章 18: Pirate attack

The ship that emerged from the dissipating fog was infamous throughout the region, feared by sailors far and wide. Its black sails adorned with crossed swords symbolized terror and death in the dark and dangerous sea.

At the forefront of the opposing vessel, a fearsome and cunning pirates commanded a bloodthirsty crew, their notorious reputation casting a shadow of dread across the seas. Facing the relentless prowess of this formidable enemy, the sailors aboard Mary's ship, The Sea Maiden, braced themselves for an intense and life-or-death struggle on the turbulent waters ahead.

Mary clenched her fists, determined not to let fear overcome her. She turned to her crew, her eyes blazing with resolve. "Prepare for battle, everyone! We won't let these scoundrels take what's rightfully ours. We'll fight for our lives and protect our ship and lady at all costs!"

Her crew rallied behind her, knowing their captain's prowess and the unity they shared. Vivienne, Lilith, and the others took their positions, ready to defend their ship and fight alongside their brave captain. The Sea Maiden's cannons roared to life, sending cannonballs whistling through the air towards the approaching pirate ship.

As the cannonballs hurtled through the air, the pirate ship with a black flag and horrible-looking design swiftly maneuvered, attempting to dodge the incoming onslaught. But the Sea Maiden's captain, Mary, was a seasoned sailor, and she expertly steered her ship, anticipating the Pirate's evasive moves. With a commanding voice, she directed her crew to reload the cannons swiftly.

"Prepare for another volley!" Mary bellowed, her eyes ablaze with determination.

One of the sharpshooters of the crew, skillfully aimed her musket at the enemy ship's deck. With a steady hand, she pulled the trigger, and the musket's report rang out, hitting one of the pirates attempting to board the Sea Maiden. The enemy's advance was momentarily halted, allowing Vivienne, the agile swordswoman, to leap into action.

"Lady Vivienne, come back, let our crew deal with these people, you should hide," Mary shouted scared, as she didn't want anything happening to her lady, but she forgot one thing important about the girl in front of her. She was the offspring of that War Demoness, Victoria Bloodborne.

"Mary, do your thing, leave this place to me, I'm quite angry so this is the perfect time to make mincemeat out of these pirates," Vivienne shouted, as she looked at Mary. Lilith's skills and her resonance weren't the best when it came to violence, so she had no option but to hide.

The clash of metal and the thunder of cannons echoed across the ocean as both ships engaged in a deadly dance of destruction. Boarding hooks flew through the air, and the pirates attempted to swing over to The Sea Maiden.

With her Phoenix straight sword working like a raging fire, Lilith parried and struck, fending off the pirates who dared to approach. Her graceful movements seemed almost dance-like as she defended the ship's perimeter, skillfully driving the attackers back.

She was dancing on the battlefield like a one-woman army, defending a whole area, which was getting invaded by the pirates, which caused everyone in the crew to whistle seeing her skills.

"<Phoenix Rebirth: Smoldering Blade>," In an instant, a murmur escaped her lips, and her resonance weapon ignited with a radiant blaze of crimson. Assuming a stance reminiscent of a baseball player preparing to swing, she braced herself for what was to come.

With the grace of a seasoned warrior, she spun into action, evading the first pirate's clumsy swing. In one fluid motion, she countered with a swift horizontal slash, the smouldering blade leaving a trail of flames in its wake. The pirate stumbled back, clutching her cut arm, as she realized the formidable adversary she faced.

The other pirates, undeterred by their comrade's defeat, pressed on, attempting to overwhelm her with their sheer numbers. But she was unfazed, channelling her inner strength and determination to take on this wave of invaders.

Like a deadly dancer, she wove through their attacks, sidestepping, parrying, and retaliating with deadly precision. Each swing of her blazing blade sent pirates flying, engulfed in a whirlwind of flames. Her movements were a spectacle of grace and power, reminiscent of the legendary War Demoness.

Meanwhile, the Sea Maiden's cannons unleashed another barrage, causing splintered wood and shattered sails on the Pirate ship. It retaliated, returning fire with its own set of cannons, but the crew's unity and Mary's strategic prowess kept the Sea Maiden agile, narrowly avoiding most of the enemy's heavy artillery.

"Let's go! We are winning, don't stop," One of the girls shouted as she took the helm on behalf of Mary, since she had to make sure that the princess and her lady stayed safe.

"Hooooooo, no one can beat us, not even these pirates, we are going to destroy them," Everyone in the crew started to celebrate seeing fewer and fewer cannon shots coming from the enemies and they assumed pirates were trying to find a way to escape this battle.

"Vivienne!" Captain Mary came running toward her lady shouting her name, but more than that she genuinely looked worried like a mother, as she suddenly started to check Vivienne's body for any injuries. "You were so careless, my lady, I shouldn't have known whose daughter you were,"

Vivienne just laughed at her antics as she kicked the last hook that was on the side of the ship and looked at the pirate ship, which suddenly stopped reacting to them.

"Looks like they are out of people, should be a good lesson not to mess with people," Mary chuckled at Vivienne's words, but her laughter abruptly ceased when she caught sight of something lurking behind her. In a split second, she pushed Vivienne aside, her face contorting with fear. There, opposite the pirate ship, was another ship closing in fast and the darkness allowed her to see the light that flashed before her eyes clearly.

Vivienne was initially disoriented, her senses dulled and her ears ringing, unsure of what had just occurred. But as her consciousness returned to normal, an overwhelming pain gripped her heart witnessing the scene in front of her. Before she stood Mary, bleeding profusely and kneeling on the ground, a large portion of her shoulder gruesomely missing.

"Maaaary!" Vivienne shouted but before she could reach her, another explosion happened, but luck was on their side as the enemy missed the target this time.

The chaos on the deck was overwhelming, with cannons booming and the sounds of wood splintering as both pirate ships relentlessly attacked from either side.

Vivienne quickly understood that they were being led into a trap, as the pirate ship that pretended to be escaping suddenly started coming back in their direction and behind them was another huge ship, that was even larger than the previous one.

Vivienne's heart sank as she looked around, witnessing the crew members falling one by one, some swallowed by the unforgiving sea. The situation seemed dire, and their ship was on the brink of sinking.

"Mary!" Vivienne shouted again, trying to reach her wounded captain, but the enemy fire forced her to take cover behind a tattered sail. But still, she managed to grab Mary, after trying her best.

Captain Mary mustered the strength to turn her head and lock eyes with Vivienne. Despite the pain etched on her face, her eyes were fierce and determined. Blood was seeping from her wounds, and she was losing strength rapidly, but she refused to give up.

"Vivienne, you must go," Captain Mary managed to say between labored breaths. "Take the life-saving boats, save yourself, and the crew."

Tears streamed down Vivienne's face as she shook her head, clinging to the hope that somehow they would survive this ordeal together, but she knew it was just a futile dream seeing the missing part of her shoulder and her blood loss. "I can't leave you, Mary! We've faced everything together. I won't abandon you now!"

Captain Mary forced a weak smile. "Listen to me, my lady. I am beyond saving. But you... you can still make it. You must reach your brother, Oliver. Tell him what happened here, and make sure he knows I love him and tell him that I was sorry for not helping him in a desperate situation."

Vivienne sobbed, torn between her loyalty to her aunt's figure and the painful reality unfolding before her. "I can't leave you like this!"

"You must," Captain Mary insisted. "It's the only way. Save yourself, save our crew. Continue to live and carry on the legacy of the Sea Maiden. That's an order."

With those words, Vivienne felt a sense of duty and responsibility wash over her and her brain started to take over her heart. She knew Captain Mary was right. Reluctantly, she nodded, her heart heavy with grief and determination. She hugged her captain tightly, whispering, "I will never forget you, Mary. You were like a real mother to me,"

Captain Mary mustered a weak nod, her strength waning. "Now go, Vivienne. Save yourself."

Vivienne reluctantly released her grip and stumbled towards the life-saving boats, her heart aching as she watched Captain Mary's condition deteriorate. The crew's desperate cries filled the air as their ship continued to take heavy fire.

On her way, she grabbed Lilith, who was hiding as well as all the people in the crew that wanted to leave.

As Vivienne let Lilith and some of the crew climb into the first lifeboat, she couldn't help but glance back one last time at Captain Mary, who was now being supported by the remaining crew members, who wanted to spend their last moments with their captain. Their eyes locked once more, and in that moment, Vivienne knew she had to survive not just for herself but also for her fallen captain and crewmates.

With tears streaming down her face, Vivienne pushed the life-saving boat away from the sinking ship and threw it into the ocean, and she was lucky enough to not get noticed as the explosions were still going on, but then suddenly she saw the pirates of the new ship getting onto their ship through the hooks.

"Hurry! We don't have time, we should leave, I can't let any of you die," Vivienne shouted as she tried to drop the second and the last boat, which she was boarded in, but then she saw something which sent chills down her spine.

The first person who got on their ship from the enemy's ship was actually her sister's second-in-command. She kicked him in the stomach when Vivienne entered the room. This made her realize how these 'pirates' discovered their ship.

"So it was you, Isabella," With her teeth grinding against each other, Vivienne muttered silently as she kept looking at the sea maiden, while her crew tried to take some distance so they could easily escape.