After finishing her search of the brig in the ship’s hold, Shiori climbed the stairs and explored the corridor and the four rooms she had skipped earlier.

But every room was in tatters. There was nothing that looked even remotely usable.

During her search, several "possessed crew members" appeared.

Even when she deliberately let her guard down, hoping to be assaulted, the ship rocked violently each time. All they managed was a light touch before being thrown off.

Frustrated, Shiori had no choice but to defeat them.

"Phew... I hope something good happens next time..."

Muttering that, she climbed the stairs again.

Shiori arrived at the corridor with the storeroom door—the starting point of the ghost ship.

She began exploring the rooms behind the three doors she hadn’t noticed at first, but...

"There’s nothing here... I should’ve just gone up from the start..."

There was nothing noteworthy in those rooms either.

At most, a few more "possessed crew members" showed up.

The rocking was only getting worse.

With no desire to be violated this time, Shiori dispatched them quickly and, wearing a complicated expression, turned her gaze toward the stairs leading upward.

"...Ah, so this is the deck."

Climbing the stairs, she found a single door at the top.

Through the round glass panel in the door, she could see the ship’s deck stretching beyond.

But the glass itself was filthy. She couldn’t make out anything distant, let alone nearby.

"We don’t know what’s out there, but... let’s go anyway."

Bracing herself against the ship’s rocking, Shiori opened the door and stepped onto the deck.

"...Rain...?...No, this is..."

A few steps in, a single drop of water landed on her cheek.

She thought it was rain... A few seconds later, the drops suddenly grew faster and heavier, turning into a torrential downpour. The wind began to howl, and the situation escalated into a full-blown storm.

"Ah... oh, damn... this is... ah... it’s really hard to even move..."

As the storm intensified, the ship began to pitch violently.

The tremors from earlier had only been occasional.

Now it was constantly heaving from side to side.

On top of that, the raging wind made it impossible for Shiori to stand. She dropped to the deck and grabbed a nearby railing.

"Ugh, fighting in these conditions is brutal... Wait, what’s that...?"

Desperately clinging to the railing so she wouldn’t be blown away, Shiori noticed a figure standing at the far end of the deck—at the bow.

It was dim and stormy, so she couldn’t see it clearly, but despite the storm and the violent rocking, the figure stood there calmly, staring straight ahead.

Shiori instinctively sensed this was a different kind of being than the possessed sailors she’d fought so far.

"...nothing?"

"Uh..."

The figure seemed to notice Shiori’s presence.

It turned its gaze from the horizon to Shiori, who was crouched on the deck, and approached slowly—seemingly unfazed by the violent shaking.

Though tattered, its frock coat and the cutlass at its waist gave it the air of a "captain."

As it drew closer, its eyes gleamed a vivid red, visible even through the downpour. Shiori’s guard went up, and she looked at the name displayed above its head.

Possessed Captain Lv40.

As Shiori confirmed he was the captain of this ghost ship, the "possessed captain" raised a hand to his chin and spoke.

"Well, well... truly beautiful..."

"Uh..."

While Shiori wondered how to respond to those words, laced with unabashed admiration, she managed to stand. The "Possessed Captain" reached for the cutlass at his waist and slowly drew it.

"I don’t know where you wandered in from, but... it’s been a long time since I’ve met someone from elsewhere... and a young, beautiful woman at that."

...I absolutely will not let you get away.

I want you to become part of us... and spend plenty of time with me.

To do that... first, I’ll render you unconscious...!

"What are you...! Ugh...!"

The "possessed captain" had been staring at Shiori’s face and body as if licking her with his gaze, but the moment he finished speaking, he raised his cutlass and attacked.

Shiori dodged by leaping back on instinct and aimed her air rifle, but the violent rocking and storm made proper aim impossible. The wind bullet she fired veered off in a completely different direction.

"Hehe... Ha! Hmph!"

"Uh... uh, uh... uh, uh...!"

He watched Shiori’s movements with a smirk.

The "possessed captain" raised his cutlass again and struck.

Seeing that the ship’s motion and storm didn’t affect him at all, Shiori dodged the attack by jumping back once more.

"Heh heh... It’s best not to move around too much. After all, it’s a storm.

Someone unfamiliar with ships might accidentally fall overboard.

Besides, you might hit something nearby and mar that beautiful skin. That would break my heart... so just be quiet and fall into my hands...!"

"I... I refuse!"

"This is a special boss battle... it’d be no fun if I lost so easily...! ♡ I’ve been kept waiting this long... I want to fully savor the humiliation of defeat...!"

The "possessed captain" watched Shiori with feigned concern as he swung his cutlass without mercy.

While dodging, Shiori was inwardly thrilled.

She fired her air rifle as a counterattack, but... it didn’t even graze the "possessed captain."

"You’re just wandering around aimlessly... Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to get a little serious... Hmph...!"

"Ah, but...!?"

"S-So suddenly and quickly...?!"

As he said that, the "possessed captain’s" movements abruptly sped up... Shiori couldn’t dodge. The cutlass slammed into the side of her head.

"Ah, uh... uh, uh, uh..."

"First... my consciousness... is going... this far... ♡"

He seemed to be holding back, striking with the blunt side of the blade, but it was still a critical hit.

Shiori collapsed and lost consciousness.

"Uh, uhhh... uh..."

"Hmm, so she’s unconscious. In that case, let’s carry her away quickly before the wind blows her off."

After Shiori lost consciousness, the "possessed captain" said that, sheathed his cutlass, scooped up her limp body, and started walking.

He headed for the captain’s cabin, located at the top of the stairs on the deck.

The "possessed captain" entered the room and laid Shiori down on the bed.

Normally she would’ve been thrown off by the ship’s rocking, but... the moment they entered the captain’s cabin, the shaking stopped completely. Shiori’s body didn’t move from the bed.

"Hehe... Ah, truly beautiful."

Her face and body are magnificent. I can’t help but stare...

Ah... I’m so happy that such a beautiful woman has wandered in..."

"Mmhmm... Mmhmm..."

Gently stroking Shiori’s cheek with his palm, the "possessed captain" gazed at her beauty and her body with burning intensity.

"Well then... let’s have you go through the process of becoming a member of this ship."

"Uh, uh..."

After caressing Shiori’s cheek for a while, the "possessed captain" said that, then flashed a nasty, wicked smile.