Chapter 740: Surrender
Doran shouted in alarm, eyes going wide. He pushed the old captain aside and raised his cutlass, but Nox was already upon him. They met blade-to-fist; the swing collided with a forearm hardened by a sheath of ice. Metal screeched against the magical shield.
The force of the parry sent the young pirate skidding back into the railing. He grunted in pain, shock all over his face at how quickly his leverage had been shattered.
"Dang, so strong!" he gritted his teeth.
Two pirates remained on their feet—one still holding a hostage while the other charged forward with a roar of rage. Nox neutralized the charging attacker first, spinning and delivering a backhand strike.
BANG!
The blow caught the man in the side of the head, snapping his neck with a sickening crack. He was dead before his body hit the deck.
The final pirate, desperate, pressed his knife against the sailor boy’s throat. "S-stop! Or I’ll cut him!" he yelled, voice quavering. The young hostage squeezed his eyes shut, trembling in his grip.
The winged fighter fixed him with a cold gaze, hands already stained with the blood of his comrades.
"Drop the knife," came the order, each step deliberate. There was no mercy in the voice now—only the promise of wrath. "This is your only chance."
The desperate man’s eyes darted around. The teenage captain was struggling to stand by the railing, and the giant shark in the water thrashed in agitation at the carnage on deck, but could not aid its master here. Surrounded by death and clearly outmatched, the last pirate lost his nerve. With a clatter, he let the dagger fall and raised his hands, releasing the hostage.
"Wise choice." Nox gave a curt nod. A part of him wanted to end the man as well—he couldn’t risk any of these criminals coming back to terrorize again. But the pirate had surrendered, and he was not a cold-blooded executioner. He stepped past the disarmed foe, eyes now locked on the young captain.
The boy had regained his footing and still held his cutlass, though his hands shook. All his men lay dead or dying around him except the one who surrendered. The hostages were cowering aside, free now. His plan had completely fallen apart.
Yet his blue eyes still burned with defiance.
"Demon..." he growled, "I’ll kill you for this!"
Nox approached calmly, wings folding behind his back. At this range, he noticed the numerous scars along the youth’s arms and a brand on his neck—likely a pirate crew’s mark. Despite his age, he had clearly lived through hardships. But there was no room for sympathy now.
"It’s over," Nox said quietly. "Your men are finished. Surrender."
Instead of answering, the boy suddenly raised a small whistle to his lips—one that had been hanging around his neck on a cord. He blew on it, a sharp trill almost inaudible to human ears, but the effect was immediate. Out in the bay, the giant shark let out a thundering bellow. Its black eyes flashed with fury as it rocketed toward the ship once more, responding to its master’s call.
Watching the beast draw closer, Nox’s mind spun into motion. He could easily kill it, but at the cost of the merchant ship being destroyed and flooded.
He quickly thought of an alternative. Just before the massive creature could crash into the hull, a large blue gate opened in midair.
The pirate captain’s gaze snapped skyward, and he couldn’t help but murmur under his breath, ’What is he up to now?’
At first, he thought this was another trick by the demonic freak and braced himself for an attack. But then something clicked. Why did those portals seem so familiar?
It took a moment, but he remembered where he had seen such gates before. Right before the surviving pirate and the merchants’ eyes, a dragon emerged from the portal.
The Frost Dragon flapped its mighty wings and circled the ship, piercing blue eyes locked on the shark.
The sea beast sensed the overwhelming presence and subconsciously slowed its charge.
The boy’s face turned as pale as a sheet of paper, his mouth hanging open like he had just seen a ghost.
"A-a d-dragon," he stuttered, eyes gleaming with a mixture of fear and trepidation, legs wobbling beneath him.
The others were also in a trance; some had already wet themselves.
Dragons... they were rare creatures many believed to be mere myth. Known as the most powerful beings, their presence validated the reaction. Even though Nox was on their side now, what was stopping him from suddenly turning against them?
The human heart was fickle, after all.
It was safe to say the beast tamer was enjoying the scene. If he hadn’t wanted to experience the thrill of fighting pirates firsthand, he would have revealed the Frost Dragon earlier.
"Who are you?" the young captain finally asked in a shaky voice. "And more importantly, why do you have a dragon under your control?"
Suddenly his eyes widened as he remembered something. The demon had asked if he was a beast tamer. Now it all started making sense.
The reason he knew about them, even though it was a relatively rare profession that not many people knew of.
"You... you’re a beast tamer, aren’t you?" He gave a wry smile. Although he asked the question, he wasn’t expecting an answer—it was more a way to confirm his suspicion.
The cold look on Nox’s face faltered, and a small smirk tugged at the corner of his lips. That was all the confirmation the boy needed.
"You’re the first beast tamer I’ve come across," Nox said, clearing his throat. "The last thing I want is to get rid of you... so how about this: surrender, and let’s have a nice chat. I have a lot of things to ask you."
The pirate captain hesitated, but after one more glance at the dragon circling above, he shuddered and relented. "Fine."
***
Thanks to all those who support supreme BeastTamer!