"Magic?　Where did it come from?"

Reiko concentrated on her detection for a moment,

"Yes. From the looks of it, it's near the turnaround point."

When Hitoshi heard this, he thought that Marcia might be the target. But..,

"I don't think so, but is there anyone who could interfere with the competition?"

We don't know that from here.

"It's also possible that they're targeting Marcia, huh?"

Jin folded his arms and thought for a while, but even though they had met by chance and formed a team, he wanted Marcia to win. I want to see my ship win.

"All right, let's head for those waters."

And I don't like anyone interfering with a fair competition.

"The tournament officials will be nearby. If they are saboteurs, we will find them and turn them in.

He said enthusiastically.

"Yes, father. I will help you."

Naturally Reiko obeyed.

"All right, then, we'll take the boat we borrowed from Marcia.

The boat they had rented the day before yesterday was already at the pier. Hitoshi and Reiko left their seats and hurried there.

"Oh?　Jin and Reiko, where are you going?"

Reinhardt, who was watching from the top row of seats, saw them get out of their seats. He also saw them walking toward the pier.

"Hmm, interesting boat. Does it have waterwheels on both sides? I'd like to go to ......, but I guess I can't if I'm in the guest of honor section."

The guest of honor's seats are separated like private rooms for each nobleman, and guards stand at the entrances and exits so that one cannot leave his or her seat unnecessarily.

Reinhardt glanced at the two ladies standing behind him on either side of him and sighed in resignation.

As Reinhardt watches, the two seem to be leaving the harbor in the boat.

"Oh?　Oh?　Oh, that's fast!"

I couldn't help but exclaim. That's right, the outer wheel that Reiko was spinning was splashing high in the air and leaving the harbor in no time at all.

Since most of the people were watching the competition, only Reinhardt and a few others on the pier could see it.

"Okay, that's good, Reiko, keep it up."

Knowing that little attention would be paid to them because of the competition, Jin had been flying from the beginning.

And when he saw that he could no longer see the spectators' seats with his own eyes,

"Reiko, you can give me up to 20 percent."

"Yes, father."

Reiko could afford it, but any more would be too much for the outer ring, which was made of ready-made materials.

Reiko's slender arms spin the outer ring faster than the eye can see. The splashes are several meters high, and the boat is moving like an arrow.

The speed is probably over 60 kilometers per hour. That's more than twice as fast as the top of the race.

"That's fast!"

The boat is not a catamaran but a normal boat, so it is not stable. Even so, Reiko handled the boat well and it did not sway to the extent that I felt it was dangerous.

"Hey, hey, what the hell is that?"

One of the sailors on board the boat, which was responsible for broadcasting the competition through the Magic Eye, looked at her with a wide-eyed gaze.

A boat the size of a canoe passed by at an unbelievable speed.

The occupants appear to be a small man and a girl in a light blue one-piece dress and apron dress.

"Maybe my eyes have gone crazy. ......"

I rub my eyes and look again, and the boat is about to disappear into the horizon, leaving a white wake.

Since it was not a competition, Jin and Reiko went out to the open sea without going through the reef area.

They continued on their way to the magic that Reiko had detected.

"Reiko, what do you think?　What do you know about the other party?

"......"

Reiko does not answer. She is paddling, trying hard to detect the magic.

Finally, Reiko opens her mouth and says apologetically,

"Father, this is not human. Its magic power is getting stronger. It is definitely a Death Serpent. About 40 of them.

What?

They're the ones Reiko and Reinhardt killed.

They're coming this way at a very high speed. We're on our way too, and rapidly approaching.

"The Death Serpent, the one you dealt with the other day, right?"

Jin asked as if to confirm.

"Yes, father."

"So?　Can you beat it?"

Reiko answers in the affirmative.

"Yes, no problem."

"No problem? ......

If I had to name a problem, it would be that it takes a little bit of time.

They have 40 fish and we have one ship. The more time it takes, the more it will affect the competition.

"We can't turn back now, can we? ......"

This is about 10 km away from the competition turnaround point, the uninhabited island of Io. There were no boats in the area.

Now that the outer rings are worn out, it is unlikely that we will be able to reach our previous speed. Even if we turn back, we may be attacked from behind before we get back.

The bearings of the outer ring had worn out considerably. We made some emergency repairs,

"We have no choice," Jin said to himself.

Jin muttered to himself.

Jin smiles a little too much in his haste, but decides to think about how to deal with the Death Serpent based on the characteristics he has heard about.

They believed in Reiko's ability and wondered what they could do. And the time passed.

The time has passed.

"Contact will be made in a few minutes."

Reiko announces that she has detected the enemy. Jin gives one last, last bit of hope,

"Reiko, is there any chance that the Death Serpent won't attack us?"

I ask her. But Reiko says

"No, there is not. The wave of magical power transmitted from the serpent is ferocious and full of destructive impulse. In addition, the Death Serpent is a carnivore.

Jin heard this and made up his mind.

"I understand. Reiko! We'll take them as far away as possible!

"Yes, sir."

A few minutes passed, and the surface of the northeast sea began to ripple.

"Here it comes."

Reiko, who has much better eyesight than Jin, spots it. Jin immediately gives the order.

"Do it!"