Even sleep-deprived, she seemed to be overflowing with energy. At the very least, I didn’t have to worry about her motivation levels.
“All right, then let’s board the boat and get ready. It’s almost time for the race.”
“Right!”
▽
“The race for the throne of Atlantis... will now commence. I, the king of Laputa... will be presiding over this contest.”
Just before the race, the king of Laputa announced to the crowd that she would personally oversee the handling of the prize. The people intently listened in silence to the young yet dignified king, but...
“We shall leave the commentary... to you.”
“All riiight! Just leave it to me, Your Majesty!”
“H-Huh?!”
I was taken aback by the energetic young girl who stepped out from behind the Laputian king.
“YEEEAAAAAH!”
But upon her appearance, the crowd burst into a ruckus of cheering and fist pumping. Looking around, I could see vendors selling drinks and food, as well as spectators amusing themselves by placing bets on who would win.
“Wh-What is going on?” I asked.
“I told you this was a grand event,” said Nyanyan.
“Yeah, but still... The throne’s on the line here.”
It wasn’t my place to tell them to be respectful, but good grief.
“And now, without further ado, it’s time for our teams to board their boats!”
The worst offender of all was probably the overexcited commentator herself, who was riding a miniature airship hovering over the starting line. She was probably going to report on the race from the air. Whatever, I guess. It was probably a good thing to have a third party watching the race closely.
Anyway, the four of us boarded our boat on cue. Nyanyan, of course, took the helm. I didn’t recognize the guy who appeared to be the helmsman for the other team, but Nyanyan froze when she saw him.
“What’s wrong?”
“That man is last year’s champion.”
“Seriously?”
“That lowlife uncle of mine...! I guess he’s willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
There, Boboza seemed to notice us and smiled like he was ready to break out into guffawing at any second. Nyanyan gritted her teeth and furrowed her brow in a mix of displeasure and frustration.
“It’ll be fine. I’m not above using whatever means necessary in order to win, either. We won’t lose,” I said, patting her on the shoulder and trying to encourage her.
“R-Really? You seem an awful lot like the fair and square, by-the-book type.”
“Me? Nah. Kind of the opposite, honestly. I’m a weak nobody, so I have to play whatever cards I can to win. Scheming and loopholes are right in my wheelhouse.”
Like zapping a Demon Overlord with a laser or cheating my way out of an underground labyrinth by busting through the ceiling. That kinda stuff.
“At any rate, just leave it to me. All you have to do is concentrate on driving.”
“All right.”
Nyanyan took her seat by the till and looked ahead with a slightly less tense expression. Once both teams had settled in, we sat in position waiting for the signal.
“Oookay, folks! It’s almost time to start!”
The crowd seemed to reach peak size now that the main event was fast approaching, and the commentator took that as a sign it was time to kick things off. She pulled out a red flag and held it high overhead. Both Nyanyan and the other helmsman had their eyes locked on it, and the moment it dropped...
“Raaaargh!”
Boboza’s team suddenly threw something our way, but Sherlyn and I knocked it into the water before it could do anything. Because of that, I couldn’t tell for sure, but I would have bet money it was a smokescreen or something else meant to blind us.
“Tch!” Boboza clicked his tongue.
“I saw that one coming a mile away!” I yelled mockingly back at him.
“What a start! Team Boboza launched an attack right out of the gate, but Team Nyanyan was ready and waiting for it! Both teams start off neck and neck!”
Just as the commentator in the tiny airship described, our boats were practically sailing along next to each other.
“Oof, wow! This really is a rough ride!”
If Shirley hadn’t warned us earlier, I probably would’ve been thrown overboard immediately. But I was prepared and held fast to the side of the boat as I kept a watchful eye on Boboza and his team.
“There’s no way they’d try the same thing twice, right?”
Maybe it was because their initial surprise attack had failed so spectacularly, but they didn’t seem to be up to anything more. We continued to sail speedily along as we circled the island, eventually coming to a sharp curve.
“Crap!”
Boboza’s team got to it before us and took the inside lane, pulling ahead. By the time we came out on the other side, they were about half a minute ahead of us. It was starting to show that they had a former champion driving their boat. The difference in skill was too great for even a talented amateur like Nyanyan to overcome.
“Ugh!”
She clenched her jaw, desperately trying to control the boat as it rocked violently up and down. With her emotionally charged handling, we were hot on the trail of Boboza’s team. But then, a strange shadow appeared on the horizon...
“Uh, what’s that?”
“Ladies and gentlemen, we’re now approaching the first obstacle!” said the commentator, inadvertently answering my question. “The crowd favorite, the rocky zone, has made another return this year! One wrong move here will spell ruin for either team’s boat, but going around will cost them on the clock! What’s it going to be?! It’s time for our competitors to show us what they’re made of!”
“What are we going to do, Nyanyan?” I asked.
“Shut up! I’m concentrating right now!” she yelled as we charged right into the rocky zone.
As its name implied, the rocky zone was indeed quite rocky. Boulders had been scattered with just enough space between them to allow a single boat to pass through. Visibility was terrible, and at the speed we were going, the commentator was right. One misstep, and we’d be out of the running immediately here.
Thunk!
“Uwah!”
It didn’t take long before we clipped one of the large rocks. Really, all we did was bump into it a little, but it felt like a full-on collision with how fast we were going. I looked around in a panic, but thankfully no one had fallen overboard. Nevertheless, the mistake had cost us a precious few seconds that allowed Boboza’s team to pull even further ahead.
“Just you wait, Uncle!”
“Calm down, Nyanyan! It’s too dangerous to be reckless here. Let’s just get through the rocky zone safely for now.”
“Tch!”
“I understand how you feel, but you have to be patient. The race only just started. We still have plenty of time to catch up.”
The worst-case scenario was crashing the boat. If we had to retire, it would be an instant win for Boboza. As such, I tried to calm Nyanyan down as much as possible to increase our chances of getting out of this obstacle safely.
“Both teams are moments away from making it through... Oh, what’s this?!”
I was terrified to think what would make the commentator gasp like that, but I would soon find out the cause.
“A-A net?!”
There was a net stretched between two boulders almost dead in front of us, forcing us to bring the boat to an emergency halt.
“Curse you, Uncle!”
Nyanyan clicked her tongue as she turned us around to take another route. At least we were safe, but this little stunt of Boboza’s really did cost us. By the time we got out of the rocky zone, his team was a good twenty meters or so ahead of us.
“Oh, no! After getting caught in Team Boboza’s net, Team Nyanyan has fallen behind! Will they ever recover?!”
As the high-spirited co
mmentator rehashed the situation for the crowd, we did our best to close the gap.
“Rekka. What should we do...?” Rain asked as she clung to the boat.
“Based on the inclusion of interference and obstacles, the main point of this race is its entertainment value. I’d bet there’s somewhere ahead that’ll give us a chance to turn the tables.”
The real thrill of a competition was the moment of reversal. The great upset. The comeback. Especially in a race. If there were obstacles, surely there would be something along the way that would give us a fighting chance. Of course, I wasn’t expecting it to come for free.
“Keep your eyes peeled, ladies and gentlemen! Now that we’ve reached the middle stretch of the course, it’s time for... the dark cave!”
Hearing that, I turned to see what we were getting into. Up ahead past Boboza’s boat was a large cape jutting out from the island. There appeared to be a cave entrance right at the base of it along the water.
“You guessed it, folks! The dark cave is pitch black inside! Our teams will have to navigate through it with only the light they have on board... if they dare! The waters are shallow, and the rocks are sharp! One wrong move will put a hole right through the hull of their boats, but they say fortune favors the brave! If they successfully manage to make it through, the dark cave is actually an incredible shortcut!” the commentator explained. “But buyer beware! Looking at the race data from the past ten years, the crash rate is an astounding 98 percent! There have been a few lucky teams who made it through, but their boats were too badly damaged to even finish the race!”
Nothing ventured, nothing gained, I guess. And it looked like Boboza’s team was playing it safe. They veered away from the entrance on a course to go around the cape instead. But what about us? This shortcut might be our chance, but the commentator made it sound way too dangerous. Should we hold out for another opportunity? The race was already halfway over now, so if we waited too long...
“Rekka, do you have anything small that can give off light?” Rain suddenly asked.
“Um... If you only need a small light, what about my cellphone?” I asked in return.
“That’ll do. Let me borrow it,” she replied in a tone that didn’t allow any room for argument.
That was rare coming from her, but she didn’t hesitate to take my phone. She then turned and told Nyanyan to head for the dark cave.
“A-Are you sure?” Nyanyan asked, looking at Rain with uncertainty.
In response, Rain simply smiled and said, “Yes, I will lead the boat with this light. Make sure you follow me carefully.”
“But Rain, this boat goes a hundred kilometers an hour. Even if we decelerate in the cave, do you think you’ll be able to keep ahead of us?” I asked, worried.
Rain then turned her calm and composed smile on me.
“My, Rekka. Have you forgotten? I am a mermaid. I won’t lose to anyone in the water. Even in total darkness, I can clearly make out the tidal currents. Avoiding obstructions will be simple,” she reassured me with a confident nod.
“All right, Nyanyan! You heard her—to the cave!”
“Oh fine, whatever!” Nyanyan shouted, tossing her worries to the wind as she made a beeline for the cave entrance.
“Oho! Team Nyanyan has gotten ambitious! They’re headed for the shortcut in the dark cave... But will they make it out safely?!”
Our unexpected course had certainly gotten the commentator’s attention.
“Well, then, I’ll be off.”
After giving us a polite bow, Rain hopped off the boat. Jumping into the roaring, open ocean at speeds like this would ordinarily be tantamount to suicide, but Rain was no ordinary girl. Several seconds after her long, pink hair disappeared under the waves, she resurfaced alongside the boat. She then accelerated and overtook us with ease, slipping into the dark cave. We followed her in.
“Wow...”
True to name, it really was dark in here. Without a light, you couldn’t see anything at all. That 98-percent crash rate was perfectly understandable. In order to navigate safely through this place, you’d have to go at a dead crawl. That is, if you didn’t have a mermaid leading the way for you.
In order to keep track of the light from the phone she was holding, we turned down the light on the ship as low as we could and proceeded through the cave doing our best to suppress the fear of screwing this whole operation up. Eventually, another light came into view.
“Is that...?”
Yes, we’d made it to the end of the cave! Coming out into bright daylight again, however, we were all temporarily blinded by the sun. I clung to the side of the boat as best I could so I wouldn’t immediately be thrown overboard once we hit rough water again, but Nyanyan’s vision was compromised too. We were forced to slow down for a few seconds, but once I could see again...
“Would you looky there! It’s Team Nyanyan, alive and well! Defying all odds and expectations, they’ve somehow made it out of the dark cave and are now well in the lead ahead of Team Boboza, who took the long way around the cape!”
Hearing that, my heart leaped.
“Nyanyan, can you see yet?! Can you still drive?!”
“Even if I can’t, I will!” Nyanyan yelled, accelerating the boat once more.
This was it, the grand reversal. It had been dangerous, but we’d come out on top. And we had to seize it—which, unfortunately, meant there wasn’t time to stop completely and get Rain back on the boat, so she had to follow us in the water for now. The slowdown after exiting the cave had already cost us precious time, and Boboza’s team was already coming around the cape by the time we got back up to speed. In short, we were ahead as we entered the last leg of the race, but not by as much as I would have liked.
“Both teams are in the home stretch now, folks! Team Nyanyan is in the lead, but can they keep it up?!” the commentator announced as we hit the final turn.
“Bohahahaha! You did better than I expected, Princess Nyanyan!”
“Ugh!”
We could hear Boboza shouting from his boat, which was dangerously close behind us now. He was apparently leaving all the hard work on their side to his subordinates, so he was free to taunt us all he liked. Of course, Nyanyan was concentrating and didn’t have the leisure to respond in kind. She was desperate to keep her lead over last year’s champion.
“But it’s such a shame...” Boboza continued. “You didn’t stand a chance from the beginning!”
“Wh-What—?!”
I wanted to ask what he meant, but before I could, our boat quickly began decelerating.
“Huh?!”
We managed to finish rounding the corner while coasting, but Boboza’s team overtook us almost instantly.
“What?! What’s this?! Team Nyanyan has suddenly come to a stop! Is it bad luck, or was it some plot?! Either way, Team Boboza has pulled ahead to take the lead!”
“What’s wrong, Nyanyan?!”
“I don’t know! It just stopped working!”
“Wait a minute...”
What Boboza just said... Don’t tell me he did something to our boat! It was against the rules to outright damage your opponent’s boat though, which would mean Boboza was cheating. And if that were the case, he’d be automatically disqualified... But Boboza knew that. He might have done something incredibly sneaky that wouldn’t implicate him. Something that would look like an accident.
“N-No...!”
Nyanyan let out a pained groan as she watched her uncle pull away from us. Despair filled her eyes.
“Rekka! If it’s come to this, I’ll pull the boat myself!” Rain declared in the heat of the moment.
She valiantly tried to grab hold of the boat, but there was no way her thin arms would be able to handle a boat this size. No, maybe she couldn’t, but...
“Sherlyn!”
“Mmhmm?”
“I need to ask a ridiculous favor!”
“You got it.”
That was way too easy, but Sherlyn gave me a firm n
od and asked what she needed to do.
“Well, first...”
I explained the details of my absurd request.
“That sounds like a recipe for a sore back later, but I guess we don’t have any choice!”
Sherlyn laughed, then...
“Mark!”
She cast her Mark spell on our boat and hopped off.
“Here we go, Sherlyn!”
“Thanks!”
Once she was in the water, Sherlyn swam over to Rain and wrapped her arms around her neck. Rain then took off, zipping ahead of us like she had earlier in a rare, serious display for the mermaid princess.
“Steal!”
Next, we could hear Sherlyn casting her other spell over the crashing waves. The boat Nyanyan and I were on then instantly accelerated, pulled along by Sherlyn’s magic.
“Wh-Wh-Wha?!”
“Hold on to me, Nyanyan!”
She was about to fall right off the boat, so I grabbed on to her and then held on for dear life myself. A mermaid’s top swimming speed easily surpassed that of the boat, as Rain had demonstrated for us earlier in the cave. So with Rain dragging Sherlyn and Sherlyn dragging the boat, we were all moving along at Rain’s breakneck pace. The real question mark in the equation was whether or not Sherlyn would be able to hold on like this. She’d confidently accepted the task, but it still wasn’t guaranteed to work. I was worried, but my worries were blown out of the water as the boat zipped along at an incredible speed. We easily overtook Boboza in the blink of an eye, and...
“Whaaat?!”
We left him and his dumb, shocked face in the dust as we crossed the finish line.
▽
Not two days later, it was time for Nyanyan’s coronation ceremony on Laputa. After the race, Boboza had tried to discredit our victory by claiming we cheated. The king of Laputa herself reviewed the claim and determined that we hadn’t actually broken any rules, so his argument was thrown out. Go figure he was so fixated on coming up with sneaky ways to slow us down that he didn’t even realize that us speeding up on our own was perfectly allowable.
“Even though it was announced beforehand, we had to shuttle all the Atlantians to Laputa via airship... Thank goodness Atlantis is only about as big as Vatican City,” sighed Hibiki.
I Saved Too Many Girls and Caused the Apocalypse: Volume 12 Page 14