dragon to stop.

If they crashed straight into the solid ice, the Alcor wouldn't fare well.

It must be said that as a top-tier helmsman, the Sea Dragon’s steering technique was truly extraordinary; even from a distance, he managed to stop the Alcor using his powerful abilities.

The moment they lightly touched the solid ice, the ship shuddered, but fortunately, that was all; it sustained no damage.

Subsequently, the front of the ship’s hull shifted, revealing iron ice-breaking plows and machinery that forcibly carved out a path forward.

Only when they were less than a hundred meters from the passenger ship did the Alcor come to a complete stop.

"Brothers, get ready and move out!"

Beidou was the first to shoulder her greatsword and throw out a grappling hook; with a hard pull, she swung across the rope toward the passenger ship.

Seeing their captain act so impulsively, Kaedehara Kazuha sighed and had no choice but to follow.

Suddenly, it was no different from dumplings being dropped into a pot; a swarm of people flew toward the passenger ship.

Beidou leaped, released the rope, and landed on the deck, the powerful kinetic energy causing the wooden planks to snap.

Shouldering her greatsword, she watched the two young women effortlessly slaughter dozens of pirates, her eyes lighting up.

"What impressive girls!"

With a shout of praise, she joined the fray, violently bisecting several pirates who were attempting to retreat.

Her blade crackled with lightning, carving an arc of electricity in a fan shape before her.

The surging lightning leaped and circled, killing ten people in an instant.

Seeing this, Eula gave a soft huff, seemingly stirred by a sense of competition.

The greatsword in her hand instantly extended into a sharp ice blade dozens of meters long, transforming into a giant sword that she brought down overhead.

To call it a slash might be less accurate than calling it a smash.

The last few pirates looked on with terror and regret, but before they could even beg for surrender, they were buried beneath the giant sword.

Thus, when Kaedehara Kazuha and the others arrived on deck, they found the battle had already ended.

"Eula, Captain of the Reconnaissance Company of the Mondstadt Knights of Favonius, greets Captain Beidou."

Withdrawing her blade, Eula greeted the bold and heroic woman who had close ties with the Liyue the Liyue Qixing.

Strictly speaking, she was a figure with official status, though Beidou didn't consider herself as such.

However, just looking at the navigation rights promised by the the Liyue Qixing and the three newly built ports specifically for the Crux Fleet, it was clear that the two sides were as close as could be.

"I know, the Spindrift Knight of the Knights of Favonius, right? I’ve had the pleasure of meeting you once; my memory isn't failing me that quickly yet."

Beidou’s smile carried a quality that was both convincing and approachable; perhaps that was the secret to how she gathered such a large group of people.

Eula nodded slightly, briefly explaining the ins and outs of the incident, and took the opportunity to introduce Noelle.

Beidou fell silent after listening, then said with relief: "It's fortunate that knights from Mondstadt were accompanying us this time, otherwise I don't know how much trouble this would have caused later."

Just at this moment.

"Captain, you were too fast; the battle was already over by the time we arrived."

Among those present, only Kaedehara Kazuha was the first to check for any survivors feigning death, stabbing a blade into the heart of anything that looked suspicious.

Don't even mention it; they actually found a few lucky ones and arrested them on the spot.

Once everyone had gathered, Beidou laughed and explained the situation to her brothers, telling them to clean up the aftermath.

Kaedehara Kazuha asked calmly: "Are the passengers all right?"

"They are all fine. I'll release the ice barrier once the pirates' corpses are cleared away."

Eula understood well; the bloody side of things wasn't suitable for ordinary people to see, so it was better to wait until everything was settled before lifting the protection.

Beidou agreed wholeheartedly.

After a while, catching a glimpse of Kazuha’s attire, Eula’s expression shifted, and she took the initiative to ask.

"Judging by your clothing, are you a wandering samurai from Inazuma?"

"That is correct." The handsome youth nodded in acknowledgment.

Eula remembered that Luo Li and Raiden Makoto’s hometown seemed to be Inazuma. She had just been thinking about learning more about that place from a local, so she could give Luo Li a surprise from his homeland in the future.

Before the words could leave her lips, she saw the figures of Luo Li and Raiden Makoto appear from the damaged cabin door.

The next moment, she saw the youth who had been calm and indifferent, seemingly uninterested in everything, undergo a drastic change in expression.

"The... the Shogun?!"