The area beneath the watchtower was in utter chaos.

“I—!”

“Hey, move in pairs! If you get attacked from behind, you’re done for—”

“Up top! They’re climbing across the rooftops!”

“Protect your fingers! They’re aiming for them—”

A multitude of disciples and members of the security forces had gathered at the scene, swords swinging.

But even so, they were outnumbered—overwhelmed by the ever-increasing swarm of rats, blood spraying across the battlefield.

Klaha, too, was engaged in the fight.

She drove her sword through a rat that had sunk its teeth into a nearby disciple’s forearm.

“Thanks! You saved me!”

There was no time for her to even respond with a “you’re welcome.”

Attacks were coming from all directions—no, even more than that. The rats were small, requiring them to bend low to strike. Yet these nimble creatures also used nearby structures as footholds, launching attacks from above.

It was an incredibly difficult fight.

However, if there was any silver lining—

“Damn it! These things, they’re nothing on their own!”

Icca’s frustrated shout.

But to Klaha, that was precisely where she saw an opportunity.

If the rats kept multiplying and they lost control of the situation—then, without a doubt, the central city would suffer casualties on the same scale as when Inst attacked.

But in terms of strength—

That monstrous bird, Insto, which had taken an entire S-rank party working together to bring down, was far more formidable.

That meant—

If the problem was numbers, not individual strength—

“—If we could just take them all down in one sweep.”

And the means to do so—

Klaha had already found it since arriving in this town.

“Excuse me, I’m going up!”

“Huh?”

She didn’t spare a second to respond to Icca’s surprise.

Her gaze was fixed on the watchtower beside her.

She began chanting.

“—Blow, fiercely!”

A rush of air.

Raindrops, meant to fall, suddenly halted midair, suspended by an upward gust.

Klaha didn’t consider it a particularly powerful spell.

It was a mobility-enhancing spell—meant to create strong winds to aid in midair maneuvering.

If she had greater physical ability, she could have reached the top with a single jump, like Ziel or Icca.

“Hah—!”

But for now, this was the best she could do.

Rather than climbing the rain-slick ladder rung by rung, she used the gusts to propel herself, gripping the framework of the watchtower and ascending as quickly as possible.

Raindrops slammed into her face head-on, forcing her to squint—but still, somehow, she managed to reach the top.

“O-oi, who are you—”

“Excuse me!”

She clumsily hoisted herself onto the watchtower.

Taking the place of Chikano, who had left to defend elsewhere, was a disciple wielding a bow.

She quickly asked for his permission and borrowed his binoculars.

“—No way. Even with them holding it back, there’s still so many…”

Her fingers trembled.

The number of rats swarming where Ziel and Chikano had gone was incomparable to the ones beneath the watchtower.

If those creatures flooded into town, not even scraps of flesh would remain—Klaha understood this, not through logic, but through instinct, after her own battle with them.

But now, she had no choice but to believe.

She had to trust that Ziel and Chikano would hold them back. From here, there was no way she could assist them—her magic simply wouldn’t reach that far.

Her mission was here.

The watchtower, serving as the town’s information hub, and the dojo. Eliminating the rats here would reestablish these two defensive lines.

The situation at the watchtower was clear.

But the real concern was—

“—Wait, the dojo…”

“It’s fine! Master Saminato went back in your place!”

No sign of rats attacking the dojo.

How exactly a martial artist like Saminato had managed to fend off such a massive swarm was a mystery—but in any case, it was a relief.

That made things simple.

The rats here needed to be eliminated.

Once that was done, the worst could be avoided.

With her resolve set, her course of action was clear.

She turned to the man beside her—a dojo member, no doubt.

She quickly explained her plan.

At first, he looked taken aback.

Then—

“Theoretically, it’s possible, but the timing—”

“I can use a communication spell.”

She demonstrated.

It was a spell she had used before in the defense of the central city—a magic that allowed her voice to reach distant allies.

It was a relatively advanced spell, so its range was limited.

But it was enough to reach those around the watchtower.

She tested it on the disciple in front of her. He scowled, but then—

“—Guess we’ll have to rely on Icca for this one.”

With that, Klaha immediately sent her voice to those fighting below.

Only three things needed to be conveyed.

After relaying them, she added, “If possible, please confirm.”

Their responses came swiftly.

“Church side, all clear! We can do this!”

“Dojo side, no issues! Give the signal!”

They raised their voices against the rain.

The last one—

Icca, slightly delayed.

Slashing down the attacking rats—gripping both swords tightly.

Then, Icca looked up at Klaha.

“—Got it, I’ll do it! Everyone, be careful, alright?”

With that, all the pieces were in place.

Now, Klaha had only one task left.

To ensure the success of this tactic.

She widened her eyes, scrutinizing the battlefield below. Watching the chaotic mix of dozens of people and hundreds of rats. Who wielded a sword? How did the injured move? What was the lag time after the church believers activated their barriers? Were there any rats lurking in blind spots? The rain, the wind direction, the mud and water—when was the precise moment?

Now,

Having determined it,

“Jump!!”

She shouted through the communication spell.

The disciples, swinging their swords, all leapt at once—because at that moment, everyone engaged in combat had just enough leeway to do so.

“Barrier!!”

The next command was almost unnecessary.

The clergy—and even Klaha, who had some ability with holy magic—had already begun their preparatory movements when she gave the first order.

Before her words even finished transmitting, the barriers had already been deployed.

These were insulation barriers, designed specifically to counter lightning magic.

They appeared beneath the airborne disciples and church believers, creating platforms that were suspended in midair, not touching the ground.

The gathered clergy were not particularly powerful. Their barriers could support the disciples' weight, but would likely shatter instantly if struck by a strong spell—fragile constructs at best.

But what mattered most—

Was not direct impact, but preventing the electricity from spreading.

“Great—”

The final communication spell—

Was no longer needed, yet Klaha still found herself shouting it.

“Icca!!”

“—Thunder God Twins!!”

Lightning surged across the ground.

“Ughh—!”

Icca's agonized cry did not seem to stem from a lack of power.

With his hands pressed against the dirt and the puddles of water, he activated the magic sigil and unleashed the lightning—yet, desperately held it in check to prevent it from dissipating into the air or harming the surrounding disciples.

The insulated barriers of holy magic beneath them, along with the layer of air between, shielded the disciples from electrocution.

Meanwhile, the rats caught in the blast—paralyzed, unable to move—were mercilessly ravaged by the lightning.

One, ten, twenty—black mist erupted one after another, proof of their extermination.

“It’s done! Complete sweep!”

“Hell yeah!”

As Klaha shouted, Icca, his face clearly exhausted, collapsed onto the ground without caring about the rain soaking his body.

The acrid stench of burnt flesh rose even in the downpour, reaching the height of the watchtower… Klaha, confirming from above that every last rat below had been eradicated, muttered a quick, “Excuse me,” before descending once more.

Of course, her destination was Icca's side.

“Are you okay, Icca?”

“‘Course. …Or at least, I’d like to say that, but I pushed myself pretty hard, so I might be useless for a while…”

“Your hand—”

“Ah, no, it’s fine. Don’t worry.”

“I might shock you if you touch me,” Icca said, sitting up on his own.

“…So, does this mean it’s over?”

His voice carried a hint of hopeful expectation.

Klaha wanted to nod in affirmation—yet, she couldn’t bring herself to say something that wasn’t true.

Instead, she shook her head.

“Where Ziel and Chikano went, there were far more rats than here.”

“Ugh.”

“No matter how strong they are, they can’t hold them all back.”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me…” Icca slumped his shoulders in disappointment.

“I thought I just had my big moment… So, we have to keep going, huh?”

“Yes, it’s tough, but…”

Klaha scanned her surroundings.

Icca’s lightning had already dissipated. The insulated barriers used by the church believers had vanished, and the disciples had started moving toward their next objective.

She made eye contact with a female disciple.

The woman, gripping a sword, grinned and pumped her fist toward Klaha, who responded with a small bow.

Wondering if she had managed to help, even a little.

“Hey, Klaha?”

“Ah, yes! What is it?”

Realizing she had been looking away while someone was speaking to her, she quickly raised her voice, feeling guilty.

Icca, momentarily startled, then hesitated.

“No, well… It might be nothing, but earlier—”

But.

His words suddenly stopped.

Klaha found it strange for only a moment.

Then, she noticed—

Icca’s gaze had shifted elsewhere.

She turned around.

Looked behind her.

“What—”

“What the hell is that?”

Stunned.

Icca’s murmur reflected what everyone there must have felt.

Because none of them had noticed it before.

Even Klaha, who had been keeping watch from the top of the watchtower. Even she, who had been constantly scanning the surroundings for threats.

No sound, no presence.

It had simply appeared, as if out of nowhere.

“A demon—?”

Standing before them.

A single beast, horns protruding from its head.

If asked what it resembled—

Most would give the same answer.

A human.